Stress Sensitivity Research Articles

The Interaction of Polygenic Susceptibility to Stress and Childhood Adversity Dimensions Predicts Longitudinal Trajectories of Stress-Sensitivity.

Stress-sensitivity (SS) is considered a psychobiological trait possibly resulting from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors (GxE). This study examined whether the interaction of SS-related genetic markers with interview-based dimensions of childhood adversity predicted longitudinal trajectories of low versus high SS. Participants were nonclinically-ascertained young adults comprising normative and elevated scores on schizotypy. SS trajectories were defined in a previous report based on three prospective assessments (23.5, 25, 28 years-old) of both retrospective (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS) and momentary (Experience Sampling Methodology; ESM) stress ratings. A total of n=177 and n=165 participants with PSS and ESM stress-sensitivity trajectories, respectively, as well as genetic data, were included in the study. GxE effects between a SS Polygenic Risk Score (PRS-SS) and a Genetic Risk Score of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis (GRS-HPA) with childhood adversity dimensions (Intrafamilial Adversity, Threat and Deprivation) on SS trajectories were examined. Threat was the most consistent predictor of persistently high SS. PRS-SS moderated the association of Threat with high-PSS. GRS-HPA moderated the effects of all adversity dimensions on high-PSS. The interaction of PRS-SS with Deprivation and GRS-HPA with Intrafamilial Adversity predicted trajectories of momentary social stress, but the effects were driven by those with lower genetic susceptibility. Genetic-HPA-axis moderates the effects of all adversity dimensions on persistent SS trajectories, as well as PRS-SS and Threat, particularly for retrospective stress measure. The findings highlight the complex interplay between GxE factors and suggest that PSS may better capture SS trait. Including biologically-meaningful GRS indexing SS and adversity dimensions in future studies using comprehensive stress measures would enhance our knowledge on high SS susceptibility and its relationship with diverse psychopathological outcomes.

Numerical Simulation of Seepage in Shale Oil Reservoirs Under Hydraulic Fracturing: From Core-Scale Experiment to Reservoir-Scale Modeling

In this study, finite element software was used to simulate seepage at the core scale, the stress sensitivity of the shale core of the stripe layer and fractures was evaluated, and the production optimization design of reservoir C in block B of the oilfield under different fracturing parameters and wellbore parameters was simulated. The coupled finite element model of reservoir seepage stress was established; the pore elasticity model was used to determine the reservoir deformation; the seepage followed Forchheimer’s law and Darcy’s law; and finally, the liquid production was calculated to optimize the production plan. The results showed that the permeability under the same stress conditions increased nonlinearly with the increase in the striatal angle at the core scale, the permeability under the same effective stress conditions decreased gradually with the increase in the shale/fringe thickness ratio, and the elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the proppant decreased. The permeability stress sensitivity was stronger. In the reservoir-scale model, the production pressure difference was the most significant factor affecting shale oil production, followed by the number of fractures and the length of the horizontal zone wellbore, and the elastic modulus of the proppant and Poisson’s ratio had the least impact on production.

The interplay among environmental sensitivity, job stressors, and leadership styles on employee well-being

Investigating the role of individual differences in Environmental Sensitivity for well-being and stress at work is an emerging area of research with significant potential for practical implications in organizational management and human resources. Recent studies have begun to explore how individuals with high sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) may be more vulnerable to work-related stress than their less sensitive peers, but may also derive greater benefits from positive job resources when available. The present study aims to investigate the role of leadership style in the complex interplay between individual differences in sensitivity, stress at work, and general well-being. A questionnaire was administered through Qualtrics to a total of 317 workers from two medium–large–sized Italian companies, across two waves between May and July 2022. Findings provided support for a three-way interaction effect, with job stressors exerting an adverse effect on participants’ well-being, mitigated by democratic and let-it-be leadership styles at the team level, particularly among highly sensitive individuals. Thus, our findings suggest a vantage sensitivity effect and underscore the importance of cultivating positive work climates to enhance workers’ ability to cope with stressors and improve their global well-being, with particular relevance for highly sensitive individuals.

Underlying drivers of coral reef vulnerability to bleaching in the Mesoamerican Reef

Coral bleaching, a consequence of stressed symbiotic relationships between corals and algae, has escalated due to intensified heat stress events driven by climate change. Despite global efforts, current early warning systems lack local precision. Our study, spanning 2015–2017 in the Mesoamerican Reef, revealed prevalent intermediate bleaching, peaking in 2017. By scrutinizing 23 stress exposure and sensitivity metrics, we accurately predicted 75% of bleaching severity variation. Notably, distinct thermal patterns—particularly the climatological seasonal warming rate and various heat stress metrics—emerged as better predictors compared to conventional indices (such as Degree Heating Weeks). Surprisingly, deeper reefs with diverse coral communities showed heightened vulnerability. This study presents a framework for coral reef bleaching vulnerability assessment, leveraging accessible data (including historical and real-time sea surface temperature, habitat variables, and species composition). Its operational potential lies in seamless integration with existing monitoring systems, offering crucial insights for conservation and management.

Behavioural profiling following acute stress uncovers associations with future stress sensitivity and past childhood abuse.

Background: Individuals greatly differ in their responses to acute stress, ranging from resilience to vulnerability that may yield stress-related psychopathology. Stress-related psychopathologies involve, by definition, substantial modifications across multiple behavioural domains, including impaired cognitive, affective and social functioning. Nevertheless, and despite extensive investigation of individual variability in stress responsivity, no study to date simultaneously assessed the impact of acute stress across multiple behavioural domains within a given individual.Objective: To address this critical gap, 84 healthy female participants (mean age 24.45 ± 3.02, range 19-35) underwent an established acute stress induction procedure and completed three behavioural tasks, probing the functional domains of positive, cognitive and social processing, both before and after the acute stress procedure.Method: A novel behavioural profiling algorithm was implemented to identify individuals whose performance was substantially impacted by stress across all three functional domains.Results: Approximately 30% of participants exhibited substantial deviation in their performance from before to after stress in all three tasks, hereon defined as stress-affected. Stress-affected participants did not differ in their psychological and physiological responses to the acute stress procedure from the other stress-unaffected 70% of the sample. However, follow-up assessments in 66 of these participants revealed higher levels of stress six months following the procedure among the stress-affected compared to the stress-unaffected group. Stress-affected individuals also reported more aversive childhood experiences, such that the odds of participants who were sexually abused at an early age to be affected behaviourally by acute stress later in life increased by more than five-fold.Conclusions: Taken together, these findings suggest that being affected by acute stress across multiple functional domains is associated with future stress sensitivity and past childhood sexual abuse. Probing individual differences in the impact of acute stress across domains of functionality may better align with the multi-dimensional nature of stress responsivity, uncovering latent vulnerability.

Experiment and Prediction of Enhanced Gas Storage Capacity in Depleted Gas Reservoirs for Clean Energy Applications

Utilizing depleted gas reservoirs for gas storage is the most efficient method. However, the impact of multi-cycle injection-production and water invasion on rock properties and gas-water seepage dynamics remains unclear. This study investigates such reservoirs' multi-cycle stress sensitivity and gas-water displacement behavior. Results show that multi-cycle injection-production and water invasion increase the stress sensitivity of the gas and damage gas storage space and seepage channels. This study also proposed a new unsteady gas-water relative permeability testing method and a prediction model based on in-situ X-ray CT scanning, improving measurement accuracy by 30%. The results found that the gas's relative permeability is directly proportional to the injection rate and inversely proportional to the initial gas saturation. A gas-water relative permeability model was established, demonstrating that gas-water interference intensifies as the number of cycles increases. In a gas-water transition zone in depleted gas reservoirs, gas relative permeability damage reaches 81%, reducing the movable pore space and impacting injection-production rates and capacity. This study offers valuable recommendations for optimizing production and dynamic prediction in depleted gas reservoirs, contributing to clean energy applications.

Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Constitutive Modeling of Polyurethane Microporous Elastomers.

The present study fabricated samples of polyurethane elastomers (PUEs) with three distinct densities and assessed their mechanical responses using split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests. The findings reveal a significant increase in PUE stress with increasing strain rate and density. To further investigate the influence of strain rate sensitivity on PUEs, a strain rate sensitivity coefficient was employed to quantify the impact of strain rate on the mechanical properties of PUEs. Separate quantifications were performed for collapse stress, plateau stress, and densification strain as indicators of the strain rate sensitivity coefficient. The results demonstrate that the collapse stress sensitivity coefficient was notably affected by the applied strain rate. Additionally, both collapse and plateau stresses exhibited an increase with increasing density, which could be described by a power function relationship. Based on the theory of strain energy function, a constitutive model considering density and strain rate effects was developed to describe the stress-strain behavior of PUEs under various densities and strain rates. A comparison between this constitutive relationship and experimental results showed good agreement, highlighting its potential in describing dynamic mechanical behavior.

Associations of periconception dietary glycemic index and load with fertility in women and men: a study among couples in the general population

BackgroundThe dietary glycemic index (GI) and load (GL) reflect carbohydrate quality and quantity, potentially impacting fertility through modulation of insulin sensitivity and generation of oxidative stress. While fertility is influenced by both women and men, reproductive research often emphasizes maternal factors. We first examined periconception dietary intake in both women and male partners, and subsequent associations of dietary GI and GL with fecundability and subfertility.MethodsAmong 830 women and 651 male partners, participating in a population-based prospective cohort study from preconception onwards, we assessed periconception dietary intake and calculated GI and GL, using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at median 12.4 weeks gestation (95% range 10.9, 18.4). Information on time to pregnancy was obtained through questionnaires, with subfertility defined as a time to pregnancy ≥ 12 months or use of assisted reproductive technology.ResultsIn the periconception period, mean energy intake in women was 1870 kcal (SD: 500; 46% carbohydrates, 16% protein, 33% fat; dietary GI 56.2 (SD: 3.5) and GL 141.4 (SD: 67.4)). Mean energy intake in men was 2350 kcal (SD: 591; 43% carbohydrates, 16% protein, 33% fat; dietary GI 56.8 (SD: 3.2) and GL 156.7 (SD: 75.4)). Median time to pregnancy was 4.8 months (IQR: 1.2, 16.4), with 30.6% of 830 women experiencing subfertility. Dietary GI and GL were not associated with fertility outcomes in women. In men, higher dietary GI and GL across the full range were associated with decreased fecundability, after adjusting for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, as well as dietary GI or GL of female partners [FR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.83, 0.99; FR: 0.90, 95% CI 0.81, 0.99, per SDS increase in dietary GI and GL, respectively]. When assessing the combined influence of dietary GI clinical categories in women and men, both partners adhering to a low GI diet tended to be associated with increased fecundability, but not with subfertility risk.ConclusionsSuboptimal periconception carbohydrate intake may be negatively associated with male fertility, but not with fertility outcomes in women. Further studies are needed to assess whether a lower GI and GL diet is a feasible lifestyle intervention to improve couples fertility.

Xeroderma pigmentosum protein XPD controls caspase-mediated stress responses

Caspases regulate and execute a spectrum of functions including cell deaths, non-apoptotic developmental functions, and stress responses. Despite these disparate roles, the same core cell-death machinery is required to enzymatically activate caspase proteolytic activities. Thus, it remains enigmatic how distinct caspase functions are differentially regulated. In this study, we show that Xeroderma pigmentosum protein XPD has a conserved function in activating the expression of stress-responsive caspases in C. elegans and human cells without triggering cell death. Using C. elegans, we show XPD-1-dependent activation of CED-3 caspase promotes survival upon genotoxic UV irradiation and inversely suppresses responses to non-genotoxic insults such as ER and osmotic stressors. Unlike the TFDP ortholog DPL-1 which is required for developmental apoptosis in C. elegans, XPD-1 only activates stress-responsive functions of caspase. This tradeoff balancing responses to genotoxic and non-genotoxic stress may explain the seemingly contradictory nature of caspase-mediated stress resilience versus sensitivity under different stressors.

Variability of Agronomic Traits of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Lines in Two Agroecosystems in Indonesia

Wheat is an important agricultural commodity in Indonesia, yet the country remains heavily reliant on imports to meet domestic demand. The diverse agroclimatic conditions in the highlands and lowlands pose significant challenges for national wheat production. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of wheat lines in two distinct altitude environments: Cipanas (1120 m above sea level) and Cisarua (600 m above sea level). An augmented randomized complete block design (RCBD) assessed 50 F6 wheat lines derived from the HP1744/”Selayar” cross. The results revealed significant variability in agronomic traits attributable to altitude differences. However, genotype-by-environment (GxE) interactions were found to be non-significant for all evaluated characters. Broad-sense heritability was classified as medium for the grain-filling period in Cipanas and seed weight of the main panicle in Cisarua, while all other traits exhibited low heritability. Based on the stress sensitivity index (SSI), 14 lines (28%) were identified as tolerant to higher temperatures in the medium-altitude environment, particularly in terms of seed weight of the main panicle. These findings are of utmost importance as they underscore the need to consider genetic and environmental factors in developing wheat cultivars suitable for Indonesia’s diverse agro-climatic conditions.

TaWRKY55-TaPLATZ2 module negatively regulate saline-alkali stress tolerance in wheat.

Saline-alkaline soils are a major environmental problem that limit plant growth and crop productivity. Plasma membrane H+-ATPases and the salt overly sensitive (SOS) signaling pathway play important roles in plant responses to saline-alkali stress. However, little is known about the functional genes and mechanisms regulating the transcription of H+-ATPases and SOS pathway genes under saline-alkali stress. In the present study, we identified that the plant AT-rich sequence and zinc-binding (TaPLATZ2) transcription factor are involved in wheat response to saline-alkali stress by directly suppressing the expression of TaHA2/TaSOS3. The knockdown of TaPLATZ2 enhances salt and alkali stress tolerance, while overexpression of TaPLATZ2 leads to salt and alkali stress sensitivity in wheat. In addition, TaWRKY55 directly upregulated the expression of TaPLATZ2 during saline-alkali stress. Through knockdown and overexpression of TaWRKY55 in wheat, TaWRKY55 was shown to negatively modulate salt and alkali stress tolerance. Genetic analyses confirmed that TaPLATZ2 functions downstream of TaWRKY55 in response to salt and alkaline stresses. These findings provide a TaWRKY55-TaPLATZ2-TaHA2/TaSOS3 regulatory module that regulates wheat responses to saline-alkali stress.

Sexual Victimization History and Emotion Regulation in Daily Life: A Role for Stress Sensitization.

Relative to other types of traumatic experiences, a lifetime history of sexual violence (SV) has been linked with more persistent and severe mental health outcomes, but the reasons for this discrepancy have not been clearly established. Stress sensitization, or the amplification of responses to daily stressors as a function of trauma history, offers one possible explanation. Using ecological momentary assessment, the current study tested stress sensitization effects in daily life for individuals with a history of SV, focusing on emotion regulation as an outcome. Smartphone surveys were delivered four times per day over a 2-week period to assess relationships between prior SV exposure, daily stressors, and emotion regulation in an undergraduate sample (N = 122). As expected, individuals with lifetime exposure to SV evidenced increased emotion dysregulation and maladaptive emotion regulation in response to daily stressors relative to nonexposed peers, even after accounting for cumulative trauma. However, the SV and non-SV groups did not differ significantly on state adaptive emotion regulation. Instead, experiencing daily stressors was associated with increased adaptive emotion regulation for individuals in both groups. Broadly, results suggest that SV is uniquely associated with increased sensitivity to daily stressors, manifested as emotion dysregulation and use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies to regulate emotions. These findings are consistent with emerging research on the neurobiology of trauma and with an emphasis on emotion regulation skills in leading interventions for SV-exposed individuals. Stress sensitization warrants additional attention as a factor linking SV and mental health problems.

Influence of β-Stabilizing Nb on Phase Stability and Phase Transformation in Ti-Zr Shape Memory Alloys: From the Viewpoint of the First-Principles Calculation

In the present study, the effect of the Nb element on the lattice parameters, phase stability and martensitic transformation behaviors of Ti-Zr-based shape memory alloys was extensively investigated using the first-principles calculation. The lattice parameters of both the β parent phase and α′ martensite phase gradually decreased with Nb content increasing. For the α″ martensite phase, the lattice constant (a) gradually increased with the increase in Nb content, whereas the lattice constants (b and c) continuously decreased due to the addition of Nb. Based on the formation energy and density of state, β→α′ martensitic transformation occurred, as the Nb content was not more than 12.5 at.%. However, the Ti-Zr-Nb shape memory alloys with a Nb content higher than 12.5 at.% possessed the β→α″ martensitic transformation. However, both the largest transformation strain and sensitivity of critical stress to temperature (dσ/dT) can be optimized by controlling 12.5 at.% Nb in the Ti-Zr-Nb shape memory alloy, which was favorable to obtaining the largest elastocaloric effect.

Effects of lateral critical current nonuniformity on stresses in dry-wound high-field REBCO coils

Abstract The distribution of critical current density (jc) in REBCO coated conductors affects the magnetization behaviors and subsequently screening-current-induced stresses, particularly for solenoid magnets in high fields. This paper studies numerically the correlation between lateral jc profile across conductor width and stress distribution in pancake coils. The modeling framework considers bending, winding, thermal contraction, and magnetic forces including coupled electromagnetic-mechanical behaviors, i.e., the deviation of the perpendicular field away from axial direction due to tilting deformation. The lateral nonuniformity is introduced using trapezoidal functions, emulating typical jc profiles originated in pristine tapes and those caused by slitting. First, parametric studies are carried out on the small test coils previously reported in the 'Little Big Coils' (LBC) paper. It is shown that while slitting edge defects have a moderate impact on peak strains, imperfections in the pristine tape with a larger shoulder width can accelerate the penetration process, shifting peak force to the structurally resilient middle section. Similar behaviors are found in the LBC3 case study, suggesting that lateral jc nonuniformity may have contributed to the observed degradation states in pancakes with different slit-edge orientations. Furthermore, the manipulation of lateral jc profile is proposed as a strategy to manage stresses in high field solenoids. This is demonstrated in the design study of a hypothetical REBCO insert. By adjusting the lateral jc distribution and the overall scaling factor, magnet designs with a reasonable current margin and moderate peak strain can be found. The multi-width concept is then applied to allow for a higher operating current and a larger margin for the end pancakes. Albeit being a generic case, this study highlights the sensitivity of peak stresses in high-field magnets to jc distribution. This feature may be taken into account to fine-tune magnet designs and adjust coil assemblies for better overall performance. It also emphasizes the need for careful characterization and effective control of lateral jc distributions in REBCO coated conductors.

Stress-Responsive Gene Expression, Metabolic, Physiological, and Agronomic Responses by Consortium Nano-Silica with Trichoderma against Drought Stress in Bread Wheat

The exploitation of drought is a critical worldwide challenge that influences wheat growth and productivity. This study aimed to investigate a synergistic amendment strategy for drought using the single and combined application of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) (Trichoderma harzianum) and biogenic silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) from rice husk ash (RHA) on Saudi Arabia’s Spring wheat Summit cultivar (Triticum aestivum L.) for 102 DAS (days after sowing). The significant improvement was due to the application of 600 ppm SiO2NPs and T. harzianum + 600 ppm SiO2NPs, which enhanced the physiological properties of chlorophyll a, carotenoids, total pigments, osmolytes, and antioxidant contents of drought-stressed wheat plants as adaptive strategies. The results suggest that the expression of the studied genes (TaP5CS1, TaZFP34, TaWRKY1, TaMPK3, TaLEA, and the wheat housekeeping gene TaActin) in wheat remarkably enhanced wheat tolerance to drought stress. We discovered that the genes and metabolites involved significantly contributed to defense responses, making them potential targets for assessing drought tolerance levels. The drought tolerance indices of wheat were revealed by the mean productivity (MP), stress sensitivity index (SSI), yield stability index (YSI), and stress tolerance index (STI). We employed four databases, such as BAR, InterPro, phytozome, and the KEGG pathway, to predict and decipher the putative domains in prior gene sequencing. As a result, we discovered that these genes may be involved in a range of important biological functions in specific tissues at different developmental stages, including response to drought stress, proline accumulation, plant growth and development, and defense response. In conclusion, the sole and/or dual T. harzianum application to the wheat cultivar improved drought tolerance strength. These findings could be insightful data for wheat production in Saudi Arabia under various water regimes.

Compositional simulation of coupled transport mechanisms in fractured-vuggy underground gas storage: A case study of LWC in the Sichuan Basin

Compositional models were built to simulate the underground gas storage (UGS) operation, which is characterized by multiple cycles of rapid injection and production. Based on the validated model of the fractured-vuggy underground gas storage Lao Weng-Chang (LWC), this study evaluated the individual and coupling effects of stress sensitivity, relative permeability hysteresis, and high-speed non-Darcy flow on UGS operation. It was found that stress sensitivity is the main controlling factor behind the reduced working gas volume, and it led to a 6.07% decline in working gas volume. Relative permeability hysteresis is the determining factor for the storage capacity, and it led to a 9.05% decline in storage capacity. The high-speed non-Darcy flow only led to a 0.16% reduction in storage capacity but led to a 4.19% decline in working gas volume. A higher stress sensitivity coefficient and increased residual gas saturation both lead to greater losses in both storage capacity and working gas volume. Coupling stress sensitivity and relative permeability hysteresis would have a more pronounced effect on working gas volume than when considered individually. Considering the high-speed non-Darcy flow further decreases working gas volume. The gas production per unit pressure drop will also decrease with the increasing Reynolds number, and there exists a critical value of Re where the decrease significantly accelerates.

Quasi-closed diaphragm based piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer with reduced Q and stress sensitivity for in-air rangefinding

To improve the performance of the Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) based rangefinder and decrease its stress sensitivity, a novel design with quasi-closed structure is proposed. It adopts a circular piezoelectric composite diaphragm structure with clamped boundary, in which all the deposited stack layers in its central region are intentionally removed and additional cross-slits are created into the remaining silicon device layer. Due to the reduced mass and the enhanced thermal-viscous damping at slits, a 35.2 % decrease in quality factor Q has been achieved in the proposed PMUT when compared with the conventional design, resulting in a distinctly reduced blind area from 231.3 mm to 170.7 mm. At the same time, the proposed quasi-closed PMUT facilitates the release of accumulated stress in the device structure during fabrication and operation. As a result, an approximate 50 % reduction in frequency deviation between different as-fabricated PMUTs across the same wafer has been successfully obtained. Moreover, due to the increased linear operation range, the developed bare PMUT chip demonstrates a maximum detection distance of 3 m at the operation frequency of 71.5 kHz under 40 Vpp driving voltage. Given the advantages of lower Q, insensitivity to stress, good fabrication consistency and large linear operation range, the proposed quasi-closed PMUT design can well address the requirements on small blind area and large detection range for distance sensing applications.

Exploring the physicochemical and rheological properties of sustainable asphalt binders modified with lignin and high-viscosity additive

The primary objective of this investigation is to evaluate how the incorporation of lignin and high-viscosity modifiers impacts the performance of asphalt binders. Lignin-modified asphalt binder (LBA) and lignin-high viscosity modifier composite-modified asphalt binder (LHA) were created by blending 5 % and 15 % lignin, respectively. To understand the physicochemical interactions, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to analyze functional groups, thermal properties, and phase changes. Additionally, the linear rheological behavior and nonlinear rheological behavior were evaluated through frequency sweep and multiple stress creep recovery tests. The findings suggest that lignin blends physically with the asphalt binder and high-viscosity modifier without a chemical reaction. Although the onset pyrolysis temperature of lignin is significantly lower than that of asphalt binders, due to its relatively low content, the thermal decomposition of lignin-modified asphalt binders is primarily controlled by the asphalt binder itself and still exceeds the construction temperature. However, lignin incorporation increases the asphalt binder's glass transition temperature, potentially affecting low-temperature performance. Lignin significantly enhances the modulus in the high-frequency region of both unmodified and high-viscosity modified asphalt binder. However, it has a negative effect on the modulus in the low-frequency region of high-viscosity modified asphalt binder. Furthermore, nonlinear creep recovery test results demonstrate that lignin positively contributes to the deformation resistance of unmodified asphalt binder in a content-dependent manner, whereas it reduces the elastic behavior and deformation resistance of high-viscosity modified asphalt binder. In addition, low levels of lignin increase the stress sensitivity of binders, while high levels of lignin decrease it. Despite these effects, the performance of lignin and high-viscosity additive composite-modified asphalt binder remains superior to that of unmodified asphalt binder. These findings offer valuable insights into the combined use of lignin and polymers in asphalt binder modification.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Perceived Discrimination, and Mental Health in Sexual and Gender Minoritized Adults: Comparing Stress Accumulation and Stress Sensitization Models.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) exposure, perceived discrimination, and anxiety and depressive symptoms in sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) adults in the United States. Methods: Respondents (n = 4445) from a national Qualtrics research panel completed a web-based survey. Guided by the stress proliferation (mediation model) and stress sensitization (moderation model) models, we examined the relationships between ACEs and perceived discrimination and the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adulthood. Results: Cumulative ACEs exposure was positively associated with everyday discrimination scale (EDS) scores. ACEs and EDS scores had a significant direct association with anxiety and depressive symptoms. We found support for EDS as a mediator for anxiety (β = 0.12, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = 0.14, p < 0.001) and for ACEs as a moderator of the relationship between EDS and anxiety (β = -0.04, p = 0.004) and depressive (β = -0.05, p = 0.001) symptoms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both stress proliferation and stress sensitization likely contribute to disparities in anxiety and depressive symptoms in SGM adults. This finding supports the integration of social safety and minority stress perspectives regarding health disparities in SGM populations. Exposure to early life adversity likely alters neurodevelopment, which in turn increases awareness of the lack of social safety in adulthood, reduces capacity to cope with minority stress exposure, and ultimately contributes to increased anxiety and depressive symptoms. Prevention efforts should focus on building positive and compensatory childhood experiences.

Integrated Permeability Stress Sensitivity Studies of Multi-cycle Injection and Production for Underground Gas Storage

Abstract This paper details the design of multi-cycle injection and production stress simulation experiments, aimed at quantitatively characterizing the permeability stress sensitivity in underground gas storage(UGS) during multiple operation cycles. Derived from the reservoir sensitivity evaluation method and the stress sensitivity coefficient method, a suite of stress sensitivity evaluation index was introduced to discuss the effect of stress variation paths on the stress sensitivity characteristics. It is found out that the stress sensitivity is common in sampled gas storage cores. Meanwhile, there is a significant stress sensitivity hysteresis effect in multi-cycle injection and withdrawal experiments. After multiple cycles, the rock stress sensitivity is less dependent on the stress path. However, due to the superposition of multiple cycle stress sensitive hysteresis effect, the multi-cycle permeability damage ratio and irreversible damage ratio increased. The phenomenon of stress sensitivity hysteresis is especially pronounced in cores with low permeability. This study offers a theoretical foundation for predicting gas storage operation schemes and formulating technical policies.