Highlights The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in unprecedented hazards to mental health globally. Relatively high rates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological distress, and stress were reported in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in eight countries. Common risk factors associated with mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic include female gender, younger age group (≤40 years), presence of chronic/psychiatric illnesses, unemployment, student status, and frequent exposure to social media/news concerning COVID-19. Mitigation of COVID-19 induced psychological distress requires government intervention and individual efforts.

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Growth of white axial muscle fibres of ten species of freshwater teleosts from five families (Cyprinidae, Centrarchidae, Percidae, Salmonidae, Esocidae) possessing widely different growth rates and ultimate sizes have been studied. The dynamics of muscle increase (i.e. increase in fibre numbers and/or diameter) appears to determine the ability for rapid somatic growth and large ultimate size in teleosts. Thus, the largest and fastest growing species (smallmouth bass, lake whitefish, rainbow trout, muskellunge) show evidence ofsustained recruitment ofmuscle fibres to a large size, in contrast to the smaller and slower growing species (bluntnose minnow, longnose dace). Pumpkinseed, bluegill and yellow perch are all intermediate in fibre growth dynamics, growth and ultimate size between the smaller and larger species. Moreover, the ability ofteleosts to grow rapidly and attain a large ultimate size is dependent on the body length at which recruitment of new muscle fibres into the growing axial muscle ceases. The regression equation, y = -0.29+2.26 (x), showing the relationship (r=0.95) between ultimate body length, x, and fork length at cessation of recruitment, y , indicated that for these teleosts, recruitment tends to cease when the fork length reaches about 44% of the ultimate body length. Possible mechanisms to account for this relationship are proposed, and the role of the ultimate fibre diameter in posing limits to the ultimate size of the species is discussed.

Preexisting noncommunicable diseases (eg, diabetes) increase the risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death. Mood disorders are associated with impaired immune function and social determinants that increase the risk of COVID-19. Determining whether preexisting mood disorders represent a risk of COVID-19 would inform public health priorities.OBJECTIVE To assess whether preexisting mood disorders are associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, severe complications, and death.DATA SOURCES Systematic searches were conducted for studies reporting data on COVID-19 outcomes in populations with and without mood disorders on PubMed/MEDLINE,

The effects of sleep on the ventilatory responses to hypercapnia have been well described in animals and in humans. In contrast, there is little information for genioglossus (GG) responses to a range of CO(2) stimuli across all sleep-wake states. Given the notion that sleep, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, may cause greater suppression of muscles with both respiratory and nonrespiratory functions, this study tests the hypothesis that GG activity will be differentially affected by sleep-wake states with major suppression in REM sleep despite excitation by CO(2). Seven rats were chronically implanted with electroencephalogram, neck, GG, and diaphragm electrodes, and responses to 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9% CO(2) were recorded. Diaphragm activity and respiratory rate increased with CO(2) (P < 0.001) across sleep-wake states with significant increases at 3-5% CO(2) compared with 0% CO(2) controls (P < 0.05). Phasic GG activity also increased in hypercapnia but required higher CO(2) (7-9%) for significant activation (P < 0.05). Further studies in 15 urethane-anesthetized rats with the vagi intact (n = 6) and cut (n = 9) showed that intact vagi delayed GG recruitment with hypercapnia but did not affect diaphragm responses. In the naturally sleeping rats, we also showed that GG activity was significantly reduced in non-REM and REM sleep (P < 0.04) and was almost abolished in REM even with stimulation by 9% CO(2) (decrease = 80.4% vs. wakefulness). Such major suppression of GG activity in REM, even with significant respiratory stimulation, may explain why obstructive apneas are more common in REM sleep.

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Rainbow trout (15.5 cm) fed "ad lib." rations grew a little faster at 12 °C than at 16 °C, and both groups grew much faster than a third group at 12 °C receiving "3–4%" rations. Growth of the mosaic muscle mass was characterized by increase in fibre mean diameter, though most bulk increase (up to 25 cm or more) resulted from increase in fibre number. Fibre diameter: fish length was least in the fastest growing trout (12 °C ad lib.), signifying their greater ability to add new fibres during growth compared with the slower growing trout; diameter range increased markedly among trout > 18 cm long, but small fibres (< 20 μm) persisted in diminishing numbers even in the largest trout. In the 12 °C ad lib. trout, condition (K) correlated with length and fibre diameter; in the slower growing groups K was more influenced by mean fibre diameter. A higher asymptote of K occurred at greater length in the fastest growing group than in the two slower growing groups. Percent dry weight: length was greater for 16 °C ad lib. than for the fastest or slowest growth groups; absolute dry weight: length ratios were similar for 12 °C and 16 °C ad lib. trout; both exceeded those for the 12 °C 3-4% group.