Participant perspectives on cognitive remediation and social recovery in early psychosis (CReSt-R): An acceptability study.

AIM: Psychosis spectrum disorders continue to rank highly among causes of disability. This has resulted in efforts to expand the range of treatment targets beyond symptom remission to include other recovery markers, including social and occupational function and quality of life. Although the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in early psychosis has been widely reported, the acceptability of these interventions is less well-known. This study explores the participant perspective on a novel, psychosocial intervention combining cognitive remediation and social recovery therapy. METHODS: We employed a qualitative research design, based on semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. Six participants with early psychosis were recruited from the intervention arm of a randomized pilot study, three women and three men, aged between 22 and 27 years. RESULTS: Four themes were developed through the analytical process, namely, (1) a solid therapeutic foundation, (2) multi-directional flow of knowledge, (3) a tailored toolset, and (4) an individual pathway to recovery. Participants also provided pragmatic feedback about how to improve the delivery of the therapy assessments and intervention. Both the themes and pragmatic feedback are described. CONCLUSIONS: People with early psychosis described the intervention as acceptable, engaging, helpful and person-centred, suggesting its potential role in a multicomponent therapy model of early intervention in psychosis services. Participants in this study also highlight the importance of an individualized approach to therapy, the vital role of the therapeutic relationship and the ecological validity and value of adopting an assertive outreach delivery, providing therapy outside a conventional clinic setting.

Measures of Social and Occupational Function in Early Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Deficits in social and occupational function are widely reported in psychosis, yet no one measure of function is currently agreed upon as a gold standard in psychosis research. The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of functioning measures to determine what measures were associated with largest effect sizes when measuring between-group differences, changes over time, or response to treatment. Literature searches were conducted based on PsycINFO and PubMed to identify studies for inclusion. Cross-sectional and longitudinal observational and intervention studies of early psychosis (≤5 years since diagnosis) that included social and occupational functioning as an outcome measure were considered. A series of meta-analyses were conducted to determine effect size differences for between-group differences, changes over time, or response to treatment. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were carried out to account for variability in study and participant characteristics. One hundred and sixteen studies were included, 46 studies provided data (N = 13 261) relevant to our meta-analysis. Smallest effect sizes for changes in function over time and in response to treatment were observed for global measures, while more specific measures of social and occupational function showed the largest effect sizes. Differences in effect sizes between functioning measures remained significant after variability in study and participant characteristics were accounted for. Findings suggest that more specific measures of social function are better able to detect changes in function over time and in response to treatment.

Temporal and environmental factors interact with rootstock genotype to shape leaf elemental composition in grafted grapevines.

Plants take up elements through their roots and transport them to their shoot systems for use in numerous biochemical, physiological, and structural functions. Elemental composition of above-ground plant tissues, such as leaves, reflects both above- and below-ground activities of the plant, as well the local environment. Perennial, grafted plants, where the root system of one individual is fused to the shoot system of a genetically distinct individual, offer a powerful experimental system in which to study how genetically distinct root systems influence the elemental composition of a common shoot system. We measured elemental composition of over 7,000 leaves in the grapevine cultivar "Chambourcin" growing ungrafted and grafted to three rootstock genotypes. Leaves were collected over multiple years and phenological stages (across the season) and along a developmental time series. Temporal components of this study had the largest effect on leaf elemental composition, and rootstock genotype interacted with year, phenological stage, and leaf age to differentially modulate leaf elemental composition. Further, the local, above-ground environment affected leaf elemental composition, an effect influenced by rootstock genotype. This work highlights the dynamic nature by which root systems interact with shoot systems to respond to temporal and environmental variation.

Multi-dimensional leaf phenotypes reflect root system genotype in grafted grapevine over the growing season.

BACKGROUND: Modern biological approaches generate volumes of multi-dimensional data, offering unprecedented opportunities to address biological questions previously beyond reach owing to small or subtle effects. A fundamental question in plant biology is the extent to which below-ground activity in the root system influences above-ground phenotypes expressed in the shoot system. Grafting, an ancient horticultural practice that fuses the root system of one individual (the rootstock) with the shoot system of a second, genetically distinct individual (the scion), is a powerful experimental system to understand below-ground effects on above-ground phenotypes. Previous studies on grafted grapevines have detected rootstock influence on scion phenotypes including physiology and berry chemistry. However, the extent of the rootstock's influence on leaves, the photosynthetic engines of the vine, and how those effects change over the course of a growing season, are still largely unknown. RESULTS: Here, we investigate associations between rootstock genotype and shoot system phenotypes using 5 multi-dimensional leaf phenotyping modalities measured in a common grafted scion: ionomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, morphometrics, and physiology. Rootstock influence is ubiquitous but subtle across modalities, with the strongest signature of rootstock observed in the leaf ionome. Moreover, we find that the extent of rootstock influence on scion phenotypes and patterns of phenomic covariation are highly dynamic across the season. CONCLUSIONS: These findings substantially expand previously identified patterns to demonstrate that rootstock influence on scion phenotypes is complex and dynamic and underscore that broad understanding necessitates volumes of multi-dimensional data previously unmet.

Phylogeny of the Australian Solanum dioicum group using seven nuclear genes, with consideration of Symon's fruit and seed dispersal hypotheses.

The dioecious and andromonoecious Solanum taxa (the "S. dioicum group") of the Australian Monsoon Tropics have been the subject of phylogenetic and taxonomic study for decades, yet much of their basic biology is still unknown. This is especially true for plant-animal interactions, including the influence of fruit form and calyx morphology on seed dispersal. We combine field/greenhouse observations and specimen-based study with phylogenetic analysis of seven nuclear regions obtained via a microfluidic PCR-based enrichment strategy and high-throughput sequencing, and present the first species-tree hypothesis for the S. dioicum group. Our results suggest that epizoochorous trample burr seed dispersal (strongly linked to calyx accrescence) is far more common among Australian Solanum than previously thought and support the hypothesis that the combination of large fleshy fruits and endozoochorous dispersal represents a reversal in this study group. The general lack of direct evidence related to biotic dispersal (epizoochorous or endozoochorous) may be a function of declines and/or extinctions of vertebrate dispersers. Because of this, some taxa might now rely on secondary dispersal mechanisms (e.g. shakers, tumbleweeds, rafting) as a means to maintain current populations and establish new ones.

New functionally dioecious bush tomato from northwestern Australia, Solanum ossicruentum, may utilize "trample burr" dispersal.

A new Australian species of functionally dioecious bush tomato of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum ossicruentum Martine & J.Cantley, sp. nov., is thought to be allied with members of the problematic "Dioicum Complex" lineage, but differs in its short silvery indumentum, long calyx lobes, larger stature, and an unusual fruit morphology that may represent "trample burr" seed dispersal. The species occurs in a range extending from the eastern Kimberley in Western Australia to far northwestern Northern Territory and has been recognized for decades as a variant of Solanum dioicum W.Fitzg. Specimens of this species were previously referred to by D.E. Symon and others as Solanum dioicum 'Tanami.' Ex situ crossing studies and SEM images of inaperturate pollen grains produced in morphologically hermaphrodite flowers indicate that this taxon is functionally dioecious. The scientific name was chosen with the help of 150 seventh grade life science students from Pennsylvania, USA.

Solanum watneyi, a new bush tomato species from the Northern Territory, Australia named for Mark Watney of the book and film "The Martian".

A new species of andromonoecious Solanum from the Australian "bush tomato clade" of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum watneyi Martine & Frawley, sp. nov. is closely allied with Solanum eburneum, and is sympatric with it in parts of its range in the Northern Territory. The new species has been recognized as a variant of Solanum eburneum for decades, at times being referred to by local botanists as Solanum sp. "Bullita" because of its relative abundance in the vicinity of the Bullita Station area of Judbarra/Gregory National Park. Morphometric analyses show that Solanum watneyi differs statistically from Solanum eburneum in several key reproductive and vegetative characters and field observations suggest that the two sister species may represent a case of edaphic speciation. We provide morphometric evidence for the novelty of Solanum watneyi, a complete description, and cite specimens for both species.