Effect Of Week Research Articles

An investigation into the factors associated with pregnancy associated glycoproteins in milk in seasonal-calving pasture-based dairy cows.

Pregnancy associated glycoproteins (PAG) are secreted by trophoblast giant cells, and are detectable in blood and milk within the first month of gestation. The PAG concentration in blood and milk is believed to be one indicator of placental function and predictive of pregnancy maintenance. The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate factors associated with milk PAG S-N profiles in cows managed under a seasonal calving, pasture-based production system. Spring-calving dairy cows (n = 496) located in 3 Teagasc Research farms in Ireland were enrolled in the study. Milk samples were collected weekly from each cow from wk 5 to 21 after artificial insemination (AI) to determine milk PAG S-N values. Body condition score was measured every 2 weeks on a scale of 1 to 5 with 0.25 increments. Only cows that conceived to first AI and maintained pregnancy were retained for the final analysis (n = 247). Mixed models were used to evaluate the fixed effects of week after AI, BCS, dam fertility index (FI) and milk index (MI), milk yield category, sire, parity, calf sex and calf birthweight on weekly milk PAGS-N profile, initial peak PAG, nadir PAG and post nadir recovery peak PAG. Week after AI was associated with milk PAG S-N values, with initial peak values observed on (mean and 95% CI) wk 6.4 ([6.2, 6.5]) after AI, nadir values on wk 8.6 ([8.55, 8.90]) after AI followed by recovery thereafter. We observed associations between parity, dam FI, milk yield, sire of the gestating embryo/fetus, fetal sex, and full-term calf birthweight with different aspects of the PAG S-N profile. Cows with the greatest FI had greater milk PAG S-N values at wk 5 and 6 after AI compared with cows with intermediate FI and least FI. There was also an association with parity because parity 1 cows had greater milk PAG S-N values than parity 2 and parity 3 cows during the initial peak and nadir stages of the PAG profile. An effect of sire on nadir milk PAG S-N values was observed, with PAG S-N values ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 between sires. In summary, milk PAG concentrations were associated with dam genetic merit, phenotypic milk production, and fetal characteristics. Assuming a correlation between milk PAG S-N values and placental function, these data provide evidence for an effect of genetic selection for fertility traits on placental development and/or function.

Countermovement Jumps and Acute to Chronic Workload Ratios in Low, Moderate, and High Jump Load Groups Throughout a Division I Volleyball Season.

Sanders, GJ, Skodinski, S, Cabarkapa, DV, Howard, M, Cabarkapa, D, Kollock, RO, and Peacock, CA. Countermovement jumps and acute to chronic workload ratios in low, moderate, and high jump load groups throughout a Division I volleyball season. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of low, moderate, and high jump loads on the acute to chronic workload ratio (ACWR) and neuromuscular fatigue throughout a Division I volleyball season. Twelve female volleyball athletes were monitored throughout a competitive season to track daily jump loads and measure neuromuscular fatigue based on twice-weekly countermovement jumps (CMJs) using a dual force plate. Jump loads were categorized into thirds (low, moderate, high-volume) to assess changes in neuromuscular fatigue, and a secondary evaluation examined differences in the ACWR. The results of this study were statistically significant with a p ≤ 0.05. The Wilks Lambda test in the multivariate analysis of variance found there were main effects for low, moderate, and high jump load groups (F = 50.498, p < 0.001), weeks (F = 3.136, p < 0.001), and significant group by week interactions (F = 1.751, p < 0.001) for jump loads and CMJ test results. There was no main effect of week for ACWR (F = 0.634, p = 0.849), and although statistically different, there were minimal changes in the ACWR between groups. There were significant variations in jump loads and CMJ performance between low, moderate, and high jump load groups across a 16-week season, most notably after week 5. In addition, the data highlight the limitations of the ACWR when detecting changes in athlete fatigue throughout the season.

Exposure to Bupropion-SR vs. Placebo is associated with reductions in smoking among persons receiving methadone with no stated interest in smoking cessation

Smoking is prevalent among individuals receiving methadone treatment. Reducing smoking among this population is needed as smoking is a leading cause of morbidity and preventable death. Smoking cessation interventions for persons receiving medication for opioid use disorder have yielded small changes in abstinence. Bupropion-SR was developed as an anti-depressant medication and is a first-line medication for smoking cessation. There is limited research on the effectiveness of bupropion-SR on smoking cessation among individuals receiving medication for opioid use disorder. This study is a secondary analysis of N = 72 adults enrolled in methadone treatment who endorsed smoking cigarettes. Participants were randomized to receive bupropion-SR 150 mg twice-daily (n = 35) or placebo (n = 37) in the primary study that examined bupropion-SR on cocaine use outcomes over a 30-weeks. Mixed model analyses examined secondary changes in self-reported cigarettes smoked, a self-reported measure of nicotine dependence, and quantitative urinary cotinine values. The longitudinal analysis of self-reported daily cigarettes identified no main effects of group and week however a significant interaction between group and week revealed that persons receiving bupropion-SR group reported less smoking early in the intervention. Longitudinal evaluation of changes in urinary cotinine revealed a significant main effect of week but no main effect of group or group x week interaction. Data suggest that bupropion-SR significantly decreased the number of self-reported cigarettes smoked relative to placebo and reduced nicotine dependence severity by the end of the study. Follow-up studies are needed as these decreases were not identified throughout the full study period or at termination.

PARTIAL MILK YIELD, MILK CHOLESTEROL AND BODY WEIGHT OF LACTATING WEST AFRICAN DWARF DOES

In the present study, the effects of weeks of lactation on partial milk yield, milk cholesterol and body weight of lactating West African Dwarf does were investigated. Twelve WAD does with mean initial weight of 24.51.58 kg were housed individually in pens. Partial milk yield was measured weekly and milk samples were analyzed for cholesterol content. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance using general linear model procedures. Stage of lactation significantly affected milk yield, milk cholesterol content and body weight measurement. Highest milk cholesterol level and peak milk yield were observed at the 3rd and 4th week of lactation respectively and both decreased as lactation advanced.

Testing a Behavioral Activation Gaming App for Depression During Pregnancy: Multimethod Pilot Study.

Depression during pregnancy is increasingly recognized as a worldwide public health problem. If untreated, there can be detrimental outcomes for the mother and child. Anxiety is also often comorbid with depression. Although effective treatments exist, most women do not receive treatment. Technology is a mechanism to increase access to and engagement in mental health services. The Guardians is a mobile app, grounded in behavioral activation principles, which seeks to leverage mobile game mechanics and in-game rewards to encourage user engagement. This study seeks to assess app satisfaction and engagement and to explore changes in clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety among a sample of pregnant women with elevated depressive symptoms. This multimethod pilot test consisted of a single-arm, proof-of-concept trial to examine the feasibility and acceptability of The Guardians among a pregnant sample with depression (N=18). Participation included two web-based study visits: (1) a baseline assessment to collect demographic and obstetric information and to assess clinical symptoms and (2) an exit interview to administer follow-up measures and explore user experience. Participants completed biweekly questionnaires (ie, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) during the trial to assess depression and anxiety symptom severity. App satisfaction was measured using 2 self-report scales (ie, Mobile Application Rating Scale and Player Experience of Needs Satisfaction scale). Engagement with The Guardians was captured using game interaction metric data. We used backward-eliminated mixed effects longitudinal models to examine the effects of app engagement and satisfaction and length of time in the study on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Content analysis was conducted on qualitative data from exit interviews. The 15-day and 30-day overall app retention rates were 26.6% and 15.1%, respectively. Mixed effects models found significant negative main effects of week in study (β=-.35; t61=-3.05; P=.003), number of activities completed (β=-.12; t61=-2.05; P=.04), days played (β=-.12; t58=-2.9; P=.005), and satisfaction, according to the Mobile Application Rating Scale (β=-3.05; t45=-2.19; P=.03) on depressive symptoms. We have reported about similar analyses for anxiety. There is preliminary evidence suggesting harder activities are associated with greater mood improvement than easier activities. Qualitative content analysis resulted in feedback falling under the following themes: activities, app design, engagement, fit of the app with lifestyle, perceived impact of the app on mood, and suggestions for app modifications. Preliminary results from this multimethod study of The Guardians indicate feasibility and acceptability among pregnant women with depression. Retention and engagement levels were more than double those of previous public mental health apps, and use of the app was associated with significant decrease in depressive symptom scores over the 10-week trial. The Guardians shows promise as an effective and scalable digital intervention to support women experiencing depression.

Microorganisms in subarctic soils are depleted of ribosomes under short-, medium-, and long-term warming.

Physiological responses of soil microorganisms to global warming are important for soil ecosystem function and the terrestrial carbon cycle. Here, we investigate the effects of weeks, years, and decades of soil warming across seasons and time on the microbial protein biosynthesis machineries (i.e. ribosomes), the most abundant cellular macromolecular complexes, using RNA:DNA and RNA:MBC (microbial biomass carbon) ratios as proxies for cellular ribosome contents. We compared warmed soils and non-warmed controls of 15 replicated subarctic grassland and forest soil temperature gradients subject to natural geothermal warming. RNA:DNA ratios tended to be lower in the warmed soils during summer and autumn, independent of warming duration (6weeks, 8-14years, and > 50years), warming intensity (+3°C, +6°C, and +9°C), and ecosystem type. With increasing temperatures, RNA:MBC ratios were also decreasing. Additionally, seasonal RNA:DNA ratios of the consecutively sampled forest showed the same temperature-driven pattern. This suggests that subarctic soil microorganisms are depleted of ribosomes under warm conditions and the lack of consistent relationships with other physicochemical parameters besides temperature further suggests temperature as key driver. Furthermore, in incubation experiments, we measured significantly higher CO2 emission rates per unit of RNA from short- and long-term warmed soils compared to non-warmed controls. In conclusion, ribosome reduction may represent a widespread microbial physiological response to warming that offers a selective advantage at higher temperatures, as energy and matter can be reallocated from ribosome synthesis to other processes including substrate uptake and turnover. This way, ribosome reduction could have a substantial effect on soil carbon dynamics.

112 Definition and Genetic Parameters Estimation for Climatic Resilience Indicators Derived from Longitudinal Vaginal Temperature Records in Lactating Sows Under Heat Stress Conditions

Abstract Climatic resilience (CR) can be defined as the ability of an animal to maintain euthermia under thermally stressful conditions. However, CR based on longitudinal physiological variables has not been included in current swine genetic selection schemes. This is the first study deriving novel CR indicators using automatically recorded vaginal temperatures (TV) and estimating genetic parameters for them. Therefore, the study objectives were to: 1) derive novel indicators of CR based on automatically recorded vaginal temperature (TV); and 2) estimate (co)variance components and genetic parameters for these indicators. TV of 1,381 lactating sows (parities 2 to 7; Landrace × Large White) were measured automatically every 10 minutes from June 5th, 2021 to July 30th, 2021 using a vaginally implanted thermochron data recorder. A total of 1,639 F1 (Landrace x Large White) sows within the studied population were genotyped using the PorcineSNP50K Bead Chip. A total of 18 HS indicators derived from Tv, their definitions, heritability estimates, and mean genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) accuracies are shown in Table 1. Multi-trait animal models were fitted for estimating the (co)variance components, considering the effects of week of data collection, parity, and location (barn and room within barn) as fixed. Heritability estimates for these resilience traits ranged from 0.0004 ± 7.16E-6 (SlopeDe) to 0.291 ± 0.047 (HSAB). Most traits derived directly from vaginal temperature (e.g., Duration: 0.201 ± 0.033, MaxTv: 0.203 ± 0.032) are moderately heritable with substantial additive genetic variance. Besides, LnVar(Med) that is derived from the deviation between the real and predicted value had moderate heritability (0.196 ± 0.041) and high mean GEBV accuracy (0.616 ± 0.042). The indicators defined based on the slope of Tv and time had low heritability estimates, which are close to zero, and low mean GEBV accuracy (0.106 ± 0.050 – 0.337 ± 0.065). Among all the CR indicators, Duration, MaxTv, Nor_medvar, Nor_avevar, HSAA, and HSAB outperformed the other indicators with moderate heritability estimates and high average GEBV accuracies. Genetic correlations were estimated among the six indicators with moderate heritability and high mean GEBV accuracy. Moderate to high positive genetic correlations (0.508 ± 0.034 to 0.992 ± 0.025) were estimated among Duration, MaxTv, Nor_medvar, HSAB, and HSAA. LnVar(Med) showed low negative genetic correlations (-0.218 ± 0.028 to -0.039 ± 0.018) with the traits Duration, MaxTv, HSAA, and HSAB, except with Nor_medvar, which was positive (0.156 ± 0.022). Thus, Duration, LnVar(Med), MaxTv, Nor_medvar, HSAB, and HSAA might be promising CR indicator and contribute toward improving lactating sows’ resilience to thermal stress through genetic selection. New studies about the relationship between these new indicators and other economic important traits in pigs are required before including them in selection indexes.

Comparative assessment of subretinal hyper-reflective material in patients treated with brolucizumab versus aflibercept in HAWK and HARRIER

PurposePost hoc analysis of the phase III HAWK and HARRIER studies to compare the reductions in subretinal hyper-reflective material (SHRM) thickness following brolucizumab 6 mg or aflibercept 2 mg treatment...

Effect of milk flow-rate switch-point settings on milking duration and udder health throughout lactation

The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of different milk flow-rate switch-point settings on milking duration, SCC, strip milk, teat condition and milk yield in a grass based system in a long-term experiment. Much work has already been conducted providing strong support for significant reduction in milking duration without impact on yield through increasing the flow-rate switch-point at which vacuum to the milking cluster ceases and the cluster is removed from the cow by means of a retracting cord. However, in practice many farms have not adopted this labor saving technology on the basis that it may increase milk SCC. Recent research on commercial Irish dairy herds identified the contagious mastitis causing pathogen Staph. aureus as the most prevalent pathogen detected. Staph. aureus could have a cyclical shedding pattern which would inhibit detection at certain time points. Therefore, to reliably assess the effect of milk flow-rate switch-points on SCC, a long-term study was required, consisting of multiple observations on cow level SCC. The present study filled this gap in knowledge by informing on any impact that ceasing milking at different flow-rates may have on milking duration and SCC levels, particularly with regard to spring calving grass based systems. Four treatments, consisting of milk flow-rate switch-points increasing from 0.2 kg/min to 0.8 kg/min in steps of 0.2 kg/min, were deployed for 31 weeks to cows at the Teagasc Research Centre at Moorepark, Ireland. The effect of treatment on daily milking duration was significant (P < 0.001). The milking duration for a milk flow-rate switch-point of 0.8 kg/min was 95 s (14%) shorter than for 0.2 kg/min. We did not find a significant effect of increasing the milk flow-rate switch-point from 0.2 to 0.8 kg/min on milk yield or SCC in this long-term study. We did find a significant effect of week of experiment on milk SCC, whereby the SCC of the cows on the experiment increased similarly among treatment groups as lactation progressed. A significant reduction in Dead Time (time from cluster attachment to reach a milk flow-rate of 0.2 kg/min) was also noted as the milk flow-rate switch-point increased. On average reductions in Dead Time contributed 12% to the overall reductions in Milking Duration. Similarly, reductions in Low Flow Time (time from a flow-rate of 0.2 kg/min to cluster detachment at the end of milking) contributed 26% to the overall reductions in Milking Duration. Reductions in Dead Time and Low Flow Time played a greater role in reducing PM Milking Duration rather than AM Milking Duration due to the milking interval practiced on the research farm.

Leveraging hunters as citizen scientists for monitoring non‐target species

Abstract Hunter populations can provide a tremendous workforce of citizen scientists afield when queried for data. Soliciting incidental observations of non‐target species from hunters may be a relatively important but untapped population monitoring resource in systems where hunter effort is common and widespread. During 2012–2016, we queried hunters of deer and elk for observations of a non‐target species, moose, across their statewide distribution in Montana. We analysed data in an abundance‐detection framework with n‐mixture models and evaluated the effects of covariates such as hunter effort, survey response totals, weekly session and forest cover on detection probability before using models to predict moose abundance. We collected an average of 3409 moose observations per year and our best n‐mixture model included effects of week, year (number of responses), site (proportionate forest cover) and site‐year (hunter effort) on detection probability, as well as an effect of site (area of forest and shrub habitat) on abundance. Density estimates averaged 0.099 (range 0.002–0.439) moose/km2 across sites or 0.200 (range 0.017–0.799) moose/km2 when limited to density within shrub and forest cover specifically. Statewide abundance totals across the 5‐year study period averaged 10,755 (range 9925–11,620). Goodness‐of‐fit tests showed that models were identifiable and overdispersion of the data was low, yet some caution is still warranted when extrapolating these data to abundance estimates. Querying a sample of deer‐elk hunters for observations of a non‐target species yielded thousands of spatially georeferenced detections per year and analysis in a temporally structured framework yielded estimates of both detection probability and abundance. Abundance estimates at this scale are unprecedented for moose in Montana and are encouraging for long‐term monitoring over space and time.

108 Effects of equine assisted activities on stress-related behaviors exhibited by horses

The various benefits of equine assisted activities (EAA) programs on humans have been studied and documented, whereas the effects of these programs on their equine counterparts have not been as thoroughly investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of EAA sessions with veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on stress-related behaviors exhibited by horses. During the 8-week study, horses were assigned to 30-min horsemanship sessions with veterans with PTSD (EAA, n = 5) or a 30-min standing control with little to no human interaction in a small section of the same arena (CON, n = 5). Sessions occurred weekly, with EAA and CON horses participating regularly in similar work. EAA horses were videotaped from 3 different angles to capture the entirety of the arena used for the sessions, whereas CON horses were videotaped at one angle capturing the entirety of the stall they were enclosed in. Video was captured for the duration of the 30-min sessions. Video was then edited using Adobe Premiere Pro and the veterans’ faces redacted for privacy. Frequency and duration of stress-related behaviors was logged by trained observers using an ethogram in the BehavioralObservation Research Interactive Software (BORIS). Data were analyzed using a Poisson distribution repeated measures mixed model ANOVA with fixed effects of week and treatment and their interaction, and random effect of horse. Statistically different means were separated using Tukey's method. Significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. The total number of stress-related behaviors exhibited by horses was significantly different between EAA (19.8 ± 2.3 behaviors) and CON (35.3 ± 2.6 behaviors) (P = 0.0273). The number of unique stress-related behaviors exhibited by horses was also significantly different between EAA (5.9 ± 0.4 unique behaviors) and CON (7.7 ± 0.3 unique behaviors) (P = 0.0488). There was no difference between EAA and CON horses for the duration of stress-related behaviors. Horses appeared to exhibit more stress-related behaviors under isolation with little human interaction than when working with veterans with PTSD.

Dairy Cows Are Limited in Their Ability to Increase Glucose Availability for Immune Function during Disease.

Shortages of energy and glucose have been hypothesized to play a key role in the development of and responses to production diseases in dairy cows during early lactation. Given the importance of glucose for immune functions, we used a recently established method for the estimation of glucose balance (GB) to evaluate glucose availability during disease phases. A dataset comprising ration analyses as well as individual daily milk yields (MY), dry matter intake (DMI), body weights, and health records of 417 lactations (298 cows) was used to calculate individual daily GB and energy balance (EB). The magnitude and dynamics of MY, DMI, GB, and EB were evaluated in the weeks before, at, and after diagnoses of inflammatory diseases in different stages of early lactation from week in milk 1 to 15. Diagnoses were categorized as mastitis, claw and leg diseases, and other inflammatory diseases. Mixed linear models with a random intercept and slope term for each lactation were used to evaluate the effect of diagnosis on MY, DMI, GB, and EB while accounting for the background effects of week in milk, parity, season, and year. When unaffected by disease, in general, the GB of cows was close to zero in the first weeks of lactation and increased as lactation progressed. Weekly means of EB were negative throughout all lactation stages investigated. Disease decreased both the input of glucose precursors due to a reduced DMI as well as the output of glucose via milk due to a reduced MY. On average, the decrease in DMI was -1.5 (-1.9 to -1.1) kg and was proportionally higher than the decrease in MY, which averaged -1.0 (-1.4 to -0.6) kg. Mastitis reduced yield less than claw and leg disease or other diseases. On average, GB and EB were reduced by -3.8 (-5.6 to -2.1) mol C and -7.5 (-10.2 to -4.9) MJ in the week of diagnosis. This indicates the need to investigate strategies to increase the availability of glucogenic carbon for immune function during disease in dairy cows.

Solution of Temperature Fluid Particle in Incompressible Dusty Fluid with The Effect of Week Induced Magnetic Field

It is possible for dust particles to naturally exist in fluids. In the study of fluid mechanics, these problems related to flow characteristics of temperature. How the magnetic field of suspended particulate matter affects the temperature axially symmetrical jet mixing of incompressible dusty fluid. we assume that the velocity and temperature in the jet deviate from the surrounding stream. To linearize the equation that was solved using Laplace Transformation, a perturbation method was used. The solution of temperature of the particle phase which is depends on fluid phase temperature with in the weak induced Magnetic field.

Impact of Organic Zinc and Vitamin-E Supplementation on Production Performance, Egg Quality and Hatching Traits of Japanese Quail

The objective of current study was to investigate the effects of Zn (organic and inorganic) and Vitamin-E on egg production, quality and hatchability of Japanese quails. The experiment carried out for a period of 12 weeks, total of 640 7 weeks old quails were randomly assigned to eight (80 quails in each) different dietary treatments A (control), B, C, D, E, F, G and H under completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment group was further replicated into four sub units with twenty quails in each (comprising five male and fifteen female). The results revealed that adding Zinc+Vit-E to diets caused a significant effect (P&amp;lt;0.05) on weekly egg production, while the difference in egg production due to interactive effect of weeks × treatments was insignificant (P&amp;gt;0.05). Average weekly egg production was significantly greater (P&amp;lt;0.05) in group H (82.45/bird), followed by group F (78.27), G (77.93) and E (77.50/bird). Relatively lower egg production of 77.22, 76.97, 76.41and 74.14/bird was recorded in groups D, C and A respectively. Whereas, diets had insignificant effect (P&amp;gt;0.05) on egg exterior quality including (weight, length, width and shape index) as well as interior quality (albumen height, width, yolk weight, height, and width). However, the dietary Zn and Vit-E had a significant effect on egg hatchability percentage (P&amp;lt;0.05). The higher hatchability percentage was observed in group H (75.66 %) followed by F, E and G (72.33, 70.0 and 67.25 percent) respectively. While, the lower hatchability % was in group B (62.75), C (62.0), D (56.17) and control A (50.42%). Supplementary dietary treatments showed significant effects (P&amp;lt;0.05) on dead germs. Results indicates that dead embryos were least (5.00) in group H, followed by groups F , E and G as 6.41, 7.50 and 7.75 dead germs, respectively were examined. Similar pattern was also observed for dead chicks in eggs shell affected by feeding dietary treatments. Significantly the highest hatched chick weight (9.21 g) was obtained in group H than in groups F, E and G, where recorded 9.16, 9.03 and 9.02 g respectively. The average chick weight declined to 8.97, 8.96 and 8.92 g in groups B, C and D respectively; while the least average chick weight (8.92 g) was recorded in control (A). The current finding revealed that supplementation of Zn (organic and inorganic) and Vitamin E had significant effect on Japanese quail egg production, quality and hatchability reread under different dietary treatments.

Reliability of Smartphone Accelerometers for Measuring Gait During Data Collection Over Zoom.

This study examined whether gait data could be reliably collected by homebound participants using iPhones under online supervision. Eighteen healthy young adults met with investigators through Zoom and installed an app to record acceleration from their iPhones' accelerometers. Half of the subjects walked normally; the other half walked while spelling words backward. During the gait tasks subjects recorded their anterior-posterior (AP), medial-lateral (ML), and vertical (V) accelerations. Data collection was repeated the following week. Seven maximum and minimum peak accelerations in the AP, ML, and vertical directions associated with events in gait were determined. Significant main effects of week and direction were observed for the first and second vertical acceleration measures. Cronbach alpha values were >0.60 for all acceleration measures, but the maximum and minimum AP accelerations that showed fair to good levels of consistency. The findings suggest gait data collected inside the home setting may be of clinical use.

Clinical activity profile of physiotherapy students in a regional student-led musculoskeletal clinic: A retrospective study

The study aimed to quantify the clinical activity profile of physiotherapy students within a regional student-led musculoskeletal clinic. A retrospective clinical audit examined all occasions of service (OOS) delivered during 2018. Demographic data and student to clinical educator (CE) ratio were also collected. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patient demographics. The average OOS per student per week between student to CE ratios (i.e., 2:1 and 3:1 group) were analysed using a repeated measures ANOVA. A total of 214 clients were included (mean age 40.9 years (SD 20.4) with 66.5% being female (n = 133)). The shoulder (19.3%) was the most assessed/treated region, followed by the knee (18.9%), and ankle/foot (16.2%). Analysis revealed a main effect of week (p&lt;0.001), but not for student to CE ratio (p=0.125). There was no interaction of week by student to CE ratio (p=0.528). Post hoc analysis revealed the average OOS per student per week was lower for week 1 than in weeks 2, 3, and 4, with a small but statistically significant decrease in average OOS from week 4 to 5. Overall, students attending a regional student-led musculoskeletal clinic see a variety of clinical presentations, from clients across the lifespan, with increasing OOS across the placement.

Melatonin or L-arginine in semen extender mitigate reductions in quality of frozen-thawed sperm from heat-stressed rams

Our objective was to determine effects of melatonin or L-arginine on quality of frozen-thawed sperm from heat-stressed (HS) rams. Ten Dorset rams were randomly allocated to either scrotal neck insulation for 3.5 d or whole-body heating (28 °C and 30–34% RH for 8 h/d for 4 consecutive days). Semen was collected before HS then once weekly for 1–5 wk, extended (Steridyl CSS One Step ®), and divided into 5 aliquots: control (no additive) or 0.5- or 1-mM of melatonin or L-arginine. For total and progressive motility (CASA), there were effects of group (P = 0.023 and P = 0.008, respectively); for morphological abnormalities (eosin-nigrosin), effects of group (P = 0.01) and a group*week interaction (P = 0.03); and for acrosome integrity (FITC-PSA), effects of group (P = 0.046) and week (P = 0.001). All 4 treatments improved motility (~5–10% points), whereas 1 mM of either compound optimized abnormalities and acrosomal integrity (~7% and 12% points, respectively). For superoxide dismutase and catalase, there were effects of week (P = 0.01 and P = 0.045, respectively), with 1 mM of either additive yielding best results. For DNA fragmentation index (DFI%), there was an effect of week (P = 0.01), and a group*week interaction (P = 0.05), with all 4 treatments reducing DFI%. For total ROS%, there was an effect of week (P = 0.044) and a group*week interaction (P = 0.037), with 1 mM melatonin or L-arginine being best. The hypothesis that melatonin or L-arginine improve quality of frozen-thawed sperm from HS rams was supported; 1 mM of either gave best results, except 0.5 mM minimized DFI%.

Effects of an on-board psychosocial programme on stress, resilience, and job satisfaction amongst a sample of merchant seafarers.

Seafarers are an occupational group amongst those at highest risk for stress, which may adversely affect their mental health. The primary aim of this study was to assess the effects of a psychosocial programme on perceived stress, resilience, and job satisfaction among a sample of merchant seafarers. Secondary data analysis was conducted using a work questionnaire administered by a large shipping company. The matched subjects technique and multivariate analysis of covariance were conducted using a theoretical model of the programme's effects on job satisfaction, resilience, and perceived stress. A significant interaction between programme participation and weeks on board indicated that the effects of weeks on board on perceived stress differed significantly for the intervention group and matched control group. Weeks on board had a significant effect for perceived stress for the control group (p = 0.02), but not for the intervention group (p = 0.857). These findings indicate that participation in the programme moderated the effects of weeks on board on perceived stress, suggesting that the programme may have safeguarded participants against the effects of weeks on board on perceived stress. Importantly, however, a work environment that is experienced as supportive, inclusive and just is necessary as a cornerstone for individually-focused psychosocial interventions to be optimally applied.

Reflexive Gaze Shifts and Fear Recognition Deficits in Children with Callous-Unemotional Traits and Impulsivity/Conduct Problems.

The ability to efficiently recognize the emotions on others’ faces is something that most of us take for granted. Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits and impulsivity/conduct problems (ICP), such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, have been previously described as being “fear blind”. This is also associated with looking less at the eye regions of fearful faces, which are highly diagnostic. Previous attempts to intervene into emotion recognition strategies have not had lasting effects on participants’ fear recognition abilities. Here we present both (a) additional evidence that there is a two-part causal chain, from personality traits to face recognition strategies using the eyes, then from strategies to rates of recognizing fear in others; and (b) a pilot intervention that had persistent effects for weeks after the end of instruction. Further, the intervention led to more change in those with the highest CU traits. This both clarifies the specific mechanisms linking personality to emotion recognition and shows that the process is fundamentally malleable. It is possible that such training could promote empathy and reduce the rates of antisocial behavior in specific populations in the future.

Milk metabolites and fatty acids as noninvasive biomarkers of metabolic status and energy balance in early-lactation cows

The objective was to study the effects of week of lactation (WOL) and experimental nutrient restriction on concentrations of selected milk metabolites and fatty acids (FA), and assess their potential as biomarkers of energy status in early-lactation cows. To study WOL effects, 17 multiparous Holstein cows were phenotyped from calving until 7 WOL while allowed ad libitum intake of a lactation diet. Further, to study the effects of nutrient restriction, 8 of these cows received a diet containing 48% straw (high-straw) for 4 d starting at 24 ± 3 days in milk (mean ± SD), and 8 cows maintained on the lactation diet were sampled to serve as controls. Blood and milk samples were collected weekly for the WOL data set, and daily from d -1 to 3 of nutrient restriction (or control) for the nutritional challenge data set. Milk β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), isocitrate, glucose, glucose-6-phosphate (glucose-6P), galactose, glutamate, creatinine, uric acid, and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity (NAGase) were analyzed in p.m. and a.m. samples, and milk FA were analyzed in pooled p.m. and a.m. samples. Average energy balance (EB) per day ranged from -27 MJ/d to neutral when cows received the lactation total mixed ration, and from -109 to -87 ± 7 MJ/d for high-straw (least squares means ± standard error of the mean). Plasma nonesterified FA concentration was 1.67 ± 0.13 mM and BHB was 2.96 ± 0.39 mM on the d 3 of high-straw (least squares means ± standard error of the mean). Milk concentrations of BHB, glucose, glucose-6P, glutamate, and uric acid differed significantly between p.m. and a.m. milkings. Milk isocitrate, glucose-6P, creatinine, and NAGase decreased, whereas milk glucose and galactose increased with WOL. Changes in milk BHB, isocitrate, glucose, glucose-6P, and creatinine were concordant during early lactation and in response to nutrient restriction. Milk galactose and NAGase were modulated by WOL only, whereas glutamate and uric acid concentrations responded to nutrient restriction only. The high-straw increased milk concentrations of FA potentially mobilized from adipose tissue (e.g., C18:0 and cis-9 C18:1 and sum of odd- and branched-chain FA (OBCFA) with carbon chain greater than 16; ∑ OBCFA >C16), and decreased concentrations of FA synthesized de novo by the mammary gland (e.g., sum of FA with 6 to 15 carbons; ∑ C6:0 to C15:0). Similar observations were made during early lactation. Plasma nonesterified FA concentrations had the best single linear regression with EB (R2 = 0.62). Milk isocitrate, Σ C6:0 to C15:0. and cis-9 C18:1 had the best single linear regressions with EB (R2 ≥ 0.44). Milk BHB, isocitrate, galactose, glutamate, and creatinine explained up to 64% of the EB variation observed in the current study using multiple linear regression. Milk concentrations of ∑ C6:0 to C15:0, C18:0, cis-9 C18:1, and ∑ OBCFA >C16 presented some of the best correlations and regressions with other indicators of metabolic status, lipomobilization, and EB, and their responses were concordant during early lactation and during experimental nutrient restriction. Metabolites and FA secreted in milk may serve as noninvasive indicators of metabolic status and EB of early-lactation cows.