Search Results (9,682)

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is shortened in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D), but less data is available concerning pediatric cases. Multiple factors affect LTL, namely genes, epigenetics, environmental factors, oxidation, and psychological stress. Children with T1D and their families experience chronic stress. This study aimed to investigate LTL in children with T1D (n = 35) aged 6–13 years old, in comparison to age-matched healthy counterparts (n = 35), and assess any correlation of LTL with perceived stress. Relative LTL (rLTL) was assessed through real-time qPCR. Morning serum cortisol, high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured. Children completed the validated questionnaires “Stress in Children” and “Pediatric Quality of Life”. Parents answered the “Perceived Stress Scale”. Children with T1D had a lower rLTL (p = 0.02) compared to age-matched healthy controls, higher hsCRP (p = 0.031), and a lower estimated quality of life (p = 0.01). RLTL was found to be lower in females with T1D (p < 0.001) and was positively related to the ‘gender–social support’ factor (p = 0.002) and diabetes duration (p = 0.045), adjusted for children’s age, parental age, and sociodemographic characteristics. These pilot findings indicate early emergence of shorter rLTL in T1D, pointing to a sexual dimorphism pattern. Insights into preventing LTL shortening in pediatric T1D can be gained from large-scale studies examining the impact of gender and social support. Full article

The impact of oncological diseases extends far beyond the clinical patient, profoundly affecting the mental health of caregivers, family members, and volunteers who navigate complex emotional landscapes of grief, anxiety, and trauma. While the domain of digital health has seen a proliferation of serious games aimed at pediatric patient education and treatment adherence, the specific perspective of the “second-order patient”, the caregiver or survivor, remains significantly under-explored. The primary objective of this study is to systematically review the current state of interactive narratives in oncology, palliative care, and grief support, identifying research gaps to inform the broader design space of empathy-driven serious games. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 31 articles were selected from an initial query of 116 records. Interventions were categorized into Serious Games, Games, and Gamification. The analysis reveals a critical thematic transition: early interventions relied heavily on biological “battle” metaphors to empower patients, whereas the current literature advocates for “thanatosensitive” designs that foster empathy. However, a distinct research gap persists regarding narratives that explore post-loss meaning reconstruction and the hospital volunteer experience. Synthesizing these findings, this paper establishes an evidence-based theoretical framework demonstrating a significant opportunity for games that prioritize dialogue and emotional processing over traditional winning conditions. As a practical application of these findings, we also briefly outline the conceptualization of a prototype simulating a widower’s experience volunteering in a palliative ward, shifting the ludic focus from defeating a disease to navigating loss. Full article

Despite strong evidence that gender-diverse leadership improves organizational innovation and performance, women remain underrepresented in leadership pipelines worldwide, particularly in Asia. While prior research largely examines the outcomes of gender diversity at the firm level, far less is known about the psychological and social factors that shape women’s leadership aspirations in the first place. Addressing this gap, this study applies Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to explain how contextual support and developmental experiences influence women’s leadership aspirations in a collectivist business environment. Using survey data from 400 adult women in Indonesia and structural equation modelling, the study examines how parental involvement shapes personal mastery, how personal mastery strengthens leadership self-efficacy, and how self-efficacy, role models, and perceived leadership traits jointly predict leadership aspiration. The findings show that parental involvement indirectly contributes to leadership aspiration through personal mastery and self-efficacy, while role models and leadership traits also play significant roles. Among all predictors, self-efficacy emerges as the strongest driver of women’s leadership aspiration. This study makes three contributions. First, it extends SCCT beyond traditional STEM career research into the domain of leadership aspiration. Second, it provides rare empirical evidence from a collectivist Asian context, highlighting the role of family and social environment in shaping women’s leadership pathways. Third, it shifts the focus of gender diversity research from representation outcomes to the formation of the female leadership pipeline, offering actionable insight for educators, families, and organizations seeking to foster future women leaders. Full article

Disability is frequently theorized through a polarized medical-versus-social binary that can obscure the developmental, relational, and sociocultural processes through which bodily difference becomes psychologically meaningful. This study examines how adults with congenital or early-onset physical disabilities narrate and negotiate disability in everyday life, using psychoanalytic concepts as a complementary heuristic lens within an explicitly interdisciplinary framework that integrates developmental resilience and disability theory. Thirty-five in-depth life-story interviews were conducted with seven adults (25–40 years) across approximately five sessions per participant over two months. Data was analyzed using thematic qualitative content analysis, combining systematic coding of manifest content with interpretive attention to symbolic and relational meanings, while cross-checking psychoanalytic interpretations against developmental and social-disability perspectives. Four recurring compensatory patterns were identified: (1) symbolic resignification and verbal normalization (discursive reframing and minimizing disability); (2) achievement-oriented self-positioning (performance and perfectionistic striving); (3) compensatory role assumption (caregiving/protector roles and mastery enactments); and (4) silent family dynamics (familial denial and narrative). Within the specific context of this study, these patterns appeared to function as regulatory efforts to sustain self-cohesion, agency, and belonging. However, the narratives suggest that when these strategies manifest as rigid ideals of ‘overcoming’ and hyper-competence, they may carry a significant subjective cost for participants. Compensatory behaviors are best understood as ecologically embedded regulatory processes shaped by relational resources (experienced as containing/“holding”) and by sociocultural devaluation linked to ableist norms. An integrated model is proposed in which body, self, and environment co-constitute disability across development, clarifying when compensatory strategies support creative adaptation versus defensive rigidity. Full article

Pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR1) plays important roles in plant responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses; however, its role in mediating defense against pine wood nematode in Pinus massoniana remains unclear. In this study, a total of 63 PR1 family members were identified in P. massoniana using bioinformatics approaches and were named PmPR1-1 to PmPR1-63 based on their phylogenetic relationships. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these members were distributed among four of the six subfamilies. Most of the encoded proteins were hydrophilic, with lengths ranging from 131 to 406 amino acids. Their promoter regions contained multiple cis-acting elements associated with phytohormone signaling and stress responses, and some members formed gene clusters on chromosomes 2, 5, and 9. qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) analysis showed that the clustered genes PmPR1-46, PmPR1-55, PmPR1-56, and PmPR1-61 were significantly upregulated in the early stage of pine wood nematode inoculation in both resistant and susceptible P. massoniana plants, with higher expression levels in resistant plants. Transient overexpression of PmPR1-61 increased SOD and PPO activities as well as proline content while decreasing CAT activity. These results suggest that the PmPR1 family may be involved in the defense response of P. massoniana against pine wood nematode. Among them, PmPR1-55, PmPR1-56, and PmPR1-61 represent candidate resistance genes worthy of further investigation and provide valuable gene resources for elucidating resistance mechanisms and supporting molecular breeding in P. massoniana. Full article

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. Despite high FASD rates in high-risk adoptive populations, little is known about the experiences of adoptive parents in Israel, where underdiagnosis and limited professional awareness persist. Drawing on ecological and family systems theory, this study explored the daily challenges, coping strategies, and service-related barriers encountered by adoptive parents raising children with FASD. Methods: Using a qualitative, exploratory design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adoptive parents of children aged 9–18 years with a parent-reported clinical diagnosis of FASD made by a healthcare professional. The interviews focused on child-related difficulties, coping mechanisms, diagnostic experiences, and interactions with health, education, and welfare systems. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Five themes were identified: (a) child-related neurodevelopmental and behavioral challenges, (b) emotional and practical caregiving burden, (c) systemic barriers, including limited professional knowledge and fragmented diagnostic pathways, (d) coping strategies and family strengths, and (e) unmet needs and recommendations. Parents described fluctuating child functioning, chronic caregiving demands, and significant gaps in diagnostic and educational support. Conclusions: Adoptive parents raising children with FASD face substantial daily challenges compounded by systemic limitations. This study’s findings underscore the need for improved professional training, clearer diagnostic pathways, FASD-informed educational practices, and coordinated multidisciplinary services. These results provide direction for policy and service development to improve support for families affected by FASD. Full article

We construct and analyze a family of support-defined Brauer-type configurations canonically associated with the Boolean geometry underlying the Grassmann algebra. The construction is governed by an x-support map on monomial labels, which identifies the vertex set with the Boolean lattice $\mathcal{P}\left(\right[n\left]\right)$. This identification yields a Boolean support quiver isomorphic to the directed Hasse diagram of $\mathcal{P}\left(\right[n\left]\right)$, equivalently, to an oriented hypercube. We then equip the family with a canonical cyclic ordering at each vertex and obtain a genuine connected reduced Brauer configuration in the standard sense, together with its associated Brauer configuration algebra and its standard Brauer quiver. A ghost-variable mechanism is introduced to obtain a connected realization without altering any support-controlled invariants. We prove that polygon membership, valencies, multiplicities, Boolean stratification, and the support quiver are invariant under support-preserving ghost relabelings. We also give an explicit description of the standard Brauer quiver and show that it is different from the Boolean support quiver. On the algebraic side, we derive closed formulas for the center dimension, the algebra dimension, and the normalization constant of the induced weighted distribution. On the probabilistic side, we distinguish the vertex entropy from the layer entropy, establish an exact decomposition of the former by Hamming layers, and show that the layer distribution is asymptotically concentrated on the middle layers, while extremal vertices and any fixed maximal path contribute a negligible fraction of the total weight. As a consequence, the layer entropy satisfies a logarithmic asymptotic law. We also investigate geometric consequences of the Boolean model transported through the support identification. Coordinate projections produce a rigidity phenomenon for antipodal pairs, providing a combinatorial analogue of Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ)-type fragility, whereas the first Boolean layer exhibits a persistence property analogous to W-type robustness. Together, these results exhibit a concrete bridge between Grassmann combinatorics, Brauer configuration theory, hypercube geometry, and entropy asymptotics. Full article

We study a modified-degenerate version of the $W_{\alpha ,\beta ,\nu }$-factorial and the associated exponential, trigonometric, and hyperbolic families obtained by replacing the Euler gamma function with the modified-degenerate gamma function ${\Gamma }_{\lambda }^{*}$, where $\lambda \in (0,1)$. A main conclusion of this paper is that this construction does not generate a genuinely new transcendental family. Indeed, since ${\Gamma }_{\lambda }^{*}\left(s\right)=b_{\lambda }^s\Gamma \left(s\right),b_{\lambda }={\displaystyle \frac{\lambda }{log(1+\lambda )}},$ all modified-degenerate W-functions reduce to exact rescalings of their non-degenerate counterparts. The novelty of the present work is therefore operational rather than structural. We formulate this transport principle explicitly, derive the corresponding modified-degenerate Laplace-transform identities directly in the spectral variable s, establish the induced convolution rule, and obtain first-order asymptotic expansions as $\lambda \to 0^{+}$. We further show that the associated W-derivative is a formal coefficient-shift operator, and conjugate it to the non-degenerate one under the scaling map. As an application, we present a complete Volterra integral-equation example with polynomial memory, including an explicit resolvent representation for the case $m=1$, together with convergence and residual-error checks supporting the numerical illustrations. Full article

Recursive constructions derived from finite projective geometries generate scalable families of resolvable block designs exhibiting strong algebraic regularity and intrinsic symmetry. In this work, we investigate the structural optimization of recursion depth in such constructions and demonstrate that the combinatorial growth of recursive chains is governed by a quadratic scaling law originating from the asymptotic expansion of Gaussian binomial coefficients. We show that the resulting exponent is strictly concave, which guarantees the existence and uniqueness of an optimal recursion depth. This optimum occurs at the midpoint of the projective dimension and reflects the dual symmetry of the lattice of projective subspaces. To analyze this behavior, we introduce a normalized objective function that compares recursion depths and reveals a unique maximum corresponding to the midpoint of the projective dimension. Theoretical analysis is supported by exact enumeration and asymptotic validation, confirming that the optimal depth is robust to lower-order perturbations and remains invariant under the natural duality of projective geometry. The proposed framework establishes a direct connection between symmetry properties of discrete geometric structures and optimality in nonlinear discrete systems. These results provide a unified perspective on recursive design constructions, revealing that symmetry not only governs combinatorial structure but also induces a mathematically inevitable optimal configuration. The approach opens new directions for studying symmetry-induced optimality in combinatorial geometry, discrete optimization, and related nonlinear mathematical models. Full article

Background/Objectives: We aimed to test two different visual arrays for helping individuals accurately interpret colorectal cancer risk in Lynch syndrome. We also sought to examine factors associated with intention to share genetic test results with blood relatives. Methods: Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (July–August 2025). Participants completed an online REDCap survey evaluating genetic literacy/numeracy and risk perception (Tripartite Model of Risk Perception). Participants were randomized to a risk visualization—either a standard icon array or a sequential icon array intended to decrease cognitive load. Subsequently, participants were randomized to a communication choice scenario—a nondirective (choice) frame or an “enhanced choice” with a behavioral nudge based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Results: Participants’ (n = 1041) estimation of colorectal cancer risk did not differ according to visualization type (icon array: 60.36 ± 15.86%, sequential array: 60.91 ± 15.73%, p = 0.58). Intention to share genetic testing outcomes with family members was not influenced by the behavioral nudge (p = 0.23). Neither risk estimation nor intent to communicate results to blood relatives were affected by individual perceived colorectal cancer risk, health literacy/numeracy, education, previous genetic testing, personal cancer history, or family cancer history (all p > 0.11 and p > 0.21, respectively). Conclusions: This study found that visual array type did not affect estimated cancer risk, and decision frame did not affect intention to share genetic testing results. Findings could inform the development of online approaches to expand decision support for hereditary cancer syndromes (Clinicaltrials.gov #NCT06994832). Full article

Doping remains a major threat to athlete health and sport integrity. Although anti-doping efforts have traditionally focused on athletes, increasing attention has turned to Athlete Support Personnel (ASP) due to their influence on athletes’ decisions, behaviors and involvement in anti-doping rule violations. This narrative review aimed to synthesize the existing literature on the role of ASP (including coaches, physicians, pharmacists, sport psychologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, parents and other family members) in anti-doping, with particular attention to their influence on athletes’ knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, education and decision-making related to doping. Coaches, physicians, and pharmacists are among the ASP groups most frequently examined in the literature, although substantial knowledge gaps remain across all groups. Coaches shape motivational climates and ethical norms but often lack adequate understanding of anti-doping regulations and supplement risks. Physicians and pharmacists play key roles in medication management and Therapeutic Use Exemptions procedures, though incomplete regulatory knowledge may contribute to inadvertent violations. Nutritionists are central in preventing supplement-related doping, while research on sport psychologists and physiotherapists remains limited despite their preventive potential. Parents significantly shape athletes’ moral development and susceptibility to doping, acting as protective or risk factors depending on family dynamics. Overall, anti-doping education for ASP remains inconsistent. In conclusion, ASP plays an essential yet heterogeneous role in influencing doping-related behaviors. Strengthening role-specific and interdisciplinary anti-doping education, particularly within university programs and professional development, appears critical for enhancing ASP competence and promoting a sustainable culture of clean sport. Full article

Lentils (Lens culinaris; family: Fabaceae) are increasingly recognized as functional legumes with potential benefits for gut health because they provide bioactive peptides, resistant starch, and polyphenol-rich fractions within a shared food matrix. However, most existing studies have focused on individual lentil-derived compounds, and their matrix-dependent complementary interactions during digestion and fermentation remain insufficiently resolved. This review synthesizes current evidence on lentil-derived peptides, resistant starch, and polyphenols, with particular emphasis on their matrix-dependent complementary relationships, digestion-dependent transformation, microbial co-metabolism, and implications for intestinal barrier function. During gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation, lentil proteins, resistant starch, and phenolic compounds undergo sequential transformation, yielding bioactive peptides, fermentable substrates, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and phenolic metabolites that may collectively influence microbial composition and metabolic activity. Emerging evidence suggests that these interconnected processes may support gut health through microbiota–host crosstalk by modulating tight junction-related markers, reducing intestinal permeability, and maintaining epithelial homeostasis. Mechanistically, these effects have been associated with SCFA-mediated G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, suppression of TLR4–NF-κB/MAPK inflammatory cascades, and activation of Keap1–Nrf2 antioxidant defenses, thereby attenuating oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory responses. Current evidence is more consistent with matrix-dependent complementary or convergent actions than with demonstrated synergy. At present, phenolic-rich fractions provide clear pathway-level evidence, whereas fermentation-linked carbohydrate effects are more strongly supported by microbiota- and in vivo-associated outcomes, and protein- or peptide-related mechanisms remain comparatively underdefined. Nevertheless, the evidence base remains limited by the scarcity of integrated studies, well-controlled human intervention trials, and factorial experimental designs capable of distinguishing complementary, additive, and truly synergistic effects among lentil bioactives. This review therefore highlights the need to move from describing coexisting beneficial effects toward formally testing interaction effects within physiologically relevant lentil matrices. Full article

Background: Behavioural therapy (BT), including Comprehensive Behavioural Intervention for Tics (CBIT), is an evidence-based first-line treatment for patients with tic disorders. However, access remains limited due to a shortage of trained providers, geographical barriers, costs, and high treatment burden for patients and families. Rapid advances in digital health technologies including telemedicine, web-based treatment platforms, and mobile applications offer new opportunities to expand access to BT for individuals with tic disorders across the lifespan. Methods: For the purpose of this narrative review, we conducted a literature search in PubMed, Europe PMC, and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies investigating the effectiveness of digital health treatment approaches in tic disorders. Results: A total of 16 original studies were included. Although the available evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, existing studies suggest that emerging technologies for delivering behavioural interventions for tic disorders, including telehealth-based CBIT, digital therapy platforms, and app-supported habit reversal training (HRT), are feasible, cost-effective, user-friendly, flexible, and safe. These approaches also appear effective for symptom monitoring and personalized treatment support in both pediatric and adult populations. Conclusions: Recent technological advances have the potential to reduce the treatment gap in tic disorders, provided that these approaches are implemented within rigorous, evidence-based, and ethically grounded frameworks. Full article

Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is a biomarker for cardiovascular disease, but the role of its encoding gene family in ischemic stroke (IS) is unknown. This pilot study of 1288 individuals (600 cases and 688 controls) investigated GGT1, GGT5, GGT6, and GGT7 polymorphisms using the MassARRAY-4 system. Conventional single-variant, haplotype, and diplotype analyses were complemented by Model-Based Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MB-MDR) with stability assessment and model prioritization. Conventional analysis identified female-specific associations for three GGT5 variants (rs8140505, rs2275984, and rs2267073; P_perm < 0.05). A common GGT5 haplotype was protective in females (P_perm = 0.02). Diplotype analysis revealed joint effects of GGT genotypes on IS risk in females (FDR < 0.05). MB-MDR uncovered complex higher-order interactions (P_perm < 0.0001): in women, 12 models represented second-order interactions between smoking and individual GGT variants. In men, 8 models centered on GGT1 rs5751909 spanning second- to fourth-order interactions with alcohol, smoking, and other GGT family members. All prioritized models passed FDR correction (q < 0.05) and achieved higher weighted composite scores. eQTL data linked these variants to regulatory networks controlling glutathione metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. This study supports a novel hypothesis on the combined involvement of GGT gene family polymorphisms and pro-oxidant environmental factors in ischemic stroke predisposition, demonstrating that disease risk is shaped by sex-specific gene–environment interactions. The pronounced sexual dimorphism highlights the need for sex-specific personalized approaches: smoking cessation may be particularly impactful in women carrying GGT5 risk variants, while alcohol moderation could be prioritized in men with GGT1 risk variants. Full article

Exposure to airborne pollen allergens is a major trigger of respiratory allergy, whose prevalence continues to rise throughout Europe. In southern Portugal, the Mediterranean climate and extensive vegetation diversity promote high pollen loads, particularly from the Amaranthaceae family. This retrospective observational study aimed to characterise the sensitisation profiles of patients with positive skin prick tests (SPTs) to Chenopodium album and/or Salsola kali, the dominant Amaranthaceae species in the region. Data from 346 patients were analysed, including demographic and clinical characteristics, SPT results, and specific IgE sensitisation to molecular allergens. Of these, 35% were positive for C. album only, 13% for S. kali only, and 51% for both. In molecular testing, 54% of S. kali-sensitised patients were positive to Sal k 1, whereas only 4% of C. album-sensitised patients were positive to Che a 1. Sensitisation to panallergens such as profilins and Ole e 1-like proteins was frequent, suggesting extensive IgE cross-reactivity between these taxa. A significant correlation in wheal size (r = 0.53, p < 0.0001) further supports shared allergenic determinants. Despite higher SPT positivity to C. album, S. kali is likely the predominant sensitising source in this population. These findings highlight the importance of molecular-based diagnostics to distinguish genuine sensitisation from cross-reactivity in Mediterranean settings. Full article