16S rRNA assessment of the influence of shading on early-successional biofilms in experimental streams

Elevated nutrient levels can lead to excessive biofilm growth, but reducing nutrient pollution is often challenging. There is therefore interest in developing control measures for biofilm growth in nutrient-rich rivers that could act as complement to direct reductions in nutrient load. Shading of rivers is one option that can mitigate blooms, but few studies have experimentally examined the differences in biofilm communities grown under shaded and unshaded conditions. We investigated the assembly and diversity of biofilm communities using in situ mesocosms within the River Thames (UK). Biofilm composition was surveyed by 454 sequencing of 16S amplicons (∼400 bp length covering regions V6/V7). The results confirm the importance of sunlight for biofilm community assembly; a resource that was utilized by a relatively small number of dominant taxa, leading to significantly less diversity than in shaded communities. These differences between unshaded and shaded treatments were either because of differences in resource utilization or loss of diatom-structures as habitats for bacteria. We observed more co-occurrence patterns and network interactions in the shaded communities. This lends further support to the proposal that increased river shading can help mitigate the effects from macronutrient pollution in rivers

Effects of combining physical activity with psychotherapy on mental health and well-being: A systematic review

Objective : Despite a vast evidence-base advocating the psychological benefits of physical activity, relatively little is understood about how combining physical activity with psychological therapies may influence these positive effects. The aim of this paper is to systematically analyse evidence from studies adopting a combined approach, and identify potential mechanisms of action on clinical outcomes. Methods : The Embase, PsycINFO and Medline (PubMed and OVID) databases were searched for applicable trials published up to December 2018. Relevant data was extracted from eligible studies, and the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool was utilised to objectively assess the quality of each study. Results : Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, seven of which were rated as methodologically `strong'. Combining physical activity with psychological therapy consistently engendered positive effects on outcomes compared with treatment as usual. Similar improvements in psychological outcomes were observed in most (7/8) groups receiving physical activity alone. Increased levels of physical activity were observed in psychologically-informed interventions, however this effect was unrelated to changes in psychological outcomes. Limitations : Clinical and methodological heterogeneity precluded meta-analyses of results, while risk of bias detected in the studies may compromise overall validity of the findings. Conclusions : Physical activity interventions may be a viable alternative to psychological therapies, provided psychological approaches are incorporated into the implementation design (i.e. behavioural activation). Improved psychological outcomes may be observed regardless of `dose' received, however further research is required to ascertain whether psychosocial mechanisms of change mediate positive effects

Psychometric Properties and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Spanish Version of the Maudsley Violence Questionnaire among Adolescent Students

The Maudsley Violence Questionnaire (MVQ) is an instrument specifically developed to evaluate violent thinking through two subscales examining macho attitudes and the acceptance of violence. This study analyzed the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Spanish version of the MVQ questionnaire in a large sample of 1933 Spanish adolescents. An online questionnaire was used to collect variables, such as sociodemographic and sexism data. The factor structure showed good fit indices in Spanish adolescents, which were similar to the original scale. The exploratory analysis yielded a first factor that explained 11.3% of the total variance and a second factor that explained 10.8% of the total variance. The Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) (0.902), Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) (0.90), Normed Fit Index (NNFI) (0.85), and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) (0.86) suggested that the model fit the data adequately (with values ≥ 0.90) and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) (≤0.10) values indicative of an adequate fit. This study contributes a Spanish-language validated tool to measure machismo and the acceptance of violence among adolescents.The project “Lights, Camera and Action against Dating Violence” (Ligts4Violence) was funded by the European Commission Directorate-General Justice and Consumers Rights, Equality and Citizen Violence Against Women Program 2016 for the period 2017–2019 to promote healthy dating relationship assets among secondary school students from different European countries, under grant agreement No. 776905. It was also co-supported by the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health of Spain for its aid to the Gender-based Violence and Youth Research Program. The project “Promotion of Protective Assets Against Gender Violence in Adolescence and Pre-adolescence”; (Ref. PI18/00590 and PI18/00544) of the Carlos III Institute of Health, as an intermediary body of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). This study was also conducted within a grant received from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, FEDER, and V. Pérez-Martínez is recipient of PFIS grant from FSE (FI19/00201)

Effectiveness of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 Programme for Improving Personal and Social Skills in Spanish Adolescent Students

Significant progress has been made in developing intervention programmes for adolescents at high risk of delinquency, school failure and emotional problems. The most effective programmes incorporate behavioural and skills training aimed at changing attitudes and promoting psychosocial and emotional skills in adolescents. This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based intervention programme based on the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 (R&R2). R&R2 is a cognitive behavioural programme developed using psychological theories about the aetiology of delinquency, as well as the cognitive, behavioural and socioemotional deficits in high-risk youth populations. A sample of 142 students (aged 13–17 years old) who were attending alternative education provision in Spain were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions (68 experimental group, 74 control group). The results showed that the R&R2 improved participants’ self-esteem, social skills, empathy and rational problem-solving with a medium–large effect size (η2 = 0.08 to 0.26). The effects of the programme were significant after controlling for age and the pre-test scores in baseline. These findings confirm the effectiveness of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation V2 programme in Spanish adolescent students and offer additional evidence regarding the implementation of the R&R2 programme in both alternative educational and mainstream school settings.This study was funded by the Office of the Vice President of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Alicante. Instituto Ciencias de la Educación (ICE). Programa REDES (GRE-16-32). University of Alicante (Spain)

The role of violent thinking in violent behaviour; it’s more about thinking than drinking

This article aims to explore and report on violent thinking and alcohol misuse; how these factors may predict self-reported violence. The role of violent thinking in violent behavior is both well established in theoretical models, yet there are few measures that explain this role. One measure that has been identified is the Maudsley Violence Questionnaire (MVQ). This is the first study to explore the use of the MVQ with a general (nonoffender) adult sample, having already been shown to be valid with young people (under 18 years old), adult male offenders, and mentally disordered offenders. This study involved 808 adult participants—569 female and 239 male participants. As figures demonstrate that around half of all violent crime in the United Kingdom is alcohol related, we also explored the role of alcohol misuse. Regression was used to explore how these factors predicted violence. The results demonstrate the important role of violent thinking in violent behavior. The MVQ factor of “Machismo” was the primary factor in regression models for both male and female self-reported violence. The role of alcohol in the regression models differed slightly between the male and female participants, with alcohol misuse involved in male violence. The study supports theoretical models including the role of violent thinking and encourages those hoping to address violence, to consider “Machismo” as a treatment target. The study also provides further validation of the MVQ as a helpful tool for clinicians or researchers who may be interested in “measuring” violent thinking

Appetitive aggression in offending youths: Contributions of callous unemotional traits and violent cognitive patterns

Appetitive aggression, marked by the derivation of positive affect from harming others has been observed mostly among youths in societies experiencing extreme violence. Perpetrators report craving violence, and find the process and actual infliction of harm relishing. Because this dimension of aggression is relatively new, studies have barely examined likely psychological correlates of this phenomenon. In this study, we considered the associations between callous-unemotional (CU) traits as well as violent cognition, with appetitive aggression in young offenders. Male youth offenders (n = 188) from 2 detention facilities in Northern and the Niger Delta regions of Nigeria completed measures of appetitive aggression, CU traits, and violent-supportive cognition. Demographic information regarding their offences were collected from official records and corroborated with self-reports. CU traits were related to the perpetration of appetitive aggression. Offenders who endorsed machismo beliefs that portrays aggression as a masculine characteristic and a fitting response to threats were more likely to report the enjoyment of aggression. There was a mediation effect of machismo thinking on the relationship between CU traits and appetitive aggression. The study finds that, like other known types of aggression, CU traits and machismo thinking are associated with appetitive aggression, and invites future studies to investigate other correlates of this pattern of aggression

The impact of sequencing depth on the inferred taxonomic composition and AMR gene content of metagenomic samples

Shotgun metagenomics is increasingly used to characterise microbial communities, particularly for the investigation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in different animal and environmental contexts. There are many different approaches for inferring the taxonomic composition and AMR gene content of complex community samples from shotgun metagenomic data, but there has been little work establishing the optimum sequencing depth, data processing and analysis methods for these samples. In this study we used shotgun metagenomics and sequencing of cultured isolates from the same samples to address these issues. We sampled three potential environmental AMR gene reservoirs (pig caeca, river sediment, effluent) and sequenced samples with shotgun metagenomics at high depth (~ 200 million reads per sample). Alongside this, we cultured single-colony isolates of Enterobacteriaceae from the same samples and used hybrid sequencing (short- and long-reads) to create high- quality assemblies for comparison to the metagenomic data. To automate data processing, we developed an open- source software pipeline, ‘ResPipe’

Will You Make Me Happy? The Role of Dating and Dating Violence Victimisation in Happiness Among Adolescents in Europe

Purpose: the aim of the article is to show the role of dating and dating violence victimisation, different socioeconomic characteristics, personal experiences of abuse, perceived social support, and the ability to resolve social problems in happiness among adolescents in Europe. Methods: the study had a cross-sectional design. The study participants were 1.528 students from secondary schools (age 13–16) in Spain, Italy, Romania, Portugal, Poland, and the UK. In order to understand which variables were associated with happiness, we fit multiple regression models. Results: the mean value of happiness is lower when teens are in a romantic or dating relationship and have suffered physical and/or sexual violence [β (CI 95%): -1.32(-2.41; -0.22)]. Both not being a victim of bullying and cyberbullying [β(CI 95%):0.90 (0.38; 1.41)] and not witnessing domestic violence against the mother β(CI 95%):1.97(1.06; 2.87)] is associated with relatively higher mean happiness value compared to having such experiences of violence. Also, problem-solving skills [β (CI 95%):0.13 (0.11; 0.14)] and perception of social support [β (CI 95%): 0.03 (0.02, 0.03)] is positively associated with mean value of happiness. Conclusions: there is an association between dating violence victimisation, and happiness among adolescents in Europe. The results suggest the importance of creating healthy, non-violent romantic relationships to build happiness during adolescence, the importance of seeking social support and to provide educational interventions focused on the development of problem-solving skills.The project ‘Lights, Camera and Action against Dating Violence’ (Ligts4Violence) was funded by the European Commission Directorate-General Justice and Consumers Rights, Equality and Citizen Violence Against Women Program 2016 for the period 2017–2019 to promote healthy dating relationship assets among secondary school students from different European countries, under grant agreement No. 776905. It was also co-supported by the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health of Spain for its aid to the Gender-based Violence and Youth Research Program

Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization and Associated Factors among Adolescents in Six European Countries

Bullying and cyberbullying victimization are significant factors that threaten adolescent development and mental health. Our study aimed to analyze how socioeconomic characteristics and personal experiences of violence are associated with adolescents’ experiences of bullying and cyberbullying victimization. The study participants were 1146 students, 698 females and 448 males, aged between 13 and 16 years old, from secondary schools in Spain, Italy, Romania, Portugal, Poland and the UK. Data was collected through an online questionnaire. Prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated using Poisson regression with robust variance. In total, 37.2% of girls and 35.0% of boys reported being victims of bullying and or cyberbullying. The likelihood of bullying and or cyberbullying victimization was higher when adolescents had experienced physical and or sexual abuse before the age of 15, had witnessed domestic violence against their mother or had been victims of intimate partner violence. Perceived social support from teachers and classmates and higher self-esteem were associated with a lower likelihood of becoming a victim of bullying and or cyberbullying, but an association between experience of any other form of violence and the greater possibility of becoming a victim of bullying and or cyberbullying persisted even when self-esteem and social support were included in the model. Protecting adolescents from bullying and or cyberbullying means preventing all exposure to violent experiences in childhood and adolescence. Not having such experiences seems to be the most relevant protective factor.The project “Lights, Camera and Action against Dating Violence” (Ligts4Violence) was funded by the European Commission Directorate-General Justice and Consumers Rights, Equality and Citizen Violence Against Women Program 2016 for the period 2017–2019 to promote healthy dating relationship assets among secondary school students from different European countries, under grant agreement No. 776905. It was also co-supported by the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health of Spain for its aid to the Gender-based Violence and Youth Research Program

Evaluation of the lights4violence program: reduction in machismo and acceptance of violence among adolescents in Europe

Background: Machismo and acceptance of violence (AV) against women are part of the social construction of hegemonic masculinity and are related to the risk of dating violence. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the Lights4Violence program in reducing machismo and AV in secondary school students from different European cities. Methods: Quasi-experimental longitudinal study using a convenience sample of 1,146 high school students from different European cities (12–17 years old) including 575 intervention group students (59.1% girls) and 571 control group students (62.7% girls). We performed linear regression models to identify the effect of the intervention, modelling the difference in means in machismo and AV (dependent variables) between wave-2 and wave-1. Results: An interaction was identified between the group variable and the empathy variable. In wave-2, girls with high empathy at baseline in the intervention group obtained lower mean AV scores (β: -0.131; p = 0.004). However, the boys in the intervention group (reference: control group) with low empathy at baseline registered a significant increase in the mean values of machismo (β: 0.247; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The importance of empathy is shown in the effectiveness of interventions to reduce machismo and AV in adolescents. While the Lights4Violence program focuses on promoting healthy relationships, there were some controversial results. It is possible that some children, especially those with less empathy, may have felt “challenged” during the intervention and/or assessment. This suggests the need for the development of interventions that also consider psychological processes and integrate the promotion of positive expressions of masculinity.The project “Lights, Camera and Action against Dating Violence” (Ligts4Violence) was funded by the European Commission Directorate-General Justice and Consumers Rights, Equality and Citizen Violence Against Women Program 2016 for the period 2017–2019 to promote healthy dating relationship assets among secondary school students from different European countries, under grant agreement No. 776905. It was also co-supported by the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health of Spain for its aid to the Gender-based Violence and Youth Research Program. This study was conducted within the grant received from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, FEDER, and V. Pérez-Martínez is recipient of PFIS grant from FSE (FI19/00201)