Unavoidable Stress Research Articles

ATF4/NUPR1 axis promotes cancer cell survival and mediates immunosuppression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Cancer cells encounter unavoidable stress during tumor growth. The stress-induced transcription factor, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), has been reported to upregulate various adaptive genes involved in salvage pathways to alleviate stress and promote tumor progression. However, this effect is unknown in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In this study, we found that ATF4 expression was remarkably upregulated in tumor tissues and associated with poor ccRCC outcomes. ATF4 depletion significantly impaired ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related signaling pathway. RNA sequencing and functional studies identified nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) as a key downstream target of ATF4 for repressing ferroptosis and promoting ccRCC cell survival. In addition, targeting ATF4 or pharmacological inhibition using NUPR1 inhibitor ZZW115 promoted antitumor immunity in syngeneic graft mouse models, represented by increased infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, ZZW115 could improve the response to the PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade. The results demonstrate that the ATF4/NUPR1 signaling axis promotes ccRCC survival and facilitates tumor-mediated immunosuppression, providing a set of potential targets and prognostic indicators for ccRCC patients.Graphical abstract

Spatio-temporal variation of depth to groundwater level and its driving factors in arid and semi-arid regions of India

Climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities, such as over-exploitation of groundwater, are exerting unavoidable stress on groundwater resources. This study investigated the spatio-temporal variation of depth to groundwater level (DGWL) and the impacts of climatic (precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature) and anthropogenic (gross district product (GDP), population, and net irrigated area (NIA)) variables on DGWL during 1994–2020. The study considered DGWL in 113 observation wells and piezometers located in arid western plains (Barmer and Jodhpur districts) and semi-arid eastern plains (Jaipur, Ajmer, Dausa, and Tonk districts) of Rajasthan State, India. Statistical methods were employed to examine the annual and seasonal patterns of DGWL, and the generalized additive model (GAM) was used to determine the impacts of climatic and anthropogenic variables on DGWL. During 1994–2020, except for Barmer District, where the mean annual DGWL was almost constant (around 26.50 m), all other districts exhibited increase in DGWL, with Ajmer District experiencing the most increase. The results also revealed that 36 observation wells and piezometers showed a statistically significant annual increasing trend in DGWL and 34 observation wells and piezometers exhibited a statistically significant decreasing trend in DGWL. Similarly, 32 observation wells and piezometers showed an statistically significant increasing trend and 37 observation wells and piezometers showed a statistically significant decreasing trend in winter; 33 observation wells and piezometers indicated a statistically significant increasing trend and 34 had a statistically significant decreasing trend in post-monsoon; 35 observation wells and piezometers exhibited a statistically significant increasing trend and 32 observation wells and piezometers showed a statistically significant decreasing trend in pre-monsoon; and 36 observation wells and piezometers reflected a statistically significant increasing trend and 30 observation wells and piezometers reflected a statistically significant decreasing trend in monsoon. Interestingly, most of the observation wells and piezometers with increasing trends of DGWL were located in Dausa and Jaipur districts. Furthermore, the GAM analysis revealed that climatic variables, such as precipitation, significantly affected DGWL in Barmer District, and DGWL in all other districts was influenced by anthropogenic variables, including GDP, NIA, and population. As a result, stringent regulations should be implemented to curb excessive groundwater extraction, manage agricultural water demand, initiate proactive aquifer recharge programs, and strengthen sustainable management in these water-scarce regions.

Anxiety associated with perceived uncontrollable stress enhances expectations of environmental volatility and impairs reward learning

Unavoidable stress can lead to perceived lack of control and learned helplessness, a risk factor for depression. Avoiding punishment and gaining rewards involve updating the values of actions based on experience. Such updating is however useful only if action values are sufficiently stable, something that a lack of control may impair. We examined whether self-reported stress uncontrollability during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic predicted impaired reward-learning. In a preregistered study during the first-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we used self-reported measures of depression, anxiety, uncontrollable stress, and COVID-19 risk from 427 online participants to predict performance in a three-armed-bandit probabilistic reward learning task. As hypothesised, uncontrollable stress predicted impaired learning, and a greater proportion of probabilistic errors following negative feedback for correct choices, an effect mediated by state anxiety. A parameter from the best-fitting hidden Markov model that estimates expected beliefs that the identity of the optimal choice will shift across images, mediated effects of state anxiety on probabilistic errors and learning deficits. Our findings show that following uncontrollable stress, anxiety promotes an overly volatile representation of the reward-structure of uncertain environments, impairing reward attainment, which is a potential path to anhedonia in depression.

Experimental study on fatigue behavior of trapezoidal rib-to-deck welded joints in orthotropic steel decks strengthened with CFRP sheets

Due to the unavoidable stress concentrations and welding defects, the trapezoidal rib-to-deck welded joints of Orthotropic Steel Bridge Decks (OSBD) are prone to fatigue cracking. It is a new exploration to apply Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets to strengthen the complex welded joints to improve the fatigue strength. In this paper, the comparative tests of un-strengthened and CFRP strengthened welded joints were carried out. The hot spot stress distribution under static load and fatigue behavior under cyclic load were studied, considering the influence of the number of CFRP sheet layers. The experimental results indicate that CFRP reinforcement can effectively reduce the stress concentrations at weld toe of the deck, and three-layers reinforcement has a greater effect than one-layer reinforcement. There was no significant difference in failure modes between the un-strengthened and CFRP strengthened welded joints. The fatigue cracks of all joints originated from weld toe of the deck, and then expanded along the width and thickness of the deck which caused the deck to break. CFRP reinforcement can significantly improve the fatigue life of trapezoidal rib-to-deck welded joints under the same nominal stress range and three-layers reinforcement presented a longer fatigue life. The S-N curve [Formula: see text] based on the hot spot stress range at weld toe of the deck was established, which can be applied to the fatigue strength design of un-strengthened and CFRP strengthened rib-to-deck welded joints. The mechanism that CFRP reinforcement can significantly improve the fatigue performance of welded joints can be concluded to less stress concentrations and slower growth rate of the crack.

Covid-19-Stress Associated With Worse Sleep Quality, Particularly With Increasing Age.

Based on socioemotional selectivity theory, one might predict that older adults' well-being would be less negatively affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)-stress, as with other stressors, than younger people. However, whether sleep quality, which is negatively affected by aging, is similarly protected from the negative consequences of Covid-19-stress with age is unknown. Here, we examined the association between Covid-19-stress, above and beyond general-stress, and sleep quality and how it varies by age. From December 2020 to April 2021, 386 adults reported their Covid-19-stress, sleep quality, and resilience in an online study. While older age was related to lower Covid-19-stress, Covid-19-stress was associated with worse sleep quality with greater age. These results suggest that at least some aspects of one's well-being may be more susceptible to the negative consequences of stress with increasing age. Our results might be better understood via the strength and vulnerability integration model, which posits that older adults have increased susceptibility to prolonged and unavoidable stress.

Effects of Aging on Proteome Dynamics in Mice Brain Microvessels: ROS Scavengers, mRNA/Protein Stability, Glycolytic Enzymes, Mitochondrial Complexes, and Basement Membrane Components

BackgroundAging is an unavoidable stress with ever‐increasing detrimental effects on the brain microvasculature, which affects neuronal health/function and adds vulnerability to strokes and neurological diseases. In this study, we performed an extensive examination of proteins involved in the structure and function of mouse brain cortical microvessels (MVs) using a discovery‐based quantitative proteomic approach.MethodsCortical MVs were isolated from age‐matched, male and female, young (4–6 months), middle‐aged (12–14 months), and old (20–21 months) mice obtained from Jackson Laboratory [Tg(Thy1‐EGFP)MJrs/J] (Jax No. 007788) and bred in a C57B16J background. The presence of end‐arterioles, capillaries, and venules in MVs was confirmed by light microscopy and by alkaline phosphate staining. Proteomics analysis was performed using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.ResultsMost differentially expressed (DE) proteins (> 90%) showed no significant disparities between the sexes; however, some significant DE proteins showing sexual differences in MVs decreased from percentage in young (8.3%), to middle‐aged (3.7%), to old (0.5%) mice. Therefore, we combined male and female data for age‐dependent comparisons but noted sex differences for examination. Key proteins involved in the oxidative stress response, mRNA or protein stability, basement membrane (BM) composition, aerobic glycolysis, and mitochondrial function were significantly altered with aging. Relative abundance of superoxide dismutase‐1/‐2, catalase, and thioredoxin were reduced with aging. Proteins participating in either mRNA degradation or pre‐mRNA splicing were significantly increased in old mice MVs, whereas protein stabilizing proteins decreased. Glycolytic proteins were not affected in middle age, but the relative abundance decreased in MVs of old mice. Although most of the 41 examined proteins composing mitochondrial Complexes I‐V were reduced in old mice, six of these proteins showed a significant reduction in middle‐aged mice, but the relative abundance increased in fourteen proteins. Nidogen, collagen, and laminin family members as well as perlecan showed differing patterns during aging, indicating BM reorganization starting in middle age.ConclusionsWe suggest that increased oxidative stress during aging leads to adverse protein profile changes of brain cortical MVs that affect mRNA/protein stability, BM integrity, and ATP synthesis capacity.

Regulation of Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Hog1 Phosphorylation Induced by DNA Damage Agent in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DNA damage is a harmful and unavoidable stress frequently encountered by living organisms. It is crucial for organisms to have elaborated mechanisms in response to DNA damage, and a thorough understanding of these mechanisms and their regulation is very important. Hog1 is a stress‐activated protein kinase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which responds to osmolarity changes as well as various other stressors. Recently, we found that Hog1 can be activated by DNA damage agent, and the activation is primarily mediated by the Sln1 branch of the HOG pathway. Interestingly, we observed that DNA damage agent‐induced activation of Hog1 is substantially elevated when treated with cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, suggesting the existence of a mechanism that keeps the extent of Hog1 activation in check. Notably, the cycloheximide effect is diminished in several phosphatase deletion mutants, suggesting a profound involvement of phosphatase in this process. The detailed characterization of the role of phosphatase in regulating DNA damage‐induced Hog1 activation is currently underway.

P242. Anxiety Associated with Perceived Lack of Control Over Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Impairs Reward Learning

BackgroundUnavoidable stress can lead to perceived lack of control and learned helplessness, a risk factor for depression. Avoiding punishment and gaining rewards involve updating the values of actions based on experience. We examined whether self-reported stress uncontrollability during the first-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic predicted impaired reward-learning.MethodsIn a preregistered study, 427 online participants completed a three-armed-bandit probabilistic reward-learning task to maximise monetary reward. Participants chose between three composite-stimuli comprising three images each. Choosing the target image, which changed every 20-30 trials without warning, resulted in reward on 80% of trials (20% otherwise). Participants completed self-reported measures of depression, anxiety, stress uncontrollability, and risk of COVID-19, which we used to predict accuracy across trials. We tested various reinforcement learning and hidden Markov models (HMMs) to examine cognitive mechanisms underlying the effect of perceived uncontrollability on choices. We hypothesized that stress uncontrollability would predict worse reward-learning.ResultsHigher state anxiety and stress uncontrollability separately predicted impaired reward-learning (z=-2.66, p=.008; z=-3.05, p=.002). The effect of stress uncontrollability was mediated by anxiety (β=0.61, p=.052). State anxiety was positively associated with a parameter from the winning HMM that estimates how much beliefs about the identity of the target diffuse among images (r=.12, p=.0152).ConclusionsGreater perceived stress uncontrollability during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with impaired reward-learning, and this effect was explained by current anxiety. These results suggest that anxiety promotes imprecision in the representation of the reward structure of the environment, mediating the observed effect of lack of control on reward-learning.Supported BySwedish Research CouncilKeywordsStress Controllability, Reward Learning, Computational Modelling, State Anxiety BackgroundUnavoidable stress can lead to perceived lack of control and learned helplessness, a risk factor for depression. Avoiding punishment and gaining rewards involve updating the values of actions based on experience. We examined whether self-reported stress uncontrollability during the first-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic predicted impaired reward-learning. Unavoidable stress can lead to perceived lack of control and learned helplessness, a risk factor for depression. Avoiding punishment and gaining rewards involve updating the values of actions based on experience. We examined whether self-reported stress uncontrollability during the first-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic predicted impaired reward-learning. MethodsIn a preregistered study, 427 online participants completed a three-armed-bandit probabilistic reward-learning task to maximise monetary reward. Participants chose between three composite-stimuli comprising three images each. Choosing the target image, which changed every 20-30 trials without warning, resulted in reward on 80% of trials (20% otherwise). Participants completed self-reported measures of depression, anxiety, stress uncontrollability, and risk of COVID-19, which we used to predict accuracy across trials. We tested various reinforcement learning and hidden Markov models (HMMs) to examine cognitive mechanisms underlying the effect of perceived uncontrollability on choices. We hypothesized that stress uncontrollability would predict worse reward-learning. In a preregistered study, 427 online participants completed a three-armed-bandit probabilistic reward-learning task to maximise monetary reward. Participants chose between three composite-stimuli comprising three images each. Choosing the target image, which changed every 20-30 trials without warning, resulted in reward on 80% of trials (20% otherwise). Participants completed self-reported measures of depression, anxiety, stress uncontrollability, and risk of COVID-19, which we used to predict accuracy across trials. We tested various reinforcement learning and hidden Markov models (HMMs) to examine cognitive mechanisms underlying the effect of perceived uncontrollability on choices. We hypothesized that stress uncontrollability would predict worse reward-learning. ResultsHigher state anxiety and stress uncontrollability separately predicted impaired reward-learning (z=-2.66, p=.008; z=-3.05, p=.002). The effect of stress uncontrollability was mediated by anxiety (β=0.61, p=.052). State anxiety was positively associated with a parameter from the winning HMM that estimates how much beliefs about the identity of the target diffuse among images (r=.12, p=.0152). Higher state anxiety and stress uncontrollability separately predicted impaired reward-learning (z=-2.66, p=.008; z=-3.05, p=.002). The effect of stress uncontrollability was mediated by anxiety (β=0.61, p=.052). State anxiety was positively associated with a parameter from the winning HMM that estimates how much beliefs about the identity of the target diffuse among images (r=.12, p=.0152). ConclusionsGreater perceived stress uncontrollability during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with impaired reward-learning, and this effect was explained by current anxiety. These results suggest that anxiety promotes imprecision in the representation of the reward structure of the environment, mediating the observed effect of lack of control on reward-learning. Greater perceived stress uncontrollability during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with impaired reward-learning, and this effect was explained by current anxiety. These results suggest that anxiety promotes imprecision in the representation of the reward structure of the environment, mediating the observed effect of lack of control on reward-learning.

The neuroendocrine stress response impairs hippocampal vascular function and memory in male and female rats

Chronic psychological stress affects brain regions involved in memory such as the hippocampus and accelerates age-related cognitive decline, including in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. However, little is known about how chronic stress impacts hippocampal vascular function that is critically involved in maintaining neurocognitive health that could contribute to stress-related memory dysfunction. Here, we used a novel experimental rat model that mimics the neuroendocrine and cardiovascular aspects of chronic stress to determine how the neuroendocrine components of the stress response affect hippocampal function. We studied both male and female rats to determine potential sex differences in the susceptibility of the hippocampus and its vasculature to neuroendocrine stress-induced dysfunction. We show that activation of neuroendocrine stress pathways impaired the vasoreactivity of hippocampal arterioles to mediators involved in coupling neuronal activity with local blood flow that was associated with impaired memory function. Interestingly, we found more hippocampal arteriolar dysfunction and scarcer hippocampal microvasculature in male compared to female rats that was associated with greater memory impairment, suggesting the male sex may be at increased risk of neuroendocrine-derived hippocampal dysfunction during chronic stress. Overall, this study revealed the therapeutic potential of targeting hippocampal arterioles to prevent or slow memory decline in the setting of prolonged and/or unavoidable stress.

Prospecting for a quinoline containing selenium for comorbidities depression and memory impairment induced by restriction stress in mice.

RationaleDepression is often associated with memory impairment, a clinical feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but no effective treatment is available. 7-Chloro-4-(phenylselanyl) quinoline (4-PSQ) has been studied in experimental models of diseases that affect the central nervous system.ObjectivesThe pharmacological activity of 4-PSQ in depressive-like behavior associated with memory impairment induced by acute restraint stress (ARS) in male Swiss mice was evaluated.MethodsARS is an unavoidable stress model that was applied for a period of 240 min. Ten minutes after ARS, animals were intragastrically treated with canola oil (10 ml/kg) or 4-PSQ (10 mg/kg) or positive controls (paroxetine or donepezil) (10 mg/kg). Then, after 30 min, mice were submitted to behavioral tests. Corticosterone levels were evaluated in plasma and oxidative stress parameters; monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A and MAO -B isoform activity; mRNA expression levels of kappa nuclear factor B (NF-κB); interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and IL-33; phosphatidylinositol-se-kinase (PI3K); protein kinase B (AKT2), as well as acetylcholinesterase activity were evaluated in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.Results4-PSQ attenuated the depressive-like behavior, self-care, and memory impairment caused by ARS. Based on the evidence, we believe that effects of 4-PSQ may be associated, at least in part, with the attenuation of HPA axis activation, attenuation of alterations in the monoaminergic system, modulation of oxidative stress, reestablishment of AChE activity, modulation of the PI3K/AKT2 pathway, and reduction of neuroinflammation.ConclusionsThese results suggested that 4-PSQ exhibited an antidepressant-like effect and attenuated the memory impairment induced by ARS, and it is a promising molecule to treat these comorbidities.

Keeping both parents’ bond with their child in separation situation – considerations in the context of forensic-psychological diagnosis

The article undertakes the topic of psychological diagnosis in a situation of joint custody from the forensic psychologist’s perspective. The authors underline the necessity of deep psychological analysis of the issue in order to answer the question of how separating parents can create the best possible conditions of care for their child and how to minimize the stress inevitably accompanying all family members in such a situation. Parenting model in which both parents are similarly engaged in upbringing process and the child lives at both parents’ places is discussed. The authors summarize benefits and disadvantages of parenting with the so-called ‘leading parent’ and joint custody trying to show the importance of organization of the parenting that first of all minimizes the unavoidable stress of the child in the situation of separation and protects existing bonds. It was proposed that the process of psychological diagnosis for legal purposes should not focus on which parent has higher level of ‘parental competence’, but should consider which specific situation may be the most beneficial for the child, bearing in mind the priority given to fostering attachment. This implies the need to change parents’, lawyers’ and psychologists’ way of thinking. For forensic psychologists, the proposed perspective may even require a reorganization of diagnostic process.

A functional selective effect of oxytocin secreted under restraint stress in rats

Restraint stress (RS) is an unavoidable stress model that triggers activation of the autonomic nervous system, endocrine activity, and behavioral changes in rodents. Furthermore, RS induces secretion of oxytocin into the bloodstream, indicating a possible physiological role in the stress response in this model. The presence of oxytocin receptors in vessels and heart favors this possible idea. However, the role of oxytocin secreted in RS and effects on the cardiovascular system are still unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of oxytocin on cardiovascular effects during RS sessions. Rats were subjected to pharmacological (blockade of either oxytocin, vasopressin, or muscarinic receptors) or surgical (hypophysectomy or sinoaortic denervation) approaches to study the functional role of oxytocin and its receptor during RS. Plasma levels of oxytocin and vasopressin were measured after RS. RS increased arterial pressure, heart rate, and plasma oxytocin content, but not vasopressin. Treatment with atosiban (a Gi biased agonist) inhibited restraint-evoked tachycardia without affecting blood pressure. However, this effect was no longer observed after sinoaortic denervation, homatropine (M2 muscarinic antagonist) treatment or hypophysectomy, indicating that parasympathetic activation mediated by oxytocin secreted to the periphery is responsible for blocking the increase in tachycardic responses observed in the atosiban-treated group. Corroborating this, L-368,899 (oxytocin antagonist) treatment showed an opposite effect to atosiban, increasing tachycardic responses to restraint. Thus, this provides evidence that oxytocin secreted to the periphery attenuates tachycardic responses evoked by restraint via increased parasympathetic activity, promoting cardioprotection by reducing the stress-evoked heart rate increase.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Graduating Class Students at the University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

IntroductionA poorly known contagious disease outbreak, like COVID-19, leads to unavoidable stress, fear, and anxiety. During the pandemic, University students suffer from adverse mental health outcomes resulted from the continuous spread of the disease, sensational media reporting, and implementation of social lockdown. Graduating class students are more affected due to cancellation and postponing of anticipated events such as exchange studies and graduation ceremonies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety, depression, and stress among graduating class students.MethodsInstitution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 10 to 30, 2020 at the University of Gondar. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select 350 students. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire, entered in EPI DATA version 3, analyzed using SPSS version 21, and presented in frequencies, percentages, tables, and graphs. Bivariable and multivariable analysis was investigated using a binary logistic regression model.ResultsThe prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among graduating class students was 22.2%, 39.6%, and 40.2% respectively. Living in an urban area, living with a family, sedentary lifestyle, unable to practice COVID-19 preventive measures, and having a contact history increases the risk of developing stress. Living in an urban area, substance use, sedentary lifestyle, and fear of infecting family increase the risk of developing anxiety. Students who came from an urban area, live with a family, study non-health departments, had confirmed cases in the family and did not perform physical exercise had higher odds of developing depression.ConclusionMore than one-fifth, more than one-third, and nearly two-fifths of graduating students had stress, anxiety, and depression respectively. It is better to develop effective strategies and interventions, train students about self-protection, and establish a psychological crisis intervention team to minimize the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ROLE OF MANIPUR CHAKRA ACTIVATION IN TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS

Chakras are the circular vortex of energy lying across the seven different points on your spinal column. On a physical level, chakras are associated with the major nerve plexuses and endocrine glands in the body. Many asanas have particularly powerful and beneficial effect on one or more of these glands or plexuses. Chakras are not the physical entity and reside in energy body, but help us to understand the body functions and emotions. As they are psychoactive energy centers in human body they are directly related to physiological and psychological health of human being. The unavoidable stress in lifestyle has blocked the entire chakra system and imbalance in the energy flow causes various diseases. We have the great ancient knowledge with us to regulate the energy flow through chakras and get cured from various disorders related to that chakra. Mechanism of yoga effects is the most visible in the systems of chakras and nadis, which specifically and directly correlates with nervous and endocrine system. This study is a small effort to prove the effect and application of Manipur chakra activation in management of life style disorders especially diabetes mellitus.

ASYMMETRIC RESPONSE OF DISAGGREGATED IMPORT DEMAND TO EXCHANGE RATE MOVEMENTS: A SMALL OPEN ECONOMY PERSPECTIVE

Net importing countries are very susceptible to changes in the value of their currency. Pakistan, being a small open economy, faces a constant pressure in its current account and BOP, which leads to unavoidable stress on its exchange rate. Exchange rate movements affect the cost of imports directly which have been studied extensively in empirical literature. However, these studies ignore the possibility of asymmetric effects of exchange rate and its impact on import demand in Pakistan. An appreciation in exchange rate may have a different impact on demand for imports than depreciations depending upon the level of rigidity in consumer preferences as well as the availability of substitutes for consumer goods, capital goods and raw materials. We use quarterly data of Pakistan’s consumer goods, capital goods and raw material imports from 2005:Q1 to 2018:Q4 and employ a relatively recent econometric methodology, namely, Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) technique. The results confirm the existence of asymmetric impact of exchange rate in the long-run. The appreciation of currency has more pronounced impact in increasing imports relative to the depreciation of it in decreasing imports. There are further differences of this effect within imports across consumer goods, capital goods and raw materials. We present policy implications of this asymmetric effect of exchange rate on disaggregated consumer imports.

Age Advantages in Emotional Experience Persist Even Under Threat From the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented, sustained, and unavoidable stress for the entire population, and older people are facing particularly heightened risk of contracting the virus and suffering severe complications, including death. The present study was conducted when the pandemic was spreading exponentially in the United States. To address important theoretical questions about age differences in emotional experience in times of crisis, we surveyed a representative sample of 945 Americans between the ages of 18 and 76 years and assessed the frequency and intensity of a range of positive and negative emotions. We also assessed perceived risk of contagion and complications from the virus, as well as personality, health, and demographic characteristics. Age was associated with relatively greater emotional well-being both when analyses did and did not control for perceived risk and other covariates. The present findings extend previous research about age and emotion by demonstrating that older adults’ relatively better emotional well-being persists even in the face of prolonged stress.

Hippocampal and Cerebellar Changes in Acute Restraint Stress and the Impact of Pretreatment with Ceftriaxone.

Acute restraint stress (ARS) is an unavoidable stress situation and may be encountered in different clinical situations. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of ARS on the hippocampus and cerebellum, assess the impact of these effects on the behavior and cognitive function, and determine whether pretreatment with ceftriaxone would attenuate the damages produced by ARS on the hippocampus and cerebellum. Four groups of male mice were included in this study: The control group, ARS group, ceftriaxone group, and ARS + ceftriaxone group. Tail suspension test, Y-maze task, and open field tests were used to assess depression, working spatial memory, and anxiety. The biochemical analyses included measurements of serum cortisol, tumor necrotic factor (TNF), interleukin-6, hippocampal expression of bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9), lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1), glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1), heat shock protein 90, cerebellar expression of S100 protein, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and carbon anhydrase. Histopathological examination of the brain sections was conducted on the hippocampus and cerebellum by hematoxylin and eosin stains in addition to ultrastructure evaluation using electron microscopy. Our results suggested that ceftriaxone had neuroprotective properties by attenuating the effects of ARS on the hippocampus and cerebellum in mice. This effect was demonstrated by the improvement in the cognitive and behavioral tests as well as by the preservation of the hippocampal and cerebellar architecture.

Analysis of groundwater level trend and groundwater drought using Standard Groundwater Level Index: a case study of an eastern river basin of West Bengal, India

Global water demand has far exceeded the total available water resources which in turn have put a serious concern on food security. Changes in the land use and land cover scenario and rapid population growth are putting unavoidable stress over the water resources of the nation. The Indian aquifer system is facing an acute crisis due to the unscientific abstraction of groundwater for agricultural, industrial and domestic sector by the 1.3 billion growing population. To investigate the groundwater degradation, 20 wells from a river basin of West Bengal have been selected to study their seasonal groundwater level trend using Mann–Kendall test statistics from 1996 to 2018 where 60% of the wells are showing a decline in water level particularly in post-monsoon season. These wells are mainly located near the agricultural land where extraction of groundwater from submersible pumping wells is extensive as observed from socio-economic survey. Agglomerated hierarchical cluster analysis has been executed to classify the wells based on their magnitude of fluctuation. The wells have been classified in four clusters where cluster I consists most of the wells about 15 numbers whose fluctuation ranged between 1.8 and 4.33 m below groundwater level (mbgl). Finally, Standard Groundwater Level Index has been applied to understand the groundwater drought years. Well locations like Simlapal, Bheduasol and Neradeul have a higher frequency of drought years. The recharge potential of the wells is now decreasing day by day. Such kind of studies is required and will help the stakeholders to focus on sustainable management of this valuable water resource.

Effects of β1-adrenoceptors in the Basolateral Amygdala on Spatial Memory, Passive Avoidance, Long-term Potentiation and Neuronal Arborization in the Hippocampal CA1 Region in Response to Unavoidable Stress

Effects of β1-adrenoceptors in the Basolateral Amygdala on Spatial Memory, Passive Avoidance, Long-term Potentiation and Neuronal Arborization in the Hippocampal CA1 Region in Response to Unavoidable Stress

The Impacts of Home Confinement Due To Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Children: A Cross Sectional Survey Study, Mediclinic City Hospital, Dubai, UAE

Children are developing individuals with countless factors affecting their growth and development, from genetics to parenting, schools, environments, nutrition, good habits of sleep and health. They are very sensitive individuals to sudden changes in routine. Schools represent life for them and a place of not only learning, but also social interaction and sensory neurodevelopment. Disasters and pandemics such as the existing situation of COVID-19 are a major cause of trauma affecting their education, play, mental health, physical health, vaccinations, sleep, and development. The governments’ strategies particularly home confinement and school closure to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic spread added unavoidable stress and psychosocial impacts on both adults and children. Trauma of this kind may endure for a long time with negative consequences that may manifest later on, even up to adult life. We conducted a cross sectional parental survey, to assess the impacts of home confinement on children in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai, UAE. Children included were from 3 years until 16 years old who were in schools or pre-school placements before COVID-19 started. Total number of children included in the survey was 658 of which 327 were boys and 331 girls. We found that the impact of the home confinement on children was significant and directly affected their quality of life (QoL) that may extend beyond the lockdown for longtime. This study will help relevant authorities and organizations to understand the negative impacts brought by the COVID-19 confinement on children and to adopt appropriate strategies to help children and their parents tackle these impacts and get them back to normal life and school again. This study also paved the way for future studies in the identification and management of children’s behavior, attention, education, and other factors that play active roles in QoL and normal development. Moreover, this study may help in embracing early preventative and management plans by schools and authorities in future similar pandemics, infections, disasters or school outbreaks. We also discuss strategies for school reopening and flexibility when an outbreak happens again in a school or community.