The Role of Resilience as an Emotional Protective Factor to Mental Fatigue During the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Experience of Undergraduate Medical Students in Oman

The impact of COVID-19 on mental health across the globe has been colossal. Student mental health and well- being during the pandemic has caused increasing concern due to the drastic transition to online classes, lowered opportunities for socialization and stress related to COVID-19. The aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of mental fatigue among undergraduate medical students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (COMHS), National University of Science and Technology, Sultanate of Oman and study the impact of resilience as a protective factor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated that participants experienced mild levels of mental fatigue. Normal levels of resilience capacity were seen among medical students. Significant negative correlation was seen between Mental Fatigue and Resilience. Linear regression analysis indicated that gender was a moderate predictive factor in the experience of mental fatigue. Post-lockdown survey results indicated that medical students continued to experience signs of mental fatigue, though restrictions have eased. They also continued to exhibit normal levels of resilience capacity. Students at the COMHS experienced mild levels of mental fatigue during the pandemic lockdown period. Normal level of resilience capacity effectively contributed as an emotional protective factor. Medical students continue to experience mild levels of mental fatigue, though lockdown restrictions have eased. Enhancing campus-based counselling support services to target COVID-19 related psychological distress and improve resiliency capacity is vital

Constructing a logistics space: perspectives form the Gulf Cooperation Council

Development plans across the Gulf Cooperation Council emphasise logistical infrastructure as a driver of economic diversification. Investments in maritime ports, roads, rail, airports and logistics cities are transforming the economic geography of the region. This study aims to make visible this neglected aspect of the physical transformation of the Gulf Cooperation Council with a focus on the understudied maritime container ports in Oman and Qatar. Shifting the analysis to emergent maritime logistical infrastructure at a regional level gives insight into the uneven developments within the Gulf Cooperation Council’s integration project. Three key features emerge: (a) a large degree of duplication in maritime port infrastructure across Gulf Cooperation Council states; (b) a regional hierarchy among Gulf Cooperation Council states that are resource rich and those dependent on public–private partnerships and (c) increasing competition among internationally dominant port operators looking to gain access to the Gulf Cooperation Council maritime port market. These features both reflect and reinforce competitive tensions within the regional integration project

Star Architecture as Socio-Material Assemblage

Taking inspiration from new materialism and assemblage, the chapter deals with star architects and iconic buildings as socio-material network effects that do not pre-exist action, but are enacted in practice, in the materiality of design crafting and city building. Star architects are here conceptualized as part of broader assemblages of actors and practices ‘making star architecture’ a reality, and the buildings they design are considered not just as unique and iconic objects, but dis-articulated as complex crafts mobilizing skills, technologies, materials, and forms of knowledge not necessarily ascribable to architecture. Overcoming narrow criticism focusing on the symbolic order of icons as unique creations and alienated repetitions of capitalist development, the chapter’s main aim is to widen the scope of critique by bridging culture and economy, symbolism and practicality, making star architecture available to a broad, fragmented arena of (potential) critics, unevenly equipped with critical tools and differentiated experiences

Optimization of Low-Biomass Sample Collection and Quantitative PCR-Based Titration Impact 16S rRNA Microbiome Resolution

The major aquatic interface between host and environment in teleost finfish species is the gill. The diversity of this infraclass, high complexity of the organ, and its direct exposure to the surrounding environment make it an ideal candidate for furthering our understanding of the intertwined relationships between host and microbiome. Capturing the structure and diversity of bacterial communities from this low-biomass, inhibitor-rich tissue can, however, prove challenging. Lessons learned in doing so are directly applicable to similar sample types in other areas of microbiology. Through the development of a quantitative PCR assay for both host material and 16S rRNA genes, we tested and developed a robust method for low-biomass sample collection which minimized host DNA contamination. Quantification of 16S rRNA facilitated not only the screening of samples prior to costly library construction and sequencing but also the production of equicopy libraries based on 16S rRNA gene copies. A significant increase in diversity of bacteria captured was achieved, providing greater information on the true structure of the microbial community. Such findings offer important information for determining functional processes. Results were confirmed across fresh, brackish, and marine environs with four different fish species, with results showing broad homology between samples, demonstrating the robustness of the approach. Evidence presented is widely applicable to samples similar in composition, such as sputum or mucus, or those that are challenging due to the inherent inclusion of inhibitors. IMPORTANCE The interaction between the fish gill and surrounding bacteria-rich water provides an intriguing model for examining the interaction between the fish, free-floating bacteria, and the bacterial microbiome on the gill surface. Samples that are inherently low in bacteria, or that have components that inhibit the ability to produce libraries that identify the components of microbial communities, present significant challenges. Gill samples present both of these types of challenges. We developed methods for quantifying both the bacterial and host DNA material and established a sampling method which both reduced inhibitor content and maximized bacterial diversity. By quantifying and normalizing bacteria prior to library construction, we showed significant improvements with regards to the fidelity of the final data. Our results support wide-ranging applications for analyzing samples of similar composition, such as mucus and sputum, in other microbiological spheres

Exploring the impact of thermal delousing on gill health and microbiome dynamics in farmed Atlantic Salmon

The economic cost of salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus rogercresseyi) infestations in the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) industry has been estimated to be around $900 million annually. This high cost has driven a concerted effort to develop, examine, understand, and implement various methods for louse control. Husbandry interventions utilising warm water exposure have been highly successful in complementing traditional chemotherapeutants, especially as the efficiency of the latter has reduced in recent years. In this study, we sought to examine the impact of thermal delousing on gill health in two commercial sites with different historical husbandry and treatment interventions prior to and post-thermal treatment. Methods to characterise gill health and the response to thermal treatment included a detailed examination of the gill for microparasites using both histology and qPCR and targeted immune gene expression analysis, most notably antigen-presenting cells (mhc ii), proinflammatory cytokines (il-1β and tnf-α) and inhibitory cytokines (tgf-β and il-10). Furthermore, we examined the bacterial communities present on the gill surface using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Data obtained from these trials indicated a minimal impact on gill microparasite prevalence in response to the thermal treatment. The expression of immune markers exhibited a significant decrease across both sites after treatment. Intriguingly, marked differences in the gill bacterial communities in response to treatment between the two sites were clearly observed. This divergence could be attributed to the notable differences in husbandry history and health status of the fish at the two sites prior to the thermal treatment. Our data suggest that microbiome diversity is an informative indicator of fish gill health and could be used to define appropriate interventions when treating sea lice

Net cleaning impacts Atlantic salmon gill health through microbiome dysbiosis

Introduction: Net biofouling has a significant impact for the global salmon industry in the seawater grow-out stage in terms of its management. Current mitigation strategies occur primarily through the regular removal of biofouling using in situ cleaning. While in situ net cleaning is effective there is uncertainty as to whether the equipment or dispersed material has an impact upon the fish in the cages. Through direct contact with the environment, the significant surface area of the gill including its microbiome is directly exposed to the acute environmental changes generated by net cleaning. This study aimed to provide a detailed understanding of the impact of in situ net cleaning on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gill health. Methods: Three field trials were conducted on commercial fish farms in western Norway. Fouling organisms on net pens and flushed particles during in situ cleaning were identified and screened for major fish pathogens. Hydrographic profile measurements were performed to measure the impact on water quality. Gill samples were examined for histopathological changes, immune gene expression, and the prevalence of major pathogens. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was employed to explore the impact of net cleaning on gill microbiome. Results and discussion: Data obtained from these trials identified a diversity of fouling species including hydroids, algae, skeleton shrimps, and filter feeders on net pens, a direct impact on measured water quality indicators, a moderate change in gill inflammatory and antigen presentation activity at the level of mRNA, and a large significant change in gill microbiome. Observed changes in gill microbial community involved a decrease in bacterial richness coupled to an increase in identified bacterial genera related to negative health consequences. Parallel analyses for pathogens load in biofouling organisms and flushed particles highlighted the presence of several fish bacteria and parasites. However, minor changes were detected in salmon gill pathogen diversity and loading. Our results suggest that biofouling organisms may act as transient reservoirs for some fish pathogens but not viruses and that gill microbial dysbiosis could be related to the host stress response during and post net cleaning

Collagen extract obtained from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) skin accelerates wound healing in rat model via up regulating VEGF, bFGF, and α-SMA genes expression

Background Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the mammalian connective tissue and represents approximately 30% of animal protein. The current study evaluated the potential capacity of collagen extract derived from Nile tilapia skin in improving the cutaneous wound healing in rats and investigated the underlying possible mechanisms. A rat model was used, and the experimental design included a control group (CG) and the tilapia collagen treated group (TCG). Full-thickness wounds were conducted on the back of all the rats under general anesthesia, then the tilapia collagen extract was applied topically on the wound area of TCG. Wound areas of the two experimental groups were measured on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 post-wounding. The stages of the wound granulation tissues were detected by histopathologic examination and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF-ß1) were investigated using immunohistochemistry. Moreover, relative gene expression analysis of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were quantified by real-time qPCR. Results The histopathological assessment showed noticeable signs of skin healing in TCG compared to CG. Immunohistochemistry results revealed remarkable enhancement in the expression levels of VEGF and TGF-β1 in TCG. Furthermore, TCG exhibited marked upregulation in the VEGF, bFGF, and α-SMA genes expression. These findings suggested that the topical application of Nile tilapia collagen extract can promote the cutaneous wound healing process in rats, which could be attributed to its stimulating effect on recruiting and activating macrophages to produce chemotactic growth factors, fibroblast proliferation, and angiogenesis. Conclusions The collagen extract could, therefore, be a potential biomaterial for cutaneous wound healing therapeutics. Backgroun

Exploring the multimodal role of yucca schidigera extract in protection against chronic ammonia exposure targeting: Growth, metabolic, stress and inflammatory responses in nile tilapia (oreochromis niloticus l.)

Ammonia is a critical hazardous nitrogen metabolic product in aquaculture. Despite trials for its control, ammonia intoxication remains one of the most critical issues to overcome. In this study, we explored the modulatory effect and potential mechanism by which Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) can ameliorate ammonia intoxication-induced adverse effects on tilapia health and metabolism. A total number of 120 Nile tilapia were evenly assigned into four groups with three replicates each. The first group served as normal control group; the second group was exposed to ammonia alone from the beginning of the experiment and for four weeks. The third group was supplied with YSE in water at a dose of 8 mg/L and exposed to ammonia. The fourth group was supplied with YSE only in water at a dose of 8 mg/L. YSE supplementation succeeded in improving water quality by reducing pH and ammonia levels. Moreover, YSE supplementation markedly alleviated chronic ammonia-induced adverse impacts on fish growth by increasing the final body weight (FBW), specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake and protein efficiency ratio (PER) while reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) via improvements in food intake, elevation of hepatic insulin-like growth factor (ILGF-1) and suppression of myostatin (MSTN) expression levels with the restoration of lipid reserves and the activation of lipogenic potential in adipose tissue as demonstrated by changes in the circulating metabolite levels. In addition, the levels of hepato-renal injury biomarkers were restored, hepatic lipid peroxidation was inhibited and the levels of hepatic antioxidant biomarkers were enhanced. Therefore, the current study suggests that YSE supplementation exerted an ameliorative role against chronic ammonia-induced oxidative stress and toxic effects due to its free radical-scavenging potential, potent antioxidant activities and anti-inflammatory effects

Dietary clenbuterol modifies the expression of genes involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism and growth in the liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The current study aimed to evaluate whether clenbuterol, a β2-adrenergic agonist, supplementation in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets can influence growth and blood parameters. Besides, assessment of adipogenic genes as fatty acid synthase (FAS) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) which is a key enzyme in the regulation of the flux of fatty acids in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue as well as muscle growth-regulating genes as myostatin (MYO) in muscle and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in liver. The fish were allocated into three equal groups; control group that fed basal diet only and the other two groups fed a basal diet containing clenbuterol at two doses 5 ppm and 10 ppm/kg diet for 30 consecutive days. Results revealed that clenbuterol supplementation significantly increased body weight, decreased liver, spleen and abdominal fat weights, and decreased total circulatory cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Moreover, clenbuterol inhibits lipogenesis by downregulation of FAS gene expression by dose and time-dependent manner in the liver while enhanced lipolysis in both the liver and in the adipose tissue. Moreover, lipolysis was reduced in muscle by dose 10 ppm on day 30. Furthermore, clenbuterol presented higher gene expression of MYO and IGF-1 in muscle and liver respectively by dose 5 ppm at day 15 on the other hand, these findings were reversed by day 30 compared with control. In conclusion, clenbuterol efficacy was apparent in a dose and time response pattern to boost growth and reduce fat deposition rates, indicating for the first time that clenbuterol has a profitable growth impact on Nile tilapia