Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the role of incentive salience in sexual decision-making.

In the search for understanding female sexual decision-making, progress has been made in uncovering a variety of perceptual biases and most of these concern the animal's sensory biology and cognitive processes. We are now poised to dig deeper into the female's decision-making and ask if incentive salience, which plays a role in all types of appetitive behaviors, also influences a female's 'taste for the beautiful'. The incentive salience hypothesis suggests that dopamine assigns value or salience to objects or actions. After value is assigned to all potential actions, an action selection system then chooses among potential options to select the most valuable action. In this view, dopamine stimulates reward-seeking behavior by assigning incentive salience to specific behavioral actions, which in turn, increases pursuit and focus on objects or stimuli that represent the valuable action. Here, we apply this framework to understand why females are compelled to respond maximally to some male courtship signals over others and how this process may reveal a female's hidden mate preferences. We examine studies of dopamine and the mesolimbic reward system because these may play a role in expanding the female's perceptual landscape for novelty in male courtship signals and establishing novel hidden preferences. We review three avenues of research that may identify signatures of incentive salience in females during sexual decision-making. This review includes studies of dopamine agonist or antagonist administration in females during mate choice or partner preference tests, measures of neural activity in dopaminergic neural circuits during mate choice or partner preference tests, and social regulation of dopamine in females when entering reproductive contexts and/or exposure to mate signals. By applying the incentive salience hypothesis to female reproductive decision-making, it redefines how we see the female's role in sexual encounters. Females cannot be considered passive during reproductive encounters; rather they are seeking sexual encounters, particularly with males that tap into their perceptual biases and initiate a reward-seeking response. Incentive salience applied to reproductive behavior requires considering females as viewing sexual stimuli as rewarding and initiating action to seek out this reward, all of which indicates females are driving sexual encounters.
Long-term stability of insulin glulisine loaded nanoparticles formulated using an amphiphilic cyclodextrin and designed for intestinal delivery

Abstract Long-term stability is one of the main challenges for translation of therapeutic proteins into commercially viable biopharmaceutical products. During processing and storage, proteins are susceptible to denaturation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the stability of amphiphilic cyclodextrin-based nanoparticles (NPs) containing insulin glulisine. The stability of the NP dispersion was systematically evaluated following storage at three different temperatures (4 °C, room temperature (RT) and 40 °C). While the colloidal parameters of the NPs in terms of size and zeta potential were maintained (109 ± 9 nm, polydispersity index 0.272, negative zeta potential –25 ± 3 mV), insulin degraded over 60 days during storage. To enhance the shelf life of the product and to circumvent the need for cold-chain maintenance, a lyophilized formulation containing insulin glulisine NPs (1.75 mg/mL of NPs) and 25 mg/mL trehalose was produced. The freeze-dried powder extended the stability of the product for up to 30 days at ambient temperature and 90 days at 4 °C (with 95% and >80% insulin recovery, respectively). Following intra-intestinal administration of the freeze-dried formulation, while no lowering of blood glucose was seen, insulin glulisine was detected in both portal and systemic blood indicating that potential exists for further development of the formulation to simultaneously achieve prolonged stability and therapeutic efficacy.
Quantitative evaluation of wind effect during emersion on Porhpyra haitanensis (Rhodophyta), a farmed species in southern China

Shantou Univ, Inst Marine Biol, Shantou 515063, Guangdong, Peoples R China; Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, Peoples R China; Tokyo Univ Fisheries, Lab Phycol, Minato Ku, Tokyo 1088477, Japan
​ A series of benzylidene linked to hydrazinecarbothioamide as tyrosinase inhibitors Synthesis, biological evaluation and structure-activity relationship.

Tyrosinase is a type 3 copper enzyme responsible for skin pigmentation disorders, skin cancer, and enzymatic browning of vegetables and fruits. In the present article, 12 small molecules of benzylidene-hydrazinecarbothioamide were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-tyrosinase activities followed by molecular docking and pharmacophore-based screening. Among synthesized thiosemicarbazone derivatives, 3d is the strongest inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase with IC 50 of 0.05 µM which demonstrated a 128 fold increase in potency compared to the positive control. Kinetic studies also revealed mix type inhibition by 3d . Docking studies confirmed the complete fitting of the synthesized compounds into the tyrosinase active site. The results underline the potential of benzylidene hydrazinecarbothioamides as potent pharmacophore to extend the tyrosinase inhibition in drug discovery.
A Benthic Gradient Chamber for culturing phototrophic sulfur bacteria on reconstituted sediments

The growth of phototrophic sulfur bacteria in benthic systems is restricted to well-defined layers within the sedimentary oxygen, sulfide, pH and light gradients. In order to culture these microorganisms under more ecologically relevant conditions, we have developed a Benthic Gradient Chamber (BGC) in which phototrophic sulfur bacteria can be grown within experimentally imposed solute and light gradients. The new autoclavable device is composed of a reconstituted sand core sandwiched in between a lower anoxic sulfide-containing compartment and an upper oxic compartment. The core can be illuminated from above by a collimated light beam. An axenic biofilm of Thiocapsa roseopersicina strain EP 2204 developed from a tiny inoculum within the sand core, using a 5-week incubation period and a 16:8 h light/dark illumination regime. The metabolic activities in this biofilm were inferred from the analyses of oxygen, sulfide and pH profiles, and their shifts during light-dark cycles.
Psychoacoustics and neurophysiological auditory processing in patients with Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease types 1A and 2A

Hidden hearing loss has been reported in patients with Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth (CMT) disease; however, the auditory‐processing deficits have not been widely explored. We investigated the psychoacoustic and neurophysiological aspects of auditory processing in patients with CMT disease type 1A (CMT1A) and type 2A (CMT2A).
Genetic targeting of neurogenic precursors in the adult forebrain ventricular epithelium

In vivo evidence for precursors that produce neurons independent of neurosphere-forming neural stem cells suggests the adult forebrain, like the developing brain, has two distinct neurogenic pathways. The ventricular epithelium of the adult forebrain is a heterogeneous cell population that is a source of both quiescent and activated neural stem cells (qNSCs and aNSCs, respectively). We genetically targeted a subset of ventricle-contacting, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-expressing cells, to study their involvement in qNSC/aNSC–mediated adult neurogenesis. Ventricle-contacting GFAP+ cells were lineage-traced beginning in early adulthood using adult brain electroporation and produced small numbers of olfactory bulb neuroblasts until at least 21 mo of age. Notably, electroporated GFAP+ neurogenic precursors were distinct from both qNSCs and aNSCs: they did not give rise to neurosphere-forming aNSCs in vivo or after extended passaging in vitro and they were not recruited during niche regeneration. GFAP+ cells with these properties included a FoxJ1+GFAP+ subset, as they were also present in an inducible FoxJ1 transgenic lineage-tracing model. Transiently overexpressing Mash1 increased the neurogenic output of electroporated GFAP+ cells in vivo, identifying them as a potentially recruitable population. We propose that the qNSC/aNSC lineage of the adult forebrain coexists with a distinct, minimally expanding subset of GFAP+ neurogenic precursors.
Potorous longipes (Marsupialia:Macropodidae); a New Species from Easter Victoria

Potorous longipes, sp. nov., is described from east Gippsland, Vic. It is distinguished from P. tridactylus on the basis of cranial and pedal morphology, the presence of 24 chromosomes in both sexes (cf. P. tridactylus, 12 males, 13 females ) and electrophoretic differences in blood proteins. Descriptions of its open forest habitat are provided and its distribution relative to P. tridactylus in eastern Victoria is mapped. Brief notes on maintenance of the species in captivity are given.
Identification of the Character Impact Odorants of Stewed Beef Juice by Instrumental Analyses and Sensory Studies

The potent odorants of the juice formed by the stewing of beef meat were screened by aroma extract dilution analysis and static headspace analysis performed in combination with GC-sniffing. The potent odorants were identified and then quantified by stable isotope dilution assays. The odorants were added to an oil in water emulsion of pH 5.7 in various combinations and in concentration levels equal to those in stewed beef juice (SBJ). The aroma of each model was compared with that of the original SBJ. The results indicated 12 volatiles, e.g. methanethiol, 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, and 12-methyltridecanal, as the character impact odor compounds of SBJ
Ecological correlates of plant range size: taxonomies and phylogenies in the study of plant commonness and rarity in Great Britain

Recent simulations have shown that the lack of resolution to be found in taxonomic relative to phylogenetic classification systems only slightly inflates the probability of Type 1 error (inappropriately rejecting the null hypothesis) in evolutionary comparative studies that take relatedness into account. Thus, on this basis, taxonomies may be expected to organize the data adequately for such studies when phylogenies are not available. However, phylogenies instigate particular rearrangements in plant classification that are not easily addressed by simulation, and an analysis of specific variables is used here to gain insight into the consistency of results when a large dataset is organized prior to analysis first with a taxonomy, and then with a phylogeny. This study examines commonness and rarity as it is measured by plant range size of species drawn from the floras of the islands of Great Britain and Crete. The data were restricted to native species of the main island of each group. Using a taxonomic classification of the data, both floras were investigated for the effect of range size on woodiness versus non-woodiness, and tree versus shrub life form. The flora of Great Britain was further examined for possible differences in range size due to overall plant size, and pollination and dispersal types. Using a phylogeny to organize the data, all of the same comparisons of growth form and mutualistic interactions were made for the flora of Great Britain, plus comparisons of cloning versus non-cloning, vining versus non-vining and reproductive schedule (annual, biennial and perennial). Although a phylogeny is the preferred tool for organizing that data, the results suggest that analyses using a taxonomy can lead to conclusions reliable across classification schemes. With either organizational system, trees had larger range sizes than shrubs, and wind-pollinated species had larger range sizes than related non-wind-pollinated species. Additional analyses also indicated that non-clonal plants are more widespread than related clonal species. Changes in the relative position and number of contrasts within comparisons indicate that the exact effect of using a phylogeny versus a taxonomy will depend on the distribution within the phylogeny of the trait being studied.
Diastology: 2020‐A practical guide

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic function can be most conveniently assessed by echocardiography which provides reliable assessments of LV structure and function. Most patients with structural heart disease have variable degrees of myocardial dysfunction. LV structural changes as pathologic hypertrophy and systolic functional abnormalities as depressed LV long‐axis systolic function are associated with diastolic dysfunction. The recognition of structural abnormalities and abnormal LV long‐axis function as indices of diastolic dysfunction is an important difference between 2016 and 2009 guidelines. In addition, there are other Doppler findings indicative of diastolic dysfunction and abnormally elevated LV filling pressures. In the absence of clinical, 2D echocardiographic, and specific Doppler indices of diastolic dysfunction, mitral annulus early diastolic velocity (e’), left atrium (LA) maximum volume index, peak velocity of tricuspid regurgitation jet by continuous‐wave Doppler, and ratio of mitral inflow early diastolic velocity to e’ velocity can be used to draw inferences about LV diastolic function. In the presence of diastolic dysfunction, mean LA pressure and grade of diastolic dysfunction should be determined. When LA pressure at rest is normal, it is reasonable to proceed to diastolic stress testing in an attempt to identify patients with dyspnea due to heart failure. There are specific algorithms recommended in patients with atrial fibrillation, moderate or severe mitral annular calcification, and noncardiac pulmonary hypertension.
Factors Affecting Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Length of Stay in Pediatric Patients after an Adenotonsillectomy

Objectives: (1) To identify clinical factors and perioperative practices that correlate with longer length of stay (LOS) in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after adenotonsillectomy (T&A) in pediatric populations. (2) To understand the relationship between family presence and PACU LOS for pediatric patients after T&A. Methods: Pediatric patients (ages 3-17) who underwent T&A between February 2016 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Factors assessed for impact on PACU LOS included BMI, preoperative medications, intraoperative medications/narcotics, postoperative medications/narcotics, method of postoperative medication administration, and family presence in the PACU. Kruskal–Wallis and Spearman tests were used to assess correlations. Statistical significance was set a priori at P < . 05. Results: Our cohort included 500 patients. Patients were in the PACU for an average of 135.4 minutes (±65.8). Subset analyses of the type of medications administered intra-operatively and in the PACU show that the intraoperative administration of sedatives is associated with increased LOS (P = .014). Postoperative administration of any medications (P < .001), and specifically, postoperative administration of narcotics (P < .001), analgesics (P = .043), antihistamines (P < .001), and dopamine antagonists (P = .011), are associated with increased LOS. Administration of PACU medications by IV was also correlated with shorter LOS compared to oral administration of PACU medications (P = .016). A comparison of patients who received PACU medications to those who did not demonstrated that intraoperative administration of acetaminophen was associated with a reduced need for PACU medication administration (P = .012). Shorter waiting times for family arrival in the PACU was also associated with shorter LOS (P < .001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that postoperative medication administration and time until family arrival in the PACU are associated with significant differences in LOS. We also find that intraoperative administration of acetaminophen is correlated with reduced need for postoperative medication administration. Standardizing postoperative practices to minimize PACU LOS could result in a more efficient recovery for pediatric patients undergoing T&A.
Orbit Orientation and Eye Morphometrics in Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)

Giraffe are thought to have excellent vision.We measured eye size, orbit orientation and retina surface area in 27 giraffes of both sexes ranging in age from neonates to mature adults (>10 yrs), to assess how it changes with growth, whether their eye anatomy correlates with their apparently excellent vision and lifestyle, and we have compared our findings with those for other large mammals to assess whether giraffe eye anatomy is unique.We found that giraffe eye volume increases from 33 cm3 at birth to approximately 65 cm3 in adults. The focal (axial) length increases from c. 40 to 48 mm in adults and retina surface area from c. 3000 mm2 at birth to 4320 mm2 in adults. The orbital axis angle at birth is c. 73° and the horizontal visual field mainly monocular and panoramic.With age the axis angle becomes more acute to c. 50° in adults and the visual field more binocular, changes that occur concurrently with increasing neck length. These results show that the giraffe eye and retinal surface area are larger than in all other ungulates, and their visual fields more binocular, attributes which are consistent with the idea that they have excellent vision.
Is it time to change the gold standard of obsessive-compulsive disorder severity assessment? Factor structure of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale

Objectives: The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale has been considered the gold standard scale to assess obsessive-compulsive disorder severity. Previous studies using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis with this scale showed mixed findings in terms of factor structure and fit of models. Therefore, we used confirmatory factor analysis to compare different Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale models in a large sample aiming to identify the best model fit. Methods: We assessed adult obsessive-compulsive disorder patients (n = 955) using three measures: Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale severity ratings, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the clinical global impression scale. We tested all factor structures reported by previous studies to investigate which model best fitted the data: one-factor, two-factor, three-factor and their equivalent high-order solutions. We also investigated Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale items correlations with scores from the other measures of obsessive-compulsive disorder severity. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis models presented mediocre to fair goodness-of-fit indexes. Severity items related to resistance to obsessions and compulsions presented low factor loadings. The model with the best fit indexes was a high-order model without obsessive-compulsive disorder resistance items. These items also presented small correlations with other obsessive-compulsive disorder severity measures. Conclusion: The obsessive-compulsive disorder field needs to discuss further improvements in the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and/or continue to search for better measures of obsessive-compulsive disorder severity.
Enhancer functions underlying morphological diversity

Recent progress in the technique of next generation sequencing has been remarkable in uncovering species-specific developmental mechanisms even in non-model animals. In this special issue, we focus on how morphological diversity or species-specific unique morphology was evolutionarily brought about by acquisition of novel enhancer functions, which has been elucidated using analyses of developmental biology and whole genome sequences of various organisms mostly determined by next generation sequencing.
Newly diagnosed glioblastoma in the elderly: when is temozolomide alone enough?

older patients with m MGMT is now well justified at a macro level when we consider the totality of the data from multiple studies. Accordingly, our approach for elderly patients is to start temozolomide while MGMT results may be pending, consult with radiation oncology to plan RT, but only initiate concurrent RT (hypofractionated) if MGMT methylation is not detected. A supplemental step to consider is confirma-tion of MGMT results by at least 2 independent assays before deferring RT because discordance among laboratories is frequent (Roger Stupp, personal communication). Perhaps most intriguing were the advanced analyses of interactions among MGMT methylation and broader methylation subgroups by the NOA-08 investigators. They demonstrated that the power of MGMT as a predictive biomarker depends heavily on methylation subtype. For example, benefit of temozolomide was most pronounced among cases with the “receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) II” subtype. 8 As methylation profiling of gliomas becomes more common, these subgroups may also drive clinical decisions. One other observation deserves mention in our view. We find it curious that older patients with MGMT methylated tumors benefit most from temozolomide despite a negli-gible frequency of IDH mutations, whereas results from the CATNON (EORTC study 26053–22054) trial suggest that patients with IDH wild-type tumors do not benefit from temozolomide at all. 10 It is possible that differences in his-tology may help explain the contradiction: most patients in NOA-08 had GBMs, whereas CATNON accrued only patients with anaplastic gliomas. Differences in methylation subclass may also play a role. Nonetheless, the paradox remains unresolved at present. Further work in this area will illuminate us all as we strive to balance effect and side effect of typical therapies.
[Health-related quality of life and lifestyle habits: differences between migrant and native adolescents].

OBJECTIVE The migratory flows have caused the migrant population to become an important collective of the Spanish social reality, being necessary to know their situation to favor their integration, both in the social and school environment. With this purpose, the differences between a population of migrant and native adolescents from a region of northern Spain were analyzed from an integral perspective of health, evaluating different indicators of physical, psychological and social health. METHODS Cross-sectional study was applied to a sample of 761 schoolchildren, distributed in 618 native (14.49 ± 1.62 years) and 143 migrants (14.55 ± 1.66 years). A descriptive, comparative and correlational analysis was performed of the data obtained from the variables of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, level of physical activity, health-related quality of life, self-esteem, body image satisfaction, hours of nighttime sleep, index body mass, maximum oxygen consumption, academic performance and socioeconomic status. RESULTS Migrant students presented significantly lower values in socioeconomic status (p<0.001), academic performance (p<0.001), self-esteem (p<0.05), level of physical activity (p<0.05), aerobic capacity (p<0.05), adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p<0.05) and body satisfaction (p<0.05). Regarding the quality of life related to health, differences were reported in the global (p<0.001) and in all the dimensions analyzed except in satisfaction with the educational environment. In addition, exclusively in the case of migrants, the socioeconomic status was associated with social support (r=0.256), academic performance (r=0.261) and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (r=0.166). CONCLUSIONS The results obtained highlight the relevant role that the school context plays as a health and integration promoter in migrant students. It is necessary to implement strategies that promote access to physical practice and healthy food with the objective of promoting the improvement of community health and, especially, of the most vulnerable groups.