Sweet taste pleasantness is modulated by morphine and naltrexone

Rodent models highlight the key role of µ-opioid receptor (MOR) signaling in palatable food consumption. In humans however, the effects of MOR stimulation on eating and food liking remain unclear. In a bidirectional psychopharmacological cross-over study, 49 healthy men underwent a sweet taste paradigm following double-blind administration of the MOR agonist morphine, placebo, and the opioid antagonist nalt rexone. We hypothesized that behaviors regulated by the endogenous MOR system would be enhanced by MOR agonism, and decreased by antagonism. The strongest drug effects were expected for the sweetest (high-calorie) sucrose solution, as reported in rodents. However, very sweet sucrose-water solutions are considered sickly and aversive by many people (called sweet dislikers). Since both sweet likers and dislikers were tested, we were able to assess whether MOR manipulations affect pleasantness ratings differently depending on both subjective and objective value. As hypothesized, MOR stimulation with morphine increased pleasantness of the sweetest of five sucrose solutions, without enhancing pleasantness of the lower-sucrose solutions. For opioid antagonism, an opposite pattern was observed for the sweetest drink only. This bidirectional effect of agonist and antagonist treatment is consistent with rodent findings that MOR manipulations most strongly affect the highest-calorie foods. Importantly, the observed drug effects on pleasantness of the sweetest drink did not differ between sweet likers and dislikers. We speculate that the MOR system promotes survival in part by increasing concordance between the objective (caloric) and subjective (hedonic) value of food stimuli, so that feeding behaviour becomes more focused on the richest food available

Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant

Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity jointly shape intraspecific trait variation, but their roles differ among traits. In short-lived plants, reproductive traits may be more genetically determined due to their impact on fitness, whereas vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term perturbations. Combining a multi-treatment greenhouse experiment with observational field data throughout the range of a widespread short-lived herb, Plantago lanceolata, we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity shape observational trait-environment relationships. Reproductive traits showed distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns, but only when correcting traits for differences in biomass. Vegetative traits showed higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic component underlying field-observed trait variation. Our study suggests that genetic differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits most closely related to fitness

Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant

Publication history: Accepted - 19 May 2021; Published - 5 August 2021.Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity jointly shape intraspecific trait variation, but their roles differ among traits. In short-lived plants, reproductive traits may be more genetically determined due to their impact on fitness, whereas vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term perturbations. Combining a multi-treatment greenhouse experiment with observational field data throughout the range of a widespread short-lived herb, Plantago lanceolata, we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity shape observational trait–environment relationships. Reproductive traits showed distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns, but only when correcting traits for differences in biomass. Vegetative traits showed higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic component underlying field-observed trait variation. Our study suggests that genetic differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits most closely related to fitness.Eesti Teadusagentuur, Grant/Award Number: PRG609 and PUT1409; Academy of Finland; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Science Foundation Ireland, Grant/Award Number: 15/ERCD/2803; Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Grant/Award Number: IJCI-2017- 32039; European Regional Development Fun

Variations in drug-related problems detected by multidisciplinary teams in Norwegian nursing homes and home nursing care

Objective: Traditionally, nursing homes have been associated with suboptimal drug therapy and drug-related problems (DRPs). In contrast, less is known about drug safety in homecare. The aim of this study was to describe and compare DRPs in older persons across two care settings: nursing homes and home nursing care. Design: Cross-sectional study using descriptive and inferential statistics. Setting: Nursing homes (n = 5) and home nursing care units (n = 8) across nine municipalities in the middle of Norway. Participants: Multidisciplinary medication reviews for 61 nursing home residents and 93 patients receiving home nursing care performed over the 2013–2014 period, were mapped and examined (N = 154). Main outcome measures: DRPs classified by a Norwegian Classification Tool. Results: In all, 740 DRPs were detected in the total sample, 227 in nursing homes and 513 in home nursing care. DRPs were significantly higher among patients receiving home-based care (Mean =5.5) compared to patients in nursing homes (Mean =3.7, p = 0.002). Among the problem categories, the need for additional drug was most frequent in nursing homes (p = 0.001), while documentation discrepancies reached the highest numbers in patients receiving home nursing care (p = 0.000). Additionally, patients in home nursing care had more problems concerning adverse reactions (p = 0.060); however, this was not statistically significant. Differences in DRP categories leading to changes in the patients’ medication lists were also discovered. Conclusions: The frequency of unclear documentation and adverse reactions found in the homecare setting is alarming. This is an important issue given the trend in aged care towards caring people in their own homes. Further research is warranted to explore how different care settings may influence the safety of pharmacotherapy for older persons. Key Points Drug related problems are a significant cause of concern among patients receiving home nursing care as well as for patients living in nursing homes. The findings of this study showed that: •Significantly more DRPs were detected among patients receiving home nursing care than patients living in nursing homes. •While patients living in nursing homes were often undermedicated, documentation discrepancies were more frequent in home nursing care. •DRP categories leading to changes on the medication lists differed between the settings

Videreutvikling av Miljødirektoratets kartleggingsinstruks i 2023. Forslag til implementering av mindre endringer i instruksen.

Jokerud, M., Evju, M., Bär, A., Blom, H., Brandrud, T.E., Jacobsen, R.M., Johansen, L., Kolstad, A., Lyngstad, A., Olsen, S.L., Storaunet, K.O., & Øien, D.-I. 2023. Videreutvikling av Miljødirektoratets kartleggingsinstruks i 2023. Forslag til implementering av mindre endringer i instruksen. NINA Rapport 2339. Norsk institutt for naturforskning Miljødirektoratet lanserte i 2018 en ny kartleggingsinstruks for terrestriske naturtyper. Denne instruksen beskriver kartlegging av naturtyper etter Natur i Norge (NiN) slik kartleggingen utføres i oppdrag for Miljødirektoratet, samt hvordan den økologiske lokalitetskvaliteten til hver naturtype fastsettes. Instruksen beskriver kartlegging av 111 naturtyper, hvorav 83 er rødlistet i henhold til Norsk rødliste for naturtyper 2018 og 28 naturtyper har sentral økosystemfunksjon. Miljødirektoratet har bestilt en videreutvikling av kartleggingsinstruksen og denne rapporten utgjør fase en. Denne fasen skal bestå av i) en analysedel som skal gjøre en sammenstilling av datagrunnlaget fra kartlegging i perioden 2018-2022, ii) vurderinger av innspill til Miljødirektoratets instruks og iii) anbefale mindre endringer som kan tas til følge i instruksen f.o.m. 2024. I denne rapporten har vi kommet med forslag til mindre endringer for flere av naturtypene. Vurderingene er gjort av en ekspertgruppe bestående av fagpersoner som har hatt møter med en kartleggingsgruppe bestående av svært erfarne kartleggere. Datasettet Naturtyper etter Miljødirektoratets instruks ble undersøkt for der ulike parametere ble vurdert f.eks. fordelingen av skår for lokalitetskvalitet, tilstandsvariabler, naturmangfoldsvariabler og fordelingen av feltregistrerte variabler på tvers av romlig og tidsmessig variasjon. Det ble laget en shiny applikasjon som vi har kalt NATplotter, som visuelt fremstiller kartleggingsdata etter kartleggingsinstruksen for årene 2018-2022. Dette har gjort at prosjektet har hatt et godt kunnskapsgrunnlag for de foreslåtte endringene i instruksen. Totalt hadde Miljødirektoratet mottatt 312 innspill og i denne rapporten har totalt 83 innspill blitt vurdert. • Av totalt 31 innspill til naturlig åpne områder under skoggrensa, ble 11 vurdert til å innebære små endringer av den typen som vi hadde mandat og kapasitet til å behandle i 2023 og sju ble vurdert som aktuelle. • Av totalt 12 innspill til fjell, ble ti vurdert til å innebære små endringer av den typen som vi hadde mandat og kapasitet til å behandle i 2023, og åtte ble tatt til følge. • Av totalt 117 innspill til skog, ble 20 vurdert til å innebære små endringer av den typen som vi hadde mandat og kapasitet til å behandle i 2023. Seks av disse innspillene ble av ulike grunner ikke tatt til følge, mens 14 innspill resulterte i forslag til endringer i instruksen. • Av totalt 41 innspill til semi-naturlig mark, ble 19 vurdert til å innebære små endringer av den typen som vi hadde mandat og kapasitet til å behandle i 2023 og åtte ble tatt til følge. • Av totalt 42 innspill til våtmark, ble 17 vurdert til å innebære små endringer av den typen som vi hadde mandat og kapasitet til å behandle i 2023 og ti ble vurdert som aktuelle. Noen av endringene vi kan oppsummere her er at vi foreslår å harmonisere Miljødirektoratets kartleggingsinstruks ved å erstatte NiN2.0 sin slitasjevariabel (7SE) med Miljødirektoratets slitasjevariabel (MdirPRSL) med A8 måleskala for alle naturtyper i kartleggingsinstruksen der denne tilstandsvariabelen forekommer. Dette innebærer endringer for naturlig åpne områder under skoggrensa, skog og våtmark. Tilsvarende foreslår vi å erstatte spor etter ferdsel med tunge kjøretøy (7TK) med Miljødirektoratets variabel kjørespor (MdirPRTK), som også har en A8 måleskala. Dette innebærer endringer for naturlig åpne områder under skoggrensa, skog, semi-naturlig mark og våtmark. Kartleggingsmålestokk og tilhørende kartleggingsenheter er foreslått endret til 1:20.000 for flere av naturtypene under fjell, gammel furuskog og gammel granskog (C11 og C12, alle undertyper). Vi har foreslått en ny naturtype, C25 Boreal regnskog uten bartredominans og kommet med forslag for nesten alle naturtypene i Miljødirektoratets kartleggings instruks med unntak av følgende naturtyper: B2 Snøleieberg, C2 Høstingsskog, C3 Boreal regnskog, C4.1 Sørboreal regnskog med gran, C19 Høgstaude-edellauvskog, D3 Semi-naturlig strandeng, D4 Kystlynghei og E13 Sørlig kaldkilde.Jokerud, M., Evju, M., Bär, A., Blom, H., Brandrud, T.E., Jacobsen, R.M., Johansen, L., Kolstad, A., Lyngstad, A., Olsen, S.L., Storaunet, K.O., & Øien, D.-I. 2023. Further development of the Norwegian Environment Agency's mapping instructions in 2023. Proposal for the implementation of minor changes in the instructions. NINA Report 2339. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. In 2018, the Norwegian Environment Agency launched new mapping instructions for terrestrial habitat types in Norway. These instructions describe the mapping of habitat types according to Nature in Norway (NiN) which sets out how mapping is carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, as well as how the ecological site quality of each nature type is determined. The instruction describes the mapping of 111 habitat types, of which 83 are red listed in accordance with the Norwegian Red List for habitat types 2018 and 28 habitat types which have a central ecosystem function. The Norwegian Environment Agency has commissioned a further development of the mapping instructions and this report comprises phase one. This phase consists of i) an analysis part compiling data from habitat mapping performed in the period 2018-2022, ii) assessments of input to the Norwegian Environment Agency's instructions and iii) recommendations for minor changes that can be adopted in the instructions from 2024. In this report, we have proposed minor changes for several of the habitat types. The assessments have been made by an expert group consisting of professionals who have had meetings with a mapping group consisting of highly experienced mappers. To make it easier to examine the Nature Types data set according to the Norwegian Environment Agency's instructions, especially with regard to the distribution of scores for locality quality, condition variables, natural diversity variables and the distribution of field-recorded variables across spatial and temporal variation, a shiny app was created which we have called NATplotter. This provides a visualization of mapping data according to the mapping instructions for the years 2018-2022. This has meant that the project has had a good knowledge base for the proposed changes in the instructions. In total, the Norwegian Environment Agency had received 312 submissions and in this report a total of 83 submissions have been assessed. • Of a total of 31 submissions to naturally open areas below the forest boundary, 11 were assessed to involve small changes of the type that we had the mandate and capacity to process in 2023 and seven were assessed as relevant. • Of a total of 12 submissions to the mountains, ten were considered to involve small changes of the type that we had the mandate and capacity to process in 2023, and eight were accepted. Of a total of 117 proposals for forests, 20 were considered to involve small changes of the type that we had the mandate and capacity to process in 2023. Six of these proposals were, for various reasons, not taken into account, while 14 proposals resulted in proposals for changes to the instructions. • Of a total of 41 submissions to semi-natural land, 19 were assessed to involve small changes of the type that we had the mandate and capacity to process in 2023 and eight were accepted. • Of a total of 42 inputs to wetlands, 17 were assessed to involve small changes of the type that we had the mandate and capacity to process in 2023 and ten were assessed as relevant. Some of the changes we can summarize here, are that we have proposed to change the mapping scale and associated mapping units to 1:20,000 for several of the nature types under mountains, old pine forest and old spruce forest (C11 and C12, all sub-types). We have proposed a new habitat type, C25 Boreal rainforest without conifer dominance and we have come up with proposals for almost all the 111 habitat types in the Environmental Directorate's mapping instruction, except for eight habitat types

Maternal Infection in Pregnancy and Childhood Leukemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo summarize the published evidence regarding the association between maternal infection during pregnancy and childhood leukemia.Study designIn this systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO number, CRD42018087289), we searched PubMed and Embase to identify relevant studies. We included human studies that reported associations of at least one measure of maternal infection during pregnancy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or all childhood leukemias in the offspring. One reviewer extracted the data first using a standardized form, and the second reviewer independently checked the data for accuracy. Two reviewers used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess the quality of included studies. We conducted random effects meta-analyses to pool the ORs of specific type of infection on ALL and childhood leukemia.ResultsThis review included 20 studies (ALL, n = 15; childhood leukemia, n = 14) reported in 32 articles. Most (>65%) included studies reported a positive association between infection variables and ALL or childhood leukemia. Among specific types of infection, we found that influenza during pregnancy was associated with higher risk of ALL (pooled OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.34-9.90) and childhood leukemia (pooled OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.01-3.11). Varicella (pooled OR, 10.19; 95% CI, 1.98-52.39) and rubella (pooled OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.16-6.71) infections were also associated with higher childhood leukemia risk.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that maternal infection during pregnancy may be associated with a higher risk of childhood leukemia

The role of plant functional groups mediating climate impacts on carbon and biodiversity of alpine grasslands

Plant removal experiments allow assessment of the role of biotic interactions among species or functional groups in community assembly and ecosystem functioning. When replicated along climate gradients, they can assess changes in interactions among species or functional groups with climate. Across twelve sites in the Vestland Climate Grid (VCG) spanning 4°C in growing season temperature and 2000 mm in mean annual precipitation across boreal and alpine regions of Western Norway, we conducted a fully factorial plant functional group removal experiment (graminoids, forbs, bryophytes). Over six years, we recorded biomass removed, soil microclimate, plant community composition and structure, seedling recruitment, ecosystem carbon fuxes, and refectance in 384 experimental and control plots. The dataset consists of 5,412 biomass records, 360 species-level biomass records, 1,084,970 soil temperature records, 4,771 soil moisture records, 17,181 plant records covering 206 taxa, 16,656 seedling records, 3,696 ecosystem carbon fux measurements, and 1,244 refectance measurements. The data can be combined with longer-term climate data and plant population, community, ecosystem, and functional trait data collected within the VCG.publishedVersio