PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: P. argentipes courtship shared many similarities with that of both Phlebotomus papatasi and the New World leishmaniasis vector Lutzomyia longipalpis. Male wing-flapping while approaching the female during courtship predicted mating success, and touching between males and females was a common and frequent occurrence. Both sexes were able to reject a potential partner. Significant differences were found in the profile of chemicals extracted from the surface of males and females. Results of GC analysis indicate that female extracts contained a number of peaks with relatively short retention times not present in males. Extracts from males had higher peaks for chemicals with relatively long retention times.
CONCLUSIONS: The importance of male approach flapping suggests that production of audio signals through wing beating, or dispersal of sex pheromones, are important to mating in this species. Frequent touching as a means of communication, and the differences in the chemical profiles extracted from males and females, may also indicate a role for cuticular hydrocarbons in P. argentipes courtship. Comparing characteristics of successful and unsuccessful mates could aid in identifying the modality of signals involved in P. argentipes courtship, and their potential for use in developing new strategies for vector control.
METHODS: This study investigated the effects of two different training interventions based on individualized load velocity profiles (LVP) on maximal bench press strength (i.e., 1RM), maximum throwing velocity (TV), and skeletal muscle mass (SKMM). Twenty-two university handball players were randomly assigned to Group 1 (low-movement speed training) or Group 2 (high-movement speed training). Group 1 exercised with a bar speed of 0.75-0.96 m/s, which corresponds to a resistance of approximately 60% 1RM, whereas Group 2 trained at 1.03-1.20 m/s, corresponding to a resistance of approximately 40% 1RM. Both groups exercised three times a week for five weeks, with strength and throwing tests performed at baseline and post-intervention.
RESULTS: A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was applied, and the results showed the interaction between group and time was not statistically significant for SKMM (p = 0.537), 1RM (p = 0.883), or TV (p = 0.774). However, both groups significantly improved after the five weeks of training: SKMM (3.1% and 3.5%, p
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The testes were dissected out and fixed in 10% buffered formalin solution for 11 h, dehydrated in 70% alcohol and lastly placed in tissue processor for 18±1 h at 60°C. The tissues blocks were cut at the thickness of 4 μm on a rotary microtome. Stained tissues were taken under Advance Microscope (Nikon Eclipse 80i Nomarski DIC). Collected data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2013. Data were presented as mean±standard deviation. Statistical analyses were done using one-way ANOVA using SPSS (Version 22).
RESULTS: These lobules of mature P. polyphagus were formed via different germinative lineage cells such as spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa. The histological characteristics of testes showed that the process of spermatogenesis went through the stages of four testes maturation which were spermatogonia I and II, spermatocytes I and II, spermatids and spermatozoa stages within different body weight of P. polyphagus. It was found that there were significant difference between body weight and carapace length to the testicular maturation stages (one-way ANOVA and p = 0.000).
CONCLUSION: The results of this experiment indicated that males P. polyphagus have four stages of testes maturation and can be considered to have fully mature testes that ready for fertilization at 452 g body weight (BW) and 107 mm carapace length (CL) or more.
METHODOLOGY: A systematic search was conducted across Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Studies were selected based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria: peer-reviewed; published between 2000 and 2024 (in English); focused on adults; investigated mind-reading (mental state decoding, brain-computer interfaces) or related processes; and employed various mind-reading techniques (pattern classification, multivariate analysis, decoding algorithms).
RESULTS: This review highlights the critical role of fMRI in uncovering the neural mechanisms of mind-reading. Key brain regions involved include the superior temporal sulcus (STS), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and temporoparietal junction (TPJ), all crucial for mentalizing (understanding others' mental states).
CONCLUSIONS: This review emphasizes the importance of fMRI in advancing our knowledge of how the brain interprets and processes mental states. It offers valuable insights into the current state of mind-reading research in adults and paves the way for future exploration in this field.
METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search on March 15, 2024, using Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies were established based on the PICOS framework: (i) Population-healthy soccer players; (ii) Intervention-SAQ training; (iii) Comparison condition (conventional training or traditional training); (iv) Outcome-physical performance (speed, agility, strength, etc.); (v) Study design-randomized controlled trials. The PEDro scale was employed to evaluate the methodological quality of each study, and a random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic literature review. One study with low PEDro score was excluded, and one was excluded based on Cochrane bias risk assessment. Finally, 9 studies were included in the meta-analysis, comprising 498 soccer players. Overall, the results indicated a significant impact of SAQ training on physical qualities and dribbling speed among soccer players. Specifically, there was a moderate effect size for sprint performance (5m, 10m, 20m) (ES = 0.75; p < 0.01), change of direction ability (COD) (ES = 0.35; p < 0.001), power (vertical and horizontal jumps) (ES = 0.67; p < 0.01), while flexibility showed no significant impact (ES = 0.11; p > 0.05). Moreover, change-of-direction dribbling demonstrated a significant effect (ES = 0.58; p < 0.01).
CONCLUSION: Overall, SAQ training effectively enhances speed, COD, explosiveness, and change-of-direction dribbling specific performance in adolescent soccer players, particularly in sprinting. However, it does not have an advantage in improving flexibility. Further high-quality studies encompassing a broader range of exercises are needed to fully determine the effectiveness of SAQ training in improving other physical qualities and technical skills of soccer players, as well as ultimately enhancing match performance.