Abstract The study of the influence of immunocompetent organs on the processes of homeostasis regulation after injuries, burns and intoxications is relevant, since any injury causes an imbalance in cellular and humoral immunity. Of interest to us is the spleen, as the largest peripheral organ of immunogenesis and its role in the regulation of cell death of immune cells using the apoptosis regulator marker bcl-2 Aim Determination of the dynamics of expression of the bcl-2 marker in the lymphoid nodules of the spleen in rats after mechanical trauma to the thigh Methods The study was carried out on white mongrel male rats, which were subjected to mechanical damage to the thigh using a special device, comparable in kinetic energy to a 5.6 mm caliber bullet. All manipulations were performed under ether anesthesia, after decapitation, section of the spleen was taken 1,3,7,14 days after injury for all groups of animals and used the immunohistochemical method of verification of antiapoptosis, statistical processing was performed in the Statistica 7 program Result After mechanical trauma to the hip in rats, there is a temporary decrease in their number was noted after 1 and 3 days of the post-traumatic period, which is associated with the activation of lymphocyte migration to peripheral tissues, followed by a gradual recovery and even an increase in density after 14 days. Particularly pronounced activation is observed in the germinal center and periarterial zone, which correlates with the formation of immunological memory and activation of secondary lymphoid structures. Conclusion The obtained data demonstrate a pronounced dynamics of the density of bcl-2 positive lymphocytes in various anatomical zones of the spleen in response to mechanical trauma to the thigh in rats. These changes reflect complex reorganization of the immune system in the context of systemic inflammation and traumatic stress

Social workers in domestic violence shelters face chronic exposure to traumatic narratives, often resulting in secondary traumatic stress. This study examines archaeological pottery restoration as a citizen-science intervention supporting resilience among shelter-based social workers. Five licensed social workers participated in a 3-month program combining hands-on restoration with reflective dialogue, conducted during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war under conditions of heightened stress. Using ethnographic methods, including participant observation, field notes, and interviews, thematic analysis explored participants' experiences. Findings indicate restoration fostered self-reflection, emotional processing, and symbolic associations with healing. The study introduces an innovative interdisciplinary model bridging social work, archaeology, and citizen science.

ABSTRACT Purpose BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, partially due to a lack of culturally responsive practices and multicultural counseling self-efficacy among behavioral health professionals. Separately, professional quality of life (ProQOL) has also been linked to better client outcomes. However, little is known about the relationship between behavioral health professionals’ multicultural counseling self-efficacy, culturally competent behaviors, and ProQOL. This study aimed to examine the relationship between cultural competence and ProQOL, as well as a hypothesized indirect role of multi-cultural counseling self-efficacy among these associations. Materials and Methods Data were collected from a workforce training program among graduate level social work, psychology, and nursing students on culturally responsive practices whose practicum settings included working with BIPOC/LGBTQ+ youth. At baseline (T1), graduation (T2), and 9-months post-graduation (T3), participants (N = 113) completed measures on anti-racism, self-reflection and insight, intercultural communication, multicultural counseling self-efficacy, and ProQOL (compassion satisfaction, burnout, secondary trauma). Results Intercultural communication at T2 had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between multicultural counseling self-efficacy at T2 and burnout at T3. Self-reflection and insight at T2 also had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between multicultural counseling self-efficacy at T2 and burnout at T3. Mediation models examining secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction were not statistically significant. Discussion Results suggest the importance of cultural competencies and multicultural counseling self-efficacy in facilitating culturally responsive practices and promoting clinicians’ ProQOL. Conclusion Future trainings should emphasize these areas to minimize mental health disparities among LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth.

Dermal Microvascular Responses of Human IPSC-Derived Skin Organoids to Inflammation and Injury.

The impact of the PICU diary on post-intensive care syndrome in children and their parents: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Emergency nurses' experiences following resuscitation care: When the adrenaline wears off.

Abstract Introduction A left bundle branch block (LBBB) induces an early activation of the septal wall and late activation of the lateral wall of the left ventricle. This mechanical dyssynchrony causes the septal wall to shorten against low left ventricular (LV) pressure, whereas the lateral wall will shorten against higher LV pressure. This loading asymmetry has been hypothesized as the trigger for compensatory remodeling – septal thinning and lateral thickening – which has been suggested to rebalance wall stresses in the left ventricle. Yet, empirical measurements of wall stress during chronic LBBB are sparse. Purpose This study aimed to investigate how wall stress distribution within the left ventricle relates to regional remodelling in an animal model with chronic exposure to LBBB. Methods Fifteen sheep underwent DDD pacing of the right ventricle at 180 bpm to induce LBBB-like conduction delay and accelerate remodeling. Echocardiography allowed to measure septal and lateral wall thickness; speckle-tracking provided septal and lateral strain and curvature; and LV pressure was recorded via a Millar catheter. Dynamic wall stress was assessed by the Law of Laplace – [wall stress = pressure x (radius of curvature / 2 x wall thickness)] – and was measured at the onset of regional shortening and at peak. All measurements were performed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. A "control" setting was recorded at baseline without pacing. Results LBBB induced mechanical dyssynchrony (Fig. A vs. B). By week 16, septal thickness decreased by 29% (p<0.05) and lateral wall thickness increased by 24% (p<0.05). Mechanical dyssynchrony worsened progressively, with amplifying early-systolic septal shortening and septal rebound stretch and lateral wall pre-stretch (Fig. B-D). At baseline control, no differences in wall stress were observed (Fig. F). After induction of LBBB, at the onset of shortening, initial septal wall stress was significantly lower than lateral wall stress (all p<0.01) (Fig. G-I), but this difference narrowed from 41±7 mmHg at baseline, to 25±9 mmHg at week 8 and 11±2 mmHg at week 16 (all p<0.05) (Fig. E), reflecting increased septal stress (due to thinning) and reduced lateral stress (due to thickening). In contrast, peak septal stress remained higher than lateral stress (all p<0.01), and the difference further widened over 16 weeks from 9±8 mmHg over 24±12 mmHg to 43±14 mmHg (all p<0.05) (Fig. J). Conclusions LBBB-like LV activation leads to an acute reduction in septal wall stress at onset of shortening of the respective wall, which is then re-balanced through differential regional remodelling of the left ventricle. This remodelling, however, leads to an increasingly unfavourable peak wall stress distribution. Our data suggest that regional loading conditions at onset of shortening rather than peak stress trigger adaptive processes of the myocardium.

Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) describes a complex set of coagulation changes affecting severely injured patients. The thrombomodulin-protein C axis is central to the evolution of TIC. Soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) levels are elevated after injury and predict poor clinical outcomes. Recently, a heritable bleeding disorder defined by injury-related excessive bleeding, markedly elevated sTM and a THBD mutation has been described. The clinical phenotype broadly mirrors that of trauma hemorrhage, and we hypothesized that their endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) could be used to model trauma-induced endothelial damage. Our objectives were to: (a) define the hemostatic capacity of wild type (WT-) and THBD variant (MT-) ECFCs, using global hemostatic assays, (b) determine the hemostatic changes on ECFC surfaces after exposing cells to trauma stimuli, (c) evaluate the contributions of traumatized ECFCs and trauma patient plasma to overall hemostatic capacity, to better understand the injured endothelial-coagulation interface. We show that trauma stimuli cause significant, rapid shedding of TM from WT-cells and this reduced membrane-TM supports quicker fibrinolysis and greater thrombin generating capacity. Combining trauma plasma with traumatized ECFCs attenuates and/or negates these effects. This ECFC model provides novel mechanistic insights into TIC at the endothelial surface, informing future treatment strategies.

Occupational stress is a serious issue among EFL teachers, associated with the excess of teaching-related tasks and daily interaction with students who are not always engaged. This descriptive, cross-sectional study intended to understand better the educators’ self-perception of their own stress levels and their knowledge about mindfulness techniques. The partakers were required to complete two digital questionnaires: a Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Scale (FLTAS) adapted from Aydin and Ustuk (2020) and a survey about mindfulness. A total of 47 active EFL teachers completed the first, but only 23 did the second one. The findings confirmed by both instruments, show that teachers perceive low levels of stress in their lives; the elements that scored higher as stressors were those related to student participation and engagement, and the element that scored lower as a stress trigger was the use of English in the class. This research could provide important contributions for educational institutions seeking to support teacher wellbeing, teacher training programs looking to incorporate stress management strategies, EFL educators themselves who might benefit from mindfulness approaches and researchers exploring the effectiveness of mindfulness in educational settings.

Resilience may protect against the negative consequences of psychologically challenging occupational exposures in firefighters. There is a limited understanding of how firefighter resilience may differ from civilians and contextual factors, which may influence firefighter resilience. Determine differences in resilience between firefighters and civilians and to identify contextual factors affecting firefighter resilience. This cross-sectional examination included career firefighters and civilians not in emergency or care service occupations. Participants completed the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), a demographics and injury questionnaire. Firefighters additionally completed the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) and the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) questionnaire, which assessed three independent subscales: (i) compassion satisfaction (ProQOL-CS), (ii) compassion fatigue: burnout and (iii) compassion fatigue: secondary traumatic stress. Independent t-tests were used to examine BRS score between-group differences. Backward linear regression analysis identified contextual factors (e.g. rank, ProQOL scores) related to firefighter resilience. Resilience was greater among firefighters with a moderate effect (P < 0.001, 0.69). Backward linear regressions found ProQOL-CS and Grit-S scores were related to firefighter resilience (R2 = 21%). We found that firefighters exhibit greater resilience than civilians, and that ProQOL-CS and grit significantly contribute to firefighter resilience. The meaningfully greater resilience among firefighters suggests that related findings in civilian populations may not be relevant for firefighters. Identification of contextual factors related to firefighter resilience can inform intervention strategies among firefighters. Future prospective studies should examine psychosocial constructs (e.g. resilience) and influential factors (e.g. compassion satisfaction, grit) to better understand biopsychosocial risk factors for firefighter occupational-health consequences.

ABSTRACT In Israel, there are populations that deal with terrorism on an ongoing basis, Continuous traumatic stress (CTS) differs in its definition and characteristics from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and requires a different response. In the current study, we examined the coping of kindergarten teachers living in the Samaria region with mediating the topic to kindergarten children who are exposed to terrorism. The study found that children tend to play war games in kindergarten and some of the children are highly exposed to information on the subject. The kindergarten teachers tried to maintain a balance between answering questions on the subject and the desire not to reveal more than is necessary to the children.

BackgroundEmergency department nurses face substantial occupational stress due to frequent exposure to high-risk, unstable, and unpredictable clinical environments. However, research on nurses’ professional quality of life (ProQOL) has largely focused on other specialties, leaving ED nurses underrepresented. Addressing this gap is essential to improving professional well-being and job satisfaction.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the associations between family care, organizational support, psychological resilience, and ProQOL among emergency department nurses.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from July 6 to July 31, 2024, involving 441 emergency department nurses from 18 tertiary hospitals in 16 cities in Anhui Province, China. Data were collected using anonymous paper-based questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis H tests, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression.ResultsCompassion satisfaction differed significantly by sex (Z = -2.677, |d| = 0.231, p = 0.007), professional level (H = 17.675, η2 = 0.035, p < 0.001), and number of night shifts (H = 10.571, η2 = 0.022, p = 0.005). Burnout scores varied significantly by professional level (H = 8.861, η2 = 0.016, p = 0.012), number of night shifts (H = 8.357, η2 = 0.021, p = 0.015), and presence of chronic illness (Z = -2.029, |d| = 0.437, p = 0.042). Secondary traumatic stress differed significantly according to chronic illness history (Z = -2.232, |d| = 0.341, p = 0.026). Family care, organizational support, and psychological resilience were positively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.382, 0.549, and 0.562, respectively; all p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with burnout (r = -0.333, -0.405, and -0.497, respectively; all p < 0.001). Regression analyses indicated that family care, organizational support, and psychological resilience significantly predicted compassion satisfaction (adjusted R2 = 0.458), while burnout was significantly associated with intention to leave the ED, family care, organizational support, and psychological resilience (adjusted R2 = 0.358).ConclusionThe findings provide evidence that family care, organizational support, and psychological resilience are associated with the ProQOL of nurses working in emergency departments. In China, these results offer useful references for regions facing similar emergency care pressures (e.g., high workloads in tertiary hospitals, nurse shortages) to optimize nurse well-being interventions. They also provide a foundation for developing targeted strategies to enhance nurses’ professional well-being and job satisfaction.

The focus of this clinical case series is long-term consequences of traumatic events in patients with antisocial coping strategies. This article describes cases of long-term psychodynamic therapy with four adults who were going through psychological challenges and suffered from traumatic events in the past or during the period of observation. Results provide preliminary evidence of psychodynamic factors that may influence maladaptive coping strategies used to overcome traumatic experiences, how co-occurrence of symptoms obstruct treatment of traumatic stress symptoms, and what kind of interventions may simultaneously address symptoms of complex posttraumatic stress, antisocial coping, and suicide risk factors. This case series aims to understand the long-term trajectories of individuals employing antisocial coping strategies, which typically create resistance to effective psychological intervention. By identifying factors that contribute to the reduced use of antisocial coping strategies in adults and influence the preference for alternative coping mechanisms, more targeted prevention and intervention strategies can be developed for treatment-resistant cases.

This study aimed to investigate parenting factors that contribute to their children's distress during wartime. Parental distress, war-related dialogue styles, and emotional socialization were examined as potential predictors of children's traumatic stress. The study included 404 Israeli parents and their children (under 18), utilizing self-report questionnaires and parent-reported measures. Key constructs measured included parental distress (anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, perceived stress), war-related dialogue styles (modulated disclosure, unfiltered speech, silencing), and emotional socialization (supportive and unsupportive responses). Findings revealed strong correlations between parental and children's distress. Parents with higher distress showed increased unfiltered speech about the war, associated with elevated traumatic stress symptoms in children. Modulated disclosure predicted lower child traumatic stress symptoms, but only when parental distress was high. Supportive emotional socialization responses were linked to reduced traumatic stress symptoms in children, while unsupportive responses heightened them. Parental war-related dialogue style and emotional socialization play critical roles in mitigating the psychological impact of war on children. Modulated disclosure and supportive emotional socialization serve as protective factors, particularly in high-stress parental environments. These findings underscore the need for interventions that support parents in adopting effective communication and emotional support strategies during crises. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Studies of unusual sensory experiences, like hallucinations, in people at risk of psychosis usually focus on auditory experiences. This study explored how common experiences across a range of sensory modalities were in people at an ultra-high risk of developing psychosis. Particular attention was paid to the number of modalities reported and their impact. It was hypothesised that people reporting a greater number of modalities of hallucinations would report greater levels of general distress, more delusional ideation, lower emotional well-being and poorer functioning. In addition, the contribution of sleep problems and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the reporting of hallucinations in different modalities was explored. A single-group cross-sectional design was used. People at an ultra-high risk of developing psychosis completed measures of hallucinations, delusions, general distress, functioning, emotional well-being, trauma and sleep. Nearly all participants reported hallucinations in the auditory domain. They also reported a range of other unusual sensory experiences, with visual and somatic/tactile hallucinations being reported by over half. Single sensory experiences or unimodal hallucinations were less common than hallucinations in two or more modalities, which were reported by 88% of the participants. The number of modalities of hallucinations was significantly associated with greater general distress, delusional ideation, reduced emotional well-being and to some extent functioning. PTSD and sleep were identified as potential causal factors for hallucinations across modalities. Psychological therapies need to account for these experiences and could feasibly target them with treatments that focus on sleep or trauma.

The South Asian American (SAA) community often encounters substantial traumas and reports distress after these experiences. Simultaneously, many SAAs underutilize mental health services. Two significant factors contributing to such disparities in access to care are the lack of (a) culturally responsive traumatic stress interventions for SAAs and (b) SAA-specific methodological structures to be used in traumatic stress intervention research. Thus, we outline a methodological protocol article based on process-oriented insights to develop culturally responsive traumatic stress interventions for SAAs, focusing on centering community voices to understand the experience of trauma and its impacts within the cultural context of this community. We delineated steps, considerations, and lessons that we learned in the process, specifically how to (a) develop a collaborative team with a specific range of stakeholders and to integrate their input, (b) create and implement a study protocol and data management plan, and (c) devise and roll out a culturally informed participant recruitment and retention protocol. Using our work in this community as an example, we highlight the strengths of the methodological approach taken and areas that would be important to address in future work with SAAs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Research demonstrates that oppression can produce symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but traditional trauma assessments do not account for the impacts of oppression. This study addressed this gap by establishing the dimensionality, measurement equivalence, reliability, and convergent validity of the Oppression-Based Traumatic Stress Inventory across two samples. The samples comprise PTSD treatment study clients (Sample 1; n = 129) and Hispanic-serving institution undergraduate students (Sample 2; n = 227) who completed a series of questionnaires, including the Oppression-Based Traumatic Stress Inventory. Confirmatory item factor analyses for the 25 ordinal Oppression-Based Traumatic Stress Inventory items were conducted for each sample. Model fit was unsatisfactory for two initial four-factor solutions: one based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, PTSD symptom clusters and another based on exploratory factor analyses on a previous sample. Given the very high correlations among the factors, however, we refined the structure into three new factors (oppression-related distress and avoidance, fear and blame of others, and general depression and anxiety symptoms) that yielded acceptable fit after adding four error covariances. Measurement invariance testing revealed three of the 25 items had parameters that differed across samples. Excellent reliability was found for all three factors. A higher order factor appeared plausible but was largely noninvariant across samples. Finally, we provide evidence for convergent validity (with measures of standard PTSD, posttraumatic cognitions, depressive symptoms, psychosocial functioning, racial discrimination, gender discrimination, and, to some degree, material hardship). Our findings strengthen the psychometric evidence supporting this novel measure of oppression-based traumatic stress, an important step in furthering intersectional research on this topic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Professional quality of life influences patient care, staff well-being, and organizational efficacy. The COVID-19 pandemic placed pressure on healthcare professionals, disrupting their professional quality of life and imposing a psychological burden. In Greece, these issues were intensified by a decade of economic crisis, marked by constrained healthcare budget, personnel shortages, and insufficient resources. This study investigates the pandemic's impact on the professional quality of life of Greek healthcare professionals to support targeted interventions. A cross-sectional study was conducted using descriptive statistics. The participants were a convenience sample of 246 healthcare professionals from a Greek regional university hospital with at least one year of experience and who had worked with COVID-19-positive or potentially exposed but asymptomatic patients. Data were collected between March and June 2021 using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (version 5). Of the 246 participants, 81.3% were women and 33.8% were aged 50 or older. Moderate concern and fear regarding COVID-19 were reported, with 34.6% extremely afraid of transmitting the virus to family or friends and 22.8% to patients or their families. Overall professional quality of life was moderate: compassion satisfaction was moderate to high, while burnout and secondary traumatic stress were moderate to low. Higher compassion satisfaction was linked to holding a position of responsibility. Burnout was associated with having children, permanent employment, years of experience, and increased pandemic-related fear. Higher secondary traumatic stress was associated with older age, more years of experience, and greater pandemic-related fear. These findings support international research and highlight that the moderate levels observed indicate intrinsic motivation based on professionalism in patient care, providing evidence of resilience and coping mechanisms that reduce psychological consequences on well-being due to the pandemic.

The mental health challenges faced by international students in higher education institutions worldwide have reached critical levels, with academic stress identified as a primary contributing factor. This study investigates the psychological effects of academic load stress on international students in Nanjing, China, emphasizing the complex interaction between cultural, academic, and social stressors. Employing a mixed-methods design, the research integrates quantitative surveys ( n = 1,115) with qualitative interviews ( n = 10) to analyze stress triggers, mental health outcomes, and institutional support mechanisms. Key results indicate 40% of participants experienced frequent stress symptoms. Hierarchical regression analysis identified academic workload as the strongest predictor for stress ( β = 0.37, p &amp;lt; 0.001), anxiety ( β = 0.33, p &amp;lt; 0.001), and depression ( β = 0.29, p &amp;lt; 0.001), with the full model explaining a significant portion of variance (Total R 2 = 0.154 for stress, Δ R 2 = 0.102 for academic factors). Social isolation and language barriers were also significant contributors across all mental health outcomes. Stress levels varied by program, with Master’s students reporting the highest prevalence of moderate stress (48%) and PhD candidates the highest severe stress (45%). Qualitative data revealed cultural adaptation difficulties, including challenges with Confucian educational norms and language proficiency, which intensified stress. Despite existing support services, only 38% of students utilized counseling, citing stigma and cultural misalignment as barriers. This study highlights the urgent need for tailored interventions, such as culturally responsive faculty training, peer support networks, and improved mental health resources. By contextualizing global research within China’s higher education landscape, the findings advance understanding of academic stress and propose practical strategies to enhance student well-being in international academic environments.

Postmortem Pathology of a Cuvier's Beaked Whale: Evidence of Environmental and Traumatic Stress in a Deep-Diving Cetacean