Relative Weight Research Articles

Acute and sub-acute toxicity of ethanol leaf extract from Acrostichum aureum in rats

Acrostichum aureum L. (A.aureum) is a medicinal plant that has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial activities and has been widely used traditionally in the treatment of many diseases. However, there is a dearth of information on the plant's safety. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicity of ethanol leaf extract of A. aureum (ELAA) in female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Oral acute toxicity was studied in female SD rats administered a single dose of 5000 mg kg-1 body weight ELAA. The sub-acute toxicity evaluation was also conducted orally with 100, 200, 500, and 750 mg kg-1 body weight of ELAA for 28 days in female SD rats. The impact of sub-acute treatment on body weight, gross histology, relative organ weight, urinalysis, hematology, plasma biochemistry, and histopathology was assessed following treatment. The ELAA did not cause death or signs of toxicity after acute treatment. Similarly, all the parameters evaluated during acute and sub-acute administration of ELAA did not significantly differ from the control. Therefore, the median lethal dose (LD50) of the ethanol extract of Acrostichum aureum is greater than 5000 mg kg-1 body weight. Its oral sub-acute administration is also non-toxic and safe at the tested doses.

Aflatoxin B1-associated oxidative stress along with toxicopathological and immunological alterations is efficiently counteracted by dietary supplementation of distillery yeast sludge in broilers.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is among the most potent genotoxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins and is a major source of distress for the growing poultry sector. On the other hand, distillery yeast sludge or distillery sludge (DS) is a byproduct of molasses-based industries. It is often treated as a waste despite containing abundant nutrients particularly protein, basic amino acids, and vitamins along with other macro and micronutrients. This study was designed to investigate the oxidative stress and immunological alterations induced by AFB1 and their amelioration by dietary supplementation with DS. For this purpose, 360 newly hatched broiler chicks were randomly divided into twelve groups (30 birds each) and fed different combinations of AFB1 (100, 200, or 600µg/kg) and DS (5 or 10g/kg) for 42days. The parameters under consideration were body weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), relative organ weights, histopathological examination of different visceral organs, total antioxidant capacity, antibody response to intravenous injection of sheep red blood cells, in situ lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin-P, and phagocytic potential through a carbon clearance assay system. The results of this study established that DS supplementation ameliorated AFB1-associated oxidative stress and ameliorated toxicopathological and immunological anomalies in groups given AFB1 at 100µg/kg and 200µg/kg; however, little to no relief was observed in birds fed AFB1 at 600µg/kg. The determination of the actual ratio of the AFB1 to the DS for substantiating the ameliorating effects requires further investigation.

Attention-disentangled re-ID network for unsupervised domain adaptive person re-identification

Unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) for person re-identification (re-ID) aims to bridge the domain gap by transferring knowledge from the labeled source domain to the unlabeled target domain. Recently, pseudo-label-based approaches have become the dominant solution for addressing this issue. However,most pseudo-label-based methods neglect class boundary samples to reduce the influence of false pseudo labels, sacrificing intra-class semantic diversity. Although hard sample memory bank-based approaches can discover relationships between samples and describe intra-class diversity, they are prone to increasing the risks of generating incorrect pseudo labels. Balancing intra-class variety and pseudo-label accuracy in cross-domain person re-ID poses a challenge. In this study, we propose an attention-disentangled re-ID network (ADDNet) to enhance the discriminative ability of re-ID related feature representations, addressing the contradiction between intra-class diversity and pseudo-label accuracy. Unlike most disentanglement learning-based re-ID approaches that focus on separating explanatory factors, we design a spatial attention-disentangled mechanism to separate re-ID related and unrelated weights, enhancing the discriminative ability of cross-domain feature representation. Additionally, a multiple hard sample memory learning strategy is designed to express intra-class diversity of target samples using re-ID related features extracted from ADDNet. Extensive experiments show that ADDNet achieves 46.7% mAP on the Market-to-MSMT cross-domain re-ID task, outperforming state-of-the-art methods by 6.5 points.

Habituation Does Not Change Running Economy in Advanced Footwear Technology.

This study aimed to compare running economy across habituated and nonhabituated advanced footwear technology (AFT) in trained long-distance runners. A total of 16 participants completed up to six 5-minute trials in 1 to 3 pairs of their own habituated shoes and 3 different and standardized AFTs at individual marathon pace. We measured oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production and expressed running economy as oxygen uptake (in milliliters oxygen per kilogram per minute), oxygen cost of transport (oxygen per kilogram per minute), energetic cost (in watts per kilogram), and energetic cost of transport (in joules per kilogram per kilometer). We used linear mixed-effect models to evaluate differences. Relative shoe weight and shoe mileage (distance worn during running) were covariates. Forty-eight standardized and 29 individual AFT conditions were measured (mileage 117.0 [128.8]km, range 0-522km; 25 habituated 135.7 [129.2]km, range 20-522km; 4 nonhabituated 0 [0]km, range 0-0km). Rating of perceived exertion, blood [La], and respiratory exchange ratio ranged from 9 to 15, 1.11 to 4.54mmol/L, and 0.76 to 1.01. There was no effect for habituation on energetic cost of transport (thabituation = -.232, P = .409, b = -0.006; 95% CI, -0.058 to 0.046) or other running economy metrics. Neither shoe weight nor shoe mileage had an effect. Our results suggest that habituation to AFTs does not result in greater benefits in the use of AFTs. This means that implementation in training may not be needed, even if we cannot rule out any other possible benefits of habituation at this stage, such as adaptation of the musculoskeletal system.

Diuresis-led volume replacement strategy in extremely low birth weight infants.

In extremely low birth weight infants, fluid overload has been associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and death. Excessive weight loss may increase the risk of meconium obstruction and intestinal perforation. As these infants display oliguria followed by polyuria, we embarked on a diuresis-led volume replacement strategy as of January 2020. This single-centre analysis presents data of infants <1000 g birth weight surviving for more than 3 days admitted 2017-2019 (n = 217, daily volume increase) versus 2020-2022 (n = 2022, diuresis-led volume replacement). The second cohort had lower gestational age (median [interquartile range]: 253/7 [243/7-264/7] vs. 263/7 [251/7-282/7] weeks), less antenatal steroids (58% vs. 69%), more indomethacin (66% vs. 47%) and higher initial diuresis (5.6 [4.9-6.8] vs. 4.8 [4.2-5.5] mL/kg/h) but did not differ by relative weight loss at Day 7 of life. Employing binary logistic regression with gestational age, antenatal steroids and indomethacin as covariates, the cohorts did not differ by rates of patent ductus arteriosus, abdominal surgery or severe retinopathy of prematurity, while there were significant declines in sepsis (from 32% to 19%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (from 26% to 23%) and mortality (from 13% to 7%). Diuresis-led volume replacement appears to be safe and maybe beneficial.

Linking the evolution of two prefrontal brain regions to social and foraging challenges in primates.

The diversity of cognitive skills across primates remains both a fascinating and a controversial issue. Recent comparative studies provided conflicting results regarding the contribution of social vs ecological constraints to the evolution of cognition. Here, we used an interdisciplinary approach combining comparative cognitive neurosciences and behavioral ecology. Using brain imaging data from 16 primate species, we measured the size of two prefrontal brain regions, the frontal pole (FP) and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), respectively, involved in metacognition and working memory, and examined their relation to a combination of socio-ecological variables. The size of these prefrontal regions, as well as the whole brain, was best explained by three variables: body mass, daily traveled distance (an index of ecological constraints), and population density (an index of social constraints). The strong influence of ecological constraints on FP and DLPFC volumes suggests that both metacognition and working memory are critical for foraging in primates. Interestingly, FP volume was much more sensitive to social constraints than DLPFC volume, in line with laboratory studies showing an implication of FP in complex social interactions. Thus, our data highlights the relative weight of social vs ecological constraints on the evolution of specific prefrontal brain regions and their associated cognitive operations in primates.

Effects of calcium pidolate on performance, carcass traits, bone biomechanical properties and mineralisation and jejunum histomorphology in broilers

ABSTRACT 1. The current study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary calcium pidolate (CalP) on performance, slaughtering characteristics, bone biomechanical properties, mineralisation and jejunum histomorphology in male broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were randomly assigned to one of four treatments as five pen replicates, each containing 10 chicks. The basal diet without CalP was formulated to supply the nutritional needs of broilers and the treatment diets contained 0.30, 0.45 and 0.60 g/kg CalP, with limestone meeting the remaining calcium requirement. 2. The addition of CalP had a quadratic effect on performance (P < 0.05) and the best performance was achieved in the group that included CalP at a dose of 0.45 g/kg but 0.60 g/kg level worsened performance. Supplementing with CalP linearly decreased carcass yield (P < 0.01) and relative breast weight (P ≤ 0.05) but the relative thigh weight increased quadratically (P < 0.05) and reached a maximum at 0.45 g/kg. 3. Tibia shear force and stress linearly increased with the use of CalP in the diet (P < 0.05). Supplementation had a quadratic effect on tibial calcium (P < 0.01), reaching a maximum at 0.30 g/kg, although tibial phosphorus levels decreased linearly (P < 0.01). 4. The effect of CalP on jejunum histomorphology fluctuated and, compared to the unsupplemented control group, the villus height/crypt depth ratio increased, while the other variables decreased (P < 0.05). Decrease in crypt depth with the addition of CalP was significant (P < 0.05). 5. Using Ca-pidolate at a rate of 0.45 g/kg in broiler diets is sufficient to increase performance and tibia strength but 0.60 g/kg level negatively affected performance. In addition, the results of jejunum histomorphology were variable, but the crypt depth decreased with CalP levels and this is an important effect. However, further research is needed to detail the effect of CalP on broilers.

Assessing microplastic abundances in freshwater fishes in a subtropical African reservoir

Microplastics are emerging pollutants of global concern, and their presence in the aquatic environment poses a serious risk for aquatic biota. While many studies have been conducted on the presence of microplastics in marine habitats, little research has been done in freshwater African reservoirs on microplastic pollution and their impacts on fish within the subtropical regions. To bridge this gap, the current study investigated microplastic abundances and distribution in freshwater fish within Nandoni reservoir, South Africa, across two seasons (i.e., hot–wet, cool–dry). Fish were randomly sampled using seine and gill nets from seven sites within the reservoir. In the laboratory, fish were then sorted according to taxa before dissecting them to remove the gills and the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The organs were digested using hot hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide, and the microplastics were classified according to their colours and shapes. Among the 94 fishes (i.e., 8 species) examined, microplastics were detected in 86.6% of the eight species caught. Microplastics were dominant in the gills and GIT during the cool–dry and hot–wet seasons, respectively. High microplastic abundances were found in the gills of Micropterus salmoides and the GIT of Coptodon rendalli, where fibres and the transparent colour were the most dominant. The results further showed high microplastic abundances in benthopelagic feeders highlighting that habitat influences fish consumption of microplastics whether directly or indirectly. Significant differences were observed in the feeding zone and season for all microplastic types. Microplastic sources in the reservoirs could be due to anthropogenic activities such as illegal dumping, fishing, and agriculture. Thus, there is a need for further investigation into the relation of fish weight, fish sex and body in relation to microplastic pollution. The highlighted ecological factors should be taken into consideration for future research and management actions aimed at mitigating and protecting the negative impacts of microplastic pollution on environmental and human health.

The shift from inpatient to outpatient settings of a surgical DRG for pediatric patients in Portugal

Abstract Background The shift of selected surgical procedures from inpatient to outpatient settings has been seen as a solution to improve health care provision. These shifts often occur under pay-for-performance schemes, pay-for-efficiency schemes, or other forms of financial incentives. For this study, we aimed to assess the effect of Decree 132/2009, implemented on February 1, 2009, which increased the relative weights of DRG 60 (“tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy, age &amp;lt;18”) performed in outpatient settings, thus acting as a financial incentive. Methods We performed a quasi-experimental study and employed interrupted time series (ITS) and controlled interrupted time series (CITS) designs, using monthly pediatric data provided by The Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS), with discharges between January 2006 and February 2012 (having 37 months pre- and post-decree implementation) of inpatient and outpatient episodes for DRG 60 (affected group) and DRG 163 (“hernia procedures age &amp;lt;18”, the selected control group). We used as study outcomes proportions (number of outpatient episodes divided by the sum of outpatient and inpatient episodes) to quantify increases in outpatient episodes and ratios (number of outpatient episodes divided by the number of inpatient episodes) to quantify decreases in inpatient episodes. Fourier terms were included to adjust for seasonality. Results We obtained statistically significant results only at the trend level for ratios when using the ITS model (0.01574) and for proportions only when using the CITS model (0.00310), although small non-statistically significant increases were obtained for the employed ITS as well as for the CITS design. Conclusions Decree 132/2009, which created financial incentives for the shift from inpatient to outpatient for DRG 60, showed low and non-statistically significant increases using both ITS and CITS models. Key messages • We analyzed the impact of Decree 132/2009 on the pediatric surgeries under DRG 60 performed in outpatient settings in Portugal using interrupted time series and control interrupted time series. • The decree had a small effect at the national level for DRG 60.

The Effects of Corncob and Xylanase Supplementation on Performance, Ileal Digestibility, Intestinal Morphology, Gastrointestinal pH and Serum Biochemical Traits in the Broiler Chickens

This study evaluated the effects of corncob as a source of insoluble fibre and xylanase enzyme on broiler chicken performance, ileal digestibility, intestinal morphology, gastrointestinal pH, and serum biochemical traits. 256-one-day-old (Ross 308) broiler chicks were randomly given six diets for 24 days: a control diet with 0%, 2.5%, or 5% corncob, with or without xylanase, in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. Then, chicks were given the control diet with or without xylanase until they reached 42 days. Adding corncob to diets reduced performance during the grower phase (P≤0.05), but when removed, the performance did not differ from the control (P≥0.05). Corncob reduced ash digestibility and cholesterol levels (P≤0.05) while increasing the relative weight of the heart, gizzard, and duodenum and improving the ileal villus high-to-crypt depth ratio (P≤0.05). The feed conversion ratio increased due to corncob inclusion in diets at the starter and grower phases (P≤0.05) but did not differ from the control at the finisher phase. Xylanase supplementation improved performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal histomorphology, and reduced cecum weight with digestive tract pH (P≤0.05). Therefore, adding corncob with xylanase enzyme to broiler chickens' diet does not negatively impact their performance. On the contrary, it improves the broilers' health and reduces production costs.

Application of the maturity model for collaborative scheduling for construction projects

PurposeThis paper introduces the weighting, analysis and validation method used in the development of the Maturity Model for Collaborative Scheduling (MMCS). The scoring and ranking process introduced by the MMCS fills a gap in the literature by supporting the selection of collaborative scheduling (CS) practices that yield more weight toward the achievement of higher maturity levels in the development and implementation of CS. The ranking process can then be used during pre/post project execution to track collaborative scheduling in practice against the model’s weighting and provide the project team with constructive feedback and actionable steps for reaching the next highest level of collaboration.Design/methodology/approachThe MMCS, which focuses on five pillars (key areas of interest for CS) and related swim lanes (specific attributes), covers a broad range of areas in the construction industry and was coded into a survey. The relative weights of pillars and swim lanes were then established using the Delphi method with the group of subject matter experts (SMEs), analyzed using multi-objective decision analysis (MODA) and validated using 241 answers to a survey with questions drawn from the MMCS, including organizations across the industry in the United States.FindingsThe project scoring defines bounds for bronze, silver and gold levels of collaboration in scheduling. Project evaluations can then be used to identify areas for continuous improvement and enhanced collaboration. We offer recommendations and best practices for project improvement.Originality/valueTwo original contributions resulted from this work: (1) a method to elicit weights based on a combination of Delphi, MODA and survey methods was used to develop and validate a scale with three different maturity levels to support the use and continuous improvement of CS practices and (2) a validated model was used to assess the maturity level of CS in construction projects alongside specific recommendations to move upward in terms of maturity. In practice, project leaders can use this model to assess project performance, advance the project’s maturity and guide continuous improvement efforts for enhanced collaboration.

Impact of Vitamin C and Hydroxyurea on the Reproductive System Health in Male Rats

Hydroxyurea (HU) is a medication used to treat various diseases and is also being studied for its effects on spermatogenesis. Vitamin C (VC), an antioxidant, has been shown to protect sperm cells from oxidative stress, potentially improving fertility and sperm quality. In a study involving twenty-four adult male albino rats divided into four groups, Group 1 served as the control, Group 2 received 5 mg of vitamin C, Group 3 received 100 mg of hydroxyurea per body weight, and Group 4 received a combination of vitamin C and hydroxyurea to assess essential functions of the reproductive system, including hormone levels, antioxidant markers, oxidative stress indicators, histopathology, and identification of DNA damage. The study found that hydroxyurea significantly reduced testicular weight, SOD, CAT, and GSH while increasing FSH and MDA levels and causing abnormalities in sperm morphology. Hydroxyurea also caused apparent alterations in the histological structure of the testes and comet parameters. Rats treated with vitamin C showed a significant increase in absolute and relative epididymis weight compared to the control group. Moreover, vitamin C intervention reversed the adverse effects observed in rats fed hydroxyurea, indicating that low doses of vitamin C can protect against testicular damage.

Prokaryotic expression, purification, and activity of the inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase Gs5PTase8 from wild soybean

Inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase (5PTase) is a key enzyme in the inositol signaling pathway. It hydrolyzes the 5-phosphate on the inositol ring of inositol phosphate (IP) or phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP). However, there is limited reports on the homologous genes in soybean. This study cloned the salt tolerant gene Gs5PTase8 from wild soybean (Glycine soja S. & Z.) and explored its substrate. Gs5PTase8 encodes 493 amino acid residues. The sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree showed that this gene was conserved in plants. RT-qPCR was employed to determine the expression of Gs5PTase8 in different tissues of soybean and the results showed that Gs5PTase8 was mainly expressed in soybean roots. To investigate the hydrolytic substrates, we constructed pET28a-Gs5PTase8 and pGEX4T1-Gs5PTase8 for the Escherichia coli expression system and only obtained the recombinant protein GST-Gs5PTase8. The induction conditions for the protein expression including the isopropyl beta-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) concentration and temperature (16 ℃, 30 ℃, and 37 ℃) were optimized. The expression level was highest when the expression was induced overnight with 0.2 mmol/L IPTG at 16 ℃. The SDS-PAGE results showed that the recombinant protein had a relative molecular weight of 75 kDa and presented a single band after purification, with the purity reaching over 95%. The yield of the recombinant protein determined by the BCA method was 4.9 mg/L LB. The hydrolytic substrates of this enzyme in vitro included IP3 [inositol(1, 4, 5)trisphosphate], IP4 [inositol(1, 3, 4, 5)tetrakisphosphate], PI(4, 5)P2 [phosphatidylinositol(4, 5) bisphosphate] and PI(3, 4, 5)P3 [phosphatidylinositol(3, 4, 5)trisphosphate]. This study provides a scientific basis for further research on the molecular mechanism of Gs5PTase8 involved in salt tolerance.

Oregano essential oil and Bacillus subtilis role in enhancing broiler’s growth, stress indicators, intestinal integrity, and gene expression under high stocking density

This study investigates the role of dietary Bacillus subtilis and oregano essential oil in mitigating the effects of high stocking density on growth performance, carcass traits, physiological stress indicators, gene expression, and intestinal integrity in broiler chickens. A total of, 1250 one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five experimental groups, where each group had five replicates of 50 chicks. Group 1 (control, LSD): 15 chicks/m2 fed a basal diet without feed additive, group 2 (HSD): 20 chicks/m2 fed a basal diet without feed additive, group 3 (BHSD): 20 chicks/m2 fed a basal diet supplemented with B. subtilis (500 mg/kg diet), group 4 (OHSD): 20 chicks/m2 fed a basal diet supplemented with oregano essential oil (300 mg/kg diet), group 5 (CHSD): 20 chicks/m2 fed a basal diet supplemented with oregano essential oil and B. subtilis. At 35 days of age, there was a noticeable improvement in the growth performance of broilers fed CHSD under high stocking density through the increase in body weight gain, dressing percentage, and crude protein digestibility with a decrease in feed conversion rate compared to other groups. Adding CHSD enhanced the state of oxidation and immunity through increasing superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius, while decreasing malondialdehyde, in addition to increasing plasma triiodothyronine levels. The microbial structure and morphometric parameters improved in the group that received the CHSD compared to the other groups, where villus height and Lactobacillus population increased, whereas Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens population decreased. Glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), fatty acid transporter 1 (FABP1), and amino acid transferase 1 (CAT1) gene expression levels significantly increased when feeding on oregano essential oil with B. subtilis. In conclusion, combining oregano essential oil and B. subtilis supplements mitigated the effects of high stocking density by enhancing growth performance, antioxidative status, and intestinal integrity, in addition to modifying the genetic expression of genes related to nutrient absorption.

Quercetin supplementation in metabolic syndrome: nutrigenetic interactions with the Zbtb16 gene variant in rodent models

BackgroundQuercetin is a promising phytochemical in treating abnormalities associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed to explore the morphometric, metabolic, transcriptomic, and nutrigenetic responses to quercetin supplementation using two genetically distinct MetS models that only differ in the variant of the MetS-related Zbtb16 gene (Zinc Finger And BTB Domain Containing 16).ResultsQuercetin supplementation led to a significant reduction in the relative weight of retroperitoneal adipose tissue in both investigated strains. A decrease in visceral (epididymal) fat mass, accompanied by an increase in brown fat mass after quercetin treatment, was observed exclusively in the SHR strain. While the levels of serum triglycerides decreased within both strains, the free fatty acids levels decreased in SHR-Zbtb16-Q rats only. The total serum cholesterol levels were not affected by quercetin in either of the two tested strains. While there were no significant changes in brown adipose tissue transcriptome, quercetin supplementation led to a pronounced gene expression shift in white retroperitoneal adipose tissue, particularly in SHR-Zbtb16-Q.ConclusionQuercetin administration ameliorates certain MetS-related features; however, the efficacy of the treatment exhibits subtle variations depending on the specific variant of the Zbtb16 gene.

Safety of the reduced fixed dose of mycophenolate mofetil confirmed via therapeutic drug monitoring in de novo kidney transplant recipients.

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is usually prescribed with a reduced fixed dose in Asian kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). However, the clinical efficacy and safety of the fixed dose have not yet been investigated via therapeutic drug monitoring. We evaluated whether reduced fixed-dose MMF is an optimal dosing strategy to achieve the therapeutic target of mycophenolic acid (MPA) exposure in Korean KTRs. This open-label, prospective study enrolled 50 de novo KTRs prescribed with tacrolimus, corticosteroid, and fixed-dose MMF (1.0-1.5 g/day). The trough level (C0) and area under the curve (AUC0-12 hr) of MPA were measured at 1 and 24 weeks after kidney transplantation (KT). The relationship of body weight (BW)-adjusted MMF dose with MPA C0 and MPA AUC0-12 hr was assessed using linear regression analysis. The initial fixed dose of MMF of 1.44 ± 0.16 g/day was adjusted in 24 patients (48.0%) and then reduced to a mean dose of 1.19 ± 0.31 g/day at 24 weeks after KT. Most patients (≥84.0%) attained the minimum required MPA C0 of 1.0 μg/mL and MPA AUC0-12 hr of 30 μg × hr/mL at 1 and 24 weeks. The BW-adjusted MMF dose demonstrated significant positive correlations with MPA C0 and MPA AUC0-12 hr at 1 and 24 weeks after KT. Moreover, 14 patients (28.0%) reported MPA-related adverse events that were predictable based on MPA AUC0-12 hr (cutoff level, 46.4 μg × hr/mL). The current reduced fixed-dose MMF strategy can help achieve the therapeutic target of MPA exposure in tacrolimus-treated Korean KTRs during the early posttransplant period.

Interconnectedness of mindfulness facets and their impact on mental health outcomes in Asian American and European American college students: A network approach.

Despite extensive research supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions, the understanding of the dynamic connections between various mindfulness facets, particularly across diverse cultures, remained limited. This study aimed to investigate the networks among mindfulness aspects across different cultural backgrounds and their individual associations with mental health and well-being. Using the data collected from 710 undergraduate students in Hawaii (445 Asian Americans, 265 European Americans), we constructed sparse networks for each group to investigate their centrality index. To compare the overall structures of these networks, we utilized permutation-based tests. In addition, we used relative weight analysis to evaluate the distinct contributions of each mindfulness facet to positive and negative mental health outcomes. The results indicated similar trends in both racial groups, emphasizing the importance of specific mindfulness aspects like describing and acting with awareness within the mindfulness construct. However, notable variations were observed, particularly in how observing and nonjudging facets related among Asian Americans. In addition, acting with awareness and nonjudging showed substantial inverse associations with negative mental health outcomes across groups, whereas the observing aspect displayed positive connections with anxiety and stress among Asian Americans. The findings suggest which aspects are fundamental to mindfulness, aiding in a nuanced understanding of the construct. They also emphasize the importance of acknowledging cultural diversity in both mindfulness research and its clinical applications. Practical implications and directions for future research were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of foot type on electromyography characteristics and synergy of lower limb muscles during running

The foot structure is associated with different running mechanics. The central nervous system is responsible for using the muscles through synergies during locomotion. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of foot structure on the electromyography factors and the synergy of the selected muscles of the lower extremity. Tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, peroneus longus, soleus, biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius lateralis and medialis muscles activity of 60 barefoot recreational runners with different foot structures was recorded while running at a speed of 3.3 m/s. Muscle activity was measured in the running cycle. Besides, muscle synergies were extracted using non-negative matrix factorization algorithm. The results showed that there were differences between groups with different foot type in muscle activity under different phases of running in some muscles. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the number of synergies was similar in different groups and the relative weight of muscles was not different across groups. In conclusion, despite the difference in muscle activity under different phases of the running cycle, muscle synergies are similar among the groups. This can indicate similar control by the central nervous system in runners with different arch structures while running and the observed changes in muscle activity can be attributed to the type of forces exerted on the body, the length-tension relationship, and changes in the direction of the lower limbs in people with different arch structures.

Individual and combined effects of commercial glyphosate, atrazine and 2,4-D herbicides on the gerbil ventral prostate

Exposure to pesticides, individually or in a mixture, in drinking water is one of the main sources of human contamination, which causes adverse effects on the reproductive system. Our study aimed to investigate, the effects of a 90-day exposure to low concentrations of glyphosate (GLY), atrazine (ATZ), and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), in commercial formulations, on morphological, molecular, and hormonal parameters of the ventral prostate of gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). The animals were exposed via drinking water to individual concentrations of GLY: 700 μg/L, ATZ: 3 μg/L, and 2,4-D: 70 μg/L, as well as to their mixture (MIX). Our findings showed an increase in prostatic complex relative weight in ATZ-exposed animals. Stereological and morphometric techniques indicated an increase in the percentage and thickness of muscular stroma, following an increase in the amount of collagen and reticular fibers in the MIX group. Histopathological analysis showed a decrease in the incidence of epithelial atrophy, subepithelial inflammation, and microacini in the MIX. On the other hand, ATZ-exposed animals showed an increase in hyperplasia and total prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). The expression of caspase-3 decreased and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) increased in the 2,4-D and MIX. Western blotting showed an increase in estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) expression in MIX-exposed animals. Testosterone levels decreased in animals from the GLY, ATZ and 2,4-D groups. Our findings provide evidence that individual or combined exposure to herbicides causes hormonal imbalance and morphological alterations, besides favoring the incidence of proliferative lesions in the prostate, predisposing the gland to more severe injuries.

Fishery characteristics, population dynamics and the impacts of the invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in the Nile River, Egypt

Alien intrusive species are one of the extreme pressures on biodiversity for their rapid reproduction and adaptation to new environments. Crayfish Procambarus clarkii entered Egyptian freshwater ecosystems at the beginning of 1980's. After many years of negative effects of its introduction onto the Egyptian waters, it became one of the commercially important species. Population parameters of P. clarkii are estimated based on 1355 specimens collected from the Nile off El-Minya during 2019–2020. The isometric growth of the species under the study is confirmed according to the obtained b-value of length–weight relationship (LWR). Annual sex ratio (female : male) was in favour of females with an annual sex ratio 1.44 : 1. The values of growth coefficient (K) and the asymptotic total length (L∞) were assessed for males, females and combined sexes. Using mortality estimates, the exploitation ratio was 0.64 year–1. Investigation of relative yield per recruit (Y'/R) and analysis of relative biomass per recruit (B'/R) for P. clarkii in the Nile off El-Minya provides the highest (Y'/R) at Emax = 0.81 and the E0.5 (utilisation level that preserves the spawner stock biomass at 50% of the virgin spawning biomass) was 0.38. From fisheries management point of view, the current exploitation level should be decreased to that maintain the spawning stock biomass (from 0.64 to 0.38).