Discretizing continuous variables in nutrition and obesity research: a practice that needs to be cut short.

Background/objectives: Nutrition and obesity researchers often dichotomize or discretize continuous independent variables to conduct an analysis of variance to examine group differences. We describe consequences associated with dichotomizing and discretizing continuous variables using two cross-sectional studies related to nutrition.

Subjects/methods: Study 1 investigated the effects of health literacy and nutrition knowledge on nutrition label accuracy (n = 612).

Suppressive Effect of Soil Microbiomes Associated with Tropical Fruit Trees on .

Plant-parasitic nematodes are one of the main biotic factors limiting agricultural production worldwide, with root-knot nematodes ( spp.) being the most damaging group. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of soil microbiomes, associated with various subtropical fruit trees, on the management of a population.

Examine medicinal plants from South Africa for suppression of under glasshouse conditions.

The nematicidal activity of crudely milled powders of stems, leaves, and bulbs of , , , , , , , and on eggs and J2 population densities of race 2 on tomato was examined under glasshouse conditions. These plant species have medicinal properties and are being used in South Africa by traditional healers as so-called "muti." All plant species showed a suppressive effect.

Oxygen consumption rate of Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput endpoint of toxicity testing using the Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer.

Caenorhabditis elegans presents functioning, biologically relevant phenotypes and is frequently used as a bioindicator of toxicity. However, most C. elegans in vivo effect-assessment methods are laborious and time consuming.

Morphological and morphometrical identification of Meloidogyne populations from various crop production areas in South Africa with emphasis on M. enterolobii.

Accurate identification of Meloidogyne spp. is crucial and the first step to apply suitable management strategies to combat these nematode pests. Perineal-pattern morphology of female specimens is one of the most common characteristics used for identification.