Test Day Research Articles

Effect of "Tongdu Qishen" acupuncture on expressions of ferroptosis-related factors in the hippocampus of APPswe/PS1dE9 Mice.

To investigate the effect of "Tongdu Qishen" acupuncture［dredging the Govern Vessel and normalizing mental activities, electroacupuncture (EA) of "Baihui" (GV20), "Yintang" (EX-HN3) and "Shuigou" (GV26) needling］on the learning-memory ability and the mechanism of ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice. Twenty-four male APPswe/PS1dE9 mice were randomly and equally divided into model group and EA group, and 12 normal C57BL/6 mice were used as the control group. In the EA group, EA (2 Hz/100 Hz, 20 min) was applied to GV20 and EX-HN3 in combination with manual acupuncture stimulation of GV26. The treatment was performed once a day, for a total of 28 days. The mice in the three groups were given the same fixation and grasping operation. Morris water maze swimming tests were used to assess the mice's learning-memory ability. Nissl staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the morphological changes of neurons in the hippocampus. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the hippocampus tissue was detected by superoxide anionic colorimetric assay kit (WST-1), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were detected by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. The expression levels of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (ptgs2) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) mRNA in the hippocampus were detected by fluorescent quantitative real-time PCR. Behavioral results showed that compared with the control group, the escape latencies at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th day of Morris water maze swimming test were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the swimming time in the original platform quadrant and the times of cros-sing the original platform were considerably decreased (P<0.05) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the escape latencies at the 4th and 5th day were strikingly decreased (P<0.05), and the swimming time in the original platform quadrant and times of crossing the original platform significantly increased (P<0.05) in the EA group. Following modeling, the SOD activity and the expression of GPX4 mRNA were obviously down-regulated (P<0.05), and the content of MDA and the expression of ptgs2 mRNA significantly up-regulated (P<0.05) in the model group rele-vant to the control group. The SOD activity and the expression of GPX4 mRNA were apparently increased (P<0.05), and the content of MDA and the expression of ptgs2 mRNA remarkably down-regulated (P<0.05) in the EA group rele-vant to the model group. Histopathological and ultrastructural results showed scattered arrangement of cells, widened space among cells, reduction in the number of cells, and many shrunk of dissolved nucleoli, shrunking and incomplete mitochondria, and high membrane electron density in the hippocampus of the model group, which was relatively milder in the EA group. "Tongdu Qishen" acupuncture can improve the learning-memory ability of AD mice, which may be related to its functions in up-regulating SOD activity and GPX4 mRNA expression, and down-regulating MDA content and ptgs2 mRNA expression to reduce the lipid peroxidation in the process of ferroptosis.

Marine biodegradation of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate] elastic fibers in seawater: dependence of decomposition rate on highly ordered structure.

Here, we report the marine degradability of polymers with highly ordered structures in natural environmental water using microbial degradation and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) tests. Three types of elastic fibers (non-porous as-spun, non-porous drawn, and porous drawn) with different highly ordered structures were prepared using poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-16mol%-4-hydroxybutyrate] [P(3HB-co-16mol%-4HB)], a well-known polyhydroxyalkanoate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicated that microorganisms attached to the fiber surface within several days of testing and degraded the fiber without causing physical disintegration. The results of BOD tests revealed that more than 80% of P(3HB-co-16mol%-4HB) was degraded by microorganisms in the ocean. The plastisphere was composed of a wide variety of microorganisms, and the microorganisms accumulated on the fiber surfaces differed from those in the biofilms. The microbial degradation rate increased as the degree of molecular orientation and porosity of the fiber increased: as-spun fiber < non-porous drawn fiber < porous drawn fiber. The drawing process induced significant changes in the highly ordered structure of the fiber, such as molecular orientation and porosity, without affecting the crystallinity. The results of SEM observations and X-ray measurements indicated that drawing the fibers oriented the amorphous chains, which promoted enzymatic degradation by microorganisms.

HURRICANE KATRINA’S LASTING IMPACT ON YOUNGER AND OLDER ADULTS: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOSITY AND POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH

Abstract In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast with catastrophic damage and substantial loss of life. In this study, we examined associations among psychosocial variables and mental health indicators in younger and older adults who lived in south Louisiana in August of 2005 when Katrina made landfall (M age = 51.7 years, SD = 13.03 years, age range: 32 to 78 years). All self-identified as African American / Black women. They were recruited through social media, flyers sent to churches and schools, and word of mouth referrals. On the first day of testing, participants completed sociodemographic, religiosity, and post-traumatic growth surveys and an adapted structured storm questionnaire (Cherry et al., 2011). On the second day of testing one week later, participants responded to open-ended questions on their Katrina experience, and they completed measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Correlation analyses revealed that age was inversely related to PTSD symptoms, which is compatible with an inoculation perspective on post-disaster psychological reactions. In addition, post-traumatic growth was positively correlated with religious beliefs and practices and religious coping, and negatively correlated with symptoms of PTSD and depression. Religious beliefs and practices were inversely correlated with PTSD symptoms and depression. Qualitative analyses of participants’ narrative responses indicated that some reflected on scripture and utilized prayer as a way to navigate their new lives in the years after Katrina. Implications of these data for understanding individual and community-level challenges in the years after exposure to devastating severe weather events are considered.

Disposal of demolished waste as partial fine aggregate replacement in roller-compacted concrete

Abstract Making environmentally friendly, long-lasting roller compacted concrete (RCC) was the primary focus of the laboratory experiments using disposed waste material (demolished buildings) and lowering the amount of fine aggregate adopting the ACI 327. The best way to dispose waste materials of demolished buildings such as ceramic tiles, clay bricks, and thermostone hollow blocks without using a sanitary landfill was to collect them, crush them with a crushing machine, and grade them by sieving to a fine aggregate. Reference mixture (RM) and six other environmentally friendly, long-lasting RCC mixtures were produced with partial fine aggregate volume replacements of 10 and 20% waste material. Following the production of the mixtures, the strength (compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural), porosity, absorption of water, and dry density were all tested. The results in accordance with the study’s conclusions are the RCC containing (20%) by ceramic tiles as fine aggregate increases RCC’s durability up to (5.76%) (2.96%) (2.83%) of strength (compressive, splitting tensile and flexural) at 28 days of testing, in opposition to the typical blend, then the blend that includes (10%) of ceramic tiles as fine aggregate with % growth up to (3.39%) (1.64%) (1.42%). While the clay bricks with 10% can be adopted, the results were slightly lower than the RM but still in the specification range (minimum recommendation of ACI 327 = 28 MPa). For the mixtures with 10 and 20% thermostone blocks fine aggregate, the results showed reduction in strength compared to the RM.

Peripheral hypercapnic chemosensitivity at rest and progressive exercise intensities in males and females.

Peripheral hypercapnic chemosensitivity (PHC) is the ventilatory response to hypercapnia and is enhanced with acute whole-body exercise. However, little is known about the mechanism(s) responsible for the exercise related increase in PHC and if progressive exercise leads to further augmentation. We hypothesized that unloaded cycle exercise (0W) would increase PHC but progressively increasing the intensity would not further augment the response. Twenty healthy subjects completed 2 testing days. Day 1 was a maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer to determine peak power output (Wmax). Day 2 consisted of six 12-minute stages: (i) rest on chair, (ii) rest on bike, (iii) 0W unloaded cycling, (iv) 25% Wmax, (v) 50% Wmax, and (vi) ~70% Wmax with ~10 min of rest between each exercise stage. In each stage, PHC was assessed via 2 breaths of 10% CO2 (~21% O2) repeated 5 times with ~45s between each to ensure end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2) and ventilation returned to baseline. Pre-stimulus PETCO2 was not different between rest and unloaded cycling (p=0.478). There was a significant increase in PHC between seated rest and 25% Wmax (0.71±0.37 vs. 1.03±0.52 LmmHg-1min-1, respectively p=0.0006), and between seated rest and unloaded cycling (0.71±0.37 vs. 1.04±0.4 LmmHg-1min-1, respectively p=0.0017). There was no effect of exercise intensity on PHC (1.03±0.52 vs. 0.95±0.58 vs. 1.01±0.65 LmmHg-1min-1for 25, 50 and 70% Wmax, p=0.44). The increased PHC response from seated rest to unloaded and 25% Wmax, but no effect of exercise intensity suggests a possible feedforward/feedback mechanism causing increased PHC sensitivity through the act of cycling.

Design Pitot Tube Cover with Artificial Intelligence (Arduino) Based Warning System on Piper Seneca V Aircraft

The pitot tube is a component in the fuselage to measure the pressure generated by air movement or wind, while the placement of the pitot tube is usually on the wing. A trivial thing that can be fatal is that before flying, sometimes the pilot/flight instructor neglects to remove the pitot tank cover. This negligence resulted in the malfunctioning of the Air Speed Indicator (ASI), Vertical Speed Indicator and Altimeter. Appropriate technology in the form of a pitot tube cover with a warning using an ultrasonic sensor with the support of artificial intelligence technology using Arduino has been applied to the Piper Seneca V aircraft to prevent negligence in removing the pitot tube cover before flying. The Piper Seneca V has been chosen as the object of the application of technology because the Piper Seneca V type aircraft is of the low wing type so that the pitot tubes are not visible when not inspecting the underside of the aircraft's wings. During 30 days of testing with 12 hours of testing time each day and exposure to different temperatures and humidity each day, both battery life and component resistance can be ensured that they are still in optimal conditions. During testing in the simulation room, the tool worked well with a 1 meter object detection configuration. Using a 3.7 volt battery with a storage capacity of 1600 mAh can make the device last for 4 days with 2 hours of recharging time.

Concrete Carbonation of Deep Burial Storage Constructions under Model Aging Conditions

To ensure the safe operation of concrete structures of deep-burial storages, it is necessary to research the degradation mechanisms of such structures. Concrete carbonation is one of the key factors determining the service life of concrete structures. Existing methods for the concrete carbonation process research at various stages of the building structure life cycle make it possible to conduct model tests in the shortest possible time by simulating the operational factors influencing the corrosion process development. The authors carried out model tests of concrete of deep-burial storages using the method of accelerated concrete carbonation and by taking into account the effects of elevated temperatures. When exposed to elevated temperatures during carbonation, concrete samples exhibit a decrease in compressive strength in the first 56 days of testing by an average of 1.6 MPa. However, by the end of the tests (168 days), the strength of concrete samples at elevated temperatures is on average 4 MPa higher. The microstructure and carbonation dynamics were studied by XRD, TGA and SEM. The data obtained in the research can be used to develop models for predicting the service life of concrete structures of deep-burial storages.

Type II Muscle Fiber Capillarization Is an Important Determinant of Post-Exercise Microvascular Perfusion in Older Adults

Introduction: Microvascular perfusion is essential for post-exercise skeletal muscle recovery to ensure adequate delivery of nutrients and growth factors. This study assessed the relationship between various indices of muscle fiber capillarization and microvascular perfusion assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) at rest and during recovery from a bout of resistance exercise in older adults. Methods: Sixteen older adults (72 ± 6 y, 5/11 male/female) participated in an experimental test day during which a muscle biopsy was collected from the vastus lateralis and microvascular perfusion was determined by CEUS at rest and at 10 and 40 min following a bout of resistance exercise. Immunohistochemistry was performed on muscle tissue samples to determine various indices of both mixed and fiber-type-specific muscle fiber capillarization. Results: Microvascular blood volume at t = 10 min was higher compared with rest and t = 40 min (27.2 ± 4.7 vs. 3.9 ± 4.0 and 7.0 ± 4.9 AU, respectively, both p < 0.001). Microvascular blood volume at t = 40 min was higher compared with rest (p < 0.001). No associations were observed between different indices of mixed muscle fiber capillarization and microvascular blood volume at rest and following exercise. A moderate (r = 0.59, p < 0.05) and strong (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) correlation was observed between type II muscle fiber capillary-to-fiber ratio and the microvascular blood volume increase from rest to t = 10 and t = 40 min, respectively. In addition, type II muscle fiber capillary contacts and capillary-to-fiber perimeter exchange index were strongly correlated with the microvascular blood volume increase from rest to t = 40 min (r = 0.66, p < 0.01 and r = 0.64, p < 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: Resistance exercise strongly increases microvascular blood volume for at least 40 min after exercise cessation in older adults. This resistance exercise-induced increase in microvascular blood volume is strongly associated with type II muscle fiber capillarization in older adults.

High-intensity exercise increases breast milk adiponectin concentrations: a randomised cross-over study.

Adiponectin plays a role in glucose and fat metabolism and is present in human breast milk. It has been postulated that higher breast milk adiponectin concentrations may prevent rapid weight gain in infancy. Prior research indicates that circulating adiponectin increases acutely after endurance exercise, but no prior research has investigated the effect of exercise on breast milk adiponectin concentrations. The purpose of this randomised, cross-over study was to determine the acute effects of endurance exercise on adiponectin concentrations in human breast milk. Participants who were exclusively breastfeeding a 6-12 week-old term infant (N = 20) completed three conditions in the laboratory: (1) Moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), (2) High-intensity interval training (HIIT), and (3) No activity (REST). At each condition, we collected breast milk at 07:00 h (before exercise/rest), 11:00 h (immediately after exercise/rest), 12:00 h (1 h after exercise/rest), and 15:00 h (4 h after exercise/rest) and determined adiponectin concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We compared changes in adiponectin concentrations after MICT and HIIT, adjusted for the morning concentration on each test day, with those after REST, using paired t-tests. Adiponectin concentrations increased 1 h after HIIT, from 4.6 (± 2.2) μg/L in the 07:00 h sample to 5.6 (± 2.6) μg/L. This change was 0.9 μg/L (95% confidence interval 0.3 to 1.5) greater than the change between these two timepoints in the REST condition (p = 0.025). There were no other statistically significant changes in adiponectin concentrations. HIIT may increase adiponectin concentrations in breast milk acutely after exercise. Further studies should determine the impact of exercise-induced elevations in breast milk adiponectin concentrations on growth and metabolism in infancy.

Early Life Stress Negatively Impacts Spatial Learning Acquisition and Increases Hippocampal CA1 Microglial Activation After a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adult Male Rats.

Early life stress (ELS) affects neurogenesis and spatial learning, and increases neuroinflammation after a pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Previous studies have shown that ELS has minimal effects in juveniles but shows age-dependent effects in adults. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the effects of ELS in adult male rats after an mTBI. Maternal separation for 180 min per day (MS180) during the first 21 post-natal (P) days was used as the ELS model. At P110, the rats were subjected to a mild controlled cortical impact injury (2.6 mm) or sham surgery. Spatial learning was evaluated in the Morris water maze (MWM) 14 days after surgery and both microglial activation and neurogenesis were quantified. The results indicate that MS180 + mTBI, but not control (CONT) + mTBI, rats show deficiencies in the acquisition of spatial learning. mTBI led to comparable increases in microglial activation in both the hilus and cortical regions for both groups. However, MS180 + mTBI rats exhibited a greater increase in microglial activation in the ipsilateral CA1 hippocampus subfield compared with CONT + mTBI. Interestingly, for the contralateral CA1 region, this effect was observed exclusively in MS180 + mTBI. ELS and mTBI independently caused a decrease in hippocampal neurogenesis and this effect was not increased further in MS180 + mTBI rats. The findings demonstrate that ELS and mTBI synergistically affect cognitive performance and neuroinflammation, thus supporting the hypothesis that increased inflammation resulting from the combination of ELS and mTBI could underlie the observed effects on learning.

Study of the chemical stability of Sr&lt;sub&gt;0.5&lt;/sub&gt;Zr&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;(PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;)&lt;sub&gt;3 &lt;/sub&gt; phosphate with a cosnarite structure in various environments

Samples of ceramics based on Sr0.5Zr2(PO4)3 phosphate with the structure of the kosnarite mineral (NaZr2(PO4)3, NZP) were obtained by electric pulse plasma sintering. Submicron phosphate powders with particle sizes less than 1 μm were obtained by the sol-gel method. Powders and ceramics have a single-phase NZP structure. The relative density of the ceramics was 97.6%. The chemical stability of the obtained ceramics was studied in static mode at 90°C in distilled and mineral water and in acidic and alkaline environments. The minimum achieved leaching rates were ~10-4-10-6 g/(cm2 day). The in uence of the contact environment on the rate and mechanism of Sr leaching from Sr0.5Zr2(PO4)3 ceramic samples within 42 days was studied. It has been shown that Sr leaching occurs due to the dissolution of the surface layer of ceramics when tested in distilled water and in mineral water (up to 7 days) and due to Sr leaching from the open ceramic surface after 7 days of testing in mineral water.

Pengaruh Kualitas Produk Terhadap Kepuasan Konsumen Breadtalk Bogor Trade Mall

Manufacturers always want to provide the best products for consumers. One way to improve product quality to meet consumer satisfaction. This research consists of 2 variables, namely product quality (X) and consumer satisfaction (Y). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of product quality (X) on customer satisfaction (Y)BreadTalkBogorTrade Mall. This study uses quantitative methods with simple regression analysis techniques that use data collection techniques from questionnaires. For this study using the Lemeshow formula where the number of respondents in this study were 100 respondents and processed using the SPSS program. The samples taken in this study were 100 respondents who had purchased products atBreadTalkBogorTrade Mall. The technique used in this study usespurposive sampling withnon random sampling. The hypothesis testing method shows that product quality has a positive and significant effect on consumer satisfaction (H1 is accepted), this can be shown from the T test day with a significance value below 0.05, which is 0.000.

In Situ Growth of MOF-303 Membranes onto Porous Anodic Aluminum Oxide Substrates for Harvesting Salinity-Gradient Energy.

As an emerging metal-organic framework (MOF) material in recent years, the MOF-303 membrane has shown great potential applications in seawater desalination, dehydration, and atmospheric water harvesting. Herein, we report on a dense and uniform MOF-303 membrane fabricated by a facile in situ hydrothermal synthesis approach in the presence of an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) channel membrane acting as the only Al source and substrate. Interestingly, the MOF-303 isomer can be obtained due to an insufficient amount of organic ligand caused by the less hydrophilic and larger pore size of the AAO substrate. The MOF-based composite membranes possessed surface-charge-governed ionic transport behavior. Moreover, the MOF-303/AAO membrane yielded an output power density of 1.87 W/m2 under a 50-fold KCl concentration gradient. Under a 50-fold gradient of artificial seawater and river water, a maximum power density of 1.46 W/m2 can be obtained. After 30 days of stability testing, the composite membrane still maintained the power output, and the power density was higher than 1.20 W/m2. This work provides a facile and effective strategy for constructing Al-based MOF composite membranes and boosts their applications in harvesting salinity-gradient energy.

Model Predictive Control for Energy Optimization of HVAC Systems Using EnergyPlus and ACO Algorithm

The deployment of model-predictive control (MPC) for a building’s energy system is a challenging task due to high computational and modeling costs. In this study, an MPC controller based on EnergyPlus and MATLAB is developed, and its performance is evaluated through a case study in terms of energy savings, optimality of solutions, and computational time. The MPC determines the optimal setpoint trajectories of supply air temperature and chilled water temperature in a simulated office building. A comparison between MPC and rule-based control (RBC) strategies for three test days showed that the MPC achieved 49.7% daily peak load reduction and 17.6% building energy savings, which were doubled compared to RBC. The MPC optimization problem was solved multiple times using the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm with different starting points. Results showed that ACO consistently delivered high-quality optimized control sequences, yielding less than a 1% difference in energy savings between the worst and best solutions across all three test days. Moreover, the computational time for solving the MPC problem and obtaining nearly optimal control sequences for a three-hour prediction horizon was observed to be around 22 min. Notably, reasonably good solutions were attained within 15 min by the ACO algorithm.

Updating test-day milk yield factors for use in genetic evaluations and dairy production systems: a comprehensive review.

Various methods have been proposed to estimate daily yield from partial yields, primarily to deal with unequal milking intervals. This paper offers an exhaustive review of daily milk yields, the foundation of lactation records. Seminal advancements in the late 20th century concentrated on two main adjustment metrics: additive additive correction factors (ACF) and multiplicative correction factors (MCF). An ACF model provides additive adjustments to two times AM or PM milk yield, which then becomes the estimated daily yields, whereas an MCF is a ratio of daily yield to the yield from a single milking. Recent studies highlight the potential of alternative approaches, such as exponential regression and other nonlinear models. Biologically, milk secretion rates are not linear throughout the entire milking interval, influenced by the internal mammary gland pressure. Consequently, nonlinear models are appealing for estimating daily milk yields as well. MCFs and ACFs are typically determined for discrete milking interval classes. Nonetheless, large discrete intervals can introduce systematic biases. A universal solution for deriving continuous correction factors has been proposed, ensuring reduced bias and enhanced daily milk yield estimation accuracy. When leveraging test-day milk yields for genetic evaluations in dairy cattle, two predominant statistical models are employed: lactation and test-day yield models. A lactation model capitalizes on the high heritability of total lactation yields, aligning closely with dairy producers' needs because the total amount of milk production in a lactation directly determines farm revenue. However, a lactation yield model without harnessing all test-day records may ignore vital data about the shapes of lactation curves needed for informed breeding decisions. In contrast, a test-day model emphasizes individual test-day data, accommodating various intervals and recording plans and allowing the estimation of environmental effects on specific test days. In the United States, the patenting of test-day models in 1993 used to restrict the use of test-day models to regional and unofficial evaluations by the patent holders. Estimated test-day milk yields have been used as if they were accurate depictions of actual milk yields, neglecting possible estimation errors. Its potential consequences on subsequent genetic evaluations have not been sufficiently addressed. Moving forward, there are still numerous questions and challenges in this domain.

Sex differences in mouse infralimbic cortex projections to the nucleus accumbens shell

BackgroundThe nucleus accumbens (NAc) is an important region in motivation and reward. Glutamatergic inputs from the infralimbic cortex (ILC) to the shell region of the NAc (NAcSh) have been implicated in driving the motivation to seek reward through repeated action-based behavior. While this has primarily been studied in males, observed sex differences in motivational circuitry and behavior suggest that females may be more sensitive to rewarding stimuli. These differences have been implicated for the observed vulnerability in women to substance use disorders.MethodsWe used an optogenetic self-stimulation task in addition to ex vivo electrophysiological recordings of NAcSh neurons in mouse brain slices to investigate potential sex differences in ILC-NAcSh circuitry in reward-seeking behavior. Glutamatergic neurons in the ILC were infected with an AAV delivering DNA encoding for channelrhodopsin. Entering the designated active corner of an open field arena resulted in photostimulation of the ILC terminals in the NAcSh. Self-stimulation occurred during two consecutive days of testing over three consecutive weeks: first for 10 Hz, then 20 Hz, then 30 Hz. Whole-cell recordings of medium spiny neurons in the NAcSh assessed both optogenetically evoked local field potentials and intrinsic excitability.ResultsAlthough both sexes learned to seek the active zone, within the first day, females entered the zone more than males, resulting in a greater amount of photostimulation. Increasing the frequency of optogenetic stimulation amplified female reward-seeking behavior. Males were less sensitive to ILC stimulation, with higher frequencies and repeated days required to increase male reward-seeking behavior. Unexpectedly, ex vivo optogenetic local field potentials in the NAcSh were greater in slices from male animals. In contrast, female medium-spiny neurons (MSNs) displayed significantly greater intrinsic neuronal excitability.ConclusionsTaken together, these data indicate that there are sex differences in the motivated behavior driven by glutamate within the ILC-NAcSh circuit. Though glutamatergic signaling was greater in males, heightened intrinsic excitability in females appears to drive this sex difference.

Thermal Performance Improvement of a Spiral Channel Solar Air Heater: Numerical and Experimental Investigation in the Desert Climate of Gabes Region

Abstract This study focuses on improving the thermal performance of a solar air heater (SAH) using a single-pass spiral-shaped ducts. The SAH is designed and tested under prevailing weather conditions of Gabes, Tunisia (33°52.8876′ N,10°5.892′ E). The experimental measurements are carried out over 4 days. Similarly, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to study the fluid flow and the heat transfer inside the SAH using the commercial software ansys fluent 2021 R1”. The discrete ordinate (DO) radiation model and the k-ω shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model are used to study the radiative heat transfer and the turbulent flow in the SAH, respectively. The numerical model is validated against experimental data, and the average error does not exceed 3.6%. To improve the heat transfer phenomena, the ratio of horizontal baffle spacing “d” to vertical baffle spacing “p” (d/p) is numerically investigated. Moreover, the highest air outlet temperature during the test days reached 81.1 °C under a mass flowrate of 0.0077 kg/s. The maximum efficiencies are 57%, 54%, 49%, and 46% for the configurations d/p = 1.5, d/p = 2, d/p = 1, and d/p = 0.5 under a mass flowrate of 0.02 kg/s, respectively. The SAH design with d/p = 1.5 is about 4–10% more efficient than the standard design with d/p = 1 under a mass flowrate ranging from 0.0077 kg/s to 0.025 kg/s.

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase modulates learned helplessness response in female rats

Learned helplessness is the condition of humans or animals that have learned to behave helplessly, failing to respond even though there are opportunities to help themselves by avoiding unpleasant circumstances. It was investigated the participation of nitric oxide (NO) in female Wistar rats in learned helplessness tests. The animals received acute treatment with N–nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg), an inhibitor of NO synthase, 30 minutes before random inescapable shock sessions lasting 25 minutes. On the test day, the animals that received L-NAME of 10 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg 24 hours beforehand, demonstrated reduced difference between stress and non-stress groups compared with control groups. The activity of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase was lower in animals pretreated with L-NAME, especially at a dose of 100 mg/kg. These results indicate that acute inhibition of NO synthase improved learned helplessness response, suggesting that NO is involved with stress and depression.

Development of Momentary Appetite Capture (MAC): A versatile tool for monitoring appetite over long periods

Understanding how an intervention impacts appetite in real-life settings and over several days remains a challenging and under-explored research question. To this end, we developed Momentary Appetite Capture (MAC), a form of ecological momentary assessment that combines automated text messaging with an online platform. Participants report their appetite using visual analogue scales (hunger, desire to eat, and fullness) and a virtual portion-size selection task. In two separate studies, we assessed the feasibility and test-retest reliability of MAC. Participants were prompted every 2 hours over a 14-hour window, and they repeated this assessment over two consecutive weekdays. For each participant, we calculated a daily time-averaged area under the curve (AUC) for each appetite measure. In Study One (N = 25) time-averaged AUC was significantly positively correlated across test days for hunger (r = 0.563, p = .003), desire to eat (r = 0.515, p = .008) and prospective portion size (r = 0.914, p < .001), but not for fullness (r = 0.342, p = .094). Participants completed 95% of MACs (380 of 400), and we used participant feedback to improve the MAC tool and study protocol for Study Two. In Study Two (N = 31), 94% of MACs were completed (468 of 496). Across days, time-averaged AUC was significantly positively correlated for hunger (r = 0.595, p = < .001), fullness (r = 0.501, p = .004), desire to eat (r = 0.585, p < .001), and prospective portion size (r = 0.757, p < .001). Together, these studies suggest that MAC could be an acceptable and reliable tool to track appetite throughout the day. In the future, MAC could be used to explore the impact of weight-loss interventions on natural fluctuations in appetite.

Cues associated with a single ethanol exposure elicit conditioned corticosterone responses in adolescent male but not female Sprague-Dawley rats.

It has been shown that ethanol-induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats was sensitized by environmental stimuli paired with ethanol and was accompanied by a conditioned increase in corticosterone (CORT). Adolescent males showed ethanol-induced IL-6 conditioning more readily than adults. The present studies examined whether female adolescents display IL-6 conditioning and whether adolescents of either sex show CORT conditioning. Male and female (N=212, n=6-10) adolescent (postnatal day 33-40) rats were given ethanol (2g/kg intraperitoneal injection; the unconditioned stimulus), either paired with a lavender-scented novel context (the conditioned stimulus) or explicitly unpaired from context. Rats were tested in the context without ethanol and brains/blood were collected. Adolescent females did not show signs of neuroimmune (Experiment 1) or CORT conditioning (Experiments 2-4). Paired males showed enhanced CORT to the scented context relative to unpaired counterparts when the interoceptive cue of a saline injection was used on test day (Experiment 2). Experiment 5 used a delayed conditioning procedure and showed that male paired adolescents showed significantly higher CORT in response to context, showing that classically conditioned CORT response was precipitated by environmental cues alone. These findings indicate that adolescent males may be predisposed to form conditioned associations between alcohol and environmental cues, contributing to adolescent vulnerability to long-lasting ethanol effects.