Direct Effect Research Articles

DOES THE DIGITAL ECONOMY CHANGE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CARBON EMISSIONS? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM 278 CITIES IN CHINA

The rise of the digital economy has had widespread and profound impacts on the economy and society. Extensive literature exists on digital economy and carbon emissions. However, there is a lack of literature focusing on the impact of the digital economy on the relationship between economic development and carbon emissions. This paper examines whether the digital economy has changed the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions using panel and spatial econometric modeling. Using a panel dataset of 278 prefecture-level cities in China for the period from 2011 to 2019, the results show that there is a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions, which is consistent with the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model. Moreover, the digital economy brings the turning point forward. In terms of spatial decomposition effects, both direct and indirect effects of economic growth on carbon emissions are significant, suggesting that economic growth has a positive impact on carbon emissions both in local cities and in neighboring areas. Overall, these findings provide valuable policy insights for promoting the synergistic development of the digital economy and accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Relationship Between Alexithymia and Mobile Phone Addiction with an Emphasis on the Mediating Role of Anxiety, Stress, and Depression: A Structural Model Analysis

Background: Since the beginning of mobile phone addiction, alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and stress have been mentioned as complications of Internet addiction in various studies; however, the relationship between these variables has not been well investigated. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and mobile phone addiction, emphasizing the mediating role of anxiety, stress, and depression. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 412 students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, were included using an available sampling method in 2019. Data collection tools were the demographic questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), and Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI). Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software (version 22) and Amos software (version 16). A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered. Results: Alexithymia was a predictive factor for mobile phone addiction. Additionally, it had a direct and significant effect on depression (β = 0.540, P < 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.500, P < 0.001), and stress (β = 0.53, P < 0.001). Depression (β = 0.452, P < 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.408, P < 0.001), and stress (β = 0.460, P < 0.001) had a positive and significant effect on cell phone addiction. Conclusions: In this study, alexithymia was a predictive factor for mobile phone addiction. Moreover, the variables of depression, anxiety, and stress play the role of a relative mediating variable between alexithymia and mobile addiction.

Quantitative Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on the Growing Season of Vegetation Gross Primary Productivity in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

Quantitatively determining the direct, indirect, and comprehensive effects of climatic factors on the growing season of the vegetation GPP (GPPGS) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River at the regional and vegetation type scales can provide a scientific basis for the management and restoration of regional vegetation resources under the background of global climate change. Using MODIS GPP data, meteorological data, and vegetation type data, combined with Theil-Sen Median trend analysis and the Mann-Kendall significance test, the spatiotemporal characteristics of the GPPGS in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were investigated at different temporal and spatial scales. Path analysis was used to further reveal the direct, indirect, and comprehensive effects of climate factors on GPPGS variation in different vegetation types. The results showed that:① from 2000 to 2021, the vegetation GPPGS in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River showed a fluctuating upward trend, with a rising rate (in terms of C, same below) of 2.70 g·(m2·a)-1 (P<0.01). The GPPGS of different vegetation types all showed a significant upward trend (P<0.01), with shrubs having the highest upward rate of 3.31 g·(m2·a)-1 and cultivated vegetation having the lowest upward rate of 2.54 g·(m2·a)-1. ② The proportion of the area with an upward trend in GPPGS in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River was 88.11%. The proportion of the area with an upward trend in GPPGS was greater than 84% for all different vegetation types, with shrubs (49.76%) and cultivated vegetation (44.36%) having significantly higher proportions of the area with an upward trend than that in other vegetation types. ③ The path analysis results showed that precipitation and the maximum temperature had a significant positive direct effect on vegetation GPPGS (P<0.05), whereas solar radiation had a non-significant positive effect (P ≥ 0.05). The indirect effects of maximum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation on vegetation GPPGS were all non-significantly negative (P ≥ 0.05). Under the combined effects of direct and indirect influences, precipitation and maximum temperature had a non-significant positive effect on vegetation GPPGS (P ≥ 0.05), whereas solar radiation had a non-significant negative effect on vegetation GPPGS (P ≥ 0.05). Among different vegetation types, precipitation was the main climate factor affecting the changes in GPPGS of cultivated vegetation, whereas the maximum temperature was the main climate factor affecting the changes in GPPGS of coniferous forests, broad-leaved forests, shrubs, and grasslands. ④ The changes in vegetation GPPGS in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were mainly influenced by the direct effects of maximum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation, with the direct effect of precipitation dominating 56.72% of the changes in GPPGS. The research results can provide a reference for quantifying the carbon sequestration potential of vegetation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and formulating ecological restoration governance policies tailored to local conditions under the background of global climate change.

Characterizing the Causal Pathway From Childhood Adiposity to Right Heart Physiology and Pulmonary Circulation UsingLifecourse Mendelian Randomization.

Observational epidemiological studies have reported an association between childhood adiposity and altered cardiac morphology and function in later life. However, whether this is due to a direct consequence of being overweight during childhood has been difficult to establish, particularly as accounting for other measures of body composition throughout the lifecourse can be exceptionally challenging. In this study, we used human genetics to investigate this using a causal inference technique known as lifecourse Mendelian randomization. This approach allowed us to evaluate the effect of childhood body size on 11 measures of right heart and pulmonary circulation independent of other anthropometric traits at various stages in the lifecourse. We found strong evidence that childhood body size has a direct effect on an enlarged right heart structure in later life (eg, right ventricular end-diastolic volume: β=0.24 [95% CI, 0.15-0.33]; P=3×10-7) independent of adulthood body size. In contrast, childhood body size effects on maximum ascending aorta diameter attenuated upon accounting for body size in adulthood, suggesting that this effect is likely attributed to individuals remaining overweight into later life. Effects of childhood body size on pulmonary artery traits and measures of right atrial function became weaker upon accounting for adulthood fat-free mass and childhood height, respectively. Our findings suggest that, although childhood body size has a long-term influence on an enlarged heart structure in adulthood, associations with the other structural components of the cardiovascular system and their function may be largely attributed to body composition at other stages in the lifecourse.

Causes Of Rising Drug Trafficking In India And Ways To Stop Drug Trafficking

Abstract Drug trafficking is the worldwide practice of distributing drugs and other substances which are legally banned under narcotics and associated laws. It includes the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of controlled substances. In India, the use of drugs in society especially among the younger generation has increased in the past decade and continuous to increase. This has direct and hidden effects on the future growth of the country. This paper discusses the problem of drug trafficking in India, their entry inside the country through the country's border and the various drugs which are seized in the country. It also discussed on how the investigation of drug-related cases can be improved by implementing different approaches to reduce the illegal trade of drugs. Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. UNODC is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their dynamics. The consequences of drug abuse can never be overemphasized as it has birthed a lot of problems not only in family but in the nation as well as the international community. Some medical issues associated with drug abuse include – mental disorder, liver cirrhosis, lethargy, irritability, heart disorders, among others. Studies also reveal that drug addiction contributes largely to social consequences such as internet fraud, gang formation, disruption of normal educational activities, cultism, violence, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse, reduced productivity. Drug and alcohol abuse are serious problems and has contributed largely to the sorry state of our dear nation. It has birthed a lot of social and medical problems, including school dropout, armed robbery, violence, mental disorder, irritability, heart disorders, to mention but a few. Talking about the way out the government alone cannot eradicate this social menace. It is a joint task of you and me – individuals, communities, families, schools, civil society, religious organizations, the media, business entities. Drug trafficking is a key part of this research. The author delves into analysing the current protective legislations in India in the light of drug trafficking and conclude by suggesting the necessary changes that can be implemented to stop drug trafficking.

Accumulation, tissue distribution, health hazard of microplastics in a commercially important cat fish, Silonia silondia from a tropical large-scale estuary

The current knowledge regarding the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the digestive tracts of fish, particularly the non-edible parts, provides limited assistance in assessing the risk to human health and establishing guideline values for policy-making purposes. Therefore, we conducted the first investigation into MPs within the commercially significant catfish species S. silondia, form a major tropical estuary assessing their accumulation, characteristics, and associated risks in various tissues, particularly the consumable muscle. A sum of 132 MPs were identified, and the mean abundance of MPs were 7.40 ± 4.12 item/DT, 3.20 ± 1.69 item/gill and 2.60 ± 1.65 item/muscle found in digestive tract (DT), gill and muscle of the fish, respectively. The strong relationships of MPs among three different tissues (y = 0.6069x - 22.69, R2 = 0.7589) indicated the pathways and how MPs were influenced by the physiology of organisms. The prevalence of MPs in fish muscle demonstrated their trophic transmission to humans. Moreover, fishes with higher weight had higher MPs in their gill, and DT. The dominant type, color and size of MPs were fibrous (89.67%), violet (41%) and &amp;lt; 0.5 mm sized (94%), respectively. The high percentage of fibers suggests that they might have come from ropes, fishing nets or sewage. FTIR chemical composition analyses of microplastics (MPs) identified three primary polymer types: PET (44.5%), PE (33.3%), and PP (22.2%) in fish. These polymers are commonly associated with packaging materials, household wastes and plastic pipes. Contamination level assessment by CF (CF = 2.76) and PLI (PLI &amp;gt; 1) indicated moderately to highly contaminated fish with MPs ingestion. While the complete understanding of the direct negative effects of microplastics (MPs) on human health remains elusive, their presence in estuarine fish raises concerns for both human and ecosystem health. The findings will be useful for assessing the hazards to human health from exposure to MPs and for creating effective risk management plans to reduce those risks.

Cannabinoids in the treatment of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent primary malignant tumor of the nervous system. While the treatment of other neoplasms is increasingly more efficacious the median survival rate of GBM patients remains low and equals about 14 months. Due to this fact, there are intensive efforts to find drugs that would help combat GBM. Nowadays cannabinoids are becoming more and more important in the field of cancer and not only because of their properties of antiemetic drugs during chemotherapy. These compounds may have a direct cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. Studies indicate GBM has disturbances in the endocannabinoid system-changes in cannabinoid metabolism as well as in the cannabinoid receptor expression. The GBM cells show expression of cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1R and CB2R), which mediate various actions of cannabinoids. Through these receptors, cannabinoids inhibit the proliferation and invasion of GBM cells, along with changing their morphology. Cannabinoids also induce an intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in the tumor. Hence the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of GBM may be beneficial to the patients. So far, studies focusing on using cannabinoids in GBM therapy are mainly preclinical and involve cell lines and mice. The results are promising and show cannabinoids inhibit GBM growth. Several clinical studies are also being carried out. The preliminary results show good tolerance of cannabinoids and prolonged survival after administration of these drugs. In this review, we describe the impact of cannabinoids on GBM and glioma cells in vitro and in animal studies. We also provide overview of clinical trials on using cannabinoids in the treatment of GBM.

Comparative Study of the Effects of Curcuminoids and Tetrahydrocurcuminoids on Melanogenesis: Role of the Methoxy Groups

Curcuminoids are naturally occurring yellow-colored compounds that, when hydrogenated to remove their conjugated double bond, become colorless and are referred to as tetrahydrocurcuminoids. Curcuminoids consist of pure curcumin (PC) in major amounts and demethoxycurcumin (DC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDC) in minor amounts. Tetrahydrocurcuminoids similarly consist mainly of tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), along with minor amounts of tetrahydrodemethoxycurcumin (THDC) and tetrahydrobisdemethoxycurcumin (THBDC). Previous studies have shown the inhibitory effects of PC, DC, and BDC on melanin production, but there are contradictory findings about THC. In addition, there are currently no reports on the effects of THDC and THBDC on melanogenesis. Our previous report described that, in contrast to PC, which suppressed melanin production, THC stimulated melanin production in B16F10 and MNT-1 cells; this effect was ascribed to the loss of the conjugated heptadiene moiety of PC. However, whether this finding can be generalized to the two curcumin derivatives (DC and BDC), such that THDC and THBDC might also stimulate melanogenesis, has not been addressed. Herein, a comparative study of six curcumin derivatives (PC, DC, BDC, THC, THDC, and THBDC) was undertaken to identify their effects on melanogenesis with the goal of elucidating the structure–activity relationships (SARs) focused on assessing the two regions of the parent curcumins’ structure: (i) the hydrogenation of the two double bonds bridging the phenyl rings to the β-diketone moiety, and (ii) the effect of the ortho-methoxy substituent (-OCH3) on the two phenyl rings. To determine the direct effects of the six compounds, antioxidant activity and tyrosinase activity were assessed in cell-free systems before cellular experiments utilizing the B16F10 mouse melanoma cells, MNT-1 human melanoma cells, and primary cells. Evaluations were made on cytotoxicity, melanin concentration, and cellular tyrosinase activity. The results showed that BDC inhibited melanogenesis in B16F10 and MNT-1 cells. However, it was ineffective in primary human melanocytes, while THBDC continued to exhibit anti-melanogenic capacity in normal human melanocytes. Moreover, these findings provide a novel perspective into the role of the methoxy groups of PC on the biological effects of melanogenesis and also confirm that the removal of the conjugated double bonds abolishes the anti-melanogenic capacity of PC and DC only, but not BDC, as THBDC maintained anti-melanogenic activity that was greater than BDC. However, the outcome is contingent upon the specific kind of cell involved. To the best of our knowledge, this work presents novel findings indicating that the anti-melanogenic capacity of the colored BDC is not only intact but enhanced after its hydrogenation as observed in THBDC. The findings show potential for using colorless THBDC as a pharmacological candidate to diminish the increased pigmentation characteristic of skin hyperpigmentation disorders. Future pharmacological therapeutics that incorporate pure THBDC or THBDC-enriched extracts, which retain both a colorless appearance and potent anti-melanogenic activity, can be applied to compounds for anti-melanoma therapeutics where the demand for nontoxic novel molecules is desired for established efficacies.

Mendelian randomization analysis using multiple biomarkers of an underlying common exposure.

Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis is increasingly popular for testing the causal effect of exposures on disease outcomes using data from genome-wide association studies. In some settings, the underlying exposure, such as systematic inflammation, may not be directly observable, but measurements can be available on multiple biomarkers or other types of traits that are co-regulated by the exposure. We propose a method for MR analysis on latent exposures (MRLE), which tests the significance for, and the direction of, the effect of a latent exposure by leveraging information from multiple related traits. The method is developed by constructing a set of estimating functions based on the second-order moments of GWAS summary association statistics for the observable traits, under a structural equation model where genetic variants are assumed to have indirect effects through the latent exposure and potentially direct effects on the traits. Simulation studies show that MRLE has well-controlled type I error rates and enhanced power compared to single-trait MR tests under various types of pleiotropy. Applications of MRLE using genetic association statistics across five inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and MCP-1) provide evidence for potential causal effects of inflammation on increasing the risk of coronary artery disease, colorectal cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis, while standard MR analysis for individual biomarkers fails to detect consistent evidence for such effects.

The Impact of Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, and Knowledge Management on Innovation Mediated by Human Capital in The Pharmaceutical Industry in Indonesia

The objective of this research is to find out how transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and knowledge management impact innovation mediated by human capital in the Pharmaceutical Industry in Indonesia. Quantitative analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) utilizing SmartPLS 4 software. An online questionnaire was carried out to obtain the data and the responses from 203 respondents resulted in 186 usable from 30 pharmaceutical industries across Indonesia. The findings point out that the direct effects of transformational leadership (TL), transactional leadership (TC), knowledge management (KN), and human capital (HC) relate positively and significantly to innovation (IN). The findings also confirmed that human capital mediates partially (complementary) the effect of transformational leadership on innovation, transactional leadership on innovation, and knowledge management on innovation. Based on this study to optimize innovation performance, it was suggested that pharmaceutical companies in Indonesia need to maintain the performance of any indicators that are already running well, and also need to put more effort into knowledge exchange among employees as well as the level of using new methods to improve efficiency and effectiveness of existing processes.

Investigating the association between blood metabolites and telomere length: A mendelian randomization study.

Telomere length refers to the protective cap at the end of chromosomes, and it plays a crucial role in many diseases. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between blood metabolites and telomere length, aiming to identify novel biological factors that influence telomere length. In this study, we extracted genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for blood metabolites from a sample of 7824 Europeans. Additionally, GWAS data for telomere length were obtained from the Open GWAS database (GWAS ID: ieu-b-4879). The primary analysis of this study utilized the random inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Complementary analyses were also conducted using the MR-Egger and weighted median approaches. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the findings. These included the Cochran Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, and leave-one-out analysis. To investigate the possibility of reverse causation, reverse MR analysis was conducted. Additionally, multivariable MR was utilized to evaluate the direct effect of metabolites on telomere length. The results suggested a potential association between 15-methylpalmitate, taurocholate, levulinate, and X-12712 and telomere length. MVMR analysis further showed that 15-methylpalmitate, taurocholate, and levulinate can directly influence telomere length, regardless of other metabolites. This study suggests that 15-methylpalmitate, taurocholate, and levulinate are likely factors correlated with telomere length. These findings will contribute to the development of strategies for protecting telomeres, preventing related diseases, and establishing a new biological foundation for achieving healthy aging.

Effects of paternal involvement in nighttime childcare on child and maternal sleep: exploring the roles of relationship satisfaction and maternal competence about child sleep.

Supportive co-parenting between couples has been shown to have positive effects on the dyadic relationship, child development, and parental and child sleep. This study aimed to investigate the association between paternal involvement in nighttime childcare and child and maternal sleep, while exploring relationship satisfaction, and maternal competence about child sleep as mediators. The sample consisted of 290 mothers (Mage±SD=34.8±4.1) with children (50.7% male) aged 6 - 36 (M±SD=22.7±8.6) months. Participants reported their paternal involvement in nighttime childcare and completed the following questionnaires: Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire-Revised, Dyadic Adjustment Scale-4 items, and Insomnia Severity Index. Path analysis was conducted to examine the impact of paternal involvement on child and maternal sleep through relationship satisfaction and maternal competence. Among the sample, 74.8% responded that paternal participation in nighttime childcare was less than 25%. Path analysis showed that paternal involvement had a significant direct effect on maternal insomnia (β=-.15, p<.05), but not on child sleep. Direct pathways from paternal involvement to relationship satisfaction (β=.17), from relationship satisfaction to maternal competence (β=.19), from maternal competence to child's sleep (β=-.57), and from child sleep to maternal insomnia (β=.48) were significant (ps<.01). Relationship satisfaction mediated the associations between paternal involvement and child (β=-.08, p<.05) and maternal sleep (β=-.04, p<.05). Paternal nighttime childcare involvement was low in South Korea. The results highlight the importance of considering paternal supportive participation and relationship satisfaction in future research on child and maternal sleep.

Impact of a College Sexual Violence Prevention Program on Condom Use: A Mediation Analysis.

College-age students are disproportionately impacted by sexually transmitted infections. Campus programs that reduce sexual violence have received recent investment, are increasingly common, and may offer a platform to increase condom use, but this has not yet been investigated. We explore this novel question through a secondary analysis of a randomized control trial of RealConsent, a web-based, sexual assault program for college women, on three college campuses. By estimating single and multiple-mediator models we examine the relationships between study assignment, the hypothesized mediators: self-efficacy to discuss safer sex, and clarity and assertiveness in sexual communication, and consistent condom use at follow-up. In the single mediator models, self-efficacy for safer sex communication (aOR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.19, p = .004), assertiveness in sexual communication (aOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.11, p =.004), and clarity in sexual communication (aOR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00-1.05, p = .026) demonstrated significant direct effects on condom use. No statistically significant relationships between RealConsent and the mediators, nor indirect effects were found. In the multimediator model, there were no statistically significant associations identified. Self-efficacy, assertiveness, and clarity in communication about sex may have a positive impact on condom use but we did not find evidence that RealConsent impacted these mediators and thus no mediated effect was identified. Additional research is needed to develop and assess college-based sexual violence prevention programs that include an additional focus on skills specifically related to condom negotiation and use to understand if these widespread programs offer an efficient and effective platform to reduce the impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among this high-risk population.

Growth mindset, Grit, and Academic Self-efficacy as determinants of Academic Performance in Peruvian university students

Currently, the study of non-cognitive variables and their effect on the academic performance of students has gained relevance. In view of that, the purpose of the present study was to analyze through structural equation modeling to what extent growth mindset, self-efficacy, and grit have direct effects on student performance. For this, an explanatory design of latent variables was followed, in which 305 university students participated, including men (41.8%) and women (58.2%), who reported an average age of 22.8 (SD = 3.5), all included due to convenience. To measure the independent variables, the ITIS (growth mindset), Grit-S (tenacity) and EPAESA (academic self-efficacy) were applied, while for the measurement of the dependent variable, the grades of the students of the two last semesters were used. Among the main findings, it is reported that growth mindset, grit, and self-efficacy have direct and significant effects on the academic performance of students. In conclusion, this set of non‑cognitive variables successfully explains the academic performance of the study participants.

The high-energy tail of energetic electron precipitation: solar wind drivers and geomagnetic responses

Compositional NOx changes caused by energetic electron precipitation (EEP) at a specific altitude and those co-dependent on vertical transport are referred to as the EEP direct and indirect effect, respectively. The direct effect of EEP at lower mesospheric and upper stratospheric altitudes is linked to the high-energy tail of EEP (≳ 300 keV). The relative importance of this direct effect on NOx, ozone, and atmospheric dynamics remains unresolved due to inadequate particle measurements and scarcity of polar mesospheric NOx observations. An accurate parameterization of the high-energy tail of EEP is, therefore, crucial. This study utilizes EEP flux data from MEPED aboard the POES/Metop satellites from 2004–2014. Data from both hemispheres (55–70° N/S) are combined in daily flux estimates. 164 peaks above the 90th percentile of the ≳ 30 keV flux are identified. These peaks are categorized into absolute E1 and E3 events representing weak and strong ≳ 300 keV responses, respectively. A subset of absolute E1 and E3 events with similar ≳ 30 keV responses is termed overlapping events. Additionally, relative E1 and E3 events are determined by the relative strength of the ≳ 300 keV response, scaled by the initial ≳ 30 keV flux. A comparison between E1 and E3 events aims to identify solar wind and geomagnetic conditions leading to high-energy EEP responses and to gain insight into the conditions that generate a high-energy tail, independent of the initial ≳ 30 keV flux level. Superposed epoch analysis of mesospheric NO density from SOFIE confirms an observable direct impact on lower mesospheric chemistry associated with the absolute E3 events. A probability assessment based on absolute events identifies specific thresholds in the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling function (epsilon) and the geomagnetic indices Kp*10 and Dst, capable of determining the occurrence or exclusion of absolute E1 and E3 events. Elevated solar wind speeds persisting in the recovery phase of a deep Dst trough appear characteristic of overlapping and relative E3 events. This study provides insight into which parameters are important for accurately modeling the high-energy tail of EEP.

Indirect genetic effects should make group size more evolvable than expected.

Group size is an important trait for many ecological and evolutionary processes. However, it is not a trait possessed by individuals but by social groups, and as many genomes contribute to group size understanding its genetic underpinnings and so predicting its evolution is a conceptual challenge. Here I suggest how group size can be modelled as a joint phenotype of multiple individuals, and so how models for evolution accounting for indirect genetic effects are essential for understanding the genetic variance of group size. This approach makes it clear that (a) group size should have a larger genetic variance than initially expected as indirect genetic effects always contribute exactly as much as direct genetic effects and (b) the response to selection of group size should be faster than expected based on direct genetic variance alone as the correlation between direct and indirect effects is always at the maximum positive limit of 1. Group size should therefore show relatively rapid evolved increases and decreases, the consequences of which and evidence for I discuss.

ANALYSIS OF ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF WORKPLACE-RELATED BURNOUT AMONG CROATIAN EMPLOYEES IN THE POST-COVID-19 ERA

Employee burnout is considered a serious problem in today’s organizations, having severe repercussions both on individual and operational levels. A large number of studies have been conducted to identify antecedents and consequences of burnout but were mostly carried out in medical and other helping professions. This research aims to explore the burnout of employees working in Croatian companies by developing a multidimensional model that explores the influence of three elements that are considered typical features of today’s modern, post-pandemic workplace: information overload, demands at work, and multitasking. In addition, it observes the influence of burnout on employee decision-making style and the moderating effects of information accuracy and time pressure on the burnout-decision-making relationship. A total of 567 employees working in various industries and carrying out different professions completed an online survey, and linear regression analysis was applied to analyze the data. The results confirmed the direct positive effect of information overload and demands at work on burnout and the direct positive effect of burnout on poor decision-making style. This study is one of the first studies conducted in Croatia on employees in the business sector, so it contributes to the field with important theoretical implications and practical and managerial recommendations.

The direct and indirect effects of social rejection during school years on social dominance orientation

AbstractSocial dominance orientation (SDO) refers to the degree to which people support the superiority of an ingroup over outgroups and oppose equality. It has been consistently found to be a strong predictor of negative attitudes toward disadvantaged groups. Therefore, understanding the factors that predict SDO might be the first step in reducing negative attitudes toward these groups and promoting equality. The purpose of this study is to examine whether childhood experiences of being a victim of social rejection can predict SDO in adulthood. An additional goal is to examine whether empathic concern and resilience can mediate this association. Using a quantitative method, a questionnaire that tested social rejection during school years, SDO, empathic concern, and resilience was administered to 589 Israeli adults. In accordance with the hypotheses, social rejection was found to be a predictor of SDO after adjusting for gender and religion, mediated by empathic concern and resilience. The findings of the current study contribute to social dominance theory since they demonstrate for the first time that social rejection at school has direct and indirect effects on SDO through empathic concern and resilience.

Converging Effects of Chronic Pain and Binge Alcohol Consumption on Anterior Insular Cortex Neurons Projecting to the Dorsolateral Striatum in Male Mice.

Chronic pain and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are highly comorbid, and patients with chronic pain are more likely to meet the criteria for AUD. Evidence suggests that both conditions alter similar brain pathways, yet this relationship remains poorly understood. Prior work shows that the anterior insular cortex (AIC) is involved in both chronic pain and AUD. However, circuit-specific changes elicited by the combination of pain and alcohol use remain understudied. The goal of this work was to elucidate the converging effects of binge alcohol consumption and chronic pain on AIC neurons that send projections to the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). Here, we used the Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) paradigm to model binge-like alcohol drinking in mice that underwent spared nerve injury (SNI), after which whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings were performed in acute brain slices to measure intrinsic and synaptic properties of AIC→DLS neurons. In male, but not female, mice, we found that SNI mice with no prior alcohol exposure consumed less alcohol compared with sham mice. Electrophysiological analyses showed that AIC→DLS neurons from SNI-alcohol male mice displayed increased neuronal excitability and increased frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. However, mice exposed to alcohol prior to SNI consumed similar amounts of alcohol compared with sham mice following SNI. Together, our data suggest that the interaction of chronic pain and alcohol drinking have a direct effect on both intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission onto AIC→DLS neurons in mice, which may be critical in understanding how chronic pain alters motivated behaviors associated with alcohol.

Perceptions of Values as a Mediating Variable between Moral Leadership and Organizational Commitment Among Jerusalem School Teachers

The study aims to reveal the reality of perceptions of values, moral leadership, and organizational commitment among teachers in Jerusalem schools, as well as examining the construction of a proposed model for this relation. To achieve this, the descriptive correlational approach was used, through a cross-sectional design, as one of the quantitative methods that uses correlation analysis and the structural model, to verify the relationships between variables, through a questionnaire that includes the three study measures, through a sample that included 366 male and female teachers, chosen by the stratified method. Random. The results of the study show that the reality of perceptions of values, ethical leadership, and organizational commitment, from the point of view of Jerusalem school teachers, was at a high degree. The results also show that there is a direct effect between ethical leadership on the one hand and both: (perceptions of values and organizational commitment), and also the presence of a direct effect between Perceptions of values and organizational commitment. The value of the indirect effect of ethical leadership on organizational commitment came in the presence of perceptions of values, which means that there is an effect of the mediating variable, perceptions of values, on the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational commitment.