Indirect Effects Research Articles

The Relationship Between Feelings of Emptiness and Self-Harm Among Thai Patients Exhibiting Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms: The Mediating Role of the Inner Strengths

Background and Objectives: Fifty percent of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience self-harm. One of the crucial factors related to self-harm is feelings of emptiness. While inner strengths, such as the Five Precepts, meditation, and equanimity, have been identified as potential buffers against negative mental health outcomes in BPD, their role in mediating the relationship between feelings of emptiness and self-harm is not well-documented. This study aimed to explore how these inner strengths mediate the relationship between feelings of emptiness and self-harm in individuals exhibiting BPD symptoms. Materials and Methods: A total of 302 Thai participants exhibiting BPD symptoms completed several assessments: the SCID-II Personality Disorder Questionnaire for BPD to assess feelings of emptiness and self-harm, the Inner-Strength-Based Inventory (i-SBI) to evaluate the Five Precepts, meditation, and equanimity, and the Outcome Inventory Depression (OI-Depression) to assess depression. Mean and standard deviation were used for continuous variables, such as age and OI-Depression. A t-test assessed mean differences in continuous variables between the self-harm group and the non-self-harm group. Chi-square tests examined differences in categorical variables with three or more levels, such as education. Pearson’s correlation and linear regression analyzed relationships between continuous variables, including i-SBI and OI-Depression scores. Mediation analysis was performed using IBM SPSS and AMOS, with self-harm as the outcome variable, feelings of emptiness as the predictor, and inner strengths as mediators. Results: The participants had a mean age of 36.56, with 65.4% being female. The analysis showed that the Five Precepts, meditation, and equanimity significantly mediated the relationship between feelings of emptiness and self-harm, with a standardized coefficient of β = 0.534 (95% CI = 0.417 to 0.647, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of feelings of emptiness through these inner strengths was significant (β = 0.034, 95% CI = 0.009 to 0.075, p = 0.005). The mediation model explained 38% of the variance in self-harm with a 3% increase, albeit small but significant. Conclusions: This study highlights that inner strengths negatively mediate the relationship between feelings of emptiness and self-harm, indicating that as these inner strengths increase, the direct impact of feelings of emptiness on self-harm decreases. These findings suggest that targeting inner strengths as protective factors could be a valuable strategy in developing interventions aimed at reducing self-harm by addressing the underlying emotional challenges associated with BPD.

Cultivating inclusive leadership: a catalyst for enhanced organizational citizenship

Purpose The present manuscript aims to develop and validate a theoretical model capable of explaining that organizational citizenship behavior is influenced by the extent to which employees feel valued, accepted and considered integral to the organizational fabric. To do this, the authors draw on social identity theory, according to which the level of identification of a person with a group or organization is not fixed but situational and context-dependent. Design/methodology/approach To validate the theoretical model, the authors surveyed the employees of eight large-scale distribution companies operating in Italy. Overall, the authors received completed data from 2,010 employees. Findings The authors theorize and demonstrate that the presence of an inclusive corporate climate positively influences employees’ perceptions of work inclusion and that this latter, in turn, positively affects organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, they show that the indirect effect of an inclusive corporate climate on organizational citizenship behavior becomes stronger when inclusive leadership is promoted within an organization. Originality/value Overall, this paper confirms social identity theory in a novel way. Social identity theory suggests that the context can impact an employee’s identification with the organization they work for, without specifying the characteristics that the context must possess. The authors’ contribution reaffirms this theory by proposing that it is specifically the inclusiveness of the context that positively influences the employee’s identification within the organization. By focusing on this aspect of inclusion, this research introduces a novel perspective that enriches the current discourse on OCB and underscores the importance of cultivating inclusive workplace environments. Also, the authors add theoretical nuance to previous literature by suggesting that the way top management exercises leadership over employees can amplify the strength of corporate climate influence on worker inclusion perception.

On the Doctrine of the Direct Effect of European Provisions Regarding the Requirement of Enforceability

This paper analyses the interpretation of direct effect in terms of its contribution to the development of an efficient European legal system. A precondition for efficiency is the enforceability of provisions. The concept of direct effect, interpreted on the basis of a questionably adequate understanding of the concept of monism taken over from international law, should enhance enforceability by disabling national agents to interfere or to perform the “handover” of rights from the EU level to citizens. Such understanding leads to the national practice applying direct effect in a simplified, plain, and bureaucratic way, and distancing from the substance of provisions. In the cases where, intentionally or not, direct effect/direct applicability are sometimes denied and sometimes recognised to directives and regulations, the CJEU shows how to deal with such situations occurring in the activities of the European regulatory institutions. To fulfil its purpose, national agents applying European law should deploy the underutilised but demanding “shield and sword” approach regarding direct effect. Such an approach, which requires almost equally intense engagement as in the case of indirect effect (also insufficiently exercised at the national level), should defend individual rights from both national and supranational unfavourable influences. In doing so, fundamental rights and general principles encouraged and taken care of by the CJEU, which are and should be the cornerstone of the EU legal system, and which are ultimately a justification for the Member States to embrace the principle of supremacy of European law, should be taken into account.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental patients toward dental defects and dental fillings in Jinan, Shandong Province, China: a mediation analysis

BackgroundDental filling is a prevalent method for treating dental defects. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward dental defects and dental fillings among dental patients in Jinan, Shandong Province, China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at the main campus and several branch campuses of Jinan Stomatological Hospital, and community locations within Jinan city between October 2023, and January 2024. Spearman correlation analysis and mediation analysis were used to assess the associations and interrelationships between KAP scores.ResultsIn this study, 2529 dental patients participated, with 69.1% being females. Of these, 1711 had no dental defects, 551 had defects and fillings, and 267 had defects without fillings. Their median knowledge, attitude, and practice (Questions 1–6) scores were 8.00 [5.00, 12.00] (possible range: 0–18), 27.00 [26.00, 29.00] (possible range: 10–50), and 19.00 [15.00, 24.00] (possible range: 9–45), respectively. Mediation analysis revealed that in patients without dental defects, knowledge had a direct effect on attitude (β = -0.983, 95% CI: -0.999, -0.966, P < 0.001). Additionally, attitude had a direct effect on practice (β = -0.797, 95% CI: -1.490, -0.103, P = 0.024), while knowledge had an indirect effect on practice through attitude (β = 0.783, 95% CI: 0.096, 1.470, P = 0.026). In patients with dental defects who had undergone dental fillings, significant direct effects were observed between knowledge and attitude (β = -0.736, 95% CI: -0.821, -0.650, P < 0.001), knowledge and practice (β = 0.396, 95% CI: 0.214, 0.577, P < 0.001), and attitude and practice (β = -0.499, 95% CI: -0.683, -0.315, P < 0.001). Moreover, knowledge had an indirect effect on practice (β = 0.367, 95 CI: 0.221, 0.513, P < 0.001). In patients with dental defects but without any fillings, direct effects were found between knowledge and attitude (β = -0.929, 95% CI: -1.028, -0.829, P < 0.001).ConclusionsDental patients had inadequate knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning dental defects and fillings. It is recommended that clinical interventions should focus on enhancing patient education and promoting positive engagement in dental care practices.

A quantitative investigation in a territory of Italy on citizens' attitudes towards medicines through the COVID-19 pandemic: the importance of possible indirect effects caused by the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced many aspects of everyday life, particularly that of the general population health. In order to better understand the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's attitudes toward medicines use, a quantitative investigation was conducted in a territory of Sardinia region, Italy. Stratification of the random multilevel population sample was based on gender, age range, and territory. The methodological strategy to verify the potential approach changes towards medicines due to the COVID-19 pandemic consisted of oral interviews with adult citizens and unrecognizability preservation. Investigation, also supported by a study completed before the insurgence of the pandemic about taking medicines, interrupting treatments without consulting, and reading the information leaflet, allowed to explore citizens' attitudes before and during pandemic, and changing. The most relevant findings are the tendency towards a higher occurrence of self-interruption of treatments and an increased interest in the information leaflet (package leaflet), but not an increased self-administration of medicines. These results indicate new indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that could exert an additional impact on the state of citizens' health and health systems. The study, with reference to prophylactic medical treatments and based on some considerations concerning the pandemic from its insurgence to today, also provides solutions for related problems for the present or future periods of health emergencies.

Sarcopenia, dysphagia, and frailty in community-dwelling older adults: An analysis of mediation and moderated mediation models.

Sarcopenia, dysphagia, and frailty are geriatric syndromes that commonly occur with age and are associated with various adverse health consequences. Nevertheless, the complex associations among them require further study to be clarified. The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) the potential role of dysphagia as a mediator in the association between sarcopenia and frailty and (2) the potential role of taste and smell dysfunction as a moderator of this mediator effect in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 352 older adults (mean age = 70.48 ± 5.31 years; 57.67% female) enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The SARC-F, Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), and Edmonton Frailty Scale (EFS) were used to assess sarcopenia, dysphagia, and frailty, respectively. The Taste and Smell Dysfunction Questionnaire (TSDQ) was employed to assess taste and smell dysfunction. Frailty was present in 21.86%, sarcopenia risk in 39.77%, and dysphagia in 26.99% of the participants. The mediation analysis showed that the SARC-F had a significant effect on the EAT-10 (B = 1.001; p < 0.001), which in turn had a significant effect on the EFS (B = 0.129; p < 0.001). The direct (B = 0.659; p < 0.001), indirect (B = 0.129), and total (B = 0.778; p < 0.001) effects of SARC-F on EFS were significant. Of the association between sarcopenia and frailty, 16.6% was explained by dysphagia. The moderated mediation analysis showed that the TSDQ (B = 0.127; p < 0.001) moderated the association between SARC-F and EAT-10 and that the EAT-10 mediated the association between SARC-F and EFS only in older adults who scored moderate and high on the TSDQ (B = 0.049 and B = 0.114, respectively). The EAT-10 partially mediates the association between the SARC-F and the EFS, implying that sarcopenia affects frailty indirectly via dysphagia. Furthermore, taste and smell dysfunction moderates this mediator effect, with sarcopenia functioning as a mediator in older adults who scored moderate and high on the TSDQ. Therefore, it is plausible to anticipate that if someone has taste and smell dysfunction in addition to sarcopenia, they are more likely to have dysphagia and, ultimately, frailty. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing sarcopenia, taste and smell dysfunction, and dysphagia concurrently in frailty management in older adults.

The Relative Indirect Effects of Technology Bias and Implicit Bias on Racial Disparity in Service Delivery and Sepsis Mortality

Racism at the individual and societal levels has been identified as a cause of disparity in healthcare outcomes in the United States but reducing disparity has been slow. This study disentangles the relative effects of two types of racism on inpatient service delivery and hospital mortality: technology bias and implicit bias. Drawing on clinical data from intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis, we use propensity score matching to balance groups of White and nonwhite patients and run a causal mediation analysis to test our model, which links patient race to hospital mortality through two mediating variables related to service delivery: (1) discrepancies in blood oxygen saturation measurements due to technology bias embedded in the medical device (i.e., pulse oximeter) and (2) administration of supplemental oxygen, which could be impacted by clinicians’ implicit bias. We first replicate prior findings that (a) higher discrepancies between oximeter readings and laboratory tests for nonwhite patients compared to Whites and (b) a higher discrepancy lowers the likelihood of patients receiving supplemental oxygen during the ICU stay. We make a unique contribution by finding that nonwhite patients with sepsis have a 79% higher risk of hospital mortality in the ICU compared to Whites, with nearly half of the racial disparity in mortality stemming from technology bias and less than a fifth from clinicians’ implicit bias. Eliminating these two biases would help save thousands of lives annually among racial/ethnic minorities with sepsis in the United States. Our findings indicate that technology bias exerts a greater negative impact on mortality than does implicit bias, highlighting the importance of device approval standards and clinicians' ability to customize decision criteria for supplemental oxygen.

Childhood emotional maltreatment affects depression of adolescents with mood disorders: the mediating role of functions of non-suicidal self-injury

BackgroundChildhood emotional maltreatment, non-suicidal self-injury and depression are prevalent among adolescents with mood disorders. While existing model indicated that childhood emotional maltreatment, functions of non-suicidal self-injury and depression are interrelated, not much is understood about the interplay of functions of non-suicidal self-injury in the relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and depression. Thus, the goal of this research was to ascertain how functions of non-suicidal self-injury relate to childhood emotional maltreatment and depression.MethodsThe participants were adolescents with mood disorders from three hospitals in Sichuan Province, data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Ottawa Self-injury Inventory-Functions, and Childhood Depression Inventory. SPSS26.0 software and PROCESS v3.3 model 4 were used for analysis.ResultsIn all, 235 adolescents (Mage=14.8, SD = 1.62) participated in the research. The functions of non-suicidal self-injury (r = 0.289, P < 0.01) and depression (r = 0.475, P < 0.01) were considerably positively connected with childhood emotional maltreatment, and the functions of non-suicidal self-injury were strongly positively correlated with depression (r = 0.364, P < 0.01). The direct impact of childhood emotional maltreatment on depression in adolescents was found to be significant (95% CI 0.434, 0.828) in the mediated effects model. Additionally, the indirect effect of childhood emotional maltreatment on depression through functions of non-suicidal self-injury was found to be significant (95% CI 0.055, 0.236), with a mediating effect value of 17.58%.ConclusionChildhood emotional maltreatment has a direct impact on depression, but it also has an indirect influence through mediation roles of functions of non-suicidal self-injury. Medical staff should take care of the mental health of adolescents hospitalized for mood disorders so that they can clarify the role of functions of NSSI in lowering depressive symptoms and improving quality of life and create more targeted and effective intervention plans.

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Mediate the Relationship Between Poor Sleep Quality and Suicidal Ideation Among Young Chinese Men

Objective Poor sleep quality exacerbates suicidal ideation. Depression, anxiety, and stress may play important roles in this relationship. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Method A total of 2,598 young men were recruited for a cross-sectional study focusing on a range of sociodemographic factors, emotions, sleep quality, and suicidal ideation. Parallel, serial, and moderated mediation models were used to determine whether depression, anxiety, and stress mediated the relationship between poor sleep quality and suicidal ideation. Results Direct and indirect effects of poor sleep quality on suicidal ideation were observed. Depression, anxiety, and stress mediated the relationship between poor sleep quality and suicidal ideation (β Depression = 0.166, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.144, 0191; β Anxiety = 0.153, 95% CI: 0.130, 0.177; β Stress = 0.176, 95% CI: 0.154, 0.200). The serial mediation model indicated that depressive and stress symptoms co-play a serial mediating role in the relationship between poor sleep quality and suicidal ideation (β a = 0.049, 95% CI: 0.036, 0.062; βb = 0.099, 95% CI: 0.080, 0.120). The moderated mediation model revealed that the mediating role of stress on the relationship between poor sleep quality and suicidal ideation was moderated by depression (β = 0.173, 95% CI: 0.150, 0.197). Self-reported measures and the study’s cross-sectional design preclude the causal inferences reported. Conclusions The findings of this study prompt clinical and scientific researchers to consider the interplay among affective disorders when investigating etiological and psychological factors that may contribute to suicidal ideation.

Flexible paths to innovation: mitigating commuting’s impact on creative deviance

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how long commutes negatively affect employees’ creative deviance at work, exploring the mediating role that impaired work–life balance plays in linking commute to restricted creative deviance, as well as examining whether access to flexible work arrangements can alleviate commuting’s detrimental indirect effects.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a three-wave survey methodology conducted over monthly intervals with 246 participants in China’s Pearl River Delta region. Rigorous screening ensured a demographically diverse sample.FindingsCommuting time negatively affects creative deviance, both directly and indirectly through work–life balance. Flexible work arrangements mitigate the adverse effects of long commutes on work–life balance, subsequently weakening the indirect effect of commuting time on creative deviance through work–life balance.Practical implicationsA holistic approach is suggested for organizations aiming to foster a supportive and ethical work environment, which involves a combination of organizational policies, leadership practices and individual actions to promote both creativity and employee welfare.Originality/valueThis research breaks new ground by identifying commuting time as a key factor influencing creative deviance in the workplace, mediated by work–life balance. It integrates transportation research with organizational behavior, applying an ethics of care perspective to challenge traditional paradigms. The study’s interdisciplinary approach, bridging multiple fields, provides a novel, holistic view of how non-work factors impact workplace innovation.

Immune cells mediate the causal relationship between uveitis and colorectal cancer via Mendelian randomization analysis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and deadly malignancies worldwide, and immune regulation plays a critical role in its development. This study investigates the causal relationships between uveitis, specific immune cell traits, and CRC using Mendelian Randomization (MR) analyses. A total of 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with uveitis were identified, and the analysis revealed that a 1 log-odds increase in uveitis was linked to a statistically significant 3.0% reduction in CRC odds (IVW OR = 0.970, 95% CI: 0.946–0.995, P = 0.021). This protective effect was also observed using the weighted median approach (OR = 0.963, 95% CI: 0.931–0.997, P = 0.034), reinforcing the robustness of the findings. Furthermore, both univariable and multivariable MR analyses highlighted the significant causal influence of specific immune cell traits on CRC odds. Notably, the levels of extracellular monocyte HLA-DR expression emerged as a critical factor, with an associated increase in CRC odds (IVW OR = 1.084, 95% CI: 1.008–1.165, P = 0.030). The proportion of CRC odds mediated by the levels of extracellular monocyte HLA-DR expression, calculated as the ratio of the indirect effect to the total effect using estimates from multivariable MR analyses, was approximately 34.1%(95% CI: 10.23−58.04%). These findings underscore the complex interplay between immune regulation and carcinogenesis, offering insights into potential mechanisms underlying CRC development and suggesting avenues for targeted prevention and therapeutic strategies.

Effect of BMI on Caries Assessed by Structural Equation Modelling in an Adult Brazilian Population.

Compare different behavioural, environmental and socioeconomic factors for caries with transversal data to decompose the direct and indirect effects of body mass index (BMI) in relation to coronal and root caries. This cross-sectional study used a representative sample of 1002 individuals aged ≥ 35 years living in Porto Alegre. Questionnaires recorded age, sex, educational level, tooth brushing frequency and access to dental services. Oral examination assessed gingival bleeding and recession, coronal and root caries. Height and weight were collected to calculate the BMI. The structural equation modelling approach was used, and standardised coefficients (SC) to direct, indirect and total effects were calculated. The prevalence of excessive body weight was 71.17%, of which 40.09% were overweight and 31.07% were obese. The overall prevalence of coronal and root caries was 99.83 and 36.95, respectively. No direct link between BMI and coronal or root caries was observed. For coronal caries, positive SC was found for age (0.56; p < 0.01) and sex (female) (0.14; p < 0.01). For root caries, positive SC was detected for age (0.34; p < 0.01), smoking exposure (0.17; p < 0.01) and gingivitis (0.08; p < 0.01). Overweight and obese adults should not be regarded at higher risk for dental caries.

Shared care in heart failure management is linked with physical and mental health by perceived control in patient-caregiver dyads

Abstract Background Patients with heart failure (HF) and their family caregivers have interdependent relationships in managing HF. Shared care within dyads refers to interpersonal interactions characterized by exchanging care and support in chronic illness management. High levels of shared care improve patients’ health outcomes, but it is unclear if shared care is equally beneficial for caregivers. Also unknown is how shared care contributes to the outcomes of both dyad members. We propose that perceived control may be critical in the link between shared care and health status for dyads. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine whether perceived control over one’s health mediates the association between shared care and physical and mental health in patients with HF and their caregivers. Method Patients with HF and their primary caregivers (N=151 dyads) completed questionnaires in this cross-sectional study. Shared care, perceived control over one’s own health, and health status were assessed using the three subscales of the Shared Care Instrument (i.e., communication, decision-making, and reciprocity), the Cardiac Attitudes Scale-Revised, and the Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey-36, physical and mental health scales, respectively. A series of actor-partner interdependence models with mediation dyadic analyses were conducted. Results Patients with HF (mean age 60.3 Years, 64% male) and their caregivers (mean age 56.6 years, 75% female) reported similar levels of communication and reciprocity in shared care, but patients reported higher scores of decision-making in shared care than their caregivers (P &amp;lt; .001). Perceived control over one’s own health significantly mediated the association between communication and physical health (indirect actor effect = .1487; 95% CI: 0.0478 to 0.2759) and between communication and mental health (indirect actor effect = .1650; 95% CI: 0.0454 to 0.3260) for patients, not caregivers (Figures A1 &amp; A2). Similarly, perceived control significantly mediated the association between reciprocity and physical and mental health for patients, not caregivers (Figures B1 &amp; B2). Perceived control mediated the association of decision-making with physical health and mental health for caregivers, not patients (Figures C1 &amp; C2). Conclusion Higher levels of communication and reciprocity increased patients’ perceived control, ultimately improving their physical and mental health, whereas caregivers’ decision-making improved their health by enhancing their perceived control over their health. The different patterns of shared care are linked to the health of patients and caregivers by enhancing perceived control over one’s health.Figure A &amp; BFigure C

Heterogeneous Mediation Analysis for Cox Proportional Hazards Model With Multiple Mediators.

This study proposes a heterogeneous mediation analysis for survival data that accommodates multiple mediators and sparsity of the predictors. We introduce a joint modeling approach that links the mediation regression and proportional hazards models through Bayesian additive regression trees with shared typologies. The shared tree component is motivated by the fact that confounders and effect modifiers on the causal pathways linked by different mediators often overlap. A sparsity-inducing prior is incorporated to capture the most relevant confounders and effect modifiers on different causal pathways. The individual-specific interventional direct and indirect effects are derived on the scale of the logarithm of hazards and survival function. A Bayesian approach with an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is developed to estimate the conditional interventional effects through the Monte Carlo implementation of the mediation formula. Simulation studies are conducted to verify the empirical performance of the proposed method. An application to the ACTG175 study further demonstrates the method's utility in causal discovery and heterogeneity quantification.

The Relationship Between Parental Academic Achievement Pressure, Physical Activity, Self-Esteem, and Body Image Among South Korean Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of parental academic achievement pressure and physical activity on body image mediated by self-esteem. By examining a total of 1328 South Korean adolescents, this study yielded the following results. First, parental academic achievement pressure negatively affects self-esteem directly. Second, physical activity positively affects self-esteem directly. Third, self-esteem positively influences body image directly. Fourth, parental academic achievement pressure has a negative indirect effect on body image through the mediation of self-esteem. Fifth, physical activity has a positive indirect effect on body image through the mediation of self-esteem. These findings underscore the importance of appropriate physical activity, especially for adolescents under significant academic pressure. Physical activity can directly enhance self-esteem, which in turn improves body image. This study highlights the role of physical activity in mitigating the negative impact of parental academic achievement pressure on body image through self-esteem.

Air Pollution Reduces the Individuals’ Life Satisfaction Through Health Impairment

Abstract Background The impact of air pollution on individuals’ happiness and life satisfaction (LS), and its relationship to other factors became the focus of recent research. Though, the underlying mechanism of how air pollution impacts LS remains unclear. In this study, we examined the direct and indirect effect of air pollution on individuals’ LS through health mediation. Methods We used longitudinal individual-level data from “Understanding-Society: the UK Household-Longitudinal Study” on 59,492 individuals with 347,377 repeated responses across 11 years (2009-2019) that was linked to yearly concentrations of NO2, SO2, and particulate-matter (PM10, PM2.5) pollution. Generalized structural equation models with multilevel ordered-logistic regression were used to examine the direct effect of air pollution on LS and the indirect effect from health impairment. Results Higher concentrations of NO2 (coefficient = 0.009, 95%CI = 0.007,0.012, p &amp;lt; 0.001), SO2 (coefficient = 0.025, 95%CI = 0.017,0.034, p &amp;lt; 0.001), PM10 (coefficient = 0.019, 95%CI = 0.013, 0.025, p &amp;lt; 0.001), and PM2.5 (coefficient = 0.025, 95%CI = 0.017,0.033, p &amp;lt; 0.001) pollutants were associated with poorer health, while poorer health was associated with reduced LS (coefficient = -0.605, 95%CI = -0.614,-0.595, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Mediation path analysis showed that air pollution impacted individuals’ LS directly and indirectly. The percent of total effect mediated through health was 44.03% for NO2, 73.95% for SO2, 49.88% for PM10, and 45.42% for PM2.5 and the ratio of indirect to direct effect was 0.79 for NO2, 2.84 for SO2, 0.99 for PM10, and 0.83 for PM2.5. Conclusions Health plays a major mediating role in the relationship between air pollution and LS. To alleviate the impact of air pollution on LS, future strategies should focus on health promotion besides reducing air pollution emissions. Key messages • Air pollution is related to lower life satisfaction directly and indirectly through health impairment. • Strategies and policies aiming at reducing air pollution emissions and better health would improve the individual’s life satisfaction and lower the mental health burden.

Personality changes during adolescence predict young adult psychosis proneness and mediate gene-environment interplays of schizophrenia risk.

Psychotic symptoms in adolescence are associated with social adversity and genetic risk for schizophrenia. This gene-environment interplay may be mediated by personality, which also develops during adolescence. We hypothesized that (i) personality development predicts later Psychosis Proneness Signs (PPS), and (ii) personality traits mediate the association between genetic risk for schizophrenia, social adversities, and psychosis. A total of 784 individuals were selected within the IMAGEN cohort (Discovery Sample-DS: 526; Validation Sample-VS: 258); personality was assessed at baseline (13-15 years), follow-up-1 (FU1, 16-17 years), and FU2 (18-20 years). Latent growth curve models served to compute coefficients of individual change across 14 personality variables. A support vector machine algorithm employed these coefficients to predict PPS at FU3 (21-24 years). We computed mediation analyses, including personality-based predictions and self-reported bullying victimization as serial mediators along the pathway between polygenic risk score (PRS) for schizophrenia and FU3 PPS. We replicated the main findings also on 1132 adolescents recruited within the TRAILS cohort. Growth scores in neuroticism and openness predicted PPS with 65.6% balanced accuracy in the DS, and 69.5% in the VS Mediations revealed a significant positive direct effect of PRS on PPS (confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.15), and an indirect effect, serially mediated by personality-based predictions and victimization (CI 0.006-0.01), replicated in the TRAILS cohort (CI 0.0004-0.004). Adolescent personality changes may predate future experiences associated with psychosis susceptibility. PPS personality-based predictions mediate the relationship between PRS and victimization toward adult PPS, suggesting that gene-environment correlations proposed for psychosis are partly mediated by personality.

Intraspecific Variability of Xylem Hydraulic Traits of Calligonum mongolicum Growing in the Desert of Northern Xinjiang, China

Plant hydraulic traits are essential for understanding and predicting plant drought resistance. Investigations into the mechanisms of the xylem anatomical traits of desert shrubs in response to climate can help us to understand plant survival strategies in extreme environments. This study examined the xylem anatomical traits and related functional traits of the branches of seven Calligonum mongolicum populations along a precipitation gradient, to explore their adaptive responses to climatic factors. We found that (1) the vessel diameter (D), vessel diameter contributing to 95% of hydraulic conductivity (D95), hydraulic weighted vessel diameter (Dh), vessel density (VD), percentage of conductive area (CA), thickness-to-span ratio of vessels ((t/b)2), and theoretical hydraulic conductivity (Kth) varied significantly across sites, while the vessel group index (Vg), wood density (WD), and vulnerability index (VI) showed no significant differences. (2) Principal component analysis revealed that efficiency-related traits (Kth, Dh, D95) and safety-related traits (VI, VD, inter-wall thickness of the vessel (t)) were the primary factors driving trait variation. (3) Precipitation during the wettest month (PWM) had the strongest influence, positively correlating with (t/b)2 and negatively with D, D95, Dh, CA, and Kth. (4) Structural equation modeling confirmed PWM as the main driver of Kth, with indirect effects through CA. These findings indicate that C. mongolicum displays high plasticity in xylem traits, enabling adaptation to changing environments, and providing insight into the hydraulic strategies of desert shrubs under climate change.

ANALISIS KINERJA KEMITRAAN INTI PLASMA PERKEBUNAN KELAPA SAWIT DI DESA JATIWARINGIN KABUPATEN KOTAWARINGIN TIMUR PROVINSI KALIMANTAN TENGAH (Performance Analysis Of The Core Plasma Partnership Of Palm Palm Plantations In Jatiwaringin Village, East Kotawaringin District, Central Kalimantan Province)

The partnership pattern is the umbrella for all plantation business collaboration between core and plasma companies. The plasma core business partnership system for oil palm farmers is an effort to improve the welfare of farmers. The aim of the research is to determine partnership patterns, the influence of stakeholder roles, stakeholder characters, and partnership models on KUD performance and farmer welfare. The sample in the research was 81 oil palm farmers with data analysis using SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis techniques. Research results Partnership patterns used by PT. Makin Group with Jatiwaringin oil palm farmers provides welfare and benefits for both parties, with a direct influence on the character of stakeholders and the role of stakeholders with p-value ≤ sig 0.05 directly influencing KUD performance. KUD performance and the role of stakeholders p-value ≤ sig 0.05 have a direct influence on farmer welfare. The indirect influence of stakeholder character, stakeholder role, and KUD performance has a p-value smaller than the sig level of 0.05 which has an indirect effect on farmer welfare. The plasma core partnership model in Jatiwaringin Village applies a partnership model managed by the Village Unit Cooperative (KUD).

Cyber resilience in organisations and supply chains: from perceptions to actions

PurposeThis empirical study investigates the direct and indirect effects on managers’ perceptions of cyber risks, the implementation of cyber resilience strategies and the perceived effectiveness of these strategies for supply chains. Cyber risks pose significant threats to organisations and supply chains. Yet they remain insufficiently addressed and managed.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were collected from a sample of Italian organisations using a survey. The structural equation modelling methodology was employed to empirically investigate cyber resilience strategies in supply chains.FindingsResults indicate that effective cyber resilience is linked to awareness of the negative impacts of cyber risks, particularly supply chain disruptions. This awareness leads to the adoption of various cyber resilience strategies. According to managers' perceptions, several strategies are identified in the study as the most effective in enhancing the cyber resilience supply chains. The findings offer insights for managers regarding the relationship between cyber risk perceptions, supply chain cyber resilience strategies and their effectiveness. These relationships are studied using the theory of perceived risk and the dynamic capabilities theory.Originality/valueThis study advances knowledge for academics and practitioners in the fields of supply chain resilience and supply chain risk management. It contributes to the development of a risk-based thinking model in organisations and supply chains by drawing upon a dual theoretical perspective.