Histological characterization of liver involvement in systemic mastocytosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is characterized by the accumulation of atypical mast cells (MCs) in organs. Liver histology of SM has been marginally described and accurate histological classification is critical, given the consequences of aggressive SM diagnosis. We aimed to describe the histological features associated with liver SM using updated tools. METHODS: Using the database of the French Reference Centre for Mastocytosis, we retrospectively identified patients with a liver biopsy (LB) and a diagnosis of SM. All LB procedures were performed according to the local physician in charge and centrally reviewed by an expert pathologist. RESULTS: A total of 28 patients were included: 6 had indolent SM, 9 had aggressive SM, and 13 had SM with an associated hematologic neoplasm. Twenty-five (89%) patients presented hepatomegaly, and 19 (68%) had portal hypertension. The LB frequently showed slight sinusoid dilatation (82%). Fibrosis was observed in 3/6 indolent SM and in almost all advanced SM cases (21/22), but none of them showed cirrhosis. A high MC burden (>50 MCs/high-power field) was correlated with elevated blood alkaline phosphatase levels (p = .030). The presence of portal hypertension was associated with a higher mean fibrosis grade (1.6 vs. 0.8 in its absence; p = .026). In advanced SM, the presence of nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) was associated with decreased overall survival (9.5 vs. 46.3 months, p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: MC infiltration induced polymorphic hepatic lesions and the degree of fibrosis is associated with portal hypertension. NRH identifies a poor prognosis subgroup of patients with advanced SM. Assessing liver histology can aid in SM prognostic evaluation.

Heterozygosity for bisphosphoglycerate mutase deficiency expressing clinically as congenital erythrocytosis: A case series and literature review.

Erythrocytosis is associated with increased red blood cell mass and can be either congenital or acquired. Congenital secondary causes are rare and include germline variants increasing haemoglobin (Hb)-oxygen affinity (e.g., Hb or bisphosphoglycerate mutase (BPGM) variants) or affecting oxygen-sensing pathway proteins. Here, we describe five adults from three kindreds with erythrocytosis associated with heterozygosity for BPGM variants, including one novel. Functional analyses showed partial BPGM deficiency, reduced 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate levels and/or increased Hb-oxygen affinity. We also review currently known BPGM variants. This study contributes to raising awareness of BPGM variants, and in particular that heterozygosity for BPGM deficiency may already manifest clinically.

Public strategies to rescue the hospitality industry following the impact of COVID-19: A case study of the European Union.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a "zero tourism" situation throughout the world with unpredictable consequences. Several authors analyzed the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic during the second trimester of 2020, but none of them have specifically examined European Union countries and the joint actions taken to fight the pandemic. Using a case study methodology, this paper presents a literature review of the most up-to-date studies on the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Secondly, we specify the different public intervention measures implemented by the European Union in accordance with supranational governance theory and stakeholder theory. Finally, we set out the different COVID-19-related public rescue strategies for the tourism and hospitality sector at the individual level (for tourists), at the business level (for touristic companies) and at the destination level (for the European Union countries), from the perspective of stakeholders. The main contribution of our research is therefore to explore the public strategies to rescue the tourism and hospitality sector in the context of the European Union.

Do job insecurity, anxiety and depression caused by the COVID-19 pandemic influence hotel employees' self-rated task performance? The moderating role of employee resilience.

The COVID-19 health disaster has had a dramatic impact on the global hospitality industry, affecting millions of people. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of job insecurity on hotel employees' anxiety and depression, and whether these psychological strains could influence employees' self-rated task performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also examine the moderating role of hotel employees' resilience in this context. The hypotheses were examined by collecting data from 353 hotel employees currently working in the Canary Islands (Spain). The results highlight the significant effects of job insecurity on employees' anxiety and depression levels. However, hotel employees' task performance was not affected by their job insecurity or by their anxiety and depression. In addition, employees' resilience has a moderating effect as it reduces the negative influence of job insecurity on depression. Finally, the discussion section sets out various theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

Understanding approach and avoidance in verbal descriptions of everyday actions: An ERP study.

Understanding verbal descriptions of everyday actions could involve the neural representation of action direction (avoidance and approach) toward persons and things. We recorded the electrophysiological activity of participants while they were reading approach/avoidance action sentences that were directed toward a target: a thing/a person (i.e., "Petra accepted/rejected Ramón in her group"/ "Petra accepted/rejected the receipt of the bank"). We measured brain potentials time locked to the target word. In the case of things, we found a N400-like component with right frontal distribution modulated by approach/avoidance action. This component was more negative in avoidance than in approach sentences. In the case of persons, a later negative event-related potential (545-750 ms) with left frontal distribution was sensitive to verb direction, showing more negative amplitude for approach than avoidance actions. In addition, more negativity in approach-person sentences was associated with fear avoidance trait, whereas less negativity in avoidance-person sentences was associated with a greater approach trait. Our results support that verbal descriptions of approach/avoidance actions are encoded differently depending on whether the target is a thing or a person. Implications of these results for a social, emotional and motivational understanding of action language are discussed.

Clinical evolution of post-transplant diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The long-term clinical evolution of prediabetes and post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is unknown. METHODS: We analysed, in this cohort study, the reversibility, stability and progression of PTDM and prediabetes in 672 patients using repeated oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) for ≤5 years. RESULTS: Most patients were on tacrolimus, steroids and mycophenolate. About half developed either PTDM or prediabetes. The incidence of PTDM was 32% and bimodal: early PTDM (≤3 months) and late PTDM. Early PTDM reverted in 31%; late PTDM developed in patients with post-transplant prediabetes. The use of OGTTs was necessary to detect around half of PTDM. Pretransplant obesity was a major risk factor for early PTDM, for its persistence and for late PTDM {odds ratio [OR] 1.18 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.28]}. At 3 months, higher HbA1c promoted [OR 2.37 (95% CI 1.38-4.06)], while insulin sensitivity protected against [OR 0.64 (95% CI 0.48-0.86)] late PTDM. At 3 months, 28% had prediabetes; of these, 36% remained stable, 43% normalized and 21% developed late PTDM. Pretransplant obesity [OR 1.20 (95% CI 1.04-1.39)] and higher HbA1c [OR 3.80 (95% CI 1.45-9.94)] at 3 months promoted while insulin sensitivity protected against [OR 0.57 (95% CI 0.34-0.95)] evolution from prediabetes to late PTDM. Immunosuppressive levels or acute rejection did not influence PTDM. Most (84%) of the patients with normal tests at 3 months remained stable without evolving into PTDM; 14% developed prediabetes. CONCLUSIONS: PTDM and prediabetes are very common in renal transplantation. Classic metabolic factors like obesity, prediabetes and insulin resistance promote the evolution of PTDM and prediabetes. Patients with normal glucose metabolism rarely develop PTDM. OGTT is necessary to detect PTDM and prediabetes and thus should be included in clinical practice.

Tumors metastasizing to the oral cavity: a study of 16 cases.

PURPOSE: An analysis was performed of the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of a group of patients diagnosed with oral metastases of distant primary tumors or unknown primary malignancies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study series consisted of 16 patients with oral metastatic lesions seen in the Department of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Valencia University General Hospital (Valencia, Spain) that had been diagnosed in the previous 15 years. A retrospective analysis was made of patient age and gender, clinical characteristics of metastatic lesions, location of the primary tumor, and time elapsed from diagnosis to the death of a patient. RESULTS: There were 13 male and 3 female patients (mean age, 58.8 years). Ten patients had been diagnosed previously and were being treated for a primary tumor; 2 patients were diagnosed with a primary malignancy in the department; and 4 patients presented with an unidentified primary tumor (metastatic disease diagnosed from biopsy study). The predominant clinical presentation was mixed soft tissue and bone metastases followed by solely soft tissue lesions and solely bone lesions. Some patients showed no apparent oral lesions. Primary malignancies originated mainly from the lung followed by the prostate, gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland, breast, and liver. Mean survival from diagnosis of oral metastases was 8.25 months. CONCLUSION: Oral metastatic lesions are infrequent, can affect male and female patients equally, can manifest at any age, and may constitute the first manifestation of a still unidentified primary malignancy. According to the literature, bone metastases are more common than soft tissue metastases. Nevertheless, in the present series, there was a clear male predominance, and the oral metastases showed a predominance of mixed presentations followed by solely soft tissue lesions and solely bone metastases.

An integrative re-evaluation of Typhlatya shrimp within the karst aquifer of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico.

The Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico is a carbonate platform well-known for extensive karst networks of densely stratified aquifer ecosystems. This aquifer supports diverse anchialine fauna, including species of the globally distributed anchialine shrimp genus Typhlatya (Atyidae). Four species (T. campecheae, T. pearsei, T. dzilamensis and T. mitchelli) are endemic to the Peninsula, of which three are federally listed in Mexico. This first integrative evaluation (i.e., molecular, morphological, broad geographic and type locality sampling, and environmental data) of Yucatán Typhlatya reveals considerable species identity conflict in prior phylogenetic assessments, broad species ranges, syntopy within cave systems and five genetic lineages (of which two are new to science). Despite sampling from the type locality of endangered T. campecheae, specimens (and molecular data) were indistinguishable from vulnerable T. pearsei. Ancestral/divergence reconstructions support convergent evolution of a low-salinity ancestor for a post-Paleogene arc Yucatán + Cuba Typhlatya clade within the anchialine Atyidae clade. A secondary adaptation for the coastal-restricted euryhaline (2-37 psu), Typhlatya dzilamensis (unknown conservation status) was identified, while remaining species lineages were low-salinity (< 5 psu) adapted and found within the meteoric lens of inland and coastal caves. This study demonstrates the need for integrative/interdisciplinary approaches when conducting biodiversity assessments in complex and poorly studied aquifers.

The uncertain universality of the Macbeth effect with a Spanish sample.

Recently a psychological mechanism has been proposed between bodily purity and moral purity: the "Macbeth effect". The act of washing their hands seems to free individuals of their guilt. However, the universality of this psychological mechanism is an empirical question that should be studied. In four studies we replicated the original Zhong & Liljenquist's experiments with Spanish samples. We were unsuccessful in replicating the Zhong & Liljenquist's results that supported cleansing as a psychological mechanism for compensating guilty: results couldn't confirm an increased mental accessibility of cleansing-related concepts or even a greater desire for cleansing products, neither a greater likelihood of taking antiseptic wipes. In addition we didn't find that physical cleansing alleviates the upsetting consequences of unethical behaviour. Spanish samples showed sensibility to morality and helping behaviour but not with cleansing as a way to reduce their threatened morality.

Sensitization of cervix cancer cells to Adriamycin by Pentoxifylline induces an increase in apoptosis and decrease senescence.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapeutic drugs like Adriamycin (ADR) induces apoptosis or senescence in cancer cells but these cells often develop resistance and generate responses of short duration or complete failure. The methylxantine drug Pentoxifylline (PTX) used routinely in the clinics setting for circulatory diseases has been recently described to have antitumor properties. We evaluated whether pretreatment with PTX modifies apoptosis and senescence induced by ADR in cervix cancer cells. METHODS: HeLa (HPV 18+), SiHa (HPV 16+) cervix cancer cells and non-tumorigenic immortalized HaCaT cells (control) were treated with PTX, ADR or PTX + ADR. The cellular toxicity of PTX and survival fraction were determinated by WST-1 and clonogenic assay respectively. Apoptosis, caspase activation and ADR efflux rate were measured by flow cytometry, senescence by microscopy. IkappaBalpha and DNA fragmentation were determinated by ELISA. Proapoptotic, antiapoptotic and senescence genes, as well as HPV-E6/E7 mRNA expression, were detected by time real RT-PCR. p53 protein levels were assayed by Western blot. RESULTS: PTX is toxic (WST-1), affects survival (clonogenic assay) and induces apoptosis in cervix cancer cells. Additionally, the combination of this drug with ADR diminished the survival fraction and significantly increased apoptosis of HeLa and SiHa cervix cancer cells. Treatments were less effective in HaCaT cells. We found caspase participation in the induction of apoptosis by PTX, ADR or its combination. Surprisingly, in spite of the antitumor activity displayed by PTX, our results indicate that methylxantine, per se does not induce senescence; however it inhibits senescence induced by ADR and at the same time increases apoptosis. PTX elevates IkappaBalpha levels. Such sensitization is achieved through the up-regulation of proapoptotic factors such as caspase and bcl family gene expression. PTX and PTX + ADR also decrease E6 and E7 expression in SiHa cells, but not in HeLa cells. p53 was detected only in SiHa cells treated with ADR. CONCLUSION: PTX is a good inducer of apoptosis but does not induce senescence. Furthermore, PTX reduced the ADR-induced senescence and increased apoptosis in cervix cancer cells.

Gossypol induced apoptosis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes: involvement of mitochondrial pathway and reactive oxygen species.

The aim of this study was to determine how gossypol affects the viability and activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes in blood obtained from healthy donors. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (delta psi m) and apoptosis was maximized in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes after incubation with gossypol. Pretreatment with a caspase-9 inhibitor or antioxidants (superoxide dismutase or Trolox) inhibited gossypol-induced loss of the delta psi m and apoptosis. Likewise, we observed participation of caspase -3, -7, and -10 in gossypol-induced apoptosis. Expression of the proapoptotic genes bax, bak, bad and p53/Tp53 increased in polymorphonuclear leukocytes exposed to gossypol. The expression of the anti-apoptotic genes bcl-(XL) and mcl-1 was reduced when polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes were treated with gossypol. Gossypol treatment also inhibited yeast phagocytosis by these cells. We concluded that gossypol induces apoptosis in phagocytic cells and that this effect was dose-dependent. The findings in this report may be important to consider in light of possible gossypol use in clinical strategies for cancer treatment.

Osteonecrosis of the jaws by intravenous bisphosphonates and osteoradionecrosis: a comparative study.

AIMS: We analyze the possible clinical differences between bone jaw exposed areas in ONJ (osteonecrosis of the jaws) and ORN (osteoradionecrosis). PATIENTS AND METHOD: Group 1 was composed with 53 ONJ cases and group 2 with 20 ORN cases. In both groups we analyzed, the major size of the exposed bone areas, the number of exposed areas, the location on the jaws and the presence of others associated and severe complications, such as skin fistulas and jaw fractures. We also investigated the possible local aetiology or trigger factor of the lesions. RESULTS: The major size of the bone exposed areas was 2.29+/-2.02(mean +/- std.dev) in group 1 and 2.7+/-2.9 (mean +/- std.dev) in group 2 (p>0.05). The number of exposed areas was 1.8+/-1.34 (mean +/- std.dev) in group 1 and 1.2+/-0.55 (mean +/- std.dev) in group 2 (p>0.05). There were more fractures in the second group (20%) (p<0.05), and skin fistulas (35%) (p<0.05). We found more patients in group 1 in which the dental extraction was the local aetiology of the bone necrosis (35 cases, 66.03%), while in group 2 there were 8 (40%) (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study with ONJ there were not differences in the major size of the bone exposed areas, but there were more lesions per patient than in group with ORN. The severity of the complications, such as jaw fractures and skin fistulas were higher in ORN, and in this group it was more frequent the spontaneous lesions than in the ONJ where it is more frequent following dental extractions.

Brain Encoding of Social Approach: Is it Associated With Spatial Ability?

Human brains encode approach in social relationships as cognitively relevant for adaptive behavior. In this study, using event-related potentials (ERPs), we found that reading approach-social actions are likely to cause activation around the right anterior/middle superior temporal sulcus (STS), a brain area particularly involved in processing action intentionality and social relationships. We consider that the human capacity for the mental rotation of figures could also be adaptive for social relationships at the service of planning interaction with other bodies in social encounters. Encoding of social approach and spatial ability would correlate if both capacities are aimed at achieving the adaptive goal of secure interactions with others. We found a strong correlation between brain activation in the right temporal brain region and spatial ability. Implications of these results for the psychological mechanisms involved in adaptive social behavior are discussed.

Oil-in-eutectic mixture HIPEs co-stabilized with surfactant and nanohydroxyapatite: ring-opening polymerization for nanocomposite scaffold synthesis.

Mixtures of a nonionic surfactant and non-functionalized nanohydroxyapatite (NHA) enhanced the stability of oil-in-eutectic mixture high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). Upon ring opening polymerization of the eutectic mixture composed of l-lactide and ε-caprolactone, biodegradable polyHIPEs with specific cavity sizes and selective interfacial functionalization with NHA are produced.

MG132 proteasome inhibitor modulates proinflammatory cytokines production and expression of their receptors in U937 cells: involvement of nuclear factor-kappaB and activator protein-1.

In response to inflammatory stimuli, monocytes/macrophages secrete greater quantities of the proinflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-6. The inflammatory process and the innate immune response are related to the activation of several transcription factors, such as nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1). The proteasome is a multimeric protease complex, which plays a vital role in several cellular functions, including the regulation of transcription factors like NF-kappaB. In this study, we used the human monocyte cell line U937 stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) as a model to investigate the in vitro effects of MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, on the release of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 and on the expression of their membrane and soluble receptors TNF-R1, IL-1R1 and IL-6R. We also analysed the effects of MG132 on the activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 and on the IkappaB molecule. MG132 significantly inhibited the secretion of those proinflammatory cytokines. MG132 increased the release of the soluble receptors TNF-R1 and IL-1R1 from U937 cells and decreased their cell-surface expression. MG132 also increased IL-6R cell-surface expression and decreased its release. Proteasome inhibition also led to an increase in LPS+PMA-induced AP-1 activation and the attenuation of LPS+PMA-induced IkappaB degradation, resulting in the abolition of NF-kappaB activation. Our experiments strongly suggest that the proteasome is an important factor in the regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and their receptors.

Apoptosis induction in Jurkat cells and sCD95 levels in women's sera are related with the risk of developing cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is clear evidence that apoptosis plays an important role in the development and progression of tumors. One of the best characterized apoptosis triggering systems is the CD95/Fas/APO-1 pathway; previous reports have demonstrated high levels of soluble CD95 (sCD95) in serum of patients with some types of cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. As a first step in an attempt to design a minimally invasive test to predict the risk of developing cervical cancer in patients with precancerous lesions, we used a simple assay based on the capacity of human serum to induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells. We evaluated the relationship between sCD95 levels and the ability to induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells in cervical cancer patients and controls. METHODS: Jurkat cells were exposed to serum from 63 women (20 healthy volunteers, 21 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade I [CIN 1] and 22 with cervical-uterine carcinoma). The apoptotic rate was measured by flow cytometry using Annexin-V-Fluos and Propidium Iodide as markers. Serum levels of sCD95 and soluble CD95 ligand (sCD95L) were measured by ELISA kits. RESULTS: We found that serum from almost all healthy women induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells, while only fifty percent of the sera from women with CIN 1 induced cell death in Jurkat cells. Interestingly, only one serum sample from a patient with cervical-uterine cancer was able to induce apoptosis, the rest of the sera protected Jurkat cells from this killing. We were able to demonstrate that elimination of Jurkat cells was mediated by the CD95/Fas/Apo-1 apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, the serum levels of sCD95 measured by ELISA were significantly higher in women with cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that there is a strong correlation between low levels of sCD95 in serum of normal women and higher apoptosis induction in Jurkat cells. We suggest that an analysis of the apoptotic rate induced by serum in Jurkat cells and the levels of sCD95 in serum could be helpful during the prognosis and treatment of women detected with precancerous lesions or cervical cancer.

Benign tumors of the oral mucosa: a study of 300 patients.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the frequency and type of the most common benign tumors of the oral mucosa found at the Hospital Stomatology Service, and to study the clinical characteristics and possible etiological factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 300 patients with histologically diagnosed benign tumors of the oral mucosa. Data was compiled for each case, documenting information relating to age, gender, medication, habits (smoking, oral hygiene), anamnesis (reason for consultation, symptomatology, evolution), and the characteristics of the lesion (site, color, size, surface, consistency, and base). RESULTS: Of all the tumors studied, 53% were histologically diagnosed as fibroma. In the study of prevalence of benign tumors of the oral mucosa, no differences were found for age; however there were differences according to gender, finding a greater prevalence of fibromas, pyogenic granulomas, and giant cell granulomas in women, at a ratio of 2:1. The group of tumors studied showed a significantly asymptomatic behaviour, and self-limiting and slow growth. With respect to the possible etiologic agents, we found no statistically significant differences between them. CONCLUSIONS: Following the study of 300 patients histologically diagnosed with benign tumor of the oral mucosa, we can state that with regard to prevalence, we found significant differences with respect to gender, being more frequent in women. The fibroma is the most frequent benign tumor of the oral cavity.

Epstein-Barr virus in oral proliferative verrucous leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma: A preliminary study.

The aim of this study was to analyze proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) for the possible presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). We studied three groups: Sub-Group 1 was composed of 10 patients with PVL, (6 of whom had developed OSCC); Sub-Group 2 comprised 5 patients with OSCC but no preceding PVL; and Sub-Group 3 were 5 controls with clinically normal oral mucosa. Oral biopsies from all cases were examined for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by nested PCR. EBV was detected in 60% of Sub-Group 1 patients (PVL ) and in 40% of Sub-Group 2 (OSCC), but in 0% of Sub-Group 3 (controls).

Performance-enhancing technologies for steers grazing tall fescue pastures with varying levels of toxicity1.

The objective of this study was to evaluate a combination of best management practices strategy for steer calves grazing tall fescue pastures with a range of toxicity. The experiment was conducted over 2 grazing seasons (fall 2015 for 91 d and spring 2016 for 84 d). Steers (n = 80 within season, body weight [BW] = 197.0 ± 15.43 kg [fall] and 116.9 ± 4.88 [spring]) were stocked at 2.45 and 4.1 calves/ha in fall and spring, respectively, to 16 pastures with varying levels of toxicity based on interim ergovaline (EV) concentration within season. Pastures were assigned to either mineral (MIN, n = 8) only management (MGMT) or a cumulative MGMT (CM, n = 8). The CM treatment included an implant containing 40-mg trenbolone acetate, 8-mg estradiol, and 29-mg tylosin tartrate (Component TE-G with Tylan, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN), 150 mg/calf daily monensin (Elanco Animal Health), and 1% BW of a 50:50 corn gluten feed:soybean hull supplement (as-is basis). Data were analyzed within season using pasture as the experimental unit. For fall and spring, the EV concentration was 1,476 ± 883.2 and 1,173 ± 620.6 ppb, respectively, and ranged from 90 to 2,180 ppb. During the fall, forage allowance did not differ (P = 0.76) between CM and MIN. In the spring, however, forage allowance only differed for the month of June (P ≤ 0.05, 2.55 vs. 3.22 ± 0.177 kg DM/kg BW, for MIN and CM, respectively). In the fall, average daily gain (ADG) responded to the simple effects of EV (P = 0.01) and MGMT (P < 0.001), and ADG for MIN steers was explained by ADG = 0.41 - 0.000064 × EV, whereas ADG for CM was explained by ADG = 1.05 - 0.000064 × EV. In the spring, there was an EV × MGMT interaction (P = 0.03) for ADG. For MIN, ADG = 0.80 - 0.000278 × EV, whereas for CM, ADG = 0.94 + 0.000001835 × EV. In spring, the ADG response to CM relative to MIN increased as EV increased. The CM strategy resulted in lower blood urea nitrogen than MIN in fall and spring (P < 0.01), but prolactin and serum Cu were not affected by MGMT in either season. In conclusion, performance was improved within the fescue belt by implementing feeding strategies using implants, ionophores, and supplementation, but a detailed economic analysis is warranted. Further research is needed to evaluate CM programs under varied stocking rates and in combination with dilution of endophyte-infected fescue pastures with nontoxic grasses or legumes.

The impact of living with morbid obesity on psychological need frustration: A study with bariatric patients.

Guided by self-determination theory, the purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the previous experiences of living with morbid obesity of 10 postbariatric patients enrolled in a physical activity programme. Qualitative data were collected through interviews and diarized observations. A thematic analysis revealed that participants suffered from health and mobility troubles in their daily life and experienced stigmatization and discrimination in most areas of their social functioning. Participants described how these experiences resulted in the thwarting of their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. In turn, psychological need frustration contributed to negative consequences such as body image concerns, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression; controlled regulation of their eating behaviour and extrinsic goals; rigid behaviours such as avoiding social situations; and compensatory and self-defeating behaviours such as giving up diet and physical activity regimens and binge eating (i.e., oppositional defiance). This study highlights how living with morbid obesity can impair optimal functioning and well-being via experiences of psychological need frustration.