Exploring Attitudes Toward "Sugar Relationships" Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship.

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation and Systemic Inflammation Response Indices are Predictive Markers of Mortality in Inpatients Internal Medicine Services.

Purpose: Internal medicine services serve the patient population with many chronic diseases. Therefore, it is high mortality rates compared to other departments of the hospital. Estimating the prognostic risk of hospitalized patients may be useful in mortality for patients. In this study, we evaluated the level of Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) and Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) and its association with mortality in inpatients. Patients and methods: This study was performed in 2218 patients who were hospitalized between January 1st-December 31th of 2019. Patients were followed up for three years about primary endpoint as all-cause (except for unnatural deaths) mortality. Participants were divided into 4 equal groups according to their increasing levels of SII and SIRI. (Quartile 1-4) Age, gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, malignancies (solid), white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet, CRP, albumin, Systemic Inflammation Response Index (Quartile 1-4), Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (Quartile 1-4) were compared between survival and non-survival groups. Results: There were 1153 female and 1065 male participants enrolled. Compared with surviving patients, patients who died were older and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, malignancy, chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease (p < 0.001). There was a lower proportion of female patients among the patients who died. Compared to the survivor group, group who died exhibited a significant increase in CRP level, neutrophil, white blood cell and monocyte counts, but had a lower lymphocyte count, albumin level and hemoglobin count (P < 0.001). Results of Cox regression analysis showed that age, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, SIRI quartile 3, 4 and SII quartile 3, 4 pointed out a close relationship with mortality risk. (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The SIRI and SII have indicated the clinical importance of as novel markers for predicting mortality in inpatients.

Three-Dimensional Vessels-on-a-Chip Based on hiPSC-derived Vascular Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells.

Blood vessels are composed of endothelial cells (ECs) that form the inner vessel wall and mural cells that cover the ECs to mediate their stabilization. Crosstalk between ECs and VSMCs while the ECs undergo microfluidic flow is vital for the function and integrity of blood vessels. Here, we describe a protocol to generate three-dimensional (3D) engineered vessels-on-chip (VoCs) composed of vascular cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). We first describe protocols for robust differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (hiPSC-VSMCs) from hiPSCs that are effective across multiple hiPSC lines. Second, we describe the fabrication of a simple microfluidic device consisting of a single collagen lumen that can act as a cell scaffold and support fluid flow using the viscous finger patterning (VFP) technique. After the channel is seeded sequentially with hiPSC-derived ECs (hiPSC-ECs) and hiPSC-VSMCs, a stable EC barrier covered by VSMCs lines the collagen lumen. We demonstrate that this 3D VoC model can recapitulate physiological cell-cell interaction and can be perfused under physiological shear stress using a microfluidic pump. The uniform geometry of the vessel lumens allows precise control of flow dynamics. We have thus developed a robust protocol to generate an entirely isogenic hiPSC-derived 3D VoC model, which could be valuable for studying vessel barrier function and physiology in healthy or disease states. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Differentiation of hiPSC-VSMCs Support Protocol 1: Characterization of hiPSC-NCCs and hiPSC-VSMCs Support Protocol 2: Preparation of cryopreserved hiPSC-VSMCs and hiPSC-ECs for VoC culture Basic Protocol 2: Generation of 3D VoC model composed of hiPSC-ECs and hiPSC-VSMCs Support Protocol 3: Structural characterization of 3D VoC model.

FAM-Ag-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of heteroaryl-substituted pyrrolidines.

New derivatives of FAM (ferrocenyl aziridinyl methanol) ligands NFAM1-4 (naphthyl ferrocenyl aziridinyl methanol) and CFAM1-4 (cyclohexyl ferrocenyl aziridinyl methanol) were synthesized to form a small ligand library and used as chiral catalysts with AgOAc for the asymmetric synthesis of heteroaryl-substituted pyrrolidines by the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC) reaction of azomethine ylides. 2-Thienyl, 2-furyl, 2-, 3-, and 4-pyridyl aldimines were prepared and used with N-methylmaleimide, dimethyl maleate, tert-butyl acrylate, methyl acrylate, and acrylonitrile to form the corresponding heteroaryl-substituted pyrrolidines. 1,3-DC reactions yielded the expected cycloadducts in up to 89% yield and up to 76% ee that could be increased up to 95% ee upon crystallization. New chiral ligands NFAM1-4 and CFAM1-4 were fully characterized, and their absolute stereochemistry was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

The distance effect on discrimination ability and response bias during magnitude comparison in a go/no-go task.

The distance effect is the change in the performance during numerical magnitude comparison, depending on the numerical distance between the compared numbers (Moyer & Landauer, Nature, 215[5109], 1519-1520, 1967). This effect is generally accepted as evidence for the mental number line (MNL) hypothesis, which proposes that the mental representation of the numbers align in an increasing linear (or monotone) order. The majority of studies investigating the distance effect are focused on the reaction time (RT) findings, which show slower responses for closer numbers. In the present study, we examined the distance effect by applying signal detection theory (SDT) to a magnitude comparison task. We aimed to reveal whether discrimination ability and the response bias measures were affected by the location of numbers on the MNL. To accomplish this, we developed a magnitude comparison task using a go/no-go procedure in which participants performed a magnitude comparison based on a reference number (i.e., 5). Results revealed a substantial distance effect in both sensitivity and response bias measures-a better discrimination performance for far numbers, and a larger response bias for close numbers. In addition, an RT distribution analysis revealed that the distance effect seems to originate mainly from slower responses. Based on the current data, we suggest that sensitivity and response bias measures could offer comprehensive information in the understanding of number-based decisions.

Apple Peel and Flesh Contain Pro-neurogenic Compounds.

As mammals evolved with exposure to particular diets, naturally abundant compounds may have become part of the set of environmental co-determinants that shaped brain structure and function. Here we investigated whether bioactive factors found in apples directly affect hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult mouse. We found that quercetin, the most abundant flavanol in apple peel, was anti-proliferative at high concentrations but pro-neurogenic at low concentrations. This was confirmed in vivo, with intraperitoneally delivered quercetin promoting survival and neuronal differentiation, without affecting proliferation. Using a bioassay-guided fractionation approach we also identified additional pro-neurogenic compounds in apple flesh that were not related to flavonoids. We found that 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid significantly increased neural precursor cell proliferation and neurogenesis. This work shows that both flavonoids and 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid are pro-neurogenic, not only by activating precursor cell proliferation but also by promoting cell-cycle exit, cellular survival, and neuronal differentiation.

The Other-Race and Other-Species Effect during a Sex Categorization Task: An Eye Tracker Study.

Sex categorization from faces is a crucial ability for humans and non-human primates for various social and cognitive processes. In the current study, we performed two eye tracking experiments to examine the gaze behavior of participants during a sex categorization task in which participants categorize face pictures from their own-race (Caucasian), other-race (Asian) and other-species (chimpanzee). In experiment 1, we presented the faces in an upright position to 16 participants, and found a strong other-race and other-species effect. In experiment 2, the same faces were shown to 24 naïve participants in an upside-down (inverted) position, which showed that, although the other-species effect was intact, other-race effect disappeared. Moreover, eye-tracking analysis revealed that in the upright position, the eye region was the first and most widely viewed area for all face categories. However, during upside-down viewing, participants' attention directed more towards the eye region of the own-race and own-species faces, whereas the nose received more attention in other-race and other-species faces. Overall results suggest that other-race faces were processed less holistically compared to own-race faces and this could affect both participants' behavioral performance and gaze behavior during sex categorization. Finally, gaze data suggests that the gaze of participants shifts from the eye to the nose region with decreased racial and species-based familiarity.

Tadalafil versus alpha blockers (alfuzosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin and silodosin) as medical expulsive therapy for < 10 mm distal and proximal ureteral stones.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of tadalafil compared with four alpha blockers (alfuzosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin and silodosin) as medical expulsive treatment for ureteral stones in male adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male adults who were admitted to urology clinic with flank pain and diagnosed with non complicated < 10 mm ureteral stone on non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) between June 2014-September 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. A total of 273 patients with ureteral stone were divided into five groups. Alfuzosin 10 mg/daily, doxazosin 8 mg/daily, tamsulosin 0.4 mg/daily, silodosin 8 mg/daily and tadalafil 5 mg/daily for 6 weeks were prescribed respectively. Stone localization, diameter, volume and Hounsfield units were noted as NCCT findings. The patients were divided into the two groups based on their stone localization as distal and mid-proximal stones. These two groups were evaluated separately. Expulsion rate were noted at the end of 6 weeks. NCCT and treatment findings were compared between five drug groups in distal and mid-proximal stones separately. RESULTS: Age was higher in tadalafil group in distal stones (p = 0.032). Expulsion rate was found 78.1% for alfuzosin, 75.7% for doxazosin, 76.5% for tamsulosin, 88.6% for silodosin and 90% for tadalafil in distal (p = 0.44) and 21.7%, 30%, 30%, 30% and 54.5% in mid-proximal stones (p = 0.034) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Expulsion rate was higher in silodosin and tadalafil for distal ureteral stones but the difference didn't meet statistical significance. However the expulsion rate was significantly higher in tadalafil than in the other groups for mid-proximal ureteral stones. The result of this study showed that tadalafil may increases ureteric stone expulsion.

Evaluation of mandibular hard and soft tissues in cleft patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the mandibular hard and soft tissue measurements of unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate patients with non-cleft individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample comprised of lateral cephalograms of 45 subjects. Sample included 15 non-cleft (NC), 15 unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and 15 bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) cases whose age were between 15 to 17. 1 angular 13 linear measurements were carried out using Arnett and Gunson soft tissue cephalometric analysis and 4 angular measurements were calculated with Steiner Analysis. RESULTS: Mandibular incisor inclinations relative to the occlusal plane (Md1-Md OP) were significantly greater and mandibular incisor projections (Md1-TVL) were significantly retrusive in cleft subjects (p<0.05). Projection values pertaining to lower lip anterior (LLA-TVL), soft tissue B point (B'-TVL), and soft tissue pogonion (Pog'-TVL) were significantly deficient as well in cleft patients (p<0.05). Sagittal position of the maxilla (SNA) (p<0.001) and intermaxillary relation of the jaws (ANB) were significantly deficient in UCLP subjects (p<0.05) and BCLP individuals (p<0.01). LLA-TVL and B'-TVL correlated with SNB in cleft patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Decreased lower lip and chin projection values suggest that mandibular region of cleft patients should be taken into account in forming the treatment plan to improve the esthetic outcome of orthodontic and plastic surgery interventions.

Computed tomography findings predicting the success of silodosin for medical expulsive therapy of ureteral stones.

Aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) findings and stone expulsion rate with medical expulsive therapy (MET) using silodosin for ureteral stones in male adults. Between January 2014 and June 2015, we retrospectively reviewed the patient charts with uncomplicated ureteral stones on NCCT images, who were treated with silodosin for MET. Stone diameter, volume and hounsfield units (HU) measured by NCCT and treatment findings were noted at the end of treatment. Patients were divided into three groups according to the localization as distal, mid and proximal ureteral stones. NCCT and treatment findings were compared between MET success and failure groups in different localizations. Stone expulsion rate was 81.3% for 134 distal, 45.5% for 22 mid and 27.7% for 47 proximal stones. Stone diameter, volume, and HU were significantly lower for success groups with distal and proximal stones (p < 0.05). In ROC analysis the cut-off values for stone volume and HU were detected as 48.7 mm3 and 598 HU for success group with proximal stones. Stone expulsion rate was found to be 24 times more (OR = 24; p = 0.001) in patients with <598 HU and 14 times more (OR = 14; p = 0.002) in patients with <48.7 mm3 proximal stones. Lower stone diameter, volume and HU were significant predictors of success with silodosin for MET for ureteral stones. Patients with <598 HU and/or <48.7 mm3 proximal stones may be prescribed silodosin for MET.