Stressful Situations Research Articles

The use of virtual reality in the treatment of mental disorders such as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder

Mental disorders, such as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are a serious health problem that significantly impacts people's quality of life. These disorders can significantly impair the quality of life of patients, so studying ways to treat them using modern methods is important and relevant. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and potential of using virtual reality (VR) technology in the treatment of phobias and PTSD. The methods used in the study include analytical, comparative, and systematization methods. The study has shown that cognitive behavioural therapy and exposure therapy are the main treatments for these disorders. The use of VR in the treatment of mental disorders, including phobias and PTSD, opens up new opportunities for safe and effective exposure to stressful stimuli. It was found that the benefits of using VR in the treatment of mental disorders include safe exposure, an individualized approach to treatment, and the ability to create realistic simulations of stressful situations. The study confirmed that the use of VR in the treatment of phobias allows patients to gradually get used to phobic stimuli and change their negative perceptions and reactions to them. The use of VR in the treatment of PTSD has significant potential, allowing the application of various techniques, including exposure, gradual desensitization, cognitive behavioural therapy, therapeutic recovery, meditation, and relaxation, to alleviate the symptoms of the disorder and improve the quality of life of patients. The findings of the study can serve as a basis for improving clinical practice in psychotherapy and psychiatry, allowing for more effective and individualized care for patients with disorders.

Psychological-Social Attitudes of Seniors Towards Stressful Situations in the Home Environment

Aim. The main goal of the article is to point out the attitude of seniors to stressful situations in the home environment from a psychological-social perspective. The authors identify selected categories of problem areas in the lives of seniors, which they later analyze in qualitative research. Methods. The authors used a literary-descriptive method and an open coding theory grounded in the empirical investigation of the methods. Qualitative research was carried out through interviews with seniors in which they identify burdensome problem situations and look for new solutions. start the analytical induction, the authors draw attention to new knowledge in individual problems of stress situations in seniors. Results. Seniors at home experience problematic situations associated with loneliness, loss, but also the very retirement of a partner and disrupted intergenerational relationships in the family. Home care is one of the solutions of these socio-psychological systems. Conclusion. Relationships in the family, which should be based on love, understanding, understanding and mutual help, also depend on the attitude of the senior citizen and his family towards an important situation. Relationships in the family to a large extent also affect the productivity of the senior's family. Here, a home care service proves to be a suitable alternative and help for the family.

Burnout in healthcare workers: The effect of stress of conscience.

The stress of conscience occurs in stressful situations that are often encountered in healthcare, leading to an uncomfortable conscience in healthcare workers. They may not be able to control their emotions and feel burnout. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of stress of conscience on burnout in healthcare workers. This cross-sectional study was performed with 602 healthcare workers between November 2020 and January 2021 in Turkey. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form, Stress of Conscience Scale, and Maslach Burnout Inventory. A positive and high-level relationship was found between the stress of conscience and burnout (r = 0.603, p < 0.001). The stress of conscience accounted for 36% of burnout. Also, female healthcare workers have high stress of conscience and burnout scores. This study is important in terms of realising the stress and burnout of healthcare workers and for health managers to recognise the stress types of their workers. The increase in the level of burnout of healthcare workers is associated with their stress of conscience. Using the results of this study, national and international consensus can be obtained to reduce the impact of the stress of conscience on healthcare workers.

Psychosocial Factors and Psychological Adjustment Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Comparative Analysis of Occasional Drug Craving and Non-Craving.

The rate of drug craving not only in Pakistan is escalating rapidly, but also from a wide range of cultures and geographically have been impacted by the drug problem. Recently, drug cravings among young Pakistani school and college students have significantly increased, particularly illegal substances like hashish, heroin, and ecstasy. We recruited 338 students and gathered demographic and drug-craving data through a survey. To assess the study variables, we used the parental acceptance-rejection short version, peer pressure questionnaire, and adult personality assessment scale. The prevalence rate of occasional drug craving was 44.1% (tobacco, 39.9%; heroin, 1.8%; ice, 0.6%; and others), and 55.9% have never tried them. Initially, drug craving at the first onset at the age of 14 in friend gatherings (15.7%) in stressful situations (11.2%), high-income families, particularly in joint family systems with paternal rejection, peer enforcement, and maladjustment had a higher risk than affectionate parents and conventional peers. Stepwise binary logistic regression analysis disclosed that age, socioeconomic status, father affection, hostility, rejection, negligence, peer influences, and psychosocial adjustment, mother hostility were independently associated with occasional drug cravings. Findings suggested the high prevalence of occasional drug cravings in Pakistani students in the capital territory. Furthermore, the demographic and other social and clinical aspects could be linked. This study carried out theoretical significance in understanding the predictors of occasional drug craving and psychological adjustment, highlighting the peer and parent's roles and the educational institutions.

Sense of Coherence, Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control as Predictors of the Level of Achievement Motivation of People with Dyslexia During Adolescence

The purpose of the article is to learn about and analyse personal resources such as self-efficacy, sense of locus of control, sense of coherence in students with dyslexia in adolescence and their achievement motivation. Four tools were used: KBPK-R Questionnaire for the Study of Sense of Control – revised version, KompOs – Personal Competence Scale SOC-13M Life Orientation Questionnaire and the LMI Achievement Motivation Inventory – short version. This research was carried out from January to June 2023 in Poland. The research sample (n = 225) consisted of adolescents with dyslexia (n = 112) and without dyslexia (n = 113). The results were analysed using hierarchical regression analysis. The study showed that overall sense of coherence correlated positively with sense of strength (r=0.255). Sense of self-efficacy correlated positively with sense of resourcefulness (r=0.196) and sense of strength (r=0.713) and perseverance (r=0.724) All indicators of sense of control correlated positively with each other. Sense of control in the area of success (r=0.374) and overall sense of control (r=0.472) also correlated positively with achievement motivation. The research analyses show that a predictor of achievement motivation is a sense of comprehension and a sense of locus of control on success scale. Students with dyslexia on the self-efficacy scale score low, the sense of locus of control is external, and the sense of coherence ranks low. Students’ knowledge of their own resources is crucial as it allows for increasing motivation for work and adequate response in difficult and stressful situations. These resources are also necessary for determining both shortterm and long-term goals, the achievement of which will depend precisely on motivation.

Parenting Practices and Children's Mental Health: Moderating COVID-19 Stressors Experienced by Brazilian Parents

Aim: To examine whether the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic moderate the relationship between parental educational practices and children's emotional and behavioral problems. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered family routines, and children, with their limited ability to understand and interpret these changes, have been particularly vulnerable to stress. Method: An explanatory design was used with a sample of 135 Brazilian parents (mothers or fathers) who lived with a child aged between 6 and 11 years. Participants completed the Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, the Parenting Practices Inventory, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the COVID-19 Stress Response Questionnaire remotely. Results: Coercive discipline significantly interacted with COVID-19 stressors in relation to emotional and behavioral problems. Increased perception of stressors intensified the association between coercive discipline and conduct problems, peer issues, and internalizing problems in children. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the use of coercive discipline, negatively impacting children's mental health. Implications: The findings highlight the need to enhance and reinforce parenting skills to better manage stressful situations, thereby safeguarding the parent-child relationship and mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic on children.

Spiritual Challenges of Family Caregivers of Patients in a Vegetative State: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Background: Spirituality helps family caregivers of vegetative state patients to overcome the stressful conditions of patient care. However, the illness and caregiver burden may also negatively affect the caregiver’s spirituality. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the challenges of family caregivers of patients in a vegetative state. Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted through conventional content analysis from August 2020 to September 2021 in two provinces of Iran (Sistan and Baluchestan and Khorasan Razavi). A total of 20 family caregivers of patients in a vegetative state were included in the study. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. Data were analyzed using the method proposed by Graneheim and Lundman via MAXQDA2020 software. Data collection continued until data saturation and identification of main categories. Results: Based on data analysis, spiritual disintegration and spiritual coherence were identified as the two main categories to describe the spiritual challenges of family caregivers of patients in a vegetative state. The experiences of family caregivers showed that spirituality is effective in accepting the conditions and adapting to the role of the patient caregiver. However, illness and caregiver burden lead to spiritual damage and the turning away of family caregivers from performing religious rites and rituals. Conclusion: Considering the undeniable role of spirituality in dealing with the stressful situation of caring for a patient in a vegetative state, the spiritual needs of family caregivers and the implementation of nursing interventions to enhance the spiritual health of caregivers should be given more attention.

Pathway linking attachment styles to post-traumatic growth among recovered COVID-19 patients: testing the mediating role of coping styles

ABSTRACT Background: Research on post-disaster mental health shows that people have unique resources to undergo positive changes like posttraumatic growth (PTG) after facing adversities. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and PTG in COVID-19 survivors, with a focus on exploring the mediating role of coping strategies. Through examining these dynamics, the study seeks to contribute to deeper understanding of the psychological processes underlying growth in individuals recovering from the pandemic. Method: A total of 210 participants were enrolled from the hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, in January 2021, and completed self-report questionnaires. PTG, attachment styles, and coping strategies were assessed using Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to assess the mediation models. Results: The direct effects of secure (β = 0.22, p < .001), and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = −0.22, p < .001) on PTG were significant. Also, task-oriented coping significantly predicted PTG (β = .60, p < .001). The direct path from secure (β = 0.16, p < .05) and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = −0.38, p < .001) to task-oriented coping was significant, as was direct impact of secure (β = −0.18, p < .01) and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = 0.37, p < .001) to emotion-oriented coping. The association between secure attachment and PTG is significantly mediated by task-oriented coping (β = 0.1, (95% CI: 0.01–0.18)). Also, task-oriented coping was a significant negative mediator between ambivalent-anxious attachment and PTG (β = −0.24, (95% CI: −0.33 – −0.15)). Conclusions: Results support the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between attachment styles and PTG. It emphasizes the importance of interventions for improving coping resources in individuals with life-threatening illnesses, focusing on improving problem-focused coping and reducing maladaptive strategies.

Animal Protection Officers: Professional Identity, Professional Stressors, and Mental Health Needs

Abstract Animal protection officers (APOs) fulfill critical community roles but are underrepresented in academic literature. This study explored APOs’ professional identities, professional stressors, positive job aspects, and mental health needs and access. Our mixed-methods design featured a survey followed by interviews. The survey was disseminated to APOs from four local agencies. Results from 18 respondents revealed that seeing a child injured by an animal or an animal injured by a human were the most stressful work situations. Positive job aspects included helping animals, public education, and supporting community safety. Only four respondents had accessed mental health services for job-related issues. Nine respondent interviews yielded themes addressing how APOs make meaning, stressors and resilience factors, and mental health supports. Recommendations based on survey and interview responses are provided.

Paediatric long-COVID diagnosis in school’s health unit environment

It is known that the mental health and well-being of all children and young people should be taken care of, regardless of their SARS-CoV-2 infection status. It is difficult to know the exact number of young people who need help, but in many health systems the need is likely to be greater than the resources available. Many questions about long-COVID-19 in children and adolescents &lt;18 years of age, its prevalence, natural course, risk factors, mechanisms and consequences remain unanswered. As well as studies assessing whether vaccination reduces the risk of long-COVID-19 in children and adolescents who contract COVID-19 despite vaccination would be valuable. This paper examine the degree to which environmental elements were connected to children’s well-being during COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. The purpose of this study is to investigate early learning experiences in the family, childhood education and environmental elements that affect children’s social-emotional health. The results also show that there may be protective variables for kids’ mental health amid stressful situations, such the lockdowns that many families went through during the pandemic. Keywords: long-COVID, mental health in children, COVID-19, vaccinations, pandemic.

EFEITOS DA PRÁTICA DE EXERCÍCIOS FÍSICOS NA MELHORIA DA SAÚDE MENTAL

Introduction: Physical exercise is widely recognized by health professionals as an excellent ally in promoting quality of life and well-being. With both biological and psychological effects, it can be an exceptional therapy used alongside medications to treat mental disorders. Objective: The present study aims to explore the effects of physical exercise in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. Method: This work is an integrative literature review that included original and review articles in order to select relevant information for the outcome of this research. Results: The results obtained through this review demonstrated that regular physical exercise has a significant impact on mental health, greatly contributing to the reduction of symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. The ability to cope with stressful situations can be further enhanced through physical activities. Conclusion: Physical exercise triggers the release of neurotransmitters associated with feelings of pleasure and relaxation, such as serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. The benefits of physical activity for mental health are numerous, positioning it as a crucial tool in the prevention and treatment of disorders like depression and anxiety.

The associations between resilience, self-care, and burnout among medical students

Burnout is a work-related stress syndrome with substantial consequences for patients, physicians, and medical students. Personal resilience, i.e., the ability to bounce back and thrive despite challenging circumstances, and certain practices, such as self-care, may protect individuals from burnout. However, limited information exists on the complex relationships between resilience, different self-care practices, and burnout. Understanding these associations is important for designing efficient interventions within medical schools. Therefore, the present study examined the direct and indirect associations through a cross-sectional study among 95 fourth-year medical students. Self-reported questionnaires measured resilience, self-care dimensions (stress management, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, health responsibility), and burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment). Data were analyzed via IBM-SPSS and PROCESS-macro. The main results demonstrated that self-care mediated the associations between resilience and burnout: stress management and interpersonal relations mediated the associations with emotional exhaustion, while spiritual growth mediated the association with personal accomplishment. These results highlight that medical students’ resilience may encourage self-care behaviors, thus decreasing levels of the burnout dimensions of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. Developing curricula that enhance students’ resilience through applying self-care techniques in stressful situations may reduce the negative impact of burnout in healthcare.

The impact of the pandemic on psychophysical well-being and quality of learning in the growth of adolescents (aged 11-13): a systematic review of the literature with a PRISMA method.

This study examines the social impact and psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth of adolescents students, aged 11-13, on well-being and learning. Said review, therefore, will consider all the report of scientific works published since 2020 on the following platforms: SCOPUS, PsycoInfo, and Web of Science. Specifically, the research has selected all studies concerning students aged 11-13. Furthermore, the authors have restricted the scope of the study to two fundamental aspects of the above-mentioned subjects, such as their physical and psychological well-being and didactic learning following the COVID-19 pandemic. The justification for choosing such themes lies in the fact that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the ensuing measures adopted to curb its spread have had -and very likely will continue having- sizable repercussions in the life of each individual, especially in students considered, whose psychological and physical well-being has been considerably affected. In particular, during the peak of the pandemic and its subsequent phases, the various measures issued to limit contagion have completely compromised and disregarded the rights of children and youngsters. Suddenly, leisure, sport, play, relations, and socialization disappeared from their lives. Besides, in the early stages of the pandemic, remote teaching replaced face-to-face teaching, later to become an intermittent system in the red- and orange-labelled areas of the country. Consequently, such measures have severely limited opportunities for learning, growth, curiosity and creating relationships that are typical of both a school and outside environment. Concerning the well-being of the subjects considered, a review of the target literature indicates a wide range of psychological and physical disorders, such as malaise, eating and sleep disorders, addiction to games, internet, alcohol, and drugs. For what regards, instead, the realm of learning, most studies highlight a diminished school performance as the main implication of remote teaching. Furthermore, a remarkable number of studies reveals substantial social inequalities; specifically, students coming from middle class families have managed to maintain higher quality educational standards in a critical context such as the pandemic, while those students coming from socially disadvantaged families have had fewer learning opportunities both in terms of time and range of experiences (due to lack of electronic devices, Internet connectivity, homework, continuity of after-school activities). In summary, if the school system pre-COVID-19 already presented significant limitations in its ability to reduce existing social inequalities, school closures during lockdowns pose enormous challenges in developing effective policies to compensate learning losses and inequalities. Therefore, based on the results shown, the necessity arises of an emergency plan with social and educational objectives to restore those social, emotional, and cognitive abilities that are compromised. In general, it is the responsibility of countries and governments to guarantee the right to education in these difficult times, while avoiding any type of inequalities and establishing a digital learning system, that allows to face situations such as those generated by the Coronavirus, thus preventing those situations of serious anxiety and stress that have affected most subjects.

Development of self-efficacy in high school students through soil analysis in the protected natural area "Estero El Soldado"

Teaching various scientific disciplines involves both hands-on and theoretical methods aimed at sparking students' curiosity in learning concepts. Students enhance their comprehension by actively engaging in direct activities rather than solely relying on explanations provided by teachers. The development of a research project carried out by 12th grade students during the semester allowed them to develop scientific or technological research to understand nature and act on it. The research project involved taking soil samples of natural protected area “Estero El Soldado” and analyzing it using a microscope, increasing student’s self-efficacy using the microscope. Self-efficacy was measured before and after the proposed research project using the General Self-Efficacy Scale instrument (Baessler and Schwarzer, 1996), which consists of 10 items and measures a person's perception when facing a variety of stressful situations. The participation of 43 12th grade students was analyzed. After the completion of the research project students, the results from the pre-test (M = 66.89, SD = 19.52) and post-test (M = 80.34, SD = 19.84) self-efficacy evaluation indicate that carrying out the research project resulted in an improvement in self-efficacy, t(84) = 2.01, p = 0.0008. We can conclude that integrating hands-on research projects like soil analysis using different laboratory equipment boosts 12th-grade students' scientific self-efficacy, as evidenced by improved scores on the General Self-Efficacy Scale. These findings underscore the value of experiential learning in nurturing both scientific skills and confidence in students.

Neurophysiological response to social feedback in stressful situations.

The relationship between external feedback and cognitive and neurophysiological performance has been extensively investigated in social neuroscience. However, few studies have considered the role of positive and negative external social feedback on electroencephalographic (EEG) and moderate stress response. Twenty-six healthy adults underwent a moderately stressful job interview consisting of a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test. After each preparation, feedback was provided by an external committee, ranging from positive to negative with increasing impact on subjects. Stress response was measured by analysing response times (RTs) during the speech phase, while cognitive performance was assessed using a Stroop-like task before and after the test. Results indicate that RTs used to deliver the final speeches with negative feedback were significantly lower compared with those used for the initial speech with positive feedback. Moreover, a generalized improvement in Stroop-like task performance was observed in the post-SST compared with the pre-SST. Consistent with behavioural results, EEG data indicated greater delta, theta, and alpha band responses in right prefrontal and left central areas, and for delta and theta bands, also in parietal areas in response to positive feedback compared with aversive-neutral feedback, highlighting greater cognitive effort required by the former. Conversely, an increase in these bands in right and left temporal and left occipital areas was observed following negative and aversive feedback, indicative of an adaptive response to stress and emotion-regulatory processes. These findings suggest that negative social feedback in moderately stressful and noncritical conditions could contribute to improving individual cognitive performance.

Шкала реагирования на неопределенность: инструмент оценки взаимодействия подростков с многомерным стрессом

&lt;p&gt;The adaptation of the Uncertainty Response Scale (URS) aimed at studying the ways in which adolescents interact with uncertainty stress situations is described. The scale contains 25 questions and includes three subscales: &amp;ldquo;Emotional uncertainty,&amp;rdquo; &amp;ldquo;Cognitive uncertainty,&amp;rdquo; and &amp;ldquo;Desire for change&amp;rdquo;. The questionnaire has good internal consistency (Cronbach&amp;rsquo;s alpha for scales 0.85-0.93; CFI=0.93; TLI=0.92; RMSEA=0.060 [0.057; 0.062]; SRMR=0.06) in a sample of adolescents from different regions of the Russian Federation (N=1718; age from 12 to 18 years; average age 14&amp;plusmn;1 years; 53.8% female). The URS validity is confirmed by the expected correlations with the scales of the &amp;ldquo;Multidimensional Students&amp;rsquo; Life Satisfaction Scale&amp;rdquo; and &amp;ldquo;Multidimensional School Engagement Scale&amp;rdquo;. The validity is also supported by the fact that the URS allows to differentiate respondents in different stressful situations: if a teenager finds himself in a maximally stressful situation, emotional reactions to uncertainty increase, while cognitive reactions to uncertainty are quite stable, and readiness for change decreases. The &amp;ldquo;Response to Uncertainty Scale&amp;rdquo; can be used to conduct large-scale longitudinal studies, studies of adolescents from different groups, including vulnerable groups, as well as individual studies to build subsequent practice of psychological assistance.&lt;/p&gt;

Особенности взаимосвязи регуляции кардиоритма и компонентов внутренней картины болезни у студентов

&lt;p&gt;The work is aimed at identifying the features of the mechanisms of regulation of cardiac rhythm, which determine adaptive behavior in situations of health disorders. Materials from two empirical studies conducted on a sample of 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; to 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; year students at Yelets University are presented. The study 1 (N=160) involved respondents aged 17 to 23 years of both sexes, of whom 37.5% had various health problems. In study 2 (N=60), students (average age 21&amp;plusmn;2.3 years), of which 50% belong to the category of chronically ill, 50% had periodic health problems. Study 2 included five stages, in which four levels of the internal picture of the disease (IPD) were diagnosed and cardiac rhythm measurements were performed at rest and against the background of existing disease memories. The following methods were used: SF-36 Health Status Survey, Health, Activity, and Mood questionnaire, SCL-90-R, &amp;ldquo;Coping behavior in stressful situations&amp;rdquo;, &amp;ldquo;Level of subjective control&amp;rdquo;, TATD method. The fixation of the heart rate variability was carried out using the hardware and software complex OMEGA-M. The results obtained allow us to say that there is a correlation between the individual components of IPD and the parameters of regulation of heart rate variability. The optimal state of the body's homeostatic systems, which ensure successful adaptation, is characterized by the activity of the parasympathetic department of autonomic nervous system in the process of cardioregulation.&lt;/p&gt;

Do Islamic work ethics matter? Impact of aversive leadership on employees’ emotional and psychological health through the lens of conservation of resource theory

Aversive leadership remains a relatively underexplored area in organizational behavior. This study advances the field by identifying emotional exhaustion as a key mechanism linking aversive leadership to employees’ psychological health outcomes, including psychological well-being, psychological strain, and psychological detachment. It also examines the role of Islamic work ethics (IWE) as a moderator in the relationship between aversive leadership and emotional exhaustion. Supported by conservation of resource (COR) theory, which posits that stressful workplace situations, such as aversive leadership, lead to resource depletion resulting in emotional exhaustion and poor psychological health, this study finds that individuals with strong personal resources, such as IWE, are better equipped to cope with these negative outcomes. Data were collected from 260 employees in service sector organizations of Pakistan using self-administrated questionnaires. The results supported direct and indirect effects, as well as the moderating role of IWE. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers in addressing the negative impacts of aversive leadership and offers organizations guidance on selecting and nurturing supportive and positive leaders. Such leaders can foster a healthier and more productive work environment.

Geographical Information System for Groundwater Potential Zoning in a Peninsular Region of Bihar

Background: Exponential growth in population and over-exploitation has created groundwater stress situation in several regions globally. The peninsular area spread in the Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts of Bihar (India) is rich in groundwater, but decrease in groundwater level has been observed in the last decade. Methods: In this study, groundwater potential zones have been delineated using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) based AHP. The occurrence of groundwater in the study area is mainly affected by following factors- geomorphology, lithology, lineaments, drainage, soil, annual rainfall, slope, land use land cover and fluctuations in groundwater level. Above factors were considered as themes and were prioritized over each-other using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and merged in a GIS environment to delineate the groundwater potential zones. Result: Four different zones of groundwater potential- low, moderate, high and very high have been observed in the study area. The moderate and high groundwater potential zones cover 44% and 55%, respectively. The delineated potential zones have also been validated using the groundwater levels of the pre- and post-monsoon seasons, which match well. The areas at higher elevations were in the moderate potential zones.

Abstract C028: Challenging PDAC adaptability: Uncovering therapeutic vulnerabilities in APE1 DNA repair mechanisms

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a therapeutically challenging malignancy notorious for its resilience to therapeutic strategies and ability to thrive under extreme conditions. The cancer's inherent ability to adaptively resist treatments underscores the need for novel and combinatorial therapeutic approaches. Our research focuses on elucidating the role of Apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease/Redox effector factor 1 (APE1/Ref-1), a critical multifunctional protein in PDAC pathobiology. APE1 serves two essential functions: as the principal endonuclease in the base excision repair (BER) pathway for DNA repair and as a redox regulator of transcription factors essential for cancer cell proliferation. While the therapeutic targeting of APE1’s redox function has been effective and continues to yield significant advances, the development of treatments aimed at its DNA repair function has proven more challenging with comparatively limited progress. Since standard PDAC treatment regimens involve DNA damaging agents potentially repaired via BER and APE1, we engineered three mutant cell lines with knock-in mutations resulting in a reduction of APE1’s BER activity while maintaining full redox activity. Biochemical evaluations confirmed the effects of the mutation, revealing a 30-fold reduction in DNA repair capacity. Surprisingly, with respect to growth and proliferation, the mutant and wild-type cell lines behaved similarly. Analyses of cytotoxic vulnerabilities revealed similar findings with the mutant lines exhibiting minimal phenotypic differences in sensitivity when challenged with cytotoxic and DNA damaging agents in proliferation-based assays. These findings led us to posit that the mutant cell lines were relying on compensatory DNA repair pathways which were providing sufficient compensation for the decrease in APE1 activity. We further hypothesized that the cell lines may still have hidden, long-term deficiencies in DNA damage processing which are not apparent during the initial stress response. Subsequent colony formation assays revealed that the mutant cell lines do exhibit poor long-term survival even after only short-term exposure to DNA damage. In vivo orthotopic mouse model experiments further corroborated these findings, showing a significant reduction in tumor size and decreased metastasis to the lungs and liver in mutant cell lines compared to wild-type controls. While APE1 is the primary endonuclease in the BER pathway, studies have demonstrated APE1-independent BER in rare, specific contexts. We are probing the hypothesis that these APE1-independent BER pathways function as the compensatory mechanism safeguarding these cells in short-term stress situations. Identifying and characterizing these backup pathways will not only offer a better understanding of APE1’s DNA repair capabilities within PDAC but will also provide a better understanding of how DNA repair mechanisms can be therapeutically targeted for novel therapeutic options or combinations. This opens the path to enhance standard of care treatments such as FOLFIRINOX. Citation Format: Eyram K Kpenu, Randall Wireman, Mahmut Mijiti, Silpa Gampala, Melissa L Fishel, Mark R Kelley. Challenging PDAC adaptability: Uncovering therapeutic vulnerabilities in APE1 DNA repair mechanisms [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in Pancreatic Cancer Research; 2024 Sep 15-18; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(17 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C028.