Evaluation of the Use of Elicitors for the Production of Antioxidant Compounds in Liquid Cultures of Ganoderma curtisii from Costa Rica.

The use of substances or conditions as elicitors can significantly increase the production of secondary metabolites. In this research, the effects of different elicitors on the production of antioxidant secondary metabolites were evaluated in a strain of Ganoderma sp. The elicitors tested were pH changes in different growth phases of the fungus (pH 3, 5.5 and 8), different concentrations of peptone as a nitrogen source (1 g/L and 10 g/L), and the addition of chemical agents to the culture medium (ethanol, growth regulators, and salts). The alkaline pH during the stationary phase and the high availability of nitrogen were effective elicitors, producing cultures with higher antioxidant activity (37.87 g/L and 43.13 g/L dry biomass) although there were no significant differences with other treatments.

Evaluation of Conditions to Improve Biomass Production by Submerged Culture of Ganoderma sp.

In the present investigation, the conditions for in vitro submerged culture of a native strain of Ganoderma sp. were evaluated. Different culture medium ingredients, inoculum concentrations, inoculation methods, configuration, and airflows were evaluated to improve biomass production. The addition of thiamine and olive oil to the culture medium increased biomass production, as well as inoculating 6.6 g/L since there are no significant differences in biomass growth according to inoculum origin (pre-inoculum, discs or with spores). The best configuration of the 3 L stirred tank bioreactor was using three impellers and a porous air diffuser of 0.25 volume per volume per minute (vvm), the dry biomass concentration was 22.6 g/L after 12 days of cultivation at 30 °C, much higher than other investigations. This study provides relevant information for pilot-scale production of this fungus for future secondary metabolites. The culture medium was optimized, and it was defined that the concentration and origin of the inoculum did not influence the growth of Biomass, but the aeration and the configuration of the system allowed the establishment of protocols for the cultivation of Ganoderma sp.

Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) in Different Hispanic Countries: An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approach.

Parental burnout is a unique and context-specific syndrome resulting from a chronic imbalance of risks over resources in the parenting domain. The current research aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) across Spanish-speaking countries with two consecutive studies. In Study 1, we analyzed the data through a bifactor model within an Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) on the pooled sample of participants (N = 1,979) obtaining good fit indices. We then attained measurement invariance across both gender and countries in a set of nested models with gradually increasing parameter constraints. Latent means comparisons across countries showed that among the participants' countries, Chile had the highest parental burnout score, likewise, comparisons across gender evidenced that mothers displayed higher scores than fathers, as shown in previous studies. Reliability coefficients were high. In Study 2 (N = 1,171), we tested the relations between parental burnout and three specific consequences, i.e., escape and suicidal ideations, parental neglect, and parental violence toward one's children. The medium to large associations found provided support for the PBA's predictive validity. Overall, we concluded that the Spanish version of the PBA has good psychometric properties. The results support its relevance for the assessment of parental burnout among Spanish-speaking parents, offering new opportunities for cross-cultural research in the parenting domain.

Parental Burnout Around the Globe: a 42-Country Study.

High levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children. It is not yet clear, however, whether parental burnout varies by culture, and if so, why it might do so. In this study, we examined the prevalence of parental burnout in 42 countries (17,409 parents; 71% mothers; Mage = 39.20) and showed that the prevalence of parental burnout varies dramatically across countries. Analyses of cultural values revealed that individualistic cultures, in particular, displayed a noticeably higher prevalence and mean level of parental burnout. Indeed, individualism plays a larger role in parental burnout than either economic inequalities across countries, or any other individual and family characteristic examined so far, including the number and age of children and the number of hours spent with them. These results suggest that cultural values in Western countries may put parents under heightened levels of stress. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-020-00028-4.