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Millions of people around the world are affected by mental illness, yet a substantive portion of individuals with mental illness do not regularly seek help from medical professionals or utilize mental health services. Help-seeking involves an individual's communicative intention and behaviors to solicit advice and/or treatment and thus is essentially a communicative process. This manuscript reports a longitudinal study that examined predictors and outcomes of help-seeking in mental illness contexts. Three-wave data from 223 participants clinically diagnosed with one or more mental illness conditions were collected and analyzed. Results indicated that expected outcomes of help-seeking from counselors were significantly associated with participants' communication efficacy and target efficacy at Wave 1, which subsequently influenced motivation to seek help and actual help-seeking behaviors at Wave 2. Actual help-seeking behaviors predicted post-traumatic growth and cognitive reappraisal at Wave 3. Importantly, communication efficacy and target efficacy interacted in their effects on help-seeking motivation and behaviors. Theoretical implications for help-seeking communication processes and practical implications for mental health help-seeking are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals with internet gaming disorder (IGD) display abnormal autonomic activities at rest and during gameplay. Here, we examined whether and how in-game autonomic activity is modulated by human characteristics and behavioral performance of the player. We measured heart rate variability (HRV) in 42 male university student habitual gamers (HGs) when they played a round of League of Legends game online. Short-term HRV indices measured in early, middle and late phases of the game were compared between the players at high risk of developing IGD and those at low risk, as assessed by the revised Chen Internet addiction scale (CIAS-R). Multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to identify significant predictors of HRV measured over the whole gameplay period (WG), among CIAS-R, ranking score, hours of weekly playing and selected in-game performance parameters. The high-risk players showed a significantly higher low-frequency power/high-frequency power ratio (LF/HF) relative to the low-risk players, regardless of game phase. MLR analysis revealed that LF/HF measured in WG was predicted by, and only by, CIAS-R. The HRV indicators of sympathetic activity were found to be predicted only by the number of slain in WG (NSlain), and the indicators of parasympathetic activity were predicted by both CIAS-R and NSlain. Collectively, the results demonstrated that risk of developing IGD is associated with dysregulated autonomic balance during gameplay, and in-game autonomic activities are modulated by complex interactions among personal attributes and in-game behavioral performance of the player, as well as situational factors embedded in game mechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between the central nervous system (CNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) play a crucial role in modulating perception, cognition, and emotion production. Previous studies on CNS–ANS interactions, or heart–brain coupling, have often used heart rate variability (HRV) metrics derived from electrocardiography (ECG) recordings as empirical measurements of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a functional brain imaging modality that is increasingly used in brain and cognition studies. The fNIRS signals contain frequency bands representing both neural activity oscillations and heartbeat rhythms. Therefore, fNIRS data acquired in neuroimaging studies can potentially provide a single-modality approach to measure task-induced responses in the brain and ANS synchronously, allowing analysis of CNS–ANS interactions. In this proof-of-concept study, fNIRS was used to record hemodynamic changes from the foreheads of 20 university students as they each played a round of multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game. From the fNIRS recordings, neural and heartbeat frequency bands were extracted to assess prefrontal activities and short-term pulse rate variability (PRV), an approximation for short-term HRV, respectively. Under the experimental conditions used, fNIRS-derived PRV metrics showed good correlations with ECG-derived HRV golden standards, in terms of absolute measurements and video game playing (VGP)-related changes. It was also observed that, similar to previous studies on physical activity and exercise, the PRV metrics closely related to parasympathetic activities recovered slower than the PRV indicators of sympathetic activities after VGP. It is concluded that it is feasible to use fNIRS to monitor concurrent brain and ANS activations during online VGP, facilitating the understanding of VGP-related heart–brain coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dysregulated APRIL/BAFF signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis. We undertook this study to develop and evaluate a high‐affinity APRIL/BAFF antagonist to overcome the clinical limitations of existing B cell inhibitors. Methods: A variant of TACI‐Fc generated by directed evolution showed enhanced binding for both APRIL and BAFF and was designated povetacicept (ALPN‐303). Povetacicept was compared to wild‐type (WT) TACI‐Fc and related molecules in vitro and in vivo. Results: Povetacicept inhibited APRIL and BAFF more effectively than all evaluated forms of WT TACI‐Fc and selective APRIL and BAFF inhibitors in cell‐based reporter assays and primary human B cell assays, mediating potent suppression of B cell proliferation, differentiation, and immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion. In mouse immunization models, povetacicept significantly reduced serum immunoglobulin titers and antibody‐secreting cells more effectively than anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibodies, WT TACI‐Fc, or APRIL and BAFF inhibitors. In the NZB × NZW mouse lupus nephritis model, povetacicept significantly enhanced survival and suppressed proteinuria, anti–double‐stranded DNA antibody titers, blood urea nitrogen, glomerulonephritis, and renal immunoglobulin deposition. In the bm12 mouse lupus model, povetacicept significantly reduced splenic plasmablasts, follicular helper T cells, and germinal center B cells. In non‐human primates, povetacicept was well tolerated, exhibited high serum exposure, and significantly decreased serum IgM, IgA, and IgG levels after a single dose. Conclusion: Enhanced APRIL and BAFF inhibition by povetacicept led to greater inhibition of B cell populations critical for autoantibody production compared to WT TACI‐Fc and CD20‐, APRIL‐, or BAFF‐selective inhibitors. Potent, dual inhibition by povetacicept has the potential to significantly improve clinical outcomes in autoantibody‐related autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fire research and management applications, such as fire behaviour analysis and emissions modelling, require consistent, highly resolved spatiotemporal information on wildfire growth progression. Aims: We developed a new fire mapping method that uses quality-assured sub-daily active fire/thermal anomaly satellite retrievals (2003–2020 MODIS and 2012–2020 VIIRS data) to develop a high-resolution wildfire growth dataset, including growth areas, perimeters, and cross-referenced fire information from agency reports. Methods: Satellite fire detections were buffered using a historical pixel-to-fire size relationship, then grouped spatiotemporally into individual fire events. Sub-daily and daily growth areas and perimeters were calculated for each fire event. After assembly, fire event characteristics including location, size, and date, were merged with agency records to create a cross-referenced dataset. Key results: Our satellite-based total fire size shows excellent agreement with agency records for MODIS (R 2 = 0.95) and VIIRS (R 2 = 0.97) in California. VIIRS-based estimates show improvement over MODIS for fires with areas less than 4047 ha (10 000 acres). To our knowledge, this is the finest resolution quality-assured fire growth dataset available. Conclusions and Implications: The novel spatiotemporal resolution and methodological consistency of our dataset can enable advances in fire behaviour and fire weather research and model development efforts, smoke modelling, and near real-time fire monitoring. We developed a fire mapping method that uses active fire data from the MODIS and VIIRS instruments on board satellites to develop a high-resolution wildfire growth database. The satellite-derived fire events show excellent agreement with agency records (R 2 ≥ 0.95). This method can enable many fire-weather modelling and real-time fire applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with mental illness commonly experience uncertainty related to not only the condition itself but also personal and social implications surrounding mental illness. Support from family has the potential to alleviate uncertain feelings and reduce perceived stress. Drawing on the sensitive interaction systems theory, this longitudinal study investigated the support seeking processes and outcomes in mental illness. Results suggested that perceived uncertainty about mental illness was negatively associated with desired emotional and informational support from close family. Desired support predicted received support and reduced perceived stress 2 weeks later. The effect of desired support on received support was mediated by direct support seeking behaviors. Communication efficacy, relational trust, and motivation to seek support moderated the associations between desired support and support seeking behaviors. Findings offer theoretical and practical implications for support seeking from family members in mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the toxicity and adverse effects of arsenic on human health, its levels in aquatic environments are among the most serious threats to humans globally. To improve our understanding of its occurrence and cycling in aquatic environments, herein we review the concentration, speciation, and distribution of arsenic in freshwater, seawater, and sediments. Many natural processes, such as rock weathering and geothermal activities, contribute to the background arsenic concentrations in the natural environment, whereas metal mining and smelting are anthropogenic sources of arsenic in the water. The high solubility and mobility of arsenic in aquatic environments affects its global cycling. Furthermore, the biological processes in the aquatic environment are discussed, especially the possible microbe-mediated reactions of arsenic in sediments. In addition, various environmental factors, such as redox conditions, pH, and salinity, which influence the transformation of arsenic species, are summarized. Finally, the differences between freshwater and seawater with reference to the concentration as well as speciation and distribution patterns of arsenic are addressed. This review provides deep insights into arsenic occurrence and cycling between freshwater and seawater aquatic environments, which can more accurately distinguish the risks of arsenic in different water environments, and provides theoretical guidance for the prevention and control of arsenic risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals living with mental illness commonly experience higher- or lower-than-desired uncertainty (i.e., uncertainty discrepancy) related to their medical conditions, personal identities, and social relationships. An uncertainty discrepancy can trigger negative emotions and motivate communication behaviors such as information seeking and social support seeking, which, in turn, may alter the initially perceived uncertainty discrepancy. Three-wave longitudinal data collected from 223 adults with clinically diagnosed mental illness suggested uncertainty discrepancy was associated with direct support seeking from family and best friends via mechanisms proposed by the theory of motivated information management. Indirect support seeking led to an increase in uncertainty discrepancy over time. Theoretical and practical implications regarding support seeking as an emotion-driven communicative response to uncertainty discrepancy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as an extremely promising material for photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production. However, their photocatalytic performance is seriously affected by the properties of their donors, acceptors and linkages. So far, few studies have been reported on the key roles of the linkages of a specific COF in improving its photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. Herein, this study designed and synthesized two thiadiazole-based COFs linked by imine and alkyne bonds. The results show that the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of imine-linked COFs (TeTz–COF1) is 19.6 times higher than that of alkyne-linked COFs (TeTz–COF2). Impressively, TeTz–COF1 achieves an apparent quantum efficiency of 3.5% at 475 nm due to the presence of imine bonds. The experimental results confirm that TeTz–COF1 with imine linkages shows higher photocurrent density, lower photocurrent resistance, and longer fluorescence lifetime than TeTz–COF2 with alkyne linkages. Meanwhile, the well-defined density functional theory (DFT) calculations further suggest that both the imine bond and the acetylene bond belong to the HOMO orbitals. Particularly, the imine bonds endow TeTz–COF1 with more delocalized orbital occupation and smaller work functions, thus leading to its lower excited state energy, stronger carrier separation ability and faster electron migration capability. Both theoretical analysis and the experimental results prove that the presence of imine bonds in TeTz–COF1 can enable the efficient separation and fast transport of photogenerated carriers and high reducing ability of photogenerated electrons. This work may provide important guiding significance for the development of new COFs in the direction of photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Corn is one of the most important food crops in the world and comprises a large proportion of crops in China. Pests are one of the important factors affecting corn yield. Conogethes punctiferalis, Ostrinia furnacalis and Helicoverpa armigera are three main pests in the ear stages of corn, which significantly affect the yield and quality of corn. The three co-occurring lepidopteran pests at the ear stage occur frequently. Recently, the amount of Conogethes punctiferalis increased, even becoming the most serious pest in the Huang-Huai-Hai summer corn region of China, which is the second-largest corn producing area in China. Gut bacteria play important roles in insect adaptation to various environments. This study aimed to compare the diversity and function of the intestinal bacteria in three co-occurring lepidopteran pests, and to explore the reason for their prevalence. The results might provide insight into the prevalence of corn earworm larvae from the perspective of gut microbiota and function prediction. Insects, as the most abundant animal group on earth, and their symbionts help their hosts to adapt to various environments. Conogethes punctiferalis, Ostrinia furnacalis and Helicoverpa armigera are three main pests co-occurring in the ear stage of corn, which significantly affect the yield and quality of corn. The purpose of this study was to compare the diversity and function of the intestinal bacteria of the three co-occurring lepidopteran pests, C. punctiferalis, O. furnacalis and H. armigera, and to explore the reason of their prevalence from the microbiota's view. Our results showed the difference of diversity and abundance of the gut bacteria of three co-occurring lepidopteran pests at the ear stage. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla, and the Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae were the dominant families in the three pests. Compared with the other two pests, Bacteroidetes was found much more in C. punctiferalis. In addition, C. punctiferalis showed more correlation and similarity in bacteria composition with corn endophytic bacteria, as well as had obvious advantages in metabolic, environmental information processing, cellular processes and organic systems function pathways. Our findings may provide insight into the prevalence of corn earworm larvae from the perspective of gut microbiota and function prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A month-long set of summertime measurements in a remote area in the Mediterranean is used to quantify aerosol absorption and the role of black and brown carbon. The suite of instruments included a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), both coupled to a thermodenuder and an Aethalometer, a photoacoustic extinctiometer (PAX 405), and a single particle soot photometer (SP2). The average refractory black carbon (rBC) concentration during the campaign was 0.14 µ g m -3 , representing 3 % of the fine aerosol mass. The measured light absorption was two or more times higher than that of fresh black carbon (BC). Mie theory indicated that the absorption enhancement due to the coating of BC cores by nonrefractory material could explain only part of this absorption enhancement. The role of brown carbon (BrC) and other non-BC light-absorbing material was then investigated. A good correlation (R2=0.76) between the unexplained absorption and the concentration of extremely low volatility organic compounds (ELVOCs) mass was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitism is a special interspecific relationship in insects. Unlike most other ectoparasites, Nasonia vitripennis spend most of its life cycle (egg, larvae, pupae, and early adult stage) inside the pupae of flies, which is covered with hard puparium. Microbes play important roles in host development and help insect hosts to adapt to various environments. How the microbes of parasitic wasp respond to different fly hosts living in such close relationships motivated this investigation. In this study, we used N. vitripennis and three different fly pupa hosts (Lucilia sericata , Sarcophaga marshalli , and Musca domestica) to address this question, as well as to illustrate the potential transfer of bacteria through the trophic food chains. We found that N. vitripennis from different fly pupa hosts showed distinct microbiota, which means that the different fly hosts could affect the bacterial communities of their parasitic wasps. Some bacteria showed potential horizontal transfer through the trophic food chains, from the food through the fly to the parasitic wasp. We also found that the heritable endosymbiont Wolbachia could transferred from the fly host to the parasite and correlated with the bacterial communities of the corresponding parasitic wasps. Our findings provide new insight to the microbial interactions between parasite and host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed how Hispanic participants in early adulthood (N = 275) responded to parental advice about physical activity. We tested and extended advice response theory (ART) by contextualizing ART predictions within the cultural, relational, and topical context of this study and by articulating the role of receptiveness in the model. Overall, ART predictions were supported: Participants were more likely to implement advice and rate it favorably when they perceived the advice was efficacious in solving the problem and did not threaten their positive face (i.e., insult or shame them). Positive facework ratings were also associated with better coping and impact on exercise. Participants' open-ended advice descriptions revealed distinctions between messages rated low or high in efficacy and positive facework. Receptiveness mediated the influence of relational satisfaction and parent expertise ratings on advice evaluations and was directly and positively associated with all advice outcomes. We discuss implications for ART and intercultural research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined associations between parents' and young adults' communication competence in the contexts of face-to-face (FtF) and technologically mediated communication (TMC). We investigated the role of family communication patterns in parental socialization of communication competence. In our investigation, we focused on two distinct aspects of communication competence: effectiveness and appropriateness. Analyzing self-report data of 104 parent-child dyads, we found that parents' self-reported FtF communication appropriateness was directly associated with children's self-reported FtF and TMC appropriateness. Children's reports of conversation orientation were positively associated with their self-reported FtF and TMC effectiveness. Additionally, parents' reports of conformity orientation were positively linked to children's self-reported FtF communication appropriateness. These findings suggest that parental influences may manifest through different mechanisms for children's communication effectiveness and appropriateness. Further, parents and family communication play important roles in children's development of communication competence not only in FtF interactions, but also in TMC interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the rate of college binge drinking is a major public health goal. Social media sites such as Facebook serve as platforms for young adults' online communication, so they could potentially extend the reach of health campaign messages via retransmission. Thus, it is important to identify the factors that predict intentions to share health-related messages on social media. Drawing on the Spiral of Silence framework, the current research examined the effects of opinion climate, message efficacy, and publicness of social media on message retransmission intentions for anti-binge drinking "how-to" messages—messages that include advice and recommendations that target beliefs about efficacy. A 2 × 2 × 2 (efficacy: high vs. low × opinion climate: support vs. oppose × channel: public vs. private) between-subjects experiment was conducted. Data from 245 participants on Amazon Mechanical Turk demonstrated that people were more willing to share when they had an anti- rather than a pro-binge drinking opinion climate, when the messages were more useful, and when they were asked to share via private messaging rather than via public status updates. Theoretical and practical implications for the psychological mechanisms underlying message retransmission on social media are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined parental support to emerging adults from a support gap perspective, which focuses on discrepancies between the amount of support received and the amount of support desired. Analyzing survey data collected from a sample of emerging adults in college (N = 341) with polynomial regressions and response surface modeling, the current study revealed that implications of support gaps differed by the support type, directionality of the discrepancy (i.e., support deficits or surpluses), and outcome of interest. For all types of support, emerging adults' perceived stress was lowest when received and desired parental support were congruent. However, received–desired support congruence corresponded with the highest levels of relationship satisfaction only for informational support. For nurturant support (i.e., emotional, esteem, network support), a certain degree of support surplus corresponded with the highest level of relationship satisfaction, demonstrating an "optimal surpluses" phenomenon. Additionally, relationship satisfaction was higher when received and desired support from parents matched at a higher than at a lower level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production capacity and application of plastic films in China have increased dramatically with the rapid development of agricultural greenhouse and plastic tunnels. Although the effects of films on crop management have received much attention, only a few studies have considered their effects on insect pests. Here, we investigated the developmental and demographic parameters of an insect pest of economic significance Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in yellow, purple, blue, red and clear plastic films, when feeding on cucumber plants. The fecundity of the aphids under blue and red films was significantly lower compared to purple, yellow, or the clear. The red film significantly decreased the intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, net reproduction rate, and gross reproductive rate of the aphids compared to the clear. Red and blue films reduced the age-specific fecundity and reproductive value of A. gossypii compared to the clear. In general, the red films could be used to retard the population growth of A. gossypii in large-scale agricultural greenhouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing the communicative interdependence perspective (CIP), the current study examined the interconnection and transition between technologically mediated communication (TMC) and face-to-face (FtF) communication in long-distance dating relationships (LDDRs). College students in LDDRs (N = 200) completed an online survey. Results showed that segmentation to TMC was negatively associated with relational closeness and relationship satisfaction. Difficulty transitioning between TMC and FtF communication was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction. Further, LDDR partners' FtF communication frequency moderated the associations between segmentation to TMC and the two relational markers. Findings' implications for relational maintenance in LDDRs and CIP are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-English proficiency parents often have their bilingual children translate, called language brokering. Brokering can be stressful for low-income, Latino adolescents, who are already at-risk for depression. We tested the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) in a new context (in 100 low-income, Latino mother-adolescent dyads who engaged in language brokering) and extended TRRL by proposing security- and threat-based behaviors and appraisals can be represented by interaction goals. We examined mother warmth, mother brokering interaction goals of supporting and monitoring the adolescent, adolescent brokering feelings, and adolescent depressive symptoms. Mothers' support goal was a protective factor against adolescent depression, but only when adolescents also inferred mothers pursued this goal. Adolescent positive brokering feelings were also a protective factor, as when positive feelings were high, the positive association between negative feelings and depression was not present. Findings supported TRRL propositions about relational maintenance, security-based goals, emotional reserves, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a support gap approach to examine parental support to college‐going emerging adults. Based on data from 156 parent–child dyads, this study investigated whether discrepancies between the amounts of support that children received from parents and what they desired would be associated with both persons' perceived support quality and individual and relational well‐being. Using polynomial regressions with response surface modeling, analyses demonstrated that, generally, support deficits (i.e., receiving less support than desired) were associated with poorer outcomes. However, support surpluses (i.e., receiving more support than desired) were not necessarily problematic, and children and parents exhibited different viewpoints regarding support surpluses. In addition, child‐reported support quality mediated several associations between support gaps and relationship satisfaction reported by both persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of particles with the chamber walls has been a significant source of uncertainty when analyzing results of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation experiments performed in Teflon chambers. A number of particle wall-loss correction methods have been proposed including the use of a size-independent loss rate constant, the ratio of suspended organic mass to that of a conserved tracer (e.g., sulfate seeds), and a size-dependent loss rate constant, etc. For complex experiments such as the chemical aging of SOA, the results of the SOA quantification analysis can be quite sensitive to the adopted correction method due to the evolution of the particle size distribution and the duration of these experiments. We evaluated the performance of several particle wall-loss correction methods for aging experiments of α -pinene ozonolysis products. Determining the loss rates from seed loss periods is necessary for this system because it is not clear when chemical reactions have been completed. Results from the OA / sulfate ratio and the size-independent correction methods can be influenced significantly by the size dependence of the particle wall-loss process. Coagulation can also affect the particle size distribution, especially for particles with diameter less than 100 nm, thus introducing errors in the results of the wall-loss correction. The corresponding loss rate constants may vary from experiment to experiment, and even during a specific experiment. Friction between the Teflon chamber walls and non-conductive surfaces can significantly increase particle wall-loss rates and the chamber may require weeks to recover to its original condition. Experimental procedures are proposed for the characterization of particle losses during different stages of these experiments and the evaluation of corresponding particle wall-loss correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes has deleterious physiological, psychological, and relational effects both on people living with diabetes (PLWD) and on their family members. We employed the communal coping model to investigate whether coping alongside family members was advantageous. Specifically, PLWD (n = 213) and family members of PLWD (n = 208) completed an online survey assessing their coping responses and a variety of diabetes‐related outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, relationship satisfaction, and self‐care). Generally, results indicated that more communal coping was beneficial. However, a second goal of this study was to examine discrepancies between levels of actual communal coping and desired communal coping, and the findings from these analyses add nuance to the generally held belief that more communal coping is always better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language brokering has been inconsistently linked to adolescent self-esteem development. We surveyed 100 Latino dyads about the adolescents' pursuit and mothers' inference of adolescent language brokering interaction goals. In line with sociometer theory, adolescents had higher self-esteem when they pursued goals related to respecting the mother and English speaker, and when mothers inferred adolescents pursued goals related to respect. Adolescents reported the least self-deprecation when they reported high pursuit of respect goals and mothers simultaneously inferred high adolescent respect goals. Adolescents with better Spanish abilities were more likely to pursue most goals, and mothers were more likely to infer all adolescent goals when adolescents brokered more frequently. Implications for sociometer theory, language brokering, and relational partners' goal pursuit and inference are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH) is a popular acculturation measure. Although SASH has been validated, conflicting information has been published about the youth version (SASH-Y). We examined the psychometric properties (i.e., validity and reliability) of SASH-Y in low-income, Mexican-heritage youth (aged 8-18; n = 100) and SASH with their parents (n = 100; total N = 200). Confirmatory factor analyses comparing the three published structural variations of the SASH-Y revealed the three-factor structure originally proposed for SASH-Y fit the data best, and the frequently used unidimensional structure did not fit. The adult SASH fit parent data well. For researchers interested in comparing parent and child scores (e.g., acculturation gap research), we examined the 10 identical parent and child items for invariance. Invariance was established for parent and child data with the traditional SASH structure. However, internal consistency was inadequate for the child data regardless of variable structure. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication scholars have raised concerns that the media present contradictory or conflicting information on health, science, and political issues, speculating that such information may have adverse effects on public cognitions, affect, and behaviors. However, the evidence base for the effects of contradictory messages remains thin. Using nutrition as a case example, this study builds upon this nascent literature by employing a three-wave panel dataset from a survey with a nationally representative sample of American adults. We found that exposure to contradictory nutrition messages from television increases nutrition confusion, whereas exposure from print media decreases confusion. Moreover, nutrition confusion was positively associated with nutrition backlash, and nutrition backlash decreased engagement in fruit and vegetable consumption. Implications for campaigns and other communication interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere can be thought of as a succession of oxidation steps. The production of later-generation SOA via continued oxidation of the firstgeneration products is defined as chemical aging. This study investigates aging in the α-pinene ozonolysis system with hydroxyl radicals (OH) through smog chamber experiments. The first-generation α-pinene ozonolysis products were allowed to react further with OH formed via HONO photolysis. After an equivalent of 2-4 days of typical atmospheric oxidation conditions, homogeneous OH oxidation of the α-pinene ozonolysis products resulted in a 20-40% net increase in the SOA for the experimental conditions used in this work. A more oxygenated product distribution was observed after aging based on the increase in aerosol atomic oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O : C) by up to 0.04. Experiments performed at intermediate relative humidity (RH) of 50% showed no significant difference in additional SOA formation during aging compared to those performed at a low RH of less than 20 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere can be thought of as a succession of oxidation steps. The production of later-generation SOA via continued oxidation of the first-generation products is defined as chemical aging. This study investigates aging in the α-pinene ozonolysis system with hydroxyl radicals (OH) through smog chamber experiments. The first-generation α-pinene ozonolysis products were allowed to react further with OH formed via HONO photolysis. After an equivalent of 2-4 days' of typical atmospheric oxidation conditions, homogeneous OH oxidation of the α-pinene ozonolysis products resulted in a 20-40 % net increase of the SOA for the experimental conditions used in this work. A more oxygenated product distribution was observed after aging based on the increase in aerosol atomic oxygen to carbon ratio (O : C) by up to 0.04. Experiments performed at intermediate relative humidity (RH) of 50 % showed no significant difference in additional SOA formation during aging compared to those performed at low RH of less than 20 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that young people in China are faced with increased sex-related risks, it is important to understand from a communication perspective, the role of parents as a prominent sexual socialization agent for Chinese adolescents. Semistructured, one-to-one interviews were conducted with Chinese adolescents (N = 37) about their parents’ communication about sex and sexuality. Using a constant comparative method, four categories were identified with respect to Chinese parents’ direct/explicit communication about sexuality and in addition, four categories of indirect/implication communication (RQ1). Further, four categories regarding Chinese adolescents’ attitudes towards such communication were apparent (RQ2). Overall, Chinese parents attempted to transmit values and expectations about dating and sexual activities indirectly, implicitly, and/or nonverbally. Adolescents in the present study also expressed tendencies to avoid sex-related communication with parents. Some even explicitly stated that avoiding such communication was beneficial. The findings’ implications for the role of culture in parent-adolescent communication about sexuality and communication openness are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Prior research examining peer influences on adolescent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use has primarily focused on the positive associations that peer substance use and offers have with adolescent use. Consequently, such research has often emphasized the negative influences of peers. This study, however, operationalizes peer influence through best-friend communication against substance use and examines whether it indirectly protects against substance use by promoting anti-substance use norms. Structural equation modeling was utilized with longitudinal survey data from 277 Latino and 350 non-Latino white 6th-8th-grade-students. For Latino and non-Latino white students, best-friend communication was indirectly related to alcohol and cigarette use through norms. Best-friend communication also was indirectly related to marijuana use, but only for non-Latino white students and for male students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WRKY transcription factors play essential roles in mediating various stress responses in plants. Although numbers of researches have investigated the functional mechanisms of WRKY TFs, relative to the research progress in model plants, rather limited numbers of WRKY TFs have been functionally characterized in cotton. In this study, we isolated and characterized GhWRKY44, a group I WRKY gene from cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum). Subcellular localization indicated that GhWRKY44 was localized to the nucleus. Additionally, a group of cis-acting elements associated with the response to environmental stresses were predicted in the promoter. The expression of GhWRKY44 can be induced by pathogen injection, abiotic stresses and diverse signaling molecules. Furthermore, the overexpression of GhWRKY44 in N. benthamiana exhibited enhanced resistance to bacterial pathogen R. solanacearum and fungal pathogen R. solani compared with wild-type plants. Importantly, several defense-related genes were induced in the transgenic plants, including PR- 1, PR- 2, PR- 5 and NPR1 for SA signaling, and PR- 4 for JA signaling. The transgenic plants also exhibited lower levels of ROS (HO and O) accumulation than wild-type plants following pathogen infection. Taken together, these results suggest that GhWRKY44 positively regulates pathogen induced plant disease resistance, and these findings will expand our knowledge on the functions of WRKY TFs in multiple signal transduction pathways of disease resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing general strain theory, we hypothesized that perceived discrimination would be positively associated with depressive symptoms, which in turn, would be associated with alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Second, we hypothesized that frequency of mother-child and father-child communication against substance use would attenuate the hypothesized effects. Longitudinal survey data were collected from 247 Mexican-heritage 6th- to 8th-grade students. As hypothesized, perceived discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms, which, in turn, were positively associated with alcohol use and marginally related to marijuana use. Regarding moderation, for Mexican-heritage early-stage adolescents with high frequencies of mother-child or father-child communication, depressive symptoms were not significantly related to alcohol and marijuana use, although associations were significant for adolescents low in either type of communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]