Effects Of Stress Research Articles

The impact of cultural and institutional race-related stress on mental health outcomes among ethnic/racially minoritized young adults: Ethnic identity as a protective factor.

Racism is multidimensional with three main domains: individual, cultural, and institutional. Much of the research linking racism/race-related stress to negative health outcomes have focused on race-related stress based on full-scale scores or within the individual domain of racism. Far less research has examined the cultural and institutional domains. Thus, the present study examined whether (a) there is a direct positive effect of cultural and institutional race-related stress on anxiety and depressive symptoms among a sample of ethnic/racially minoritized (ERM) young adults and whether (b) ethnic identity affirmation, belongingness, and commitment (EI-ABC), which has been identified as a protective factor of racism, buffers the effect of cultural and institutional race-related stress on symptoms of anxiety and depression. A total of 515 ERM young adults (58.5% females, Mage = 23.94, SD = 5.86) completed an online study examining stress and health outcomes among ERM young adults. A series of multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between race-related stress and anxiety and depressive symptoms and the moderating role of EI-ABC. Cultural and institutional race-related stress were found to significantly predict symptoms of depression and anxiety. Further, EI-ABC significantly buffered the effect of cultural (but not institutional) race-related stress on anxiety symptoms. Interventions for cultural race-related stress among ERMs that target anxiety symptoms should include building high EI-ABC. Additional research should identify factors that may alleviate symptoms of anxiety or depression associated with experiencing cultural and institutional race-related stress among ERM young adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Caregiving stress and maternal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has now been extensively documented that parental mental health has deteriorated since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although pandemic-related stress has been widespread, parents faced the unique challenge of navigating remote schooling. Parental oversight of children's education, loss of access to school supportive resources, and the challenges of remote learning may have been most problematic for parents of children with or at elevated risk for mental health difficulties. In the current study, we examined interactive effects of parent-reported pandemic-related caregiving stress and child internalizing and externalizing problems on parental depressive symptoms in a community-based cohort (N = 115) in the Northeast of the United States. Results indicated that parents experiencing higher levels of pandemic-related caregiving stress whose children exhibited elevated externalizing behaviors reported heightened levels of depressive symptoms. Greater child internalizing problems were associated with higher parental depressive symptoms independent of caregiving stress. These findings point to conditions that might heighten risk for parent mental health challenges in the context of ongoing remote or hybrid learning and pandemic-associated restrictions. Further, the findings point to conditions and characteristics that may be screened to identify and intervene with vulnerable families to mitigate mental health problems.

Association between Life's Essential 8 and Infertility as Well as the Mediating Effects of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Factors Among U.S. Women Aged 18-45 Years.

Management of cardiovascular disease in pregnancy is important, yet the association between cardiovascular health and infertility is rarely reported. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between Life's Essential 8 (LE8), a novel cardiovascular health (CVH) measure, and infertility, and to investigate potential mediating mechanisms. This study investigated cross-sectional data from the 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. LE8 score (ranging from 0 to 100) was calculated as the unweighted average of eight CVH metrics. The association between LE8 and infertility was explored through weighted multiple logistic regression. Restricted cubic splines were used to explore nonlinear correlation. In addition, mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the role of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers systematically. After strict exclusion criteria, 1703 American women aged 18-45 years were included. After full adjustment, the LE8 score showed a negative correlation with infertility [per 1 SD increase, OR = 0.675, 95% CI: 0.553-0.824], with a linear dose-response relationship (non-linear P = 0.122). Similar linear negative correlations were found between health factor scores and infertility, with higher body mass index and glucose scores having a significantly lower risk of infertility. Stratified analyses showed a stronger inversed relationship between LE8 and infertility in younger populations. Moreover, mediation analysis revealed that uric acid concentration and lymphocyte count mediated the effect of LE8 on infertility (P < 0.05). LE8 and its subscale scores were linearly and negatively associated with infertility, which may be mediated in part through uric acid and lymphocyte count. Focusing on weight management and glycemic control can effectively reduce the risk of infertility.

The syndemic effect of COVID-19 and racial discrimination on suicide risk for Black emerging adults: Examining a model of radical healing.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among Black emerging adults. The concurrent effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial discrimination were projected to exacerbate suicide vulnerability for Black Americans. The purpose of the present study was to utilize a risk-resilience model to examine the effects of racial discrimination and COVID-related stress on suicide risk for Black emerging adults, as well as the moderating effect of three central components of radical healing: critical consciousness, resilience, and cultural authenticity. Study participants included 521 Black emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 29 (51.6% male; Mage = 24.6, SD = 2.6) who completed measures evaluating symptoms of racial discrimination, COVID-related stress, suicide risk, and psychological well-being. After controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status, and general stress, structural equation modeling analyses revealed unique and interactive effects of racial discrimination, COVID-related stress, and culturally relevant protective factors on suicide risk for Black emerging adults. These findings provide preliminary insight into novel risk and protective factors that influence suicide risk for Black emerging adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A prospective cohort study of multimetal exposure and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus

The relationship between co-exposure to multiple metals and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. In this nested case-control study, 228 GDM cases and 456 matched controls were recruited, and biological samples were collected at 12–14 gestational weeks. The urinary concentrations of 10 metals and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as well as the serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced glycation end products were determined to assess the association of metals with GDM risk and the mediating effects of oxidative stress. Urinary Ti concentration was significantly and positively associated with the risk of GDM (odds ratio [OR]:1.45, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.12, 1.88), while Mn and Fe were negatively associated with GDM risk (OR: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.50, 0.91 or OR: 0.61, 95 % CI: 0.47, 0.80, respectively). A significant negative association was observed between Mo and GDM risk, specifically in overweight and obese pregnant women. Bayesian kernel machine regression showed a significant negative joint effect of the mixture of 10 metals on GDM risk. The adjusted restricted cubic spline showed a protective role of Mn and Fe in GDM risk (P < 0.05). A significant negative association was observed between essential metals and GDM risk in quantile g-computation analysis (P < 0.05). Mediation analyses showed a mediating effect of MDA on the association between Ti and GDM risk, with a proportion of 8.7 % (P < 0.05), and significant direct and total effects on Ti, Mn, and Fe. This study identified Ti as a potential risk factor and Mn, Fe, and Mo as potential protective factors against GDM, as well as the mediating effect of lipid oxidation.

Interactive effects of mycorrhizal, Azospirillum and nitrogen+phosphorus with limited irrigation on yield and morpho-physiological traits of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.) in arid and semi-arid regions

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.) is a valuable medicinal plant known for its oil, which is rich in gamma-linolenic acid. However, the productivity and quality of evening primrose can be significantly affected by drought stress, a common challenge in arid and semi-arid regions. Water deficit stress not only limits plant growth and development but also affects physiological and biochemical processes. To mitigate the adverse effects of drought, the use of chemical and biological fertilizers has been explored. Mycorrhizal fungi and Azospirillum are known for their ability to enhance plant resilience to abiotic stresses, including drought, by improving nutrient uptake and promoting plant growth. Nitrogen and phosphorus (N+P) are essential nutrients that play crucial roles in plant metabolism and stress tolerance. This study aimed to assess the impact of mycorrhizal fungi, Azospirillum, and N+P on evening primrose under drought conditions. One experiment was conducted in two locations, Tehran (semi-arid) and Varamin (arid) in 2014 and 2015, using a greenhouse for growing plants and through field transplantation. Using a split factorial design within a randomized complete block layout, three irrigation regimes (50 %, 40 %, and 30 % of field capacity) constituted the main plots, while the subplots included three chemical fertilizer treatments (none, 50 %, and 100 % of N+P) and four biological fertilizer treatments (non-inoculated and inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi and Azospirillum) in factorial combinations. The study revealed that drought, both moderate and severe, resulted in reduced plant height, shoot dry weight, leaf area index, seed yield, harvest index, phosphorus content, relative water content, and oil yield. Notably, the highest water use efficiency occurred under moderate water deficit stress. Severe water deficit stress, however, led to the highest root dry weight, root ratio to shoot dry weight, and catalase activity. The application of chemical and biological fertilizers alleviated the negative effects of water deficit stress on plant growth and yield. Evening primrose water use efficiency increased under moderate water deficit stress, particularly when coupled with the application of chemical (N+P) and biological (mycorrhizal fungi and Azospirillum) fertilizers. The study emphasized the positive impact of mycorrhizal and Azospirillum inoculation on enhancing evening primrose growth under water deficit stress.

Nonsurgical therapy for lumbar spinal stenosis caused by ligamentum flavum hypertrophy: A review.

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can cause a range of cauda equina symptoms, including lower back and leg pain, numbness, and intermittent claudication. This disease affects approximately 103 million people worldwide, particularly the elderly, and can seriously compromise their health and well-being. Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy (LFH) is one of the main contributing factors to this disease. Surgical treatment is currently recommended for LSS caused by LFH. For patients who do not meet the criteria for surgery, symptom relief can be achieved by using oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and epidural steroid injections. Exercise therapy and needle knife can also help to reduce the effects of mechanical stress. However, the effectiveness of these methods varies, and targeting the delay in LF hypertrophy is challenging. Therefore, further research and development of new drugs is necessary to address this issue. Several new drugs, including cyclopamine and N-acetyl-l-cysteine, are currently undergoing testing and may serve as new treatments for LSS caused by LFH.

Effect of occupational stress and resilience on insomnia among nurses during COVID-19 in China: a structural equation modelling analysis

ObjectivesTo explore the effects of occupational stress and resilience on insomnia among Chinese nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design, settings and participantsA quantitative description study. The data were collected via a...

Nonsurgical therapy for lumbar spinal stenosis caused by ligamentum flavum hypertrophy: A review.

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can cause a range of cauda equina symptoms, including lower back and leg pain, numbness, and intermittent claudication. This disease affects approximately 103 million people worldwide, particularly the elderly, and can seriously compromise their health and well-being. Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy (LFH) is one of the main contributing factors to this disease. Surgical treatment is currently recommended for LSS caused by LFH. For patients who do not meet the criteria for surgery, symptom relief can be achieved by using oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and epidural steroid injections. Exercise therapy and needle knife can also help to reduce the effects of mechanical stress. However, the effectiveness of these methods varies, and targeting the delay in LF hypertrophy is challenging. Therefore, further research and development of new drugs is necessary to address this issue. Several new drugs, including cyclopamine and N-acetyl-l-cysteine, are currently undergoing testing and may serve as new treatments for LSS caused by LFH.

Alleviating the water deficit stress effect on Zea mays L. using an extract of the seaweed Sargassum boveanum

Alleviating the water deficit stress effect on Zea mays L. using an extract of the seaweed Sargassum boveanum

Mental Health and Well-Being of Hospitality Students: The Buffering Role of Personal Resources

ABSTRACT This study examined the moderating role of mindfulness and resilience on the effects of academic stress and career anxiety on the well-being of hospitality students and their career intentions. A sample of 269 students selected using a simple random sampling technique completed a self-reported questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings show a negative effect of academic stress and career anxiety on the career intentions of hospitality students. However, mindfulness increases hospitality students’ intention to work in the industry. The resilience of students minimized the negative effects of academic stress on their hospitality career intentions while enhancing their well-being. The theoretical and empirical contributions of the study were highlighted and directions for future research were also indicated.

Anthropogenic activity shapes the assemble and co-occurrence pattern of microbial communities in fishing harbors around the Bohai economic circle

This study aimed to elucidate the effects of coastal environmental stress on the composition of sediment bacterial communities and their cooccurrence patterns in fishing harbors around the Bohai Economic Circle, China. Compared with the natural sea area, fishing harbors contained higher levels of organic pollution (organic pollution index = 0.12 ± 0.026) and considerably reduced bacterial richness and evenness. The distributions of sediment microbial communities clustered along the pollutant concentration gradients across fishing harbors. Betaproteobacteria dominated (76%) organically polluted fishing harbors, which were mostly disturbed by anthropogenic activities. However, the harbors also revealed the absence of numerous pathogenic (Coxiella and Legionella) and photosynthetic (Synechococcus and Leptolyngbya) bacteria. Abundant genera, including Thiobacillus and Arenimonas, exhibited a positive correlation with total phosphorus and a negative correlation with total nitrogen in sediments. Meanwhile, Sulfurovum, Psychrobacter, and Woeseia showed the opposite trend. Pollutant accumulation and anthropogenic activities caused the decrease in the sediment microbial diversity and dispersal ability and promoted convergent evolution. Severely polluted harbors with simplified cooccurrence networks revealed the presence of destabilized microbial communities. In addition, the modularity of bacterial networks decreased with organic pollution. Our results provide important insights into the adjustment mechanism of microbial communities to community organization and functions under environmental pollution stress. Overall, this study enhanced our understanding of how microbial communities in coastal sediments adapted and survived amidst anthropogenic activities like oily effluent discharges from large ships, wash water, domestic sewage, garbage, and fisheries wastes. It also examined their resilience to future contamination.

The Effect of Chronic Restraint Stress Induced Alzheimer Like Changes In Male Adult Rats

Abstract Chronic stress has become a common problem that cannot be ignored and has become an important risk factor for the onset of many diseases. Responses to chronic stress are systemic reactions involving multiple organs and can induce symptoms such as depression, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunctions, impaired reproductive ability, bone loss, and reduced life expectancy. Aim The present study was designed to investigate the effect of chronic restraint stress on the cognitive function in male albino rats, further to demonstrate its relation to amyloid and tau protein accumulation. Methods 24-albino male wistar rats were divided into 2 groups as Control group and Chronic restraint stress (CRS) subjected group (done by restraining rats for 3 hours daily for 4 weeks). Body weight, morris water maze test (MWM) and brain levels of p tau and amyloid beta were investigated Results CRS increased body weight significantly in week 4 and increased latency time as observed in MWM test compared to control group. Additionally, p tau and amyloid beta levels in CRS group were significantly increased. Conclusion chronic stress is able to accelerate the appearance of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Changes upon chronic stress in the brain were related to accumulation of β-amyloid, TAU hyperphosphorylation in males.

P-005 Could early life stress be related to the hippo signaling pathway in rat testis?

Abstract Study question Is there a change in the Hippo signaling pathway in the rat testis exposed to early life stress for 14 days in the postnatal period? Summary answer It was observed that the YAP and p-YAP signaling levels decreased in rats exposed to early-life stress when compared to the control groups. What is known already Hippo signaling pathway has been reported that it participates in many events such as cell division, proliferation, differentiation, and programmed cell death. YAP (Yes-Associated Protein) and p-YAP (phospho-YAP) are the main components of this pathway. Deterioration in sperm production and decreasing the serum testosterone levels were observed in rats exposed to stress stimulation in literature. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these problems in the male reproductive system caused by stress have not yet been elucidated. Study design, size, duration 180-minute maternal deprivation and isolation model was applied to the early-life stress group (ELS) every day between the 1st and 14th postnatal day. Tail blood was collected before and after stress conditions on 14th postnatal day. Serum corticosterone levels were detected. On the 14th day, the control and ELS groups were sacrificed and the testicles were placed in appropriate fixatives. Participants/materials, setting, methods In total of 10 newborn Wistar albino male rats were used. Two groups were formed as Control (n = 5) and ELS (n = 5) groups. On postnatal 14th day, the groups were sacrificed. For immunohistochemical analyses, testis were taken into buffered formalin, paraffin blocks were made and the sections were taken. ELISA kit was used for serum corticosterone level. Main results and the role of chance The post-stress serum corticosterone levels of the ELS group were found to be significantly higher compared to the control group (p &amp;lt; 0.05). At least 60 seminiferous tubules were evaluated for immunohistochemical analyzes in the testis. H-score evaluation was applied. It was determined that YAP and p-YAP expressions decreased in the ELS group when compared to control group (p &amp;lt; 0.05) on the 14th postnatal day when mitosis and proliferation are high in testis cell groups. In addition the seminiferous tubule diameter was smaller in the experimental group. As we conducted in the literature research, stress conditions were generally based on adult subjects. There are insufficient data on the effects of stress on the testis in the early postnatal periods. This suggests that stress created in the early period may cause various defects as the cells enter the adult period. Limitations, reasons for caution This study was performed in vivo rat model in the postnatal 14th days. In further studies, groups including the adulthood period will be added. Wider implications of the findings After the 14th day of the postnatal period day, the blood-testis barrier is formed and spermatogenesis processes begin. Any defect that occurs in this day can cause problems in sperm development. This study can bring a new perspective to researching the effects of stress on testis in prepubertal period. Trial registration number not applicable

The Influence of Job Stress Towards Turnover Intention among Generation Y Employees in Perak Information Technology

Researchers have been studying turnover intention for nearly a century. Recently, most generation Y workforce in Malaysia's Information Technology (IT) industry reportedly developed a norm of switching jobs constantly due to being increasingly exposed to a lot of work-related stressors. This study aims to investigate the relationship between job stress and turnover intention among generation Y employees in the Perak IT industry. The quantitative approach was used by distributing online questionnaires through the Facebook platform to collect data from a sample of 123 employees drawn from IT companies in Perak, Malaysia. The result revealed that the majority of the respondents are recorded with a high level of job stress and a moderate level of turnover intention. It was found that job stress was significantly positively correlated with turnover intention. Further analysis also demonstrated that the dimensions of job stress such as work overload and work ambiguity were significant influences on turnover intention. Overall, there was a statistically significant positive relationship between job stress and turnover intention among the employees. The findings of this study demonstrated important implications for IT organisations, employees, and Human Resource (HR) practitioners by allowing them to understand the devastating effects of job stress and equip themselves with strategies to reduce turnover rates.

P-468 Relationship between spiritual well-being and prenatal stress level of women conceiving spontaneously or with assisted reproductive techniques

Abstract Study question Is there a relationship between spiritual well-being and prenatal stress level of women who conceived with spontaneous/assisted reproductive techniques (ART)? Summary answer Women Conceiving with ART have higher prenatal stress. As the spiritual well-being of women conceiving with ART increases, the level of prenatal distress decreases. What is known already The negative effects of prenatal stress on maternal-fetal well-being are known. Spirituality provides emotional support by feeling the support of spiritual forces, affirmation in re-meaning life, strengthening the ability to cope with stress with the teachings of the belief system, and increasing hope and harmony. The stress created by fertility treatment may continue during pregnancy. It is thought that spirituality may be effective in coping with stress in pregnancies after ART. Studies in this area are limited. Study design, size, duration he comparative descriptive study was conducted with 202 pregnant women, 115 spontaneous and 87 ART pregnant women, who applied to the obstetrics outpatient clinics of a state hospital between November 2021 and June 2022. Data were collected in an average of 15-20 minutes by face-to-face interview technique. According to the statistical analysis, the effect size was calculated as 0.80 and the statistical power as 99%. Participants/materials, setting, methods Participants (a) who can speak and understand Turkish; (b) 18-49 years of age women; (c) who are 14 and above gestational weeks; (d) who haven’t risk pregnancies were included. The data of the research were collected with the “Personal Information Form”, “Spiritual Well-being Scale “ and “Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale”. The research data were evaluated by percentile calculations, averages, Chi-square analysis, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test and Bonferroni test. Main results and the role of chance The average age of women who conceived with ART is 28.91±6.06, and the average age of women who conceived spontaneously is 28.08±5.75. The Spiritual Well-being Scale (SWBS) of the pregnant groups was determined as 124.52±12.00 for the ART group and 123.92±9.02 for the spontaneous group, and there was no statistical significance in terms of spiritual well-being between the groups (p &amp;gt; 0.05). In our study prenatal distress was detected in 12.6% of pregnant women in the ART group (above 28 points) and in 9.6% of spontaneous pregnant women (above 28 points) according to the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS) cut-off score. A statistically significant and negative relationship was found between the total SWBS and TPDS (r=-0.256, p &amp;lt; 0.05) in the ART group. A statistically significant and negative relationship was found between the total SWBS and TPDS (r=-0.256, p &amp;lt; 0.05) in the ART group. Limitations, reasons for caution Since the study was conducted in a single center in a province in the west of Turkey, it is a limitation that the results of the study cannot be generalized to the whole population. Wider implications of the findings The ART group experiences higher prenatal distress than the other group. As the spiritual well-being of pregnant women in the ART group increases, the level of prenatal distress decreases. Nurses and midwives should be aware of the prenatal distress-reducing effect on spiritual well-being and provide spiritual counseling. Trial registration number not applicable

Effects of isotropic stress on the band structure elastic, optical, thermal, and x-ray diffraction properties of TiSnO3.

Cubic perovskite titanium stannous oxide (TiSnO3) is a promising material for various applications due to its functional properties. However, understanding how these properties change under external stress is crucial for its development and optimization. This study employed density functional theory calculations to investigate the structural, electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of TiSnO3 under varying degrees of external static isotropic stress (0-120 GPa). The study reveals a significant decrease in the bandgap of TiSnO3 with increasing stress due to lattice modifications and the formation of delocalized electrons. Partial density of states analysis indicates that Sn and O states play a key role in shaping the electronic band structure. TiSnO3 exhibits increased light absorption with stress, accompanied by a blue shift in absorption peaks, whereas, both polarizability and refractive index decrease with increasing stress. Mechanically, all elastic moduli (bulk, shear, and Young's) show an increase under stress, signifying a stiffening response of the material under stress. Similarly, the Pugh ratio suggests a transition from ductile to brittle behaviour at elevated stress levels. Phonon dispersion calculations indicate the instability of the cubic phase at 0 K. However, a phonon gap emerges at 30 GPa and widens with increasing stress. X-ray diffraction further supports these findings by demonstrating a shift in diffraction peaks towards higher angles with increasing stress, consistent with the applied stress. In conclusion, this computational study offers a thorough understanding of how external stress influences the properties of TiSnO3, providing valuable insights for potential applications in various fields.

Exploring drought mitigation options for improvement of physiology, yield and water use efficiency of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa)

An experiment was conducted during summer seasons of 2022 and 2023 in Wetland Farms at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to mitigate the ill effects of moisture stress during the flowering stage of rice (Oryza sativa L.) by moisture stress mitigating chemicals. The trial was laid out in split plot design (SPD) with 3 main plots and 4 sub-plots, and replicated thrice. In main plot, irrigation at IW/CPE ratio 1.0 from emergence to physiological maturity (M1); withholding irrigation (drought stress) for 8 days from heading stage (M2); and withholding irrigation (drought stress) for 12 days from heading stage (M3) and in sub-plot drought stress mitigating chemicals, viz. no spray (S1); salicylic acid spray @100 ppm (S2); sodium selenate @20 ppm (S3); and pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) @1% (S4) were tested. Results revealed that irrigation at IW/CPE 1.0 from crop emergence to physiological maturity along with foliar spray of selenium @20 ppm at heading stage had beneficial impact on growth, physiological parameters, yield attributes and yield. Drought stress given for 8 days from heading stage with selenium spray recorded lesser detrimental effect on growth characters, yield attributes and yield when compared to drought stress given for 12 days from heading stage in aerobic rice cultivation. The yield reduction in drought stress for 12 days from heading stage with selenium @20 ppm spray and drought stress for 8 days from heading stage with selenium @20 ppm spray were 23.6 and 16.5% respectively, when compared to irrigation at IW/ CPE ratio 1.0 from crop emergence to physiological maturity with selenium spray @20 ppm. Water use efficiency and water profitability also increased by the application of stress mitigating chemical of sodium @20 ppm. From this study, it is recommended that, in aerobic rice cultivation if there is any drought occurrence during heading stage of crop, the selenium application @20 ppm can withstand drought even up to 8 days from heading stage.

P-025 Mitochondrial activity in sperm is associated to blastocyst development: a double-donation study

Abstract Study question Do oxidative parameters in sperm affect oocyte fertilization or blastocyst development in double-donation ICSI cycles? Summary answer While intracellular oxidative stress in sperm does not suppose an impact on fertilization or embryo development, mitochondrial activity is related to increased blastocyst development rates What is known already Reactive oxygen species(ROS) are molecules causing a detrimental effect on sperm quality and function, especially when they are imbalanced with respect to the sperm and seminal plasma antioxidant capacity. Previous research have extensively demonstrated that sperm affected by oxidative stress(OS) show reduced fertilizing capacity, and lead to embryos with impaired development after conventional IVF. The role of OS in sperm in the case of ICSI is, however, controversial because many factors may cause a bias. Not only could this explain the inconsistent results reported thus far, but would also support the need of testing healthy donor gametes to reduce variability. Study design, size, duration This research was devised in the context of a collaboration between a sperm bank and a public university, and was set as a blinded, retrospective study that included samples from 45 sperm donors used in a total of 55 oocyte donation cycles. Intracellular levels of total ROS and of superoxides (O2•-), oxidative stress and mitochondrial activity (MA) were evaluated in frozen-thawed sperm donor samples, and related to the embryo outcomes obtained from the same samples. Participants/materials, setting, methods Samples from selected sperm donors were used to fertilize oocytes through ICSI in oocyte donation programs, and fertilization and blastocyst rates were recorded. Sperm viability and intracellular levels of total ROS and superoxides were determined through a combined assay (2’,7’-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate/Hydroethidine/Sytox Red); oxidative stress and sperm viability were assessed through co-staining with CellRox Far Red and propidium iodide (PI); and MA (mitochondrial membrane potential) and sperm viability were evaluated after staining with DiOC6(3) and PI. Main results and the role of chance The average and standard deviation for fertilization and blastocyst rates were 76.8%±17.3% and 67.5%±22.8%, respectively. Taking the viable sperm population into account, percentages of sperm with high ROS and low O2•- were 17.6%±15.9%, those with high ROS and high O2•- were 0.5%±0.4%, percentages of sperm with low ROS and low O2•- were 25.9%±9.2%, and those with low ROS and high O2•- were 54.5%±21.1%. The evaluation of oxidative stress with CellRox revealed that the percentage of viable sperm with high OS was 63.1%±16.5%. Neither intracellular levels of ROS and superoxides, nor oxidative stress in viable sperm were found to be correlated to fertilization or blastocyst rates (P&amp;gt;0.05). In spite of this, the percentage of viable sperm with high MA, which was 20.7%±10.5%, was observed to be positively correlated to blastocyst rates (Rs=0.276; P=0.04). While sperm mitochondria do not participate in further embryo development, a greater mitochondrial activity in post-thawed donor sperm could indicate a healthier sperm function. Mitochondrial activity could, therefore, be used as a predictive biomarker for embryo development. Limitations, reasons for caution The sample size is the main limitation of this study, despite the efforts made to include a high number of sperm donors. Wider implications of the findings Results obtained in the present study show that ICSI evades the detrimental effects of sperm oxidative stress on fertilization and embryo development. Yet, sperm mitochondrial activity could be used as a biomarker to test the ability of a sperm donor to generate healthy embryos that develop up to blastocyst stage. Trial registration number Not applicable

Effect of Physical Parameters on Fatigue Life of Materials and Alloys: A Critical Review

Fatigue refers to the progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to repeated loading and unloading, typically at levels below its ultimate strength. Several failure mechanisms have been observed in practical scenarios, encompassing high-cycle, low-cycle, thermal, surface, corrosion, and fretting fatigue. Fatigue, connected to the failure of numerous engineered products, stands out as a prevalent cause of structural failure in service. Conducting research on the advancement and application of fatigue analysis technologies is crucial because fatigue analysis plays a critical role in determining the service life of components and mitigating the risk of failure. This study compiles data from a wide range of sources and offers a thorough summary of the state of fatigue analysis. It focuses on the effects of different parameters, including hardness, temperature, residual stresses, and hardfacing, on the fatigue life of different materials and their alloys. The fatigue life of alloys is typically high at low temperatures, but it is significantly reduced at high temperatures or under high-stress conditions. One of the main causes of lower fatigue life is residual stress. High-temperature conditions and hardfacing processes cause the development of tensile residual stresses, which in turn decreases fatigue life. But, if the hardness of the material significantly increases due to hardfacing, then the fatigue life also increases. This manuscript focuses on reviewing the research on fatigue-life prediction methods, shortcomings, and recommendations.