Individual Effects Research Articles

Immigrational Exclusion in the West and Exile Culture in Africa: Exploring Parallels and Biopower Dynamics

This study shows how political and ethnic elites employ their power to impose societal standards through exclusion practices like deportation and exile culture. The research also serves as a further illustration of Foucault's concept of bio-power being manifested. In this study, social exclusion from indigenous African societies and contemporary Western nations is investigated from a historical, social, and cultural standpoint. The study is built around Michael Foucault’s concept of biopower, and it employs discourse analysis as a methodology with an emphasis on Foucauldian discourse analysis. More so, the study incorporates the examination of African exile traditions and contemporary deportation from the Nollywood perspective. Hence, two Nollywood films, Anchor Baby ‘2010’ and Arodan ‘2023’, whose themes resonate with the study’s objectives, were selected. The study found out that whether it is the State exercising its power to regulate immigration or traditional leaders demonstrating their authority over their communities to maintain social order, deportation and exile are tools through which biopower is exerted. It recommends that effective policy communication is essential for addressing the utilization of this biopower and reducing racial or national prejudice, especially in deportation operations. The study contends that the inaccurate depiction and improper use of biopower strategies can result in profound psychological effects for the impacted individuals. It further recommends that it is imperative for authorities to give high importance to effective policy communication and actively take measures to reduce possible adverse outcomes. Ensuring that immigrants are given the confidence that deportation decisions are based on legitimate justifications, such as public or national security, is of utmost importance.

Extreme restructuring of cis-regulatory regions controlling a deeply conserved plant stem cell regulator.

A striking paradox is that genes with conserved protein sequence, function and expression pattern over deep time often exhibit extremely divergent cis-regulatory sequences. It remains unclear how such drastic cis-regulatory evolution across species allows preservation of gene function, and to what extent these differences influence how cis-regulatory variation arising within species impacts phenotypic change. Here, we investigated these questions using a plant stem cell regulator conserved in expression pattern and function over ~125 million years. Using in-vivo genome editing in two distantly related models, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), we generated over 70 deletion alleles in the upstream and downstream regions of the stem cell repressor gene CLAVATA3 (CLV3) and compared their individual and combined effects on a shared phenotype, the number of carpels that make fruits. We found that sequences upstream of tomato CLV3 are highly sensitive to even small perturbations compared to its downstream region. In contrast, Arabidopsis CLV3 function is tolerant to severe disruptions both upstream and downstream of the coding sequence. Combining upstream and downstream deletions also revealed a different regulatory outcome. Whereas phenotypic enhancement from adding downstream mutations was predominantly weak and additive in tomato, mutating both regions of Arabidopsis CLV3 caused substantial and synergistic effects, demonstrating distinct distribution and redundancy of functional cis-regulatory sequences. Our results demonstrate remarkable malleability in cis-regulatory structural organization of a deeply conserved plant stem cell regulator and suggest that major reconfiguration of cis-regulatory sequence space is a common yet cryptic evolutionary force altering genotype-to-phenotype relationships from regulatory variation in conserved genes. Finally, our findings underscore the need for lineage-specific dissection of the spatial architecture of cis-regulation to effectively engineer trait variation from conserved productivity genes in crops.

Gestural communication in wild spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)

Gestures play a central role in the communication systems of several animal families, including primates. In this study, we provide a first assessment of the gestural systems of a Platyrrhine species, Geoffroy’s spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). We observed a wild group of 52 spider monkeys and assessed the distribution of visual and tactile gestures in the group, the size of individual repertoires and the intentionality and effectiveness of individuals’ gestural production. Our results showed that younger spider monkeys were more likely than older ones to use tactile gestures. In contrast, we found no inter-individual differences in the probability of producing visual gestures. Repertoire size did not vary with age, but the probability of accounting for recipients’ attentional state was higher for older monkeys than for younger ones, especially for gestures in the visual modality. Using vocalizations right before the gesture increased the probability of gesturing towards attentive recipients and of receiving a response, although age had no effect on the probability of gestures being responded. Overall, our study provides first evidence of gestural production in a Platyrrhine species, and confirms this taxon as a valid candidate for research on animal communication.

Biotic interactions in soil and dung shape parasite transmission in temperate ruminant systems: An integrative framework.

Gastrointestinal helminth parasites undergo part of their life cycle outside their host, such that developmental stages interact with the soil and dung fauna. These interactions are capable of affecting parasite transmission on pastures yet are generally ignored in current models, empirical studies and practical management. Dominant methods of parasite control, which rely on anthelmintic medications for livestock, are becoming increasingly ineffective due to the emergence of drug-resistant parasite populations. Furthermore, consumer and regulatory pressure on decreased chemical use in agriculture and the consequential disruption of biological processes in the dung through nontarget effects exacerbates issues with anthelmintic reliance. This presents a need for the application and enhancement of nature-based solutions and biocontrol methods. However, successfully harnessing these options relies on advanced understanding of the ecological system and interacting effects among biotic factors and with immature parasite stages. Here, we develop a framework linking three key groups of dung and soil fauna-fungi, earthworms, and dung beetles-with each other and developmental stages of helminths parasitic in farmed cattle, sheep, and goats in temperate grazing systems. We populate this framework from existing published studies and highlight the interplay between faunal groups and documented ecological outcomes. Of 1756 papers addressing abiotic drivers of populations of these organisms and helminth parasites, only 112 considered interactions between taxa and 36 presented data on interactions between more than two taxonomic groups. Results suggest that fungi reduce parasite abundance and earthworms may enhance fungal communities, while competition between dung taxa may reduce their individual effect on parasite transmission. Dung beetles were found to impact fungal populations and parasite transmission variably, possibly tied to the prevailing climate within a specific ecological context. By exploring combinations of biotic factors, we consider how interactions between species may be fundamental to the ecological consequences of biocontrol strategies and nontarget impacts of anthelmintics on dung and soil fauna and how pasture management alterations to promote invertebrates might help limit parasite transmission. With further development and parameterization the framework could be applied quantitatively to guide, prioritize, and interpret hypothesis-driven experiments and integrate biotic factors into established models of parasite transmission dynamics.

The Mediating Role of Lifelong Learning Motivation in the Relationship Between Virtual Risk Perception and Digital Well-Being

This research aims to examine the potential mediating role of lifelong learning motivation in the relationship between virtual risk perception and digital well-being of (whom?). With a view to filling the gaps in the literature, this study examined how lifelong learning motivation can play a mediating role in understanding the effects of the risks individuals perceive in digital environments on their digital well-being. The findings of the research, obtained within a theoretical framework that combines psychological, educational, and digital technology perspectives, aim to shed light on new studies on improving individual well-being in the digital world and make a significant contribution to better understand the complex dynamics of the digital age and to properly maintain individuals’ digital experiences. 140 people participated in the research. The research data was obtained by survey. In the 4-section questionnaire, the other sections except demographic information were obtained with the Virtual World Risk Perception (VWRP) Scale, Lifelong Learning Motivation (LLM) Scale and Digital Well-Being (DWB) Scale. Mediation analysis was performed on the obtained data with JAMOVI software. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that lifelong learning motivation fully mediates the relationship between virtual risk perception and digital well-being.

Combined effect of polystyrene nanoplastic and di-n-butyl phthalate on testicular health of male Swiss albino mice: analysis of sperm-related parameters and potential toxic effects.

Plastics, especially polystyrene nanoplastic particles (PSNPs), are known for their durability and absorption properties, allowing them to interact with environmental pollutants such as di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP). Previous research has highlighted the potential of these particles as carriers for various pollutants, emphasizing the need to understand their environmental impact comprehensively. This study focuses on the subchronic exposure of male Swiss albino mice to PSNP and DBP, aiming to investigate their reproductive toxicity between these pollutants in mammalian models. The primary objective of this study is to examine the reproductive toxicity resulting from simultaneous exposure to PSNP and DBP in male Swiss albino mice. The study aims to analyze sperm parameters, measure antioxidant enzyme activity, and conduct histopathological and morphometric examinations of the testis. By investigating the individual and combined effects of PSNP and DBP, the study seeks to gain insights into their impact on the reproductive profile of male mice, emphasizing potential synergistic interactions between these environmental pollutants. Male Swiss albino mice were subjected to subchronic exposure (60days) of PSNP (0.2mg/m, 50nm size) and DBP (900mg/kg bw), both individually and in combination. Various parameters, including sperm parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, histopathological changes, and morphometric characteristics of the testis, were evaluated. The Johnsen scoring system and histomorphometric parameters were employed for a comprehensive assessment of spermatogenesis and testicular structure. The study revealed non-lethal effects within the tested doses of PSNP and DBP alone and in combination, showing reductions in body weight gain and testis weight compared to the control. Individual exposures and the combination group exhibited adverse effects on sperm parameters, with the combination exposure demonstrating more severe outcomes. Structural abnormalities, including vascular congestion, Leydig cell hyperplasia, and the extensive congestion in tunica albuginea along with both ST and Leydig cell damage, were observed in the testis, underscoring the reproductive toxicity potential of PSNP and DBP. The Johnsen scoring system and histomorphometric parameters confirmed these findings, providing interconnected results aligning with observed structural abnormalities. The study concludes that simultaneous exposure to PSNP and DBP induces reproductive toxicity in male Swiss albino mice. The combination of these environmental pollutants leads to more severe disruptions in sperm parameters, testicular structure, and antioxidant defense mechanisms compared to individual exposures. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding the interactive mechanisms between different environmental pollutants and their collective impact on male reproductive health. The use of the Johnsen scoring system and histomorphometric parameters provides a comprehensive evaluation of spermatogenesis and testicular structure, contributing valuable insights to the field of environmental toxicology.

Dynamics of NO, N2O, and ONOOH in atmospheric-pressure air dielectric barrier discharge: decoupling energy density and gas temperature effects varying with discharge voltage

The dose regulation of reactive nitrogen species is crucial for biomedical applications. In this study, we develop a global chemical kinetics model comprising 92 species and 1018 reactions to investigate the regulatory dynamics of three types of reactive nitrogen species, i.e. NO, N2O, and ONOOH, which vary with the discharge voltage in an air coaxial dielectric barrier discharge. Based on the experimental results, the model can describe the density variations of NO, N2O, and ONOOH. The simulation results indicate that the O, NO3− , NO2− , and O3 are essential intermediate species related to NO generation; N, NO2, O-, N2*, and O(1D) are essential intermediate species related to N2O generation; and O2− , NO, NO2, OH, O4− , and O3 are essential intermediate species related to ONOOH generation. The individual and comprehensive effects of the energy density and gas temperature on the densities of NO, N2O, and ONOOH and the corresponding intermediate species are quantified under increasing discharge voltages. The simulation results indicate that the energy density is the primary factor affecting the number density of NO, N2O, and ONOOH, whereas the gas temperature exerts a completely different effect on these three species. These insights are valuable for plasma applications in biomedicine, where the selective and controlled production of reactive nitrogen species is key for achieving the desired plasma performance.

Effects of Curcuma longa L. and Piper nigrum L. Against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Infectious Angiogenesis

Methicillin drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a challenging microbe among bacteria borne infectious diseases and is extremely difficult to treat because of resistive nature of pathogen. Therefore, new agents are always needed to treat MRSA associated infections. Extracts from plants have been in medicinal practice since early ages of mankind. Current research is meant to discern the therapeutic aspects of Piper nigrum L. and Curcuma longa L. as solo or in combinatory medicinal agent against bacterial strains and associated infectious angiogenesis. The individual MICs of Curcuma longa and Piper nigrum calculated by agar well diffusion method were 1.56 mg/mL and 12.5 mg/mL respectively whereas the MIC of the combination of Curcuma longa and Piper nigrum was 0.062 mg/mL, indicating significant decrease in effective MIC in combination. FICI value was 0.034 ≤ 0.5 that confirmed the synergistic antibacterial activity of the combination extract. MTT assay showed that the cell survival percentage and IC50 values of Curcuma longa L., Piper nigrum L. and their combination were 69%, 41%, 80% and 38.3 ± 2.82, 9.92 ± 1.84, 62 ± 5.32 respectively indicating therapeutic doses were non-toxic. Further antibacterial activity of extracts showed promising antibacterial effects against MRSA. Effects on infectious angiogenesis were observed by CAM assay which revealed that when Curcuma longa L. and Piper nigrum L. were used in combination, inhibition of neovascularization was more promising as compared to individual effect which further testified the synergistic effect of Piper nigrum L. Present study accumulatively reports the novel potential utility of Curcuma longa L. and Piper nigrum L. extracts in a synergistic way against MRSA infection by interfering the mechanism of infectious angiogenesis and bactericidal action; suggesting further investigation to isolate active compounds for bactericidal and anti-infectious antiangiogenic activities that may serve as therapeutic agents in the modern field of medicine.

Segmented growth of reactivated major bounding faults and their control on basin structures: Insights from the Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China

AbstractA thorough insight into the initiation, segmentation, propagation and interaction of multitrend basin‐bounding faults is crucial to restoring the growth history of the faults and clarifying the fault growth pattern and its influence on the structures developed along the margin due to the growth of the basin‐bounding faults, but systematic studies on the individual influence of the evolution of each fault segment on the present structure are lacking. Based on 3D seismic data, the timing and growth of multitrend basin‐bounding faults were analysed using T‐z plots and throw backstripping, allowing us to determine the individual effects that each fault segment evolution exerteds on the present‐day configuration of the northern margin of the Nanpu Sag. The basin‐bounding fault is composed of the Xinanzhuang and Baigezhuang faults, and the Xinanzhuang fault comprises three linked segments with varying orientations (i.e., NE–SW, E–W, and NNE–SSW). In comparison, the Baigezhuang fault comprises only two linked NW–SE‐oriented fault segments. The evolution process can be divided into three stages. (1) During the early synrift I stage, namely, the isolated fault stage, five isolated multitrend basin‐bounding segments were active. (2) During the late synrift I stage, namely, the hard‐linkage stage, the five segments propagated laterally and linked with each other, behaving as a single fault. Meanwhile, the NE‐trending No. 5 Fault bifurcated upward from the basin‐bounding fault to accommodate local stress, and the NW‐trending Gaobei Fault deviated from the basin‐bounding fault controlled by local stresses induced by differential activities of the multitrend fault segments under the same far‐field stress. (3) During the synrift II to postrift linkage development stage, the extension orientation changed from NW–SE‐ to N–S, and additional displacement accumulated along the basin‐bounding fault without further lateral propagation. Newly formed E–W‐trending faults developed orthogonal to the extension orientation and linked with preexisting NE‐ or NW‐trending faults, forming a complex fault zone. In addition, influenced by the geometry of the basin‐bounding fault, the Laoyemiao Anticline formed by gravitational collapse under the dual action of a rollover anticline and transverse anticline. Furthermore, the evolution of the basin‐bounding faults played an important role in controlling the source‐to‐sink system, and the transition zone was the main provenance channel formed by the segmented growth of the faults. This study provides new insight into multitrend large fault evolution, and their impact on basin development provides a comprehensive explanation of the later structures developed in polyphase rifts.

Determinants of injuries and accidents in Ethiopia: A Multilevel Analysis

Background: Injury is a major health issue worldwide, especially in developingcountries such as Ethiopia, where no comprehensive national injury data exists.There is a need to better define the epidemiology of injury and determinants asa basis for the formulation of violence and injury prevention strategies.Objective: This study aimed to determine individual and community-levelfactors associated with injuries and accidents in Ethiopia.Methods: Using the latest nationally representative data obtained fromEthiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016, the survey collectedinformation about the occurrence of injuries in the past 12 months among 12,841 members of 16,650 households. Sample from 645 clusters of 12372 un-weighted households and 12841 weighted households were selected from nine regions and two city administrations of Ethiopia using a stratified clustersampling procedure. Multilevel logistic regressions were used to identify thedeterminants of injuries. Four models were built to estimate both fixed effectsof the individual and community-level factors and random effects betweencluster variation on injuries and/or accidents.Results: The current study found that 3.4 % of injuries and accidents occurredin the reference 12-month period. At the final best-fitted model (model IV), asecondary educational level of household members (AOR= 0.54; 95 % CI (0.297,0.987), household members from middle-level wealth index (AOR = 1.72; 95 %CI (1.048, 2.807), and history of smoking within the last 24 hours (AOR = 0.28;95 % CI (0.092, 0.863) were significantly associated with injury and accidents.Conclusion: The study's analysis of injuries that occurred during the study'sreference 12-month period revealed that Ethiopia has low injury prevalence,considering Ethiopian demographic survey data limitations on major injuries.Additionally, having a secondary education, falling into the middle of thewealth index, and having a history of smoking were all significantly associatedwith injuries and accidents.

Virgin Coconut Oil and Palm Tocotrienol Supplementation: Effects on Lipid Parameters of Experimental Rats

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) and palm tocotrienol (TT) possess cholesterol-regulating properties, but their combined effects remained unexplored. Thus, this study aims to determine their individual and combination effects on lipid parameters in ovariectomised (OVX) rats on hypercholesterolemic diet. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomised except for the sham group, assigned into (i) sham-operated fed with basal rat diet, (ii) OVX control, (iii) V1 (OVX + VCO 1.43 mL/kg), (iv) V2 (OVX + VCO 4.29 mL/kg), (v) TT (OVX + TT 30 mg/kg), (vi) V1+TT (OVX + VCO 1.43 mL/kg + TT 30 mg/kg) and (vii) V2+TT (OVX + VCO 4.29 mL/kg + TT 30 mg/kg). Groups (ii) to (vii) were fed with 2% cholesterol mixed with five-time heated palm oil. VCO and TT alone or in combination reduced food intake, visceral fat weight, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and HMG-CoA reductase activity significantly (p<0.05 vs the OVX control). HDL was reduced significantly in V1, V2, and V1+TT compared to the TT and V2+TT (p<0.05). The increase in LDL was the lowest in V1 compared to other groups (p<0.05). V2 and TT significantly reduced total cholesterol compared to other supplementations (p<0.05). All supplementations were found to reduce triglyceride compared to the OVX control group (p<0.05). The increase in apolipoprotein A was higher in V2+TT than other groups (p<0.05). The reduction in apolipoprotein B was higher in V1+TT and V2+TT than the V1, V2 and TT. VCO and TT exerted beneficial effects on lipid parameters, but the efficacy was not better than individual agents.

Individual Patient Comorbidities and Effect on Cochlear Implant Performance.

To examine the association between preoperative comorbidities and cochlear implant speech outcomes. Retrospective cohort. Tertiary referral center. A total of 976 patients who underwent cochlear implantation (CI) between January 2015 and May 2022. Adult patients with follow-up, preoperative audiologic data, and a standardized anesthesia preoperative note were included. Adult Comorbidity Evaluation 27 (ACE-27) based on standardized anesthesia preoperative notes. Postoperative change in consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) score, AzBio Sentence score in quiet, and AzBio + 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Sentence score of the implanted ear at 3, 6, and 12 months. A total of 560 patients met inclusion criteria; 112 patients (20%) had no comorbidity, 204 patients (36.4%) had mild comorbidities, 161 patients (28.8%) had moderate comorbidities, and 83 patients (14.8%) had severe comorbidities. Mixed model analysis revealed all comorbidity groups achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in all speech outcome measures over time. This improvement was significantly different between comorbidity groups over time for AzBio Quiet ( p = 0.045) and AzBio + 10 dB SNR ( p = 0.0096). Patients with severe comorbidities had worse outcomes. From preop to 12 months, the estimated marginal mean difference values (95% confidence interval) between the no comorbidity group and the severe comorbidity group were 52.3 (45.7-58.9) and 32.5 (24.6-40.5), respectively, for AzBio Quiet; 39.5 (33.8-45.2) and 21.2 (13.6-28.7), respectively, for AzBio + 10 dB SNR; and 43.9 (38.7-49.0) and 31.1 (24.8-37.4), respectively, for CNC. Comorbidities as assessed by ACE-27 are associated with CI performance. Patients with more severe comorbidities have clinically meaningful improvement but have worse outcome compared to patients with no comorbidities.

KONSELING SEBAYA SEBAGAI ALTERNATIF PENURUNAN PERILAKU PROKRASTINASI AKADEMIK [PEER COUNSELING AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR ACADEMIC PROCRASTINATION BEHAVIOR

Peer counseling is an alternative approach in counseling services to help individuals carried out by peers. Peer counseling is seen as important because in today's era, individuals more often discuss the problems they face with their peers than with parents or teachers. Peer counseling makes it easier for individuals to talk more comfortably to peers. Therefore, this counseling is suitable for individuals, especially those who have Academic Procrastination Behavior. Peers who do counseling require competencies that must be possessed to support the success of counseling and create good relationships with friends. The method used in this research is a literature study by collecting various kinds of journals related to the subject of the research. The results based on this study can be concluded that peer counseling is an alternative approach that has effectiveness for individuals who have academic procrastination behavior. By using these alternatives, individuals who have Academic Procrastination Behavior have the convenience to tell stories and are able to overcome the problems they face.

Side effects of treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and the occurrence of anxiety symptoms.

The study aims to check whether individual side effects of treatment with TKIs in patients suffering from CML may contribute to the occurrence of anxiety symptoms. In addition, it was decided to check whether there were any relationships between age, gender, duration of treatment, and the intensity of anxiety, divided by the occurrence of individual side effects. The study involved 91 patients and was conducted at the Hematology Clinic of the University Hospital in Krakow. The following questionnaires were used: created by the author, David Goldberg Questionnaire GHQ-28, and the four-dimensional 4DSQ Questionnaire. The most frequently mentioned side effects of treatment were bone and joint pain, muscle cramps and pain, water retention, and fatigue. The mean duration of the disease was ten years. Our research showed that fatigue, nausea/indigestion, frequent infections, bone and joint pain, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite were the most common side effects of TKI treatment, which resulted in increased anxiety symptoms. The work of doctors, psychologists, and pharmaceutical companies on reducing/alleviating side effects may in the future affect a better quality of life for these patients. Early detection of severe anxiety and taking appropriate steps can prevent the emergence of more significant disorders. In addition, several years of attempts to discontinue treatment with some TKIs (imatinib and nilotinib) in patients who achieve a profound molecular response may improve their mental condition.

Effects of healthy ageing and bilingualism on attention networks

Abstract Both ageing and bilingualism can have positive as well as adverse cognitive effects. We investigated their combined impact on subcomponents of attention. We used the Attention Network Task to examine alerting, orienting, executive control and task-switching costs. Group comparisons revealed age-related declines for alerting alongside benefits for executive control, for mono- and bilinguals alike. For orienting, age-related decline was more pronounced for bilinguals than monolinguals. Task-switching was unaffected by age or language group. Within bilinguals, we found limited impact of individual differences in L2 proficiency, language switching or mixing: proficiency improves orienting and decreases switch costs, for young and older bilinguals alike; but no other individual differences effects were found. Thus, attention is a multi-faceted network, with clear adverse (alerting) and protective (executive control) ageing effects. We found these to be largely similar for mono- and bilinguals, with variability within bilinguals having only limited impact.

Understanding the feeding strategies of growing-finishing pigs: Exploring links with pig characteristics and behaviour

A large variation in feeding patterns between pigs and over time hampers the use of data from electronic feeding stations in the continuous monitoring of growing-finishing pig welfare. Individual feeding strategies (i.e. differences between pigs that are consistent within a pig across time) likely explain part of this variation, both at the daily level - based on feeding components intake, frequency and rate – and at the diurnal level - based on feeding components circadian rhythms and night feeding. It is, however, not known exactly which feeding strategies pigs display, nor which types of pigs display which strategies. This study aimed 1) to test which (combinations of) feeding components contribute to independent feeding strategies; and 2) to see whether pigs with different feeding strategies also differ in other physical and behavioural characteristics. To identify feeding strategies, we calculated the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for each day-level feeding component, which reflects the proportion of variation explained by an individual pig effect (n=98 pigs). Subsequently, high ICC day-level components were correlated to diurnal-level components known to contain feeding strategies, to assess possible overlap. Pigs with different strategies were then characterised based on physical (n=52) and behavioural (home pen and play tests, n=22–27) variables at different ages, using (generalised) linear mixed models. Four dimensions of individual feeding strategies emerged: nibbling/meal eating, fast/slow eating, day/day-night eating and consistent/inconsistent eating from day to day, sustaining after correction for pig sex or body weight. All dimensions except day/day-night eating partially overlapped at the beginning of the growing-finishing phase, but became more distinct over time. Pigs with different feeding strategies also differed in their general activity, diurnal activity and possibly dominance rank. Feeding strategies did not relate to behaviours possibly indicative of more positive or negative emotional states of pigs. Our results demonstrate that pigs showed individual differences in their feeding behaviour that are consistent across time, along continua in four distinct dimensions. These differences went beyond differences in body weight and sex, and were related to other behavioural characteristics of pigs. The presence of feeding strategies suggests that the use of pig feeding behaviour data should be corrected for individual differences between pigs.

High spatiotemporal asynchrony between water deficit and nitrate accumulation under apple orchards in deep loess deposits

Understanding the relationship between water and nitrate in soils is critical to agricultural production and aquifer vulnerability assessments, especially in regions with intensive agricultural activities and thick unsaturated zones. Deep soils usually record long-term variations in coupling water and nitrate processes, influenced by multiple environmental factors. As such, this study aims to investigate water and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3–−N) contents and their relationships in soil profiles of 13–23 m deep under farmland and neighboring apple orchards with different ages. Soil properties were considered to explore the individual effect of a single factor or combined effects of multiple factors by wavelet analysis and partial least squares path models. Compared with farmland, apple orchards had large water deficit and NO3–−N accumulation due to root water uptake and synthetic fertilizer inputs, with high spatiotemporal asynchrony in deep unsaturated zones. Specifically, water deficit and NO3–−N accumulation were respectively observed in relatively stable (5–15 m) and active layers (0–5 m, spatial asynchrony), with higher water deficit rates under young apple trees (e.g., 12 and 22 years old) but larger NO3–−N accumulation rates under old apple trees (e.g., 23–32 years old, temporal asynchrony), respectively. Under farmland and orchard, soil texture-organic carbon regulated soil water movement, while soil water-organic carbon affected nitrate transport and transformation processes, which further altered soil pH and electric conductivity conditions in deep vadose zones. The growth of apple trees leads to asynchronous water depletion and fertilizer accumulation in soils, and the > 20 years apple trees are limited by insufficient water despite the excessive fertilizer. The dried soil layers not only reduce potential groundwater recharge, but also prolong the residence time of nitrate bombs in thick unsaturated zones. This study provides essential information for sustainable management of vegetation and water resources, and benefits the complicated hydrological and biogeochemical cycles in thick vadose zones.

The effects of contractual and relational governance on public‐private partnership sustainability

AbstractThe study investigates how contractual and relational governance influence partner behaviors and promote sustainability performance of infrastructure public‐private partnerships (PPPs). Survey data from 217 Chinese PPP projects were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. This study found that both contractual and relational governance have positive effects on PPP sustainability, with contractual governance having a stronger impact. Contractual governance complements relational governance in promoting cooperative behavior, but relational governance does not amplify the effect of contractual governance on opportunistic behavior. The findings highlight the role of contracts in curbing opportunism and promoting collaboration via multiple functions of control, coordination, and adaption, while also revealing the limitations of relational approaches in the context of government‐business relationships and performance ambiguity. This study contributes to the PPP governance literature by uncovering the individual and interactive effects of contractual and relational governance on the economic, social, and environmental aspects of PPP sustainability.

Quercetin increases the antidepressant-like effects of sclareol and antagonizes diazepam in thiopental sodium-induced sleeping mice: A possible GABAergic transmission intervention.

Quercetin is the most common polyphenolic flavonoid present in fruits and vegetables demonstrating versatile health-promoting effects. This study aimed to examine the effects of quercetin (QR) and sclareol (SCL) on the thiopental sodium (TS)-induced sleeping and forced swimming test (FST) mouse models. SCL (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, p.o.) or QR (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and/or diazepam (DZP) (3 mg/kg, i.p.) were employed. After 30 min of TS induction, individual or combined effects on the animals were checked. In the FST test, the animals were subjected to forced swimming after 30 min of administration of the test and/or controls for 5 min. In this case, immobility time was measured. In silico studies were conducted to evaluate the involvement of GABA receptors. SCL (5 and 10 mg/kg) significantly increased the latency and decreased sleeping time compared to the control in the TS-induced sleeping time study. DZP (3 mg/kg) showed a sedative-like effect in animals in both sleeping and FST studies. QR (50 mg/kg) exhibited a similar pattern of activity as SCL. However, its effects were more prominent than those of SCL groups. SCL (10 mg/kg) altered the DZP-3-mediated effects. SCL-10 co-treated with QR-50 significantly (p < 0.05) increased the latency and decreased sleep time and immobility time, suggesting possible synergistic antidepressant-like effects. In silico studies revealed that SCL and QR demonstrated better binding affinities with GABAA receptor, especially α2, α3, and α5 subunits. Both compounds also exhibited good ADMET and drug-like properties. In animal studies, the both compounds worked synergistically to provide antidepressant-like effects in a slightly different fashion. As a conclusion, the combined administration of SCL and QR may be used in upcoming neurological clinical trials, according to in vivo and in silico findings. However, additional investigation is necessary to verify this behavior and clarify the potential mechanism of action.

A real-time patient-specific treatment strategy for enhanced external counterpulsation.

Diastolic/systolic blood pressure ratio (D/S) ≥ 1.2 is the gold standard of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) treatment, but it does not show a clear clinical correspondence with the configuration of the EECP mode. As such, a single target results in different treatment effects in different individuals. The local haemodynamic effect (wall shear stress, WSS) of EECP on vascular endothelial cells is conducive to promote the growth of collateral circulation vessels and restore the blood supply distal to the stenosis lesion. Considering the haemodynamic effects of WSS on human arteries, this study developed a real-time patient-specific treatment strategy of EECP for patients with cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Based on patient-specific haemodynamic data from 113 individuals, an optimization algorithm was developed to achieve the individualization of a 0D lumped-parameter model of the human circulatory system, thereby simulating the patient-specific global haemodynamic effects. 0D/3D coupled cardio-cerebrovascular models of two subjects were established to simulate the local WSS. We then established statistical models to evaluate clinically unmeasurable WSS based on measurable global haemodynamic indicators. With the aim of attaining appropriate area- and time-averaged WSS (ATAWSS, 4-7 Pa), as evaluated by global haemodynamic indicators, a closed-loop feedback tuning method was developed to provide patient-specific EECP treatment strategies. Results showed that for clinical data collected from 113 individuals, the individualized 0D model can accurately simulate patient-specific global haemodynamic effects (average error <5%). Based on two subjects, the statistical models can be used to evaluate local ATAWSS (error <6%) for coronary arteries and for cerebral arteries. An EECP mode planned by the patient-specific treatment strategy can promote an appropriate ATAWSS within a 16 s calculation time. The real-time patient-specific treatment strategy of EECP is expected to improve the long-term outcome for each patient and have potential clinical significance.