Search Results (17,250)

Microplastics are very small particles of plastics, usually smaller than 5 mm. Microplastic pollution has emerged as a rising and challenging issue worldwide, posing serious threats to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and human health. Because of global demand and frequent use in daily routines, including clothing, packaging, and household items, the production of plastic is increasing annually. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the source, classification (based on shape, color, polymer), transportation, and impact of microplastic pollution. Depending upon size, mass, and density, microplastics can be transported to the environment via air and water. However, microplastics can be inhaled and ingested by humans, causing various health issues; for example, aquatic organisms like small fish ingest microplastics, which accumulate through the food chain and end up in the human body. This can lead to physiological harm, including inflammation, digestion tract obstruction, biomagnification throughout the food chain, and reproductive failure. This study further highlighted initiatives taken by government agencies to address plastic and microplastic pollution across India; for example, The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has formulated and amended the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) rules, Mission LiFE (LiFEStyle for Environment) launched campaigns such as “Say No to Single Use Plastic” and “One Nation, One Mission: End Plastic Pollution” to create awareness at the grassroot level, and institutions like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have initiated a project to detect microplastics in food products. In addition, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to actively take measures to address microplastic pollution across Indian cities, focusing on key parameters like air, water, food, and humans. This study presents several recommendations, including detection and removal techniques (conventional, advanced, and removal); strengthening legislative policies such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR); research collaboration and monitoring with institutions such as CSIR-IITR, ICAR-CIFT, and BITS-Pilani; integrating EPR and Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) to develop a circular economy model; and mass awareness through government initiatives like the Swachh Bharat and Smart City programs to foster long-term behavioral change. Full article

Sexual pleasure has attracted increasing scientific attention in recent years. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated self-esteem and body appreciation as potential determinants of sexual pleasure. We examined data from a community sample of young adult women and men. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that self-esteem and body appreciation positively predict sexual pleasure, and that body appreciation moderates the association between self-esteem and sexual pleasure. We exploratively investigated the moderation of these effects by gender. Sexual pleasure was measured using seven items from the trait scales of the Amsterdam Sexual Pleasure Index 1.0. Self-esteem was measured with the Dutch translation of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Body appreciation was measured using the Dutch translation of the Body Appreciation Scale 2. The results showed that self-esteem positively predicted a substantial proportion (19%) of the variance of sexual pleasure, whereas body appreciation did not directly predict sexual pleasure. Body appreciation did not moderate the association between self-esteem and sexual pleasure in the full sample and in women, but it was found to moderate this association in men; however, in the opposite direction of what was predicted in the hypothesis. The findings were discussed, and suggestions were made for future research. Full article

Background/Objectives: Diet and physical activity are key lifestyle behaviours associated with sleep quality, yet their combined and sex-specific associations remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the associations between dietary behaviours and sleep quality among university students and assessed whether physical activity formed part of an indirect statistical association between these variables, with sex considered as a moderator. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 418 students (199 males, 219 females) from the Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences. Body height and body mass were measured using standard anthropometric procedures. Sleep quality (SQ) was registered with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), dietary habits were assessed with the Questionnaire of Eating Behaviours (QEB) and physical activity (PA) was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Data-driven feature-selection methods were applied to identify dietary behaviours associated with sleep quality, which were combined into a Synthetic Dietary Behaviour Index (SDBI). A moderated mediation model, adjusted for body mass index (BMI), was then used to examine the statistical associations between dietary behaviours, physical activity, sleep quality, and sex. Sleep quality was modelled as a continuous PSQI score in mediation analyses, while the dichotomised PSQI category was used only for feature selection. Results: Machine-learning feature selection identified nine dietary behaviours statistically associated with sleep quality. Unfavourable behaviours—fast food, fried meals, sweetened beverages, energy drinks and alcohol—were linked to poorer sleep, whereas vegetables, curd cheese and wholegrain bread were associated with better sleep. Poor sleep was more prevalent among females (45.2% vs. 14.6%, χ² (1) = 65.4, p < 0.001). The mediation model indicated that physical activity formed part of a statistically significant but modest indirect association between dietary behaviour and sleep quality, with sex moderating the IPAQ → PSQI path (β = −0.45, p = 0.006). Indirect associations were significant for both sexes but stronger among females (males: β = 0.032, p = 0.021; females: β = 0.102, p = 0.004). Conclusions: Unfavourable dietary patterns and lower physical activity were statistically associated with poorer sleep quality, with a stronger indirect statistical effect observed among females. These findings support the relevance of integrated, sex-sensitive lifestyle approaches addressing both dietary behaviours and physical activity, while acknowledging the cross-sectional nature of the data. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is marked by cognitive decline, and also by retinal degeneration. Having in mind that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n − 3) is a safe, low-cost, and pivotal fatty acid for brain health and sustained cognitive function, this study exploits environmentally friendly non-fish sources as potential dietary supplements enriched with DHA to prevent or reverse AD. Forty 5xFAD transgenic male mice, aged five weeks old, were randomly distributed by five body weight-matched dietary groups (with eight animals each) and fed isocaloric diets based on the AIN-93M standard formulation for rodents for 6 months. Except for the control feed (without supplementation), each diet contained a modified lipidic fraction supplemented with 2% of the following: (1) linseed oil (LSO, rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n − 3)); (2) cod liver oil (fish oil, FO, rich in both DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n − 3)); (3) Schizochytrium sp. microalga oil (Schizo, with 40% of DHA); and (4) commercial DHASCO (DHASCO, with 70% of DHA). The aim of this study was to measure retinal neural layer thickness, calculate ganglion cell layer (GCL) density, and assess retinal injury by means of immunohistochemical staining for β-amyloid plaques deposition, TAU protein levels, and IBA1, as hallmark features of AD progression, in order to elucidate the effects of different dietary DHA treatments in Alzheimer’s retinas. Although no statistical differences were observed across retinal layer thicknesses depending on the diet (p > 0.05), there was a consistent pattern for slightly increased retinal thickness in 5xFAD mice fed fish oil relative to the others for the measurement of total layers, in general and for the inner segment/outer segment layer, the outer nuclear layer, the outer plexiform layer, the inner nuclear layer, and the inner plexiform layer, in particular. The ganglion cell layer (GCL) density was increased in 5xFAD mice fed the DHASCO oil diet relative to the control (p < 0.05), suggesting a benefit of DHA supplementation on the number of viable ganglion cells. No positive staining was observed for β-amyloid plaques deposition or the neuroinflammatory marker, IBA1, corroborating previous findings in human AD retinas. Conversely, the internal retinal layers showed intense TAU immunostaining. Immnunostained TAU area was significantly reduced in 5xFAD mice fed a fish oil diet compared to control (p < 0.05), although the number of TAU-positive cells did not differ across diets (p > 0.05). The retinal protected integrity derived from the benefits of DHA supplementation found, either from fish oil or DHASCO oil, underscores the potential of retinal biomarkers as non-invasive indicators of cognitive decline and overall brain health, opening new avenues for investigating AD pathophysiology in the retina. Full article

Affordable high-frame-rate cameras and open-source software, such as Kinovea (ver. 2025.1.0), have expanded the potential for conducting kinematic assessments outside laboratory settings. This study examined the reliability and validity of Kinovea’s semi-automated linear kinematics tracking tool by comparing its outputs with those from a 3D marker-based motion capture system (Qualisys). Ten recreationally active male basketball players (x̄ ± SD: age 23.7 ± 1.7 years; height 183 ± 5 cm; body mass 76.8 ± 9.8 kg) performed three CMJ trials, simultaneously recorded using both systems. Reflective markers placed on the shoulder, hip, and knee were tracked in Kinovea by two raters with different levels of experience to extract core CMJ variables (total take-off time and maximum vertical displacement) and complementary variables (eccentric and propulsion duration, and minimum vertical displacement). Inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), coefficients of variation (CV%), standard error of measurement (SEM), and Bland–Altman analysis. Results showed excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.73–0.99) across all markers, with the hip and knee demonstrating the highest consistency. Strong validity relative to Qualisys was observed for both raters (ICC = 0.68–0.99; r > 0.80), with small systematic biases primarily in temporal variables. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Kinovea’s semi-automated 2D analysis yields reliable and valid CMJ measurements comparable to 3D motion capture, even for less experienced users. As a free and easily deployable tool, it offers a widely accessible alternative for field-based performance monitoring and applied biomechanics research where laboratory-grade equipment is not available. Full article

The intelligent transformation in the manufacturing industry poses challenges to traditional quality control methods, particularly in handling redundant data and ensuring model interpretability within high-dimensional, multivariate assembly processes. This study presents an integrated approach combining Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Back Propagation neural network (BP neural network), and permutation importance to improve quality prediction and traceability in the automotive body-in-white rear panel dimensional chain. The data for this study originates from the actual production process of an automotive manufacturer. It comprises direct geometric measurements from the rear panel of a specific vehicle model’s Body-in-White (BIW). The measurement points from key coordinates that influence rear panel matching serve as the numerical input variables. The corresponding measurement result from the Skeleton Assembly is utilised as the output variable, which represents the final assembly quality and is treated as a numerical variable in this model. PCA is first applied to reduce dimensionality and eliminate data redundancy. Then, two types of neural networks—single and sequential—are constructed to model nonlinear relationships, with the single neural network exhibiting superior performance in accuracy (average R² > 95%) and generalisability (RMSE < 0.1). To address the lack of interpretability in conventional neural networks, the permutation importance of variables is assessed to pinpoint the primary sources of bias and to clarify the mechanisms of variable interactions. The automotive company’s practical validation demonstrates the model’s capability to predictively assess the effects of abrupt alterations in bodyside dimensions on rear panel matching quality. The close agreement between predicted (e.g., 1.053693) and actual (e.g., 1.01) values confirms model accuracy, diminishing the reliance on supplementary quality control resources. This study provides a traceable, data-driven framework for enhancing quality control in complex manufacturing assemblies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obesity and insulin resistance (IR) increase the risk of mood disorders, which often manifest during young adulthood. However, neuroelectrophysiological investigations of whether adiposity and IR modify electrocortical activity and emotional processing outcomes remain underexplored, particularly in young adults. Therefore, this study used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate whether obesity and/or IR moderate the relationships between brain potentials and affective processing in younger adults. Methods: Thirty younger adults completed a passive picture-viewing task utilizing the International Affective Picture System while real-time electroencephalography was simultaneously recorded. Two event-related potentials—early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP)—were quantified. Affective processing parameters included mean valence ratings and stimulus-to-response-onset reaction times in response to unpleasant, pleasant, and neutral images. Body fat percentage and Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance values were measured. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was utilized to test the interrelationships between brain potentials, adiposity, IR, and affective processing. Results: In the Negative−Neutral condition, lean and insulin-sensitive participants gave less negative valence ratings to unpleasant versus neutral images when late-window LPP amplitudes were larger, whereas this relationship was reversed in participants with obesity and absent in those with IR. Contrariwise, neither obesity nor IR moderated LPP responses to affective processing parameters in the Positive−Neutral or Negative−Positive valence conditions. Additionally, obesity and IR did not moderate the links between EPN responses and affective processing parameters in any of the valence conditions. Conclusions: Lean, insulin-sensitive young adults showed attenuated affective processing of unpleasant stimuli through stronger neural responses, whereas neural responses to pleasant stimuli did not vary across levels of body fat or IR. These preliminary findings suggest that both obesity and IR increase the vulnerability to mood disorders in young adulthood. Full article

Background and Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects over 537 million adults worldwide and disproportionately burdens low- and middle-income countries, where diagnostic resources are limited. Predictive models trained in one population often fail to generalize across regions due to shifts in feature distributions and measurement practices, hindering scalable screening efforts. Materials and Methods: We evaluated a few-shot domain adaptation framework using a simple multilayer perceptron with four shared clinical features (age, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, and plasma glucose) across three adult cohorts: Bangladesh (n = 5288), Iraq (n = 662), and the Pima Indian dataset (n = 768). For each of the six source-target pairs, we pre-trained on the source cohort and then fine-tuned on 1, 5, 10, and 20% of the labeled target examples, reserving the remaining for testing; a final 20% few-shot version was compared with threshold tuning. Discrimination and calibration performance metrics were used before and after adaptation. SHAP explainability analyses quantified shifts in feature importance and decision thresholds. Results: Several source → target transfers produced zero true positives under the strict source-only baseline at a fixed 0.5 decision threshold (e.g., Bangladesh → Pima F₁ = 0.00, 0/268 diabetics detected). Few-shot fine-tuning restored non-zero recall in all such cases, with F₁ improvements up to +0.63 and precision–recall gains in every zero-baseline transfer. In directions with moderate baseline performance (e.g., Bangladesh → Iraq, Iraq → Pima, Pima → Iraq), 20% few-shot adaptation with threshold tuning improved AUROC by +0.01 to +0.14 and accuracy by +4 to +17 percentage points while reducing Brier scores by up to 0.14 and ECE by approximately 30–80% (suggesting improved calibration). All but one transfer (Iraq → Bangladesh) demonstrated statistically significant improvement by McNemar’s test (p < 0.001). SHAP analyses revealed population-specific threshold shifts: glucose inflection points ranged from ~120 mg/dL in Pima to ~150 mg/dL in Iraq, and the importance of BMI rose in Pima-targeted adaptations. Conclusions: Leveraging as few as 5–20% of local labels, few-shot domain adaptation enhances cross-population T2DM risk prediction using only routinely available features. This scalable, interpretable approach can democratize preventive screening in diverse, resource-constrained settings. Full article

Sleep disordered breathing can cause serious health issues, yet current diagnostic methods are cumbersome and prone to error. Thoracic electrical bio-impedance (BioZ) is a promising alternative, but it remains unclear whether the measured BioZ variations reflect lung volume changes. We leverage linear reductions in lung volume during central sleep apnea (CSA) events to assess whether BioZ measurements capture changes in lungs. BioZ signals from 92 sleep studies were analyzed using linear regression to quantify their slope and linearity ($R^2$). Group differences were assessed, and a linear mixed-effects model was used to evaluate the impact of the body mass index (BMI), gender, and sleeping position. Welch’s ANOVA showed significant differences between CSA and breathing segments. A chi-squared analysis showed that CSA events were more likely to exhibit negative slopes. The mixed-effects model found no BMI or gender effects, but the supine posture was significantly associated with more negative linear trends. These findings indicate that BioZ captures lung volume changes and that the sleeping position significantly modulates how clearly these changes appear in the signal. Full article

Background: Croatia has the highest prevalence of obesity among European Union member states, with more than 65% of adults classified as overweight or obese. Understanding public perceptions and behaviours related to body weight is essential for designing effective prevention and treatment strategies. Objective: This study compared Croatian adults’ satisfaction with body weight, physical fitness, and dietary habits in 2022 and 2024, exploring potential behavioural changes following national awareness campaigns and the introduction of new anti-obesity measures. Methods: Data were collected via computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI) from representative national samples of adults aged 18 years and older (N = 798; 398 in 2022, 400 in 2024). Analyses used descriptive statistics, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests for categorical variables, and independent t-tests for continuous variables. Results: In both years, fewer than half of respondents were satisfied with their body weight or physical fitness. Obesity prevalence rose slightly among men (from 18.9% to 25.4%), while rates among women remained stable. Although 93% of women and 78% of men were aware of BMI, only 21% knew their exact value. Individuals with obesity were significantly more dissatisfied with their body shape (p < 0.001). One-third reported dieting within the past six months, and only one in ten sought medical advice for weight management. Lack of time and the high cost of healthy foods were the most frequently cited barriers to healthier lifestyles. Conclusions: Body weight satisfaction and lifestyle habits among Croatian adults remain suboptimal. Targeted, gender-sensitive, and web-based interventions are needed to promote awareness, improve self-perception accuracy, and enhance obesity prevention efforts. Full article

Background: In the treatment of dentofacial deformities, miniplates and screws made of titanium and its alloys (Ti6Al4V) are currently used for osteosynthesis of bone segments, which is due to the high biocompatibility of these materials. Despite the unquestionable advantages of titanium implants, there is an ongoing discussion about their potential negative impact on the human body, both at the implantation site and systemically. This study aimed to assess the influence of titanium fixations (miniplates and screws) on the texture and to identify the texture features that vary in the surrounding bone tissue. Methods: The orthopantomograms were obtained from 20 patients who were treated at the Department of Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgery, University of Bialystok. Regions of Interest (ROIs) of bone tissue surrounding titanium fixations in the maxilla and mandible were annotated using separate masks and compared to healthy areas of the same structures in the same patients. The images were independently filtered using Mean, Median, and Laplacian Sharpening filters, followed by analysis of the texture parameters obtained through methods such as First-Order Statistics (FOS), the Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM), Neighbouring Gray Tone Difference Matrix (NGTDM), Gray-Level Dependence Matrix (GLDM), Gray-Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM), and Gray-Level Size Zone Matrix (GLSZM). Results: The results showed that FOS, GLCM, and GLDM provide the most informative features for quantitative assessment of the areas around titanium fixations, and that smoothing filters reduce measurement noise and artifacts. Conclusions: The findings confirm that texture analysis can support the diagnosis of structural alterations in the bone surrounding titanium fixations, in both the maxilla and mandible. Full article

Objectives: The objective is assessing whether the placebo effect can influence the time course of recovery following a football match. Methods: Using a randomized crossover design, eighteen youth male players (age: 15.3 ± 0.5 years, stature: 178.7 ± 6.4 cm, body mass: 65.3 ± 7.6 kg, playing experience: 8.6 ± 1.5 years) completed two friendly matches, followed by placebo (PLA; sham vagus nerve stimulation) or passive rest (CON). To assess the impact of PLA, countermovement jump height (CMJ), 10 and 20 m sprint times, heart rate variability (Ln-rMSSD), static and dynamic muscle soreness, and perceived fatigue were measured at pre-match, post-match, post-recovery, and 24 h post-match. Results: Our findings indicate that match play induced substantial fatigue, with significant deteriorations [p ≤ 0.002, small-to-large effect sizes (ES)] in CMJ, 10 and 20 m sprint performance, Ln-rMSSD, muscle soreness, and perceived fatigue at post-match and post-recovery compared to pre-match (except Ln-rMSSD between pre-match and post-recovery: p = 0.151, small ES). Although no significant between-intervention differences were found for any variable at any time point (p > 0.05), effect size analysis showed moderately lower perceived fatigue (r = 0.40) and dynamic soreness (r = 0.32) in PLA compared to CON at post-recovery. Conclusions: These findings suggest that while placebo stimulation did not affect performance or heart rate variability, it may support perceptual recovery. This holds relevance for both research and practice, as including placebo conditions can help isolate psychological effects from true treatment responses, while promoting positive expectations may enhance the perceived effectiveness of recovery strategies. Full article

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and sarcopenia are prevalent age-related disorders that share common pathophysiological mechanisms such as aging, chronic inflammation, and physical inactivity. Their coexistence may aggravate functional decline and disability. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the prevalence of sarcopenia between individuals with KOA and matched controls and to explore the relationship between femoral intercondylar cartilage (FIC) thickness and muscle-related parameters. A total of 228 participants (114 KOA, 114 controls) matched by age, sex, and body mass index were enrolled. Assessments included appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMMI), handgrip strength, walking speed, and physical activity. In KOA patients, ultrasound measurements of FIC and quadriceps thickness and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were additionally obtained. Sarcopenia prevalence was higher in the KOA group than in controls (41.2% vs. 26.3%, p = 0.017). Greater FIC thickness was associated with higher ASMMI, stronger handgrip strength, faster walking speed, and lower WOMAC pain and total scores. These findings indicate that FIC thickness may serve as a potential structural biomarker linking cartilage integrity with muscle function in KOA. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obesity is a common comorbidity but there remains limited understanding on how higher obesity rates in rural areas may impact physical function decline and other health domains among cancer patients. This study addresses this gap by examining the association between body mass index (BMI) and physical function among a cohort of rural advanced cancer patients. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis uses baseline data from the Nurse AMIE trial (NCT04673019). Individuals were categorized as ‘normal weight’ (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²), ‘overweight’ (BMI > 25 to 30 kg/m²), and ‘obese’ (BMI > 30 kg/m²). Objective physical function was measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and subjective physical function and health domains were measured using surveys (PROMIS; SF-36). Results: Of 348 patients included, 88 (25.3%) were classified as ‘normal weight’, 107 (30.7%) as ‘overweight’, and 153 (44.0%) as ‘obese’. Average age was 64.8 years (SD = 12.2), 46% (n = 160) were female, 95% were white (n = 331), and 52% (n = 182) were Stage 4. Total SPPB scores revealed poorer functioning with higher BMI (M ± SD: BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²: 9.1 ± 2.3; BMI > 25–30 kg/m²: 8.3 ± 3.1; BMI > 30 kg/m²: 8.1 ± 2.8; p = 0.04). Similarly, scores from the SF-36 revealed subjective physical function was lower with higher BMI (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²: 57.9 ± 29.1; BMI > 25–30 kg/m²: 53.7 ± 28.0; BMI > 30 kg/m²: 47.6 ± 27.6; p = 0.004). Participants reported lower levels of energy and greater fatigue with higher BMI (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²: 49.8 ± 26.1; BMI > 25–30 kg/m²: 45.1 ± 24.6; BMI > 30 kg/m²: 40.7 ± 22.6; p = 0.01). Conclusions: Higher BMI is associated with poorer physical function and increased fatigue among rural advanced cancer patients, highlighting the need for supportive care related to physical function in this at-risk group. Full article

Background/Objectives: Understanding the genetic basis of growth and fat deposition is crucial for improving beef productivity in Kalmyk cattle, a breed well adapted to the extreme climatic conditions of Kazakhstan. The present study aimed to determine the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CRTC2 and ELOVL6 genes on intramuscular fat content and to evaluate their associations with growth and meat quality traits in 18-month-old Kalmyk heifers raised under different environmental conditions. Methods: A total of 400 clinically healthy Kalmyk heifers (200 from LLP “Qazaq Asyldary” and 200 from LLP “Agrofirma Turikpen”) were examined. All animals originated from closed breeding herds, and only unrelated individuals without common ancestors to the third generation were included. Zootechnical measurements— live weight, withers height, chest depth, chest girth, and body length—were performed twice by a trained specialist. Backfat thickness and musculus longissimus dorsi depth were measured postmortem. Blood samples were collected for genomic DNA extraction using the GeneJET purification kit, and DNA quality was assessed by Nanodrop, Qubit, and agarose gel electrophoresis. Target fragments of CRTC2 and ELOVL6 were amplified (150–200 bp) and sequenced on an ABI 3500 system. SNP identification, allele frequencies, and genotyping were performed by alignment to the Bos taurus ARS-UCD1.2 reference genome. Statistical analyses were conducted in RStudio using linear and mixed models with “farm” as a random effect. Results: Only one informative polymorphism, g.133528A>G in ELOVL6, was detected. Three genotypes (AA, AG, GG) were observed, with the heterozygous AG genotype showing significantly higher live weight, greater body length, and improved linear measurements compared to AA and GG. No significant associations were detected with backfat thickness or muscle depth. The g.133528A>G polymorphism in ELOVL6 positively influences growth traits without increasing fatness, aligning with the naturally lean phenotype of Kalmyk cattle. Conclusions: The AG genotype may serve as a promising marker for selecting faster-growing animals in marker-assisted breeding programs. Full article