Main Effect Of Treatment Research Articles

Use of deslorelin acetate to advance ovulation in goats for timed artificial insemination

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of deslorelin in advancing ovulation for timed artificial insemination (AI) protocols in goats. We hypothesized that deslorelin treatment advances the onset of ovulation and improves AI pregnancy rates. Does were synchronized using a 5-day CIDR (controlled internal drug releasing insert) protocol with prostaglandin treatment at CIDR insertion. For Experiment 1, does received 0.2 mg of intramuscular deslorelin (n = 9) or saline (control, n = 10) at CIDR removal. Serial blood collections and transrectal ultrasonography were performed to assess ovarian dynamics and identify ovulation. For Experiment 2, does received 0.2 mg of intramuscular deslorelin (n = 42), 5 ml of PMSG (pregnant mare serum gonadotropin)/hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) (n = 42), or were left untreated (control, n = 42) at CIDR removal, and were subsequently bred by transcervical AI with fresh semen after 48 to 56 hours. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed at 50 and 90 days after AI. In Experiment 1, compared to control does, deslorelin-treated does had an increased (p < 0.01) number of ovulations and increased (p < 0.01) serum estradiol concentrations from 48 to 72 hours after CIDR removal. Serum progesterone concentrations did not differ between treatments. In Experiment 2, there was a main effect (p = 0.02) of treatment on pregnancy rates, with control does tending (p = 0.06) to have greater pregnancy rates than those treated with deslorelin or PMSG/hCG. Deslorelin treatment also resulted in decreased (p = 0.04) breeding season pregnancy rates and increased (p = 0.05) number of cycles to achieve pregnancy compared to control does. These results demonstrated that deslorelin not only has a super-ovulatory effect but also, at the dose given, can negatively impact does’ subsequent ovarian function and ability to achieve pregnancy.

A Pilot Study on the Effectiveness of Prazosin as a Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Related Nightmares in Women with Bulimia Nervosa.

Objectives Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are reported in over 36% of individuals with bulimia nervosa. To date, none of the clinical trials have examined nightmare reduction in this population.We evaluated the effectiveness of prazosin in bulimic females experiencing PTSD-related nightmares. We hypothesized that prazosin will decrease nightmares, normalize cortisol levels and secretory patterns, and improve sleep. Methods Our seven-week prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover pilot trial recruited eight adult women. Each participant received three weeks of prazosin and a placebo, separated by a one-week washout period. The order of treatment was counterbalanced across participants.Self-reports, clinician-administered scales, and salivary cortisol was collected to measure outcomes. Results A significant treatment effect was seen in nightmare intensity on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-I) (p=0.026) and a marginally significant effect on nightmare frequency (p=0.069). The only significant main effectof treatment on self-reported sleep parameters was on nightmares. Cortisol secretory patterns did not change, but on average, study participants had significantly higher cortisol levels compared to normative values. ANOVA showed a significant main effect of time for cortisol (F(4, 28) = 6.15, p=.001) but no within or between groups significant effects (ps>.179). Follow-up tests showed the effect of time was linear (F(1, 7) = 10.77, p=.013). Conclusion Prazosin significantly reduced intensity and marginally reduced the frequency of PTSD-related nightmares in bulimia nervosa but did not affect subjective sleep efficiency, quality, cortisol levels, or diurnal cortisol secretory pattern. Larger trials using objective sleep measures are warranted to replicate these findings.

The Role of Token Economy Therapy in Reducing the Psychological Burden of Formal Caregivers

Background: The responsibilities of providing care and support for individuals suffering from any form of illness sometimes impose psychological burdens of the care providers. Objective: The major concern of this study was to examine whether token economy therapy (TET) can effectively reduce the psychological burden of formal caregivers in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted. Two secondary health centres in Ibadan were purposively selected, while paid caregivers were randomized into intervention (15) and control (15) groups. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested at a 0.05 significance level using Analysis of Covariance as a statistical analysis. Results: Findings revealed that the main effect of treatment was significant on the psychological burden (F (1, 29) = 725.492, partial; ῆ2 = 0.962). Furthermore, participants in the TET group had a post-treatment mean score of (χ=70.410) and those in the control group had (χ=31.335). Conclusion: The study concludes that TET was effective in reducing the psychological burden among health caregivers in state hospitals in Ibadan and was recommended as a treatment modality to reduce psychological burden.

N-acetylcysteine treatment attenuates hemodialysis access-related limb pathophysiology in mice with chronic kidney disease.

The objective of the present study was to determine if treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could reduce access-related limb dysfunction in mice. Male and female C57BL6J mice were fed an adenine-supplemented diet to induce chronic kidney disease (CKD) prior to the surgical creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the iliac vascular bundle. AVF creation significantly increased peak aortic and infrarenal vena cava blood flow velocities, but NAC treatment had no significant impact, indicating that fistula maturation was not impacted by NAC treatment. Hindlimb muscle and paw perfusion recovery and muscle capillary density in the AVF limb were unaffected by NAC treatment. However, NAC treatment significantly increased the mass of the tibialis anterior (P = 0.0120) and soleus (P = 0.0452) muscles post-AVF. There was a significant main effect of NAC treatment on hindlimb grip strength at postoperative day 12 (POD 12) (P = 0.0003), driven by significantly higher grip strength in both male (P = 0.0273) and female (P = 0.0031) mice treated with NAC. There was also a significant main effect of NAC treatment on the walking speed at postoperative day 12 (P = 0.0447), and post hoc testing revealed an improvement in NAC-treated male mice (P = 0.0091). The area of postsynaptic acetylcholine receptors (P = 0.0263) and motor endplates (P = 0.0240) was also increased by NAC treatment. Interestingly, hindlimb skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation trended higher in NAC-treated female mice but was not statistically significant (P = 0.0973). Muscle glutathione levels and redox status were not significantly impacted by NAC treatment in either sex. In summary, NAC treatment attenuated some aspects of neuromotor pathology in mice with chronic kidney disease following AVF creation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Hemodialysis via autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred first-line modality for renal replacement therapy in patients with end-stage kidney disease. However, patients undergoing AVF surgery frequently experience a spectrum of hand disability symptoms postsurgery including weakness and neuromotor dysfunction. Unfortunately, no treatment is currently available to prevent or mitigate these symptoms. Here, we provide evidence that daily N-acetylcysteine supplementation can attenuate some aspects of limb neuromotor function in a preclinical mouse model of AVF.

Improving Chemical Properties of Inceptisol Media Applied with Calcite and Kiserite and its Effect on Yield and Mineral Content of Moringa Leaves (Moringa oleifera Lam.)

This research is about the improvement of the chemical properties of Inceptisol media applied by Calcite and Kiserite and its effect on yield and mineral content of Moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera Lam.) was carried out to consider the importance of growth and productivity of Moringa plants on Inceptisol soils with high leaf Mg levels. This study aims to determine the effect of interaction and the main effect of Calcite and Kiserite treatment on improving the chemical properties of Inceptisol media, increasing the yield and mineral content of Moringa leaves. The research was conducted at Karen Nisrina Agro, Kampar Regency, with a 4x3x3 factorial Completely Randomized Design. The first factor is Calcite with 3 dose levels, 0.0 tons ha-1., 2.11 tons ha-1 and 4.22 tons ha-1. The second factor is Kiserit with 4 levels, 0.0 tons ha-1., 0.35 tons ha-1.,0.45 tons ha-1, and 0.55 tons ha-1. Observation parameters: chemical properties of the media (pH, Ca and Mg), leaf yield and stover, and leaf mineral content (Ca and Mg). Observational data were analyzed using analysis of variance at 5% significance level, followed by Duncan's multiple distance test at 5% significance level. On the chemical properties of the soil, the interaction of giving Calcite and Kiserite occurred at pH and Ca media. Calcite increases the pH and Ca media. Kieserite increases Mg and decreases Ca media. The application of Calcite and Kiserite significantly increased the yield of leaves and stover, but there was no interaction between them. For leaf mineral content, the interaction of giving Calcite and Kiserite was found in the Ca content of the leaves. Calcite and Kiserite application had no significant effect on the Ca and Mg levels of the leaves.

Extended reality as a health education strategy of adolescents at school: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionExtended reality (XR) is the ensemble of interactive experiences based on a computer-simulated environment that encompasses virtual reality and augmented reality and has been proven to be potentially innovative in...

Effects of Instructional Strategies and Gender on Junior Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Business Studies in Rivers State, Nigeria

Business Studies is offered in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) as a subject meant to expose learners to commerce, office management, trade and book keeping. In spite of its importance, performance in the subject is below expectation in Rivers State. Previous studies revealed that brainstorming and field trip will improve learning outcomes but they are rarely used while teaching Business Studies. This study, therefore, determined the effects of brainstorming (BTM), field trip (FTTM), and conventional teaching methods (CM) and gender on secondary school students’ achievement in Business Studies. All the JSS 2 students (467) in the selected schools participated in the study. The treatment lasted for seven weeks. The instrument used was Business Studies Achievement Test (r=0.82), Data collected was analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. There was a significant main effect of treatment on students’ achievement in Business Studies [F(2,131)=26.70, partial η2=0.29]. Participants in FTTM had the highest mean (35.79), followed by BTM (35.71) and CM (27.54). Results revealed that gender did not have a significant main effect on students’ achievement in business studies [F(1,131) =.315, P> .05]. Brainstorming and Field trip teaching methods influenced learning outcomes of students in Business studies in Rivers state but Field trip method was better. It is therefore suggested that teachers should use both methods during Business studies classes.

Running Speed Loss Can Be Prevented with Passive Heat Maintenance before the Start of the Soccer Match

Maintaining the state achieved after the warm-up in modern soccer represents a significant problem. The main goal of this research was to determine the influence of a regular tracksuit on skin temperature and running speed during the pre-game routine. This study included 36 youth soccer players (15.61 ± 0.68 years, 175.16 ± 4.21 cm) divided into two groups. A two-way ANOVA was used with the level of significance set at <0.05. The main findings of this research indicated that skin temperature is reduced after the WU and is slower to be restored when players wear tracksuits. In addition, the results showed a significant treatment × time-point interaction effect for 10 [p = 0.015, ηp2 = 0.16], 20 [p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.26], and 30 [p = 0.005, ηp2 = 0.20] meter sprint tests. A significant treatment (experimental vs. control) main effect was observed for 10 m [p = 0.042, ηp2 = 0.35], 20 m [p = 0.020, ηp2 = 0.55], and 30 m [p = 0.005, ηp2 = 0.58] sprint tests. Moreover, a significant sequence-trial interaction effect for 10 m (p = 0.002), 20 m (p < 0.001), and 30 m (p < 0.001) sprints was observed. However, the main effects of the sequence or trial factors alone were insignificant. It is concluded that regular tracksuits may have a beneficial influence on Ts loss and running speed. This research’s most significant practical application is that it lasts for a short period of time and that it requires no extra effort.

Effects of Dyadic Psychotherapy and Self- Monitoring Strategy on Marriage Anxiety among Young Married Couples in Ibadan Baptist Conference

Sustaining a cordial relationship among married couples is a necessity for the marriage to fulfill its purpose. However, marriage anxiety often exerts force on married couples resulting in undesired behaviours. Evidences have shown that young married couples experience marriage anxiety which may lead to conflicts, separation, divorce, suicide and homicide. Previous studies had focused majorly on factors leading to marital anxiety with very few interventions to address the problem. This study, therefore, employed dyadic psychotherapy and self-monitoring strategy as interventions to reduce marriage anxiety among the participants. Ninety-four participants were selected in Ibadan Baptist Conference. Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale ( 16r="> 0.89) was used as screening instrument while the main instrument for post test was Hamilton Anxiety Scale ( 16r="> 0.86). The experiment lasted eight weeks. Seven null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffee post hoc test were used as tools of Analysis. The results show that there was a significant main effect of treatment on marriage anxiety (F2.83=60.292; P<0.05, ?2=0.592). Dyadic psychotherapy and self-monitoring strategy were effective in reducing marriage anxiety. Thus, this paper recommended the effective management of marriage anxiety, the strategy involved as well as skills to reduce the marriage anxiety for married couples and professionals in the field of counselling to note in order to effectively treat marital anxiety among couples.

Explicit and Differentiated Phonics Instruction on Pupils’ Literacy Skills in Gambian Lower Basic Schools

Instructional procedures in literacy skills in Gambian classrooms often adopt the conventional direct approach which includes spelling-reading-dictation without due attention to the sound/letter connection. Although literacy skills in English remain the fundamental proof of formal education in the Gambia, proficiency in reading and writing skills is very low among most pupils in the lower basic schools. Phonics instruction reinforces the letter-sound relationship and improves literacy skills and spelling. Although phonics instruction has been found to be effective for teaching literacy skills to EFL students, there has not been much research on phonics instruction in Gambian classrooms. This study investigated the effects of explicit and differentiated phonics instructional strategies on achievement in literacy skills. The moderating effect of parental involvement was equally examined. The study adopted a pretest-posttest, control group quasi-experimental design using 164 pupils from four randomly selected schools, and treatment lasted six weeks. The result showed a significant main effect of treatment on pupils’ achievement in writing (F (2; 125) = 65.485) and reading (F (2; 125) = 26.67). Participants in explicit phonics instruction obtained the highest achievement score (x = 28.4), differentiated phonics instruction (x =16.3), and control (x = 13.03). Parental involvement had no significant main effect on pupils’ achievement in literacy skills. The two-way interaction effect was not significant. Therefore, language teachers should adopt these strategies to improve the quality of instruction and proficiency in literacy skills in Gambian lower basic schools.

Pulse wave Doppler ultrasound of umbilical cord in experimentally induced pregnancy toxemia in sheep

Contrary to its widespread use in human cases, the use of Doppler ultrasonography is only recently becoming prevalent in farm animals. This study aimed to determine the effects of maternal metabolic and clinical changes on fetal hemodynamics during pregnancy toxemia with the doppler examination of umbilical cord. In the study twenty ewes with a single healthy fetus were included in the study. At the end of the 120th day of pregnancy, 20 single-bearing pregnant ewes were randomly categorized into two groups. Ewes in the control group were fed to meet all nutritional requirements. On the other contrary, the experimental ewes were fed to meet equivalent to 50 % of the daily needs and then fasted for 96 h. Doppler ultrasonographic examinations of umbilical cord were performed once every two days and once a day during fasting. Beta hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentration was measured by taking blood from sheep on examination days. Pulse systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), PSV/EDV, pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and fetal heart rate (FHR) as well as BHBA values and how those parameters has changed over time (time by treatment effect) due to energy deprivation during pregnancy were evaluated using repeated measure analysis of variance. No clinical signs were observed in both toxemia and control groups during restricted feeding. BHBA concentration increased and there was a significant time, time by treatment and main effect of treatment effect between groups. No significant main effect of treatment and time by treatment interaction was observed in the changes of PI, RI, FHR, and systolic/diastolic velocity values over time in both groups. FHR was reduced over time, and there was a significant time effect in FHR in both groups. Although doppler indices didn't increase, both PSV and EDV values increased significantly in the pregnancy toxemia group compared with the controls (Time P = 0.03, time by treatment interaction P < 0.05) and the main effect of treatment P < 0.05). The marked increase in blood velocities (PSV and EDV) in the umbilical cord is probably due to the compensatory functioning for excessive energy deprivation of the fetus. Therefore, PSV and EDV might be a valuable indicator for evaluating the fetus's health status during the management of the PT.

Ex vivo exposure to calcitonin or raloxifene improves mechanical properties of diseased bone through non-cell mediated mechanisms

Raloxifene (RAL) reduces clinical fracture risk despite modest effects on bone mass and density. This reduction in fracture risk may be due to improved material level-mechanical properties through a non-cell mediated increase in bone hydration. Synthetic salmon calcitonin (CAL) has also demonstrated efficacy in reducing fracture risk with only modest bone mass and density improvements. This study aimed to determine if CAL could modify healthy and diseased bone through cell-independent mechanisms that alter hydration similar to RAL.26-week-old male C57BL/6 mice induced with chronic kidney disease (CKD) beginning at 16 weeks of age via 0.2 % adenine-laced casein-based (0.9 % P, 0.6 % C) chow, and their non-CKD control littermates (Con), were utilized. Upon sacrifice, right femora were randomly assigned to the following ex vivo experimental groups: RAL (2 μM, n = 10 CKD, n = 10 Con), CAL (100 nM, n = 10 CKD, n = 10 Con), or Vehicle (VEH; n = 9 CKD, n = 9 Con). Bones were incubated in PBS + drug solution at 37 °C for 14 days using an established ex vivo soaking methodology. Cortical geometry (μCT) was used to confirm a CKD bone phenotype, including porosity and cortical thinning, at sacrifice. Femora were assessed for mechanical properties (3-point bending) and bone hydration (via solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with magic angle spinning (ssNMR)). Data were analyzed by two-tailed t-tests (μCT) or 2-way ANOVA for main effects of disease, treatment, and their interaction. Tukey's post hoc analyses followed a significant main effect of treatment to determine the source of the effect.Imaging confirmed a cortical phenotype reflective of CKD, including lower cortical thickness (p < 0.0001) and increased cortical porosity (p = 0.02) compared to Con. In addition, CKD resulted in weaker, less deformable bones. In CKD bones, ex vivo exposure to RAL or CAL improved total work (+120 % and +107 %, respectively; p < 0.05), post-yield work (+143 % and +133 %), total displacement (+197 % and +229 %), total strain (+225 % and +243 %), and toughness (+158 % and +119 %) vs. CKD VEH soaked bones. Ex vivo exposure to RAL or CAL did not impact any mechanical properties in Con bone. Matrix-bound water by ssNMR showed CAL treated bones had significantly higher bound water compared to VEH treated bones in both CKD and Con cohorts (p = 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively). RAL positively modulated bound water in CKD bone compared to VEH (p = 0.002) but not in Con bone. There were no significant differences between bones soaked with CAL vs. RAL for any outcomes measured.RAL and CAL improve important post-yield properties and toughness in a non-cell mediated manner in CKD bone but not in Con bones. While RAL treated CKD bones had higher matrix-bound water content in line with previous reports, both Con and CKD bones exposed to CAL had higher matrix-bound water. Therapeutic modulation of water, specifically the bound water fraction, represents a novel approach to improving mechanical properties and potentially reducing fracture risk.

Model-based adaptive randomization procedures for heteroscedasticity of treatment responses.

In clinical trials, the responses of patients usually depend on the assigned treatment as well as some important covariates, which may cause heteroscedasticity in treatment responses. As clinical trials are generally designed to demonstrate efficacy for the overall population, they are usually not adequately powered for detecting interactions. To improve the power of interaction tests, this article develops two model-based adaptive randomization procedures for heteroscedasticity of treatment responses, and derives their limiting allocation proportions, which are generalizations of the Neyman allocation. Issues of hypothesis testing and sample size estimation are also addressed. Simulation studies show that compared with complete randomization, the two model-based randomization procedures have greater power to detect differences in systematic effects, main treatment effects and treatment-covariate interactions. In addition, the validity of limiting allocation proportion is also verified through simulations.

Short Term Effects of Chemical Fertilizer, Compost and Zeolite on Yield of Lettuce, Nutrient Composition and Soil Properties

The proper management of treated agricultural wastes (e.g., composts) contributes to the protection of water and soil quality by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers, lowering leachate, and protecting renewable and nonrenewable resources. Natural zeolites, particularly clinoptilolite, can be used in agriculture to improve soil quality and increase yields due to their unique properties. The objective of the study was to test the effects of the co-addition of compost, zeolite and ammonium-based fertilizer on the Above-ground Fresh Weight (AFW) of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), leaf nutrients and soil fertility. To this aim, a soil pot experiment was carried out at the Department of Soil Science of Athens, which is located in the region of Attica, in the area of central Greece. Two levels of olive compost originated from olive leaves (0% and 10% v/v), three levels of zeolite (0%, 2%, and 5% w/w) and two levels of chemical fertilization (no fertilization and NPK fertilization) were combined. Furthermore, two different soils were introduced, one moderately acidic (pH = 5.6) and sandy loam in texture (Ac-LT), and the other slightly alkaline (pH = 7.7) and sandy clay in texture (Al-HT). Results showed that the response of lettuce yield to chemical fertilization and zeolite application is soil type-dependent, whereas compost application significantly improved AFW in both soil types. The availability of macronutrients (P, K, and Na) in the soil, as well as their concentration in leaves, were significantly increased by NPK fertilization in most cases. Conversely, the impact of inorganic fertilization on DTPA extractable micronutrients and leaf micronutrient contents was found to be associated with the type of soil. The study recorded a significant reduction in available Fe, Cu, and Mn in AL-HT soil, whereas DTPA-Mn and -Zn were significantly enhanced in Ac-LT soil. Comparable patterns were also documented for the micronutrient concentration in leaves. In most cases, compost application had significant and beneficial effects on plant nutrients. On the contrary, different responses of soil properties to compost addition were registered. The main effect of compost treatment on soil pH, EC, SOM, total N, and available P was significant and positive in both soil types, except for pH and EC in Al-HT soil. On the other hand, exchangeable K and Na were significantly reduced by compost. Zeolite substantially increased the availability of P, K, and Na in soil and plants, whereas the concentrations of DTPA-extractable micronutrients and leaf macronutrients were largely unaffected. In addition, the results of our study indicated that co-additions of organic and inorganic amendments did not yield any significant impact on the lettuce yield, leaf nutrient content and soil fertility. It is suggested that the degree of changes in main soil properties (e.g., pH, EC, SOM) as a result of amendment application as well as the interaction of the amendments with nutrient availability are strongly related to soil type.

The effect of watching OTT late at night on the sleep pattern of users.

This study aimed to answer the question of how media users will reallocate their sleep time when their main content channel changes from real-time broadcasting to selective viewing through the over-the-top (OTT) media streaming service. To draw a causal inference between OTT consumption and sleep patterns, the difference-in-difference (DID) estimation method was applied. With the DID approach, a clear distinction between treatment and control groups is essential because the main treatment effects can be screened by the compounding effects. While the conventional way of dividing two groups relies on the selection of limited variables, this study adopted random forest nearest-neighbor propensity score matching based on a machine learning algorithm to divide the two groups. This allows for meticulous matching of the two groups except for treatment. Results show that watching OTT late at night has a significant effect on reducing the total sleep duration on average by about 18-20 min (maximum about 30 min at 95% confidence level) and delaying bedtime by about 18 min (maximum about 26 min at 95% confidence level). This study showed that the selective viewing of content through OTT has the advantage of widening the range of content choices for media users and helping in arranging their time more autonomously, but watching content through OTT late at night leads to media users' departure from the existing sleep routine.

85 Evaluation of an Oral Supplemental Cannabidiol Product for Acceptability in Mature Horses

Abstract Thirty stock type geldings (15 ± 3 y; 556 ± 63 kg BW) were used in a randomized complete design for a 28-d trial to evaluate the influence of cannabidiol (CBD) oil supplementation on health of mature horses by conducting a blood chemistry panel and evaluating the presence of banned substances. Horses were stratified by BW and age, and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments formulated with canola oil to provide.50 mg CBD/kg BW (TRT1; n = 10), 0.75 mg CBD/kg BW (TRT2; n = 10), or 0.00 mg CBD/kg BW (canola oil; CON; n = 10) only as determined by manufacturer (Arrowhead Labs). Treatments were individually fed and top-dressed onto a commercially available concentrate twice daily at 12 h intervals using attachable feed bags. Diets were formulated to meet or slightly exceed nutritional requirements for mature horses at maintenance. Between meals, horses were maintained in adjacent dry lots and received coastal bermudagrass hay ad libitum. Body weight was obtained, and body condition scores (BCS) were assigned every4 d. On d 0 and 28, blood was collected via jugular venipuncture and serum was harvested to perform a blood chemistry panel and drugs of abuse screening at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL; College Station, TX). Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (v9.4), and the model included treatment, time, and the treatment × time interaction for BW and BCS. Blood chemistry variables on d 0 were used as a covariate and the main effect tested was treatment. Linear and quadratic orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to partition sum of squares. Analysis of supplement samples revealed supplemented products contained lower CBD concentrations then indicated from initial testing. Therefore, horses in TRT1 and TRT2 received an average of 0.13 mg CBD/kg and 0.12 mg CBD/kg BW, respectively. Dietary treatments did not affect concentrate intake, BW, or BCS. Supplementation of CBD did not result in the presence of any banned substances in serum, including CBD, 7-carboxycannabidiol, 7-Nor-7-carboxycannabidiol, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Following 28 d of supplementation, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) responded quadratically (P = 0.06) to treatment, with a peak in GGT in horses receiving TRT2. Serum creatinine concentration tended (P = 0.06) to decrease with increasing inclusion of CBD in the diet. In contrast, the main effect of treatment on Ca concentrations was linear (P = 0.01) and characterized by decreased Ca values for TRT1 compared with TRT2 and CON. Canola based CBD oil was well-accepted by mature horses, banned substances were not detectible in blood, and blood chemistry parameters were not adversely affected as a result of supplementation; however, more information is needed to improve stability of CBD used in dietary products.

17 Using Photobiomodulation to Improve Bovine Oocyte Maturation

Abstract Oocyte cytoplasmic maturation is critical in determining the success of subsequent embryo development. Bovine oocytes matured in vitro yield less embryonic development rates than in vivo matured oocytes and new strategies are needed to improve the culture system. It has been proposed that light in the red-to-near infrared optical region (~600-1000 nm) enhances cellular metabolic activity through activation of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and has the potential to modify the oocyte metabolome. The objective of this work was to affect the cumulus-oocyte-complex metabolic state using photobiomodulation, aiming to enhance cytoplasmic maturation and subsequent embryonic development. A standardized in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocol and commercial media (IVF Bioscience) were used. Briefly, bovine ovaries were obtained at a local slaughterhouse, cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected by aspiration of small (2-6 mm) follicles. Compacted COCs were cultured in in vitro maturation media (n = 50/well) and treated with no light (control); light (660-665nm) for 10 minutes at hour 16 from start of maturation (L-16), and light for 10 minutes at hour 20 from start of maturation (L-20). At hour 22 from start of maturation, COCs were fertilized by co-culture with bull spermatozoa (1x106 motile sperm/mL) for 18 hours, then subjected to cumulus cell removal. Presumptive zygotes were placed in in vitro culture media (IVC) for 48 hours when cleavage rate was assessed. Embryos with ≥ 8 cells were selected and placed in fresh IVC until evaluation of blastocyst rate at 168 and 192 hours from start of fertilization. The experiment was replicated 6 times. Blastocysts present at 168 hours from start of fertilization were fixed in 5% formalin, stained with Hoechst 33342, imaged with Cytation 1 (Agilent Technologies Inc.), and blastocyst cell number was counted using ImageJ software (ImageJ2 2.9.0) in 4 replicates. For statistical analysis, each well was considered as experimental unit in a model of repeated measures, main effects of time and treatment, blocked by replicate (Mixed procedure, SAS Institute Inc.). One-way ANOVA test was used to analyze the average cell number per well by group, blocked by replicate (JMP Pro 16.1.0). There was a significant (P &amp;lt; 0.05) effect of treatment, replicate, and time for embryo development and there was a tendency (P = 0.6) for treatment effect on blastocyst cell number. Cleavage rates were 81.3 ± 2.5; 88.5 ± 2.5; 87.3 ± 2.5 % (LSM ± SEM), blastocyst rates were 49.1± 2.5; 49.3 ± 2.5; 51.6 ± 2.5 % and cell numbers were 159.9 ± 3.5; 149.3 ± 3.5; 164.0 ±3.5 for groups control, L-16, and L-20 respectively. The positive effect of photobiomodulation treatment on cleavage rate and blastocyst cell number suggests there is a window of sensitivity to 660-665nm light between 16 and 20 hours from start of maturation.

Effect of Two Modes of Simulation-Based Flipped Classroom Strategy on Learning Outcomes of Private Universities’ Pre-degree Physics Students in Southwestern Nigeria

This study was to determine the effect of Simulated-Video Based Flipped Classroom (SVBFC) and Virtual Laboratory Based Flipped Classroom (VLBFC) instructional strategies on pre-degree students’ learning outcomes (Attitude, Achievement, and Problem-solving skills) in Physics in Southwestern Nigeria. Theories of Cognitive constructivism and Engagement provided the framework, while a pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was employed. Six private Universities were randomly selected and a total of 204 Pre-degree students (79 males, 125 females) participated in the study. Instruments used for the study were the Modified Attitudes Towards Physics Scale (α=0.88), Students' Achievement Test in Physics (r=0.75), Problem-Solving Skills Rubric (r=0.83), and instructional guides. There were significant main effects of treatment on attitude (F(2;201)=15.14; partial ƞ2=0.00), achievement (F(2;201)=249.79; partial ƞ2=0.00), and problem-solving skills (F(2;201)=34.76; partial ƞ2=0.00) in Physics. The results show that Simulated-Video and Virtual Laboratory-based flipped classroom strategies improved pre-degree students' attitude, achievement, and problem-solving skills in Physics in Southwestern Nigeria. Therefore, it should be adopted as strategies for teaching pre-degree Physics students.

62 Feeding steamed or soaked hay affects water intake and preference compared to dry hay

Stalled horses frequently experience respiratory disease. Soaking or steaming hay before feeding is a common strategy to reduce exposure to irritants. However, the effects of hay treatments on water intake and fecal dry matter (DM) are not well understood. We hypothesize that water intake is higher when feeding dry hay compared with feeding soaked or steamed hay and that fecal DM is related to water intake and DM intake. This study also evaluated preference for steamed, soaked, or dry hay when given a choice. Six mature horses (>3yr; 3 mares and 3 geldings, avg weight 558 kg, range 528–624) of mixed breeds were used. Horses were randomly assigned to either soaked, steamed, or dry hay for 5 d then treatments were rotated weekly with a 2 d washout between treatments. Hay (1.3% of BW, DM) was soaked for 30 min at room temperature or steamed (reaching 76°C by 90 min). Hay treatments were grab sampled weekly. Water intake and hay intake were measured gravimetrically each morning after horses were stalled overnight. Each morning, recently voided feces were collected from each horse. Hay and fecal samples were dried to a steady weight (24 h at 55°C) to determine DM. A preference study was conducted with the 6 adapted horses and 6 new horses. Horses were offered all 3 hay types simultaneously (1 kg each type for 1 h) and remaining hay was recorded. Data were analyzed using mixed model ANOVA with day as arepeated measure and treatment and day as main effects (SAS 9.4). There was a main effect of treatment on water intake (P = 0.0001). Horses fed dry hay drank more water compared with horses fed soaked hay (2.57 ± 0.290 and 1.10 ± 0.290 L/100 kg BW, respectively; P < 0.05). Moreover, DM intake was not influenced by hay treatment (P = 0.4463) but there was a change in DM intake over time (P = 0.0019). DM intake was the lowest on d 1 then increased by d 5 (0.96 ± 0.024 and 1.05 ± 0.034 kg/100 kg BW, respectively; P < 0.05). There was a positive relationship between DM and water intake (r = 0.2106; P = 0.0464) and a negative relationship between DM intake and fecal DM (r = −0.2395; P = 0.0230). The preference study revealed that non-adapted horses tended to consume more steamed hay compared with horses adapted to steamed hay (P = 0.0676), whereas horses adapted to treatments tended to consume more soaked hay compared with non-adapted horses (P = 0.0946). Overall, these results indicate that water is an important management consideration when feeding horses dry, steamed, or soaked hay. Moreover, when modifying hay types or treatments in a horse's diet, time for adaptation is necessary to ensure adequate intake to meet nutrition requirements.

0224 Chronic change in sleep oscillation expression in older adults with insomnia with zolpidem or lemborexant and its effect on memory

Abstract Introduction Aging is accompanied by increased insomnia and memory decline. Enhancing GABAergic and antagonizing orexinergic function are both ways to treat insomnia, but how these mechanisms impact sleep oscillations, and consequently memory, among older adults with insomnia is unknown. Thus, chronic effects of zolpidem and lemborexant on quantitative sleep electroencephalography (EEG) and quality of memory among older adults with insomnia were evaluated. Methods 116 older adults (71.01±4.81y, 78.67% female) with insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index 18.73±3.13) completed a phase 3 study (E2006-G000-304; NCT02783729) with placebo (n=29), zolpidem-extended-release (6.25mg,n=26;ZOL), and lemborexant (5mg,n=29[LEM5]; 10mg,n=32[LEM10]) using polysomnography before (at baseline) and 29-30 days after chronic treatment. Spectral analysis was performed on artifact-free EEG data during NREM sleep. Changes in relative power within canonical frequency bands (i.e., slow-oscillation[0.5-1Hz], delta[1-4.5Hz], theta[4.5-7.5Hz], alpha[7.5-11Hz], slow-sigma[11-13Hz], fast-sigma[13-16Hz], beta[16-28Hz] and gamma[28-35Hz]) from baseline were compared between groups at averaged frontal electrodes at each visit. Working (WM) and episodic memory (EM) were measured at waketime using ANOVA models and Pearson correlations. Results A significant main effect of intervention on frequency bands delta (p=0.02), slow-sigma (p&amp;lt;.001), and fast-sigma (p&amp;lt;.001) was found, with greater chronic suppression in power for ZOL compared to PBO for delta (p=0.002). Compared to PBO, ZOL showed greater increase in power for slow-sigma (p&amp;lt;.001), fast-sigma (p&amp;lt;.001) and beta (p=.03), and was also associated with greater increases in power compared to LEM5 for slow-sigma (p&amp;lt;.001) and fast-sigma (p=.006), and compared to LEM10 for alpha (p=.04), slow-sigma (p&amp;lt; 0.00), and fast-sigma (p&amp;lt;.001). LEM5 showed greater beta (p=.05) than PBO. WM was significantly higher (better) for LEM5 compared to PBO (p=0.04), while EM was higher for PBO compared to ZOL (p=0.01). Increase in beta with ZOL was related to decreased change-from-baseline-WM (r=-0.43, p=.03); increases in theta and alpha with LEM5 were related to decreased change-from-baseline-EM [r=-0.38, p=0.04; r=-0.39, p=0.03]; and increase in delta with LEM10 was related to increased change-from-baseline-EM (r=0.43, p=0.02). Conclusion In older adults with insomnia disorder, chronic treatment with lemborexant and zolpidem had distinct effects on sleep oscillation expression and between power and memory. Functional consequences of these differential effects on sleep-oscillation expression and memory in insomnia patients should be further considered. Support (if any) Eisai