Number Of Significant Correlations Research Articles

The features of correlations between gut microbiota and biochemical markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction

The study aims to evaluate the correlations between gut microbiota and biochemical markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction. The study included 82 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and thyroid dysfunction. We performed various tests on the stool samples of the patients to analyze the composition of the gut microbiota and also measured several biochemical parameters related to carbohydrate, lipid, and thyroid metabolism, as well as insulin resistance. Statistical methods to compare and correlate the variables were used. A number of significant correlations were found between the gut microbiota and the biochemical markers in the patients. We observed that some bacteria and fungi, such as Bifidobacterium spp., Candida krusei, and Helicobacter pylori, were associated with thyroid parameters, such as TSH, fT4, and TRAb. It was also detected that some bacteria, such as Actinobacteria, Enterococcus spp., Shigella spp., and Salmonella spp., were related to carbohydrate metabolism parameters, such as glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR. As a conclusion, the gut microbiota may impact the functioning of the thyroid gland and the carbohydrate metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction. We suggest that further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms and implications of these interactions, and to evaluate the potential of modulating the gut microbiota as a therapeutic strategy.

Correlations between amplitude rheovasographic indicators of the crus and anthropometric dimensions in volleyball players women of different somatotypes

Somatotypological features of the body can be considered as a lever of sports achievements, because they have an effect on the efficiency of the energy supply system, physical capacity, ability to adapt, and the state of the cardiovascular system. The purpose of our work is to reveal the correlations between the amplitude parameters of the crus rheovasogram and anthropometric indices in young volleyball players women of different somatotypes. A comprehensive clinical and laboratory study of the state of health and physical development of 108 volleyball players women aged 16-20 years (youth period of ontogenesis) of high sports ranks (from II adult to masters of sports) was conducted. Rheovasographic parameters of the crus in volleyball players women were determined by the method of tetrapolar rheocardiography on a certified computer diagnostic multifunctional complex. Anthropometric determination of the total dimensions of the body and chest, pelvis, limbs, and head was performed according to the recommendations of Shaparenko P. P. (2000), somatotypological – according to the Heath-Carter calculation method (1990). After somatotyping, it was established that 28 women volleyball players belonged to the mesomorphic type of constitution, 27 women athletes were assigned to the ectomorphic and ecto-mesomorphic somatotypes each, and 26 women volleyball players belonged to the medium intermediate type. The analysis of the obtained results was carried out in the license program "Statistica 5.5" using correlation analysis according to Spearman. We found that highly professional women volleyball players, who have different body types, differ in the strength and number of significant correlations between the amplitude rheovasographic parameters of the crus and anthropometric dimensions. The most numerous (18.64 % of the possible correlations, of which 6.82 % are reliable) and the strongest (3 strong with a correlation coefficient from -0.64 to -0.73) correlations between the amplitude indicators of the crus rheovasogram and parameters of the external body structure were recorded in volleyball players women of the middle intermediate somatotype. Ectomorphs had the lowest number and strength of relationships (3.18 % of possible correlations, only 1 reliable). Individual longitudinal dimensions of the body, chest girths and its diameters, transverse dimensions of the pelvis, and skinfold thickness were most often correlated with the amplitude indicators of the crus rheovasogram in women volleyball players of various constitutional types. Determining the features of the correlations is the basis for assessing the harmony of the physical development of women volleyball players and conducting further statistical modeling to determine their appropriate crus rheovasographic indicators.

Association between heart rate variability metrics from a smartwatch and self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms: a four-week longitudinal study.

Elucidating the association between heart rate variability (HRV) metrics obtained through non-invasive methods and mental health symptoms could provide an accessible approach to mental health monitoring. This study explores the correlation between HRV, estimated using photoplethysmography (PPG) signals, and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. A 4-week longitudinal study was conducted among 47 participants. Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV metrics were derived from PPG signals collected via smartwatches. Mental health symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) at baseline, week 2, and week 4. Among the investigated HRV metrics, RMSSD, SDNN, SDSD, LF, and the LF/HF ratio were significantly associated with the PHQ-9 score, although the number of significant correlations was relatively small. Furthermore, only SDNN, SDSD and LF showed significant correlations with the GAD-7 score. All HRV metrics showed negative correlations with self-reported clinical symptoms. Our findings indicate the potential of PPG-derived HRV metrics in monitoring mental health, thereby providing a foundation for further research. Notably, parasympathetically biased HRV metrics showed weaker correlations with depression and anxiety scores. Future studies should validate these findings in clinically diagnosed patients.

Unraveling the molecular relevance of brain phenotypes: A comparative analysis of null models and test statistics

Correlating transcriptional profiles with imaging-derived phenotypes has the potential to reveal possible molecular architectures associated with cognitive functions, brain development and disorders. Competitive null models built by resampling genes and self-contained null models built by spinning brain regions, along with varying test statistics, have been used to determine the significance of transcriptional associations. However, there has been no systematic evaluation of their performance in imaging transcriptomics analyses. Here, we evaluated the performance of eight different test statistics (mean, mean absolute value, mean squared value, max mean, median, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS), Weighted KS and the number of significant correlations) in both competitive null models and self-contained null models. Simulated brain maps (n = 1,000) and gene sets (n = 500) were used to calculate the probability of significance (Psig) for each statistical test. Our results suggested that competitive null models may result in false positive results driven by co-expression within gene sets. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the self-contained null models may fail to account for distribution characteristics (e.g., bimodality) of correlations between all available genes and brain phenotypes, leading to false positives. These two confounding factors interacted differently with test statistics, resulting in varying outcomes. Specifically, the sign-sensitive test statistics (i.e., mean, median, KS, Weighted KS) were influenced by co-expression bias in the competitive null models, while median and sign-insensitive test statistics were sensitive to the bimodality bias in the self-contained null models. Additionally, KS-based statistics produced conservative results in the self-contained null models, which increased the risk of false negatives. Comprehensive supplementary analyses with various configurations, including realistic scenarios, supported the results. These findings suggest utilizing sign-insensitive test statistics such as mean absolute value, max mean in the competitive null models and the mean as the test statistic for the self-contained null models. Additionally, adopting the confounder-matched (e.g., coexpression-matched) null models as an alternative to standard null models can be a viable strategy. Overall, the present study offers insights into the selection of statistical tests for imaging transcriptomics studies, highlighting areas for further investigation and refinement in the evaluation of novel and commonly used tests.

COVID-19 Vaccine Education: Is It Effective?

The article presents experiment findings to verify the educational activities program in the field of COVID-19 vaccine prevention for students. The study was conducted at the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, the analytical sample size is N = 780. Five aspects (as measuring scales) of attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19 were identified: the benefits of vaccination against coronavirus for a person and society; denial of the coronavirus danger and hope for natural immunity; fear of the side effects of vaccination against coronavirus and distrust of vaccination safety information; confidence in the serious negative consequences of the coronavirus vaccine; disbelief in the proven effectiveness of Russian vaccines at the international level. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of 4 strategies for influencing student's attitudes to vaccination against COVID-19 was carried out: lectures only (CG), lectures in combination with seminars / webinars in the traditional format (EG1), with discussions of real life cases related to vaccination and its effects (EG2), with holding student's debates (EG3). There are no gender differences between groups. There are differences in age, but the mean difference does not exceed 2 years. At the ascertaining stage, there are no differences on the scales; at the control stage, differences are revealed. On all 5 scales, positive and negative effects in the whole sample are almost equally likely. It was not possible to single out a fundamentally best strategy for educational influence. In general, the effectiveness of educational activities is somewhat greater when conducting lectures in combination with various kinds of seminars compared to lectures alone, but the effectiveness is low everywhere. Cohen's d standard effect sizes do not exceed 0,44. Slightly higher is efficiency when conducting lectures in combination with traditional seminars / webinars or case studies. The student's debates holding strategy did not meet expectations. A number of significant correlations were found between various aspects of attitudes towards vaccination with natural science literacy, logical thinking, verbal intelligence, the degree of fear of COVID-19, personal and situational anxiety. All correlations are weak, but their direction is as expected.

Atmospheric PM2.5 before and After Lockdown in Relation to COVID-19 Evolution and Daily Viral Counts: Could Viral Natural Selection Have Occurred due to Changes in the Airborne Pollutant PM2.5?

Background: Genes coding for SARS-CoV-2 have been detected on the microscopic airborne pollutant particulate matter, which has been suggested as a vector and co-factor for COVID-19 transmission. Lockdown in China has been shown to be associated with significant reduction in pollution including the particulate matter component which coincided with the appearance of a viral mutant (Clade G) which steadily displaced the original Clade D after lockdown. The reason why Clade G developed a fitness advantage is as yet unknown. This paper examines the possible role of airborne particulate matter PM2.5 as selective pressure determining viral Clade predominance and further shedding light on the mode of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Methods: The average levels of PM2.5 of a number of cities were obtained from the Air Quality Index (AQI), a real-time assessment of atmospheric pollution. The daily average PM2.5 levels were assessed between January 23rd and April 29th 2020 determined by the timeline when viral counts in Beijing and other cities were available. Daily viral counts of Clades D and G were available starting from the 12th February as determined by the scientific literature published in August 2020. The cities chosen were Beijing, Sheffield, Nottingham, Sydney and Cambridge because of their substantially elevated viral counts compared to other cities. Cities as opposed to vaster areas/nations were chosen as PM2.5 levels vary across regions and countries. Results: For the time period assessed, the Beijing PM2.5 pattern initiated with highly elevated mean PM2.5 levels of 147.5µg/ m3 (SD+/-70.5) during high viral counts, followed by 98.5µg/m3 (SD+/-50.7) (p<0.007) when the viral counts decreased. In all the other cities assessed, the pattern differed whereby the PM2.5 levels increased significantly over the preceding baseline contemporaneously with the viral count rise. The changes in these cities’ PM2.5 levels were on average 34.4µg/m3 before viral counts rose and 46.0µg/m3 contemporaneous with viral count rise. As regards the viral counts from data retrieved from Beijing, the latter part of the bell-shaped curve and a subsequent smaller curve of the viral count was available for evaluation. The average viral count for Clade D in Beijing was 11.1(SD+/-13.5) followed by a mean viral count for Clade G was 13.8(SD+/- 9.2). Conversely in all the other cities besides Beijing, the viral counts averaged 45.8 for Clade D and 161 for Clade G. The variation in viral counts between cities suggests the strong possibility of variation in the availability of sampling between cities. The newer variant, Clade G demonstrated viral counts initially appearing in mid-February in Beijing to later displace Clade D as the dominant viral Clade. The appearance of Clade G coincided with the decreasing gradient of PM2.5 levels. A number of significant correlations were obtained between PM2.5 levels and the viral count in all the cities reviewed. Conclusion: COVID-19 viral counts appear to increase concomitant with increasing PM2.5 levels. Viral counts of both Clades correlated differentially with PM2.5 levels in all the cities assessed. The significantly highly elevated PM2.5 levels in Beijing resulted in correlating mainly with Clade D, however Clade G began to appear with decreasing PM2.5 levels, suggesting the beginnings for the initial SARS-CoV-2 Clade evolution. Clade G, the newer variant was able to flourish at lower levels of PM2.5 than Clade D. Clade G may possibly have utilized other sources of particulate matter as a viral vector, and co-factor such as that derived from tobacco smoking, whereby 66% of Chinese males are smokers and 70% of the Chinese non-smoking population are exposed to 2nd hand smoking.

Comparison of Gastric Alimetry® body surface gastric mapping versus electrogastrography spectral analysis

Electrogastrography (EGG) non-invasively evaluates gastric motility but is viewed as lacking clinical utility. Gastric Alimetry® is a new diagnostic test that combines high-resolution body surface gastric mapping (BSGM) with validated symptom profiling, with the goal of overcoming EGG’s limitations. This study directly compared EGG and BSGM to define performance differences in spectral analysis. Comparisons between Gastric Alimetry BSGM and EGG were conducted by protocolized retrospective evaluation of 178 subjects [110 controls; 68 nausea and vomiting (NVS) and/or type 1 diabetes (T1D)]. Comparisons followed standard methodologies for each test (pre-processing, post-processing, analysis), with statistical evaluations for group-level differences, symptom correlations, and patient-level classifications. BSGM showed substantially tighter frequency ranges vs EGG in controls. Both tests detected rhythm instability in NVS, but EGG showed opposite frequency effects in T1D. BSGM showed an 8× increase in the number of significant correlations with symptoms. BSGM accuracy for patient-level classification was 0.78 for patients vs controls and 0.96 as compared to blinded consensus panel; EGG accuracy was 0.54 and 0.43. EGG detected group-level differences in patients, but lacked symptom correlations and showed poor accuracy for patient-level classification, explaining EGG’s limited clinical utility. BSGM demonstrated substantial performance improvements across all domains.

Systems biology approach discovers comorbidity interaction of Parkinson's disease with psychiatric disorders utilizing brain transcriptome.

Several studies found that most patients with Parkinson's disorder (PD) appear to have psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, hallucination, delusion, and cognitive dysfunction. Therefore, recognizing these psychiatrically symptoms of PD patients is crucial for both symptomatic therapy and better knowledge of the pathophysiology of PD. In order to address this issue, we created a bioinformatics framework to determine the effects of PD mRNA expression on understanding its relationship with psychiatric symptoms in PD patients. We have discovered a significant overlap between the sets of differentially expressed genes from PD exposed tissue and psychiatric disordered tissues using RNA-seq datasets. We have chosen Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia as psychiatric disorders in our study. A number of significant correlations between PD and the occurrence of psychiatric diseases were also found by gene set enrichment analysis, investigations of the protein-protein interaction network, gene regulatory network, and protein-chemical agent interaction network. We anticipate that the results of this pathogenetic study will provide crucial information for understanding the intricate relationship between PD and psychiatric diseases.

Multiannual Assessment of Quality of Plantago major L. Seed Progeny from Kyshtym Radiation Accident Area: Weather-Dependent Effects.

The effects of low-dose radiation that are observed in plant populations in radioactively contaminated areas are variable. One of the reasons is the influence of fluctuating weather conditions and the interaction of radiation with weather factors. This article summarizes results of 12-year research on the viability and radioresistance of greater plantain (Plantago major L.) seed progeny growing in the East Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) zone and in control (nonradioactive) areas, with consideration of weather conditions' variability. The EURT was formed by the Kyshtym accident, which occurred in 1957 at the Mayak Production Association. Absorbed dose rates of P. major parental plants in the pollution gradient were 14.5-165.9 μGy h-1, which correspond to a low-dose range. Seed progeny quality was evaluated as seed weight, the survival rate, and root length of 21-day seedlings. Interannual variability in the studied parameters was high, and their ranges overlapped between EURT groups of seeds and control groups in most cases. The number of significant correlations between the parameters of seed quality and weather conditions was higher in EURT groups than in control populations. In the control groups of seeds, 88.9% of correlations were negative, whereas in the EURT groups, 78.5% were positive.

Organization of soft soils macrobenthic communities in the littoral of the Chupa Bay of the White Sea: a long-term aspect

The study of interannual changes in the structure of soft soil macrobenthic communities was carried out on the basis of material collected in three littoral sites in the waters of the Keret archipelago of the White Sea in 1983– 2013. The analyzed sites differed in biotopic heterogeneity (characteristics of the soil, degree of closure of water areas, salinity regime). This is a sandy beach in a seaward zone, and two silt-sandy beaches in a semi-enclosed and practically closed water area. The latter is located near the mouth of the Keret River, and is also under the influence of lake runoff, respectively, experiencing a slight freshening. The distance between the sites does not exceed a few kilometers. At two sites, significant changes in the structure of macrobenthos were noted, up to a change in the species dominating in biomass. The study of conjugation of fluctuations in abundance and biomass of common species showed that most taxa demonstrate an independent change in abundance indicators. However, in areas where sea grasses dominated in biomass, the change in the number of significant correlations between taxa, both in abundance and biomass, in some years occurred in accordance with fluctuations in the biomass of Zostera marina Linnaeus, 1753. It was not possible to find climatic and hydrological indicators that would explain the interannual changes in macrobenthos abundance indicators at once in all sites, despite their slight distance from each other. Thus, the conducted studies showed that the structure of macrobenthos of soft soils in the dry zone and the upper sublittoral in the region of the Keret archipelago was distinguished by spatial and temporal heterogeneity, in which one can see a reflection of the biotopic heterogeneity of habitats, features of interspecific relationships, and dynamics of the structure of settlements of dominant species. Under relatively stable climatic, hydrological, and edaphic conditions, significant changes in the structure of the White Sea littoral bottom communities of soft bottoms were mainly determined by natural changes in the structure of settlements of dominant taxa.

Effect of Climatic Conditions on Wheat Starch Granule Size Distribution, Gelatinization and Flour Pasting Properties

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different varieties, year and location of growing, and their interactions, on wheat starch and flour properties, and to analyze the relationship between these attributes. The set of 92 wheat samples chosen to cover wide ranges in the parameters commonly used for the assessment of wheat flour and starch properties was reduced to a representative set of 27 samples. The obtained results showed that wheat variety and year significantly affected maximum viscosity (MV), alpha–amylase activity (AA), amylose content (AM), volume proportion of A-, B- and C-starch granules, as well as gelatinization temperatures, while the year and location by year interaction had a significant effect on the falling number (FN). In this work, a number of significant correlations were observed among analyzed starch and flour properties. AA was mostly influenced by the changes in packing of starch granules and granule size distribution, while gelatinization temperatures were affected by particle size distribution. Additionally, when testing the suitability of the parameters for the estimation of alpha–amylase activity, it was determined that Amylograph was more reliable in predicting alpha–amylase than FN because it provided a better description of the state of flour starch complex.

Analysis of Different Electric Current Frequencies in Soil Apparent Conductivity

PurposeThe electrical resistivity method is commonly used to identify areas with similar soil characteristics by measuring the soil’s apparent electrical conductivity (ECa). However, the ideal frequency range to be used and the influence of the signal frequency on ECa values obtained by sensors is still uncertain. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the effect of electric current frequency on ECa values and (2) evaluate the correlation between ECa values obtained from different frequencies and soil attributes of agronomic interest, such as soil water content and pH. ECa determinations were obtained in four experimental areas using six different frequencies of electric current (1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 Hz).MethodsThe influence of the electric current signal frequency on the value obtained by the sensor was analyzed by linear regressions in all experimental areas, followed by the F-test (α = 0.05). Pearson’s correlations (α = 0.05) were calculated to quantify the relationships between ECa and soil physical and chemical attributes, for each frequency of the electric current signal of the sensor.ResultsStatistical analyses indicated that the electric current frequency does not significantly affect the measured conductivity value. According to the chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05), the number of significant correlations between ECa and soil physical and chemical attributes was homogeneous for all frequencies. The F-test indicated that the frequency of the electric current had no significant effect on ECa in 90% of the experimental points.ConclusionIt was shown that all frequencies in the range of 1 to 40 Hz can be used to correlate ECa values with chemical and physical soil attributes, such as soil water content (r = 0.73, p < 0.05) and exchangeable calcium content (r = 0.66, p < 0.05).

Correlation analysis of parameters of cardiointervalography and immune status in patients with ischemic stroke depending on the affected area (P1-4.007)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To conduct a correlation analysis of cardiointervalography and immunogram parameters in patients with ischemic stroke depending on the location of the ischemia <h3>Background:</h3> The rates of the immunogram and level of autonomic regulation can be used as an additional criterion for autoimmune disorders, assessing the severity of the condition and predicting infectious and inflammatory complications <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> 52 patients with ischemic stroke divided into 3 groups. The I group stroke in the left middle cerebral artery, II–right middle cerebral artery, III-vertebrobasilary basin. Subpopulations of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD19+, as well as Interleukin-1β, Interleukin-4, Interleukin-8, Tumor necrosis factor-α were detected in venous blood serum. The functional state of the autonomic nervous system was assessed by R.M. Baevsky’s method of mathematical analysis of heart rate variability. The observation period is 1 and 10 days from the onset of stroke. <h3>Results:</h3> The subpopulation level of lymphocytes depends on the potential of the sympathetic spectrum of vegetal regulation; the indicators of humoral immunity have reciprocal dependencies with neurohumoral activity and parasympathetic regulation. In patients with ischemia in the left hemisphere in the acute period, 21% parameters of cardiointervalography and immunograms show significant correlations; in the acute period, the number of dependencies increased with an increase in sympathetic activity. In patients with stroke in the right hemisphere and in the vertebrobasilar basin in the most acute period, the number of significant correlations was 42%, which is 2 times more than in the first subgroup. In the acute period, with the growth of parasympathetic impact, the relations of the studied parameters reciprocally weaken and decrease. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> An unfavorable prognostic sign in patients with stroke living in low-mountain area is low values of CD3+, CD8+ cells and IL4, high CD16+, CD19+ cells, as well as a low level of neurohumoral and sympathetic regulation <b>Disclosure:</b> Nargiza Chekeeva has nothing to disclose.

The relationships between patient safety culture and sentinel events among hospitals in Saudi Arabia: a national descriptive study

BackgroundSentinel events (SEs) can result in severe and unwanted outcomes. To minimize the fear of sentinel events reporting and the occurrence of sentinel events, patient safety culture improvements within healthcare organizations is needed. To our knowledge, limited studies explored the relationships between patient safety culture and sentinel events on a local level and no research has been conducted at the national level in Saudi Arabia.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the relationships between the patient safety culture and the reported-SEs on a national level during the year 2020 in Saudi hospitals.MethodsThis was a descriptive study. We utilized two data sources (the reported-SEs and the patient safety culture survey) that were linked using hospitals information. To explore the relationships between patient safety culture and reported-SEs rates, we performed descriptive statistics, a test of independence, post-hoc analysis, correlation analysis, and multivariate regression and stepwise analyses.ResultsThe highest positive domain scores in patient safety culture domains in the Saudi hospitals (n = 366) were “Teamwork Within Units” (80.65%) and “Organizational learning-continuous improvement” (80.33%), and the lowest were “Staffing” (32.10%) and “Nonpunitive Response to Error” (26.19%). The highest numbers of reported-SEs in 103 hospitals were related to the contributory factors of “Communication and Information” (63.20%) and “Staff Competency and Performance” (61.04%). The correlation analysis performed on 89 Saudi hospitals showed that higher positive patient safety culture scores were significantly associated with lower rates of reported-SEs in 3 out of the 12 domains, which are “Teamwork Within Units”, “Communication Openness”, and “Handoffs and Transitions”. Multivariate analyses showed that “Handoffs and Transitions”, “Nonpunitive Response to Error”, and “Teamwork Within Units” domains were significant predictors of the number of SEs. The "Staff Competency and Performance" and "Environmental Factors" were the most contributory factors of SEs in the number of significant correlations with the patient safety culture domains.ConclusionThis study identified patient safety culture areas of improvement where hospitals in Saudi Arabia need actions. Our study confirms that a more positive patient safety culture is associated with lower occurrence of sentinel events. To minimize the fear of sentinel events reporting and to improve overall patient safety a culture change is needed by promoting a blame-free culture and improving teamwork, handoffs, and communication openness.

Productive qualities of young pigs of the Large White breed of diverse genealogical lines and interbreed differentiation according to some integrated indicators

The purpose of the work was to investigate the fattening and meat qualities in young pigs of the Large White breed of diverse genealogical lines and interbreed differentiation according to some integrated indicators and to calculate the economic efficiency of the experimental results. The fattening and meat qualities in young pigs were evaluated by the quantitative characteristics such as average daily live weight gain during the control fattening period (g), the age of reaching 100 kg live weight (days), thickness of lard at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae (mm), length of the chilled carcass (cm), length of the bacon half of the chilled half-carcass (cm). Comprehensive evaluation of the animals in the experimental groups was carried out according to the Tyler and Wangen indices. Biometric processing of research results was conducted according to the methods of V. P. Kovalenko et al. (2010). The research was performed in agricultural formations of the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Jazz meat processing plant, and the animal husbandry laboratory of the Institute of Grain Crops NAAS of Ukraine. It was established that in terms of fattening and meat qualities, the young pigs of the genealogical lines Tafftus C61203 UA 8819345 and Azuro UA 8800557 of the Large White breed correspond to the elite class. Young pigs of the genealogical line Tafftus C61203 UA 8819345 outperform peers of the Azuro line UA 8800557 by 3.25% in the age of reaching a live weight of 100 kg, in fat thickness at the level of 6–7 thoracic vertebrae by 5.74%, in chilled carcass length by 0.93%. Animals of the Azuro UA 8800557 line are characterized by a longer length of the chilled carcass and the length of the bacon half of the chilled carcass. The number of significant correlations between the fattening and meat qualities of the Large White breed young pigs, the CI selection index, and the Tyler index is 80%. The maximum increase in additional production was obtained from young pigs of the genealogical line Tafftus C61203 UA 8819345 (+2.52%), then I experimental group according to the Tyler index (+3.98%) and the selection index CI (+4.30%). The criteria for selecting highly productive animals due to the CI breeding index are 57.69–78.57 points, and the Tyler index is 214.89–242.85 points. The economic efficiency of the use of young pigs from the specified groups provides additional production at the level of +3.98–4.30%.

Features and methodological approaches to determining the indicators and the level of capacity of the territorial communities of Ukraine

The capacity of territorial communities is the main indicator of the success of the decentralization reform. Applying the current methodology to determine the capacity of communities showed its essential and technical flaws. The methodology was developed at the beginning of administrative decentralization; therefore, it does not reflect the real capacity of communities, but the presence of conditions for their formation. The primary basis for an objective determination of community capacity is the selection of the relevant indicators and methodological approaches to the development of its assessment scale. The article analyses the approaches of academics and practitioners to determining the list of indicators for the assessment of community capacity. It was established that the set of indicators depends on the scientists' interpretation of the concept of "capable community", it is characterized by fragmentation (financial indicators dominate) and is developed without proper reasoning. Considering these features, the study justified the appropriateness of using the econometric methods and the results of monitoring the activities of communities to analyse their capacity. An information base (27 indicators across 25 communities of Poltava, Volyn and Lvov regions) of the study, which can be considered representative in terms of the regional representation and different types of communities, was formed. Based on the application of correlation and factor analyses, ten (three socio-economic, two infrastructural, and five financial) indicators, which are among the most important indicators of community capacity, were identified. These indicators were selected considering the number of significant correlations and the value of factor loadings. The study established that the current approach to determining the level of community capacity does not enable a proper assessment of existing disproportions. The study proposes to determine the level of community capacity by calculating an integral indicator and to develop a scale of criteria taking into account its deviation from the average values for the country.

Cytokines and neurotrophic factors in the severity assessment of children autism.

Due to the steady increase in the number of children with autism and the high heterogeneity of clinical groups, the diagnosis of these disorders and their severity is an urgent problem in modern medicine. In the course of the work, 126 children from 3 to 13 years old with typical neurodevelopment and with severe and mild autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were examined. Disease severity was determined according to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). The levels of pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophic factors (nerve growth factor beta and brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in blood plasma were assessed by enzyme immunoassay. Associations between indicators in each group of patients were assessed using the Spearman test and visualized as a heatmap of correlations. Statistical data processing was carried out in the R software. Significantly high levels of IL-4 in blood plasma and a decrease in the number of significant correlations within/between systems were revealed in children with mild autism compared with children with typical neurodevelopment. Such data can probably reflect the theory that some children with ASD are characterized by slow brain development, as a variant of the evolutionary norm. On the contrary, in children with severe ASD, high systemic levels of IL-6 and IFNg are shown against the background of low values of IL-10, IL-1β, TNFα and NGFβ, supported by the almost complete absence of intra/ and intersystem interactions. This may act as an indicator of maladaptation of the immune and nervous systems in severe autism, which contributes to the pathogenesis of the disease. Thus, a set of indicators: high levels of key pro-inflammatory cytokines - IL-6 and IFNg, low levels of IL-10, NGFβ and disintegration of the cytokine and nervous systems in the periphery can be proposed as an approach to indicate the severity of the condition in children with ASD.

Ruminal background of predisposed milk urea (MU) concentration in Holsteins.

Efforts to reduce nitrogen (N) emissions are currently based on the optimization of dietary- N supply at average herd N requirements. The implementation of the considerable individual differences and predispositions in N- use efficiency and N- excretion in breeding programs is hampered by the difficulty of data collection. Cow individual milk urea (MU) concentration has been proposed as an easy-to-measure surrogate trait, but recent studies questioned its predictive power. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying predisposed higher (HMUg) or lower (LMUg) MU concentration in dairy cows is needed. Considering the complex N- metabolism in ruminants, the distinction between HMUg and LMUg could be based on differences in (i) the rumen microbial community, (ii) the host-specific transcription processes in the rumen villi, and (iii) the host–microbe interaction in the rumen. Therefore, rumen fluid and rumen epithelial samples from 10 HMUg and 10 LMUg cows were analyzed by 16S sequencing and HiSeq sequencing. In addition, the effect of dietary-N reduction on ruminal shifts was investigated in a second step. In total, 10 differentially abundant genera (DAG) were identified between HMUg and LMUg cows, elucidating greater abundances of ureolytic Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002 and Ruminococcaceae_unclassified in LMUg animals and enhanced occurrences of Butyvibrio in HMUg cows. Differential expression analysis revealed genes of the bovine Major Histocompatibility Complex (BOLA genes) as well as MX1, ISG15, and PRSS2 displaying candidates of MU predisposition that further attributed to enhanced immune system activities in LMUg cows. A number of significant correlations between microbial genera and host transcript abundances were uncovered, including strikingly positive correlations of BOLA-DRA transcripts with Roseburia and Lachnospiraceae family abundances that might constitute particularly prominent microbial–host interplays of MU predisposition. The reduction of feed-N was followed by 18 DAG in HMUg and 19 DAG in LMUg, depicting pronounced interest on Shuttleworthia, which displayed controversial adaption in HMUg and LMUg cows. Lowering feed-N further elicited massive downregulation of immune response and energy metabolism pathways in LMUg. Considering breeding selection strategies, this study attributed information content to MU about predisposed ruminal N-utilization in Holstein–Friesians.

A Critical Analysis of the Automated Hematology Assessment in Pregnant Women at Low and at High Altitude: Association between Red Blood Cells, Platelet Parameters, and Iron Status.

The objectives of the study were to determine differences in the parameters of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets at low altitude (LA) and at high altitude (HA) and with the gestation being advanced, and to determine correlations between parameters of RBC and platelets. We also studied the association of RBC and platelets with markers of iron status. In addition, markers of iron status and inflammation were measured and compared at each trimester of gestation in pregnant women at LA and HA. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at Lima (150 m above sea level) and Cusco at 3400 m above sea level from May to December 2019. Hematological parameters in pregnant women (233 at LA and 211 at HA) were analyzed using an automated hematology analyzer. Serum ferritin levels, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), hepcidin, erythropoietin, testosterone, estradiol, and interleukin-6 (IL6) levels were measured by ELISA. One-way ANOVA supplemented with post hoc test, chi-square test, and Pearson correlation test statistical analyses were performed. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Pregnant woman at HA compared to LA had significantly lower WBC (p < 0.01), associated with higher parameters of the RBC, except for the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) that was no different (p > 0.05). Platelets and mean platelet volume (MPV) were higher (p < 0.01), and platelet distribution width (PDW) was lower at HA than at LA (p < 0.01). A higher value of serum ferritin (p < 0.01), testosterone (p < 0.05), and hepcidin (p < 0.01) was observed at HA, while the concentration of sTfR was lower at HA than at LA (p < 0.01). At LA, neutrophils increased in the third trimester (p < 0.05). RBC parameters decreased with the progress of the gestation, except RDW-CV, which increased. The platelet count decreased and the MPV and PDW were significantly higher in the third trimester. Serum ferritin, hepcidin, and serum testosterone decreased, while sTfR and serum estradiol increased during gestation. At HA, the WBC and red blood cell distribution width- coefficient of variation (RDW-CV), PCT, and serum IL-6 did not change with gestational trimesters. RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and platelet count were lower as gestation advanced. MCV, MPV, and PDW increased in the third trimester. Serum ferritin, testosterone, and hepcidin were lower in the third trimester. Serum estradiol, erythropoietin, and sTfR increased as gestation progressed. Direct or inverse correlations were observed between RBC and platelet parameters and LA and HA. A better number of significant correlations were observed at HA. Hb, Hct, and RDW-CV showed a significant correlation with serum ferritin at LA and HA. Of these parameters, RDW-CV and PDW showed an inversely significant association with ferritin (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a different pattern was observed in hematological markers as well as in iron status markers between pregnant women at LA and HA. In pregnant women a significant correlation between several RBC parameters with platelet marker parameters was also observed. Data suggest that pregnant women at HA have adequate iron status during pregnancy as reflected by higher serum ferritin levels, lower sTfR levels, and higher hepcidin values than pregnant women at LA.

Analysis of Pollen Concentrations from Various Tree Pollen Types and Their Interrelation with Different Airborne Pollutants in the Madrid Region (Spain)

Several studies show that the interaction between airborne pollutants and pollen grains can lead to greater pollen allergenicity, and thus increase and exacerbate the incidence of pollinosis, all of which represents a major public health problem. This article analyses the possible influence of various airborne pollutants (O3, PM10 and PM2.5, NO2, CO and SO2) on the tree-type pollen grains of Cupressaceae, Olea, Platanus, Pinus, Ulmus and Populus. The 11 areas around the stations in the Madrid Region’s pollen monitoring network (Red Palinocam) were taken as a geographic reference for this study. The degree of interaction between airborne pollutants and pollen types was explored using the rank correlation analysis. O3 and NO2 are the pollutants with the highest rate of significant correlations with pollen types. Olea, Cupressaceae and Platanus—the most highly allergenic in this study—are among the pollen types with the greatest number of significant correlations with almost all the air pollutants in the different areas. This could point to a potential associative effect between both variables which would exacerbate the negative effects on public health.