Religiosity and Spirituality as Resiliency Resources: Moderation, Mediation, or Moderated Mediation?

A growing body of literature indicates a modestly positive association between religiosity and spirituality as predictors of psychological health (anxiety and depression), suggesting they serve as personal resiliency factors. The purpose of this study was to expand our understanding of the relationships among these constructs. Using Lazarus’ Transactional Model of Stress as a theoretical framework, we examined a) the extent to which spirituality and religiosity mediated and/or moderated the association between perceived stress and psychological health, and b) whether there was a moderated (religiosity) mediation (spirituality) between stress and health. The Perceived Stress Scale, Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, Religious Commitment Inventory, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered to measure the following constructs: stress, spirituality, religiosity, and psychological health. This study utilized a non-experimental, quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional, moderated-mediation design, and included a convenience sample of 331 research participants. Both spirituality and religiosity moderated stress and health. However, only spirituality (not religiosity) partially mediated the relationship. In addition, religiosity did not moderate the mediating effects of spirituality. Overall, this study confirmed the role of both religiosity and spirituality as effective resiliency resources

Bodyweight Perceptions among Texas Women: The Effects of Religion, Race/Ethnicity, and Citizenship Status

Despite previous work exploring linkages between religious participation and health, little research has looked at the role of religion in affecting bodyweight perceptions. Using the theoretical model developed by Levin et al. (Sociol Q 36(1):157–173, 1995) on the multidimensionality of religious participation, we develop several hypotheses and test them by using data from the 2004 Survey of Texas Adults. We estimate multinomial logistic regression models to determine the relative risk of women perceiving themselves as overweight. Results indicate that religious attendance lowers risk of women perceiving themselves as very overweight. Citizenship status was an important factor for Latinas, with noncitizens being less likely to see themselves as overweight. We also test interaction effects between religion and race. Religious attendance and prayer have a moderating effect among Latina non-citizens so that among these women, attendance and prayer intensify perceptions of feeling less overweight when compared to their white counterparts. Among African American women, the effect of increased church attendance leads to perceptions of being overweight. Prayer is also a correlate of overweight perceptions but only among African American women. We close with a discussion that highlights key implications from our findings, note study limitations, and several promising avenues for future research

The Effects of Spirituality and Religiosity upon Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Mediation, Moderation, or Moderated Mediation?

The existing literature demonstrates a modestly positive association between religion and psychological adjustment. However, the role that spirituality plays in wellbeing relative to both high and low levels of religiosity is not well known. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which daily spiritual experiences mediate the association between perceived stress and symptoms of anxiety/depression, and to further examine the extent to which religious commitment moderates this relationship. This study utilized a non-experimental, quantitative, cross-sectional, moderated-mediation design and comprised 343 research participants. Lazarus' Transactional Model of stress provided the theoretical framework for this research. The following instruments were utilized to measure the four variables involved in this study: Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Religious Commitment Inventory, and Perceived Stress Scale. According to the outcomes of this research, spirituality acted as a partial mediator between perceived stress and psychological adjustment, z = 2.06, p = .025. In addition, both spirituality and religiosity acted as moderators between stress and psychological symptoms, R2 = .30, p = .001 and R2 = .25, p = .004. However, religiosity did not act as a significant mediator between stress and psychological adjustment, z = 1.52, p = .128. In addition, religiosity did not seem to significantly moderate the mediating effects of spirituality, p = .16. Overall, this study confirmed the role of both religiosity and spirituality as effective coping resources. Based on these results, religious and spiritual coping should be acknowledged by mental health professionals as personal resiliency factors, and should be incorporated within the therapeutic process. Given the prevalence of religious and spiritual practices in this country, it is puzzling that symptoms of depression remain at epidemic levels. Is religious/spiritual coping more effective for some individuals than for others? Are some forms of religious/spiritual coping more beneficial than other forms? Are there cultural/societal phenomena which supersede individual attempts to cope? Future research should further corroborate the role of spirituality as a mediator; further examine both religiosity and spirituality as distinct variables; and further explore more complex analyses, such as moderated mediation and mediated moderation

Modulation of immune responses by targeting CD169/Siglec-1 with the glycan ligand

A fundamental role in the plant-bacterium interaction for Gram-negative phytopathogenic bacteria is played by membrane constituents, such as proteins, lipopoly- or lipooligosaccharides (LPS, LOS) and Capsule Polysaccharides (CPS). In the frame of the understanding the molecular basis of plant bacterium interaction, the Gram-negative bacterium Agrobacterium vitis was selected in this study. It is a phytopathogenic member of the Rhizobiaceae family and it induces the crown gall disease selectively on grapevines (Vitis vinifera). A. vitis wild type strain F2/5, and its mutant in the quorum sensing gene ΔaviR, were studied. The wild type produces biosurfactants; it is considered a model to study surface motility, and it causes necrosis on grapevine roots and HR (Hypersensitive Response) on tobacco. Conversely, the mutant does not show any surface motility and does not produce any surfactant material; additionally, it induces neither necrosis on grape, nor HR on tobacco. Therefore, the two strains were analyzed to shed some light on the QS regulation of LOS structure and the consequent variation, if any, on HR response. LOS from both strains were isolated and characterized: the two LOS structures maintained several common features and differed for few others. With regards to the common patterns, firstly: the Lipid A region was not phosphorylated at C4 of the non reducing glucosamine but glycosylated by an uronic acid (GalA) unit, secondly: a third Kdo and the rare Dha (3-deoxy-lyxo-2-heptulosaric acid) moiety was present. Importantly, the third Kdo and the Dha residues were substituted by rhamnose in a not stoichiometric fashion, giving four different oligosaccharide species. The proportions among these four species, is the key difference between the LOSs from both the two bacteria. LOS from both strains and Lipid A from wild type A. vitis are now examined for their HR potential in tobacco leaves and grapevine roots