Global Stress Research Articles

4.Q. Scientific session: Global landscapes of healthcare worker migration: advancing effective and equitable solutions

Abstract Background Healthcare workforce migration not only increased in numbers, the mobility flows and migration patterns are also changing and becoming more diverse. The labour market push-and-pull factors and related risks of ‘brain-drain’ are still relevant and many countries, especially in the western world, heavily rely on foreign-born and foreign-trained healthcare workers to mitigate shortages and respond to the healthcare workforce crisis. However, this migration pattern increasingly co-exists with other patterns, blurring the categories of hosting and sending countries. For instance, some low- and middle-income countries have created the export of skilled healthcare workers as business model, others invest in healthcare worker education without advancing national labour market capacities. There is also an increase in crisis migration caused by wars, climate change, and other conflicts, yet these refugee healthcare workers are often excluded from the formal labour market. These examples illustrate that health policy across countries largely failed to respond to the changing global landscapes of migration and to govern education, recruitment and retention more effectively. The healthcare workforce debate is primarily driven by health labour market needs, while health policy and human rights remain marginal. There is also a lack of comprehensive data and research, that would allow for evidence-based decision-making. Ineffective policy and existing governance gaps exacerbate the global healthcare workforce crisis, increase stress and workload of the healthcare workers, and often ignore worker and human rights. Objectives This workshop looks beyond labour market push-pull factors and highlights the complexity of healthcare worker migration. It makes the diverse needs, stakeholder interests, and institutional frameworks visible that shape mobility patterns of healthcare worker, seeking to identify capacity for more effective governance and good-practice examples. The following major questions will be discussed, among others: What data and research are needed to better understand the global migration landscapes? What can we learn from cross-country knowledge exchange and good practice experiences? How can public health advance more equitable and effective education, recruitment and retention policy, and what role could global contracts and international organisations play? The interactive discussion will be facilitated by a commentary on global capacity building for equitable healthcare worker migration and the action taken by WHO. The presenters and the audience will advance knowledge exchange and critically explore novel solutions to the healthcare workforce crisis that are more sensitive to the needs of both individual migrant healthcare workers and less well-resourced countries, in the global South as well as within Europe. Key messages • Increasingly divers patterns of healthcare worker migration call for novel governance approaches that align labour markets, health policy needs, and human rights. • More effective, equitable and ‘humanised’ governance of healthcare worker migration needs a global public health and human rights approach.

Prognostic value of quantitative anatomical and functional measures of coronary artery disease in diabetic and non-diabetic patients

Abstract Background Diabetes is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the relative prognostic importance of anatomical and functional findings of CAD in the presence vs. absence of diabetes is incompletely understood. Technological advances have made quantitative analysis of coronary artery plaques and stenosis feasible by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA). In turn, positron emission tomography (PET) enables absolute quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF). Purpose To study long-term prognostic value of quantified severity of coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial perfusion in non-diabetic vs. diabetic patients with suspected CAD. Methods From two academic medical centres, we identified symptomatic patients with suspected CAD who had undergone coronary CTA and [15O]H2O PET myocardial perfusion imaging during adenosine stress. Based on artificial intelligence -guided quantitative analysis of coronary CTA scans, the anatomical severity of CAD was measured as the presence of obstructive CAD (≥50% diameter stenosis) and percent atheroma volume (PAV; higher vs. lower than median). The functional severity of CAD was measured as the presence of regional myocardial ischemia (≥2 adjacent segments with stress MBF <2.3 ml/g/min) and global stress MBF (<2.2 ml/g/min vs. ≥ 2.2 ml/g/min) by PET. Annual rates of adverse events (AER) including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and unstable angina pectoris (UAP) were evaluated. Results Among 1311 patients, 251 (19%) had diabetes. Patients with diabetes had more frequently obstructive CAD (55% vs. 43%, p<0.001) and regional myocardial ischemia (51% vs. 43%, p=0.015), higher plaque burden by PAV (12% vs. 7%, p<0.001), and lower global stress MBF (2.78 ml/g/min vs. 3.05 ml/g/min, p<0.001). During median follow-up of 7.1 years, 171 (13.0%) patients experienced AE (85 deaths, 56 MIs, and 30 UAPs). Patients with diabetes had higher AER than non-diabetic patients (3.1% vs. 1.6%, p<0.001). The presence of obstructive stenosis was associated with increased AER in non-diabetic (2.6% vs. 1.0%, p<0.001) and diabetic patients (4.2% vs. 1.9%, p<0.001). High plaque burden by PAV was associated with increased AER in non-diabetic (2.8% vs. 0.7%, p<0.001) and diabetic patients (3.9% vs. 1.7%, p<0.001). The presence of regional myocardial ischemia was associated with increased AER in non-diabetic (2.5% vs. 1.1%, p<0.001), but not in diabetic patients (3.4% vs. 2.7%, p=0.238). Low global stress MBF was associated with increased AER in non-diabetic (2.9% vs. 1.3%, p<0.001), but not among diabetic patients (3.2% vs. 3.0%, p=0.286). Conclusions Diabetes was associated with more advanced CAD. Quantified severity of anatomical findings predicted long-term adverse outcome in non-diabetic and diabetic patients. In contrast, functional imaging risk stratified non-diabetic patients, whereas diabetic patients had impaired long-term outcome irrespective of perfusion findings.

Serial quantitative stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting; prediction of symptomatic benefit

Abstract Background Serial multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may provide mechanistic insight into dynamic and persistent abnormalities of the myocardium in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Objectives To assess for dynamic CMR markers of myocardial hypoperfusion and cardiac remodelling in patients undergoing CABG. Methods Patients with CAD awaiting elective CABG were recruited into an observational cohort study. Baseline evaluation included bloods, Seattle Angina Questionnaire-7, and adenosine stress perfusion CMR. Automated fully quantitative stress and rest myocardial blood flow was calculated, alongside assessment of the visual ischaemic burden. Native and post-contrast septal T1 indices were also measured. Repeat evaluation at 6-12 months post CABG was performed. Results Of 43 patients who underwent serial evaluation with CMR (mean age 62.1±9.3, median LVEF 68% [IQR: 62-73%]), there was improvement in the median visual ischaemic burden (18% [IQR: 11-21] vs 42% [IQR: 27-51], P<0.001), mean global stress myocardial blood flow (1.5±0.5 ml/min/g vs 1.3±0.5 ml/min/g, P=0.002) and median global myocardial perfusion reserve (2.4 [IQR: 1.7-2.8] vs 1.7 [IQR: 1.4-2.2], P=0.002) following CABG. Greater improvement in the SAQ-7 summary score was associated with a larger visual ischaemic burden at baseline (ρ=0.44, P=0.004) and a greater decrease in the visual ischaemic burden following CABG (ρ=-0.38, P=0.02). Quantitative MBF metrics did not associate with baseline or change in SAQ-7 summary score. Mean LV extracellular matrix volume decreased following CABG (16.6±3.6ml/m2 vs 18.2±4.6ml/m2, P=0.009). Conclusion Multiparametric CMR identifies dynamic changes in markers of myocardial perfusion and interstitial fibrosis in patients following CABG. Visual assessment of inducible myocardial hypoperfusion may identify patients who will derive the most symptomatic benefit from CABG. The results, however, suggest an important degree of residual inducible ischaemia and an unclear clinical role for CMR-derived MBF calculations.Serial CMR perfusion dataAssociation of SAQ with perfusion

Modified Easley formula for elastic critical global shear buckling stress of corrugated steel webs considering real boundary conditions

The real juncture between corrugated steel webs (CSWs) and flanges follows a multi-segmented line, distinct from that of flat steel webs. Classic methods may yield significant deviations in predicting the elastic global shear buckling capacity of CSWs of various scales due to their failure to consider real boundary constraints. Therefore, a universally applicable formula for calculating the elastic critical global shear buckling stress of CSWs, which accounts for real boundary conditions, is proposed. This formula is pertinent to both large-scale engineering CSWs and small-scale testing CSWs. This study commenced with a comprehensive reassessment of the elastic global shear buckling calculation method. Subsequently, the influence of geometric parameter ratios on the elastic critical global buckling stress was examined. The primary parameter was identified and employed to improve the global buckling coefficient. The proposed calculation method was validated using different corrugation configurations, including 1000-type, 1200-type, 1600-type, 1800-type, and 2000-type CSWs, as well as other CSWs used in experimental settings. These results were compared with those obtained from other reference methods. Findings indicate that the accuracy of the classic theoretical method is affected by variations in both boundary conditions and geometric dimensions due to the constraint effect of real boundary conditions. Under the real boundary conditions, the elastic critical global shear buckling stress of CSWs with simply supported boundary conditions is close to that of CSWs with consolidated boundary conditions. The ratio of web height to corrugation depth primarily affects the elastic global shear buckling capacity, which decreases as the ratio increases. The Easley formula can be modified based on the web height to corrugation depth ratio. Comparisons of numerous numerical and theoretical results reveal that the proposed calculation method exhibits commendable computational precision. In comparison to alternative formulas, the proposed method demonstrates enhanced consistency for calculating CSWs with varying geometric dimensions and boundary conditions, thereby demonstrating its favorable applicability. These conclusions provide valuable reference for the shear design of CSWs.

Worse Psychological Profiles Are Associated With Higher Levels of Stress and Symptom Burden in Patients With Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To identify subgroups of patients with distinct psychological profiles at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate for differences. Online survey of patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients completed measures of demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as cancer- and COVID-19-related stress, global stress, social isolation, loneliness, financial toxicity, and common symptoms. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct psychological profiles. Among 1,145 patients, three subgroups were identified (i.e., no anxiety or depression and normative level of resilience; high depression, high anxiety, and low resilience; and very high depression, very high anxiety, and very low resilience). Patients with the two worst psychological profiles were younger, more likely to be female, more recently diagnosed with cancer, and more likely to have breast cancer. Findings may assist clinicians to identify patients at increased risk for significant psychological morbidity and provide more timely, targeted, and cost-effective interventions.

Study of Rates and Factors Associated to Psychosomatic Syndromes Assessed Using the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research across Different Clinical Settings

Introduction: Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) serve as an instrument for identifying and classifying specific psychosomatic syndromes that are not adequately encompassed in standard nosography. The present study aimed at measuring the prevalence of DCPR syndromes in different clinical settings and exploring factors associated to such diagnoses. Methods: A cross-sectional and nationwide study recruited 6,647 patients in different clinical settings: 306 were diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM), 333 with irritable bowel syndrome, 1,109 with migraine, 2,550 with coronary heart disease (CHD), and 2,349 with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Participants underwent DCPR diagnostic interview and were assessed for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale), and subjective well-being (World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index). The PsychoSocial Index was used to evaluate global well-being, stress, and abnormal illness behavior. The prevalence of DCPR diagnoses was calculated, and factors associated to such diagnoses were analyzed by logistic regression. Results: Alexithymia (64.47%), irritable mood (20.55%), and demoralization (15.60%) were the most prevalent psychosomatic syndromes, with demoralization being most common in FM (49.02%). The factors associated to DCPR diagnoses encompassed high anxiety or abnormal illness behavior, and poor well-being. Notably, stress was found to be associated specifically to FM and T2D, with OR of 1.24 (95% CI: 1.06–1.46) and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.18–1.36), respectively. Conclusion: DCPR is a clinically helpful complementary assessment tool in need of being widely implemented in clinical settings in order to have a comprehensive picture of the patients.

Self-Perceived Stress and the Personality of Mothers of Children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder, as Well as in Mothers of Typically Developing Children, Before and Late in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study aims to measure, at two time points, the relationship between self-perceived global stress and the personality traits of the mothers of children who have central auditory processing disorder (APD) and compare it with the results from mothers of typically developing (TD) children. The comparisons were made before the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as late in the pandemic. The level of stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), while the Short Big Five Markers (IPIP-BFM-20) were used to assess Big Five personality traits. The study used two independent samples: one evaluated before the COVID-19 pandemic and the other late in the pandemic. Each sample consisted of 108 mothers of children with APD and 79 mothers whose children did not have APD (TD children) as controls. The average global stress levels were similar in mothers of children with APD and in mothers of TD children, both before and in the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the late stage, both sets of mothers scored similarly on all personality dimensions, but significantly, mothers of TD children exhibited lower emotional stability compared to during the pre-pandemic period. In both groups, emotional stability predicted global stress level at both time points; however, during the pandemic, conscientiousness also became a predictor of global stress level but only in the group of mothers of TD children. Mothers of APD children might be more resistant to additional stressors. It would be prudent to watch mothers of APD and TD children for signs of needing psychological intervention.

Role of motility and nutrient availability in drying patterns of algal droplets.

Sessile drying droplets in various bio-related systems attracted attention due to the complex interactions between convective flows, droplet pinning, mechanical stress, wettability, and the emergence of unique patterns. This study focuses on the drying dynamics of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (chlamys), a versatile model algae used in molecular biology and biotechnology. The experimental findings shed light on how motility and nutrient availability influence morphological patterns- a fusion of macroscopic fluid dynamics and microbiology. This paper further discusses the interplay of two competing stressors during drying- nutrient scarcity (quantitative analysis) and mechanical stress (qualitative analysis), where the global mechanical stress does not induce cracks. Interestingly, motile chlamys form clusters under nutrient scarcity due to metabolic stress, indicating the onset of flocculation, a common feature observed in microbial systems. Moreover, non-motile chlamys exhibit an "anomalous coffee-ring effect" in the presence of nutrients, with an inward movement observed near the droplet edge despite sufficient water in the droplet. The quantitative image processing techniques provide fundamental insights into these behaviors in classifying the patterns into four categories (motile+with nutrients, motile+without nutrients, non-motile+with nutrients, and non-motile+without nutrients) across five distinct drying stages- Droplet Deposition, Capillary Flow, Dynamic Droplet Phase, Aggregation Phase, and Dried Morphology.

Morphological and Structural Characterization of Shortening Landforms on Mars

AbstractThe lithosphere of Mars accommodates horizontal shortening through folding and faulting, producing landforms described as wrinkle ridges or lobate scarps. Despite this nomenclature, we lack a deep understanding of the drivers of morphological differences observed between landform types. This study aims to develop a quantitative model for shortening landform classification based on surface morphology, subsurface architecture, and strain accommodation, facilitating interpretations of where and how lithospheric stresses are recorded. We developed this model by mapping 100 shortening landforms in a Geographic Information System, recording 12 unique geomorphic parameters such as length and asymmetry, and estimating the strain of each landform. We conducted a Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) using surface morphometrics. This DFA produced a predictive linear function for categorizing wrinkle ridges and lobate scarps and for quantifying which landforms were exemplars within those categories. The three most influential variables on the surface morphometry DFA were the maximum width, forelimb slope, and back limb length. We then modeled the subsurface structural geology of 50 landforms using MOVE Structural Geology Modeling Software and conducted a second DFA based on subsurface metrics. DFA was most influenced by the dip and depth of the lower ramp base. When both surface morphology and subsurface geometry are input into single DFA, wrinkle ridges and lobate scarps can be distinguished quantitatively 96% of the time. Our results also show that lobate scarps accommodate more strain and imply that studies should consider landform type when interpreting local, regional, and global geological stress histories.

Dynamic Strength and Fragmentation of Highly Oriented Ti3SiC2 under Multiaxial Compression

MAX phases are distinguished by their unique kink band formation, a distinct deformation mechanism in layered materials. This study explores the influence of global grain orientation c-axis, strain rate, and stress state on the compressive response of highly oriented Ti3SiC2 through experimental methods. A Kolsky (or split-Hopkinson) bar is employed to evaluate the dynamic compressive response under uniaxial and biaxial (planar confinement) conditions under 102s-1 strain rate. Macroscopic ultra-high-speed visualization during loading and microscopic post-mortem fractography reveal that confinement states significantly impact both macroscopic failure patterns and microscopic fracture mechanisms. Notably, biaxial loading with dynamic load edge-on to the grains and 80MPa planar confinement along the layers resulted in the highest dynamic compressive strength observed (1636±136MPa), a 66% increase compared to the unconfined uniaxial dynamic condition. The planar confinement appears to delay crack propagation and enhance inelastic deformation.

It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right: Epistasis, Two-Component Response Systems, and Bacterial Adaptation

Understanding the interplay between genotype and fitness is a core question in evolutionary biology. Here, we address this challenge in the context of microbial adaptation to environmental stressors. This study explores the role of epistasis in bacterial adaptation by examining genetic and phenotypic changes in silver-adapted Escherichia coli populations, focusing on the role of beneficial mutations in two-component response systems (TCRS). To do this, we measured 24-hour growth assays and conducted whole-genome DNA and RNA sequencing on E. coli mutants that confer resistance to ionic silver. We showed recently that the R15L cusS mutation is central to silver resistance, primarily through upregulation of the cus efflux system. However, here we show that this mutation’s effectiveness is significantly enhanced by epistatic interactions with additional mutations in regulatory genes such as ompR, rho, and fur. These interactions reconfigure global stress response networks, resulting in robust and varied resistance strategies across different populations. This study underscores the critical role of epistasis in bacterial adaptation, illustrating how interactions between multiple mutations and how genetic backgrounds shape the resistance phenotypes of E. coli populations. This work also allowed for refinement of our model describing the role TCRS genes play in bacterial adaptation by now emphasizing that adaptation to environmental stressors is a complex, context-dependent process, driven by the dynamic interplay between genetic and environmental factors. These findings have broader implications for understanding microbial evolution and developing strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Stress-constrained concurrent multiscale topological design of porous composites based on discrete material optimisation

Porous composites have attracted increasing attention in recent decades. This study develops a concurrent multiscale topology optimisation (CMTO) method under a prescribed stress constraint for designing porous composites with multi-domain microstructures. First, to address the difficulty of predicting local stress due to varying of microstructural type throughout the optimisation process, a continuous and differentiable stress measure is proposed to effectively approximate the local stress. Second, an inverse homogenisation method based on isogeometric analysis (IGA) is developed to improve the accuracy of stress prediction, and then it is integrated into a CMTO which is developed based on the discrete material optimisation (DMO) interpolation scheme. Third, a stress constraint which is differentiable with respect to both macro and micro design variables is proposed to enable the stress-constrained concurrent optimisation of the macrostructural configuration, microstructural configuration and distribution. Fourth, a novel post-processing approach is established to achieve smooth while volume preserving contour of unit cells with layouts. Finally, two benchmark design examples, namely l-bracket and Crack problems, are implemented using the presented CMTO under a global stress constraint to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The result indicates that the proposed method can effectively decrease the stress concentration via three design manners, i.e., the macrostructural configuration, microstructural configuration and distribution. Also, an “interface-enlarging” phenomenon was interestingly but reasonably found in those cases when subjected to stress-constraint considerations.

Daily stress and emotions in relation to fear of negative and positive evaluation

Fear of negative (FNE) and positive (FPE) evaluation constitute distinct components of social anxiety and relate to altered affectivity. It is unclear whether individuals with strong FNE/FPE overreact to social stressors only or to more unspecific ones as well. The present set of three studies (n = 109 and n = 97 healthy individuals in study 1/2, n = 49 patients with social anxiety disorder in study 3) assessed whether reactivity to various daily stressors and non-specific momentary stress/emotions assessed through ecological momentary assessment depend on individuals’ level of FPE/FNE. Almost all relationships with FPE/FNE were explained by depressive symptoms, except for a unique association of FNE with reactivity to stressors from the distant social network. Relationships of FNE with momentary global stress and emotions were mixed, but again explained by depressive symptoms. More depressive symptoms were associated with higher stress, negative affect, and most stressor types as well as lower positive affect in all studies. These results show that for social stressors from the distant social network, FNE has explanatory power. They further document the role of depressive affect for reactivity to a wide range of everyday stressors and question the need for specific instruments assessing FPE/FNE unless stressors are explicitly social-evaluative in nature.

Association between 82Rb positron emission tomography-derived regional myocardial blood flow, severity of angiographic coronary artery stenosis, and mortality in patients with chest pain

Impairment in global myocardial flow reserve (MFR) on rubidium-82 (82Rb) positron emission tomography (PET) stress testing predicts cardiovascular events; however, the relationship between regional coronary artery territory myocardial blood flow (MBF) and invasive coronary angiography is unknown. In this study, patients with acute chest pain who were referred for coronary angiography after abnormal PET stress testing were evaluated. Both global and regional coronary territory stress and rest MBF were derived using 82Rb PET. Coronary artery stenosis severity was assessed using quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) performed within 3 months of PET. A total of 189 patients were followed for a median of 4.1 years. The results showed a weak correlation between regional MFR impairment (<1.7) and stenosis severity in the left descending artery (r = −0.20, P = 0.005), left circumflex artery (r = −0.15, P = 0.042), and right coronary artery (r = −0.26, P < 0.001). In addition, a weak correlation was observed between global MFR and stenosis in any vessel, in both binary and continuous analyses. However, impairment in MFR within any territory was associated with increased all-cause mortality in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. In conclusion, this is the first large-scale study to examine the relationship between regional coronary territory MBF, coronary artery stenosis severity as assessed using QCA, and mortality. Although coronary territory MFR demonstrated a weak correlation with coronary stenosis severity, impairment in per-territory MFR was significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality, suggesting that mechanisms such as diffuse atherosclerosis and/or microvascular disease may be contributing factors.

Quantile-frequency connectedness among climate change stocks: The roles of climate change attention and global uncertainties

Concerns regarding climate change and the environment have heightened interest in climate-conscious investing, necessitating a deeper understanding of climate-friendly financial products. This study investigates climate change stock market connectedness and spillover effects, focusing on quantile-frequency dependency. The study utilizes a novel quantile-frequency connectedness with seven MSCI climate change market indices and daily data from January 2014 to December 2022. The empirical analysis reveals that climate change stocks are highly interconnected across various market conditions, including bearish and bullish periods. Spillover effects have amplified during increased stock market turbulence, regardless of market directions. Short-term spillover effects have a stronger impact than long-term effects, regardless of market conditions. Climate change stock markets in Japan and the Asia Pacific consistently experience net shocks, while the United States, Europe, Emerging Markets (EM), North America, and the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) exhibit variations based on market conditions and timeframes. The study identifies events including the 2015 Paris Agreement, the 2016 US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 US rejoining of the Paris Agreement, and the 2022 Russian-Ukraine War that have influenced the dynamic connectedness and spillover of climate change markets. The analysis also reveals that increased investor attention to climate change leads to higher interconnectedness among climate change stock markets across various market scenarios. Moreover, global financial stress, economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risk, global carbon emission futures, oil market uncertainty, and stock market uncertainty significantly impact the interdependence of climate change markets. The findings have implications for portfolio managers, emphasizing the need for hedging techniques to mitigate risks in climate change markets.

Effects of Vibroacoustic Stimulation on Psychological, Physiological, and Cognitive Stress.

Global stress is widespread in today's post-pandemic world of political and economic uncertainty. Vibroacoustic technology is a vibrotactile intervention with multiple uses, but its impact on stress lacks interpretation. This research assessed if the vibroacoustic technology of a Vibroacoustic Sound Massage (VSM) can reduce psychological, physiological, and cognitive stress. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and electrocardiogram (ECG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) biosignals were used to quantify results. Participants were divided into Low-Stress and High-Stress groups. The ECG results show VSM increased parasympathetic activity for all participants, with the Low-Stress group being more affected. The EEG results indicate increased concentration, reduced arousal, and increased relaxation, with participant well-being non-significantly affected, though variability in this metric was homogenised after VSM. Together, these results validate VSM as an effective support tool for stress management; however, further research is required.

Microstructural behavior of CNT-PDMS thin-films for multifunctional systems

Heterogeneous ribbed and non-ribbed carbon nanotube (CNT)-PDMS thin-film systems manufactured by large-scale rolling exhibit large-strain and high strain-rate characteristics with favorable surface behaviors, such as superhydrophobicity and drag reduction. However, it is not well understood how the multi-phase microstructure and material properties of non-ribbed thin-films are related to the surface material behavior and fracture. Hence, the objective of this investigation is to characterize the large-strain mechanical behavior and the microstructure of various CNT-PDMS compositions to understand how the CNT loading, agglomeration, distribution, and orientation affect the mechanical behavior and fracture of CNT-PDMS unribbed systems. Non-ribbed thin tensile testing specimens were fabricated for neat PDMS and CNT-PDMS with different weight CNT distributions to understand non-ribbed behavior. The ultimate strain, strength, and global stress–strain behavior were obtained by uniaxial mechanical testing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fracture surface was also obtained for each sample to analyze the microstructure and relate the damage mode to the different weight distributions. Based on these experimental measurements and observations, large-strain, hyperelastic and hyper-viscoelastic material models were used to characterize the material behavior. The hyper-viscoelastic material model was shown to provide the most accurate material description of the thin-film behavior of the viscoelastic PDMS with the high-strength CNTs.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Heat Stress Management in Ruminant Livestock.

Heat stress impacts ruminant livestock production on varied levels in this alarming climate breakdown scenario. The drastic effects of the global climate change-associated heat stress in ruminant livestock demands constructive evaluation of animal performance bordering on effective monitoring systems. In this climate-smart digital age, adoption of advanced and developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is gaining traction for efficient heat stress management. AI has widely penetrated the climate sensitive ruminant livestock sector due to its promising and plausible scope in assessing production risks and the climate resilience of ruminant livestock. Significant improvement has been achieved alongside the adoption of novel AI algorithms to evaluate the performance of ruminant livestock. These AI-powered tools have the robustness and competence to expand the evaluation of animal performance and help in minimising the production losses associated with heat stress in ruminant livestock. Advanced heat stress management through automated monitoring of heat stress in ruminant livestock based on behaviour, physiology and animal health responses have been widely accepted due to the evolution of technologies like machine learning (ML), neural networks and deep learning (DL). The AI-enabled tools involving automated data collection, pre-processing, data wrangling, development of appropriate algorithms, and deployment of models assist the livestock producers in decision-making based on real-time monitoring and act as early-stage warning systems to forecast disease dynamics based on prediction models. Due to the convincing performance, precision, and accuracy of AI models, the climate-smart livestock production imbibes AI technologies for scaled use in the successful reducing of heat stress in ruminant livestock, thereby ensuring sustainable livestock production and safeguarding the global economy.

THE EFFECT OF FINANCIAL STRESS ON STOCK MARKETS: AN EXAMPLE OF MINT ECONOMIES

Increasing uncertainties due to developments in financial markets lead to uncontrollable financial behaviors. Financial stress indices are created by taking into account many different financial indicators directly related to the financial system. So, it is important to examine the impact of financial stress indices on stock markets, which have an important share in financial markets. The paper aims to investigate the short and long-term effects of emerging markets' financial stress index (EFSI) and global financial stress indices (GFSI) on the stock markets of MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey) economies. For this purpose, analyses were made using the ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lag) Bounds Test method using weekly data for the period 10/01/2014-26/04/2024. It has been determined that EFSI and GFSI negatively affected the benchmark stock market indices of all MINT economies in the short term and that the negative effect continued in the long term but it has been significant for only EFSI in all MINT economies, as important results of the analysis. It has been determined that following financial stress indices can be a leading indicator for stock market investors. It is hoped that the results of the paper may be useful for financial market actors who are considering investing in these markets.

Small reduction in land surface albedo due to solar panel expansion worldwide

Photovoltaic (PV) panel deployment for decarbonization may reduce local terrestrial albedo, triggering a positive radiative forcing that counteracts the desired negative radiative forcing from carbon emission reductions. Yet, this potential adverse impact remains uncertain due to limited observations at PV sites. Herein we employ a robust linear parameterization method to quantify PV-induced albedo changes based on satellite data globally. We find an overall albedo decrease of −1.28 (−1.80, −0.90) × 10−2 (median and interquartile range), specific for land-cover types and climate regimes. However, the extent of albedo reduction is markedly lower than simplistic assumed values in simulating climate feedback for solar farming in Earth system models. Moreover, the albedo-induced positive radiative forcing can be offset by negative radiative forcing from clean solar generation in most PV farms within one year. Our findings underscore PV’s potential in mitigating global warming and stress the need for more accurate model estimations.