Fecal thyroid hormone metabolites in wild ungulates: a mini-review.

This review aims to analyse the fluctuations of fecal thyroid hormone metabolites (FTMs) related to environmental and individual variables in different species of wild ungulates and provide a collection of assay methods. The great advantage of fecal sampling is being completely non-invasive. A systemic search was conducted from 2019 to 2024, using data sources PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the World Wide Web, and ten studies were found on this topic. Three studies used the radioimmunoassay method for FTMs analysis, while the others used a less expensive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Most of these papers validated the method for the species-specific matrix. Related to the studied variables, some authors analysed FTM fluctuations only concerning individual variables, and others in response to both. Temperature and fecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) were the most studied environmental and individual variables, respectively. Since FTMs are an integrative measure of plasma thyroid hormones, the information obtained from a non-invasive-assay method regarding wild ungulate physiology is becoming of great interest to the scientific community.

Towards a Future of Personalized Vaccinology: Study on Individual Variables Influencing the Antibody Response to the COVID-19 Vaccine.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hugely impacted many different aspects of human health, and vaccination is one of the most effective weapons to manage it. However, many different factors, such as age, gender, comorbidities and lifestyles, play a role in the response to infections and vaccines. We carried out this study to evaluate the potential role played by some individual factors in the production of anti-COVID-19 antibodies in the light of personalized and future vaccinology. We conducted an observational study consisting of a retrospective phase, exploiting previous data about anti-COVID-19 antibody responses, with a prospective phase to investigate individual variables through the use of a questionnaire. The antibody response after the COVID-19 vaccination was inversely related to old age, increased BMI and the number of smoking years, while a positive correlation was found with moderate alcohol consumption and especially with circulating levels of vitamin D, as clearly shown by the multivariate regression analysis. Our study showed that a number of variables are involved in the COVID-19 vaccine antibody response. These findings are very important and can be considered in the light of a future and personalized vaccinology.

Contextual and Individual Variables as Predictors of Energy-Dense Meals in Food Choices.

Diets based on meals that provide a large amount of energy and consumed frequently often increase the rate of growth of the body mass index (overweight or obesity) and, in turn, the risk of suffering from non-communicable diseases. In order to make a food choice, it is necessary to search for foods in the environment, taking into account physical and social variables (contextual variables) which, together with individual variables, delimit the situation of food selection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of social facilitation, portion size, salience of food, and food preference or rejection on the selection of energy-dense foods by young college students. To do so, we performed a factorial experiment in which unaccompanied and accompanied participants (levels of social facilitation) as they went through the process of choosing from different options of main dishes, beverages, and desserts then noted the reasons for their selection (preference or rejection of the food). Results showed significant differences between the group of accompanied participants and salience of food in the selection of the energy-dense main dishes and desserts (pizza, spaghetti, and chocolate cake). A significant relationship was also identified between accompanied participants, hedonistic/sensory reasons (food preference or rejection category), and salience of food in the selection of the energy-dense main dishes. In conclusion, key findings of the variables that constitute the situation that predicts the selection of energy-dense foods have emerged from this study, when participants and the given level of social facilitation (in this case, being accompanied) were faced with the conditions of the food salience of the meals of their preference regarding its taste and appearance.

Psychological stress and its relation to social distancing among a sample of Saudi during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Over the last year, the world has witnessed an infectious disease (COVID-19) outbreak that has shown a high rate of spread. Therefore, several prevention and mitigation measures have been imposed to control the spread of the virus worldwide. The aim of the current study is to identify the commitment level to social distancing and its relationship to psychological stress among members of Saudi society during COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The descriptive correlational design was employed in the current study, and the sample of the study consisted of 536 Saudis selected using convenient sampling method. The study was conducted in four cities in Saudi Arabia (Altayef, Mecca, and Najran, in 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic using quantitative survey method. Several analysis methods using SPSS software were used to analyze the data such as mean and standard deviation, three-way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: The study revealed that the psychological stress and commitment level to social distancing by the study sample during COVID-19 pandemic was moderate, and differences were observed among the study variables. Furthermore, the study revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between the commitment level to social distancing and the exposure to psychological pressures. CONCLUSION: The study contributed to literature by developing a model to enhance the importance of social distancing of people during COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends the necessity to provide advice and counseling services that enhance community members' awareness about the application of social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic.

The Perceived Restorativeness of Differently Managed Forests and Its Association with Forest Qualities and Individual Variables: A Field Experiment.

Despite increasing research knowledge about the positive well-being effects forests have on citizens, it is still unclear how the quality of forests and individual variables effect the well-being. This research investigated (1) the differences in restorative experiences (components being away, fascination, compatibility and extent, measured by perceived restorativeness (PRS)), and (2) how people evaluate forest qualities in four differently managed forests. Furthermore, this research studied (3) which individual variables (4) as well as forest qualities, explain the overall restorative experience (PRS-score from all components). Altogether, 66 volunteers were taken in small groups to each of the four forest sites once, after their day at work. The participants viewed the forests for 15 min and then walked inside the forests for 30 min. Their perceived restorativeness and perceptions about forest qualities were measured on-site after each visit. Most of the components of PRS differed between the three older forests compared to the young forest. The three older forests also had more preferred qualities, compared to the young commercial forest. From the individual variables, the nature relatedness positively explained the restorative experiences (PRS-score) in old-growth forest and in mature commercial forest. Beauty was the most important quality that explained PRS-score in all forests. Biodiversity positively explained the PRS-score, except in urban recreation forest. However, not all forest qualities need to be present in order to reach high perceived restorativeness and both a pristine or managed old forest can have high restorative values. Also, decaying wood does not seem to diminish forests' restorative values, but there may be individual differences in its acceptance. Therefore, a greater attention to the overall versatility is needed when managing the forest used for outdooring.

Quality of Life in the COVID-19 Pandemic in India: Exploring the Role of Individual and Group Variables.

The role of individual variables (COVID-19 anxiety, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, optimistic bias and personal identity) as predictors of quality of life (QoL) during the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic is explored. Impact of group related variables (identification to family, religious group and nation) on QoL is also examined. Sample comprised 305 male and female Indian respondents, aged 18 to 78 years. Standardized measures have been utilised to assess the constructs. Results revealed that QoL was significantly influenced by individual variables (COVID-19 anxiety and personal identity) and group variables (identification with family and nation). The effect of COVID-19 anxiety and personal identity as individual variables is over and above that of demographic variables on QoL. Group variables (family and national identification) significantly impacted QoL over and above the individual variables. Findings would indeed, aid in the rehabilitation and assistance of people to live in COVID-19 crisis, and thereafter.

An Israeli Model for Predicting Fear of Terrorism Based on Community and Individual Factors.

The purpose of the study was to suggest a model for predicting fear of terrorism using theoretical explanations that predict fear of crime. The study focused on two different levels of analysis: community and individual. The sample consisted of 507 Israeli adults. Predictions of fear of terrorism and fear of crime were conducted with two path analysis models, calculated using AMOS software. Fear of terrorism was predicted directly by gender, age, prior victimization, religiosity, and neighborhood disorder. The findings allow the researchers to offer a predictive model for fear of terrorism based on a combination of theories that explain fear of crime as well as a theory concerning the link between fear of death and religion. A combination of environmental theories (e.g., the Broken Windows theory), theories related to personal variables (e.g., the Vulnerability theory), and the Terror Management theory can produce an adequate theoretical framework for explaining fear of terrorism.

Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospitalizations between Cold and Hot Seasons in an Island across Tropical and Subtropical Climate Zones-A Population-Based Study.

We investigated the effects of cold and hot seasons on hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at the junction of tropical and subtropical climate zones. The hospitalization data of 6897 AMI patients from January 1997 to December 2011 were obtained from the database of the National Health Insurance, including date of admission, gender, age, and comorbidities of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and dyslipidemia. A comparison of AMI prevalence between seasons and the association of season-related AMI occurrences with individual variables were assessed. AMI hospitalizations in the cold season (cold-season-AMIs) were significantly greater than those in the hot season (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.10-1.21). In the subtropical region, cold-season-AMIs were strongly and significantly associated with the ≥65 years group (OR1.28; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.48). In the tropical region, cold-season-AMIs, in association with dyslipidemia relative to non-dyslipidemia, were significantly strong in the non-DM group (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.09) but weak in the DM group (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.99). The cold season shows increased risks for AMI, markedly among the ≥65 years cohort in the subtropical region, and among the patients diagnosed with either DM or dyslipidemia but not both in the tropical region. Age and comorbidity of metabolic dysfunction influence the season-related incidences of AMI in different climatic regions.

Differences in Learning Strategies, Goal Orientations, and Self-Concept between Overachieving, Normal-Achieving, and Underachieving Secondary Students.

The aims of this work were to identify and establish differential characteristics in learning strategies, goal orientations, and self-concept between overachieving, normal-achieving and underachieving secondary students. A total of 1400 Spanish first and second year high school students from the South-East geographical area participated in this study. Three groups of students were established: a group with underachieving students, a group with a normal level of achievement, and a third group with overachieving students. The students were assigned to each group depending on the residual punctuations obtained from a multiple regression analysis in which the punctuation of an IQ test was the predictor and a measure composed of the school grades of nine subjects was the criteria. The results of one-way ANOVA and the Games-Howell post-hoc test showed that underachieving students had significantly lower punctuations in all of the measures of learning strategies and learning goals, as well as all of the academic self-concept, personal self-concept, parental relationship, honesty, and personal stability factors. In contrast, overachieving students had higher punctuations than underachieving students in the same variables and higher punctuations than normal-achieving students in most of the variables in which significant differences were detected. These results have clear educational implications.