Investigating the Role of Insight, Decision-Making and Mentalizing in Functional Outcome in Schizophrenia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Recovery has become a priority in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). This study aimed to investigate predictors of objective—general functioning and disability—and subjective—quality of life (QoL)—measures of functional outcomes in SSD. Methods: Sample: n = 77 SSD outpatients (age 18–64, IQ > 70) participating in a randomised controlled trial. Baseline data were used to build three multivariable linear regression models on: (i) general functioning—General Assessment of Functioning (GAF); (ii) disability—the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-2.0); and (iii) QoL—Satisfaction Life Domains Scale (SLDS). Results: Young age and being employed (R2 change = 0.211; p = 0.001), late adolescence premorbid adjustment (R2 change = 0.049; p = 0.0050), negative symptoms and disorganization (R2 change = 0.087; p = 0.025) and Theory of Mind (R2 change = 0.066, p = 0.053) predicted general functioning. Previous suicidal behaviour (R2 change = 0.068; p = 0.023) and negative and depressive symptoms (R2 change = 0.167; p = 0.001) were linked with disability. Previous suicidal behaviour (R2 change = 0.070, p = 0.026), depressive symptoms (R2 change = 0.157; p < 0.001) and illness recognition (R2 change = 0.046, p = 0.044) predicted QoL. Conclusions: Negative, disorganization and depressive symptoms, older age, unemployment, poor premorbid adjustment, previous suicide attempts and illness awareness appear to underlie a poor global functional outcome in SSD. Achieving recovery in SSD appears to require both symptomatic remission (e.g., through antipsychotics) and measures to improve mastery and relieve low mood

Occurrence and distribution of soil Fusarium species under wheat crop in zero tillage

The presence of Fusarium species in cultivated soils is commonly associated with plant debris and plant roots. Fusarium species are also soil saprophytes. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence and distribution of soil Fusarium spp. at different soil depths in a zero tillage system after the wheat was harvested. Soil samples were obtained at three depths (0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm) from five crop rotations: I, conservationist agriculture (wheat-sorghum-soybean); II, mixed agriculture/livestock with pastures, without using winter or summer forages (wheat-sorghum-soybean-canola-pastures); III, winter agriculture in depth limited soils (wheat-canola-barley-late soybean); IV, mixed with annual forage (wheat-oat/Vicia-sunflower); V, intensive agriculture (wheat-barley-canola, with alternation of soybean or late soybean). One hundred twenty two isolates of Fusarium were obtained and identified as F. equiseti, F. merismoides, F. oxysporum, F. scirpi and F. solani. The most prevalent species was F. oxysporum, which was observed in all sequences and depths. The Tukey’s test showed that the relative frequency of F. oxysporum under intensive agricultural management was higher than in mixed traditional ones. The first 5 cm of soil showed statistically significant differences (p=0.05) with respect to 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm depths. The ANOVA test for the relative frequency of the other species as F. equiseti, F. merismoides, F. scirpi and F. solani, did not show statistically significant differences (p&lt;0.05). We did not find significant differences (p&lt;0.05) in the effect of crop rotations and depth on Shannon, Simpson indexes and species richness. Therefore we conclude that the different sequences and the sampling depth did not affect the alpha diversity of Fusarium community in this system