Stressful Events Research Articles

How do Psychosocial Problems affect Subjective Wellbeing and Mental Health of Ukrainian Youth? Alternative Ways of Coping

Nowadays, there is an urgent need to identify common traumatic-psychosocial tendencies among youth, who is exposed to a wide range of stressful events, situations that negatively affecting their academic efficiency, psychological wellbeing and mental health. For the first time, a comprehensive study was conducted concerning anxiety, wellbeing, psychosomatic-sociocultural problems among Ukrainian youth compared to other population stratum (n=419, aged 16-65). Four standardized psychological questionnaires were used. Mathematical-statistical analysis (with uniformity criterion of Liven dispersions) showed that Bank employees, Scientists-physicists, Reikists, as well as athletes (as representatives of students) had less anxiety, better health, with a predominance in using Avoiding, Compromising behavior styles. Senior school pupils and other student groups evidenced much higher anxiety, lower wellbeing, mainly used the Avoiding, Competing, Compromising behaviors. In choosing the value orientations, all participants were based on four paramount universal-human values (Love, Health, Happy family life, Good and faithful friends). However, even such a positive personal projection did not guarantee complete protection against possible health deterioration due to the impact of negative psychosocial factors, as shown by the identified indicators of psychosomatics in non-wellbeing groups. Youth participants evidenced high anxiety in academic life, insecurity of their professional future, significant levels of stress, overload and difficulties related to social-financial issues. As a preventive measure, corrective work for students was started and is still ongoing (developmental programs and recreational techniques for body self-regeneratory).

Well-Being and Mental Health: Where Do We Stand After COVID-19 Pandemic?

Mental health encompasses the ability to cope with important stresses of life and to realize one's abilities in the community, and the COVID-19 pandemic represented a very stressful event for people with mental illnesses. Our aim was to assess mental well-being in people living with different mental disorders, comparing results obtained in 2016 with those observed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-six participants were assessed using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form and classified as "flourishing," "moderately mentally healthy," and "languishing." Overall, a significant increase in the prevalence of "flourishing" and "moderately mentally healthy" subjects and a reduction of "languishing" subjects ( p = 0.003) were observed. However, a significant improvement in well-being ( p = 0.005) was observed only in the schizophrenia spectrum disorder group. Moreover, only subjects that never contracted SARS-CoV-2 showed a significant ( p = 0.019) increase in positive well-being states. Lockdowns may have led caregivers to spend more time with the participants, also increasing treatment adherence, resulting in an improvement of overall well-being in several participants.

Coping strategies to stressful events in adolescents with migraine

ObjectiveSeveral studies examined stress factors in both adult and pediatric patients with migraine, but few of them have analyzed coping strategies adopted to deal with stressful events in pediatric age. In particular, some of these studies have focused on specific migraine populations or have not employed standardized instruments. Our study used a standardized tool to investigate the coping strategies adopted by patients with primary migraine in dealing with stressful events.We aimed at exploring: 1) Coping responses to stressful events and their possible association with migraine characteristics such as headache frequency, pain intensity and use of prophylactic treatment; (2) Potential differences in anxiety and depression symptoms based on migraine characteristics, and (3) Association between migraine characteristics, coping strategies, and psychological aspects.MethodsWe studied 81 adolescents (mean age 13.8 ± 1.6 years; 18 M and 63 F). They were divided into: (1) high frequency (weekly to daily episodes) and low frequency (≤ 4 episodes per month); (2) mild and severe pain; (3) need for prophylactic treatment or not. To evaluate patients’ anxiety, depression and coping strategies we used respectively SAFA-A, SAFA-D and CRI-Y questionnaires.ResultsSchool and socialization represent the most commonly reported stressful events among our patients with migraine. Patients with high frequency of headache tend to adopt maladaptive coping strategies in “Logical Analysis” (p = 0.012), “Positive Reappraisal” (p = 0.002) and “Total Approach” (p = < 0.001). Moreover, patients with a high frequency of headache showed higher anxiety and depression scores (p = < 0.050). On the other hand, lower scores in some subscales of anxiety and depression emerged in high frequency patients who used “Logical Analysis” maladaptively (p = < 0.050).ConclusionAdolescents with a more disabling migraine pattern tend to employ maladaptive coping strategies focused on active behavioral responses to the stressful events.

A study of stressful life events in patients with first-episode acute coronary syndrome (ACS)—a hospital-based case–control study

BackgroundThere is considerable evidence in the literature highlighting the impact of psychological factors on the development of coronary heart disease. In India, there's a rising incidence of traumatic life events alongside coronary heart disease, yet the connection between them remains relatively understudied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate stressful life events among patients experiencing their first episode of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and compare this with controls.ResultsThe mean number of stressful life events (SLEs) observed was 5.07 ± 2.04 in cases and 4.35 ± 1.88 in controls, with a p-value of < 0.05. Cases had a significantly higher prevalence of medical and psychiatric morbidity than controls, with rates of 89.3% compared to 69.6% for medical issues, and 56.7% versus 24.0% for psychiatric conditions, respectively. Univariate analyses revealed a significant difference between cases and controls in the types of stressors experienced, with cases showing higher odds ratios (OR) for specific events such as Fire or Explosion (OR = 4.5), Transportation accident (OR = 3.4), and Captivity (OR = 2.3). Additionally, bivariate analyses indicated that presence of a comorbid medical illness had an OR of 5.95. At the same time, specific life events like Exposure to fire or explosion (OR = 3.35) and Transportation accidents (OR = 3.08) were more likely to occur in cases. Overall, there were significant differences in the prevalence and pattern of various types of SLEs between cases and controls.ConclusionThe higher number of SLEs observed in cases compared to controls underscores their potential role in cardiac risk. While transportation accidents and fires/explosions demonstrated robust associations with ACS, the variable significance across different types of SLEs suggests a complex relationship between stressor type and cardiac outcomes. These findings highlight the need for prospective studies with larger sample sizes and further research to ascertain and quantify the role of stressful events and the risk of a cardiac event.

Investigating Endoparasites in Captive Birds of Prey in Italy

Birds of prey can be parasitised by several endoparasites that can coexist without clinical signs of disease or occur in conjunction with stressful events. Because the number of birds of prey kept in captivity is copiously increasing due to their use for bird control, breeding programs, exhibition and falconry, the main endoparasites of 81 apparently healthy captive birds of prey from northern Italy were investigated by examining faecal and blood samples. Faeces were analysed by a quali-quantitative technique, i.e., the FLOTAC® basic technique, employing potassium iodomercurate flotation solution, while blood smears were stained to detect haemoparasites. Risk factors were further assessed. Considering gastrointestinal parasites, an overall prevalence of 41.7% was recorded, and 50% of Accipitriformes, 43% of Falconiformes and 33.3% of Strigiformes tested positive for at least one parasite taxon. Moreover, age and diet were associated with an increased risk of infection. As for haemoparasites, a prevalence of 18.2% was evidenced, and none of the risk factors were associated with prevalence. The results of this study highlighted the importance of monitoring the endoparasites of captive birds of prey with a highly sensitive copromicroscopic technique to target medical treatments, improve housing conditions and conduct epidemiological studies aimed at wildlife conservation and management.

Text Messaging to Extend School-Based Suicide Prevention: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among US adolescents aged 10-19 years, and about 10% attempt suicide each year. School-based universal prevention may reduce youth suicidal behavior. Sources of Strength uses a peer leader network diffusion model to promote healthy norms across a school population. A key challenge within schoolwide programs is reaching a large and diverse array of students, especially those less engaged with their peers. Motivated by this challenge, we developed and field-tested Text4Strength-a program of automated text messages targeting help-seeking attitudes and norms, social coping resources, and emotion regulation skills. This study conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial of Text4Strength in 1 high school as an extension of an ongoing schoolwide program (Sources of Strength), to test its impact on targets that have the potential to reduce suicidal behavior. Students at an upstate New York high school (N=223) received 1-2 text messages per week for 9 weeks, targeting strategies for coping with difficult feelings and experiences through clarifying emotions and focusing on positive affect concepts, awareness, and strengthening of youth-adult relationships; and positive help-seeking norms, skills, and resources. Surveys were administered at baseline, immediately post intervention and 3 months after texting ended. We measured proximal intervention targets (methods of coping during stressful events, ability to make sense of their own emotions, feelings of powerlessness during emotion management and recovery, relations with trusted adults at school, and help-seeking behaviors), symptoms and suicide ideation, and student replies to messages. No significant effects were observed for any outcome at either follow-up time point. Results showed that if there is a true (but undetected) intervention effect, it is small. Students with fewer friend nominations did not interact any more or less with the text messages. Exploratory moderation analyses observed no interaction between the intervention condition and the number of friends or baseline suicide ideation at any time point. In contrast to a promising previous field test, these results suggest that Text4Strength is unlikely to have impacted the outcomes of interest and that undetected moderate or large effects can be ruled out with high confidence. Although motivated by the need to reach more isolated students, students with fewer friends did not engage more or show a greater effect than other participants. This study was conducted in a single high school that was already implementing Sources of Strength, so the bar for showing a distinct effect from texting alone was high. Many further channels for reaching youth through private messaging remain unexplored. Alternative delivery systems should be investigated, such as embedding messaging in gaming chat systems and other media. More sophisticated systems drawing on chatbots may also achieve better outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03145363; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03145363.

Cognitive control impairment in suicide behaviors: what do we know? A systematic review and meta-analysis of Stroop in suicide behaviors.

Suicidal behavior results from a complex interplay between stressful events and vulnerability factors, including cognitive deficits. Poorer performance on the Stroop task, a measure of cognitive control, has been associated with suicidal behavior in numerous studies. The objective was to conduct an updated systematic review of the literature on the Stroop task as a neuropsychological test of vulnerability to suicidal acts in patients with mood and other psychiatric disorders, while also looking at how the type (classic versus emotional) or the version (paper or computerized) of the Stroop task, as well as the characteristics of the patient (clinical population, age, sex) moderated the Stroop effect. A search on Medline, Embase, PsycInfo databases, and article references was performed. 53 studies (6781 participants) met the selection criteria. Interference time and errors of the Stroop Test were assessed in at least 3 studies to be analyzed. Moderators, such as the type (classic versus emotional) of the Stroop task and the characteristics of the patient (clinical population, age, sex) were also assessed. Interference time on Stroop performance was lower in suicide attempters than in patient controls (g = 0.20; 95%CI [0.10-0.30]) and healthy controls (g = 0.79; 95 % CI [0.29-1.29]), with patient controls scoring lower than healthy controls (g = -0.63; 95%CI [-1.01-0.25]). This was moderated by age and having a mood disorder. In terms of interference errors, suicide attempters performed worse than healthy controls (g = 0.57; 95%CI [0.01-1.15]) but did not perform differently from patient controls (g = 0.20; 95 % CI [-0.06-0.45]). Patient controls also did not score differently than healthy controls (g = -0.18; 95 % CI [-0.54-0.18]). There was a significant moderation effect for the type (i.e., original Stroop task) and version (i.e., paper format) of the Stroop task, and for some characteristics of the patient (i.e., older patients and having a mood disorder). Cognitive control impairment was associated with a history of suicidal behavior in patients, especially in older populations and those with mood disorders, however this result was moderated by outcome measure (interference time vs. errors), the type (i.e., original Stroop task) and the version (i.e., paper format) of the Stroop task. Cognitive control processes may be an important factor of suicidal vulnerability. Choosing the right neurocognitive test in the right population to detect suicide vulnerability is important direction for future research.

Academic performance, perceptions, and motivations of medical PhD students in Ukraine during wartime: a mixed methods study

BackgroundThe full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, initiated on February 22, 2022, has created numerous challenges, including the need to study under the constant threat of bombardment. This study aimed to analyze the effects of the war on the academic performance of medical PhD students in Ukraine, explore their perceptions of stressful wartime events, and identify their motivations and future aspirations.MethodsThis mixed-method study included medical PhD students from Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv, Ukraine, during the 2022–2023 academic year amid ongoing Russian military attacks. Data were collected through self-completed questionnaires. Additionally, qualitative data were gathered via one-on-one interviews with participants. The questionnaire and interviews addressed educational difficulties during the war, motivation to pursue academic studies, the likelihood of continuing an academic or medical career in Ukraine, academic progress at the time of the survey, and self-assessed adaptation to studying during the war.Results108 PhD students participated in the questionnaire, and 53 were interviewed. Nearly half of the participants described their education as challenging. More than two-thirds experienced class disruptions due to air raid alarms or shelling, and a similar proportion resumed classes afterward. Among the PhD students, 85% envision their future careers as physicians, scientists, or teachers in Ukraine. Adaptation to the extraordinary conditions varied, with half adapting well. A substantial number remained motivated to pursue their education and professional careers in Ukraine despite financial strain, loss of research data, and damaged infrastructure, which hindered progress for some. Others struggled significantly, highlighting the war’s profound impact on their education and mental well-being.ConclusionWhile the war has imposed severe challenges on the educational pursuits of medical PhD students in Kyiv, Ukraine, the resilience displayed by many underscores their determination to persevere. This resilience reflects their commitment to their academic careers despite the adversities posed by the ongoing conflict. However, some students struggled to cope. Further psychological and financial support will be crucial in helping these students continue their studies and contribute to the rebuilding of their country.

Impact of Stress on the Endocannabinoid System: A [11C]-CURB Positron Emission Tomography Study in Early Psychosis: Les effets du stress sur le système endocannabinoïde : étude par tomographie par émission de positons avec l'indicateur radioactif [11C-CURB] dans la psychose précoce.

Stress and traumatic experiences are well-established risk factors for psychiatric disorders. Stressful events can induce symptoms of anxiety and depression and may lead to overt psychosis, especially when there is an innate biological vulnerability. This study explores the role of the stress-regulating endocannabinoid system, specifically the activity of the enzyme fatty acid amid hydrolase (FAAH), a key regulatory enzyme for endocannabinoids, in association with stress by analysing data from healthy individuals and patients with psychosis. We performed a post-hoc exploratory analysis on 65 positron emission tomography scans using the selective FAAH radioligand [11C]CURB, encompassing 30 patients with psychosis (6 female) and 35 healthy controls (19 female). The study aimed to examine the association between FAAH activity and stressful life events, assessed through the Recent Life Events, Survey of Life Experiences, and Hassles and Uplifts Scale. There was a significant difference regarding the number of recent stressors with higher levels in patients compared to healthy subjects (Survey of Life Experiences: t = 4.88, p < 0.001, hassles: t = 3.14, p = 0.003), however there was no significant relationship of brain FAAH activity and stressful life events in any of the applied scales across groups (Recent Life Events: F1,57 = 0.07, p = 0.80; Survey of Life Experiences: F1,57 = 1.75, p = 0.19; hassles: F1,56 = 1.06, p = 0.31). Linear mixed models performed separately for each group revealed that there was a positive association between FAAH activity and Recent Life Events in patients with psychosis only (F1,25 = 8.07, p = 0.009). Our data reveal a significant disparity in recent stressors between the two groups, and a correlation between brain FAAH activity and stressful life events in patients with psychosis only. This suggests a complex interplay between stress and the endocannabinoid system.

The effect of early weaning on feeding behavior parameters in rodents: A systematic review.

Breastfeeding is essential for somatic development, especially neurodevelopment. The abrupt termination of the mother-child bond, early weaning, is a stressful event during the neonatal period. This has lifelong consequences. The impact on neural plasticity will be reflected in behavioral expression, including feeding behavior. This behavior is modulated by encephalic and peripheral structures, such as the serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission systems, as well as hormonal signaling, leptin, and ghrelin. The central nervous system, particularly the hypothalamus, receives information from the gastrointestinal tract to regulate hunger and satiety. Early weaning alters these mechanisms that control feeding behavior. The alterations most commonly reported in the literature are hyperphagia, increased body mass, and molecular alterations related to the control of feeding behavior. Studies have attempted to identify the factors involved in the changes in feeding behavior control caused by early weaning. Furthermore, pharmacological interventions, herbal medicines, calcium supplementation, and physical activity have been investigated as potential means of reversing these changes. Consequently, the objective of this literature review was to analyze the effects of early weaning on the modulation of parameters that act to control feeding behavior.

Smart agriculture: utilizing machine learning and deep learning for drought stress identification in crops

Plant stress reduction research has advanced significantly with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, such as machine learning and deep learning. This is a significant step toward sustainable agriculture. Innovative insights into the physiological responses of plants mostly crops to drought stress have been revealed through the use of complex algorithms like gradient boosting, support vector machines (SVM), recurrent neural network (RNN), and long short-term memory (LSTM), combined with a thorough examination of the TYRKC and RBR-E3 domains in stress-associated signaling proteins across a range of crop species. Modern resources were used in this study, including the UniProt protein database for crop physiochemical properties associated with specific signaling domains and the SMART database for signaling protein domains. These insights were then applied to deep learning and machine learning techniques after careful data processing. The rigorous metric evaluations and ablation analysis that typified the study’s approach highlighted the algorithms’ effectiveness and dependability in recognizing and classifying stress events. Notably, the accuracy of SVM was 82%, while gradient boosting and RNN showed 96%, and 94%, respectively and LSTM obtained an astounding 97% accuracy. The study observed these successes but also highlights the ongoing obstacles to AI adoption in agriculture, emphasizing the need for creative thinking and interdisciplinary cooperation. In addition to its scholarly value, the collected data has significant implications for improving resource efficiency, directing precision agricultural methods, and supporting global food security programs. Notably, the gradient boosting and LSTM algorithm outperformed the others with an exceptional accuracy of 96% and 97%, demonstrating their potential for accurate stress categorization. This work highlights the revolutionary potential of AI to completely disrupt the agricultural industry while simultaneously advancing our understanding of plant stress responses.

The RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) Peer Support Program: Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Healthcare Leadership Support for Staff Resilience and Well-Being

The RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) Peer Support Program: Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Healthcare Leadership Support for Staff Resilience and Well-Being

Coping with work-related stress amongst junior police officers in Pretoria central police station

Police work is a high-stress occupation that exposes officers to violence, threats, and traumatic events daily. These experiences can cause significant personal distress and negatively impact performance. To cope with these stressful events, police officers employ various strategies. This study examined the coping strategies used by junior police officers at Pretoria's central police station, using Lazarus and Folkman's coping model. A qualitative, descriptive design was used to explore the experiences of nine junior officers through individual interviews. The results showed that junior officers primarily used emotional coping strategies rather than avoidance strategies. The identified coping mechanisms included religion, socialization, self-encouragement, motivation, work acceptance, and consultation with health professionals. The study recommends conducting longitudinal studies with larger samples across multiple police stations in Gauteng and among senior officers to further understand and support police officers' mental well-being.

Neural network controller for hybrid energy management system applied to electric vehicles

Hybrid energy storage systems based on batteries and supercapacitors can mitigate the aging of electric vehicle batteries aging by avoiding high currents and rapid discharge cycles. This system requires energy management systems that efficiently split the power during real driving cycles. This paper outlines a design methodology for creating a Multilayer Perceptron neural controller that governs the power distribution between the storage system components. In parallel, a Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller was implemented to ensure voltage regulation in the primary DC bus, ensuring stable operation of the entire system and providing flexibility to the neural design. The controller was tuned using particle swarm optimization, hippopotamus optimization, and differential evolution algorithms, designed to minimize the battery root-mean-square current in a comprehensive vehicle simulation. The training was structured into layers to approach the physical problem and controller optimization facets. The controller’s primary goal is to minimize the battery strain, mitigating stress events and prolonging its lifespan. The energy management neural controller was designed using a simple drive cycle and later validated with a realistic cycle. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of achieving a significant reduction in current, both in peak value and on average, especially when compared to basic energy management strategies. The process uncovered a strategy that prioritizes the use of the supercapacitor in power balance, with this effect being more pronounced during critical load events. The main bus voltage remained stable, with no deviations exceeding 5%, owing to the voltage regulator’s stability. Additionally, the particle swarm optimization and the hippopotamus optimization techniques exhibited notable performance compared to the differential evolution algorithm for this problem. Subsequently, the design was evaluated in a more complex cycle, revealing a slight decrease in average battery current performance. However, it still maintained a significant reduction in peak battery current compared to traditional controllers. Nevertheless, this methodology demonstrated power management optimization efficacy and can be extended to more complex scenarios.

A decision-making framework based on rain-fed crop suitability, water scarcity, and economic benefits for determination multiple-crop rotation strategy

Water scarcity under global climate change has impacted decreased agricultural productivity. Determining the suitable crop rotation strategy under water scarcity applicable to a specific region requires an evaluation of crop suitability, water scarcity, and economic benefits to farmers. This paper aims to improve agricultural productivity and economic benefits through crop rotation strategies under climate change. We developed seven crop rotation strategies, including rice, soybean, maize, and sweet potatoes, that were determined based on preliminary results of the crop suitability index using the EcoCrop model. The water scarcity index (WSI) in historical and future under climate change conditions is estimated using the CropWAT model. In addition, the economic benefit of each crop rotation strategy is evaluated. Finally, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to select the most suitable crop rotation strategy applicable to Taoyuan City, Taiwan, based on crop suitability assessment, water scarcity, and economic benefit analysis. Our result shows that WSI values are 0.37, 0.50, and 2.28 in the dry years of 2004, 2015, and 2020, respectively, due to decreasing rainfall and increasing temperatures. The 10-year and 20-year averages were 0.4 and 0.35, respectively, indicating that the issue of agricultural water scarcity is intensifying year by year. Cultivating sweet potatoes has less vulnerability to water scarcity by up to 90 % under climate change than rice. Sweet potatoes also generate farmers’ income, which increases by 338 %, considering both rain-fed and irrigation efficiency conditions. Finally, the MCDA-AHP revealed that sweet potatoes and soybean-maize rotation in Taoyuan City were the most suitable and profitable crops for cultivating in Taoyuan City, especially under high and severe agriculture water stress events. Implementing a crop rotation strategy involving sweet potatoes and soybean-maize can effectively mitigate the impact of climate change and extreme drought on crop yield and ensure a stable income for farmers. Integrated irrigation and crop rotation strategies are crucial for providing farmers and other stakeholders with more informed decision-making in agriculture sectors while enhancing water use efficiency.

Psychosocial and psychopathological dimensions of patients with Takotsubo Syndrome.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute reversible heart dysfunction affecting mostly post-menopausal women, frequently precipitated by a significant stressful event, presenting as an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. The pathogenesis is not fully understood, but a close relationship between individual's mind, brain, neuroendocrine system and the heart may be involved in a mind-heart axis. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of psychopathological findings in TTS patients as compared to healthy subjects, patients affected by psychiatric diseases and patients affected by ACS. This observational study enrolled 40 female subjects divided into 4 subgroups: TTS patients, healthy subjects, psychiatric patients and ACS patients, matched for age. Psychosocial factors and psychopathological dimensions have been evaluated. Patients who signed informed consent were interviewed by the administration of a complex psychometric battery, including Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Form Y. Comparing the groups, the TTS group showed a statistically significant difference vs. ACS group concerning psychological violence subscale (P=0.049) of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, while significant statistical difference emerged in TTS group vs. healthy subjects control group, regarding cyclothymia subscale (P=0.008). Statistically significant differences were documented in TTS group vs. psychiatric cohort in cyclothymia subscale (P=0.012). Moreover, comparison between TTS and ACS group, revealed a statistically significant difference in the sub-scale of self-confidence and management of negative emotions (P=0.0028). One of the most significant features was the evidence of statistically significant differences in TTS vs. ACS group, concerning total and average value of anxiety (P=0.014 and P=0.031 respectively) and in the comparison of TTS group vs healthy subjects (P=0.005 for the total anxiety value and P=0.021 for the average value). Finally, both depression and mania were statistically significant raised in the TTS group compared to the healthy subjects' group (P=0.00 and P=0.013, respectively). Psychosocial and psychopathological dimensions of TTS patients have been explored and analyzed in a cohort of TTS patients vs. ACS, healthy subjects and psychiatric patients, showing statistically significant differences among the various groups. Psychopathological symptoms were more frequent in TTS patients, suggesting an evident involvement of mind-heart axis in this disease. Future studies are needed to investigate the cause-effect relationship between psychopathological features and the occurrence of TTS.

Did Primary Healthcare Patients in Riyadh Experience Their First Migraine Episodes After a Stressful Event, and What Triggers and Relievers Do They Commonly Report?

Did Primary Healthcare Patients in Riyadh Experience Their First Migraine Episodes After a Stressful Event, and What Triggers and Relievers Do They Commonly Report?

Physiological and molecular insights into the effect of a seaweed biostimulant on enhancing fruit yield and drought tolerance in tomato

Tomato is one of the most widely grown vegetable crops in Europe. This study describes an approach for treating tomato plants with an extract of Ascophyllum nodosum (ANF) prior to a stress event, which prepares the plants at the molecular level to respond more effectively to stress conditions, through a process known as molecular priming. Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-Tom, a dwarf tomato variety, was pre-treated with ANF via foliar spray during the flowering phase and subsequently subjected to drought conditions. ANF-treated plants exhibited enhanced growth, fruit yield, and stress tolerance under both moderate and severe drought conditions compared to untreated plants. Transcriptomic studies in leaves revealed that the priming treatment preserved the photosynthetic machinery, inducing stress-protective genes involved in ascorbate, peroxidase, GABA, glutathione, and flavanol biosynthesis. Simultaneously, the treatment repressed key senescence-related genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis, as well as several WRKY and NAC transcription factors. Metabolome analysis demonstrated that ANF induces drought tolerance by promoting the accumulation of stress-protective primary and secondary metabolites, such as GABA, proline, maltose, ascorbic acid, quercetin, and biotin, which can act as osmoprotectants and free radical scavengers during drought. Combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses suggest that ANF treatment represses the senescence process, maintains photosynthetic activity, and induces the accumulation of protective metabolites and amino acids, promoting plant survival and growth under drought. Overall, this research provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying biostimulant-based molecular priming and offers a knowledge-based approach for the accurate application of this ANF molecular priming agent to increase crop productivity and mitigate yield loss during drought, contributing to food security in the era of climate change.

The Effects of Single Testosterone Administration and Stress Induction on Steroid Hormone Levels in Hair

Hair steroid analysis is increasingly recognized for its ability to capture cumulative hormone secretion, thought to reflect an individual’s response to long-term environmental conditions. Despite its growing use, the influence of single, isolated events on hair steroid concentrations remains underexplored. Our study therefore examined the effects of a single-dose transdermal testosterone administration (150mg) and acute laboratory stress induction on hair testosterone and cortisol levels in a randomized, between-subject, placebo-controlled, and double-blind design. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed a significant increase in hair testosterone levels seven weeks post-testosterone administration, underscoring the efficacy of hair analysis in detecting single-use hormone intake. Moreover, we observed a significant elevation in hair cortisol levels seven weeks post-exposure to the laboratory somatic stressor (Cold pressor test), highlighting the efficacy of hair analysis in capturing experimentally induced hormonal responses. The exploration of contextual factors revealed that individuals in committed relationships exhibited lower levels of both hair cortisol and testosterone compared to those who were single or in uncommitted relationships.Our study provides new insights into the sensitivity of hair analysis for detecting hormonal changes following single-dose hormone administration and experimentally induced short-term stress events. The exploratory findings emphasize the importance of individual contextual factors in influencing hair hormone concentrations and lay the groundwork for further investigation into the dynamics of cumulative hair hormone measurements.

Stature and Its Association With Physiological Stress Exposure in a Pediatric Autopsy Sample.

Experiencing illnesses or other stressors may disrupt processes of growth and development throughout the different stages of prepubertal development. Stunted stature for age is one potential outcome from such disruption, with both the nature and timing of stressors playing a role in the development of stunting. This study explores whether stress events in utero or during birth, and prepubertal development have an impact on stature, by examining associations between experience of prenatal or birth issues, postnatal stressor exposure by severity, and stature at time-of-death, with the impact of different stress experiences compared. A coronial pediatric dataset of individuals aged 0-20.9 years (280 male, 195 female) who died in the state of New Mexico from years 2011 to 2019 was assessed for presence/absence of stunting associated with physiological stress exposure type whilst controlling for low socioeconomic status (as inferred by housing type) and sex using two multiple logistic regression models for ages < 12, and for ages 12+. Broad postnatal condition categories were then investigated, again controlling for socioeconomic status and sex for these two cohorts. A linear regression model was also used to assess relationships between stunting, physiological stress, low socioeconomic status housing, and age-at-death. For both groups aged < 12 and 12+, experiencing moderate to severe illness prior to 12 years of age increased the odds of being stunted at death. Only experience of prenatal or birth issues was associated with younger age-at-death, but stunting itself was not, potentially reflecting the prolonged exposure to severe stressors necessary for stunted growth.