Variations in mental imagery ability have been linked to emotional, cognitive, and personality traits, but a unifying framework connecting these associations to mental health has been lacking.We propose a model of mental imagery centered on an "inwardly focused" cognitive style, which integrates traits related to visual imagery.By examining the relationship between self-reported imagery vividness and various cognitive and personality measures, we found significant correlations with interoceptive awareness, mindful presence, and traits such as openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion.Canonical correlation analysis identified a singular latent variable reflecting this inward cognitive style, which was negatively associated with alexithymia (difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions) and positively linked to the frequency of involuntary autobiographical memories.A path analysis revealed that this inward focus mediates the relationship between imagery vividness and negative mental health outcomes, such as neuroticism, depression, and stress, via its effects on alexithymia and involuntary memories.These findings suggest that the inwardly focused cognitive style plays a critical role in shaping the relationship between mental imagery and mental health, highlighting its relevance for emotional regulation and well-being.

Influenza A viruses represent a significant threat to human health and animal welfare. Viral hemagglutinin cleavage by host proteases is essential for viral infectivity. The transmembrane serine protease 2 ( TMPRSS2 ) is responsible for the posttranslational modification of the viral surface protein of low pathogenic avian Influenza viruses (LPAIVs), representing a promising target for the restriction of viral replication. This study used gene targeting and chemical inhibition of TMPRSS2 -related proteases to evaluate the suitability of chicken cells and organ cultures for investigating host proteases. We generated TMPRSS2 knockout (KO) chicken DF-1 cells and tested their susceptibility to H1N1. We implemented tracheal organ cultures (TOCs) and lung cultures (LCs) to assess the efficacy of Camostat mesylate (CAM) during infection with H9N2 and H6N8. Both methods, genetic modification and chemical inhibition, led to significantly lower virus replication compared to the control groups. Furthermore, chemical inhibition of host proteases prolonged the ciliary activity in TOCs and the survival of LCs upon virus infection. Our data demonstrate the importance of TMPRSS2 -related proteases as a promising target for limiting avian influenza infections and reveal the usefulness of TOCs and LCs for evaluating therapeutics. • CRISPR/Cas9 targeting of the chicken TMPRSS2 in DF-1 cells limited the replication of influenza A viruses. • Treatment with Camostat mesylate efficiently limited the replication of avian influenza viruses in organ cultures. • Tracheal and lung cultures are suitable for evaluating the efficacy of protease inhibitors in birds.

The banana (Musa spp.), a nutritionally valuable fruit crop for production and consumption, shows significantly higher propagation rates through tissue culture than conventional methods. This study aimed to develop a mass in vitro regeneration protocol for two banana varieties (Dwarf Cavendish and Ducasse) using shoot tip explants. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Surface sterilization was employed with 1 %, 2 %, and 5 % NaOCl with 70 % ethanol. Browning control used MS medium with 25 mg and 50 mg/L ascorbic acid (AA) and 1 g/L and 2 g/L activated charcoal (AC). Shoot multiplication tested 2, 2.5, and 3 mg/L BAP ±0.5 mg/L kinetin (Kin). Plantlets were acclimatized in a 2:1:1 soil mixture. The sterilization experiment showed that 2 % NaOCl was most effective. Results demonstrated that up to 85 % of initiated shoots survived on a medium containing 2 g/L AC. The use of 2 g/L AC and 50 mg/L AA as anti-browning agents proved suitable for banana shoot tip culture. For shoot multiplication, the maximum number of shoots per explant (4.50 cm) was obtained on a medium containing 3 mg/L BAP and 0.5 mg/L Kin. The highest root length (6.90 cm) was observed in the Ducasse variety with 80 g/L bulla. The acclimatization experiment showed 100 % plantlet survival across all media mixtures. In conclusion, this study provides an effective protocol for rapid mass in vitro propagation of these two banana varieties. Among the tested cultivars, Dwarf Cavendish showed greater responsiveness to in vitro propagation techniques.