Interactive Effects Research Articles

Antagonistic Effect of Microplastic Polyvinyl Chloride and Nitrification Inhibitor on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission: An Overlooked Risk of Microplastic to the Agrochemical Effectiveness.

Microplastics are widely persistent in agricultural ecosystems and may affect soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) is applied to decelerate nitrification and reduce soil N2O emission. Nevertheless, the interactive effects of nitrification inhibitors and microplastics on soil N2O emissions have not been investigated. Sole DMPP, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polystyrene (PS) substantially reduced agricultural soil N2O emission rates by 25.93%, 69.04%, and 73.89%, respectively. Nevertheless, PVC and DMPP had antagonistic effects on the N2O emission rates. The observed reductions in N2O emissions could be attributed to variations in soil oxygen availability, electron transport system activities, and Firmicutes, nap, and GDH genes. Moreover, the DMPP, PVC, and PS alone or copresences significantly enhanced the soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). The findings shed light on the role of microplastics in soil N2O emission, EMF, and the microbial community, expanding the understanding of microplastics' effects on agrochemical effectiveness.

The Effects of Key Audit Matters and Stock Ownership on Audit Committee Members’ Accounting Preferences

This study investigated the interactive effect of key audit matters (KAMs) and stock ownership on German audit committee (AC) members’ preferences regarding accounting issues in an experimental setting. Specifically, we explored whether the increased accountability of AC members to investors, resulting from KAM disclosures, is influenced by whether an AC member owns shares in the audited company. Our findings suggest that the disclosure of KAMs supports a conservative management accounting preference. However, KAMs can be used by stock-owning AC members as disclaimers that inform the investing public and might serve as legitimation tools for ACs with a preference for less conservative accounting. Hence, our study provides evidence from a two-tier governance country that audit committee members’ accounting preferences based on disclosed KAMs depend on their financial independence.

Identification of key chlorophyll fluorescence parameters as biomarkers for dryland wheat under future climate conditions.

Nowadays, climate change is the primary factor shaping the future of food and nutritional security. To investigate the interactive effects of various climate variables on photosynthetic efficiency, an experiment was conducted using 10 dryland wheat genotypes. These genotypes were exposed to different conditions: temperatures of 25 ± 3°C and 34 ± 3°C, carbon dioxide concentrations of 380 ± 50 ppm and 800 ± 50 ppm, and irrigation regimes of 50% field capacity and well-watered. Our results indicated that the wheat genotypes responded differently to both individual and combined climate stress factors. The traditional winter wheat genotype *Sardari*, along with the newly developed dryland wheat genotype *Ivan*, exhibited resilience to anticipated climate conditions. This resilience was reflected in enhancements in photochemical quantum efficiency parameters (Y(II), qP, and qL) under combined stress conditions. Resilient genotypes demonstrated superior regulation of the stomatal conductance (GS) and electron transport rate (ETR) under elevated temperature and CO2 levels. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed significant correlations between chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and climate factors, such as NPQ with temperature, Y(NO) with CO2, qL in response to drought stress, and both qP and Y(II) with the interactions among temperature, CO2, and drought stress. Elevated CO2 reduced the ETR and GS across all genotypes. Our findings underscore the importance of assessing not only fundamental chlorophyll fluorescence parameters like Fm and Fo but also the efficiency of NPQ and Y(II) to understand climate change impacts on dryland wheat genotypes. We suggest that these parameters could serve as valuable biomarkers for breeding programs aimed at improving plant adaptation to future dryland climate conditions.

The interactive effect of integral and incidental emotions on creative metaphor performance

Prior research on the relationship between emotion and creativity has mostly focused on the influence of incidental emotions on creative performance. The present study aimed to explore how incidental and integral emotions interact to influence the generation of creative metaphors from the perspective of the affect priming theory. In the study, we applied video clips to induce participants’ positive or negative incidental emotions while selecting metaphors that ask participants to describe personal emotional experiences with positive or negative valence to manipulate integral emotions. Participants generated several metaphors immediately after watching the video clips. The study found that participants who watched happy (sad) videos generated the most creative metaphors when expressing positive (negative) emotional experiences, which suggests that integral and incidental emotions interact to influence the generation of creative metaphors through the emotion congruency effect. The results are further discussed from the perspective of affect priming theory.

Analysis of Euphemism Teaching in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language Under the Environment of Modern Educational Technology

This article first discusses the application of modern educational technology in teaching Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL) and analyzes its impact on TCFL. Secondly, the psychological issues of international students learning euphemisms were examined. In addition, the learning effectiveness of intelligent human-computer interaction (HCI) euphemism teaching was also discussed. At the same time, the classification accuracy of the intelligent human-machine interaction euphemism teaching system's automatic discrimination was analyzed. The results indicate that most international students feel nervous and anxious when learning euphemisms. The TCFL intelligent HCI euphemism teaching system has improved the effectiveness of euphemism learning for international students, improved the accuracy of euphemism recognition, and facilitated their euphemism learning. This article provides important references for the research direction of TCFL international student psychology and artificial intelligence in assisting teaching Chinese as a foreign language.

A personal sensing technology enabled service versus a digital psychoeducation control for primary care patients with depression and anxiety: a pilot randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTechnology-enabled services (TES; clinical services that include both technology-driven [e.g., personal sensing technologies] and person-powered support elements) may address gaps in depression and anxiety treatments in healthcare settings. The current study: (1) developed a TES tailored for Primary Care patients with depression and/or anxiety, and (2) conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of the TES compared to a digital psychoeducation control app.MethodsParticipants were randomized to either: (1) TES: the “Vira” smartphone app (Ksana Health Inc.), informed by behavioral activation and using passive sensing technology to provide behavioral “insights” and target behaviors associated with mental health symptoms, alongside lay-provider coaching, or (2) Control: the Mood Education mobile app (ME), containing static psychoeducational resources designed to target mental health symptoms. Both apps collected usage data. Participants completed assessments on depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), health-related quality of life (PedsQL), and engagement (TWEETs) at baseline, mid-treatment (week 4), end-of-treatment (week 8), and post-treatment (week 12).ResultsParticipants (N = 130) were randomized to receive either the TES (Vira; Mage= 30) or ME (Mage= 33). Linear mixed-effects models determined significant improvements in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores for participants across both conditions (ps < 0.001). There was no interactive effect of intervention and time for the PHQ-9 (p = .90) nor the GAD-7 (p = .49). Adjusting for baseline differences and randomization strata, TES participants reported a greater change in a quality of life rating of Physical Functioning (PedsQL) across time (p = .018). TES participants also reported higher levels of engagement and demonstrated higher app usage. However, adjusting for baseline symptom severity, neither app usage nor coach interaction frequency moderated outcomes (ps ≥ 0.2).ConclusionsWhile the TES demonstrated superior engagement, improvements in depressive and anxious symptoms for both conditions speak to the potential benefit of both TES and low-intensity psychoeducation treatments in care settings. Future research is needed to better understand which patients might differentially benefit from TESs and broader personal sensing technologies over low-intensity treatments.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05406791.

Chronotypical influence on eating behaviour and appetite control.

A person's chronotype reflects individual variability in diurnal rhythms for preferred timing of sleep and daily activities such as exercise and food intake. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the evidence around the influence of chronotype on eating behaviour and appetite control, as well as our perspectives and suggestions for future research. Increasing evidence demonstrates that late chronotype is associated with adverse health outcomes. A late chronotype may exacerbate the influence of greater evening energy intake on overweight/obesity risk and curtail weight management efforts. Furthermore, late chronotypes tend to have worse diet quality, with greater intake of fast foods, caffeine, and alcohol and lower intake of fruits and vegetables. Late chronotype is also associated with eating behaviour traits that increase the susceptibility to overconsumption such as disinhibition, food cravings, and binge eating. Whether an individual's chronotype influences appetite in response to food intake and exercise is an area of recent interest that has largely been overlooked. Preliminary evidence suggests additive rather than interactive effects of chronotype and meal timing on appetite and food reward, but that hunger may decrease to a greater extent in response to morning exercise in early chronotypes and in response to evening exercise in late chronotypes. More studies examining the interplay between an individual's chronotype, food intake/exercise timing and sleep are required as this could be of importance to inform personalised dietary and exercise prescriptions to promote better appetite control and weight management outcomes.

The Cost of Opportunity: Anti-Black Discrimination in High Resource Settings.

Inequalities exist in children's educational outcomes-including reading proficiency, school discrimination, and school disciplinary actions-across zip codes with different levels of educational childhood opportunity index (COI). This study examines the interaction between race and educational environment on children's educational outcomes. We hypothesize that race, parental education, and their interaction are associated with perceived school discrimination, which in turn reduces their cognitive, academic, and emotional wellbeing. We also hypothesize that Black children with high socioeconomic status (SES) report high perceived school discrimination in high-COI settings. Data were drawn from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which measures a wide range of educational, cognitive, and emotional outcomes. At the same time, the ABCD children are sampled across areas with vast differences in COI rankings, that can be classified into these five categories: very high, high, average, low, and very low educational COIs. Our structural equation models (SEM) tested the additive and interactive effects of race and educational attainment on perceived school discrimination, and the effects of school discrimination on various cognitive abilities (reading proficiency, picture vocabulary, and list sorting working memory), school suspension, as well as depressed mood. Our multi-group SEM assessed how these relationships vary across educational COI levels. Our findings showed that high SES Black children report highest school discrimination in residential areas with highest COIs. This is based on the observation that the interaction between race and parental education on experiences of school discrimination were only significant in areas with highest COI. Across residential areas with different COI levels, students who experienced higher school discrimination had higher suspension, worse depression, and worse cognitive performance. While higher COIs are associated with better academic outcomes, Black-White gaps exist in the role of increased COI through increased racial bias that children perceive. These findings underscore the complexity of educational equity, suggesting that improving COI alone is insufficient for eliminating racial disparities in school experiences. Policies should be in place to reduce school-based discrimination against Black students in high COI settings.

Influence of Boron and Gibberellic Acid on Growth and Yield of Summer Tomato

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a globally significant vegetable crop, valued for its nutritional and economic contributions. However, maximizing its yield and quality, particularly under challenging summer conditions, remains a critical agricultural concern. To assess the influence of boron (B) and Gibberellic Acid (GA3) on the growth, yield and quality of summer tomato (BARI Hybrid Tomato 8), a field experiment was conducted at the Department of Agriculture, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, from May 2023 to August 2023. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications of each treatment. The unit plot size was 1.0 m × 1.0 m. There were 4 treatments T0: control (without Gibberellic acid and Boron), T1: 50 ppm GA3, T2: 100 ppm Boron and T3: combinations of T1 and T2 in the experiment comprising Boron (100 ppm) and GA3 (50 ppm). The effect of boron, gibberellic acid and their combined effect showed significant variations in growth, yield and quality of tomato. In this study between the individual application of Boron @ 100 ppm and GA3 @ 50 ppm, GA3 gave the higher plant height, leaf number, fruit weight and yield per plant than Boron. Combined effect of GA3 and Boron at treatment T3 (50 ppm GA3 + 100 ppm Boron) gives the highest plant height (104.23), branch number (18.76), no. of leaves per plant (82.5), flower clusters per plant (14.05), flower per plant (52.1), fruit per plant (17.72), fruiting percentage (34.05), fruit weight per plant (964.21g), total yield (33.06 t ha-1). From this experiment, it can be concluded that the interactive effect of 50 ppm GA3 with 100 ppm Boron treatment is suitable dose for higher yield of tomato by improving all the parameters numerically.

From alleys to arterial streets: Unpacking the influence of diverse street types and associated business on urban theft patterns

Street segments have witnessed growing scholarly attention for their pivotal role in determining urban crime patterns. However, existing studies have not thoroughly considered the effects of refined street types on crime, let alone their interactive effects with business facilities on crime. This research aims to fill these gaps, by examining the relationship between theft, street type and Facilities in Cincinnati. Results show that alleys and pedestrians are less susceptible to theft than major and minor arterial streets. Interactive terms between street type and Facilities enhance the model's performance and reveal that the concentration of thefts is positively related to the association between Facilities and local streets or major arterial streets. Our findings offer not only add to the existing literature, but also offer insight on urban safety and planning practice.

Individual Versus Combined Effects of Warming, Elevated CO2 and Drought on Grassland Water Uptake and Fine Root Traits

ABSTRACTIncreasing warming, atmospheric CO2 and drought are expected to change the water dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, limited knowledge exists about how the interactive effects of these factors will affect grassland water uptake, and whether adaptations in fine root production and traits will alter water uptake capacity. In a managed C3 grassland, we tested the individual and combined effects of warming (+3°C), elevated CO2 (eCO2; +300 ppm) and drought on root water uptake (RWU) as well as on fine root production, trait adaptation, and fine root‐to‐shoot production ratios, and their relationships with RWU capacity. High temperatures, amplified by warming, exacerbated RWU reductions under drought, with negligible water‐sparing effects from eCO2. Drought, both under current and future (warming, eCO2) climatic conditions, shifted RWU towards deeper soil layers. Overall, RWU capacity related positively to fine root production and specific root length (SRL), and negatively to mean root diameters. Warming effects on traits (reduced SRL, increased diameter) and the ratio of fine root‐to‐shoot production (increased) were offset by eCO2. We conclude that under warmer future conditions, irrespective of shifts in water sourcing, it is particularly hot droughts that will lead to increasingly severe restrictions of grassland water dynamics.

Association of evening chronotype, sleep quality and cognitive impairment in patients with major depressive disorder.

This study aimed to investigate the independent or synergistic effects of evening chronotype and poor sleep quality on cognitive impairment in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 249 individuals diagnosed with MDD, recruited from the Mental Health Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Chronotype preference was assessed using the reduced Horne and Ostberg Morningness - Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ), while sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Cognitive function was evaluated through the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), defining impairment as a DSST score ≤ 56 (the lowest quartile of the cohort). Univariate analysis and logistic regression models were employed to explore the factors associated with cognitive impairment, focusing on the potential interactive effects of evening chronotype and poor sleep quality. Of the 249 subjects recruited, about 41% were classified as evening chronotype. These individuals exhibited poorer sleep quality and more severe depressive symptoms compared to non-evening chronotype (p < 0.01). Univariate analysis revealed that first episode status, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) scores, evening chronotype, and poor sleep quality were significantly associated with cognitive impairment (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis further demonstrated that the co-existence of evening chronotype and poor sleep quality significantly increased the likelihood of cognitive impairment (adjusted odds ratio [AdjOR] = 2.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-6.45, p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that evening chronotype, poor sleep quality, and their interaction are important contributors to cognitive impairment in patients with MDD, alongside the severity of depression and first episode status. These results emphasize the need for integrated approaches targeting circadian rhythm disruptions and sleep disturbances in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in MDD.

Living on leftovers: biomass management in annual grasslands may shift functional group dominance

Livestock grazing in North American rangelands has the capacity both to promote and control the spread of undesirable plant species. Within California annual grasslands, desirable forage peaks in spring and supports considerable livestock grazing. However, spring grazing appears to promote the invasion and spread of two late-season and unpalatable non-native annual grasses, Aegilops triuncialis and Elymus caput-medusae. We tested the hypothesis that grazing reduces the leaf area and water use of early-spring annuals, thus increasing residual soil water availability for the late-season species. We used grazing-exclosure experiments to examine the interactive effects of simulated grazing (i.e., clipping) and competition on soil moisture availability, and on physiological, phenological, and demographic responses. When compared to unclipped controls, spring clipping significantly increased late-season volumetric soil moisture by 13–24% in the top 7 cm of soil, and 8–11% in the top 20 cm of soil (p < 0.05, all sites), which supported significantly higher rates of stomatal conductance (73–100% increase) in both late-season invading species (p < 0.01, all sites). Flowering was significantly delayed in clipped plots for both invader species suggesting these species experienced a longer growing period (p < 0.0001 in all cases). In competition plots, the effects of clipping on the demographic response depended on neighborhood composition. When invaders were grown together, no significant effect of clipping on survival or reproduction was detected in either invader. However, when growing in mixtures with early-spring forage annuals or native species, clipping increased survival and reproductive output in late-season invader species by 3-fold. We suggest that strategies for arresting or reversing the dominance of these late-season invasive annuals must recognize the influence of current biomass management strategies on late-season resource availability.

Applied potassium negates osmotic stress impacts on plant physiological processes: a meta-analysis

Abstract Potassium (K) availability in plant cells is critical for maintaining plant productivity across many terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, there is no comprehensive assessment of the mechanisms by which plants respond to potassium application in such conditions, despite the global challenge of escalating osmotic stress. Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis using data from 2381 paired observations to investigate plant responses to potassium application across various morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters under both osmotic and non-osmotic stress. Globally, our results showed the significant effectiveness of potassium application in promoting plant productivity (e.g., +12~30% in total dry weight), elevating photosynthesis (+12~30%), and alleviating osmotic damage (e.g., -19~26% in malonaldehyde), particularly under osmotic stress. Moreover, we found evidence of interactive effects between osmotic stress and potassium on plant traits, which were more pronounced under drought than salt stress, and more evident in C3 than C4 plants. Our synthesis verifies a global potassium control over osmotic stress, and further offers valuable insights into its management and utilization in agriculture and restoration efforts.

Enhancing eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) yield and water use efficiency through optimized irrigation and nitrogen practices in open field conditions

This study evaluated the interactive effects of deficit irrigation and nitrogen application on eggplant growth and yield under water scarcity in Northern Qatar (2022–2023). Two irrigation regimes were tested: full irrigation (100 %, I2) and deficit irrigation (50 %, I1), along with three nitrogen levels: 100 kg N ha−1 (F3), 70 kg N ha−1 (F2), and 50 kg N ha−1 (F1). The six treatment combinations (I1,2 + F1,2,3.) were analyzed for vegetative growth, yield components, and overall yield. Deficit irrigation (I1) increased eggplant fruit yield by 17.86 % compared to full irrigation (I2) and improved shoot height, stem diameter, and SPAD index. Nitrogen application also significantly influenced vegetative growth, with the best results seen at 50 kg N ha−1. While average fruit weight did not differ significantly across nitrogen levels, the highest fruit yield was recorded under F1 and F2 treatments. Water use efficiency (WUE) was highest under deficit irrigation (I1) at the 70 kg N ha−1 level (I1 + F2), reaching 0.41 kg ha−1 mm−1. The lowest WUE of 0.23 kg ha−1 mm−1 was observed in I2 + F2, which also had the lowest fruit yield (24.43 t ha−1). Applying 70 kg N ha−1 during deficit irrigation (I1 + F2) produced the highest fruit yield compared to other treatments, although no significant difference was found with I1 + F1. The study highlights the importance of optimized nitrogen and irrigation management for maximizing eggplant production in water-limited environments.

Photosynthetic efficiency of three C4 species is maintained under low light and high vapour pressure deficit

The photosynthetic efficiency of C4 plants could be impaired in environments with low light and high vapour pressure deficit (VPD). However, the interactive effect of low light and high VPD on C4 photosynthetic efficiency remains unexplored. We grew three C4 species, Setaria viridis L., Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf., and Zea mays L., under controlled high and low irradiance and VPD conditions in growth chambers. Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured to estimate apparent maximum quantum yield (QYmax), and 13C discrimination of leaf dry mass (ΔDM) was measured to estimate bundle-sheath leakiness (BS-leakiness). Averaged over VPD levels, net CO2 assimilation rate at saturating light (Asat) decreased in S. viridis and S. sudanense but not Z. mays under low irradiance. High VPD decreased Asat of S. viridis but increased Asat of Z. mays. QYmax was not significantly affected by low light, high VPD or their interaction, which was associated with the unchanged photochemical efficiency of photosystem II. Low light did not significantly influence BS-leakiness, while high VPD only increased BS-leakiness of Z. mays by 0.08 compared with low VPD at low irradiance. The insignificant interaction of low light and high VPD on QYmax and BS-leakiness indicates that these C4 species could maintain photosynthetic efficiency under these unfavourable conditions.

Interactive effects of ARRB2 and CHRNA5 genetic polymorphisms on cognitive function in Chinese male methamphetamine use disorder patients.

Both β-arrestin2 and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) have been implicated in cognitive processes, particularly in relation to psychiatric disorders, including addiction. Previous studies have suggested that nAChR may be regulated by β-arrestin2. However, no study has investigated the interaction of β-arrestin2 and nAChR on cognition. We aimed to examine the main and interactive effects of their respective encoding genes, ARRB2 and CHRNA5, on cognitive function in MUD patients. We recruited 559 patients with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) and 459 healthy controls, assessed their cognitive functioning using the Chinese version of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and genotyped ARRB2 rs1045280 and CHRNA5 rs3829787 polymorphisms in MUD patients. Compared to healthy controls, MUD patients scored significantly lower on all RBANS indexes. Neither ARRB2 rs1045280 nor CHRNA5 rs3829787 had main effects on cognitive function in MUD patients, but there were significant interactive effects between the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on multiple RBANS indexes, including immediate memory, visuospatial/constructional, delayed memory, and total score. In detail, among carriers of CHRNA5 rs3829787 T allele, ARRB2 rs1045280 TT carriers had higher RBANS scores than the C allele carriers, whereas among carriers of CHRNA5 rs3829787 CC genotype, ARRB2 rs1045280 TT carriers performed worse in RBANS. Our study identified for the first time an interactive effect between ARRB2 and CHRNA5 on cognitive function in MUD patients, which would enlarge our knowledge of genetic interaction on cognitive function.

The Effectiveness of Teacher-Student Interaction in the English as a Foreign Language Classroom

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher-student interaction in promoting authentic L2 classroom discourse. Classroom discourse is a major part of instruction that promotes speaking and develops students and teachers’ conversational skills. It constitutes a significant factor in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, as it promotes communicative activities (reception, production, interaction, mediation) fundamental to L2 learning. A common exchange pattern used extensively in classroom discourse is the Initiation, Response, Feedback (IRF) model, by Sinclair and Coulthard, (1975, 1992), in which the teacher initiates (I) an exchange through questioning the whole class or one single student, the student responds (R) to the question, and then the teacher gives feedback (F). A qualitative case study approach was adopted. Twenty-seven EFL high school classrooms in Israel were observed. Research instruments were: classroom observation forms, filled by the researcher, where instances of IRF exchanges were marked; and semi-structured interviews with seven of the teachers observed to obtain information regarding their use of L1 in IRF exchanges. Findings show that teachers use the IRF exchange model to organize talk and follow basic turn taking rules. However, deviations from common IRF exchanges result in (1) imbalance of dominance between teacher and student talk time; (2) excessive use of L1 in exchanges, minimizing students’ exposure to L2; and (3) limited flow of teacher-student spoken communication and lack of student willingness to participate in the lesson. Practical implications for teacher educators will be discussed.

Photosynthetic efficiency and water retention in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) contribute to tolerance to single and combined effects of drought and heat stress

The co-occurrence of drought and heat significantly hampers plant productivity. Although their impacts are well studied, these studies have been based on the effects of individual stressors rather than their combined influence. Okra is crucial for food and nutritional security and livelihoods in many regions, yet it remains under-researched and unimproved. Okra has been proven to be sensitive to both drought and heat stress. This study employed a cost-effective phenotyping method to assess key traits characterising the diversity of okra morphophysiological responses to independent and interactive heat-drought stresses. This study aimed to understand okra responses to stress, identify stress-resilient traits, and characterise okra genotypes. We also addressed the need to examine interactive stress effects, which mirror real-world scenarios more accurately than single-stress studies. Sixty-three okra genotypes were subjected to heat, drought, or concurrent heat-drought stress at the seedling stage in improvised climate-controlled chambers. The germplasm exhibited significant variations in response to the various stresses. The broad-sense heritability was high (> 0.60) for traits such as chlorophyll content, plant biomass, performance indices, electrolyte leakage, and total leaf area. Drought stress alone had a more pronounced effect than heat stress alone, and the adverse impact was worsened under combined heat and drought stress. The interactive impact of drought and heat was more likely additive than antagonistic or synergistic. A positive and strong relationship was observed between photosynthetic efficiency parameters such as the Fv/Fm ratio, chlorophyll content, relative water index, and biomass parameters such as dry shoot weight. The 63 okra genotypes were classified into three distinct clusters, suggesting potential for future breeding efforts. Okra genotype considered to be tolerant or climate resilient (such as GH170, V1060831, GH174, V1060874, and GH106) to drought and heat, maintained enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and high internal water potential, possibly reducing osmotic and oxidative damage. This study revealed some mechanisms underlying the adaptation of okra genotypes to independent and combined heat and drought stress. The results provide a basis for breeding efforts to develop climate-resilient okra varieties.

The interactive effect of the application of accreditation standards (JCIs) and the practice of administrative control in improving the quality of health services: a study on Yemeni hospitals

BackgroundThis study aimed to examine the interactive effect of applying JCI accreditation standards and administrative control in improving the quality of health services in Yemeni hospitals. By examining the synergistic relationship between these two components, this study sought to shed light on how hospitals can improve their performance and achieve sustainable advancements in healthcare quality.MethodsThis study utilized a quantitative research design and collected data from Yemeni hospitals. The sample size was determined via the Krejcie and Morgan table, which provides a recommended sample size on the basis of the population. A total of 310 healthcare professionals were selected through a random sampling technique. Hypotheses were formulated to examine the impact of JCI accreditation standards and administrative control on healthcare quality. Statistical analyses were also conducted to test these hypotheses and determine the interaction effect between the two variables.ResultsThe results confirmed that applying JCI accreditation standards has a statistically significant positive effect on improving the quality of health services in hospitals. Additionally, the practice of administrative control had a statistically significant effect on healthcare quality. Furthermore, there was an interactive effect between the application of JCI accreditation standards and administrative control, indicating that their combined implementation led to even greater improvements in healthcare quality.ConclusionThe significance of this study lies in its potential to inform healthcare policymakers, administrators, and practitioners about the importance of integrating accreditation standards with robust administrative control measures. The findings emphasize the need for hospitals to prioritize both the implementation of accreditation standards and the establishment of effective administrative control systems to ensure the delivery of high-quality healthcare services. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the interactive impact of these factors and providing insights into their synergistic relationship.