Effects Of Sex Research Articles

Metacognitive Awareness as a Predictor of Mathematical Modeling Competency Among Preservice Elementary Teachers

<p style="margin-left:28px; text-align:justify">Mathematical modeling offers a promising approach to improving mathematics education. This study aims to determine if the concept of metacognitive awareness in the learning process is associated with mathematical modeling. This study also considers the interaction effect of sex and academic year level on both variables. Focusing the study on preservice elementary teachers might address potential issues and targeted intervention in their preparation program concerning their ability to teach and guide young learners in modeling activities. The research sample includes 140 preservice elementary teachers at Central Luzon State University, Philippines. Data collection used an adapted metacognitive awareness inventory and a validated researcher-made mathematical modeling competency test aligned with the K-12 mathematics curriculum in the Philippines. Results revealed that the preservice elementary teachers had a high metacognitive awareness and mathematical modeling competency, ranging from 22 to 31 out of 36 points. Besides, Factorial ANOVA indicates that academic year level positively affects both variables regardless of sex, and stepwise regression analysis unveiled that information management, declarative knowledge, and planning significantly predict 41.4% of the mathematical modeling competency variance. This suggests that developing metacognitive awareness supports preservice elementary teachers in performing modeling tasks that improve their competency level in mathematics.</p>

Anxiety mediates association between sex and jaw function limitation in temporomandibular disorder patients from China

AimThe objective of this study is to explore the relationship between sex and jaw function and to test whether anxiety mediates the causal relationship between sex and jaw function in temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) patients.MethodsA total of 488 participants with TMD were included in the analysis. Demographic data were collected. Generalized anxiety symptoms and anxiety severity were initially assessed using the GAD-7 questionnaire. And jaw function limitation was measured using the JFLS-8 scale. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) was used in this study to evaluate the hypotheses. Mediation analysis was conducted to explore causality and to calculate the total effect, natural direct effect (NDE) and natural indirect effect (NIE).ResultsIn TMD patients, there was a significant association between female and jaw function (r = 0.17, p < 0.001), female and anxiety (r = 0.15, p = 0.002), anxiety and jaw function (r = 0.35, p < 0.001). In addition, sex can directly lead to differences in impaired jaw function (NDE: 3.719, 95% CI: 1.619–5.828, p < 0.001), and can also be causally related to jaw function through anxiety (NIE: 1.146, 95% CI: 0.267–2.024, p = 0.011). And the total effect was 4.865 (95% CI, 2.709–7.029, p < 0.001).ConclusionA causal mechanism was found that anxiety acts as a mediator of sex effects on jaw function. Therefore, psychological factors need to be taken into account in the treatment of female TMD patients. Further clinical trials are needed to explore whether psychotherapy is more beneficial to improve jaw function in female TMD patients.

Cortical gyrification in women and men and the (missing) link to prenatal androgens.

Previous studies have reported sex differences in cortical gyrification. Since most cortical folding is principally defined in utero, sex chromosomes as well as gonadal hormones are likely to influence sex-specific aspects of local gyrification. Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) causes high levels of androgens during gestation in females, whereas levels in males are largely within the typical male range. Therefore, CAH provides an opportunity to study the possible effects of prenatal androgens on cortical gyrification. Here, we examined the vertex-wise absolute mean curvature-a common estimate for cortical gyrification-in individuals with CAH (33 women and 20 men) and pair-wise matched controls (33 women and 20 men). There was no significant main effect of CAH and no significant CAH-by-sex interaction. However, there was a significant main effect of sex in five cortical regions, where gyrification was increased in women compared to men. These regions were located on the lateral surface of the brain, specifically left middle frontal (rostral and caudal), right inferior frontal, left inferior parietal, and right occipital. There was no cortical region where gyrification was increased in men compared to women. Our findings do not only confirm prior reports of increased cortical gyrification in female brains but also suggest that cortical gyrification is not significantly affected by prenatal androgen exposure. Instead, cortical gyrification might be determined by sex chromosomes either directly or indirectly-the latter potentially by affecting the underlying architecture of the cortex or the size of the intracranial cavity, which is smaller in women.

Preliminary clinical observation and analysis of structural changes of optic nerve head in glaucoma patients after visual training

Objective: To investigate the effect of virtual reality visual training on remodeling optic nerve structures of glaucoma patients and analyze the influencing factors of visual training effect. Methods: A prospective non-randomized controlled trial was conducted. Glaucoma patients who presented to the Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital between October 2021 and October 2022 were collected and divided into the training group or the control group according to their intentions. The training group accepted 3 months of visual training, while the control group did not. Optical coherence tomography was used to examine the disc edge area, cup volume, disc area, cup-to-disc ratio, and other parameters of the optic disc of both eyes of the patients at enrollment and after 3 months, and the changes of each parameter in the two groups were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was performed in the training group to investigate the effects of sex, age, visual field index, and mean defect on visual disc structure changes during visual training. Results: A total of 53 glaucoma patients (101 eyes) were included in the final analysis, among which the training group consisted of 27 cases (51 eyes), with 19 males and 8 females, and the age range was 48.0 (40.0, 61.0) years old. The control group comprised 26 cases (50 eyes), with 26 males and 11 females, and the age range was 54.0 (38.0, 63.0) years old. Compared with the control group, the deviation of cup volume was -0.006(-0.050, 0.015)mm3 (P<0.05), and the deviation of disc edge area was 0.00(-0.04, 0.05)mm2 (P<0. 05)in the visual training group after 3 months of visual training. The gender (OR=4.217, 95%CI=1.188-14.966) may be the influence factor of rim area. While,the mean defect (OR=1.526, 95%CI=0.245-9.491) was not that influential on rim area change. Conclusions: Visual training can increase the disc area and decrease the optic cup volume of the optic nerve in glaucoma patients. The rim area may be increased more easily after visual training in male glaucoma patients.

Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children

BackgroundTelomere length (TL) and mitochondrial function expressed as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) are biomarkers of aging and oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively. Methylmercury (MeHg), a common pollutant in fish, induces oxidative stress. We hypothesized that elevated oxidative stress from exposure to MeHg decreases mtDNAcn and shortens TL. MethodsStudy participants are 6–11-year-old children from the HELIX multi-center birth cohort study, comprising six European countries. Prenatal and postnatal total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in blood samples, TL and mtDNAcn were determined in child DNA. Covariates and confounders were obtained by questionnaires. Robust regression models were run, considering sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates, as well as fish consumption. Sex, ethnicity, and fish consumption interaction models were also run. ResultsWe found longer TL with higher pre- and postnatal THg blood concentrations, even at low-level THg exposure according to the RfD proposed by the US EPA. The prenatal association showed a significant linear relationship with a 3.46 % increase in TL for each unit increased THg. The postnatal association followed an inverted U-shaped marginal non-linear relationship with 1.38 % an increase in TL for each unit increased THg until reaching a cut-point at 0.96 μg/L blood THg, from which TL attrition was observed. Higher pre- and postnatal blood THg concentrations were consistently related to longer TL among cohorts and no modification effect of fish consumption nor children's sex was observed. No association between THg exposure and mtDNAcn was found. DiscussionWe found evidence that THg is associated with TL but the associations seem to be time- and concentration-dependent. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism behind the telomere changes of THg and related health effects.

Regional nigral neuromelanin degeneration in asymptomatic leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene carrier using MRI

Asymptomatic Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 Gene (LRRK2) carriers are at risk for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). We studied presymptomatic substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) regional neurodegeneration in asymptomatic LRRK2 carriers compared to idiopathic PD patients using neuromelanin-sensitive MRI technique (NM-MRI). Fifteen asymptomatic LRRK2 carriers, 22 idiopathic PD patients, and 30 healthy controls (HCs) were scanned using NM-MRI. We computed volume and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) derived from the whole SNc and the sensorimotor, associative, and limbic SNc regions. An analysis of covariance was performed to explore the differences of whole and regional NM-MRI values among the groups while controlling the effect of age and sex. In whole SNc, LRRK2 had significantly lower CNR than HCs but non-significantly higher volume and CNR than PD patients, and PD patients significantly lower volume and CNR compared to HCs. Inside SNc regions, there were significant group effects for CNR in all regions and for volumes in the associative region, with a trend in the sensorimotor region but no significant changes in the limbic region. PD had reduced volume and CNR in all regions compared to HCs. Asymptomatic LRRK2 carriers showed globally decreased SNc volume and CNR suggesting early nigral neurodegeneration in these subjects at risk of developing PD.

Evaluating high-resolution computed tomography derived 3-D joint space metrics of the metacarpophalangeal joints between rheumatoid arthritis and age- and sex-matched control participants

IntroductionRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is commonly characterized by joint space narrowing. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) provides unparalleled in vivo visualization and quantification of joint space in extremity joints commonly affected by RA, such as the 2nd and 3rd metacarpophalangeal joints. However, age, sex, and obesity can also influence joint space narrowing. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether HR-pQCT joint space metrics could distinguish between RA patients and controls, and determine the effects of age, sex and body mass index (BMI) on these joint space metrics.MethodsHR-pQCT joint space metrics (volume, width, standard deviation of width, maximum/minimum width, and asymmetry) were acquired from RA patients and age-and sex-matched healthy control participants 2nd and 3rd MCP joints. Joint health and functionality were assessed with ultrasound (i.e., effusion and inflammation), hand function tests, and questionnaires.ResultsHR-pQCT-derived 3D joint space metrics were not significantly different between RA and control groups (p &amp;gt; 0.05), despite significant differences in inflammation and joint function (p &amp;lt; 0.05). Joint space volume, mean joint space width (JSW), maximum JSW, minimum JSW were larger in males than females (p &amp;lt; 0.05), while maximum JSW decreased with age. No significant association between joint space metrics and BMI were found.ConclusionHR-pQCT did not detect group level differences between RA and age-and sex-matched controls. Further research is necessary to determine whether this is due to a true lack of group level differences due to well-controlled RA, or the inability of HR-pQCT to detect a difference.

Accuracy of the Apple Watch Series 4 and Fitbit Versa for Assessing Energy Expenditure and Heart Rate of Wheelchair Users During Treadmill Wheelchair Propulsion: Cross-sectional Study.

The Apple Watch (AW) Series 1 provides energy expenditure (EE) for wheelchair users but was found to be inaccurate with an error of approximately 30%, and the corresponding error for heart rate (HR) provided by the Fitbit Charge 2 was approximately 10% to 20%. Improved accuracy of estimated EE and HR is expected with newer editions of these smart watches (SWs). This study aims to assess the accuracy of the AW Series 4 (wheelchair-specific setting) and the Fitbit Versa (treadmill running mode) for estimating EE and HR during wheelchair propulsion at different intensities. Data from 20 manual wheelchair users (male: n=11, female: n=9; body mass: mean 75, SD 19 kg) and 20 people without a disability (male: n=11, female: n=9; body mass: mean 75, SD 11 kg) were included. Three 4-minute wheelchair propulsion stages at increasing speed were performed on 3 separate test days (0.5%, 2.5%, or 5% incline), while EE and HR were collected by criterion devices and the AW or Fitbit. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was used to indicate the absolute agreement between the criterion device and SWs for EE and HR. Additionally, linear mixed model analyses assessed the effect of exercise intensity, sex, and group on the SW error. Interclass correlation coefficients were used to assess relative agreement between criterion devices and SWs. The AW underestimated EE with MAPEs of 29.2% (SD 22%) in wheelchair users and 30% (SD 12%) in people without a disability. The Fitbit overestimated EE with MAPEs of 73.9% (SD 7%) in wheelchair users and 44.7% (SD 38%) in people without a disability. Both SWs underestimated HR. The device error for EE and HR increased with intensity for both SWs (all comparisons: P<.001), and the only significant difference between groups was found for HR in the AW (-5.27 beats/min for wheelchair users; P=.02). There was a significant effect of sex on the estimation error in EE, with worse accuracy for the AW (-0.69 kcal/min; P<.001) and better accuracy for the Fitbit (-2.08 kcal/min; P<.001) in female participants. For HR, sex differences were found only for the AW, with a smaller error in female participants (5.23 beats/min; P=.02). Interclass correlation coefficients showed poor to moderate relative agreement for both SWs apart from 2 stage-incline combinations (AW: 0.12-0.57 for EE and 0.11-0.86 for HR; Fitbit: 0.06-0.85 for EE and 0.03-0.29 for HR). Neither the AW nor Fitbit were sufficiently accurate for estimating EE or HR during wheelchair propulsion. The AW underestimated EE and the Fitbit overestimated EE, and both SWs underestimated HR. Caution is hence required when using SWs as a tool for training intensity regulation and energy balance or imbalance in wheelchair users.

Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Relation to Helicobacter pylori Infection and Eradication Status: A Large-Scale Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

: A few studies have suggested the association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and ischemic stroke. However, the impact of HP eradication on stroke risk has not been well evaluated. This study aimed to assess the influence of HP eradication on the incidence of ischemic stroke, considering the potential effect of sex. : This prospective observational cohort study was conducted at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, from May 2003 to February 2023, and involved gastroscopy-based HP testing. Propensity score (PS) matching was employed to ensure balanced groups by matching patients in the HP eradicated group (n=2,803) in a 3:1 ratio with patients in the HP non-eradicated group (n=960). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk of ischemic stroke. : Among 6,664 patients, multivariate analysis after PS matching indicated that HP eradication did not significantly alter the risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 0.531; 95% confidence interval, 0.221 to 1.270; p=0.157). Sex-specific subgroup analyses, both univariate and multivariate, did not yield statistically significant differences. However, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a potential trend: the females in the HP eradicated group exhibited a lower incidence of ischemic stroke than those in the HP non-eradicated group, although this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.057). : This finding suggests that HP eradication might not impact the risk of ischemic stroke. However, there was a trend showing that females potentially had a lower risk of ischemic stroke following HP eradication, though further investigation is required to establish definitive evidence.

Estimation of the causal effect of sex on neonatal intensive care unit outcomes among very low birth weight infants.

Estimate the causal effect of sex on outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) among very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Retrospective cohort study using Vermont Oxford Network data to compare NICU outcomes for VLBW males versus females. Odds ratios (OR) for outcomes that differed significantly by sex were computed using standard unweighted analysis and inverse probability weighted (IPW) analysis to correct for selection bias. Using standard analysis, males were significantly more likely to die before discharge and experience six other adverse outcomes. From IPW analysis, male sex caused a 56% increase in the odds of death before discharge (OR = 1.56, 95% confidence interval: 1.18-1.94). Standard unweighted results were significantly biased towards increased risk of adverse outcomes for males (p = 0.005) compared to IPW results for which three outcomes were no longer significantly associated with male sex. Standard statistical methods generally overestimate the casual effect of sex among VLBW infants.

Sex-Dependent Differences in the Neural Correlates of Cocaine and Emotional Cue-Reactivity in Regular Cocaine Users and Non-Drug-Using Controls: Understanding the Role of Duration and Severity of Use

Introduction: The development of cocaine use disorder in females is suggested to be more strongly related to neural mechanisms underlying stress-reactivity, whereas in males it is suggested to be more strongly related to neural mechanisms underlying drug cue-reactivity. Existing evidence, however, is based on neuroimaging studies that either lack a control group and/or have very small sample sizes that do not allow to investigate sex differences. Methods: The main objective of the current study was to investigate sex differences in the neural correlates of cocaine and negative emotional cue-reactivity within high-risk intranasal cocaine users (CUs: 31 males and 26 females) and non-cocaine-using controls (non-CUs: 28 males and 26 females). A region of interest (ROI) analysis was applied to test for the main and interaction effects of group, sex, and stimulus type (cocaine cues vs. neutral cocaine cues and negative emotional cues vs. neutral emotional cues) on activity in the dorsal striatum, ventral striatum (VS), amygdala, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Results: There were no significant sex or group differences in cocaine cue-reactivity in any of the ROIs. Results did reveal significant emotional cue-reactivity in the amygdala and VS, but these effects were not moderated by group or sex. Exploratory analyses demonstrated that emotional cue-induced activation of the dACC and VS was negatively associated with years of regular cocaine use in female CUs, while this relationship was absent in male CUs. Conclusions: While speculative, the sex-specific associations between years of regular use and emotional cue-reactivity in the dACC and VS suggest that, with longer years of use, female CUs become less sensitive to aversive stimuli, including the negative consequences of cocaine use, which could account for the observed “telescoping effect” in female CUs.

Consolation in the aftermath of violent public assaults: An interaction ethological study

AbstractAnimal ethologists suggest that non-human primates console victims of aggression in a manner similar to humans. However, the empirical basis for this cross-species comparison is fragile, given that few studies have examined consolation behavior among humans. To address this gap, we revive and apply the underappreciated ethological branch of micro-sociology, which advocates the study of human interactions by applying ethological observation techniques. We thus systematically observed naturally occurring human consolation captured by video surveillance cameras in the aftermath of violent public assaults. Consistent with prior human and non-human primate research, social affiliation promoted consolatory helping. By contrast, we found no main effect of sex. A further exploratory analysis indicated an interaction effect between social affiliation and sex, with female affiliates having the largest probability of providing consolation. We discuss implications for the cross-species study of primate consolation and advocate that micro-sociology should reappraise ethological perspectives.

Effect of sex and milk replacer with or without supplemental carnitine and arginine on growth characteristics, carcass, and meat quality of artificially reared low-birth weight pigs.

This study compared milk replacer either remaining unsupplemented (CON) or supplemented with 0.5g l-carnitine plus 16.7g l-arginine/kg (CarArg) and fed to 48 L-BtW artificially reared piglets (24 per group) from day 7 to 28 days of age. Eight farrowing series were needed to complete the study. On day 28, the lightest piglets were slaughtered, and the heaviest pigs were weaned. The heaviest pigs were weaned on day 28 and offered free access to a starter (weaning to 25kg body weight (BW)), grower (25-60kg BW), and finisher diet (60kg to 96kg BW on day 170 of age). After euthanization on day 28 and day 170, blood was sampled for assessment of serum metabolite and hormone concentrations, and the semitendinosus muscle (STM) was weighed, and later subjected to enzyme activity analysis and assessment of myofiber characteristics. In the 170-day old pigs carcass and meat quality traits were assessed. Growth data were analyzed as a two-way ANOVA, with dietary treatment and farrowing series as fixed effects, while remaining data were analyzed with dietary treatment, sex, their interaction, and farrowing series as main factors. Dietary treatments affected (P ≤ 0.049) muscle enzyme activity at both day 28, with greater CS and LDH activities and lower HAD:CS ratio in STM light portion, and lower LDH:CS ratio in STM dark portion, and 170 of age with lower HAD:CS ratio. In the starter period, CarArg pigs had greater average daily gain (P = 0.021) and average daily feed intake (P = 0.010). At slaughter, these pigs had lower (P = 0.013) glucose and greater (P = 0.022) urea serum concentrations. However, supplementing the milk replacer with carnitine and arginine had no long-term effects on growth performance, carcass composition, and meat quality of L-BtW pigs. In addition, muscle morphology and its myofiber-related properties remained unaffected by the supplementation.

Understanding desiccation tolerance and sex-specific responses in Bryum argenteum: insights from phenological phases and physiological analyses.

Desiccation tolerance (DT) is crucial for survival in arid environments, where organisms develop strategies in reproduction, maintenance, and defense to cope with water scarcity. Therefore, investigating the relationship between reproduction and DT is essential to understand the ecology and adaptive strategies of species. This study explores the connection between the development of male and female gametangia in the moss Bryum argenteum and the decrease in DT during the progression of phenological phases in gametangia and protonema. Samples collected from a dry tropical forest in Brazil were cultivated, cloned, and subjected to desiccation. Subsequently, the physiological parameters of shoots and protonemata were analysed. Shoot and protonema regeneration were monitored for 28 days after the physiological analyses. Both phases were subjected to control and desiccation treatments. Significant effects of desiccation and sex on the physiological parameters and regeneration capacity of shoots and protonemata were found. Male shoots generally exhibited lower values in Fv/Fm, and ϕPSII, while females demonstrated higher values and better recovery after desiccation. Protonemata also showed variation in Fv/Fm over time and sex, with no significant differences in ϕPSII between them. Desiccated male shoots had higher mortality rates and produced fewer new shoots. Regarding the females, the regeneration patterns varied between the desiccation-exposed groups and the control, with decreased shoot production, and some protonemata growing into filaments without forming shoots. These findings improve our understanding of bryophytes ecological responses to desiccation stress and provide insights into their adaptive strategies in challenging environments, such as the possible rarity of males in dioicous mosses populations.

129 Evaluating effects of myostatin loss-of-function mutation on piglets for potential causes of early mortality

Abstract Pigs with an engineered myostatin loss-of-function mutation in exon 3 (-1T) experience perinatal mortality of unknown cause. From 36 litters resulting from matings of sows and boars both heterozygous for the mutation, 240 total piglets were born but only 14% (5/35) of piglets with myostatin loss-of-function mutation survived or were viable beyond postnatal d 3. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effects of this myostatin loss-of-function mutation on piglet organ and muscle development and blood parameters to determine potential causes of this excess mortality. Blood was collected for complete blood count and then piglets (n = 50) were euthanized at postnatal d 3. Piglets were dissected and longissimus muscle, semitendinosus muscle, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, testicles or female reproductive tract, and tongue were weighed. Front girth, back girth, and snout to rump were measured. Loin samples were used to genotype piglets into one of three groups: wild type (WT; unmutated myostatin, n = 13), heterozygous (HET, n = 21) and myostatin mutant (MKO, n = 10). Data were analyzed as a two-way ANOVA using the MIXED procedure of SAS to determine the effect of sex, genotype, and their interaction. Body weight (P = 0.67) and front girth (P = 0.13) were not different between genotypes, but back girth was reduced (P = 0.04) in MKO by 2.3 cm compared with WT and by 2.1 cm compared with HET piglets. MKO piglets had lighter (P ≤ 0.03) hearts, livers, kidneys, pancreases, spleens, stomachs, and small intestine compared with HET and WT piglets, on both an absolute basis and as a percentage of body weight. In general, compared with other other genotypes, MKO organs were 5 to 19% lighter. Surprisingly, muscle weights, both longissimus and semitendinosus muscles, were not different (P ≥ 0.15) between genotypes, either on an absolute basis or as a percentage of body weight. White blood cell count was not different; however, neutrophil count was increased in MKO compared with other genotypes. These data suggest that underdeveloped or undersized organs in MKO piglets may compromise their survivability. Additionally, increased neutrophil counts may be indicative of a stress response in MKO piglets.

PSV-15 Effect of functional amino acids and fiber on growth performance of post-weaning pigs

Abstract This study evaluated the effect of increasing levels of functional amino acids (FAA), including Met, Thr, and Trp with 1.4% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys on performance and the effect of high levels of fiber when high levels of FAA combined. A total of 216 pigs [21 d old; 6.46 ± 0.63 kg body weight (BW)] were allotted to one of 6 treatments with 3 pigs of single sex per pen, and 12 replicates/treatment. Treatments were: 1) Control basal diet (BD), 2) BD + 23% more Met+Cys (HMet), 3) BD + 22% more Thr (HThr), 4) BD + 20% more Trp (HTrp), 5) BD + 20% more Met, Thr, and Trp (HFAA, with 9% NDF and 4%ADF), 6) HFAA+ high fiber (27% NDF and 18% ADF in diet by adding soy hulls at expense of corn, HFAA+HF). The experiment lasted for 42 d and pigs were fed experimental diets for 21 d followed by a common diet for the last 21 d. Pigs fed HFAA+HF diet were initially fed HFAA diet for the first 8 d and followed by HFAA+HF diet for the next 13 d, and fed the common diet during the last 21 d. On d 0, 9, 21, and 42, BW and feed intake were recorded, and fecal scores (1 as normal to 4 as watery diarrhea) were assessed during the trial. Data were analyzed using the lme4 package of R 4.1.2, and the statistical models included the fixed effect of treatment and random effect of sex and BW block. Growth performance data were analyzed as single factor ANOVA, whereas stool quality was analyzed using ordinal model. Contrasts were used to test the effects of FAA (by comparing treatments 2, 3, 4, and 5 to BD) and fiber (by comparing HFAA+HF to HFAA). Pigs fed HFAA had reduced (P &amp;lt; 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) from d 21 to 42 and tended (P &amp;lt; 0.10) to have reduced overall ADG compared with BD (Table 1). Increasing individual amino acids did not affect performance, with the exception that pigs fed HTrp tended (P &amp;lt; 0.10) to have increased gain to feed ratio (G:F) from d 21 to 42 compared with BD. Greater fiber content did not affect ADG or ADFI; however, it reduced (P &amp;lt; 0.05) G:F during the whole trial compared with HFAA. Treatment did not influence stool quality. In conclusion, combination of increased amounts of Met, Thr, and Trp with SID 1.4% Lys under non-disease challenged conditions resulted in a reduction of performance, but this was not the case with increased individual amino acids, and increased fiber content with increased FAA which reduced feed efficiency of pigs.

Reflex sympathetic activation to inspiratory muscle loading is attenuated in females relative to males.

Intense inspiratory muscle work can evoke a metabolite stimulated pressor reflex, commonly referred to as the respiratory muscle metaboreflex. When completing similar relative and absolute levels of inspiratory work, females have an attenuated blood pressure response. We sought to test the hypothesis that the lower blood pressure response to the respiratory muscle metaboreflex in females is associated with a reduced sympathetic response. Healthy young (26±4 y) males (n=9) and females (n=7) completed two experimental days. On day one participants completed pulmonary function testing and became familiarized with an inspiratory pressure-threshold loading (PTL) task. On the second day, balloon-tipped catheters were placed in the esophagus and stomach to measure pleural and gastric pressures and transdiaphragmatic pressure was calculated. A microelectrode was inserted into the fibular nerve to quantify muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and participants then completed isocapnic PTL to task failure. There was a significant sex and time interaction in the mean arterial pressure (MAP, p=0.015) and burst frequency (p=0.039) response to PTL. Males had a greater rise in MAP (∆ 21±9 mmHg) relative to females (∆ 13±5 mmHg, p=0.026). Males also demonstrated a greater rise in MSNA burst frequency (∆ 18±7 bursts/min) relative to females (∆ 10±5 bursts/min, p=0.015). The effect of sex was observed despite females and males completing the same magnitude of diaphragm work throughout the task (p=0.755). Our findings provide novel evidence that the lower blood pressure response to similar relative and absolute inspiratory muscle work in females is associated with lower sympathetic activation.

General population normative values for the EORTC QLQ-C30 by age, sex, and health condition for the French general population

BackgroundGeneral population normative values for the widely used health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measure EORTC QLQ-C30 support the interpretation of trial results and HRQoL of patients in clinical practice. Here, we provide sex-, age- and health condition-specific normative values for the EORTC QLQ-C30 in the French general population.MethodsFrench general population data was collected in an international EORTC project. Online panels with quota samples were used to recruit sex and age groups. Number and type of comorbidities were assessed. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate general population values for each QLQ-C30 scale, separately for sex, age, and presence of one- and more chronic health conditions. A multivariate linear regression model has been developed to allow estimating the effect of sex, age, and the presence for one- and more chronic health conditions on EORTC QLQ-C30 scores. Data was weighted according to United Nation statistics adjusting for the proportion of sex and age groups.ResultsIn total, 1001 French respondents were included in our analyses. The weighted mean age was 47.9 years, 514 (51.3%) participants were women, and 497 (52.2%) participants reported at least one health condition. Men reported statistically significant better scores for Emotional Functioning (+9.6 points, p = 0.006) and Fatigue (−7.8 point; p = 0.04); women reported better profiles for Role Functioning (+8.7 points; p = 0.008) and Financial Difficulty (−7.8 points, p = 0.011). According to the regression model, the sex effect was statistically significant in eight scales; the effect of increasing age had a statistically significant effect on seven of the 15 EORTC QLQ-C30 scales. The sex- and age effect varied in its direction across the various scales. The presence of health conditions showed a strong negative effect on all scales.ConclusionThis is the first publication of detailed French normative values for the EORTC QLQ-C30. It aims to support the interpretation of HRQoL profiles in French cancer populations. The strong impact of health conditions on QLQ-C30 scores highlights the importance of considering the impact of comorbidities in cancer patients when interpreting HRQoL data.

Diagnostic yield from symptomatic gastroscopy in the UK: British Society of Gastroenterology analysis using data from the National Endoscopy Database

ObjectiveThis national analysis aimed to calculate the diagnostic yield from gastroscopy for common symptoms, guiding improved resource utilisation.DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted of diagnostic gastroscopies between 1 March 2019 and...

Male chicks play more than females – sex differences in chicken play ontogeny

Play indicates positive affective states and can therefore potentially be used as an indicator of positive welfare. Sex differences in play has been reported in many mammalian species, but in birds, this is still to be explored. It is known that young chickens perform play behavior during their early ontogeny, but potential sex differences have not previously been addressed. Therefore, we aimed to investigate potential sex effects on play ontogeny in young chickens, by comparing play occurrence in young males and females of a commercial hybrid of White Leghorn. Eighteen chicks of each sex were hatched in the same incubator and then housed in sex-separated groups. Six groups of three chicks each were randomly created for each sex, and the same three chicks were then moved to enriched play arenas twice per week, from day 6 until day 53 post hatch. The frequency of different play behaviors, categorized as locomotor play, social play and object play were recorded during 30 min on each observation day. Each group of three birds constituted the independent statistical replicate. Males played significantly more than females, due to more social and object play, whereas for locomotor play, no difference was found between the sexes. In conclusion, clear sex differences in play in chickens was demonstrated, and this may be linked to the highly sexually dimorphic behavior of adult cockerels and hens. Further research is needed to elucidate the relationships between type and frequency of play in chicks and later behavior as adults.