Functional Role Research Articles

Surface Functionalization of Bamboo via Photo-Grafting Tannic Acid for Enhanced Silver Ion Loading Properties.

Photo-grafting is a gentle, simple, and precise approach to incorporating specific functional molecules for the surface functionalization of substrates. In this work, ultraviolet (UV)-induced tannic acid (TA) grafting onto the surface of bamboo was proposed as a viable strategy for functionalizing bamboo. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) clearly indicated that TA was successfully introduced to the bamboo's surface. The optimal conditions for the grafting reaction were determined to be 15 mM Methyl-2-benzoylbenzoate (BB), 30 mM TA, 20 min, and a pH = 8. Under these conditions, the amount of TA grafted onto the bamboo's surface was measured to be 19.98 μg/cm2. Results from Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) analyses showed that the silver ion loading capacity of tannic acid-grafted bamboo was significantly improved compared to that of raw bamboo and tannic acid-impregnated bamboo. Furthermore, the presence of TA grafted on the bamboo's surface exhibited a positive correlation with the loading of silver ions, indicating that grafted TA plays an important role in the surface functionalization of bamboo. We believe that photo-grafted TA may help generate multifunctional bamboo with diverse properties.

DPP2/7 is a Potential Predictor of Prognosis and Target in Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer: An Integrative Multi-omics Analysis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the leading causes of cancerrelated deaths. This study aimed to illuminate the relationship between DPP7 (also known as DPP2) and CRC through a combination of bioinformatics and experimental methodologies. A multi-dimensional bioinformatic analysis on DPP7 was executed, covering its expression, survival implications, clinical associations, functional roles, immune interactions, and drug sensitivities. Experimental validations involved siRNA-mediated DPP7 knockdown and various cellular assays. Data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) identified high DPP7 expression in solid CRC tumors, with elevated levels adversely affecting patient prognosis. A shift from the N0 to the N2 stage in CRC was associated with increased DPP7 expression. Functional insights indicated the involvement of DPP7 in cancer progression, particularly in extracellular matrix disassembly. Immunological analyses showed its association with immunosuppressive entities, and in vitro experiments in CRC cell lines underscored its oncogenic attributes. DPP7 could serve as a CRC prognosis marker, functioning as an oncogene and representing a potential immunotherapeutic target.

The role of emotional regulation, executive functioning, and aggression in hoarding behaviours

Emotion regulation (ER), executive function (EF) and aggression have all been separately linked with hoarding behaviours. This study aimed to investigate whether difficulties with ER, deficits in EF, and an increase in aggression are linked with hoarding behaviours in a community sample, whilst controlling for anxiety, depression, age, and sex. Using a correlational design, we recruited 225 adults who completed questionnaires of anxiety and depression, hoarding severity, difficulties with ER, EF, and aggression. Two hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to uncover which factors predicted an increase in hoarding behaviours, as well as the unique variance of these contributing factors. They revealed that difficulties with ER and physical aggression both contributed unique variance to hoarding severity scores. Further research is needed to fully uncover the relationship between aggression and HD, and the interconnection between EF and ER. The current study, although not without its limitations, has implications for further research in clinical samples.

Soil Microbial Community Structure and Its Contribution to Carbon Cycling in the Yalu River Estuary Wetland

Wetland microbial communities play a vital role in ecosystem functioning, particularly in the intricate processes of carbon cycling. This study employed metagenomic sequencing to investigate the diversity, composition, structural differences, carbon cycling functional gene, and microbial species of soil microbial communities in five distinct soil types of the Yalu River estuary wetland, including shoal soil, bog soil, paddy soil, meadow soil, and brown forest soil. We further explored the influence of environmental factors on both the microbial community structure and carbon cycling functional genes. Our results revealed a bacterial-dominated soil microbial community, constituting about 97.6%. Archaea and fungi represented relatively minor fractions, at 1.9% and 0.4%, respectively. While no significant differences were observed in Chao1 indices between bacterial and fungal communities, the Shannon index revealed notable differences. Both Chao1 and Shannon indices exhibited significant variations within the archaeal communities. The dominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Nitrospirae. Thaumarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, and Euryarchaeota formed the major archaeal phyla, while Ascomycota, Mucoromycota, and Basidiomycota were the dominant fungal phyla. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis based on Bray-Curtis distance revealed notable differences in the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal community structures across the samples. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified key environmental factors for the major phyla. Soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), electrical conductivity (EC), and total phosphorus (TP) were the main influencing factors for bacteria, while soil TP, EC, total sulfur (TS), and SOC were the primary drivers for archaeal phyla. Soil total nitrogen (TN) and EC were the main influencing factors for fungal phyla. Analysis of key carbon cycling pathway genes utilizing the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database and clustering heatmap revealed some variations in functional gene composition across different soil types. Mantel test indicated that pH, TN, and SOC were the primary environmental factors influencing microbial functional genes associated with soil carbon cycling. Stratified bar chart analysis further demonstrated that the major contributors to carbon cycling originated from corresponding dominatnt phyla and genera of Proteobacteria, Thaumarchaeota, Actinomycetota, Euryarchaeota, and Bacteroidota. The species and relative abundance of microorganisms associated with carbon cycling pathways varied among the samples. These findings provide a crucial reference for informing the conservation and sustainable management of wetland ecosystems in the Yalu River estuary.

The Functional Role of microRNAs and mRNAs in Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Review.

Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by poor control of blood glucose levels. Diabetes mellitus (DM) occurs when pancreatic cells fail to make insulin, which is required to keep blood glucose levels stable, disorders, and so on. High glucose levels in the blood induce diabetic effects, which can cause catastrophic damage to bodily organs such as the eyes and lower extremities. Diabetes is classified into many forms, one of which is controlled by hyperglycemia or Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD), and another that is not controlled by hyperglycemia (nondiabetic kidney disease or NDKD) and is caused by other factors such as hypertension, hereditary. DKD is associated with diabetic nephropathy (DN), a leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal failure. The disease is characterized by glomerular basement membrane thickening, glomerular sclerosis, and mesangial expansion, resulting in a progressive decrease in glomerular filtration rate, glomerular hypertension, and renal failure or nephrotic syndrome. It is also represented by some microvascular complications such as nerve ischemia produced by intracellular metabolic changes, microvascular illness, and the direct impact of excessive blood glucose on neuronal activity. Therefore, DKD-induced nephrotic failure is worse than NDKD. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important in the development and progression of several diseases, including diabetic kidney disease (DKD). These dysregulated miRNAs can impact various cellular processes, including inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, all of which are implicated during DKD. MiRNAs can alter the course of DKD by targeting several essential mechanisms. Understanding the miRNAs implicated in DKD and their involvement in disease development might lead to identifying possible therapeutic targets for DKD prevention and therapy. Therefore, this review focuses specifically on DKD-associated DN, as well as how in-silico approaches may aid in improving the management of the disease.

Beyond alpha band: prestimulus local oscillation and interregional synchrony of the beta band shape the temporal perception of the audiovisual beep-flash stimulus.

Objective.Multisensory integration is more likely to occur if the multimodal inputs are within a narrow temporal window called temporal binding window (TBW). Prestimulus local neural oscillations and interregional synchrony within sensory areas can modulate cross-modal integration. Previous work has examined the role of ongoing neural oscillations in audiovisual temporal integration, but there is no unified conclusion. This study aimed to explore whether local ongoing neural oscillations and interregional audiovisual synchrony modulate audiovisual temporal integration.Approach.The human participants performed a simultaneity judgment (SJ) task with the beep-flash stimuli while recording electroencephalography. We focused on two stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) conditions where subjects report ∼50% proportion of synchronous responses in auditory- and visual-leading SOA (A50V and V50A).Main results.We found that the alpha band power is larger in synchronous response in the central-right posterior and posterior sensors in A50V and V50A conditions, respectively. The results suggested that the alpha band power reflects neuronal excitability in the auditory or visual cortex, which can modulate audiovisual temporal perception depending on the leading sense. Additionally, the SJs were modulated by the opposite phases of alpha (5-10 Hz) and low beta (14-20 Hz) bands in the A50V condition while the low beta band (14-18 Hz) in the V50A condition. One cycle of alpha or two cycles of beta oscillations matched an auditory-leading TBW of ∼86 ms, while two cycles of beta oscillations matched a visual-leading TBW of ∼105 ms. This result indicated the opposite phases in the alpha and beta bands reflect opposite cortical excitability, which modulated the audiovisual SJs. Finally, we found stronger high beta (21-28 Hz) audiovisual phase synchronization for synchronous response in the A50V condition. The phase synchrony of the beta band might be related to maintaining information flow between visual and auditory regions in a top-down manner.Significance.These results clarified whether and how the prestimulus brain state, including local neural oscillations and functional connectivity between brain regions, affects audiovisual temporal integration.

MiR-26a is a Key Therapeutic Target with Enormous Potential in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Human Disease.

MicroRNA-26a (miR-26a) belongs to small non-coding regulatory RNA molecules emerging as fundamental post-transcriptional regulators inhibiting gene expression that plays vital roles in various processes of human diseases such as depression, renal ischemia and reperfusion injury, liver injury and some refractory cancer. In this review, we expound on the results of studies about miR-26a with emphasis on its function in animal models or in vitro cell culture to simulate the most common human disease in the clinic. Furthermore, we also illustrate the underlying mechanisms of miR-26a in strengthening the antitumor activity of antineoplastic drugs. Importantly, dysregulation of miR-26a has been related to many chronic and malignant diseases, especially in neurological disorders in the brain such as depression and neurodegenerative diseases as well as cancers such as papillary thyroid carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and so on. It follows that miR-26a has a strong possibility to be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neurological disorders and cancers. Although the research of miRNAs has made great progress in the last few decades, much is yet to be discovered, especially regarding their underlying mechanisms and roles in the complex diseases of humans. Consequently, miR-26a has been analyzed in chronic and malignant diseases, and we discuss the dysregulation of miR-26a and functional roles in the development and pathogenesis of these diseases, which is very helpful for understanding their mechanisms as new biomarkers for diagnosing and curing diseases in the near future.

Cognitive Functioning in Youth with Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review

Anxiety disorders are disorders involving cognition. Research on cognition in youth with anxiety can focus on cognitive content (e.g., self-talk) as well cognitive functioning. The present review examines domains of cognitive functioning (i.e., episodic memory, language, attention, executive functioning, motor skills, and visual functioning) in youth diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. A database search of Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed yielded 28 studies that met inclusion criteria of youth aged 17 years or younger, a sample diagnosed with a principal anxiety disorder and a comparison sample of controls, a comparison between those samples, and use of a behavioral measure of neuropsychological performance. Findings did not identify any cognitive functioning strengths for anxious youth. Deficits were found in two domains (i.e., receptive language and motor skills) whereas no deficits were found in attention, visuospatial skills and one domain of executive functioning (i.e., inhibition). Most domains had mixed findings. Additional analysis indicated that anxiety disorders in youth are not associated with diminished IQ. Directions for future research are identified including (a) the prioritization of studies with larger, representative samples (b) the role of cognitive functioning as a predictor of anxiety treatment outcome (c) the examination of the effect of treatment on cognitive performance, and (d) the course of anxiety and potential impairment in cognitive functioning.

The role of cognitive flexibility on higher level executive functions in mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults

BackgroundMild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a preclinical condition between healthy and pathological aging, which is characterized by impairments in executive functions (EFs), including cognitive flexibility. According to Diamond’s model, cognitive flexibility is a core executive function, along with working memory and inhibition, but it requires the development of these last EFs to reach its full potential. In this model, planning and fluid intelligence are considered higher-level EFs. Given their central role in enabling individuals to adapt their daily life behavior efficiently, the goal is to gain valuable insight into the functionality of cognitive flexibility in a preclinical form of cognitive decline. This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive flexibility and its components, set-shifting and switching, in MCI. The hypotheses are as follows: (I) healthy participants are expected to perform better than those with MCI on cognitive flexibility and higher-level EFs tasks, taking into account the mediating role of global cognitive functioning; (II) cognitive flexibility can predict performance on higher-level EFs (i.e., planning and fluid intelligence) tasks differently in healthy individuals and those diagnosed with MCI.MethodsNinety participants were selected and divided into a healthy control group (N = 45; mean age 64.1 ± 6.80; 66.6% female) and an MCI group (N = 45; mean age 65.2 ± 8.14; 40% female). Cognitive flexibility, fluid intelligence, planning, and global cognitive functioning of all participants were assessed using standardized tasks.ResultsResults indicated that individuals with MCI showed greater impairment in global cognitive functioning and EFs performance. Furthermore, the study confirms the predictive role of cognitive flexibility for higher EFs in individuals with MCI and only partially in healthy older adults.

Influence of Fungicide Application on Rhizosphere Microbiota Structure and Microbial Secreted Enzymes in Diverse Cannabinoid-Rich Hemp Cultivars.

Microbes and enzymes play essential roles in soil and plant rhizosphere ecosystem functioning. However, fungicides and plant root secretions may impact the diversity and abundance of microbiota structure and enzymatic activities in the plant rhizosphere. In this study, we analyzed soil samples from the rhizosphere of four cannabinoid-rich hemp (Cannabis sativa) cultivars (Otto II, BaOx, Cherry Citrus, and Wife) subjected to three different treatments (natural infection, fungal inoculation, and fungicide treatment). DNA was extracted from the soil samples, 16S rDNA was sequenced, and data were analyzed for diversity and abundance among different fungicide treatments and hemp cultivars. Fungicide treatment significantly impacted the diversity and abundance of the hemp rhizosphere microbiota structure, and it substantially increased the abundance of the phyla Archaea and Rokubacteria. However, the abundances of the phyla Pseudomonadota and Gemmatimonadetes were substantially decreased in treatments with fungicides compared to those without fungicides in the four hemp cultivars. In addition, the diversity and abundance of the rhizosphere microbiota structure were influenced by hemp cultivars. The influence of Cherry Citrus on the diversity and abundance of the hemp rhizosphere microbiota structure was less compared to the other three hemp cultivars (Otto II, BaOx, and Wife). Moreover, fungicide treatment affected enzymatic activities in the hemp rhizosphere. The application of fungicides significantly decreased enzyme abundance in the rhizosphere of all four hemp cultivars. Enzymes such as dehydrogenase, dioxygenase, hydrolase, transferase, oxidase, carboxylase, and peptidase significantly decreased in all the four hemp rhizosphere treated with fungicides compared to those not treated. These enzymes may be involved in the function of metabolizing organic matter and degrading xenobiotics. The ecological significance of these findings lies in the recognition that fungicides impact enzymes, microbiota structure, and the overall ecosystem within the hemp rhizosphere.

A Network Approach to Understanding the Role of Executive Functioning and Alpha Oscillations in Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity Symptoms of ADHD.

ADHD is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Impairments in executive functioning (EF) are central to models of ADHD, while alpha-band spectral power event-related decreases (ERD) have emerged as a putative electroencephalography (EEG) biomarker of EF in ADHD. Little is known about the roles of EF and alpha ERD and their interactions with symptoms of ADHD. We estimated network models of ADHD symptoms and integrated alpha ERD measures into the symptom network. EF emerges as a bridge network node connecting alpha ERD and the hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention symptoms. We found that EF most closely relates to a subset of symptoms, namely the motoric symptoms, "seat" (difficulty staying seated), and "runs" (running or climbing excessively). EF functions as a bridge node connecting alpha ERD and the ADHD symptom network. Motoric-type symptoms and EF deficits may constitute important nodes in the interplay between behavior/symptoms, cognition, and neurophysiological markers of ADHD.

Intolerance of uncertainty and negative emotions among high school art students during COVID-19 pandemic: a moderated mediation analysis.

A number of high school art students experience negative emotions during their preparation for the art college entrance examination, characterized by worries and fear of uncertainty. Therefore, how individual difference factors, such as intolerance of uncertainty, affect the negative emotions of students needs to be examined. Inspired by the integrative model of uncertainty tolerance, the current study seeks to explain the association between intolerance of uncertainty and negative emotions by testing the potential mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of family functioning. A total of 919 Chinese high school art students (Mage = 18.50 years, range = 16-22) participated from November 2022 to December 2022. Convenience sampling strategies were used. The participants were asked to complete the measures of intolerance of uncertainty scale, psychological capital questionnaire, depression anxiety stress scale, and family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scale. The data were analyzed using Pearson's r correlations and moderated mediation analysis. Results showed that intolerance of uncertainty was positively associated with negative emotions but negatively associated with psychological capital, which in turn, was negatively associated with negative emotions. Psychological capital mediated the indirect link of intolerance of uncertainty with negative emotions. Family functioning buffered the impact of psychological capital on negative emotions. This study can enhance our understanding of the intolerance of uncertainty on negative emotions and provide insights on interventions for high school art students' negative emotions for educators. The interventions targeting intolerance of uncertainty, psychological capital and family functioning may be beneficial in reducing the effect of intolerance of uncertainty on negative emotions faced by high school art students.

Military‐Connected Adolescents' Coping Strategies and Psychological Well‐Being: The Moderating Role of Family Functioning

ABSTRACTMilitary‐connected adolescents face unique challenges associated with military life, and some coping strategies are more beneficial to their well‐being than others. It is important to understand their use of various coping strategies in connection with their psychological well‐being and if there are family circumstances in which these coping strategies are more or less effective for enhancing psychological well‐being. Two hundred sixty‐six Army families completed surveys. A path analysis examined the associations between military‐connected adolescents' use of three distinct coping strategies (i.e., engaging in activities, utilizing self‐reliance and optimism, and venting negative feelings) and their psychological well‐being (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety and life satisfaction). The moderating role of family functioning (reported by mothers) was also examined. The three coping strategies were uniquely related to indicators of the adolescents' psychological well‐being, particularly their life satisfaction. Family functioning was not a robust moderator of these associations but was directly associated with greater well‐being. Study findings emphasize the salience of various coping strategies for military‐connected adolescents. In addition to initiatives that foster healthy family functioning, implications include programming to enhance adolescents' use of coping strategies that encourage self‐reliance and optimism along with engaging in demanding activities while minimizing adolescents' reliance on venting negative feelings as a coping strategy.

Sexual functioning is not, but psychological burden is predictive for receiving help in pelvic physical therapy practice: A cross-sectional study.

Pelvic floor complaints are common among women and often accompanied by sexual dysfunction and psychological burden. They are also associated with pregnancy and childbirth. However, not all women with these complaints receive help in pelvic physical therapy practice. This study explored if pregnancy, parity, pelvic floor complaints, sexual functioning, and psychological burden are predictive of receiving help in pelvic physical therapy practice. In a cross-sectional exploratory design, women completed an online survey about pelvic floor complaints, sexual function, and psychological burden. Binary logistic analysis was used to analyze the predictive value of the above-mentioned factors. Data from 542 participants were analyzed. Pregnancy and parity, PFC severity, psychological burden, and the interaction between pelvic floor complaints and psychological burden were significant predictors of receiving help. Against expectations, sexual functioning was not predictive of receiving help. Women's psychological burden is an important factor in determining if or when women receive help in PPT practice. More research is needed to unravel the role of sexual functioning in the context of pelvic floor complaints and women's psychological burden. More insight into this area of expertise could possibly improve and enhance pelvic health care for women with pelvic floor complaints.

COVID-19 infection, resilience, and depressive symptoms: the protective role of family functioning for aging Chinese adults in Hong Kong

Objectives Older adults are at an elevated risk of experiencing long COVID, with post-COVID-19 depressive symptoms being prevalent. However, the protective factors against this remain understudied. This study examined (a) the role of resilience in the association between COVID-19 infection and depressive symptoms in aging adults; (b) the moderating role of family functioning in the relationships between COVID-19 and resilience and between resilience and depressive symptoms; and (c) potential gender differences in the moderation. Method Data were drawn from the first wave of the Panel Study of Active Ageing and Society, a representative survey of Hong Kong adults aged 50 or above. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted. Results Approximately 35% of the participants had tested positive for COVID-19. Resilience significantly mediated the association between COVID-19 infection and post-COVID-19 depressive symptoms (p < 0.001). Family functioning was a significant moderator: the COVID-19-resilience association was stronger, and the resilience-depressive symptoms association was weaker among participants with higher family functioning. The moderating role of family functioning was more salient in women than in men. Conclusion Resilience can protect aging adults from post-COVID-19 depressive symptoms. Interventions for enhancing family functioning may promote the formation of resilience, especially among older women.

The Role of Family Functioning in the Prevention of Depressive Symptoms and Drug Use Among Hispanic Youth

ABSTRACT Background There is an established link between depression and drug use among adolescents. This relationship holds true for Hispanic youth, for whom familial relationships are especially impactful toward health outcomes. Purpose Our purpose was to examine the relationships between family functioning and adolescent and parent depressive symptoms, and the indirect effects of depressive symptoms on the relationship between family functioning and adolescent drug use. Methods Participants were 231 Hispanic adolescents (52.9% female, Mage = 13.90 ± 1.37) and their parents (93.0% female, Mage = 43.24 ± 6.64) enrolled in an RCT. Data on depressive symptoms, drug use, and family functioning were collected and a latent variable was specified using four indicators of family functioning (positive parenting, monitoring, communication, and involvement). A structural equation model approach was utilized. Results Youth family functioning predicted youths’ depressive symptoms which predicted their own drug use. Youths’ depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between youth family functioning and drug use. Discussion Findings suggest that adolescents’ perceptions of family functioning plays a role in preventing depressive symptoms and drug use among Hispanic youth. Translation to Health Education Practice Teaching students of the role that family support and depressive symptoms play in the manifestation of drug use may be an effective approach to preventing drug use.

Inhibitory control mediates the effect of high intensity interval exercise on food choice

Exercise is associated with changes in food consumption and cognitive function. The aim of this study was to examine the immediate effects of acute exercise on appetite, food choices, and cognitive processes, and the mediating role of cognitive functioning, namely inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility and decision making. We compared the effects of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) to a resting condition on appetite and food choices, using visual analogue rating scales and a computerised portion selection task. Mediation analysis was performed with exercise/rest condition as a predictor variable and cognitive measures were entered as mediating variables and food choice measures as outcomes. Young women with low activity levels, aged between 18 and 35 years with a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 25 kg/m², were recruited. Participants (n = 30) demonstrated improved performance on a Stroop task following HIIE compared to the rest session, indicating enhanced attentional inhibition. Accuracy on an N-back task was significantly higher after HIIE, indicating an improvement in working memory and response times on the N-back task were shorter after HIIE, suggesting increased processing speed. Delay discounting for food (but not money) was reduced after HIEE but there were no significant effects on go/no-go task performance. On the trail-making task (a measure of cognitive flexibility), the time difference between trail B and A was significantly lower after HIIE, compared to rest. HIIE reduced rated enjoyment and ideal portion size selection for high energy dense foods. The relationship between exercise and food choices was mediated by inhibition as assessed by the Stoop task. These results suggest that HIIE leads to cognitive benefits and a reduced preference for high-calorie foods and that an enhancement of attentional inhibition may underlie this relationship.

Enhanced In Vitro Plant Morphogenesis of Tobacco: Unveiling Indoleamine-Modulated Adaptogenic Properties of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum L.).

The medicinal plant tulsi (Ocimum sanctum L.) is acknowledged for its invigorating and healing properties that enhance resilience to stress in various human and animal models by modulating antioxidant compounds. While extensive research has documented these effects in humans, the adaptogenic potential of tulsi in stressful in vitro plant systems has not been explored. This study aimed to elucidate the adaptogenic properties of tulsi leaf extract on the in vitro regeneration of tobacco leaf explants through an investigation of the indoleamines at different developmental stages. Shoot regeneration from leaf explants on the medium supplemented with tulsi extract (20%) was compared to the control, and the differences in indoleamine compounds were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Treatment of the explants with the extract resulted in an almost two-fold increase in the number of regenerants after four weeks of culture, and 9% of the regenerants resembled somatic embryo-like structures. The occurrence of browning in the extract-treated explants stopped on day 10, shoots began to develop, and a significant concentration of tryptamine and N-acetyl-serotonin accumulated. A comparative analysis of indoleamine compounds in intact and cut tobacco leaves also revealed the pivotal role of melatonin and 2-hydroxymelatonin functioning as antioxidants during stress adaptation. This study demonstrates that tulsi is a potent adaptogen that is capable of modulating plant morphogenesis in vitro, paving the way for further investigations into the role of adaptogens in plant stress biology.

AM I OVER-SLEEPER? OVERSLEEPING AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Sleep and mental well-being play crucial roles in the normal cognitive functioning of university students. The present study aims to explore the predictive roles of oversleeping and mental well-being in the relationship with cognitive function. Cross-sectional research design was used. A total of 359 university students (male=161 and female=198), selected by purposive sampling, completed the survey, adhering to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results reveal a significant negative correlation between university students’ oversleeping and cognitive functioning (r=-0.173, p&lt;0.01) as well as mental well-being (r=-0.372, p&lt;0.01). Multiple regression analysis confirms that both oversleeping (β=0.107, t=2.713, p=0.007) and Cognitive Functioning (β=0.754, t=19.084, p=0.000) are significant predictors of mental well-being. Mediation analysis was done through AMOS. Results showed partial mediation. Mediation analysis indicates that mental well-being serves as a significant mediator (p=0.000) with an estimated value of 0.407 (SE=0.21, p=0.000). These findings underscore the importance of incorporating mental well-being and sleep duration considerations into interventions aimed at promoting cognitive health among university students.

Quality of Life in Caregivers of Alcohol Use Disorder Patients: Role of Family Functioning and Social Support

Background: Caring for alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients poses significant challenges, impacting caregivers’ quality of life (QOL) across all the dimensions. Following Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, family functioning (FF) and social support (SS) are crucial coping resources. Purpose: This study aims to explore how FF and SS relate to QOL in caregivers of individuals with AUD, recognising their pivotal role in navigating diverse caregiving-related stressors. Methods: A sample of 128 primary caregivers for AUD patients was collected from two psychiatric hospitals in Amritsar, Punjab. Data were collected using assessment tools, such as the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL–BREF), Family Assessment Device and PGI Social Support Questionnaire, and were analysed through the Pearson product moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results: FF ( r = –0.603) and SS ( r = 0.641) exhibited significant correlations with caregivers’ QOL. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that both FF (β = –0.345) and SS (β = 0.436) significantly predicted QOL among caregivers. Approximately 49% of the variance in QOL was explained by the linear combination of SS and FF. Conclusion: Developing tailored programs is essential to enhance caregivers’ physical, mental, social and environmental well-being. Healthcare professionals should recognise the intricate connections among these dimensions, crafting holistic approaches to nurture a supportive caregiving environment.