Self-referential processing captures how individuals perceive themselves. When negatively biased, self-referential processing is closely linked to depression. Increasingly, research has employed drift-diffusion modeling (DDM) to analyze the Self-Referential Encoding Task (SRET), but variations in DDM estimation methods and model complexity may influence findings. This meta-analysis examined (1) the overall difference between DDM parameters for negative versus positive self-trait endorsement, and (2) how DDM parameters for negative and positive self-trait endorsement relate to symptoms of depression. We then qualitatively reviewed variations in DDM methods that may impact findings from the overall-meta-analyses, including sample composition, DDM estimation method, model complexity, and criteria for handling reaction time outliers. We found a reliable positivity advantage for drift rate in self-trait endorsement at the latent, dynamic decision-making level. Moreover, we found that greater drift rate for negative and lower drift rate for positive self-trait endorsement were associated with greater symptoms of depression. Effects were present for bias and non-decision time, but were sparse and underpowered. As an emerging research area, the present study underscores the importance of carefully considering sample composition, model estimation methods, model complexity, and handling of reaction time outliers when applying drift-diffusion modeling to self-referential tasks.
A matching from a finite subset A of an abelian group G to another subset B is a bijection f : A -> B such that af (a) is an element of/A for all a is an element of A. The study of matchings began in the 1990s and was motivated by a conjecture of E. K. Wakeford on canonical forms for homogeneous polynomials. The theory was later extended to the linear setting of vector subspaces over field extensions, and then to matroids. In this paper, we investigate the existence and structure of matchings in both abelian groups and field extensions. Using Dyson's etransform, a tool from additive combinatorics, along with a linear analogue introduced in this paper, we establish characterization theorems for matchable sets and subspaces. Several applications are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of these theorems as standalone tools. Throughout, we highlight the parallels between the group-theoretic and linear perspectives. (c) 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Antibiotic resistance has spread globally among bacterial pathogens, becoming a significant challenge to public health. Bacterial cells have an enormous capability to acquire various antibiotic resistance mechanisms. The effectiveness of many antibiotics relies on the intracellular redox balance and the bacteria's ability to mount stress responses. Glutathione (GSH) is an intracellular tripeptide antioxidant that significantly contributes to maintaining optimal redox balance, which may impact bacterial survival during antibiotic treatment. Neutralizing oxidative stress caused by antibiotics can reduce their effectiveness. However, alterations of the redox balance of GSH can impair normal cellular metabolism, making cells vulnerable. Altering the redox balance, either by depleting or increasing levels of GSH, can enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics. The influence of GSH on antibiotics varies depending on the bacterial species and the class of antibiotics used. Due to the vital role of GSH in antibiotic effectiveness, targeting bacterial GSH metabolism can be used as an adjunctive approach to overcome antibiotic resistance. This review summarizes the relationship between GSH and antibiotic susceptibility and resistance in bacteria.
Attachment theory, with its core concepts, perspectives, and insights developed over the past five decades, is influential for professionals working with young children. However, practitioners face challenges translating attachment theory and research into practical applications. This manifests in attachment myths, theoretical misinterpretations, and inconsistency of application. This state-of-the-art review is authored by 47 attachment researchers and practitioners and examines key insights from attachment theory to facilitate attachment-aware practice for professionals working with children and their caregivers. Following the ongoing debate on practical relevance in attachment theory, we present both 'strict' and 'expansive' translational perspectives on applications for addressing preventative or clinical attachment concerns. We first review core attachment propositions, based on replicated research of attachment and caregiving. We next address common misconceptions that hinder adequate practical applications. We present measures of attachment and sensitive parenting that might be helpful for practitioners. We also review evidence-based and promising attachment interventions, discussing core components of (preventative) support for parents or caregivers and the children in their care. We emphasize that attachment theory's clinical value lies not in assigning attachment classifications, but rather in understanding crucial insights into caregiving and early socioemotional development (e.g., secure base phenomena; the value of safe, stable, and shared good-enough care), developed in attachment research over the past 50 years, that may inform policy and clinical reasoning and areas for prevention and intervention.
Bovine metritis is associated with uterine microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by the proliferation of Gram-negative anaerobes, including Fusobacterium necrophorum, Bacteroides pyogenes, and Porphyromonas levii. However, the mechanisms by which these opportunistic pathogens proliferate together and contribute to disease remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the interactions among these bacteria and to elucidate their role in the development of metritis. F. necrophorum, B. pyogenes, and P. levii were isolated from the uteri of cows with metritis and cultured anaerobically in chopped meat carbohydrate broth. Bacterial growth, coaggregation, biofilm formation, endotoxin production, protease activity, adhesion to bovine endometrial epithelial (BEND) cells, and cytotoxicity were evaluated under single-, dual-, and triple-species culture conditions. Among the three species, F. necrophorum grew faster and acted as a key species that coaggregated with B. pyogenes and P. levii, promoting multi-species biofilm formation and increasing bacterial adhesion to BEND cells. The growth of B. pyogenes was enhanced by metabolites from P. levii, whereas the growth of P. levii was delayed by metabolites from F. necrophorum. The multi-species biofilm formed by these three bacterial species generated the highest biomass, with P. levii predominantly occupying the basal layer and F. necrophorum and B. pyogenes co-localizing in the upper layer. This spatial arrangement likely reflects the strong biofilm-forming ability of P. levii, which rapidly produces matrix and provides a scaffold for cohabiting species. Endotoxin levels were highest in both F. necrophorum and P. levii, and protease activity was highest in P. levii under mono-culture conditions. However, no synergistic effects were observed for either parameter under co-culture conditions. Interestingly, co-culture with B. pyogenes lowered the endotoxin levels of the other bacteria and attenuated the cytotoxicity of P. levii. Our findings suggest that these opportunistic uterine pathogens interact synergistically to promote bacterial persistence in the uterus rather than exacerbating disease severity, which likely contributes to uterine microbiota dysbiosis and chronic inflammation.
