Condition Factor Research Articles

Risk factors of severe conditions in hospitalized children with adenovirus infection and chest CT features

BackgroundChildren infected with human adenovirus (HAdV) were at particularly high risk of developing severe disease, but the risk factors of severe conditions are poorly understood.ObjectivesTo explore the risk factors for developing into severe conditions in pediatric patients with HAdV infection by analyzing baseline epidemiological data, clinical characteristics, and computed tomography (CT) imaging features.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 267 children with HAdV infection were included between October 2016 and September 2021 at Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the epidemiological and clinical data, as well as patient outcomes. CT manifestations were semi-quantitatively scored based on the presence of consolidation, ground-glass opacities, and emphysema in each lung lobe.ResultsOur analysis revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the rate of abnormalities observed on chest CT imaging (P = 0.007) and the imaging characteristics of chest CTs (P = 0.002) when comparing severe and mild cases. We found that co-infection with two or more additional pathogens occurred more frequently in severe cases. Additionally, the proportion of lymphocytes in laboratory tests was significantly lower in patients with severe conditions. Furthermore, both the proportions and scores of consolidations were markedly higher in each lung lobe among the severe cases.ConclusionsOur findings may assist in identifying children hospitalized with HAdV who are at increased risk for severe conditions, thereby facilitating more aggressive treatment and care strategies.

Phytosociological and Abiotic Factors Influencing the Coverage and Morphological Traits of the Invasive Alien Potentilla indica (Rosaceae) in Riparian Forests and Other Urban Habitats: A Case Study from Kraków, Southern Poland

Biological invasions are considered one of the most important threats to biodiversity worldwide, and their intensity increases with urbanization. Potentilla indica, a perennial stoloniferous plant of Asian origin, is a newly emerging invasive alien species in European cities and other areas. Due to its wide ecological range, it may threaten many native species, especially in urban riparian forests which are particularly susceptible to plant invasions. Although it shows high phenotypic plasticity, its coverage and morphological variability depending on the type of vegetation and abiotic factors in natural conditions have not been studied so far. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore this issue, using phytosociological relevés and measurements of selected environmental factors and morphological features of P. indica in Kraków, the second largest city in Poland, central Europe. We demonstrated that the coverage and morphological traits of P. indica can be significantly affected by the type of plant community, and the presence and abundance of the species in urban habitats are strongly related to soil moisture, electrical conductivity, and fertility. We also found that the coverage of P. indica is positively correlated with the Evenness index, height of herbaceous layer, soil electrical conductivity and moisture, and negatively with the number of species, soil compactness, and phosphorus content in the soil. We further revealed that the size of the leaves and the length of the pedicels and stolons in P. indica can be positively influenced by its coverage. To prevent the invasion of P. indica in riparian forests and other urban habitats, we suggest controlling its cultivation and disposal, removing new appearances, and maintaining high species diversity with a dominance of one or a few native species in plant communities.

Influence of Accumulated Geotechnical Deterioration on Semi-Detailed Scale Landslide Phenomena: Cortinas Sector, Toledo, Colombia

In the initial investigations of hazard assessment for the Cortinas sector at a 1:25,000 scale, researchers validated the hypothesis that the terrain must be under specific magnitudes of conditioning factors for an instability event to occur, which does not depend only on certain critical thresholds of rainfall and earthquakes. This process was termed accumulated geotechnical deterioration (AGD). A larger-scale analysis of geotechnical criteria was conducted based on data obtained from direct exploration and geophysics, examining conditions prior to slope failure, immediately after failure, and several years later. The results showed that, indeed, the terrain experienced an increase in deterioration that, under the influence of a critical rainfall event, led to failure; however, the stability of the terrain later recovered to the point that failure did not occur under similar rainfall events. In accordance with this, a novel method of analysis is established herein at a 1:5000 scale, which uses AGD to predict instability events by calculating the safety factor derived from the application of the infinite slope formula in a GIS framework. By incorporating specific variables and field measurements, a better approximation for the prediction of an instability event can be achieved. This study identifies the innovative factors of this method and provides a baseline for future research.

Functional assessment of citral dietary supplementation on growth performance, intestinal parameters, and specific activity of the digestive enzymes of Sardinella brasiliensis reared in recirculating aquaculture system

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with citral on growth performance and intestinal parameters, and specific activity of the digestive enzymes of Sardinella brasiliensis. 240 juvenile S. brasiliensis were randomly distributed in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) composed of 12 circular tanks of 150 L (n = 20 per tank). A diet without citral addition (control) and three diets containing different levels of citral inclusion (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mL kg*feed–1) were used in the fish feeding management during 20 days. The indexes of zootechnical performance, survival, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion and condition factor of the fish were verified, as well as digestive enzymes and histological analysis. A significant positive relationship was found between citral supplementation and fish survival. In the specific activity of digestive enzymes, dietary citral supplementation at 2.0 mL* kg feed–1 increased lipase and amylase activity. Citral supplementation positively influenced the number of villi and intestinal crypt depth. Furthermore, the inclusion of citral at 0.5 mL kg*feed–1 increased the intestine diameter of the fish. The results of the experiment suggest that the addition of citral as an additive in the diet of S. brasiliensis improved the survival of fish.

The Impact of Bamboo on Rainfall-Triggered Landslide Distribution at the Regional Scale: A Case Study from SE China

It is widely accepted that land use and land cover (LULC) is an important conditioning factor for landslide occurrence, especially when considering the role of tree roots in stabilizing slopes and consolidating the soil. However, it is still difficult to assess the impacts of a specific LULC type on landslide distribution. The objective of the present study is to reveal the relationship between bamboo and landslide distribution at the regional scale. We aim to answer the following question: do the areas covered by bamboo have a higher susceptibility to landslides? Wenzhou City in SE China was taken as the study area, and a landslide inventory containing 1725 shallow landslides was constructed. The generalized additive model (GAM) was employed to assess the significance of LULC and nine additional factors, all of which were generated using the GIS platform. The frequency ratio (FR) method was used to analyze and compare the landslide density in each LULC category. Machine learning models were applied to perform landslide susceptibility mapping of the region. The results show that in the Wenzhou region, LULC is the second most important factor for landslide occurrences after the slope factor, whereas bamboo has a relatively higher FR value than most other LULC categories. The accuracies of the landslide susceptibility maps obtained from the random forest and XGBoost models were 79.6% and 85.3%, respectively. Moreover, 23.8% and 25.5% of the bamboos were distributed in very-high- and high-susceptibility-level areas. The incidents and density of landslides in bamboo areas were significantly higher than those with debris flow and rock collapses, indicating a promotional effect of bamboo on slope failure in the study area. This work will improve our understanding regarding the role of geological and ecological conditions that affect slope stability, which may provide useful guidance for land use planning and landslide risk assessment and mitigation at the regional scale.

The effects of absorptive capacity on competitive intelligence in a turbulent market

ABSTRACT The business environment of small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) is becoming increasingly unstable and unpredictable because of fierce competition and a turbulent marketplace. This study examines the role of absorptive capacity as an antecedent of competitive intelligence and assesses the moderating effects of market turbulence and competitive intensity in this relationship. Data were collected from 140 manufacturing firms in Quebec and analysed by using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that absorptive capacity positively influences competitive intelligence; moreover, market turbulence and competitive intensity are conditional factors that affect competitive intelligence activity. Directions for future research and managerial implications are further discussed.

Comparison of Growth Performance and Smoltification of Triploid and Diploid Black Sea Trout (Salmo labrax) in Freshwater and Seawater

This study aimed to evaluate the growth performance and smoltification process of triploid Black Sea trout, produced using the pressure shock method. Length, weight, survival rate (SR), specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor (CF), feed conversion rate (FCR), haematological parameters (WBC, LYM, MID, GRAN, RBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCH, MCHC, PLT, MPV, PDW), stress responses (cortisol and glucose values), osmoregulatory capacity indicators, Ca, Cl, Na, and K levels in blood serum were examined. The triploid groups showed higher length, weight and specific growth rate in both freshwater and seawater with a salinity of 18 ‰ (P<0.05). After a 90-day growth period, the best growth performance was seen in triploid freshwater group with the mean initial lenght of 13.60±0.06 cm and weight of 26.60±0.45 g. The final length, weight and specific growth rate of this group were 22.10±0.21 cm, 139.32±3.35 g and 1.84±0.13, respectively. Temporal changes in blood Ca, Cl, Na, and K ion levels in blood, cortisol and glucose levels showed that the adaptation ability of triploid fish to seawater might be different from that of diploids. The cortisol values of triploid groups were lower than that of diploid groups in freshwater but higher in seawater, while glucose values showed fluctuations between groups during the whole study period (P<0.05). Ca reached the highest values in triploid freshwater group on day 17, Cl in diploid and triploid seawater groups on day 24 and Na in triploid seawater group on day 17 (P<0.05). K value showed no statistical difference between the groups throughout the study. Understanding the physiological and biological responses of fish to environmental changes during seawater transition and adaptation is expected to enhance the survival and growth performance of diploid and triploid Black Sea trout.

Appraisal of Fish Health Assessment Index in Three Major Reservoirs in Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria

Increased anthropogenic activities and chemical contaminants in Ekiti State reservoirs have substantial effects on the reservoirs’ fish, which are valuable indicators of the health of the aquatic environments. The aim of the study was comparatively assessing the probable environmental deterioration in Egbe, Ero and Ureje reservoirs using the fish Health Assessment Index (HAI). Blood component analysis, necropsy data, and parasite index were used to compute HAI. Haematocrit values were not within the normal range in 78.85% (Ureje reservoir), 73.47% (Egbe reservoir), 57.38% (Ero reservoir), and endoparasite were present in 32.69%, 26.53% and 44.26% of fish examined from Ureje, Egbe, Ero reservoirs. Abnormalities of eyes, fins, skin, and liver were observed in a small proportion in the fish from the reservoirs. HAI of Oreochromis niloticus in the reservoirs was in order of Ureje reservoir (31.15 ± 2.81) > Egbe reservoir (29.39 ± 2.57) > Ero reservoir (25.00 ± 2.43). Condition factor of fish was in order of Ero (2.07 ± 0.03) > Egbe (1.98 ± 0.01) > Ureje (1.97 ± 0.01). In comparison to control site, reservoirs’ fish were in deplorable conditions as evidenced by HAI. Therefore, HAI is useful as an early indicator of the well-being of the aquatic ecosystems, in order to enhance the sustainability of the aquatic resources and also to compare the health status of fish from different aquatic environments.

Hemodynamic effects of bifurcation and stenosis geometry on carotid arteries with different degrees of stenosis.

Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is a key factor in pathological conditions, such as thrombosis, which is closely linked to hemodynamic parameters. Existing research often focuses on analyzing the influence of geometric characteristics at the stenosis site, making it difficult to predict the effects of overall vascular geometry on hemodynamic parameters. The objective of this study is to comprehensively examine the influence of geometric morphology at different degrees of carotid artery stenosis and at bifurcation sites on hemodynamic parameters. A three-dimensional model is established using computed tomography angiography (CTA) images, and eight geometric parameters of each patient are measured by MIMICS. Then, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is utilized to investigate 60 patients with varying degrees of stenosis (10% to 95%). Time and grid tests are conducted to optimize settings, and results are validated through comparison with reference calculations. Subsequently, correlation analysis using SPSS is performed to examine the relationship between the eight geometric parameters and four hemodynamic parameters. In MATLAB, prediction models for the four hemodynamic parameters are developed using Back Propagation neural networks (BPNN) and multiple linear regression. The BPNN model significantly outperforms the multiple linear regression model, reducing MAE, MSE, and RMSE by 91.7%, 93.9%, and 75.5%, respectively, and increasing R² from 19.0% to 88.0%. This greatly improves fitting accuracy and reduces errors. This study elucidates the correlation and patterns of geometric parameters of vascular stenosis and bifurcation in evaluating hemodynamic parameters of CAS. This study opens up new avenues for improving the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical management strategies of CAS.

Invasion of freshwater systems by the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 – new insights from Italian regions

The Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896, is a highly invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, posing significant ecological and socio-economic threats in marine and estuarine environments. This study investigates the occurrence and potential impacts of C. sapidus in Italian inland waters, specifically examining specimens collected from an irrigation canal in Pomposa on the Adriatic coast and from the Ombrone River, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Morphometric analysis revealed that males from Pomposa had a mean carapace width (CW) of 172.15 mm (±23.77 mm) and a mean weight of 282.10 g (±98.34 g), while females had a mean CW of 160.68 mm (±25.76 mm) and a mean weight of 173.26 g (±56.11 g). In contrast, males from the Ombrone River were significantly smaller, with a mean CW of 73.36 mm (±10.11 mm) and a mean weight of 25.33 g (±8.86 g). The sex ratio in Pomposa was heavily skewed towards males (3.26:1), suggesting a dominance of adult males in this freshwater habitat. A similar trend was observed in the Ombrone River, though based on a smaller sample size, with only 1 female among 10 specimens. The condition factor (K) was significantly higher for females (1.960) than for males (0.116), while growth coefficient (b) for males had a higher value (2.401) than that of females (1.788), indicating differing growth patterns. This study provides new ecological and biological data on C. sapidus in freshwater systems, underscoring the need for targeted monitoring and management to mitigate the spread and impact of this invasive species in Italian inland waters.

AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT HEALTH OF EARTHEN PONDS AND CONDITION INDEX OF WHITELEG SHRIMP (Litopenaeus vannamei Boon, 1931)

The study on the Aquatic Environment Health of Ponds and Condition Index are important factors for evaluating the physiological status of the shrimp. The morphometric measurements studied were the total length and weight of 1200 randomly selected shrimp specimens from four different earthen ponds located at Palsana, Valsad (Gujarat) during the culture period. Based on the findings of this research, it is concluded that the water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, and hardness were optimum which indicated the suitable environmental conditions for shrimp growth. The observed length, weight, and condition factor (K) of shrimp in all the studied ponds (A, B, C and D) were significantly different. The Correlation coefficient (r) between the variables Condition factor and AEHP showed salinity as an important regulatory factor. The findings showed that the farm operation would be helpful for the farmers to proceed with the economic shrimp production. The findings suggest that the ecological indices (AEHP and Condition Index) in cultured shrimps provide useful information about cultural conditions to the farmers and aquaculture experts. The farm operators could use these indices to assess individual health and habitat conditions through the application of appropriate farming operations. KEYWORDS: Length, weight, condition, culture, earthen pond

Performance Assessment of Individual and Ensemble Learning Models for Gully Erosion Susceptibility Mapping in a Mountainous and Semi-Arid Region

High-accuracy gully erosion susceptibility maps play a crucial role in erosion vulnerability assessment and risk management. The principal purpose of the present research is to evaluate the predictive power of individual machine learning models such as random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), and support vector machine (SVM), and ensemble machine learning approaches such as stacking, voting, bagging, and boosting with k-fold cross validation resampling techniques for modeling gully erosion susceptibility in the Oued El Abid watershed in the Moroccan High Atlas. A dataset comprising 200 gully points, identified through field observations and high-resolution Google Earth imagery, was used, alongside 21 gully erosion conditioning factors selected based on their importance, information gain, and multi-collinearity analysis. The exploratory results indicate that all derived gully erosion susceptibility maps had a good accuracy for both individual and ensemble models. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC), the RF and the SVM models had better predictive performances, with AUC = 0.82, than the DT model. However, ensemble models significantly outperformed individual models. Among the ensembles, the RF-DT-SVM stacking model achieved the highest predictive accuracy, with an AUC value of 0.86, highlighting its robustness and superior predictive capability. The prioritization results also confirmed the RF-DT-SVM ensemble model as the best. These findings highlight the superiority of ensemble learning models over individual ones and underscore their potential for application in similar geo-environmental contexts.

Enhancing Fish Passage Efficiency: Lessons from UHE Porto Primavera’s Fish Ladder

Dams severely affect aquatic environments and block the longitudinal migration of fish. In order to mitigate the negative effects generated by these developments, fish passes, or fishways, are implemented in dams with the purpose of restoring river connectivity and allowing the movement of migrants. Nevertheless, fishways in neotropical areas often face design and construction issues that can reduce their efficiency and selectively disadvantage species with limited swimming capabilities. This study analyzes how a fish ladder on the Paraná River influences the black armored catfish (Rhinelepis aspera), a benthic, long-distance migratory species important to commercial fisheries. A total of 200 individuals were PIT-tagged and monitored for four months. The results showed that although many fish successfully located the fishway, only a small portion (3.5%) managed to complete the ascent. The interaction between the hydraulic characteristics of the fishway and the fish condition factor played a significant role in ascent performance. Our findings underscore the importance of assessing fishway suitability for benthic neotropical species to support conservation efforts in the Upper Paraná River Basin. To improve passage rates for R. aspera, we recommend optimizing flow conditions by adjusting orifice and notch configurations, incorporating roughness elements, and modifying resting pool designs. These adaptations would reduce energy expenditure for ascending fish, enhancing fishway performance and contributing to the sustainability of migratory species in this region.

Morphological and ecological approaches in reproduction of the endemic catfish of the eastern Amazon.

This study aimed to describe reproductive ecology based on morphological aspects of Peckoltia oligospila in stream rapids, eastern Amazon. A total of 186 fish (75 males and 111 females) were collected. The sex and gonadal maturity stage of these specimens were obtained based on histological characteristics of the gonads. The sex ratio, gonado-somatic index (GSI), relative frequency of the different maturity stages, size at first sexual maturation, condition factor of the population, and fluviometry were evaluated during the study. There was a significant female frequency during the study. The population exhibited positive allometric growth without differences between sexes. GSI and relative frequency showing a reproductive period synchronized in February, and the species exhibited parcelated spawning. L50 was estimated at 5.85 and 7.39 cm for females and males, respectively. There were significant differences in the condition factor only in females that showed a highest value in August. Thus, based on the results P. oligospila has an intermediate strategy between the opportunistic and equilibrium strategies.

Quantitative assessment of cervical disc degeneration using disc signal intensity index.

The assessment of disc degeneration remains a significant challenge in clinical research. Pfirrmann grade is a frequently used classification for lumbar disc degeneration on MRI. However, there has been no gold standard for cervical spine disc degeneration. Recently, we introduced the Disc Signal Intensity Index (DSI2) as a quantitative disc assessment for the lumbar spine, which is easily measurable in the cervical spine. The aim of this study was to apply DSI2 in the cervical intervertebral disc and investigate the factors associated with the cervical disc degeneration. Cross-sectional study using retrospectively collected data. Cervical MRIs from a database of patients undergoing ACDF between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic variables included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), race, smoking status, and comorbidities such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery disease. DSI2 measurements were performed on midsagittal T2-weighted MRI images by determining the intensity within regions of interest (ROI). One ROI was set in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and three ROIs were set per disc at the anterior, middle, and posterior third. The mean of the three measurements per disc was then divided by that of the CSF to calculate the DSI2 score. Multivariable linear regression analyses with mixed model were conducted to determine the potential contributing factors for disc degeneration. A total of 149 patients and 770 discs were included in the final analysis. Ninety-three patients (37.6%) were female and the mean (SD) age was 55.6 (11.7) years. The distribution of DSI2 scores among the different Pfirrmann grades was as follows: Grade 1: 0.259±NA; Grade 2: 0.226±0.090; Grade 3: 0.175±0.070; Grade 4: 0.136±0.060; Grade 5: 0.131±0.050. Multivariable linear mixed-effect regression analysis, setting with DSI2 as the objective variable, demonstrated that age (β= -0.130, p< 0.05), BMI (β= -2.06, p< 0.05), Modic changes (Type1 β= -2.70, p<0.01) were independent contributors to disc degeneration. The segments C4/5 and C7/T1 were less prone to disc degeneration (C4/5: β=1.37, p<0.001; C7/T1: β= 2.63, p<0.001) and the history of diabetes (β=5.31, p<0.01) was associated with high DSI2.(p<0.01) CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides valuable insights for identifying risk factors in degenerative cervical conditions utilizing the DSI2. The DSI2 method emerges as a promising alternative for future disc research, excelling in the detection of subtle progressions of degeneration and distinguishing itself from the subjective Pfirrmann grading system.

Assessment of urban flood susceptibility based on a novel integrated machine learning method.

Flood susceptibility assessment is the premise and foundation to prevent flood disaster events effectively. To accurately assess urban flood susceptibility (UFS), this study first analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of multi-layer perceptron (MLP), and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and designs a new integrated machine learning method by combining logistic regression (LR) method, i.e., LG-MLP-LR. Then, we verify the performance of LG-MLP-LR by taking the flood disaster events in Fuzhou from 2013 to 2016 as example and analyze the contribution of flood conditioning factors by calculating the SHapley Additive exPlanations values. Finally, the assessment results are compared with MLP, LightGBM, XG-MLP-LR, and CB-MLP-LR. The results show that (1) the selected flood conditioning factors can accurately depict the UFS of the study area; (2) compared with MLP, LightGBM, XG-MLP-LR, and CB-MLP-LR, the assessment results by LG-MLP-LR have higher average accuracy (94.950%) and higher average AUC (98.813%); (3) the factors affecting the occurrence and damage degree of flood disaster events in Fuzhou from 2013 to 2016 were elevation, topographic wetness index, maximum one-day rainfall, and stream power index, respectively. This study provides a new idea and method for the effective prevention and control of flood disasters in cities.

Potential matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 inhibitors identified from Ehretia species for the treatment of chronic wounds - Computational drug discovery approaches

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) serve as prognostic factors in several pathophysiological conditions, including chronic wounds. Therefore, they are considered important therapeutic targets in the intervention and treatment of these conditions. In this study, computational tools such as molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to gain insight into protein‒ligand interactions and determine the free binding energy between Ehretia species phytoconstituents and gelatinases (MMP2 and MMP9). A total of 74 phytoconstituents from Ehretia species were compiled from the literature, and 46 of these compounds were identified as potential inhibitors of at least one type of MMP. Molecular docking revealed that lithospermic acid B, rosmarinic acid, and danshensu had stronger binding affinities against the two enzymes than the reference ligands. Furthermore, (9S, 10E, 12Z, 15Z)-9-hydroxy-10,12,15-octadecatrienoic (∗-octadecatrienoic) had a higher binding energy for MMP2, whereas caffeic anhydride and caffeic acid established stronger binding energy with MMP9 than the reference ligand. These complexes also demonstrated relatively stable, favourable, and comparable conformational changes with those of unbound proteins at 500 ns. The free energy decomposition results further provide detailed insights into the contributions of active site residues and different types of interactions to the overall binding free energy. Finally, most of the hit phytoconstituents (rosmarinic acid, caffeic anhydride, caffeic acid, and danshensu) had good physicochemical, drug-likeness, and pharmacokinetic properties. Collectively, our findings showed that phytoconstituents from Ehretia species could be beneficial in the search for novel MMP inhibitors as therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Examining a British-Hellenic educational mind-set on an island: the emergence of commercial schools and accounting education in colonial Cyprus (1878–1960)

ABSTRACT The paper examines how the historical context of “Greekness” and British rule shaped the rise of local Greek Cypriot commercial schools and the emergence of accounting education in colonial Cyprus (1878–1960). The findings of the paper illustrate how local inhabitants gradually came to embrace the British model of commercial and accounting education whilst attempting to retain a spirit of “Greekness” in their schools, partly through the subjects that were taught. The detailed analysis sheds light on the antecedent and conditioning factors from which local accounting education emerged and charts how the profession ultimately developed after Cyprus’ independence. Commercial and accounting education in Cyprus during the colonial period was ostensibly associated to social mobility ambitions while maintaining and reinforcing a British mind-set. The paper is one of the few studies that provides detailed insights into the rise of, and the central actors involved in, commercial and accounting education, demonstrating how the reproduction and expansion of the imperial model faced both resistance, compromise and eventually acceptance.

Association between Pregnancy and Musculoskeletal Conditions in Active-Duty Military Service Members.

Non-combat musculoskeletal conditions are endemic among service members and disproportionately affect females. Pregnancy and childbirth contribute to lower physical fitness assessment scores and higher body mass index, both risk factors for musculoskeletal conditions, for up to one-year post-pregnancy. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the impact of pregnancy on musculoskeletal conditions. To explore the association between the post-pregnancy period and incident musculoskeletal conditions (MSK). Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study. Medical and administrative data from the Medical Assessment and Readiness System. Female military service members with and without a pregnancy. Months since pregnancy end, health history, and demographic and military service data were abstracted for each subject. Subsequent MSKs were identified with relevant ICD-10 codes. A multivariable logistic regression model assessed the association between the time since pregnancy end and MSK incidence. A total of 298,607 female service members were identified, of which 19,980 had a pregnancy. A larger percentage of post-pregnancy service members (65.8%) had a MSK diagnosis as compared to the non-pregnant cohort (60.3%). Adjusting for covariates, the model suggests a temporal influence on post-pregnancy MSK incidence, such that service members 3- to 4-months and 5- to 6-months post-pregnancy were more likely to be diagnosed with a MSK as compared to the non-pregnant cohort. However, service members <2 months post-pregnancy were less likely to be diagnosed with an MSK, and the odds of an MSK beyond 6-months decreased out to 24-months post-pregnancy. Pregnancy may increase a service member's odds of sustaining an MSK 3- to 6- months post-pregnancy. Understanding the relationships between pregnancy and MSK risks may lead to changes in postpartum return-to-duty/activity policies, better enabling service members to care for themselves and their families.

Systemic Administration of a Site-Targeted Complement Inhibitor Attenuates Chronic Stress-Induced Social Behavior Deficits and Neuroinflammation in Mice

Chronic stress, a risk factor for many neuropsychiatric conditions, causes dysregulation in the immune system in both humans and animal models. Additionally, inflammation and synapse loss have been associated with deficits in social behavior. The complement system, a key player of innate immunity, has been linked to social behavior impairments caused by chronic stress. However, it is not known whether complement inhibition can help prevent neuroinflammation and behavioral deficits caused by chronic stress. In this study, we investigated the potential of a site-targeted complement inhibitor to ameliorate chronic stress-induced changes in social behavior and inflammatory markers in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. Specifically, we investigated the use of C2-Crry, which comprises a natural antibody-derived single-chain antibody (ScFv) targeting domain-designated C2, linked to Crry, a C3 activation inhibitor. The C2 targeting domain recognizes danger-associated molecular patterns consisting of a subset of phospholipids that become exposed following cell stress or injury. We found that systemic administration of C2-Crry attenuated chronic stress-induced social behavioral impairments in mice. Furthermore, C2-Crry administration significantly decreased microglia/macrophage and astrocyte activation markers in the PFC and hippocampus. These findings suggest that site-targeted complement inhibition could offer a promising, safe, and effective strategy for treating chronic stress induced behavioral and immune function disorders.