Daily Measurements Research Articles

The two-way relationship of interpersonal curiosity and daily envy

Objective Envy and interpersonal curiosity are common emotional and psychological phenomena in relationships that collectively influence our social behavior and experiences. However, there is a research gap regarding the interaction between interpersonal curiosity and envy. Therefore, this study will primarily utilize daily diary methods to investigate the relationship between interpersonal curiosity and envy. Method Using the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale and the Chinese Adolescents’ Interpersonal Curiosity Questionnaire, Study 1 conducted a preliminary study on 392 middle school students using cross-sectional data. Based on the data from Study 1, we selected the ten items (2 items per variable) with the highest factor load for the daily measurement of Study 2. Study 2 utilized the diary method and recruited 81 adolescents as participants for a 14-day measurement period. Results The results of Study 1indicate a significant correlation between malicious envy and interpersonal curiosity, as well as a significant correlation between benign envy and interpersonal curiosity (excluding general interpersonal curiosity). The findings from Study 2 indicate that daily malicious envy can enhance private interpersonal curiosity and general interpersonal curiosity, daily benign envy can enhance curiosity exploration, and daily curiosity exploration can also enhance benign envy. Discussion This study enhances comprehension of the two-way relationship between adolescent envy and interpersonal curiosity within the framework of social comparison theory. The findings underscore the significance of adolescents recognizing and respecting others’ boundaries to mitigate the adverse effects linked to malicious envy. Furthermore, adolescents are encouraged to channel benign envy into a source of motivation, fostering personal growth and fostering positive relationships through curiosity exploration.

Use of medical technology and daily weight measurements in the management of severe childhood obesity

Use of medical technology and daily weight measurements in the management of severe childhood obesity

Increasing aerosol optical depth spatial and temporal availability by merging datasets from geostationary and sun-synchronous satellites

Abstract. This comprehensive study analyzed aerosol products from six low-Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) sensors. LEO sensors like the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and VIsible InfraRed Suite (VIIRS) provide one to two daily global measurements, while GEO sensors (Advanced Himawari Imager: AHI, Advanced Baseline Imager: ABI) offer high-frequency data (∼ 10 min) over specific regions. The combination of LEO and GEO capabilities offers expanded coverage of the global aerosol system if aerosol retrievals are applied consistently across all sensors and packaged in an easy-to-use product. The Dark Target aerosol retrieval algorithm was applied to the six sensors, and the resulting Level 2 aerosol optical depth (AOD) products were gridded and merged into a Level 3 quarter-degree latitude–longitude grid with a 30 min temporal resolution, providing the necessary consistency and packaging. Validation of this packaged Level 3 AOD product against Aerosol Robotics NETwork (AERONET) measurements across global locations showcased the merged product's robustness with a correlation coefficient of 0.83, revealing a global mean bias of approximately ±0.05, with 65.5 % of retrievals falling within an expected uncertainty range, underlining the reliability of the dataset. The new gridded Level 3 dataset significantly improved daily global coverage to nearly 45 %, overcoming the limitations of individual sensors, which typically range from 12 % to 25 %. Furthermore, this merged dataset approximates the diurnal cycle of AOD observed by AERONET, thus offering insights into diurnal signatures retrieved elsewhere. The resulting dataset's high spatiotemporal resolution and improved global coverage, especially in regions covered by GEO sensors (Americas and Asia), make it a valuable tool for diverse applications. Tracking aerosol transport from phenomena like wildfires and dust storms is gaining precision, enabling enhanced air quality forecasting and hindcasting. Additionally, the study positions the merged dataset as a significant asset for evaluating and intercomparing regional or global model simulations, which was previously unattainable in such a gridded format. The dataset and fusion framework layout in this study have the potential to include data from recently (future) launched other GEO (FCI, AMI) and LEO (PACE, VIIRS-JPSS) sensors.

PSXI-25 Re-characterizing beef cattle water intake

Abstract In the face of a changing climate and growing population, sustainable use of freshwater resources is paramount. Animal agriculture is often viewed as an antagonistic force working against freshwater resource preservation. However, assumptions of water use in beef cattle have cause to be reevaluated. The current published standards for beef cattle water intake were developed from data collected in 1956. Rapid genetic advancement in performance and increasing pressure on animal agriculture to reduce water usage demand that the water intake profiles of cattle be recharacterized. Recently, advancements in water monitoring technologies have granted researchers access to highly informative water intake data. In 2019, we installed RFID-enabled front-end weighing positions equipped with custom metered waterers at our West Virginia University (WVU) Reymann Memorial Research, Outreach, and Education Center (REOC) in Wardensville, WV. In 2022, we installed the same system at the WVU Animal Sciences REOC in Morgantown, WV. These systems allowed us to collect daily body weight (BW) and water intake data on individual animals. From 2019-07-08 to 2024-02-16, 2,020 animals have been evaluated for individual daily BW, feed intake, and water intake at our research locations. Data were collected on animals consigned to the Wardensville Young Sire Performance test by regional beef cattle producers or sourced for research. In total, 1,055 d of data were collected, with data collected during every month, resulting in 149,292 unique daily water intake measurements. Eleven breeds (Angus, Limousin, Angus cross bred, Charolais, SimAngus, Hereford, Simmental, Charolais cross bred, Black Hereford, Akaushi, and Red Angus) were evaluated. The maximum, minimum, and mean age for all animals was 753, 162, and 343 d, respectively. In total, water intake data from 1,255 bulls, 434 steers, and 331 heifers were collected (Table). Our large, highly granular database of individual animal daily water intake has allowed us to generate profiles of water intake for large segments of beef cattle. These findings will aid in the re-standardization of expected water intakes and the improvement of beef cattle sustainability.

Combining price and non-price interventions for water conservation

Abstract Marginal pricing has long been the instrument of choice to address water conservation challenges. More recently, non-price behavioral interventions have emerged as an alternative. However, there is limited data on the relative efficacies of price and non-price interventions. We report results from long-term field experiments studying unit-level water conservation responses to both price and non-price interventions in the same group of households (n = 64 186 household-days). Conservation habits, attitude-action gaps, principal-agent incongruities, and billing cycles help account for the heterogeneity in response between households, and across time. A non-price behavior modification intervention before the introduction of marginal pricing resulted in a large and significant effect on treated households (33%). The subsequent introduction of marginal volumetric pricing also reduced water use (8%, for previously untreated households). However, this average price effect masks how a large share (21%) of households increased water use, or how a mere 12% of the households accounted for all the aggregate reduction in water use. We investigated such heterogeneous responses as a systematic conservation maximization design question beyond statistical variance in individual responses. We used daily water consumption measurements across three years alongside a household survey to delineate structural and agentic barriers to conservation behavior. Our analysis reveals how combining price and non-price behavioral interventions could hold the key to achieving conservation effects that are both large and persistent.

Dating in social anxiety disorder: A daily diary study

Romantic relationships are vital for health, well-being and quality of life, and an increasing percentage of romantic relations begin via use of dating apps and subsequently progress to dates. In the present study we examined dating application use and dates among individuals with SAD (n = 54) and without SAD (n = 54). Our sample included young adults (age range 18 to 33) who were not in a romantic relationship at the time of the study. For both individuals with SAD and without SAD, half of the participants were men, and half were women. We used a daily diary measurement in which participants reported on their dating application use and dates, as well as on concomitant emotions and perceptions for 21 consecutive days. We found that individuals with and without SAD did not differ in the frequency/duration of application use nor in the number of dates attended. However, individuals with SAD experienced dates as more negative compared to individuals without SAD (Cohen’s d = 0.65). Interestingly, individuals with SAD did not significantly differ in their experience of dates as positive compared to individuals without SAD. Moreover, use of dating applications/going on dates were associated with increases in shame (Cohen’s d = 0.59) and embarrassment (Cohen’s d = 0.45) and this was found to a greater extent among individuals with SAD compared to individuals without SAD (Cohen’s d = 0.50, 0.39 for shame and embarrassment respectively). Findings are discussed in the context of cognitive behavioral models of SAD and implications for treatment are considered.

B - 95 Cogniphobia and Psychological Factors in Episodic Migraine: a Correlational Analysis

Abstract Objective The Cogniphobia Scale for Headache Disorders (CS-HD) was developed to assess pain-related fear as a trigger for headache pain. The study objective is to examine the bivariate correlations between cogniphobia with measures of depression, anxiety, pain anxiety, and subjective cognition to better understand relationships between psychological factors that can impact cognitive performance. Method Participants were recruited using internet-based methods and an existing headache research database. Baseline questionnaires on mood, including anxiety (PROMIS anxiety), pain anxiety (PASS-20), depression (PROMIS depression) and cogniphobia (CS-HD), from a longitudinal observational study were analyzed. A 4-week daily measure of subjective cognition was included in the analysis (Alertness Behavior subscale of the Sickness Impact Profile). Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine relationships between cogniphobia with depression, anxiety, pain anxiety, and subjective cognition. Results The sample consisted of 18 participants with episodic migraine (Male = 6, Female = 12; Hispanic = 4, Non-Hispanic = 14). Results revealed significant correlations between cogniphobia and both pain anxiety (r = 0.86, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.656, 0.947]) and subjective cognition (r = 0.595, p = 0.009, 95% CI [0.178, 0.831]). Non-significant correlations were found between cogniphobia and both anxiety (r = 0.256, p = 0.305, 95% CI [−0.240, 0.646]) and depression (r = 0.418, p = 0.084 95% CI [−0.060,0.741]). Conclusion(s) Pain anxiety and subjective cognition are most closely related to cogniphobia. Although not statistically significant, results indicate that symptoms of depression may be more related to cogniphobia than purely anxious symptoms, however further research with larger sample sizes is needed.

Safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of oral testosterone undecanoate in males with hypogonadism.

Testosterone deficiency results from insufficient testosterone production. Testosterone therapy may require dose titration to reach eugonadal serum testosterone concentrations. The primary objective was the efficacy of oral testosterone undecanoate (TLANDO; Antares Pharma Inc.) in male patients with documented hypogonadism. Secondary objectives included a comparison of oral testosterone undecanoate safety and quality-of-life assessments to 1.62% topical testosterone gel (AndroGel 1.62%; AbbVie). In this phase 3 study, 315 patients were randomized 2:1 to oral testosterone undecanoate or 1.62% topical testosterone gel (NCT02081300). Patients received 225mg oral testosterone undecanoate twice daily, and doses were adjusted by 75mg/dose at weeks 4 and 8 based on average serum total testosterone concentration and maximum observed serum concentration. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients receiving oral testosterone undecanoate with serum total testosterone concentration within the eugonadal reference range (300-1140ng/dL). Secondary endpoints included the proportion of patients with maximum serum total testosterone concentrations within predetermined limits, safety parameters, and quality-of-life endpoints including the Short Form-36v2 Health Survey, Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire, and International Prostate Symptom Score. Overall mean±SD baseline testosterone was 205.7±71.6ng/dL. For patients receiving oral testosterone undecanoate, 87.4% demonstrated a 24-h average serum total testosterone concentration within the reference range following titration. Oral testosterone undecanoate demonstrated a nominal statistically significantly greater mean change from baseline than 1.62% topical testosterone gel for Short Form-36v2 Health Survey measures of mental health (2.91vs. -0.10; p=0.035), and mental component summary (3.82vs. 0.55; p=0.009); and Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire measure of weekly negative mood (-0.57vs. -0.20; p=0.021). Safety endpoints were comparable between therapies. No deaths or treatment-related serious adverse events were reported. Male patients with hypogonadism receiving oral testosterone undecanoate 225mg twice daily demonstrated improvements in libido and sexual frequency. Serum testosterone concentrations were within the reference range in 87% of patients without dose titration.

Time-restricted feeding does not prevent adverse effects of palatable cafeteria diet on adiposity, cognition and gut microbiota in rats

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is a popular dietary strategy whereby daily food intake is limited to a <12h window. As little is known about the effects of TRF on cognitive and behavioral measures, the present study examined the effects of time-restricted (8h/day; zeitgeber time [ZT]12–20) or continuous access to a high-fat, high-sugar cafeteria-style diet (Caf; Caf and Caf-TRF groups; n=12 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats) or standard chow (Chow and Chow-TRF groups) on short-term memory, anxiety-like behavior, adiposity and gut microbiota composition over 13-weeks with daily food intake measures. TRF significantly reduced daily energy intake in Caf- but not chow-fed groups. In Caf-fed groups, TRF reduced the proportion of energy derived from sugar while increasing that derived from protein. Caf diet significantly increased weight gain, adiposity and fasting glucose within 4 weeks; TRF partially reduced these effects. Caf diet increased anxiety-like behavior in the Elevated Plus Maze in week 3 but not week 12, and impaired hippocampal-dependent place recognition memory in week 11; neither measure was affected by TRF. Global microbiota composition differed markedly between chow and Caf groups, with a small effect of TRF in rats fed chow. In both chow and Caf diet groups, TRF reduced microbiota alpha diversity measures of Shannon diversity and evenness relative to continuous access. Results indicate only limited benefits of TRF access to an obesogenic diet under these conditions, suggesting that more severe time restriction may be required to offset adverse metabolic and cognitive effects when using highly palatable diets.

Heart Rate Variability in Elite Team Sports: A Systematic Review

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) is recognized as a crucial indicator of autonomic nervous system function and is valuable in sports science for monitoring athlete health and performance. This systematic review investigates the use of HRV in elite team sports to monitor training adaptations, athlete status, and overall health. The purpose is to consolidate recent findings and provide a comprehensive understanding of HRV's application in elite team sports. Methods: The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023431208). A comprehensive search was performed across PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, covering studies from January 2013 to November 2023. Studies included involved elite team-sport athletes, with HRV measured immediately after waking. Exclusion criteria were underage athletes, injured athletes, and studies using HRV for different purposes. The review process involved screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, with a final inclusion of 12 studies. Results: Out of 277 identified articles, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving sports such as water polo, rugby, football, basketball, volleyball, handball, futsal, hockey, and rowing. The studies highlighted HRV as a valuable tool for tracking training load adaptations, monitoring athlete readiness, recovery, and mental stress. Daily HRV measurements were commonly used, showing effectiveness in detecting overtraining and ensuring adequate recovery. Various HRV parameters and recording methods were discussed, emphasizing the need for individualized assessment. RMSSD and LnRMSSD were the most commonly used parameters, with variations in recording times and positions. Conclusions: HRV is an effective non-invasive marker for optimizing training regimens and improving athlete health, making it a significant tool in sports medicine. This review provides actionable insights for integrating HRV monitoring into daily training practices, ultimately enhancing athletic performance and preventing overtraining. Standardized protocols for HRV measurement are recommended to ensure consistency and reliability in data collection and interpretation. The findings highlight the need for further research to refine HRV applications and establish best practices in elite team sports

Whole Day Workload: Evaluation of a New Outcome Measure in Occupational Therapy for Adults With Type 1 Diabetes.

Typical whole day workload is a metric with potential relevance to the occupational balance and well-being of individuals with chronic conditions. To examine the reliability and validity of using multiple daily NASA Task Load Index measures (whole day TLX) as an indicator of typical whole day workload experienced by adults with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Participants with T1D completed cross-sectional measures and 2 wk of ecological momentary assessments (EMA) and daily diaries. Reliability was assessed across subgroups (e.g., workers vs. nonworkers); validity was evaluated with multilevel confirmatory factor analysis and with tests of convergent and divergent validity with patient-reported outcomes and blood glucose measures. Three outpatient endocrinology clinics in the United States. Data from 164 U.S. adults with T1D (42% Latino, 30% White). Measures used included the whole day TLX (assessed via 2 wk of daily diaries), time in target blood glucose range (assessed with a continuous glucose monitor), illness intrusiveness (measured cross-sectionally), and stress (measured cross-sectionally and with EMA). Number of days required for at least 0.70 reliability of the average whole day TLX ranged between 2 and 6 days depending on the subgroup. Results supported convergent and divergent validity of the average of the whole day TLX, including associations with average stress (r = .63, p < .001) and time in target blood glucose range (r = -.25, p = .002). The whole day TLX was a reliable and valid indicator of typical whole day workload. Plain-Language Summary: The health management responsibilities for Type 1 diabetes can be extremely burdensome. When these responsibilities are experienced, in addition to duties such as work and caregiving, the totality of demands experienced (i.e., whole day workload) can create further issues, such as unhealthy physiological changes and interference with self-care. We tested the psychometric properties of a measurement tool that assesses the typical level of workload people experience. This measure, referred to as the NASA Task Load Index (whole day TLX), was found to be a reliable and valid indicator of typical whole day workload. Occupational therapists may use the whole day TLX to track progress in interventions focused on reducing clients' whole day workload exposure to promote their health and well-being. Occupational therapists' expertise in areas such as activity analysis, task adaptation, and energy conservation makes them especially well-suited to intervene on whole day workload.

Temporal Dynamics of Stress, Affect, and Abdominal Pain in IBS: Insights from a Clinical Sample

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a complex aetiology involving biological and psychological alterations. Among others, stress seems to be a relevant factor for IBS symptom onset and exacerbation. Affective changes can be related to symptom severity and stressful experiences and may be valuable for therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study was to examine temporal dynamics of affect, stress, and symptom severity (specifically abdominal pain) in a sample of IBS patients. Thirty-two outpatients kept a diary with a set of short questionnaires (Affect scale, Symptom severity scale, and Daily stress measure) once a day, in the evening, for 14 days. Abdominal pain was modeled as a function of between-person, concurrent and lagged within-person effect of stress and affect controlling for autoregressive pain effects. Positive and negative affect exhibited concurrent effects on abdominal pain while stress did not. Daily variation in positive affect was associated with a decrease in pain while the opposite was true for negative affect. Positive and negative affect models explained over 40% of the variation in daily abdominal pain. Even though the models had a good fit, the amount of variance explained by positive and negative affect alone was relatively small (~7%) with high interindividual heterogeneity. It seems that day-to-day stress variations do not have a direct impact on abdominal pain, while affective dynamics appear closely related to pain variations.

The Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Road Transport Air Pollution in London: A State-Space Modelling Approach.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to the implementation of legal restrictions on individual activities, significantly impacting traffic and air pollution levels in urban areas. This study employs a state-space intervention method to investigate the effects of three major COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020, November 2020, and January 2021 on London's air quality. Data were collected from 20 monitoring stations across London (central, ultra-low emission zone, and greater London), with daily measurements of NOx, PM10, and PM2.5 for four years (January 2019-December 2022). Furthermore, the developed model was adjusted for seasonal effects, ambient temperature, and relative humidity. This study found significant reductions in the NOx levels during the first lockdown: 49% in central London, 33% in the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ), and 37% in greater London. Although reductions in NOx were also observed during the second and third lockdowns, they were less than the first lockdown. In contrast, PM10 and PM2.5 increased by 12% and 1%, respectively, during the first lockdown, possibly due to higher residential energy consumption. However, during the second lockdown, PM10 and PM2.5 levels decreased by 11% and 13%, respectively, and remained unchanged during the third lockdown. These findings highlight the complex dynamics of urban air quality and underscore the need for targeted interventions to address specific pollution sources, particularly those related to road transport. The study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of lockdown measures and informs future air quality management strategies.

First Phase of the Clinical trial of the AS-Probionorm Probiotic Medication for the treatment of Human Intestinal Infections

The effectiveness of probiotic medications in the treatment of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract has been proven in many clinical studies. Despite this, currently, some preparations do not have the appropriate quality and activity against pathogenic microorganisms. The reason for this is the lack of a stage for the selection of antagonists to specific pathogens at the stage of research and medication development. Given the high prevalence of intestinal infections among the population of Kazakhstan and the lack of made-in-Kazakhstan probiotic medications in the pharmaceutical market, there is a need to introduce an effective preparation based on probiotic microorganisms for the treatment of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the methodology and results of the first phase of clinical trials of this preparation. The study was conducted following the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration, the Order of the Acting Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 20 healthy volunteers of both sexes aged 18 to 50 years with a verified state of health, who had given informed consent, were examined before the start of the study, and the results of clinical measurement of the initial condition were also obtained, which was then compared with daily measurements during the use of the preparation under study and a week after the last administration. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the preparation was well-tolerated without noticeable side effects, which indicates the safety of the medication.

Health and Well-Being Among College Students in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Daily Diary Study.

There is evidence that anxiety and stress increased among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, less is known about daily experiences of affect, worry, substance use behaviors, experiences of pleasure, concern over food security, experiences of bias or discrimination, feelings of belongingness, and other indicators of well-being and how they vary across days in this population. This study surveyed a wide range of indicators of health and well-being in daily life over 21 days with a sample of college students in a large university system in the United States during the pandemic. The overall variance in each daily measure was partitioned to reflect the proportion due to (1) between-person differences versus (2) within-person, day-to-day variability. This is important because measures that vary primarily due to between-person differences may be more amenable to interventions that target particular students, whereas measures that vary more due to day-to-day variability may be more amenable to interventions that target day-level contextual factors. A sample of 2068 young adult college students (aged 18-24, mean 19.8, SD 1.3 years; 66.6% women) completed a baseline survey; 97.3% (n=2012) then completed up to 21 consecutive daily surveys that assessed a comprehensive set of daily markers of health, behavior, and well-being. The daily diary study produced a total of 33,722 person-days. Among all person-days, a minority were substance use days (eg, 14.5% of days involved alcohol use, 5.6% vaping, and 5.5% cannabis). Experiences of pleasure were reported on most (73.5%) days. Between-person differences explained more than 50% of the variance in numerous indicators of health and well-being, including daily vaping, cannabis use, other illicit substance use, experiences of bias or discrimination, positive affect, negative affect, worry, food insecurity, and feelings of belonging at the university. In contrast, within-person differences explained more than 50% of the variance in daily alcohol use, cigarette use, stress, experiences of pleasure, where the student slept last night, and physical activity. College student health and well-being are multifaceted, with some aspects likely driven by person-level characteristics and experiences and other aspects by more dynamic, contextual risk factors that occur in daily life. These findings implicate services and interventions that should target individual students versus those that should target days on which students are at high risk for poor experiences or behaviors.

Comprehensive evaluation of xylometazoline hydrochloride formulations: Ex-vivo and in-vitro studies

Xylometazoline is a well-established nasal decongestant that has been used alone and in combination with dexpanthenol as an over the counter (OTC) medicine. Considering the possibility of further improvement of xylometazoline nasal formulations, hyaluronic acid (HA) was evaluated as an additional ingredient. The aim of this study was to investigate the permeation, mucosal retention, and mucoadhesion properties of a new xylometazoline-HA [Xylo-HA] formulation ex vivo and to explore the potential benefits of incorporating HA in the formulation in vitro. Sheep nasal mucosa was used in the ex vivo study, where Xylo-HA was compared with xylometazoline alone [Xylo-Mono], and in combination with dexpanthenol [Xylo-Dex] to understand the impact of formulation changes. The permeation of xylometazoline was generally low (Xylo-Mono 11.14 ± 4.75 %, Xylo-HA 14.57 ± 5.72 % and Xylo-Dex 11.00 ± 3.05 % of the applied dose). The steady state fluxes of xylometazoline were determined as 12.64 ± 3.52 μg/cm2h, 14.94 ± 3.38 μg/cm2h and 12.19 ± 2.05 μg/cm2h for Xylo-Mono, Xylo-HA and Xylo-Dex, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the formulations in the permeation nor mucosal retention studies (p > 0.05 for all), while Xylo-HA exhibited superior mucoadhesive proprieties (p < 0.05 for all). The effects on wound healing and barrier integrity of the three xylometazoline formulations were tested in vitro on HaCaT cells. To better elucidate the role of HA, an additional HA formulation without xylometazoline was prepared (HA-Mono). A scratch test was performed to evaluate wound healing, revealing that the test formulations did not achieve complete wound closure within 72 h and demonstrated a similar effect at the end of the testing period. To assess the effect on barrier integrity, cells were treated for 5 days with daily measurements of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). At the end of the experiment, Xylo-Dex showed a moderate 14 % increase in TEER, while Xylo-Mono did not significantly affect this parameter. TEER rose by 951 % in the Xylo-HA, and by 10497 % in the HA group, suggesting that incorporating HA led to enhanced barrier function. Further clinical studies are recommended to better understand the clinical implications and efficacy of the Xylo-HA formulation, with particular focus on the role of HA.

Alternative plant protection using an indigenous bacterium (Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans) isolated from agricultural soil of potato fields in Western Algeria to biodegrade common pesticides

Nowadays, it is highly important to find ways to degrade pesticides residues from the environment. We studied degradation of carbamate, copper sulphate - Cymoxanil and Cycloxydim by using an indeginous bacterium Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans. This bacteria uses pesticides as source of carbon and solubilize them by their enzymatic machinery. Experiments were conducted using mineral salt medium (MSM) on agar supplemented with two different pesticides as sole carbon and energy source: carbamate and acetamiprid. These organic pesticides contain carbon (example of carbamate: NH2COOH). Growth of the bacteria could suggest that it has utilized the pesticide as its sole energy source, indicating its ability to degrade the pesticide. The effects of different factors on pesticides degradation were investigated such us pesticide tolerance. The bacteria were tested for the ability to tolerate high concentrations of pesticides to optimize the degradation conditions. The treatments consisted of carbon-free mineral salts medium (MSM) supplemented with pesticides that are usually used during cultivation of potato such as acetamiprid, carbamate, copper sulphate - Cymoxanil and Cycloxydim at increasing concentrations (70, 100, 200 and 500mgl-1). Bacterial growth was monitored by daily measurement of the optical density at 600 nm on UV-1600 Spectrophotometer. Only one strain (Labeled PF2 of Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans) showed potential to tolerate and mitigate the tested pesticides at high concentrations. Further, a phenotypic characterization was carried, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis performed to identify the PF2 strain. Pesticides did not show any significant inhibitory effect on the isolate PF2. Comparison of sequences with GenBank database gave similarity with Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans with 99.74% of homology. A phylogenetic tree of Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans was constructed to show relationship to closely related bacteria. The potential and efficiency of the strain PF2 using pesticides can be considered as a qualitative leap in the field of pesticide bioremediation in agricultural soils.

Utilizing Infrared Thermometry to Assess the Crop Water Stress Index of Wheat Genotypes in Arid Regions under Varying Irrigation Regimes

Researchers are depending more than ever on remote sensing techniques to monitor and assess the agricultural water status, as well as to estimate crop water usage or crop actual evapotranspiration. In the current work, normal and stressed baselines for irrigated wheat genotypes were developed in an arid part of the Sohag governorate, Egypt, using infrared thermometry in conjunction with weather parameters. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design in the normal and drought stress conditions based on three replicates using ten bread wheat genotypes (G1–G10), including five accessions, under drought stress. A standard Class-A-Pan in the experimental field provided the daily evaporation measurements (mm/day), which was multiplied by a pan factor of 0.8 and 0.4 for normal and stressed conditions, respectively. The relationship between the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and canopy-air temperature differences (Tc − Ta) was plotted under upper (fully stressed) and lower baseline (normal) equations. Accordingly, the crop water stress indexes (CWSIs) for the stressed and normal baselines for wheat genotypes were developed. Additionally, the intercept (b) and the slope (a) of the lower baseline equation were computed for different genotypes. The results indicate that, before applying irrigation water, the CWSI values were high in both growing seasons and under all irrigation regimes. After that, the CWSI values declined. G10 underwent stress treatment, which produced the greatest CWSI (0.975). Conversely, the G6 condition that received well-watered irrigation yielded the lowest result (−0.007). When compared to a well-watered one, the CWSI values indicated a trend toward rising stress. There existed an inverse link between the CWSI and grain yield (GY); that is, a lower CWSI resulted in better plant water conditions and a higher GY. Under standard conditions, the wheat’s highest GY was recorded in G2, 8.36 Ton/ha and a WCSI of 0.481. In contrast, the CWSI result for the stress treatment was 0.883, indicating a minimum GY of 5.25 Ton/ha. The Water Use Efficiency (WUE) results demonstrated that the stress irrigation regime produced a greater WUE value than the usual one. This study makes a significant contribution by investigating the techniques that would allow CWSI to be used to estimate irrigation requirements, in addition to determining the irrigation time.

Take Action, Recover Well? The Role of Daily Proactive Recovery Strategies for Recovery, Stress, Affect, and Next-Day Performance

Although both employee wellbeing and performance are valued by organizations, achieving them conjointly is not simple in practice. Prior studies have highlighted the role of daily experiences of recovery from work stress for employee wellbeing and performance. In a work-life characterized by pressures to intensify the pace of work, employees may increasingly use proactive efforts to shape their daily off-job time to effectively recover from stress and maintain their wellbeing and performance. Based on the integrative needs model of crafting, effort-recovery model, and conservation of resources theory as guiding frameworks, we examine whether employees’ daily proactive recovery strategies predict daily off-job and work stress, affect, and subjective work performance through enhanced recovery experiences. Daily diary measurements were collected among a sample of 377 Norwegian employees across a period of two weeks in early 2022 (from Monday to Thursday, i.e., eight measurement days in total). Results of Bayesian multilevel models showed that crafting for detachment, for relaxation, and for autonomy during off-job time negatively predicted off-job stress and negative affect through matching recovery experiences, whereas crafting for mastery positively predicted positive affect through mastery experiences. Crafting for relaxation and for autonomy were directly negatively related to next-day work stress, but these effects were not mediated by matching recovery experiences. Crafting for autonomy positively predicted next-day self-rated work performance through control experiences. Our study contributes to the literature on recovery from work by highlighting proactive recovery strategies as important initiators of daily recovery processes.

The pulse of Yarlung Tsangpo River: Ultra-high-resolution insights into the flow and sediment

Traditional monitoring techniques of flow and sediment are inadequate for the sparsely populated, the rivers in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau region which are experiencing amplified climate change. Inspired by the Euchiloglanis fish, this study developed a unique self-contained hydrodynamic observation platform to withstand the high velocities of mountain rivers typically encountered in mountain rivers. The platform, equipped with sensors, was successfully deployed in the Yarlung Tsangpo River, collecting ultra-high-resolution data on flow and sediment over a period of nearly two months. Performance assessments showed that the median value of discharge per unit width measured and suspended sediment concentration by this system were basically consistent with those daily measurements from the hydrological station. Meanwhile, the superiority of the system was reflected in the more significant daily average change, especially at the flooding period. The data unveiled significant minute-level hydrological fluctuations and a complex interplay of factors affecting the river’s flow and sediment transport. A wavelet coherence analysis revealed asynchrony changes in short-period flow and sediment variables. Persistent short-period and coherent long-period signals are significantly displayed during flood events. The platform promises future applications, such as automated benthic observations and replacing traditional ’lead-line’ methods. Despite acknowledging system limitations of underwater attitude, burying tendency, and real-time data transmission capabilities, the study highlighted the crucial role of this system in understanding and managing river dynamics, particularly amid escalating environmental threats.