Significant Negative Correlation Research Articles

Death Anxiety in Patients with a History of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Spiritual Well-Being and Coping Strategies.

Patients who have previously undergone coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) were prone to death anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears that spiritual well-being and appropriate coping strategies may mitigate the harmful effects of death anxiety. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of death anxiety in patients with CABG during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being, coping strategies and death anxiety.This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 patients with CABG history in Tehran from June 2021 to February 2022. The face-to-face questionnaire, containing questions on demographics, Templer's death anxiety scale, the spiritual well-being questionnaire, and the ways of coping questionnaire was administered to collect data. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive-analytical statistics, correlation tests, and logistic regression models.Participants' mean age was 55.59 ± 12.78 years. The mean death anxiety score was 10.00 ± 2.16, with 87% of participants reporting high levels and 13% reporting low levels of death anxiety. Based on the results, there was a significant negative correlation between death anxiety and coping strategies, as well as subscales of distancing, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, and planful problem-solving. Logistic regression showed that with the increase in the score of spiritual well-being, the odds of having high levels of death anxiety decreased (p < 0.05). Furthermore, increasing the total score of coping strategies, and the score of self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, and planful problem-solving, significantly reduced the odds of high levels of death anxiety (p < 0.05).The study showed that patients with a CABG history experienced high death anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the findings, spiritual well-being and coping strategies, especially self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, and planful problem-solving,may reduce the odds of severe death anxiety. These should be considered as effective targets for psychological intervention in these patients.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Vegetation Dynamics and Their Response to Climate Change in the Loess Plateau: Insight from Long-Term kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Data

The Loess Plateau (LP) is a typical climate-sensitive and ecologically delicate area in China. Clarifying the vegetation–climate interaction in the LP over 40+ years, particularly pre- and post-Grain to Green Program (GTGP) implementation, is crucial for addressing potential climate threats and achieving regional ecological sustainability. Utilizing the kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (kNDVI) and key climatic variables (precipitation (PRE), air temperature (TEM), and solar radiation (SR)) between 1982 and 2022, we performed an extensive examination of vegetation patterns and their reaction to changes in climate using various statistical methods. Our findings highlight a considerable and widespread greening on the LP from 1982 to 2022, evidenced by a kNDVI slope of 0.0020 yr−1 (p &lt; 0.001) and a 90.9% significantly increased greened area. The GTGP expedited this greening process, with the kNDVI slope increasing from 0.0009 yr−1 to 0.0036 yr−1 and the significantly greened area expanding from 39.1% to 84.0%. Over the past 40 years, the LP experienced significant warming (p &lt; 0.001), slight humidification, and a marginal decrease in SR. Post-GTGP implementation, the warming rate decelerated, while PRE and SR growth rates slightly accelerated. Since the hurst index exceeded 0.5, most of the vegetated area of the LP is expected to be greening, warming, and humidification in the future. In the long term, 75% of the LP vegetated area significantly benefited from the increase in PRE, especially in relatively dry environments. In the LP, 61% of vegetated areas showed a positive correlation between kNDVI and TEM, while 4.9% exhibited a significant negative correlation, mainly in arid zones. SR promoted vegetation growth in 23% of the vegetated area, mostly in the eastern LP. The GTGP enhanced the sensitivity of vegetation to PRE, increasing the area corresponding to a significant positive correlation from 15.3% to 59.9%. Overall, PRE has emerged as the dominant climate driver for the vegetation dynamics of the LP, followed by TEM and SR. These insights contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the climate-impact-related vegetation response mechanisms, providing guidance for efforts toward regional sustainable ecological development amid the changing climate.

33 An evaluation of Oklahoma beef producer decision factors regarding the implementation of calf best management practices

Abstract Oklahoma State Ag Economics and Animal Science Specialists implement the Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing Survey approximately every 5 yr. Data from the 2017 survey indicated that 82% of producers practiced castration, 87% dewormed, 75% trained calves to feed bunks, 63% weaned calves for a minimum of 45 days, and 49% administered two rounds of respiratory vaccinations (Barnes et al., 2023). Using data from the 2017 survey, the objectives of this study were to evaluate incentives and constraints to producer implementation of calf best management practices and to analyze relationships between individual management practices and marketing calves at weaning ( &amp;lt; 30 d weaned) or following a weaning period (≥ 30 d weaned). Management practices evaluated included castration, deworming, feed bunk training, a minimum 45-d weaning period, and the administration of two rounds of respiratory vaccines. A total of 1,495 surveys were returned. When asked to indicate management incentives (why the practice was implemented), n = 1,375, n = 1,348, n = 1,070, n = 937, and n = 937 responses were recorded regarding castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and respiratory vaccination, respectively. Survey data indicated 30%, 17%, 18%, 21%, and 21% of respondents felt that buyers paid a premium for the practices of castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and respiratory vaccination, respectively. Survey responses illustrated that 22% and 19% of producers felt that deworming and bunk training, respectively, improved calf marketability. A total of 12% of respondents indicated that announcing days weaned and vaccination history at the time of sale improved calf value. When asked to indicate constraints to implementing management practices, n = 211, n = 277, n = 258, n = 388, and n = 542 responses were recorded regarding castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and respiratory vaccination, respectively. According to survey results 15%, 26%, 20%, 17%, and 25% of producers felt that castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, or administering respiratory vaccinations, respectively, provided no benefit to their operations. Data illustrated that 7%, 9%, 10%, 9%, and 9% of respondents were unaware of any added value for the practices of castration, deworming, bunk training, 45-d weaning period, and administering respiratory vaccines. Relationships between the management practices of castration, deworming, and providing respiratory vaccines and the decision to market calves at weaning or post-weaning were evaluated. Data indicated weak significant negative correlation coefficients of -0.25, -0.28, and -0.21 for castration, deworming, and respiratory vaccines, respectively, and marketing at weaning. Conversely, weak significant positive correlations of 0.25, 0.30, and 0.25, respectively, were observed for castration, deworming, and respiratory vaccines with marketing post-weaning. A substantial percentage of producers subscribed to calf best management practices. However, because the observed correlation coefficients were weaker than expected producer education regarding optimal marketing strategies may lead to an improvement in capturing market premiums related to management practices.

Moderating effect of age on the relationship between physical health loss and emotional distress post-acute care in Japanese older hospitalized patients

BackgroundAt present, there are no consistent findings regarding the association between physical health loss and mental health in older adults. Some studies have shown that physical health loss is a risk factor for worsening of mental health. Other studies revealed that declining physical health does not worsen mental health. This study aimed to clarify whether the relationship between physical health loss and emotional distress varies with age in older inpatients post receiving acute care.MethodsData for this study were collected from 590 hospitalized patients aged ≥ 65 years immediately after their transfer from an acute care ward to a community-based integrated care ward. Emotional distress, post-acute care physical function, and cognitive function were assessed using established questionnaires and observations, whereas preadmission physical function was assessed by the family members of the patients. After conducting a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis by age group for the main variables, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted with emotional distress as the dependent variable, physical function as the independent variable, age as the moderator variable, and cognitive and preadmission physical function as control variables.ResultsThe mean GDS-15 score was found to be 6.7 ± 3.8. Emotional distress showed a significant negative correlation with physical function in younger age groups (65-79 and 80-84 years); however, no such association was found in older age groups (85-89, and ≥ 90 years). Age moderated the association between physical function and emotional distress. Poor physical function was associated with higher emotional distress in the younger patients; however, no such association was observed in the older patients.ConclusionsAge has a moderating effect on the relationship between physical health loss and increased emotional distress in older inpatients after acute care. It was suggested that even with the same degree of physical health loss, mental damage differed depending on age, with older patients experiencing less damage.

Association Between Different Types of Physical Activity and Hepatic Steatosis and Liver Fibrosis: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on NHANES.

Many studies have shown a link between physical activity (PA) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, more research is needed to investigate the relationship between different types of PA and NAFLD. This study aimed to explore the potential link between different types of PA, hepatic steatosis, and liver fibrosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the data set from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2017 to 2020. A multiple linear regression model was used to examine the linear relationship between different types of PA, the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM). In addition, smoothing curve fitting and threshold effect analysis were used to depict their nonlinear relationship. This study involved 5933 adults. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significantly negative correlation between leisure-time PA and CAP, while the relationship between occupation-related PA, transportation-related PA, and CAP was not significant. Subgroup analysis further revealed that leisure-time PA was significantly negatively correlated with CAP in women and younger age groups (under 60y old), while the relationship was not significant in men and older age groups. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between leisure-time PA and liver fibrosis in men. Leisure-time PA can prevent hepatic steatosis, and women and young people benefit more. Occupation-related PA is not associated with hepatic steatosis and cannot replace leisure-time PA. In men, increasing leisure-time PA is more effective in preventing liver fibrosis.

The role of husk traits in maize susceptibility to Fusarium verticillioides: A multi‐location study in northern Italy

AbstractFusarium disease and the consequent mycotoxin accumulation pose significant problem in maize cultivation, with fumonisins produced by Fusarium verticillioides posing a global health concern. To address this issue, a range of preventive measures (e.g. crop management techniques) can be implemented to minimize fungal infections. A promising strategy to counteract this issue involves the selection of genotypes with greater resistance to fungal pathogens. This approach has the potential to reduce the reliance on chemical inputs for controlling fungus growth or indirect infection vectors. Leveraging genetic approaches can help improve the economic sustainability of agriculture in the face of climate change challenges. In the present work, we assessed the importance of two husk leaf traits (coverage and number), their association with F. verticillioides infection, fumonisin content, and their potential influence on crop yield. The study was conducted in three locations in the North of Italy and 38 hybrids with varying resistance to F. Verticillioides were compared. The results obtained showed that husk coverage has a pivotal role not only in protecting maize ears from Fusarium infection but have also a significant impact on crop yield: a significant positive correlation was found between husk coverage and yield in all three locations (r = 0.33185; r = 0.51327 and r = 0.51207, respectively). Furthermore, in the field of Vicenza, a significant negative correlation was found between husk coverage and Fusarium severity (r = −0.41492). Husk coverage emerges as an important trait that merits inclusion in maize breeding programs, given its protective role against fungal infections and its favourable influence on both yield and grain quality.

Adherence to the nordic diet is associated with anxiety, stress, and depression in recovered COVID-19 patients, a case-control study

BackgroundFollow-up of COVID-19 recovered patients to discover important adverse effects on other organs is required. The psychological health of COVID-19 patients may be affected after recovery.AimWe aimed to evaluate the association between adherence to the Nordic diet (ND) and psychological symptoms caused by COVID-19 after recovery.MethodDietary data on 246 qualified adults (123 cases and 123 controls). The dietary intake in this case-control study was calculated by a reliable and valid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to analyze participant’s anxiety, stress, depression, sleep quality, insomnia, and quality of life of participants.ResultsThere was a significant inverse relationship between total anxiety, stress, and depression scores and the intake of whole grains (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant inverse association between depression and fruit intake (P < 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between insomnia and sleep quality and the intake of root vegetables (P < 0.05). In the multinomial-regression model, a significant association between the Nordic diet and anxiety, stress, and depression was found only in the case group (OR = 0.719, 95% CI 0.563–0.918, p-value = 0.008; OR = 0.755, 95% CI 0.609–0.934, P-value = 0.010, and, OR = 0.759, 95% CI 0.602–0.956, P-value = 0.019 respectively).ConclusionAdherence to the Nordic diet might reduce anxiety, stress, and depression in recovered COVID-19 patients.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of insulin therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of patients with type 2 diabetes on insulin regarding insulin therapy.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingThis study was conducted at the Dubai Diabetes...

Effect of College Students' Smartphone Addiction on Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Academic Anxiety and Moderating Role of Sense of Academic Control.

College students are the backbone of future national construction and shoulder the hope of the future development of the country and the nation. Smartphone addiction among college students will not only affect their own mental health and learning attitude, but it will also significantly affect their future academic achievement, academic emotion and academic engagement. However, the relationship between academic anxiety and academic control and academic achievement, as well as their internal mechanisms and boundary conditions, has received little attention. The purpose of this study is to examine whether and how smartphone addiction influences academic achievement. This study aims to explore the mechanistic role of academic anxiety and academic control in the influence of smartphone addiction on academic achievement in college students, and hopes that the results can guide education and teaching. A sample of N=2097 participants, this study evaluated the relationship between smartphone addiction, academic control, academic anxiety and academic achievement among college students, and the participants filled in the college students' smartphone addiction scale, academic control questionnaire, academic anxiety questionnaire and grade points. (1) There is a significant negative correlation between smartphone addiction and academic achievement; (2) academic anxiety serves as a complete mediator in the relationship between smartphone addiction and academic achievement; (3) the interaction between smartphone addiction and academic control moderates academic anxiety, with higher levels of academic control associated with a weaker impact of smartphone addiction on academic anxiety; (4) academic control also moderates the mediating role of academic anxiety between smartphone addiction and academic achievement, demonstrating a moderated mediating effect. Smartphone addiction had negative direct effect on academic achievement, as well as completely mediating effect through academic anxiety. Academic control moderated the relationship between of smartphone addiction and academic anxiety. This study enriches the research on the relationship between smartphone addiction and academic achievement in theory, and has important guiding significance for education and teaching in practice.

Plasma sCD146 is a potential biomarker for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This study examined the levels of soluble CD146 (sCD146) in plasma samples from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and assessed the relationship between sCD146 and the severity of COPD. A total of 97 COPD patients were recruited from 20 medical centers in Jiangsu, China, including 13 stable subjects and 84 exacerbated subjects. The plasma sCD146 level in exacerbated subjects (28.77 ± 10.80 ng/mL) was significantly lower than that in stable subjects (38.84 ± 15.00 ng/mL). In the high sCD146 group, the proportion of subjects with modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scores of 0-1 was higher, the proportion of subjects with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 4 was lower, and the proportion of subjects with ≥1 hospitalizations in the past year was lower. The plasma sCD146 level was negatively correlated with the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score (r = -0.2664, p = 0.0087). Logistic regression analysis showed that sCD146 was an independent risk factor for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis suggested that sCD146 combined with sex, age, pulmonary function, and acute exacerbations in the past year had clinical value for the accurate identification of AECOPD, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.908 (95% CI: 0.810-1.000, p < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between plasma sCD146 and S100A9 (r = -0.3939, p < 0.001).

The effect of trapeziometacarpal joint passive stiffness on mechanical loadings of cartilages

Hypermobility of the trapeziometacarpal joint is commonly considered to be a potential risk factor for osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, the results remain controversial due to a lack of quantitative validation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of joint laxity on the mechanical loadings of cartilage.A patient-specific finite element model of trapeziometacarpal joint passive stiffness was developed. The joint passive stiffness was modeled by creating linear springs all around the joint. The linear spring stiffness was determined by using an optimization process to fit force–displacement data measured during laxity tests performed on eight healthy volunteers. The estimated passive stiffness parameters were then included in a full thumb finite element simulation of a pinch grip task driven by muscle forces to evaluate the effect on trapeziometacarpal loading. The correlation between stiffness and the loading of cartilage in terms of joint contact pressure and maximum shear strain was analyzed.A significant negative correlation was found between the trapeziometacarpal joint passive stiffness and the contact pressure on trapezium cartilage during the simulated pinch grip task.These results therefore suggest that the hypermobility of the trapeziometacarpal joint could affect the contact pressure on trapezium cartilage and support the existence of an increased risk associated with hypermobility.

The use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography in borderline personality disorder compared to health control subjects.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) or OCT angiography (OCTA) has been investigated in few research studies of psychiatric disorders. No research has been done using OCT or OCTA in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). OCTA measured foveal avascular zone (FAZ), macular vessel density (MVD), and peripapillary vessel density (PVD). OCT measured the peripapillary retinal fiber layer (RNFL) and central retinal thickness (CRT). The study utilized the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) to assess the symptom characteristics of individuals with BPD. Fifty-nine eyes of BPD patients and 58 eyes of normal subjects were analyzed, MVD of the superficial retinal capillary plexus declined noticeably in most subfields (p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed in the whole inner ring and outer ring index between BPD and HC groups (p < 0.05). The patients with BPD exhibited lower RNFL and CRT, the difference was significant (p < 0.05). CRT indicated a significant negative correlation with the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory (p < 0.05). In addition, we observed that there was a negative correlation identified between the MVD of the inner ring and HAMA (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the MVD of the outer ring was positively correlated with GAF (p < 0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) for distinguishing BPD and HC eyes in OCTA were the highest for fovea MVD (0.679), followed by outer ring MVD (0.669), inner ring MVD (0.641), FAZ (0.579). In OCT, CRT was highest for BPD (0.711), followed by RNFL (0.625). The OCT and OCTA can non-invasively detect microvascular and morphology changes of the retina in BPD patients compared to healthy control subjects.

Comparative data on the blood leukocyte composition of semi-aquatic turtles from the Samara Zoo

The leukocyte blood count of 16 species of five families of semi-aquatic turtles from the Samara Zoo was determined. A comparison of the leukogram of representatives of two genera of the family Emydidae revealed a reduced proportion of heterophils and an increased proportion of basophils in Graptemys (G. pseudogeographica, G. nigrinoda) compared with Terrapene (T. triunguis, T. ornata). The leukocyte profile of Cuora mouhotii (Geoemydidae) was characterized by an increased content of heterophils, which showed a higher activation of innate immune responses. The most similar in leukocyte composition are the species of the Kinosternidae family of three genera: Kinosternon, Sternotherus and Staurotypus. The clade Trionychia (Trionychidae) differed from the clade Durocryptodira (Emydidae, Geoemydidae and Kinosternidae) by an increased number of heterophils and monocytes, and a low content of eosinophils. The Pleurodira suborder (Chelidae) differed from the Cryptodira suborder (Emydidae, Geoemydidae, Kinosternidae, Trionychidae) by an increased content of agranulocytes. Positive significant correlations of the length of the carapace with the content of heterophils and the values of leukocyte indices (index of the eosinophils and lymphocytes ratio, index of the heterophils and eosinophils ratio, index of the heterophils and lymphocytes ratio) reflecting the increased role of nonspecific resistance of the turtle organism during ontogenesis and negative significant correlations with the content of eosinophils were revealed. The index of the heterophils and lymphocytes ratio, which is an indicator of physiological stress, had the minimum value among the studied species in Sternotherus odoratus (Kinosternidae), the maximum value in C. mouhotii (Geoemydidae).

Coupling Between Human Brain Cortical Thickness and Glucose Metabolism from Regional to Connective Level: A Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Background: Balance between brain structure and function is implicated in aging and many brain disorders. This study aimed to investigate the coupling between brain structure and function using 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: One hundred thirty-eight subjects who underwent brain 18F-FDG PET/MRI were recruited. The structural and functional coupling at the regional level was explored by calculating within-subject Spearman's correlation between glucose metabolism (GluM) and cortical thickness (CTh) across the cortex for each subject, which was then correlated with age to explore its physiological effects. Then, subjects were divided into groups of middle-aged and young adults and older adults (OAs); structural connectivity (SC) based on CTh and functional connectivity (FC) based on GluM were constructed for the two groups, respectively, followed by exploring the connective-level structural and functional coupling on SC and FC matrices. The global and local efficiency values of the brain SC and FC were also evaluated. Results: Of the subjects, 97.83% exhibited a significant negative correlation between regional CTh and GluM (r = -0.24 to -0.71, p < 0.05, FDR correction), and this CTh-GluM correlation was negatively correlated with age (R = -0.35, p < 0.001). For connectivity matrices, many regions showed positive correlation between SC and FC, especially in the OA group. Besides, FC exhibited denser connections than SC, resulting in both higher global and local efficiency, but lower global efficiency when the network size was corrected. Conclusions: This study found couplings between CTh and GluM at both regional and connective levels, which reflected the aging progress, and might provide new insight into brain disorders. Impact statement The intricate interplay between brain structures and functions plays a pivotal role in unraveling the complexities inherent in the aging process and the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. This study revealed that 97.83% subjects showed negative correlation between the brain's regional cortical thickness and glucose metabolism, while at the connective level, many regions showed positive correlations between structural and functional connectivity. The observed coupling at the regional and connective levels reflected physiological progress, such as aging, and provides insights into the brain mechanisms and potential implications for the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders.

Factors Affecting Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nutrition risk, physical activity, insomnia, anxiety, and depression on fatigue among breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.Methods: The participants of this study were 160 breast cancer patients at Yeungnam University Medical Center in South Korea. The data were collected from September to November 2022 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, the Mann-Whitney test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Bonferroni correction, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with SPSS version 28.0.Results: The mean fatigue score was 18.44±7.30 points, while the scores for nutrition risk, insomnia, anxiety, and depression were 2.03±1.52, 5.43±4.79, 6.79±2.81, and 8.17±3.36 points, respectively. Physical activity was measured at 1366.49±1617.87 METs. The general characteristics of the participants showed significant differences in fatigue concerning pain (F=13.97, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.001), duration of illness (t=-2.37, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.019), and total radiation dose (t=-2.13, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.035). Fatigue exhibited significant positive correlations with nutrition risk (r=.35, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001), insomnia (r=.35, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001), and anxiety (r=.35, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001), and a significant negative correlation with physical activity (r=-.20, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.012). In multiple regression analysis, the factors influencing fatigue were identified as nutrition risk (β=.28, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001), duration of illness (β=.19, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.005), depression (β=.23, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.006), total radiation dose (β=.19, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.005), and physical activity (β=-.14, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=.036).Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of addressing nutrition risk and depression in breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Encouraging physical activity may also play a crucial role in managing fatigue in these patients. These findings could guide the development of targeted interventions to improve the well-being of breast cancer patients during radiotherapy.

The Flavor Characteristics, Antioxidant Capability, and Storage Year Discrimination Based on Backpropagation Neural Network of Organic Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) during Long-Term Storage.

The storage period of tea is a major factor affecting tea quality. However, the effect of storage years on the non-volatile major functional components and quality of green tea remains largely unknown. In this study, a comparative analysis of organic green teas with varying storage years (1-16 years) was conducted by quantifying 47 functional components, using electronic tongue and chromatic aberration technology, alongside an evaluation of antioxidative capacity. The results indicated a significant negative correlation between the storage years and levels of tea polyphenols, total amino acids, soluble sugars, two phenolic acids, four flavonols, three tea pigments, umami amino acids, and sweet amino acids. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed that 10 functional components were identified as effective in distinguishing organic green teas with different storage years. Electronic tongue technology categorized organic green teas with different storage years into three classes. The backpropagation neural network (BPNN) analysis demonstrated that the classification predictive ability of the model based on the electronic tongue was superior to the one based on color difference values and 10 functional components. The combined analysis of antioxidative activity and functional components suggested that organic green teas with shorter storage periods exhibited stronger abilities to suppress superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals and reduce iron ions due to the higher content of eight components. Long-term-stored organic green teas, with a higher content of substances like L-serine and theabrownins, demonstrated stronger antioxidative capabilities in clearing both lipid-soluble and water-soluble free radicals. Therefore, this study provided a theoretical basis for the quality assessment of green tea and prediction of green tea storage periods.

Temporal Analysis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Incidence in an Endemic Area of Southeast Iran.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common type of leishmaniasis in tropical and subtropical areas. This study investigated the trend of CL changes from 2009 to 2022, and predicted the number of leishmaniasis cases until 2024. This ecological study was performed on new monthly confirmed CL cases from 2009 to 2022 from the leishmaniasis registration system in southeast Iran. The time series method was used to investigate the trend of changes in CL from 2009 to 2022. SARIMA model was run to predict the number of leishmaniasis cases until 2024 by controlling the effect of climatic variables on the disease process. The analysis showed a significant increase in CL cases in 2015 and from 2021 to 2022. The minimum number of registered cases was observed in 2018, with 81 cases. The maximum number was also observed in 2021, with 318 patients. The leishmaniasis cases decreased from January to June and increased from July to December. According to the results of SARIMA (1, 0, 0) (1, 0, 0) multivariate analysis, the temperature in log 12 has a significant negative correlation with the number of leishmaniasis cases. This model predicted a decreasing trend in leishmaniasis cases until 2024. The southeast region of Fars province is one of the hyper-endemic regions of the disease, and it is prone to periodic outbreaks. An active surveillance system must investigate the CL incidence trend and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent the occurrence of new outbrea.

Variation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Contents in Drip-Irrigated Cotton at Different Yield Levels under Combined Effects of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium

To elucidate the variation characteristics of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content and accumulation in cotton at different yield levels, a two-year experiment was conducted using cotton variety Lumianyan 24 under four N treatments (506, 402.5, 299, and 195.5 kg ha−1, designated as N1, N2, N3, and N4, respectively). The four P and K fertilization ratios were (PK-M1, 25% P and K applied at squaring stage (SS) and 75% at the bloom-bolling stages (BS)), 50%:50% (PK-M2, 50% P and K applied at each stage), 75%:25% (PK-M3, 75% P and K applied at SS and 25% at the BS) and 100%:0% (PK-M4, total P and K applied at SS). The results showed that the N content (Nc), P content (Pc), and K content (Kc) of cotton plants at high yield levels were 23.3%, 44.2%, and 31.6% higher than those at low yield levels. In addition, the reproductive organs maintained higher Pc and Kc at high yield levels, and the Nc, Pc, and Kc exhibited positive linear correlations with yield, while Nc/Pc, Nc/Kc, and Kc/Pc had significant negative correlations with yield. In conclusion, seed cotton yield was mainly limited by Nc at low yield levels and affected by Pc and Kc at high yield levels. Then, when 0.85 &lt; Nc/Kc &lt; 1.0 at the full squaring stage (FS), 0.8 &lt; Nc/Kc &lt; 1.0 at the full flowering stage (FF), 4.3 &lt; Nc/Pc &lt; 6.7 at the early-full bolling stage (EFB) and 4.9 &lt; Nc/Pc &lt; 7.1 at the late-full bolling stage (LFB), there is a high yield potential of 7000–9000 kg ha−1. Furthermore, yields can be improved by reducing the application of N during the growing period and increasing the application of P fertilizer during the later growth period.

Soybean test weight in relation to genotype, environment, and genotype × environment interaction in the Southern United States

AbstractTest weight (TW) is a unit of bulk density that is influenced by several factors, including both genetics and environment. A subset of the trials in the Uniform Soybean Tests—Southern States was used to correlate seed composition traits of oil and protein percentages, and seed weight (SW) with TW to investigate the interaction of these traits in multi‐environments for four different maturity group (MG) tests. The results indicate that environment (location and year combination) had a larger impact on TW than genetic effect in all MG tests. This difference was greater in the earlier MGs, compared to MG VI and MG VII. In all tests across four MGs, the genotype interaction with environment effect was significant, but practically was not as important as genotype or environment effects. Significant negative correlations between TW and SW (MG V, VI, and VII tests), and TW and oil (MG V and VI tests) were observed but not consistent in all environments within these tests. TW and protein correlations were inconsistent with a negative relationship in MG V but a positive relationship in MG VII. As anticipated, the inconsistencies in the relationships across MGs for TW and seed composition traits suggest that selection strategies for improving TW will differ across soybean breeding programs. In the future, a similar study using a diverse panel of cultivars that do not change from year to year may shed more light on the influence of seed composition and environmental conditions on TW.

Human-Beta-Defensin-1, Ferritin, Interleukin-6 and their Relationship with Clinical and Laboratory Parameters of the Severity of the Tuberculosis Process

Establishing relationships between clinical and laboratory parameters, such as general patient’s state, parameters of complete blood count and blood biochemistry and markers of the course of tuberculosis in the future can be used to predict the severity of dysfunction of various organs and tissues in patients with tuberculosis and in particular in patients who receive anti-tuberculosis treatment. Objective — to investigate the relationship between biochemical markers, namely Human-beta-defensin-1, ferritin and interleukin-6, and clinical and laboratory indicators of the severity of the tuberculosis process. Materials and methods. 100 patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study. After receiving 60 doses of anti-tuberculosis treatment, the patients were retrospectively divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 77) consisted of patients in whom sputum conversion was observed after 60 doses of treatment, determined by sputum microscopy. Group 2 (n = 23) comprised patients in whom bacterial secretion was maintained after 60 doses of treatment, as detected by microscopy. In addition to the routine studies provided for the monitoring of patients with tuberculosis by the current orders of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the levels of Human-beta-defensin-1, ferritin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the fasting blood were additionally measured by ELISA at the beginning of treatment and after 60 days. Statistical data processing was carried out using the Statistica 8.0 software environment. Results. A comparison of the investigated parameters between groups at the beginning of treatment showed significantly higher values of Human-beta-defensin-1 (Group 1 — (18.97 ± 2.42) pg/ml, Group 2 — (55.02 ± ± 15.69) pg/ml), ferritin (Group 1 — (94.86 ± 6.02) ng/ml, Group 2 — (141.61 ± 24.66) ng/ml) and IL-6 (Group 1 — (80.33 ± 5.03) pg/ml, Group 2 — (110.13 ± 10.35) pg/ml) in patients with positive sputum micros­copy after 60 doses of treatment, p &lt; 0.05. All studied markers demonstrated a reliable positive relationship with the massiveness of bacterial excretion, a conditional indicator of the severity of clinical symptoms and signs, ESR and urea level, as well as reliable negative correlations with creatinine level. In addition, patients with a lower body mass index were found to have higher levels of Human-beta-defensin-1 and ferritin. Higher levels of Human-beta-defensin-1 and ferritin are associated with lower hemoglobin levels (Human-beta-defensin-1 was also negatively correlated with erythrocyte count). An increase in the leukocytes level is accompanied by a significant increase in the level of Human-beta-defensin-1 and IL-6. Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between the level of glucose and ferritin, as well as between the level of bilirubin and ferritin and IL-6. Conclusions. The determined significantly higher levels of Human-beta-defensin-1, ferritin and interleukin-6 in patients in whom sputum microscopy was positive after 60 doses of treatment allow considering the investigated biochemical parameters as markers of the ineffectiveness of anti-tuberculosis therapy. The identified positive relationships with the severity of clinical symptoms indicate the possibility of using the studied parameters as markers of the severity of the tuberculosis course. The possibility of using Human-beta-defensin-1 and ferritin as markers of anemia was also found. Correlations with parameters of blood biochemistry allow us to talk about increased levels of Human-beta-defensin-1, ferritin and interleukin-6 against the background of kidney damage.