Measuring the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 by means of the "international student well-being study questionnaire": Evidence on Italian university students.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic appeared as an unpredictable disruption of daily activities. This situation produced a unique mental health impact for the general population, youth, and vulnerable groups. A documented consequence has been alcohol abuse and impaired mental health. To our knowledge, no published study has yet evaluated the rates of depressive symptoms, academic frustration, and substance abuse in the Italian student population in the COVID era linking them to sociodemographic variables. Aims: To investigate the incidence of depressive symptoms, academic frustration, and substance abuse students developed in one university in Northern Italy during the first COVID-19 outbreak, using a student wellbeing framework borrowed from Allardt's and Bronfenbrenner's theories. Methods: Descriptive statistics, correlations, Wilcoxon test and factorial ANOVA were performed on data gathered through an online questionnaire sent to a convenience sample of university students. Data collection occurred between 18 May and June 21, 2020. Results: According to the framework used, Being was the dimension of sociodemographic variables, Having was economic support and Loving was social support. Students experienced academic frustration and related depressive symptoms. Male gender seemed to be less affected by the depressive syndrome. With regard to economic support and related repercussions on depressive symptoms, students who reported that they could not obtain a loan showed significantly higher depressive symptoms. Students benefiting from greater financial support showed less academic frustration. Age appeared to be a predictor of academic frustration since young students proved to be the most frustrated. The examined students' population showed a significant decrease in alcohol and cigarettes consumption. Conclusions: Having and Being dimensions influenced depression and academic frustration. Having and Loving dimensions were related with use of substances. The study findings support the implementation of interventions to help students, at a psychological, social, financial level aiming at fostering the quality of students' educational life.

Computational insights into dynamics and conformational stability of N-acetylmannosamine kinase mutations.

The activity of UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase/ManNAc kinase (GNE) is essential for the biosynthesis of sialic acid, which is involved in cellular processes in health and diseases. GNE contains an N-terminal epimerase domain and a C-terminal kinase domain (N-acetylmannosamine kinase, MNK). Mutations of the GNE protein led to hypoactivity of the enzyme and cause sialurea or autosomal recessive inclusion body myopathy/Nonaka myopathy. Here, we used all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to comprehend the folding, dynamics and conformational stability of MNK variants, including the wild type (WT) and three mutants (H677R, V696M and H677R/V696M). The deleterious and destabilizing nature of MNK mutants were predicted using different prediction tools. Results predicted that mutations modulate the stability, flexibility and function of MNK. The effect of mutations on the conformational stability and dynamics of MNK was next studied through the free-energy landscape (FEL), hydrogen-bonds and secondary structure changes. The FEL results show that the mutations interfere with various conformational transitions in both WT and mutants, exposing the structural underpinnings of protein destabilization and unfolding brought on by mutation. We discover that, when compared to the other two mutations, V696M and H677R/V696M, H677R has the most harmful effects. These findings have a strong correlation with published experimental studies that demonstrate how these mutations disrupt MNK activity. Hence, this computational study describes the structural details to unravel the mutant effects at the atomistic resolution and has implications for understanding the GNE's physiological and pathological role.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The compensation effect of competence frustration and its behavioral manifestations.

The frustration of competence, one of the three basic psychological needs proposed by self-determination theory, has been widely demonstrated to negatively influence one's motivation and well-being in both work and life. However, research on the recovery mechanism of competence is still in the nascent stage. In this study, a two-stage behavioral experiment was conducted to examine the restoration of competence and the potential moderating role of resilience. Results showed that individuals who were asked to recall experience of competence frustration performed better on subsequent tasks, manifesting their behavioral efforts of competence restoration. However, resilience does not play a significant moderating role in competence restoration. Through convergent behavioral evidence, findings of this study demonstrate the compensation effect of competence frustration.

Polymorphism in F pocket affects peptide selection and stability of type 1 diabetes-associated HLA-B39 allotypes.

HLA-B*39:06, HLA-B*39:01, and HLA-B*38:01 are closely related HLA allotypes differentially associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk and progression. B*39:06 is highly predisposing, while B*39:01 and B*38:01 are weakly predisposing and protective allotypes, respectively. Here, we aimed to decipher molecular mechanisms underlying the differential association of these allotypes with T1D pathogenesis. We addressed peptide binding and conformational stability of HLA-B allotypes using computational and experimental approaches. Computationally, we found that B*39:06 and B*39:01 allotypes had more rigid peptide-binding grooves and were more promiscuous in binding peptides than B*38:01. Peptidomes of B*39:06 and B*39:01 contained fewer strong binders and were of lower affinity than that of B*38:01. Experimentally, we demonstrated that B*39:06 and B*39:01 had a higher capacity to bind peptides and exit to the cell surface but lower surface levels and were degraded faster than B*38:01. In summary, we propose that promiscuous B*39:06 and B*39:01 may bind suboptimal peptides and transport them the cell surface, where such unstable complexes may contribute to the pathogenesis of T1D.

Irritability in Youths: A Critical Integrative Review.

Irritability, defined as proneness to anger that may impair an individual's functioning, is common in youths. There has been a recent upsurge in relevant research. The authors combine systematic and narrative review approaches to integrate the latest clinical and translational findings and provide suggestions for addressing research gaps. Clinicians and researchers should assess irritability routinely, and specific assessment tools are now available. Informant effects are prominent, are stable, and vary by age and gender. The prevalence of irritability is particularly high among individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and mood and anxiety disorders. Irritability is associated with impairment and suicidality risk independent of co-occurring diagnoses. Developmental trajectories of irritability (which may begin early in life) have been identified and are differentially associated with clinical outcomes. Youth irritability is associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and suicidality later in life. Irritability is moderately heritable, and genetic associations differ based on age and comorbid illnesses. Parent management training is effective for treating psychological problems related to irritability, but its efficacy in treating irritability should be tested rigorously, as should novel mechanism-informed interventions (e.g., those targeting exposure to frustration). Associations between irritability and suicidality and the impact of cultural context are important, underresearched topics. Analyses of large, diverse longitudinal samples that extend into adulthood are needed. Data from both animal and human research indicate that aberrant responses to frustration and threat are central to the pathophysiology of irritability, revealing important translational opportunities.

The barometer of moral distress in midwifery: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Moral distress is a phenomena that occurs following a compromise to moral beliefs. Moral distress has been reported across health professions, including midwifery. Although there are validated tools to assess for moral distress, none have been identified that suit the Australian healthcare system or midwifery. AIM: The aim of this study was to pilot the Barometer of Moral Distress in Midwifery. METHODS: This study was the fourth stage of a mixed method project. Using a cross-sectional approach, a survey tool including demographic questions, the Barometer of Moral Distress in Midwifery, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory assessed tool stability, reliability, and validity. FINDINGS: A total of 103 surveys were completed. A test-retest demonstrated tool reliability and stability (a =.97). Factor analysis confirmed internal consistency; Factor 1 - Professional Identity (a=.91), Factor 2 - Inadequate Resources (a=.85), and Factor 3 - Unethical Cultures (a=.88). Concurrent validity was demonstrated through positive correlations between self-reported types of moral distress with mean scores for each Factor. Strong correlations were identified between work-related burnout and mean scores, while only weak correlations were noted between client-related burnout and mean scores. Only Factor 1 demonstrated a correlation between leaving the profession and mean scores. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: This was the first moral distress tool that assessed both frequency of exposure and psychological outcomes to score moral distress. Findings indicate that moral distress in midwifery is not associated with caring work but with occupational environments. Further research is required to assess self-sacrifice in moral distress.

Griffiths-like behavior and magnetocaloric properties of rare-earth silicide Tb2Co0.8Si3.2.

Novel rare-earth silicide, Tb2Co0.8Si3.2compound, crystallizes in Lu2CoGa3structure, a distorted substitution variant of theAlB2structure. The compound exhibits a complex magnetic state, with a ferromagnetic transition at 58 K, followed by successive antiferromagnetic transitions at 24 K and 8 K, respectively. Isothermal and magnetic hysteresis studies indicate the prominence of competing antiferro and ferromagnetic interactions in the compound. However, this does not lead to the formation of spin glass behavior, as confirmed by AC magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity studies. In the paramagnetic state, the short-range ferromagnetic ordering of cobalt creates a Griffiths-like anomaly that is suppressed at higher magnetic fields. Investigation of magnetocaloric and magnetoresistance properties identifies the compound as a conventional second-order magnetocaloric material with negative magnetoresistance. Furthermore, the determination of Landau coefficients and subsequent analysis indicate that the isothermal entropy change of the compound can be calculated from these coefficients.

Longitudinal relationship between harsh parenting and adolescent non-suicidal self-injury: The roles of basic psychological needs frustration and self-concept clarity.

BACKGROUND: Harsh parenting has been shown to be associated with adolescents' non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior. However, less is known about the mechanism underlying the association. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to use a one-year longitudinal design to investigate the mediating role of basic psychological needs frustration and the moderating role of self-concept clarity in the association between harsh parenting and NSSI. METHODS: Three waves of data (called T1, T2 and T3) were collected 6 months apart, between April 2021 and 2022, in a sample of 786 Chinese adolescents (52.0 % girls; Mage at Wave 1 = 13.27 years). Structural equation model was used to test a longitudinal moderated mediation model, with gender, age and baseline NSSI as covariates. RESULTS: The results showed process of mediation in which T1 harsh parenting was longitudinally and positively associated with T3 NSSI through T2 basic psychological needs frustration. Furthermore, moderated mediation analyses revealed that T2 self-concept clarity buffered the adverse impact of T2 needs frustration on T3 NSSI, thereby mitigating the mediation process. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the self-determination theory, and suggest that fostering adolescents' self-concept clarity and satisfying their psychological needs may be useful in programs designed to lower the risk of NSSI.

Prepartum and postpartum mothers' and fathers' feelings of frustration in response to infant crying.

In this cross-sectional study performed in Canada, we evaluated the frustration levels of prepartum and postpartum mother and father couple-pairs. Our goal was to determine if there were differences in frustration levels between mothers and fathers while listening to prolonged infant crying, and further, how frustration levels might differ between prepartum and postpartum samples. Using two discrete groups, prepartum (Sample 1; N = 48) and postpartum (Sample 2; N = 44) mother and father couple-pairs completed 600 s of listening to audio-recorded infant cry sounds. Participants continuously reported their subjective frustration using a computerized Continuous Visual Analog Scale (CVAS). There was no significant difference in frustration responses between mothers and fathers across both prepartum and postpartum samples. Postpartum mothers and fathers experienced greater frustration than their prepartum counterparts, and frustration increased faster in postpartum couples compared to prepartum couples. Informing first-time parents of the universal experiences of frustration to prolonged crying bouts that are characteristic of their infant's early weeks of life may lead to greater understanding towards their infant, and perhaps decreased instances of harmful responses.

Rethinking students' psychological need states: The unique role of need unfulfilment to understanding ill-being in academic settings.

Prior research has shown that students face various stressors which can affect their psychological health. The present study examines the role of students' psychological need states in explaining their burnout and dropout intentions. More precisely, relying on recent findings from Self-Determination Theory research, we examined whether students' psychological need unfulfilment could contribute to explain their ill-being over and above need satisfaction and frustration. To this end, we also tested the validity of a tripartite instrument allowing to assess these need states in academic settings (Psychological Need States in Education-Scale [PNSE-S]). A study was conducted among two samples of high school (N = 473; Sample 1) and college (N = 1143; Sample 2) students. Results supported the construct validity of the 35-item PNSE-S in both samples by showing that students' relatedness, autonomy, and competence unfulfilment can be modelled as distinct need states alongside the frustration and satisfaction of those three needs. Moreover, these different need states displayed a well-differentiated pattern of associations with various facets of student burnout and with dropout intentions. Results also showed the critical role of psychological need unfulfilment in explaining students' ill-being.

Anisotropic Morphing in Bistable Kirigami through Symmetry Breaking and Geometric Frustration.

Shape morphing in bistable kirigami enables remarkable functionalities appealing to a diverse range of applications across the spectrum of length scale. At the core of their shape shifting lies the architecture of their repeating unit, where highly deformable slits and quasi-rigid rotating units often exhibit multiple symmetries that confer isotropic deployment obeying uniform scaling transformation. In this work, symmetry breaking in bistable kirigami is investigated to access geometric frustration and anisotropic morphing, enabling arbitrarily scaled deployment in planar and spatial bistable domains. With an analysis on their symmetry properties complemented by a systematic investigation integrating semi-analytical derivations, numerical simulations, and experiments on elastic kirigami sheets, this work unveils the fundamental relations between slit symmetry, geometric frustration, and anisotropic bistable deployment. Furthermore, asymmetric kirigami units are leveraged in planar and flat-to-3D demonstrations to showcase the pivotal role of shear deformation in achieving target shapes and functions so far unattainable with uniformly stretchable kirigami. The insights provided in this work unveil the role of slit symmetry breaking in controlling the anisotropic bistable deployment of soft kirigami metamaterials, enriching the range of achievable functionalities for applications spanning deployable space structures, wearable technologies, and soft machines.

Navigating the shift in Bangladeshi host community's perceptions towards the Rohingya refugees: a declining sympathy.

Generosity and selflessness from the host community in Cox's Bazar were deemed to be instrumental in supporting Rohingyas who sought refuge in Bangladesh in 2017. Thousands of Rohingyas had to flee from their own country to save lives due to state-supported military violence. Initially, Bangladeshi media and civil society were largely supportive of the Rohingyas. However, the initial sympathy later withered away and may have turned into frustration and hostility. Based on 39 in-depth interviews with hot community members and humanitarian professionals, this paper argues that protraction of the crisis, inability to access natural resources due to the refugee camps, some Rohingyas' involvement in various unlawful activities, a perceived sense of neglect from the international community, and disruption in local labour market/trade affecting cost of living conditions for low-income people seem to have played important roles in creating widespread tensions between the host community and Rohingya refugees. We contend that findings of this study will add to the critical scholarship of humanitarian development in deepening the understanding of host and refugee communities' relationships. This paper will also have a positive impact on future policies toward harmonious coexistence between host communities and displaced refugees and potential sustainable solutions to the crisis.

Observation of Topological Hall Effect in a Chemically Complex Alloy.

The topological Hall effect (THE) is the transport response of chiral spin textures and thus can serve as a powerful probe for detecting and understanding these unconventional magnetic orders. So far, the THE is only observed in either noncentrosymmetric systems where spin chirality is stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, or triangular-lattice magnets with Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida-type interactions. Here, a pronounced THE is observed in a Fe-Co-Ni-Mn chemically complex alloy with a simple face-centered cubic (fcc) structure across a wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields. The alloy is shown to have a strong magnetic frustration owing to the random occupation of magnetic atoms on the close-packed fcc lattice and the direct Heisenberg exchange interaction among atoms, as evidenced by the appearance of a reentrant spin glass state in the low-temperature regime and the first principles calculations. Consequently, THE is attributed to the nonvanishing spin chirality created by strong spin frustration under the external magnetic field, which is distinct from the mechanism responsible for the skyrmion systems, as well as geometrically frustrated magnets.

Provoked and unprovoked aggression in toddlerhood: Evaluating measurement invariance and latent means across gender, age, and time.

This paper re-examined the factor structure of a recently developed parent report of aggression, the Provoked and Unprovoked Aggression Questionnaire, and evaluated measurement invariance and latent mean differences across gender, age, and time. Participants were 333 mothers of toddlers (younger age group: n = 167, 53.9% boys, Mage Time 1 = 18.30 months, SD = 0.45; older age group: n = 166, 48.8% boys, Mage Time 1 = 24.29 months, SD = 0.38) who filled out provoked (eight items) and unprovoked (five items) aggression scales twice over a 3-month period. We found evidence for the configural, metric, and scalar measurement invariance-a requirement needed to make a meaningful comparison between aggression means across gender, age groups, and time. When comparing means for boys and girls, gender differences emerged earlier for unprovoked than provoked aggression. Also, the frequency of provoked aggression increased among younger, but not older, toddlers. By developing a brief parental report of aggression in toddlerhood, we hope to fill a void of early aggression measures that tap the contextual variability in aggressive behaviors, and thereby stimulate more research to further our understanding of different types of aggression and their correlates in toddlerhood.

Femcel Discussions of Sex, Frustration, Power, and Revenge.

Although male incels have received a great deal of scholarly attention in recent years, there has been almost no research on femcels (involuntarily celibate women). After collecting data from more than 24,000 femcel posts, we drew from a recently developed sexual frustration theory and conducted qualitative analyses of approximately 1200. Overall, our findings suggest that (1) femcels struggled with multiple types of sexual frustration; (2) they frequently discussed the gender dynamics of both sex and power; (3) they were more interested in their own frustrations than men's frustrations; and (4) despite some notable exceptions, they exhibited less support for aggression, violence, and crime than what has been reported about male incels. Although some femcels referenced their anger, hatred, or desires for revenge, this antipathy may have been rooted in their concerns about how to find a suitable intimate partner while avoiding the threat women often face from violent men. Despite this challenge, most femcels who wanted to enhance their situation or increase their power sought to do so through legal means (e.g., self-improvement, group mobilization, or challenging the patriarchy) and did not express violent intent. Further research on femcels, and the evidence-based strategies that could help them, would be a significant contribution to society.

Is providing choices always a good thing? the backfire effect of providing choices on competence restoration.

Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), the purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of providing choices following competence frustration on one's intrinsic motivation in a follow-up task. Study 1 conducted a between-group EEG experiment with 50 participants and used a component of event-related potentials (ERPs) to represent intrinsic motivation. Study 2 was a behavioural experiment with 149 participants, adopting the self-report method to measure intrinsic motivation. The stimuli and procedure in Study 1 are identical to Study 2. All participants were asked to complete a high-difficult time-estimation (TE) task during sessions 1-2, and a moderate-difficult stopwatch (SW) task during session 3 (no choices in the control group vs. providing choices in the experimental group). In Study 1, we observed a smaller reward positivity (RewP) difference wave in the experimental (vs. control) group during session 3. In Study 2, participants' intrinsic motivation in the experimental (vs. control) group is significantly lower. The results suggest that providing choices impairs the competence-frustrated participants' intrinsic motivation in the follow-up task and hinders competence restoration. Thus, the current research contributes original neuroscientific and subjective evidences for the adverse influence of providing choices on the competence-frustrated individual's intrinsic motivation, and suggests important practical implications.

Robust Spin Liquidity in 2D Metal-Organic Framework Cu3 (HHTP)2 with S=1 /2 Kagome Lattice.

On one hand electron or hole doping of quantum spin liquid (QSL) may unlock high-temperature superconductivity and on the other hand it can disrupt the spin liquidity, giving rise to a magnetically ordered ground state. Recently, a 2D MOF, Cu3 (HHTP)2 (HHTP - 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene), containing Cu(II) S= 1 / 2 ${{ 1/2 }}$ frustrated spins in the Kagome lattice is emerging as a promising QSL candidate. Herein, we present an elegant in situ redox-chemistry strategy of anchoring Cu3 (HHTP)2 crystallites onto diamagnetic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets, resulting in the formation of electron-doped Cu3 (HHTP)2 -rGO composite which exhibited a characteristic semiconducting behavior (5 K to 300 K) with high electrical conductivity of 70 S ⋅ m-1 and a carrier density of ~1.1×1018  cm-3 at 300 K. Remarkably, no magnetic transition in the Cu3 (HHTP)2 -rGO composite was observed down to 1.5 K endorsing the robust spin liquidity of the 2D MOF Cu3 (HHTP)2 . Specific heat capacity measurements led to the estimation of the residual entropy values of 28 % and 34 % of the theoretically expected value for the pristine Cu3 (HHTP)2 and Cu3 (HHTP)2 -rGO composite, establishing the presence of strong quantum fluctuations down to 1.5 K (two times smaller than the value of the exchange interaction J).

Molecular frustration: a hypothesis for regulation of viral infections.

The recent revolution in imaging techniques and results from RNA footprinting in situ reveal how the bacteriophage MS2 genome regulates both particle assembly and genome release. We have proposed a model in which multiple packaging signal (PS) RNA-coat protein (CP) contacts orchestrate different stages of a viral life cycle. Programmed formation and release of specific PS contacts with CP regulates viral particle assembly and genome uncoating during cell entry. We hypothesize that molecular frustration, a concept introduced to understand protein folding, can be used to better rationalize how PSs function in both particle assembly and genome release. More broadly this concept may explain the directionality of viral life cycles, for example, the roles of host cofactors in HIV infection. We propose that this is a universal principle in virology that explains mechanisms of host-virus interaction and suggests diverse therapeutic interventions.

Spin Frustration in Organic Radicals.

Spin frustration, which results from geometric frustration and a systematical inability to satisfy all antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions between unpaired spins simultaneously, is under the spotlight for its importance in physics and materials science. Spin frustration is treated as the structural basis of quantum spin liquids (QSLs). Featuring flexible chemical structures, organic radical species exhibit great potential in building spin-frustrated molecules and lattices. So far, the reported examples of spin-frustrated organic radical compounds include triradicals, tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) radicals and derivatives, [Pd(dmit)2 ] compounds (dmit=1,3-dithiol-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate), nitronyl nitroxides, fullerenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other heterocyclic compounds where the spin frustration is generated intra- or intermolecularly. In this Minireview, we provide a brief summary of the reported radical compounds that possess spin frustration. The related data, including magnetic exchange coupling parameters, spin models, frustration parameters, and crystal lattices, are summarized and discussed.

Effects of polygenes, parent-child relationship and frustration on junior high school students' aggressive behaviors.

The effects of the interaction between polygenes and the parent-child relationship on junior high school students' aggressive behaviors were explored through the frameworks of gene-endophenotype-behavior and neurophysiological basis. A total of 892 junior high school students participated in this study. They were asked to complete self-reported questionnaires, and saliva samples were collected. Results showed that 5-HTTLPR, MAOA-uVNTR, COMT (rs4680), and Taq1 (rs1800497) of the DRD2 gene affected students' aggressive behaviors in an accumulative way. The polygenic risk score explained 3.4% of boys' aggression and 1.1% of girls' aggression. The interactions between polygenic risk score and parent-child conflict significantly affected the aggressive behaviors of male students, but did not show any significant effect on those of female students. The interactional effect of polygenic risk score and parent-child conflict on junior high school students' aggressive behaviors was completely mediated by frustration. However, the interaction effect of polygenic risk score and parent-child affinity on aggression was not affected by frustration. This study helps us better understand junior high school students' aggressive behaviors and promotes the prevention and correction of adolescents' problem behaviors.