Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age.

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Carotenoids Of The Cyanobacterium Synechocystis Pevalekii Produced Under Normal Conditions And Under Nutrient Limitation [carotenóides Da Cianobactéria Synechocystis Pevalekii Produzida Em Condições Normais E Sob Limitação De Nutrientes]

The use of microalgae and cyanobacteria as sources of nutrients and bioactive substances for food and dietary supplements has attracted a lot of interest in recent years. Through open column chromatography-visible absorption spectrophotometry, high performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector, thin layer chromatography and functional group chemical reactions, trans- and cis-β-carotene, echinenone, β-cryptoxanthin, 3-hydroxy-4′-ketocarotenoid, zeaxanthin and 3,3-dihydroxy-4′ -ketocarotenoid were identified in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis pevalekii. The cianobacterium was green because of the presence of chlorophylls. When cultivated under stress (80% reduction of nutrient content of the original Conway medium) the chlorophylls disappeared and the cyanobacterium assumed an orange color. β-Carotene decreased from 307 to 248 μg/g and β-cryptoxanthin from 94 to 13 μg/g. On the other hand, zeaxanthin increased from 29 to 220 μg/g. Thus, S. pevalekii appears to have commercial potential as source of zeaxanthin, which is implicated in the reduction of the risk of macular degeneration and cataract, together with lutein. The results also showed that conditions for the production of the cyanobacterium can be established so that the biosynthesis of carotenoids important to human health, but difficult to obtain, can be favored. There are already several commercial sources of β-carotene, but sources of zeaxanthin are rare.394415423Ben-Amotz, A., Katz, A., Avron, M., Accumulation of β-carotene in halotolerant algae: Purification and characterization of β-caroteno-rich globules from Dunaliella bardawii (1982) J. Phycol., Malden, 8, pp. 529-537Borowitzka, M.A., Products from microalgae (1993) Infofish Inter., Kuala Lumpur, 5, pp. 21-26Borowitzka, M.A., Vitamins and fine chemicals from microalga (1988) Microalgal Biotechnology, pp. 153-161. , Borowitzka, M.A., Borowitzka, L.Y., eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressBritton, G., UV/visible spectroscopy (1995) Carotenoids: Spectroscopy, 1 B, pp. 13-63. , Britton, G.Liaaen-Jensen, S.Pfander, H., eds. Basel: Birkhäuser VerlagDavies, B.H., Carotenoids (1976) Chemistry and Biochemistry of Plant Pigments, 2, pp. 38-165. , Goodwin, T.W., ed. London: Academic PressGouveia, L., Reis, A., Veloso, V., Empis, J.A., Microalgal biomass as a sustainable alternative raw material (1996) Agro-Food-Industry Hi-Tech., Milano, 3, pp. 29-34Kay, R.A., Microalgae as food and supplement (1991) Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr., Boca Raton, 30, pp. 555-573Krinsky, N.I., Actions of carotenoids in biological systems (1993) Annu. Rev. Nutr., Palo Alto, 13, pp. 561-587Mayne, S.T., β-carotene, carotenoids and cancer prevention in humans (1996) FASEB J., Bethesda, 10, pp. 690-701Olson, J.A., Carotenoids (1999) Modern Nutrition in Health Anddisease. 9.Ed., pp. 525-541. , Shils, M.E.Olson, J.A.Shike, M.Ross, A.C., eds. Baltimore: Williams & WilkinsOrosa, M., Valero, J.F., Herrero, C., Abalde, J., Comparison of the accumulation of astaxanthin in Haematococcus pluvialis and other green microalgae under N-starvation and high light conditions (2001) Biotechnol. Lett., Dordrecht, 23, pp. 1079-1085Rise, M., Cohen, E., Vishkautsan, M., Cojocaru, M., Gottlieb, H.E., Arad, S.M., Accumulation of secondary carotenoids in Chlorella zofingiensis (1994) J. Plant Physiol., Stuttgart, 144, pp. 287-292Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B., (1999) A Guide to Carotenoid Analysis Infoods, , Washington: ILSI Press. 64 pWalne, P.R., Experiments in the large scale culture of the larvae of Ostrea edulis (1966) Fishery Invest., London, 25, pp. 1-5

The TOPAS symbolic computation system

Computer algebra removes much of the drudgery from mathematics; it allows users to formulate models by using the language of mathematics and to have those models evaluated with little effort. This symbolic form of representation is often thought of as being separate to dedicated computational programs such as Rietveld refinement. These dedicated programs are often written in low level languages; they are relatively inflexible in what they do and modifying them to change functionality in a small manner is often a major programming task. This paper describes a symbolic system that is integrated into the dedicated Rietveld refinement program called TOPAS. The symbolic component allows large functional changes to be made at run time and with a relatively small amount of effort. In addition, the system as a whole reduces the programming complexity at the developmental stage

Optimization of Toxoplasma gondii detection by PCR in pregnants blood and placenta

A detecção de Toxoplasma gondii no sangue venoso e na placenta de gestantes pela reação de polimerase em cadeia pode facilitar o diagnóstico pré-natal da toxoplasmose congênita. Foram avaliadas gestantes IgM-reagentes e os seus filhos. Além das dosagens de IgG, IgM, IgA e reação de avidez de IgG (MEIA), foram realizadas a técnica de imunoperoxidase e a inoculação em camundongos. De cada amostra foi efetuada amplificação gênica com primers do gene B1 e novos primers do gene TGR (chamados ABGTg7 C1 e N1). É preciso observar que o tratamento poderia ser responsável por uma diminuição da infecção. Desta forma, o diagnóstico negativo confirmaria a eficiência do tratamento preventivo na replicação parasitária no útero. A reação de polimerase em cadeia mostrou-se sensível e específica; evidenciou a presença de um a dez taquizoítas; pode ser utilizada com segurança e confiabilidade, além de tornar rápido o diagnóstico da toxoplasmose congênita, sendo, assim, ferramenta importante na avaliação pré-natal.The Toxoplasma gondii detection in venous blood and placenta of pregnants by polymerase chain reaction may facilitate the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. We evaluated pregnants with reagent immunoglobulin M (IgM) and their children. Beyond serological toxoplasma-specific immunoglobulins G (IgG), M (IgM), A (IgA) and IgG avidity (MEIA), we did immunoperoxidasis and mice inoculation. Genomic amplification with gene B1 primers and new TgR primers (called ABGTg7 C1 and N1) was conducted for each sample. It’s necessary to observe that treatment probably is responsible for the infection decrease, that manner, negative results would confirm uteri therapeutic efficiency. PCR was sensitive and specific, it identified one to ten tachyzoites. Besides being a fast form of congenital toxoplasmosis diagnosis, it may be used safely and trustly, as an important tool for congenital evaluation