Evaluation of Apparent Metabolizable Energy and Apparent Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility of Spirulina () in Broiler Chickens and Laying Hens.

Our study objective was to determine the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of spirulina fed to broiler chickens and laying hens using the difference method. In both experiments, birds were either fed corn-soybean meal basal diets, containing no spirulina and formulated to provide the nutrient requirements of either broilers or layers, or fed test diets consisting of 25% spirulina and 75% of the appropriate basal diet. Titanium dioxide was added to all diets as an indigestible marker.

Depression Moderates the Relationship between Trait Anxiety, Worry and Attentional Control in Melanoma Survivors.

Cancer survivors commonly contend with concurrent cognitive difficulties such as problems with attention and concentration, and psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. However, the associations between attentional and emotional difficulties within the specific context of melanoma survivors remain relatively unexplored. Premised on attentional control theory, the current study employed a cross-sectional design to explore the interplay among trait anxiety (dispositional) and situational anxiety (cancer-related worry), depression and attentional control (ability to inhibit distractors and flexibly shift within and between tasks) in a sample of 187 melanoma survivors aged 18 to 58 years ( = 36.

Dietary fat composition shapes bile acid metabolism and severity of liver injury in a pig model of pediatric NAFLD.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary fatty acid (FA) composition on bile acid (BA) metabolism in a pig model of NAFLD, by using a multiomics approach combined with histology and serum biochemistry. Thirty 20-day-old Iberian pigs pair-housed in pens were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 hypercaloric diets for 10 wk: ) lard-enriched (LAR; = 5 pens), ) olive oil-enriched (OLI; = 5), and ) coconut oil-enriched (COC; = 5). Animals were euthanized on after blood sampling, and liver, colon, and distal ileum (DI) were collected for histology, metabolomics, and transcriptomics.

Diet, habitat and flight characteristics correlate with intestine length in birds.

A link between diet and avian intestinal anatomy is generally assumed. We collated the length of intestinal sections and body mass of 390 bird species and tested relationships with diet, climate and locomotion. There was a strong phylogenetic signal in all datasets.

Less need for differentiation? Intestinal length of reptiles as compared to mammals.

Although relationships between intestinal morphology between trophic groups in reptiles are widely assumed and represent a cornerstone of ecomorphological narratives, few comparative approaches actually tested this hypothesis on a larger scale. We collected data on lengths of intestinal sections of 205 reptile species for which either body mass (BM), snout-vent-length (SVL) or carapax length (CL) was recorded, transforming SVL or CL into BM if the latter was not given, and analyzed scaling patterns with BM and SVL, accounting for phylogeny, comparing three trophic guilds (faunivores, omnivores, herbivores), and comparing with a mammal dataset. Length-BM relationships in reptiles were stronger for the small than the large intestine, suggesting that for the latter, additional factors might be relevant.

Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup Compared with Sucrose Promotes Adiposity and Increased Triglyceridemia but Comparable NAFLD Severity in Juvenile Iberian Pigs.

Background: Fructose consumption has been linked to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children. However, the effect of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) compared with sucrose in pediatric NAFLD has not been investigated.

Objectives: We tested whether the isocaloric substitution of dietary sucrose by HFCS would increase the severity of NAFLD in juvenile pigs, and whether this effect would be associated with changes in gut histology, SCFA production, and microbial diversity.

Mammalian intestinal allometry, phylogeny, trophic level and climate.

An often-stated ecomorphological assumption that has the status of 'textbook knowledge' is that the dimensions of the digestive tract correlate with diet, where herbivores-consuming diets of lower digestibility-have longer intestinal tracts than faunivores-consuming diets of higher digestibility. However, statistical approaches have so far failed to demonstrate this link. Here, we collated data on the length of intestinal sections and body mass of 519 mammal species, and test for various relationships with trophic, climatic and other biological characteristics.

Dysregulated FXR-FGF19 signaling and choline metabolism are associated with gut dysbiosis and hyperplasia in a novel pig model of pediatric NASH.

To investigate the role of bile acids (BAs) in the pathogenesis of diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), we fed a "Western-style diet" [high fructose, high fat (HFF)] enriched with fructose, cholesterol, and saturated fat for 10 wk to juvenile Iberian pigs. We also supplemented probiotics with in vitro BA deconjugating activity to evaluate their potential therapeutic effect in NASH. Liver lipid and function, cytokines, and hormones were analyzed using commercially available kits.

Alexithymia and Mood: Recognition of Emotion in Self and Others.

The present study explored relationships between alexithymia-a trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings and an external thinking style-and negative moods, negative mood regulation expectancies, facial recognition of emotions, emotional empathy, and alcohol consumption. The sample consisted of 102 university (primarily psychology) students (13 men, 89 women) aged 18 to 50 years (M = 22.18 years).

Rash Impulsiveness and Negative Mood, but not Alexithymia or Reward Sensitivity, Differentiate Young to Middle-Aged Chronic Daily Smokers from Never-Smokers.

Given the well-established associations of the personality traits alexithymia, impulsivity, and reward sensitivity with problematic use of a variety of substances, including alcohol and cannabis, the present study sought to determine whether daily tobacco smoking is similarly linked to these traits. Male and female adults aged 18 to 40 years were recruited from the local Australian community, allowing comparison of demographically similar samples of current daily smokers (n = 47) to never-smokers (n = 59) on the relevant self-report measures. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that current smokers scored significantly higher than never-smokers on indices of negative mood, impulsiveness, and risky alcohol use, after controlling for social desirability.

Traits associated with internet addiction in young adults: Potential risk factors.

The present study sought to determine whether certain personality traits associated with problematic substance use may also characterize young adults who report problematic internet use. An index of internet addiction as well as measures of traits previously linked to problematic substance use were administered to a sample of 86 young adults aged 18-30 years. Measures included the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS).

Interrelationships between trait anxiety, situational stress and mental effort predict phonological processing efficiency, but not effectiveness.

Attentional control theory (ACT) describes the mechanisms associated with the relationship between anxiety and cognitive performance. We investigated the relationship between cognitive trait anxiety, situational stress and mental effort on phonological performance using a simple (forward-) and complex (backward-) word span task. Ninety undergraduate students participated in the study.

Cognitive trait anxiety, stress and effort interact to predict inhibitory control.

Few studies have focussed on the link between anxiety and inhibitory control in the absence of stimulus-driven external threat. This two-part experiment examined the interactions between (1) somatic trait anxiety, somatic situational stress (i.e.

Cognitive trait anxiety, situational stress, and mental effort predict shifting efficiency: Implications for attentional control theory.

Attentional control theory (ACT) predicts that trait anxiety and situational stress interact to impair performance on tasks that involve attentional shifting. The theory suggests that anxious individuals recruit additional effort to prevent shortfalls in performance effectiveness (accuracy), with deficits becoming evident in processing efficiency (the relationship between accuracy and time taken to perform the task). These assumptions, however, have not been systematically tested.

Blood alcohol concentration is negatively associated with gambling money won on the Iowa gambling task in naturalistic settings after controlling for trait impulsivity and alcohol tolerance.

Introduction: Acute alcohol intoxication has been found to increase perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a well known neuropsychological index of prefrontal cortical functioning, in both laboratory and naturalistic settings.

Method: The present study examined the relationship between levels of alcohol consumption at campus drinking venues and performance of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), another neuropsychological test designed to assess prefrontal cortex dysfunction, after controlling for potential confounding variables including habitual alcohol intake (as a proxy for alcohol tolerance), trait impulsivity, and everyday executive functioning.

Results: The 49 participants of both genders aged 18 to 30years were recruited at the relevant venues and showed a broad range of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) from virtually zero (.

Mood, mood regulation, and frontal systems functioning in current smokers, long-term abstinent ex-smokers, and never-smokers.

Indices of mood, mood regulation, and executive functioning were examined in 61 current smokers who have smoked daily for at least one year, 36 ex-smokers who had not smoked a cigarette for at least one year, and 86 never-smokers. All participants completed the following measures online: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) scale, the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) followed by Tukey post-hoc tests revealed significant differences (p < .

Trait impulsivity predicts D-KEFS tower test performance in university students.

The present study examined a widely used self-report index of trait impulsiveness in relation to performance on a well-known neuropsychological executive function test in 70 university undergraduate students (50 women, 20 men) aged 18 to 24 years old. Participants completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), after which they performed the Tower Test of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Hierarchical linear regression showed that after controlling for gender, current alcohol consumption, age at onset of weekly alcohol use, and FrSBe scores, BIS-11 significantly predicted Tower Test Achievement scores, β = -.

Effects of trait anxiety and situational stress on attentional shifting are buffered by working memory capacity.

Background And Objectives: Attentional Control Theory (ACT) predicts that trait anxiety and situation stress combine to reduce performance efficiency on tasks requiring rapid shifts in attention. Recent evidence has also suggested that working memory capacity (WMC) might moderate this relationship. We controlled for methodological difficulties in the existing literature to investigate the relationships between trait anxiety, situational stress, and WMC on attentional shifting.

Mood, mood regulation expectancies and frontal systems functioning in current smokers versus never-smokers in China and Australia.

Indices of mood, mood regulation expectancies and everyday executive functioning were examined in adult current smokers and never-smokers of both genders in Australia (N = 97), where anti-smoking campaigns have dramatically reduced smoking prevalence and acceptability, and in China (N = 222), where smoking prevalence and public acceptance of smoking remain high. Dependent measures included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) expectancies scale, the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) controlling for demographic and recruitment related variables revealed highly significant differences between current smokers and never-smokers in both countries such that smokers indicated worse moods and poorer functioning than never-smokers on all dependent measures.

Rash impulsiveness and reward sensitivity in relation to risky drinking by university students: potential roles of frontal systems.

Background: Two forms of impulsivity, rash impulsiveness and reward sensitivity, have been proposed to reflect aspects of frontal lobe functioning and promote substance use. The present study examined these two forms of impulsivity as well as frontal lobe symptoms in relation to risky drinking by university students.

Methods: University undergraduates aged 18-26years completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), and a demographics questionnaire assessing age, gender, and age of onset of weekly drinking (AOD).

Selective attention for masked and unmasked threatening words in anxiety: Effects of trait anxiety, state anxiety and awareness.

We investigated the effects of awareness on selective attention for masked and unmasked verbal threat material using a computerised version of the emotional Stroop. Participants were assigned to the high trait anxious (HTA) and low trait anxious (LTA) groups on the basis of questionnaire scores, and state anxiety was manipulated within participants through the threat of electric shock. To investigate the effects of awareness on responses to threat, the mode of exposure was blocked such that half the participants received masked trials before the unmasked trials, whereas the other half received the reverse order.

Selective attention for masked and unmasked emotionally toned stimuli: effects of trait anxiety, state anxiety, and test order.

We investigated selective attention for masked and unmasked, threat, and positively valenced words, in high trait anxious (HTA) and low trait anxious (LTA) individuals using the emotional Stroop colour-naming task. State anxiety was varied within participants through the threat of electric shock. To investigate whether the sequencing of the state anxiety manipulation affected colour-naming latencies, the ordering of the shock threat and shock safe conditions was counterbalanced across participants.

Nutrition and behavior of degus (Octodon degus).

Octodon degus are herbivorous rodents that are adapted anatomically and behaviorally to utilize a fibrous diet with moderate-to-low levels of nonstructural carbohydrate. Captive degus should consume foods containing nutrients comparable to those consumed by free-ranging animals. The species is highly social, demonstrating a broad array of communication methods that make them appealing as a companion animal species.

Considerations for kinkajou captive diets.

Kinkajous are not suitable pets for most people, because the species takes considerable resources to accommodate their needs. They are often overlooked in zoo collections and in field research, because they are not considered threatened or endangered. The authors have presented an overview of the diets and enrichment methods that sustain reproduction, growth, and longevity in captive kinkajous.

Effects of contextual cues in recall and recognition memory: the misinformation effect reconsidered.

Research in semantic word list-learning paradigms suggests that presentation modality during encoding may influence word recognition at test. Given these findings, it is argued that some previous misinformation effect research might contain methodologies which are problematic. Misleading information groups typically receive erroneous information in written narratives, which may be further impeded by written tests.