Virtual reality as a recovering environment - Implications for design principles

Peer reviewe

The one‐carbon metabolic enzyme MTHFD2 promotes resection and homologous recombination after ionizing radiation

The one-carbon metabolism enzyme bifunctional methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase 2 (MTHFD2) is among the most overexpressed proteins across tumors and is widely recognized as a promising anticancer target. While MTHFD2 is mainly described as a mitochondrial protein, a new nuclear function is emerging. Here, we observe that nuclear MTHFD2 protein levels and association with chromatin increase following ionizing radiation (IR) in an ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)- and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK)-dependent manner. Furthermore, repair of IR-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is delayed upon MTHFD2 knockdown, suggesting a role for MTHFD2 in DSB repair. In support of this, we observe impaired recruitment of replication protein A (RPA), reduced resection, decreased IR-induced DNA repair protein RAD51 homolog 1 (RAD51) levels and impaired homologous recombination (HR) activity in MTHFD2-depleted cells following IR. In conclusion, we identify a key role for MTHFD2 in HR repair and describe an interdependency between MTHFD2 and HR proficiency that could potentially be exploited for cancer therapy

The use of virtual reality as a potential restorative environment in school during recess

Peer reviewe

Household Factors Influencing Participation in Bird Feeding Activity: A National Scale Analysis

Ameliorating pressures on the ecological condition of the wider landscape outside of protected areas is a key focus of conservation initiatives in the developed world. In highly urbanized nations, domestic gardens can play a significant role in maintaining biodiversity and facilitating human-wildlife interactions, which benefit personal and societal health and well-being. The extent to which sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors are associated with engagement in wildlife gardening activities remain largely unresolved. Using two household-level survey datasets gathered from across Britain, we determine whether and how the socioeconomic background of a household influences participation in food provision for wild birds, the most popular and widespread form of human-wildlife interaction. A majority of households feed birds (64% across rural and urban areas in England, and 53% within five British study cities). House type, household size and the age of the head of the household were all important predictors of bird feeding, whereas gross annual household income, the occupation of the head of the household, and whether the house is owned or rented were not. In both surveys, the prevalence of bird feeding rose as house type became more detached and as the age of the head of the household increased. A clear, consistent pattern between households of varying size was less evident. When regularity of food provision was examined in the study cities, just 29% of households provided food at least once a week. The proportion of households regularly feeding birds was positively related to the age of the head of the household, but declined with gross annual income. As concerns grow about the lack of engagement between people and the natural environment, such findings are important if conservation organizations are successfully to promote public participation in wildlife gardening specifically and environmentally beneficial behaviour in society more generally

Cognitive function in clinical burnout: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Clinical burnout has been associated with impaired cognitive functioning; however, previous findings have been heterogeneous and the specific domains that are affected and the magnitude of impairment is unclear. The aim of this systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis was to assess cognitive function in clinical burnout and identify the pattern and severity of cognitive dysfunction across cognitive domains. We identified 17 studies encompassing 730 patients with clinical burnout and 649 healthy controls. Clinical burnout was associated with small to moderate impairments in episodic memory (g = -0.36, 95 % CI -0.57 to -0.15), short-term and working memory (g = -0.36, 95 % CI -0.52 to -0.20), executive function (g = -0.39, 95 % CI -0.55 to -0.23), attention and processing speed (g = -0.43, 95 % CI -0.57 to -0.29) and fluency (g = -0.53, 95 % CI -1.04 to -0.03). There were no differences between patients and controls in crystallized (k = 6 studies) and visuospatial abilities (k = 4). Our findings suggest that clinical burnout is associated with cognitive impairment across multiple cognitive domains. Cognitive dysfunction needs to be considered in the clinical and occupational health management of burnout to optimize rehabilitation and prognosis

Cognitive function in clinical burnout : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Clinical burnout has been associated with impaired cognitive functioning; however, inconsistent findings have been reported regarding the pattern and magnitude of cognitive deficits. The aim of this systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis was to assess cognitive function in clinical burnout as compared to healthy controls and identify the pattern and severity of cognitive dysfunction across cognitive domains. We identified 17 studies encompassing 730 patients with clinical burnout and 649 healthy controls. Clinical burnout was associated with impaired performance in episodic memory (g = −0.36, 95% CI −0.57 to −0.15), short-term and working memory (g = −0.36, 95% CI −0.52 to −0.20), executive function (g = −0.39, 95% CI −0.55 to −0.23), attention and processing speed (g = −0.43, 95% CI −0.57 to −0.29) and fluency (g = −0.53, 95% CI −1.04 to −0.03). There were no differences between patients and controls in crystallized (k = 6 studies) and visuospatial abilities (k = 4). Our findings suggest that clinical burnout is associated with cognitive impairment across multiple cognitive domains. Cognitive dysfunction needs to be considered in the clinical and occupational health management of burnout to optimise rehabilitation and support return-to-work