Functional Dimensions Research Articles

Processing Speed and Attentional Shift/Mental Flexibility in Patients with Stroke: A Comprehensive Review on the Trail Making Test in Stroke Studies.

The Trail Making Test (TMT) is one of the most commonly administered tests in clinical and research neuropsychological settings. The two parts of the test (part A (TMT-A) and part B (TMT-B)) enable the evaluation of visuoperceptual tracking and processing speed (TMT-A), as well as divided attention, set-shifting and cognitive flexibility (TMT-B). The main cognitive processes that are assessed using TMT, i.e., processing speed, divided attention, and cognitive flexibility, are often affected in patients with stroke. Considering the wide use of TMT in research and clinical settings since its introduction in neuropsychological practice, the purpose of our review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the use of TMT in stroke patients. We present the most representative studies assessing processing speed and attentional shift/mental flexibility in stroke settings using TMT and applying scoring methods relying on conventional TMT scores (e.g., time-to-complete part A and part B), as well as derived measures (e.g., TMT-(B-A) difference score, TMT-(B/A) ratio score, errors in part A and part B). We summarize the cognitive processes commonly associated with TMT performance in stroke patients (e.g., executive functions), lesion characteristics and neuroanatomical underpinning of TMT performance post-stroke, the association between TMT performance and patients' instrumental activities of daily living, motor difficulties, speech difficulties, and mood statue, as well as their driving ability. We also highlight how TMT can serve as an objective marker of post-stroke cognitive recovery following the implementation of interventions. Our comprehensive review underscores that the TMT stands as an invaluable asset in the stroke assessment toolkit, contributing nuanced insights into diverse cognitive, functional, and emotional dimensions. As research progresses, continued exploration of the TMT potential across these domains is encouraged, fostering a deeper comprehension of post-stroke dynamics and enhancing patient-centered care across hospitals, rehabilitation centers, research institutions, and community health settings. Its integration into both research and clinical practice reaffirms TMT status as an indispensable instrument in stroke-related evaluations, enabling holistic insights that extend beyond traditional neurological assessments.

Cell surface RNAs control neutrophil recruitment

RNAs localizing to the outer cell surface have been recently identified in mammalian cells, including RNAs with glycan modifications known as glycoRNAs. However, the functional significance of cell surface RNAs and their production are poorly known. We report that cell surface RNAs are critical for neutrophil recruitment and that the mammalian homologs of the sid-1 RNA transporter are required for glycoRNA expression. Cell surface RNAs can be readily detected in murine neutrophils, the elimination of which substantially impairs neutrophil recruitment to inflammatory sites invivo and reduces neutrophils' adhesion to and migration through endothelial cells. Neutrophil glycoRNAs are predominantly on cell surface, important for neutrophil-endothelial interactions, and can be recognized by P-selectin (Selp). Knockdown of the murine Sidt genes abolishes neutrophil glycoRNAs and functionally mimics the loss of cell surface RNAs. Our data demonstrate the biological importance of cell surface glycoRNAs and highlight a noncanonical dimension of RNA-mediated cellular functions.

On Dimension of Fractal Functions on Product of the Sierpiński Gaskets and Associated Measures

On Dimension of Fractal Functions on Product of the Sierpiński Gaskets and Associated Measures

COVID-19, Family and Love Relationships: Perception of Stress, Relational Quality, Family Functioning and Online Infidelity Behaviors

The world has been facing a pandemic crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 disease. In Portugal, there were several waves of the pandemic, characterized by peaks of infections and deaths, as well as several measures that had an impact on the way people feel and relate. The main objective of the present investigation was to analyze stress during the pandemic, and its relationship with family functioning, perceived relational quality and online infidelity behaviors. 234 subjects participated, aged between 18 and 61 years. The study results indicate moderate to severe levels of stress, and these were significantly related to online infidelity behaviors. A total of 9.4% of the sample engaged in online infidelity behaviors during the pandemic period (between March 2020 and May 2021) and 13.4% of these behaviors were predicted by the variables under study. It was concluded that stress and relational quality are risk factors for online infidelity behaviors. Stress is also related to the dysfunctional dimensions of family functioning. In the aftermath of the pandemic, various aspects of the relationship may have been affected by the levels of stress felt, and culminated in online infidelity behaviors and family dysfunction. The results suggest the importance of relationships as a protective factor against pandemic changes, but also the need to work on relational aspects in times of crisis.

Relationship Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Function in Elderly Chinese People: A Study Based on Propensity Score Matching

To explore the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive function in the elderly population through propensity score matching method. We analyzed the data of 7605 participants aged 60 and above who were included in the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The non-substitutable 1∶1 nearest neighbor matching method without caliper value was used for propensity score matching and G-computation was used to estimate the average treatment effect (ATE) of hearing loss on all dimensions of cognitive function. Before matching, there were 3626 (47.68%) women, with 1409 (18.53%) of whom suffering from hearing loss and 3031 (39.86%) of whom suffering from cognitive impairment. After matching, 1409 subjects were included in the hearing loss group and 1409, in the normal hearing group, with both groups sharing similar distribution of basic demographic characteristics. The results for the average treatment effect of the population indicated that the cognitive function scores of the hearing loss group were lower than those of the normal hearing group, with the overall cognitive function being 0.593 points lower (95% confidence intervel [CI]: －0.916-－0.257, P<0.001), orientation being 0.183 points lower (95% CI: －0.302-－0.055, P=0.004), immediate memory being 0.150 points lower (95% CI: －0.218-－0.085, P<0.001), and language skills being 0.178 points lower (95% CI: －0.303-－0.058, P=0.006). The prevalence of cognitive impairment of the hearing loss group was 4.2% higher than that of the normal hearing group (95% CI: 0.007-0.077, P=0.020). Hearing loss adversely affects the orientation, memory, and language skills of the elderly population and forms a potential risk factor for cognitive impairment in the elderly population.

Multiple drivers of functional diversity in temperate forest understories: Climate, soil, and forest structure effects

In macroecology, shifting from coarse- to local-scale explanatory factors is crucial for understanding how global change impacts functional diversity (FD). Plants possess diverse traits allowing them to differentially respond across a spectrum of environmental conditions. We aim to assess how macro- to microclimate, stand-scale measured soil properties, forest structure, and management type, influence forest understorey FD at the macroecological scale.Our study covers Italian forests, using thirteen predictors categorized into climate, soil, forest structure, and management. We analyzed five traits (i.e., specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, belowground bud bank size, and clonal lateral spread) capturing independent functional dimensions to calculate the standardized effect size of functional diversity (SES-FD) for all traits (multi-trait) and for single traits. Multiple regression models were applied to assess the effect of predictors on SES-FD.We revealed that climate, soil, and forest structure significantly drive SES-FD of specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, and bud bank. Forest management had a limited effect. However, differences emerged between herbaceous and woody growth forms of the understorey layer, with herbaceous species mainly responding to climate and soil features, while woody species were mainly affected by forest structure.Future warmer and more seasonal climate could reduce the diversity of resource economics, plant size, and persistence strategies of the forest understorey. Soil eutrophication and acidification may impact the diversity of regeneration strategies; canopy closure affects the diversity of above- and belowground traits, with a larger effect on woody species. Multifunctional approaches are vital to disentangle the effect of global changes on functional diversity since independent functional specialization axes are modulated by different drivers.

Multiple Equine Therapies for the Treatment of Gross Motor Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the impact of three equine therapy approaches on gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy. Methods The studies were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library, in accordance with the style commonly found in scientific journal publications:(1) peer-reviewed articles written in English; (2) experimental or quasi-experimental; (3) three Equine Therapy Interventions as experiment’s independent variable; (4) children with cerebral palsy; and (5) measurement of outcomes related to Gross Motor Function. Results The study examined 596 patients with cerebral palsy, whose average age was 8.03 years. The three types of horse therapy interventions had a significant impact on gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy (SMD = 0.19, 95% CI 0.02–0.36, p = 0.031). Additionally, the interventions positively affected dimensions C (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI 0.00–0.62, p = 0.05), D (SMD = 0.30, 95% CI 0.06–0.56, p = 0.017), and B (SMD = 0.72, 95% CI 0.10–1.34, p = 0.023). The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) consists of 88 or 66 items, which are divided into five functional dimensions: GMFM-A (lying down and rolling), GMFM-B (sitting), GMFM-C (crawling and kneeling), GMFM-D (standing), and GMFM-E (walking, running, and jumping). Each subsection of the GMFM can be used separately to evaluate motor changes in a specific dimension of interest. Subgroup analysis revealed that different horse-assisted therapy approaches, types of cerebral palsy, exercise duration, frequency, and intervention periods are important factors influencing treatment outcomes. Conclusion The intervention period ranged from 8 to 12 weeks, with session durations of 30 to 45 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) demonstrated significant improvements in the overall gross motor function score, Dimension B, Dimension C, and Dimension D among children with cerebral palsy. The most effective treatment is provided by Equine-Assisted Therapy, followed by Horseback Riding Simulator (HRS). Due to its economic practicality, HRS plays an irreplaceable role. Clinical Evidence Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) demonstrates the most effective treatment outcomes, suggesting that hospitals and healthcare professionals can form specialized teams to provide rehabilitation guidance. 2. Within equine-assisted therapy, Horseback Riding Simulator (HRS) exhibits treatment efficacy second only to Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT), making it a cost-effective and practical option worthy of promotion and utilization among healthcare institutions and professionals. 3. In equine-assisted therapy, Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) holds certain value in rehabilitation due to its engaging and practical nature.

Nutrition Management Miniprograms in WeChat: Evaluation of Functionality and Quality.

With the rise in people's living standards and aging populations, a heightened emphasis has been placed in the field of medical and health care. In recent years, there has been a drastic increase in nutrition management in domestic research circles. The mobile nutritional health management platform based on WeChat miniprograms has been widely used to promote health and self-management and to monitor individual nutritional health status in China. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of comprehensive scientific evaluation regarding the functionality and quality of the diverse range of nutritional miniprograms that have surfaced in the market. This study aimed to evaluate the functionality and quality of China's WeChat nutrition management miniprogram by using the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). This observational study involves quantitative methods. A keyword search for "nutrition," "diet," "food," and "meal" in Chinese or English was conducted on WeChat, and all miniprograms pertaining to these keywords were thoroughly analyzed. Then, basic information including name, registration date, update date, service type, user scores, and functional scores was extracted from January 2017 to November 2023. Rating scores were provided by users based on their experience and satisfaction with the use of the WeChat miniprogram, and functional scores were integrated and summarized for the primary functions of each miniprogram. Moreover, the quality of nutrition management applets was evaluated by 3 researchers independently using the uMARS. Initially, 27 of 891 miniprograms identified were relevant to nutrition management. Among them, 85.2% (23/27) of them offered features for diet management, facilitating recording of daily dietary intake to evaluate nutritional status; 70.4% (19/27) provided resources for nutrition education and classroom instruction; 59.3% (16/27) included functionalities for exercise management, allowing users to record daily physical activity; and only 44.4% (12/27) featured components for weight management. The total quality score on the uMARS ranged 2.85-3.88 (median 3.38, IQR 3.14-3.57). Engagement scores on the uMARS varied from 2.00 to 4.33 (median 3.00, IQR 2.67-3.67). Functional dimension scores ranged from 3.00 to 4.00 (median 3.33, IQR 3.33-3.67), with a lower score of 2.67 and a higher score of 4.33 outside the reference range. Aesthetic dimension scores ranged from 2.33 to 4.67 (median 3.67, IQR 3.33-4.00). Informational dimension scores ranged from 2.33 to 4.67 (median 3.33, IQR 2.67-3.67). Our findings from the uMARS highlight a predominant emphasis on health aspects over nutritional specifications in the app supporting WeChat miniprograms related to nutrition management. The quality of these miniprograms is currently at an average level, with considerable room for functional improvements in the future.

DGS-SCSO: Enhancing Sand Cat Swarm Optimization with Dynamic Pinhole Imaging and Golden Sine Algorithm for improved numerical optimization performance

This paper introduces DGS-SCSO, a novel optimizer derived from Sand Cat Swarm Optimization (SCSO), aiming to overcome inherent limitations in the original SCSO algorithm. The proposed optimizer integrates Dynamic Pinhole Imaging and Golden Sine Algorithm to mitigate issues like local optima entrapment, premature convergence, and delayed convergence. By leveraging the Dynamic Pinhole Imaging technique, DGS-SCSO enhances the optimizer's global exploration capability, while the Golden Sine Algorithm strategy improves exploitation, facilitating convergence towards optimal solutions. The algorithm's performance is systematically assessed across 20 standard benchmark functions, CEC2019 test functions, and two practical engineering problems. The outcome proves DGS-SCSO's superiority over the original SCSO algorithm, achieving an overall efficiency of 59.66% in 30 dimensions and 76.92% in 50 and 100 dimensions for optimization functions. It also demonstrated competitive results on engineering problems. Statistical analysis, including the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test and Friedman Test, validate DGS-SCSO efficiency and significant improvement to the compared algorithms.

Relationship between Solitary Masturbation and Sexual Satisfaction: A Systematic Review.

Masturbation is a healthy sexual behavior associated with different sexual functioning dimensions, which highlights sexual satisfaction as an important manifestation of sexual wellbeing. This review aims to systematically examine studies that have associated masturbation with sexual satisfaction, both in individuals with and without a partner. Following the PRISMA statement, searches were made in the APA PsycInfo, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The search yielded 851 records, and twenty-two articles that examined the relation between solitary masturbation and sexual satisfaction were selected. In men, a negative relation between masturbation and sexual satisfaction was observed in 71.4% of the studies, 21.4% found no such relation, and 7.2% observed a positive association. In women, 40% reported no relation, 33.3% a negative relation, and 26.7% a positive one. The negative association between solitary masturbation and sexual satisfaction is consistent with the previously proposed compensatory role of masturbation, especially for men. In women, compared to men, the complementary role of masturbation in relation to sexual relationships is observed to a greater extent and is associated more closely with sexual health. The importance of including different parameters beyond the masturbation frequency in future studies to explore its relation with sexual satisfaction is emphasized. This systematic review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023416688).

Bacterial carbonic anhydrase-induced carbonates mitigate soil erosion in biological soil crusts

Soil erosion is a significant environmental issue worldwide, particularly in island regions where land resources are exceedingly scarce. Biological soil crusts play a crucial role in mitigating soil erosion, yet the precise effect and mechanism of biological soil crusts against erosion remain ambiguous. In this study, biological soil crusts at various developmental stages from a tropical coral island in the South China Sea were chosen to investigate the role of carbonic anhydrase in mitigating erosion. A cohesive strength meter, real-time quantitative PCR, and 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing were employed to assess variations in soil antiscouribility as well as bacterial abundance and composition during the formation and development of biological soil crusts. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to detect carbonates induced by bacterial carbonic anhydrase and elucidate their role in the solidification of sand particles. The findings indicate that the formation and development of biological soil crusts significantly enhance anti-scouribility. Comparison to those of bare coral sand, the shear stress increased from 0.35 to 1.11 N/m2 in the dark biocrusts. Moreover, significantly elevated carbonic anhydrase activity was observed in biological soil crusts, demonstrating a positive correlation with antiscouribility. In addition, there was a significant increase in bacterial abundance within the biological soil crusts. The enrichment of Cyanobacteriales and Chloroflexales potentially contributed to the increased carbonic anhydrase activity and antiscouribility. Furthermore, three cyanobacterial strains with carbonic anhydrase activity were isolated from biological soil crusts and subsequently confirmed to enhance sand solidification through microbial carbonate precipitation. This study presents initial evidence for the role of microbial carbonic anhydrase in enhancing the antiscouribility of biological soil crusts during their formation and development. These findings offer novel insights into the functional and mechanistic dimensions underlying the mitigation of soil erosion facilitated by biological soil crusts, which are valuable for implementing sustainable biorestoration and environmental management technologies to prevent soil erosion.

On the scaled Rényi entropy and application

. Rényi entropy has been widely used in many applications. However, the significance of the parameter α in Rényi entropy and how to determine the value of α is still an open issue. To explore the significance of α, a scaled Rényi entropy is proposed in this article, where α is a scaled constant. Based on the information dimension of mass function in a power set whose uncertainty is measured by Deng entropy, the scale of α in Rényi entropy of the probability distribution is determined. One numerical example is given to show its properties. The scaled Rényi entropy and Rényi entropy are then applied to the C 4.5 decision tree and active learning to compare the usefulness of scaled Rényi and Rényi entropy.

Influence Diet on Cognitive Function and Brain Health

The functionality of an individual's brain is influenced by the interaction between various environmental factors, including diet, and genetic predispositions. The objective of diet in maintaining optimal brain function may significantly contribute to the treatment and prevention of mental health illness. Experimental models and epidemiological studies have provided evidence demonstrating that both the collective and specific constituents of the human diet exert an influence on brain function. This narrative review examines the five primary dimensions of brain function that have an impact on mental health and performance. The topics of interest include: (1) the development of the brain; (2) the networks and neurotransmitters involved in brain signaling; (3) memory and cognitive processes; (4) symmetry between protein synthesis and breakdown; and (5) the detrimental consequences resulting from persistent inflammatory processes.

Systemic bevacizumab for treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

To characterize treatment response of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) including adult-onset RRP (AORRP) and juvenile-onset RRP (JORRP) to systemic bevacizumab (bev), and share our treatment regimen experience. Patients were enrolled in bev treatment based on a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of squamous papilloma. According to lesion characteristics and medical history, systemic bev was used as preoperative adjuvant therapy, postoperative adjuvant therapy, or primary therapy. The assessment of treatment response relied on the morphological changes of lesions. Vocalization and voice-related quality of life were evaluated using the voice handicap index-30 (VHI-30) for adults and the pediatric VHI (pVHI) for children. Adverse effect was monitored through patient self-reported symptoms and regular follow-ups. This study included 24 patients, comprising nine AORRP and 15 JORRP cases. In AORRP, all patients (100%) exhibited various degrees of response to systemic bev, with 5 (55.56%) achieving complete response (CR). Among JORRP patients, 14 (93.33%) showed a response to systemic bev, with 8 (53.33%) achieving CR and currently being followed up. No instances of aggravation were observed during systemic bev treatment. A total of 21 patients (21/24, 87.50%) reported voice improvement, accompanied by reduced VHI-30 or pVHI scores across all aspects, including total, functional, physical, and emotional dimensions. No grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. The most common adverse events were grade 1 gum bleeding (n = 4, 16.67%) and grade 1 proteinuria (n = 4, 16.67%). Systemic bev can be used as a powerful therapy for both AORRP and JORRP. The findings provide a reference to the systemic bev treatment for RRP.

An Improved Copula‐Based Framework for Efficient Global Sensitivity Analysis

AbstractGlobal sensitivity analysis (GSA) enhances our understanding of computational models and simplifies model parameter estimation. VarIance‐based Sensitivity analysis using COpUlaS (VISCOUS) is a variance‐based GSA framework. The advantage of VISCOUS is that it can use existing model input‐output data (e.g., water model parameters‐responses) to estimate the first‐ and total‐order Sobol’ sensitivity indices. This study improves VISCOUS by refining its handling of marginal densities of the Gaussian mixture copula model (GMCM). We then evaluate VISCOUS using three types of generic functions relevant to water system models. We observe that its performance depends on function dimension, input‐output data size, and non‐identifiability. Function dimension refers to the number of uncertain input factors analyzed in GSA, and non‐identifiability refers to the inability to estimate GMCM parameters. VISCOUS proves powerful in estimating first‐order sensitivity with a small amount of input‐output data (e.g., 200 in this study), regardless of function dimension. It always ranks input factors correctly in both first‐ and total‐order terms. For estimating total‐order sensitivity, it is recommended to use VISCOUS when the function dimension is not very high (e.g., less than 20) due to the challenge of producing sufficient input‐output data for accurate GMCM inferences (e.g., more than 10,000 data). In cases where all input factors are equally important (a rarity in practice), VISCOUS faces non‐identifiability issues that impact its performance. We provide a didactic example and an open‐source Python code, pyVISCOUS, for broader user adoption.

Venice's Nissology. Mapping and Modelling Venice's Aquascape in a Historical Perspective

In the historical tradition, Venice is a city without walls and gates, and hence lacking suburbs. The project Venice's Nissology (VeNiss) reverses this trope by examining the urban, political, and cultural patterns connecting the capital with its lagoon archipelago through a web interactive 3D map, intended for researchers and the wider public alike. This is a geo-­spatial semantic infrastructure that, as a sort of historical Google maps, enables a journey through time and space to discover and visualise the layered histories of Venice's over sixty ‘domestic' islands. VeNiss tells a story of half a millennium, starting from the sixteenth century, the very moment in which the city began consciously to structure its lagoon territory. Allowing users to navigate across the digital historical lagoon, the research platform brings the once densely-­populated islands to life in their physical appearance as well as in their social arrangement. Through bi-­ and three-­ dimensional digital models interwoven with pertinent historical information, the online infrastructure helps investigate, interpret, and represent the long-­lasting dynamics of Venice's centre-­periphery relations, blending the physical and functional dimensions together and displaying them as an on-­going flow. By reframing the lagoon as a large-­scale ‘urban fringe', this project re-­evaluates the Venetian archipelago as the fundamental connective tissue of the city's political, socio-­economic, and cultural practices.

Association between Depressive Symptoms and Social Support in a Nationally Representative Sample Of Older Adults (ELSI-Brazil).

To investigate the association between depressive symptoms and social support among a representative sample of the Brazilian population aged 50 years or older. Cross-sectional study, based on 8,074 participants of the second wave of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study on Aging - ELSI-Brasil. Depressive symptoms were screened based on the CES-D8 instrument, and social support was investigated in its structural and functional dimensions. Sociodemographic variables and health conditions were considered for adjustment in investigating the association between social support and depressive symptoms using the Poisson regression model. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was estimated at 19.1% (95% CI:16.7;21.7). In the analysis adjusted for possible confounding factors, depressive symptoms were independently associated with negative social support in the items "not married" (RP=1.24; 95% CI: 1.07-1.44), "not having someone to trust" (RP=1.31; 95% CI: 1.10-1.56) and "not having someone to borrow money or an object from, in case of need" (RP=1.46; 95% CI: 1.21-1.75). The present results highlight the importance of social relations in determining the presence of depressive symptoms and reinforce the need to implement public policies aimed at strengthening social networks to minimize this public health problem.

Estresse ocupacional no setor bancário: implicações na saúde do trabalhador e na funcionalidade da organização

Abstract This article aimed to identify the main implications of occupational stress for workers’ health and for the functionality of a banking organization located in Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed a quantitative study through a survey of 306 banking professionals. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. As a result, the construction of a structural model stands out, making it possible to verify the implications and effects between the individual, social, and functional dimensions. This study contributed to the discussion of variables associated with occupational stress, considering the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by adversities and so far with few studies related to professionals in the financial sector, especially banking. Considering the pandemic scenario, the relationships between the dimensions served as the basis for identifying the manifestations of occupational stress in individuals and their impacts on the organization’s functionality.

Structured and unstructured intraspecific propagule trait variation across environmental gradients in a widespread mangrove.

Increasing studies have shown the importance of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) on ecological processes. However, the patterns and sources of ITV are still unclear, especially in the propagules of coastal vegetation. Here, we measured six hypocotyl traits for 66 genealogies of Kandelia obovata from 26 sites and analyzed how ITV in these traits was distributed across geography and genealogy through variance partitioning. We further constructed mixed models and structural equation models to disentangle the effects of climatic, oceanic, and maternal factors on ITV. Results showed that size-related traits decreased along increasing latitudinal gradients, which was mainly driven by positive regulation of temperature on these traits. By contrast, ITV of shape trait was unstructured along latitudinal gradients and did not show any dependence among environmental variables. These findings indicate that propagule size mainly varied between populations, whereas propagule shape mainly varied between individuals. Our study may provide useful insights into the ITV in propagule from different functional dimensions and on a broad scale, which may facilitate mangrove protection in light of ITV.

Effect of Supportive Counseling Based on Swanson's Caring Theory on the Quality of Life of Pregnant Women With A History of Abortion: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Objectives Abortion is one of the most traumatic events in a woman's life. The resulting trauma leads to the fear of repeat abortion, despair, inability, reduced self-confidence, isolation, mental health problems, and reduced quality of life (QoL). The present study aims to determine the effect of supportive counseling on the QoL of pregnant women with a history of abortion. Methods This is randomized controlled trial study. Participants were 72 pregnant women with a history of abortion referred to comprehensive health centers in Isfahan, Iran to receive prenatal care. The data collection instruments were a demographic form and the 36-item short form health survey. The intervention group received counseling based on Swanson’s caring theory at three sessions (two face-to-face counseling sessions and one telephone counseling session), while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected in three phases (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up), and analyzed using chi-square test, paired t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance, t-test, and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS software, version 25. Results Both groups were similar in demographic characteristics and QoL before the intervention (P&gt;0.05). Four and 8 weeks after the intervention, the mean score of QoL was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P&lt;0.05). Eight weeks after the intervention, the QoL score was higher than in the control group in dimensions of physical functioning (P=0.009), social functioning (P=0.039), role-emotional (P=0.004), and bodily pain (P=0.004). Conclusion Supportive counseling based on Swanson’s caring theory, as a midwife-centered intervention, can improve the QoL pregnant women with a history of abortion. This approach can be used in providing care to the pregnant women with a history of abortion.