Effect of microencapsulated phenolic compound extracts of Maclura tinctoria (L.) Steud on growth performance and humoral immunity markers of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei, Boone, 1931) juveniles

Aim of study: The effect of microencapsulated phenolic compound extracts of Maclura tinctoria (MTBE) on growth performance and humoral immunity markers of the white leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles (0.5 ± 0.2 g initial weight) was studied.Area of study: M. tinctoria was collected from Hampolol, Campeche, and Arroyo del Agua, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico.Material and methods: Three MTBE inclusions (0.5, 1, and 2.5 g MTBE/kg, Purina®) were compared with a control commercial feed (Purina®) during 30 days. Nine phenolic acids, nine flavonols, four dihydro-flavonoids, four flavones, and seven unidentified phenolic compounds were determined fin the MTBE using a Perkin Elmer® HPLC chromatograph and diode array-detection.Main results: The mean concentrations of total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid compounds, and condensed tannins were 198.05 ± 5.59 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g-1 dw, 78.57 ± 1.80 quercetin equivalent g-1, and 28.32 ± 0.33 mg epicatechin equivalent g-1, respectively. The ferric reducing antioxidant power and the total antioxidant capacity, respectively, averaged 28.32 mg GAE mL-1 and 10.9 mg ascorbic acid equivalent mL-1. Survival, weight gain, and specific growth rate of L. vannamei were similar among the experimental diets. The dietary inclusion of MTBE at 0.5 g/kg of food showed significant higher (p < 0.05) plasma hemocyte lysate protein (1.35 ± 0.055 µg mL-1), prophenoloxidase (0.47 ± 0.15, Abs. 492 nm), and superoxide anion (O2.-) activity (0.21 ± 0.07, Abs. 630 nm).Research highlights: The supplementation of MTBE at 0.5 g/kg of food could be considered as a potential alternative additive for L. vannamei diet in the juvenile production, since it improved the response of the humoral immunity markers at post larval life stages, when cultivated shrimp are more susceptible to be infected by pathogens

Self-Esteem, Study Habits, and Academic Performance of Business College Students

Individual’s academic success may be affected by personal and social dimensions of life. Self-esteem and study habits are that dimensions in life that have influential effects on academic achievement.  Thus, this study was conducted to determine if there is a significant relationship between self-esteem, study habits and the academic performance of 151 students from the College of Business.  This study utilized the descriptive and correlational designs.   Using stratified sampling, the questionnaires were administered to a sample of 151 business students.  The descriptive results revealed that the business students have high self-esteem, good study habits, and average academic performance (GPA=3.31).  Using Pearson’s correlation, a significant relationship was found between self-esteem and academic performance and between study habits and academic performance in terms of reading textbooks, taking notes and using resources. It was recommended that educators should encourage and cheer up students, raise their spirits when they are down, and congratulate them when they are doing well. Educators should find activities that will motivate students to study harder to improve their academic performance

Clash of Titans: A MUSE dynamical study of the extreme cluster merger SPT-CL J0307-6225

We present MUSE spectroscopy, Megacam imaging, and Chandra X-ray emission for SPT-CL J0307-6225, a z = 0.58 major merging galaxy cluster with a large BCG-SZ centroid separation and a highly disturbed X-ray morphology. The galaxy density distribution shows two main overdensities with separations of 0.144 and 0.017 arcmin to their respective BCGs. We characterize the central regions of the two colliding structures, namely 0307-6225N and 0307-6225S, finding velocity derived masses of M200, N = 2.44 ± 1.41 × 1014M⊙ and M200, S = 3.16 ± 1.88 × 1014M⊙, with a line-of-sight velocity difference of |Δv| = 342 km s-1. The total dynamically derived mass is consistent with the SZ derived mass of 7.63 h70-1 ± 1.36 × 1014M⊙. We model the merger using the Monte Carlo Merger Analysis Code, estimating a merging angle of 36+14-12 ° with respect to the plane of the sky. Comparing with simulations of a merging system with a mass ratio of 1:3, we find that the best scenario is that of an ongoing merger that began 0.96+0.31-0.18 Gyr ago. We also characterize the galaxy population using Hδand [O ii] λ3727 Å lines. We find that most of the emission-line galaxies belong to 0307-6225S, close to the X-ray peak position with a third of them corresponding to red-cluster sequence galaxies, and the rest to blue galaxies with velocities consistent with recent periods of accretion. Moreover, we suggest that 0307-6225S suffered a previous merger, evidenced through the two equally bright BCGs at the centre with a velocity difference of ∼674 km s-1

Assessment of Platelet REACtivity After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement : The REAC-TAVI Trial

The REAC-TAVI (Assessment of platelet REACtivity after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial enrolled patients with aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) pre-treated with aspirin + clopidogrel, aimed to compare the efficacy of clopidogrel and ticagrelor in suppressing high platelet reactivity (HPR) after TAVI. Current recommendations support short-term use of aspirin + clopidogrel for patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR despite the lack of compelling evidence. This was a prospective, randomized, multicenter investigation. Platelet reactivity was measured at 6 different time points with the VerifyNow assay (Accriva Diagnostics, San Diego, California). HPR was defined as (P2Y reaction units (PRU) ≥208. Patients with HPR before TAVR were randomized to either aspirin + ticagrelor or aspirin + clopidogrel for 3 months. Patients without HPR continued with aspirin + clopidogrel (registry cohort). The primary endpoint was non-HPR status (PRU <208) in ≥70% of patients treated with ticagrelor at 90 days post-TAVR. A total of 68 patients were included. Of these, 48 (71%) had HPR (PRU 273 ± 09) and were randomized to aspirin + ticagrelor (n = 24, PRU 277 ± 08) or continued with aspirin + clopidogrel (n = 24, PRU 269 ± 49). The remaining 20 patients (29%) without HPR (PRU 133 ± 12) were included in the registry. Overall, platelet reactivity across all the study time points after TAVR was lower in patients randomized to ticagrelor compared with those treated with clopidogrel, including those enrolled in the registry (p < 0.001). The primary endpoint was achieved in 100% of patients with ticagrelor compared with 21% with clopidogrel (p < 0.001). Interestingly, 33% of clopidogrel responder patients at baseline developed HPR status during the first month after TAVR. HPR to clopidogrel is present in a considerable number of patients with AS undergoing TAVR. Ticagrelor achieves a better and faster effect, providing sustained suppression of HPR to these patients. (Platelet Reactivity After TAVI: A Multicenter Pilot Study [REAC-TAVI]; NCT02224066

The Abell 3391/95 galaxy cluster system:A 15 Mpc intergalactic medium emission filament, a warm gas bridge, infalling matter clumps, and (re-) accelerated plasma discovered by combining SRG/eROSITA data with ASKAP/EMU and DECam data

We used dedicated SRG/eROSITA X-ray, ASKAP/EMU radio, and DECam optical observations of a 15 sq.deg region around the interacting galaxy cluster system A3391/95 to study the warm-hot gas in cluster outskirts and filaments, the surrounding large-scale structure and its formation process. We relate the observations to expectations from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations from the Magneticum suite. We trace the irregular morphology of warm-hot gas of the main clusters from their centers out to well beyond their characteristic radii, $r_{200}$. Between the two main cluster systems, we observe an emission bridge; thanks to eROSITA's unique soft response and large field of view, we discover tantalizing hints for warm gas. Several matter clumps physically surrounding the system are detected. For the "Northern Clump," we provide evidence that it is falling towards A3391 from the hot gas morphology and radio lobe structure of its central AGN. Many of the extended sources in the field detected by eROSITA are known clusters or new clusters in the background, including a known SZ cluster at redshift z=1. We discover an emission filament north of the virial radius, $r_{100}$, of A3391 connecting to the Northern Clump and extending south of A3395 towards another galaxy cluster. The total projected length of this continuous warm-hot emission filament is 15 Mpc, running almost 4 degrees across the entire eROSITA observation. The DECam galaxy density map shows galaxy overdensities in the same regions. The new datasets provide impressive confirmation of the theoretically expected structure formation processes on the individual system level, including the surrounding warm-hot intergalactic medium distribution compared to the Magneticum simulation. Our spatially resolved findings show that baryons indeed reside in large-scale warm-hot gas filaments with a clumpy structure.Comment: 21 pages plus 16 figures in the main text and 13 pages plus 29 figures as appendix. Astronomy & Astrophysics, accepted on November 3, 2020. A press release, full resolution images plus additional images and movies are available at https://astro.uni-bonn.de/~reiprich/A3391_95

Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented

Plant trait and vegetation data along a 1314 m elevation gradient with fire history in Puna grasslands, Per\ufa

\ua9 2024. The Author(s). Alpine grassland vegetation supports globally important biodiversity and ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by climate warming and other environmental changes. Trait-based approaches can support understanding of vegetation responses to global change drivers and consequences for ecosystem functioning. In six sites along a 1314 m elevational gradient in Puna grasslands in the Peruvian Andes, we collected datasets on vascular plant composition, plant functional traits, biomass, ecosystem fluxes, and climate data over three years. The data were collected in the wet and dry season and from plots with different fire histories. We selected traits associated with plant resource use, growth, and life history strategies (leaf area, leaf dry/wet mass, leaf thickness, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf C, N, P content, C and N isotopes). The trait dataset contains 3,665 plant records from 145 taxa, 54,036 trait measurements (increasing the trait data coverage of the regional flora by 420%) covering 14 traits and 121 plant taxa (ca. 40% of which have no previous publicly available trait data) across 33 families

Association between loop diuretic dose changes and outcomes in chronic heart failure: observations from the ESC-EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

[Abstract] Aims. Guidelines recommend down-titration of loop diuretics (LD) once euvolaemia is achieved. In outpatients with heart failure (HF), we investigated LD dose changes in daily cardiology practice, agreement with guideline recommendations, predictors of successful LD down-titration and association between dose changes and outcomes. Methods and results. We included 8130 HF patients from the ESC-EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry. Among patients who had dose decreased, successful decrease was defined as the decrease not followed by death, HF hospitalization, New York Heart Association class deterioration, or subsequent increase in LD dose. Mean age was 66±13 years, 71% men, 62% HF with reduced ejection fraction, 19% HF with mid-range ejection fraction, 19% HF with preserved ejection fraction. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] LD dose was 40 (25–80) mg. LD dose was increased in 16%, decreased in 8.3% and unchanged in 76%. Median (IQR) follow-up was 372 (363–419) days. Diuretic dose increase (vs. no change) was associated with HF death [hazard ratio (HR) 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–2.08; P = 0.008] and nominally with cardiovascular death (HR 1.25, 95% CI 0.96–1.63; P = 0.103). Decrease of diuretic dose (vs. no change) was associated with nominally lower HF (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.33–1.07; P = 0.083) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.62 95% CI 0.38–1.00; P = 0.052). Among patients who had LD dose decreased, systolic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR) 1.11 per 10 mmHg increase, 95% CI 1.01–1.22; P = 0.032], and absence of (i) sleep apnoea (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.09–0.69; P = 0.008), (ii) peripheral congestion (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29–0.80; P = 0.005), and (iii) moderate/severe mitral regurgitation (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37–0.87; P = 0.008) were independently associated with successful decrease. Conclusion. Diuretic dose was unchanged in 76% and decreased in 8.3% of outpatients with chronic HF. LD dose increase was associated with worse outcomes, while the LD dose decrease group showed a trend for better outcomes compared with the no-change group. Higher systolic blood pressure, and absence of (i) sleep apnoea, (ii) peripheral congestion, and (iii) moderate/severe mitral regurgitation were independently associated with successful dose decrease