Significant Stress Factor Research Articles

Anxiety-depressive spectrum disorders in patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome

The aim – to determine the frequency and characteristics of anxiety-depressive spectrum disorders (ADSD) in patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).Material and methods. The study is prospective-retrospective. Data on obstetric pathology was obtained from medical documents and from conversation with a patient. Stress factors were assessed upon inclusion in the study. Diagnosis of ADSD was carried out by a psychiatrist, according to ICD-10. The study included 61 women with APS, established according to the international criteria of 2006, who had a history of pregnancy. 30 (49.2%) of 61 patients had pregnancy loss (PL). Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was diagnosed in 29 (47.5%) women. The average age of patients at the time of inclusion in the study was 40.9±11.0 years: 41.2±7.77 years in patients with PL and 40.7±12.8 years in patients without PL.Results. ADSD were identified in the majority of women with APS – 53 (86.9%) out of 61. These mental disorders developed in the majority of patients before the onset of APS (37 (69.8%) out of 53). Moderate and severe depression in patients with PL was more related to stressful events not associated with APS (mainly with childhood and adolescent psychological trauma), and was also more often detected in the presence of PL after the week 10 of gestation and more than two PL. Childlessness as a stress factor at the time of the study was significant for 7 (38,9%) out of 18 patients with PL who did not have children. Almost half (14 (46.7%) out of 30) of patients with PL had more than two interrupted pregnancies (multiple PL). In the group of patients with multiple PLs, significantly more often than in patients with one or two PLs, a pronounced distortion of logical thinking was detected, while the frequency of organic-type thinking disorders associated with ischemic damage to the central nervous system within the framework of APS did not differ in patients in the compared groups.Conclusion. The incidence of depression in women with APS did not depend on a history of PL. Multiple PLs predisposed to more severe types of depression. The psychopathological features of ADSD in patients with multiple PLs were determined – more frequent pronounced distortions of logical thinking. It has been established that childlessness is not a significant stress factor for all patients.

Mitigation Effect of Exogenous Nano-Silicon on Salt Stress Damage of Rice Seedlings

Salt stress represents a significant abiotic stress factor that impedes the growth of rice. Nano-silicon has the potential to enhance rice growth and salt tolerance. In this experiment, the rice variety 9311 was employed as the test material to simulate salt stress via hydroponics, with the objective of investigating the mitigation effect of foliar application of nano-silicon on rice seedlings. The results demonstrated that NaCl stress markedly impeded the growth of rice seedlings after seven days of NaCl treatment. The foliar application of nano-silicon followed by NaCl stress alleviated the growth of rice seedlings, markedly improved the spatial conformation of the root system, and enhanced photosynthesis compared with that of NaCl stress alone. The activities of antioxidant enzymes were improved. The contents of antioxidants were increased, and the over-accumulation of ROS was reduced. Furthermore, the foliar application of nano-silicon was found to enhance the uptake of Si4+, K+, and Ca2+ in plants, while simultaneously reducing Na+ and Cl− accumulation. Additionally, the content of IAA, CTK, GA, JA, and SA was increased, and ABA was decreased. In conclusion, the foliar application of nano-silicon has been demonstrated to alleviate salt stress injury and improve the growth of rice seedlings.

Development of adaptive coping strategies of students in a university setting (on the example of the Educational and Practical Center for Conflict Resolution of Southwestern State University)

The purpose of the study. A significant task today is to increase the socio-psychological well-being of students in a university setting. Due to the increased intensity of educational activity, its complexity, and multitasking, the mental stress of students is increasing. Significant stress factors are the new social situation of development; the situation of external assessment in the process of intellectual tests; individual and personal characteristics of participants in educational relations; students' concerns about the ability to cope with educational tasks.The purpose of our work is to explore the possibilities of using the potential of the Educational and Practical Conflict Resolution Center of Southwestern State University for the development of adaptive coping strategies of students.In our work, we investigated the preferred coping strategies of students, offered recommendations for creating psychological and pedagogical conditions for the development of students' coping strategies that contribute to successful adaptation to the conditions.Methods. Theoretical and methodological analysis of scientific sources on the research problem was used in the work; empirical research methods: testing using the following techniques: "Questionnaire of coping methods" by R. Lazarus and S. Folkman (Ways of Coping Questionnaire – WCQ), adapted by the Bekhterev National Research Institute; "Coping behavior in stressful Situations" by N. Endler, J. Parker.Results. In the process of empirical research, it was revealed that the most characteristic for students in a stressful situation is coping, focused on avoidance, which manifests itself in distraction. That is, a significant number of students prefer not to solve the problem, but to distract themselves from it by other activities.Among the methods of coping behavior, "escape-avoidance" is pronounced, which most researchers consider to be maladaptive. Coping strategies "distancing" and "positive reassessment" are significantly expressed, which are aimed not at solving the problem, but at reducing emotional involvement in it, preventing emotional reactions to frustration.Conclusion. Thus, there is an obvious need for students to develop problem-oriented coping strategies. In particular, the strategies of "self-control" and "solution planning", which will help students direct their efforts to a rational solution of the problem.

Overexpression Analysis of PtrLBD41 Suggests Its Involvement in Salt Tolerance and Flavonoid Pathway in Populus trichocarpa.

Soil salinization is a significant environmental stress factor, threatening global agricultural yield and ecological security. Plants must effectively cope with the adverse effects of salt stress on survival and successful reproduction. Lateral Organ Boundaries (LOB) Domain (LBD) genes, a gene family encoding plant-specific transcription factors (TFs), play important roles in plant growth and development. Here, we identified and functionally characterized the LBD family TF PtrLBD41 from Populus trichocarpa, which can be induced by various abiotic stresses, including salt, dehydration, low temperature, and Abscisic Acid (ABA). Meanwhile, transgenic plants overexpressing PtrLBD41 showed a better phenotype and higher tolerance than the wild-type (WT) plants under salt stress treatment. Transcriptome analysis found that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the WT and overexpression (OE) line were enriched in the flavonoid biosynthetic process, in which chalcone synthases (CHS), naringenin 3-dioxygenase (F3H), and chalcone isomerase (CHI) were significantly up-regulated under salt stress conditions through qRT-PCR analysis. Therefore, we demonstrate that PtrLBD41 plays an important role in the tolerance to salt stress in P. trichocarpa.

Hypoxia stress: plant's sensing, responses, and tolerance mechanisms.

Oxygen (O2) is an inhibiting factor for plant growth and development in submerged and flooding environments. Plants experience different O2 concentrations, such as normoxia, hypoxia, and anoxia, which can change over space and time. Plants have evolved various morphological, physiological, and biochemical adaptations to withstand low O2 stress, many of which have been well investigated. This review provides a detailed analysis of how plants respond to hypoxia, a significant stress factor primarily caused by flooding. Hypoxia affects plants at various cellular, developmental, and environmental levels. This review highlights genetic, molecular, and metabolic adaptations crops employ to cope with O2 deficiency. The roles of various transcription factors (TFs) and gene regulation mechanisms in enabling plants to modulate their physiological responses under hypoxic conditions are notable. The review also identifies a significant gap in research on plant responses during reoxygenation, the phase of returning to normal O2 levels, especially under natural lighting conditions. This transition poses ROS generation and photoinhibition challenges, affecting plant recovery post-hypoxia. We discuss various strategies to enhance plant hypoxia tolerance, including traditional breeding, genetic modification, and grafting techniques. It emphasizes integrating these approaches with a comprehensive understanding of hypoxia sensing and response mechanisms. We underscore the complexity of plant adaptations to hypoxia and the need for continued research in this field, especially in the face of global climate change. This is vital for developing sustainable agricultural practices and ensuring future food security.

Phytohormonal balance and differential gene expression in chronically irradiated Scots pine populations from the chernobyl affected zone.

The impact of chronic radiation exposure on phytohormone content and expression of phytohormone- and stress-related genes of Scots pine in the zone affected by the Chernobyl accident was studied. Needle samples were collected from three plots with contrasting levels of radioactive contamination in the Polesye State Radiation-Ecological Reserve, Republic of Belarus, and two reference plots in the Kozeluzhsky forest in June 2022. The experimental plots were located within the artificial plantations of Scots pine established in 1982, before the accident in 1986. The activity of radionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, 241Am, 238Pu, and 239+240Pu in soil and needles ensured dose rates ranging from 3.3 to 87 mGy × year-1, while at the reference plots, the range was 0.7‒0.8 mGy × year-1. Concentrations of plant hormones, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), zeatin, and abscisic acid (ABA) in needles were evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We demonstrate that chronic radiation exposure is a significant stress factor that affects both phytohormonal balance and the expression of some important phytohormone- and stress-related genes. We found a tendency toward decreased ABA and auxin concentrations in trees from plots contaminated with radionuclides. The ratio (IAA + IBA + zeatin)/ABA was drastically raised at the most contaminated plots Masany and Kulazhin, reflecting the functional rearrangements of cellular metabolism that ensure plant adaptation under chronic radiation exposure. Changes in gene expression indicated modulation of ABA and Ca2+ signalling pathways, decreased potential of zeatin biosynthesis, and activation of heat shock proteins biosynthesis.

Transcriptome-Based Screening of Candidate Low-Temperature-Associated Genes and Analysis of the BocARR-B Transcription Factor Gene Family in Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea L. var. caulorapa L.).

Low temperature is a significant abiotic stress factor that not only impacts plant growth, development, yield, and quality but also constrains the geographical distribution of numerous wild plants. Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea L. var. caulorapa L.) belongs to the Brassicaceae family and has a short growing period. In this study, a total of 196,642 unigenes were obtained from kohlrabi seedlings at low temperatures; of these, 52,836 unigenes were identified as differentially expressed genes. Transcription factor family members ARR-B, C3H, B3-ARF, etc. that had a high correlation with biochemical indicators related to low temperature were identified. A total of nineteen BocARR-B genes (named BocARR-B1-BocARR-B19) were obtained, and these genes were distributed unevenly across seven chromosomes. Nineteen BocARR-B genes searched four conserved motifs and were divided into three groups. The relative expression level analysis of 19 BocARR-B genes of kohlrabi showed obvious specificity in different tissues. This study lays a foundation and provides new insight to explain the low-temperature resistance mechanism and response pathways of kohlrabi. It also provides a theoretical basis for the functional analysis of 19 BocARR-B transcription factor gene family members.

Assessment of Germination and Seedling Development Factors of Soybean Cultivars in Different Salinity Levels

Salinity poses a significant abiotic stress factor that exerts detrimental effects on plant growth during germination and early seedling stages. The global prevalence of high salt concentration has transformed salinity into a serious problem, impacting vast expanses of land worldwide. This experiment aims to examine the effects of various concentrations of Sodium chloride (NaCl), including 200 mM, 150 mM, 50 mM, and 50 mM, on the seed development at early stage and germination of different cultivars of soybean to determine the variety with the highest value of tolerance, while exploring the underlying mechanisms responsible for salt tolerance in these plants. The parameters considered for measurement included relative injury rate, mean germination time, germination percentage, water uptake percentage, seedling height reduction, seedling biomass, and salt tolerance. Among these parameters, seedling height was highly affected with up to 72.58% reduction in 200 mM, followed by fresh weight and water uptake percentage. The parameters with minimum changes from 0 mM to 200 mM were mean germination time and relative injury rate. By assessing these parameters, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of salinity on soybean genotypes can be obtained. In conclusion, the study suggests that seedling traits are a reliable way to identify genotypes with increased tolerance to salinity stress by farmers according to the salinity situation in their soils.

Mitigating NaCl stress in Vigna radiata L. cultivars using Bacillus pseudomycoides

Salt stress is one of the significant abiotic stress factors that exert harmful effects on plant growth and yield. In this study, five cultivars of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) were treated with different concentrations of NaCl and also inoculated with a salt-tolerant bacterial strain to assess their growth and yield. The bacterial strain was isolated from the saline soil of Sahiwal District, Punjab, Pakistan and identified as Bacillus pseudomycoides. Plant growth was monitored at 15-days interval and finally harvested after 120 days at seed set. Both sodium and potassium uptake in above and below-ground parts were assessed using a flame photometer. Fresh and dry mass, number of pods, seeds per plant, weight of seeds per plant and weight of 100 seeds reduced significantly as the concentration of NaCl increased from 3 to 15 dSm−1. There was a significant reduction in the growth and yield of plants exposed to NaCl stress without bacterial inoculum compared to the plants with bacterial inoculum. The latter plants showed a significant increase in the studied parameters. It was found that the cultivar Inqelab mung showed the least reduction in growth and yield traits among the studied cultivars, while Ramzan mung showed the maximum reduction. Among all the cultivars, maximum Na+ uptake occurred in roots, while the least uptake was observed in seeds. The study concludes that NaCl stress significantly reduces the growth and yield of mung bean cultivars, but Bacillus pseudomycoides inoculum alleviates salt stress. These findings will be helpful to cultivate the selected cultivars in soils with varying concentrations of NaCl.

Effects of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA) on Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Grapevine against Salt Stress

Salinity, one of the most significant abiotic stress factors restricting plant production, causes the destruction of agricultural lands and reduces productivity. In recent years, the utilization of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) applications, which have important effects in terms of avoiding and providing tolerance to factors by impacting the physiology and metabolism of the plants, has been on the agenda. In this research, the impacts of foliar treatments of different levels of 5-ALA (0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mM) on morphological and physiological traits of 41 B American grapevine rootstocks under salinity stress (NaCl solution starting with 25 mM and reaching 150 mM concentration) were investigated. Salinity stress caused significant decreases in growth parameters, chlorophyll content, RWC and stomatal conductance, and significant increases in leaf temperature, proline and MDA content, physical damage and membrane damage degree. Under salinity stress, 0.9 mM 5-ALA treatments resulted in significant increases in shoot length (14.67 cm), root length (34.50 cm), leaf thickness (0.23 µm) leaf area (31.37 cm2), leaf number (8.67 pieces), chlorophyll content (21.83 SPAD), RWC (80.20%), proline content (0.19 μmol.g-1) and stomatal conductance (78.05 mmol.m-2.s-1); and significant decreases in physical damage degree (1.00 scale degree), membrane injury degree (15.46%) and MDA content (28.20 nmol.g-1) compared to non-ALA treatments. According to the results of this study, 5-ALA can be recommended as an alternative application to provide salinity tolerance in plants in order to reduce the damage caused by salinity stress in agricultural lands.

Exploring the impact of social stress on the adaptive dynamics of COVID-19: Typing the behavior of naïve populations faced with epidemics

In the context of natural disasters, human responses inevitably intertwine with natural factors. The COVID-19 pandemic, as a significant stress factor, has brought to light profound variations among different countries in terms of their adaptive dynamics in addressing the spread of infection outbreaks across different regions. This emphasizes the crucial role of cultural characteristics in natural disaster analysis. The theoretical understanding of large-scale epidemics primarily relies on mean-field kinetic models. However, conventional SIR-like models failed to fully explain the observed phenomena at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak. These phenomena included the unexpected cessation of exponential growth, the reaching of plateaus, and the occurrence of multi-wave dynamics. In situations where an outbreak of a highly virulent and unfamiliar infection arises, it becomes crucial to respond swiftly at a non-medical level to mitigate the negative socio-economic impact. Here we present a theoretical examination of the first wave of the epidemic based on a simple SIRSS model (SIR with Social Stress). We conduct an analysis of the socio-cultural features of naïve population behaviors across various countries worldwide. The unique characteristics of each country/territory are encapsulated in only a few constants within our model, derived from the fitted COVID-19 statistics. These constants also reflect the societal response dynamics to the external stress factor, underscoring the importance of studying the mutual behavior of humanity and natural factors during global social disasters. Based on these distinctive characteristics of specific regions, local authorities can optimize their strategies to effectively combat epidemics until vaccines are developed.

On the Admission of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder to Outpatient Psychotherapy

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) present difficulties in self-regulation and interaction, which is a challenge for psychotherapists that is also addressed in BPD-specific interventions. Against this background, outpatient psychotherapists were surveyed about the factors playing a decisive role in their treatment offer for patients with BPD. Psychotherapists for adults were contacted via their email address published on the website of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung (Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians), 231 of whom answered an online questionnaire. The results were analysed descriptively and examined inferentially with regard to the psychotherapists' admission behaviour. Almost 90% reported that they would generally accept patients with BPD in therapy. However, of those, 85% did not have a therapy slot available. The psychotherapists' learned approach of treatment was not a decisive factor in determining whether they were willing to provide treatment. Most of the psychotherapists (85%) recommended a BPD disorder-specific therapy such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) or Schema Therapy (ST). However, only just under 7% were certified in such a disorder-specific approach. Significant individual stress factors described by the psychotherapists were suicidal risk (70%) and potential other-directed aggression (59%). In addition, it was shown that it played a role whether the psychotherapists were trained in an additional therapy approach (with at least 16 teaching units) or not. The care situation for people with BPD seeking an outpatient psychotherapy place is clearly in need of improvement. This is mainly due to a general lack of available therapy places as well as various fears and anxieties, such as increased suicidality, which in turn can have a negative impact on the provision of outpatient therapy. Psychotherapists who have undergone disorder-specific further training feel less burdened by suicidal behaviour. However, since only a small number of them are able to offer BPD-specific therapies, it is essential to expand and (financially) support specific training programmes. In order to meet the demand for care, professional changes are urgently needed.

Role of RNA interference in drought stress management: physiological, biochemical and molecular approach

Plants frequently encounter unfavourable growth conditions due to various biotic and abiotic stress factors. Drought is a significant abiotic stress factor that negatively impacts plant growth and development resulting in reduced crop productivity. Through evolution, plants have developed dynamic mechanisms that involve complex cross-talk between different regulatory levels, providing flexibility in their response to environmental stressors. Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), particularly microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), have been discovered to play a crucial role in regulating molecular response to stress, and to be the key players in the RNA interference (RNAi) process. RNAi is a reliable strategy for precise regulation of gene expression and has emerged as a game-changer in mitigating plant responses to abiotic stress such as drought. This review summarises the role of RNAi in drought mitigation and its mechanism of action, compiling the current understanding of drought-responsive miRNAs functional at physiological, biochemical and molecular levels in major cereals. Moreover, we discuss the fine-tuning of miRNAs using the CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9) system, a genome editing tool which can enhance the precision of gene expression regulation and increase plant tolerance to drought stress. These technologies have significant potential in ensuring global food security and sustainable agriculture by increasing crop yield and resilience to environmental stress.

THE LEVEL OF LIPID PEROXIDATION IN APIS MELLIFERA L. DURING THEIR SHORT-TERM MAINTENANCE ON DIFFERENT CARBOHYDRATE DIETS

The honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), the main pollinator of entomophilous plants, is one of the most important insects of natural ecosystems and a producer of such important products as honey, perga, royal jelly, wax, propolis etc. The efficiency of beekeeping is limited by many factors, the main of which is the survival of colonies in critical periods of development, especially in the conditions of widespread use of artificial feed. Diets that do not meet the vital needs of honey bees in full nutrition negatively affect their health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO), as a marker of the development of stress, in foraging bees Apis mellifera carnica, which consumed different carbohydrate diets in laboratory conditions for 14 hours. Bees were selected from the outermost combs in July, 40-50 individuals into feeder boxes, transported to the laboratory and kept for 14 hours at 25°С in a thermostat on the following diets: Group I – 30% sucrose solution; II – 30% sugar solution; III – 60% sucrose solution; IV – 60% sugar solution; V – 30% glucose solution; VI – 30% fructose solution; VII – 30% glucose solution + 30% fructose solution (1:1); VIII – 15% glucose solution + 15% fructose solution (1:1); IX – 32% honey solution. The insects of the control group were frozen with liquid nitrogen, in the apiary, the insects of the experimental groups - after the end of the experiment; stored at minus 70 °C until biochemical studies. The level of LPO was determined in separate tags (head, thorax, abdomen) according to Placer's method with modifications. It was found that the transfer into feeder boxes, transportation and keeping for 14 hours of a small cluster of forager bees is a significant stress factor for them, as evidenced by the increase in the level of LPO in the tissues of the insects' heads. The lowest level of LPO was observed in the tissues of the head and abdomen in bees that were kept in feeder boxes for fourteen hours on a 30% glucose diet compared to bees that consumed fructose (30%), sucrose (30 % and 60%) diets, a mixture of monosugars (15% + 15% and 30% + 30%) and honey. Keywords Apis mellifera, carbohydrate diet, lipid peroxidation, 14 hour stress, foraging bees

The relationship between stress and sociodemographic and academic characteristics among students

The study presents an active and turbulent period of life in which almost all students face stress. Due to that, this paper examines the presence of stress in student population and the contribution of sociodemographic and academic characteristics to explaining stress that they experience. The research included 170 students from different universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely "Džemal Bijedić" University in Mostar, the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo, the Islamic Pedagogical Faculty in Zenica, the Islamic Pedagogical Faculty in Bihać and the Faculty of Philosophy in Tuzla. The research findings showed that 38.2% of the respondents experienced moderate, severe or very severe stress symptoms, which is not an insignificant result. Based on the results of a linear regression analysis, we determined that socioeconomic status is a significant stress factor (β=.204, p=.008), while gender (β=.113, p=.142) and age (β=.005, p =.950) are not significant stress factors among students. Moreover, as far as academic characteristics are concerned, GPA (β=-.017, p=.826) is not a significant stress factor in student population, while study status (β=.157, p=.043) and the year of study (β= -.166, p=.033) present significant stress factors. Using the independent samples T-test and One-way ANOVA, we determined that female students are more susceptible to stress than male students (t=2.408, p=.017), that older students experience a higher level of stress (F=3.110, p=.043), and that students of lower socioeconomic status exhibit a higher level of stress (F=3.258, p=.040). When it comes to academic characteristics, the research findings indicated that there is no statistically significant difference in the level of experienced stress based on GPA (F=1.446, p=.231) and the year of study (F=2.384, p=.055); however, the research showed that part-time students show a higher level of stress compared to full-time students (F=6.23, p=.002). Keywords: stress, sociodemographic characteristics, academic characteristics, students.

Heart rate variability as an indicator of stress in women during wartime

The impact of post-traumatic stress related to the war was analyzed in 91 women who were in Kyiv or the Kyiv region during active combat in February and March 2022. Some of the examined women had been under occupation for an extended period. In contrast, others, from May 2022 to May 2023, experienced the strong influence of war factors such as missile and artillery shelling, staying in bomb shelters, or other shelters. Due to the military actions, the examined individuals were subjected to significant stress factors, which inevitably affected their psychoemotional state. To compare, data from 79 women examined before the Russian-Ukrainian war were used as a control group. The groups of women examined before and during the war did not differ in anthropometric indicators. To understand the age-related characteristics of civilian women, they were distributed into age groups of 30-44, 45-59, and 60-74 years. ECG registration was carried out using the ECG-recorder DiaCard (Solvaig, Ukraine). The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was performed by application DiaCard v. 1.0.0.73. ECG measurements were taken from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in the supine and standing positions (5 min). The study of HRV in women during wartime and the comparison of obtained results with the pre-war period revealed that war-related stress induces changes in HRV characteristics of various types of stress. In the examined women during wartime, there is a decrease in overall HRV, primarily due to HF oscillations, indicating a reduction in parasympathetic activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Such changes are typical for mild stress. Changes in HRV under conditions of military stress depend on the age of individuals and are more pronounced in young and elderly women. No significant shifts in heart rate variability were observed in individuals of average age. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: heart rate variability; woman; stress; war

Eluates from façades at the beginning of their service time affect aquatic and sediment organisms

Biocides are used in building materials to prevent microbial growth during storage (in-can preservatives) as well as after application (film preservatives). These compounds can leach out from the material into the environment and harm non-target organisms. In this study, the ecotoxicological effect of leachates at the beginning of a façade lifetime, on sediment and aquatic organisms was examined. For this purpose, leaching tests were carried out in the setting of a natural weathering experiment and a laboratory immersion with façade samples consisting of render/paint systems. The leaching experiments were performed with three different formulations, namely no biocides containing control, a formulation containing only in-can preservatives (benzisothiazolinone (BIT), methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT), and methylisothiazolinone (MIT)), and, as is common in organic building materials, containing both in-can and film preservatives (octylisothiazolinone (OIT) and terbutryn (TB)). In order to elucidate the effects of in-can and film preservative-containing eluates the toxicity of the generated leachables was evaluated on the model of several aquatic and sediment organisms, namely luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), green algae (Scenedesmus subspicatus), Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 (umu-test), fish-egg (Danio rerio), Chironomus riparius, and Lumbriculus variegatus. It was demonstrated that in-can preservatives leach out rapidly at the beginning of a façade lifetime and despite the short half-life of these compounds in aqueous solutions, they could be detected at high concentrations in the eluates. Furthermore, eluates from early sampling times, predominantly containing in-can preservatives, were found to cause toxic effects on sediment and aquatic organisms. The results demonstrate that in-can preservatives can impose a significant stress factor on the environment.

Taifi rose extract improves the growth and physiology of cowpea seedling stage under drought stress

Drought stress is the most significant environmental stress factor affecting the growth of crops and farming sector in the present era. This study was carried out mainly in the rose water extracted from the essential oil of Taif rose (Rosa damascena “Trigintipetala”), which was explored for drought stress tolerance from industry. The aim of this study was to investigate how Taif rose water (RW) pretreatment affected cowpea (Vigna unguiculata var. California blackeye NO.46) seedlings under drought stress (65% and 35% of filed capacity). The cowpea seeds are immersed in rose water with 15%, 25% and 35% for a couple of hours before being implanted. Drought stress dramatically reduces morphological traits of root and shoot length, fresh and dry biomass and leaf area. However, pretreatment of RW seed dramatically improves cowpea growth conditions, relative water content, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate. However, under drought stress, RW pretreated seedlings showed a decreased levels in malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, total soluble proteins and carbohydrates. However, drought stress increases the quality of antioxidant enzyme activities like superoxide dismutase and catalase in pretreated RW cowpea seedlings. This study concludes that pretreating with RW could increase the drought tolerance in cowpea seedlings by stretching their antioxidant defense mechanisms. In addition, this study holds the potential to play a vital role in ensuring food security in the near future, as it provides valuable insights into improving crop resilience and productivity under drought conditions.

The Regulatory Network of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.) Seedlings under Heat Stress Revealed by Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis.

Heat stress is an increasingly significant abiotic stress factor affecting crop yield and quality. This study aims to uncover the regulatory mechanism of sweet corn response to heat stress by integrating transcriptome and metabolome analyses of seedlings exposed to normal (25 °C) or high temperature (42 °C). The transcriptome results revealed numerous pathways affected by heat stress, especially those related to phenylpropanoid processes and photosynthesis, with 102 and 107 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified, respectively, and mostly down-regulated in expression. The metabolome results showed that 12 or 24 h of heat stress significantly affected the abundance of metabolites, with 61 metabolites detected after 12 h and 111 after 24 h, of which 42 metabolites were detected at both time points, including various alkaloids and flavonoids. Scopoletin-7-o-glucoside (scopolin), 3-indolepropionic acid, acetryptine, 5,7-dihydroxy-3',4',5'-trimethoxyflavone, and 5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavanone expression levels were mostly up-regulated. A regulatory network was built by analyzing the correlations between gene modules and metabolites, and four hub genes in sweet corn seedlings under heat stress were identified: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 2 (RDR2), UDP-glucosyltransferase 73C5 (UGT73C5), LOC103633555, and CTC-interacting domain 7 (CID7). These results provide a foundation for improving sweet corn development through biological intervention or genome-level modulation.

The mental health of medical students in Daegu during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: In February 2020, the first outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Daegu, South Korea, and confirmed cases increased sharply, sparking intense anxiety among residents. This study analyzed the data of a mental health survey on students enrolled at a medical school located in Daegu in 2020.Methods: An online survey was administered to 654 medical school students (pre-medical course: 220 students, medical course: 434 students) from August to October 2020, with 61.16% (n=400) valid responses. The questionnaire included items about COVID-19-related experiences, stress, stress resilience, anxiety, and depression.Results: Of the survey participants, 15.5% had experienced unbearable stress, with the most significant stress factors (in descending order) being limited leisure activities, unusual experiences related to COVID-19, and limited social activities. Approximately 28.8% reported psychological distress, and their most experienced negative emotions were helplessness, depression, and anxiety (in descending order). The mean Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory-II scores were 2.44 and 6.08, respectively, both within normal ranges. Approximately 8.3% had mild or greater anxiety, and 15% had mild or greater depression. For students under psychological distress, the experience of unbearable stress before COVID-19 affected anxiety (odds ratio [OR], 0.198; p<0.05), and having an underlying condition affected depression (OR, 0.190; p<0.05). With respect to their psychological distress during August–October 2020 compared with that during February–March 2020 (2 months from the initial outbreak), anxiety stayed the same while depression increased and resilience decreased at a statistically significant level.Conclusion: It was found that some medical students were suffering from psychological difficulties related to COVID-19, and there were several risk factors for them. This finding suggests that medical schools need to not only develop academic management systems but also provide programs that can help students manage their mental health and emotions in preparation for an infectious disease pandemic.