Therapeutic alliance in a stepped digital psychosocial intervention for breast cancer patients: findings from a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Background: Action mechanisms of therapeutic alliance in stepped and digital interventions remain unclear.

Aims: (a) To compare the development of therapeutic alliance between psychosocial treatment as usual (PTAU) and a stepped digital intervention designed to prevent distress in cancer patients; (b) to analyse the level of agreement between patients' and therapists' therapeutic alliance ratings; and (c) to explore variables associated with therapeutic alliance in the digital intervention.

Method: A multicentre randomised controlled trial with 184 newly diagnosed breast cancer women was conducted.

Bryophytes as Indicators of Disturbance in One of the Last Remnants of the Mountain Forests of El Oro Province, Ecuador.

Epiphytic bryophytes are an important component in terms of the diversity and functioning of montane forests known as biodiversity hotspots. Bryophytes are highly dependent on their external environments because they are sensitive to environmental changes related to disturbance, fragmentation, air pollution, and climate change. The richness and composition of bryophytes in remnants of primary and secondary forests were analyzed, where the richness and cover were recorded on trunk bases of 120 trees.

Genome sequences of four Ixodes species expands understanding of tick evolution.

Background: Ticks, hematophagous Acari, pose a significant threat by transmitting various pathogens to their vertebrate hosts during feeding. Despite advances in tick genomics, high-quality genomes were lacking until recently, particularly in the genus Ixodes, which includes the main vectors of Lyme disease.

Results: Here, we present the genome sequences of four tick species, derived from a single female individual, with a particular focus on the European species Ixodes ricinus, achieving a chromosome-level assembly.

Shear Strength of Adhesives Based on Solvent Type, Aged, and LED-cured with Different Wavelengths: An Study.

Objective: To evaluate the shear strength of adhesives based on the type of solvent (ethanol and acetone), aged and light-cured using light-emitting diode (LED) units with different wavelengths. Polywave and monowave LED units were employed for this study.

Materials And Methods: Ninety bovine tooth samples were analyzed using OptiBond Universal adhesive (acetone) and single bond universal adhesive (ethanol).

Testing the mediating mechanism of alcohol use on the association between retirement and depressive symptoms in the United States using generalized mixed effect models.

Objectives: Both alcohol use and the prevalence of depression-depressive disorders, among older adults have increased over the past several decades and have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. To our knowledge, the interactions between retirement, depression, and alcohol use have not yet been examined. This study aims to longitudinally explore the mediating role of alcohol use on the association between retirement and depressive symptoms in the United States, comparing individuals who are retired and not retired, while also exploring individuals who transitioned into and out of retirement at different times.