Mass Number Research Articles

Exploring the effect of eccentricity on geometry nuclear collisions by Glauber Monte Carlo simulation

This paper will analyze different properties of a nuclear collision and their correlation with the geometry of collision using the Glauber Monte-Carlo based calculations. Among all properties, the eccentricity is the main focus of this research. In order to investigate its impact on collision parameters, three-dimensional histograms are created, using given collision parameters, under different categories of numbers of participant nucleons. Comparisons between the histograms allow the exploration of connections between this property and the geometries of lead nuclear collisions, namely, the ellipticity of the collision of the two lead nuclei as eccentricity increases from 0 to 1. Our result is intuitive. The ellipticity of the collision has a positive correlation with the eccentricity, as when the difference between the number of participant nucleons on the L1 and L2 axes increases with eccentricity. The number of nucleons participating in the collision also increases with eccentricity. These are all coherent with past studies conducted in this field.

Recommended Nuclear Structure and Decay Data for A=202 Isobars

Evaluated nuclear structure and decay data for all nuclei with mass number A=202 (202Os, 202Ir, 202Pt, 202Au, 202Hg, 202Tl, 202Pb, 202Bi, 202Po, 202At, 202Rn, 202Fr and 202Ra), are presented. All available experimental data are compiled and evaluated, and best values for level and γ-ray energies, quantum numbers, lifetimes, γ-ray intensities and transition probabilities, as well as other nuclear properties, are recommended. Inconsistencies and discrepancies that exist in the literature are discussed. A number of computer codes (https://www-nds.iaea.org/public/ensdf_pgm/) developed by members of the NSDD network were used during the evaluation process. This work supersedes the earlier evaluation by F.G. Kondev (2007Ko42), published in Nuclear Data Sheets108, 1471 (2007).

Study of the Nuclear Structure Properties in Strontium (90,92,94Sr) Isotopes Using Nuclear Shell-model Calculations

In the current research, various nuclear properties energy spectrum, reduced electromagnetic transition probabilities, nuclear moments, and the distributions of both the nuclear charge and mass density as a function of radial distance from the nucleus center (r) were computed for90,92,94Sr isotopes' using the NuShellX@MSU code. The Skyrme (SLy4) potential was utilized to compute the zirconium isotopes' wave functions with mass numbers 90, 92, and 94. By employing the Gloeckner interaction and bare G-matrix, the computed results showed good agreement with the available experimental information on the aforementioned nuclear features of all the above isotopes. Additionally, the spins and parities of energy levels were confirmed and determined in accordance with certain empirical values. Furthermore an acceptable agreement for transition strengthsB(E2;2_1^+→0_1^+ ) for 90,92,94Sr , and the dipole magnetic moment of the ground state in the90Sr isotope, was observed with the available experimental values. In these calculations, new values were predicted for the above nuclear properties, which had not been previously determined experimentally. KEYWORDS: energy spectra; gloeckner interaction; model space; nuShellX code; skyrme potential; transition strengths

LIGHTS. Survey Overview and a Search for Low Surface Brightness Satellite Galaxies

We present an overview of the LBT Imaging of Galactic Halos and Tidal Structures survey, which currently includes 25 nearby galaxies that are on average ∼1 mag fainter than the Milky Way, and a catalog of 54 low central surface brightness (24 < μ 0,g /mag arcsec−2 < 28) satellite galaxy candidates, most of which were previously uncatalogued. The depth of the imaging exceeds the full 10 yr depth of the Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time. We find, after applying completeness corrections, rising numbers of candidate satellites as we approach the limiting luminosity (M r ∼ −8 mag) and central surface brightness (μ 0,g ∼ 28 mag arcsec−2). Over the parameter range we explore, each host galaxy (excluding those that are in overdense regions, apparently groups) has nearly four such candidate satellites to a projected radius of ∼100 kpc. These objects are mostly just at or beyond the reach of spectroscopy unless they are H i rich or have ongoing star formation. We identify three, possibly four, ultra-diffuse satellite galaxies (effective radius >1.5 kpc). This incidence rate falls within expectations of the extrapolation of the published relationship between the number of ultra-diffuse satellite galaxies and host halo mass. Last, we visually identify 12 candidate satellites that host a nuclear star cluster (NSC). The NSC occupation fraction for the sample (12/54) matches that published for satellites of early-type galaxies, suggesting that the parent’s morphological type plays at most a limited role in determining the NSC occupation fraction.

Nonlinear-Optical Analogies in Nuclear-Like Soliton Reactions: Selection Rules, Nonlinear Tunneling and Sub-Barrier Fusion–Fission

Abstract The main goal of our study is to reveal unexpected but intriguing analogies arising between optical solitons and nuclear physics, which still remain hidden from us. We consider the main cornerstones of the concept of nonlinear optics of nuclear reactions and the well-dressed repulsive-core solitons. On the base of this model, we reveal the most intriguing properties of the nonlinear tunneling of nucleus-like solitons and the soliton self-induced sub-barrier transparency effect. We describe novel interesting and stimulating analogies between the interaction of nucleus-like solitons on the repulsive barrier and nuclear sub-barrier reactions. The main finding of this study concerns the conservation of total number of nucleons (or the baryon number) in nuclear-like soliton reactions. We show that inelastic interactions among well-dressed repulsive-core solitons arise only when a “cloud” of “dressing” spectral side-bands appears in the frequency spectra of the solitons. This property of nucleus-like solitons is directly related to the nuclear density distribution described by the dimensionless small shape-squareness parameter. Thus the Fourier spectra of nucleus-like solitons are similar to the nuclear form factors. We show that the nuclear-like reactions between well-dressed solitons are realized by “exchange” between “particle-like” side bands in their spectra.

Effect of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Leaf and Seed Extracts Prepared Using Different Solvents on Root-Knot Nematode

Objective: The nematicidal effect of milk thistle leaves and seeds prepared with different solvents on Meloidogyne incognita was investigated. Materials and Methods: Acetone, ethanol and distilled water were used. The in vitro was carried out in 6 cm petri dishes. The extractions were studied with 500 and 1000 μg/ml (ppm). The in vitro and pot experiments designed random plots with 5 replications for each extraction, solvent and concentration. Four hundred second stage juvenile larvae (J2) were used as inoculum and dead individuals were counted after 48 hours. Five days after transplantation, nematode inoculation was carried out with 500 J2 per pot. After 24 hours, 30 ml of the solution was applied to the soil at 1000 ppm concentration. The experiment was terminated for 50 days. Then, gall and egg mass counts were made. Results: In vitro, the mortality rate at 1000 ppm was found to be similar in acetone (78.0%) and ethanol (80.8%) solvents in leaf extraction, while the highest was detected in ethanol (94.0%) in the seed extract. In distilled water solvent, 68.0% mortality was determined in the leaf extract and 62.2% mortality in the seed extract. There was no statistically significant difference between the leaf and seed extracts in number of galls and egg masses. No statistical difference could be determined between the solvents in the number of egg masses in seed extraction. While the number of galls in the leaf extract was found to be higher than in acetone (8.8 unit/root) and ethanol (8.0 unit/root) in distilled water (18.0 unit/root) and the difference between them was found to be significant, no statistically significant difference in the number of egg mass between the solvents. Conclusion: It was observed that all solvents of the leaf and seed extract suppressed galls and egg masses by more than 80% compared to the control.

Addition of GM-CSF during in vitro oocyte maturation improves embryo development and implantation and birth rate in mice.

The present study determined whether adding granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) during in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) could improve oocyte developmental competence by examining embryo development and implantation and birth rates following embryo transfer in mice. In an initial dose response experiment, we demonstrated that the addition of 2 and 10 ng/mL of GM-CSF during IVM increased cumulus expansion (P<0.05) but did not affect fertilisation rate compared with the control group. The addition of 10 ng/mL increased blastocyst rate (17.0%; P<0.05) and tended to increase the number of good quality blastocysts present at 96 h of culture (+19.4%; P=0.06) and increased blastocyst inner cell mass (+25.2%; P<0.001), trophectoderm (+29.9%; P<0.01), and total cell numbers (+28.6%; P<0.05). GM-CSF also reduced the incidence of DNA damage in blastocysts in the 10 ng/mL group (-16.2%) compared with the control group. These improvements translated into increases in implantation rate (+21.0%; P<0.05) and birth rate (+17.0%; P<0.05) following the transfer of vitrified blastocysts.GM-CSF treatment did not alter any fetal and placental parameters. Together these results suggest that the addition of GM-CSF during IVM may improve livestock in vitro embryo production and human IVM.

Nova contributions to the chemical evolution of the Milky Way

The explosive burning that drives nova eruptions results in unique nucleosynthesis that heavily over-produces certain isotopes relative to the solar abundance. However, novae are often ignored when considering the chemical evolution of our Galaxy due to their low ejecta masses. Galactic chemical evolution studies including novae are rare and have previously relied upon simplified treatments for the behaviour of nova populations. In this work, we use previously computed synthetic nova populations and the galactic chemical evolution code OMEGA+ to assess the impact that novae have on the evolution of stable elemental and isotopic abundances. We combine populations of novae computed using the binary population synthesis code with the galactic chemical evolution code OMEGA+ and detailed, white dwarf mass-dependent nova yields to model the nucleosynthetic contributions of novae to the evolution of the Milky Way. We consider three different nova yield profiles, each corresponding to a different set of nova yield calculations. We examine which nova sites contribute most to which isotopes. Despite novae from low-mass white dwarfs (WDs) dominating nova ejecta contributions, we find that novae occurring on massive WDs are still able to contribute significantly to many isotopes, particularly those with high mass numbers. We find that novae can produce up to 35&lt;!PCT!&gt; of the Galactic C and N mass by the time the model Galaxy reaches Fe/H = 0, and earlier in the evolution of the Galaxy (between Fe/H = -2 and -1) novae may have been the dominant source of N. Predictions for C/Fe N/Fe C/ C, and N/ N abundances ratios vary by up to 0.2 dex at Fe/H = 0 and by up to 0.7 dex in N/Fe and N/ N between Fe/H = -2 and -1 (corresponding approximately to Galactic ages of 170 Myr and 1 Gyr in our model). The Galactic evolution of other stable isotopes (excluding Li) is not noticeably affected by including novae. For most isotopes, agreement is generally good between the three different yield profiles we consider. Isotopes where agreement is relatively poor include: He (especially at high Li O F, and the &gt;1.3 M regime of Si S S Cl, and Ar.

Analyzing the Nuclear Structure of 13O-13B and 13N-13C Mirror Nuclei

In the context of the shell model, electromagnetic transitions were used to analyze the nuclear structure of a mirror nucleus with the same mass number, A = 13. The shell model investigation was performed by calculating the root mean square (rms) for the proton, neutron, matter and charge radii, occupancies, the excitation energies, as well as electromagnetic moments, using the elements of a body density matrix of the PSDMOD two-body effective interactions carried out in the psdpn-shell model space. The present results adopted the harmonic oscillator's single particle eigen functions and Hartree-Fock approximation. In addition, the effect of core polarization was added using the effective charge and effective g factors to calculate electromagnetic moments. To acquire a fair analysis of the information, the core polarization has to be present. The outcomes were compared with experimental data

Assessing Urinary 8-OHdG: A Comparative Analysis between Benign Breast Diseases and Healthy Participants

Background: Benign breast problems account for a considerable share of diagnoses for breast diseases, which is a major global health concern. The study investigates the correlation between urinary 8-OHdG levels and benign breast illnesses, aiming to identify oxidative stress variations, aid in developing targeted therapies and personalized healthcare plans. Methods: This comparative study evaluated urinary 8-OHdG levels in patients with clinically suspected breast lump cases at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. The sample included 30 healthy individuals and 30 patients with benign breast disorders. Important variables included oestrogen replacement medication, alcohol intake, age of menarche, menopause, obesity, and urinary 8-OHdG levels. Results: The study analysed 60 participants with benign breast diseases, revealing significant differences in age distribution, menarche age, BMI categories, demographic and reproductive factors, and urine 8-OHdG levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations between urinary 8-OHdG concentrations and factors like age, OCP consumption history, marital status, age of menarche, breast feeding history, menopausal status, family history of breast cancer, and histopathological grading. However, body mass index and number of parities did not show significant associations with urinary 8-OHdG concentrations.

Study of secondary charged particles produced in 12C-emulsion interactions at 4.5A GeV/c

This paper deals with the interactions of [Formula: see text]C-nucleus with the nuclear emulsion at 4.5[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]GeV/c, focused on distributions of multiplicity and the variation of the average multiplicities for secondary charged particles (black, gray, shower, and heavy particles) for the events released from these interactions. These averages have been calculated based on a model of modified cascade evaporation. A comparison has been made between the average multiplicities of the charged secondary particles produced from [Formula: see text]C and others from projectiles that interact with the nuclear emulsion at different energies, this comparison of [Formula: see text]C with other projectiles shows the fluctuations of the values of the average shower with gray for [Formula: see text]O and [Formula: see text]Si interactions occurring somewhat faster. The average number of shower, gray particles increases with the increasing mass number of the projectile Ap, except for black particles, which are nearly constant. The correlations of the average multiplicities for the different charged secondary particles are discussed. There is strong linear dependence in the correlations of average particles of shower, compound, and heavy on gray particles. The results of experimental and theoretical data were also verified with recent analysis data and new observations and were found to be consistent. Moreover, the results indicate that the residual target nucleus may have reached a temperature and constant excitation energy at a certain value for shower particles. The excess amount of energy at higher values of shower particles may be pumped into the system, and this energy may be expended during a transition of phase in the target nucleus system. The theoretical calculation results show good agreement with experimental data.

Nucleosynthesis in the Innermost Ejecta of Magnetorotational Supernova Explosions in Three Dimensions

Core-collapse supernova (CCSN) explosions powered by rotation and magnetic fields present an interesting astrophysical site for nucleosynthesis that potentially contributes to the production of r-process elements. Here we present yields of the innermost ejecta in 3D magnetorotational CCSN models simulated using the CoCoNuT-FMT code. Strong magnetic fields tap the rotational energy of the proto−neutron star and lead to earlier and more energetic (∼3 × 1051 erg) explosions than typical neutrino-driven CCSNe. Compared to a reference nonmagnetic model, the ejecta in the magnetorotational models have much more neutron-rich components with Y e down to ∼0.25. Our post-processing calculations with the reaction network SkyNet show significant production of weak r-process elements up to mass number ∼130. We find negligible differences in the synthesis of heavy elements between two magnetorotational models with different initial field strengths of 1010 and 1012 G, in accord with their similar explosion dynamics. The magnetorotational models produce about ∼0.19 and 0.14 M ☉ of radioactive 56Ni, on the low end of inferred hypernova nickel masses. The yields are publicly available at Zenodo (doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10578981) for comparison with stellar abundance patterns, inclusion in modeling galactic chemical evolution, and comparison with other yield calculations. Our results add to the yet-restricted corpus of nucleosynthesis yields from 3D magnetorotational supernova simulations and will help quantify yield uncertainties.

Adherence to The Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Associated Factors Among Adolescents: a Cross-sectional Study from Portugal

INTRODUCTION: The Mediterranean Dietary Pattern is one of the healthiest dietary models, being associated with several health benefits. However, in recent years, this pattern has been abandoned by adolescents in Mediterranean countries. OBJECTIVES: To determine and analyze the adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and its associated factors in a sample of adolescents from a city in the north of Portugal. METHODOLOGY: Cross-sectional study. The data was collected via a stratified one-stage cluster sampling of adolescents (10 to 19 years old) from a city in the north of Portugal. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED Index) was self-administered to evaluate the adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern among adolescents. Participants self-reported information about sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics. Logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of high adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern. RESULTS: Most adolescents had a low/moderate adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern (63.2%). Logistic regression modelling indicated that age and parents’ educational level were the utmost factors positively related to the possibility of high Mediterranean Dietary Pattern adherence. Sex, school location, body mass index and number of household members did not significantly predict high Mediterranean Dietary Pattern adherence. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the importance of the parents’ education level in adolescents’ Mediterranean Dietary Pattern adherence, allowing the identification of the priority groups for a possible intervention, namely, younger adolescents and those whose parents have lower educational level.

Estimating angular momenta of fission fragments from isomeric yield ratios using TALYS

Angular momenta of fission fragments considerably higher than that of the fissioning nucleus have been observed in many experiments, raising the question of how these high angular momenta are generated. Wilson have proposed a model for the angular momentum as a function of the mass of fission products based on the assumption that the angular momentum is generated from the collective motion of nucleons in the ruptured neck of the fissioning system. This assumption has caused a lot of debate in the community. To estimate the angular momenta of fission fragments based on the observed isomeric yield ratios in 25-MeV proton-induced fission of U238. A surrogate model of the fission code general description of fission observables (GEF) has been developed to generate properties of primary fission fragments. Based on the excitation energy and angular momentum of fission fragments from GEF, an energy-versus-angular-momentum matrix is reconstructed using a set of parameters. With such matrices as input, the reaction code TALYS is used to calculate the deexcitation of the fission fragments, including the population of the isomers, from which the isomeric yield ratios are obtained. By varying one of the parameters, the root-mean-square angular momentum (Jrms), which determines the angular momentum distribution of the matrix, Jrms-dependent isomeric yield ratios are obtained. Considering all primary fission fragments contributing to the isomeric yield ratio for a given fission product, the average angular momentum of those fragments is estimated. Data of 31 isomeric yield ratios in 25-MeV proton-induced fission of U238 were analyzed. From the analysis, the average Jrms, equivalent to average angular momentum Jav, with uncertainties are obtained for 24 fission products, while in seven cases no conclusive result for the angular momentum could be obtained. Furthermore, considering the neutron emissions of the primary fission fragments, the average angular momentum as a function of the average mass number of the primary fission fragment was estimated. A mass dependency of the average angular momentum is observed in the proton-induced fission of U238. Moreover, the average angular momenta for mass numbers larger than 131 could be fairly well described by the parametrization proposed by Wilson However, the average angular momenta of Sn130 and Te131 cannot be described by Wilson's model, which suggests a different lower limit for the validation of the parametrization in the model. In general, higher average angular momenta for A≥132 are observed in the present work compared to those from Wilson This is likely due to the higher excitation energy of the fissioning nuclei in this work. Furthermore, the first systematic observation of the average angular momenta of fission products in the symmetric mass region is presented. In this region, a decreasing trend with mass number is observed, which cannot be explained by the proposal in Wilson's paper. Thus, a different mechanism is needed to explain this observation.Published by the American Physical Society2024

Clinical application and effect evaluation of acupoint thread embedding therapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatment based on menstrual cycle characteristics in the management of breast hyperplasia: An observational study.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of acupoint embedding therapy and traditional Chinese medicine dialectical treatment regimen in improving clinical symptoms, promoting tumor regression, controlling adverse reactions and complications, and enhancing patient satisfaction by comparing and analyzing the clinical data of 120 breast tumor patients. One hundred twenty patients with breast cancer were divided into a treatment group (60 cases) and a control group (60 cases) according to different treatment plans. Patients in the treatment group received a combination of acupoint embedding therapy and traditional Chinese medicine dialectical treatment based on different time points of the menstrual cycle. Including the proportion of reduction in the number of breast masses, the proportion of reduction in mass size, changes in pain severity scores, tumor regression rate, regression time, incidence of adverse reactions and complications, and patient satisfaction. Statistical software was used to analyze the data to evaluate differences between the 2 groups. In terms of clinical symptoms, the proportion of reduction in the number of breast masses in the treatment group averaged 50%, significantly higher than the 25% in the control group; the proportion of reduction in mass size averaged 40%, also higher than the 15% in the control group; and the improvement in pain severity scores was also superior to the control group. Regarding tumor regression, the tumor regression rate in the treatment group reached 85%, with an average regression time of 6.2 weeks, both significantly better than the 55% and 9.8 weeks in the control group. In terms of adverse reactions and complications, the incidence rate in the treatment group was relatively low, and no serious adverse events occurred. Patient satisfaction surveys showed that the treatment group had significantly higher satisfaction with treatment effectiveness, treatment process, and physician service attitude compared to the control group. Based on clinical data from 120 breast tumor patients, the results of this study indicate that breast tumor patients treated with a specific treatment regimen have significant advantages in improving clinical symptoms, tumor regression, controlling adverse reactions and complications, and patient satisfaction. This treatment regimen has high clinical application value and deserves further promotion.

Strategi Peningkatan Efisiensi Dan Efektivitas Operasi Agrorelasi

This research aims to analyze the business development strategy of an agricultural community, namely Agrorelasi, through SWOT analysis. The research method used was descriptive, with primary and secondary data collection. The results showed that Agrorelasi has strengths in large mass numbers, a lot of networking, actors have extensive knowledge and specific expertise, have a lot of collaboration, and commitment to sustainability. The suggested strategy is to integrate network strengths, optimize sustainability commitments and build strategic partnerships. Overall, the research suggests Agrorelations leverage internal strengths, minimize weaknesses with external support, and build cross-sector collaboration to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

On some methods of determining proper frequencies torsional oscillations in metal-working machines

Forced torsional vibrations that occur in machine tool drives are one of the pressing problems of modern machine tool industry. The reasons for these fluctuations may be imbalances of rotating masses, structural imperfections of bearing units, operating or technological process features (for metal-cutting machines – eccentric clamping of the workpiece, processing of non-round workpieces, etc.). In this work, using the example of a real metal-cutting machine, the task of dynamic analysis of the drive of the main movement of the machine with determination of the natural frequencies of torsional vibrations is realized. The real object is replaced by a dynamic model (DM). When constructing the DM, the inertial and rigidity characteristics are determined from the conditions: – the kinetic energy of the object is equivalent to the kinetic energy of the DM (from this condition the axial moments of inertia of the concentrated masses of the row model are obtained); – the potential energy of elastic deformations of the object is equivalent to the potential energy of deformation of the DM (from this condition the rigidity coefficients of the DM are obtained). The natural frequencies of the row DM were determined in three ways: 1) by solving the frequency equation (exact method) in combination with the method of reducing the number of masses of A.P. Cherevkov; 2) partial systems method (fundamental frequency only); 3) method of residuals (Tolle). The following conclusions were made: 1) the main (smaller) frequency can be found by any of the methods considered (since the results of the three methods coincided); 2) when simplifying the DM using the method of partial systems, the criterion for the possibility of further simplifications over the specified frequency range should be taken into account; the transition from a three-mass DM to a two-mass one if the criterion in this calculation was not met led to an error in determining the value of the fundamental frequency of about 10%; 3) dynamic calculations of machines using DM and methods for determining natural frequencies make it possible, based on known frequencies of disturbing forces, to identify possible near-resonant operating modes and avoid them in advance by making changes to the design of the machine at the design stage

New Approach to Calculate Nuclear Binding Energies of Nickel Isotopes 57-78Ni28 by Using Shell Model

Depending on the basic assumptions of the Shell Model and by using suitable potentials, we found a new formula to calculate nuclear binding energies of nickel isotopes 57-78Ni28. This formula is related only to the mass number of these isotopes and the number of valence nucleons outside the closed core 56Ni28. When calculating the standard deviation of the experimental data from the theory, we found that our value is better than the value calculated by the Semi-Empirical Mass Formula. It is also better than those calculated by the Integrated Model and calculated by the Modified Integrated Model. This indicates that our inferred formula is better than the most important formulas, which were previously used to calculate the nuclear binding energies for our studied nuclei.

Seasonal Occurrence of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) in Maize: The Role of Sowing Dates

Fall armyworm is a destructive insect pest in maize farming and has expanded widely throughout various agroecological zones, which threatens food security. An experiment was carried out at the Winter Nursery (ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad) field to study the occurrence of fall armyworm on maize single cross hybrid DHM 117 across different sowing dates during kharif and rabi seasons of 2021-22. Weekly observations were made on a whole-plot basis to record the number of plants damaged, the number of larvae, and egg masses per plant. Among the six sowing dates, the crop sown on 2nd August 2021, had a relatively lower mean percent of infestation range (4.02% - 80.37%), a minimum larval count per plant range (0.01 - 0.24), and the least number of egg masses per plant range (0.00 - 0.11). The findings will be helpful in the construction of forecasting models, facilitating the formulation of eco-friendly management tactics to manage fall armyworms in maize.

Psychological distress and uterine fibroids: a bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization study

BackgroundObservational data indicates a connection between emotional discomfort, such as anxiety and depression, and uterine fibroids (UFs). However, additional investigation is required to establish the causal relationship between them. Hence, we assessed the reciprocal causality between four psychological disorders and UFs utilizing two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).MethodsTo evaluate the causal relationship between four types of psychological distress (depressive symptoms, severe depression, anxiety or panic attacks, mood swings) and UFs, bidirectional two-sample MR was employed, utilizing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with these conditions. Both univariate MR (UVMR) and multivariate MR (MVMR) primarily applied inverse variance weighted (IVW) as the method for estimating potential causal effects. Complementary approaches such as MR Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode were utilized to validate the findings. To assess the robustness of our MR results, we conducted sensitivity analyses using Cochran’s Q-test and the MR Egger intercept test.ResultsThe results of our UVMR analysis suggest that genetic predispositions to depressive symptoms (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.563, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.209–2.021, P = 0.001) and major depressive disorder (MDD) (OR = 1.176, 95% CI = 1.044–1.324, P = 0.007) are associated with an increased risk of UFs. Moreover, the IVW model showed a nominally significant positive correlation between mood swings (OR: 1.578; 95% CI: 1.062–2.345; P = 0.024) and UFs risk. However, our analysis did not establish a causal relationship between UFs and the four types of psychological distress. Even after adjusting for confounders like body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, and number of live births in the MVMR, the causal link between MDD and UFs remained significant (OR = 1.217, 95% CI = 1.039–1.425, P = 0.015).ConclusionsOur study presents evidence supporting the causal relationship between genetic susceptibility to MDD and the incidence of UFs. These findings highlight the significance of addressing psychological health issues, particularly depression, in both the prevention and treatment of UFs.