Effects of a Single Opioid Dose on Gastrointestinal Motility in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus): Comparisons among Morphine, Butorphanol, and Tramadol

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of single doses of butorphanol, morphine, and tramadol on gastrointestinal motility in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) using non-invasive imaging methods, such as radiographic barium follow through and ultrasonographic contraction counts. Time-lapse radiographic and ultrasound examinations were performed before and after a single intramuscular dose of 5 mg kg−1 butorphanol, 10 mg kg−1 morphine, or 10 mg kg−1 tramadol. Pyloric and duodenal contraction counts by ultrasonography and radiographic repletion scores for the stomach and caecum were analysed using a mixed linear model. No significant effect was noted on ultrasound examinations of pyloric and duodenal contractions after administration of an opioid treatment. Morphine had a significant effect on the stomach and the caecum repletion scores, whereas butorphanol had a significant effect only on the caecum repletion score. Tramadol had no significant effect on the stomach or caecum repletion scores. The present findings suggest that a single dose of 5 mg kg−1 butorphanol or 10 mg kg−1 morphine temporarily slows gastrointestinal transit in healthy rabbits, preventing physiological progression of the alimentary bolus without the induction of ileus. In contrast, a single dose of 10 mg kg−1 tramadol has no such effects.

Clozapine-related obsessive–compulsive symptoms and their impact on wellbeing: a naturalistic longitudinal study

Background Obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) are commonly associated with clozapine treatment but are frequently overlooked by clinicians despite their potential impact on patients' quality of life. In this study, we explored whether OCS severity impacted subjective wellbeing and general functioning, independently of depressive and psychotic symptoms. Methods We used anonymised electronic healthcare records from a large cohort of patients who were treated with clozapine and assessed annually for OCS, wellbeing, general functioning, and psychopathology using standardised scales as part of routine clinical practice. We used statistical mixed linear model techniques to evaluate the longitudinal influence of OCS severity on wellbeing and general functioning. Results A total of 184 patients were included, with 527 face-to-face assessments and 64.7% evaluated three or more times. Different linear mixed models demonstrated that OCS in patients treated with clozapine were associated with significantly worse wellbeing scores, independently of depression and psychotic symptoms, but OCS did not impair general functioning. Obsessional thinking and hoarding behaviour, but not compulsions, were significantly associated with the impact on wellbeing, which may be attributable to the ego-syntonic nature of the compulsions. Conclusions Given the frequent occurrence of OCS and their negative impact on wellbeing, we encourage clinicians to routinely assess and treat OCS in patients who are taking clozapine.

Phenotypic Diversity and Association Mapping of Ascorbic Acid Content in Spinach

Ascorbic acid (AsA), or vitamin C, is an essential nutrient for humans. In plants, AsA functions as an antioxidant during normal metabolism or in response to stress. Spinach is a highly nutritious green leafy vegetable that is consumed fresh, cooked or as a part of other dishes. One current goal in spinach breeding programs is to enhance quality and nutritional content. However, little is known about the diversity of nutritional content present in spinach germplasm, especially for AsA content. In this study, a worldwide panel of 352 accessions was screened for AsA content showing that variability in spinach germplasm is high and could be utilized for cultivar improvement. In addition, a genome-wide association study for marker-trait association was performed using three models, and associated markers were searched in the genome for functional annotation analysis. The generalized linear model (GLM), the compressed mixed linear model (CMLM) based on population parameters previously determined (P3D) and the perMarker model together identified a total of 490 significant markers distributed across all six spinach chromosomes indicating the complex inheritance of the trait. The different association models identified unique and overlapping marker sets, where 27 markers were identified by all three models. Identified high AsA content accessions can be used as parental lines for trait introgression and to create segregating populations for further genetic analysis. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that identified markers can differentiate between high and low AsA content accessions and that, upon validation, these markers should be useful for breeding programs.

Expression GWAS of PGIP1 Identifies STOP1-Dependent and STOP1-Independent Regulation of PGIP1 in Aluminum Stress Signaling in Arabidopsis

To elucidate the unknown regulatory mechanisms involved in aluminum (Al)-induced expression of POLYGALACTURONASE-INHIBITING PROTEIN 1 (PGIP1), which is one of the downstream genes of SENSITIVE TO PROTON RHIZOTOXICITY 1 (STOP1) regulating Al-tolerance genes, we conducted a genome-wide association analysis of gene expression levels (eGWAS) of PGIP1 in the shoots under Al stress using 83 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. The eGWAS, conducted through a mixed linear model, revealed 17 suggestive SNPs across the genome having the association with the expression level variation in PGIP1. The GWAS-detected SNPs were directly located inside transcription factors and other genes involved in stress signaling, which were expressed in response to Al. These candidate genes carried different expression level and amino acid polymorphisms. Among them, three genes encoding NAC domain-containing protein 27 (NAC027), TRX superfamily protein, and R-R-type MYB protein were associated with the suppression of PGIP1 expression in their mutants, and accordingly, the system affected Al tolerance. We also found the involvement of Al-induced endogenous nitric oxide (NO) signaling, which induces NAC027 and R-R-type MYB genes to regulate PGIP1 expression. In this study, we provide genetic evidence that STOP1-independent NO signaling pathway and STOP1-dependent regulation in phosphoinositide (PI) signaling pathway are involved in the regulation of PGIP1 expression under Al stress.

The Role of SARS-CoV-2 Testing on Hospitalizations in California

The rapid spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus triggered a global health crisis, disproportionately impacting people with pre-existing health conditions and particular demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. One of the main concerns of governments has been to avoid health systems becoming overwhelmed. For this reason, they have implemented a series of non-pharmaceutical measures to control the spread of the virus, with mass tests being one of the most effective controls. To date, public health officials continue to promote some of these measures, mainly due to delays in mass vaccination and the emergence of new virus strains. In this research, we studied the association between COVID-19 positivity rate and hospitalization rates at the county level in California using a mixed linear model. The analysis was performed in the three waves of confirmed COVID-19 cases registered in the state to September 2021. Our findings suggest that test positivity rate is consistently associated with hospitalization rates at the county level for all study waves. Demographic factors that seem to be related to higher hospitalization rates changed over time, as the profile of the pandemic impacted different fractions of the population in counties across California.

Primerjava različnih regresijskih modelov za napovedovanje debelinskega priraščanja jelke

We present seven alternative statistical models for modelling tree diameter increment with data from permanent sampling plots. In addition to the polynomial regression model, we present a regression model with added random noise, a mixed linear model, regression with natural splines, and three models with limited dependent variables: truncated regression, tobit regression and grouped data regression. The models may be used when dealing with truncated or censored variables, biased estimation of the increment due to censoring and rounding down, or when having multilevel data. The parametrization of the models was done using 21,013 fir trees on 4,405 plots in the period 1990–2014 in uneven-aged Dinaric fir-beech forests. All models showed a similar effect of tree diameter, stand basal area, basal area of larger trees, diameter structure diversity, altitude and slope. There were only minor differences in the regression coefficients and fit measures. The highest increment predictions were given by the tobit model. The mixed model fit the data best and, compared to the other models, predicted a slower decrease in the growth of large-diameter trees after growth culmination.

Investigation and Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Fusarium Seedling Blight Resistance in Chinese Elite Wheat Lines

Fusarium seedling blight (FSB) is an important disease of wheat occurring as part of the Fusarium disease complex consisting also of Fusarium head blight (FHB). 240 Chinese elite cultivars and lines were evaluated in greenhouse experiments for FSB resistance and genotyped using the wheat 90 K single nucleotide polymorphism arrays. Among them, 23 accessions had an average lesion length of less than 0.6 cm, exhibiting potential for breeding for FSB resistance in wheat. Jingfumai 1 and Yangmai 11 had a relatively high resistance to both FSB and FHB simultaneously. Six relatively stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected on chromosome arms 1DL, 3AS, 3BL, 6BL, 7AL, and Un using the mixed linear model approach, interpreting 4.83–7.53% of phenotypic variation. There was a negative correlation between the average FSB lesion length and the BLUE FHB index with a low coefficient, and resistance to both diseases appeared to be conferred by different QTLs across the same population. Four KASP markers were detected on 1DL, 3AS, 3BL, and 6BL in QTLs to facilitate marker-assisted selection. Combined with transcriptome data analysis, eight defense-related genes were considered as candidates for mapping QTLs. The resistant elite germplasm, mapped QTLs, and KASP markers developed in this study are useful resources for enhancing Fusarium seedling blight in wheat breeding.

Genome-wide association study uncovers major genetic loci associated with seed flooding tolerance in soybean

Background Seed flooding stress is one of the threatening environmental stressors that adversely limits soybean at the germination stage across the globe. The knowledge on the genetic basis underlying seed-flooding tolerance is limited. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 34,718 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in a panel of 243 worldwide soybean collections to identify genetic loci linked to soybean seed flooding tolerance at the germination stage. Results In the present study, GWAS was performed with two contrasting models, Mixed Linear Model (MLM) and Multi-Locus Random-SNP-Effect Mixed Linear Model (mrMLM) to identify significant SNPs associated with electrical conductivity (EC), germination rate (GR), shoot length (ShL), and root length (RL) traits at germination stage in soybean. With MLM, a total of 20, 40, 4, and 9 SNPs associated with EC, GR, ShL and RL, respectively, whereas in the same order mrMLM detected 27, 17, 13, and 18 SNPs. Among these SNPs, two major SNPs, Gm_08_11971416, and Gm_08_46239716 were found to be consistently connected with seed-flooding tolerance related traits, namely EC and GR across two environments. We also detected two SNPs, Gm_05_1000479 and Gm_01_53535790 linked to ShL and RL, respectively. Based on Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, gene functional annotations, and protein-protein interaction network analysis, we predicted eight candidate genes and three hub genes within the regions of the four SNPs with Cis-elements in promoter regions which may be involved in seed-flooding tolerance in soybeans and these warrant further screening and functional validation. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that GWAS based on high-density SNP markers is an efficient approach to dissect the genetic basis of complex traits and identify candidate genes in soybean. The trait associated SNPs could be used for genetic improvement in soybean breeding programs. The candidate genes could help researchers better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying seed-flooding stress tolerance in soybean.

Anaesthetic protocol for paediatric glaucoma examinations: the prospective EyeBIS Study protocol

IntroductionNeonates and young infants with diagnosed or highly suspected glaucoma require an examination under anaesthesia to achieve accurate intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements, since crying or squinting of the eyes may increase IOP and lead to falsely high values. IOP considerably depends on perioperative variables such as haemodynamic factors, anaesthetics, depth of anaesthesia and airway management. The aim of this paper is to report the design and baseline characteristics of EyeBIS, which is a study to develop a standardised anaesthetic protocol for the measurement of IOP under anaesthesia in childhood glaucoma, by investigating the link between the magnitude of IOP and depth of anaesthesia.Methods and analysisThis is a single-centre, prospective cohort study in 100 children with diagnosed or highly suspected glaucoma all undergoing ophthalmological examination under general anaesthesia. 20 children, who undergo general anaesthesia for other reasons, are included as controls. The primary outcome measure is the establishment of a standardised anaesthetic protocol for IOP measurement in childhood glaucoma by assessing the relationship between IOP and depth of anaesthesia (calculated as an electroencephalography variable, the bispectral index), with special emphasis on airway management and haemodynamic parameters. The dependence of IOP under anaesthesia on airway management and haemodynamic parameters will be described, using a mixed linear model. Restricting the model to patients with healthy eyes will allow to determine a 95% reference region, in which 95% of the measurement values of patients with healthy eyes can be expected.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the local ethics committee of the Medical Association of Rhineland-Palatine (Ethik-Kommisssion der Landesaerztekammer Rheinland-Pfalz), Germany (approval number: 2019-14207). This work will be disseminated by publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts, presentation in abstract form at national and international scientific meetings and data sharing with other investigators.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03972852).

Impact of Possession and Player Position on Physical and Technical-Tactical Performance Indicators in the Chinese Football Super League

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of high (HPBPT) and low percentage ball possession teams (LPBPT) on physical and technical-tactical performance indicators in the Chinese Football Super League (CSL). Eight physical performance indicators and 26 technical-tactical performance indicators from all 240 matches from season 2018 were analyzed, as well as three contextual variables (team strength, quality of opposition, and match location). Players were divided according to five positions: fullbacks, central defenders, wide midfielders, central midfielders, and attackers. A k-means cluster analysis was conducted to classify all match observations into two groups: HPBPT (n = 229) and LPBPT (n = 251). A mixed linear model was fitted with contextual variables as covariates. When significant interactions or main effects were detected, a post hoc comparison was used to compare physical and technical/tactical differences between HPBPT and LPBPT. Results showed that central defenders and fullbacks covered more high-intensity and sprint running distance in the high possession teams, while wide midfielders and forward covered more high-intensity and sprint running distance in the low possession teams. Meanwhile, players from high ball possession teams were strong in technical indicators, especially in attacking organization. These results may help coaches to understand current football development trends and develop suitable training plans and tests for elite football players.