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Blue light is an important signal for fungal development. In the mushroom-forming basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune , blue light is detected by the White Collar complex, which consists of WC-1 and WC-2. Most of our knowledge on this complex is derived from the ascomycete Neurospora crassa , where both WC-1 and WC-2 contain GATA zinc-finger transcription factor domains. In basidiomycetes, WC-1 is truncated and does not contain a transcription factor domain, but both WC-1 and WC-2 are still important for development. We show that dimerization of WC-1 and WC-2 happens independent of light in S. commune , but that induction by light is required for promoter binding by the White Collar complex. Furthermore, the White Collar complex is a promoter of transcription, but binding of the complex alone is not always sufficient to initiate transcription. For its function, the White Collar complex associates directly with the promoters of structural genes involved in mushroom development, like hydrophobins, but also promotes the expression of other transcription factors that play a role in mushroom development. • The White Collar complex components WC-1 and WC-2 interact independent of light in Schizophyllum commune. • In S. commune , light is required for promotor binding by the White Collar complex. • The binding motif of the S. commune White Collar complex is largely unchanged from that in Neurospora crassa. • The WCC directly induces transcription of structural and regulatory genes involved in mushroom development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mushroom formation represents the most complex multicellular development in fungi. In the model mushroom Schizophyllum commune, comparative genomics and transcriptomics have previously resulted in a regulatory model of mushroom development. However, little is known about the role of epigenetic regulation. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to determine the distribution of dimethylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me2), a mark for transcriptionally active genes, during monokaryotic and dikaryotic development. We identified a total of 6032 and 5889 sites during monokaryotic and dikaryotic development, respectively. The sites were strongly enriched near translation initiation sites of genes. Although the overall epigenetic landscape was similar between both conditions, we identified 837 sites of differential enrichment during monokaryotic or dikaryotic development, associated with 965 genes. Six transcription factor genes were enriched in H3K4me2 during dikaryotic development, indicating that these are epigenetically regulated during development. Deletion of two of these genes (fst1 and zfc7) resulted in arrested development of fruiting bodies, resulting in immature mushrooms. Together these results indicate that H3K4me2 ChIP-Seq is a powerful new tool to map the restructuring of the epigenetic landscape during mushroom development. Moreover, it can be used to identify novel developmental regulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Genes abaA , aslA , aslB , azf1, htfA , nosA , and srbA are involved in sporulation. • Genes aslA , aslB , azf1, htfA , nosA , and srbA are involved in cell wall integrity. • Genes aslA , aslB , azf1, htfA , nosA , and srbA are involved in protein secretion. • These genes explain, at least part of, the pleiotropic phenotype of Δ flbA. Inactivation of flbA in Aspergillus niger results in thinner cell walls, increased cell lysis, abolished sporulation, and an increased secretome complexity. A total of 36 transcription factor (TF) genes are differentially expressed in Δ flbA. Here, seven of these genes (abaA , aslA , aslB , azf1, htfA , nosA , and srbA) were inactivated. Inactivation of each of these genes affected sporulation and, with the exception of abaA, cell wall integrity and protein secretion. The impact on secretion was strongest in the case of Δ aslA and Δ aslB that showed increased pepsin, cellulase, and amylase activity. Biomass was reduced of agar cultures of Δ abaA, Δ aslA , Δ nosA, and Δ srbA , while biomass was higher in liquid shaken cultures of Δ aslA and Δ aslB. The Δ aslA and Δ htfA strains showed increased resistance to H 2 O 2 , while Δ aslB was more sensitive to this reactive oxygen species. Together, inactivation of the seven TF genes impacted biomass formation, sporulation, protein secretion, and stress resistance, and thereby these genes explain at least part of the pleiotropic phenotype of Δ flbA of A. niger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness and social isolation are known to be associated with depression, general anxiety, and social anxiety. However, knowledge on the overlapping and unique features of these relationships, while differentiating between social loneliness (perceived absence of an acceptable social network) and emotional loneliness (perceived absence of close connections), is lacking. We constructed a network analysis to examine the relationships between self-reported social loneliness, emotional loneliness, social isolation, depression, general anxiety and social anxiety in a large sample of university students (N = 7314, 67.4 % female, range 16.3–75.8 years, M age = 23.9, SD age = 5.7). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine whether depression, general anxiety and social anxiety moderated the relationship between social isolation and loneliness types. As comorbidity between anxiety and depression is high, the role of anxiety as a moderator in the relationship between depression and loneliness types was also examined. The network analysis showed that social loneliness was most strongly explained by social isolation, whereas emotional loneliness was most strongly explained by social anxiety and depression. General anxiety was solely related to loneliness through depression. The regression analyses showed that general and social anxiety and depression did not moderate the relationship between social isolation and loneliness types. Differences found between loneliness types may be influenced by a methodological artifact of the DJGLS. These findings highlight the importance of social anxiety over general anxiety in relation to loneliness. Also, it showed unique relationships for social- and emotional loneliness with psycho-social variables, which has important implications for research- and clinical settings. • Emotional and social loneliness are strongly related. • The network shows the impact of social anxiety over general anxiety on loneliness. • Mental health does not moderate relation between social isolation and loneliness. • Unique relationships for loneliness types may be relevant for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health measures such as physical distancing and distance learning have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 related knowledge deficit can increase fear that leads to negative mental health and COVID-19, especially among adolescents. Therefore, our study aimed to assess COVID-19 related knowledge deficit and its association with fear among higher education (HE) students during the first wave of COVID-19.Methods: A cross-sectional survey, COVID-19 International Students Well-being Study (C-19 ISWS) was conducted in 133 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in 26 countries between April 27 and July 7, 2020. A stratified convenience sampling technique was used. Descriptive, bivariate, mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were conducted using R software.Results: Out of 127,362 respondents, 72.1% were female, and 76.5% did not report a previous history of confirmed COVID-19. The majority of those without the previous infection 81,645 (83.7%) were from 21 European countries while the rest 15,850 (16.3%) were from 5 non-European countries. The most frequent correct response to COVID-19 related knowledge questions among respondents was having the virus without having symptoms (94.3%). Compared to participants with good knowledge, the odds of being afraid of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection among those with poor knowledge was 1.05 (95%CI:1.03,1.08) and the odds of being afraid of contracting severe COVID-19 was 1.36 (95%CI:1.31,1.40).Conclusion: COVID-19 related knowledge was independently associated with both fear of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection as well as contracting severe COVID-19. Our findings will serve as a basis for public health response for both the current and similar future pandemics by highlighting the need for addressing the COVID-19 knowledge deficit to fight the infodemic and prevent negative mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The COVID‐19 pandemic has confronted young adults with an unprecedented mental health challenge. Yet, prospective studies examining protective factors are limited. Methods: In the present study, we focused on changes in mental health in a large sample (N = 685) of at‐risk university students, which were measured before and during the pandemic. Network modeling was applied to 20 measured variables to explore intercorrelations between mental health factors, and to identify risk and protective factors. Latent change score modeling was used on a subset of variables. Results: The main findings indicate that (1) mental health problems increased at group level, especially depression‐anxiety and loneliness; (2) emotional support during the COVID pandemic was associated with smaller increases in loneliness and depression‐anxiety; (3) COVID‐related stress predicted increases in depression‐anxiety; (4) loneliness acted as a bridge construct between emotional support and changes in mental health. Conclusion: To mitigate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the mental health of young adults, is it recommended to focus on interventions that strengthen internal resources (stress‐regulating abilities) and reduce loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hazardous drinking among students in higher education is a growing concern. The alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) is the gold standard screening instrument for hazardous drinking in the adult population, for which an abbreviated version has been developed: the -AUDIT-Consumption (AUDIT-C). Currently, there's no gold standard for identifying hazardous drinking among students in higher education and little evidence regarding the concurrent validity of the AUDIT-C as a screening instrument for this group. This study investigated the concurrent validity of the AUDIT-C in a sample of university students and suggests the most appropriate cutoff points.Methods: Cross-sectional data of health surveys from 5,401 university and university of applied sciences in the Netherlands were used. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for different cutoff scores of AUDIT-C were calculated for the total sample and for subgroups stratified by age, gender, and educational level. AUDIT-score ≥11 was used as the criterion of hazardous and harmful drinking.Results: Twenty percent of students were hazardous and harmful drinkers. The area under the ROC curve was 0.922 (95% CI 0.914-0.930). At an AUDIT-C cutoff score of ≥7, sensitivity and specificity were both >80%, while other cutoffs showed less balanced results. A cutoff of ≥8 performed better among males, but for other subgroups ≥7 was most suitable.Conclusion: AUDIT-C seems valid in identifying hazardous and harmful drinking students, with suggested optimal cutoffs 7 (females) or 8 (males). However, considerations regarding avoiding false-positives versus false-negatives, in relation to the type of intervention following screening, could lead to selecting different cutoffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, often emerge in college students during the transition into early adulthood. Mental health problems can seriously impact students' functioning, interpersonal relationships, and academic achievement. Actively reaching out to college students with mental health problems and offering them internet-based interventions may be a promising way of providing low-threshold access to evidence-based treatment in colleges. This randomized controlled trial aimed to assess the effectiveness of a guided web-based transdiagnostic individually tailored Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) in treating college students with depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Through an online survey that screened college students' mental health, we recruited 100 college students aged ≥18 years who reported mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety symptoms and were attending colleges in the Netherlands. Participants were randomly allocated to guided iCBT (n = 48) or treatment as usual (TAU) control (n = 52). Primary outcomes were symptoms of depression and anxiety measured at post-treatment (7 weeks post-randomization). We also measured all outcomes at 6- and 12-months post-randomization. All analyses were based on the intention-to-treat principle and were repeated using the complete-case sample. We found no evidence of a difference between the effects of guided iCBT and TAU in any of the examined outcomes (i.e., symptoms of depression and anxiety, quality of life, educational achievement, and college dropout) across all time points (p >.05). There was no evidence that effects of iCBT were associated with treatment satisfaction and adherence. More research into transdiagnostic individually tailored iCBT is necessary. Further, future studies should recruit larger samples to investigate possible smaller but clinically relevant effects of internet-based interventions for college students with depression and/or anxiety. • Depression and anxiety impose a considerable burden on college students and society. • Colleges can use digital innovations to provide early interventions in colleges. • iCBT did not lead to improvements on depression/anxiety in college students. • More research is needed on the effects of iCBT in college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insecure attachment is a transdiagnostic personality factor which may confer risk for mental health issues. The mechanisms underlying this association may be partly explained by loneliness. Loneliness, which is common in young adulthood, also concerns social relationships and is similarly associated with negative mental health outcomes. This study investigates whether insecure attachment styles are associated with an increase in mental health issues, specifically depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use, and whether this link is mediated by loneliness. Students at a Dutch university (n = 265) aged 17 to 43 completed an online survey assessing attachment (ECR-SF), loneliness (DJGLS-11), social connectedness (LSNS-6), depression (PHQ-9) and alcohol use (AUDIT-C). Results showed that in individuals with mixed attachment styles (scoring high on both the anxious and avoidant dimensions), loneliness mediated the positive association between attachment style and depressive symptoms. Exploratory moderated mediation, with social connectedness as a moderator, showed that loneliness mediated the attachment-depression relationship in socially connected, anxiously attached young adults. Similar results were found for alcohol use although the direction differed, with lonelier students drinking less. These findings' implications are discussed considering future research and the potential of interventions targeting loneliness from an attachment perspective. • Insecure attachment styles are associated with increased depressive symptoms. • Loneliness mediates this link in students with mixed attachment styles. • Loneliness mediates this link in anxiously attached students who are socially well-connected. • A similar pattern was found between attachment style and problem drinking. • Attachment style should be considered in interventions targeting student loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]