Interactive Effects Research Articles

Interactional Effects of Soil and Foliar Application of Manganese Combined with Soil Stabilizer on Cd Accumulation in Rice

Crucial environmental and health problems occur in acidic paddy fields contaminated by cadmium （Cd）. Alkaline stabilizers and manganese （Mn） fertilizers are often applied to soil to reduce Cd pollution in rice. However, the bioavailability of Mn may also be affected by stabilizers and cannot effectively reduce Cd accumulation in rice. In this study, an alkaline compound stabilizer containing organic matter and silica-calcium was used in combination with a soil application of Mn antagonist （Mn-sulfate）, and organic Mn-fertilizer （EDTA-Mn, amino acid-bound Mn） was sprayed on the leaves of rice at the booting stage and filling stage to elucidate the effectiveness and mechanism of the combined treatments. In the pot experiment, three types of treatments were selected： soil application of stabilizer/Mn fertilizer （T）, Mn foliar spray （Y）, and the combination of soil stabilizer/Mn fertilizer and Mn foliar spray （T+Y）, and a total of 12 treatments were performed. In the field experiment, two types of treatments were selected： Mn foliar spray （Y） and the combination of soil stabilizer/Mn fertilizer and Mn foliar spray （T+Y）, and nine treatments were performed in total. The pot experiment results showed that, compared with that in CK, the Cd content in brown rice treated with the single applications of stabilizer, Mn-sulfate, and 1/2 stabilizer+1/2 Mn-sulfate were decreased by 19.1%, 44.0%, and 51.9%, respectively. On the basis of 1/2 stabilizer+1/2 Mn-sulfate, the Mn foliar spray of EDTA-Mn and amino acid-bound Mn further reduced Cd in brown rice by 46.1% and 46.9%, respectively. Field experiment results showed that, compared with that in CK, Mn foliar spray with EDTA-Mn and amino acid-bound Mn combined with 1/2 stabilizer + 1/2 Mn-sulfate reduced Cd in brown rice by 86.9% and 83.6%, respectively, and the Cd bioconcentration factor were both reduced to 0.05. A single application of stabilizer significantly increased the pH of the soil in the pot experiment and reduced the soil CaCl2-extractable Cd. However, the single application of stabilizer significantly inhibited the formation of Mn plaque on the root surface, while 1/2 stabilizer+1/2 Mn sulfate significantly increased the iron-Mn plaque on the root surface, and more Cd was also fixed on root surface. The addition of Mn foliar spray significantly reduced Cd transport from the stem and leaves to the rice grains. The field experiment showed that the 1/2 stabilizer+1/2 Mn-sulfate combined with Mn foliar spray significantly reduced Cd transport from the stem and leaves to the rice grains, though this combined treatment did not increase soil pH and reduce CaCl2-Cd as much as the treatment of the full dose of stabilizer. In summary, pot and field experiments consistently showed that 1/2 stabilizer+1/2 Mn-sulfate combined with organic Mn foliar spray could inhibit the uptake and transport of Cd in whole soil-plant systems and effectively reduce the Cd accumulation in brown rice.

COMT Val158Met polymorphism protects the impact of a mother's history of childhood trauma on emotional and behavioural problems in preschool children.

Childhood trauma has a well-established negative impact on mental health outcomes across the lifespan. Cumulative evidence suggests an intergenerational transmission of trauma to descendants. In this way, considering the child's COMT Val158Met (rs4680: G > A) variant, the study aims to investigate the interactive effect of maternal childhood trauma on the emotional/behavioural problems of their offspring in preschoolers age (4-5 and 11 years old) from a population-based dyad of pregnant adolescent women. The behaviour problems of 310 children were assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) instrument, and maternal trauma was assessed with the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) between the 20 to 22° gestational weeks. Maternal childhood trauma increases the risk for all emotional/behavioural problems in the offspring, and no direct association between the child's Val158Met genotypes with emotional/behavioural problems. Interestingly, in moderation analysis adjusted by sex, age and skin colour, children of mothers exposed to childhood trauma, carrying the Val/Met genotype, are less likely to develop externalising (p = .020) and total problems (p = .041) when compared to homozygous (Val/Val and Met/Met). Thus, our findings reinforce evidence on the intergenerational impact of maternal trauma on emotional/behavioural problems and demonstrate that this risk is influenced by the genetic background of the individual, varying according to the functional COMT genotype, which confers a protective profile for the development of externalising and total problems.

Growth and biomass-allocation responses of arabica coffee young plants subjected to the interactive effects of root deformation and light availability

Growth and biomass-allocation responses of arabica coffee young plants subjected to the interactive effects of root deformation and light availability

Suppressing Exciton-Vibration Coupling via Intramolecular Noncovalent Interactions for Low-Energy-Loss Organic Solar Cells.

Minimizing energy loss is crucial for breaking through the efficiency bottleneck of organic solar cells (OSCs). The main mechanism of energy loss can be attributed to non-radiative recombination energy loss (ΔEnr) that occurs due to exciton-vibration coupling. To tackle this challenge, tuning intramolecular noncovalent interactions is strategically utilized to tailor novel fused ring electron acceptors (FREAs). Upon comprehensive analysis of both theoretical and experimental results, this approach can effectively enhance molecular rigidity, suppress structural relaxation, reduce exciton reorganization energy, and weakens exciton-vibration coupling strength. Consequently, the binary OSC device based on Y-SeSe, which features dual strong intramolecular Se···O noncovalent interactions, achieves an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.49%, accompanied by an extremely small ΔEnr of 0.184 eV, much lower than those of Y-SS and Y-SSe based devices with weaker intramolecular noncovalent interactions. These achievements not only set an efficiency record for selenium-containing OSCs, but also mark the lowest reported ΔEnr value among high-performance binary devices. Furthermore, the ternary blend device showcases a remarkable PCE of 20.51%, one of the highest PCEs for single-junction OSCs. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of intramolecular noncovalent interactions in suppressing exciton-vibration coupling, thereby achieving low-energy-loss and high-efficiency OSCs.

The interactive effects between far-red light and temperature on lettuce growth and morphology diminish at high light intensity

Phytochromes (PHYs) play a dual role in sensing light spectral quality and temperature. PHYs can interconvert between the active Pfr form and inactive Pr form upon absorption of red (R) and far-red (FR) light (Photoconversion). In addition, active Pfr can be converted to inactive Pr in a temperature-dependent manner (Thermal Reversion). Recent studies have shown that FR light and temperature can interactively affect plant growth and morphology through co-regulating phytochrome activities. These studies were primarily conducted under relatively low light intensities. As light intensity increases, the impact of thermal reversion on phytochrome dynamics decreases. However, the light intensity dependency of the interactive effects between FR light and temperature on plant growth and morphology has not been characterized. In this study, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) ‘Rex’ was grown under two total photon flux densities (TPFD; 400-800 nm) (150 and 300 μmol m-2 s-1) x three temperatures (20, 24, and 28°C) x two light spectra (0 and 20% of FR light in TPFD). Our results showed that the effects of FR light on leaf, stem, and root elongation, leaf number, and leaf expansion were dependent on temperature at lower TPFD. However, the magnitude of the interactive effects between FR light and temperature on plant morphology decreased at higher TPFD. Particularly, at a lower TPFD, FR light stimulated leaf expansion and canopy photon capture only under a cooler temperature of 20°C. However, at a higher TPFD, FR light consistently increased total leaf area across all three temperatures. Plant biomass was more strongly correlated with the total number of photons intercepted by the leaves than with the photosynthetic activities of individual leaves. FR light decreased the contents of chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolics, as well as the total antioxidant capacity. In contrast, warmer temperatures and high light intensity increased the values of these parameters. We concluded that the interactive effects between FR light and temperature on plant growth and morphology diminished as total light intensity increased. Additionally, the combination of high light intensity, warm temperature, and FR light resulted in the highest crop yield and antioxidant capacity in lettuce.

Effect of Simple Swallowing Training Program on Early Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study

ObjectivesOropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) in community-dwelling older adults continues to be a challenge due to its insidious onset. This study developed a simple swallowing training program (SSTP) to address these issues and conducted a randomized controlled trial to explore its effect on swallowing function and quality of life. DesignTwo-arm randomized controlled trial. Setting: and ParticipantsA total of 248 community-dwelling older adults with OD from were included in 2024 and randomly divided into intervention and control groups. MethodsThe SSTP was developed through expert consultation. A total of 248 community-dwelling older adults with OD were included in 2024 and randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group underwent the SSTP twice daily for 21 days, with weekends off, and the control group participants did light physical activities by themselves. The primary outcome was the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS), and the secondary outcomes were the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), Swallowing Quality of Life questionnaire (SWAL-QoL), maximum tongue pressure, masticatory ability, bite force, and meal duration. Assessments were conducted on days 1 and 21, while meal duration was assessed every 3 days for lunch. ResultsTwenty-seven participants withdrew halfway. There were no significant differences in baseline assessments (P > .05). There were significant between-group and interactive effects in the GUSS [(19.07 ± 1.38) vs (17.28 ± 2.17), Fbetween-group = 6.893, Pbetween-group = .009, Finteractive = 59.504, Pinteractive<.001], EAT-10 {[4.00 (3.00, 5.00)] vs [9.00 (7.00, 10.00)], zbetween-group = −3.502, Pbetween-group<.001; zinteractive = −6.252, Pinteractive<.001}, SWAL-QoL {[166.00 (163.00, 171.50)] vs [154.00 (150.00, 158.00)], zbetween-group = 2.681, Pbetween-group = .007; zinteractive = 5.475, Pinteractive<.001}, maximum tongue pressure {[33.10 (26.48, 36.86)] vs [28.85 (19.21, 35.77)], zbetween-group = 3.377, Pbetween-group = .001; zinteractive = −6.208, Pinteractive<.001}, masticatory ability {[176.92 (133.10, 212.91) vs [163.33 (116.66, 189.32)], zbetween-group = 4.801, Pbetween-group<.001; zinteractive = 6.979, Pinteractive<.001}. Between-group, time, and interactive effects were significant in the meal duration [(23.39 ± 4.32) vs (27.64 ± 5.63), Fbetween-group = 8.692, Pbetween-group = .004, Ftime = 138.683, Ptime< 0.001, Pinteractive = 73.196, Pinteractive<.001]. Conclusions and ImplicationsThe SSTP can effectively improve early OD and swallowing-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults.

Schema-Therapeutic Exposure for Treatment Resistant Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: A Multiple Baseline Case Series Design Study

Exposure is effective for patients with anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Yet, a significant minority does not recover with current guideline treatments due to comorbid personality disorder symptoms. For these patients, no further guideline treatments exist. Schema therapy (ST) is an evidence-based treatment for personality disorders and integrating ST and exposure could provide a solution. We tested a new schema-therapeutic exposure treatment in patients with treatment-resistant anxiety or OCD. Using the latest methodological and statistical insights in a well-powered single-case experimental design (SCED; N = 6), we administered weekly measures of psychological malfunctioning, anxiety/OCD symptoms, and schema modes over the course of treatment (29-32 weeks). Schema-therapeutic exposure was effective for 33.33% of our sample, with improvement on all or most outcome measures. Another 33.33% demonstrated partial improvements, and 33.33% remained stable. Given the historical chronicity of symptoms in our sample, these effects are highly encouraging. Secondary findings showed that changes in schema modes did not precede changes in anxiety/OCD symptoms or psychological malfunctioning, and that 66.66% of the sample continued to improve in the second half of the treatment. Future research is wanted to unravel the interactive and additive effects of schema-therapeutic exposure to further optimize treatment.

Light affects the resistance of native plant communities to Solidago canadensis with low invasion degrees

Light is an important factor for plant growth, and native plant communities are frequently invaded by alien plants to varying degrees. However, little is known about the effect of lighting on the resistance of native plant communities to alien plants with different degrees of invasion. We assessed the interactive effects of light condition and invasion degree on the growth of the invasive plant Solidago canadensis, the characteristics of the native plant communities and the invasion success of S. canadensis through both a field survey and greenhouse experiment. The field survey data showed that shading decreased the biomass of both S. canadensis and the native plant communities. However, it improved the relative dominance and thus, the invasion success of S. canadensis under the low and moderate invasion degrees but not at the high invasion degree. The data of the greenhouse experiment also showed that the native plant communities under shade were more susceptible to invasion by S. canadensis than the unshaded communities, particularly under the low and moderate invasion degree. In summary, we found that shading can weaken the resistance of native plant communities to alien plant invasions when there is a minimal invasion degree. These results underscore that managers need to be more attentive to the invasion of S. canadensis in sheltered environments. These findings provide a scientific reference to manage and control invasion by S. canadensis.

Precipitation events and long-term nitrogen addition synergistically stimulate heterotrophic respiration in a semi-arid meadow steppe

Variation in precipitation event size and nitrogen deposition are important global change factors, which have the potential to affect soil respiration and its components, especially in water- and nitrogen-limited semi-arid ecosystems. However, interactive effects of precipitation events and nitrogen input on soil respiration and its components remain largely unknown. We conducted a mesocosm simulation experiment to examine responses of soil respiration and its components, heterotrophic respiration and autotrophic respiration, to changes in precipitation event size (0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 mm; July 2020) and long-term nitrogen addition (0 and 10 g m−2 yr−1; since 2011). The precipitation events triggered the pulsing release of soil respiration and its components, but heterotrophic respiration and autotrophic respiration had different response thresholds, response times, and flux magnitude. The precipitation events significantly stimulated the cumulative soil respiration and its components, among which the cumulative soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration increased quadratically, and the cumulative autotrophic respiration increased linearly, with the increase in precipitation event size. The nitrogen addition suppressed the rates of soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration before the precipitation events but improved the net increment of cumulative soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration after the precipitation events. The precipitation events and long-term nitrogen addition synergistically stimulated the cumulative soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration but had no synergistic effect on the cumulative autotrophic respiration. Precipitation events and nitrogen addition increased soil moisture and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, enhancing microbial biomass and activity, which in turn drove cumulative soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration, and by increasing plant biomass, promoted cumulative autotrophic respiration. Overall, our results highlight the importance of the interactive effects of precipitation events and long-term nitrogen addition on soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration, suggesting that such interactions should be considered to accurately assess and predict carbon budget in future global change scenarios.

Dryland fungi are spatially heterogeneous and resistant to global change drivers

AbstractFungi are considered particularly important in regulating the structure and function of dryland ecosystems, yet the response of dryland fungal communities to global change remains notably understudied. Without a clear understanding of how fungi respond to global change drivers, mitigation plans—required for biodiversity and ecosystem service conservation and restoration—are impossible to develop. In this study, we asked the following: (1) How does the fungal community respond to the individual and interactive effects of physical disturbance and drought in a heterogeneous dryland landscape comprised of drought‐adapted shrubs separated by adjacent open areas of soil? (2) What are the larger scale impacts of this response? We assessed fungal communities (using fungal‐specific DNA metabarcoding analyses) of surface soil samples in an in situ global change experiment that included disturbance and drought in a full factorial design in the northern extent of the Chihuahuan Desert. We found that the fungal community was spatially heterogenous and remarkably resistant to disturbance and drought. We also show that dryland soils harbor high shares of facultative pathogenic and obligately pathogenic fungal taxa, with several concerning taxa reaching high relative abundances under drought. Our results suggest that the fungal community is highly influenced by microclimatic conditions associated with the presence or absence of vegetation. Moreover, our results imply that the fungal community in our experiment was already adapted to the magnitude of stress imposed by two years of experimental disturbance and drought treatments. Overall, our study shows that the fungal community is spatially heterogeneous and resistant to global change drivers and houses many fungal species known for being stress tolerant and pathogenic.

Exploration of urease-aided calcium carbonate mineralization by enzyme analyses of Neobacillus mesonae strain NS-6.

Urease containing nickel cofactor is crucial for urea-hydrolytic induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (UICP). However, limited information exists regarding the influence of amino acid residues interacting with nickel ions in its structure on induced CaCO3 mineralization. Herein, RT-qPCR was used to demonstrate that the addition of NiCl2 dramatically upregulated the expression of urease structural gene ureC that was correlated with nickel binding in Neobacillus mesonae strain NS-6. Homology modeling and molecular docking were employed to construct the three-dimensional structure of urease and seek the key residues involved in nickel binding process, and virtual mutation technology was adopted to inform three key residues coordinated with nickel ions and urea, His249, His275, and Asp363. Four metrics, including root mean square deviation values for mutations of those key residues in urease-urea complexes severally and wild-type, were calculated by molecular dynamics simulations when they were mutated into alanine, respectively. Subsequently, the mutations of H249A, H275A, and D363A were characterized using western blotting to reveal a decrease in the relative expression and activity of urease, along with a corresponding reduction in CaCO3 precipitation. Ultimately, the mutations also exhibited that they had lower substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency for urea through enzymatic properties analysis. The findings suggested that those residues played a pivotal role in UICP of strain NS-6, which would expand the theoretical basis for modulating urease activity.IMPORTANCEUrease-producing bacterium is of great importance in diverse application fields, such as environmental remediation, due to its key driving characteristics in catalyzing urea hydrolysis via urea-hydrolytic induced CaCO3 precipitation (UICP). As essential cofactors of urease, nickel ions play a crucial role in regulating urease catalysis and maintaining structural stability. Numerous investigations have emphasized the impact of nickel ions on urease activity in recent years, to our best knowledge, only a few literatures have studied the molecular-level regulation of nickel-ligand residues. This study focused on the highly urease-producing bacterial Neobacillus mesonae NS-6 to explore the effects of specific nickel-ligand residues on the urease-aided CaCO3 mineralization process using molecular simulation predictions and targeted mutation experiments. The aim was to provide a molecular-level understanding of the interactive effects between urea and critical residues associated with the urease active center, as well as propose an effective modification strategy to enhance the application of UICP in future environmental areas.

Interactive effects between extreme temperatures and PM2.5 on cause-specific mortality in thirteen U.S. states

Abstract The extent and robustness of the interaction between exposures to heat and ambient PM2.5 is unclear and little is known of the interaction between exposures to cold and ambient PM2.5. Clarifying these interactions, if any, is crucial due to the omnipresence of PM2.5 in the atmosphere and increasing scope and frequency of extreme temperature events. To investigate both of these interactions, we merged 6,073,575 individual-level mortality records from thirteen states spanning seventeen years with 1-kilometer daily PM2.5 predictions from sophisticated prediction model and 1-kilometer meteorology from Daymet V4. A time-stratified, bidirectional case-crossover design was used to control for confounding by individual-level, long-term and cyclic weekly characteristics. We fitted conditional logistic regressions with an interaction term between PM2.5 and extreme temperature events to investigate the potential interactive effects on mortality. Ambient PM2.5 exposure has the greatest effect on mortality by all internal causes in the 2-day moving average exposure window. Additionally, we found consistently synergistic interactions between a 10 μg m-3 increase in the 2-day moving average of PM2.5 and extreme heat with interaction odds ratios of 1.013 (95% CI: 1.000, 1.026), 1.024 (95% CI: 1.002, 1.046), and 1.033 (95% CI: 0.991, 1.077) for deaths by all internal causes, circulatory causes, and respiratory causes, respectively, which represent 75%, 156%, and 214% increases in the coefficient estimates for PM2.5 on those days. We also found evidence of interactions on the additive scale with corresponding relative excess risks due to interaction (RERIs) of 0.013 (95% CI: 0.003, 0.021), 0.020 (95% CI: 0.008, 0.031), and 0.017 (95% CI: -0.015, 0.036). Interactions with other PM2.5 exposure windows were more pronounced. For extreme cold, our results were suggestive of an antagonistic relationship. These results suggest that ambient PM2.5 interacts synergistically with exposure to extreme heat, yielding greater risks for mortality than only either exposure alone.

Impact of longitudinal changes in serum uric acid levels and weight gain on new-onset atrial fibrillation—The Nishimura Health Survey: a retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveUric acid (UA) and obesity are significant risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Based on the pathogenesis mechanisms of new-onset AF involving obesity and UA, it is possible that...

Entrepreneurial ecosystems in small towns: franchise chain expansion

Purpose This paper aims to identify the interrelationships of institutional factors that compose an entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) in small towns that can potentially increase the attraction of franchises. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyzed 728 small towns with franchise chains that do not belong to metropolitan regions and are limited to populations of up to 50,000 inhabitants. Secondary data are obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The data analysis technique used is Poisson regression. Findings A higher number of employed persons (H1), a higher savings (H2) and a higher number of educational institutions (H4) correlates with more franchise chains in small towns. The availability of institutional support (H3) does not correlate with the number of franchise chains. Regarding the interrelationships between factors, the interactive effect between two constructs is determined to cause a decrease in franchise chains, whereas interrelating three factors raises the number of franchise chains (R² = 72.3%). Practical implications The analysis identifies some environmental factors to be considered in market prospecting by franchise chains’ expansion managers. These factors constitute a relevant analytical model focused on the regional development of franchise chains. Social implications Social contributions are directed to public policy professionals responsible for regional economic development, as emerging markets demand actions to encourage job creation when confronted with high unemployment rates and dependence on the informal economy. Originality/value The contribution of this paper is bringing EE to the debate of the institutional environment’s impact on new businesses. EE adds to the debate examining the interrelationships between different institutional factors. An EE not only identifies the factors, but also examines the interdependence of these factors, which can potentially explain the attraction of franchise chains in small towns.

Is Exposure to Conflict‐Related Violence Associated With Less Intergroup Empathy? The Moderating Role of Ideology

ABSTRACTExposure to conflict‐related violence is one of the most harmful consequences of living amidst a violent intergroup conflict. While its potential significance is profound, the impact of exposure to conflict‐related violence on intergroup empathy remains largely unexplored. The current paper aims to address this gap by proposing political ideology as a potential moderator of the exposure‐empathy link. Three studies conducted among Jewish‐Israeli participants reveal an interactive effect of exposure to conflict‐related violence and political ideology on intergroup empathy. In Study 1, high (vs. low) exposure to conflict‐related violence was associated with decreased empathy among rightists—but increased empathy among leftists—towards individual outgroup members. In Study 2, political ideology also moderated the exposure‐empathy relationship: Bereaved (vs. non‐bereaved) rightists exhibited significantly less intergroup empathy towards both an individual bereaved outgroup member and the outgroup as a whole, an effect not found among leftists. Study 3 revealed a similar, albeit marginally significant, interactive effect of exposure to conflict‐related violence and political ideology on empathy towards individuals living in a different violent conflict. Finally, an internal meta‐analysis provided further, more robust evidence for these effects. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of the findings and suggest future directions for research on this important issue.

Exploring the Influence of the Dark Triad on Indirect Cyber Aggression: A Longitudinal Study of a Taiwanese Sample.

A growing body of research suggests a link between Dark Triad personality traits and cyber aggression but inconsistencies exist. These inconsistencies may be due to limitations in past studies (e.g., using single measures of cyber aggression, summing up individual Dark Triad measures without assessing their interactions, and/or over-relying on cross-sectional data). To address these gaps, this innovative study followed a large sample of Taiwanese (N = 880) and employed a longitudinal design to examine the main and potentially interactive effects of individual Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) on three specific forms of indirect cyber aggression (cyberstalking, exclusion, and outing) assessed one year apart. By investigating these relationships over time, this longitudinal study aims to shed light on the nuanced interplay between personality and online misconduct. Findings reveal a significant interaction between Machiavellianism and narcissism, such that individuals high in both traits exhibit a greater propensity for all three forms of indirect cyber aggression. Moreover, individuals high on both psychopathy and narcissism are more likely to engage in outing behaviors, potentially due to the ease of accessing personal information online. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between personality and online aggression.

Expressive Writing About One's Trauma Increases Accessibility of Cannabis Information in Memory Among Trauma-Exposed Individuals

Objective: Trauma survivors are more likely than others to use cannabis, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occurs with cannabis use disorder (CUD). Automatic memory associations between trauma reminders and cannabis use have been suggested as contributing mechanisms. These associations can be studied experimentally by manipulating trauma cue exposure in a cue-reactivity paradigm (CRP) and examining effects on the accessibility of cannabis information in memory in trauma survivors with and without PTSD. Method: Cannabis users with trauma histories (N = 202) completed a PTSD measure (PTSD Checklist-5) and were randomized to a trauma or neutral expressive writing task as an online CRP. Next, participants completed a cue-behavior word association task, which involved presentation of a series of ambiguous cue words to which participants provided the first word that came to mind. Some of these ambiguous cues pertained to cannabis (e.g., weed, pot) and some to other substances (e.g., blow, shot). This task was scored by two independent raters. Linear regression models tested the hypothesized main and interactive effects of CRP condition (trauma, neutral) and PTSD group (probable PTSD, no PTSD) on the number of cannabis and other substance responses generated. Results: Main effects of CRP condition were found for cannabis responses (b = 0.41, p = 0.048; trauma &gt; neutral) but not other substance responses. Unexpectedly, no main effects or interactions of PTSD group were observed for either outcome. Conclusions: In cannabis users with trauma histories, writing about one’s trauma specifically activates greater accessibility of cannabis-related information in memory, regardless of PTSD.

Toward understanding grapevine responses to climate change: a multistress and holistic approach.

Recent research has extensively covered the effects of climate change factors, such as elevated CO2, rising temperatures and water deficit, on grapevine (Vitis spp.) biology. However, the assessment of the impacts of multiple climate change-related stresses on this crop remains complex due to the large number of interactive effects among environmental factors and the regulatory mechanisms that underlie these effects. Consequently, there is a substantial discrepancy between the number of studies conducted with a single or two factors simultaneously, and those with a more holistic approach. This review focuses on how climate change factors will coexist across the viticultural areas of the globe and summarises the main interactive mechanisms affecting crop performance. We highlight how the rise in temperatures will be enhanced when dealing with specific periods, such as the ripening months. Changes in crop phenology in response to temperature have been a major focus of most studies. However, how these physiological shifts may result in deleterious effects on yield and quality deserves further research. Rising temperatures will most certainly continue to represent the most imminent threat to viticulture due to its effects on grape phenology, composition and crop water requirements. Nevertheless, elevated CO2 may offer some relief through increased water use efficiency, as recent studies have shown. Within the repertoire of regulatory mechanisms that plants possess, hormones play a major role explaining the effects of combined stresses due to their crosstalk. In fact, growth regulators fine tune stress responses depending on the multiple stresses present. The paper focuses on the multistress responses mediated by ABA and jasmonate, and on the intricate interconnections of signalling among the different plant hormones.

Cheatgrass alters flammability of native perennial grasses in laboratory combustion experiments

Abstract Background The invasive annual grass cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) increases fuel continuity, alters patterns of fire spread, and changes plant communities in sagebrush shrublands of the Great Basin (USA) and adjacent sagebrush steppe, but no studies have contrasted its flammability to native perennial grasses. Understanding cheatgrass flammability is crucial for predicting fire behavior, informing management decisions, and assessing fire risk in invaded areas. This study aimed to determine the flammability of cheatgrass compared to two native perennial grasses (Columbia needlegrass [Achnatherum nelsonii] and bluebunch wheatgrass [Pseudoroegneria spicata]) across a range of fuel moistures. Results All three grass species had decreased flammability with increasing fuel moisture. Columbia needlegrass averaged 11% lower mass consumption than cheatgrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass had longer flaming duration and higher maximum temperatures than cheatgrass and Columbia needlegrass. The addition of cheatgrass to each perennial grass increased combined mass consumption, flaming duration, and flame heights. For these three attributes, the impact differed by the amount of cheatgrass in the mixture. Maximum and mean temperatures during perennial grass combustion were similar with and without cheatgrass addition. Some attributes of Columbia needlegrass flammability when burned with cheatgrass were higher than expected based on the flammability of each species, suggesting that Columbia needlegrass may be susceptible to pre-heating from combustion of cheatgrass. Conversely, the flammability of bluebunch wheatgrass and cheatgrass together had both positive and negative interactive effects, suggesting the impact on joint flammability from cheatgrass differs by perennial grass species. Conclusions This study provides experimental evidence supporting previous qualitative observations of cheatgrass flammability. Cheatgrass increased perennial grass sustainability and consumption, suggesting that cheatgrass poses a significant fire threat to native grasses regardless of moisture content. The study provides species-specific insights into flammability, which could be used to inform efforts to prevent or mitigate cheatgrass-induced wildfires.

Effects of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on corporate debt structure

PurposeThis paper investigates the differential and interactive effects of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on the corporate debt structure of credit-constrained and credit-unconstrained firms in India.Design/methodology/approachThe panel fixed-effect model was used to examine the effect of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on corporate debt structure using annual data of 2,405 firms from 1997 to 2020.FindingsAn increase in sectoral and aggregate uncertainty leads to a greater increase in total and short-term debt and a decrease in long-term debt for credit-constrained firms than in unconstrained ones. However, sectoral uncertainty affects firms’ debt maturity structure more than aggregate uncertainty. Credit-constrained firms use short-term debt to finance capital expenditure during periods of high sectoral uncertainty and working capital requirements during periods of high aggregate uncertainty. When both sectoral and aggregate uncertainty are high, credit-constrained firms decrease total and short-term debt usage more than credit-unconstrained firms do. Our results are robust to a variety of tests, such as different measures of uncertainty, the use of instrument variables and controlling for economic conditions and financial crises.Originality/valueThis study addresses the differential and interactive effects of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on corporate debt structure.