Negative Role Research Articles

From the Laboratory to the Real-World: The Role of Mismatch Negativity in Psychosis.

Mismatch negativity (MMN) has gained attention as a biomarker for psychosis and a translational intermediate phenotype in animal models of psychosis, including rodents and non-human primates. MMN has been linked to global functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF] score) and prognosis (psychosis onset or remission), suggesting that MMN reflects activities beyond auditory processing alone. This review examines the 45-year history of MMN from the perspective of psychiatric researchers and discusses current advances in computational and translational research on MMN, summarizing the current understanding of the MMN generation mechanism. We then address the essential question, "What do we observe through MMN?" Currently, we regard the relationship between global functioning in the real world and MMN as the key to answering this question. As a preliminary investigation, we analyzed the relationship between GAF as an objective variable and MMN, diagnosis, and basic epidemiological factors (age, sex, premorbid intelligence quotient) as explanatory variables (total n = 201, healthy controls: n = 41, patients with psychiatric disorders: n = 160) without assuming diagnostic categories. The relationship between functional outcomes and MMN was confirmed without a case-control design. Finally, we propose that new neurophysiological studies should acknowledge psychophysiological responses such as emotion, intention, and autonomic responses, as well as behavioral differences among participants beyond the dichotomy between healthy controls and patients. Measurements could be conducted in various settings from the participant's perspective. We discuss the potential for research investigating psychosis based on the interaction between individuals and the environment, using MMN as an illustrative model.

An Approach to the Rhetoric of Boebert and Díaz-Ayuso’s Political Tweets on X: A Corpus-Assisted Analysis

This article presents a corpus-assisted analysis of the rhetoric employed in the political tweets of Lauren Boebert and Isabel Díaz-Ayuso on the micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter). This study adopts the analytical framework Appraisal Theory (Martin & White, 2005), to explore how these politicians utilize negativity as a strategic tool to discredit and weaken their adversaries. The research identifies key motifs and evaluative strategies within their tweets, illustrating the role of negativity in political discourse. Findings reveal that both politicians direct their negativity toward their political rivals, viz., presidents Joe Biden and Pedro Sánchez, while channeling it towards immigrants and independentist parties. Amongst the evaluative resources most commonly deployed, Lauren Boebert and Isabel Díaz-Ayuso utilize inscribed negative judgments of propriety and veracity to accuse their rivals based on their lack of morality and truthfulness regarding various policy issues. The qualitative study has also revealed that politicians present their stances through monoglossic formulations that leave no room for argumentation and debate. This idea reinforces that even if their negativity is not intended as a polarizing agent, it may affect the potential electorate. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of online political communication, highlighting the implications of negativity in shaping public opinion and political narratives.

IMPLICIT NEGATION IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: LINGUISTIC MEANS OF EXPRESSION AND FEATURES OF FUNCTIONING

This article explores how implicit negation, a form of negation that is not directly expressed in a language, is employed in contemporary English. It analyses lexical, grammatical, and stylistic methods of conveying negative meanings through examples from fiction and everyday conversations. Implicit negation relies on the context and semantics of linguistic units such as negative verbs, prefixes, rhetorical questions, irony, and sarcasm. This highlights the role of implicit negation in politeness strategies and softening of the tone of statements. Understanding implicit negation can deepen the connection between language and thought, with applications in English language teaching, translation, and intercultural communication.

Не какъв да е мелодичен контур: влияние на прозодията върху семантиката на неопределителните местоимения от типа който и да е

This study aims to address a debated question concerning the influence of emphatic stress on the semantics of koyto i da e indefinite pronouns (IPs). The meaning of this class of IPs is often analyzed in comparison to the meaning of the class of koy da e IPs. In contrastive context koyto i da e forms imply absolute randomness in the selection of an element from a given set, while koy da e forms imply selection from a subset of elements of low and medium value. It is assumed that such a contrast is created in negative sentences. Some authors argue that in this type of context IPs from both classes are not interchangeable, while others suggest that placing emphatic stress on koyto i da e aligns its semantics with koy da e. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a survey in which respondents were asked to determine the semantics of nine structurally identical sentences containing koyto i da e indefinite pronouns, differing only in their prosodic contour (emphatic or non-emphatic). The article begins with a review of approaches to modeling the semantics of both types of indefinite pronouns and the role of negation and emphasis. Attention is given to the difference in expressive strength between written and spoken language and its impact. Subsequently, we present the survey, along with the obtained results and their interpretation.

Performance monitoring and error detection: The role of mid frontal theta and error-related negativity (ERN) among Indian adolescents from different socioeconomic background

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and executive functioning, focusing specifically on performance monitoring, error detection, and their association with mid-frontal theta and error-related negativity (ERN). Employing the widely used flanker task, the research involved two phases with participants aged 10-16 years (15 individuals in the pilot phase and 35 in the second phase). Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings from distinct brain regions were analyzed during various conditions. The study revealed a notable increase in both absolute and relative theta power at Fcz during the flanker task, with a stronger effect observed during incorrect trials. Furthermore, it underscored the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on mid-frontal theta, highlighting interactions between SES, gender, and experimental conditions impacting both absolute and relative theta. Intriguingly, the research disclosed a positive correlation between parental occupation and error-related negativity (ERN), as well as between age and ERN. These findings underscore the significance of SES, gender, and age in shaping the neural mechanisms associated with performance monitoring and executive functions. The study contributes valuable insights into the intricate interplay between socio-demographic factors and cognitive processes, shedding light on their impact on goal-directed behaviors and brain activity.

TaMAPK3 phosphorylates TaCBF and TaICE and plays a negative role in wheat freezing tolerance

Freezing temperature during overwintering often kills plants; plants have thus, developed a defense mechanism called ‘cold acclimation’, in which a number of genes are involved in increasing cell protection and gene expression. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) controls proteins' activities by phosphorylation and is involved in numerous metabolic pathways. In this study, we identified the protein interaction between TaMAPK3 and the proteins in the cold response pathway, ICE41, ICE87, and CBFIVd-D9. The subcellular localization and bimolecular fluorescence complement (BiFC) assays revealed that these proteins interact in the nucleus or in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, MAPK3-mediated phosphorylation of ICE41, ICE87, and CBFIVd-D9 was verified using an in vitro phosphorylation assay. TaMAPK3-overexpressing transgenic Brachypodium showed a lower survival rate upon freezing stress and lower proline content during cold acclimation, compared to wild-type plants. Furthermore, cold response gene expression analysis revealed that the expression of these genes was suppressed in the transgenic lines under cold treatment. It was further elucidated that MAPK3 mediates the degradation of ICE and CBF proteins, which implies the negative impact of MAPK3 on the freezing tolerance of plants. This study will help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance and the activity of MAPK3 in wheat.

Impact of carotid stenosis on the outcome of stroke patients submitted to reperfusion treatments: a narrative review.

Intravenous thrombolysis (IT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MD) are the two interventional approaches that have changed the outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Ipsilateral and contralateral carotid stenosis (ICS, CCS) play an important role in regulating cerebral hemodynamics, both in chronic and acute situations such as AIS. Several studies have explored their role in the incidence and severity of stroke, but very few have investigated the possible impact of ICS and CCS on the efficacy of interventional procedures. The purpose of this review was to I) highlight the incidence and prevalence of carotid stenosis (CS); II) assess the impact of ICS and CCS on cerebral hemodynamics; III) evaluate the effect of carotid stenosis on the efficacy of interventional therapies (IT and MT) for AIS; and IV) report therapeutic complications related to CS. We searched PubMed/Medline for case reports, reviews, and original research articles on English-language review topics during the period from January 1, 2000 to October 1, 2023. CS is associated with 15-20 % of the total number of AIS. ICS and CCS had a negative influence on both cerebral hemodynamics before AIS and outcome after interventional procedures (IT, MT alone or in bridging). Available data on cerebral hemodynamics and efficacy of interventional therapies for AIS suggest a negative role of CS. Therefore, early diagnosis of CS may be considered relevant to preventive and post-stroke treatment strategies.

Integrating the bright and dark sides of temporal leadership on employees’ thriving at work

PurposeDrawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to examine the relationship between temporal leadership (TL) and employees’ thriving at work (TW) by focusing on the positive mediating role of perception of work-goal progress (PWP), the negative mediating roles of job-based psychological ownership (JPO) and the moderating role of synchrony preference (SP).Design/methodology/approachWe employed a dedicated data collection platform called Credamo for two waves of online questionnaires in China between March 2022 and April 2022. A total of 326 questionnaires were collected and analyzed to test the hypotheses.Findings(1) TL directly and positively affects TW. (2) TL indirectly and positively affects TW via PWP. (3) TL indirectly and negatively affects TW via JPO. (4) SP positively moderates the positive mediating effect of PWP on the relationship between TL and TW. (5) SP negatively moderates the negative mediating effect of JPO on the relationship between TL and TW.Practical implicationsSupervisors in organizations ought to discreetly practice TL and try to maximize the positive role of PWP and minimize the negative role of JPO.Originality/valueThe findings simultaneously discuss the effects of TL on TW from dark and bright perspectives. The influence of interaction between contextual and individual features on TW is also specified.

Zinc-protoporphyrin formation in nitrite-free Parma Ham and its relationship with intrinsic parameters and red color profile of processed hams

A total of 134 fresh hams, assayed for Ferrochelatase (FeCH) activity and ultimate pH (pH48), were processed in compliance with the procedures established for PDO Parma ham and finally, analyzed for salt, moisture, Zinc Protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP), heme, iron and zinc contents, and proteolysis index (PI). The variation in ZnPP content was related to the intrinsic parameters of fresh and matured hams by a Partial Least Square Regression model. The most favorable factors on the formation of ZnPP were total iron content (representative of the initial hemoprotein content), and FeCH activity, demonstrating the main role played by these raw matter-specific predictors in the long matured dry-cured hams. To a lesser extent, zinc content and pH48 were involved with a positive and negative role, respectively. Salt content and PI of matured hams showed an inhibitory and a favorable influence, respectively, toward the ZnPP formation. Principal Component Analysis showed the associations between the sensory red color profile and the physicochemical traits of matured hams. The red color intensity increased in agreement with the red-violet and red-pink hues scores. The formation of a high amount of ZnPP was associated with the increased perception of the red-violet shade, with a lower lightness (L*) and Hue angle (h°). Moisture increase contributed to the shift in color perception to red-pink, while marked progress in PI strengthened the perception of the red-brown shade. ZnPP and final heme favored the red color of matured hams, although a high concentration of these pigments increased in particular the red-violet perception.

Spatial extent predicts Andean epiphyte biodiversity responses to habitat loss and fragmentation across human‐modified landscapes

AbstractAimHuman‐driven landscape processes such as habitat loss and fragmentation act on biodiversity, but their effects are mediated by the spatial scale at which they are observed. We aim to analyse the scale‐of‐effects (direction and spatial extent) of landscape‐scale processes that best explain species richness and abundance across epiphyte communities.LocationNeotropics, Northern Andes, Colombia, Eastern cordillera.TaxonVascular epiphytes, Orchidaceae.MethodsWe used field data to unravel the scale‐of‐effect of three landscape processes—habitat loss (forest cover), fragmentation (number of patches) and edge effects (edge density)—on epiphyte biodiversity. Vascular epiphytes were sampled in the understorey across 141 plots within 23 Andean forests in the eastern Colombian cordillera We focused on the community‐level responses (species richness and total abundance) of the hyperdiverse vascular epiphyte communities using generalized linear mixed models to quantify the direction and the spatial extent of the scale‐of‐effects.ResultsHabitat loss and edge effects act at fine spatial extents (scale‐of‐effects = 200 m), predicting low species richness and abundance across groups. Likewise, fragmentation negatively impacts communities, but operates at larger spatial extents (scale‐of‐effects = 2000–2400 m radius). The detection of these effects is contingent upon the spatial extent and specific landscape processes involved. Models of habitat loss within a spatial extent of 800–1500 m (large confidence intervals), fragmentation below 300 m, and edge effects above 800 m show weak statistical support (marginal r2 = 0.02–0.1). Thus, the impacts of these landscape processes may be overlooked if studied at inadequate spatial extents.Main ConclusionsWe showed that habitat loss, fragmentation and edge effects all play a negative role on understorey epiphytic communities, but their detectability is scale dependant. The scale‐of‐effects can assist landscape designs that are beneficial for epiphytic communities, by preserving forest cover, and reducing fragmentation and exposure to edge effects at small scales (200–300 m). Conversely, landscape‐scale actions directed at reducing habitat loss and fragmentation function at larger spatial extents (>2000 m). Selecting a priori or inadequate spatial extents of analysis can obscure the detectability of landscape processes.

A systematic analysis of ARM genes revealed that GhARM144 regulates the resistance against Verticillium dahliae via interaction with GhOSM34.

Proteins of the armadillo repeat gene family play important roles in plant pathogen response. Here, 169 armadillo (ARM) genes were identified in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Phylogenetic analysis grouped these into 11 subfamilies, with conserved protein structures within each subfamily. The results signify that the expansion of the gene family occurred via whole genome duplication and dispersed duplication. Expression profiling and network analysis suggest that GhARM144 may regulate cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae. GhARM144 was upregulated in roots by V. dahliae infection or salicylic acid treatment. This upregulation indicates a negative regulatory role of GhARM144' in the cotton immune responses, potentially by manipulating salicylic acid biosynthesis. Protein interaction studies found that GhARM144 associates with an osmotin-like protein, GhOSM34, at the plasma membrane. Silencing GhOSM34 reduced the resistance to V. dahliae, suggesting it may play a positive regulatory role. The results demonstrate that GhARM144 modulates cotton immunity through interaction with GhOSM34 and salicylic acid signalling. Further study of these proteins may yield insights into disease resistance mechanisms in cotton and other plants.

The Role of Egyptian Family in Confronting COVID-19 (Field Study of Some Recovered Patients)

The research topic emerged in an attempt to observe the role of Egyptian family in confronting COVID-19 pandemic. Through revealing the health habits and behaviors in confronting this virus, and identifying its concept, sources of knowledge (traditional and modern sources). The study also identified causes of infection with study cases, its symptoms and repercussions resulting from infection, family role towards the infected member, and reveal the impact of gender, age, and social class dimensions in confronting COVID-19. The study depended upon socialization theory and social role theory. The anthropological approach and its tools, which is observation, thorough interview, and fieldwork guide was used to collect data. A purposive sample of 30 COVID-19 recovered individuals was selected, considering the diversity in gender, age, education, social class, and rural-urban divide. The most important finding of the study was the family role towards the infected member, whether it be a positive or negative role, support and cooperation, or withdrawal and neglect. The family was not the main source of knowledge about COVID-19. Social media was the best and fastest source, followed by specialists, either from relatives or through the media. Initially, the majority of thoughts about the virus were contradictory, which led to anxiety in majority of the study cases. The family acted a crucial role in providing health and psychological support. The causes of infection and its repercussions varied. The family acted a role towards the infected member, either by following healthy behaviors or by confusion due to ignorance and poverty.

Molecular and clinical analyses of PHF6 mutant myeloid neoplasia provide their pathogenesis and therapeutic targeting

PHF6 mutations (PHF6MT) are identified in various myeloid neoplasms (MN). However, little is known about the precise function and consequences of PHF6 in MN. Here we show three main findings in our comprehensive genomic and proteomic study. Firstly, we show a different pattern of genes correlating with PHF6MT in male and female cases. When analyzing male and female cases separately, in only male cases, RUNX1 and U2AF1 are co-mutated with PHF6. In contrast, female cases reveal co-occurrence of ASXL1 mutations and X-chromosome deletions with PHF6MT. Next, proteomics analysis reveals a direct interaction between PHF6 and RUNX1. Both proteins co-localize in active enhancer regions that define the context of lineage differentiation. Finally, we demonstrate a negative prognostic role of PHF6MT, especially in association with RUNX1. The negative effects on survival are additive as PHF6MT cases with RUNX1 mutations have worse outcomes when compared to cases carrying single mutation or wild-type.

The Crucial Role of SlGSNOR in Regulating Postharvest Tomato Fruit Ripening.

S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) is a well-known regulator in controlling protein S-nitrosylation modification and nitric oxide (NO) homeostasis. Here, a GSNOR inhibitor N6022 and SlGSNOR silencing were applied to investigate the roles of SlGSNOR in tomato fruit postharvest ripening. We found that the application of N6022 and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO, a NO donor), and SlGSNOR silencing delayed the transition of fruit skin color by improving total chlorophyll level by 88.57%, 44.78%, and 91.03%, respectively. Meanwhile, total carotenoid and lycopene contents were reduced by these treatments. Concurrently, the activity of chlorophyll biosynthesis enzymes and the expression of related genes were upregulated, and the transcript abundances of total carotenoid bioproduction genes were downregulated, by N6022 and GSNO treatments and SlGSNOR silencing. In addition, fruit softening was postponed by N6022, GSNO, and SlGSNOR silencing, through delaying the decrease of firmness and declining cell wall composition; structure-related enzyme activity; and gene expression levels. Furthermore, N6022, GSNO, and SlGSNOR silencing enhanced the accumulation of titratable acid; ascorbic acid; total phenol; and total flavonoid, but repressed the content of soluble sugar and soluble protein accompanied with the expression pattern changes of nutrition-related genes. In addition, the endogenous NO contents were elevated by 197.55%; 404.59%; and 713.46%, and the endogenous SNOs contents were enhanced by 74.65%; 93.49%; and 94.85%; by N6022 and GSNO treatments and SlGSNOR silencing, respectively. Altogether, these results indicate that SlGSNOR positively promotes tomato postharvest fruit ripening, which may be largely on account of its negative roles in the endogenous NO level.

Self-Completion Questionnaire on Sleep Evaluation in Patients Undergoing Oxaliplatin Therapy: An Observational Study.

Sleep is a fundamental human need; sleep disruption, in fact, causes an increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, metabolic effects, changes in circadian rhythms, and pro-inflammatory responses. The scientific literature is finally starting to pay attention to the central role of sleep alterations in patients health. Oxaliplatin is extensively used for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and other malignancies, with an increased frequency of use in recent years. This study aims to understand the effects of sleep complaints on health and quality of life in cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin. A study has been conducted through the creation and distribution of questionnaires to patients to investigate their complaints about sleep quality. We observed significant differences between males and females in evaluating sleep hygiene scores, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and previous difficulty sleeping. Moreover, in females, stress, worries, and anxiety seem to play a negative role in the sleep hygiene score. The obtained results could improve the interest of healthcare personnel and caregivers in sleep quality in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Development effects of industrialization, labor force participation and electrification on productive capacity in Africa: A panel data investigation

In our study spanning 2010–2022 across 50 African economies, we investigated the effects of industrialization, labor force participation, and electrification on Africa’s productive capacity. We also examined how electrification moderates the effect of industrialization and labor force participation on productive capacity. We adopted the pooled OLS, the fixed effect estimator, and the dynamic system GMM estimation technique for our analysis. Our findings indicate industrialization, labor force participation, and electrification as potent channels for enhancing Africa's productive capacity. In tandem with Africa’s reality, we find that electrification isn’t moderating the positive impact of industrialization and labor force participation on productivity. Our findings also revealed human capital development, government health expenditure, and institutional quality as pivotal drivers of productive capacity in Africa, while factors like global economic policy uncertainty and natural resource endowment exhibit predominantly negative roles. These results underscore the need for African policymakers and leaders to foster an enabling environment that facilitates industrialization, increased labor force participation, and improved electricity access to promote economic performance and productivity.

GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL LOSSES AND THEIR CAUSES

Various biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors are causing enormous food losses. Burgeoning human population demands for more food, however scarcity and unavailability of natural resources occurring globally. Major factors causing these losses include pests, diseases, pathogens, climatic changes, salinity, drought, loss of arable lands and weeds. Post-harvest losses are also responsible for devastating negative role towards global food losses. Inadequate use of resources leads to the exploitation and loss of arable land. Currently 38% losses to agriculture are solely caused by insect pests while 34% losses are due to weeds. Abiotic factors account for more than 50% agricultural losses. Arable land is decreasing day by day due to increased urbanization and industrialization. Climate change also potentially decreases 10-25% of agricultural productivity and forecasted to cause more within next 50 years. All these problems are worse in under-developed countries due to uncontrolled measures and lack of awareness among the community. It has been reported that human population will increase to 11 billion within next 80 years, it is crucial now to minimize these losses for in order to ensure food security and sustainable development. Food losses needs to be minimized by considering the current scenario and needs to devise appropriate strategies to enhance food production by exploiting minimum natural resources. Focus of this review article is to convey reasons of food losses worldwide and depletion of natural resources to research and farming community so that appropriate methods for food security and sustainability could be devised and implemented.

Incentivized fake reviews: When cognitive reappraisal paves the way for an immoral journey

AbstractRecent studies explain how to detect fake reviews and their impacts on consumers and businesses. Despite the prevalence and significance of fake reviews, prior research has yet to fully explore the motivations and psychological mechanisms behind voluntary participation in writing fake reviews, especially in incentivized campaigns. This paper explains why consumers engage in the immoral act of writing fake reviews in return for free products. We investigate the interactive role of individuals' self‐focused motivations and cognitive reappraisal ability in diminishing consumers' moral emotions of guilt, subsequently influencing their intention to write incentivized reviews. Built on three studies, the findings reveal that customers' self‐focused motivations coupled with their ability to regulate emotions dissuade their feelings of guilt. Consequently, customers who experience downregulated emotions of guilt show a higher intention to write incentivized fake reviews. This study contributes to the existing literature by illustrating the driving factors toward writing incentivized fake reviews, especially by depicting the negative role of cognitive reappraisal. The study also has managerial implications indicating that such customer behavior can be avoided by fostering a sense of consideration toward others by making them aware about the impact of their actions.

Suppressing a mitochondrial calcium uniporter activates the calcium signaling pathway and promotes cell elongation in cotton

Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is a conserved calcium ion (Ca2+) transporter in the mitochondrial inner membrane of eukaryotic cells. How MCU proteins regulate Ca2+ flow and modulate plant cell development remain largely unclear. Here, we identified the gene GhMCU4 encoding a MCU protein that negatively regulates plant development and fiber elongation in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). GhMCU4 expressed constitutively in various tissues with the higher transcripts in elongating fiber cells. Knockdown of GhMCU4 in cotton significantly elevated the plant height and root length. The calcium signaling pathway was significantly activated and calcium sensor genes, including Ca2+ dependent modulator of interactor of constitutively active ROP (GhCMI1), calmodulin like protein (GhCML46), calcium-dependent protein kinases (GhCPKs), calcineurin B-like protein (GhCBLs), and CBL-interacting protein kinases (GhCIPKs), were dramatically upregulated in GhMCU4-silenced plants. Metabolic processes were preferentially enriched, and genes related to regulation of transcription were upregulated in GhMCU4-silenced plants. The contents of Ca2+ and H2O2 were significantly increased in roots and leaves of GhMCU4-silenced plants. Fiber length and Ca2+ and H2O2 contents in fibers were significantly increased in GhMCU4-silenced plants. This study indicated that GhMCU4 plays a negative role in regulating cell elongation in cotton, thus expanding understanding in the role of MCU proteins in plant growth and development.

Unearthing organic ideology in population health interventions: the case of water fluoridation provision in the Health and Care Act 2022

Departing from Keith Syrett’s article in this issue, this commentary critically considers the place of organic ideology in population health interventions, using water fluoridation provisions contained in the Health and Care Act 2022 as an example. It demonstrates that liberal capitalist and neoliberal capitalist conceptions of the state as protector ground these provisions and, in so doing, it shows that population health interventions must be grounded in resonant politico-philosophical ideas prior to considerations around the opening of a policy window. This comment concludes by noting the need for further work to grasp the positive and negative role of appealing to organic ideology in public health law, regulation and policy.