Fitness trade-offs and the origins of endosymbiosis.

Endosymbiosis drives evolutionary innovation and underpins the function of diverse ecosystems. The mechanistic origins of symbioses, however, remain unclear, in part because early evolutionary events are obscured by subsequent evolution and genetic drift. This Essay highlights how experimental studies of facultative, host-switched, and synthetic symbioses are revealing the important role of fitness trade-offs between within-host and free-living niches during the early-stage evolution of new symbiotic associations. The mutational targets underpinning such trade-offs are commonly regulatory genes, such that single mutations have major phenotypic effects on multiple traits, thus enabling and reinforcing the transition to a symbiotic lifestyle.

A Rapid Access Brief Psychotherapy Intervention to Respond to Healthcare Workers in Ontario Whose Mental Health was Negatively Impacted During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had widespread negative impacts on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs), there has been little research on psychological interventions during the pandemic for this population. The current study examines whether a brief coping-focused treatment intervention delivered in a virtual individual format would be associated with positive changes in Canadian HCWs' mental health during the pandemic. METHOD: Three hundred and thirty-three HCWs receiving the intervention at 3 large specialty tertiary care hospitals in Ontario, Canada, completed measures of anxiety, depression, perceived stress, work/social impairment, insomnia and fear of COVID-19. After completing treatment, HCWs rated their satisfaction with the treatment. RESULTS: The intervention was associated with large effect size improvements in anxiety, depression, perceived stress, insomnia and fear of COVID-19, and moderate effect size improvements in work/social impairment. At treatment session 1, prior mental health diagnosis and treatment were both significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and work/social impairment scores. Secondary analyses of data from one of the sites revealed that treatment-related changes in anxiety, depression, perceived stress and work/social impairment were independent of age, gender, occupational setting, profession and the presence of a previous mental health diagnosis or treatment, with the exception that nurses improved at a slightly greater rate than other professions in terms of work/social impairment. HCWs were highly satisfied with the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A large number of HCWs experiencing significant distress at baseline self-referred for assistance. Timely and flexible access to a brief virtual coping-focused intervention was associated with improvements in symptoms and impairment, and treatment response was largely unrelated to demographic or professional characteristics. Short-term psychological interventions for HCWs during a pandemic may have a highly positive impact given their association with improvement in various aspects of HCWs' mental health improvement.

Free and open-source software for object detection, size, and colour determination for use in plant phenotyping.

BACKGROUND: Object detection, size determination, and colour detection of images are tools commonly used in plant science. Key examples of this include identification of ripening stages of fruit such as tomatoes and the determination of chlorophyll content as an indicator of plant health. While methods exist for determining these important phenotypes, they often require proprietary software or require coding knowledge to adapt existing code. RESULTS: We provide a set of free and open-source Python scripts that, without any adaptation, are able to perform background correction and colour correction on images using a ColourChecker chart. Further scripts identify objects, use an object of known size to calibrate for size, and extract the average colour of objects in RGB, Lab, and YUV colour spaces. We use two examples to demonstrate the use of these scripts. We show the consistency of these scripts by imaging in four different lighting conditions, and then we use two examples to show how the scripts can be used. In the first example, we estimate the lycopene content in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) var. Tiny Tim using fruit images and an exponential model to predict lycopene content. We demonstrate that three different cameras (a DSLR camera and two separate mobile phones) are all able to model lycopene content. The models that predict lycopene or chlorophyll need to be adjusted depending on the camera used. In the second example, we estimate the chlorophyll content of basil (Ocimum basilicum) using leaf images and an exponential model to predict chlorophyll content. CONCLUSION: A fast, cheap, non-destructive, and inexpensive method is provided for the determination of the size and colour of plant materials using a rig consisting of a lightbox, camera, and colour checker card and using free and open-source scripts that run in Python 3.8. This method accurately predicted the lycopene content in tomato fruit and the chlorophyll content in basil leaves.

Online versus in-person delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder: An examination of effectiveness.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) including exposure and response prevention is the first-line psychological treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Given changes in the clinical landscape, there are increasing efforts to evaluate its effectiveness in online contexts. Mirroring the traditional in-person delivery, few studies have assessed the role of therapist-guided, manual-based CBT for OCD delivered in real-time via videoconferencing methods. The present study sought to fill this gap by comparing in-person and online delivery of group-based CBT for the treatment of OCD. A convenience sample of participants with moderate to severe OCD (n = 144) were recruited from a naturalistic database from two large OCD specialty assessment and treatment centres. Patients received group-based CBT that was provided in-person (pre-COVID-19 pandemic; March 2018 to March 2020) or online via videoconferencing (during the COVID-19 pandemic; March 2020 to April 2021). In both delivery methods, treatment consisted of 2-h weekly sessions led by trained clinicians. Analyses revealed that, regardless of treatment modality, both in-person and online groups demonstrated significant, reliable, and statistically equivalent improvements in OCD symptoms post-treatment. Videoconferenced, clinician-led CBT may be a promising alternative to in-person delivery for those with moderate to severe OCD symptoms.

Space controlled environment agriculture offers pathways to improve the sustainability of controlled environmental agriculture on Earth.

Terrestrial controlled environment agriculture (CEA) will have an increasingly important role in food production. However, present CEA systems are energy- and resource-hungry and rarely profitable, requiring a step change in design and optimization. Here we argue that the unique nature of space controlled environment agriculture (SpaCEA), which needs to be both highly resource efficient and circular in design, presents an opportunity to develop intrinsically circular CEA systems. Life-cycle analysis tools should be used to optimize the provision and use of natural or electrical light, power, nutrients and infrastructure in CEA and/or SpaCEA systems, and to guide research and development into subsystems that bring strong environmental advantages. We suggest that SpaCEA public outreach can also be used to improve the perception of terrestrial CEA on Earth by using space as a gateway for exhibiting CEA food growing technologies. A substantial focus on SpaCEA development should be viewed as an efficient contribution to addressing major current CEA challenges.

Just do something: An experimental investigation of brief interventions for reducing the negative impact of post-event processing in social anxiety disorder.

Post-Event Processing (PEP) is prevalent and problematic in Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) but is typically not a direct target in evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for SAD. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the impact of several theoretically and empirically derived interventions for PEP in SAD, including concrete thinking, abstract thinking, and distraction in comparison to a control (i.e., do nothing) condition. Based on prior research, we hypothesized that the concrete and distract conditions would be associated with positive benefits, including reductions in PEP and improvements in self-perception, whereas the abstract and control conditions would not. The second aim of the study was to identify baseline variables that predict the trajectory of change in PEP over time. Participants (N=92) with a principal diagnosis of SAD completed a social stress task and were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Participants completed measures at baseline, post-intervention/control, and at 1-week, and 1-month follow-up. Contrary to hypotheses, all three active conditions were similarly effective at reducing PEP and improving self-perceptions relative to the control condition. In the absence of an intervention, engagement in PEP remained high up to a month following the social stress task. Higher levels of baseline state anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and use of safety behaviours predicted greater PEP, even in the presence of an intervention. These results highlight the benefits of relatively brief interventions that disrupt the course of PEP for people with SAD. Such interventions can be easily incorporated into CBT protocols for SAD to enhance their effects.

Untangling the Complexities of Processing and Analysis for Untargeted LC-MS Data Using Open-Source Tools.

Untargeted metabolomics is a powerful tool for measuring and understanding complex biological chemistries. However, employment, bioinformatics and downstream analysis of mass spectrometry (MS) data can be daunting for inexperienced users. Numerous open-source and free-to-use data processing and analysis tools exist for various untargeted MS approaches, including liquid chromatography (LC), but choosing the 'correct' pipeline isn't straight-forward. This tutorial, in conjunction with a user-friendly online guide presents a workflow for connecting these tools to process, analyse and annotate various untargeted MS datasets. The workflow is intended to guide exploratory analysis in order to inform decision-making regarding costly and time-consuming downstream targeted MS approaches. We provide practical advice concerning experimental design, organisation of data and downstream analysis, and offer details on sharing and storing valuable MS data for posterity. The workflow is editable and modular, allowing flexibility for updated/changing methodologies and increased clarity and detail as user participation becomes more common. Hence, the authors welcome contributions and improvements to the workflow via the online repository. We believe that this workflow will streamline and condense complex mass-spectrometry approaches into easier, more manageable, analyses thereby generating opportunities for researchers previously discouraged by inaccessible and overly complicated software.

Rational Design of a Polyurethane Foam.

Polyurethane (PU) foams are exceptionally versatile due to the nature of PU bond formation and the large variety of polymeric backbones and formulation components such as catalysts and surfactants. This versatility introduces a challenge, namely a near unlimited number of variables for formulating foams. In addition to this, PU foam development requires expert knowledge, not only in polyurethane chemistry but also in the art of evaluating the resulting foams. In this work, we demonstrate that a rational experimental design framework in conjunction with a design of experiments (DoE) approach reduces both the number of experiments required to understand the formulation space and reduces the need for tacit knowledge from a PU expert. We focus on an in-depth example where a catalyst and two surfactants of a known formulation are set as factors and foam physical properties are set as responses. An iterative DoE approach is used to generate a set of foams with substantially different cell morphology and hydrodynamic behaviour. We demonstrate that with 23 screening formulations and 16 final formulations, foam physical properties can be modelled from catalyst and surfactant loadings. This approach also allows for the exploration of relationships between the cell morphology of PU foam and its hydrodynamic behaviour.

Does cannabis use impact cognitive behavioural therapy outcomes for anxiety and related disorders? A preliminary examination.

OBJECTIVES: The current study examined whether cannabis use frequency and cannabis-related problem severity (as per the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised) predicted outcomes of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety and related disorders. It was predicted that greater frequency of cannabis use and greater cannabis-related problem severity would be associated with dampened treatment outcomes compared to less severe cannabis use presentations. METHODS: Participants were 253 adults seeking treatment for anxiety and related disorders. Cannabis use was categorized as non-use (n = 135), infrequent use (using monthly to 4 times per month; n = 45), and frequent use (using 2 or more times per week; n = 73). Individuals who reported using cannabis completed cannabis use and cannabis-related problem measures before starting a CBT group. Participants also completed a weekly symptom-specific measure of anxiety symptoms throughout CBT. RESULTS: As hypothesized, frequent cannabis use was associated with poorer outcomes in CBT for anxiety and related disorders compared to non-use. Despite this, individuals who used cannabis frequently still experienced a statistically significant decrease in their anxiety symptoms from pre-to post-CBT, with a large effect size (d = -0.87). Cannabis-related problems was not a significant predictor of CBT outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis use frequency was associated with poorer CBT outcomes for anxiety and related disorders, however these individuals still made notable treatment gains. The mechanism driving this relationship remains unclear. Future studies should attempt to replicate the current findings and examine possible mechanisms.

FoamPi: An open-source raspberry Pi based apparatus for monitoring polyurethane foam reactions.

Adiabatic temperature rise is an important method for determining isocyanate conversion in polyurethane foam reactions as well as many other exothermic chemical reactions. Adiabatic temperature rise can be used in conjunction with change in height and mass measurements to gain understanding into the blowing and gelling reactions that occur during polyurethane foaming as well as give important information on cell morphology. FoamPi is an open-source Raspberry Pi device for monitoring polyurethane foaming reactions. The device effectively monitors temperature rise, change in foam height as well as changes in the mass during the reaction. Three Python scripts are also presented. The first logs raw data during the reaction. The second corrects temperature data such that it can be used in adiabatic temperature rise reactions for calculating isocyanate conversion; additionally this script reduces noise in all the data and removes erroneous readings. The final script extracts important information from the corrected data such as maximum temperature change and maximum height change as well as the time to reach these points. Commercial examples of such equipment exist however the price (>£10000) of these equipment make these systems inaccessible for many research laboratories. The FoamPi build presented is inexpensive (£350) and test examples are shown here to indicate the reproducibility of results as well as precision of the FoamPi.

Experimental evaluation of biological regeneration of arable soil: The effects of grass-clover leys and arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculants on wheat growth, yield, and shoot pathology.

Wheat yields have plateaued in the UK over the last 25 years, during which time most arable land has been annually cropped continuously with short rotations dominated by cereals. Arable intensification has depleted soil organic matter and biology, including mycorrhizas, which are affected by tillage, herbicides, and crop genotype. Here, we test whether winter wheat yields, mycorrhization, and shoot health can be improved simply by adopting less intensive tillage and adding commercial mycorrhizal inoculum to long-term arable fields, or if 3-year grass-clover leys followed direct drilling is more effective for biological regeneration of soil with reduced N fertiliser. We report a trial of mycorrhization, ear pathology, and yield performance of the parents and four double haploid lines from the Avalon x Cadenza winter wheat population in a long-term arable field that is divided into replicated treatment plots. These plots comprised wheat lines grown using ploughing or disc cultivation for 3 years, half of which received annual additions of commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculum, compared to 3-year mown grass-clover ley plots treated with glyphosate and direct-drilled. All plots annually received 35 kg of N ha-1 fertiliser without fungicides. The wheat lines did not differ in mycorrhization, which averaged only 34% and 40% of root length colonised (RLC) in the ploughed and disc-cultivated plots, respectively, and decreased with inoculation. In the ley, RLC increased to 52%. Two wheat lines were very susceptible to a sooty ear mould, which was lowest in the ley, and highest with disc cultivation. AM inoculation reduced ear infections by >50% in the susceptible lines. In the ley, yields ranged from 7.2 to 8.3 t ha-1, achieving 92 to 106% of UK average wheat yield in 2018 (7.8 t ha-1) but using only 25% of average N fertiliser. Yields with ploughing and disc cultivation averaged only 3.9 and 3.4 t ha-1, respectively, with AM inoculum reducing yields from 4.3 to 3.5 t ha-1 in ploughed plots, with no effect of disc cultivation. The findings reveal multiple benefits of reintegrating legume-rich leys into arable rotations as part of a strategy to regenerate soil quality and wheat crop health, reduce dependence on nitrogen fertilisers, enhance mycorrhization, and achieve good yields.

A Pilot Study Assessing the Effects of Goal Management Training on Cognitive Functions among Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder and the Effect of Post-Traumatic Symptoms on Response to Intervention.

Recent meta-analyses highlight alterations in cognitive functioning among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), with performance deficits observed across multiple cognitive domains including executive functioning, memory, and attention. Moreover, impaired concentration is a formal diagnostic criterion for a major depressive episode. Notably, cognitive impairment is reported frequently in MDD and is associated with poor treatment response. Despite this knowledge, research examining the effectiveness of top-down, adjunctive treatments for cognitive dysfunction in MDD remains in its infancy. The primary aim of the present study was to perform a pilot investigation of the implementation of a standardized cognitive remediation program, Goal Management Training (GMT), among individuals with a primary diagnosis of MDD. A secondary aim was to explore how comorbid symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among those MDD patients exposed to trauma may affect treatment response. A final sample of thirty individuals were randomized to either participate in the nine-week GMT program (active group; n = 16) or to complete a nine-week waiting period (waitlist control; n = 14). One participant was excluded from the GMT group analysis following study completion due to meeting an exclusion criteria. In total, 60% of the individuals allocated to the GMT program were trauma exposed (n = 9). Groups were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and at three-month follow-up. The assessment comprised neuropsychological tasks assessing a variety of cognitive domains, subjective measures of functioning and symptom severity, as well as a clinical interview to establish a primary diagnosis of MDD. Significant gains in processing speed, attention/concentration, and response inhibition were observed for the participants in the GMT condition relative to participants in the waitlist control condition. Individuals in the GMT condition also reported improvements in subjective cognitive functioning from baseline to post-treatment. Heightened PTSD symptom severity was associated with reduced response to treatment with respect to the domain of processing speed. The results of this pilot investigation highlight not only the potential utility of GMT as an augmentative treatment in MDD, but also highlight the contribution of comorbid symptoms of PTSD to diminished treatment response among trauma-exposed individuals with MDD. The study is limited primarily by its small pilot sample and the absence of a program evaluation component to gauge participant opinions and feedback of the treatment protocol.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Goal Management Training in Canadian Military Members, Veterans, and Public Safety Personnel Experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric illness that disproportionately affects military personnel, veterans, and public safety personnel (PSP). Evidence demonstrates that PTSD is significantly associated with difficulties with emotion regulation (ER) and difficulties with cognitive functioning, including difficulties with attention, working memory, and executive functioning. A wide body of evidence suggests a dynamic interplay among cognitive dysfunction, difficulties with ER, and symptoms of PTSD, where numerous studies have identified overlapping patterns of alterations in activation among neuroanatomical regions and neural circuitry. Little work has examined interventions that may target these symptoms collectively. The primary objective of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a parallel experimental design was to assess the effectiveness of goal management training (GMT), a cognitive remediation intervention, in reducing difficulties with cognitive functioning, and to determine its effects on PTSD symptoms and symptoms associated with PTSD, including difficulties with ER, dissociation, and functioning among military personnel, veterans, and PSP. Forty-two military personnel, veterans, and PSP between the ages of 18 and 70 with symptoms of PTSD were recruited across Ontario, Canada between October 2017 and August 2019. Participants were randomized to either the waitlist (WL) (n = 18) or the GMT (n = 22) condition. Participants in both conditions received self-report measures and a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Following their completion of the 3-month follow-up, participants in the WL condition were given the opportunity to participate in GMT. Assessors and participants were blind to intervention allocation during the initial assessment. A series of 2 (time) × 2 (group) ANOVAs were conducted to assess the differences between the WL and GMT conditions from pre- to post-intervention for the self-report and neuropsychological measures. The results demonstrated significant improvements in measures of executive functioning (e.g., verbal fluency, planning, impulsivity, cognitive shifting, and discrimination of targets) and trending improvements in short-term declarative memory for participants in the GMT condition. Participants in the GMT condition also demonstrated significant improvements from pre- to post-testing in measures of subjective cognition, functioning, PTSD symptom severity, difficulties with ER, dissociative symptom severity, and depression and anxiety symptoms. No adverse effects were reported as a result of participating in GMT. The results of this pilot RCT show promise that GMT may be a useful intervention to improve symptoms of cognitive dysfunction, symptoms of PTSD, and symptoms associated with PTSD within military personnel, veterans, and PSP. Future work is needed to address the small sample size and the durability of these findings.

Face-to-face versus Video Teleconference Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Anxiety and Related Disorders: A Preliminary Comparison.

OBJECTIVE: Telehealth is being increasingly incorporated into the delivery of mental health care and has received widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for its ability to facilitate care during physical distancing restrictions. Videoconferencing is a common telehealth modality for delivering psychotherapy and has demonstrated similar outcomes to those of face-to-face therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the most common psychotherapy evaluated across various telehealth modalities; however, studies on CBT delivered via videoconference, particularly in a group therapy format, are lacking. Further, little research exists on videoconference group CBT for anxiety disorders. Accordingly, the present study compared the outcomes of group CBT for anxiety and related disorders delivered via videoconference versus face-to-face. METHOD: Using a non-randomized design, data on attendance, dropout, clinical outcomes, and functional impairment were collected from 413 adult outpatients of a tertiary care anxiety disorders clinic who attended a CBT group for panic disorder/agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or obsessive-compulsive disorder delivered either face-to-face (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) or via videoconference (since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic). Outcomes were assessed using well-validated self-report measures. Data were collected pre-treatment, across 12 weekly sessions, and post-treatment. Intent-to-treat analyses were applied to symptom outcome measures. RESULTS: Face-to-face CBT conferred only a slight benefit over videoconference CBT for symptom outcomes across all groups, but when assessed individually, only the GAD group showed greater symptom improvement in the face-to-face format. Effect sizes for significant differences between the delivery formats were small. Participants in videoconference groups tended to have slightly higher attendance rates in some instances, whereas functional improvement and treatment dropout were comparable across the delivery formats. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide preliminary evidence that videoconference group CBT for anxiety and related disorders may be a promising and effective alternative to face-to-face CBT. Additional research is needed to establish equivalence between these delivery formats.

Why do plasmids manipulate the expression of bacterial phenotypes?

Conjugative plasmids play an important role in bacterial evolution by transferring niche-adaptive traits between lineages, thus driving adaptation and genome diversification. It is increasingly clear, however, that in addition to this evolutionary role, plasmids also manipulate the expression of a broad range of bacterial phenotypes. In this review, we argue that the effects that plasmids have on the expression of bacterial phenotypes may often represent plasmid adaptations, rather than mere deleterious side effects. We begin by summarizing findings from untargeted omics analyses, which give a picture of the global effects of plasmid acquisition on host cells. Thereafter, because many plasmids are capable of both vertical and horizontal transmission, we distinguish plasmid-mediated phenotypic effects into two main classes based upon their potential fitness benefit to plasmids: (i) those that promote the competitiveness of the host cell in a given niche and thereby increase plasmid vertical transmission, and (ii) those that promote plasmid conjugation and thereby increase plasmid horizontal transmission. Far from being mere vehicles for gene exchange, we propose that plasmids often act as sophisticated genetic parasites capable of manipulating their bacterial hosts for their own benefit. This article is part of the theme issue 'The secret lives of microbial mobile genetic elements'.

Sensitivity and specificity of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 in a Canadian psychiatric outpatient sample.

The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a widely used, self-report measure that is employed to assess PTSD symptom severity and determine the presence of probable PTSD in various trauma-exposed populations. The PCL-5 is often administered in clinical settings as a screening tool for PTSD, with a suggested cutoff score of 33 indicating a probable PTSD diagnosis. Recent research indicates that a higher cutoff may be required in psychiatric samples. In the present study, we aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the PCL-5 in a Canadian outpatient psychiatric sample and establish an optimal cutoff score for detecting probable PTSD in this sample. Participants were 673 individuals who reported a history of trauma exposure and were assessed using a semistructured interview and self-report measures. Individuals diagnosed with PTSD (N = 193) reported a mean PCL-5 score of 56.57, whereas individuals without PTSD (N = 480) reported a mean score of 33.56. A score of 45 was determined to be the optimal cutoff score in this sample, balancing sensitivity and specificity while detecting a probable diagnosis of PTSD. Consistent with findings in other psychiatric samples, these findings indicate that in an outpatient psychiatric sample with a history of exposure to a variety of trauma types, a higher cutoff score is required to determine probable PTSD. In addition, given the estimated rate of false positives even with a higher cutoff, follow-up diagnostic assessments are recommended.

The relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and PTSD outcomes during group cognitive processing therapy for PTSD.

Emotion regulation difficulties (difficulty regulating the experience, occurrence, and expression of emotions) are associated with the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms across trauma types (e.g., childhood abuse, sexual assault, combat trauma). Despite emerging research suggesting that evidence-based treatments for PTSD, including cognitive processing therapy (CPT), are effective in improving emotion regulation difficulties, some have argued that these therapies may not be as safe or acceptable to patients compared to non-trauma focused treatments. Accordingly, the current study sought to determine the impact of pre-treatment emotion regulation difficulties on PTSD treatment outcomes and dropout, as well as whether emotion regulation difficulties improve over the course of treatment with group CPT among individuals with PTSD. One hundred and one individuals with PTSD participated in group CPT. Repeated measures t-tests found significant pre- to post-treatment improvements for emotion regulation difficulties (d = .79). Further, hierarchical linear modeling and logistic regression analyses revealed that pre-treatment emotion regulation difficulties were neither significantly associated with changes in PTSD symptoms over the course of treatment (d = -.07) nor with treatment dropout (OR = 1.00). These findings suggest that CPT delivered in a group setting to individuals with PTSD can lead to significant improvement in emotion regulation and that emotion regulation difficulties do not negatively impact treatment outcome or patient retention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigating executive functions in youth with OCD and hoarding symptoms.

Executive functions (EF) deficits are hypothesized to be a core contributor to hoarding symptoms. EF have been studied in adult hoarding populations, but studies in youth are lacking. The current study compared multiple EF subdomains between youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and youth with OCD and hoarding symptoms. Forty youth (8-18 years old) with a primary diagnosis of OCD were recruited. Participants were divided by hoarding severity on the Child Saving Inventory (CSI) into either the "hoarding group" (upper 33.3%) or the "low-hoarding group" (lower 66.7%). Groups were compared on EF tasks of cognitive flexibility, decision-making, and inhibitory control. Youth in the hoarding group exhibited significantly higher cognitive flexibility and lowered perseveration than the low-hoarding group. Hoarding and low-hoarding groups did not differ in any other EF subdomain. Hoarding symptoms in youth with OCD were not associated with deficits in EF subdomains; instead, youth who hoard exhibited higher cognitive flexibility compared to youth with low hoarding symptoms.

A commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum increases root colonization across wheat cultivars but does not increase assimilation of mycorrhiza-acquired nutrients.

Production and heavy application of chemical-based fertilizers to maintain crop yields is unsustainable due to pollution from run-off, high CO2 emissions, and diminishing yield returns. Access to fertilizers will be limited in the future due to rising energy costs and dwindling rock phosphate resources. A growing number of companies produce and sell arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) inoculants, intended to help reduce fertilizer usage by facilitating crop nutrient uptake through arbuscular mycorrhizas. However, their success has been variable. Here, we present information about the efficacy of a commercially available AMF inoculant in increasing AMF root colonization and fungal contribution to plant nutrient uptake, which are critical considerations within the growing AMF inoculant industry. Summary Arable agriculture needs sustainable solutions to reduce reliance on large inputs of nutrient fertilizers while continuing to improve crop yields. By harnessing arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, there is potential to improve crop nutrient assimilation and growth without additional inputs, although the efficacy of commercially available mycorrhizal inocula in agricultural systems remains controversial.Using stable and radioisotope tracing, carbon-for-nutrient exchange between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and three modern cultivars of wheat was quantified in a non-sterile, agricultural soil, with or without the addition of a commercial mycorrhizal inoculant.While there was no effect of inoculum addition on above-ground plant biomass, there was increased root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and changes in community structure. Inoculation increased phosphorus uptake across all wheat cultivars by up to 30%, although this increase was not directly attributable to mycorrhizal fungi. Carbon-for-nutrient exchange between symbionts varied substantially between the wheat cultivars.Plant tissue phosphorus increased in inoculated plants potentially because of changes induced by inoculation in microbial community composition and/or nutrient cycling within the rhizosphere. Our data contribute to the growing consensus that mycorrhizal inoculants could play a role in sustainable food production systems of the future.