Mental health and academic outcomes over the first year at university in international compared to domestic Canadian students.

OBJECTIVE: To compare risk factors and associated mental health and academic outcomes between international and domestic students. PARTICIPANTS: Canadian university undergraduate students. METHODS: Electronic surveys were completed at university entry and the end of first year. Surveys assessed demographics, risk factors, symptoms of mental disorders, and access to support. Academic outcomes were obtained from university databases. RESULTS: International students had comparable or lower rates of clinically significant anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Domestic female students reported the highest screening rates for common mental disorders. However, international students were more likely to report having attempted suicide. International students felt less connected to the university community and had lower academic performance. Psychosocial risk factor profiles and proportions accessing mental health services were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The scope of mental health need appears more similar than different between international and domestic students; however, international students may benefit from targeted academic and social support initiatives.

Adaptive significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila: XIV. Effect of substrates with different carbohydrate composition on some life-history traits of Drosophila subobscura.

The Amy-locus polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura is used as a model-system for an experimental population genetic study of adaptive significance of alpha-amylase activity on substrates of different carbohydrate compositions. So far, fitness components have not commonly been included in ecological-genetic studies of alpha-amylase polymorphism in this species. In the present paper fitness components are analyzed in relation to different amylase activities in D. subobscura individuals homozygous for "slow" and "fast" Amy allele, associated with substrates of different carbohydrate compositions. The results indicate a significant effect of substrate carbohydrate composition on fitness components of the genotypes homozygous for S or F Amy allele in D. subobscura through their enzyme activity.

Adaptive significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila XIII. Old World obscura species subgroup divergence according to biochemical properties of alpha-amylase.

Biochemical properties of enzyme alpha-amylase were surveyed in Drosophila obscura Old world group of species (D. subobscura, D. ambigua, D. obscura and D. tristis) sampled in the same habitat, with the aim to reveal some ecological and evolutionary aspects of amylase polymorphism, which has been studied extensively in D. subobscura, but not compared with other species in the group. The data obtained show that D. subobscura is distinct from the other three species regarding all biochemical amylase properties. Such a divergence also correlates with the niche breadth and relative abundance of these species in the same habitat.

Adaptive significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila--VI. Properties of two amylase variants and the effect of food components on amylase activity in Drosophila subobscura.

1. Properties of amylase from two D. subobscura strains homozygous for two different amylase variants (AmyS and AmyF) were determined. 2. Amylase of both strain adults showed a pH optimum of 7.8. 3. The AmyF enzyme showed a higher thermostability. 4. They differed in both maximum activity and Michaelis constant (Vmax of 6.25 and 3.45, Km of 0.7% and 0.42% starch for AmyS and AmyF, respectively). 5. The effect of different feeding conditions in amylase activity in the above Drosophila strains was also studied. Amylase activity was always detected but to a different level depending on diet composition.

Adaptive significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila. I. The geographical pattern of allozyme polymorphism at the amylase locus in Drosophila subobscura.

Allelic variation at the Amy locus was studied in eight natural populations from the central and northern range of D. subobscura, and the geographical pattern of Amy polymorphism over the range of this species was described. Even though regional and local differences in gene frequencies were found, in general the same alleles occur at high, intermediate and low frequencies, in nearly all populations. There are no significant differences in allele frequencies, but there is significant difference in the degree of heterozygosity among groups of populations from the northern, central and southern range. An analysis of population subdivision indicates that heterogeneity within populations is higher than between populations. Genetic distance values indicate that there is a variable degree of geographical differentiation between local populations. Variability within and between continental and insular populations is also discussed.

Adaptive significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila. VIII. Effect of carbohydrate dietary components on alpha-amylase activity and Amy-electromorph frequency in Drosophila busckii.

Laboratory populations of D. busckii flies were kept for one generation on media containing different carbohydrate sources (maltose and rice, potato or maize starch). The flies maintained on standard potato medium served as a control. Progeny were analyzed for alpha-amylase activity and Amy-electromorph frequencies. Spectrophotometrically assayed amylase activity was highest in the flies cultured on potato starch medium and lowest in specimens kept on maltose. Carbohydrate source in some substrates affected both frequencies of Amy-alleles and Amy-genotypes. Phenotypic differences at a biochemical level, i.e. in alpha-amylase activity, might be connected to Amy-structural gene polymorphism in the examined Drosophila species.

Adaptive significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila. X. Analysis of alpha-amylase activity of two amylase variants in individual Drosophila subobscura flies.

Experiments were designed to estimate the variation of alpha-amylase activity in Drosophila subobscura individuals homozygous for AmyS and AmyF alleles at the Amy locus. The measurements of enzyme activities in six groups of male progenies determined in each individual have shown that degree of variation differs between S and F strains. Variability of amylase activity among male progenies of S strain was substantially greater, which also had significantly higher specific amylase activity than in F strain. The analysis of amylase activity variance showed that this variance among the males is 40 times, and among the females 2.7 times smaller in F than in S strain.

[Significance of determination of certain clinical and laboratory parameters in the evaluation of severity and outcome in sepsis]. / Znacaj odredjivanja pojedinih klinicko-laboratorijskih parametara u proceni tezine i ishoda sepse.

Sepsis and its complications are severe clinical syndrome that is caused by systemic inflammatory response of the host to infection. Despite the use of common and numerous new therapeutic protocols, mortality from this severe disease is still very high. In the study are presented 155 patients (111 males, 44 females) of average age 49.6 years with mean septic score 12.9 (2-40). Mortality in our patients was 20.6%, septic shock developed in 31.6%, ARF in 20.0%, DIC in 12.9%, and MODS in 25.8% of patients. Positive correlation existed between initial sepsis score and mortality. Older age and the presence of primary diseases (34.2% of patients) were associated with significantly higher septic score and were good prognostic factor for the poor outcome of sepsis. Between mean arterial pressure in the first 24 h after the admission and mortality existed negative correlation (p < 0.05). Positive hemocultures were found in 69.7%, and bacterial infection in 78.7% of patients. GP bacteremia was found in 55.6% of patients and GN in 45.4% of all positive hemocultures. Confirmed bacteremia and bacteremia caused by GPB were associated with the higher mortality rate compared to the patients with negative hemocultures and GN bacteremia (p < 0.05). Concentrations of fibrinogen and urea in the blood at the admission in the patients with sepsis were very good prognostic factors of the disease outcome, and leukopenia, leukocytosis and neutropenia were associated with the increased mortality. Negative correlation existed between fibrinogen concentration and mortality (p < 0.001), while positive correlation (p < 0.001) existed between urea concentration and mortality. In the absence of more efficacious therapeutic protocols, fast recognition of the sepsis, evaluation of its severity, knowledge of the risk factors for its poor outcome and aggressive use of antibiotic and existing supportive therapy can significantly decrease high mortality of this too severe clinical syndrome.