Stressful Situations Research Articles

A Study of Psychological Features in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

There is a lack of multidisciplinary studies examining the link between psychological factors and glycemic control in individuals with chronic illnesses. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between psychological factors such as resilience, perceived stress, emotional regulation, aggressiveness, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the study seeks to determine the predictive value of perceived stress and resilience on HbA1c levels and to explore the role of anger expression and emotion regulation strategies in glycemic control, comparing diabetic patients to healthy controls. The study was conducted between November 2021 and November 2023 at the Clinic of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the St. George University Hospital, Bulgaria, and the Department of Science and Research at the Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Of these 84 individuals were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, divided into two groups of 42 individuals each, who had poor and fair glycated hemoglobin. The third group was a healthy control consisting of 42 individuals in the same age group who had no established chronic diseases. When comparing the study groups on HbA1c and individual psychological characteristics, there were statistically significant differences in resilience, perceived stress, emotion regulation suppression, and anger expression. When comparing the mean values of mental resilience with glycated hemoglobin levels, we find that there are statistically significantly higher mean values between the poor HbA1c control and the healthy group. From the regression analysis, we conclude that the psychological characteristics positively associated with perceived stress (β=0.502; p<0.001) and inversely associated with mental resilience (β=-0.359; p<0.001) are the most predictive. Less influential was the straight correlation with emotion regulation-expressive inhibition (β=0.226; p<0.05), the positive correlation with anger (β=0.170; p<0.001), and general aggressiveness (β=0.151; p<0.05). From the present study, we note that glycated hemoglobin level is strongly influenced by two psychological predictors, namely subjective perception of stressful situations and resilience level.

Impact of patient death on physicians’ mental health

IntroductionPhysicians often encounter stressful situations that can impact their mental well-being. The death of a patient represents one of the most difficult situations in routine medical practice. Literature notably lacks comprehensive studies into physicians’ personal experiences with patients’ deaths. However, it does underscore heightened levels of sorrow, guilt, and stress stemming from the passing of terminally ill patients. As a majority of studies in this realm adopt qualitative methodologies, there is merit in supplementing existing research with a quantitative approach that employs validated psychometric scales. Furthermore, the study of phenomena associated with stress, particularly the perceived professional support by physicians in stressful events, can contribute to the implementation of preventive measures to help physicians cope. ObjectiveOur study aims to measure the traumatic impact on resident and intern physicians at national university hospitals following the death of patients, as well as to assess the perceived level of professional support among these physicians. Materials and methodsWe conducted a nationwide cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study. Participants included interns and residents from various specialties (medical, surgical and laboratory) at national university hospitals in Morocco. Assessing the traumatic impact of patients’ death on doctors was conducted using two psychometric scales: the Peri-Traumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) and the Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R). Additionally, we used the Perceived Professional Social Support Scale (QSSP-P) to evaluate how supportive the professional environment was towards these doctors. All scales utilized in the study are validated in the French language. ResultsThe study included 96 participants, with 67.7% being female. The average age was 26.8 years, ranging from 23 to 39 years. The majority of participants managed more than nine patients simultaneously (58.3%) while 41.7% were scheduled for more than six 24h shifts per month. During their training, over 64.6% of interns and residents faced more than ten patients’ death incidents, and 68.8% considered their first patient death as the most traumatizing. Half of the physicians evaluated the patients’ care as moderately appropriate, with 46.9% believing that the incident could have been prevented. Notably, 70.8% of interns and residents involved in patient care experienced self-blame and attributed a share of responsibility to themselves for the patient's demise. The majority of participants, 82.3%, exhibited peri-traumatic distress with a PDI score exceeding 15. Among the studied factors, only the perceived responsibility and a management system centered on a single physician (rather than a team) demonstrated a noteworthy correlation with PDI scores. The mean score on the IES-R scale was 25.6, with almost half of the sample (54.2%) reporting moderate to severe PTSD symptoms. The severity of these symptoms was significantly correlated with higher age, high number of patient's deaths experienced and the physician's perceived sense of responsibility. Participants in our study were more satisfied with support from colleagues compared to support functions (paramedical staff, administrative officials) or superiors. Moreover, only colleagues’ support was statistically significantly associated with low scores on the traumatic impact scales. ConclusionPhysicians maintain a unique relationship and therapeutic alliance with their patients. Therefore, the death of a patient can have a significant psychological impact on the physician. This study allowed us to objectively measure this psychological impact and evaluate professional support. The results of these studies encourage further exploration of the issue and the implementation of measures to reduce this psychological impact.

Algorithm-Enhanced Engineering English Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: A Data-Driven Approach

The era of artificial Intelligence (AI), the landscape of language training, especially in the vicinity of Engineering English, is gift technique a transformative shift. This paper offers a unique data-driven technique to Engineering English training, stronger via modern day algorithms, to address the precise stressful situations and opportunities furnished through AI enhancements. Our approach integrates algorithmic answers with conventional language coaching methodologies to create a dynamic, adaptive gaining knowledge of environment sustainable-made to the unique wishes of engineering students. Primary method is the usage of AI-driven analytics to investigate students’ language talent and studying patterns. Using leveraging natural language processing and machine mastering algorithms, we are able to customize the curriculum and offer focused practise that aligns with each student’s linguistic and technical level. This consists of the development of specialised vocabulary, comprehension of technical files, and effective verbal exchange in expert engineering contexts. A tremendous element of this study is the collection and evaluation of data on student performance and engagement. This information-driven feedback loop allows non-prevent refinement of coaching techniques and substances, ensuring that the instructional content material cloth remains relevant and effective in the unexpectedly evolving discipline of engineering.

Behavioural and neuroendocrine responses in alpacas (Vicugna pacos) to the shearing procedure

Shearing is a necessary procedure which can cause stress in alpacas. Reactions to stressful situations can include behavioural and physiological changes in an animal's effort to maintain homeostasis. There has been limited investigation on stress mechanisms in terms of behaviour and physiological changes in alpacas, with a focus on heart rate and cortisol in faeces and saliva. This study aimed to determine alpaca behaviour and the concentrations of selected neuroendocrine indicators (cortisol, dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, thyroxine) at: pre-shearing (3 days before shearing), on the day of shearing and post-shearing (5 and 10 days after shearing). This study examined 20 alpacas. Compared with the behaviour observed before shearing, shearing performed by the standing method caused only an acute behavioural stress response on the day of shearing and no change 5 and 10 days after shearing. Higher stress activity during shearing was not strongly correlated with the intensity of their everyday reactions to the environment. In contrast, noradrenaline increased and thyroxine decreased after the shearing procedure, changes indicative of mid-term stress symptoms. There were significant correlations between some behavioural and neuroendocrine indicators, confirming the involvement of cortisol, serotonin and noradrenaline in the mechanisms of alpaca behavioural regulation.

A comparative study of bioenergetic metabolism on mammary epithelial cells from humans and Göttingen Minipigs

Mammary epithelial cells (MECs) of humans (h) and Göttingen Minipigs (mp) were analyzed to compare their ability to perform ATP production by oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis. The ATP production under basal and stressor situations highlights the same metabolic potential of both primary cell lines. However, quantitively the ATP production rate of hMECs was higher than mpMECs. Conversely, oxidative cell respiration in mpMECs exploits a maximum respiratory capacity to support pathophysiological circumstances or stress conditions that could require an excessive effort of cell metabolism. Since mpMECs primarily utilize an oxidative metabolism similar to hMECs, the metabolic characterization conducted allows us to confirm that mpMECs represent a potential alternative cellular model in the translational medicine approach.

The Effect of Applying Problem-solving Skills on Stress Coping Styles and Emotional Self-efficacy in Mothers of Preterm Neonates: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Dysfunctional stress-coping styles may accelerate negative emotional self-efficacy in the mothers of preterm neonates. This study was conducted to determine the effect of applying problem-solving skills on stress-coping styles and emotional self-efficacy in mothers of preterm neonates. This randomized clinical trial was conducted from January 2020 to February 2021 in 4 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of Mashhad, Iran. 60 mothers were selected using convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. The intervention group was divided into groups of 3-5 people to attend 6 sessions of at least 60 minutes held 3 times a week for two weeks and received training on problem-solving skills. The control group received routine care. Data were collected using demographic characteristic forms, problem-solving inventory, ways of Coping Questionnaire, and the emotional self-efficacy scale. The tools were initially filled out by both groups and re-completed at the end of the second week after the intervention and four weeks later. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and the significance level of less than 0.05. Independent and paired t-test, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, repeated measures, and Bonferroni post hoc test were used. Analysis of variance with repeated measures showed that in the intervention group, there was an increase in the scores of problem-focused style (before: 37.9±6.3; immediately: 46.2±5.3; one month later: 47.5±5.6) (P<0.001), a decrease in scores of emotion-focused style (before: 44.0±6.9; immediately: 38.6±6.2; one month later: 38.0±4.4) (P<0.001), and an increase in mothers' emotional self-efficacy (before: 113.0±14.9; immediately: 130.3±10.6; one month later: 134.5±8.3) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Problem-solving skills are recommended to be used in NICU to empower mothers. Problem-solving skills are recommended to be used in NICU to empower mothers to adopt appropriate strategies for dealing with the situational stress of having a preterm neonate and to increase emotional self-efficacy.Trial Registration Number: IRCT20191211045696N1.

Variation in Seedling Quality Attributes of Lentil (Lens &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;culinaris&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Medik.) After Harvested Under Different Sowing Dates

Planting dates are the most important components for Lentil seedling growth and development. Seeds planted in diverse environmental situations lead to changes in various seedling development and the final output of the yield. The present study, aimed to assess the effect of different planting (sowing) dates harvested seeds on the physiological properties of nineteen (19) lentil genotypes. Lentil was growing during two consecutive planting days on average the normal (main) 17/08/2021 and lately 16/09/2021, then harvested seed extract after five months of storage, planted CRD with two factorial designs and three replications under laboratory condition within a white plastic container filled with autoclaved 3.0kg sand applying 100ml distilled water. The lentil was grown per standard, and the lentil&amp;apos;s postharvest physiological quality parameters were evaluated. Results indicated that the lowest speed of germination index was obtained during late planting time or stress situations on the genotype Adda (8.78) and ILL-1760 (8.94). Seedling length is the seedling vigor criterion and is statistically significantly different between planting dates at 1%. The effect of planting day on seedling fresh weight was significantly different (p &amp;lt; 0.01) on genotype Beredu (0.0022) on the main planting day. The seed viability on vigor index (II) as shown in was affected by planting date (p &amp;lt; 0.01) and genotypes (p &amp;lt; 0.01). The heritability value of shoot length, root length, and seedling fresh weight equal zero was the variation due to environmental it had no genetic effect after five months of storage both main and late planting. The seedling vigor index, fresh and dry weight traits maximum on the main planting day on the genotype Beredu indicates 0.0445, 0.00218, and 0.00045 respectively. Seeds from the main planting day had the best seedling traits performance and recorded minimal germination time compared to late planting seeds. Lentil seeds planted lately finally recorded lower seedling fresh and dry weight, vigor, and speed of germination index as compared to those harvested lentil seeds in main planting dates. As a result, when there is adequate rainfall necessary for lentil growth, development, and final output.

영유아교사의 대처유연성이 정신적 웰빙에 미치는 영향: 분노조절효능감과 불안조절효능감을 매개로

This study aims to investigate the effects of early childhood teachers' coping flexibility on their mental well-being and to determine whether anger regulation efficacy and anxiety regulation efficacy play a mediating role in this process. A survey was conducted with 329 early childhood teachers, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 22.0. The results showed that coping flexibility, anger regulation efficacy, anxiety regulation efficacy, and mental well-being were all positively correlated, and the relationship between coping flexibility and mental well-being was mediated by anger regulation efficacy. These findings suggest that early childhood teachers who can cope flexibly with stressful situations are more mentally healthy and that effective emotional regulation skills, particularly the ability to regulate anger, may play an important role in the mental health of early childhood teachers. This study confirms the need for interventions to improve coping flexibility and anger regulation efficacy to promote the mental well-being of early childhood teachers.

Changes in the lipid balance in the gastric mucosa in rats under acute stress

BACKGROUND: Stress gastric ulcers are a type of peptic ulcer that develops in response to severe physiological or psychological stress. The causes of stress ulcers in the gaster have not yet been fully studied. AIM: To evaluate the composition of lipids in the gastric mucosa in rats under acute stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All rats included in the study (n=30) were divided into two groups. Group 1 (main group, n=20) included animals that had a model of stress gastric ulcer created by stimulation with electrical impulses for 12 hours. Group 2 (control group, n=10) included animals that had not been manipulated. At the end of the experiment, the effective and total concentration in blood serum of all animals was determined, followed by the calculation of the albumin binding reserve, and the plasma toxicity index. We also visually assessed the degree of damage to the gastric mucosa and determined the composition of lipids. RESULTS: Our study showed that a stressful situation led to the development of endogenous intoxication of group 1 animals. A decrease in the level of phosphatidylcholine by 16.3% and phosphatidylserine by 18.6% in stressed rats demonstrates the destruction of the cell membrane against the background of apoptosis, which macroscopically manifests itself in the form of spot hemorrhages, erosions and ulcers in the gastric mucosa. An increase in monoacylglycerol by 34.4% and diacylglycerol by 53.4% in group 1 animals indicates an increase in membrane permeability and induction of regenerative processes. CONCLUSIONS: In a stressful situation, against the background of a decrease in the total and effective concentration of albumin, endogenous intoxication develops, which contributes to a violation of the lipid balance and damage to cell membranes and the development of acute damage to the gastric mucosa.

Psychological Aspects of a Police Officer’s Professional Success

The article analyses the general concept of human success from various psychological and scientific perspectives, as well as the concept of “a police officer’s professional success” separately, since it plays an important role for both the individual and society at the present stage of society development. The author emphasises that at the scientific and legislative levels there are no explanations and clarifications as to who is a professionally successful police officer. The study provides a generalised analysis of police officers’ powers, among which the main ones are highlighted which every police officer must perform regardless of their position, length of service and other factors. The importance of professional training of police officers during their service is also emphasised. To determine the level of success of a police officer’s professional activity, it is proposed to take into account a combination of two components – external and internal. The external component of police officers’ activity includes professional development, which is characterized by the level of performance of the main professional tasks based on knowledge of the principles and powers of the National Police of Ukraine at the legislative level. The internal component includes individual psychological properties of a police officer, which to a certain extent ensure efficient and high-quality performance of functional duties. In addition, the importance of social intelligence as a means of effective and comfortable interaction with the public is emphasised. Particular attention is paid to the coping strategy of a police officer, which allows him/her to effectively cope with stressful situations arising during the performance of official tasks. Through the analysis of the main powers of police officers, the need for them to have emotional intelligence, which includes such components as empathy, understanding, recognition and the ability to manage their own and other people’s emotions, is determined. Moreover, the article shows the importance for police work of such an individual property of a person as the level of internality, which determines the ability of a person to control and manage his/her behaviour, take responsibility for his/her own actions, influence the formation and development of such internal factors as motivation, efficiency of decision-making in stressful situations. Finally, it is concluded that the interrelation of external and internal components is important for determining the level of professional success of a police officer.

Psychological aspects of aggression among police personnel

The article presents psychological aspects of aggression in the context of professional activity of police personnel. The nature and manifestations of aggression in the working environment of police officers are investigated, the factors that cause aggressive behaviour are considered, and its impact on the efficiency and safety of performance of official duties is analysed. The theoretical analysis has shown that everyday stress and dangerous situations in wartime create a favourable environment for the development of aggressive tendencies, which can negatively affect the quality of official duties performance. It has been found that aggression among police personnel can take various forms such as verbal conflict and physical force, which calls into question the credibility of law enforcement agencies and can have serious legal and ethical consequences. The purpose of the study is to examine and analyse various manifestations of aggression among police personnel in order to identify possible differences in their characteristics and ability to display such behaviour. The sample consisted of 200 police officers, divided into two groups by gender, 100 in each group. The first group was represented by men, the second by women. The study used the “Aggression Level Questionnaire” by A. Bass and A. Darky. Mathematical and statistical processing of the results was carried out using Student’s t-test for independent samples and Fisher's angular transformation criterion (φ). An empirical study of aggression among police officers of different gender groups has revealed significant differences in the manifestation of aggressive behaviour. Male police officers are more likely to use physical force and verbal aggression compared to female police officers. At the same time, both groups have a similar tendency to indirect aggression and negativism, which indicates a general tendency towards indirect forms of aggression and oppositional behaviour among police personnel. Female police officers show a higher level of irritability, suspicion and resentment, which may affect their interaction with others and their overall psychological state.

Diary method of studying the stress factors in adolescents in the educational process of the school

The article is devoted to the current problem of the growth of psychosomatic disorders in adolescents. The purpose of the article is to determine the socio-psychological stress factors that cause a psychosomatic symptom in adolescents in the educational process of school using the method of diary research. The authors present the results of a three-week experiment conducted with students in grades 9–10, as a result of which records were obtained about specific stressful situations with descriptions of emotions, physical sensations and psychosomatic symptoms. The analysis of the data obtained was carried out, during which the authors established the similarity between the described situations in some participants of the experiment, who were later grouped and displayed in a table. The article uses mathematical calculations to determine the percentage of schoolchildren who are faced with one or another stress factor. The study helped identify a number of problems, including those related to parents' ignorance and lack of knowledge in the field of children's mental health. The authors drew conclusions about the importance of continuing research in this direction in connection with the trend of growth of psychosomatic disorders in adolescents and proposed ideas for an optimal solution to the described problem.

Improved Self-Esteem: Vital in Promoting Enhancement of Living Conditions

The individuals from the stage of early childhood, throughout their lives need to acquire an efficient understanding of meaning and significance of self-esteem. Furthermore, they need to augment information in terms of all the factors, which are necessary in carrying out this task. The individuals are required to augment their information in terms of different factors, which are facilitating in the achievement of this goal. The different types of factors are, job duties, responsibilities, methodologies, procedures, techniques, approaches, efficiency, morality, ethics, diligence and conscientiousness. Furthermore, individuals are required to ensure, they are not overwhelmed by any types of stressful situations. In cases of these, one needs to cope with these in an effective manner. Furthermore, these are prevented from giving rise to impediments within the course of putting into operation different tasks and activities. One of the important aspects that needs to be taken into account is, these should not have unfavourable effects on overall living conditions of individuals. In addition, throughout the lives of the individuals, they need to augment information in terms of various factors, which are facilitating in promoting enhancement of overall personality traits. As a consequence, individuals, belonging to all occupations and communities will render an important contribution in enhancing self-esteem. Therefore, it can be stated, improved self-esteem is vital in promoting enhancement of living conditions. The main concepts that are taken into account in this research paper are, understanding the meaning and significance of self-esteem, measures to be put into operation in bringing about improvements in self-esteem and advantages of bringing about improvements in self-esteem.

Coping strategies adopted by caregivers of children with autism in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: Emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies are frequently employed by caregivers of autistic children to increase their general well-being and resilience to the stress of raising the child. Although these strategies cannot directly address the situation, it is useful for handling stressful situations that cannot change.Objectives: The study seeks to explore and understand the emotion- and problem-focused strategies that caregivers use to cope with the challenges of raising a child with autism.Method: This was a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research study. Twenty-eight caregivers were purposive-convenient sampled from the public special schools where their autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children are schooling. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, which were then transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis.Results: Positive emotion-focused strategies include positive reappraisal, reframing and acceptance. Negative emotion-focused strategies include denial, emotional release, cognitive distortion, self-isolation, overprotection, negative self-talk, punishment and religion. Problem-focused coping strategies include active and adaptive coping, peer group, professional support and social support.Conclusion: The coping methods that have been identified can be integrated into intervention programmes and serve as a guide for specialised institutions that offer more extensive knowledge and assistance to families who are caring for children with ASD.Contribution: The study contributes to understanding the emotion- and problem-focused strategies adopted by rural caregivers in managing their emotions, interpretation of the situation and adjusting to the demands of raising an autistic child.

Stressprävention in der Elementarpädagogik: Mentalisieren und Bindung als Ressourcen im pädagogischen Alltag

The quality of the educator-child relationship as well as the ability to mentalize appear to be protective factors against stress that can improve the well-being of elementary educators given their high workload. Educators who have positive mental models of relationships experience more positive affect in their inter­actions with children, which promotes their well-being. Moreover, an appropriate perception of mental states allows for a more constructive approach to stressful situations, even in the presence of insecure in­ternal working models of relationships, because negative affect can be identified and regulated. In a study of prospective elementary educators (N = 216), we observed the expected correlations between attachment behavior and mentalization ability with well-being and stress levels. Mediation analyses showed that men­talization capacity partially explained the influence of attachment behavior on stress and well-being. The results suggest that mentalization training could support well-being and improve the abilities of elementary educators in stressful conditions.

Examining the applicability of virtual battle space for stress management training in military personnel-A validation study.

Military personnel are often exposed to high levels of both physical and psychological challenges in their work environment and therefore it is important to be trained on how to handle stressful situations. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether military-specific virtual battle space (VBS) scenarios could elicit a physiological and subjective stress response in healthy military personnel, as compared to that of a virtual reality height exposure (VR-HE) stress task that has shown to reliably increase stress levels. Twenty participants engaged in two VBS scenarios and the VR-HE during separate sessions, while measurements of heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), respiration rate, and subjective stress levels were collected. Contrary to our initial expectations, analysis revealed that neither of the VBS scenarios induced a significant stress response, as indicated by stable HR, HRV, and low subjective stress levels. However, the VR-HE task did elicit a significant physiological stress response, evidenced by increased HR and HRV changes, aligning with previous research findings. Moreover, no discernible alterations were detected in cognitive performance subsequent to these stressors. These results suggest that the current VBS scenarios, despite their potential, may not be effective for stress-related training activities within military settings. The absence of a significant stress response in the VBS conditions points to the need for more immersive and engaging scenarios. By integrating interactive and demanding elements, as well as physical feedback systems and real-time communication, VBS training might better mimic real-world stressors and improve stress resilience in military personnel. The findings of this study have broader implications for stress research and training, suggesting the need for scenario design improvements in virtual training environments to effectively induce stress and improve stress management across various high-stress professions.

Estrés Académico en Estudiantes de Licenciatura en Enfermería ante el Examen Clínico Objetivo Estructurado.

Objective: identify academic stress in second-year Bachelor of Nursing students before the Structured Objective Clinical Examination. Methodology: descriptive, transversal. Non-probability sampling for convenience. The total sample was 65 students applied through surveys to students who are studying the second year of their Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. The variables were grouped into sociodemographics, subjects taken, academic stress level, stressful situations, physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, behavioral reactions, and coping strategy. Result: students expressed 63% of their perceived level of stress; 54% identified overload and teacher evaluations; drowsiness or greater need to sleep 54%; 46% identified feelings of anguish, anxiety or despair; eating problems related to the increase or decrease in the consumption of usual foods 51%; strategy most applied in stressful situations: the development of a plan and execution of tasks 51%. Conclusions: through this study, it was evident that teaching at the university level should also include education on control strategies in stressful situations, in the same way that teachers should be instructed to identify manifestations of stress and apply strengthening and recovery actions. safety towards the student.

Open or closed: Experience of head and neck radiotherapy masks - A mixed-methods study.

In radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, a mask is used to immobilise the head and shoulders. An open mask that does not cover the face is expected to cause less anxiety, but there is need to further investigate the patients' experience of open versus closed masks. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate patient preferences for open or closed masks and whether an open mask can reduce discomfort and anxiety for patients. Twenty participants were treated in alternating weeks using open and closed masks. Their distress was evaluated through semi-structured interviews and patient-reported outcome measures. When using the open mask, it took longer to position the patient correctly. The closed mask felt more confining and could induce a sense of claustrophobia. Participants employed both internal and external strategies to cope with the stressful situation. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) showed a significant reduction in anxiety over time during the treatment period, but no significant difference between the masks. When participants chose which mask to use for the final treatments, 12 chose the open mask, while 8 chose the closed mask. In addition to the 20 analysed participants, two participants withdrew from the study because they could only tolerate the open mask, one due to anxiety and the other due to swelling. The open mask seems to provide a less confined experience but may lead to greater difficulties in achieving the correct treatment position. While both masks can be viable options for most patients, some cannot tolerate closed masks but do tolerate open masks.

Startle magnitude is a repeatable measure of reactive temperament in sheep

Behavioural reactivity is an expression of temperament that may influence an animal’s response to stressful situations and impact on handleability and the human-animal relationship. Shortcomings of previously described tests led to the development of a standardized startle protocol in sheep using a tactile stimulus (airblast to the face) and the presence of conspecifics to minimize the effects of social isolation. Here we tested the repeatability of the protocol, the consistency of the response and habituation to the protocol. Twenty sheep were tested across four startle interval test phases. Phases were applied consecutively such that each sheep received up to 17 startles across a six-week period with two to six days between test phases. Phases were; within – up to 5 startles over a 7 min test, Bi-hourly – four repetitions of a single 4-minute startle test 2 hours apart on one day, daily – a single 4-minute startle test repeated over four consecutive days and, weekly – a single 4-minute startle test repeated once per week over four consecutive weeks. Three measures of startle magnitude, retreat distance (zone 1–6) and startle duration (s), startle force (gs), were recorded for each startle. A reduction in response to the startle stimulus over time was identified; however, consistent responses of sheep for the measures of startle magnitude were generally observed across test phases. Repeatability of retreat distance and startle force were moderate to high within test phases (0.56–0.82), whereas startle duration had low to moderate repeatability (0.26–0.50). Strong consistency in individual responses, good repeatability, and the presence of a distinct startle response after repeated applications of the stimulus indicate that the startle test shows promise as a measure of reactive temperament in sheep. Further development to improve the tests access in commercial environments may also facilitate producers use of startle magnitude for the selection of less reactive temperaments to improve handleability, safety and welfare on farm.

A protocol for detecting the cytoplasm-exposed mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondria, being semi-autonomous organelles, possess a double membrane structure and harbor their own DNA, known as mtDNA. In situations of stress, mtDNA is released from the mitochondrial membrane and enters the cytoplasm. The mtDNA released into the cytoplasm plays a dual role in promoting both the initiation and escalation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), the activation of inflammatory pathways, and the death of cells. Consequently, the identification of intracytoplasmic mtDNA fragments holds immense significance in the realm of scientific investigation. In this paper, we delineate the experimental methodologies presently employed for quantifying intracytoplasmic mtDNA fragments.