Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Event-related potentials in a two-choice oddball task of impaired behavioral inhibitory control among males with tendencies towards cybersex addiction

Abstract Background and aims Impaired behavioral inhibitory control (BIC) is known to play a crucial role in addictive behavior. However, research has been inconclusive as to whether this is also the case for cybersex addiction. This study aimed to investigate the time course of BIC in male individuals with tendencies towards cybersex addiction (TCA) using event-related potentials (ERPs) and to provide neurophysiological evidence of their deficient BIC. Methods Thirty-six individuals with TCA and 36 healthy controls (HCs) were given a Two-Choice Oddball task that required them to respond differently to frequent standard stimuli (images of people) and infrequent deviant stimuli (pornographic images) within 1,000 ms. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded as the participants performed the task. Results Despite the similarity of standard stimuli between the groups in terms of reaction times (RTs), the RTs of the TCA group to deviant stimuli were much slower than those of the HC group. The behavioral difference was accompanied by group differences in the averaged amplitudes of N2 (200–300 ms) and P3 (300–500 ms) components in the deviant-standard difference wave. More specifically, compared to the HC group, the TCA group demonstrated smaller N2 and P3 amplitude differences for deviant than standard stimuli. Discussion and conclusions Individuals with TCA were more impulsive than HC participants and shared neuropsychological and ERP characteristics of substance use disorder or behavioral addictions, which supports the view that cybersex addiction can be conceptualized as a behavioral addiction.
Loss of aryl hydrocarbon receptor potentiates FoxM1 signaling to enhance self‐renewal of colonic stem and progenitor cells

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand‐activated transcription factor that senses xenobiotics, diet, and gut microbial‐derived metabolites, is increasingly recognized as a key regulator of intestinal biology. However, its effects on the function of colonic stem and progenitor cells remain largely unexplored. Here, we observed that inducible deletion of AhR in Lgr5+ stem cells increases the percentage of colonic stem cells and enhances organoid initiating capacity and growth of sorted stem and progenitor cells, while AhR activation has the opposite effect. Moreover, intestinal‐specific AhR knockout increases basal stem cell and crypt injury‐induced cell proliferation and promotes colon tumorigenesis in a preclinical colitis‐associated tumor model by upregulating FoxM1 signaling. Mechanistically, AhR transcriptionally suppresses FoxM1 expression. Activation of AhR in human organoids recapitulates phenotypes observed in mice, such as reduction in the percentage of colonic stem cells, promotion of stem cell differentiation, and attenuation of FoxM1 signaling. These findings indicate that the AhR‐FoxM1 axis, at least in part, mediates colonic stem/progenitor cell behavior.
Evidence that dysplasia related microRNAs in Barrett’s esophagus target PD-L1 expression and contribute to the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is the cancer arising from the esophagus, which frequently develop from Barrett’s esophagus (BE). Extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes, are nanosized vesicles of endosomal origin released from various types of cells that have been implicated in cancers. However, the significance of circulating exosomes during the progression of BE to EAC remains unknown. Sera exosmal microRNAs were profiled from 13 EAC and 12BE patients compared to 12 healthy controls. We found a substantial dysregulation of exosomal miRNA levels in BE compared to healthy control, and identified a unique signature of 24 up regulated and 14 down regulated miRNAs. Further validation showed exosomal miR-196a, -26b, -21, and -143 expression was significantly higher in BE and continued to have higher levels in EAC compared to healthy controls; while sera exosomal miR-378, -210, -205, and -200c-3p were significantly lower expressed in BE patients compared to compared to controls. Further, miR-378, -210, -205, and -200c-3p continue to have even lower levels in EAC patients compared to BE. Interestingly, sera expression levels of exosomal miR-15a, -16, and -193a-3p were significantly down regulated in BE PD-L1(+) patients; Sera exosomal miR-15a, -15b, -16, and -193a-3p expression levels in EAC PD-L1(+) patients were significantly lower (all p < 0.01) when compared to EAC PD-L1(-) patients. More importantly, the BE-EAC group had longitudinally decreased exosomal expression levels of miR-15a, -15b, -16, and -193a-3p from BE status to their EAC progression. In conclusion, distinct microRNA expression patterns were demonstrated in circulating exosomes from Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma; Furthermore exosomal microRNAs potentially targeting PD-L1 mRNA were down regulated in PD-L1 (+) BE and EAC patients.
Morpho-biochemical responses to salinity tolerance in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

The effect of salinity stress during germination, early seedling and vegetative growth on morphological and biochemical traits was evaluated for 18 genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) at 0, 60, 120, and 180 mM NaCl. Analysis of variance showed that the salinity stress had significant effect on all traits except shoot to root length and dry weight ratios. Though salinity stress delayed germination in all accessions, three local landraces, ‘Naein’, ‘Lordegan’ and ‘Talash’ germinated fastest under high salinity (120 mM NaCl). The Na uptake among the cultivars studied suggested that ‘COS-16’ (1.12 mg/g) and ‘Naein’ (1.07 mg/g) were most tolerant to salinity. Conversely, ‘Cardinal’ (1.89 mg/g) and ‘Talash’ (1.89 mg/g) that had the highest Na uptake were considered as the most susceptible cultivars. Seeds that germinated rapidly at 60 mM NaCl also germinated rapidly at 120 mM NaCl. At 180 mM NaCl, several accessions reached 50% germination by 6 days, demonstrating high genetic potential within P. vulgaris for salinity tolerance during germination. The biomass of radicles plus hypocotyls decreased with increasing salinity. Cluster analysis separated the accessions into three groups. Group I included salt sensitive accessions with late germination, high sensitivity index, and reduced seedling growth. Group II included salt tolerant accessions with rapid germination, high sensitivity index, and enhanced seedling growth. Group III only included cultivated accessions corresponding to the CIAT gene pool with rapid germination, low sensitivity index, and intermediate seedling growth.
Cancer and severe mental illness: Bi‐directional problems and potential solutions

Given the reported increased rates of physical morbidity and higher mortality rates among people with severe mental illness (SMI) (schizophrenia and severe mood disorders), with a life expectancy shorter of 15‐20 years with respect to the general population, the aim of this paper was to call attention to the problem of cancer in SMI.
Comparative effectiveness of prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy for military service members in an intensive treatment program.

OBJECTIVE While the comparative efficacy of prolonged exposure (PE) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT) has been examined in outpatient settings, there is a dearth of literature on the relative effectiveness of these interventions when adapted for an intensive treatment format. In an expanded secondary analysis of a previous study, we sought to examine the comparative effectiveness of PE and CPT delivered in the naturalistic setting of an intensive treatment format including maintenance of outcomes through a 6-month follow-up period. METHOD A sample of 296 veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) received either PE (n = 186) or CPT (n = 90), alongside other trauma-informed interventions, in a 2-week intensive clinical program. Treatment selection was determined collaboratively between patient and therapist. Our primary outcome was self-reported PTSD symptom severity (i.e., PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, PCL-5); secondarily, we examined self-reported depression (i.e., Patient Health Questionnaire) symptom severity outcomes. RESULTS A mixed-model regression controlling for age and gender revealed a significant effect of time from baseline to endpoint (p < .001), 3-month (p < .001), and 6-month follow-up (p < .001) on PCL-5 scores but no significant effect of treatment or effect of treatment by time interaction (all ps > .05; model: Wald's χ² = 232.38, p < .001). Results were similar for depression outcomes. Attrition at posttreatment was not significantly different between groups: 7.2% for CPT and 6.5% PE (z score = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS Both PE and CPT are associated with comparable improvements when delivered as part of a 2-week intensive outpatient program. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Transmission of the parasitic nematode Skrjabingylus nasicola (Leuckart 1842) to species of Mustela (Mammalia)

Experiments were carried out to transmit the nematode Skrjabingylus nasicola to specimens of Mustela erminea, M. nivalis, M. vison and M. putorius. Direct invasion from mustelid to mustelid proved impossible. Feeding mustelids on small rodents (Apodemus spp., Clethrionomys glareolus), Amphibia (Rana spp.), Mollusca, Arthropoda and Oligochaeta gave negative results although the food animals were collected from areas with a high frequency of S. nasicola. By feeding mustelids on wild-trapped Sorex araneus invasion from S. nasicola was effected in M. erminea and M. nivalis. One M. nivalis started to produce larvae of S. nasicola 22 days after having been fed on S. araneus. Sorex specimens carrying invasive Skrjabingylus were
Effects of ovariectomy on inputs from the medial preoptic area to the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus of young adult rats

Puberty is an important phase of development when the neural circuit organization is transformed by sexual hormones, inducing sexual dimorphism in adult behavioural responses. The principal brain area responsible for the control of the receptive component of female sexual behaviour is the ventrolateral division of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMHvl), which is known for its dependency on ovarian hormones. Inputs to the VMHvl originating from the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) are responsible for conveying essential information that will trigger such behaviour. Here, we investigated the pattern of the projection of the MPN to the VMHvl in rats ovariectomized at the onset of puberty. Sprague Dawley rats were ovariectomized (OVX) at puberty and then subjected to iontophoretic injections of the neuronal anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into the MPN once they reached 90 days of age. This study analysed the connectivity pattern established between the MPN and the VMH that is involved in the neuronal circuit responsible for female sexual behaviour in control and OVX rats. The data show the changes in the organization of the connections observed in the OVX adult rats that displayed a reduced axonal length for the MPN fibres reaching the VMHvl, suggesting that peripubertal ovarian hormones are relevant to the organization of MPN connections with structures involved in the promotion of female sexual behaviour.
Damage Propagation Analysis in the Single Lap Shear and Single Lap Shear-Riveted CFRP Joints by Acoustic Emission and Pattern Recognition Approach

An innovative way of using the Acoustic Emission (AE) technique is introduced in this research work. The ratio of recorded acoustic energy and the counts recorded for each acoustic event were used for characterizing Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) laminates adhesively bonded with and without mechanical fasteners. The cumulative counts and cumulative energy of the recorded acoustic events were used for identifying the critical points of failure under loading of these hybrid joint specimens. The peak amplitude distribution was used for identifying the different damage modes such as delamination, matrix cracking and fiber breakage, albeit, ineffectively. The new parameter energy per count was introduced in this work, which can successfully identify the different damage modes under loading. To differentiate the damage modes using the energy per count, they were clustered using k-means++ pattern recognition technique. The method introduced in this work can estimate the damage modes of the CFRP specimens.
Contrasts in alcohol‐related mortality in Czechia and Lithuania: Analysis of time trends and educational differences

Abstract Introduction and Aims. Globally, Czechia and Lithuania are among the top‐ranking countries in terms of high alcohol consumption. This study highlights notable contrasts in temporal trends in alcohol‐related mortality and identifies country‐specific patterns in educational differences. Design and Methods. The study uses harmonised cause‐of‐death series from the Human Cause of Death Database. Mortality disparities by education were assessed using census‐linked mortality data. Directly standardised death rates were used to estimate levels of national and group‐specific mortality. Relative and absolute mortality differences by education were assessed by range‐type measures (Poisson regression mortality ratios and rate differences) and Gini‐type measures. Results. Between 1994–1995 and 2016, the absolute difference between Czechia and Lithuania in terms of alcohol‐related age‐standardised death rates (per 1 000 000) decreased from 450 for males and 130 for females to 76 in males and 11 in females. In both countries, alcohol‐related mortality was markedly higher among persons of lower education levels. Lithuanian males experienced the highest absolute inequalities measured by rate difference between the low and high educated (740 per million), while Lithuanian females showed the most pronounced relative inequalities (6.70‐fold difference between low and high educated). The corresponding figures were less than half for Czechia. Discussion and Conclusions. Reducing educational disparities in alcohol‐related mortality within both countries would have a substantial impact on overall levels. Policies aimed at targeting the lowest priced and illegal alcohols and reducing levels of harmful drinking should be a priority, especially in Lithuania.
Elastography of the uterine cervix in gynecology: normal appearance, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer. A systematic review.

AIMS To revise the current literature about the usefulness of elastography in cervical cancer (CC) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), from methods and technical limitations, to diagnosis, staging and the ability of predicting the response to oncologic treatment. METHODS An electronic database search was performed (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science) with the data range from January 2000 until May 2020. All studies, fully-available in English, assessing elastography of the uterine cervix in CC and CIN were selected. Studies were reviewed and discussed according to the elastographic technique and to the purpose of the research. RESULTS Twenty-three articles were found: 11 articles regarding strain elastography, 4 articles assessing shear wave elastography and 8 papers with matter-related information. Elastography was used in the study of normal variants of the uterine cervix as well as: the positive diagnosis of CC and CIN, clinical staging and the prediction of therapeutic response in CC. Comparison of the elastographic techniques was also performed. CONCLUSIONS Elastography has multiple applications in the gynecological pathology of the cervix. The methods used to assess the cervix are diverse, and none have become universally accepted. With regard to CC and CIN, elastography is still an ongoing research field.
Editorial for Special Issue “Gangliosides: Modes of Action and Cell Fates”

Gangliosides have been considered to play essential roles in the regulation of nervous systems. Novel findings about their functions based on the unique genetic and biochemical approaches have been recently accumulated, and representative results were collected here. In particular, new developments of analytical methods, regulatory mechanisms for ganglioside synthesis and degradation, and novel aspects of their functions in nervous systems and various other organs were introduced in this Special Issue, promoting further fundamental investigation and applied research.
Religion and Alcohol Use among Second Generation Korean Americans: Commentary on "Assessing the Associations between Religiosity and Alcohol Use Stages in a Representative U.S. Sample" by Lin et al, 2020

Abstract Objective This commentary describes the extent to which church-attending Korean Americans engage in heavy drinking and treatment seeking behaviors. Methods: Using a church-based participatory approach, I conducted a rapid ethnographic assessment, part of which included an online survey (N=137). Results: I found that 54.74% of the sample of reported hazardous drinking over the past 12 months, 33.48% reported driving under the influence at some point in life, and 0% sought any treatment. Participant observation and unstructured interviews revealed that at this particular church, drunkenness was considered sinful among key informants, but many church members still drank heavily, often with other church members. Conclusion: We observed an interaction between religious and drinking cultures among second generation Korean American young and middle aged adults. Future research can explore the potential ways in which Korean Americans accommodate religious proscriptions and heavy drinking, and how awareness of discrepancies between behaviors and values may figure into preventive interventions.
Diet quality, excess body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents living in São Paulo, Brazil and in the USA: differences and similarities

Abstract Objective: To compare diet quality and its association with excess body weight (EBW: overweight/obesity), central adiposity (CA) and CVD risk factors (CVDR) among adolescents from Brazil and USA. Design: Data from two cross-sectional surveys: Health Survey of São Paulo (ISA-Nutrition) and Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL-Youth). Dietary intake was assessed from 24-h recalls, and diet quality using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI) developed in the USA and the Revised Brazilian Healthy Eating Index (BHEI-R). CVDR was defined as ≥3 of: obesity, elevated blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, high plasma glucose and insulin resistance. Adjusted OR for EBW, CA and CVDR by diet quality were tested using logistic regression. Setting: São Paulo, Brazil; and Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; Bronx, NY; San Diego, CA. Participants: Adolescents (12–16 years) living in São Paulo (n 189) and USA (n 787). Results: ISA-Nutrition individuals with EBW (v. without) had marginally lower (unhealthier) scores for whole grains using BHEI-R and sugary beverages using AHEI. SOL-Youth individuals with EBW had lower scores of nuts/legumes using AHEI, and Na using BHEI-R, but higher scores of whole grains and dairy using BHEI-R. In ISA-Nutrition, BHEI-R was inversely associated with EBW (OR = 0·87; 95 % CI 0·80, 0·95) and CVDR (OR = 0·89; 95 % CI 0·80, 0·98). In SOL-Youth, AHEI was inversely associated with EBW (OR = 0·93; 95 % CI 0·87, 0·99). Conclusions: Dietary improvements should be made by adolescents in both USA and Brazil. Healthier diet quality as measured with the country-specific index was associated with lower odds of EBW in Brazilian and USA-Hispanic/Latino adolescents, and with lower CVDR in Brazilian adolescents.
The role of murein hydrolases in the cell division of Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative rod shaped bacterium that grows by lateral elongation before forming a septum at its centre and dividing into two daughter cells. During growth and division the cell's shape and integrity is maintained by a rigid cell wall or murein sacculus. This sacculus is essentially, a monolayer constructed from repeated peptidoglycan sub-units. The synthesis and hydrolysis of the cell wall is mediated by a number of enzymes, including a class of penicillin-sensitive proteins, the PBPs. One of these, PBP3, is a septum specific peptidoglycan synthetase. The work in this thesis is concerned with suppression of a temperature sensitive mutation (fts123) in the gene for PBP3. It is shown that ftsI23 can be suppressed by increased levels of the cell's major DD-carboxypeptidases, PBP5 and PBP6. A second known suppresser of ftsl mutations, suji, is also shown to suppress fts123 by increasing the levels of PBP6 and membrane bound DD-carboxypeptidase activity. These results are proposed to indicate that PBP3 has a preference for 'tripeptide acceptors' as substrate. In conjunction with murein analysis of fts123 suppressed strains, it is further proposed that these acceptors are necessary for the formation of a set of critical but temporary 'tetrapeptide-tripeptide' cross-bridges. These cross-bridges are envisaged to be required for the incorporation of nascent peptidoglycan at the septum. To investigate this further a strain lacking all known periplasmic DDcarboxypeptidases was constructed. The viability of this strain suggests that the DDcarboxypeptidase activity mediated by PBP4, PBP5 and PBP6, is not essential for cell growth and division. It is also demonstrated that deletion of the gene for the major DD-endopeptidase, dacB (PBP4) can suppress fts123 (PBP3) in the absence of salt. This is argued to result from decreasing the hydrolysis of the critical 'tetra-tri' cross-bridges. In addition the approximate locations of the gene for the LDcarboxypeptidase anddacC (PBP6) mapped to 37 minutes and 19 minutes, respectively. It is also shown that strains completely lacking another peptidoglycan synthetase, RodA, grow as stable, mecillinam resistant spheres.
Using Sulfobutylated and Sulfomethylated Lignin as Dispersant for Kaolin Suspension

Kraft lignin is an abundant natural resource, but it is underutilized. In this study, sulfoalkylated lignin derivatives with similar charge densities but with different alkyl chain length were produced via sulfobutylation and sulfomethylation reactions. The contact angle studies revealed that sulfobutylated lignin (SBL) with longer alkyl chains had a higher hydrophobicity than sulfomethylated lignin (SML) did. The adsorption behavior of sulfoalkylated lignins was studied using a Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) on Al2O3 coated surface as representative of positively charged sites of kaolin particles. The results of adsorption studies showed that SBL deposited more greatly than SML did on the Al2O3 surface, and it generated a thicker but less viscoelastic adlayer on the surface. The adlayer thickness and configuration of molecules on the surface were also related to the zeta potential and stabilization performance of the polymers in the kaolin suspension system. The results also confirmed that both lignin derivatives were very effective in dispersing kaolin particles at neutral pH, and their effectiveness was hampered under alkaline or acidic pH.