WorldWideScience

Sample records for reported high stress

  1. Characteristics of people with self-reported stress-precipitated seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Privitera, Michael; Walters, Michael; Lee, Ikjae; Polak, Emily; Fleck, Adrienne; Schwieterman, Donna; Haut, Sheryl R

    2014-12-01

    by patients, may be associated with either acute stress or chronic stress, and are associated with higher scores on anxiety tests. Patients frequently use stress reduction methods to self-treat and report high success rates. A prospective, randomized trial of stress reduction for seizures is indicated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Job Satisfaction, Stress and Coping Strategies among Moroccan High School Teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benmansour, Naima

    1998-01-01

    Studied job stress, job satisfaction, and coping strategies through self-report measures from 153 Moroccan high school teachers. Results show that 45% of the teachers were satisfied with their jobs, but over half reported high levels of stress, negatively correlated with job satisfaction. Factor analysis of 16 coping strategies produced four…

  3. Stress relief of ceramic components in high voltage assemblies. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinen, R.J.

    1979-02-01

    Two types of ceramic packages were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of encapsulating the ceramic components in beta eucryptite filled epoxy. The requirements (no high voltage breakdown, no ceramic cracking, and no encapsulant cracking) were met by the spark gap assembly, but the sprytron assembly had cracking in the encapsulant after thermal cycling. The encapsulation of the ceramic component in beta eucryptite filled epoxy with a stress decoupling material selectively applied in the stress concentrated areas were used to prevent cracking in the sprytron encapsulant. This method is proposed as the standard encapsulation process for high voltage ceramic components

  4. Perceived fitness protects against stress-based mental health impairments among police officers who report good sleep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, Markus; Kellmann, Micheal; Elliot, Catherine; Hartmann, Tim; Brand, Serge; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe

    2014-01-01

    This study examined a cognitive stress-moderation model that posits that the harmful effects of chronic stress are decreased in police officers who perceive high levels of physical fitness. It also determined whether the stress-buffering effect of perceived fitness is influenced by officers' self-reported sleep. A total of 460 police officers (n=116 females, n=344 males, mean age: M=40.7; SD=9.7) rated their physical fitness and completed a battery of self-report stress, mental health, and sleep questionnaires. Three-way analyses of covariance were performed to examine whether officers' self-reported mental health status depends on the interaction between stress, perceived fitness and sleep. Highly stressed officers perceived lower mental health and fitness and were overrepresented in the group of poor sleepers. Officers with high fitness self-reports revealed increased mental health and reported good sleep. In contrast, poor sleepers scored lower on the mental health index. High stress was more closely related to low mental health among poor sleepers. Most importantly, perceived fitness revealed a stress-buffering effect, but only among officers who reported good sleep. High perceived fitness and good sleep operate as stress resilience resources among police officers. The findings suggest that multimodal programs including stress management, sleep hygiene and fitness training are essential components of workplace health promotion in the police force.

  5. Comfort food is comforting to those most stressed: evidence of the chronic stress response network in high stress women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomiyama, A Janet; Dallman, Mary F; Epel, Elissa S

    2011-11-01

    Chronically stressed rodents who are allowed to eat calorie-dense "comfort" food develop greater mesenteric fat, which in turn dampens hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity. We tested whether similar relations exist in humans, at least cross-sectionally. Fifty-nine healthy premenopausal women were exposed to a standard laboratory stressor to examine HPA response to acute stress and underwent diurnal saliva sampling for basal cortisol and response to dexamethasone administration. Based on perceived stress scores, women were divided into extreme quartiles of low versus high stress categories. We found as hypothesized that the high stress group had significantly greater BMI and sagittal diameter, and reported greater emotional eating. In response to acute lab stressor, the high stress group showed a blunted cortisol response, lower diurnal cortisol levels, and greater suppression in response to dexamethasone. These cross-sectional findings support the animal model, which suggests that long-term adaptation to chronic stress in the face of dense calories result in greater visceral fat accumulation (via ingestion of calorie-dense food), which in turn modulates HPA axis response, resulting in lower cortisol levels. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Anterior tension band plating for anterior tibial stress fractures in high-performance female athletes: a report of 4 cases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borens, Olivier; Sen, Milan K.; Huang, Russel C.; Richmond, Jeffrey; Kloen, Peter; Jupiter, Jesse B.; Helfet, David L.

    2006-01-01

    Stress fracture of the anterior tibial cortex is an extremely challenging fracture to treat, especially in the high-performance female athlete who requires rapid return to competition. Previous reports have not addressed treating these fractures in the world-class athlete with anterior plating. We

  7. Adverse effect of high migration stress on mental health during pregnancy: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lecompte, Vanessa; Richard-Fortier, Zoé; Rousseau, Cécile

    2017-02-01

    Despite empirical evidence on the numerous consequences associated with high migration stress and mental health problems during pregnancy, a psychosocial stress assessment is rarely done, leaving it largely unaddressed. This case illustration sheds light on the common multiple risk factors related to migration stress that have to be taken into consideration when addressing perinatal mental health, and highlights the importance of obstetric appointments as a unique opportunity to assess psychosocial stress and mobilize interdisciplinary interventions.

  8. Into the pressure cooker: Student stress in college preparatory high schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feld, Lauren D; Shusterman, Anna

    2015-06-01

    The goals of this study were to (1) measure psychological, physiological, and behavioral indicators of stress, (2) assess the relationship between stress and student attitudes, and (3) explore coping behaviors in response to stress, among a sample of students in two academically high-achieving environments. Three hundred thirty-three students in grades 9 through 12 from two college-preparatory high schools completed a cross-sectional online survey that included the Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, School Attitude Assessment Questionnaire-Revised, and assessments for stress-related indicators, including eating, sleeping and exercise, and strategies they utilized for coping with stress. Students reported a high prevalence of physical and psychological correlates of stress, and related unhealthy behaviors such as widespread and chronic sleep deprivation and rushed meals. The results suggest areas to focus attention for identifying and addressing maladaptive responses to stress among high-achieving student populations. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Cortisol Variability and Self-reports in the Measurement of Work-related Stress

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karlson, Björn; Eek, Frida; Hansen, Åse Marie

    2011-01-01

    We examined whether a high cortisol awakening response (CAR) and low cortisol decline over the day (CDD) are related to self-reported work stress and well-being, and whether there are gender differences in these relationships. Three hundred eighty-three working men and women responded to a survey...... measuring job stress factors, mastery at work, symptoms and well-being. Salivary cortisol was sampled at awakening, after 45 min and at 21:00, from which the variables CAR and CDD were defi ned. A high CAR was associated with lower perceived job control and work mastery, and poorer well-being. Low CDD...... men, a similar comparison showed those with low CDD to have poorer scores on job stress factors and symptom load. We conclude that individuals displaying high CAR or low CDD differ from those not displaying these cortisol profi les in self-report of work stress and well-being, and that gender...

  10. Mean stress effects on high-cycle fatigue of Alloy 718

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korth, G.E.

    1980-07-01

    This report covers an investigation of the effects of tensile mean stress on the high-cycle fatigue properties of Alloy 718. Three test temperatures (24, 427, and 649 degree C) were employed, and there were tests in both strain and load control. Results were compared with three different models: linear Modified-Goodman, Peterson cubic, and stress-strain parameter. The linear Modified-Goodman model gave good correlation with actual test data for low and moderate mean stress values, but the stress-strain parameter showed excellent correlation over the entire range of possible mean stresses and therefore is recommended for predicting mean stress effects of Alloy 718. 13 refs., 12 figs

  11. Personality, psychological stress, and self-reported influenza symptomatology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Croon Marcel A

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Psychological stress and negative mood have been related to increased vulnerability to influenza-like illness (ILI. This prospective study re-evaluated the predictive value of perceived stress for self-reported ILI. We additionally explored the role of the negative affectivity and social inhibition traits. Methods In this study, 5,404 respondents from the general population were assessed in terms of perceived stress, personality, and control variables (vaccination, vitamin use, exercise, etc.. ILI were registered weekly using self-report measures during a follow-up period of four weeks. Results Multivariable logistic regression analysis on ILI was performed to test the predictive power of stress and personality. In this model, negative affectivity (OR = 1.05, p = 0.009, social inhibition (OR = 0.97, p = 0.011, and perceived stress (OR = 1.03, p = 0.048 predicted ILI reporting. Having a history of asthma (OR = 2.33, p = Conclusion Elderly and socially inhibited persons tend to report less ILI as compared to their younger and less socially inhibited counterparts. In contrast, asthma, trait negative affectivity, and perceived stress were associated with higher self-report of ILI. Our results demonstrate the importance of including trait markers in future studies examining the relation between stress and self-report symptom measures.

  12. The stress-strain relationship for multilayers of the high Tc superconducting oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hidaka, H.; Yamamura, H.

    1988-01-01

    This paper reports the calculation of the stress-strain relationship for multilayers of the high Tc superconducting oxides. The elucidation of this relationship is expected quite helpful for the preparation of high-quality multilayers of these materials. This calculation is possible to do in the same way of Timoshenko's bi-metal treatment. The authors did computation of the residual stress and strain, and the state of stress and strain for these multilayers has been acquired in detail by this calculation

  13. Chondromalacia of trochlear notch after healing of olecranon stress fracture: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Cheng-Chang; Chen, Shen-Kai; Wang, Chih-Wei; Chou, Pei-Hsi

    2006-05-01

    Chondromalacia of the trochlear notch and stress fracture of olecranon are uncommon injuries in the throwing athletes. We report an 18-year-old high school pitcher who had persistent postero-lateral elbow pain after a healed olecranon stress fracture of the right elbow. Diagnostic arthroscopy revealed chondromalacia of the trochlear notch. After treatment with arthroscopic drilling and abrasion chondroplasty, he returned to competitive pitching 1 year later postsurgery. This rare association between chondromalacia and stress fracture of the olecranon has not been reported previously in the literatures. Chondromalacia of the trochlear notch should be included as a differential diagnosis in evaluating athletes with persistent elbow pain after healed olecranon stress fractures.

  14. Psychological stress in high level sailors during competition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciana Segato

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to investigate the psychological stress present in elite sailors in a competition. Based on a descriptive field research, 31 elite sailors volunteered to participate. They answered the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen & Williamson, 1988 and also specific questions on self-control, sources and strategies of coping. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential (Student t test and Pearson's correlation statistics. These athletes revealed low and moderate scores (M = 20.00, DP = 6.83 of stress originated from both intrinsic (ship troubles, team disorders and extrinsic (study, working and training, family and financial problems sources. The group reported good stress control during competition through the use of cognitive (avoidance and somatic (listening music, resting/sleeping, talk to friends strategies. It is important that sailors are able to control and cope with high levels of psychological stress and to understand how to proceed when under unstable and unexpected situations that arise during competition.

  15. Psychological stress in high level sailors during competition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Segato

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to investigate the psychological stress present in elite sailors in a competition. Based on a descriptive field research, 31 elite sailors volunteered to participate. They answered the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen & Williamson, 1988 and also specific questions on self-control, sources and strategies of coping. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential (Student t test and Pearson's correlation statistics. These athletes revealed low and moderate scores (M = 20.00, DP = 6.83 of stress originated from both intrinsic (ship troubles, team disorders and extrinsic (study, working and training, family and financial problems sources. The group reported good stress control during competition through the use of cognitive (avoidance and somatic (listening music, resting/sleeping, talk to friends strategies. It is important that sailors are able to control and cope with high levels of psychological stress and to understand how to proceed when under unstable and unexpected situations that arise during competition.

  16. Scaphoid Stress Fracture in High-Level Gymnast: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. C. Nakamoto

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We present the case of an 18-year-old high-level gymnast who sustained a stress fracture of the scaphoid associated with a distal radial epiphysiolysis. Clinical evaluation demonstrated decreased range of motion of the affected wrist and insidious pain on the snuffbox and tenderness on the distal radial physis. He was submitted to surgical treatment with scaphoid percutaneous fixation and radial styloid process in situ fixation. Clinical features improved, and he got back to competition 6 months after surgery without symptoms and with complete range of motion.

  17. Self reported stress and risk of breast cancer: prospective cohort study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Naja Rod; Zhang, Zuo-Feng; Kristensen, Tage S

    2005-01-01

    cancer, and impairment of oestrogen synthesis induced by chronic stress may explain a lower incidence of breast cancer in women with high stress. Impairment of normal body function should not, however, be considered a healthy response, and the cumulative health consequences of stress may......OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between self reported intensity and frequency of stress and first time incidence of primary breast cancer. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with 18 years of follow-up. SETTING: Copenhagen City heart study, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: The 6689 women participating...... in the Copenhagen City heart study were asked about their perceived level of stress at baseline in 1981-3. These women were followed until 1999 in the Danish nationwide cancer registry, with

  18. Integrative Medicine Patients Have High Stress, Pain, and Psychological Symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolever, Ruth Q; Goel, Nikita S; Roberts, Rhonda S; Caldwell, Karen; Kligler, Benjamin; Dusek, Jeffery A; Perlman, Adam; Dolor, Rowena; Abrams, Donald I

    2015-01-01

    Integrative medicine (IM) is a rapidly growing field whose providers report clinical success in treating significant stress, chronic pain, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. While IM therapies have demonstrated efficacy for numerous medical conditions, IM for psychological symptoms has been slower to gain recognition in the medical community. This large, cross-sectional study is the first of its kind to document the psychosocial profiles of 4182 patients at 9 IM clinics that form the BraveNet Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN). IM patients reported higher levels of perceived stress, pain, and depressive symptoms, and lower levels of quality of life compared with national norms. Per provider reports, 60% of patients had at least one of the following: stress (9.3%), fatigue (10.2%), anxiety (7.7%), depression (7.2%), and/or sleep disorders (4.8%). Pain, having both physiological and psychological components, was also included and is the most common condition treated at IM clinics. Those with high stress, psychological conditions, and pain were most frequently treated with acupuncture, IM physician consultation, exercise, chiropractic services, diet/nutrition counseling, and massage. With baseline information on clinical presentation and service utilization, future PBRN studies can examine promising interventions delivered at the clinic to treat stress and psychological conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The relationships among work stress, strain and self-reported errors in UK community pharmacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, S J; O'Connor, E M; Jacobs, S; Hassell, K; Ashcroft, D M

    2014-01-01

    Changes in the UK community pharmacy profession including new contractual frameworks, expansion of services, and increasing levels of workload have prompted concerns about rising levels of workplace stress and overload. This has implications for pharmacist health and well-being and the occurrence of errors that pose a risk to patient safety. Despite these concerns being voiced in the profession, few studies have explored work stress in the community pharmacy context. To investigate work-related stress among UK community pharmacists and to explore its relationships with pharmacists' psychological and physical well-being, and the occurrence of self-reported dispensing errors and detection of prescribing errors. A cross-sectional postal survey of a random sample of practicing community pharmacists (n = 903) used ASSET (A Shortened Stress Evaluation Tool) and questions relating to self-reported involvement in errors. Stress data were compared to general working population norms, and regressed on well-being and self-reported errors. Analysis of the data revealed that pharmacists reported significantly higher levels of workplace stressors than the general working population, with concerns about work-life balance, the nature of the job, and work relationships being the most influential on health and well-being. Despite this, pharmacists were not found to report worse health than the general working population. Self-reported error involvement was linked to both high dispensing volume and being troubled by perceived overload (dispensing errors), and resources and communication (detection of prescribing errors). This study contributes to the literature by benchmarking community pharmacists' health and well-being, and investigating sources of stress using a quantitative approach. A further important contribution to the literature is the identification of a quantitative link between high workload and self-reported dispensing errors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights

  20. Elite sport is not an additional source of distress for adolescents with high stress levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, Markus; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe; Brand, Serge

    2011-04-01

    This study examined whether participation in elite sport interacts with stress in decreasing or increasing symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents, and further, whether the interplay between participation in high-performance sport and stress is related to the perceived quality of sleep. 434 adolescents (278 girls, 156 boys; age: M = 17.2 yr.) from 15 "Swiss Olympic Sport Classes" and 9 conventional classes answered a questionnaire and completed a 7-day sleep log. Analyses of covariance showed that heightened stress was related to more depressive symptoms and higher scores for trait-anxiety. Moreover, those classified as having poor sleep by a median split cutoff reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. No significant (multivariate) main effects were found for high-performance sport athletes. Similarly, no significant two- or three-way interaction effects were found. These results caution against exaggerated expectations concerning sport participation as a stress buffer. Nevertheless, participation in high-performance sport was not found to be an additional source of distress for adolescents who reported high stress levels despite prior research that has pointed toward such a relationship.

  1. Psychostimulant use among college students during periods of high and low stress: an interdisciplinary approach utilizing both self-report and unobtrusive chemical sample data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, David R; Burgard, Daniel A; Larson, Ramsey G; Ferm, Mikael

    2014-05-01

    This study quantified psychostimulant use patterns over periods of high and low stress from both self-report measures and chemical wastewater analyses and identified possible predictors of psychostimulant abuse on a college campus. Self-report data were collected at three times of varying stress levels throughout one college semester: during the first week of school (N=676), midterms (N=468), and shortly before final exams (N=400). Campus wastewater samples were collected over 72-hour periods during the same time frames as the surveys. The metabolites of Adderall and Ritalin were quantified through solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Samples were normalized with creatinine. Evidence was found to suggest an increase in psychostimulant use during periods of stress, with significant differences found from self-report data between the first week and midterms and from chemical data between these same two assessment periods as well as between the first week of classes and finals. Key predictors of lifetime non-prescriptive psychostimulant use included self-reported procrastination and poor time-management, use of other substances (especially nicotine/tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine), and students' perception of non-prescriptive psychostimulant use as normative on campus. The findings shed further light on psychostimulant use patterns among college students, particularly as a function of stress; the study also highlights the benefit of utilizing an interdisciplinary approach that uses both subjective and objective empirical data. The results have implications for prevention/intervention programs on college campuses designed to reduce stress and facilitate healthier coping. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Adolescents' sleep in low-stress and high-stress (exam) times: a prospective quasi-experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewald, Julia F; Meijer, Anne Marie; Oort, Frans J; Kerkhof, Gerard A; Bögels, Susan M

    2014-01-01

    This prospective quasi-experiment (N = 175; mean age = 15.14 years) investigates changes in adolescents' sleep from low-stress (regular school week) to high-stress times (exam week), and examines the (moderating) role of chronic sleep reduction, baseline stress, and gender. Sleep was monitored over three consecutive weeks using actigraphy. Adolescents' sleep was more fragmented during the high-stress time than during the low-stress time, meaning that individuals slept more restless during stressful times. However, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and sleep onset latency remained stable throughout the three consecutive weeks. High chronic sleep reduction was related to later bedtimes, later sleep start times, later sleep end times, later getting up times, and more time spent in bed. Furthermore, low chronic sleep reduction and high baseline stress levels were related to more fragmented sleep during stressful times. This study shows that stressful times can have negative effects on adolescents' sleep fragmentation, especially for adolescents with low chronic sleep reduction or high baseline stress levels.

  3. Perceived stress and reported cognitive symptoms among Georgia patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plantinga, L; Lim, S S; Bowling, C B; Drenkard, C

    2017-09-01

    Objective To examine associations of perceived stress with cognitive symptoms among adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Among 777 adult (≥18 years) SLE patients, the association of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores with two self-reported cognitive symptoms was examined: forgetfulness (severe/moderate vs. mild/none; from the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire) and difficulty concentrating (all/most vs. some/little/none of the time; from the Lupus Impact Tracker). The study used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) per minimal important difference (MID = 0.5*SD) of PSS score and cognitive symptoms. Results Forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating were reported by 41.7% and 29.5%, respectively. Women and those with less education and high disease activity had higher PSS scores and were more likely to report cognitive symptoms than their counterparts. With adjustment for age, race, sex, education, and disease activity, each MID increase in PSS score was associated with higher prevalence of forgetfulness (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.29-1.47) and difficulty concentrating (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.90-2.52). No substantial differences in this association by age, race, sex, or disease activity were noted. Conclusions SLE patients, particularly those with high disease activity, report a high burden of cognitive symptoms, for which stress may be a modifiable risk factor.

  4. Persistent high job demands and reactivity to mental stress predict future ambulatory blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steptoe, A; Cropley, M

    2000-05-01

    To test the hypothesis that work stress (persistent high job demands over 1 year) in combination with high reactivity to mental stress predict ambulatory blood pressure. Assessment of cardiovascular responses to standardized behavioural tasks, job demands, and ambulatory blood pressure over a working day and evening after 12 months. We studied 81 school teachers (26 men, 55 women), 36 of whom experienced persistent high job demands over 1 year, while 45 reported lower job demands. Participants were divided on the basis of high and low job demands, and high and low systolic pressure reactions to an uncontrollable stress task. Blood pressure and concurrent physical activity were monitored using ambulatory apparatus from 0900 to 2230 h on a working day. Cardiovascular stress reactivity was associated with waist/hip ratio. Systolic and diastolic pressure during the working day were greater in high job demand participants who were stress reactive than in other groups, after adjustment for age, baseline blood pressure, body mass index and negative affectivity. The difference was not accounted for by variations in physical activity. Cardiovascular stress reactivity and sustained psychosocial stress may act in concert to increase cardiovascular risk in susceptible individuals.

  5. Hair cortisol and self-reported stress in healthy, working adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gidlow, Christopher J; Randall, Jason; Gillman, Jamie; Silk, Steven; Jones, Marc V

    2016-01-01

    Chronic stress can be important in the pathology of chronic disease. Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) are proposed to reflect long term cortisol secretion from exposure to stress. To date, inconsistencies in the relationship between HCC and self-reported stress have been attributed to variation and limitations of perceived stress measurement. We report data from employees of two large public sector worksites (n=132). Socio-demographic, health, lifestyle, perceived stress scale (PSS), and work-related effort reward imbalance (ERI) were collected at baseline. Participants were asked to respond to mobile text messages every two days, asking them to report current stress levels (Ecological momentary assessment, EMA), and mean stress was determined overall, during work hours, and out of work hours. At 12 weeks, the appraisal of stressful life events scale (ALES) was completed and 3 cm scalp hair samples were taken, from which HCC was determined (to reflect cortisol secretion over the past 12 weeks). Mean response rate to EMA was 81.9 ± 14.9%. Associations between HCC and the various self-reported stress measures (adjusted for use of hair dye) were weak (allwork hours (ρ=.196, p=.013) and ALES Loss subscale (ρ=.241, p=.003), and two individual items from ERI (relating to future work situation). In regression analysis adjusting for other possible confounders, only the HCC-ALES Loss association remained significant (p=.011). Overall, our study confirms that EMA provides a useful measurement tool that can gather perceived stress measures in real-time. But, there was no relationship between self-reported stress collected in this way, and HCC. The modest association between HCC and stress appraisal does however, provide some evidence for the role of cognitive processes in chronic stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Mining highly stressed areas, part 1.

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Johnson, R

    1995-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this long-term project has been to focus on the extreme high-stress end of the mining spectrum. Such high stress conditions will prevail in certain ultra-deep mining operation of the near future, and are already being experienced...

  7. Is the effect of alcohol on risk of stroke confined to highly stressed persons?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, N R; Truelsen, T; Barefoot, J C

    2005-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Psychological stress and alcohol are both suggested as risk factors for stroke. Further, there appears to be a close relation between stress and alcohol consumption. Several experimental studies have found alcohol consumption to reduce the immediate effects of stress in a laboratory...... setting. We aimed to examine whether the association between alcohol and stroke depends on level of self-reported stress in a large prospective cohort. METHODS: The 5,373 men and 6,723 women participating in the second examination of the Copenhagen City Heart Study in 1981-1983 were asked at baseline...... about their self-reported level of stress and their weekly alcohol consumption. The participants were followed-up until 31st of December 1997 during which 880 first ever stroke events occurred. Data were analysed by means of Cox regression modelling. RESULTS: At a high stress level, weekly total...

  8. Self-Reported Work and Family Stress of Female Primary Teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Narelle; Clarke, Valerie; Lavery, Judy

    2003-01-01

    Results of a self-report questionnaire indicated that female primary teachers in Australia report moderate levels of global, work, and family stress. Time and workload pressure was the major work stressor, and responsibility for child rearing the major family stressor. Work stress and home stress both impacted on each other. (EV)

  9. High Glucose Inhibits Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Through Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xi; Shen, Wei-Bin; Yang, Penghua; Dong, Daoyin; Sun, Winny; Yang, Peixin

    2018-06-01

    Maternal diabetes induces neural tube defects by suppressing neurogenesis in the developing neuroepithelium. Our recent study further revealed that high glucose inhibited embryonic stem cell differentiation into neural lineage cells. However, the mechanism whereby high glucose suppresses neural differentiation is unclear. To investigate whether high glucose-induced oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress lead to the inhibition of neural differentiation, the effect of high glucose on neural stem cell (the C17.2 cell line) differentiation was examined. Neural stem cells were cultured in normal glucose (5 mM) or high glucose (25 mM) differentiation medium for 3, 5, and 7 days. High glucose suppressed neural stem cell differentiation by significantly decreasing the expression of the neuron marker Tuj1 and the glial cell marker GFAP and the numbers of Tuj1 + and GFAP + cells. The antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase mimetic Tempol reversed high glucose-decreased Tuj1 and GFAP expression and restored the numbers of neurons and glial cells differentiated from neural stem cells. Hydrogen peroxide treatment imitated the inhibitory effect of high glucose on neural stem cell differentiation. Both high glucose and hydrogen peroxide triggered ER stress, whereas Tempol blocked high glucose-induced ER stress. The ER stress inhibitor, 4-phenylbutyrate, abolished the inhibition of high glucose or hydrogen peroxide on neural stem cell differentiation. Thus, oxidative stress and its resultant ER stress mediate the inhibitory effect of high glucose on neural stem cell differentiation.

  10. Stress and High Blood Pressure: What's the Connection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stress and high blood pressure: What's the connection? Stress and long-term high blood pressure may not be linked, but taking steps to reduce your stress can improve your general health, including your blood ...

  11. Stress in crisis managers: evidence from self-report and psychophysiological assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janka, A; Adler, C; Fischer, L; Perakakis, P; Guerra, P; Duschek, S

    2015-12-01

    Directing disaster operations represents a major professional challenge. Despite its importance to health and professional performance, research on stress in crisis management remains scarce. The present study aimed to investigate self-reported stress and psychophysiological stress responses in crisis managers. For this purpose, 30 crisis managers were compared with 30 managers from other disciplines, in terms of self-reported stress, health status and psychophysiological reactivity to crisis-related and non-specific visual and acoustic aversive stimuli and cognitive challenge. Crisis managers reported lower stress levels, a more positive strain-recuperation-balance, greater social resources, reduced physical symptoms, as well as more physical exercise and less alcohol consumption. They exhibited diminished electrodermal and heart rate responses to crisis-related and non-specific stressors. The results indicate reduced stress and physical complaints, diminished psychophysiological stress reactivity, and a healthier life-style in crisis managers. Improved stress resistance may limit vulnerability to stress-related performance decline and facilitate preparedness for major incidents.

  12. Epidemiology of stress fracture injuries among US high school athletes, 2005-2006 through 2012-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Changstrom, Bradley G; Brou, Lina; Khodaee, Morteza; Braund, Cortney; Comstock, R Dawn

    2015-01-01

    High school athletes in the United States sustain millions of injuries annually, approximately 10% of which are fractures. However, there is no clear estimate of the number of stress fractures sustained by high school athletes annually despite reports that stress fractures account for 0.7% to 20% of injuries seen in sports medicine clinics. This suggests a high utilization of resources for a potentially preventable injury. In addition, stress fractures have been associated with low energy availability and disordered eating in young athletes, highlighting the importance of early recognition and intervention. To investigate stress fracture rates and patterns in a large national sample of US high school athletes. Descriptive epidemiologic study. Data from High School RIO (Reporting Information Online), a national sports injury surveillance study, were analyzed to describe rates and patterns of stress fracture injury sustained from 2005-2006 through 2012-2013, across sports and by sex. From 2005-2006 through 2012-2013, a total of 51,773 injuries were sustained during 25,268,873 athlete-exposures, of which 389 (0.8%) were stress fractures, resulting in an overall stress fracture rate of 1.54 per 100,000 athlete-exposures. Rates per 100,000 athlete-exposures were highest in girls' cross country (10.62), girls' gymnastics (7.43), and boys' cross country (5.42). In sex-comparable sports, girls sustained more stress fractures (63.3%) than did boys (36.7%) and had higher rates of stress fracture (2.22 vs 1.27; rate ratio, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.38-2.23). The most commonly injured sites were the lower leg (40.3% of all stress fractures), foot (34.9%), and lower back/lumbar spine/pelvis (15.2%). Management was nonsurgical in 98.7% of the cases, and 65.3% of injuries resulted in ≥3 weeks of time loss, medical disqualification, or an end to the season before athletes could return to play. Although a rare injury, stress fractures cause considerable morbidity for high school athletes

  13. Managing Stress to Control High Blood Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Aortic Aneurysm More Managing Stress to Control High Blood Pressure Updated:Jan 29,2018 The importance of stress ... This content was last reviewed October 2016. High Blood Pressure • Home • Get the Facts About HBP • Know Your ...

  14. Self-reported stress and risk of stroke: the Copenhagen City Heart Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Truelsen, Thomas; Nielsen, Naja; Boysen, Gudrun

    2003-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Lay people often mention stress as one of the most important risk factors for stroke. Stress might trigger a cerebrovascular event directly or could be associated with higher levels of blood pressure or an unfavorable lifestyle. To examine these possibilities, we analyzed...... the association between self-reported stress frequency and intensity and risk of stroke. METHODS: Data from the second examination, 1981 to 1983, of participants in the Copenhagen City Heart Study were analyzed with Cox regression after a mean of 13 years of follow-up. A total of 5604 men and 6970 women were...... included, and 929 first-ever strokes occurred, of which 207 (22%) were fatal within 28 days after onset of symptoms. The stress frequency categories were never/hardly ever, monthly, weekly, or daily. The stress intensity categories were never/hardly ever, light, moderate, or high. RESULTS: Subjects...

  15. High temperature aqueous stress corrosion testing device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bornstein, A.N.; Indig, M.E.

    1975-01-01

    A description is given of a device for stressing tensile samples contained within a high temperature, high pressure aqueous environment, thereby permitting determination of stress corrosion susceptibility of materials in a simple way. The stressing device couples an external piston to an internal tensile sample via a pull rod, with stresses being applied to the sample by pressurizing the piston. The device contains a fitting/seal arrangement including Teflon and weld seals which allow sealing of the internal system pressure and the external piston pressure. The fitting/seal arrangement allows free movement of the pull rod and the piston

  16. Stress corrosion of very high purity stainless steels in alkaline media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hechmat-Dehcordi, Ebrahim

    1981-01-01

    This research thesis reports the study of stress corrosion resistance of stainless steels in caustic environments. It notably concerns the electronuclear industrial sector, the production of soda by electrolysis, and the preparation of hydrogen as energy vector. After a presentation of the experimental conditions, the author highlights the influence of purity on stress corrosion cracking of 20Cr-25Ni-type austenitic alloys. The specific action of a high number of addition metallic and non-metallic elements has been studied. Stress corrosion tests have been also performed in autoclave on austeno-ferritic (21 to 25 pc Cr - 6 to 10 pc Ni) as well as ferritic (26 pc Cr) grades. The author reports the study of electrochemical properties of stainless steel in soda by means of potentiostatic techniques with an application of Pourbaix thermodynamic equilibrium diagrams, and the study of the chemical composition of passivation thin layers by Auger spectroscopy. He more particularly studies the influence of electrode potential and of some addition elements on the chemical characteristics of oxides developed at the surface of austenite. Then, the author tries to establish correlations between strain hardening microstructure of the various steels and their sensitivity to stress corrosion [fr

  17. Stress fracture of hamate's hook: case report with emphasis to the imaging findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho, Leonardo Fontenelle de; Vianna, Evandro Miguelote; Domingues, Romulo; Domingues, Romeu Cortes; Metsavaht, Leonardo

    2007-01-01

    Stress fractures of the hook of the hamate are related to sports that use devices such as golf clubs, rackets and baseball bats. Because usually there is no history of obvious trauma, the diagnosis necessitates better knowledge of the lesion and high index of suspicion. The authors report a case of stress fracture of the hook of the hamate in a golf player with diagnosis and follow-up done with magnetic resonance and multislice computer tomography. (author)

  18. Self-reported Stress Problems among Teachers in Hong Kong

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Alan H. S.; Chen, K.; Chong, Elaine Y. L.

    2010-10-01

    The present study was developed to comprehensively investigate the occupational health problems among teachers of primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. A random sample of 1,710 respondents was generated from the database of Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (HKPTU) members. A self-administrated questionnaire was designed and sent by mail to the teachers of primary and secondary schools in HK. The results indicated that comparing with one year and five years ago, 91.6% and 97.3% of the responding teachers reported an increase of perceived stress level, respectively. Heavy workload and time pressure, education reforms, external school review, pursuing further education, and managing students' behaviour and learning were the most frequently reported sources of work stress. The four most frequently reported stress management activities were sleeping, talking to neighbors and friends, self-relaxing, and watching television, while the least frequently reported activity was doing more exercises or sports.

  19. High-risk diagnosis, social stress, and parent-child relationships: A moderation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bentley, Eryn; Millman, Zachary B; Thompson, Elizabeth; Demro, Caroline; Kline, Emily; Pitts, Steven C; DeVylder, Jordan E; Smith, Melissa Edmondson; Reeves, Gloria; Schiffman, Jason

    2016-07-01

    Stress is related to symptom severity among youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis, although this relation may be influenced by protective factors. We explored whether the association of CHR diagnosis with social stress is moderated by the quality of parent-child relationships in a sample of 96 (36 CHR; 60 help-seeking controls) adolescents and young adults receiving mental health services. We examined self-reported social stress and parent-child relationships as measured by the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), and determined CHR status from the clinician-administered Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndrome (SIPS). The social stress subscale, part of the clinical domain of the BASC-2, assesses feelings of stress and tension in personal relationships and the relations with parents subscale, part of the adaptive domain of the BASC-2, assesses perceptions of importance in family and quality of parent-child relationship. There was a modest direct relation between risk diagnosis and social stress. Among those at CHR, however, there was a significant relation between parent-child relationships and social stress (b=-0.73, t[92]=-3.77, psocial stress for those at risk for psychosis. Findings provide additional evidence to suggest that interventions that simultaneously target both social stress and parent-child relationships might be relevant for adolescents and young adults at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. High-Risk Stress Fractures: Diagnosis and Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McInnis, Kelly C; Ramey, Lindsay N

    2016-03-01

    Stress fractures are common overuse injuries in athletes. They occur during periods of increased training without adequate rest, disrupting normal bone reparative mechanisms. There are a host of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including biochemical and biomechanical, that put athletes at risk. In most stress fractures, the diagnosis is primarily clinical, with imaging indicated at times, and management focused on symptom-free relative rest with advancement of activity as tolerated. Overall, stress fractures in athletes have an excellent prognosis for return to sport, with little risk of complication. There is a subset of injuries that have a greater risk of fracture progression, delayed healing, and nonunion and are generally more challenging to treat with nonoperative care. Specific locations of high-risk stress fracture include the femoral neck (tension side), patella, anterior tibia, medial malleolus, talus, tarsal navicular, proximal fifth metatarsal, and great toe sesamoids. These sites share a characteristic region of high tensile load and low blood flow. High-risk stress fractures require a more aggressive approach to evaluation, with imaging often necessary, to confirm early and accurate diagnosis and initiate immediate treatment. Treatment consists of nonweight-bearing immobilization, often with a prolonged period away from sport, and a more methodic and careful reintroduction to athletic activity. These stress fractures may require surgical intervention. A high index of suspicion is essential to avoid delayed diagnosis and optimize outcomes in this subset of stress fractures. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Association between Sleep Duration and Perceived Stress: Salaried Worker in Circumstances of High Workload

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong-Woo Choi

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to find the association between sleep duration and perceived stress in salaried workers according to occupational categories and which lifestyle factors affected those correlations in South Korea. This study used data from the 2015 Community Health Survey (CHS. The self-reported sleep duration was used as the dependent variable in this study. We explored sleep duration and stress awareness among salaried workers, as well as household income and educational level with multiple logistic regression analysis. Salaried workers who slept for five or less hours had a higher odds ratio for high-stress awareness (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.74–1.98. Stress awareness is associated with short sleep duration; specialized workers, office workers, those with above mid-high household income and graduate, university, or college level workers especially need to sleep adequately to manage stress.

  2. The Cortisol Awakening Response Mediates the Relationship Between Acculturative Stress and Self-Reported Health in Mexican Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Antonio F; Wilborn, Kristin; Mangold, Deborah L

    2017-12-01

    The assessment of acculturative stress as synonymous with acculturation level overlooks the dynamic, interactive, and developmental nature of the acculturation process. An individual's unique perception and response to a range of stressors at each stage of the dynamic process of acculturation may be associated with stress-induced alterations in important biological response systems that mediate health outcomes. Evidence suggests the cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a promising pre-clinical biomarker of stress exposure that may link acculturative stress to self-reported health in Mexican Americans. The aim of the current study was to examine whether alterations in the CAR mediate the relationship between acculturative stress and self-reported health in Mexican Americans. Salivary cortisol samples were collected at awakening, 30, 45, and 60 min thereafter, on two consecutive weekdays from a sample of adult Mexican Americans. Acculturative stress and self-reported health were assessed. Data were aggregated and analyzed (n = 89) using a mixed effects regression model and path analysis. Poorer self-reported health was associated with attenuated CAR profiles (primarily due to a diminished post-awakening rise in cortisol) predicted by both moderate and high levels of exposure to acculturative stress. Stress-induced alterations in the CAR mediated the relationship between exposure to acculturative stressors and self-reported health. Findings demonstrate that different levels of acculturative stress are associated with distinct CAR profiles and suggest the CAR is one possible biological pathway through which exposure to culturally unique stressors may be linked to health disparities.

  3. Fatigue Moderates the Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Suicidal Ideation: Evidence From Two High-Resolution Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleiman, Evan M; Turner, Brianna J; Chapman, Alexander L; Nock, Matthew K

    2018-01-01

    Theoretical models of self-harm suggest that high perceived stress and high fatigue (which might affect the ability to cope with stress) may interact to predict the short-term occurrence of suicidal ideation and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). We tested 3 approaches to examining this interaction, each of which provided a different understanding of the specific nature of these associations: comparing each individual's daily stress/fatigue to the entire sample's overall average (i.e., grand-mean centering), comparing each individual's daily perceived stress/fatigue to his or her overall average (i.e., group- or participant-mean centering), and comparing each individual's average perceived stress/fatigue to the sample's overall average (i.e., centering participant means on overall grand mean). In 2 studies, adolescents (n = 30; 574 daily reports, M age = 17.3 years, range = 12-19; 87.6% female) and young adults (n = 60; 698 daily reports; M age = 23.25 years, range = 18-35; 85% female) completed daily measures of perceived stress, fatigue, suicidal ideation, and NSSI. In both samples, the interaction between high daily perceived stress and high daily fatigue predicted greater odds of daily suicidal ideation (but not NSSI). Only the model comparing each individual's daily stress/fatigue to the entire sample's overall average was consistently significant across the two studies. Participants were most likely to experience suicidal ideation on days when both perceived stress and fatigue were elevated relative to the average level experienced across people and time points. Studies should build upon these findings with more in-depth examination of the temporal nature of stability and change in these factors as they relate to sustained suicidal ideation.

  4. Proteomic analysis of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) under high temperature and waterlogging stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Hsin-Hung; Lin, Kuan-Hung; Chen, Su-Ching; Shen, Yu-Hsing; Lo, Hsiao-Feng

    2015-12-01

    The production of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) is largely reduced by waterlogging and high temperature stresses. Heat-tolerant and heat-susceptible broccoli cultivars TSS-AVRDC-2 and B-75, respectively, were used for physiological and proteomic analyses. The objective of this study was to identify TSS-AVRDC-2 and B-75 proteins differentially regulated at different time periods in response to waterlogging at 40 °C for three days. TSS-AVRDC-2 exhibited significantly higher chlorophyll content, lower stomatal conductance, and better H 2 O 2 scavenging under stress in comparison to B-75. Two-dimensional liquid phase fractionation analyses revealed that Rubisco proteins in both varieties were regulated under stressing treatments, and that TSS-AVRDC-2 had higher levels of both Rubisco large and small subunit transcripts than B-75 when subjected to high temperature and/or waterlogging. This report utilizes physiological and proteomic approaches to discover changes in the protein expression profiles of broccoli in response to heat and waterlogging stresses. Higher levels of Rubisco proteins in TSS-AVRDC-2 could lead to increased carbon fixation efficiency to provide sufficient energy to enable stress tolerance under waterlogging at 40 °C.

  5. Differential Reporting of Adolescent Stress as a Function of Maternal Depression History.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daryanani, Issar; Hamilton, Jessica L; Shapero, Benjamin G; Burke, Taylor A; Abramson, Lyn Y; Alloy, Lauren B

    The depression-distortion hypothesis posits that depressed mothers report child characteristics in a negatively-biased manner, motivating research on discrepant reporting between depressed mothers and their children. However, the literature has predominately focused on report discrepancies of youth psychopathological and behavioral outcomes, with limited focus on youth stress despite the marked increase of stressful events during adolescence. The current study investigated whether the presence versus absence of a maternal history of major depressive disorder differentially influenced reporting of adolescent stress when compared to her child's report, utilizing a community sample of diverse adolescents. As hypothesized, mothers with a history of depression were more likely to report more youth stress than their children reported. Specifically, mothers with a history of depression were more likely than nondepressed mothers to report more familial, social, and youth-dependent stressors relative to their children; nondepressed mothers were more likely to report less independent stressors than their children.

  6. Stressful Life Events and Predictors of Post-traumatic Growth among High-Risk Early Emerging Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arpawong, Thalida E; Rohrbach, Louise A; Milam, Joel E; Unger, Jennifer B; Land, Helen; Sun, Ping; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Sussman, Steve

    2016-01-01

    Stressful life events (SLEs) may elicit positive psychosocial change among youth, referred to as Post-traumatic Growth (PTG). We assessed types of SLEs experienced, degree to which participants reported PTG, and variables predicting PTG across 24 months among a sample of high risk, ethnically diverse early emerging adults. Participants were recruited from alternative high schools ( n = 564; mean age=16.8; 65% Hispanic). Multi-level regression models were constructed to examine the impact of environmental (SLE quantity, severity) and personal factors (hedonic ability, perceived stress, developmental stage, future time orientation) on a composite score of PTG. The majority of participants reported positive changes resulted from their most life-altering SLE of the past two years. Predictors of PTG included fewer SLEs, less general stress, having a future time perspective, and greater identification with the developmental stage of Emerging Adulthood. Findings suggest intervention targets to foster positive adaptation among early emerging adults who experience frequent SLEs.

  7. Effects of metallurgical factors on stress corrosion cracking of Ni-base alloys in high temperature water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yonezawa, T.; Sasaguri, N.; Onimura, K.

    1988-01-01

    Nickel-base Alloy 600 is the principal material used for the steam generator tubes of PWRs. Generally, this alloy has been proven to be satisfactory for this application, however when it is subjected to extremely high stress level in PWR primary water, it may suffer from stress corrosion cracking. The authors have systematically studied the effects of test temperature and such metallurgical factors as cold working, chemical composition and heat treatment on the stress corrosion cracking of Alloy 600 in high temperature water, and also on that of Alloy 690 which is a promising material for the tubes and may provide improved crrosion resistance for steam generators. The test materials, the stress corrosion cracking test and the test results are reported. When the test temperature was raise, the stress corrosion cracking of the nickel-base alloys was accelerated. The time of stress corrosion cracking occurrence decreased with increasing applied stress, and it occurred at the stress level higher than the 0.2 % offset proof stress of Alloy 600. In Alloy 690, stress corrosion cracking was not observed at such stress level. Cold worked Alloy 600 showed higher resistance to stress corrosion cracking than the annealed alloy. (Kako, I.)

  8. Stress at work: Differential experiences of high versus low SES workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damaske, Sarah; Zawadzki, Matthew J; Smyth, Joshua M

    2016-05-01

    This paper asks whether workers with higher socioeconomic status (SES) experience different levels of stress at work than workers with lower SES and, if so, what might explain these differences. We collected innovative assessments of immediate objective and subjective measures of stress at multiple time points across consecutive days from 122 employed men and women. We find that in comparison to higher SES individuals, those with lower SES reported greater happiness at work, less self-reported stress, and less perceived stress; cortisol, a biological marker of stress, was unrelated to SES. Worker's momentary perceptions of the workplace were predicted by SES, with higher SES individuals more commonly reporting feeling unable to meet work demands, fewer work resources, and less positive work appraisals. In turn, perceptions of the workplace had a generally consistent and robust effect on positive mood, subjective stress, and cortisol. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. SEDflume - High Shear Stress Flume

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers High Shear Stress flume (SEDflume) is designed for estimating erosion rates of fine-grained and mixed fine/coarse grained sediments...

  10. Stress concentration effects in high pressure components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aller, J.E.

    1990-01-01

    This paper examines the stress concentration effects of sideholes in thick walled, high pressure cylinders. It has been shown that the theoretical stress concentration factor at the intersection of a small crossbore in a closed end, thick walled cylinder varies between 3.0 and 4.0. Tests have shown that this effect can be greatly reduced in practice by carefully radiusing the bore intersection and autofrettaging the cylinder. It has also been shown that the minimum stress concentration factor occurs when the main bore and sidehole or crossbore have the same diameter, and the radius of the intersection is approximately equal to the sidehole radius. When the bore and sidehole intersection angle decreases from 90 degrees, the stress concentration factor increases significantly. Knowledge of these fundamental relationships can be used in maintaining, as well ad designing, high pressure equipment

  11. Case report: multifocal subchondral stress fractures of the femoral heads and tibial condyles in a young military recruit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Pil Whan; Yoo, Jeong Joon; Yoon, Kang Sup; Kim, Hee Joong

    2012-03-01

    Subchondral stress fractures of the femoral head may be either of the insufficiency-type with poor quality bone or the fatigue-type with normal quality bone but subject to high repetitive stresses. Unlike osteonecrosis, multiple site involvement rarely has been reported for subchondral stress fractures. We describe a case of multifocal subchondral stress fractures involving femoral heads and medial tibial condyles bilaterally within 2 weeks. A 27-year-old military recruit began having left knee pain after 2 weeks of basic training, without any injury. Subsequently, right knee, right hip, and left hip pain developed sequentially within 2 weeks. The diagnosis of multifocal subchondral stress fracture was confirmed by plain radiographs and MR images. Nonoperative treatment of the subchondral stress fractures of both medial tibial condyles and the left uncollapsed femoral head resulted in resolution of symptoms. The collapsed right femoral head was treated with a fibular strut allograft to restore congruity and healed without further collapse. There has been one case report in which an insufficiency-type subchondral stress fracture of the femoral head and medial femoral condyle occurred within a 2-year interval. Because the incidence of bilateral subchondral stress fractures of the femoral head is low and multifocal involvement has not been reported, multifocal subchondral stress fractures can be confused with multifocal osteonecrosis. Our case shows that subchondral stress fractures can occur in multiple sites almost simultaneously.

  12. Chronic stress affects immunologic but not cardiovascular responsiveness to acute psychological stress in humans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benschop, R. J.; Brosschot, J. F.; Godaert, G. L.; de Smet, M. B.; Geenen, R.; Olff, M.; Heijnen, C. J.; Ballieux, R. E.

    1994-01-01

    This study deals with the effect of chronic stress on physiological responsiveness to an acute psychological stressor in male high school teachers. Chronic stress was operationalized as the self-reported number of everyday problems. Twenty-seven subjects reporting extremely low or high numbers of

  13. Adolescents' sleep in low-stress and high-stress (exam) times: a prospective quasi-experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dewald, J.F.; Meijer, A.M.; Oort, F.J.; Kerkhof, G.A.; Bögels, S.M.

    2014-01-01

    This prospective quasi-experiment (N=175; mean age: 15.14 years) investigates changes in adolescents' sleep from low-stress (regular school week) to high-stress times (exam week) and examines the (moderating) role of chronic sleep reduction, baseline stress, and gender. Sleep was monitored over

  14. Adolescents' Sleep in Low-Stress and High-Stress (Exam) Times: A Prospective Quasi-Experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dewald, Julia F.; Meijer, Anne Marie; Oort, Frans J.; Kerkhof, Gerard A.; Bögels, Susan M.

    2014-01-01

    This prospective quasi-experiment (N = 175; mean age = 15.14 years) investigates changes in adolescents' sleep from low-stress (regular school week) to high-stress times (exam week), and examines the (moderating) role of chronic sleep reduction, baseline stress, and gender. Sleep was monitored over

  15. Case report: bilateral ischial stress fractures in an elite tennis player

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarke, A.W.; Connell, D.A.

    2009-01-01

    A case report of bilateral ischial stress fractures in an elite tennis player initially mimicking hamstring pathology is described. This is an unusual site of stress fracture. Typical sites of stress fracture are well documented; however, awareness of less common sites of stress-related bone injury can aid early diagnosis and treatment before overt fracture occurs. (orig.)

  16. Case report: bilateral ischial stress fractures in an elite tennis player

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clarke, A.W.; Connell, D.A. [Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Department of Radiology, London, Middlesex (United Kingdom)

    2009-07-15

    A case report of bilateral ischial stress fractures in an elite tennis player initially mimicking hamstring pathology is described. This is an unusual site of stress fracture. Typical sites of stress fracture are well documented; however, awareness of less common sites of stress-related bone injury can aid early diagnosis and treatment before overt fracture occurs. (orig.)

  17. Sleep in High Stress Occupations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn-Evans, Erin

    2014-01-01

    High stress occupations are associated with sleep restriction, circadian misalignment and demanding workload. This presentation will provide an overview of sleep duration, circadian misalignment and fatigue countermeasures and performance outcomes during spaceflight and commercial aviation.

  18. Adaptation and survival of plants in high stress habitats via fungal endophyte conferred stress tolerance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Rusty J.; Woodward, Claire; Redman, Regina S.

    2010-01-01

    From the Arctic to the Antarctic, plants thrive in diverse habitats that impose different levels of adaptive pressures depending on the type and degree of biotic and abiotic stresses inherent to each habitat (Stevens, 1989). At any particular location, the abundance and distribution of individual plant species vary tremendously and is theorized to be based on the ability to tolerate a wide range of edaphic conditions and habitat-specific stresses (Pianka, 1966). The ability of individual plant species to thrive in diverse habitats is commonly referred to as phenotypic plasticity and is thought to involve adaptations based on changes in the plant genome (Givnish, 2002; Pan et al., 2006; Robe and Griffiths, 2000; Schurr et al., 2006). Habitats that impose high levels of abiotic stress are typically colonized with fewer plant species compared to habitats imposing low levels of stress. Moreover, high stress habitats have decreased levels of plant abundance compared to low stress habitats even though these habitats may occur in close proximity to one another (Perelman et al., 2007). This is particularly interesting because all plants are known to perceive, transmit signals, and respond to abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, and salinity (Bartels and Sunkar, 2005; Bohnert et al., 1995). Although there has been extensive research performed to determine the genetic, molecular, and physiological bases of how plants respond to and tolerate stress, the nature of plant adaptation to high stress habitats remains unresolved (Leone et al., 2003; Maggio et al., 2003; Tuberosa et al., 2003). However, recent evidence indicates that a ubiquitous aspect of plant biology (fungal symbiosis) is involved in the adaptation and survival of at least some plants in high stress habitats (Rodriguez et al., 2008).

  19. Stress corrosion in high-strength aluminum alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorward, R. C.; Hasse, K. R.

    1980-01-01

    Report describes results of stress-corrosion tests on aluminum alloys 7075, 7475, 7050, and 7049. Tests compare performance of original stress-corrosion-resistant (SCR) aluminum, 7075, with newer, higher-strength SCR alloys. Alloys 7050 and 7049 are found superior in short-transverse cross-corrosion resistance to older 7075 alloy; all alloys are subject to self-loading effect caused by wedging of corrosion products in cracks. Effect causes cracks to continue to grow, even at very-low externally applied loads.

  20. Drivers of self-reported heat stress in the Australian labour force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zander, Kerstin K; Moss, Simon A; Garnett, Stephen T

    2017-01-01

    Heat stress causes reductions in well-being and health. As average annual temperatures increase, heat stress is expected to affect more people. While most research on heat stress has explored how exposure to heat affects functioning of the human organism, stress from heat can be manifest long before clinical symptoms are evident, with profound effects on behavior. Here we add to the little research conducted on these subclinical effects of environmental heat using results from an Australian-wide cross-sectional study of nearly 2000 respondents on their self-reported level of heat stress. Slightly less than half (47%) of the respondents perceived themselves as at least sometimes, often or very often stressed by heat during the previous 12 months. Health status and smoking behavior had the expected impact on self-reported perceived heat stress. There were also regional differences with people living in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales most likely to have reported to have felt heat stressed. People generally worried about climate change, who had been influenced by recent heat waves and who thought there was a relationship between climate change and health were also more likely to have been heat stressed. Surprisingly average maximum temperatures did not significantly explain heat stress but stress was greater among people who perceived the day of the survey as hotter than usual. Currently heat stress indices are largely based on monitoring the environment and physical limitations to people coping with heat. Our results suggest that psychological perceptions of heat need to be considered when predicting how people will be affected by heat under climate change and when developing heat relief and climate change adaptation plans, at work, at home or in public spaces. We further conclude that the perception of temperature and heat stress complements measures that assess heat exposure and heat strain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Normative and counter-normative stress messages and symptom reporting: implications for health promotion and a methodological artefact for stress research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, Eamonn; Lawrence, Claire

    2013-05-01

    There is increasing use of counter-normative health messages (i.e., evidence-based health information about cause-effect relationships that run counter to shared normative beliefs, e.g., stress can lead to personal growth). The current studies examine the effect of normative and counter-normative messages about stress on levels of symptom reporting. Predictions are derived from reactance, social comparison, and self-enhancement theories. Two studies focus on the development of the messages, and two experimental studies examine the effect of manipulating normative and counter-normative messages on symptom reports. The final study controls for mere-measurement effects and explores the role of stress process variables (appraisals and coping). Exposure to a normative message (stress causes ill health) results in reduced symptom reporting compared to a counter-normative message (stress provides challenge, growth, and development) and control groups. The results suggest that people may use symptom reporting strategically to indicate coping. Based on the argument that beliefs about stress and health are stored as mental models, the theoretical associations derived from stress theory are only observed when a normative message is presented. Counter-normative stress messages may carry no tangible benefits compared to normative messages. Some stress research may suffer from inherent methodological bias when normative information is provided in information and consent sheets. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? At present, nothing is known about counter-normative health messages, despite the fact that they are becoming widely used as a public intervention. What does this study add? A clear operational definition of counter-normative messages. A test of three competing theories for counter-normative messages that focus of the stress-symptom link. Demonstrating for the first time, that in the domain of stress and health, counter-normative messages

  2. A high-temperature silicon-on-insulator stress sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zheyao; Tian Kuo; Zhou Youzheng; Pan Liyang; Liu Litian; Hu Chaohong

    2008-01-01

    A piezoresistive stress sensor is developed using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and calibrated for stress measurement for high-temperature applications. The stress sensor consists of 'silicon-island-like' piezoresistor rosettes that are etched on the SOI layer. This eliminates leakage current and enables excellent electrical insulation at high temperature. To compensate for the measurement errors caused by the misalignment of the piezoresistor rosettes with respect to the crystallographic axes, an anisotropic micromachining technique, tetramethylammonium hydroxide etching, is employed to alleviate the misalignment issue. To realize temperature-compensated stress measurement, a planar diode is fabricated as a temperature sensor to decouple the temperature information from the piezoresistors, which are sensitive to both stress and temperature. Design, fabrication and calibration of the piezoresistors are given. SOI-related characteristics such as piezoresistive coefficients and temperature coefficients as well as the influence of the buried oxide layer are discussed in detail

  3. Prevalence and causes of self-reported work-related stress in head teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Samantha; Sen, Dil; McNamee, Roseanne

    2007-08-01

    Work-related stress (WRS) is the leading cause of occupational ill-health in the education sector in the UK. Headship is believed to be a stressful role although there is little current research into stress in head teachers. Changes in the education sector since the late 1980s have meant that the findings of many existing studies are outdated. To investigate prevalence and causes of self-reported, WRS in head teachers in West Sussex, UK. A cross-sectional study using postal questionnaire in a population of 290 head teachers and principals. The measuring instrument was a short stress evaluation tool (ASSET) plus additional questions derived from previous studies. Stress cases were defined as respondents who felt their work was 'very or extremely stressful'. Prevalence of self-reported, WRS was 43%. Using ASSET scoring, work overload and work-life imbalance were the key stressors. Females were significantly more stressed than males for a number of stressors including overload and control. Although there was some evidence that primary head teachers fared worse than their secondary counterparts, once the confounding effects of gender were included, there were few significant differences. The prevalence of self-reported stress in head teachers in West Sussex is significantly increased compared to recent studies of workers in the UK. The recurring theme in existing studies of workload as a main stressor is confirmed in the findings of this study. Gender and type of school does affect outcome and female head teachers have more reported stressors than their male colleagues.

  4. An empirical examination of self-reported work stress among U.S. managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavanaugh, M A; Boswell, W R; Roehling, M V; Boudreau, J W

    2000-02-01

    This study proposes that self-reported work stress among U.S. managers is differentially related (positively and negatively) to work outcomes depending on the stressors that are being evaluated. Specific hypotheses were derived from this general proposition and tested using a sample of 1,886 U.S. managers and longitudinal data. Regression results indicate that challenge-related self-reported stress is positively related to job satisfaction and negatively related to job search. In contrast, hindrance-related self-reported stress is negatively related to job satisfaction and positively related to job search and turnover. Future research directions are discussed.

  5. Unwinding after high salinity stress: Pea DNA helicase 45 over- expression in tobacco confers high salinity tolerance without affecting yield (abstract)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuteja, N.

    2005-01-01

    Soil salinity is an increasing threat for agriculture and is a major factor in reducing plant productivity; therefore, it is necessary to obtain salinity-tolerant varieties. A typical characteristic of soil salinity is the induction of multiple stress- inducible genes. Some of the genes encoding osmolytes, ion channels or enzymes are able to confer salinity-tolerant phenotypes when transferred to sensitive plants. As salinity stress affects the cellular gene-expression machinery, it is evident that molecules involved in nucleic acid processing including helicases, are likely to be affected as well. DNA helicases unwind duplex DNA and are involved in replication, repair, recombination and transcription while RNA helicases unfold the secondary structures in RNA and are involved in transcription, ribosome biogenesis and translation initiation. We have earlier reported the isolation of a pea DNA helicase 45 (PDH45) that exhibits striking homology with eIF-4A (Plant J. 24:219-230,2000). Here we report that PDH45 mRNA is induced in pea seedlings in response to high salt and its over- expression driven by a constitutive CAMV-355-promoter in tobacco plants confers salinity tolerance, thus suggesting a new pathway for manipulating stress tolerance in crop plants. The T0 transgenic plants showed high-levels of PDH45 protein in normal and stress conditions, as compared to wild type (WT) plants. The T0 transgenics also showed tolerance to high salinity as tested by a leaf disc senescence assay. The T1 transgenics were able to grow to maturity and set normal viable seeds under continuous salinity stress, without any reduction in plant yield, in terms of seed weight. Measurement of Na/sup +/ ions in different parts of the plant showed higher accumulation in the old leaves and negligible in seeds of T1 transgenic lines as compared with the WT plants. The possible mechanism of salinity tolerance will be discussed. Over-expression of PDH45 provides a possible example of the

  6. European stress tests for nuclear power plants. The Swedish National Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    On 11 March 2011, the Tohoku region in north Honshu, Japan, suffered a severe earthquake with an ensuing tsunami and an accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Due to the accident the Council of the European Union declared in late March that Member States were prepared to begin reviewing safety at nuclear facilities in the European Union by means of a comprehensive assessment of risk and safety ('stress testing'). On 25 May, SSM ordered the licensees of the nuclear power plants to conduct renewed analyses of the facilities' resilience against different kinds of natural phenomena. They were also to analyse how the facilities would be capable of dealing with a prolonged loss of electrical power, regardless of cause. On 31 October, the licensees reported on their stress tests to SSM. After reviewing these reports, SSM produced a summary stress test report, which was submitted to the Government on the 15 December. The present report is the national report on Swedish stress tests of nuclear power plants. The report will be submit to the European Commission no later than 31 December. Based on the review SSM has drawn the conclusion that the stress tests carried out by Swedish licensees are largely performed in accordance with the specification resolved within the European Union. The scope and depth of these analyses and assessments are essentially in accordance with ENSREG's definition of 'a comprehensive assessment of risk and safety'. The stress tests show that Swedish facilities are robust, but the tests also identify a number of opportunities to further strengthen the facilities' robustness. SSM will order the respective licensees to present an action plan for dealing with the results from the stress tests. The Authority will then examine the plans and adopt a standpoint on proposed measures as well as check that the necessary safety improvements are made. In a number of cases, the stress tests indicate deficiencies in relation to, or alternatively

  7. [Acute Stress and Broken Heart Syndrome. A Case Report].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergel, Juliana; Tamayo-Orozco, Sebastián; Vallejo-Gómez, Andrés Felipe; Posada, María Teresa; Restrepo, Diana

    Stress has been associated with an acute heart failure syndrome of important morbidity and mortality. Case report and non-systematic review of the relevant literature. A 65-year-old woman with a history of an untreated generalized anxiety disorder, whom after the violent death of her son presented with oppressive chest pain irradiated to neck and left superior extremity, lasting for more than 30minutes, initial clinical suspect suggests acute coronary syndrome. Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by a reversible left ventricular dysfunction and wall movement abnormalities, without any compromise of the coronary arteries, associated to high plasma levels of catecholamines which in most cases correlates with an acute stress of emotional or physical type. Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy has to be considered by physicians among the differential diagnosis when facing a patient with suspected acute coronary syndrome, especially in post-menopausal women with a history of psychiatric comorbidities such as a generalized anxiety disorder. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  8. Self-reported bruxism mirrors anxiety and stress in adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlberg, Jari; Lobbezoo, Frank; Ahlberg, Kristiina; Manfredini, Daniele; Hublin, Christer; Sinisalo, Juha; Könönen, Mauno; Savolainen, Aslak

    2013-01-01

    The aims were to analyze whether the levels of self-reported bruxism and anxiety associate among otherwise healthy subjects, and to investigate the independent effects of anxiety and stress experience on the probability of self-reported bruxism. As part of a study on irregular shift work, a questionnaire was mailed to all employees of the Finnish Broadcasting Company with irregular shift work (number of subjects: n=750) and to an equal number of randomly selected employees in the same company with regular eight-hour daytime work. The response rates were 82.3% (56.6 % men) and 34.3 % (46.7 % men), respectively. Among the 874 respondents, those aware of more frequent bruxism reported significantly more severe anxiety (pbruxism and psychological states such as anxiety or stress may be related in working age subjects.

  9. Temporal and voltage stress stability of high performance indium-zinc-oxide thin film transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yang; Katsman, Alexander; Butcher, Amy L.; Paine, David C.; Zaslavsky, Alexander

    2017-10-01

    Thin film transistors (TFTs) based on transparent oxide semiconductors, such as indium zinc oxide (IZO), are of interest due to their improved characteristics compared to traditional a-Si TFTs. Previously, we reported on top-gated IZO TFTs with an in-situ formed HfO2 gate insulator and IZO active channel, showing high performance: on/off ratio of ∼107, threshold voltage VT near zero, extracted low-field mobility μ0 = 95 cm2/V·s, and near-perfect subthreshold slope at 62 mV/decade. Since device stability is essential for technological applications, in this paper we report on the temporal and voltage stress stability of IZO TFTs. Our devices exhibit a small negative VT shift as they age, consistent with an increasing carrier density resulting from an increasing oxygen vacancy concentration in the channel. Under gate bias stress, freshly annealed TFTs show a negative VT shift during negative VG gate bias stress, while aged (>1 week) TFTs show a positive VT shift during negative VG stress. This indicates two competing mechanisms, which we identify as the field-enhanced generation of oxygen vacancies and the field-assisted migration of oxygen vacancies, respectively. A simplified kinetic model of the vacancy concentration evolution in the IZO channel under electrical stress is provided.

  10. Association between Independent Reports of Maternal Parenting Stress and Children's Internalizing Symptomatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Christina M.

    2011-01-01

    Although considerable research has investigated parenting stress and children's externalizing behavior problems, comparatively less has considered parenting stress in relation to children's internalizing difficulties. Even less research on parenting stress has incorporated children's report of their internalizing symptoms or the potential…

  11. Self-reported bruxism mirrors anxiety and stress in adults

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ahlberg, J.; Lobbezoo, F.; Ahlberg, K.; Manfredini, D.; Hublin, C.; Sinisalo, J.; Könönen, M.; Savolainen, A.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: The aims were to analyze whether the levels of self-reported bruxism and anxiety associate among otherwise healthy subjects, and to investigate the independent effects of anxiety and stress experience on the probability of self-reported bruxism. Study Design: As part of a study on

  12. Effects of high mean stress on the high-cycle fatigue behavior of PWA 1480

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majumdar, S.; Antolovich, S.; Milligan, W.

    1985-03-01

    PWA 1480 is a potential candidate material for use in the high-pressure fuel turbine blade of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. As an engine material it will be subjected to high-cycle fatigue loading superimposed on a high mean stress due to combined centrifugal and thermal loadings. This paper describes results obtained in an ongoing program to determine the effects of a high mean stress on the high-cycle fatigue behavior of this material

  13. Concordance of parent proxy report and child self-report of posttraumatic stress in children with cancer and healthy children: influence of parental posttraumatic stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clawson, Ashley H; Jurbergs, Niki; Lindwall, Jennifer; Phipps, Sean

    2013-11-01

    This study examined the relationships between parental posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), child PTSS, and parent-child concordance for child PTSS. Participants were children with cancer (n = 199), and healthy children (n = 108) and their parents. Children self-reported on PTSS and parents completed measures of child and parent PTSS. In the cancer group, child and parent reports of child PTSS were significantly correlated with no mean differences between reporters. In contrast, correlations were non-significant in the control group, and parents reported significantly lower levels of child PTSS than children. Increased parental PTSS was associated with better concordance in the cancer group but not in the control group. In fact, in the cancer group, parent-child concordance was strongest at the highest level of parental PTSS. Parents of children with cancer were found to be accurate reporters of their children's distress, even with high levels of reported personal distress. In contrast, parents of healthy children appear primarily influenced by personal distress when reporting child PTSS. Although multiple informant assessments are always desirable, it appears that utilization of a single informant may be reasonable in the cancer setting when access to informants is limited. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. High self-perceived stress and many stressors, but normal diurnal cortisol rhythm, in adults with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirvikoski, Tatja; Lindholm, Torun; Nordenström, Anna; Nordström, Anna-Lena; Lajic, Svetlana

    2009-03-01

    Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults is associated with significant impairment in many life activities and may thus increase the risk of chronic stress in everyday life. We compared adults with a DSM-IV ADHD diagnosis (n=28) with healthy controls (n=28) regarding subjective stress and amounts of stressors in everyday life, diurnal salivary cortisol in the everyday environment and salivary cortisol before and after cognitive stress in a laboratory setting. The association between cortisol concentrations and impulsivity was also investigated. Consistent with assumptions, individuals with ADHD reported significantly more self-perceived stress than controls, and subjective stress correlated with the amount of stressors in everyday life. The two groups were comparable with respect to overall diurnal cortisol levels and rhythm, as well as in pre- and post-stress cortisol concentrations. Post-stress cortisol (but not baseline cortisol) concentration was positively correlated with impulsivity. The group with high post-stress cortisol also reported more symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as self-perceived stress and stressors in every-day life. The diagnosis of ADHD significantly increased the risk of belonging to the group with high post-stress cortisol levels. The results in this study warrant a focus not only on the primary diagnosis of ADHD, but also calls for a broader assessment of stressors and subjective stress in everyday life, as well as support comprising stress management and coping skills.

  15. Proband Mental Health Difficulties and Parental Stress Predict Mental Health in Toddlers at High-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crea, Katherine; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Hudry, Kristelle

    2016-01-01

    Family-related predictors of mental health problems were investigated among 30 toddlers at familial high-risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 28 controls followed from age 2- to 3-years. Parents completed the self-report Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and the parent-report Behavior Assessment System for Children. High-risk toddlers were…

  16. When does stress help or harm? The effects of stress controllability and subjective stress response on stroop performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Roselinde K; Snyder, Hannah R; Gupta, Tina; Banich, Marie T

    2012-01-01

    The ability to engage in goal-directed behavior despite exposure to stress is critical to resilience. Questions of how stress can impair or improve behavioral functioning are important in diverse settings, from athletic competitions to academic testing. Previous research suggests that controllability is a key factor in the impact of stress on behavior: learning how to control stressors buffers people from the negative effects of stress on subsequent cognitively demanding tasks. In addition, research suggests that the impact of stress on cognitive functioning depends on an individual's response to stressors: moderate responses to stress can lead to improved performance while extreme (high or low) responses can lead to impaired performance. The present studies tested the hypothesis that (1) learning to behaviorally control stressors leads to improved performance on a test of general executive functioning, the color-word Stroop, and that (2) this improvement emerges specifically for people who report moderate (subjective) responses to stress. Experiment 1: Stroop performance, measured before and after a stress manipulation, was compared across groups of undergraduate participants (n = 109). People who learned to control a noise stressor and received accurate performance feedback demonstrated reduced Stroop interference compared with people exposed to uncontrollable noise stress and feedback indicating an exaggerated rate of failure. In the group who learned behavioral control, those who reported moderate levels of stress showed the greatest reduction in Stroop interference. In contrast, in the group exposed to uncontrollable events, self-reported stress failed to predict performance. Experiment 2: In a second sample (n = 90), we specifically investigated the role of controllability by keeping the rate of failure feedback constant across groups. In the group who learned behavioral control, those who reported moderate levels of stress showed the greatest Stroop

  17. Boron application improves yield of rice cultivars under high temperature stress during vegetative and reproductive stages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahid, Mohammad; Nayak, Amaresh Kumar; Tripathi, Rahul; Katara, Jawahar Lal; Bihari, Priyanka; Lal, Banwari; Gautam, Priyanka

    2018-04-01

    It is reported that high temperatures (HT) would cause a marked decrease in world rice production. In tropical regions, high temperatures are a constraint to rice production and the most damaging effect is on spikelet sterility. Boron (B) plays a very important role in the cell wall formation, sugar translocation, and reproduction of the rice crop and could play an important role in alleviating high temperature stress. A pot culture experiment was conducted to study the effect of B application on high temperature tolerance of rice cultivars in B-deficient soil. The treatments comprised of four boron application treatments viz. control (B0), soil application of 1 kg B ha-1 (B1), soil application of 2 kg B ha-1 (B2), and foliar spray of 0.2% B (Bfs); three rice cultivars viz. Annapurna (HT stress tolerant), Naveen, and Shatabdi (both HT stress susceptible); and three temperature regimes viz. ambient (AT), HT at vegetative stage (HTV), and HT at reproductive stage (HTR). The results revealed that high temperature stress during vegetative or flowering stage reduced grain yield of rice cultivars mainly because of low pollen viability and spikelet fertility. The effects of high temperature on the spikelet fertility and grain filling varied among cultivars and the growth stages of plant when exposed to the high temperature stress. Under high temperature stress, the tolerant cultivar displays higher cell membrane stability, less accumulation of osmolytes, more antioxidant enzyme activities, and higher pollen viability and spikelet fertility than the susceptible cultivars. In the present work, soil application of boron was effective in reducing the negative effects of high temperature both at vegetative and reproductive stages. Application of B results into higher grain yield under both ambient and high temperature condition over control for all the three cultivars; however, more increase was observed for the susceptible cultivar over the tolerant one. The results suggest

  18. Boron application improves yield of rice cultivars under high temperature stress during vegetative and reproductive stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahid, Mohammad; Nayak, Amaresh Kumar; Tripathi, Rahul; Katara, Jawahar Lal; Bihari, Priyanka; Lal, Banwari; Gautam, Priyanka

    2018-04-12

    It is reported that high temperatures (HT) would cause a marked decrease in world rice production. In tropical regions, high temperatures are a constraint to rice production and the most damaging effect is on spikelet sterility. Boron (B) plays a very important role in the cell wall formation, sugar translocation, and reproduction of the rice crop and could play an important role in alleviating high temperature stress. A pot culture experiment was conducted to study the effect of B application on high temperature tolerance of rice cultivars in B-deficient soil. The treatments comprised of four boron application treatments viz. control (B0), soil application of 1 kg B ha -1 (B1), soil application of 2 kg B ha -1 (B2), and foliar spray of 0.2% B (Bfs); three rice cultivars viz. Annapurna (HT stress tolerant), Naveen, and Shatabdi (both HT stress susceptible); and three temperature regimes viz. ambient (AT), HT at vegetative stage (HTV), and HT at reproductive stage (HTR). The results revealed that high temperature stress during vegetative or flowering stage reduced grain yield of rice cultivars mainly because of low pollen viability and spikelet fertility. The effects of high temperature on the spikelet fertility and grain filling varied among cultivars and the growth stages of plant when exposed to the high temperature stress. Under high temperature stress, the tolerant cultivar displays higher cell membrane stability, less accumulation of osmolytes, more antioxidant enzyme activities, and higher pollen viability and spikelet fertility than the susceptible cultivars. In the present work, soil application of boron was effective in reducing the negative effects of high temperature both at vegetative and reproductive stages. Application of B results into higher grain yield under both ambient and high temperature condition over control for all the three cultivars; however, more increase was observed for the susceptible cultivar over the tolerant one. The results

  19. High-resolution stress measurements for microsystem and semiconductor applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Dietmar; Keller, Juergen; Michel, Bernd

    2006-04-01

    Research results obtained for local stress determination on micro and nanotechnology components are summarized. It meets the concern of controlling stresses introduced to sensors, MEMS and electronics devices during different micromachining processes. The method bases on deformation measurement options made available inside focused ion beam equipment. Removing locally material by ion beam milling existing stresses / residual stresses lead to deformation fields around the milled feature. Digital image correlation techniques are used to extract deformation values from micrographs captured before and after milling. In the paper, two main milling features have been analyzed - through hole and through slit milling. Analytical solutions for stress release fields of in-plane stresses have been derived and compared to respective experimental findings. Their good agreement allows to settle a method for determination of residual stress values, which is demonstrated for thin membranes manufactured by silicon micro technology. Some emphasis is made on the elimination of main error sources for stress determination, like rigid body object displacements and rotations due to drifts of experimental conditions under FIB imaging. In order to illustrate potential application areas of the method residual stress suppression by ion implantation is evaluated by the method and reported here.

  20. Diurnal patterns and relationships between physiological and self-reported stress in patients with epilepsy and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novakova, Barbora; Harris, Peter R; Reuber, Markus

    2017-05-01

    Patients with epilepsy and those with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) experience high levels of stress and stress is one of the most frequently self-identified seizure precipitants. Although stress is a multifaceted phenomenon, few studies have systematically examined its different components in patients with seizures. The aim of this study was therefore to describe diurnal patterns of psychological and physiological measures of stress in patients with epilepsy and patients with PNES, and explore their relationships to each other in order to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying stress and seizure occurrence in these patients. A range of stress markers including self-reported stress, salivary cortisol, and heart rate variability (HRV) were explored in adult patients with refractory epilepsy (N=22) and those with PNES (N=23) undergoing three- to five-day video-telemetry. A diurnal pattern was observed in the physiological measures, characterized by higher levels of physiological arousal in the mornings and lower levels at night in both patients with epilepsy and PNES. The physiological measures (cortisol and HRV) were associated with each other in patients with epilepsy; no close relationship was found with self-reported stress in either of the two patient groups. The findings contribute to and expand on previous studies of the patterns of stress in patients with seizures. The results also indicate a discrepancy between patients' physiological responses and their subjective stress perceptions, suggesting that simple self-reports cannot be used as a proxy of physiological arousal in patients with seizures and stress. Stress in these patient groups should be studied using a combination of complementary measures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Work-related stress and posttraumatic stress in emergency medical services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donnelly, Elizabeth

    2012-01-01

    Recent research efforts in emergency medical services (EMS) has identified variability in the ability of EMS personnel to recognize their level of stress-related impairment. Developing a better understanding of how workplace stress may affect EMS personnel is a key step in the process of increasing awareness of the impact of work-related stress and stress-related impairment. This paper demonstrates that for those in EMS, exposure to several types of workplace stressors is linked to stress reactions. Stress reactions such as posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) have the potential to negatively influence the health of EMS providers. This research demonstrates that two different types of work-related stress and alcohol use influence the development of PTSS. A probability sample of nationally registered emergency medical technician (EMT)-Basics and EMT-Paramedics (n = 1,633) completed an Internet-based survey. Respondents reported their levels of operational and organizational types of chronic stress, critical incident stress, alcohol use, and PTSS. Ordinary least squares regression illustrated that when demographic factors were controlled, organizational and operational forms of chronic stress, critical incident stress, and alcohol use were all significant predictors of PTSS (p stress and critical incident stress (p stress and alcohol use (p stress reaction. Higher levels of chronic stress, critical incident stress, and alcohol use significantly related to an increased level of PTSS. Further, for those reporting high levels of alcohol use or critical incident stress, interactions with high levels of chronic operational stress were associated with higher rates of PTSS. For those interested in the impact of work-related stress in EMS, these findings indicate that attention must be paid to levels of stress associated with both critical incident exposure as well as the chronic stress providers experience on a day-to-day basis.

  2. Proband Mental Health Difficulties and Parental Stress Predict Mental Health in Toddlers at High-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crea, Katherine; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Hudry, Kristelle

    2016-10-01

    Family-related predictors of mental health problems were investigated among 30 toddlers at familial high-risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 28 controls followed from age 2- to 3-years. Parents completed the self-report Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and the parent-report Behavior Assessment System for Children. High-risk toddlers were assessed for ASD at 3-years. Parent stress and proband mental health difficulties predicted concurrent toddler mental health difficulties at 2-years, but only baseline proband internalising problems continued to predict toddler internalising problems at 3-years; high-risk status did not confer additional risk. Baseline toddler mental health difficulties robustly predicted later difficulties, while high-risk status and diagnostic outcome conferred no additional risk. A family systems perspective may be useful for understanding toddler mental health difficulties.

  3. Sport related stress fracture of the clavicle with non-union: Case report and review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constantinou, Demitri; Kastanos, Konstantinos

    2008-01-01

    Stress fractures are relatively uncommon sports injuries and when they do occur, are mostly found in the lower limb. Stress fractures of the clavicle are particularly rare, having been described in a number of non-sport related pathologies, such as nervous tics and post radical neck dissection. In sport, there have only been seven cases reported in the literature. We report on a clavicle stress fracture in a 47-year-old male, partaking in recreational weight lifting activities. This is the first reported case of a non-union stress fracture of the clavicle. The patient underwent an open reduction and internal fixation and made a full recovery. PMID:21264151

  4. Achieving high aspect ratio wrinkles by modifying material network stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yu-Cheng; Wang, Yan; McCarthy, Thomas J; Crosby, Alfred J

    2017-06-07

    Wrinkle aspect ratio, or the amplitude divided by the wavelength, is hindered by strain localization transitions when an increasing global compressive stress is applied to synthetic material systems. However, many examples from living organisms show extremely high aspect ratios, such as gut villi and flower petals. We use three experimental approaches to demonstrate that these high aspect ratio structures can be achieved by modifying the network stress in the wrinkle substrate. We modify the wrinkle stress and effectively delay the strain localization transition, such as folding, to larger aspect ratios by using a zero-stress initial wavy substrate, creating a secondary network with post-curing, or using chemical stress relaxation materials. A wrinkle aspect ratio as high as 0.85, almost three times higher than common values of synthetic wrinkles, is achieved, and a quantitative framework is presented to provide understanding the different strategies and predictions for future investigations.

  5. Psychological stress for alternatives of decontamination of TMI-2 reactor building atmosphere. Technical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baum, A.; Gatchel, R.; Streufert, S.; Baum, C.S.; Fleming, R.

    1980-08-01

    The purpose of the report is to consider the nature and level of psychological stress that may be associated with each of several alternatives for decontamination. The report briefly reviews some of the literature on stress, response to major disaster or life stressors, provides opinion on each decontamination alternative, and considers possible mitigative actions to reduce psychological stress. The report concludes that any procedure that is adapted for the decontamination of the reactor building atmosphere will result in some psychological stress. The stress, however, should abate as contamination is reduced and uncertainty is diminished. The advantages of the purge alternative are the rapid completion of the decontamination and the consequent elimination of future uncontrolled release. Severe stress effects are less likely if the duration of stressor exposure is reduced, if the feeling of public control is increased and if the degree of perceived safety is increased. The long delays, continued uncertainty, and possibility of uncontrolled release that characterize the other alternatives may offset the perception that they are safer. In addition, chronic stress could be a consequence of long delays and continued uncertainty

  6. The association between high levels of cumulative life stress and aberrant resting state EEG dynamics in old age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Amanda C; Cooper, Nicholas R

    2017-07-01

    Cumulative experienced stress produces shortcomings in old adults' cognitive performance. These are reflected in electrophysiological changes tied to task execution. This study explored whether stress-related aberrations in older adults' electroencephalographic (EEG) activity were also apparent in the system at rest. To this effect, the amount of stressful life events experienced by 60 young and 60 elderly participants were assessed in conjunction with resting state power changes in the delta, theta, alpha, and beta frequencies during a resting EEG recording. Findings revealed elevated levels of delta power among elderly individuals reporting high levels of cumulative life stress. These differed significantly from young high and low stress individuals and old adults with low levels of stress. Increases of delta activity have been linked to the emergence of conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Thus, a potential interpretation of our findings associates large amounts of cumulative stress with an increased risk of developing age-related cognitive pathologies in later life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Final Report: Geothermal dual acoustic tool for measurement of rock stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Normann, Randy A. [Perma Works LLC, Pattonville, TX (United States)

    2014-12-01

    This paper outlines the technology need for a rock formation stress measurement in future EGS wells. This paper reports on the results of work undertaken under a Phase I, DOE/SBIR on the feasibility to build an acoustic well logging tool for measuring rock formation stress.

  8. Final Report. Geothermal Dual Acoustic Tool for Measurement of Rock Stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Normann, Randy A [Perma Works LLC, Pattonville, TX (United States)

    2014-12-01

    This paper outlines the technology need for a rock formation stress measurement in future EGS wells. This paper reports on the results of work undertaken under a Phase I, DOE/SBIR on the feasibility to build an acoustic well logging tool for measuring rock formation stress.

  9. Effects of job-related stress and burnout on asthenopia among high-tech workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostrovsky, Anat; Ribak, Joseph; Pereg, Avihu; Gaton, Dan

    2012-01-01

    Eye- and vision-related symptoms are the most frequent health problems among computer users. The findings of eye strain, tired eyes, eye irritation, burning sensation, redness, blurred vision and double vision, when appearing together, have recently been termed 'computer vision syndrome', or asthenopia. To examine the frequency and intensity of asthenopia among individuals employed in research and development departments of high-tech firms and the effects of job stress and burnout on ocular complaints, this study included 106 subjects, 42 high-tech workers (study group) and 64 bank employees (control group). All participants completed self-report questionnaires covering demographics, asthenopia, satisfaction with work environmental conditions, job-related stress and burnout. There was a significant between-group difference in the intensity of asthenopia, but not in its frequency. Burnout appeared to be a significant contributing factor to the intensity and frequency of asthenopia. This study shows that burnout is a significant factor in asthenopic complaints in high-tech workers. This manuscript analyses the effects of psychological environmental factors, such as job stress and burnout, on ocular complaints at the workplace of computer users. The findings may have an ergonomic impact on how to improve health, safety and comfort of the working environment among computer users, for better perception of the job environment, efficacy and production.

  10. Grain Flow at High Stresses

    Science.gov (United States)

    McSaveney, M. J.

    2015-12-01

    The transport mechanism of rapid long-runout rock avalanches was a hotly debated topic when I came on the scene in 1967. So how come it is still debated today? My explanation is that it is the expected outcome of peer review, poor comprehension, and technological advances outpacing intellectual advances. Why think about the problem when we can model it! So let us think about the problem. Shreve thought that rock avalanches fell upon and trapped a layer of air. What physics was he thinking about? It is how feathers and tissue papers fall. When my rock avalanches fly, they fly like unlubricated bricks using the physics of projectiles and ballistics. But the main transport mechanism is not flight. The dominant impression from watching a rock avalanche in motion is of fluid flow, as Heim described it in 1882. A rock avalanche is a very large grain flow. Bagnold studied dispersive grain flows, but why should one assume that rock avalanches are dispersive grain flows as many do. The more common grain flow type is a dense grain flow and rock avalanches are dense grain flows in which the weight can and does generate very high stresses at grain contacts. Brittle rock deforms elastically up to its compressive strength, whereupon it breaks, releasing elastic strain as transient elastic strain (seismic energy to a seismologist, acoustic energy to a physicist). Melosh and others have shown that acoustic energy can fluidize a grain mass. There is no exotic physics behind grain flow at high stress. When grains break, the released elastic strain has to go somewhere, and it goes somewhere principally by transmission though grain contacts. Depending on the state of stress at the grain contact, the contact will pass the stress or will slip at conventional values of Coulomb friction. Enough thinking! A physical model of the entire process is too big for any laboratory. So whose numerical model will do it?

  11. Friction & Wear Under Very High Electromagnetic Stress

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Cowan, Richard S; Danyluk, Steven; Moon, Francis; Ford, J. C; Brenner, Donald W

    2004-01-01

    This document summarizes initial progress toward advancing the fundamental understanding of the friction, wear and mechanics of interfaces subjected to extreme electromagnetic stress, high relative...

  12. Fear of crime and its relationship to self-reported health and stress among men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macassa, Gloria; Winersjö, Rocio; Wijk, Katarina; McGrath, Cormac; Ahmadi, Nader; Soares, Joaquim

    2017-12-13

    Fear of crime is a growing social and public health problem globally, including in developed countries such as Sweden. This study investigated the impact of fear of crime on self-reported health and stress among men living in Gävleborg County. The study used data collected from 2993 men through a cross sectional survey in the 2014 Health in Equal Terms survey. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were carried out to study the relationship between fear of crime and self-reported health and stress. There was a statistically significant association between fear of crime and self-reported poor health and stress among men residing in Gävleborg County. In the bivariate analysis, men who reported fear of crime had odds of 1.98 (CI 1.47-2.66) and 2.23 (CI 1.45-3.41) respectively. Adjusting for demographic, social and economic variables in the multivariate analysis only reduced the odds ratio for self-reported poor health to 1.52 (CI 1.05-2.21) but not for self-reported stress with odds of 2.22 (1.27-3.86). Fear of crime among men was statistically significantly associated with self-reported poor health and stress in Gävleborg County. However, the statistically significant relationship remained even after accounting for demographic, social and economic factors, which warrants further research to better understand the role played by other variables.

  13. Internal Stresses in Wires for High Field Magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, K.; Embury, J.D.; Lawson, A.C.; Von Dreele, R.B.; Wood, J.T.; Richardson, J.W. Jr.

    1998-01-01

    The codeformation of Cu-Ag or Cu-Nb composite wires used for high field magnets has a number of important microstructural consequences, including the production of very fine scale structures, the development of very high internal surface area to volume ratios during the drawing and the storage of defects at interphase interfaces. In addition, the fabrication and codeformation of phases which differ in crystal structure, thermal expansion, elastic modulus and lattice parameter lead to the development of short wavelength internal stresses. These internal stresses are measured by neutron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy as a function of the imposed drawing strain. The internal stresses lead to important changes in elastic plastic response which can be related to both magnet design and service life and these aspects will be described in detail

  14. Stress relaxation and creep of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor core support ceramic materials: a literature search

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selle, J.E.; Tennery, V.J.

    1980-05-01

    Creep and stress relaxation in structural ceramics are important properties to the high-temperature design and safety analysis of the core support structure of the HTGR. The ability of the support structure to function for the lifetime of the reactor is directly related to the allowable creep strain and the ability of the structure to withstand thermal transients. The thermal-mechanical response of the core support pads to steady-state stresses and potential thermal transients depends on variables, including the ability of the ceramics to undergo some stress relaxation in relatively short times. Creep and stress relaxation phenomena in structural ceramics of interest were examined. Of the materials considered (fused silica, alumina, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide), alumina has been more extensively investigated in creep. Activation energies reported varied between 482 and 837 kJ/mole, and consequently, variations in the assigned mechanisms were noted. Nabarro-Herring creep is considered as the primary creep mechanism and no definite grain size dependence has been identified. Results for silicon nitride are in better agreement with reported activation energies. No creep data were found for fused silica or silicon carbide and no stress relaxation data were found for any of the candidate materials. While creep and stress relaxation are similar and it is theoretically possible to derive the value of one property when the other is known, no explicit demonstrated relationship exists between the two. For a given structural ceramic material, both properties must be experimentally determined to obtain the information necessary for use in high-temperature design and safety analyses

  15. Mining highly stressed areas, part 2.

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Johnson, R

    1995-12-01

    Full Text Available A questionnaire related to mining at great depth and in very high stress conditions has been completed with the assistance of mine rock mechanics personnel on over twenty mines in all mining districts, and covering all deep level mines...

  16. Lack of effect of high-protein vs. high-carbohydrate meal intake on stress-related mood and eating behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lemmens Sofie G

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Consumption of meals with different macronutrients, especially high in carbohydrates, may influence stress-related eating behavior. We aimed to investigate whether consumption of high-protein vs. high-carbohydrate meals influences stress-related mood, food reward, i.e. 'liking' and 'wanting', and post-meal energy intake. Methods Participants (n = 38, 19m/19f, age = 25 ± 9 y, BMI = 25.0 ± 3.3 kg/m2 came to the university four times, fasted, once for a stress session receiving a high-protein meal, once for a rest session receiving a high-protein meal, once for a stress session receiving a high-carbohydrate meal and once for a rest session receiving a high-carbohydrate meal (randomized cross-over design. The high-protein and high-carbohydrate test meals (energy percentage protein/carbohydrate/fat 65/5/30 vs. 6/64/30 matched for energy density (4 kJ/g and daily energy requirements (30%. Stress was induced using an ego-threatening test. Pre- and post-meal 'liking' and 'wanting' (for bread, filling, drinks, dessert, snacks, stationery (non-food alternative as control was measured by means of a computer test. Following the post-meal 'wanting' measurement, participants received and consumed their wanted food items (post-meal energy intake. Appetite profile (visual analogue scales, mood state (Profile Of Mood State and State Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires, and post-meal energy intake were measured. Results Participants showed increased feelings of depression and anxiety during stress (P Conclusions Consumption of a high-protein vs. high-carbohydrate meal appears to have limited impact on stress-related eating behavior. Only participants with high disinhibition showed decreased subsequent 'wanting' and energy intake during rest; this effect disappeared under stress. Acute stress overruled effects of consumption of high-protein foods. Trial registration The study was registered in the Dutch Trial Register (NTR1904. The

  17. Social Support and Self-Reported Stress Levels in a Predominantly African American Sample of Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edith Marie Williams

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Lupus patients should avoid stress because physical or emotional stress can affect overall physical health. It has been suggested that social support has a positive influence on health status, but there is a lack of information in the literature on the association between the two among lupus patients. The current study investigated the association between social support and self-reported stress and coping status among African American women with lupus using data collected from two linked cross-sectional surveys. No social support differences in groups of high and low stress/coping were revealed; a duplicate study with a larger sample size is required.

  18. Parenting stress and parent support among mothers with high and low education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkes, Alison; Sweeting, Helen; Wight, Daniel

    2015-12-01

    Current theorizing and evidence suggest that parenting stress might be greater among parents from both low and high socioeconomic positions (SEP) compared with those from intermediate levels because of material hardship among parents of low SEP and employment demands among parents of high SEP. However, little is known about how this socioeconomic variation in stress relates to the support that parents receive. This study explored whether variation in maternal parenting stress in a population sample was associated with support deficits. To obtain a clearer understanding of support deficits among mothers of high and low education, we distinguished subgroups according to mothers' migrant and single-parent status. Participants were 5,865 mothers from the Growing Up in Scotland Study, who were interviewed when their children were 10 months old. Parenting stress was greater among mothers with either high or low education than among mothers with intermediate education, although it was highest for those with low education. Support deficits accounted for around 50% of higher stress among high- and low-educated groups. Less frequent grandparent contact mediated parenting stress among both high- and low-educated mothers, particularly migrants. Aside from this common feature, different aspects of support were relevant for high- compared with low-educated mothers. For high-educated mothers, reliance on formal childcare and less frequent support from friends mediated higher stress. Among low-educated mothers, smaller grandparent and friend networks and barriers to professional parent support mediated higher stress. Implications of differing support deficits are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. A diagnostic dilemma between psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder: a case report and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Coentre Ricardo

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined as a mental disorder that arises from the experience of traumatic life events. Research has shown a high incidence of co-morbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis. Case presentation We report the case of a 32-year-old black African woman with a history of both post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis. Two years ago she presented to mental health services with auditory and visual hallucinations, persecutory delusions, suicidal ideation, recurring nightmares, hyper-arousal, and initial and middle insomnia. She was prescribed trifluoperazine (5 mg/day and began cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis. Her psychotic symptoms gradually resolved over a period of three weeks; however, she continues to experience ongoing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. In our case report, we review both the diagnostic and treatment issues regarding post-traumatic stress disorder with psychotic symptoms. Conclusions There are many factors responsible for the symptoms that occur in response to a traumatic event, including cognitive, affective and environmental factors. These factors may predispose both to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder and/or psychotic disorders. The independent diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder with psychotic features remains an open issue. A psychological formulation is essential regarding the appropriate treatment in a clinical setting.

  20. Oxidative stress does not influence local sweat rate during high-intensity exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meade, Robert D; Fujii, Naoto; Poirier, Martin P; Boulay, Pierre; Sigal, Ronald J; Kenny, Glen P

    2018-02-01

    What is the central question of this study? We evaluated whether oxidative stress attenuates the contribution of nitric oxide to sweating during high-intensity exercise. What is the main finding and its importance? In contrast to our previous report of an oxidative stress-mediated reduction in nitric oxide-dependent cutaneous vasodilatation in this cohort during intense exercise, we demonstrated no influence of local ascorbate administration on the sweating response during moderate- (∼51% peak oxygen uptake) or high-intensity exercise (∼72% peak oxygen uptake). These new findings provide important mechanistic insight into how exercise-induced oxidative stress impacts sudomotor activity. Nitric oxide (NO)-dependent sweating is diminished during high- but not moderate-intensity exercise. We evaluated whether this impairment stems from increased oxidative stress during high-intensity exercise. On two separate days, 11 young (24 ± 4 years) men cycled in the heat (35°C) at a moderate [500 W; 52 ± 6% peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2 peak )] or high (700 W; 71 ± 5% V̇O2 peak ) rate of metabolic heat production. Each session included two 30 min exercise bouts separated by a 20 min recovery period. Local sweat rate was monitored at four forearm skin sites continuously perfused via intradermal microdialysis with the following: (i) lactated Ringer solution (Control); (ii) 10 mm ascorbate (Ascorbate; non-selective antioxidant); (iii) 10 mm N G -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; NO synthase inhibitor); or (iv) 10 mm ascorbate plus 10 mm l-NAME (Ascorbate + l-NAME). During moderate exercise, sweat rate was attenuated at the l-NAME and Ascorbate + l-NAME sites (both ∼1.0 mg min -1  cm -2 ; all P < 0.05) but not at the Ascorbate site (∼1.1 mg min -1  cm -2 ; both P ≥ 0.28) in comparison to the Control site (∼1.1 mg min -1  cm -2 ). However, no differences were observed between treatment sites (∼1.4 mg min -1  cm -2 ; P = 0

  1. The management of stress urinary incontinence: A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Preshani Reddy

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Conservative management is the first option for patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI. However, successful management of women diagnosed with SUI is dependent on a proper assessment and a tailored treatment plan. This case report aims to show the effectiveness of physiotherapy management in a 42-year-old patient diagnosed with SUI. Patient presentation: The patient’s main complaints were involuntary loss of urine on coughing, sneezing and lifting of heavy objects, which started following the birth of her third child. Management and outcome: The patient was taught the ‘Knack’ manoeuvre and provided with a tailored pelvic floor exercise programme. Improvement was noted at the third visit and the patient no longer had involuntary episodes. Conclusion: This case report shows the successful outcome of conservative management in a patient with stress urinary incontinence.

  2. High salt intake enhances swim stress-induced PVN vasopressin cell activation and active stress coping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, N C; Gilman, T L; Daws, L C; Toney, G M

    2018-07-01

    Stress contributes to many psychiatric disorders; however, responsivity to stressors can vary depending on previous or current stress exposure. Relatively innocuous heterotypic (differing in type) stressors can summate to result in exaggerated neuronal and behavioral responses. Here we investigated the ability of prior high dietary sodium chloride (salt) intake, a dehydrating osmotic stressor, to enhance neuronal and behavioral responses of mice to an acute psychogenic swim stress (SS). Further, we evaluated the contribution of the osmo-regulatory stress-related neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (VP) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), one of only a few brain regions that synthesize VP. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of high dietary salt intake on responsivity to heterotypic stress and the potential contribution of VPergic-mediated neuronal activity on high salt-induced stress modulation, thereby providing insight into how dietary (homeostatic) and environmental (psychogenic) stressors might interact to facilitate psychiatric disorder vulnerability. Salt loading (SL) with 4% saline for 7 days was used to dehydrate and osmotically stress mice prior to exposure to an acute SS. Fluid intake and hematological measurements were taken to quantify osmotic dehydration, and serum corticosterone levels were measured to index stress axis activation. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to stain for the immediate early gene product c-Fos to quantify effects of SL on SS-induced activation of neurons in the PVN and extended amygdala - brain regions that are synaptically connected and implicated in responding to osmotic stress and in modulation of SS behavior, respectively. Lastly, the role of VPergic PVN neurons and VP type 1 receptor (V1R) activity in the amygdala in mediating effects of SL on SS behavior was evaluated by quantifying c-Fos activation of VPergic PVN neurons and, in functional experiments, by nano-injecting the V1R selective

  3. Stress for Stress Tolerance? A Fundamentally New Approach in Mammalian Embryology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pribenszky, Csaba; Vajta, Gabor; Molnár, Miklós

    2010-01-01

    tolerance to various in vitro procedures. The aim of this review is to summarize reports on the effects of stress on gametes and embryos of several species. Treatment with sublethal doses of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), osmotic, heat, or oxidative stress resulted in increased morphological survival...

  4. Microstructuring of thermo-mechanically highly stressed surfaces final report of the DFG research group 576

    CERN Document Server

    Rienäcker, Adrian; Knoll, Gunter; Bach, Friedrich-Wilhelm; Maier, Hans; Reithmeier, Eduard; Dinkelacker, Friedrich

    2015-01-01

    This contributed volume presents the final research results of the DFG Research Group 576, which is a joint initiative of five different institutes of the Leibniz Universität Hannover and the Universität Kassel, Germany. The research of the DFG Research Group 576 focuses on improving the tribological behavior of thermomechanically highly stressed surfaces, particularly on cylinder liner for combustion engines. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students who want to specialize in the field.

  5. Oxidative stress and the high altitude environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakub Krzeszowiak

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available In the recent years there has been considerable interest in mountain sports, including mountaineering, owing to the general availability of climbing clothing and equipment as well trainings and professional literature. This raised a new question for the environmental and mountain medicine: Is mountaineering harmful to health? Potential hazards include the conditions existing in the alpine environment, i.e. lower atmospheric pressure leading to the development of hypobaric hypoxia, extreme physical effort, increased UV radiation, lack of access to fresh food, and mental stress. A reasonable measure of harmfulness of these factors is to determine the increase in the level of oxidative stress. Alpine environment can stimulate the antioxidant enzyme system but under specific circumstances it may exceed its capabilities with simultaneous consumption of low-molecular antioxidants resulting in increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS. This situation is referred to as oxidative stress. Rapid and uncontrolled proliferation of reactive oxygen species leads to a number of adverse changes, resulting in the above-average damage to the lipid structures of cell membranes (peroxidation, proteins (denaturation, and nucleic acids. Such situation within the human body cannot take place without resultant systemic consequences. This explains the malaise of people returning from high altitude and a marked decrease in their physical fitness. In addition, a theory is put forward that the increase in the level of oxidative stress is one of the factors responsible for the onset of acute mountain sickness (AMS. However, such statement requires further investigation because the currently available literature is inconclusive. This article presents the causes and effects of development of oxidative stress in the high mountains.

  6. Fear of crime and its relationship to self-reported health and stress among men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gloria Macassa

    2018-01-01

    Design and Methods: The study used data collected from 2993 men through a cross sectional survey in the 2014 Health in Equal Terms survey. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were carried out to study the relationship between fear of crime and self-reported health and stress. Results: There was a statistically significant association between fear of crime and self-reported poor health and stress among men residing in Gävleborg County. In the bivariate analysis, men who reported fear of crime had odds of 1.98 (CI 1.47- 2.66 and 2.23 (CI 1.45-3.41 respectively. Adjusting for demographic, social and economic variables in the multivariate analysis only reduced the odds ratio for self-reported poor health to 1.52 (CI 1.05-2.21 but not for self-reported stress with odds of 2.22 (1.27-3.86. Conclusions: Fear of crime among men was statistically significantly associated with self-reported poor health and stress in Gävleborg County. However, the statistically significant relationship remained even after accounting for demographic, social and economic factors, which warrants further research to better understand the role played by other variables.

  7. Self-reported racial discrimination and endothelial reactivity to acute stress in women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Julie A; Tennen, Howard; Finan, Patrick H; Ghuman, Nimrta; Burg, Matthew M

    2013-08-01

    This study investigated the effect of self-reported racial discrimination on endothelial responses to acute laboratory mental stress among post-menopausal women. One-hundred thirteen women (n = 94 self-identified as White and n = 19 self-identified as racial/ethnic minority), 43% with type 2 diabetes, reported lifetime experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination. Repeated assessments of flow-mediated dilation were performed at baseline, immediately after 5 min of mental arithmetic and at 20-min recovery. Both White and racial/ethnic minority women reported lifetime discrimination, with rates significantly higher among minorities. Self-reported lifetime discrimination was associated with attenuated flow-mediated dilation at recovery. Confounding variables, including clinical characteristics, mood, personality traits, other life stressors and general distress, did not better account for the effect of racial discrimination. Neither race/ethnicity nor diabetes status moderated the effect. The perceived stressfulness of the mental arithmetic was not associated with the endothelial response. In conclusion, self-reported lifetime discrimination is associated with attenuated endothelial recovery from acute mental stress. Elucidating the effects of discrimination and the biological mechanisms through which it affects the vasculature may suggest interventions to improve health. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Elevated level of serum triglyceride among high risk stress bank ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The objective of this study was to estimate lipid profile among high risk stress bank employees' correlated with heart disorders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 129 patients with high risk stress employees were involved in this study, which were divided into 69 males and 60 females between the age of 25 to 55 years.

  9. When does stress help or harm? The effects of stress controllability and subjective stress response on Stroop performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roselinde Kaiser Henderson

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The ability to engage in goal-directed behavior despite exposure to stress is critical to resilience. Questions of how stress can impair or improve behavioral functioning are important in diverse settings, from athletic competitions to academic testing to clinical therapy. Previous research suggests that controllability is a key factor in the impact of stress on behavior: learning how to control stressors buffers people from the negative effects of stress on subsequent cognitively demanding tasks. In addition, research suggests that the impact of stress on cognitive functioning depends on an individual’s response to stressors: moderate responses to stress can lead to improved performance while extreme (high or low responses can lead to impaired performance. The present studies tested the hypothesis that 1 learning to behaviorally control stressors leads to improved performance on a test of general executive functioning, the color-word Stroop, and that 2 this improvement emerges specifically for people who report moderate (subjective responses to stress. Experiment 1: Stroop performance, measured before and after a stress manipulation, was compared across groups of undergraduate participants (n=109. People who learned to control a noise stressor and received accurate performance feedback demonstrated reduced Stroop interference compared with people exposed to uncontrollable noise stress and feedback indicating an exaggerated rate of failure. In the group who learned behavioral control, those who reported moderate levels of stress showed the greatest reduction in Stroop interference. In contrast, in the group exposed to uncontrollable events, self-reported stress failed to predict performance. Experiment 2: In a second sample (n=90, we specifically investigated the role of controllability by keeping the rate of failure feedback constant across groups. In the group who learned behavioral control, those who reported moderate levels of stress

  10. High Load Ratio Fatigue Strength and Mean Stress Evolution of Quenched and Tempered 42CrMo4 Steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertini, Leonardo; Le Bone, Luca; Santus, Ciro; Chiesi, Francesco; Tognarelli, Leonardo

    2017-08-01

    The fatigue strength at a high number of cycles with initial elastic-plastic behavior was experimentally investigated on quenched and tempered 42CrMo4 steel. Fatigue tests on unnotched specimens were performed both under load and strain controls, by imposing various levels of amplitude and with several high load ratios. Different ratcheting and relaxation trends, with significant effects on fatigue, are observed and discussed, and then reported in the Haigh diagram, highlighting a clear correlation with the Smith-Watson-Topper model. High load ratio tests were also conducted on notched specimens with C (blunt) and V (sharp) geometries. A Chaboche model with three parameter couples was proposed by fitting plain specimen cyclic and relaxation tests, and then finite element analyses were performed to simulate the notched specimen test results. A significant stress relaxation at the notch root became clearly evident by reporting the numerical results in the Haigh diagram, thus explaining the low mean stress sensitivity of the notched specimens.

  11. Phenome data - High-sugar stress - DGBY | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available switchLanguage; BLAST Search Image Search Home About Archive Update History Data ...s.zip File size: 90KB File name: Original file: High-sugar_stress.xls File URL: ftp://ftp.biosciencedbc.jp/archive/dgby/LATEST/Hi... Center for Protein Sequences) About This Database Database Description Download License Update History of Thi...s Database Site Policy | Contact Us Phenome data - High-sugar stress - DGBY | LSDB Archive ... ...List Contact us DGBY Phenome data - High-sugar stress Data detail Data name Phenome data - High-sugar stress

  12. Sequestration of highly expressed mRNAs in cytoplasmic granules, P-bodies, and stress granules enhances cell viability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Lavut

    Full Text Available Transcriptome analyses indicate that a core 10%-15% of the yeast genome is modulated by a variety of different stresses. However, not all the induced genes undergo translation, and null mutants of many induced genes do not show elevated sensitivity to the particular stress. Elucidation of the RNA lifecycle reveals accumulation of non-translating mRNAs in cytoplasmic granules, P-bodies, and stress granules for future regulation. P-bodies contain enzymes for mRNA degradation; under stress conditions mRNAs may be transferred to stress granules for storage and return to translation. Protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system is elevated by stress; and here we analyzed the steady state levels, decay, and subcellular localization of the mRNA of the gene encoding the F-box protein, UFO1, that is induced by stress. Using the MS2L mRNA reporter system UFO1 mRNA was observed in granules that colocalized with P-bodies and stress granules. These P-bodies stored diverse mRNAs. Granules of two mRNAs transported prior to translation, ASH1-MS2L and OXA1-MS2L, docked with P-bodies. HSP12 mRNA that gave rise to highly elevated protein levels was not observed in granules under these stress conditions. ecd3, pat1 double mutants that are defective in P-body formation were sensitive to mRNAs expressed ectopically from strong promoters. These highly expressed mRNAs showed elevated translation compared with wild-type cells, and the viability of the mutants was strongly reduced. ecd3, pat1 mutants also exhibited increased sensitivity to different stresses. Our interpretation is that sequestration of highly expressed mRNAs in P-bodies is essential for viability. Storage of mRNAs for future regulation may contribute to the discrepancy between the steady state levels of many stress-induced mRNAs and their proteins. Sorting of mRNAs for future translation or decay by individual cells could generate potentially different phenotypes in a genetically identical

  13. Stress corrosion cracking of several high strength ferrous and nickel alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, E. E.

    1971-01-01

    The stress corrosion cracking resistance of several high strength ferrous and nickel base alloys has been determined in a sodium chloride solution. Results indicate that under these test conditions Multiphase MP35N, Unitemp L605, Inconel 718, Carpenter 20Cb and 20Cb-3 are highly resistant to stress corrosion cracking. AISI 410 and 431 stainless steels, 18 Ni maraging steel (250 grade) and AISI 4130 steel are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking under some conditions.

  14. An Investigation of the Correlation among Sources of Stress, Perceived Stress, and Coping styles in High School Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farhadh Asghari

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Coping with stress is an important issue, especially in regard to source of stress and perceived stress in adolescence period. In this research, the correlation among stress sources, perceived stress, and coping styles was investigated in high school students. Methods: The present research was a descriptive correlational study. The research sample consisted of 575 high school students from the families of personnel of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in education year 2014-15 who were selected by multistage cluster sampling method. Stress source scale, perceived stress scale and Tehran coping styles scale, were used for data collection. The data were analyzed using statistical methods, including Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis. Results: In this study, 50% of students had perceived stress higher than cut-off point. Stress sources of students were related to school and maturity. There was a positive correlation between problem-oriented coping style and perceived stress, and there was a negative and inverse correlation between problem-oriented coping style and stress related to school and maturity. There was a positive correlation between positive emotion-oriented coping style and perceived stress, but there was a negative and inverse correlation between problem-oriented coping style and stress related to school and maturity. There was no significant correlation between emotion-oriented coping style and stress related to school, maturity, family, and peers. There was a positive correlation between negative emotion-oriented coping style and stress related to school, maturity, and peers. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, the level of correlation was not significant and no significant relationship could be found between the variables with this level of correlation. Therefore, it is suggested that more extensive researches be conducted on the relationship between

  15. High-throughput characterization of stresses in thin film materials libraries using Si cantilever array wafers and digital holographic microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lai, Y. W.; Ludwig, A.; Hamann, S.; Ehmann, M.

    2011-01-01

    We report the development of an advanced high-throughput stress characterization method for thin film materials libraries sputter-deposited on micro-machined cantilever arrays consisting of around 1500 cantilevers on 4-inch silicon-on-insulator wafers. A low-cost custom-designed digital holographic microscope (DHM) is employed to simultaneously monitor the thin film thickness, the surface topography and the curvature of each of the cantilevers before and after deposition. The variation in stress state across the thin film materials library is then calculated by Stoney's equation based on the obtained radii of curvature of the cantilevers and film thicknesses. DHM with nanometer-scale out-of-plane resolution allows stress measurements in a wide range, at least from several MPa to several GPa. By using an automatic x-y translation stage, the local stresses within a 4-inch materials library are mapped with high accuracy within 10 min. The speed of measurement is greatly improved compared with the prior laser scanning approach that needs more than an hour of measuring time. A high-throughput stress measurement of an as-deposited Fe-Pd-W materials library was evaluated for demonstration. The fast characterization method is expected to accelerate the development of (functional) thin films, e.g., (magnetic) shape memory materials, whose functionality is greatly stress dependent.

  16. Machine Learning for High-Throughput Stress Phenotyping in Plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Arti; Ganapathysubramanian, Baskar; Singh, Asheesh Kumar; Sarkar, Soumik

    2016-02-01

    Advances in automated and high-throughput imaging technologies have resulted in a deluge of high-resolution images and sensor data of plants. However, extracting patterns and features from this large corpus of data requires the use of machine learning (ML) tools to enable data assimilation and feature identification for stress phenotyping. Four stages of the decision cycle in plant stress phenotyping and plant breeding activities where different ML approaches can be deployed are (i) identification, (ii) classification, (iii) quantification, and (iv) prediction (ICQP). We provide here a comprehensive overview and user-friendly taxonomy of ML tools to enable the plant community to correctly and easily apply the appropriate ML tools and best-practice guidelines for various biotic and abiotic stress traits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The flavoprotein Tah18-dependent NO synthesis confers high-temperature stress tolerance on yeast cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishimura, Akira; Kawahara, Nobuhiro; Takagi, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► NO is produced from L-arginine in response to elevated temperature in yeast. ► Tah18 was first identified as the yeast protein involved in NO synthesis. ► Tah18-dependent NO synthesis confers tolerance to high-temperature on yeast cells. -- Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule involved in the regulation of a large number of cellular functions. In the unicellular eukaryote yeast, NO may be involved in stress response pathways, but its role is poorly understood due to the lack of mammalian NO synthase (NOS) orthologues. Previously, we have proposed the oxidative stress-induced L-arginine synthesis and its physiological role under stress conditions in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, our experimental results indicated that increased conversion of L-proline into L-arginine led to NO production in response to elevated temperature. We also showed that the flavoprotein Tah18, which was previously reported to transfer electrons to the Fe–S cluster protein Dre2, was involved in NO synthesis in yeast. Gene knockdown analysis demonstrated that Tah18-dependent NO synthesis confers high-temperature stress tolerance on yeast cells. As it appears that such a unique cell protection mechanism is specific to yeasts and fungi, it represents a promising target for antifungal activity.

  18. Differential relationship of recent self-reported stress and acute anxiety with divided attention performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrac, D C; Bedwell, J S; Renk, K; Orem, D M; Sims, V

    2009-07-01

    There have been relatively few studies on the relationship between recent perceived environmental stress and cognitive performance, and the existing studies do not control for state anxiety during the cognitive testing. The current study addressed this need by examining recent self-reported environmental stress and divided attention performance, while controlling for state anxiety. Fifty-four university undergraduates who self-reported a wide range of perceived recent stress (10-item perceived stress scale) completed both single and dual (simultaneous auditory and visual stimuli) continuous performance tests. Partial correlation analysis showed a statistically significant positive correlation between perceived stress and the auditory omission errors from the dual condition, after controlling for state anxiety and auditory omission errors from the single condition (r = 0.41). This suggests that increased environmental stress relates to decreased divided attention performance in auditory vigilance. In contrast, an increase in state anxiety (controlling for perceived stress) was related to a decrease in auditory omission errors from the dual condition (r = - 0.37), which suggests that state anxiety may improve divided attention performance. Results suggest that further examination of the neurobiological consequences of environmental stress on divided attention and other executive functioning tasks is needed.

  19. High-electric-field-stress-induced degradation of SiN passivated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen-Ping, Gu; Huan-Tao, Duan; Jin-Yu, Ni; Yue, Hao; Jin-Cheng, Zhang; Qian, Feng; Xiao-Hua, Ma

    2009-01-01

    AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are fabricated by employing SiN passivation, this paper investigates the degradation due to the high-electric-field stress. After the stress, a recoverable degradation has been found, consisting of the decrease of saturation drain current I Dsat , maximal transconductance g m , and the positive shift of threshold voltage V TH at high drain-source voltage V DS . The high-electric-field stress degrades the electric characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs because the high field increases the electron trapping at the surface and in AlGaN barrier layer. The SiN passivation of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs decreases the surface trapping and 2DEG depletion a little during the high-electric-field stress. After the hot carrier stress with V DS = 20 V and V GS = 0 V applied to the device for 10 4 sec, the SiN passivation decreases the stress-induced degradation of I Dsat from 36% to 30%. Both on-state and pulse-state stresses produce comparative decrease of I Dsat , which shows that although the passivation is effective in suppressing electron trapping in surface states, it does not protect the device from high-electric-field degradation in nature. So passivation in conjunction with other technological solutions like cap layer, prepassivation surface treatments, or field-plate gate to weaken high-electric-field degradation should be adopted. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  20. Taking aim at nurse stress: a call to action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashani, Mariam; Eliasson, Arn; Chrosniak, Linda; Vernalis, Marina

    2010-02-01

    The study investigates stress levels and related behaviors of nurses in a military medical center during wartime. In 2007, nurses completed a questionnaire survey with objective validation of data in a subsample using actigraphy over 12 weeks. Of 270 nurses, 255 (94%) returned surveys. A total of 81% reported moderately high or high stress with sources listed as work (66%) and fatigue (39%). Many reported coming to work despite feeling ill and/or stressed (13.6 days/3 months). In contrast, morale was high or moderately high in 71%. Nurses reported an average of 5.5 hours of sleep/night, 8.8 h/wk taken for self, and 3.8 h/wk for exercise. Actigraphy data showed an average of 6.0 hours of sleep/night. These findings highlight a mismatch between stress levels and coping perceptions indicating an inability to properly care for self. To manage the effects of chronic stress, nurse leaders should implement systems targeting healthy life balance.

  1. Longitudinal study of the feasibility of using ecological momentary assessment to study teacher stress: Objective and self-reported measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McIntyre, Teresa M; McIntyre, Scott E; Barr, Christopher D; Woodward, Phillip S; Francis, David J; Durand, Angelia C; Mehta, Paras; Kamarck, Thomas W

    2016-10-01

    There is a lack of comprehensive research on Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) feasibility to study occupational stress, especially its long-term sustainability. EMA application in education contexts has also been sparse. This study investigated the feasibility of using EMA to study teacher stress over 2 years using both objective compliance data and a self-reported feasibility survey. It also examined the influence of individual and school factors on EMA feasibility. Participants were 202 sixth through eighth grade teachers from 22 urban middle schools in the southern United States. EMA was implemented via an iPod-based Teacher Stress Diary (TSD). Teachers recorded demands, stress responses, and resources during 12 days (6 waves) over 2 years. Feasibility was assessed via compliance data generated by the TSD (e.g., entry completion) and an EMA Feasibility Survey of self-reported user-friendliness and EMA interference. The results showed high compliance regarding entry and item completion, and completion time, which was sustained over time. User-friendliness was appraised as very high and EMA interference as low. Initial difficulties regarding timing and length of assessments were addressed via EMA method refinement, resulting in improved feasibility. Teachers' ethnicity, age, marital status, grade/course taught, class size, class load, and daily workload impacted feasibility. The results supported the feasibility of using EMA to study work stress longitudinally and the value of continued feasibility monitoring. They also support EMA use to study teacher stress and inform EMA implementation in schools. Some teacher and school factors need to be taken into consideration when deciding on EMA implementation in education contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Overexpression of monoubiquitin improves photosynthesis in transgenic tobacco plants following high temperature stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Fengxia; Gong, Jiangfeng; Zhang, Jin; Feng, Yanan; Wang, Guokun; Guo, Qifang; Wang, Wei

    2014-09-01

    The ubiquitin/26S proteasome system (Ub/26S) is implicated in abiotic stress responses in plants. In this paper, transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing Ta-Ub2 from wheat were used to study the functions of Ub in the improvement of photosynthesis under high temperature (45°C) stress. We observed higher levels of Ub conjugates in transgenic plants under high temperature stress conditions compared to wild type (WT) as a result of the constitutive overexpression of Ta-Ub2, suggesting increased protein degradation by the 26S proteasome system under high temperature stress. Overexpressing Ub increased the photosynthetic rate (Pn) of transgenic tobacco plants, consistent with the improved ATPase activity in the thylakoid membrane and enhanced efficiency of PSII photochemistry. The higher D1 protein levels following high temperature stress in transgenic plants than WT were also observed. These findings imply that Ub may be involved in tolerance of photosynthesis to high temperature stress in plants. Compared with WT, the transgenic plants showed lower protein carbonylation and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, less reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, but higher antioxidant enzyme activity under high temperature stress. These findings suggest that the improved antioxidant capacity of transgenic plants may be one of the most important mechanisms underlying Ub-regulated high temperature tolerance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Stress analysis in high-temperature superconductors under pulsed field magnetization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Haowei; Yong, Huadong; Zhou, Youhe

    2018-04-01

    Bulk high-temperature superconductors (HTSs) have a high critical current density and can trap a large magnetic field. When bulk superconductors are magnetized by the pulsed field magnetization (PFM) technique, they are also subjected to a large electromagnetic stress, and the resulting thermal stress may cause cracking of the superconductor due to the brittle nature of the sample. In this paper, based on the H-formulation and the law of heat transfer, we can obtain the distributions of electromagnetic field and temperature, which are in qualitative agreement with experiment. After that, based on the dynamic equilibrium equations, the mechanical response of the bulk superconductor is determined. During the PFM process, the change in temperature has a dramatic effect on the radial and hoop stresses, and the maximum radial and hoop stress are 24.2 {{MPa}} and 22.6 {{MPa}}, respectively. The mechanical responses of a superconductor for different cases are also studied, such as the peak value of the applied field and the size of bulk superconductors. Finally, the stresses are also presented for different magnetization methods.

  4. Financial stress and outcomes after acute myocardial infarction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sachin J Shah

    Full Text Available Little is known about the association between financial stress and health care outcomes. Our objective was to examine the association between self-reported financial stress during initial hospitalization and long-term outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI.We used prospective registry evaluating myocardial infarction: Event and Recovery (PREMIER data, an observational, multicenter US study of AMI patients discharged between January 2003 and June 2004. Primary outcomes were disease-specific and generic health status outcomes at 1 year (symptoms, function, and quality of life (QoL, assessed by the Seattle Angina Questionnaire [SAQ] and Short Form [SF]-12. Secondary outcomes included 1-year rehospitalization and 4-year mortality. Hierarchical regression models accounted for patient socio-demographic, clinical, and quality of care characteristics, and access and barriers to care.Among 2344 AMI patients, 1241 (52.9% reported no financial stress, 735 (31.4% reported low financial stress, and 368 (15.7% reported high financial stress. When comparing individuals reporting low financial stress to no financial stress, there were no significant differences in post-AMI outcomes. In contrast, individuals reporting high financial stress were more likely to have worse physical health (SF-12 PCS mean difference -3.24, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -4.82, -1.66, mental health (SF-12 MCS mean difference: -2.44, 95% CI: -3.83, -1.05, disease-specific QoL (SAQ QoL mean difference: -6.99, 95% CI: -9.59, -4.40, and be experiencing angina (SAQ Angina Relative Risk = 1.66, 95%CI: 1.19, 2.32 at 1 year post-AMI. While 1-year readmission rates were increased (Hazard Ratio = 1.50; 95%CI: 1.20, 1.86, 4-year mortality was no different.High financial stress is common and an important risk factor for worse long-term outcomes post-AMI, independent of access and barriers to care.

  5. Self-reported stress among adolescent siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shivers, Carolyn M; McGregor, Casey; Hough, Ashlea

    2017-11-01

    Despite the prevalence of studies showing increased stress among mothers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders, few studies have examined general stress among typically developing siblings. This study used an online survey to compare the levels of self-reported stress between adolescent siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome. Sibling of individuals with autism reported significantly more overall stress than did siblings of individuals with Down syndrome, as well as more stress specifically attributed to the brother/sister with autism. The two groups did not differ on perceived social support from family and friends. In linear regression models, the disability group (autism vs Down syndrome) was significantly related to sibling stress above and beyond target child behavior problems, perceived social support, and demographic factors. These results help shed light on the daily experiences of adolescent siblings of individuals with autism and call for more research into potential interventions to address increased stress levels.

  6. Sex-dependent effects of high-fat-diet feeding on rat pancreas oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Pérez, Yolanda; Gianotti, Magdalena; Lladó, Isabel; Proenza, Ana M

    2011-07-01

    The objective of the study was to investigate whether sex differences in oxidative stress-associated insulin resistance previously reported in rats could be attributed to a possible sex dimorphism in pancreas redox status. Fifteen-month-old male and female Wistar rats were fed a control diet or a high-fat diet for 14 weeks. Serum glucose, lipids, and hormone levels were measured. Insulin immunohistochemistry and morphometric analysis of islets were performed. Pancreas triglyceride content, oxidative damage, and antioxidant enzymatic activities were determined. Lipoprotein lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) levels were also measured. Male rats showed a more marked insulin resistance profile than females. In control female rats, pancreas Mn-superoxide dismutase activity and UCP2 levels were higher, and oxidative damage was lower compared with males. High-fat-diet feeding decreased pancreas triglyceride content in female rats and UCP2 levels in male rats. High-fat-diet female rats showed larger islets than both their control and sex counterparts. These results confirm the existence of a sex dimorphism in pancreas oxidative status in both control and high-fat-diet feeding situations, with female rats showing higher protection against oxidative stress, thus maintaining pancreatic function and contributing to a lower risk of insulin resistance.

  7. Work stress and reduced health in young physicians: prospective evidence from Swiss residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buddeberg-Fischer, Barbara; Klaghofer, Richard; Stamm, Martina; Siegrist, Johannes; Buddeberg, Claus

    2008-10-01

    Job stress, investigated by the effort-reward model in various working environments in different countries, has been widely reported, yet studies addressing physicians are lacking. The present study investigated the perceived job stress, its association with the amount of working hours, and its impact on young physicians' self-reported health and their satisfaction with life during residency. In a prospective study design, a cohort of Swiss medical school graduates was followed up, beginning in 2001. In their second and fourth years of residency, 433 physicians assessed their effort-reward imbalance, overcommitment, physical and mental well-being and satisfaction in life. Taking the longitudinal design into account, four categories of stressed residents were defined: (1) subjects not reporting high work stress at either measurement, (2) subjects reporting high work stress in the second but not in the fourth year of residency, (3) subjects with onset of high work stress in fourth year and (4) residents reporting high work stress at both measurements. All components of the perceived stress at work were significantly correlated with the amount of working hours, effort showing the highest correlation. While two-thirds of the participants do not report high work stress, assessed by the extrinsic part of the effort-reward imbalance model (the ratio between effort and reward) and 12% show a decrease of stress over time, there are 15% with an increase of stress over time, and 10% with persistently high stress experience. In terms of the intrinsic stress component (overcommitment), 71% show low values, 12% show a decrease, 9% an increase and 8% constantly high values. The groups with constant and increasing extrinsic and intrinsic stress experience exhibit significantly worse health and life satisfaction compared to the remaining groups, after controlling for gender and baseline health. Stress at work in young physicians, especially when being experienced over a longer

  8. Stress and Posttraumatic Stress in Mothers of Children With Type 1 Diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rechenberg, Kaitlyn; Grey, Margaret; Sadler, Lois

    2017-05-01

    The onset of acute and chronic illness in children frequently triggers episodes of stress and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in mothers. Mothers of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) consistently report high levels of stress and PTSS. The purpose of this integrative review was to review and synthesize the published empirical research. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to conduct this integrative literature review. A total of 19 studies were identified from a sample of 128. Stress and PTSS were prevalent in mothers of youth with T1D. While PTSS was most severe at disease onset, symptoms often persisted 1 to 5 years after diagnosis. The diagnosis of T1D in a child was traumatic for mothers. Stress and PTSS in mothers adversely affected children's health. Management of stress symptoms in mothers may lead to improved behavioral and metabolic outcomes in children.

  9. Residual stress in a thick section high strength T-butt weld

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pearce, S.V.; Linton, V.M.; Oliver, E.C.

    2008-01-01

    Residual stresses in a structure are generated as a result of the various fabrication and welding processes used to make the component. Being able to quantify these residual stresses is a key step in determining the continuing integrity of a structure in service. In this work, the residual stresses around a high strength, quenched and tempered steel T-butt web to curved plate weld have been measured using neutron strain scanning. The results show that the residual stresses near the weld were dominated by the welding residual stresses, while the stresses further from the weld were dominated by the bending residual stresses. The results suggest that the combination of welding-induced residual stress and significant pre-welding residual stress, as in the case of a thick bent section of plate can significantly alter the residual stress profile from that in a flat plate

  10. Highly stressed carbon film coatings on silicon potential applications

    CERN Multimedia

    Sharda, T

    2002-01-01

    The fabrication of highly stressed and strongly adhered nanocrystalline diamond films on Si substrates is presented. A microwave plasma CVD method with controlled and continuous bias current density was used to grow the films. The stress/curvature of the films can be varied and controlled by altering the BCD. Potential applications for these films include particle physics and x-ray optics.

  11. A tensile stage for high-stress low-strain fibre studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pauw, Brian Richard; Vigild, Martin Etchells; Mortensen, Kell

    2011-01-01

    Determining the effects of stress on the internal structure of high-performance fibres may provide insight into their structure-property relationships. The deformation of voids inside a poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) fibre upon application of stress is one such effect which may be obser...

  12. Journalists' Occupational Stress: A Comparative Study between Reporting Critical Events and Domestic News.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteiro, Susana; Marques-Pinto, Alexandra

    2017-07-27

    Nowadays, journalism is considered a stressful occupation, not only due to the stress perceived in journalists' daily work but also due to the critical, potentially traumatic events they report. However, research on journalists' occupational stress in both these professional settings is still scarce. This study aims to characterize and compare occupational stress variables perceived by journalists in their daily work and in critical scenarios. Taking the Holistic Model of Occupational Stress by Nelson and Simmons (2003) as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, all with experience in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of some core variables of the model: occupational stressors, distress and eustress emotional reactions, and the consequences of these experiences on their well-being. Differences among these core variables, according to the number of deployments to a critical event, were statistically analysed in order to ascertain whether repeated exposure to trauma influenced journalists' occupational stress perceptions. The data content analysis showed that occupational stressors and emotional reactions differed across settings, while the consequences associated with journalists' experiences were perceived as being mainly negative in both occupational contexts. Significant differences were identified in some of these variables according to the number of deployments to a critical event (p studies.

  13. Dealing Collectively with Critical Incident Stress Reactions in High Risk Work Environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller-Leonhardt, Alice; Strøbæk, Pernille Solveig; Vogt, joachim

    2015-01-01

    organisations. Indeed, we found that the CISM programme once integrated within the socio-cultural patterns of this specific working environment enhanced not only individual feelings of being supported but also organisational safety culture. Keywords: coping; safety culture; critical incident stress management......aim of this paper is to shift the representation of coping patterns within high risk occupations to an existential part of cultural pattern and social structure, which characterises high reliability organisations. Drawing upon the specific peer model of critical incident stress management (CISM......), in which qualified operational peers support colleagues who experienced critical incident stress, the paper discusses critical incident stress management in air traffic control. Our study revealed coping patterns that co-vary with the culture that the CISM programme fostered within this specific high...

  14. Effects of High Mean Stress on High-cycle Fatigue Behavior of PWA 1480

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majumdar, S.; Antolovich, S. D.; Milligan, W. W.

    1985-01-01

    PWA 1480 is a potential candidate material for use in the high-pressure fuel turbine blade of the space shuttle main engine. As an engine material it will be subjected to high-cycle fatigue loading superimposed on a high mean stress due to combined centrifugal and thermal loadings. The present paper describes the results obtained in an ongoing program at the Argonne National Laboratory, sponsored by NASA Lewis, to determine the effects of a high mean stress on the high-cycle fatigue behavior of this material. Straight-gauge high-cycle fatigue specimens, 0.2 inch in diameter and with the specimen axis in the 001 direction, were supplied by NASA Lewis. The nominal room temperature yield and ultimate strength of the material were 146 and 154 ksi, respectively. Each specimen was polished with 1-micron diamond paste prior to testing. However, the surface of each specimen contained many pores, some of which were as large as 50 micron. In the initial tests, specimens were subjected to axial-strain-controlled cycles. However, very little cyclic plasticity was observed.

  15. Analysis of the Residual Stresses in Helical Cylindrical Springs at High Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Sun

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Creep is one of the basic properties of materials, its speed significantly depends on the temperature. Helical cylindrical springs are widely used in the elements of heating systems. This results in necessity of taking into account the effect of temperature on the stress-strain state of the spring. The object of research is a helical cylindrical spring used at high temperatures. Under this condition the spring state stability should be ensured.The paper studies relaxation of stress state and generation of residual stresses. Calculations are carried out in ABAQUS environment. The purpose of this work is to discuss the law of relaxation and residual stress in the spring.This paper describes the basic creep theories of helical cylindrical spring material. The calculation formulas of shear stress relaxation for a fixed compression ratio are obtained. Distribution and character of stress contour lines in the cross section of spring are presented. The stress relaxation – time relationships are discussed. The approximate formula for calculating relaxation shear stresses in the cross section of helical springs is obtained.The paper investigates creep ratio and law of residual stress variation in the cross-section of spring at 650℃. Computer simulation in ABAQUS environment was used. Research presents a finite element model of the spring creep in the cross-section.The paper conducts analysis of the stress changes for the creep under constant load. Under constant load stresses are quickly decreased in the around area of cross-section and are increased in the centre, i.e. the maximum and minimum stresses come close with time. Research work shows the possibility for using the approximate formula to calculate the relaxation shear stress in the cross section of spring and can provide a theoretical basis for predicting the service life of spring at high temperatures.In research relaxation processes of stress state are studied. Finite element model is cre

  16. High-throughput characterization of stresses in thin film materials libraries using Si cantilever array wafers and digital holographic microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Y W; Hamann, S; Ehmann, M; Ludwig, A

    2011-06-01

    We report the development of an advanced high-throughput stress characterization method for thin film materials libraries sputter-deposited on micro-machined cantilever arrays consisting of around 1500 cantilevers on 4-inch silicon-on-insulator wafers. A low-cost custom-designed digital holographic microscope (DHM) is employed to simultaneously monitor the thin film thickness, the surface topography and the curvature of each of the cantilevers before and after deposition. The variation in stress state across the thin film materials library is then calculated by Stoney's equation based on the obtained radii of curvature of the cantilevers and film thicknesses. DHM with nanometer-scale out-of-plane resolution allows stress measurements in a wide range, at least from several MPa to several GPa. By using an automatic x-y translation stage, the local stresses within a 4-inch materials library are mapped with high accuracy within 10 min. The speed of measurement is greatly improved compared with the prior laser scanning approach that needs more than an hour of measuring time. A high-throughput stress measurement of an as-deposited Fe-Pd-W materials library was evaluated for demonstration. The fast characterization method is expected to accelerate the development of (functional) thin films, e.g., (magnetic) shape memory materials, whose functionality is greatly stress dependent. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  17. Self-reported impulsivity, but not behavioral choice or response impulsivity, partially mediates the effect of stress on drinking behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Kristen R; Ansell, Emily B; Reynolds, Brady; Potenza, Marc N; Sinha, Rajita

    2013-01-01

    Stress and impulsivity contribute to alcohol use, and stress may also act via impulsivity to increase drinking behavior. Impulsivity represents a multi-faceted construct and self-report and behavioral assessments may effectively capture distinct clinically relevant factors. The present research investigated whether aspects of impulsivity mediate the effect of stress on alcohol use. A community-based sample of 192 men and women was assessed on measures of cumulative stress, alcohol use, self-reported impulsivity, and behavioral choice and response impulsivity. Data were analyzed using regression and bootstrapping techniques to estimate indirect effects of stress on drinking via impulsivity. Cumulative adversity exhibited both direct effects and indirect effects (via self-reported impulsivity) on drinking behavior. Additional models examining specific types of stress indicated direct and indirect effects of trauma and recent life events, and indirect effects of major life events and chronic stressors on drinking behavior. Overall, cumulative stress was associated with increased drinking behavior, and this effect was partially mediated by self-reported impulsivity. Self-reported impulsivity also mediated the effects of different types of stress on drinking behavior. These findings highlight the value of mediation models to examine the pathways through which different types of stress increase drinking behavior. Treatment and prevention strategies should focus on enhancing stress management and self-control.

  18. Reported Exposure and Emotional Reactivity to Daily Stressors: The Roles of Adult-Age and Global Perceived Stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stawski, Robert S.; Sliwinski, Martin J.; Almeida, David M.; Smyth, Joshua M.

    2012-01-01

    A central goal of daily stress research is to identify resilience and vulnerability factors associated with exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. The current study examined how age differences and global perceptions of stress relate to exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stressors. Sixty-seven younger (Mage = 20) and 116 older (Mage = 80) adults completed a daily stress diary and measures of positive and negative affect on 6 days over a 14 day period. Participants also completed a measure of global perceived stress. Results revealed that reported exposure to daily stressors is reduced in old age, but that emotional reactivity to daily stressors did not differ between young and older adults. Global perceived stress was associated with greater reported exposure to daily stressors in old adults, and greater stress-related increases in negative affect in younger adults. Furthermore, across days on which daily stressors were reported, intraindividual variability in the number and severity of stressors reported was associated with increased negative affect, but only among younger adults. PMID:18361654

  19. Reported exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stressors: the roles of adult age and global perceived stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stawski, Robert S; Sliwinski, Martin J; Almeida, David M; Smyth, Joshua M

    2008-03-01

    A central goal of daily stress research is to identify resilience and vulnerability factors associated with exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. The present study examined how age differences and global perceptions of stress relate to exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stressors. Sixty-seven younger (M age = 20) and 116 older (M age = 80) adults completed a daily stress diary and measures of positive and negative affect on 6 days over a 14-day period. Participants also completed a measure of global perceived stress. Results revealed that reported exposure to daily stressors is reduced in old age but that emotional reactivity to daily stressors did not differ between younger and older adults. Global perceived stress was associated with greater reported exposure to daily stressors in older adults and greater stress-related increases in negative affect in younger adults. Furthermore, across days on which daily stressors were reported, intraindividual variability in the number and severity of stressors reported was associated with increased negative affect, but only among younger adults. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

  20. Recent life stress exposure is associated with poorer long-term memory, working memory, and self-reported memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shields, Grant S; Doty, Dominique; Shields, Rebecca H; Gower, Garrett; Slavich, George M; Yonelinas, Andrew P

    2017-11-01

    Although substantial research has examined the effects of stress on cognition, much of this research has focused on acute stress (e.g. manipulated in the laboratory) or chronic stress (e.g. persistent interpersonal or financial difficulties). In contrast, the effects of recent life stress on cognition have been relatively understudied. To address this issue, we examined how recent life stress is associated with long-term, working memory, and self-reported memory in a sample of 142 healthy young adults who were assessed at two time points over a two-week period. Recent life stress was measured using the newly-developed Stress and Adversity Inventory for Daily Stress (Daily STRAIN), which assesses the frequency of relatively common stressful life events and difficulties over the preceding two weeks. To assess memory performance, participants completed both long-term and working memory tasks. Participants also provided self-reports of memory problems. As hypothesized, greater recent life stress exposure was associated with worse performance on measures of long-term and working memory, as well as more self-reported memory problems. These associations were largely robust while controlling for possible confounds, including participants' age, sex, and negative affect. The findings indicate that recent life stress exposure is broadly associated with worse memory. Future studies should thus consider assessing recent life stress as a potential predictor, moderator, or covariate of memory performance.

  1. Unusual longitudinal stress fractures of the femoral diaphysis: report of five cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, M.; Timsit, M.A.; Karneff, A.; Pertuiset, E.

    1999-01-01

    We present five cases of a distinctive type of longitudinal stress fracture of the upper femoral shaft in which the fracture line is parallel to the outer surface of the bone, in contrast to the perpendicular orientation to the cortical surface in previously reported cases of diaphyseal stress fractures. In two cases the fracture recurred after 15 and 18 months, respectively. (orig.)

  2. Realization of highly crystallographic three-dimensional nanosheets by a stress-induced oriented-diffusion method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gharooni, M.; Hosseini, M.; Mohajerzadeh, S., E-mail: mohajer@ut.ac.ir; Taghinejad, M.; Taghinejad, H. [Thin Film and Nanoelectronics Lab, Nanoelectronics Center of Excellence, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 143957131 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Abdi, Y. [Nano-Physics Research Lab, Department of Physics, University of Tehran, Tehran 1439955961 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-07-28

    Morphologically controlled nanostructures have been increasingly important because of their strongly shape dependent physical and chemical properties. Formation of nanoscale silicon based structures that employ high levels of strain, intentional, and unintentional twins or grain boundaries can be dramatically different from the commonly conceived bulk processes. We report, realization of highly crystallographic 3D nanosheets with unique morphology and ultra-thin thickness by a stress-induced oriented-diffusion method, based on plasma processing of metal layer deposited on Si substrate and its post deep reactive ion etching. Annealing in plasma ambient creates rod-like metal alloy precursors which induce stress at its interface with Si substrate due to the mismatch of lattice constants. This stress opens facilitated gateways for orientated-diffusion of metal atoms in 〈110〉 directions and leads to formation of NSs (nanosheets) with [111] crystalline essence. Nanosheets are mainly triangular, hexagonal, or pseudo hexagonal in shape and their thicknesses are well controlled from several to tens of nanometers. The structural and morphological evolution of features were investigated in detail using transmission electron microscope, atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope and possible mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of the thermodynamically unfavorable morphology of nanosheets. Significant photoemission capability of NSs was also demonstrated by photoluminescence spectroscopy.

  3. Parenting stress and parent support among mothers with high and low education

    OpenAIRE

    Parkes, Alison; Sweeting, Helen; Wight, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Current theorizing and evidence suggest that parenting stress might be greater among parents from both low and high socioeconomic positions (SEP) compared with those from intermediate levels because of material hardship among parents of low SEP and employment demands among parents of high SEP. However, little is known about how this socioeconomic variation in stress relates to the support that parents receive. This study explored whether variation in maternal parenting stress in a population ...

  4. The flavoprotein Tah18-dependent NO synthesis confers high-temperature stress tolerance on yeast cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nishimura, Akira; Kawahara, Nobuhiro [Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan); Takagi, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiro@bs.naist.jp [Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan)

    2013-01-04

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer NO is produced from L-arginine in response to elevated temperature in yeast. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tah18 was first identified as the yeast protein involved in NO synthesis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tah18-dependent NO synthesis confers tolerance to high-temperature on yeast cells. -- Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule involved in the regulation of a large number of cellular functions. In the unicellular eukaryote yeast, NO may be involved in stress response pathways, but its role is poorly understood due to the lack of mammalian NO synthase (NOS) orthologues. Previously, we have proposed the oxidative stress-induced L-arginine synthesis and its physiological role under stress conditions in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, our experimental results indicated that increased conversion of L-proline into L-arginine led to NO production in response to elevated temperature. We also showed that the flavoprotein Tah18, which was previously reported to transfer electrons to the Fe-S cluster protein Dre2, was involved in NO synthesis in yeast. Gene knockdown analysis demonstrated that Tah18-dependent NO synthesis confers high-temperature stress tolerance on yeast cells. As it appears that such a unique cell protection mechanism is specific to yeasts and fungi, it represents a promising target for antifungal activity.

  5. Chronic stress exposure may affect the brain's response to high calorie food cues and predispose to obesogenic eating habits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tryon, Matthew S; Carter, Cameron S; Decant, Rashel; Laugero, Kevin D

    2013-08-15

    Exaggerated reactivity to food cues involving calorically-dense foods may significantly contribute to food consumption beyond caloric need. Chronic stress, which can induce palatable "comfort" food consumption, may trigger or reinforce neural pathways leading to stronger reactions to highly rewarding foods. We implemented functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess whether chronic stress influences activation in reward, motivation and executive brain regions in response to pictures of high calorie and low calorie foods in thirty women. On separate lab visits, we also assessed food intake from a snack food buffet and circulating cortisol. In women reporting higher chronic stress (HCS), pictures of high calorie foods elicited exaggerated activity in regions of the brain involving reward, motivation, and habitual decision-making. In response to pictures of high calorie food, higher chronic stress was also associated with significant deactivation in frontal regions (BA10; BA46) linked to strategic planning and emotional control. In functional connectivity analysis, HCS strengthened connectivity between amygdala and the putamen, while LCS enhanced connectivity between amygdala and the anterior cingulate and anterior prefrontal cortex (BA10). A hypocortisolemic signature and more consumption of high calorie foods from the snack buffet were observed in the HCS group. These results suggest that persistent stress exposure may alter the brain's response to food in ways that predispose individuals to poor eating habits which, if sustained, may increase risk for obesity. © 2013.

  6. Class I review of LOFT steam generator stress and fatigue life analysis report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fors, R.M.; Silverman, S.

    1977-01-01

    Review of the LOFT steam generator stress and fatigue life analysis report is presented. Deficiencies were found which will require evaluation and in some areas reanalysis. The effects of these deficiencies upon the steam generator will include: to further reduce the allowable ΔP across the tubesheet for the abnormal design case of pressure on primary; and to reduce the allowable number of LOCE transients at some locations of the steam generator from the numbers listed in the stress report and to increase them at other locations

  7. Encoding negative events under stress: high subjective arousal is related to accurate emotional memory despite misinformation exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoscheidt, Siobhan M; LaBar, Kevin S; Ryan, Lee; Jacobs, W Jake; Nadel, Lynn

    2014-07-01

    Stress at encoding affects memory processes, typically enhancing, or preserving, memory for emotional information. These effects have interesting implications for eyewitness accounts, which in real-world contexts typically involve encoding an aversive event under stressful conditions followed by potential exposure to misinformation. The present study investigated memory for a negative event encoded under stress and subsequent misinformation endorsement. Healthy young adults participated in a between-groups design with three experimental sessions conducted 48 h apart. Session one consisted of a psychosocial stress induction (or control task) followed by incidental encoding of a negative slideshow. During session two, participants were asked questions about the slideshow, during which a random subgroup was exposed to misinformation. Memory for the slideshow was tested during the third session. Assessment of memory accuracy across stress and no-stress groups revealed that stress induced just prior to encoding led to significantly better memory for the slideshow overall. The classic misinformation effect was also observed - participants exposed to misinformation were significantly more likely to endorse false information during memory testing. In the stress group, however, memory accuracy and misinformation effects were moderated by arousal experienced during encoding of the negative event. Misinformed-stress group participants who reported that the negative slideshow elicited high arousal during encoding were less likely to endorse misinformation for the most aversive phase of the story. Furthermore, these individuals showed better memory for components of the aversive slideshow phase that had been directly misinformed. Results from the current study provide evidence that stress and high subjective arousal elicited by a negative event act concomitantly during encoding to enhance emotional memory such that the most aversive aspects of the event are well remembered and

  8. Academic stress levels were positively associated with sweet food consumption among Korean high-school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yeonsoo; Yang, Hye Young; Kim, Ae-Jung; Lim, Yunsook

    2013-01-01

    The objectives of the present study were to identify the association among levels of persistent academic stress, appetite, and dietary habits and to determine the specific types of sweet foods consumed by Korean high-school students according to their academic stress levels. The study participants included 333 high-school students in the 10th to 12th grades in Kyunggi Province, Korea. The level of academic stress was scored with a 75-item academic stress scale and was categorized as high, medium, or low. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to measure the sugar intake from sweet foods. Korean high-school students with a high academic stress level had larger meals than the other students. Compared with students with low academic stress, the students with high academic stress had a higher frequency of sugar intake from the following food types: confectionaries, candies and chocolates, breads, and flavored milk. Moreover, compared with students with low academic stress, the students with high academic stress had a higher total intake of sugar from the following food types: confectionaries, candies, chocolates, flavored milk, traditional Korean beverages, and spicy, sweet, and fried rice cakes. Unhealthy stress-related food choices may compromise high-school students' health and contribute to their morbidity. The findings of the present study could be used to help nutritionists develop effective strategies for nutritional education and counseling to improve adolescent health. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Selvrapporteret stress og risiko for brystkraeft

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Naja Rod; Zhang, Zuo-Feng; Kristensen, Tage Søndergaard

    2006-01-01

    A possible association between stress and risk of breast cancer has been assessed in different study designs with conflicting results. We prospectively followed 6,689 women from the Copenhagen City Heart Study for 18 years for a first-time diagnosis of primary breast cancer. The women were asked...... about stress intensity and frequency at baseline in 1981-83. Women reporting high levels of stress were at lower risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.37-0.97) than women reporting low levels of stress. This association was most pronounced among women who received hormone therapy...

  10. Perceived stress and dietary choices: The moderating role of stress management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Errisuriz, Vanessa L; Pasch, Keryn E; Perry, Cheryl L

    2016-08-01

    Many college students exhibit unhealthy eating behaviors, consuming large quantities of high-fat foods and few fruits and vegetables. Perceived stress has been linked to daily dietary choices among college students; however, this work has been conducted among predominantly white, female populations. The role of perceived stress management in moderating this relationship is unclear. This study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and dietary choices among a diverse sample of male and female college freshmen and assessed whether perceived ability to manage stress moderated this relationship. 613 students from a large, public university completed an online survey which assessed past week consumption of various foods and beverages (e.g. soda, fast food, fruits, vegetables), as well as perceived stress and ability to manage stress. Hierarchical linear regression examined the association between perceived stress and past week dietary choices, and the moderating effect of perceived ability to manage stress, controlling for demographic variables. Perceived stress was positively associated with past week soda, coffee, energy drink, salty snack, frozen food, and fast food consumption (pmoderated the relationship between stress and sweet snack consumption. Individuals who reported low ability to manage stress consumed greater amounts. Findings indicate greater stress is associated with poor dietary choices among college freshmen. The relationship between stress and sweet snack consumption was exacerbated among those who reported low ability to manage stress. It may be important for college nutrition education programs to focus on the relationship between stress and diet and promote effective stress management techniques. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Stress sensitive electricity based on Ag/cellulose nanofiber aerogel for self-reporting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Qiufang; Fan, Bitao; Xiong, Ye; Wang, Chao; Wang, Hanwei; Jin, Chunde; Sun, Qingfeng

    2017-07-15

    A self-reporting aerogel toward stress sensitive slectricity (SSE) was presented using an interconnected 3D fibrous network of Ag nanoparticles/cellulose nanofiber aerogel (Ag/CNF), which was prepared via combined routes of silver mirror reaction and ultrasonication. Sphere-like Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) with mean diameter of 74nm were tightly anchored in the cellulose nanofiber through by the coherent interfaces as the conductive materials. The as-prepared Ag/CNF as a self-reporting material for SSE not only possessed quick response and sensitivity, but also be easily recovered after 100th compressive cycles without plastic deformation or degradation in compressive strength. Consequently, Ag/CNF could play a viable role in self-reporting materials as a quick electric-stress responsive sensor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Are psychophysiological arousal and self-reported emotional stress during an oncological consultation related to memory of medical information? An experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visser, Leonie N C; Tollenaar, Marieke S; Bosch, Jos A; van Doornen, Lorenz J P; de Haes, Hanneke C J M; Smets, Ellen M A

    2017-01-01

    Patients forget 20-80% of information provided during medical consultations. The emotional stress often experienced by patients during consultations could be one of the mechanisms that lead to limited recall. The current experimental study therefore investigated the associations between (analog) patients' psychophysiological arousal, self-reported emotional stress and their (long term) memory of information provided by the physician. One hundred and eighty one cancer-naïve individuals acted as so-called analog patients (APs), i.e. they were instructed to watch a scripted video-recoding of an oncological bad news consultation while imagining themselves being in the patient's situation. Electrodermal and cardiovascular activity (e.g. skin conductance level and heart rate) were recorded during watching. Self-reported emotional stress was assessed before and after watching, using the STAI-State and seven Visual Analog Scales. Memory, both free recall and recognition, was assessed after 24-28 h. Watching the consultation evoked significant psychophysiological and self-reported stress responses. However, investigating the associations between 24 psychophysiological arousal measures, eight self-reported stress measures and free recall and recognition of information resulted in one significant, small (partial) correlation (r = 0.19). Considering multiple testing, this significant result was probably due to chance. Alternative analytical methods yielded identical results, strengthening our conclusion that no evidence was found for relationships between variables of interest. These null-findings are highly relevant, as they may be considered to refute the long-standing, but yet untested assumption that a relationship between stress and memory exists within this context. Moreover, these findings suggest that lowering patients' stress levels during the consultation would probably not be sufficient to raise memory of information to an optimal level. Alternative

  13. Fracture mechanics and residual fatigue life analysis for complex stress fields. Technical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besuner, P.M.

    1975-07-01

    This report reviews the development and application of an influence function method for calculating stress intensity factors and residual fatigue life for two- and three-dimensional structures with complex stress fields and geometries. Through elastic superposition, the method properly accounts for redistribution of stress as the crack grows through the structure. The analytical methods used and the computer programs necessary for computation and application of load independent influence functions are presented. A new exact solution is obtained for the buried elliptical crack, under an arbitrary Mode I stress field, for stress intensity factors at four positions around the crack front. The IF method is then applied to two fracture mechanics problems with complex stress fields and geometries. These problems are of current interest to the electric power generating industry and include (1) the fatigue analysis of a crack in a pipe weld under nominal and residual stresses and (2) fatigue analysis of a reactor pressure vessel nozzle corner crack under a complex bivariate stress field

  14. Investigation of smooth specimen scc test procedures; variations in environment, specimen size, stressing frame, and stress state. [for high strength aluminum alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lifka, B. W.; Sprowls, D. O.; Kelsey, R. A.

    1975-01-01

    The variables studied in the stress-corrosion cracking performance of high strength aluminum alloys were: (1) corrosiveness of the environment, (2) specimen size and stiffness of the stressing system, (3) interpretation of transgranular cracking, and (4) interaction of the state of stress and specimen orientation in a product with an anisotropic grain structure. It was shown that the probability of failure and time to fracture for a specimen loaded in direct tension are influenced by corrosion pattern, the stressing assembly stiffness, and the notch tensile strength of the alloy. Results demonstrate that the combination of a normal tension stress and a shear stress acting on the plane of maximum susceptibility in a product with a highly directional grain cause the greatest tendency for stress-corrosion cracking.

  15. Aqueous stress-corrosion cracking of high-toughness D6AC steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbreath, W. P.; Adamson, M. J.

    1976-01-01

    The crack growth behavior of D6AC steel as a function of stress intensity, stress and corrosion history, and test technique, under sustained load in filtered natural seawater, 3.3 per cent sodium chloride solution, and distilled water, was investigated. Reported investigations of D6AC were considered in terms of the present study with emphasis on thermal treatment, specimen configuration, fracture toughness, crack-growth rates, initiation period, and threshold. Both threshold and growth kinetics were found to be relatively insensitive to these test parameters. The apparent incubation period was dependent on technique, both detection sensitivity and precracking stress intensity level.

  16. Occupational stress among dentists

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moore, Rod

    2011-01-01

    Dentists report a high degree of occupational stress.(Cooper, Mallinger, and Kahn, 1978;Coster, Carstens, and Harris, 1987;DiMatteo, Shugars, and Hays, 1993;Hakeberg et al., 1992;Möller and Spangenberg, 1996;Moore, 2000;Myers and Myers, 2004;O'Shea, Corah, and Ayer, 1984) This chapter reviews...... the literature of studies that elaborate on the circumstances of occupational stress of dentists. These will include the frequency of occurrence of occupational stress among dentists in several countries, frequency and intensity of identified stressors specific to dentistry, as well as the consequences...... of this occupational stress. The literature on consequences includes effects on dentists' physical health, personal and occupational performance, including "burnout" phenomena, as well as topics of alcohol or substance abuse and reports of suicidal behaviour among dentists. One specific and less conventionally...

  17. Stress and suicide in the Nurses' Health Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feskanich, D; Hastrup, J L; Marshall, J R; Colditz, G A; Stampfer, M J; Willett, W C; Kawachi, I

    2002-02-01

    Although stress is thought to be a risk factor for suicide, most research has been retrospective or has focused on attempted suicides or suicide ideation. This study examined prospectively the associations between self perceived stress, diazepam use, and death from suicide among adult women. A cohort study was conducted with 14 years of follow up. Stress at home and at work were assessed by questionnaire and scored on a four point scale: minimal, light, moderate, or severe. Eleven states within the United States. Female nurses (n=94 110) who were 36 to 61 years of age when they answered questions on stress and diazepam use in 1982. During 1 272 000 person years of observation 73 suicides were identified. After adjustment for age, smoking, coffee consumption, alcohol intake, and marital status, the relation between self reported stress and suicide remained U shaped. Compared with the light home and work stress categories, which had the lowest incidences of suicide, risks were increased among women reporting either severe (relative risk (RR) = 3.7, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.7 to 8.3) or minimal (RR=2.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.5) home stress and either severe (RR=1.9, 95% CI 0.8 to 4.7) or minimal (RR=2.4, 95% CI 0.9 to 6.1) work stress. When responses to home and work stress were combined, there was an almost fivefold increase in risk of suicide among women in the high stress category. Risk of suicide was over eightfold among women reporting high stress or diazepam use compared with those reporting low stress and no diazepam use. The relation between self reported stress and suicide seems to be U shaped among adult women. The excess risk for those reporting minimal stress may reflect denial or undiagnosed depression or an association with some other unmeasured risk factor for suicide.

  18. Caffeine prevents cognitive impairment induced by chronic psychosocial stress and/or high fat-high carbohydrate diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alzoubi, K H; Abdul-Razzak, K K; Khabour, O F; Al-Tuweiq, G M; Alzubi, M A; Alkadhi, K A

    2013-01-15

    Caffeine alleviates cognitive impairment associated with a variety of health conditions. In this study, we examined the effect of caffeine treatment on chronic stress- and/or high fat-high carbohydrate Western diet (WD)-induced impairment of learning and memory in rats. Chronic psychosocial stress, WD and caffeine (0.3 g/L in drinking water) were simultaneously administered for 3 months to adult male Wistar rats. At the conclusion of the 3 months, and while the previous treatments continued, rats were tested in the radial arm water maze (RAWM) for learning, short-term and long-term memory. This procedure was applied on a daily basis to all animals for 5 consecutive days or until the animal reaches days to criterion (DTC) in the 12th learning trial and memory tests. DTC is the number of days that the animal takes to make zero error in two consecutive days. Chronic stress and/or WD groups caused impaired learning, which was prevented by chronic caffeine administration. In the memory tests, chronic caffeine administration also prevented memory impairment during chronic stress conditions and/or WD. Furthermore, DTC value for caffeine treated stress, WD, and stress/WD groups indicated that caffeine normalizes memory impairment in these groups. These results showed that chronic caffeine administration prevented stress and/or WD-induced impairment of spatial learning and memory. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. High Dose Ascorbate Causes Both Genotoxic and Metabolic Stress in Glioma Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, Maria Leticia; Carson, Georgia M.; McConnell, Melanie J.; Herst, Patries M.

    2017-01-01

    We have previously shown that exposure to high dose ascorbate causes double stranded breaks (DSBs) and a build-up in S-phase in glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines. Here we investigated whether or not this was due to genotoxic stress as well as metabolic stress generated by exposure to high dose ascorbate, radiation, ascorbate plus radiation and H2O2 in established and primary GBM cell lines. Genotoxic stress was measured as phosphorylation of the variant histone protein, H2AX, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8OH-dG) positive cells and cells with comet tails. Metabolic stress was measured as a decrease in NADH flux, mitochondrial membrane potential (by CMXRos), ATP levels (by ATP luminescence) and mitochondrial superoxide production (by mitoSOX). High dose ascorbate, ascorbate plus radiation, and H2O2 treatments induced both genotoxic and metabolic stress. Exposure to high dose ascorbate blocked DNA synthesis in both DNA damaged and undamaged cell of ascorbate sensitive GBM cell lines. H2O2 treatment blocked DNA synthesis in all cell lines with and without DNA damage. DNA synthesis arrest in cells with damaged DNA is likely due to both genotoxic and metabolic stress. However, arrest in DNA synthesis in cells with undamaged DNA is likely due to oxidative damage to components of the mitochondrial energy metabolism pathway. PMID:28737676

  20. Relationship between Self-Reported Health and Stress in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, Phil; Sejunaite, Karolina; Osborne, Lisa A.

    2016-01-01

    The current study explore the relationship between various forms of experienced stress (general stress and parenting stress) and both health-related quality of life (QoL) and reported physical health symptoms. One hundred and twenty-two mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder responded to an online survey included questionnaires on…

  1. Stressing academia?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Opstrup, Niels; Pihl-Thingvad, Signe

    Incongruences between the individual and the organizational work context are potential stressors. The present study focuses on the relationship between a complementary need-supply fit and Danish researchers’ self-perceived job stress. Strain is expected to increase as organizational supplies fall...... hand, the fit on “hard” dimensions as salary, financial rewards and career opportunities is found to be unrelated to the researchers’ self-perceived stress-level. The fit with regard to job security is an important exception, however....... to “soft” dimensions as freedom and independence in the job, personal and professional development at work, and receiving peer recognition is highly significant for the researchers’ self-perceived stress-level. The better the fit is the lower stress-levels the researchers’ on average report. On the other...

  2. Bilateral Tibial Stress Fractures in a Young Man Associated with Idiopathic Osteoporosis - Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selahattin Özyürek

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Stress fractures are defined as a partial or complete fracture of bone due to an inability to endure a non-violent stress. Two factors have been proposed to explain the aetiology of stress fractures: muscle fatigue, and direct muscle action. We want to point to third factor with our case report: Osteoporosis. (From the World of Osteoporosis 2010;16:58-60

  3. Application of a Full Reynolds Stress Model to High Lift Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee-Rausch, E. M.; Rumsey, C. L.; Eisfeld, B.

    2016-01-01

    A recently developed second-moment Reynolds stress model was applied to two challenging high-lift flows: (1) transonic flow over the ONERA M6 wing, and (2) subsonic flow over the DLR-F11 wing-body configuration from the second AIAA High Lift Prediction Workshop. In this study, the Reynolds stress model results were contrasted with those obtained from one- and two{equation turbulence models, and were found to be competitive in terms of the prediction of shock location and separation. For an ONERA M6 case, results from multiple codes, grids, and models were compared, with the Reynolds stress model tending to yield a slightly smaller shock-induced separation bubble near the wing tip than the simpler models, but all models were fairly close to the limited experimental surface pressure data. For a series of high-lift DLR{F11 cases, the range of results was more limited, but there was indication that the Reynolds stress model yielded less-separated results than the one-equation model near maximum lift. These less-separated results were similar to results from the one-equation model with a quadratic constitutive relation. Additional computations need to be performed before a more definitive assessment of the Reynolds stress model can be made.

  4. Ultra-high pressure water jet: Baseline report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    The ultra-high pressure waterjet technology was being evaluated at Florida International University (FIU) as a baseline technology. In conjunction with FIU's evaluation of efficiency and cost, this report covers the evaluation conducted for safety and health issues. It is a commercially available technology and has been used for various projects at locations throughout the country. The ultra-high pressure waterjet technology acts as a cutting tool for the removal of surface substrates. The Husky trademark pump feeds water to a lance that directs the high pressure water at the surface to be removed. The safety and health evaluation during the testing demonstration focused on two main areas of exposure. These were dust and noise. The dust exposure was found to be minimal, which would be expected due to the wet environment inherent in the technology, but noise exposure was at a significant level. Further testing for noise is recommended because of the outdoor environment where the testing demonstration took place. In addition, other areas of concern found were arm-hand vibration, ergonomics, heat stress, tripping hazards, electrical hazards, lockout/tagout, fall hazards, slipping hazards, hazards associated with the high pressure water, and hazards associated with air pressure systems

  5. Determination of service stresses in pretensioned beams, final report, December 2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-12-01

    This report presents research on the evaluation of service flexural stresses and cracking moment in prestressed concrete members and on the minimum reinforcement requirements that are currently controlled by the flexural cracking moment. In prestress...

  6. A putatively functional polymorphism in the HTR2C gene is associated with depressive symptoms in white females reporting significant life stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beverly H Brummett

    Full Text Available Psychosocial stress is well known to be positively associated with subsequent depressive symptoms. Cortisol response to stress may be one of a number of biological mechanisms that links psychological stress to depressive symptoms, although the precise causal pathway remains unclear. Activity of the x-linked serotonin 5-HTR2C receptor has also been shown to be associated with depression and with clinical response to antidepressant medications. We recently demonstrated that variation in a single nucleotide polymorphism on the HTR2C gene, rs6318 (Ser23Cys, is associated with different cortisol release and short-term changes in affect in response to a series of stress tasks in the laboratory. Based on this observation, we decided to examine whether rs6318 might moderate the association between psychosocial stress and subsequent depressive symptoms. In the present study we use cross-sectional data from a large population-based sample of young adult White men (N = 2,366 and White women (N = 2,712 in the United States to test this moderation hypothesis. Specifically, we hypothesized that the association between self-reported stressful life events and depressive symptoms would be stronger among homozygous Ser23 C females and hemizygous Ser23 C males than among Cys23 G carriers. In separate within-sex analyses a genotype-by-life stress interaction was observed for women (p = .022 but not for men (p = .471. Homozygous Ser23 C women who reported high levels of life stress had depressive symptom scores that were about 0.3 standard deviations higher than female Cys23 G carriers with similarly high stress levels. In contrast, no appreciable difference in depressive symptoms was observed between genotypes at lower levels of stress. Our findings support prior work that suggests a functional SNP on the HTR2C gene may confer an increased risk for depressive symptoms in White women with a history of significant life stress.

  7. Experiences of chronic stress and mental health concerns among urban Indigenous women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benoit, Anita C; Cotnam, Jasmine; Raboud, Janet; Greene, Saara; Beaver, Kerrigan; Zoccole, Art; O'Brien-Teengs, Doe; Balfour, Louise; Wu, Wei; Loutfy, Mona

    2016-10-01

    We measured stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) levels of urban Indigenous women living with and without HIV in Ontario, Canada, and identified correlates of depression. We recruited 30 Indigenous women living with HIV and 60 without HIV aged 18 years or older who completed socio-demographic and health questionnaires and validated scales assessing stress, depression and PTSD. Descriptive statistics were conducted to summarize variables and linear regression to identify correlates of depression. 85.6 % of Indigenous women self-identified as First Nation. Co-morbidities other than HIV were self-reported by 82.2 % (n = 74) of the sample. High levels of perceived stress were reported by 57.8 % (n = 52) of the sample and 84.2 % (n = 75) had moderate to high levels of urban stress. High median levels of race-related (51/88, IQR 42-68.5) and parental-related stress (40.5/90, IQR 35-49) scores were reported. 82.2 % (n = 74) reported severe depressive symptoms and 83.2 % (n = 74) severe PTSD. High levels of perceived stress was correlated with high depressive symptoms (estimate 1.28 (95 % CI 0.97-1.58), p stress and physical and mental health concerns. Interventions cutting across diverse health care settings are required for improving and preventing adverse health outcomes.

  8. Fatigue crack closure behavior at high stress ratios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, C. Christopher; Carman, C. Davis; Hillberry, Ben M.

    1988-01-01

    Fatigue crack delay behavior at high stress ratio caused by single peak overloads was investigated in two thicknesses of 7475-T731 aluminum alloy. Closure measurements indicated no closure occurred before or throughout the overload plastic zones following the overload. This was further substantiated by comparing the specimen compliance following the overload with the compliance of a low R ratio test when the crack was fully open. Scanning electron microscope studies revealed that crack tunneling and possibly reinitiation of the crack occurred, most likely a result of crack-tip blunting. The number of delay cycles was greater for the thinner mixed mode stress state specimen than for the thicker plane strain stress state specimen, which is similar to low R ratio test results and may be due to a larger plastic zone for the mixed mode cased.

  9. Perinatal stress and food allergy: a preliminary study on maternal reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polloni, L; Ferruzza, E; Ronconi, L; Lazzarotto, F; Toniolo, A; Bonaguro, R; Muraro, A

    2015-01-01

    Maternal stress in fetal and early life has been associated with the development of respiratory allergies, but no studies exist about food allergy. Stressful events and the quality of caregiving provided, as they affect the emotional and physiologic regulation of the infant, could alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and immune system, facilitating an increased allergic response. This study aimed to investigate the influence of perinatal stress, as perceived by mothers, on developing food allergy in childhood. A survey on pregnancy and the first three months after giving birth was submitted to 59 Italian mothers of at least one child suffering from severe food allergy and one completely healthy child, for a total of 118 children examined. The presence of stressful events and the quality of perinatal period for each child were assessed retrospectively. The food allergic children's data were compared to siblings' data through inferential statistics. The results showed a significantly higher number of stressful events occurred during patients' perinatal period, compared to siblings, in particular bereavements in pregnancy and parenting difficulties in postpartum. Mothers reported harder pregnancies and more stressful, harder, and, in general, worse postpartum when referring to their food-allergic children, in comparison with their siblings (p stress and perinatal psychosocial factors in the pathogenesis of food allergy; further studies are necessary to understand individual psychological impact and its relations with genetic and biological factors.

  10. Acute stress induces hyperacusis in women with high levels of emotional exhaustion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Hasson

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hearing problems is one of the top ten public health disorders in the general population and there is a well-established relationship between stress and hearing problems. The aim of the present study was to explore if an acute stress will increase auditory sensitivity (hyperacusis in individuals with high levels of emotional exhaustion (EE. METHODS: Hyperacusis was assessed using uncomfortable loudness levels (ULL in 348 individuals (140 men; 208 women; age 23-71 years. Multivariate analyses (ordered logistic regression, were used to calculate odds ratios, including interacting or confounding effects of age, gender, ear wax and hearing loss (PTA. Two-way ANCOVAs were used to assess possible differences in mean ULLs between EE groups pre- and post-acute stress task (a combination of cold pressor, emotional Stroop and Social stress/video recording. RESULTS: There were no baseline differences in mean ULLs between the three EE groups (one-way ANOVA. However, after the acute stress exposure there were significant differences in ULL means between the EE-groups in women. Post-hoc analyses showed that the differences in mean ULLs were between those with high vs. low EE (range 5.5-6.5 dB. Similar results were found for frequencies 0.5 and 1 kHz. The results demonstrate that women with high EE-levels display hyperacusis after an acute stress task. The odds of having hyperacusis were 2.5 (2 kHz, right ear; left ns and 2.2 (4 kHz, right ear; left ns times higher among those with high EE compared to those with low levels. All these results are adjusted for age, hearing loss and ear wax. CONCLUSION: Women with high levels of emotional exhaustion become more sensitive to sound after an acute stress task. This novel finding highlights the importance of including emotional exhaustion in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing problems.

  11. Acute stress induces hyperacusis in women with high levels of emotional exhaustion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasson, Dan; Theorell, Töres; Bergquist, Jonas; Canlon, Barbara

    2013-01-01

    Hearing problems is one of the top ten public health disorders in the general population and there is a well-established relationship between stress and hearing problems. The aim of the present study was to explore if an acute stress will increase auditory sensitivity (hyperacusis) in individuals with high levels of emotional exhaustion (EE). Hyperacusis was assessed using uncomfortable loudness levels (ULL) in 348 individuals (140 men; 208 women; age 23-71 years). Multivariate analyses (ordered logistic regression), were used to calculate odds ratios, including interacting or confounding effects of age, gender, ear wax and hearing loss (PTA). Two-way ANCOVAs were used to assess possible differences in mean ULLs between EE groups pre- and post-acute stress task (a combination of cold pressor, emotional Stroop and Social stress/video recording). There were no baseline differences in mean ULLs between the three EE groups (one-way ANOVA). However, after the acute stress exposure there were significant differences in ULL means between the EE-groups in women. Post-hoc analyses showed that the differences in mean ULLs were between those with high vs. low EE (range 5.5-6.5 dB). Similar results were found for frequencies 0.5 and 1 kHz. The results demonstrate that women with high EE-levels display hyperacusis after an acute stress task. The odds of having hyperacusis were 2.5 (2 kHz, right ear; left ns) and 2.2 (4 kHz, right ear; left ns) times higher among those with high EE compared to those with low levels. All these results are adjusted for age, hearing loss and ear wax. Women with high levels of emotional exhaustion become more sensitive to sound after an acute stress task. This novel finding highlights the importance of including emotional exhaustion in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing problems.

  12. Perceived stress at work is associated with attenuated DHEA-S response during acute psychosocial stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lennartsson, Anna-Karin; Theorell, Töres; Kushnir, Mark M; Bergquist, Jonas; Jonsdottir, Ingibjörg H

    2013-09-01

    Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) have been suggested to play a protective role during acute psychosocial stress, because they act as antagonists to the effects of the stress hormone cortisol. This study aims to investigate whether prolonged psychosocial stress, measured as perceived stress at work during the past week, is related to the capacity to produce DHEA and DHEA-S during acute psychosocial stress. It also aims to investigate whether prolonged perceived stress affects the balance between production of cortisol and DHEA-S during acute psychosocial stress. Thirty-six healthy subjects (19 men and 17 women, mean age 37 years, SD 5 years), were included. Perceived stress at work during the past week was measured by using the Stress-Energy (SE) Questionnaire. The participants were divided into three groups based on their mean scores; Low stress, Medium stress and High stress. The participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and blood samples were collected before, directly after the stress test, and after 30 min of recovery. General Linear Models were used to investigate if the Medium stress group and the High stress group differ regarding stress response compared to the Low stress group. Higher perceived stress at work was associated with attenuated DHEA-S response during acute psychosocial stress. Furthermore, the ratio between the cortisol production and the DHEA-S production during the acute stress test were higher in individuals reporting higher perceived stress at work compared to individuals reporting low perceived stress at work. There was no statistical difference in DHEA response between the groups. This study shows that prolonged stress, measured as perceived stress at work during the past week, seems to negatively affect the capacity to produce DHEA-S during acute stress. Given the protective functions of DHEA-S, attenuated DHEA-S production during acute stress may lead to higher risk for adverse

  13. EARLY HEAD START FAMILIES' EXPERIENCES WITH STRESS: UNDERSTANDING VARIATIONS WITHIN A HIGH-RISK, LOW-INCOME SAMPLE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hustedt, Jason T; Vu, Jennifer A; Bargreen, Kaitlin N; Hallam, Rena A; Han, Myae

    2017-09-01

    The federal Early Head Start program provides a relevant context to examine families' experiences with stress since participants qualify on the basis of poverty and risk. Building on previous research that has shown variations in demographic and economic risks even among qualifying families, we examined possible variations in families' perceptions of stress. Family, parent, and child data were collected to measure stressors and risk across a variety of domains in families' everyday lives, primarily from self-report measures, but also including assay results from child cortisol samples. A cluster analysis was employed to examine potential differences among groups of Early Head Start families. Results showed that there were three distinct subgroups of families, with some families perceiving that they experienced very high levels of stress while others perceived much lower levels of stress despite also experiencing poverty and heightened risk. These findings have important implications in that they provide an initial step toward distinguishing differences in low-income families' experiences with stress, thereby informing interventions focused on promoting responsive caregiving as a possible mechanism to buffer the effects of family and social stressors on young children. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  14. Bilateral stress fracture of femoral neck in non-athlete - case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ubiratan Stefani de Oliveira

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Bilateral stress fracture of femoral neck in healthy young patients is an extremely rare entity, whose diagnostic and treatment represent a major challenge. Patients with history of hip pain, even non-athletes or military recruits, should be analyzed to achieve an early diagnosis and prevent possible complications from the surgical treatment. This report describes a 43-year-old male patient, non-athlete, without previous diseases, who developed bilateral stress fracture of femoral neck without displacement. He had a late diagnosis; bilateral osteosynthesis was made using cannulated screws. Although the diagnosis was delayed in this case, the study highlights the importance of the diagnosis of stress fracture, regardless of the activity level of the patients, for the success of the treatment.

  15. Deciphering Stress State of Seismogenic Faults in Oklahoma and Kansas Based on High-resolution Stress Maps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Y.; Chen, X.; Haffener, J.; Trugman, D. T.; Carpenter, B.; Reches, Z.

    2017-12-01

    Induced seismicity in Oklahoma and Kansas delineates clear fault trends. It is assumed that fluid injection reactivates faults which are optimally oriented relative to the regional tectonic stress field. We utilized recently improved earthquake locations and more complete focal mechanism catalogs to quantitatively analyze the stress state of seismogenic faults with high-resolution stress maps. The steps of analysis are: (1) Mapping the faults by clustering seismicity using a nearest-neighbor approach, manually picking the fault in each cluster and calculating the fault geometry using principal component analysis. (2) Running a stress inversion with 0.2° grid spacing to produce an in-situ stress map. (3) The fault stress state is determined from fault geometry and a 3D Mohr circle. The parameter `understress' is calculated to quantify the criticalness of these faults. If it approaches 0, the fault is critically stressed; while understress=1 means there is no shear stress on the fault. Our results indicate that most of the active faults have a planar shape (planarity>0.8), and dip steeply (dip>70°). The fault trends are distributed mainly in conjugate set ranges of [50°,70°] and [100°,120°]. More importantly, these conjugate trends are consistent with mapped basement fractures in southern Oklahoma, suggesting similar basement features from regional tectonics. The fault length data shows a loglinear relationship with the maximum earthquake magnitude with an expected maximum magnitude range from 3.2 to 4.4 for most seismogenic faults. Based on 3D local Mohr circle, we find that 61% of the faults have low understress (0.5) are located within highest-rate injection zones and therefore are likely to be influenced by high pore pressure. The faults that hosted the largest earthquakes, M5.7 Prague and M5.8 Pawnee are critically stressed (understress 0.2). These differences may help in understanding earthquake sequences, for example, the predominantly aftershock

  16. High occupational stress and low career satisfaction of Korean surgeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Sang Hee; Boo, Yoon Jung; Lee, Ji Sung; Han, Hyung Joon; Jung, Cheol Woong; Kim, Chong Suk

    2015-02-01

    Surgery is a demanding and stressful field in Korea. Occupational stress can adversely affect the quality of care, decrease job satisfaction, and potentially increase medical errors. The aim of this study was to investigate the occupational stress and career satisfaction of Korean surgeons. We have conducted an electronic survey of 621 Korean surgeons for the occupational stress. Sixty-five questions were used to assess practical and personal characteristics and occupational stress using the Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS). The mean KOSS score was 49.31, which was higher than the average of Korean occupational stress (45.86) or that of other specialized professions (46.03). Young age, female gender, long working hours, and frequent night duties were significantly related to the higher KOSS score. Having spouse, having hobby and regular exercise decreased the KOSS score. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that long working hours and regular exercise were the independent factors associated with the KOSS score. Less than 50% of surgeons answered that they would become a surgeon again. Most surgeons (82.5%) did not want to recommend their child follow their career. Korean Surgeons have high occupational stress and low level of career satisfaction.

  17. [Stress and auto-immunity].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delévaux, I; Chamoux, A; Aumaître, O

    2013-08-01

    The etiology of auto-immune disorders is multifactorial. Stress is probably a participating factor. Indeed, a high proportion of patients with auto-immune diseases report uncommon stress before disease onset or disease flare. The biological consequences of stress are increasingly well understood. Glucocorticoids and catecholamines released by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during stress will alter the balance Th1/Th2 and the balance Th17/Treg. Stress impairs cellular immunity, decreases immune tolerance and stimulates humoral immunity exposing individuals to autoimmune disease among others. The treatment for autoimmune disease should include stress management. Copyright © 2012 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Opposite Effects of Stress on Pain Modulation Depend on the Magnitude of Individual Stress Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geva, Nirit; Defrin, Ruth

    2018-04-01

    The effect of acute stress on pain threshold and intolerance threshold are reported as producing either hypoalgesia or hyperalgesia. Yet, the contribution of individual stress reactivity in this respect has not been established. The aim was to test 2 pain modulation paradigms under acute stress manipulation, to our knowledge, for the first time, to study whether stress differentially affects pain modulation, and whether the effect is related to individual stress response. Participants were 31 healthy subjects. Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and pain adaptation were measured before and after inducing an acute stress response using the Montreal Imaging Stress Task. Subjects' stress response was evaluated according to salivary cortisol, autonomic function, and perceived stress and anxiety. The Montreal Imaging Stress Task induced a validated stress response. On a group level, stress induced reduction in CPM magnitude and increase in pain adaptation compared with baseline. These responses correlated with stress reactivity. When the group was subdivided according to stress reactivity, only high stress responders exhibited reduced CPM whereas only low stress responders exhibited increased pain adaptation. The results suggest that acute stress may induce opposite effects on pain modulation, depending on individual stress reactivity magnitude, with an advantage to low stress responders. This study evaluated the effect of acute stress on pain modulation. Pain modulation under stress is affected by individual stress responsiveness; decreased CPM occurs in high stress responders whereas increased pain adaptation occurs in low stress responders. Identification of high stress responders may promote better pain management. Copyright © 2017 The American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Final Report: Characterization of Canister Mockup Weld Residual Stresses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Enos, David; Bryan, Charles R.

    2016-01-01

    Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of interim storage containers has been indicated as a high priority data gap by the Department of Energy (DOE) (Hanson et al., 2012), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, 2011), the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB, 2010a), and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, 2012a, 2012b). Uncertainties exist in terms of the environmental conditions that prevail on the surface of the storage containers, the stress state within the container walls associated both with weldments as well as within the base metal itself, and the electrochemical properties of the storage containers themselves. The goal of the work described in this document is to determine the stress states that exists at various locations within a typical storage canister by evaluating the properties of a full-diameter cylindrical mockup of an interim storage canister. This mockup has been produced using the same manufacturing procedures as the majority of the fielded spent nuclear fuel interim storage canisters. This document describes the design and procurement of the mockup and the characterization of the stress state associated with various portions of the container. It also describes the cutting of the mockup into sections for further analyses, and a discussion of the potential impact of the results from the stress characterization effort.

  20. Final Report: Characterization of Canister Mockup Weld Residual Stresses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enos, David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bryan, Charles R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-12-01

    Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of interim storage containers has been indicated as a high priority data gap by the Department of Energy (DOE) (Hanson et al., 2012), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, 2011), the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB, 2010a), and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, 2012a, 2012b). Uncertainties exist in terms of the environmental conditions that prevail on the surface of the storage containers, the stress state within the container walls associated both with weldments as well as within the base metal itself, and the electrochemical properties of the storage containers themselves. The goal of the work described in this document is to determine the stress states that exists at various locations within a typical storage canister by evaluating the properties of a full-diameter cylindrical mockup of an interim storage canister. This mockup has been produced using the same manufacturing procedures as the majority of the fielded spent nuclear fuel interim storage canisters. This document describes the design and procurement of the mockup and the characterization of the stress state associated with various portions of the container. It also describes the cutting of the mockup into sections for further analyses, and a discussion of the potential impact of the results from the stress characterization effort.

  1. Coping strategies for marital stress as reported by lecturers of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study investigated coping strategies for marital stress as reported by lecturers of a college of education. Lecturers were stratified into different strata of schools in the college i.e School of Education, Science, Arts and Social Sciences, Vocational Technology and Languages, after which a simple random sampling ...

  2. Self-reported racism and experience of toothache among pregnant Aboriginal Australians: the role of perceived stress, sense of control, and social support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben, Jehonathan; Paradies, Yin; Priest, Naomi; Parker, Eleanor Jane; Roberts-Thomson, Kaye F; Lawrence, Herenia P; Broughton, John; Jamieson, Lisa M

    2014-01-01

    We hypothesized that the psychosocial factors perceived stress and sense of personal control mediated the relationship between self-reported racism and experience of toothache. We hypothesized that social support moderated this relationship. Data from 365 pregnant Aboriginal Australian women were used to evaluate experience of toothache, socio-demographic factors, psychosocial factors, general health, risk behaviors, and self-reported racism exposure. Hierarchical logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs) for experience of toothache. Perceived stress and sense of personal control were examined as mediators of the association between self-reported racism and experience of toothache. Social support was examined as a moderator. Self-reported racism persisted as a risk indicator for experience of toothache (OR 1.99, 95 percent CI 1.07-3.72) after controlling for age, level of education, and difficulty paying a $100 dental bill. The relationship between self-reported racism and experience of toothache was mediated by sense of control. The direct effect of self-reported racism on experience of toothache became only marginally significant, and the indirect effect was significant (β coefficient=0.04, bias-corrected 95 percent CI 0.004-0.105, 21.2 percent of effect mediated). Stress was insignificant as a mediator. Social support was insignificant as a moderator. The findings indicate that high levels of self-reported racism were associated with experience of toothache and that sense of control, but not perceived stress, mediated the association between self-reported racism and experience of toothache among this sample of pregnant Aboriginal Australian women. Social support did not moderate the association between self-reported racism and experience of toothache. © 2014 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  3. Internet-based stress management for women with preterm labour--a case-based experience report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherer, Sandra; Urech, Corinne; Hösli, Irene; Tschudin, Sibil; Gaab, Jens; Berger, Thomas; Alder, Judith

    2014-12-01

    Pregnant women with preterm labour (PTL) in pregnancy often experience increased distress and anxieties regarding both the pregnancy and the child's health. The pathogenesis of PTL is, among other causes, related to the stress-associated activation of the maternal-foetal stress system. In spite of these psychobiological associations, only a few research studies have investigated the potential of psychological stress-reducing interventions. The following paper will present an online anxiety and stress management self-help program for pregnant women with PTL. Structure and content of the program will be illustrated by a case-based experience report. L.B., 32 years (G3, P1), was recruited at gestational week 27 while hospitalized for PTL for 3 weeks. She worked independently through the program for 6 weeks and had regular written contact with a therapist. Processing the program had a positive impact on L.B.'s anxiety and stress levels, as well as on her experienced depressive symptoms and bonding to the foetus. As PTL and the risk of PTB are associated with distress, psychological stress-reducing interventions might be beneficial. This study examines the applicability of an online intervention for pregnant women with PTL. The case report illustrates how adequate low-threshold psychological support could be provided to these women.

  4. Transcriptomic analysis of Petunia hybrida in response to salt stress using high throughput RNA sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalo H Villarino

    Full Text Available Salinity and drought stress are the primary cause of crop losses worldwide. In sodic saline soils sodium chloride (NaCl disrupts normal plant growth and development. The complex interactions of plant systems with abiotic stress have made RNA sequencing a more holistic and appealing approach to study transcriptome level responses in a single cell and/or tissue. In this work, we determined the Petunia transcriptome response to NaCl stress by sequencing leaf samples and assembling 196 million Illumina reads with Trinity software. Using our reference transcriptome we identified more than 7,000 genes that were differentially expressed within 24 h of acute NaCl stress. The proposed transcriptome can also be used as an excellent tool for biological and bioinformatics in the absence of an available Petunia genome and it is available at the SOL Genomics Network (SGN http://solgenomics.net. Genes related to regulation of reactive oxygen species, transport, and signal transductions as well as novel and undescribed transcripts were among those differentially expressed in response to salt stress. The candidate genes identified in this study can be applied as markers for breeding or to genetically engineer plants to enhance salt tolerance. Gene Ontology analyses indicated that most of the NaCl damage happened at 24 h inducing genotoxicity, affecting transport and organelles due to the high concentration of Na+ ions. Finally, we report a modification to the library preparation protocol whereby cDNA samples were bar-coded with non-HPLC purified primers, without affecting the quality and quantity of the RNA-seq data. The methodological improvement presented here could substantially reduce the cost of sample preparation for future high-throughput RNA sequencing experiments.

  5. Transcriptomic analysis of Petunia hybrida in response to salt stress using high throughput RNA sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarino, Gonzalo H; Bombarely, Aureliano; Giovannoni, James J; Scanlon, Michael J; Mattson, Neil S

    2014-01-01

    Salinity and drought stress are the primary cause of crop losses worldwide. In sodic saline soils sodium chloride (NaCl) disrupts normal plant growth and development. The complex interactions of plant systems with abiotic stress have made RNA sequencing a more holistic and appealing approach to study transcriptome level responses in a single cell and/or tissue. In this work, we determined the Petunia transcriptome response to NaCl stress by sequencing leaf samples and assembling 196 million Illumina reads with Trinity software. Using our reference transcriptome we identified more than 7,000 genes that were differentially expressed within 24 h of acute NaCl stress. The proposed transcriptome can also be used as an excellent tool for biological and bioinformatics in the absence of an available Petunia genome and it is available at the SOL Genomics Network (SGN) http://solgenomics.net. Genes related to regulation of reactive oxygen species, transport, and signal transductions as well as novel and undescribed transcripts were among those differentially expressed in response to salt stress. The candidate genes identified in this study can be applied as markers for breeding or to genetically engineer plants to enhance salt tolerance. Gene Ontology analyses indicated that most of the NaCl damage happened at 24 h inducing genotoxicity, affecting transport and organelles due to the high concentration of Na+ ions. Finally, we report a modification to the library preparation protocol whereby cDNA samples were bar-coded with non-HPLC purified primers, without affecting the quality and quantity of the RNA-seq data. The methodological improvement presented here could substantially reduce the cost of sample preparation for future high-throughput RNA sequencing experiments.

  6. Reported incidence and precipitating factors of work-related stress and mental ill-health in the United Kingdom (1996-2001).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherry, Nicola M; Chen, Yiqun; McDonald, J Corbett

    2006-09-01

    Work-related mental ill-health appears to be increasing. Population-based data on incidence are scarce but in the United Kingdom occupational physicians and psychiatrists report these conditions to voluntary surveillance schemes. To estimate the incidence of work-related stress and mental illness reported 1996-2001 by occupational physicians and 1999-2001 by psychiatrists. Estimated annual average incidence rates were calculated by sex, occupation and industry against appropriate populations at risk. An in-house coding scheme was used to classify and analyse data on precipitating events. An estimated annual average of 3,624 new cases were reported by psychiatrists, and 2,718 by occupational physicians; the rates were higher for men in reports based on the former and for women on the latter. Most diagnoses were of anxiety/depression or work-related stress, with post-traumatic stress accounting for approximately 10% of cases reported by psychiatrists. High rates of ill-health were seen among professional and associated workers and in those in personal and protective services. Factors (such as work overload) intrinsic to the job and issues with interpersonal relations were the most common causes overall. The steep increase in new cases of work-related mental ill-health reported by occupational physicians since 1996 may reflect a greater willingness by workers to seek help but may also signify an increasing dissonance between workers' expectations and the work environment. Greater expertise is needed to improve the workplace by adjustment of job demands, improvement of working relations, increasing workers' capacities and management of organizational change.

  7. High-resolution axial MR imaging of tibial stress injuries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mammoto Takeo

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Purpose To evaluate the relative involvement of tibial stress injuries using high-resolution axial MR imaging and the correlation with MR and radiographic images. Methods A total of 33 patients with exercise-induced tibial pain were evaluated. All patients underwent radiograph and high-resolution axial MR imaging. Radiographs were taken at initial presentation and 4 weeks later. High-resolution MR axial images were obtained using a microscopy surface coil with 60 × 60 mm field of view on a 1.5T MR unit. All images were evaluated for abnormal signals of the periosteum, cortex and bone marrow. Results Nineteen patients showed no periosteal reaction at initial and follow-up radiographs. MR imaging showed abnormal signals in the periosteal tissue and partially abnormal signals in the bone marrow. In 7 patients, periosteal reaction was not seen at initial radiograph, but was detected at follow-up radiograph. MR imaging showed abnormal signals in the periosteal tissue and entire bone marrow. Abnormal signals in the cortex were found in 6 patients. The remaining 7 showed periosteal reactions at initial radiograph. MR imaging showed abnormal signals in the periosteal tissue in 6 patients. Abnormal signals were seen in the partial and entire bone marrow in 4 and 3 patients, respectively. Conclusions Bone marrow abnormalities in high-resolution axial MR imaging were related to periosteal reactions at follow-up radiograph. Bone marrow abnormalities might predict later periosteal reactions, suggesting shin splints or stress fractures. High-resolution axial MR imaging is useful in early discrimination of tibial stress injuries.

  8. High-resolution axial MR imaging of tibial stress injuries

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate the relative involvement of tibial stress injuries using high-resolution axial MR imaging and the correlation with MR and radiographic images. Methods A total of 33 patients with exercise-induced tibial pain were evaluated. All patients underwent radiograph and high-resolution axial MR imaging. Radiographs were taken at initial presentation and 4 weeks later. High-resolution MR axial images were obtained using a microscopy surface coil with 60 × 60 mm field of view on a 1.5T MR unit. All images were evaluated for abnormal signals of the periosteum, cortex and bone marrow. Results Nineteen patients showed no periosteal reaction at initial and follow-up radiographs. MR imaging showed abnormal signals in the periosteal tissue and partially abnormal signals in the bone marrow. In 7 patients, periosteal reaction was not seen at initial radiograph, but was detected at follow-up radiograph. MR imaging showed abnormal signals in the periosteal tissue and entire bone marrow. Abnormal signals in the cortex were found in 6 patients. The remaining 7 showed periosteal reactions at initial radiograph. MR imaging showed abnormal signals in the periosteal tissue in 6 patients. Abnormal signals were seen in the partial and entire bone marrow in 4 and 3 patients, respectively. Conclusions Bone marrow abnormalities in high-resolution axial MR imaging were related to periosteal reactions at follow-up radiograph. Bone marrow abnormalities might predict later periosteal reactions, suggesting shin splints or stress fractures. High-resolution axial MR imaging is useful in early discrimination of tibial stress injuries. PMID:22574840

  9. Identifying Objective Physiological Markers and Modifiable Behaviors for Self-Reported Stress and Mental Health Status Using Wearable Sensors and Mobile Phones: Observational Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sano, Akane; Taylor, Sara; McHill, Andrew W; Phillips, Andrew Jk; Barger, Laura K; Klerman, Elizabeth; Picard, Rosalind

    2018-06-08

    Wearable and mobile devices that capture multimodal data have the potential to identify risk factors for high stress and poor mental health and to provide information to improve health and well-being. We developed new tools that provide objective physiological and behavioral measures using wearable sensors and mobile phones, together with methods that improve their data integrity. The aim of this study was to examine, using machine learning, how accurately these measures could identify conditions of self-reported high stress and poor mental health and which of the underlying modalities and measures were most accurate in identifying those conditions. We designed and conducted the 1-month SNAPSHOT study that investigated how daily behaviors and social networks influence self-reported stress, mood, and other health or well-being-related factors. We collected over 145,000 hours of data from 201 college students (age: 18-25 years, male:female=1.8:1) at one university, all recruited within self-identified social groups. Each student filled out standardized pre- and postquestionnaires on stress and mental health; during the month, each student completed twice-daily electronic diaries (e-diaries), wore two wrist-based sensors that recorded continuous physical activity and autonomic physiology, and installed an app on their mobile phone that recorded phone usage and geolocation patterns. We developed tools to make data collection more efficient, including data-check systems for sensor and mobile phone data and an e-diary administrative module for study investigators to locate possible errors in the e-diaries and communicate with participants to correct their entries promptly, which reduced the time taken to clean e-diary data by 69%. We constructed features and applied machine learning to the multimodal data to identify factors associated with self-reported poststudy stress and mental health, including behaviors that can be possibly modified by the individual to improve

  10. Soil mechanical stresses in high wheel load agricultural field traffic: a case study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lamandé, Mathieu; Schjønning, Per

    2017-01-01

    highly skewed. Across tyres, the maximum stress in the contact area correlated linearly with, but was much higher than, the mean ground pressure. For each of the three soil depths, the maximum stresses under the tyres were significantly correlated with the wheel load, but not with other loading......Subsoil compaction is a serious long-term threat to soil functions. Only a few studies have quantified the mechanical stresses reaching deep subsoil layers for modern high wheel load machinery. In the present study we measured the vertical stresses in the tyre–soil contact area and at 0.3, 0...

  11. Character strengths, social anxiety, and physiological stress reactivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingting Li

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the effects of character strengths on the physiological reactivity to social anxiety induced by the Trier Social Stress Task were reported. On the basis of their scores in the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, 30 college students were assigned to either high- (n = 15 or low-character-strength (n = 15 groups. Their psychological stress and physiological data across three laboratory stages (namely, baseline, stress exposure, and post-stress were collected. Results indicated that individuals with high character strengths exhibited rapid cardiovascular recovery from baseline to post-stress even if high- and low-character-strength groups showed similar patterns of cardiovascular arousal in response to the stress at baseline and stress exposure. These results prove that character strengths are stress-defense factors that allow for psychological and physiological adaptation to stress.

  12. Muscle-like high-stress dielectric elastomer actuators with oil capsules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    La, Thanh-Giang; Lau, Gih-Keong; Shiau, Li-Lynn; Wei-Yee Tan, Adrian

    2014-01-01

    Despite being capable of generating large strains, dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are short of strength. Often, they cannot produce enough stress or as much work as that achievable by human elbow muscles. Their maximum actuation capacity is limited by the electrical breakdown of dielectric elastomers. Often, failures of these soft actuators are pre-mature and localized at the weakest spot under high field and high stress. Localized breakdowns, such as electrical arcing, thermal runaway and punctures, could spread to ultimately cause rupture if they were not stopped. This work shows that dielectric oil immersion and self-clearable electrodes nibbed the buds of localized breakdowns from DEAs. Dielectric oil encapsulation in soft-membrane capsules was found to help the DEA sustain an ultra-high electrical breakdown field of 835 MVm −1 , which is 46% higher than the electrical breakdown strength of the dry DEA in air at 570 MV m −1 . Because of the increased apparent dielectric strength, this oil-capsuled DEA realizes a higher maximum isotonic work density of up to 31.51Jkg −1 , which is 43.8% higher than that realized by the DEA in air. Meanwhile, it produces higher maximum isometric stress of up to 1.05 MPa, which is 75% higher than that produced by the DEA in air. Such improved actuator performances are comparable to those achieved by human flexor muscles, which can exert up to 1.2 MPa during elbow flexion. This muscle-like, high-stress dielectric elastomeric actuation is very promising to drive future human-like robots. (paper)

  13. Heat priming induces trans-generational tolerance to high temperature stress in wheat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao eWang

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Wheat plants are very sensitive to high temperature stress during grain filling. Effects of heat priming applied to the first generation on tolerance of the successive generation to post-anthesis high temperature stress were investigated. Compared with the progeny of non-heat primed plants (NH, the progeny of heat-primed plants (PH possessed higher grain yield, leaf photosynthesis and activities of antioxidant enzymes and lower cell membrane damage under high temperature stress. In the transcriptome profile, 1430 probes showed obvious difference in expression between PH and NH. These genes were related to signal transduction, transcription, energy, defense, and protein destination and storage, respectively. The gene encoding the lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1 which was involved in histone demethylation related to epigenetic modification was up-regulated in the PH compared with NH. The proteome analysis indicated that the proteins involved in photosynthesis, energy production and protein destination and storage were up-regulated in the PH compared with NH. In short, thermos-tolerance was induced through heritable epigenetic alternation and signaling transduction, both processes further triggered prompt modifications of defense related responses in anti-oxidation, transcription, energy production, and protein destination and storage in the progeny of the primed plants under high temperature stress. It was concluded that trans-generation thermo-tolerance was induced by heat priming in the first generation, and this might be an effective measure to cope with severe high-temperature stresses during key growth stages in wheat production.

  14. Stress factors for the deformation systems of zirconium under multiaxial stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hobson, D.O.

    1976-01-01

    Calculation of the resolved shear stresses (rss) that act on various deformation systems in metals and, in particular, the determination of those systems subjected to the highest rss by a given set of multiaxial stresses is of importance in the study of texture development, yielding and plastic flow. This study examines the geometrical influences of any stress state on the deformation modes of zirconium. One slip mode and three twinning modes, comprising twenty-one deformation systems, are considered. Stress factors computed for these systems are shown on a coordinate system that allows specimen orientation, most highly stressed deformation system, and stress factor to be shown without ambiguity. The information in this report allows the determination of the rss that results from any multiaxial stress state; this information also allows the prediction of the deformation modes that might operate for any specimen orientation in that strss state

  15. Occupational stress and cardiovascular risk factors in high-ranking government officials and office workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirmohammadi, Seyyed Jalil; Taheri, Mahmoud; Mehrparvar, Amir Houshang; Heydari, Mohammad; Saadati Kanafi, Ali; Mostaghaci, Mehrdad

    2014-08-01

    Cardiovascular diseases are among the most important sources of mortality and morbidity, and have a high disease burden. There are some major well-known risk factors, which contribute to the development of these diseases. Occupational stress is caused due to imbalance between job demands and individual's ability, and it has been implicated as an etiology for cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate the cardiovascular risk factors and different dimensions of occupational stress in high-ranking government officials, comparing an age and sex-matched group of office workers with them. We invited 90 high-ranking officials who managed the main governmental offices in a city, and 90 age and sex-matched office workers. The subjects were required to fill the occupational role questionnaire (Osipow) which evaluated their personal and medical history as well as occupational stress. Then, we performed physical examination and laboratory tests to check for cardiovascular risk factors. Finally, the frequency of cardiovascular risk factors and occupational stress of two groups were compared. High-ranking officials in our study had less work experience in their current jobs and smoked fewer pack-years of cigarette, but they had higher waist and hip circumference, higher triglyceride level, more stress from role overload and responsibility, and higher total stress score. Our group of office workers had more occupational stress because of role ambiguity and insufficiency, but their overall job stress was less than officials. The officials have higher scores in some dimensions of occupational stress and higher overall stress score. Some cardiovascular risk factors were also more frequent in managers.

  16. High novelty-seeking rats are resilient to negative physiological effects of the early life stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clinton, Sarah M; Watson, Stanley J; Akil, Huda

    2014-01-01

    Exposure to early life stress dramatically impacts adult behavior, physiology, and neuroendocrine function. Using rats bred for novelty-seeking differences and known to display divergent anxiety, depression, and stress vulnerability, we examined the interaction between early life adversity and genetic predisposition for high- versus low-emotional reactivity. Thus, bred Low Novelty Responder (bLR) rats, which naturally exhibit high anxiety- and depression-like behavior, and bred High Novelty Responder (bHR) rats, which show low anxiety/depression together with elevated aggression, impulsivity, and addictive behavior, were subjected to daily 3 h maternal separation (MS) stress postnatal days 1-14. We hypothesized that MS stress would differentially impact adult bHR/bLR behavior, physiology (stress-induced defecation), and neuroendocrine reactivity. While MS stress did not impact bHR and bLR anxiety-like behavior in the open field test and elevated plus maze, it exacerbated bLRs' already high physiological response to stress - stress-induced defecation. In both tests, MS bLR adult offspring showed exaggerated stress-induced defecation compared to bLR controls while bHR offspring were unaffected. MS also selectively impacted bLRs' (but not bHRs') neuroendocrine stress reactivity, producing an exaggerated corticosterone acute stress response in MS bLR versus control bLR rats. These findings highlight how genetic predisposition shapes individuals' response to early life stress. Future work will explore neural mechanisms underlying the distinct behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of MS in bHR/bLR animals.

  17. Perceived stress and eating behaviors by sex, obesity status, and stress vulnerability: findings from the vitamins and lifestyle (VITAL) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrington, Wendy E; Beresford, Shirley A A; McGregor, Bonnie A; White, Emily

    2014-11-01

    Stress has been associated with eating patterns in human studies with differences due to the type and duration of stressor, type of food, and individual susceptibility factors. Laboratory and smaller epidemiological studies have reported stress-associated preferences for foods high in sugar and fat; associations have been found more consistently among women and people who are obese. Larger studies are needed to sufficiently test these relationships. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between self-reported amount of stress and dietary nutrient intakes (percentage energy from fat, carbohydrates, added sugar) and dietary behaviors (number of eating occasions and servings of fruits and vegetables, high-fat snacks, fast-food items, and sweetened drinks) by sex, obesity status, and stress vulnerability. Linear regression was used to estimate associations of perceived stress with eating patterns among 65,235 older adults while adjusting for demographic factors, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol intake, number of comorbidities, and other relevant covariates. Higher perceived stress was associated with greater intake of energy from fat, high-fat snacks, and fast-food items as well as lower intake of energy from carbohydrates (all P for trend ≤0.002). Among those with high perceived stress vulnerability, perceived stress was associated with fewer eating occasions (P for interaction stress arising from everyday experiences among an older, mostly white population. These findings have public health implications and suggest that stress may be important to consider in programs promoting healthy eating. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Workplace Stress Among Teachers in Kosovo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fleura Shkëmbi

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Teaching has been regarded as one of the most stressful professions, and workplace stress within this professional category has been thoroughly investigated. Nonetheless, no empirical research so far has examined workplace stress among teachers in Kosovo. The present study aimed to identify age and gender-related patterns of workplace stress as well as examine the role of marital status, educational level, and working experience in a sample of Kosovo teachers. The different types of stressors reported by teachers were also examined. The sample consisted of 799 teachers (Mage = 42.94; SD = 11.50, 33.8% males and 65.2% females. The measures included the National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD Stress Questionnaire, and one self-report questionnaire designed by the authors for the purpose of the research. Results showed that 33.2% (265 participants of the sample reported high levels of stress. Workplace stress was significantly predicted by place of residence (β = −.442, p < .00 and level of education (β = −.191, p < .00 but not age, gender, marital status, or working experience F(6, 520 = 34.162, p < .001, R2 = .283. As regards the specific stressors, the most frequently reported were inadequate wages (36.8%, physical working environment (30.1%, and undisciplined students (26.2%. Results are discussed in the context of practical implications they have and suggestions for future research are provided.

  19. A High-Throughput Oxidative Stress Biosensor Based on Escherichia coli roGFP2 Cells Immobilized in a k-Carrageenan Matrix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lia Ooi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Biosensors fabricated with whole-cell bacteria appear to be suitable for detecting bioavailability and toxicity effects of the chemical(s of concern, but they are usually reported to have drawbacks like long response times (ranging from hours to days, narrow dynamic range and instability during long term storage. Our aim is to fabricate a sensitive whole-cell oxidative stress biosensor which has improved properties that address the mentioned weaknesses. In this paper, we report a novel high-throughput whole-cell biosensor fabricated by immobilizing roGFP2 expressing Escherichia coli cells in a k-carrageenan matrix, for the detection of oxidative stress challenged by metalloid compounds. The E. coli roGFP2 oxidative stress biosensor shows high sensitivity towards arsenite and selenite, with wide linear range and low detection limit (arsenite: 1.0 × 10−3–1.0 × 101 mg·L−1, LOD: 2.0 × 10−4 mg·L−1; selenite: 1.0 × 10−5–1.0 × 102 mg·L−1, LOD: 5.8 × 10−6 mg·L−1, short response times (0–9 min, high stability and reproducibility. This research is expected to provide a new direction in performing high-throughput environmental toxicity screening with living bacterial cells which is capable of measuring the bioavailability and toxicity of environmental stressors in a friction of a second.

  20. Children's psychosocial stress and emotional eating: A role for leptin?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michels, Nathalie; Sioen, Isabelle; Ruige, Johannes; De Henauw, Stefaan

    2017-05-01

    Psychosocial stress can be a health threat by stimulating unhealthier eating behaviors. We aim to test the role of the hormone leptin in the association between stress and diet/emotional eating as detected in primary school children. In a two-wave longitudinal study with 308 Belgian children (5-12y) in 2010-2012, the association of fasting serum leptin with reported stress (negative events and emotional problems), measured stress by salivary cortisol (overall cortisol output and awakening response), emotional eating and food consumption frequency was examined. Analyses were split by sex. Mediation and moderation by leptin change were tested. One stress marker (overall cortisol output) was significantly correlated with high leptin levels, but only in girls and cross-sectionally. Only in boys, leptin was associated with low emotional eating. Leptin was not a significant predictor of unhealthy food consumption. Leptin change was not a mediator but an enhancing moderator in the link between stress (high cortisol output and emotional problems) and emotional eating in girls: high reports of emotional eating in 2012 were present in the case of combined high 2-year leptin increase and high stress at baseline. Stress (represented by emotional problems and high daily cortisol) seems to lead to hyperleptinemia in girls; and the combination of high stress and hyperleptinemia might make girls more vulnerable to stress-induced eating. No functional data on leptin sensitivity were present, but results might suggest that stress induces lower sensitivity to the anorexigenic leptin activity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:471-480). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Initial report on stress-corrosion-cracking experiments using Zircaloy-4 spent fuel cladding C-rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, H.D.

    1988-09-01

    The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project is sponsoring C-ring stress corrosion cracking scoping experiments as a first step in evaluating the potential for stress corrosion cracking of spent fuel cladding in a potential tuff repository environment. The objective is to scope the approximate behavior so that more precise pressurized tube testing can be performed over an appropriate range of stress, without expanding the long-term effort needlessly. The experiment consists of stressing, by compression with a dead weight load, C-rings fabricated from spent fuel cladding exposed to an environment of Well J-13 water held at 90/degree/C. The results indicate that stress corrosion cracking occurs at the high stress levels employed in the experiments. The cladding C-rings, tested at 90% of the stress at which elastic behavior is obtained in these specimens, broke in 25 to 64 d when tested in water. This was about one third of the time required for control tests to break in air. This is apparently the first observation of stress corrosion under the test conditions of relatively low temperature, benign environment but very high stress. The 150 ksi test stress could be applied as a result of the particular specimen geometry. By comparison, the uniaxial tensile yield stress is about 100 to 120 ksi and the ultimate stress is about 150 ksi. When a general model that fits the high stress results is extrapolated to lower stress levels, it indicates that the C-rings in experiments now running at /approximately/80% of the yield strength should take 200 to 225 d to break. 21 refs., 24 figs., 5 tabs

  2. Stress-Dilatancy of Cambria Sand for Triaxial Tests at High Pressures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szypcio, Zenon

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, the stress-dilatancy relationship of Cambria sand for drained triaxial compression and extension tests at high stress level is investigated. The stress dilatancy relationship is obtained by use of frictional state theory and experimental tests data published in literature. It is shown that stress-dilatancy relationship is bilinear, described by three parameters of frictional state theory: critical frictional angle and two other parameters. It is accepted that critical friction angle is independent of confining pressure. The two additional parameters are strongly dependent on confining pressure and different for initial and advanced stages. The point at which the values of these parameters change is termed as Transformation Shear Point. This point is not simply visible either in stress ratio-strain or the volume strain-shear strain relationship which are traditionally shown in soil mechanics papers. Transformation Shear Point is very characteristic in stress ratio-plastic dilatancy plane. Thus, stress ratio- plastic dilatancy is very important for describing stress-strain behaviour of soils. The relationship shown in the paper can be used in soil modelling in the future.

  3. Perceived social stress and symptom severity among help-seeking adolescents with versus without clinical high-risk for psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millman, Zachary B; Pitts, Steven C; Thompson, Elizabeth; Kline, Emily R; Demro, Caroline; Weintraub, Marc J; DeVylder, Jordan E; Mittal, Vijay A; Reeves, Gloria M; Schiffman, Jason

    2018-02-01

    Research suggests that social stress exposure influences illness presentation and course among youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis, though less is known about the extent to which self-reported perceptions of social stress relate to the severity of positive symptoms. Importantly, despite the notion that youth at CHR are especially susceptible to elevations in positive symptoms under conditions of stress, no study has examined this presumption relative to other psychiatric groups. Extending previous work demonstrating that perceived social stress was higher in a CHR group than in a clinical group of non-CHR, help-seeking controls, the current study aimed to: (1) examine whether perceived social stress is related to the severity of attenuated positive symptoms in the full sample (N=110); and (2) determine whether CHR status moderates the stress-symptom relation. Exploratory analyses examined relations of perceived social stress to negative, disorganized, and general symptoms. Greater perceptions of social stress were associated with more severe positive symptoms in the entire sample; however, although positive symptoms and perceived social stress were higher in the CHR group, the strength of this relation was statistically indistinguishable across groups. No differential effect of perceived social stress was observed for any symptom domain. Results provide some support for the diathesis-stress model of psychosis, while also suggesting that social stress and symptomatology are related independent of clinical vulnerability to psychosis. Future research would benefit from longitudinal studies of stress-symptom relations across CHR and help-seeking control groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Psychological and hormonal stress response patterns during a blood donation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoogerwerf, M D; Veldhuizen, I J T; Merz, E-M; de Kort, W L A M; Frings-Dresen, M H W; Sluiter, J K

    2017-11-01

    Donating blood has been associated with increased stress responses, with scarce evidence indicating that levels of psychological and hormonal stress are higher pre-donation than post-donation. We investigated whether a blood donation induces psychological and/or hormonal stress during the course of a blood donation, and whether responses differed between men and women, first-time and experienced donors and donors with high or low non-acute stress. In 363 donors, psychological (donation-stress and arousal) and hormonal (cortisol) stress were measured by questionnaire and salivary sample at seven key moments during a routine donation. Non-acute stress was assessed by a questionnaire. Repeated measurement analyses were performed, using the last measurement (leaving the donation center) as reference value. Levels of donation-stress, arousal and cortisol were significantly higher during donation than when leaving the donation center. When compared with men, women reported higher levels of donation-stress and cortisol in the first part of the visit. When compared with first-time donors, experienced donors reported lower levels of donation-stress during the first part of the visit, and higher levels of arousal but less reactivity throughout the visit. When compared to donors high on non-acute stress, donors low on non-acute stress reported lower levels of donation-stress during the first part of the visit, and showed less cortisol reactivity throughout the visit. Donating blood influences psychological and hormonal stress response patterns. The response patterns differ between women and men, first-time and experienced donors and between donors high and low on non-acute stress. © 2017 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

  5. High carotenoids content can enhance resistance of selected Pinctada fucata families to high temperature stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Zihao; Zhang, Bo; Liu, Baosuo; Li, Haimei; Fan, Sigang; Yu, Dahui

    2017-02-01

    Carotenoids are a class of natural antioxidants widely found in aquatic, and they have significant effects on the growth, survival, and immunity of these organisms. To investigate the mechanisms of carotenoids in high temperature resistance, we observed the immune response of selected pearl oyster Pinctada fucata (Akoya pearl oyster) families with different carotenoids contents to high temperature stress. The results indicated that the survival rate (SR) of P. fucata decreased significantly with increase in temperature from 26 °C to 34 °C and with the decrease of total carotenoids content (TCC); when the TCC was higher, the SR tended to be higher. TCC and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) decreased significantly at 30 °C with increasing stress time. Correlation analysis indicated that TAC was positively and linearly correlated with TCC, and SR was S-type correlated with TCC and TAC. Immune analysis indicated that levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in selected families (with higher TCC) under temperature stress (at 30 °C) were generally significantly lower than in the control group (with lowest TCC) and from 0 to 96 h, the levels of each of these substances varied significantly. Levels of SOD, CAT, and MDA within each family first rose from 0 to 3 h, then decreased to their lowest point after 24 h, and then rose again to their highest levels at 96 h. When TCC was higher, the levels of SOD, CAT, and MDA tended to be lower. These findings indicated that carotenoids play an important role in improving survival rates of P. fucata under high temperature stress by enhancing animals' antioxidant system, and could serve as an index for breeding stress-resistant lines in selective breeding practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Stress corrosion cracking studies of reactor pressure vessel steels. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Der Sluys, W.A.

    1996-10-01

    The objective of this project was to perform a critical review of the information available in open literature on stress corrosion cracking of reactor pressure vessel materials in simulated light-water-reactor (LWR) conditions, develop a test procedure for conducting stress corrosion crack growth experiments in simulated LWR environments, and conduct a test program in an effort to duplicate some of the data available from the literature. The authors concluded that stress corrosion crack growth has been observed in pressure vessel steels under laboratory test conditions. The composition of the water in most cases where growth was observed is outside of the composition specified for operating conditions. Crack growth was observed in the experiments performed in this program, and it was intermittent. The cracking would start and stop for no apparent reason. In most instances, it would not restart without the change of some external variable. In a few instances, it restarted on its own. Crack growth rates as high as 3.6 x 10 -9 m/sec were observed in pressure vessel steels in high-purity water with 8 ppm oxygen. These high crack growth rates were observed for extremely short bursts in crack extension. They could not be sustained for crack growth extensions greater than a few tenths of a millimeter. From the results of this project it appears highly unlikely that stress corrosion cracking will be observed in operating nuclear plants where the coolant composition is maintained within water chemistry guidelines. However, more work is needed to better define the contaminations that cause crack growth. The crack growth rates are so high and the threshold values for crack nucleation are so low that the conditions causing them need to be well defined and avoided

  7. A combination of high stress-induced tense and energetic arousal compensates for impairing effects of stress on memory retrieval in men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boehringer, Andreas; Schwabe, Lars; Schachinger, Hartmut

    2010-09-01

    Stress can both impair and enhance memory retrieval. Glucocorticoids mediate impairing effects of stress on memory retrieval. Little is known, however, about factors that facilitate post-stress memory performance. Here, we asked whether stress-induced arousal mediates facilitative stress effects on memory retrieval. Two arousal dimensions were separated: tense arousal, which is characterized by feelings ranging from tension and anxiety to calmness and quietness, and energetic arousal, which is associated with feelings ranging from energy and vigor to states of fatigue and tiredness. Fifty-one men (mean age +/- SEM: 24.57 +/- 0.61 years) learned emotional and neutral words. Memory for these words was tested 165 min later, after participants were exposed to a psychosocial stress or a non-arousing control condition. Changes in heart rate, self-reported (energetic and tense) arousal, and saliva cortisol in response to the stress/control condition were measured. Overall, stress impaired memory retrieval. However, stressed participants with large increases in both tense and energetic arousal performed comparably to controls. Neither salivary cortisol level nor autonomic arousal predicted memory performance after controlling for changes in energetic and tense arousal. The present data indicate that stress-induced concurrent changes in tense and energetic arousal can compensate for impairing effects of stress on memory retrieval. This finding could help to explain some of the discrepancies in the literature on stress and memory.

  8. Canadian dental students' perceptions of stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muirhead, Vanessa; Locker, David

    2007-05-01

    In this paper, we report the results of a survey on dental student stress carried out in April 2005. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 171 students (62% response rate). Identified stressors were academic, clinic-related, social and financial. "Examination and grades" produced the most academic stress, and inconsistent feedback from instructors created the most clinic-related stress. Students found that having a dual role--wife or husband and dental student--was the most burdensome social stressor. Approximately 60% of students reported marital problems and stress associated with "relations with members of the opposite sex." Survey results showed that students who expected a high graduating debt had higher total and academic stress scores. Total stress was not related to age, gender or marital status. Students living with parents during term time had significantly higher total stress scores than students living in other arrangements. Students residing with parents also had significantly higher debts on entry to dental school. Students with more predental education had (non-significantly) lower stress scores but also had higher student debts. Undergraduate subject major (biological science or non-science) had no bearing on reported stress. This study highlights the negative effects of student debt, the necessity for staff training and the need for further studies exploring relations among stress, psychological well-being and academic performance.

  9. Maternal high-fat diet intensifies the metabolic response to stress in male rat offspring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karbaschi, Roxana; Zardooz, Homeira; Khodagholi, Fariba; Dargahi, Leila; Salimi, Mina; Rashidi, FatemehSadat

    2017-01-01

    The mother's consumption of high-fat food can affect glucose metabolism and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responsiveness in the offspring and potentially affect the metabolic responses to stress as well. This study examines the effect of maternal high-fat diet on the expression of pancreatic glucose transporter 2 and the secretion of insulin in response to stress in offspring. Female rats were randomly divided into normal and high-fat diet groups and were fed in accordance with their given diets from pre-pregnancy to the end of lactation. The offspring were divided into control (NC and HFC) and stress (NS and HFS) groups based on their mothers' diet and exposure to stress in adulthood. After the two-week stress induction period was over, an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was performed and plasma glucose and insulin levels were assessed. The pancreas was then removed for measuring insulin secretion from the isolated islets as well as glucose transporter 2 mRNA expression and protein levels. According to the results obtained, plasma corticosterone concentrations increased significantly on days 1 and 14 of the stress induction period and were lower on the last day compared to on the first day. In both the NS and HFS groups, stress reduced plasma insulin concentration in the IPGTT without changing the plasma glucose concentration, suggesting an increased insulin sensitivity in the NS and HFS groups, although more markedly in the latter. Stress reduced insulin secretion (at high glucose concentrations) and increased glucose transporter 2 mRNA and protein expression, especially in the HFS group. Mothers' high-fat diet appears to intensify the stress response by changing the programming of the neuroendocrine system in the offspring.

  10. First-rib stress fracture in two adolescent swimmers: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Sara; Kern, Michael; Atanda, Alfred

    2016-01-01

    First-rib stress fractures have been described in adolescent athletes in various sports, with only one prior case report of first-rib stress fractures in an adolescent female swimmer. There is a need for research on the cause, management, and prevention of these injuries as they lead to significant morbidity and critical time away from sport for these aspiring athletes. We aimed to describe first-rib stress fractures as a potential cause for non-specific atraumatic chronic shoulder pain in adolescent swimmers and to discuss the different presentations, unique risk factors, treatment, and potential injury prevention strategies of such fractures. We discussed two such cases which were successfully treated with activity modification with restriction of all overhead activity, gradually progressive physical therapy and a return to swimming protocol. First-rib stress fractures can vary in presentation and should be in the differential diagnosis in adolescent swimmers with chronic shoulder pain. These injuries can be successfully managed with rest from overhead activities and physical therapy. Gradual return to competitive swimming can be achieved even with non-union of a first-rib stress fracture. Emphasis on balanced strength training in different muscle groups and proper swimming technique is essential to prevent these injuries.

  11. High precision stress measurements in semiconductor structures by Raman microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uhlig, Benjamin

    2009-07-01

    Stress in silicon structures plays an essential role in modern semiconductor technology. This stress has to be measured and due to the ongoing miniaturization in today's semiconductor industry, the measuring method has to meet certain requirements. The present thesis deals with the question how Raman spectroscopy can be used to measure the state of stress in semiconductor structures. In the first chapter the relation between Raman peakshift and stress in the material is explained. It is shown that detailed stress maps with a spatial resolution close to the diffraction limit can be obtained in structured semiconductor samples. Furthermore a novel procedure, the so called Stokes-AntiStokes-Difference method is introduced. With this method, topography, tool or drift effects can be distinguished from stress related influences in the sample. In the next chapter Tip-enhanced Raman Scattering (TERS) and its application for an improvement in lateral resolution is discussed. For this, a study is presented, which shows the influence of metal particles on the intensity and localization of the Raman signal. A method to attach metal particles to scannable tips is successfully applied. First TERS scans are shown and their impact on and challenges for high resolution stress measurements on semiconductor structures is explained. (orig.)

  12. Thermal stress estimation in relation to spalling of HSC restrained with steel rings at high temperatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanibe T.

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on an experimental study regarding the behavior of steel ring-restrained concrete in response to fire exposure. The study was conducted to enable estimation of thermal stress based on steel ring strain in such concrete under the conditions of a RABT 30 heating curve. The specimens used were made from high-strength concrete (Fc: 80 MPa restrained using steel rings with thicknesses of 0.5, 8 and 18 mm.

  13. Can high social capital at the workplace buffer against stress and musculoskeletal pain?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jay, Kenneth; Andersen, Lars L.

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Work-related musculoskeletal pain and stress are both highly prevalent in the working environment and relate well to the biopsychosocial model. While the onset of musculoskeletal pain is often dependent on the biological element of the biopsychosocial model, chronic pain is often influenced by psychological and social factors. Similarly, stress is also influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. This study investigates the possibility of social capital being a buffer for stress and musculoskeletal pain in a group of female laboratory technicians. Female laboratory technicians (n = 500) replied to questions about stress (Cohens Perceived Stress Scale-10), musculoskeletal pain (0–10 visual analog scale), and social capital at the workplace (bonding [in teams], bridging [between teams], and linking [between teams and leaders]). Outcome variables were stress and musculoskeletal pain and the predictor variable was social capital. General linear models tested the association of the 3 types of social capital (predictor variables) with stress and pain (mutually adjusted outcome variables). Analyses were controlled for age, lifestyle (body mass index, smoking), seniority, and working hours per week. For stress as outcome, moderate and high bonding social capital were different from low social capital with −2.04 (95% confidence interval [CI] −3.33 to −0.76) and −4.56 (95% CI −5.84 to −3.28) points on the Perceived Stress Scale of 0 to 42, respectively. Similarly, moderate and high bridging social capital were different from low social capital with −1.50 (95% CI −2.76 to −0.24) and −4.39 (95% CI −5.75 to −3.03), respectively. For linking, only high social was significantly different from low with −2.94 (95% CI −4.28 to −1.60). None of the 3 types of social capital was associated with musculoskeletal pain. Higher levels of social capital at the workplace appear to buffer against stress, but not against

  14. Stress and sleep quality in high school brazilian adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gema Mesquita

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study is to analyze the effect of stress on sleep quality in a group of adolescents. METHOD: Two high schools in Alfenas, southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil, were chosen to participate in the study. The sample consisted of both genders (n=160 with 65.63% females. The age range of participants was 15 to18 years. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI was applied for collection of data to quantify sleep quality. The Lipp Inventory of Stress Symptoms that objectively identifies symptoms of stress was applied. RESULTS: It was observed that 23.53% of stressed students and 45.33% of unstressed ones sleep well; 76.47% of stressed pupils and 54.67% of those unstressed do not sleep well. With regard to school performance, a mean of 0.65 was found for stressed students and 0.60 for those without stress, Mann-Whitney (p=0.0596. CONCLUSION: Stress contributed to raising the percentage of poor sleepers, as ell as increasing ean school performance.OBJETIVO: O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a influência do stress sobre a qualidade do sono em um grupo de adolescentes. MÉTODO: Foram escolhidas duas instituições educacionais do ensino médio, na cidade de Alfenas, sul de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A amostra foi composta por ambos os sexos (n=160, com 65,63% do sexo feminino. A faixa etária dos participantes foi de 15 a 18 anos. Para a coleta de dados aplicou-se: Índice de Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburgh (IQSP utilizado para quantificar a qualidade do sono; o Inventário de Sintomas de Stress para Adultos de Lipp (ISSL que identifica de modo objetivo a sintomatologia de stress foi aplicado. RESULTADOS: Observou-se que 23,53% dos estressados dormem bem e 45,33% dos não estressados dormem bem; 76,47% dos estressados não dormem bem e 54,67% dos não estressados não dormem bem. Quanto ao rendimento escolar têm-se as médias 0,65 para os alunos estressados e 0,60 para aqueles que não sofrem de stress, Mann

  15. Role of high-fat diet in stress response of Drosophila.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erilynn T Heinrichsen

    Full Text Available Obesity is associated with many diseases, one of the most common being obstructive sleep apnea (OSA, which in turn leads to blood gas disturbances, including intermittent hypoxia (IH. Obesity, OSA and IH are associated with metabolic changes, and while much mammalian work has been done, mechanisms underlying the response to IH, the role of obesity and the interaction of obesity and hypoxia remain unknown. As a model organism, Drosophila offers tremendous power to study a specific phenotype and, at a subsequent stage, to uncover and study fundamental mechanisms, given the conservation of molecular pathways. Herein, we characterize the phenotype of Drosophila on a high-fat diet in normoxia, IH and constant hypoxia (CH using triglyceride and glucose levels, response to stress and lifespan. We found that female flies on a high-fat diet show increased triglyceride levels (p<0.001 and a shortened lifespan in normoxia, IH and CH. Furthermore, flies on a high-fat diet in normoxia and CH show diminished tolerance to stress, with decreased survival after exposure to extreme cold or anoxia (p<0.001. Of interest, IH seems to rescue this decreased cold tolerance, as flies on a high-fat diet almost completely recovered from cold stress following IH. We conclude that the cross talk between hypoxia and a high-fat diet can be either deleterious or compensatory, depending on the nature of the hypoxic treatment.

  16. Self reported stressful life events and exacerbations in multiple sclerosis: prospective study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D. Buljevac (Dragan); W.C.J. Hop (Wim); W. Reedeker; A.C.J.W. Janssens (Cécile); F.G.A. van der Meché (Frans); P.A. van Doorn (Pieter); R.Q. Hintzen (Rogier)

    2003-01-01

    textabstractOBJECTIVE: To study the relation between self reported stressful life events not related to multiple sclerosis and the occurrence of exacerbations in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. DESIGN: Longitudinal, prospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of

  17. Modelling Of Residual Stresses Induced By High Speed Milling Process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desmaison, Olivier; Mocellin, Katia; Jardin, Nicolas

    2011-01-01

    Maintenance processes used in heavy industries often include high speed milling operations. The reliability of the post-process material state has to be studied. Numerical simulation appears to be a very interesting way to supply an efficient residual stresses (RS) distribution prediction.Because the adiabatic shear band and the serrated chip shaping are features of the austenitic stainless steel high speed machining, a 2D high speed orthogonal cutting model is briefly presented. This finite element model, developed on Forge registered software, is based on data taken from Outeiro and al.'s paper [1]. A new behaviour law fully coupling Johnson-Cook's constitutive law and Latham and Cockcroft's damage model is detailed in this paper. It ensures results that fit those found in literature.Then, the numerical tools used on the 2D model are integrated to a 3D high speed milling model. Residual stresses distribution is analysed, on the surface and into the depth of the material. Various revolutions and passes of the two teeth hemispheric mill on the workpiece are simulated. Thus the sensitivity of the residual stresses generation to the cutting conditions can be discussed. In order to validate the 3D model, a comparison of the cutting forces measured by EDF R and D to those given by numerical simulations is achieved.

  18. Stress Recovery Effects of High- and Low-Frequency Amplified Music on Heart Rate Variability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakajima, Yoshie; Tanaka, Naofumi; Mima, Tatsuya; Izumi, Shin-Ichi

    Sounds can induce autonomic responses in listeners. However, the modulatory effect of specific frequency components of music is not fully understood. Here, we examined the role of the frequency component of music on autonomic responses. Specifically, we presented music that had been amplified in the high- or low-frequency domains. Twelve healthy women listened to white noise, a stress-inducing noise, and then one of three versions of a piece of music: original, low-, or high-frequency amplified. To measure autonomic response, we calculated the high-frequency normalized unit (HFnu), low-frequency normalized unit, and the LF/HF ratio from the heart rate using electrocardiography. We defined the stress recovery ratio as the value obtained after participants listened to music following scratching noise, normalized by the value obtained after participants listened to white noise after the stress noise, in terms of the HFnu, low-frequency normalized unit, LF/HF ratio, and heart rate. Results indicated that high-frequency amplified music had the highest HFnu of the three versions. The stress recovery ratio of HFnu under the high-frequency amplified stimulus was significantly larger than that under the low-frequency stimulus. Our results suggest that the high-frequency component of music plays a greater role in stress relief than low-frequency components.

  19. Risk factors for psychological stress among international business travellers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Striker, J; Luippold, R S; Nagy, L; Liese, B; Bigelow, C; Mundt, K A

    1999-04-01

    This study investigated sources of self reported psychological stress among international business travellers at the World Bank, following up on a previous study showing that travellers submitted more insurance claims for psychological disorders. Hypotheses were that work, personal, family, and health concerns, as well as time zone travel, contribute to travel stress. A travel survey was developed from focus groups and consisted of questions about these potential sources of travel stress. Surveys were sent to a random sample of staff, stratified by number of travel missions, age range, and sex. Canonical correlation analyses estimated the association between key survey items on sources of stress and two measures of travel stress. 498 staff completed the survey. More than a third reported high to very high travel stress. Correlations between predictors and travel stress showed that social and emotional concerns (such as impact of travel on family and sense of isolation) contributed the most to such stress, followed by health concerns, and workload upon return from travel. Surprisingly, time zone travel did not contribute to the self reported stress of these travellers. There were few modifiers of stress, although respondents suggested that a day of rest after travel and reduced workloads would help. The current study confirms clinical impressions about several correlates of travel stress. Similar research with travellers in other organisations could help to determine whether the findings from this study are valid and what measures can be taken to reduce the psychological health risks to travellers.

  20. Differential relations of locus of control to perceived social stress among help-seeking adolescents at low vs. high clinical risk of psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millman, Zachary B; Weintraub, Marc J; Bentley, Eryn; DeVylder, Jordan E; Mittal, Vijay A; Pitts, Steven C; Thompson, Elizabeth; Demro, Caroline; Reeves, Gloria M; Schiffman, Jason

    2017-06-01

    Research suggests that perceived social stress influences illness presentation and course among youth in the clinical high-risk (CHR) phase of psychosis. Little is known, however, about the social cognitive factors associated with social stress perception in this population, particularly relative to youth with non-CHR psychopathology. Individuals with psychosis tend to endorse an external locus of control (LOC), which is associated with the stress response in healthy individuals. LOC may therefore be related to perceived social stress in youth at CHR. We examined the differential relations of self-reported LOC and perceived social stress, as measured by the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, across 45 CHR and 65 help-seeking control (HSC) participants. Youth at CHR reported more social stress (F[1, 107]=6.28, p=0.01) and a more external LOC (F[1, 107]=4.98, p=0.03) than HSCs. Further, external LOC was more strongly associated with feelings of social stress in the CHR group relative to the HSC group (interaction: b=0.35, t[105]=2.32, psocial stress, however, were nonsignificant at internal levels of LOC (b=-2.0, t[105]=-0.72, p=0.48; f 2 =0.00). Results suggest that perceptions of uncontrollability over one's social environment may more often induce or exacerbate feelings of stress and tension in CHR youth relative to HSCs. A better understanding of the social cognition-stress relation may improve understanding of CHR phenomenology, etiology, and treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. The momentary relationship between stress and headaches in adolescent girls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Björling, Elin A

    2009-09-01

    The objective of this study was to compare the relationship between repeated momentary reports of stress and headaches in female adolescents with varying degrees of headache frequency. Headaches are the most common form of pain reported by adolescents affecting more than a third of all adolescents. High levels of stress during adolescence may predispose an adolescent to experience headaches in adulthood. Randomized, momentary data collection of stress and headaches provides the most accurate data regarding the adolescent experience of these variables. The research methodology, ecological momentary assessment, is a valid approach to better understand the relationship between stress and headaches in adolescence. Data were obtained by each participant's use of an electronic diary (ED), which captured repeated momentary reports of perceived stress, head pain, and stress-related symptoms in female adolescents with varying degrees of recurrent headache. Seven times per day for the 21-day study period, teen girls responded to ED questions about their current stress levels, head pain, and stress-related symptoms. Based on participants' momentary reports of headaches, Low Headache, Moderate Headache, and Chronic Headache groups were created. General estimating equation models were used to analyze the relationship between momentary variables as well as the lag effect between stress and head pain. Thirty-one participants, aged 14-18 years, completed 2841 randomized ED reports and reported 674 occurrences of headache. The Chronic Headache and Moderate Headache groups reported significantly increased levels of stress, head pain, and headaches. The relationship between momentary stress and head pain was significantly strong both within and across participants. The strength of this relationship increased with increased headache activity. A significant lag effect was found between stress and headaches; however, the effect of depression as a moderator of the stress and headache

  2. Notch size effects on high cycle fatigue limit stress of Udimet 720

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Weiju; Nicholas, Theodore

    2003-01-01

    Notch size effects on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) limit stress of Ni-base superalloy Udimet 720 were investigated on cylindrical specimens with three notch sizes of the same stress concentration factor K t =2.74. The HCF limit stress corresponding to a life of 10 6 cycles was experimentally determined at a stress ratio of 0.1 and a frequency of 25 Hz at room temperature. The stresses were calculated using finite element analysis (FEA) and the specimens analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Test results show that at the same K t value, notch size can slightly affect the HCF limit stress of U720 when notch root plasticity occurs. FEA and SEM results reveal that the notch size effects are influenced by a complicated combination of the stress and plastic strain fields at the notch tip, the nominal stress, and the effects of prior plastic deformation on fatigue crack initiation

  3. Early Psychosocial Stress Predicts Extra-Pair Copulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Koehler

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Cheating on a mate, known as an extra-pair copulation (EPC, is considered unacceptable by most individuals. Nonetheless many individuals engage in such risky behaviors. Because individuals with high, as opposed to low, levels of early psychosocial stress are more risk prone and more likely to engage in opportunistic matings, we predicted that individuals reporting EPCs, one of many types of opportunistic mating (e.g., one-night stand, consecutive short-term relationships etc, have higher levels of early psychosocial stress than those who do not. Two types of EPCs were examined: EPC-self (EPC-S, having sex with someone other than one's mate, and EPC-other (EPC-O, having sex with someone else's mate. In a sample of 229 women and 161 men, significantly higher levels of early psychosocial stress were found amongst those reporting an EPC-S than those reporting none, irrespective of EPC-Os. Furthermore, the more EPC-Ss men, but not women, reported the higher their early psychosocial stress. Early psychosocial stress was not associated with EPC-Os irrespective of EPC-Ss. Participants were also classified into one of four groups (no EPCs, EPC-O only, EPC-S only, or EPC-S&O which significantly interacted with early psychosocial stress. Results are discussed from adaptationist and mechanist perspectives and why early psychosocial stress was higher in individuals reporting EPC-Ss irrespective of EPC-Os, but not EPC-Os irrespective of EPC-Ss, than those not reporting the EPC of interest.

  4. High Compressive Stresses Near the Surface of the Sierra Nevada, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martel, S. J.; Logan, J. M.; Stock, G. M.

    2012-12-01

    Observations and stress measurements in granitic rocks of the Sierra Nevada, California reveal strong compressive stresses parallel to the surface of the range at shallow depths. New overcoring measurements show high compressive stresses at three locations along an east-west transect through Yosemite National Park. At the westernmost site (west end of Tenaya Lake), the mean compressive stress is 1.9. At the middle site (north shore of Tenaya Lake) the mean compressive stress is 6.8 MPa. At the easternmost site (south side of Lembert Dome) the mean compressive stress is 3.0 MPa. The trend of the most compressive stress at these sites is within ~30° of the strike of the local topographic surface. Previously published hydraulic fracturing measurements by others elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada indicate surface-parallel compressive stresses of several MPa within several tens of meters of the surface, with the stress magnitudes generally diminishing to the west. Both the new and the previously published compressive stress magnitudes are consistent with the presence of sheeting joints (i.e., "exfoliation joints") in the Sierra Nevada, which require lateral compressive stresses of several MPa to form. These fractures are widespread: they are distributed in granitic rocks from the north end of the range to its southern tip and across the width of the range. Uplift along the normal faults of the eastern escarpment, recently measured by others at ~1-2 mm/yr, probably contributes to these stresses substantially. Geodetic surveys reveal that normal faulting flexes a range concave upwards in response to fault slip, and this flexure is predicted by elastic dislocation models. The topographic relief of the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada is 2-4 km, and since alluvial fill generally buries the bedrock east of the faults, the offset of granitic rocks is at least that much. Compressive stresses of several MPa are predicted by elastic dislocation models of the range front

  5. Work stress and innate immune response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boscolo, P; Di Gioacchino, M; Reale, M; Muraro, R; Di Giampaolo, L

    2011-01-01

    Several reports highlight the relationship between blood NK cytotoxic activity and life style. Easy life style, including physical activity, healthy dietary habits as well as good mental health are characterized by an efficient immune response. Life style is related to the type of occupational activity since work has a central part in life either as source of income or contributing to represent the social identity. Not only occupational stress, but also job loss or insecurity are thus considered serious stressful situations, inducing emotional disorders which may affect both neuroendocrine and immune systems; reduced reactivity to mitogens and/or decreased blood NK cytotoxic activity was reported in unemployed workers or in those with a high perception of job insecurity and/or job stress. Although genetic factors have a key role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders, occupational stress (as in night shifts) was reported associated to an increased incidence of autoimmune disorders. Monitoring blood NK response may thus be included in the health programs as an indirect index of stressful job and/or poor lifestyle.

  6. Cardiorespiratory fitness protects against stress-related symptoms of burnout and depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, Markus; Lindwall, Magnus; Lindegård, Agneta; Börjesson, Mats; Jonsdottir, Ingibjörg H

    2013-10-01

    To examine how cardiorespiratory fitness and self-perceived stress are associated with burnout and depression. To determine if any relationship between stress and burnout/depression is mitigated among participants with high fitness levels. 197 participants (51% men, mean age=39.2 years) took part in the study. The Åstrand bicycle test was used to assess cardorespiratory fitness. Burnout was measured with the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ), depressive symptoms with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD-D). A gender-matched stratified sample was used to ensure that participants with varying stress levels were equally represented. Participants with moderate and high fitness reported fewer symptoms of burnout and depression than participants with low fitness. Individuals with high stress who also had moderate or high fitness levels reported lower scores on the SMBQ Tension subscale and the HAD-D than individuals with high stress, but low fitness levels. Better cardiovascular fitness seems to be associated with decreased symptoms of burnout and a better capacity to cope with stress. Promoting and measuring cardiorespiratory fitness can motivate employees to adopt a more physically active lifestyle and thus strengthen their ability to cope with stress exposure and stress-related disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Work-related social support modulates effects of early life stress on limbic reactivity during stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leicht-Deobald, Ulrich; Bruch, Heike; Bönke, Luisa; Stevense, Amie; Fan, Yan; Bajbouj, Malek; Grimm, Simone

    2017-12-15

    Early life stress (ELS) affects stress- reactivity via limbic brain regions implicated such as hippocampus and amygdala. Social support is a major protective factor against ELS effects, while subjects with ELS experience reportedly perceive less of it in their daily life. The workplace, where most adults spend a substantial amount of time in their daily lives, might serve as a major resource for social support. Since previous data demonstrated that social support attenuates stress reactivity, we here used a psychosocial stress task to test the hypothesis that work-related social support modulates the effects of ELS. Results show decreased amygdala reactivity during stress in ELS subjects who report high levels of work- related social support, thereby indicating a signature for reduced stress reactivity. However, this effect was only observable on the neural, but not on the behavioral level, since social support had no buffering effect regarding the subjective experience of stress in daily life as well as regarding feelings of uncontrollability induced by the stress task. Accordingly, our data suggest that subjects with ELS experiences might benefit from interventions targeted at lowering their subjective stress levels by helping them to better perceive the availability of social support in their daily lives.

  8. Tsunami-affected Scandinavian tourists: disaster exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heir, Trond; Rosendal, Susanne; Bergh-Johannesson, Kerstin

    2011-01-01

    Studies of short- and long-term mental effects of natural disasters have reported a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress. Less is known about disaster-exposed tourists repatriated to stable societies.......Studies of short- and long-term mental effects of natural disasters have reported a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress. Less is known about disaster-exposed tourists repatriated to stable societies....

  9. What characterizes persons with high levels of perceived stress in Denmark? A national representative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Line; Curtis, Tine; Kristensen, Tage S; Rod Nielsen, Naja

    2008-06-01

    Stress is a growing public health problem, but there are only a few studies with national representative samples on the occurrence of stress. The aim of this study was to assess the level of stress, measured by the Perceived Stress Scale, in Denmark, and to identify and characterize the group with high levels of stress by factors measured at both the individual and neighbourhood levels in a national representative sample of the Danish population. The 10,022 participants in the National Health Interview Survey 2005 were asked about perceived stress and individual factors in a cross-sectional design. Information on neighbourhood factors was derived from a national registry. Data were analysed by means of logistic regression models. Low education, heavy smoking, physical inactivity, lack of social network and poor working conditions were associated with perceived stress. For women, living in a neighbourhood with low average education, and for men, living in a neighbourhood with a high rate of crime and a low degree of ethnic diversity, were associated with higher perceived stress. Perceived stress was also related to indicators of morbidity. The group with high perceived stress is characterized by individual and neighbourhood factors with negative impacts on quality of life and risk of illness. This knowledge can guide future stress prevention efforts. Additionally, the results suggest a negative social component where perceived stress, unhealthy lifestyle and low social status are accumulated, and perceived stress might be used as a measure to identify groups characterized by accumulation of risk factors.

  10. Treatment of Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome With Radial Soundwave Therapy in Elite Athletes: Current Evidence, Report on Two Cases, and Proposed Treatment Regimen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, Amol; Fullem, Brian; Gerdesmeyer, Ludger

    Two case reports of high-level athletes with medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), 1 an Olympian with an actual stress fracture, are presented. Successful treatment included radial soundwave therapy, pneumatic leg braces, relative rest using an antigravity treadmill, and temporary foot orthoses. Radial soundwave therapy has a high level of evidence for treatment of MTSS. We also present recent evidence of the value of vitamin D assessment. Both patients had a successful outcome with minimal downtime. Finally, a suggested treatment regimen for MTSS is presented. Copyright © 2017 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Demountable low stress high field toroidal field magnet system for tokamak fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, J.; Hsieh, D.; Lehner, J.; Suenaga, M.

    1977-01-01

    A new type of superconducting magnet system for large fusion reactors is described in this report. Instead of winding large planar or multi-axis coils, as has been proposed in previous fusion reactor designs, the superconducting coils are made by joining together several prefabricated conductor sections. The joints can be unmade and sections removed if they fail. Conductor sections can be made at a factory and shipped to the reactor site for assembly. The conductor stress level in the assembled coil can be kept small by external support of the coil at a number of points along its perimeter, so that the magnetic forces are transmitted to an external warm reinforcement structure. This warm reinforcement structure can also be the primary containment for the fusion reactor, constructed similar to a PCRV (Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessel) used in fission reactors. Low thermal conductivity, high strength supports are used to transfer the magnetic forces to the external reinforcement through a hydraulic system. The hydraulic supports are movable and can be programmed to accommodate thermal contraction and to minimize stress in the superconducting coil

  12. Psychosocial Stress During First Pregnancy Predicts Infant Health Outcomes in the First Postnatal Year.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelan, A L; DiBenedetto, M R; Paul, I M; Zhu, J; Kjerulff, K H

    2015-12-01

    To evaluate the impact of psychosocial stress during pregnancy on infant health outcomes in the first postnatal year. A sample of 3000 women completed a stress inventory (the Psychosocial Hassles Scale) during their third trimester before first childbirth. Infant health outcomes were measured via maternal report at 1, 6 and 12 months postpartum. Poisson regression was used to model the effect of maternal stress during pregnancy on infant health outcomes in the first year, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, education, insurance coverage, marital status, and cigarette smoking during pregnancy. Women who were younger, minority, unmarried, publicly insured and without a college degree were more likely to report high levels of prenatal stress. High prenatal stress was a significant predictor of maternal reporting of gastrointestinal illness (p stress was also a significant predictor of urgent care visits (p stress is associated with increased maternal reporting of infant illness, as well as increased frequency of both urgent care visits and emergency department visits.

  13. STRESS FRACTURE OF THE FIRST RIB IN A HIGH SCHOOL WEIGHT LIFTER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroyuki Fujioka

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available A 17-year-old boy, who played a weight lifting in high school, sustained stress fracture of the first rib without any causes. We successfully treated first rib stress fracture with limitation of using the upper extremity and with using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound

  14. Data Integration for Health and Stress Monitoring: Biological Metabolites, Wearables Data, and Self-Reporting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunn, Jocelyn T.

    Integrative and unobtrusive approaches to monitoring health and stress can assist in preventative medicine and disease management, and provide capabilities for complex work environments, such as military deployments and long-duration human space exploration missions. With many data streams that could potentially provide critical information about the health, behavior, and psychosocial states of individuals or small groups, the central question of this research is how to reliably measure health and stress states over time. This integrative approach to health and stress monitoring has implemented biological metabolite profiling, wearables data analysis, and survey assessment for comparing biological, behavioral, and psychological perspectives. Health monitoring technologies aim to provide objective data about health status. Providing objective information can help mitigate biases or blind spots in an individual's perception. Consider an individual who is unwilling to openly admit to psychosocial distress and unhealthy habits, or an individual who has habituated to long-term stressors and is unable to recognize a chronic state of high stress. Both honesty and self-awareness are required for accurate self-reporting. Digital health technologies, such as wearable devices, provide objective data for health monitoring. Compared to surveys, wearables are less influenced by participant openness, and compared to biological samples, wearables require less equipment and less labor for analysis. However, inherent to every data stream are limitations due to uncertainty and sensitivity. This research has been conducted in collaboration with Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), which is a Mars analog research site on the slopes on Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. During 8-month and 12-month HI-SEAS missions in the 2014-2016 timeframe, twelve individuals provided hair and urine samples for metabolite profiling, utilized consumer-grade wearables to monitor sleep and

  15. Self-reported versus behavioral self-handicapping: empirical evidence for a theoretical distinction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirt, E R; Deppe, R K; Gordon, L J

    1991-12-01

    The present study was an investigation of how Ss would respond when given 2 self-handicapping options, 1 behavioral (withdrawal of practice effort) and 1 self-reported (reporting high levels of stress). Ss anticipating a diagnostic test of intellectual ability were given different instructions regarding the effects of stress and practice on test performance. Ss were told that (a) stress only, (b) practice only, (c) both stress and practice, or (d) neither stress nor practice affected test scores. Ss were then given the opportunity to self-report a handicap on a stress inventory and to behaviorally self-handicap by failing to practice before the test. High self-handicapping men and women showed evidence of self-reported handicapping, but only high self-handicapping men behaviorally self-handicapped. However, when both self-handicaps were viable, both high self-handicapping men and women preferred the self-reported over the behavioral self-handicap.

  16. Relationship between Job Stress and 5-HT2A Receptor Polymorphisms on Self-Reported Sleep Quality in Physicians in Urumqi (Xinjiang, China): A Cross-Sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiaoyan; Ge, Hua; Jiang, Yu; Lian, Yulong; Zhang, Chen; Liu, Jiwen

    2018-05-21

    The serotonin receptor (5-HTR) plays a key role in sleep quality regulation. Job-related stress is an important factor that influences sleep quality. However, few reports on the interaction between 5-HTR2A polymorphisms and job stress, and how they may impact upon sleep quality are available. Therefore this study investigated the effects of job stress, 5-HTR2A polymorphisms, and their interaction on sleep quality, in physicians. Using a two-stage stratified sampling method, 918 participants were initially invited to participate in the study. After screening for study inclusion and exclusion criteria, 504 subjects were eventually included in the study. Job stress and sleep quality were assessed using the Job Stress Survey (JSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. The 5-HTR2A receptor gene polymorphisms T102C and -1438G/A of were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Job stress was significantly associated with sleep quality. High levels of job stress were linked to a higher risk of poor sleep quality compared to low or moderate levels [odds ratio (OR) = 2.909, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.697⁻4.986]. High levels of stress may reduce subjects’ sleep quality, leading to an increase the likelihood of sleep disturbances and subsequent daytime dysfunction. The 5-HTR2A receptor gene polymorphism T102C was not significantly associated with sleep quality in this study, however, the -1438G/A polymorphism was significantly associated with sleep quality. The GG genotype of the -1438G/A polymorphism was linked to poorer sleep quality. When compared with subjects with low job-related stress levels×AG/AA genotype (OR = 2.106, 95% CI: 1.278⁻3.471), physicians with high job-related stress levels×GG genotype had a higher risk of experiencing poor sleep quality (OR = 13.400, 95% CI: 3.143⁻57.137). The findings of our study indicate that job stress and 5-HTR2A receptor gene polymorphisms are associated

  17. Wind-Induced Fatigue Analysis of High-Rise Steel Structures Using Equivalent Structural Stress Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Fang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Welded beam-to-column connections of high-rise steel structures are susceptive to fatigue damage under wind loading. However, most fatigue assessments in the field of civil engineering are mainly based on nominal stress or hot spot stress theories, which has the disadvantage of dependence on the meshing styles and massive curves selected. To address this problem, in this paper, the equivalent structural stress method with advantages of mesh-insensitive quality and capability of unifying different stress-life curves (S-N curves into one is introduced to the wind-induced fatigue assessment of a large-scale complicated high-rise steel structure. The multi-scale finite element model is established and the corresponding wind loading is simulated. Fatigue life assessments using equivalent structural stress method, hot spot stress method and nominal stress method are performed, and the results are verified and comparisons are made. The mesh-insensitive quality is also verified. The results show that the lateral weld toe of the butt weld connecting the beam flange plate and the column is the location where fatigue damage most likely happens. Nominal stress method considers fatigue assessment of welds in a more global way by averaging all the stress on the weld section while in equivalent structural stress method and hot spot method local stress concentration can be taken into account more precisely.

  18. Melatonin induction and its role in high light stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyoung Yool; Back, Kyoungwhan

    2018-05-16

    In plants, melatonin is a potent bioactive molecule involved in the response against various biotic and abiotic stresses. However, little is known of its defensive role against high light (HL) stress. In this study, we found that melatonin was transiently induced in response to HL stress in Arabidopsis thaliana with a simultaneous increase in the expression of melatonin biosynthetic genes, including serotonin N-acetyltransferase1 (SNAT1). Transient induction of melatonin was also observed in the flu mutant, a singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 )-producing mutant, upon light exposure, suggestive of melatonin induction by chloroplastidic 1 O 2 against HL stress. An Arabidopsis snat1 mutant was devoid of melatonin induction upon HL stress, resulting in high susceptibility to HL stress. Exogenous melatonin treatment mitigated damage caused by HL stress in the snat1 mutant by reducing O 2 - production and increasing the expression of various ROS-responsive genes. In analogy, an Arabidopsis SNAT1-overexpressing line showed increased tolerance of HL stress concomitant with a reduction in malondialdehyde and ion leakage. A complementation line expressing an Arabidopsis SNAT1 genomic fragment in the snat1 mutant completely restored HL stress susceptibility in the snat1 mutant to levels comparable to that of wild-type Col-0 plants. The results of the analysis of several Arabidopsis genetic lines reveal for the first time at the genetic level that melatonin is involved in conferring HL stress tolerance in plants. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Risk factors for psychological stress among international business travellers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Striker, J.; Luippold, R. S.; Nagy, L.; Liese, B.; Bigelow, C.; Mundt, K. A.

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: This study investigated sources of self reported psychological stress among international business travellers at the World Bank, following up on a previous study showing that travellers submitted more insurance claims for psychological disorders. Hypotheses were that work, personal, family, and health concerns, as well as time zone travel, contribute to travel stress. METHODS: A travel survey was developed from focus groups and consisted of questions about these potential sources of travel stress. Surveys were sent to a random sample of staff, stratified by number of travel missions, age range, and sex. Canonical correlation analyses estimated the association between key survey items on sources of stress and two measures of travel stress. RESULTS: 498 staff completed the survey. More than a third reported high to very high travel stress. Correlations between predictors and travel stress showed that social and emotional concerns (such as impact of travel on family and sense of isolation) contributed the most to such stress, followed by health concerns, and workload upon return from travel. Surprisingly, time zone travel did not contribute to the self reported stress of these travellers. There were few modifiers of stress, although respondents suggested that a day of rest after travel and reduced workloads would help. CONCLUSIONS: The current study confirms clinical impressions about several correlates of travel stress. Similar research with travellers in other organisations could help to determine whether the findings from this study are valid and what measures can be taken to reduce the psychological health risks to travellers.   PMID:10450241

  20. Having your cake and eating it too: a habit of comfort food may link chronic social stress exposure and acute stress-induced cortisol hyporesponsiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tryon, M S; DeCant, Rashel; Laugero, K D

    2013-04-10

    Stress has been tied to changes in eating behavior and food choice. Previous studies in rodents have shown that chronic stress increases palatable food intake which, in turn, increases visceral fat and inhibits acute stress-induced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. The effect of chronic stress on eating behavior in humans is less understood, but it may be linked to HPA responsivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of chronic social stress and acute stress reactivity on food choice and food intake. Forty-one women (BMI=25.9±5.1 kg/m(2), age range=41 to 52 years) were subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test or a control task (nature movie) to examine HPA responses to an acute laboratory stressor and then invited to eat from a buffet containing low- and high-calorie snacks. Women were also categorized as high chronic stress or low chronic stress based on Wheaton Chronic Stress Inventory scores. Women reporting higher chronic stress and exhibiting low cortisol reactivity to the acute stress task consumed significantly more calories from chocolate cake on both stress and control visits. Chronic stress in the low cortisol reactor group was also positively related to total fat mass, body fat percentage, and stress-induced negative mood. Further, women reporting high chronic stress consumed significantly less vegetables, but only in those aged 45 years and older. Chronic stress in women within the higher age category was positively related to total calories consumed at the buffet, stress-induced negative mood and food craving. Our results suggest an increased risk for stress eating in persons with a specific chronic stress signature and imply that a habit of comfort food may link chronic social stress and acute stress-induced cortisol hyporesponsiveness. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Financial stress, parent functioning and adolescent problem behavior: an actor-partner interdependence approach to family stress processes in low-, middle-, and high-income families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponnet, Koen

    2014-10-01

    The family stress model proposes that financial stress experienced by parents is associated with problem behavior in adolescents. The present study applied an actor-partner interdependence approach to the family stress model and focused on low-, middle-, and high-income families to broaden our understanding of the pathways by which the financial stress of mothers and fathers are related to adolescent outcomes. The study uses dyadic data (N = 798 heterosexual couples) from the Relationship between Mothers, Fathers and Children study in which two-parent families with an adolescent between 11 and 17 years of age participated. Path-analytic results indicated that in each of the families the association between parents' financial stress and problem behavior in adolescents is mediated through parents' depressive symptoms, interparental conflict, and positive parenting. Family stress processes also appear to operate in different ways for low-, middle-, and high-income families. In addition to a higher absolute level of financial stress in low-income families, financial stress experienced by mothers and fathers in these families had significant direct and indirect effects on problem behavior in adolescents, while in middle- and high-income families only significant indirect effects were found. The financial stress of a low-income mother also had a more detrimental impact on her level of depressive feelings than it had on mothers in middle-income families. Furthermore, the study revealed gender differences in the pathways of mothers and fathers. Implications for research, clinical practice, and policy are also discussed.

  2. High stresses stored in fault zones: example of the Nojima fault (Japan)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boullier, Anne-Marie; Robach, Odile; Ildefonse, Benoît; Barou, Fabrice; Mainprice, David; Ohtani, Tomoyuki; Fujimoto, Koichiro

    2018-04-01

    During the last decade pulverized rocks have been described on outcrops along large active faults and attributed to damage related to a propagating seismic rupture front. Questions remain concerning the maximal lateral distance from the fault plane and maximal depth for dynamic damage to be imprinted in rocks. In order to document these questions, a representative core sample of granodiorite located 51.3 m from the Nojima fault (Japan) that was drilled after the Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake is studied by using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and high-resolution X-ray Laue microdiffraction. Although located outside of the Nojima damage fault zone and macroscopically undeformed, the sample shows pervasive microfractures and local fragmentation. These features are attributed to the first stage of seismic activity along the Nojima fault characterized by laumontite as the main sealing mineral. EBSD mapping was used in order to characterize the crystallographic orientation and deformation microstructures in the sample, and X-ray microdiffraction was used to measure elastic strain and residual stresses on each point of the mapped quartz grain. Both methods give consistent results on the crystallographic orientation and show small and short wavelength misorientations associated with laumontite-sealed microfractures and alignments of tiny fluid inclusions. Deformation microstructures in quartz are symptomatic of the semi-brittle faulting regime, in which low-temperature brittle plastic deformation and stress-driven dissolution-deposition processes occur conjointly. This deformation occurred at a 3.7-11.1 km depth interval as indicated by the laumontite stability domain. Residual stresses are calculated from deviatoric elastic strain tensor measured using X-ray Laue microdiffraction using the Hooke's law. The modal value of the von Mises stress distribution is at 100 MPa and the mean at 141 MPa. Such stress values are comparable to the peak strength of a

  3. High stresses stored in fault zones: example of the Nojima fault (Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.-M. Boullier

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available During the last decade pulverized rocks have been described on outcrops along large active faults and attributed to damage related to a propagating seismic rupture front. Questions remain concerning the maximal lateral distance from the fault plane and maximal depth for dynamic damage to be imprinted in rocks. In order to document these questions, a representative core sample of granodiorite located 51.3 m from the Nojima fault (Japan that was drilled after the Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe earthquake is studied by using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD and high-resolution X-ray Laue microdiffraction. Although located outside of the Nojima damage fault zone and macroscopically undeformed, the sample shows pervasive microfractures and local fragmentation. These features are attributed to the first stage of seismic activity along the Nojima fault characterized by laumontite as the main sealing mineral. EBSD mapping was used in order to characterize the crystallographic orientation and deformation microstructures in the sample, and X-ray microdiffraction was used to measure elastic strain and residual stresses on each point of the mapped quartz grain. Both methods give consistent results on the crystallographic orientation and show small and short wavelength misorientations associated with laumontite-sealed microfractures and alignments of tiny fluid inclusions. Deformation microstructures in quartz are symptomatic of the semi-brittle faulting regime, in which low-temperature brittle plastic deformation and stress-driven dissolution-deposition processes occur conjointly. This deformation occurred at a 3.7–11.1 km depth interval as indicated by the laumontite stability domain. Residual stresses are calculated from deviatoric elastic strain tensor measured using X-ray Laue microdiffraction using the Hooke's law. The modal value of the von Mises stress distribution is at 100 MPa and the mean at 141 MPa. Such stress values are comparable to

  4. Growth and Development Temperature Influences Level of Tolerance to High Light Stress 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steffen, Kenneth L.; Palta, Jiwan P.

    1989-01-01

    The influence of growth and development temperature on the relative tolerance of photosynthetic tissue to high light stress at chilling temperatures was investigated. Two tuber-bearing potato species, Solanum tuberosum L. cv Red Pontiac and Solanum commersonii were grown for 4 weeks, at either 12 or 24°C with 12 hours of about 375 micromoles per second per square meter of photosynthetically active radiation. Paired leaf discs were cut from directly across the midvein of leaflets of comparable developmental stage and light environment from each species at each growth temperature treatment. One disc of each pair was exposed to 1°C and about 1000 micromoles per second per square meter photosynthetically active radiation for 4 hours, and the other disc was held at 1°C in total darkness for the same duration. Photosynthetic tissue of S. tuberosum, developed at 12°C, was much more tolerant to high light and low temperature stress than tissue developed under 24°C conditions. Following the high light treatment, 24°C-grown S. tuberosum tissue demonstrated light-limited and light-saturated rates that were approximately 50% of their paired dark controls. In contrast, the 12°C-grown tissue from S. tuberosum that was subjected to the light stress showed only a 18 and 6% reduction in light-limited and light-saturated rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution, respectively. Tissue from 24°C-grown S. commersonii was much less sensitive to the light stress than was tissue from S. tuberosum grown under the same conditions. The results presented here demonstrate that: (a) acclimation of S. tuberosum to lower temperature growth conditions with a constant light environment, results in the increased capacity of photosynthetic tissue to tolerate high light stress at chilling temperature and (b) following growth and development at relatively high temperatures S. commersonii, a frost- and heat-tolerant wild species, has a much greater tolerance to the high light stress at chilling

  5. Job stress, satisfaction, and coping strategies among medical interns in a South Indian tertiary hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandramouleeswaran, Susmita; Edwin, Natasha C; Braganza, Deepa

    2014-07-01

    It has previously been demonstrated that there is a significant drop in all domains of quality of life among interns during internship. A modified version of the health consultant's job stress and satisfaction questionnaire (HCJSSQ) was used to assess and quantify aspects of internship that were perceived as stressful and satisfying. Methods used to cope with work place stress were explored. A prospective cohort study was undertaken among 93 medical interns doing a rotating internship at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, a tertiary-care hospital in southern India. After completion of 6 months of internship, the modified version of the HCJSSQ was administered to all participants. The data were entered into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 9 by double data entry technique. Percentages of interns reporting high levels of stress, satisfaction were calculated. While 63.4% of interns reported high levels of satisfaction, 45.2% of the interns experienced high levels of stress, 17.6% coped with work stress by using alcohol and nicotine, and 37% coped through unhealthy eating habits. More people found internship satisfying than stressful. However, a high proportion found it stressful, and many reported unhealthy coping mechanisms.

  6. Stress and mental health among medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Backović Dušan V.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Medical studies bring many stressful activities to students. Prolonged stress can make adverse effects to mental health and lead to further professional burnout. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the association of stress impact and adverse effects of medical studies with psychological distress among medical students. Methods. The cross sectional study was conducted on 367 fourth­year medical students of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, by means of the anonymous questionnaire, containing: socio­demographic data, self­reported health status and stressful influences of studying activities. Mental health status was estimated by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ­12. Results. More than 50% of students perceive frequent feeling of psychic tension, and one third has problems with insomnia. Nearly one­half of students assessed their general stress level as moderate or high. Exams were estimated as high stressor in 63.1% of all students. Stressful effects of communication with teaching staff were reported by one quarter of the examinees. The scores of GHQ­12 were above the threshold in 55.6 % of all students. Mental health problems among students were most significantly associated with stressful experience during exams and contacts with teaching staff. Conclusion. Academic stress makes great influence on mental health of medical students. Reduction of stress effects should be directed to optimization of the examination process and improvement of communication skills. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. OI 175078

  7. Manubrial stress fractures diagnosed on MRI: report of two cases and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Jonathan C; Demertzis, Jennifer L

    2016-06-01

    In contrast to widely-reported sternal insufficiency fractures, stress fractures of the sternum from overuse are extremely rare. Of the 5 cases of sternal stress fracture published in the English-language medical literature, 3 were in the sternal body and only 2 were in the manubrium. We describe two cases of manubrial stress fracture related to golf and weightlifting, and present the first report of the MR findings of this injury. In each of these cases, the onset of pain was atraumatic, insidious, and associated with increased frequency of athletic activity. Imaging was obtained because of clinical diagnostic uncertainty. On MRI, each patient had a sagittally oriented stress fracture of the lateral manubrium adjacent to the first rib synchondrosis. Both patients had resolution of pain after a period of rest, with subsequent successful return to their respective activities. One patient had a follow-up MRI, which showed resolution of the manubrial marrow edema and fracture line. Based on the sternal anatomy and MR findings, we hypothesize that this rare injury might be caused by repetitive torque of the muscle forces on the first costal cartilage and manubrium, and propose that MRI might be an effective means of diagnosing manubrial stress fracture.

  8. Manubrial stress fractures diagnosed on MRI: report of two cases and review of the literature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baker, Jonathan C.; Demertzis, Jennifer L. [Washington University School of Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Musculoskeletal Section, St Louis, MO (United States)

    2016-06-15

    In contrast to widely-reported sternal insufficiency fractures, stress fractures of the sternum from overuse are extremely rare. Of the 5 cases of sternal stress fracture published in the English-language medical literature, 3 were in the sternal body and only 2 were in the manubrium. We describe two cases of manubrial stress fracture related to golf and weightlifting, and present the first report of the MR findings of this injury. In each of these cases, the onset of pain was atraumatic, insidious, and associated with increased frequency of athletic activity. Imaging was obtained because of clinical diagnostic uncertainty. On MRI, each patient had a sagittally oriented stress fracture of the lateral manubrium adjacent to the first rib synchondrosis. Both patients had resolution of pain after a period of rest, with subsequent successful return to their respective activities. One patient had a follow-up MRI, which showed resolution of the manubrial marrow edema and fracture line. Based on the sternal anatomy and MR findings, we hypothesize that this rare injury might be caused by repetitive torque of the muscle forces on the first costal cartilage and manubrium, and propose that MRI might be an effective means of diagnosing manubrial stress fracture. (orig.)

  9. Manubrial stress fractures diagnosed on MRI: report of two cases and review of the literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, Jonathan C.; Demertzis, Jennifer L.

    2016-01-01

    In contrast to widely-reported sternal insufficiency fractures, stress fractures of the sternum from overuse are extremely rare. Of the 5 cases of sternal stress fracture published in the English-language medical literature, 3 were in the sternal body and only 2 were in the manubrium. We describe two cases of manubrial stress fracture related to golf and weightlifting, and present the first report of the MR findings of this injury. In each of these cases, the onset of pain was atraumatic, insidious, and associated with increased frequency of athletic activity. Imaging was obtained because of clinical diagnostic uncertainty. On MRI, each patient had a sagittally oriented stress fracture of the lateral manubrium adjacent to the first rib synchondrosis. Both patients had resolution of pain after a period of rest, with subsequent successful return to their respective activities. One patient had a follow-up MRI, which showed resolution of the manubrial marrow edema and fracture line. Based on the sternal anatomy and MR findings, we hypothesize that this rare injury might be caused by repetitive torque of the muscle forces on the first costal cartilage and manubrium, and propose that MRI might be an effective means of diagnosing manubrial stress fracture. (orig.)

  10. Instantaneous strain measurements during high-temperature stress cycling of a dispersion-strengthened niobium alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farkas, D.M.; Mishra, R.S.; Mukherjee, A.K.

    1995-01-01

    Experimental results obtained from stress cycling tests performed during high-temperature creep of a dispersion strengthened niobium alloy indicate that the instantaneous strain following the stress change decreases with accumulated strain. The true work-hardening rate was shown to be a small fraction of the elastic modulus which remained fairly constant throughout the strain history. The instantaneous strain change from a stress addition was typically greater than the strain from the corresponding stress reduction. This effect is quite pronounced for small stress changes and diminishes as the magnitude of the stress change increases. This implies that the mobility of dislocations is impeded in the reverse direction unless the magnitude of stress reduction exceeds the value of the internal stress

  11. The study on stress-strain state of the spring at high temperature using ABAQUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H Sun

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cylindrical helical springs are widely used in the elements of thermal energy devices. It is necessary to guarantee the stability of the stress state of spring in high temperature. Relaxation phenomenon of stress is studied in this paper. Calculations are carried out in the environment of ABAQUS. The verification is taken out using analytical calculations.This paper describes the distribution and character of stress contour lines on the cross section of spring under the condition of instantaneous load, explicates the relaxation law with time. Research object is cylindrical helical spring, that working at high temperature. The purpose of this work is to get the stress relaxation law of spring, and to guarantee the long-term strength.This article presents the basic theory of helical spring. Establishes spring mathematical model of creep under the loads of compression and torsion. The stress formulas of each component in the cross section of spring are given. The calculation process of relaxation is analyzed in the program ABAQUS.In this paper compare the analytical formulas of spring stress with the simulation results, which are created by program ABAQUS.Finite element model for stress creep analysis in the cross section is created, material of spring – stainless steel 10X18N9T, springs are used at the temperature 650℃.At the beginning, stress-stain of spring is in the elastic state. Analyzes the change law of creep stress under the condition of constant load and a fixed compression.When analyzing under the condition of a fixed compression, the stresses are quickly decreased in most area in the cross section of spring, and the point of minimum shear stress gradually moves to the direction of outer diameter, because of this, stresses in a small area near the center increase slowly at first then decrease gradually with time. When analyzing under the condition of constant load, the stresses are quickly decreased in the around area and in creased

  12. Effects of high concentration of chromium stress on physiological ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We studied the effects of high concentration of chromium (Cr) stress on physiological and biochemical characters and accumulation of Cr in Pingyang Tezao tea [Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kutze 'Pingyangtezao'] through a pot experiment. The results show that the indicators of photosynthesis were all suppressed with ...

  13. High self-perceived stress and poor coping in intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirvikoski, Tatja; Blomqvist, My

    2015-08-01

    Despite average intellectual capacity, autistic traits may complicate performance in many everyday situations, thus leading to stress. This study focuses on stress in everyday life in intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorders. In total, 53 adults (25 with autism spectrum disorder and 28 typical adults from the general population) completed the Perceived Stress Scale. Autistic traits were assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient. Adults with autism spectrum disorder reported significantly higher subjective stress and poorer ability to cope with stress in everyday life, as compared to typical adults. Autistic traits were associated with both subjective stress/distress and coping in this cross-sectional series. The long-term consequences of chronic stress in everyday life, as well as treatment intervention focusing on stress and coping, should be addressed in future research as well as in the clinical management of intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorder. © The Author(s) 2014.

  14. Investigation of the influence on residual stresses of porosity in high temperature ZrO2 coatings on Ag tape for magnet technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arman, Yusuf; Aktas, Mehmet; Celik, Erdal; Mutlu, Ibrahim H.; Sayman, Onur

    2007-01-01

    The present paper reports on the effect on residual stresses of porosity in high temperature ZrO 2 coatings on Ag tape for magnet technologies. ZrO 2 coatings were fabricated on Ag tape substrate using a reel-to-reel sol-gel system. The microstructural evolution of high temperature ZrO 2 coatings was investigated by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). SEM observations revealed that ZrO 2 coatings with crack had some porosity and mosaic structure. Stress analysis was carried out on ZrO 2 coatings with porosity on Ag tape substrates under cryogenic conditions by using classical lamination theory (CLT) for elastic solution and finite element method (FEM) for elasto-plastic solution in the temperature range of 0 o C to -223 o C in liquid helium media. Because of the static equilibrium, tensile force is applied to the Ag substrate, by ZrO 2 coating. The stress component (σ x ) values change rapidly at coating-substrate interface owing to the different moduli of elasticity and thermal expansion coefficient. In spite of the thickness of Ag substrate, the stress components vary from tensile to compressive. In addition, along the thickness of ZrO 2 coating and Ag substrate system, the stress distribution changes linearly. FEM results demonstrate that the failure does not occur in ZrO 2 coating for all porosities due to its high yield strength

  15. Threading dislocation movement in AlGaN/GaN-on-Si high electron mobility transistors under high temperature reverse bias stressing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. A. Sasangka

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Dislocations are known to be associated with both physical and electrical degradation mechanisms of AlGaN/GaN-on-Si high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs. We have observed threading dislocation movement toward the gate-edges in AlGaN/GaN-on-Si HEMT under high reverse bias stressing. Stressed devices have higher threading dislocation densities (i.e. ∼5 × 109/cm2 at the gate-edges, as compared to unstressed devices (i.e. ∼2.5 × 109/cm2. Dislocation movement correlates well with high tensile stress (∼1.6 GPa at the gate-edges, as seen from inverse piezoelectric calculations and x-ray synchrotron diffraction residual stress measurements. Based on Peierls stress calculation, we believe that threading dislocations move via glide in 〈 11 2 ¯ 0 〉 / { 1 1 ¯ 00 } and 〈 11 2 ¯ 0 〉 / { 1 1 ¯ 01 } slip systems. This result illustrates the importance of threading dislocation mobility in controlling the reliability of AlGaN/GaN-on-Si HEMTs.

  16. Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy and post-traumatic stress disorder after a skiing accident: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harb, Birgit Maria; Wonisch, Manfred; Fruhwald, Friedrich; Fazekas, Christian

    2015-03-01

    Symptoms of a post-traumatic stress disorder can follow Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy. This vignette describes such a linkage and exemplifies the risk that these symptoms may remain undetected. After a skiing accident that had evoked existential fear of suffocation, a post-menopausal woman was diagnosed with Tako-tsubo syndrome and myocardial contusion. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder appeared 2 weeks after remission of the cardiomyopathy. Two months later, a psychological assessment was conducted during cardiac rehabilitation. A post-traumatic stress disorder was diagnosed and successfully treated by narrative exposure. This case report suggests that these patients should be informed during the initial hospital stay that post-traumatic stress symptoms could appear. It also suggests including a screening for post-traumatic stress disorder in the follow-up of these patients.

  17. Social Stress and Substance Use Disparities by Sexual Orientation Among High School Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowry, Richard; Johns, Michelle M; Robin, Leah E; Kann, Laura K

    2017-10-01

    Sexual minority youth often experience increased social stress due to prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and victimization. Increased stress may help explain the disproportionate use of substances like tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drug use by sexual minority youth. This study examined the effect of social stress on substance use disparities by sexual orientation among U.S. high school students. In 2016, data from the national 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted among a nationally representative sample of 15,624 U.S. high school students, were analyzed to examine the effect of school-related (threatened/injured at school, bullied at school, bullied electronically, felt unsafe at school) and non-school-related (forced sexual intercourse, early sexual debut) social stress on substance use disparities by sexual orientation, by comparing unadjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and adjusted (for social stressors, age, sex, and race/ethnicity) prevalence ratios (APRs). Unadjusted PRs reflected significantly (pprevention programs might appropriately include strategies to reduce social stress, including policies and practices designed to provide a safe school environment and improved access to social and mental health services. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Nurse teacher stress in Northern Ireland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, P; Houghton, D M

    1993-08-01

    Occupational stress among a 60% sample of all nurse tutors in Northern Ireland was investigated by means of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Maslach Burnout Inventory and a stress questionnaire. Seventy per cent of tutors judged themselves to be worse or much worse than usual on 45% of GHQ items. Significant levels of moderate and high burnout were discovered on the sub-scales of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, with an almost unanimous (95%) report of high burnout arising out of feelings of lack of personal accomplishment. Male nurse tutors reported more frequent and more intense signs of burnout than their female counterparts at a statistically significant level of difference in emotional exhaustion (P = 0.028 and P = 0.003 respectively) and in depersonalization (P work stressor most commonly identified by tutors (72%) was that of experiencing too little time to perform their duties to their satisfaction. The most common request for help to alleviate workplace stress (61%) was for more support and appreciation from their seniors.

  19. Suppression of endothelial t-PA expression by prolonged high laminar shear stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ulfhammer, Erik; Carlstroem, Maria; Bergh, Niklas; Larsson, Pia; Karlsson, Lena; Jern, Sverker

    2009-01-01

    Primary hypertension is associated with an impaired capacity for acute release of endothelial tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), which is an important local protective response to prevent thrombus extension. As hypertensive vascular remodeling potentially results in increased vascular wall shear stress, we investigated the impact of shear on regulation of t-PA. Cultured human endothelial cells were exposed to low (≤1.5 dyn/cm 2 ) or high (25 dyn/cm 2 ) laminar shear stress for up to 48 h in two different experimental models. Using real-time RT-PCR and ELISA, shear stress was observed to time and magnitude-dependently suppress t-PA transcript and protein secretion to approximately 30% of basal levels. Mechanistic experiments revealed reduced nuclear protein binding to the t-PA specific CRE element (EMSA) and an almost completely abrogated shear response with pharmacologic JNK inhibition. We conclude that prolonged high laminar shear stress suppresses endothelial t-PA expression and may therefore contribute to the enhanced risk of arterial thrombosis in hypertensive disease.

  20. The Bosnian version of the international self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder, the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, is reliable and valid in a variety of different adult samples affected by war

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosner Rita

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to assess the internal consistency and discriminant and convergent validity of the Bosnian version of a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PTDS. The PTDS yields both a PTSD diagnosis according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV and a measure of symptom severity. Methods 812 people living in Sarajevo or in Banja Luka in Bosnia-Herzegovina, of whom the majority had experienced a high number of traumatic war events, were administered the PTDS and other measures of trauma-related psychopathology. The psychometric properties of the instrument were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and principal components analysis, and its construct validity was assessed via Spearman correlation coefficients with the other instruments. Results The PTDS and its subscales demonstrated high internal consistency. The principal components revealed by an exploratory analysis are broadly consistent with the DSM-IV subscales except that they reproduce some previously reported difficulties with the "numbing" items from the avoidance subscale. The construct validity of the PTDS was supported by appropriate correlations with other relevant measures of trauma related psychopathology. Conclusion The Bosnian version of the PTDS thus appears to be a time-economic and psychometrically sound measure for screening and assessing current PTSD. This self-report measure awaits further validation by interview methods.

  1. Qigong program on insomnia and stress in cancer patients: A case series report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seungmo Kim

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: In recent years, the interest in Qigong as an alternative therapy has grown following reports of its ability to regulate psychological factors in cancer patients. This is a case series to evaluate the outcome measures of Qigong when used as an adjunct to standard medical care to treat insomnia and stress in cancer patients. Patients and methods: The Qigong program was applied to four cancer patients with insomnia, stress, and anxiety. The program consisted of 30-min sessions involving exercise, patting of the 12 meridians, and spontaneous breathing exercises three times a week for a period of 4 weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was measured as the primary outcome, while the Stress Scale, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy–General determined the secondary outcomes. Insomnia, stress, and anxiety levels were examined weekly, while quality of life was examined on the first visit and the last visit. Results: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Stress Scale scores were reduced after conduct of the Qigong program. Conclusion: This study could provide a better understanding of Qigong’s influence on insomnia and stress in cancer patients. However, a larger controlled trial should be conducted to confirm these findings.

  2. Low lifetime stress exposure is associated with reduced stimulus–response memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldfarb, Elizabeth V.; Shields, Grant S.; Daw, Nathaniel D.; Slavich, George M.; Phelps, Elizabeth A.

    2017-01-01

    Exposure to stress throughout life can cumulatively influence later health, even among young adults. The negative effects of high cumulative stress exposure are well-known, and a shift from episodic to stimulus–response memory has been proposed to underlie forms of psychopathology that are related to high lifetime stress. At the other extreme, effects of very low stress exposure are mixed, with some studies reporting that low stress leads to better outcomes, while others demonstrate that low stress is associated with diminished resilience and negative outcomes. However, the influence of very low lifetime stress exposure on episodic and stimulus–response memory is unknown. Here we use a lifetime stress assessment system (STRAIN) to assess cumulative lifetime stress exposure and measure memory performance in young adults reporting very low and moderate levels of lifetime stress exposure. Relative to moderate levels of stress, very low levels of lifetime stress were associated with reduced use and retention (24 h later) of stimulus–response (SR) associations, and a higher likelihood of using context memory. Further, computational modeling revealed that participants with low levels of stress exhibited worse expression of memory for SR associations than those with moderate stress. These results demonstrate that very low levels of stress exposure can have negative effects on cognition. PMID:28298555

  3. Displacement behaviour is associated with reduced stress levels among men but not women.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changiz Mohiyeddini

    Full Text Available Sex differences in the ability to cope with stress may contribute to the higher prevalence of stress-related disorders among women compared to men. We recently provided evidence that displacement behaviour--activities such as scratching and face touching--represents an important strategy for coping with stressful situations: in a healthy population of men, displacement behaviour during a social stress test attenuated the relationship between anxiety experienced prior to this test, and the subsequent self-reported experience of stress. Here, we extend this work to look at physiological and cognitive (in addition to self-reported measures of stress, and study both men and women in order to investigate whether sex moderates the link between displacement behaviour and the response to stress. In a healthy study population, we quantified displacement behaviour, heart rate and cognitive performance during the Trier Social Stress Test, and used self-report questionnaires to assess the experience of stress afterwards. Men engaged in displacement behaviour about twice as often as women, and subsequently reported lower levels of stress. Bivariate correlations revealed that for men, higher rates of displacement behaviour were associated with decreased self-reported stress, fewer mistakes in the cognitive task and a trend towards lower heart rate; no relationships between displacement behaviour and stress measures were found for women. Moreover, moderation analyses revealed that high rates of displacement behaviour were associated with lower stress levels in men but not in women, and that high displacement behaviour rates were associated with poorer cognitive performance in women, but not men. These results point to an important sex difference in coping strategies, and highlight new avenues for research into sex biases in stress-related disorders.

  4. Psychological Properties and Stress Tolerance of High-Qualified Athletes Specializing in Athletic Walking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasyl Vasylyuk

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In the field of sports, there is a strong interest in the behavioral strategies of professional athletes, thus the study of the psychological characteristics of highly skilled athletes is a very topical issue. The article raises the question of the characteristics of the sports environment and the manifestations of stress among athletes. In the paper the psychological features of the personalities of highly qualified athletes who specialize in athletic walking on a scale of neuroticism and extraversion are investigated and the level of neuro-psychological stability of highly skilled athletes specializing in athletic walking is revealed. The main factors of stress in sports activities are: intense competition during a sporting contestation aimed at establishing a record or achieving victory over the rival; maximum physical and psychological stress during the contestation; systematic, long and intense training, which significantly affect the daily regime and everyday life. Two types of stress among athletes are singled out: social-emotional and training. A study of 12 highly qualified athletes who specialize in athletic walking showed that most of them (50 % have ambivert abilities. They are concordants and normostenics that are characterized by significant emotional stability, good adaptability, resistance to external influences. However, among the respondents there were some with low and below average neuropsychic stability.

  5. Sleep duration moderates the association between insula activation and risky decisions under stress in adolescents and adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uy, Jessica Phuong; Galván, Adriana

    2017-01-27

    Insufficient sleep has been associated with increased risk-taking and poor decision-making, enhanced physiological responses to stress, and attenuated anterior insula (AI) activity to risk. The AI has also been linked to risky decision-making under acute stress. However, it is yet unknown how naturalistic sleep habits affect risky decision-making and AI activity when individuals feel stressed. In the current study, a daily diary approach was used to document participants' daily stress. Adolescents and adults reported their recent sleep duration and completed two fMRI visits during which they performed a risky decision-making task: once each when they endorsed a high and low level of stress. Results revealed that, regardless of age, individuals who reported receiving more sleep took fewer non-advantageous risks during high stress relative to those who reported receiving fewer hours of sleep per night while sleep duration was not associated with risky behavior under low stress. Among individuals who reported less sleep, those who exhibited reduced AI activation during risk-taking under high stress also took more disadvantageous risks whereas this effect was attenuated for those who reported longer sleep duration. Moreover, longer sleep duration was associated with greater functional coupling between the AI and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) under high stress whereas sleep duration was not associated with AI-DLPFC functional coupling under low stress. These findings suggest that naturalistic sleep duration may amplify the effects of daily stress and alter risky decision-making behavior through interactions with the AI. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  6. Metabolic and oxidative stress markers in Wistar rats after 2 months on a high-fat diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auberval, Nathalie; Dal, Stéphanie; Bietiger, William; Pinget, Michel; Jeandidier, Nathalie; Maillard-Pedracini, Elisa; Schini-Kerth, Valérie; Sigrist, Séverine

    2014-01-01

    Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and hepatic complications. Oxidative stress in metabolic tissues has emerged as a universal feature of metabolic syndrome and its co-morbidities. We aimed to develop a rapidly and easily induced model of metabolic syndrome in rats to evaluate its impact on plasma and tissue oxidative stress. Metabolic syndrome was induced in rats using a high-fat diet (HFD), and these rats were compared to rats fed a normal diet (ND) for 2 months. Metabolic control was determined by measuring body weight, blood glucose, triglycerides, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation in plasma. Insulinemia was evaluated through the measure of C-peptide. Histological analysis was performed on the pancreas, liver and blood vessels. After 2 months, the HFD induced an increase in body weight, insulin and triglycerides. Liver steatosis was also observed in the HFD group, which was associated with an increase in glycogen storage. In the pancreas, the HFD induced islet hyperplasia. Tissue oxidative stress was also increased in the liver, pancreas and blood vessels, but plasma oxidative stress remained unchanged. This paper reports the development of a fast and easy model of rat metabolic syndrome associated with tissue oxidative stress. This model may be a good tool for the biological validation of drugs or antioxidants to limit or prevent the complications of metabolic syndrome.

  7. Stress and Damage in Polymer Matrix Composite Materials Due to Material Degradation at High Temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    McManus, Hugh L.; Chamis, Christos C.

    1996-01-01

    This report describes analytical methods for calculating stresses and damage caused by degradation of the matrix constituent in polymer matrix composite materials. Laminate geometry, material properties, and matrix degradation states are specified as functions of position and time. Matrix shrinkage and property changes are modeled as functions of the degradation states. The model is incorporated into an existing composite mechanics computer code. Stresses, strains, and deformations at the laminate, ply, and micro levels are calculated, and from these calculations it is determined if there is failure of any kind. The rationale for the model (based on published experimental work) is presented, its integration into the laminate analysis code is outlined, and example results are given, with comparisons to existing material and structural data. The mechanisms behind the changes in properties and in surface cracking during long-term aging of polyimide matrix composites are clarified. High-temperature-material test methods are also evaluated.

  8. Reiki brief report: using Reiki to reduce stress levels in a nine-year-old child.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukowski, Elaine L; Berardi, Diana

    2014-01-01

    A nine-year-old female with a history of perinatal stroke, seizures, and type-I diabetes was seen for six weeks of Reiki to determine the effects of Reiki on relaxation, and in turn, the prevention of future seizures. The secondary and tertiary aims were to determine the effects of Reiki on sleep patterns and the stress levels of the mother. There was a decrease in stress in both the child and the mother, as measured by a modified Perceived Stress Scale and a Perceived Stress Scale, respectively. There was no change in the child's overall sense of well-being, as measured by a global questionnaire. There was a positive change in sleep patterns on 33.3% of the nights during which the study occurred, as reported on a sleep log kept by the mother. The child and the Reiki Master (a Reiki practitioner who has completed all three levels of Reiki certification training and trains and certifies individuals in the practice of Reiki as well as provides Reiki to individuals) experienced warmth and tingling sensations on the same area of the child during the Reiki sessions. The child relaxed within the first five to seven minutes of each session as reported by the Reiki Master. There were no reports of seizures during this study. Reiki may be a useful adjunct for children with increased stress levels and sleep disturbances secondary to their medical condition. Further research is warranted to evaluate the use of Reiki in children, particularly with a large sample size, and to evaluate the long-term use of Reiki and its effects on adequate sleep. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Stress, Gender and Time Use

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonke, Jens; Gerstoft, Frederik

    for Australia, Germany, Canada, Korea and the U.S. The number of working hours in the labour market, however, has no impact on stress. For working women, household work decreases the likelihood of their being stressed, while rush-hours work as stressors for women and men. Moreover, the more satisfied women......This paper investigates the gender aspect of stress within a welfare state regime with high employment rates for both women and men. By applying an economic model, an extended model and a stress-level model, we find that higher incomes lead to stress among women and men, confirming findings...... are with their economic situation, the less likely is their reporting of stress. The same holds true for satisfaction with the number of hours--and even more for men. These results underline the importance of including satisfaction information when analysing the presence of stress in developing countries....

  10. Can high social capital at the workplace buffer against stress and musculoskeletal pain?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jay, Kenneth; Andersen, Lars L.

    2018-01-01

    Work-related musculoskeletal pain and stress are both highly prevalent in the working environment and relate well to the biopsychosocial model. While the onset of musculoskeletal pain is often dependent on the biological element of the biopsychosocial model, chronic pain is often influenced...... by psychological and social factors. Similarly, stress is also influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. This study investigates the possibility of social capital being a buffer for stress and musculoskeletal pain in a group of female laboratory technicians.Female laboratory technicians (n = 500......) replied to questions about stress (Cohens Perceived Stress Scale-10), musculoskeletal pain (0-10 visual analog scale), and social capital at the workplace (bonding [in teams], bridging [between teams], and linking [between teams and leaders]). Outcome variables were stress and musculoskeletal pain...

  11. Academic Major as a Perceived Stress Indicator: Extending Stress Management Intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Ross W.; Casazza, Stephen P.

    2012-01-01

    Previous research that has explored stress differences between "hard" and "soft" academic majors did not provide clear criteria for categorizing "hard" and "soft" majors, used a single item to measure reported stress, and reported contradictory stress differences between academic majors (Myrtek, Hilgenberg,…

  12. Stress and sleep disturbances in female college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Shih-Yu; Wuertz, Caroline; Rogers, Rebecca; Chen, Yu-Ping

    2013-11-01

    To describe the sleep characteristics and examine the associations among perceived stress, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and physical symptoms among female college students. A total of 103 students completed a battery of questionnaires. The students experienced high stress during the school year. The majority of them slept less than 6 hours during weekdays and experienced moderate fatigue. High stress levels are associated with sleep disturbances, less nocturnal total sleep time, higher fatigue severity, and more depressive symptoms. Perceived stress and sleep disturbances are significant predictors for depressive symptoms and physical symptoms. Compared to the good sleepers, the poor sleepers reported more daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, and physical symptoms. Interventions to reduce stress and improve sleep are critically needed in college education.

  13. The probability distribution of intergranular stress corrosion cracking life for sensitized 304 stainless steels in high temperature, high purity water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akashi, Masatsune; Kenjyo, Takao; Matsukura, Shinji; Kawamoto, Teruaki

    1984-01-01

    In order to discuss the probability distribution of intergranular stress corrsion carcking life for sensitized 304 stainless steels, a series of the creviced bent beem (CBB) and the uni-axial constant load tests were carried out in oxygenated high temperature, high purity water. The following concludions were resulted; (1) The initiation process of intergranular stress corrosion cracking has been assumed to be approximated by the Poisson stochastic process, based on the CBB test results. (2) The probability distribution of intergranular stress corrosion cracking life may consequently be approximated by the exponential probability distribution. (3) The experimental data could be fitted to the exponential probability distribution. (author)

  14. EU stresstest national report of Germany. Implementation of the EU stress tests in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    The European Council concluded in March 2011 that the safety of all EU nuclear plants should be reviewed on the basis of a comprehensive and transparent risk assessment (''stress test''). In addition to the European initiative, all countries with operating nuclear power plants indicated the performance of immediate safety reviews to take into account any lessons already learned or to be learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident of 11 th March 2011. The German Bundestag (Federal Parliament) called upon the German Federal Government on 17 th March 2011 to conduct a comprehensive review of the safety requirements for the German nuclear power plants. The competent Federal Ministry asked its advisory body, the RSK, to perform this review. The findings of the RSK safety review were presented to the public on 17 th May 2011. For the European stress tests, ENSREG published the scope and modalities for comprehensive risk and safety assessments of EU nuclear power plants on 13 th May 2011. This ''Declaration of ENSREG'' determines the concept, methodology and time schedule of the EU stress test. Detailed requirements on content and structure of the reports and the planned peer reviews in 2012 were developed under the leadership of ENREG and agreed at its meeting on 11 th October 2011. The BMU as the federal regulator in Germany asked the Laender nuclear regulatory authorities to initiate the EU stress tests according to the ENSREG Declaration. A joint meeting of BMU, Laender authorities, expert organisations and the licensees of the German nuclear power plants took place on 30 th June 2011 to agree on the scope and the procedure of stress tests in Germany. It was also decided to take the 30 th June 2011 as the reference date for the plants in operation, regardless future decisions on the possible limitation of the operating time by amendment to the Atomic Energy Act which were in the legislative procedure at that time. The ''stress tests'' were started by all German

  15. Stress among Parents of Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparison Involving Physiological Indicators and Parent Self-Reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padden, Ciara; James, Jack E

    2017-01-01

    Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been reported as experiencing higher levels of stress and poorer physical health than parents of typically developing children. However, most of the relevant literature has been based on parental self-reports of stress and health. While research on physiological outcomes has grown in recent years, gaps still exist in our understanding of the physiological effects, if any, of stress related to parenting a child with ASD. The present study compared parent-reported stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as selected physiological measures of stress (i.e., cortisol, alpha-amylase, and ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate) between matched groups of parents of children with ( N =  38) and without ( N  = 38) ASD. Participants completed questionnaires, collected saliva samples for the purpose of measuring cortisol and alpha-amylase, and wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for 24 h. Parents of children with ASD reported significantly higher levels of parental distress, anxiety, and depression than parents of typically developing children. Parent-reported distress, anxiety, depression, and health were not correlated with physiological measures. With the exception that parents of children with ASD had significantly lower cortisol levels 30 min after waking, no other significant group differences were found for physiological measures. Parents of children with ASD reported significantly higher use of a number of adaptive coping strategies (e.g., emotional support) in comparison to parents of typically developing children. Results are discussed in the context of implications for future research directions, stress research, and practical implications for parental support.

  16. Considering benefits and harms of duloxetine for treatment of stress urinary incontinence: a meta-analysis of clinical study reports

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maund, Emma; Guski, Louise Schow; Gøtzsche, Peter C.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The European Medicines Agency makes clinical study reports publicly available and publishes reasons for not approving applications for marketing authorization. Duloxetine has been approved in Europe for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. The reported adverse effects...... of duloxetine include mental health problems and suicidality. We obtained clinical study reports from the European Medicines Agency concerning use of this drug for stress urinary incontinence. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of 4 randomized placebo-controlled trials of duloxetine (involving a total...... of 1913 patients) submitted to the European Medicines Agency for marketing approval for the indication of stress urinary incontinence in women. We used data from the clinical study reports (totalling 6870 pages and including individual patient data) to assess benefits (including frequency of incontinence...

  17. High Temperature Uniaxial Compression and Stress-Relaxation Behavior of India-Specific RAFM Steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Naimish S.; Sunil, Saurav; Sarkar, Apu

    2018-05-01

    India-specific reduced activity ferritic martensitic steel (INRAFM), a modified 9Cr-1Mo grade, has been developed by India as its own structural material for fabrication of the Indian Test Blanket Module (TBM) to be installed in the International Thermonuclear Energy Reactor (ITER). The extensive study on mechanical and physical properties of this material has been currently going on for appraisal of this material before being put to use in the ITER. High temperature compression, stress-relaxation, and strain-rate change behavior of the INRAFM steel have been investigated. The optical microscopic and scanning electron microscopic characterizations were carried out to observe the microstructural changes that occur during uniaxial compressive deformation test. Comparable true plastic stress values at 300 °C and 500 °C and a high drop in true plastic stress at 600 °C were observed during the compression test. Stress-relaxation behaviors were investigated at 500 °C, 550 °C, and 600 °C at a strain rate of 10-3 s-1. The creep properties of the steel at different temperatures were predicted from the stress-relaxation test. The Norton's stress exponent (n) was found to decrease with the increasing temperature. Using Bird-Mukherjee-Dorn relationship, the temperature-compensated normalized strain rate vs stress was plotted. The stress exponent (n) value of 10.05 was obtained from the normalized plot. The increasing nature of the strain rate sensitivity (m) with the test temperature was found from strain-rate change test. The low plastic stability with m 0.06 was observed at 600 °C. The activation volume (V *) values were obtained in the range of 100 to 300 b3. By comparing the experimental values with the literature, the rate-controlling mechanisms at the thermally activated region of high temperature were found to be the nonconservative movement of jogged screw dislocations and thermal breaking of attractive junctions.

  18. Low maternal care exacerbates adult stress susceptibility in the chronic mild stress rat model of depression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henningsen, Kim; Johannesen, Mads Dyrvig; Bouzinova, Elena

    2012-01-01

    In the present study we report the finding that the quality of maternal care, in early life, increased the susceptibility to stress exposure in adulthood, when rats were exposed to the chronic mild stress paradigm. Our results indicate that high, as opposed to low maternal care, predisposed rats...... to a differential stress-coping ability. Thus rats fostered by low maternal care dams became more prone to adopt a stress-susceptible phenotype developing an anhedonic-like condition. Moreover, low maternal care offspring had lower weight gain and lower locomotion, with no additive effect of stress. Subchronic...... exposure to chronic mild stress induced an increase in faecal corticosterone metabolites, which was only significant in rats from low maternal care dams. Examination of glucocorticoid receptor exon 17 promoter methylation in unchallenged adult, maternally characterized rats, showed an insignificant...

  19. Alloy SCR-3 resistant to stress corrosion cracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kowaka, Masamichi; Fujikawa, Hisao; Kobayashi, Taiki

    1977-01-01

    Austenitic stainless steel is used widely because the corrosion resistance, workability and weldability are excellent, but the main fault is the occurrence of stress corrosion cracking in the environment containing chlorides. Inconel 600, most resistant to stress corrosion cracking, is not necessarily safe under some severe condition. In the heat-affected zone of SUS 304 tubes for BWRs, the cases of stress corrosion cracking have occurred. The conventional testing method of stress corrosion cracking using boiling magnesium chloride solution has been problematical because it is widely different from actual environment. The effects of alloying elements on stress corrosion cracking are remarkably different according to the environment. These effects were investigated systematically in high temperature, high pressure water, and as the result, Alloy SCR-3 with excellent stress corrosion cracking resistance was found. The physical constants and the mechanical properties of the SCR-3 are shown. The states of stress corrosion cracking in high temperature, high pressure water containing chlorides and pure water, polythionic acid, sodium phosphate solution and caustic soda of the SCR-3, SUS 304, Inconel 600 and Incoloy 800 are compared and reported. (Kako, I.)

  20. Effect of heat treatment conditions on stress corrosion cracking resistance of alloy X-750 in high temperature water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yonezawa, Toshio; Onimura, Kichiro; Sakamoto, Naruo; Sasaguri, Nobuya; Susukida, Hiroshi; Nakata, Hidenori.

    1984-01-01

    In order to improve the resistance of the Alloy X-750 in high temperature and high purity water, the authors investigated the influence of heat treatment condition on the stress corrosion cracking resistance of the alloy. This paper describes results of the stress corrosion cracking test and some discussion on the mechanism of the stress corrosion cracking of Alloy X-750 in deaerated high temperature water. The following results were obtained. (1) The stress corrosion cracking resistance of Alloy X-750 in deaerated high temperature water remarkably depended upon the heat treatment condition. The materials solution heat treated and aged within temperature ranges from 1065 to 1100 0 C and from 704 to 732 0 C, respectively, have a good resistance to the stress corrosion cracking in deaerated high temperature water. Especially, water cooling after the solution heat treatment gives an excellent resistance to the stress corrosion cracking in deaerated high temperature water. (2) Any correlations were not observed between the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Alloy X-750 in deaerated high temperature water and grain boundary chromium depleted zones, precipitate free zones and the grain boundary segregation of impurity elements and so on. It appears that there are good correlations between the stress corrosion cracking resistance of the alloy in the environment and the kinds, morphology and coherency of precipitates along the grain boundaries. (author)

  1. Evaluation of the Correlations between Depression, Anxiety, and Stress as DASS-21 Subscales and High-Risk Behaviors in the Adolescents in Torghabeh and Shandiz Towns, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emadodin Darchini-Maragheh

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Adolescence is a critical period in life, which is associated with tumultuous transitions and “storm and stress. The present study aimed to evaluate the correlation between depression, anxiety, and stress with the high-risk behaviors among the adolescents in Torghabeh and Shandiz towns, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 adolescents from the high schools. Participants were selected via two-stage sampling. Data were collected using the validated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21 and history of high-risk behaviors in the students. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16. Results:Variable degrees of depression, anxiety, and stress were reported in 43.3%, 43.3%, and 38.9% of the students, respectively. Although the difference was not statistically significant, female students were more affected by the mentioned disorders compared to the male students. Among the high-risk behaviors, smoking cigarettes was significantly correlated with the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales. In addition, a significant association was observed between opium consumption and stress. However, no significant correlation was observed between smoking hookah and the DASS-21 subscales. Regular alcohol consumption was found to be significantly correlated with the higher rate of depression in the studied adolescents. Also, premarital sexual behaviors had a significant association with the stress and depression subscales. Conclusion: Lack of attention to depression, anxiety, and stress and their risk factors in adolescents may lead to variable degrees of life dissatisfaction in the community. Therefore, it is recommended that on-school mental screening programs be performed for high-school students in order prevent these complications.

  2. Stress and Protists: No life without stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slaveykova, Vera; Sonntag, Bettina; Gutiérrez, Juan Carlos

    2016-08-01

    We report a summary of the symposium "Stress and Protists: No life without stress", which was held in September 2015 on the VII European Congress of Protistology in partnership with the International Society of Protistologists (Seville, Spain). We present an overview on general comments and concepts on cellular stress which can be also applied to any protist. Generally, various environmental stressors may induce similar cell responses in very different protists. Two main topics are reported in this manuscript: (i) metallic nanoparticles as environmental pollutants and stressors for aquatic protists, and (ii) ultraviolet radiation - induced stress and photoprotective strategies in ciliates. Model protists such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Tetrahymena thermophila were used to assess stress caused by nanoparticles while stress caused by ultraviolet radiation was tested with free living planktonic ciliates as well as with the symbiont-bearing model ciliate Paramecium bursaria. For future studies, we suggest more intensive analyses on protist stress responses to specific environmental abiotic and/or biotic stressors at molecular and genetic levels up to ecological consequences and food web dynamics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  3. Stress, lifestyle, and quality of life in midlife and older Australian women: results from the Stress and the Health of Women Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seib, Charrlotte; Whiteside, Eliza; Lee, Kathryn; Humphreys, Janice; Tran, Tiet Hanh Dao; Chopin, Lisa; Anderson, Debra

    2014-01-01

    Chronic psychological stress may pose a serious threat to health, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. This study examines the impact of stress on modifiable lifestyle factors, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and chronic illness in older Australian women. Cross-sectional data were collected from a random sample of 181 older adults aged 60 to 70 years from rural and urban areas of South-East Queensland, Australia. We used structural equation modelling to examine associations between stress, modifiable lifestyle factors, HRQOL, and chronic illness. Parameter estimates show that older women who reported life stressors where they felt helpless and feared for their life (high-magnitude stressors) also reported higher body mass index (p = .03) and more chronic illness (p unhealthy lifestyle factors. Findings highlight the need for more research on how stress reduction, a healthy lifestyle, and positive coping strategies can be used to reduce the effects of high-magnitude stress on HRQOL and chronic illness. Copyright © 2014 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Do Exercisers With Musculoskeletal Injuries Report Symptoms of Depression and Stress?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lichtenstein, Mia Beck; Gudex, Claire; Andersen, Kjeld

    2018-01-01

    on somatic symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and emotional stress, and measure self-rated health in regular exercisers presenting to a sports medicine clinic with musculoskeletal injury. The secondary aim was to identify psychosocial factors...... associated with depression in injured exercisers and the potential need for psychological counselling. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey study. SETTING: A sports medicine clinic for injuries of the foot, knee, or shoulder. PARTICIPANTS: Regular exercisers with present injuries (n=694) and exercisers without...... completed the Major Depression Inventory (MDI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), and questions on sociodemographics, exercise habits, and injury history. RESULTS: Symptoms of depression were reported by 12% of injured exercisers and 5% of non-injured controls (p

  5. Countermeasures to stress corrosion cracking by stress improvement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umemoto, Tadahiro

    1983-01-01

    One of the main factors of the grain boundary stress corrosion cracking occurred in the austenitic stainless steel pipes for reactor cooling system was the tensile residual stress due to welding, and a number of methods have been proposed to reduce the residual stress or to change it to compressive stress. In this paper, on the method of improving residual stress by high frequency heating, which has been applied most frequently, the principle, important parameters and the range of application are explained. Also the other methods of stress improvement are outlined, and the merit and demerit of respective methods are discussed. Austenitic stainless steel and high nickel alloys have good corrosion resistance, high toughness and good weldability, accordingly they have been used for reactor cooling system, but stress corrosion cracking was discovered in both BWRs and PWRs. It occurs when the sensitization of materials, tensile stress and the dissolved oxygen in high temperature water exceed certain levels simultaneously. The importance of the residual stress due to welding, induction heating stress improvement, and other methods such as heat sink welding, last pass heat sink welding, back lay welding and TIG torch heating stress improvement are described. (Kako, I.)

  6. Work stress, burnout, and perceived quality of care: a cross-sectional study among hospital pediatricians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weigl, M; Schneider, A; Hoffmann, F; Angerer, P

    2015-09-01

    Poor hospital work environments affect physicians' work stress. With a focus on hospital pediatricians, we sought to investigate associations between work stress, burnout, and quality of care. A cross-sectional study was conducted in N = 96 pediatricians of a German academic children's hospital (response rate = 73.8 %). All variables were assessed with standardized questionnaires. Multivariate regression analyses were applied to investigate associations after adjusting for potential confounders. Critically high work stress (effort/reward ratio, ERR > 1.0) was reported by N = 25 (28.4 %) participants. Pediatricians in inpatient wards had significantly more work stress than their colleagues in intensive care units and outpatient wards; 10.2 % of surveyed pediatricians reported critically high burnout. Again, inpatient ward staff reported significantly increased emotional exhaustion. After controlling for several confounders, we found that pediatricians with high work stress and emotional exhaustion reported reduced quality of care. Mediation analyses revealed that especially pediatricians' emotional exhaustion partially mediated the effect of work stress on quality of care. Results demonstrate close relationships between increased work stress and burnout as well as diminished quality of care. High work stress environments in pediatric care influence mental health of pediatricians as well as quality of patient care. • The quality of pediatricians' work environment in the hospital is associated with their work stress and burnout. • The consequences of pediatricians' work life for the quality of care need to be addressed in order to inform interventions to improve work life and care quality. • Our study shows associations between increased work stress and burnout with mitigated quality of care. • Beyond indirect effects of work stress through emotional exhaustion on quality of care we also observed direct detrimental effects of pediatricians

  7. Increased risk of coronary heart disease among individuals reporting adverse impact of stress on their health: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabi, Hermann; Kivimäki, Mika; Batty, G David; Shipley, Martin J; Britton, Annie; Brunner, Eric J; Vahtera, Jussi; Lemogne, Cédric; Elbaz, Alexis; Singh-Manoux, Archana

    2013-09-01

    Response to stress can vary greatly between individuals. However, it remains unknown whether perceived impact of stress on health is associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined whether individuals who report that stress adversely affects their health are at increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with those who report that stress has no adverse health impact. Analyses are based on 7268 men and women (mean age: 49.5 years, interquartile range: 11 years) from the British Whitehall II cohort study. Over 18 years of follow-up, there were 352 coronary deaths or first non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) events. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, participants who reported at baseline that stress has affected their health 'a lot or extremely' had a 2.12 times higher (95% CI 1.52-2.98) risk of coronary death or incident non-fatal MI when compared with those who reported no effect of stress on their health. This association was attenuated but remained statistically significant after adjustment for biological, behavioural, and other psychological risk factors including perceived stress levels, and measures of social support; fully adjusted hazard ratio: 1.49 (95% CI 1.01-2.22). In this prospective cohort study, the perception that stress affects health, different from perceived stress levels, was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether disease risk can be reduced by increasing clinical attention to those who complain that stress greatly affects their health.

  8. Separating heat stress from moisture stress: analyzing yield response to high temperature in irrigated maize

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Elizabeth K.; Melkonian, Jeff; Riha, Susan J.; Shaw, Stephen B.

    2016-09-01

    Several recent studies have indicated that high air temperatures are limiting maize (Zea mays L.) yields in the US Corn Belt and project significant yield losses with expected increases in growing season temperatures. Further work has suggested that high air temperatures are indicative of high evaporative demand, and that decreases in maize yields which correlate to high temperatures and vapor pressure deficits (VPD) likely reflect underlying soil moisture limitations. It remains unclear whether direct high temperature impacts on yields, independent of moisture stress, can be observed under current temperature regimes. Given that projected high temperature and moisture may not co-vary the same way as they have historically, quantitative analyzes of direct temperature impacts are critical for accurate yield projections and targeted mitigation strategies under shifting temperature regimes. To evaluate yield response to above optimum temperatures independent of soil moisture stress, we analyzed climate impacts on irrigated maize yields obtained from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) corn yield contests for Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. In irrigated maize, we found no evidence of a direct negative impact on yield by daytime air temperature, calculated canopy temperature, or VPD when analyzed seasonally. Solar radiation was the primary yield-limiting climate variable. Our analyses suggested that elevated night temperature impacted yield by increasing rates of phenological development. High temperatures during grain-fill significantly interacted with yields, but this effect was often beneficial and included evidence of acquired thermo-tolerance. Furthermore, genetics and management—information uniquely available in the NCGA contest data—explained more yield variability than climate, and significantly modified crop response to climate. Thermo-acclimation, improved genetics and changes to management practices have the potential to partially or completely

  9. The flow stress of high-purity refractory body-centred cubic metals and its modification by atomic defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seeger, A.

    1995-01-01

    The strong temperature and strain-rate dependence of the flow stress of high-purity refractory body-centred cubic metals has been shown to be an intrinsic property and is usually ascribed to a high Peierls barrier of a o left angle 111 right angle /2 screw dislocations. These barriers are overcome by the formation of kink pairs on the screw dislocations. The paper reports on recent, very complete flow-stress data on ultra-high purity Mo crystals obtained by two different experimental techniques and covering the temperature range 4 K to 460 K. The results are in accord with earlier work of Brunner and Diehl on α-Fe, who showed that below the so-called knee temperature, T K , three regimes in the temperature variation of the flow-stress should be distinguished. Two of them are fully accounted for by the same glide mechanism, namely elementary glide steps on {211} planes. The so-called upper bend separating these two regimes in an inherent feature of the theory of kink-pair formation and does not indicate a change in the glide mechanism. There is, however, strong evidence that the so-called lower bend, separating the range of {211} elementary glide steps from the low-temperature flow-stress regime, is due to a change in the glide mechanism. It is argued that at the lower bend the screw-dislocation cores undergo a ''first-order phase transition'' from a low-temperature configuration that allows glide of a given screw dislocation on any of its three {110} glide planes to a high-temperature configuration that can glide only on one definite {211} plane. Between T K and the lower-bend temperature, T, bcc metals may show the unique phenomena of alloy and irradiation softening. With regard to the latter phenomenon, Brunner and Diehl distinguish between ''primary'' and ''secondary'' softening. It is shown that alloy softening and the ''secondary irradiation softening'' of bcc metals may be explained by an ''overheating'' of the phase transition in the dislocation core. (orig./WL)

  10. Stress Corrosion Cracking of Certain Aluminum Alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasse, K. R.; Dorward, R. C.

    1983-01-01

    SC resistance of new high-strength alloys tested. Research report describes progress in continuing investigation of stress corrosion (SC) cracking of some aluminum alloys. Objective of program is comparing SC behavior of newer high-strength alloys with established SC-resistant alloy.

  11. Childhood and adolescent antecedents of work stress and early atherosclerosis

    OpenAIRE

    Hintsa, Taina

    2008-01-01

    Work stress is after musculoskeletal disorders the second most common work-related health problem in the European Union, affecting 28% of EU employees. Furthermore, a 50% excessive cardiovascular disease risk among employees with work stress is reported. High job demands combined with low job control according to the Job Demands-Job Control model, or high effort combined with low rewards according to Effort-Reward Imbalance model, are likely to produce work stress in the majority of employees...

  12. Occupational stress among Swedish audiologists in clinical practice: Reasons for being stressed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brännström, K Jonas; Holm, Lucas; Larsson, Josefina; Lood, Sofie; Notsten, Margareta; Turunen Taheri, Satu

    2016-08-01

    The present study reports on the application of a Swedish translation of the audiologist occupational stress questionnaire (AOSQ) on audiologists working in Sweden. The relations between AOSQ scores and perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, demographic variables such as salary, education length, practise length, and practice type were tested. A cross-sectional e-mail survey using the AOSQ, effort-reward imbalance questionnaire, and demographic questions. Four-hundred and four Swedish licensed audiologists working with clients. The Swedish AOSQ translation demonstrated high inter-item correlations and high internal consistency. Several stress factors were identified: time spent at work, accountability, leadership at the workplace, paperwork and practice demands, equipment and clinical protocols, own health concerns, and job control. The outcome on the complete AOSQ questionnaire was related to perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, and age. The Swedish AOSQ translation seems to provide a valid measure of occupational stress among audiologists.

  13. Maternal high-fat diet intensifies the metabolic response to stress in male rat offspring

    OpenAIRE

    Karbaschi, Roxana; Zardooz, Homeira; Khodagholi, Fariba; Dargahi, Leila; Salimi, Mina; Rashidi, FatemehSadat

    2017-01-01

    Background The mother?s consumption of high-fat food can affect glucose metabolism and the hypothalamic?pituitary?adrenal axis responsiveness in the offspring and potentially affect the metabolic responses to stress as well. This study examines the effect of maternal high-fat diet on the expression of pancreatic glucose transporter 2 and the secretion of insulin in response to stress in offspring. Methods Female rats were randomly divided into normal and high-fat diet groups and were fed in a...

  14. Relation between stress-precipitated seizures and the stress response in childhood epilepsy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Campen, Jolien S.; Jansen, Floor E.; Pet, Milou A.; Otte, Willem M.; Hillegers, Manon H J; Joëls, Marian; Braun, Kees P J

    2015-01-01

    The majority of patients with epilepsy report that seizures are sometimes triggered or provoked. Stress is the most frequently self-reported seizure-precipitant. The mechanisms underlying stress-sensitivity of seizures are currently unresolved. We hypothesized that stress-sensitivity of seizures

  15. Suicide Risk, Stress Sensitivity, and Self-Esteem among Young Adults Reporting Auditory Hallucinations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVylder, Jordan E; Hilimire, Matthew R

    2015-08-01

    Individuals with subthreshold psychotic experiences are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior, similar to those with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. This may be explained by shared risk factors such as heightened stress sensitivity or low self-esteem. Understanding the nature of this relationship could inform suicide prevention in social work practice. In this study, authors examined the relationship between self-reported auditory hallucinations and suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, in a nonclinical sample of young adults, controlling for scores on the Psychological Stress Index and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Auditory hallucinations were associated with approximately double the odds of suicidal ideation and plans and four times the odds for suicide attempts. This relationship was not explained by stress sensitivity or self-esteem, which were independently related to hallucinations and suicidality, respectively. Subthreshold auditory hallucinations may be a useful indicator of suicide risk. This association may represent a clinically significant relationship that may be addressed through social work interventions intended to alleviate stress sensitivity or improve self-esteem.

  16. High fat diet aggravates arsenic induced oxidative stress in rat heart and liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Mousumi; Ghosh, Debosree; Ghosh, Arnab Kumar; Bose, Gargi; Chattopadhyay, Aindrila; Rudra, Smita; Dey, Monalisa; Bandyopadhyay, Arkita; Pattari, Sanjib K; Mallick, Sanjaya; Bandyopadhyay, Debasish

    2014-04-01

    Arsenic is a well known global groundwater contaminant. Exposure of human body to arsenic causes various hazardous effects via oxidative stress. Nutrition is an important susceptible factor which can affect arsenic toxicity by several plausible mechanisms. Development of modern civilization led to alteration in the lifestyle as well as food habits of the people both in urban and rural areas which led to increased use of junk food containing high level of fat. The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of high fat diet on heart and liver tissues of rats when they were co-treated with arsenic. This study was established by elucidating heart weight to body weight ratio as well as analysis of the various functional markers, oxidative stress biomarkers and also the activity of the antioxidant enzymes. Histological analysis confirmed the biochemical investigations. From this study it can be concluded that high fat diet increased arsenic induced oxidative stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Remaining life case history studies for high energy piping systems using equivalent stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohn, M.J.

    1987-01-01

    As the development of plant life extension for high energy piping systems is progressing, conventional piping system design methodologies are also being reevaluated. Traditional guidelines such as American National Standard Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers B31.1 (ANSI/ASME) were developed for plants having design lives in the 25- to 30-year regime based upon relatively short-term base metal creep data. These guidelines use a simplified approach for the piping analysis. Two types of stress criteria must be satisfied. The first type is longitudinal plus torsion stress checks for several types of loading conditions versus the material allowable stresses. The second type is an independent minimum wall thickness check which considers the hoop stress versus the material allowable stress. Seven case histories have been evaluated to estimate the minimum piping system creep life based on the current ANSI/ASME B31.1 finite element type of analysis, which is a traditional approach, versus a multiaxial stress state type of analysis. In nearly every case, the equivalent stress methodology predicted significantly higher stresses. Consequently, the equivalent stress methodology resulted in 11 to 96% lower time to rupture values as compared to the values predicted using ANSI/ASME B31.1 stresses

  18. Measurements of internal stresses in bond coating using high energy x-rays from synchrotron radiation source

    CERN Document Server

    Suzuki, K; Akiniwa, Y; Nishio, K; Kawamura, M; Okado, H

    2002-01-01

    Thermal barrier coating (TBC) techniques enable high temperature combustion of turbines made of Ni-base alloy. TBC is made of zirconia top coating on NiCoCrAlY bond coating. The internal stresses in the bond coating play essential role in the delamination or fracture of TBC in service. With the X-rays from laboratory equipments, it is impossible to measure nondestructively the internal stress in the bond coating under the top coating. synchrotron radiations with a high energy and high brightness have a large penetration depth as compared with laboratory X-rays. Using the high energy X-rays from the synchrotron radiation, it is possible to measure the internal stress in the bond coating through the top coating. In this study, the furnace, which can heat a specimen to 1473 K, was developed for the stress measurement of the thermal barrier coatings. The internal stresses in the bond coating were measured at the room temperature, 773 K, 1073 K and 1373 K by using the 311 diffraction from Ni sub 3 Al with about 73...

  19. Sleep, stress and compensatory behaviors in Australian nurses and midwives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jillian Dorrian

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To describe sleep, stress and compensatory behaviors in nurses and midwives. METHODS: The study included 41 midwives and 21 nurses working in Australian hospitals between 2005 and 2009. Participation was voluntary. All participants recorded on a daily basis their work and sleep hours, levels of stress and exhaustion, caffeine intake and use of sleep aids for a month (1,736 days, 1,002 work shifts. RESULTS: Participants reported moderate to high levels of stress and exhaustion on 20-40% of work days; experienced sleep disruption on more than 50% of work days; struggled to remain awake on 27% of work days; and suffered extreme drowsiness or experienced a near accident while travelling home on 9% of workdays. Age, perceived sleep duration and work hours were significant predictors of caffeine intake. About 60% of participants reported using sleep aids (about 20% reported taking prescription medications and 44% of nurses and 9% of midwives reported alcohol use as a sleep aid at least once during the study. Stress and workdays were significant predictors of sedative use. Overall, 22% reported being indifferent or mildly dissatisfied with their job. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep problems, high levels of stress and exhaustion and low job satisfaction are prevalent among nurses and midwives. The use of alcohol and sleeping pills as sleep aids, and the use of caffeine to help maintain alertness is also common. Nurses and midwives may use caffeine to compensate for reduced sleep, especially on workdays, and sleeping pills to cope with their daily work-related stress.

  20. Isotopically Enriched C-13 Diamond Anvil as a Stress Sensor in High Pressure Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vohra, Yogesh; Qiu, Wei; Kondratyev, Andreiy; Velisavljevic, Nenad; Baker, Paul

    2004-03-01

    The conventional high pressure diamond anvils were modified by growing an isotopically pure C-13 diamond layer by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition using methane/hydrogen/oxygen chemistry. The isotopically pure C-13 nature of the culet of the diamond anvil was confirmed by the Raman spectroscopy measurements. This isotopically engineered diamond anvil was used against a natural abundance diamond anvil for high pressure experiments in a diamond anvil cell. Spatial resolved Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the stress induced shift in the C-13 layer as well as the undelying C-12 layer to ultra high pressures. The observed shift and splitiing of the diamond first order Raman spectrum was correlated with the stress distribution in the diamond anvil cell. The experimental results will be compared with the finite element modeling results using NIKE-2D software in order to create a mathematical relationship between sets of the following parameters: vertical (z axis) distance; horizontal (r axis) distance; max shear stress, and pressure. The isotopically enriched diamond anvils offer unique opportunities to measure stress distribution in the diamond anvil cell devices.

  1. Vildagliptin Can Alleviate Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Liver Induced by a High Fat Diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiaoqing; Du, Wenhua; Shao, Shanshan; Yu, Chunxiao; Zhou, Lingyan; Jing, Fei

    2018-01-01

    Purpose. We investigated whether a DDP-4 inhibitor, vildagliptin, alleviated ER stress induced by a high fat diet and improved hepatic lipid deposition. Methods. C57BL/6 mice received standard chow diet (CD), high fat diet (HFD), and HFD administered with vildagliptin (50 mg/Kg) (V-HFD). After administration for 12 weeks, serum alanine aminotransferase, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, and insulin levels were analyzed. Samples of liver underwent histological examination and transmission electron microscopy, real-time PCR for gene expression levels, and western blots for protein expression levels. ER stress was induced in HepG2 cells with palmitic acid and the effects of vildagliptin were investigated. Results. HFD mice showed increased liver weight/body weight (20.27%) and liver triglycerides (314.75%) compared to CD mice, but these decreased by 9.27% and 21.83%, respectively, in V-HFD mice. In the liver, HFD induced the expression of ER stress indicators significantly, which were obviously decreased by vildagliptin. In vitro, the expressions of molecular indicators of ER stress were reduced in HepG2 when vildagliptin was administered. Conclusions. Vildagliptin alleviates hepatic ER stress in a mouse high fat diet model. In HepG2 cells, vildagliptin directly reduced ER stress. Therefore, vildagliptin may be a potential agent for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

  2. Occupational stress among police personnel in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G Ragesh

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Occupational stress and associated physical and mental health related issues are not addressed in Indian police personnel with adequate importance. Methods: Cross-sectional survey was conducted among police personnel (both male and female in Calicut urban police district, Kerala state, India. Police personnel from all designations (ranks, except from the all India services (Indian Police Service were included in the study. Data were collected using a specifically designed datasheet covering socio-demographic profile, physical and mental health related details which was prepared by researchers. Occupational stress was measured using Operational Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-OP and Organisational Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-ORG. Result: The study found that both operational and organisational stress was significant among the police officers. Organisational stress was experienced in moderate level by 68% and in high level by 14%. Operational stress scores were in the moderate range in 67% and in high range in 16.5%. The younger age group (21-35 years and lower level rank police personnel had higher stress. Stress was higher among female police personnel compared to males. While 23% of them had been diagnosed with physical illnesses, a significant four per cent of them with mental illness, and 29% of them reported substance abuse. Conclusion: The results point to the high level of stress among Indian police personnel and the need for urgent interventions from the government to address the occupational stress.

  3. Increased risk of coronary heart disease among individuals reporting adverse impact of stress on their health: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study

    OpenAIRE

    Nabi, Hermann; Kivimäki, Mika; Batty, G. David; Shipley, Martin J.; Britton, Annie; Brunner, Eric J.; Vahtera, Jussi; Lemogne, Cédric; Elbaz, Alexis; Singh-Manoux, Archana

    2013-01-01

    International audience; Response to stress can vary greatly between individuals. However, it remains unknown whether perceived impact of stress on health is associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined whether individuals who report that stress adversely affects their health are at increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with those who report that stress has no adverse health impact. Analyses are based on 7268 men and women (mean age: 49.5 years, interquartile range: 1...

  4. Preliminary evaluation of the stress analysis reports for Angra I reactor coolant loop - part 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro, S.V.G.; Andrade, J.E.L. de

    1980-03-01

    A methodology that will allow CNEN to approve the stress analysis reports of the components of the Brazilian nuclear power plants, was developed. The reactor coolant loop (RCL)of Angra I was checkd. This is the first part of the complete report and consists of the approval of the design documents, the approval of the equipment support models and the aproval of the steam generator dynamic model. The second part of this work is under way now and should contain the approval of the RCL stress and fatigue analysis according to ASME code section III. As shown in section 7 it appears necessary additional information from Westinghouse about the design of the RCL. (Author) [pt

  5. Can high social capital at the workplace buffer against stress and musculoskeletal pain?: Cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jay, Kenneth; Andersen, Lars L

    2018-03-01

    Work-related musculoskeletal pain and stress are both highly prevalent in the working environment and relate well to the biopsychosocial model. While the onset of musculoskeletal pain is often dependent on the biological element of the biopsychosocial model, chronic pain is often influenced by psychological and social factors. Similarly, stress is also influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. This study investigates the possibility of social capital being a buffer for stress and musculoskeletal pain in a group of female laboratory technicians.Female laboratory technicians (n = 500) replied to questions about stress (Cohens Perceived Stress Scale-10), musculoskeletal pain (0-10 visual analog scale), and social capital at the workplace (bonding [in teams], bridging [between teams], and linking [between teams and leaders]). Outcome variables were stress and musculoskeletal pain and the predictor variable was social capital. General linear models tested the association of the 3 types of social capital (predictor variables) with stress and pain (mutually adjusted outcome variables). Analyses were controlled for age, lifestyle (body mass index, smoking), seniority, and working hours per week.For stress as outcome, moderate and high bonding social capital were different from low social capital with -2.04 (95% confidence interval [CI] -3.33 to -0.76) and -4.56 (95% CI -5.84 to -3.28) points on the Perceived Stress Scale of 0 to 42, respectively. Similarly, moderate and high bridging social capital were different from low social capital with -1.50 (95% CI -2.76 to -0.24) and -4.39 (95% CI -5.75 to -3.03), respectively. For linking, only high social was significantly different from low with -2.94 (95% CI -4.28 to -1.60). None of the 3 types of social capital was associated with musculoskeletal pain.Higher levels of social capital at the workplace appear to buffer against stress, but not against musculoskeletal pain. Intervention studies should

  6. Mediator or moderator? The role of mindfulness in the association between child behavior problems and parental stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Tim Oi; Lam, Shui-Fong

    2017-11-01

    Raising a child with intellectual disability (ID) may be stressful for parents. Previous studies have suggested the mediating role of mindfulness in the association between child behavior problems and parental stress. The present study examined whether this mediating role is a result of parents' self-report bias. It also explored whether mindfulness has a moderating role instead when child behavior problems are reported by teachers. In a questionnaire survey, 271 Chinese parents of children with ID in 6 Hong Kong special schools reported their levels of stress and mindfulness, as well as their children's behavior problems. The latter was also reported by teachers. When child behavior problems were reported by parents, parental mindfulness was a mediator between child behavior problems and parental stress. In contrast, when child behavior problems were reported by teachers, parental mindfulness was a moderator between child behavior problems and parental stress. The mediation role of mindfulness maybe an artifact of measurement. The findings provide an encouraging message that parenting a child with ID and behavior problems does not necessarily mean more stress among all parents. Parents with a high level of mindfulness may experience less stress than those with a low level of mindfulness. Parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) tend to report high psychological stress. Previous self-report studies have identified mindfulness as a mediator in the association between child behavior problems and parental stress. The present study differs from previous studies by including third-party's reports. It has contributed to the existing body of knowledge in two respects. First, it examined whether the mediation effect resulted from parent self-report bias. Second, it tested an alternative hypothesis of the moderation effect by using teachers' reports to measure child behavior problems. The results showed that when child behavior problems were measured by parents

  7. EU stresstest national report of Germany. Implementation of the EU stress tests in Germany

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-07-01

    The European Council concluded in March 2011 that the safety of all EU nuclear plants should be reviewed on the basis of a comprehensive and transparent risk assessment (''stress test''). In addition to the European initiative, all countries with operating nuclear power plants indicated the performance of immediate safety reviews to take into account any lessons already learned or to be learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident of 11{sup th} March 2011. The German Bundestag (Federal Parliament) called upon the German Federal Government on 17{sup th} March 2011 to conduct a comprehensive review of the safety requirements for the German nuclear power plants. The competent Federal Ministry asked its advisory body, the RSK, to perform this review. The findings of the RSK safety review were presented to the public on 17{sup th} May 2011. For the European stress tests, ENSREG published the scope and modalities for comprehensive risk and safety assessments of EU nuclear power plants on 13{sup th} May 2011. This ''Declaration of ENSREG'' determines the concept, methodology and time schedule of the EU stress test. Detailed requirements on content and structure of the reports and the planned peer reviews in 2012 were developed under the leadership of ENREG and agreed at its meeting on 11{sup th} October 2011. The BMU as the federal regulator in Germany asked the Laender nuclear regulatory authorities to initiate the EU stress tests according to the ENSREG Declaration. A joint meeting of BMU, Laender authorities, expert organisations and the licensees of the German nuclear power plants took place on 30{sup th} June 2011 to agree on the scope and the procedure of stress tests in Germany. It was also decided to take the 30{sup th} June 2011 as the reference date for the plants in operation, regardless future decisions on the possible limitation of the operating time by amendment to the Atomic Energy Act which were in the legislative

  8. Recruitment of aged donor heart with pharmacological stress echo. A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bombardini Tonino

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The heart transplant is a treatment of the heart failure, which is not responding to medications, and its efficiency is already proved: unfortunately, organ donation is a limiting step of this life-saving procedure. To counteract heart donor shortage, we should screen aged potential donor hearts for initial cardiomyopathy and functionally significant coronary artery disease. Donors with a history of cardiac disease are generally excluded. Coronary angiography is recommended for most male donors older than 45 years and female donors older than 50 years to evaluate coronary artery stenoses. A simpler way to screen aged potential donor hearts for initial cardiomyopathy and functionally significant coronary artery disease should be stress echocardiography. Case report A marginal donor (A 57 year old woman meeting legal requirements for brain death underwent a transesophageal (TE Dipyridamole stress echo (6 minutes accelerated protocol to rule out moderate or severe heart and coronary artery disease. Wall motion was normal at baseline and at peak stress (WMSI = 1 at baseline and peak stress, without signs of stress inducible ischemia. The pressure/volume ratio was 9.6 mmHg/ml/m2 at baseline, increasing to 14 mmHg/ml/m2 at peak stress, demonstrating absence of latent myocardial dysfunction. The marginal donor heart was transplanted to a recipient "marginal" for co-morbidity ( a 63 year old man with multiple myeloma and cardiac amyloidosis , chronic severe heart failure, NYHA class IV. Postoperative treatment and early immunosuppressant regimen were performed according to standard protocols. The transplanted heart was assessed normal for dimensions and ventricular function at transthoracic (TT echocardiography on post-transplant day 7. Coronary artery disease was ruled out at coronary angiography one month after transplant; left ventriculography showed normal global and segmental LV function of the transplanted heart. Conclusion For

  9. Compressive pre-stress effects on magnetostrictive behaviors of highly textured Galfenol and Alfenol thin sheets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia R. Downing

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Fe-Ga (Galfenol and Fe-Al (Alfenol are rare-earth-free magnetostrictive alloys with mechanical robustness and strong magnetoelastic coupling. Since highly textured Galfenol and Alfenol thin sheets along orientations have been developed with magnetostrictive performances of ∼270 ppm and ∼160 ppm, respectively, they have been of great interest in sensor and energy harvesting applications. In this work, we investigate stress-dependent magnetostrictive behaviors in highly textured rolled sheets of NbC-added Fe80Al20 and Fe81Ga19 alloys with a single (011 grain coverage of ∼90%. A compact fixture was designed and used to introduce a uniform compressive pre-stress to those thin sheet samples along a [100] direction. As compressive pre-stress was increased to above 100 MPa, the maximum observed magnetostriction increased 42% in parallel magnetostriction along the stress direction, λ//, in highly textured (011 Fe81Ga19 thin sheets for a compressive pre-stress of 60 MPa. The same phenomena were observed for (011 Fe80Al20 (maximum increase of 88% with a 49 MPa compressive stress. This trend is shown to be consistent with published results on the effect of pre-stress on magnetostriction in rods of single crystal and textured polycrystalline Fe-Ga alloy of similar compositions, and single crystal data gathered using our experimental set up. Interestingly, the saturating field (Hs does not vary with pre-stresses, while the saturating field in rod-shaped samples of Fe-Ga increases with an increase of pre-stress. This suggests that for a range of compressive pre-stresses, thin sheet samples have larger values of d33 transduction coefficients and susceptibility than rod-shaped samples of similar alloy compositions, and hence they should provide performance benefits when used in sensor and actuator device applications. Thus, we discuss potential reasons for the unexpected trends in Hs with pre-stress, and present preliminary results from tests conducted

  10. High temperature high vacuum creep testing facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matta, M.K.

    1985-01-01

    Creep is the term used to describe time-dependent plastic flow of metals under conditions of constant load or stress at constant high temperature. Creep has an important considerations for materials operating under stresses at high temperatures for long time such as cladding materials, pressure vessels, steam turbines, boilers,...etc. These two creep machines measures the creep of materials and alloys at high temperature under high vacuum at constant stress. By the two chart recorders attached to the system one could register time and temperature versus strain during the test . This report consists of three chapters, chapter I is the introduction, chapter II is the technical description of the creep machines while chapter III discuss some experimental data on the creep behaviour. Of helium implanted stainless steel. 13 fig., 3 tab

  11. Work stress in radiologists. A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnavita, N; Fileni, A; Magnavita, G; Mammi, F; Mirk, P; Roccia, K; Bergamaschi, A

    2008-04-01

    We studied occupational stress and its psychosocial effects in a sample of Italian radiologists and radiotherapists: Radiologists and radiotherapists attending two medical conferences were invited to complete a questionnaire comprising four sections investigating the risk of occupational stress (organisational discomfort, Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire, Siegrist's Effort-Reward Imbalance, Warr's Job Satisfaction) and four sections investigating the health effects of such stress (Goldberg's Anxiety and Depression Scales, General Health Questionnaire, Lifestyles Questionnaire). Radiologists and radiotherapists generally expressed high levels of control, reward and satisfaction. However, 38.5% complained of severe organisational discomfort, 24% reported job strain, 28% reported effort/reward imbalance and 25% were dissatisfied. Female radiologists and radiotherapists showed higher levels of organisational discomfort than their male colleagues. Younger and less experienced radiologists and radiotherapists had higher strain scores than their older and more experienced colleagues. A significant correlation was observed between stress predictors and the effects of stress on health, including depression and anxiety, psychological distress and unhealthy lifestyles. Radiologists and radiotherapists are exposed to major occupational stress factors, and a significant percentage of them suffer from workplace stress. A special effort is required to prevent this condition.

  12. Individual modulation of pain sensitivity under stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinhardt, Tatyana; Kleindienst, Nikolaus; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Bohus, Martin; Schmahl, Christian

    2013-05-01

    Stress has a strong influence on pain sensitivity. However, the direction of this influence is unclear. Recent studies reported both decreased and increased pain sensitivities under stress, and one hypothesis is that interindividual differences account for these differences. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of stress on individual pain sensitivity in a relatively large female sample. Eighty female participants were included. Pain thresholds and temporal summation of pain were tested before and after stress, which was induced by the Mannheim Multicomponent Stress Test. In an independent sample of 20 women, correlation coefficients between 0.45 and 0.89 indicated relatively high test-retest reliability for pain measurements. On average, there were significant differences between pain thresholds under non-stress and stress conditions, indicating an increased sensitivity to pain under stress. No significant differences between non-stress and stress conditions were found for temporal summation of pain. On an individual basis, both decreased and increased pain sensitivities under stress conditions based on Jacobson's criteria for reliable change were observed. Furthermore, we found significant negative associations between pain sensitivity under non-stress conditions and individual change of pain sensitivity under stress. Participants with relatively high pain sensitivity under non-stress conditions became less sensitive under stress and vice versa. These findings support the view that pain sensitivity under stress shows large interindividual variability, and point to a possible dichotomy of altered pain sensitivity under stress. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Calculation of stress intensity factors for circumferential semi-elliptical cracks with high aspect ratio in pipes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zareei, A.; Nabavi, S.M.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, stress intensity factors are calculated at the deepest point of an internal circumferential semi-elliptical crack in a pipe subjected to any arbitrary load. Based on the three dimensional finite element analysis, a weight function is proposed for high aspect ratio semi-elliptical cracks in pipes. An effective expression is developed analytically to evaluate the stress intensity factor using the weight function method. For several crack face stress fields and welding residual stress distributions, the weight function is validated against finite element data and those in the literature. Based on the comparison results, it can be concluded that the solution proposed in this paper is effective in engineering applications. - Highlights: • Analysis of internal circumferential semi-elliptical cracks with high aspect ratio in pipes. • A weight function is proposed for the calculation of the stress intensity factors for the deepest point of the crack. • An effective closed form expression is proposed to evaluate the stress intensity factors. • Prediction of stress intensity factors for any applied stress gradients through the wall thickness without any limitations. • A three-dimensional finite element modeling employs to calculate the stress intensity factors for different geometries.

  14. Selvrapporteret stress og risiko for brystkræft--sekundærpublikation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rod, Naja Hulvej; Zhang, Zuo-Feng; Kristensen, Tage Søndergaard

    2006-01-01

    A possible association between stress and risk of breast cancer has been assessed in different study designs with conflicting results. We prospectively followed 6,689 women from the Copenhagen City Heart Study for 18 years for a first-time diagnosis of primary breast cancer. The women were asked...... about stress intensity and frequency at baseline in 1981-83. Women reporting high levels of stress were at lower risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.37-0.97) than women reporting low levels of stress. This association was most pronounced among women who received hormone therapy...

  15. Combat high or traumatic stress: violent offending is associated with appetitive aggression but not with symptoms of traumatic stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anke eKöbach

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Former members of armed groups in eastern DRCongo had typically witnessed, experienced and perpetrated extreme forms of violence. Enhanced trauma-related symptoms had been shown in prior research. But also lashing out in self-defense is a familiar response to threat defined as reactive aggression. Another potential response is appetitive aggression, in which the perpetration of excessive violence is perceived as pleasurable (combat high. What roles do these forms of aggressive behavior play in modern warfare and how are they related to posttraumatic stress symptoms? To answer the question, we sought to determine predictors for appetitive aggressive and trauma-related mental illness, and investigated the frequency of psychopathological symptoms for high- and low-intensity conflict demobilization settings. To this end, we interviewed 213 former members of (paramilitary groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in regard to their combat exposure, posttraumatic stress, appetitive aggression, depression, suicidality, and drug dependence. Random forest regression embedded in a conditional inference framework revealed that perpetrated violent acts are not necessarily stressful. In fact, the experience of violent acts that typically implicated salient cues of hunting (e.g., blood, suffering of the victim, etc. had the strongest association with an appetite for aggression. Furthermore, the number of lifetime perpetrated violent acts was the most important predictor of appetitive aggression. However, the number of perpetrated violent acts did not significantly affect the posttraumatic stress. Greater intensity of conflict was associated with more severe posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression. Psychotherapeutic interventions that address appetitive aggression in addition to trauma-related mental illness, including drug dependence, therefore seem indispensible for a successful reintegration of those who fought in the current civil wars.

  16. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Stressful Life Events Among Rural Women With HIV Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemppainen, Jeanne K; MacKain, Sally; Alexander, Melissa; Reid, Paula; Jackson, Morgan Parks

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and stressful life events are frequent and distressing problems for women living with HIV (WLWH). Studies have independently focused on the impact of these problems, but little work has examined the relationship between PTSD and stressful life events. Our cross-sectional study examined relationships between PTSD and recent stressful life events in WLWH. A sample of 60 women recruited through HIV community agencies in southeastern North Carolina completed the Stressful Life Events Questionnaire and the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). PTSD prevalence was high (43.2%). Two-thirds (66%) reported three or more recent life stressors. Women who experienced a higher number of recent life stressors scored higher on the PCL-C than those with fewer life stressors (p stressful life events may accelerate PTSD symptoms. Findings underscore the importance of addressing mental health issues in HIV treatment settings. Implications for nursing practice are provided. Copyright © 2016 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Stressing Academia? Stress-as-Offence-to-Self at Danish Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opstrup, Niels; Pihl-Thingvad, Signe

    2016-01-01

    Academic work has traditionally been seen as relatively stress free. However, a growing number of studies have reported increases in occupational stress experienced by university researchers. In order to explain stress among this group, we build on a new perspective in occupational stress research: the so-called stress-as-offence-to-self…

  18. Polyamine stress at high pH in Escherichia coli K-12

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tate Daniel P

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Polyamines such as spermine and spermidine are required for growth of Escherichia coli; they interact with nucleic acids, and they bind to ribosomes. Polyamines block porins and decrease membrane permeability, activities that may protect cells in acid. At high concentrations, however, polyamines impair growth. They impair growth more severely at high pH, probably due to their increased uptake as membrane-permeant weak bases. The role of pH is critical in understanding polyamine stress. Results The effect of polyamines was tested on survival of Escherichia coli K-12 W3110 in extreme acid or base (pH conditions outside the growth range. At pH 2, 10 mM spermine increased survival by 2-fold, and putrescine increased survival by 30%. At pH 9.8, however, E. coli survival was decreased 100-fold by 10 mM spermine, putrescine, cadaverine, or spermidine. At pH 8.5, spermine decreased the growth rate substantially, whereas little effect was seen at pH 5.5. Spermidine required ten-fold higher concentrations to impair growth. On proteomic 2-D gels, spermine and spermidine caused differential expression of 31 different proteins. During log-phase growth at pH 7.0, 1 mM spermine induced eight proteins, including PykF, GlpK, SerS, DeaD, OmpC and OmpF. Proteins repressed included acetate-inducible enzymes (YfiD, Pta, Lpd as well as RapA (HepA, and FabB. At pH 8.5, spermine induced additional proteins: TnaA, OmpA, YrdA and NanA (YhcJ and also repressed 17 proteins. Four of the proteins that spermine induced (GlpK, OmpA, OmpF, TnaA and five that were repressed (Lpd, Pta, SucB, TpiA, YfiD show similar induction or repression, respectively, in base compared to acid. Most of these base stress proteins were also regulated by spermidine, but only at ten-fold higher concentration (10 mM at high pH (pH 8.5. Conclusion Polyamines increase survival in extreme acid, but decrease E. coli survival in extreme base. Growth inhibition by spermine and

  19. Wind stress over the Arabian Sea from ship reports and Seasat scatterometer data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perigaud, C.; Minster, J. F.; Delecluse, P.

    1989-01-01

    Seasat scatterometer data over the Arabian Sea are used to build wind-stress fields during July and August 1978. They are first compared with 3-day wind analyses from ship data along the Somali coast. Seasat scatterometer specifications of 2-m/s and 20-deg accuracy are fulfilled in almost all cases. The exceptions are for winds stronger than 14 m/s, which are underestimated by the scatterometer by 15 percent. Wind stress is derived from these wind data using a bulk formula with a drag coefficient depending on the wind intensity. A successive-correction objective analysis is used to build the wind-stress field over the Arabian Sea with 2 x 2-deg and 6-day resolution. The final wind-stress fields are not significantly dependent on the objective analysis because of the dense coverage of the scatterometer. The combination of scatterometer and coastal ship data gives the best coverage to resolve monsoon wind structures even close to the coast. The final wind stress fields show wind features consistent with other monthly mean wind stress field. However, a high variability is observed on the 6-day time scale.

  20. High Temperature Materials Interim Data Qualification Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lybeck, Nancy

    2010-01-01

    Projects for the very high temperature reactor (VHTR) Technology Development Office provide data in support of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing of the VHTR. Fuel and materials to be used in the reactor are tested and characterized to quantify performance in high temperature and high fluence environments. The VHTR program has established the NGNP Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS) to ensure that VHTR data are qualified for use, stored in a readily accessible electronic form, and analyzed to extract useful results. This document focuses on the first NDMAS objective. It describes the High Temperature Materials characterization data stream, the processing of these data within NDMAS, and reports the interim FY2010 qualification status of the data. Data qualification activities within NDMAS for specific types of data are determined by the data qualification category assigned by the data generator. The High Temperature Materials data are being collected under NQA-1 guidelines, and will be qualified data. For NQA-1 qualified data, the qualification activities include: (1) capture testing, to confirm that the data stored within NDMAS are identical to the raw data supplied, (2) accuracy testing to confirm that the data are an accurate representation of the system or object being measured, and (3) documenting that the data were collected under an NQA-1 or equivalent Quality Assurance program. Currently, data from two test series within the High Temperature Materials data stream have been entered into the NDMAS vault: (1) Tensile Tests for Sm (i.e., Allowable Stress) Confirmatory Testing - 1,403,994 records have been inserted into the NDMAS database. Capture testing is in process. (2) Creep-Fatigue Testing to Support Determination of Creep-Fatigue Interaction Diagram - 918,854 records have been processed and inserted into the NDMAS database. Capture testing is in process.

  1. Identification and characterization of microRNAs related to salt stress in broccoli, using high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yunhong; Tian, Yunming; Luo, Xiaojun; Zhou, Tao; Huang, Zuoping; Liu, Ying; Qiu, Yihan; Hou, Bing; Sun, Dan; Deng, Hongyu; Qian, Shen; Yao, Kaitai

    2014-09-03

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of endogenous regulators of a broad range of physiological processes, which act by regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally. The brassica vegetable, broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), is very popular with a wide range of consumers, but environmental stresses such as salinity are a problem worldwide in restricting its growth and yield. Little is known about the role of miRNAs in the response of broccoli to salt stress. In this study, broccoli subjected to salt stress and broccoli grown under control conditions were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. Differential miRNA expression was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The prediction of miRNA targets was undertaken using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Orthology (KO) database and Gene Ontology (GO)-enrichment analyses. Two libraries of small (or short) RNAs (sRNAs) were constructed and sequenced by high-throughput Solexa sequencing. A total of 24,511,963 and 21,034,728 clean reads, representing 9,861,236 (40.23%) and 8,574,665 (40.76%) unique reads, were obtained for control and salt-stressed broccoli, respectively. Furthermore, 42 putative known and 39 putative candidate miRNAs that were differentially expressed between control and salt-stressed broccoli were revealed by their read counts and confirmed by the use of stem-loop real-time RT-PCR. Amongst these, the putative conserved miRNAs, miR393 and miR855, and two putative candidate miRNAs, miR3 and miR34, were the most strongly down-regulated when broccoli was salt-stressed, whereas the putative conserved miRNA, miR396a, and the putative candidate miRNA, miR37, were the most up-regulated. Finally, analysis of the predicted gene targets of miRNAs using the GO and KO databases indicated that a range of metabolic and other cellular functions known to be associated with salt stress were up-regulated in broccoli treated with salt. A comprehensive

  2. Mechanism Profiling of Hepatotoxicity Caused by Oxidative Stress Using Antioxidant Response Element Reporter Gene Assay Models and Big Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Marlene Thai; Huang, Ruili; Sedykh, Alexander; Wang, Wenyi; Xia, Menghang; Zhu, Hao

    2016-05-01

    Hepatotoxicity accounts for a substantial number of drugs being withdrawn from the market. Using traditional animal models to detect hepatotoxicity is expensive and time-consuming. Alternative in vitro methods, in particular cell-based high-throughput screening (HTS) studies, have provided the research community with a large amount of data from toxicity assays. Among the various assays used to screen potential toxicants is the antioxidant response element beta lactamase reporter gene assay (ARE-bla), which identifies chemicals that have the potential to induce oxidative stress and was used to test > 10,000 compounds from the Tox21 program. The ARE-bla computational model and HTS data from a big data source (PubChem) were used to profile environmental and pharmaceutical compounds with hepatotoxicity data. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were developed based on ARE-bla data. The models predicted the potential oxidative stress response for known liver toxicants when no ARE-bla data were available. Liver toxicants were used as probe compounds to search PubChem Bioassay and generate a response profile, which contained thousands of bioassays (> 10 million data points). By ranking the in vitro-in vivo correlations (IVIVCs), the most relevant bioassay(s) related to hepatotoxicity were identified. The liver toxicants profile contained the ARE-bla and relevant PubChem assays. Potential toxicophores for well-known toxicants were created by identifying chemical features that existed only in compounds with high IVIVCs. Profiling chemical IVIVCs created an opportunity to fully explore the source-to-outcome continuum of modern experimental toxicology using cheminformatics approaches and big data sources. Kim MT, Huang R, Sedykh A, Wang W, Xia M, Zhu H. 2016. Mechanism profiling of hepatotoxicity caused by oxidative stress using antioxidant response element reporter gene assay models and big data. Environ Health Perspect 124:634-641;

  3. Vildagliptin Can Alleviate Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Liver Induced by a High Fat Diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoqing Ma

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. We investigated whether a DDP-4 inhibitor, vildagliptin, alleviated ER stress induced by a high fat diet and improved hepatic lipid deposition. Methods. C57BL/6 mice received standard chow diet (CD, high fat diet (HFD, and HFD administered with vildagliptin (50 mg/Kg (V-HFD. After administration for 12 weeks, serum alanine aminotransferase, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, and insulin levels were analyzed. Samples of liver underwent histological examination and transmission electron microscopy, real-time PCR for gene expression levels, and western blots for protein expression levels. ER stress was induced in HepG2 cells with palmitic acid and the effects of vildagliptin were investigated. Results. HFD mice showed increased liver weight/body weight (20.27% and liver triglycerides (314.75% compared to CD mice, but these decreased by 9.27% and 21.83%, respectively, in V-HFD mice. In the liver, HFD induced the expression of ER stress indicators significantly, which were obviously decreased by vildagliptin. In vitro, the expressions of molecular indicators of ER stress were reduced in HepG2 when vildagliptin was administered. Conclusions. Vildagliptin alleviates hepatic ER stress in a mouse high fat diet model. In HepG2 cells, vildagliptin directly reduced ER stress. Therefore, vildagliptin may be a potential agent for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

  4. Stress corrosion cracking of highly irradiated 316 stainless steels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakano, Morihito; Fukuya, Koji; Fujii, Katsuhiko; Nakajima, Nobuo; Furutani, Gen [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Mihama, Fukui (Japan)

    2001-09-01

    Mechanical property tests, grain boundary (GB) composition analysis and slow strain rate test (SSRT) in simulated PWR primary water changing dissolved hydrogen (DH) and dissolved oxygen (DO) content were carried out on cold-worked (CW) 316 stainless steels which were irradiated to 1-8x10{sup 26} n/m{sup 2} (E>0.1 MeV) in a Japanese PWR in order to evaluate irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) susceptibility. Highly irradiated stainless steels were susceptible to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in both hydrogenated water and oxygenated water and to intergranular cracking in inert gas atmosphere. IASCC susceptibility increased with increasing DH content (0-45 ccH{sub 2}/kgH{sub 2}O). Hydrogen content of the section containing fracture surface was higher than that of the section far from fracture surface. These results suggest that hydrogen would have an important role for IASCC. While mechanical property was saturated, GB segregation and IASCC susceptibility increased with an increase in fluence, suggesting that GB segregation would have a dominant role for an increase in IASCC susceptibility at this high fluence region. (author)

  5. Calculation of Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from highly stressed polycrystalline materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MacDonald, M. J., E-mail: macdonm@umich.edu [Applied Physics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Vorberger, J. [Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden (Germany); Gamboa, E. J.; Glenzer, S. H.; Fletcher, L. B. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Drake, R. P. [Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, Applied Physics, and Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

    2016-06-07

    Calculations of Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from polycrystalline materials have typically been done in the limit of small deviatoric stresses. Although these methods are well suited for experiments conducted near hydrostatic conditions, more robust models are required to diagnose the large strain anisotropies present in dynamic compression experiments. A method to predict Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns for arbitrary strains has been presented in the Voigt (iso-strain) limit [Higginbotham, J. Appl. Phys. 115, 174906 (2014)]. Here, we present a method to calculate Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from highly stressed polycrystalline samples in the Reuss (iso-stress) limit. This analysis uses elastic constants to calculate lattice strains for all initial crystallite orientations, enabling elastic anisotropy and sample texture effects to be modeled directly. The effects of probing geometry, deviatoric stresses, and sample texture are demonstrated and compared to Voigt limit predictions. An example of shock-compressed polycrystalline diamond is presented to illustrate how this model can be applied and demonstrates the importance of including material strength when interpreting diffraction in dynamic compression experiments.

  6. Job insecurity during recessions: effects on survivors' work stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modrek, Sepideh; Cullen, Mark R

    2013-10-06

    Previous studies show a variety of negative health consequences for the remaining workforce after downsizing events. This study examined self-reported work stress from 2009-2012 in the context of a large multi-site aluminum manufacturing company that underwent severe downsizing in 2009. This study examined the association between work stress and working at a work site that underwent severe downsizing. We assessed the level of downsizing across thirty plants in 2009 and categorized seven as having undergone severe downsizing. We linked plant-level downsizing information to individual workers' responses to an annual work engagement survey, which included three work stress questions. From 2009 to 2012 over 14, 000 employees were asked about their experience of work stress. Though the surveys were anonymous, the surveys captured employees' demographic and employment characteristic as well as plant location. We used hierarchical logistic regressions to compare responses of workers at severely downsized plants to workers at all other plant while controlling for demographic and plant characteristics. Responses to the work stress questions and one control question were examined. In all yearly surveys salaried workers consistently reported having more work stress than hourly workers. There was no differential in work stress for workers at severely downsized plants in 2009. In 2010 to 2012, salaried workers who remained at severely downsized plants reported significantly higher work stress than salaried workers at all other plants across multiple work stress questions. Examination of the 2006 survey confirmed that there were no pre-existing differences in work stress among salaried employees working at plants that would eventually experience severe downsizing. In addition, there was no difference in responses to the control question at severely downsized plants. Salaried workers at plants with high layoffs experienced more work stress after 2009 than their counterparts at

  7. Interactive effects of chronic stress and a high-sucrose diet on nonalcoholic fatty liver in young adult male rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corona-Pérez, Adriana; Díaz-Muñoz, Mauricio; Cuevas-Romero, Estela; Luna-Moreno, Dalia; Valente-Godínez, Héctor; Vázquez-Martínez, Olivia; Martínez-Gómez, Margarita; Rodríguez-Antolín, Jorge; Nicolás-Toledo, Leticia

    2017-11-01

    Glucocorticoids have been implicated in nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD). The influence of a palatable diet on the response to stress is controversial. This study explored whether a high-sucrose diet could protect from hepatic steatosis induced by chronic restraint stress in young adult rats. Male Wistar rats aged 21 days were allocated into four groups (n = 6-8 per group): control, chronic restraint stress, 30% sucrose diet, and 30% sucrose diet plus chronic restraint stress. After being exposed to either tap water or sucrose solution during eight weeks, half of the rats belonging to each group were subject or not to repeated restraint stress (1 h per day, 5 days per week) during four weeks. Triacylglycerol (TAG), oxidative stress, activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD-1), infiltration of immune cells, and glycogen amount in the liver were quantified. Serum concentrations of corticosterone and testosterone were also measured. The stressed group showed normal serum concentrations of corticosterone and did not have hepatic steatosis. However, this group showed increased glycogen, inflammation, mild fibrosis, oxidative stress, and a high activity of 11β-HSD-1 in the liver. The group exposed to the high-sucrose diet had lower concentrations of corticosterone, hepatic steatosis and moderate fibrosis. The group subject to high-sucrose diet plus chronic restraint stress showed low concentrations of corticosterone, hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and high concentrations of testosterone. Thus, restraint stress and a high-sucrose diet each generate different components of nonalcoholic fatty liver in young adult rats. The combination of both the factors could promote a faster development of NAFLD.

  8. Genetic and environmental modulation of neurotrophic and anabolic stress response: Counterbalancing forces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Marcus K; Carpenter, Jennifer; Stone, Michael; Hernandez, Lisa M; Rauh, Mitchell J; Laurent, Heidemarie K; Granger, Douglas A

    2015-11-01

    The serotonin transporter genetic variant 5HTTLPR influences activation and feedback control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and has been shown to influence the effect of stressful life events on behavioral health. We recently reported that 5HTTLPR modulates cortisol response in healthy military men exposed to intense stress. Less is known of its combined effects with environmental factors in this context, or of its effect on neuroprotective stress responses. In this follow-up study, we examined the unique and combined effects of 5HTTLPR and prior trauma exposure on neuroprotective (salivary nerve growth factor [sNGF]), anabolic (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate [DHEAS] and testosterone), and catabolic (cortisol) stress responses. Ninety-three healthy, active-duty military men were studied before, during, and 24h after a stressful 12-day survival course. Distinct and interactive effects of 5HTTLPR long allele carriage [L] versus homozygous short allele carriage [SS]) and prior trauma exposure (low versus high) were evaluated, after which a priori group comparisons were performed between hypothesized high resilience (L/low) and low resilience (SS/high) groups. For sNGF, L/low produced the greatest sNGF throughout stress exposure while SS/high demonstrated the smallest; L/high and SS/low bisected these two extremes and were nearly identical to each other (i.e., SS/high counterbalancing (additive) forces. Similar patterns were found for DHEAS. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report counterbalancing genetic and environmental effects on novel biomarkers related to resilience in humans exposed to real-world stress. These findings have profound implications for health, performance and training in high-stress occupational settings. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Work stress, family stress and asthma: a cross-sectional study among women in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loerbroks, Adrian; Ding, Hui; Han, Wei; Wang, Hong; Wu, Jiang-Ping; Yang, Liu; Angerer, Peter; Li, Jian

    2017-05-01

    Research addressing links of work stress or family stress with asthma is constrained by (1) inconsistent evidence, (2) failure to consider the combined exposure to work stress and family stress, and (3) its primary focus on Western study populations. We aimed to address these knowledge gaps. We used cross-sectional data collected in 2015 among 7816 women from five professional groups in five Chinese cities. Work stress was measured by the 10-item effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire. Family stress was assessed by a psychometrically evaluated instrument comprising five items on, e.g., familial conflicts or domestic workload. Asthma was operationalized by self-reports of a physician diagnosis. Associations were examined by multivariable logistic regression estimating odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Both high work stress (i.e., ERI score >1) and high family stress (i.e., score above the median) were associated with asthma (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.22-2.27 and OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.10-1.99, respectively). Women with combined exposure (versus none) had somewhat higher odds of asthma (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.42-3.19) than those with sole exposure to either work stress (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.20-2.96) or family stress (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.03-2.84). Interaction terms were significant for continuous variables (p = 0.046), but not for dichotomized variables (p = 0.199). The present study suggests that both work stress and family stress are positively associated with asthma in women in China. Further, the combined exposure may be associated with a further excess of asthma occurrence. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm our findings and to explore potential temporal relationships.

  10. Resting sympathetic arousal moderates the association between parasympathetic reactivity and working memory performance in adults reporting high levels of life stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giuliano, Ryan J; Gatzke-Kopp, Lisa M; Roos, Leslie E; Skowron, Elizabeth A

    2017-08-01

    The neurovisceral integration model stipulates that autonomic function plays a critical role in the regulation of higher-order cognitive processes, yet most work to date has examined parasympathetic function in isolation from sympathetic function. Furthermore, the majority of work has been conducted on normative samples, which typically demonstrate parasympathetic withdrawal to increase arousal needed to complete cognitive tasks. Little is known about how autonomic regulation supports cognitive function in populations exposed to high levels of stress, which is critical given that chronic stress exposure alters autonomic function. To address this, we sought to characterize how parasympathetic (high-frequency heart rate variability, HF-HRV) and sympathetic (preejection period, PEP) measures of cardiac function contribute to individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity in a sample of high-risk women. HF-HRV and PEP were measured at rest and during a visual change detection measure of WM. Multilevel modeling was used to examine within-person fluctuations in WM performance throughout the task concurrently with HF-HRV and PEP, as well as between-person differences as a function of resting HF-HRV and PEP levels. Results indicate that resting PEP moderated the association between HF-HRV reactivity and WM capacity. Increases in WM capacity across the task were associated with increases in parasympathetic activity, but only among individuals with longer resting PEP (lower sympathetic arousal). Follow-up analyses showed that shorter resting PEP was associated with greater cumulative risk exposure. These results support the autonomic space framework, in that the relationship between behavior and parasympathetic function appears dependent on resting sympathetic activation. © 2017 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  11. Differential determination of perceived stress in medical students and high-school graduates due to private and training-related stressors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erschens, Rebecca; Herrmann-Werner, Anne; Keifenheim, Katharina Eva; Loda, Teresa; Bugaj, Till Johannes; Nikendei, Christoph; Lammerding-Köppel, Maria; Zipfel, Stephan; Junne, Florian

    2018-01-01

    Numerous studies from diverse contexts have confirmed high stress levels and stress-associated health impairment in medical students. This study aimed to explore the differential association of perceived stress with private and training-related stressors in medical students according to their stage of medical education. Participants were high-school graduates who plan to study medicine and students in their first, third, sixth, or ninth semester of medical school or in practical medical training. The self-administered questionnaire included items addressing demographic information, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and items addressing potential private and training-related stressors. Results confirmed a substantial burden of perceived stress in students at different stages of their medical education. In particular, 10-28% of students in their third or ninth semesters of medical school showed the highest values for perceived stress. Training-related stressors were most strongly associated with perceived stress, although specific stressors that determined perceived stress varied across different stages of students' medical education. High-school graduates highly interested in pursuing medical education showed specific stressors similar to those of medical students in their third, sixth, or ninth semesters of medical school, as well as stress structures with heights of general stress rates similar to those of medical students at the beginning of practical medical training. High-school graduates offer new, interesting information about students' fears and needs before they begin medical school. Medical students and high-school graduates need open, comprehensive information about possible stressors at the outset of and during medical education. Programmes geared toward improving resilience behaviour and teaching new, functional coping strategies are recommended.

  12. Ethnicity, work-related stress and subjective reports of health by migrant workers: a multi-dimensional model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capasso, Roberto; Zurlo, Maria Clelia; Smith, Andrew P

    2018-02-01

    This study integrates different aspects of ethnicity and work-related stress dimensions (based on the Demands-Resources-Individual-Effects model, DRIVE [Mark, G. M., and A. P. Smith. 2008. "Stress Models: A Review and Suggested New Direction." In Occupational Health Psychology, edited by J. Houdmont and S. Leka, 111-144. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press]) and aims to test a multi-dimensional model that combines individual differences, ethnicity dimensions, work characteristics, and perceived job satisfaction/stress as independent variables in the prediction of subjectives reports of health by workers differing in ethnicity. A questionnaire consisting of the following sections was submitted to 900 workers in Southern Italy: for individual and cultural characteristics, coping strategies, personality behaviours, and acculturation strategies; for work characteristics, perceived job demands and job resources/rewards; for appraisals, perceived job stress/satisfaction and racial discrimination; for subjective reports of health, psychological disorders and general health. To test the reliability and construct validity of the extracted factors referred to all dimensions involved in the proposed model and logistic regression analyses to evaluate the main effects of the independent variables on the health outcomes were conducted. Principal component analysis (PCA) yielded seven factors for individual and cultural characteristics (emotional/relational coping, objective coping, Type A behaviour, negative affectivity, social inhibition, affirmation/maintenance culture, and search identity/adoption of the host culture); three factors for work characteristics (work demands, intrinsic/extrinsic rewards, and work resources); three factors for appraisals (perceived job satisfaction, perceived job stress, perceived racial discrimination) and three factors for subjective reports of health (interpersonal disorders, anxious-depressive disorders, and general health). Logistic

  13. Socio-economic differences in self-reported insomnia and stress in Finland from 1979 to 2002: a population-based repeated cross-sectional survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Talala Kirsi M

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Over the decades, global public health efforts have sought to reduce socio-economic health differences, including differences in mental health. Only a few studies have examined changes in socio-economic differences in psychological symptoms over time. The aim of this study was to assess trends in socio-economic differences in self-reported insomnia and stress over a 24-year time period in Finland. Methods The data source is a repeated cross-sectional survey “Health Behaviour and Health among the Finnish Adult Population” (AVTK, from the years 1979 to 2002, divided into five study periods. Indicators for socio-economic status included employment status from the survey, and educational level and household income from the Statistics Finland register data. We studied the age group of 25–64 years (N = 70115; average annual response rate 75%. Outcome measures were single questions of self-reported insomnia and stress. Results The overall prevalence of insomnia was 18-19% and that of stress 16-19%. Compared to the first study period, 1979–1982, the prevalence of stress increased until study period 1993–1997. The prevalence of insomnia increased during the last study period, 1998–2002. Respondents who were unemployed or had retired early reported more insomnia and stress over time among both men and women. Lower education was associated with more insomnia especially among men; and conversely, with less stress among both sexes. Compared to the highest household income level, those in the intermediate levels of income had less stress whereas those in the lowest income levels had more stress among both sexes. Income level differences in insomnia were less consistent. In general, socio-economic differences in self-reported insomnia and stress fluctuated some, but did not change substantially over the study period 1979–2002. Conclusions Self-reported insomnia and stress were more common during later study periods. The

  14. Perceived Stress and Social Networks among Young Adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dissing, Nete; Jørgensen, Tobias Bornakke; Gerds, Thomas Alexander

    Individuals reporting high stress are engaging in social interactions more frequently via calls and text messages, and they appear to spend shorter time in social interactions meeting face-to-face with fellow students. This pattern is also reflected in the self-reported social interactions where ...

  15. Objective effect manifestation of pectus excavatum on load-stressed pulmonary function testing: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chan Jason

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Pectus excavatum is the most common congenital deformity of the anterior chest wall that, under certain conditions, may pose functional problems due to cardiopulmonary compromise and exercise intolerance. Case presentation We present the case of an otherwise physically-adept 21-year-old Chinese sportsman with idiopathic pectus excavatum, whose symptoms manifested only on bearing a loaded body vest and backpack during physical exercise. Corroborative objective evidence was obtained via load-stressed pulmonary function testing, which demonstrated restrictive lung function. Conclusion This report highlights the possible detrimental synergism of thoracic load stress and pectus excavatum on cardiopulmonary function. Thoracic load-stressed pulmonary function testing provides objective evidence in support of such a synergistic relationship.

  16. High lung volume increases stress failure in pulmonary capillaries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Z.; Costello, M. L.; Tsukimoto, K.; Prediletto, R.; Elliott, A. R.; Mathieu-Costello, O.; West, J. B.

    1992-01-01

    We previously showed that when pulmonary capillaries in anesthetized rabbits are exposed to a transmural pressure (Ptm) of approximately 40 mmHg, stress failure of the walls occurs with disruption of the capillary endothelium, alveolar epithelium, or sometimes all layers. The present study was designed to test whether stress failure occurred more frequently at high than at low lung volumes for the same Ptm. Lungs of anesthetized rabbits were inflated to a transpulmonary pressure of 20 cmH2O, perfused with autologous blood at 32.5 or 2.5 cmH2O Ptm, and fixed by intravascular perfusion. Samples were examined by both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The results were compared with those of a previous study in which the lung was inflated to a transpulmonary pressure of 5 cmH2O. There was a large increase in the frequency of stress failure of the capillary walls at the higher lung volume. For example, at 32.5 cmH2O Ptm, the number of endothelial breaks per millimeter cell lining was 7.1 +/- 2.2 at the high lung volume compared with 0.7 +/- 0.4 at the low lung volume. The corresponding values for epithelium were 8.5 +/- 1.6 and 0.9 +/- 0.6. Both differences were significant (P less than 0.05). At 52.5 cmH2O Ptm, the results for endothelium were 20.7 +/- 7.6 (high volume) and 7.1 +/- 2.1 (low volume), and the corresponding results for epithelium were 32.8 +/- 11.9 and 11.4 +/- 3.7. At 32.5 cmH2O Ptm, the thickness of the blood-gas barrier was greater at the higher lung volume, consistent with the development of more interstitial edema. Ballooning of the epithelium caused by accumulation of edema fluid between the epithelial cell and its basement membrane was seen at 32.5 and 52.5 cmH2O Ptm. At high lung volume, the breaks tended to be narrower and fewer were oriented perpendicular to the axis of the pulmonary capillaries than at low lung volumes. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy measurements agreed well. Our findings provide a physiological

  17. High hydrostatic pressure leads to free radicals accumulation in yeast cells triggering oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bravim, Fernanda; Mota, Mainã M; Fernandes, A Alberto R; Fernandes, Patricia M B

    2016-08-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a unicellular organism that during the fermentative process is exposed to a variable environment; hence, resistance to multiple stress conditions is a desirable trait. The stress caused by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) in S. cerevisiae resembles the injuries generated by other industrial stresses. In this study, it was confirmed that gene expression pattern in response to HHP displays an oxidative stress response profile which is expanded upon hydrostatic pressure release. Actually, reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration level increased in yeast cells exposed to HHP treatment and an incubation period at room pressure led to a decrease in intracellular ROS concentration. On the other hand, ethylic, thermic and osmotic stresses did not result in any ROS accumulation in yeast cells. Microarray analysis revealed an upregulation of genes related to methionine metabolism, appearing to be a specific cellular response to HHP, and not related to other stresses, such as heat and osmotic stresses. Next, we investigated whether enhanced oxidative stress tolerance leads to enhanced tolerance to HHP stress. Overexpression of STF2 is known to enhance tolerance to oxidative stress and we show that it also leads to enhanced tolerance to HHP stress. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Creep and rupture of an ODS alloy with high stress rupture ductility. [Oxide Dispersion Strengthened

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcalarney, M. E.; Arsons, R. M.; Howson, T. E.; Tien, J. K.; Baranow, S.

    1982-01-01

    The creep and stress rupture properties of an oxide (Y2O3) dispersion strengthened nickel-base alloy, which also is strengthened by gamma-prime precipitates, was studied at 760 and 1093 C. At both temperatures, the alloy YDNiCrAl exhibits unusually high stress rupture ductility as measured by both elongation and reduction in area. Failure was transgranular, and different modes of failure were observed including crystallographic fracture at intermediate temperatures and tearing or necking almost to a chisel point at higher temperatures. While the rupture ductility was high, the creep strength of the alloy was low relative to conventional gamma prime strengthened superalloys in the intermediate temperature range and to ODS alloys in the higher temperature range. These findings are discussed with respect to the alloy composition; the strengthening oxide phases, which are inhomogeneously dispersed; the grain morphology, which is coarse and elongated and exhibits many included grains; and the second phase inclusion particles occurring at grain boundaries and in the matrix. The creep properties, in particular the high stress dependencies and high creep activation energies measured, are discussed with respect to the resisting stress model of creep in particle strengthened alloys.

  19. High Prevalence of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Adult Patients with Bronchiectasis

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Duignan, N

    2016-07-01

    Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is frequently under-reported in patients with chronic lung disease and may have negative psychosocial consequences. We conducted a prospective study to determine the prevalence, severity and treatment outcomes of SUI in female bronchiectasis patients referred for airway clearance techniques. Nineteen out of 40 (48%) patients reported SUI symptoms. Of these, 14 (74%) reported a reduced quality of life secondary to SUI. Following personalised intervention, symptom improvement was observed in 13\\/19 (68%). Five out of 19 (26%) required specialist referral for further continence care. No associations with lung disease severity and SUI were noted. SUI is common in adult female bronchiectasis patients and should be routinely screened for to improve patients’ overall quality of life.

  20. Psychosocial stress in South African patients with type 2 diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samantha Ramkisson

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Diabetes mellitus is considered an emotionally and behaviourally demanding condition which adds to the stress of a patient’s daily living. There is a paucity of literature in South Africa regarding stress and diabetes. This study therefore aims to identify the areas and contributory factors of psychosocial stress in South African patients with diabetes. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two public facilities and five private medical practices on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Questionnaire on Stress in Diabetes – Revised was administered to 401 participants. Results: Eighteen percent of the sample reported having extreme psychosocial stress. Depression, physical complaints and self-medication/diet were the main areas which contributed to high psychosocial stress. Factors that also contributed to high levels of psychosocial stress were low educational level, unemployment, female gender, attending the public sector and high HbA1c levels. Conclusion: Psychosocial stress affects metabolic control in patients with diabetes, thereby increasing the risks of long-term complications.

  1. High CO2 Primes Plant Biotic Stress Defences through Redox-Linked Pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mhamdi, Amna; Noctor, Graham

    2016-10-01

    Industrial activities have caused tropospheric CO 2 concentrations to increase over the last two centuries, a trend that is predicted to continue for at least the next several decades. Here, we report that growth of plants in a CO 2 -enriched environment activates responses that are central to defense against pathogenic attack. Salicylic acid accumulation was triggered by high-growth CO 2 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and other plants such as bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). A detailed analysis in Arabidopsis revealed that elevated CO 2 primes multiple defense pathways, leading to increased resistance to bacterial and fungal challenge. Analysis of gene-specific mutants provided no evidence that activation of plant defense pathways by high CO 2 was caused by stomatal closure. Rather, the activation is partly linked to metabolic effects involving redox signaling. In support of this, genetic modification of redox components (glutathione contents and NADPH-generating enzymes) prevents full priming of the salicylic acid pathway and associated resistance by high CO 2 The data point to a particularly influential role for the nonphosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, a cytosolic enzyme whose role in plants remains unclear. Our observations add new information on relationships between high CO 2 and oxidative signaling and provide novel insight into plant stress responses in conditions of increased CO 2 . © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  2. The Effect of Creep on the Residual Stresses Generated During Silicon Sheet Growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, J. W.; Lambropoulos, J. C.

    1984-01-01

    The modeling of stresses generated during the growth of thin silicon sheets at high speeds is an important part of the EFG technique since the experimental measurement of the stresses is difficult and prohibitive. The residual stresses which arise in such a growth process lead to serious problems which make thin Si ribbons unsuitable for fabrication. The constitutive behavior is unrealistic because at high temperature (close to the melting point) Si exhibits considerable creep which significantly relaxes the residual stresses. The effect of creep on the residual stresses generated during the growth of Si sheets at high speeds was addressed and the basic qualitative effect of creep are reported.

  3. Oxidative stress at high altitude: genotype–phenotype correlations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pandey P

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Priyanka Pandey,1,2 MA Qadar Pasha1,2 1CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India; 2Department of Biotechnology, University of Pune, Ganeshkhind, Pune, India Abstract: It has been well-documented that the hypobaric hypoxic environment at high altitude (HA causes stress to both the permanent residents of HA and the sojourners. This oxidative stress primarily disturbs the oxygen-sensing and vascular homeostasis pathways, thereby upsetting normal human physiology, especially in sojourners. These environmental challenges have caused dynamic evolutionary changes within natives of HA, allowing them to develop adaptive plasticity. This review focuses on the genomic and biochemical features of the molecules involved in the oxygen-sensing and vascular homeostasis pathways with respect to HA pulmonary edema (HAPE and adaptation. We review the role of genetic markers such as HIF-prolyl hydroxylase 2, endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, endothelin 1, cytochrome b-245 alpha polypeptide, and glutathione S-transferase pi 1, as well as three circulatory biomarkers (nitric oxide, endothelin 1, and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, by highlighting approaches such as candidate gene and genome-wide, adopted in deciphering the pathways. A disagreement between the two approaches has also been highlighted. In addition, we discuss that an overrepresentation of wild-type alleles in HA natives and mutant alleles of same polymorphisms in HAPE patients implies that the allelic variants at the same locus are involved in adaptation and HAPE, respectively. Moreover, healthy sojourners present a number of genomic features similar to HA natives, further strengthening the concept of genetic predisposition. A trend in correlation between protective and risk alleles and altered levels of circulatory markers clearly documents the phenomenon of genotype–phenotype correlations. We conclude that the genetic and biochemical

  4. Occupational stress and its predictors in radiographers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rutter, D.R. [Centre for Research in Health Behaviour, Department of Psychology, University of Kent, Keynes College, Canterbury CT2 7NP (United Kingdom)], E-mail: d.r.rutter@kent.ac.uk; Lovegrove, M.J. [Department of Allied Health Professions, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA (United Kingdom)

    2008-05-15

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the level of occupational stress in UK NHS radiographers, and to examine its causes. A total of more than 1600 radiographers sampled nationally completed a postal questionnaire. Four groups were represented - mammography, diagnostics, radiotherapy, and ultrasound - and both junior staff and superintendents were examined. Method: The questionnaire measured role ambiguity, role conflict, work problems, social support from colleagues, and perceived stress. Results: Levels of perceived stress were high in all four groups. The mean was significantly lower in the mammography group than the others, however, and junior staff reported lower levels than superintendents. Role ambiguity, role conflict and work problems all contributed significantly to stress, but the effects were sometimes buffered by social support from colleagues. Conclusion: The implications of the findings are discussed for theory and for policy and practice: occupational stress was predicted by intrinsic features of the job; the levels were similar to those reported by other NHS professionals; and the pattern of findings suggests possible ways to intervene to reduce it.

  5. Occupational stress and its predictors in radiographers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rutter, D.R.; Lovegrove, M.J.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the level of occupational stress in UK NHS radiographers, and to examine its causes. A total of more than 1600 radiographers sampled nationally completed a postal questionnaire. Four groups were represented - mammography, diagnostics, radiotherapy, and ultrasound - and both junior staff and superintendents were examined. Method: The questionnaire measured role ambiguity, role conflict, work problems, social support from colleagues, and perceived stress. Results: Levels of perceived stress were high in all four groups. The mean was significantly lower in the mammography group than the others, however, and junior staff reported lower levels than superintendents. Role ambiguity, role conflict and work problems all contributed significantly to stress, but the effects were sometimes buffered by social support from colleagues. Conclusion: The implications of the findings are discussed for theory and for policy and practice: occupational stress was predicted by intrinsic features of the job; the levels were similar to those reported by other NHS professionals; and the pattern of findings suggests possible ways to intervene to reduce it

  6. Reversible Stress Cardiomyopathy Presenting as Acute Coronary Syndrome with Elevated Troponin in the Absence of Regional Wall Motion Abnormalities: A Forme Fruste of Stress Cardiomyopathy?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahesh Anantha Narayanan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a case of reversible stress cardiomyopathy in a surgical patient, described here as a forme fruste due to its atypical features. It is important to recognize such unusual presentation of stress cardiomyopathy that mimics acute coronary syndrome. Stress cardiomyopathy commonly presents as acute coronary syndrome and is characterized by typical or atypical variants of regional wall motion abnormalities. We report a 60-year-old Caucasian male with reversible stress cardiomyopathy following a sternal fracture fixation. Although the patient had several typical features of stress cardiomyopathy including physical stress, ST-segment elevation, elevated cardiac biomarkers and normal epicardial coronaries, there were few features that were atypical, including unusual age, gender, absence of regional wall motion abnormalities, high lateral ST elevation, and high troponin-ejection fraction product. In conclusion, this could represent a forme fruste of stress cardiomyopathy.

  7. The measurement of in-situ stress in near surface environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garritty, P.; Irvin, R.A.

    1984-04-01

    One of the major unknowns affecting aspects of underground construction and the geohydrology of rock masses is the magnitude and direction of the geostatic principal stresses in the earth's crust. This is particularly the case in near surface rocks where there are indications that high horizontal stresses may exist. The measurement of stress in near surface environments is particularly difficult. The techniques, experience and results of a geostatic stress measurement programme using four commercially available devices at shallow depth in the Carnmenellis Granite are critically discussed and compared. This report also brings together some of the conclusions of two previous reports in the series, Garritty (1983) and Garritty and Irvin (1983), and emphasises the fundamental relationship between the state of stress in the earth's crust and the geohydrology of rock masses. (author)

  8. Acute social stress increases biochemical and self report markers of stress without altering spatial learning in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klopp, Christine; Garcia, Carlos; Schulman, Allan H; Ward, Christopher P; Tartar, Jaime L

    2012-01-01

    Spatial learning is shown to be influenced by acute stress in both human and other animals. However, the intricacies of this relationship are unclear. Based on prior findings we hypothesized that compared to a control condition, a social stress condition would not affect spatial learning performance despite elevated biochemical markers of stress. The present study tested the effects of social stress in human males and females on a subsequent spatial learning task. Social stress induction consisted of evaluative stress (the Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) compared to a placebo social stress. Compared to the placebo condition, the TSST resulted in significantly elevated cortisol and alpha amylase levels at multiple time points following stress induction. In accord, cognitive appraisal measures also showed that participants in the TSST group experienced greater perceived stress compared to the placebo group. However, there were no group differences in performance on a spatial learning task. Our findings suggest that unlike physiological stress, social stress does not result in alterations in spatial learning in humans. It is possible that moderate social evaluative stress in humans works to prevent acute stress-mediated alterations in hippocampal learning processes..

  9. Copepod swimming behavior, respiration, and expression of stress-related genes in response to high stocking densities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, Birgitte; Jakobsen, Hans Henrik; Stief, Peter

    2017-01-01

    is problematic for calanoid copepod species like Acartia tonsa. In the present study, we evaluated the response of copepods experiencing stress under high-density conditions by assessing the acute stress level of A. tonsa. Control density was at 100 ind. L−1 while the treatments were increased stepwise up to 10......,000 ind. L−1. Three biological/physiological end-points were studied: swimming behavior, respiration rate and expression level of stress-related genes. None of the elevated densities caused any significant change in swimming behavior, respiration rate or gene expression level. This study suggests...... that adults of A. tonsa do not exhibit any measurable acute stress response when exposed to high culture densities for 12 h....

  10. Hypnosis in patients with perceived stress - a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisch, S; Brinkhaus, B; Teut, M

    2017-06-19

    Although hypnosis and hypnotherapy have become more popular in recent years, the evidence for hypnosis to influence perceived stress is unclear. In this systematic review we searched and evaluated randomized clinical studies investigating the effect of hypnosis on perceived stress reduction and coping. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Database of Abstracts of Review of Effects, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX and PubMed were systematically screened from their inception until December 2015 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting about hypnosis or hypnotherapy for stress reduction in healthy participants. Risk of Bias was assessed according the Cochrane Collaboration recommendations. Nine RCTs with a total of 365 participants met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Most included participants were medical students, predominantly female (n = 211). Mean age of participants ranged in most studies between 20 and 25 years, in three studies the mean ages were between 30 and 42 years. Perceived stress was measured by a wide range of psychological questionnaires including Face Valid Stress Test, Stress Thermometer, and immunological data was collected. All nine included studies used explorative designs and showed a high risk of bias. Six out of nine studies reported significant positive effects of hypnosis for stress reduction in the main outcome parameter compared to control groups (3 active controls, 3 no therapy controls). Immunological outcomes were assessed in six studies, the results were inconclusive. Due to exploratory designs and high risk of bias, the effectiveness of hypnosis or hypnotherapy in stress reduction remains still unclear. More high quality clinical research is urgently needed.

  11. Differential determination of perceived stress in medical students and high-school graduates due to private and training-related stressors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrmann–Werner, Anne; Keifenheim, Katharina Eva; Loda, Teresa; Bugaj, Till Johannes; Nikendei, Christoph; Lammerding–Köppel, Maria; Zipfel, Stephan; Junne, Florian

    2018-01-01

    Objective Numerous studies from diverse contexts have confirmed high stress levels and stress-associated health impairment in medical students. This study aimed to explore the differential association of perceived stress with private and training-related stressors in medical students according to their stage of medical education. Methods Participants were high-school graduates who plan to study medicine and students in their first, third, sixth, or ninth semester of medical school or in practical medical training. The self-administered questionnaire included items addressing demographic information, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and items addressing potential private and training-related stressors. Results Results confirmed a substantial burden of perceived stress in students at different stages of their medical education. In particular, 10–28% of students in their third or ninth semesters of medical school showed the highest values for perceived stress. Training-related stressors were most strongly associated with perceived stress, although specific stressors that determined perceived stress varied across different stages of students’ medical education. High-school graduates highly interested in pursuing medical education showed specific stressors similar to those of medical students in their third, sixth, or ninth semesters of medical school, as well as stress structures with heights of general stress rates similar to those of medical students at the beginning of practical medical training. Conclusions High-school graduates offer new, interesting information about students’ fears and needs before they begin medical school. Medical students and high-school graduates need open, comprehensive information about possible stressors at the outset of and during medical education. Programmes geared toward improving resilience behaviour and teaching new, functional coping strategies are recommended. PMID:29385180

  12. Omethoate treatment mitigates high salt stress inhibited maize seed germination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Kejun; Zhang, Yifei; Zhu, Lianhua; Li, Zuotong; Deng, Benliang

    2018-01-01

    Omethoate (OM) is a highly toxic organophophate insecticide, which is resistant to biodegradation in the environment and is widely used for pest control in agriculture. The effect of OM on maize seed germination was evaluated under salt stress. Salt (800mM) greatly reduced germination of maize seed and this could be reversed by OM. Additionally, H 2 O 2 treatment further improved the effect of OM on seed germination. Higher H 2 O 2 content was measured in OM treated seed compared to those with salt stress alone. Dimethylthiourea (DTMU), a specific scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibited the effect of OM on seed germination, as did IMZ (imidazole), an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase. Abscisic acid (ABA) inhibited the effect of OM on seed germination, whereas fluridone, a specific inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis, enhanced the effect of OM. Taken together, these findings suggest a role of ROS and ABA in the promotion of maize seed germination by OM under salt stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Imagery Scripts and a Computerized Subtraction Stress Task Both Induce Stress in Methamphetamine Users: A Controlled Laboratory Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathleen J. Garrison

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients treated for methamphetamine (MA dependence have a high rate of relapse, and stress is thought to play a key role. We sought to develop a computerized procedure for experimentally inducing stress in MA users. In a within-subjects design, we compared a computerized subtraction stress task (SST to personalized stress-imagery scripts and a control condition (neutral imagery in 9 former MA users, recruited in San Francisco in 2006–2007. We assessed blood hormone levels, anxiety and craving for MA on visual analog scales, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and made linear mixed-effects models to analyze the results. Both the SST and stress scripts were effective in inducing self-report markers of stress in MA users. Because the SST is easily reproducible and requires less time of staff and participants, it may be a useful alternative for measuring stress reactivity in drug users.

  14. Analysis of occupational stress in a high fashion clothing factory with upper limb biomechanical overload.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forcella, Laura; Bonfiglioli, Roberta; Cutilli, Piero; Siciliano, Eugenio; Di Donato, Angela; Di Nicola, Marta; Antonucci, Andrea; Di Giampaolo, Luca; Boscolo, Paolo; Violante, Francesco Saverio

    2012-07-01

    To study job stress and upper limb biomechanical overload due to repetitive and forceful manual activities in a factory producing high fashion clothing. A total of 518 workers (433 women and 85 men) were investigated to determine anxiety, occupational stress (using the Italian version of the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire) and perception of symptoms (using the Italian version of the Somatization scale of Symptom Checklist SCL-90). Biomechanical overload was analyzed using the OCRA Check list. Biomechanical assessment did not reveal high-risk jobs, except for cutting. Although the perception of anxiety and job insecurity was within the normal range, all the workers showed a high level of job strain (correlated with the perception of symptoms) due to very low decision latitude. Occupational stress resulted partially in line with biomechanical risk factors; however, the perception of low decision latitude seems to play a major role in determining job strain. Interactions between physical and psychological factors cannot be demonstrated. Anyway, simultaneous long-term monitoring of occupational stress features and biomechanical overload could guide workplace interventions aimed at reducing the risk of adverse health effects.

  15. GASICA : Design, validation and use of a system for inducing and controlling physiological stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Vijgh, B.H.

    2016-01-01

    Stress is a prevalent condition in the Western world. In the Netherlands, a recent study reported the costs of stress to be around 4 billion euro per year, only factoring in work-related stress. In addition, the societal and individual impact of stress is high: the same study estimated that every

  16. Heart rate variability is associated with psychosocial stress in distinct social domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lischke, Alexander; Jacksteit, Robert; Mau-Moeller, Anett; Pahnke, Rike; Hamm, Alfons O; Weippert, Matthias

    2018-03-01

    Psychosocial stress is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, there is a growing interest in biomarkers that indicate whether individuals show adaptive (i.e., stress-buffering and health-promoting) or maladaptive (i.e., stress-escalating and health-impairing) stress reactions in social contexts. As heart rate variability (HRV) has been suggested to be a biomarker of adaptive behavior during social encounters, it may be possible that inter-individual differences in HRV are associated with inter-individual differences regarding stress in distinct social domains. To test this hypothesis, resting state HRV and psychosocial stress was assessed in 83 healthy community-dwelling individuals (age: 18-35years). HRV was derived from heart rate recordings during spontaneous and instructed breathing to assess the robustness of possible associations between inter-individual differences in HRV and inter-individual differences in psychosocial stress. Psychosocial stress was determined with a self-report questionnaire assessing stress in distinct social domains. A series of categorical and dimensional analyses revealed an association between inter-individual differences in HRV and inter-individual differences in psychosocial stress: Individuals with high HRV reported less stress in social life, but not in family life, work life or everyday life, than individuals with low HRV. On basis of these findings, it may be assumed that individuals with high HRV experience less psychosocial stress than individuals with low HRV. Although such an assumption needs to be corroborated by further findings, it seems to be consistent with previous findings showing that individuals with high HRV suffer less from stress and stress-related disorders than individuals with low HRV. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Outcomes of Surgical Treatment for Anterior Tibial Stress Fractures in Athletes: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhry, Zaira S; Raikin, Steven M; Harwood, Marc I; Bishop, Meghan E; Ciccotti, Michael G; Hammoud, Sommer

    2017-12-01

    Although most anterior tibial stress fractures heal with nonoperative treatment, some may require surgical management. To our knowledge, no systematic review has been conducted regarding surgical treatment strategies for the management of chronic anterior tibial stress fractures from which general conclusions can be drawn regarding optimal treatment in high-performance athletes. This systematic review was conducted to evaluate the surgical outcomes of anterior tibial stress fractures in high-performance athletes. Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. In February 2017, a systematic review of the PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL databases was performed to identify studies that reported surgical outcomes for anterior tibial stress fractures. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were screened, and reported outcome measures were documented. A total of 12 studies, published between 1984 and 2015, reporting outcomes for the surgical treatment of anterior tibial stress fractures were included in this review. All studies were retrospective case series. Collectively, surgical outcomes for 115 patients (74 males; 41 females) with 123 fractures were evaluated in this review. The overall mean follow-up was 23.3 months. The most common surgical treatment method reported in the literature was compression plating (n = 52) followed by drilling (n = 33). Symptom resolution was achieved in 108 of 123 surgically treated fractures (87.8%). There were 32 reports of complications, resulting in an overall complication rate of 27.8%. Subsequent tibial fractures were reported in 8 patients (7.0%). Moreover, a total of 17 patients (14.8%) underwent a subsequent procedure after their initial surgery. Following surgical treatment for anterior tibial stress fracture, 94.7% of patients were able to return to sports. The available literature indicates that surgical treatment of anterior tibial stress fractures is associated with a high rate of symptom resolution and return

  18. Thermal stress relieving of dilute uranium alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckelmeyer, K.H.

    1981-01-01

    The kinetics of thermal stress relieving of uranium - 2.3 wt % niobium, uranium - 2.0 wt % molybdenum, and uranium - 0.75 wt % titanium are reported and discussed. Two temperature regimes of stress relieving are observed. In the low temperature regime (T 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by an athermal microplasticity mechanism which can be completely suppressed by prior age hardening. In the high temperature regime (300 0 C 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by a classical diffusional creep mechanism which is strongly dependent on temperature and time. Stress relieving is accelerated in cases where it occurs simultaneously with age hardening. The potential danger of residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking of uranium alloys is discussed

  19. High intensity and reduced volume training attenuates stress and recovery levels in elite swimmers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elbe, Anne-Marie; Rasmussen, Camilla P; Nielsen, Glen

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of increased high-intensity interval training (HIT) at the expense of total training volume on the stress and recovery levels of elite swimmers. Forty-one elite swimmers participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either a HIT or a control group (CON....... The Recovery Stress Questionnaire - Sport was used to measure the swimmers' stress and recovery levels. After the 12 week intervention, the general stress level was 16.6% (2.6-30.7%; mean and 95% CI) lower and the general recovery level was 6.5% (0.7-12.4%) higher in HIT compared to the CON, after adjusting...... for baseline values. No significant effects could be observed in sports-specific stress or sports-specific recovery. The results indicate that increasing training intensity and reducing training volume for 12 weeks can reduce general stress and increase general recovery levels in competitive swimmers....

  20. Occupational stress and biomechanical risk in a high fashion clothing company.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forcella, Laura; Bonfiglioli, Roberta; Cutilli, Piero; Antonucci, Andrea; Di Donato, Angela; Siciliano, Eugenio; Cortini, Michela; Violante, Francesco Saverio; Boscolo, Paolo

    2012-01-01

    Psychosocial discomfort may amplify job-related risk factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate job stress in a high fashion clothing company with upper limb biomechanical overload due to repetitive and forceful manual activities. Biomechanical risk was analyzed and in part reduced using the OCRA Check list. A total of 518 workers (433 females and 85 males) were investigated to determine anxiety (by STAI 1 and 2), occupational stress (using the Italian version of the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire) and perception of symptoms. Final biomechanical assessment did not reveal high risk jobs, except for cutting. Although the perception of anxiety and job insecurity was within the normal range, all the workers showed a high level of job strain (correlated with the perception of symptoms) due, probably, to very low decision latitude. It was suggested that job strain may increase the perception of symptoms. Moreover, the result of this study indicates that musculoskeletal overload has to be further analyzed since its low level is not in agreement with the level of discomfort due to the repetitive tasks.

  1. Stress and coping strategies among Arab medical students: towards a research agenda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elzubeir, M A; Elzubeir, K E; Magzoub, M E

    2010-04-01

    Research conducted in the past ten years in the area of stress and coping among Arab medical students has identified some important issues, but other significant aspects have not yet been explored. To provide a systematic review of studies reporting on stress, anxiety and coping among Arab medical students and to identify implications for future research. PubMed was searched to identify peer-reviewed English-language studies published between January 1998 and October 2009 reporting on stress and coping among undergraduate Arab medical students. Search strategy used combinations of the terms: Arab medical student, stress, PBL, psychological distress, depression, anxiety and coping strategies. Demographic information on respondents, instruments used, prevalence data and statistically significant associations were abstracted. The search identified 8 articles that met the specified inclusion criteria. Within the limited range of Arab medical students studied, studies suggest these students have a high prevalence of perceived stress, depression and anxiety, with levels of perceived psychological stress as high as those reported in the international literature for medical students of other regions of the world. Limited data were available regarding coping strategies, the impact of stress on academic performance and attrition among Arab students. No data were available regarding the impact of problem-based learning on stress and coping. The existing literature confirms that stress, depression and anxiety are common among Arab medical students, as for students elsewhere. Little is known about the contribution of different curricula approaches to perceived stress and what coping strategies institutions and students apply to help alleviate stress. Large, prospective, multicentre, multi-method studies are needed to identify personal and curricula features that influence stress, depression, anxiety and coping strategies among Arab students.

  2. Optimization of Residual Stress of High Temperature Treatment Using Genetic Algorithm and Neural Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Susmikanti

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In a nuclear industry area, high temperature treatment of materials is a factor which requires special attention. Assessment needs to be conducted on the properties of the materials used, including the strength of the materials. The measurement of material properties under thermal processes may reflect residual stresses. The use of Genetic Algorithm (GA to determine the optimal residual stress is one way to determine the strength of a material. In residual stress modeling with several parameters, it is sometimes difficult to solve for the optimal value through analytical or numerical calculations. Here, GA is an efficient algorithm which can generate the optimal values, both minima and maxima. The purposes of this research are to obtain the optimization of variable in residual stress models using GA and to predict the center of residual stress distribution, using fuzzy neural network (FNN while the artificial neural network (ANN used for modeling. In this work a single-material 316/316L stainless steel bar is modeled. The minimal residual stresses of the material at high temperatures were obtained with GA and analytical calculations. At a temperature of 6500C, the GA optimal residual stress estimation converged at –711.3689 MPa at adistance of 0.002934 mm from center point, whereas the analytical calculation result at that temperature and position is -975.556 MPa . At a temperature of 8500C, the GA result was -969.868 MPa at 0.002757 mm from the center point, while with analytical result was -1061.13 MPa. The difference in residual stress between GA and analytical results at a temperatureof6500C is about 27 %, while at 8500C it is 8.67 %. The distribution of residual stress showed a grouping concentrated around a coordinate of (-76; 76 MPa. The residuals stress model is a degree-two polynomial with coefficients of 50.33, -76.54, and -55.2, respectively, with a standard deviation of 7.874.

  3. Employee Communication during Crises: The Effects of Stress on Information Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pincus, J. David; Acharya, Lalit

    Based on multidisciplinary research findings, this report proposes an information processing model of employees' response to highly stressful information environments arising during organizational crises. The introduction stresses the importance of management's handling crisis communication with employees skillfully. The second section points out…

  4. Sternal stress fracture in a gymnast: A case report and literature review

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    There is a high incidence of injuries among gymnasts.1 This is not surprising given the ... stress fracture. A common example of poor posture in gymnasts is excessive ... Dimakatso Althea Ramagole (MB ChB, MSc (Sports Med)). Dina Christina ...

  5. Stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloys. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cubicciotti, D.; Jones, R.L.; Syrett, B.C.

    1980-03-01

    The overall aim has been to develop an improved understanding of the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) mechanism considered to be responsible for pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) failures of nuclear fuel rods. The objective of the present phase of the project was to investigate the potential for improving the resistance of Zircaloy to iodine-induced SCC by modifying the manufacturing techniques used in the commercial production of fuel cladding. Several aspects of iodine SCC behavior of potential relevance to cladding performance were experimentally investigated. It was found that the SCC susceptibility of Zircaloy tubing is sensitive to crystallographic texture, surface condition, and residual stress distribution and that current specifications for Zircaloy tubing provide no assurance of an optimum resistance to SCC. Additional evidence was found that iodine-induced cracks initiate at local chemical inhomogeneities in the Zircaloy surface, but laser melting to produce a homogenized surface layer did not improve the SCC resistance. Several results were obtained that should be considered in models of PCI failure. The ratio of axial to hoop stress and the temperature were both shown to affect the SCC resistance whereas the difference in composition between Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 had no detectable effect. Damage accumulation during iodine SCC was found to be nonlinear: generally, a given life fraction at low stress was more damaging than the same life fraction at higher stress. Studies of the thermochemistry of the zirconium-iodine system (performed under US Department of Energy sponsorship) revealed many errors in the literature and provided important new insights into the mechanism of iodine SCC of Zircaloys

  6. Rock Strength Anisotropy in High Stress Conditions: A Case Study for Application to Shaft Stability Assessments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Watson Julian Matthew

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Although rock strength anisotropy is a well-known phenomenon in rock mechanics, its impact on geotechnical design is often ignored or underestimated. This paper explores the concept of anisotropy in a high stress environment using an improved unified constitutive model (IUCM, which can account for more complex failure mechanisms. The IUCM is used to better understand the typical responses of anisotropic rocks to underground mining. This study applies the IUCM to a proposed rock shaft located in high stress/anisotropic conditions. Results suggest that the effect of rock strength anisotropy must be taken into consideration when assessing the rock mass response to mining in high stress and anisotropic rock conditions.

  7. Water Stress from High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Potentially Threatens Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Arkansas, United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Entrekin, Sally; Trainor, Anne; Saiers, James; Patterson, Lauren; Maloney, Kelly; Fargione, Joseph; Kiesecker, Joseph; Baruch-Mordo, Sharon; Konschnik, Katherine; Wiseman, Hannah; Nicot, Jean-Philippe; Ryan, Joseph N

    2018-02-20

    Demand for high-volume, short duration water withdrawals could create water stress to aquatic organisms in Fayetteville Shale streams sourced for hydraulic fracturing fluids. We estimated potential water stress using permitted water withdrawal volumes and actual water withdrawals compared to monthly median, low, and high streamflows. Risk for biological stress was considered at 20% of long-term median and 10% of high- and low-flow thresholds. Future well build-out projections estimated potential for continued stress. Most water was permitted from small, free-flowing streams and "frack" ponds (dammed streams). Permitted 12-h pumping volumes exceeded median streamflow at 50% of withdrawal sites in June, when flows were low. Daily water usage, from operator disclosures, compared to median streamflow showed possible water stress in 7-51% of catchments from June-November, respectively. If 100% of produced water was recycled, per-well water use declined by 25%, reducing threshold exceedance by 10%. Future water stress was predicted to occur in fewer catchments important for drinking water and species of conservation concern due to the decline in new well installations and increased use of recycled water. Accessible and precise withdrawal and streamflow data are critical moving forward to assess and mitigate water stress in streams that experience high-volume withdrawals.

  8. Water stress from high-volume hydraulic fracturing potentially threatens aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services in Arkansas, United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Entrekin, Sally; Trainor, Anne; Saiers, James; Patterson, Lauren; Maloney, Kelly O.; Fargione, Joseph; Kiesecker, Joseph M.; Baruch-Mordo, Sharon; Konschnik, Katherine E.; Wiseman, Hannah; Nicot, Jean-Philippe; Ryan, Joseph N.

    2018-01-01

    Demand for high-volume, short duration water withdrawals could create water stress to aquatic organisms in Fayetteville Shale streams sourced for hydraulic fracturing fluids. We estimated potential water stress using permitted water withdrawal volumes and actual water withdrawals compared to monthly median, low, and high streamflows. Risk for biological stress was considered at 20% of long-term median and 10% of high- and low-flow thresholds. Future well build-out projections estimated potential for continued stress. Most water was permitted from small, free-flowing streams and “frack” ponds (dammed streams). Permitted 12-h pumping volumes exceeded median streamflow at 50% of withdrawal sites in June, when flows were low. Daily water usage, from operator disclosures, compared to median streamflow showed possible water stress in 7–51% of catchments from June–November, respectively. If 100% of produced water was recycled, per-well water use declined by 25%, reducing threshold exceedance by 10%. Future water stress was predicted to occur in fewer catchments important for drinking water and species of conservation concern due to the decline in new well installations and increased use of recycled water. Accessible and precise withdrawal and streamflow data are critical moving forward to assess and mitigate water stress in streams that experience high-volume withdrawals.

  9. High Hydrostatic Pressure Extract of Ginger Exerts Antistress Effects in Immobilization-Stressed Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, Sohee; Lee, Mak-Soon; Jung, Sunyoon; Kang, Bori; Kim, Seog-Young; Park, Seonyoung; Son, Hye-Yeon; Kim, Chong-Tai; Jo, Young-Hee; Kim, In-Hwan; Kim, Young Soon; Kim, Yangha

    2017-09-01

    Stress contributes to physiological changes such as weight loss and hormonal imbalances. The aim of the present study was to investigate antistress effects of high hydrostatic pressure extract of ginger (HPG) in immobilization-stressed rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 24) were divided into three groups as follows: control (C), immobilization stress (2 h daily, for 2 weeks) (S), and immobilization stress (2 h daily, for 2 weeks) plus oral administration of HPG (150 mg/kg body weight/day) (S+G). Immobilization stress reduced the body weight gain and thymus weight by 50.2% and 31.3%, respectively, compared to the control group. The levels of serum aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and corticosterone were significantly higher in the stress group, compared to the control group. Moreover, immobilization stress elevated the mRNA levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (Dbh), and cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), which are related to catecholamine and corticosterone synthesis in the adrenal gland. HPG administration also increased the body weight gain and thymus weight by 12.7% and 16.6%, respectively, compared to the stress group. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of Th, Dbh, phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, and P450scc were elevated by the HPG treatment when compared to the stress group. These results suggest that HPG would have antistress effects partially via the reversal of stress-induced physiological changes and suppression of mRNA expression of genes related to corticosterone and catecholamine synthetic enzymes.

  10. Assessment of possibility of primary water stress corrosion cracking occurrence based on residual stress analysis in pressurizer safety nozzle of nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Kyoung Soo; Kim, W.; Lee, Jeong Geun

    2012-01-01

    Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) is a major safety concern in the nuclear power industry worldwide. PWSCC is known to initiate only in the condition in which sufficiently high tensile stress is applied to alloy 600 tube material or alloy 82/182 weld material in pressurized water reactor operating environments. However, it is still uncertain how much tensile stress is required to generate PWSCC or what causes such high tensile stress. This study was performed to predict the magnitude of weld residual stress and operating stress and compare it with previous experimental results for PWSCC initiation. For the study, a pressurizer safety nozzle was selected because it is reported to be vulnerable to PWSCC in overseas plants. The assessment was conducted by numerical analysis. Before performing stress analysis for plant conditions, a preliminary mock-up analysis was done. The result of the preliminary analysis was validated by residual stress measurement in the mockup. After verification of the analysis methodology, an analysis under plant conditions was conducted. The analysis results show that the stress level is not high enough to initiate PWSCC. If a plant is properly welded and operated, PWSCC is not likely to occur in the pressurizer safety nozzle.

  11. Testing the accelerating moment release (AMR) hypothesis in areas of high stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guilhem, Aurélie; Bürgmann, Roland; Freed, Andrew M.; Ali, Syed Tabrez

    2013-11-01

    Several retrospective analyses have proposed that significant increases in moment release occurred prior to many large earthquakes of recent times. However, the finding of accelerating moment release (AMR) strongly depends on the choice of three parameters: (1) magnitude range, (2) area being considered surrounding the events and (3) the time period prior to the large earthquakes. Consequently, the AMR analysis has been criticized as being a posteriori data-fitting exercise with no new predictive power. As AMR has been hypothesized to relate to changes in the state of stress around the eventual epicentre, we compare here AMR results to models of stress accumulation in California. Instead of assuming a complete stress drop on all surrounding fault segments implied by a back-slip stress lobe method, we consider that stress evolves dynamically, punctuated by the occurrence of earthquakes, and governed by the elastic and viscous properties of the lithosphere. We study the seismicity of southern California and extract events for AMR calculations following the systematic approach employed in previous studies. We present several sensitivity tests of the method, as well as grid-search analyses over the region between 1955 and 2005 using fixed magnitude range, radius of the search area and period of time. The results are compared to the occurrence of large events and to maps of Coulomb stress changes. The Coulomb stress maps are compiled using the coseismic stress from all M > 7.0 earthquakes since 1812, their subsequent post-seismic relaxation, and the interseismic strain accumulation. We find no convincing correlation of seismicity rate changes in recent decades with areas of high stress that would support the AMR hypothesis. Furthermore, this indicates limited utility for practical earthquake hazard analysis in southern California, and possibly other regions.

  12. Tolerance of spermatogonia to oxidative stress is due to high levels of Zn and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fritzie T Celino

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Spermatogonia are highly tolerant to reactive oxygen species (ROS attack while advanced-stage germ cells such as spermatozoa are much more susceptible, but the precise reason for this variation in ROS tolerance remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the Japanese eel testicular culture system that enables a complete spermatogenesis in vitro, we report that advanced-stage germ cells undergo intense apoptosis and exhibit strong signal for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, an oxidative DNA damage marker, upon exposure to hypoxanthine-generated ROS while spermatogonia remain unaltered. Activity assay of antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD and Western blot analysis using an anti-Copper/Zinc (Cu/Zn SOD antibody showed a high SOD activity and Cu/Zn SOD protein concentration during early spermatogenesis. Immunohistochemistry showed a strong expression for Cu/Zn SOD in spermatogonia but weak expression in advanced-stage germ cells. Zn deficiency reduced activity of the recombinant eel Cu/Zn SOD protein. Cu/Zn SOD siRNA decreased Cu/Zn SOD expression in spermatogonia and led to increased oxidative damage. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data indicate that the presence of high levels of Cu/Zn SOD and Zn render spermatogonia resistant to ROS, and consequently protected from oxidative stress. These findings provide the biochemical basis for the high tolerance of spermatogonia to oxidative stress.

  13. Effect of chronic mild stress on hippocampal transcriptome in mice selected for high and low stress-induced analgesia and displaying different emotional behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lisowski, Pawel; Juszczak, Grzegorz R; Goscik, Joanna; Wieczorek, Marek; Zwierzchowski, Lech; Swiergiel, Artur H

    2011-01-01

    There is increasing evidence that mood disorders may derive from the impact of environmental pressure on genetically susceptible individuals. Stress-induced hippocampal plasticity has been implicated in depression. We studied hippocampal transcriptomes in strains of mice that display high (HA) and low (LA) swim stress-induced analgesia and that differ in emotional behaviors and responses to different classes of antidepressants. Chronic mild stress (CMS) affected expression of a number of genes common for both strains. CMS also produced strain specific changes in expression suggesting that hippocampal responses to stress depend on genotype. Considerably larger number of genes, biological processes, molecular functions, biochemical pathways, and gene networks were affected by CMS in LA than in HA mice. The results suggest that potential drug targets against detrimental effects of stress include glutamate transporters, and cholinergic, cholecystokinin (CCK), glucocorticoids, and thyroid hormones receptors. Furthermore, some biological processes evoked by stress and different between the strains, such as apoptosis, neurogenesis and chromatin modifications, may be responsible for the long-term, irreversible effects of stress and suggest a role for epigenetic regulation of mood related stress responses. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

  14. Factors associated with high stress levels in adults with diabetes mellitus attending a tertiary diabetes care center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muthappan Sendhilkumar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: We aimed to determine perceived stress levels among adults aged >20 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM in a tertiary care diabetes center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, assess their association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and assess the possible risk factors for stress and coping strategies. Methods: A mixed-methods (triangulation design study with quantitative methodology (survey and qualitative methodology (interviews was carried out. Stress levels were assessed among type 2 DM patients attending a diabetes clinic using a 5-point perceived stress scale-10. One-on-one interviews were carried out with 376 participants with DM having high/very high stress levels to understand the reasons for perceived stress and explore their coping mechanisms. Results: The prevalence of high/very high stress was 35% among DM patients. Age 30–40 years, working in professional jobs, and lack of physical activity were factors significantly associated with stress. The perceived major stress inducers were related to family, work, financial issues, and the disease itself. Conclusions: This study showed high levels of stress in more than one-third of DM patients. Potential solutions include regular, formal assessment of stress levels in the clinic, providing integrated counseling and psychological care for DM patients, and promoting physical activity.

  15. Factors associated with high stress levels in adults with diabetes mellitus attending a tertiary diabetes care center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sendhilkumar, Muthappan; Tripathy, Jaya Prasad; Harries, Anthony D; Dongre, Amol R; Deepa, Mohan; Vidyulatha, Ashok; Poongothai, Subramanian; Venkatesan, Ulaganathan; Anjana, Ranjit Mohan; Mohan, Viswanathan

    2017-01-01

    We aimed to determine perceived stress levels among adults aged >20 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in a tertiary care diabetes center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, assess their association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and assess the possible risk factors for stress and coping strategies. A mixed-methods (triangulation design) study with quantitative methodology (survey) and qualitative methodology (interviews) was carried out. Stress levels were assessed among type 2 DM patients attending a diabetes clinic using a 5-point perceived stress scale-10. One-on-one interviews were carried out with 376 participants with DM having high/very high stress levels to understand the reasons for perceived stress and explore their coping mechanisms. The prevalence of high/very high stress was 35% among DM patients. Age 30-40 years, working in professional jobs, and lack of physical activity were factors significantly associated with stress. The perceived major stress inducers were related to family, work, financial issues, and the disease itself. This study showed high levels of stress in more than one-third of DM patients. Potential solutions include regular, formal assessment of stress levels in the clinic, providing integrated counseling and psychological care for DM patients, and promoting physical activity.

  16. Factors associated with high stress levels in adults with diabetes mellitus attending a tertiary diabetes care center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sendhilkumar, Muthappan; Tripathy, Jaya Prasad; Harries, Anthony D.; Dongre, Amol R.; Deepa, Mohan; Vidyulatha, Ashok; Poongothai, Subramanian; Venkatesan, Ulaganathan; Anjana, Ranjit Mohan; Mohan, Viswanathan

    2017-01-01

    Objective: We aimed to determine perceived stress levels among adults aged >20 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in a tertiary care diabetes center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, assess their association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and assess the possible risk factors for stress and coping strategies. Methods: A mixed-methods (triangulation design) study with quantitative methodology (survey) and qualitative methodology (interviews) was carried out. Stress levels were assessed among type 2 DM patients attending a diabetes clinic using a 5-point perceived stress scale-10. One-on-one interviews were carried out with 376 participants with DM having high/very high stress levels to understand the reasons for perceived stress and explore their coping mechanisms. Results: The prevalence of high/very high stress was 35% among DM patients. Age 30–40 years, working in professional jobs, and lack of physical activity were factors significantly associated with stress. The perceived major stress inducers were related to family, work, financial issues, and the disease itself. Conclusions: This study showed high levels of stress in more than one-third of DM patients. Potential solutions include regular, formal assessment of stress levels in the clinic, providing integrated counseling and psychological care for DM patients, and promoting physical activity. PMID:28217499

  17. High stress, lack of sleep, low school performance, and suicide attempts are associated with high energy drink intake in adolescents.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    So Young Kim

    Full Text Available Although an association between energy drinks and suicide has been suggested, few prior studies have considered the role of emotional factors including stress, sleep, and school performance in adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the association of energy drinks with suicide, independent of possible confounders including stress, sleep, and school performance.In total, 121,106 adolescents with 13-18 years olds from the 2014 and 2015 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey were surveyed for age, sex, region of residence, economic level, paternal and maternal education level, sleep time, stress level, school performance, frequency of energy drink intake, and suicide attempts. Subjective stress levels were classified into severe, moderate, mild, a little, and no stress. Sleep time was divided into 6 groups: < 6 h; 6 ≤ h < 7; 7 ≤ h < 8; 8 ≤ h < 9; and ≥ 9 h. School performance was classified into 5 levels: A (highest, B (middle, high, C (middle, D (middle, low, and E (lowest. Frequency of energy drink consumption was divided into 3 groups: ≥ 3, 1-2, and 0 times a week. The associations of sleep time, stress level, and school performance with suicide attempts and the frequency of energy drink intake were analyzed using multiple and ordinal logistic regression analysis, respectively, with complex sampling. The relationship between frequency of energy drink intake and suicide attempts was analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis with complex sampling.Higher stress levels, lack of sleep, and low school performance were significantly associated with suicide attempts (each P < 0.001. These variables of high stress level, abnormal sleep time, and low school performance were also proportionally related with higher energy drink intake (P < 0.001. Frequent energy drink intake was significantly associated with suicide attempts in multiple logistic regression analyses (AOR for frequency of energy intake ≥ 3 times a week = 3.03, 95

  18. Social support moderates the effects of stress on sleep in adolescents

    OpenAIRE

    van Schalkwijk, Frank J; Blessinga, Agaath N; Willemen, Agnes M; Van Der Werf, Ysbrand D; Schuengel, Carlo

    2015-01-01

    Academic expectations and demands become primary sources of stress during adolescence, negatively affecting sleep. To cope with stress, adolescents may turn to social support figures. The present study tested the extent of main and moderating effects of various sources of social support on the association between stress and sleep. Adolescents (n = 202, meanage 14.6 years, standard deviation = 0.71) reported on academic stress, sleep, and support using questionnaires during a low- and high-str...

  19. Sacral Stress Fracture in an Amateur Badminton Player

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yusuke Yuasa

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Sacral stress fractures are rare among athletes but have been reported most frequently in long distance runners. We report herein the first case of a sacral stress fracture in an amateur badminton player. A 16-year-old, left-handed adolescent girl, who had just started to play badminton 3 months previously, complained of acute left buttock pain when she received a shuttlecock. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a linear lesion of the left sacrum with low signal intensity on T1- and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, which was consistent with a stress fracture. Conservative treatment with rest relieved her symptoms. Her fracture was considered to have occurred due to repetition of an exercise that caused excessive vertical power.

  20. Intergranular stress corrosion cracking of low alloy and carbon steels in high temperature pure water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsubota, M.; Sakamoto, H.; Tsuzuki, R.

    1993-01-01

    Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of low alloy steels (A508 and SNCM630) and a carbon steel (SGV480) in high temperature water has been examined with relation to the heat treatment condition, including a long time aging, and the mechanical properties. Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) as observed in the highly hardened specimens, and there was observed in the highly hardened specimens, and there was observed in the highly hardened specimens, and there was observed a close relationship between hardness and SCC susceptibility. From the engineering point of view, it was concluded that adequate SR (stress relief) or tempering heat treatment is necessary to avoid the IGSCC of the welded structures made of low alloy and carbon steels. A508 heat treated with specified quench and temper did not show the SCC susceptibility, even after aging 10000 hours at 350, 400 and 450 degrees C. Tensile properties corresponding to the critical hardness for SSC susceptibility coincided with the values at the 'necking point' in the true stress-strain curve. Ductile-brittle transition observed in the fracture toughness test also occurred at around the critical hardness for SCC susceptibility. Therefore, it was conjectured that the limitation of plasticity was an absolute cause for the SCC susceptibility of the steels

  1. Report on Status of Shipment of High Fluence Austenitic Steel Samples for Characterization and Stress Corrosion Crack Testing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clark, Scarlett R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Leonard, Keith J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2016-09-01

    The goal of the Mechanisms of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) task in the LWRS Program is to conduct experimental research into understanding how multiple variables influence the crack initiation and crack growth in materials subjected to stress under corrosive conditions. This includes understanding the influences of alloy composition, radiation condition, water chemistry and metallurgical starting condition (i.e., previous cold work or heat treatments and the resulting microstructure) has on the behavior of materials. Testing involves crack initiation and growth testing on irradiated specimens of single-variable alloys in simulated Light Water Reactor (LWR) environments, tensile testing, hardness testing, microstructural and microchemical analysis, and detailed efforts to characterize localized deformation. Combined, these single-variable experiments will provide mechanistic understanding that can be used to identify key operational variables to mitigate or control IASCC, optimize inspection and maintenance schedules to the most susceptible materials/locations, and, in the long-term, design IASCC-resistant materials. In support of this research, efforts are currently underway to arrange shipment of “free” high fluence austenitic alloys available through Électricité de France (EDF) for post irradiation testing at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and IASCC testing at the University of Michigan. These high fluence materials range in damage values from 45 to 125 displacements per atom (dpa). The samples identified for transport to the United States, which include nine, no-cost, 304, 308 and 316 tensile bars, were relocated from the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR) in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, and received at the Halden Reactor in Halden, Norway, on August 23, 2016. ORNL has been notified that a significant amount of work is required to prepare the samples for further shipment to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The

  2. Chronic pain, perceived stress, and cellular aging: an exploratory study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sibille Kimberly T

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic pain conditions are characterized by significant individual variability complicating the identification of pathophysiological markers. Leukocyte telomere length (TL, a measure of cellular aging, is associated with age-related disease onset, psychosocial stress, and health-related functional decline. Psychosocial stress has been associated with the onset of chronic pain and chronic pain is experienced as a physical and psychosocial stressor. However, the utility of TL as a biological marker reflecting the burden of chronic pain and psychosocial stress has not yet been explored. Findings The relationship between chronic pain, stress, and TL was analyzed in 36 ethnically diverse, older adults, half of whom reported no chronic pain and the other half had chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA pain. Subjects completed a physical exam, radiographs, health history, and psychosocial questionnaires. Blood samples were collected and TL was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR. Four groups were identified characterized by pain status and the Perceived Stress Scale scores: 1 no pain/low stress, 2 no pain/high stress, chronic pain/low stress, and 4 chronic pain/high stress. TL differed between the pain/stress groups (p = 0.01, controlling for relevant covariates. Specifically, the chronic pain/high stress group had significantly shorter TL compared to the no pain/low stress group. Age was negatively correlated with TL, particularly in the chronic pain/high stress group (p = 0.03. Conclusions Although preliminary in nature and based on a modest sample size, these findings indicate that cellular aging may be more pronounced in older adults experiencing high levels of perceived stress and chronic pain.

  3. Ammonia stress under high environmental ammonia induces Hsp70 and Hsp90 in the mud eel, Monopterus cuchia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hangzo, Hnunlalliani; Banerjee, Bodhisattwa; Saha, Shrabani; Saha, Nirmalendu

    2017-02-01

    The obligatory air-breathing mud eel (Monopterus cuchia) is frequently being challenged with high environmental ammonia (HEA) exposure in its natural habitats. The present study investigated the possible induction of heat shock protein 70 and 90 (hsp70, hsc70, hsp90α and hsp90β) genes and more expression of Hsp70 and Hsp90 proteins under ammonia stress in different tissues of the mud eel after exposure to HEA (50 mM NH 4 Cl) for 14 days. HEA resulted in significant accumulation of toxic ammonia in different body tissues and plasma, which was accompanied with the stimulation of oxidative stress in the mud eel as evidenced by more accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) during exposure to HEA. Further, hyper-ammonia stress led to significant increase in the levels of mRNA transcripts for inducible hsp70 and hsp90α genes and also their translated proteins in different tissues probably as a consequence of induction of hsp70 and hsp90α genes in the mud eel. However, hyper-ammonia stress was neither associated with any significant alterations in the levels of mRNA transcripts for constitutive hsc70 and hsp90β genes nor their translated proteins in any of the tissues studied. More abundance of Hsp70 and Hsp90α proteins might be one of the strategies adopted by the mud eel to defend itself from the ammonia-induced cellular damages under ammonia stress. Further, this is the first report of ammonia-induced induction of hsp70 and hsp90α genes under hyper-ammonia stress in any freshwater air-breathing teleost.

  4. A high-order boundary integral method for surface diffusions on elastically stressed axisymmetric rods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaofan; Nie, Qing

    2009-07-01

    Many applications in materials involve surface diffusion of elastically stressed solids. Study of singularity formation and long-time behavior of such solid surfaces requires accurate simulations in both space and time. Here we present a high-order boundary integral method for an elastically stressed solid with axi-symmetry due to surface diffusions. In this method, the boundary integrals for isotropic elasticity in axi-symmetric geometry are approximated through modified alternating quadratures along with an extrapolation technique, leading to an arbitrarily high-order quadrature; in addition, a high-order (temporal) integration factor method, based on explicit representation of the mean curvature, is used to reduce the stability constraint on time-step. To apply this method to a periodic (in axial direction) and axi-symmetric elastically stressed cylinder, we also present a fast and accurate summation method for the periodic Green's functions of isotropic elasticity. Using the high-order boundary integral method, we demonstrate that in absence of elasticity the cylinder surface pinches in finite time at the axis of the symmetry and the universal cone angle of the pinching is found to be consistent with the previous studies based on a self-similar assumption. In the presence of elastic stress, we show that a finite time, geometrical singularity occurs well before the cylindrical solid collapses onto the axis of symmetry, and the angle of the corner singularity on the cylinder surface is also estimated.

  5. Families OverComing under Stress (FOCUS) for Early Childhood: Building Resilience for Young Children in High Stress Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mogil, Catherine; Paley, Blair; Doud, Tricia; Havens, Linda; Moore-Tyson, Jessica; Beardslee, William R.; Lester, Patricia

    2010-01-01

    Parental distress and trauma affects the entire family, including the youngest children. Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS) is a targeted prevention program for high-risk families that aims to enhance family cohesion, support the parent-child relationship, and build emotional regulation, communication, and problem-solving skills across the…

  6. Literature Survey on the Stress Corrosion Cracking of Low-Alloy Steels in High Temperature Water

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seifert, H.P

    2002-02-01

    The present report is a summary of a literature survey on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour/ mechanisms in low-alloy steels (LAS) in high-temperature water with special emphasis to primary-pressure-boundary components of boiling water reactors (BWR). A brief overview on the current state of knowledge concerning SCC of low-alloy reactor pressure vessel and piping steels under BWR conditions is given. After a short introduction on general aspects of SCC, the main influence parameter and available quantitative literature data concerning SCC of LAS in high-temperature water are discussed on a phenomenological basis followed by a summary of the most popular SCC models for this corrosion system. The BWR operating experience and service cracking incidents are discussed with respect to the existing laboratory data and background knowledge. Finally, the most important open questions and topics for further experimental investigations are outlined. (author)

  7. Personality traits predict job stress, depression and anxiety among junior physicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gramstad, Thomas Olsen; Gjestad, Rolf; Haver, Brit

    2013-11-09

    High levels of stress and deteriorating mental health among medical students are commonly reported. In Bergen, Norway, we explored the impact of personality traits measured early in their curriculum on stress reactions and levels of depression and anxiety symptoms as junior physicians following graduation. Medical students (n = 201) from two classes participated in a study on personality traits and mental health early in the curriculum. A questionnaire measuring personality traits (Basic Character Inventory (BCI)) was used during their third undergraduate year. BCI assesses four personality traits: neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness and reality weakness. Questionnaires measuring mental health (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Symptom Checklist 25 (SCL-25)), and stress (Perceived Medical School Stress (PMSS)) were used during their third and sixth undergraduate year. During postgraduate internship, Cooper's Job Stress Questionnaire (CJSQ) was used to measure perceived job stress, while mental health and stress reactions were reassessed using HADS and SCL-25. Extroversion had the highest mean value (5.11) among the total group of participants, while reality weakness had the lowest (1.51). Neuroticism and reality weakness were related to high levels of perceived job stress (neuroticism r = .19, reality weakness r = .17) as well as higher levels of anxiety symptoms (neuroticism r = .23, reality weakness r = .33) and symptoms of depression (neuroticism r = .21, reality weakness r = .36) during internship. Neuroticism indirectly predicted stress reactions and levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. These relations were mediated by perceived job stress, while reality weakness predicted these mental health measures directly. Extroversion, on the other hand, protected against symptoms of depression (r = -.20). Furthermore, females reported higher levels of job stress than males (difference = 7.52). Certain personality traits measured early in

  8. Obesity promotes oxidative stress and exacerbates blood-brain barrier disruption after high-intensity exercise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hee-Tae Roh

    2017-06-01

    Conclusion: Our study suggests that episodic vigorous exercise can increase oxidative stress and blood neurotrophic factor levels and induce disruption of the BBB. Moreover, high levels of neurotrophic factor in the blood after exercise in the obese group may be due to BBB disruption, and it is assumed that oxidative stress was the main cause of this BBB disruption.

  9. A STUDY OF THE PRESSURE SOLUTION AND DEFORMATION OF QUARTZ CRYSTALS AT HIGH pH AND UNDER HIGH STRESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JUNG-HAE CHOI

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Bentonite is generally used as a buffer material in high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and consists of 50% quartz by weight. Quartz strongly affects the behavior of bentonite over very long periods. For this reason, quartz dissolution experiment was performed under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions based on the conditions found in a high-level radioactive waste disposal facility located deep underground. In this study, two quartz dissolution experiments were conducted on 1 quartz beads under low-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions and 2 a single quartz crystal under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions. Following the experiments, a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM was used to observe the surfaces of experimental samples. Numerical analyses using the finite element method (FEM were also performed to quantify the deformation of contact area. Quartz dissolution was observed in both experiments. This deformation was due to a concentrated compressive stress field, as indicated by the quartz deformation of the contact area through the FEM analysis. According to the numerical results, a high compressive stress field acted upon the neighboring contact area, which showed a rapid dissolution rate compared to other areas of the sample.

  10. Hamate hook stress fracture in a professional bowler: Case report of an unusual causal sport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    How Kit, N; Malherbe, M; Hulet, C

    2017-02-01

    Stress fracture of the hook of the hamate is uncommon and is usually seen in sports involving a club, racquet or bat (i.e., golf, tennis or baseball). It is caused by direct blunt trauma. We report an unusual case of stress fracture with non-union in a 23-year-old professional bowler, probably caused by endogenous constraints, 1 year after the start of symptoms. Treatment consisted of surgical resection of the hook of the hamate. Multimodal imaging of this fracture is reviewed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  11. Effects of a father-based in-home intervention on perceived stress and family dynamics in parents of children with autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bendixen, Roxanna M; Elder, Jennifer H; Donaldson, Susan; Kairalla, John A; Valcante, Greg; Ferdig, Richard E

    2011-01-01

    Parents of children with autism report high rates of stress. Parental differences in stress are inconsistent, with most research indicating that mothers report higher levels of stress than fathers. We explored parental differences before and after an in-home training program. Fathers were taught an intervention designed to improve their child's social reciprocity and communication; they then trained mothers. Stress was assessed with the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and family dynamics was assessed with the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II. Both mothers and fathers reported high preintervention levels of stress. After intervention, fathers' stress was reduced, but not significantly, possibly because of the variability in fathers' scores; mothers' stress scores were significantly reduced. Parenting styles were significantly different before and after intervention. Interdisciplinary teams, including occupational therapists, nurses, and special educators, can work.together to have a positive impact on the lives of families of children with autism.

  12. An epidemiological study of prevalence and comorbidity of obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms (SOCD) and stress in Pakistani Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashraf, Farzana; Malik, Sadia; Arif, Amna

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the prevalence and comorbidity of subclinical obsessive compulsive disorder (SOCD) symptoms and stress across gender, marital and employment statuses. A cross-sectional research was conducted from December, 2016 to March 2017 at two universities of cosmopolitan city Lahore. Two self-report scales measuring SOCD symptoms and stress were used to collect data from 377 adults selected through simple random sampling technique, proportionately distributed across gender, marital and employment status. From the total sample, 52% reported low level of stress and 48% faced high level of stress. Significant differences in prevalence were observed across marital and employment statuses whereas for men and women, it was observed same (24%). Comorbidity of high level of SOCD symptoms and high level of stress was seen 34%. Significant prevalence and comorbidity exists between SOCD symptoms and stress and more studies addressing diverse population are needed.

  13. Content analysis to detect high stress in oral interviews and text documents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thirumalainambi, Rajkumar (Inventor); Jorgensen, Charles C. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    A system of interrogation to estimate whether a subject of interrogation is likely experiencing high stress, emotional volatility and/or internal conflict in the subject's responses to an interviewer's questions. The system applies one or more of four procedures, a first statistical analysis, a second statistical analysis, a third analysis and a heat map analysis, to identify one or more documents containing the subject's responses for which further examination is recommended. Words in the documents are characterized in terms of dimensions representing different classes of emotions and states of mind, in which the subject's responses that manifest high stress, emotional volatility and/or internal conflict are identified. A heat map visually displays the dimensions manifested by the subject's responses in different colors, textures, geometric shapes or other visually distinguishable indicia.

  14. Toxic stress history and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in a social stress task: Genetic and epigenetic factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapp, Hannah E; Ahmed, Sarah; Moore, Celia L; Hunter, Richard G

    2018-02-21

    Histories of early life stress (ELS) or social discrimination can reach levels of severity characterized as toxic to mental and physical health. Such toxic social stress during development has been linked to altered acute hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response to social stress in adulthood. However, there are important individual differences in the size and direction of these effects. We explored developmental, genetic, epigenetic, and contextual sources of individual differences in the relationship between ELS, discrimination, and adult responses to acute social stress in a standard laboratory test. Additional measures included perceived status, social support, background activity of HPA axis, and genetic variants in aspects of the stress response system. Participants (n = 90) answered questions about historical and ongoing stress, provided a DNA sample to examine genetic polymorphisms and epigenetic marks, and underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) during which three saliva samples were collected to assess HPA function. Individuals who reported high levels of childhood adversity had a blunted salivary cortisol response to the TSST. Childhood adversity, discrimination experiences, and FKBP5 genotype were found to predict pretest cortisol levels. Following up on recent observations that the glucocorticoid receptor directly interacts with the mitochondrial genome, particularly the NADH dehydrogenase 6 (MT-ND6) gene, individuals who reported high childhood adversity were also found to have higher percent methylation across six CpG sites upstream of MT-ND6. These findings suggest multiple contributions across psychological, genetic, epigenetic, and social domains to vulnerability and resilience in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation. Further study to examine how these multiple contributors affect developmental endpoints through integrated or independent pathways will be of use. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Tank waste remediation system heat stress control program report, 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carls, D.R.

    1995-01-01

    Protecting employees from heat stress within tank farms during the summer months is challenging. Work constraints typically experienced in tank farms complicate the measures taken to protect employees from heat stress. TWRS-Industrial Hygiene (IH) has endeavored to control heat stress injuries by anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling the factors which lead or contribute to heat stress in Tank Farms. The TWRS Heat Stress Control Program covers such areas as: employee and PIC training, communication of daily heat stress alerts to tank farm personnel, setting work/rest regimens, and the use of engineering and personal protective controls when applicable. The program has increased worker awareness of heat stress and prevention, established provisions for worker rest periods, increased drinking water availability to help ensure worker hydration, and allowed for the increased use of other protective controls to combat heat stress. The TWRS Heat Stress Control Program is the cornerstone for controlling heat stress among tank farm employees. The program has made great strides since it's inception during the summer of 1994. Some improvements can still be made to enhance the program for the summer of 1996, such as: (1) procurement and use of personal heat stress monitoring equipment to ensure appropriate application of administrative controls, (2) decrease the need for use of containment tents and anti-contamination clothing, and (3) providing a wider variety of engineering and personal protective controls for heat stress prevention

  16. Effect of high image compression on the reproducibility of cardiac Sestamibi reporting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, P.; Allen, L.; Beuzeville, S.

    1999-01-01

    Full text: Compression algorithms have been mooted to minimize storage space and transmission times of digital images. We assessed the impact of high-level lousy compression using JPEG and wavelet algorithms on image quality and reporting accuracy of cardiac Sestamibi studies. Twenty stress/rest Sestamibi cardiac perfusion studies were reconstructed into horizontal short, vertical long and horizontal long axis slices using conventional methods. Each of these six sets of slices were aligned for reporting and saved (uncompressed) as a bitmap. This bitmap was then compressed using JPEG compression, then decompressed and saved as a bitmap for later viewing. This process was repeated using the original bitmap and wavelet compression. Finally, a second copy of the original bitmap was made. All 80 bitmaps were randomly coded to ensure blind reporting. The bitmaps were read blinded and by consensus of 2 experienced nuclear medicine physicians using a 5-point scale and 25 cardiac segments. Subjective image quality was also reported using a 3-point scale. Samples of the compressed images were also subtracted from the original bitmap for visual comparison of differences. Results showed an average compression ratio of 23:1 for wavelet and 13:1 for JPEG. Image subtraction showed only very minor discordance between the original and compressed images. There was no significant difference in subjective quality between the compressed and uncompressed images. There was no significant difference in reporting reproducibility of the identical bitmap copy, the JPEG image and the wavelet image compared with the original bitmap. Use of the high compression algorithms described had no significant impact on reporting reproducibility and subjective image quality of cardiac Sestamibi perfusion studies

  17. Mastery over stress among women with HIV/AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Jennifer; Cason, Carolyn L

    2002-01-01

    To better understand how women with HIV infection deal with the stress of their disease, the authors explored the relationships between stressors, resources for managing stress, and mastery over stress in 80 HIV-positive women. Nurses and other professionals recruited participants in a variety of settings in 10 states. Participants completed a packet of research instruments that measured the stressors of perceived stress intensity, interpersonal conflict, and severity of illness; the resources of social support, support networks, and spiritual perspective; and the outcome of mastery over stress. Participants reported high levels of social support, spiritual perspective, interpersonal conflict, and perceived stress intensity. Twenty-nine women (36%) had achieved mastery over stress. Mastery over stress was significantly and positively correlated with social support, spiritual perspective, and physical functioning, a measure of severity of illness. Mastery over stress was significantly and negatively correlated with interpersonal conflict. An exploratory stepwise multiple regression analysis yielded two predictors of mastery over stress: social support and spiritual perspective. Although a comparison of these results with those reported in the literature for men suggests that men and women differ in how they respond to stressors, further research will be needed to enhance our understanding of these gender differences. Stress management training, especially related to interpersonal conflict, may be an effective intervention to facilitate mastery. Other potential interventions include assessing social support and spiritual perspective, discussing the potential benefit of these resources, and making referrals for psychosocial services as needed.

  18. Stress/strain/time properties of highly compacted bentonite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pusch, R.

    1983-05-01

    In this paper, a recently developed creep theory based on statistical mechanics has been used to analyze a number of experimental creep curves, the conclusion being that the creep behavior of dense MX-80 bentonite is in agreement with the physical model, and that the average bond strength is within the hydrogen bond region. The latter conclusion thus indicates that interparticle displacements leading to macroscopic creep takes place in interparticle and intraparticle water lattices. These findings were taken as a justification to apply the creep theory to a prediction of the settlement over a one million year period. It gave an estimated settlement of 1 cm at maximum, which is of no practical significance. The thixotropic and viscous properties of highly compacted bentonite present certain difficulties in the determination and evaluation of the stress/strain/time parameters that are required for ordinary elastic and elasto-plastic analyses. Still, these parameters could be sufficiently well identified to allow for a preliminary estimation of the stresses induced in the metal canisters by slight rock displacements. The analysis, suggests that a 1 cm rapid shear perpendicular to the axes of the canisters can take place without harming them. (author)

  19. Impact of high cholesterol and endoplasmic reticulum stress on metabolic diseases: An updated mini-review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erdi Sozen

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Endoplasmic reticulum (ER is the major site of protein folding and calcium storage. Beside the role of ER in protein homeostasis, it controls the cholesterol production and lipid-membrane biosynthesis as well as surviving and cell death signaling mechanisms in the cell. It is well-documented that elevated plasma cholesterol induces adverse effects in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs, liver disorders, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatosis hepatitis (NASH, and metabolic diseases which are associated with oxidative and ER stress. Recent animal model and human studies have showed high cholesterol and ER stress as an emerging factors involved in the development of many metabolic diseases. In this review, we will summarize the crucial effects of hypercholesterolemia and ER stress response in the pathogenesis of CVDs, NAFLD/NASH, diabetes and obesity which are major health problems in western countries. Keywords: Endoplasmic reticulum stress, High cholesterol, Cardiovascular diseases, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Non-alcoholic steatosis hepatitis

  20. Multiple heat priming enhances thermo-tolerance to a later high temperature stress via improving subcellular antioxidant activities in wheat seedlings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Xiao; Cai, Jian; Liu, Fulai

    2014-01-01

    Seedlings of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were firstly twice heat-primed at 32/24 °C, and subsequently subjected to a more severe high temperature stress at 35/27 °C. The later high temperature stress significantly decreased plant biomass and leaf total soluble sugars concentration. However......, plants experienced priming (PH) up-regulated the Rubisco activase B encoding gene RcaB, which was in accordance with the higher photosynthesis rate in relation to the non-primed plants (NH) under the later high temperature stress. In relation to NH, the major chlorophyll a/b-binding protein gene Cab...... was down-regulated in PH plants, implying a reduction of the light absorption to protect the photosystem II from excitation energy under high temperature stress. At the same time, under the later high temperature stress PH plants showed significantly higher actual photochemical efficiency, indicating...

  1. Socioeconomic stress and academic adjustment among Asian American adolescents: the protective role of family obligation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiang, Lisa; Andrews, Kandace; Stein, Gabriela L; Supple, Andrew J; Gonzalez, Laura M

    2013-06-01

    Socioeconomic stress has long been found to place youth at risk, with low family income conferring disadvantages in adolescents' school achievement and success. This study investigates the role of socioeconomic stress on academic adjustment, and pinpoints family obligation as a possible buffer of negative associations. We examined direct and interactive effects at two time points in the same sample of Asian American adolescents-early high school (N = 180 9th-10th graders; 60 % female) and 2 years later in late high school (N = 156 11th-12th graders; 87% of original sample). Results suggest that socioeconomic stress is indeed associated with poor academic adjustment, measured broadly through self-reported GPA, importance of academic success, and educational aspirations and expectations. Family obligation was positively related to adjustment, and also was found to buffer the negative effects of socioeconomic stress, but only during adolescents' later high school years. Adolescents reporting more family obligation experienced less of the negative effects of financial stress on academic outcomes than those reporting lower obligation. Cultural and developmental implications are discussed in light of these direct and moderating effects.

  2. Core stress distribution of phase shifting multimode polymer optical fiber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furukawa, Rei; Matsuura, Motoharu; Nagata, Morio; Mishima, Kenji; Inoue, Azusa; Tagaya, Akihiro; Koike, Yasuhiro

    2013-01-01

    Poly-(methyl methacrylate-co-benzyl methacrylate) polarization-maintaining optical fibers are known for their high response to normal stress. In this report, responses to higher stress levels up to 0.45 MPa were investigated. The stress amplitude and direction in the fiber cross section were calculated and analyzed with a coincident mode-field obtained from the near-field pattern. The stress amplitude varies significantly in the horizontal direction and is considered to create multiple phases, explaining the measurement results. To investigate possible permanent deformation, the core yield point profile was analyzed. Although it largely exceeds the average applied stress, the calculated stress distribution indicates that the core could partially experience stress that exceeds the yield point

  3. Corrosion Behavior of the Stressed Sensitized Austenitic Stainless Steels of High Nitrogen Content in Seawater

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Almubarak

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of high nitrogen content on corrosion behavior of austenitic stainless steels in seawater under severe conditions such as tensile stresses and existence of sensitization in the structure. A constant tensile stress has been applied to sensitized specimens types 304, 316L, 304LN, 304NH, and 316NH stainless steels. Microstructure investigation revealed various degrees of stress corrosion cracking. SCC was severe in type 304, moderate in types 316L and 304LN, and very slight in types 304NH and 316NH. The electrochemical polarization curves showed an obvious second current peak for the sensitized alloys which indicated the existence of second phase in the structure and the presence of intergranular stress corrosion cracking. EPR test provided a rapid and efficient nondestructive testing method for showing passivity, degree of sensitization and determining IGSCC for stainless steels in seawater. A significant conclusion was obtained that austenitic stainless steels of high nitrogen content corrode at a much slower rate increase pitting resistance and offer an excellent resistance to stress corrosion cracking in seawater.

  4. Usefulness of creep work-time relation for determining stress intensity limit of high-temperature components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Woo Gon; Ryu, Woo Seog; Lee, Kyung Yong

    2003-01-01

    In order to determine creep stress intensity limit of high-temperature components, the usefulness of the creep work and time equation, defined as W c t p = B (where W c = σ ε is the total creep work done during creep, and p and B are constants), was investigated using the experimental data. For this purpose, the creep tests for generating 1.0% strain for commercial type 316 stainless steel were conducted with different stresses; 160 MPa, 150 MPa, 145 MPa, 140 MPa and 135 MPa at 593 .deg. C. The plots of log W c - log t showed a good linear relation up to 10 5 hr, and the results of the creep work-time relation for p, B and stress intensity values showed good agreement to those of Isochronous Stress-Strain Curves (ISSC) presented in ASME BPV NH. The relation can be simply obtained with only several short-term 1% strain data without ISSC which can be obtained by long-term creep data. Particularly, this relation is useful in estimating stress intensity limit for new and emerging class of high-temperature creeping materials

  5. O-hexadecyl-dextran entrapped berberine nanoparticles abrogate high glucose stress induced apoptosis in primary rat hepatocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radhika Kapoor

    Full Text Available Nanotized phytochemicals are being explored by researchers for promoting their uptake and effectiveness at lower concentrations. In this study, O-hexadecyl-dextran entrapped berberine chloride nanoparticles (BC-HDD NPs were prepared, and evaluated for their cytoprotective efficacy in high glucose stressed primary hepatocytes and the results obtained compared with bulk berberine chloride (BBR treatment. The nanotized formulation treated primary hepatocytes that were exposed to high glucose (40 mM, showed increased viability compared to the bulk BBR treated cells. BC-HDD NPs reduced the ROS generation by ∼ 3.5 fold during co-treatment, prevented GSH depletion by ∼ 1.6 fold, reduced NO formation by ∼ 5 fold and significantly prevented decline in SOD activity in stressed cells. Lipid peroxidation was also prevented by ∼ 1.9 fold in the presence of these NPs confirming the antioxidant capacity of the formulation. High glucose stress increased Bax/Bcl2 ratio followed by mitochondrial depolarization and activation of caspase-9/-3 confirming involvement of mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in the exposed cells. Co- and post-treatment of BC-HDD NPs prevented depolarization of mitochondrial membrane, reduced Bax/Bcl2 ratio and prevented externalization of phosphatidyl-serine confirming their anti-apoptotic capacity in those cells. Sub-G1 phase apparent in high glucose stressed cells was not seen in BC-HDD NPs treated cells. The present study reveals that BC-HDD NPs at ∼ 20 fold lower concentration are as effective as BBR in preventing high glucose induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial depolarization and downstream events of apoptotic cell death.

  6. High hydrostatic pressure resistance of Campylobacter jejuni after different sublethal stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagarzazu, N; Cebrián, G; Condón, S; Mackey, B; Mañas, P

    2010-07-01

    To study the development of resistance responses in Campylobacter jejuni to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments after the exposure to different stressful conditions that may be encountered in food-processing environments, such as acid pH, elevated temperatures and cold storage. Campylobacter jejuni cells in exponential and stationary growth phase were exposed to different sublethal stresses (acid, heat and cold shocks) prior to evaluate the development of resistance responses to HHP. For exponential-phase cells, neither of the conditions tested increased nor decreased HHP resistance of C. jejuni. For stationary-phase cells, acid and heat adaptation-sensitized C. jejuni cells to the subsequent pressure treatment. On the contrary, cold-adapted stationary-phase cells developed resistance to HHP. Whereas C. jejuni can be classified as a stress sensitive micro-organism, our findings have demonstrated that it can develop resistance responses under different stressing conditions. The resistance of stationary phase C. jejuni to HHP was increased after cells were exposed to cold temperatures. The results of this study contribute to a better knowledge of the physiology of C. jejuni and its survival to food preservation agents. Results here presented may help in the design of combined processes for food preservation based on HHP technology. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  7. Quantitative analysis of localized stresses in irradiated stainless steels using high resolution electron backscatter diffraction and molecular dynamics modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, D.C.; Kuhr, B.; Farkas, D.; Was, G.S.

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative measurements of stress near dislocation channel–grain boundary (DC–GB) interaction sites were made using high resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HREBSD) and have been compared with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Tensile stress normal to the grain boundary was significantly elevated at discontinuous DC–GB intersections with peak magnitudes roughly an order of magnitude greater than at sites where slip transfer occurred. These results constitute the first measurement of stress amplification at DC–GB intersections and provide support to the theory that high normal stress at the grain boundary may be a key driver for the initiation of irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracks.

  8. Quality of Life, Mental Health and Educational Stress of High School Students in the Northeast of Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assana, Supat; Laohasiriwong, Wongsa; Rangseekajee, Poonsri

    2017-08-01

    Majority of high school students in Thailand aim to study at universities. Therefore, they spend a lot of time studying in both classrooms and tutorial classes, that could cause stress, health problems and deteriorate their Quality Of Life (QOL). However, there has been no study on these issues in Thai context. To describe the status of QOL, mental health, educational stress, well-being and determine factors associated with QOL among high school students in the Northeast of Thailand. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Northeast of Thailand among 1,112 students of grade 10 th , 11 th and 12 th . Multistage random sampling was used to select high schools in 5 provinces. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess QOL, educational stress, anxiety, depression and well-being. The association between the covariates was observed by using Generalized Linear Mixed (logistic regression) Model (GLMM). The prevalence of high level of QOL was 36% (95%CI: 32.30 to 41.69); whereas, 26.18% (95% CI: 16.72 to 35.63) had high level of educational stress and 16.41% (95% CI: 2.20 to 30.71) had severe anxiety. Prevalence of depression was 18.55% (95%CI: 9.86 to 27.23) and low level of well-being was 13.41% (95% CI: 0.18 to 27.14). The factors significantly associated with high QOL were; not having depression (Adj. OR= 3.07; 95%CI: (2.23 to 4.22); peducational stress and anxiety. Depression, anxiety and general well-being had influences on QOL of high school students.

  9. Does social support buffer the effects of occupational stress on sleep quality among paramedics? A daily diary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pow, Jessie; King, David B; Stephenson, Ellen; DeLongis, Anita

    2017-01-01

    Given evidence suggesting a detrimental effect of occupational stress on sleep, it is important to identify protective factors that may ameliorate this effect. We followed 87 paramedics upon waking and after work over 1 week using a daily diary methodology. Multilevel modeling was used to examine whether the detrimental effects of daily occupational stress on sleep quality were buffered by perceived social support availability. Paramedics who reported more support availability tended to report better quality sleep over the week. Additionally, perceived support availability buffered postworkday sleep from average occupational stress and days of especially high occupational stress. Perceived support availability also buffered off-workday sleep from the cumulative amount of occupational stress experienced over the previous workweek. Those with low levels of support displayed poor sleep quality in the face of high occupational stress; those high in support did not show significant effects of occupational stress on sleep. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Supportability of a High-Yield-Stress Slurry in a New Stereolithography-Based Ceramic Fabrication Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Li; Song, Xuan

    2018-03-01

    In recent years, ceramic fabrication using stereolithography (SLA) has gained in popularity because of its high accuracy and density that can be achieved in the final part of production. One of the key challenges in ceramic SLA is that support structures are required for building overhanging features, whereas removing these support structures without damaging the components is difficult. In this research, a suspension-enclosing projection-stereolithography process is developed to overcome this challenge. This process uses a high-yield-stress ceramic slurry as the feedstock material and exploits the elastic force of the material to support overhanging features without the need for building additional support structures. Ceramic slurries with different solid loadings are studied to identify the rheological properties most suitable for supporting overhanging features. An analytical model of a double doctor-blade module is established to obtain uniform and thin recoating layers from a high-yield-stress slurry. Several test cases highlight the feasibility of using a high-yield-stress slurry to support overhanging features in SLA.

  11. User guide for the ECN stress-diffractometer facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helmholdt, R.B.

    1994-01-01

    This report contains a description of the experimental set-up for residual stress measurements at beam hole HB4 of the High Flux Reactor at Petten. With this manual an experimentalist familiar with the properties of neutrons, diffraction techniques and the phenomenon (residual) stress will be able to operate the diffractometer, to check all the components on their proper operation and, if necessary, to repeat the alignment procedures. (orig.)

  12. Show what you know and deal with stress yourself: a qualitative interview study of medical interns’ perceptions of stress and gender

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Medical students report high stress levels and in particular, the clinical phase is a demanding one. The field of medicine is still described as having a patriarchal culture which favors aspects like a physicians’ perceived certainty and rationalism. Also, the Effort-Recovery Model explains stress as coming from a discrepancy between job demands, job control, and perceived work potential. Gendered differences in stress are reported, but not much is known about medical interns’ perceptions of how gender plays in relation to stress. The aim of this study is to explore how medical interns experience and cope with stress, as well as how they reflect on the gendered aspects of stress. Methods In order to do this, we have performed a qualitative study. In 2010–2011, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with seventeen medical interns across all three years of the Masters programme (6 male, 11 female) at a Dutch medical school. The interview guide is based on gender theory, the Effort-Recovery Model, and empirical literature. Transcribed interviews have been analyzed thematically. Results First, stress mainly evolves from having to prove one’s self and show off competencies and motivation (“Show What You Know…”). Second, interns seek own solutions for handling stress because it is not open for discussion (… “And Deal With Stress Yourself”). Patient encounters are a source of pride and satisfaction rather than a source of stress. But interns report having to present themselves as ‘professional and self-confident’, remaining silent about experiencing stress. Female students are perceived to have more stress and to study harder in order to live up to expectations. Conclusions The implicit message interns hear is to remain silent about insecurities and stress, and, in particular, female students might face disadvantages. Students who feel less able to manifest the ‘masculine protest’ may benefit from a culture that

  13. Show what you know and deal with stress yourself: a qualitative interview study of medical interns' perceptions of stress and gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verdonk, Petra; Räntzsch, Viktoria; de Vries, Remko; Houkes, Inge

    2014-05-17

    Medical students report high stress levels and in particular, the clinical phase is a demanding one. The field of medicine is still described as having a patriarchal culture which favors aspects like a physicians' perceived certainty and rationalism. Also, the Effort-Recovery Model explains stress as coming from a discrepancy between job demands, job control, and perceived work potential. Gendered differences in stress are reported, but not much is known about medical interns' perceptions of how gender plays in relation to stress. The aim of this study is to explore how medical interns experience and cope with stress, as well as how they reflect on the gendered aspects of stress. In order to do this, we have performed a qualitative study. In 2010-2011, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with seventeen medical interns across all three years of the Masters programme (6 male, 11 female) at a Dutch medical school. The interview guide is based on gender theory, the Effort-Recovery Model, and empirical literature. Transcribed interviews have been analyzed thematically. First, stress mainly evolves from having to prove one's self and show off competencies and motivation ("Show What You Know…"). Second, interns seek own solutions for handling stress because it is not open for discussion (… "And Deal With Stress Yourself"). Patient encounters are a source of pride and satisfaction rather than a source of stress. But interns report having to present themselves as 'professional and self-confident', remaining silent about experiencing stress. Female students are perceived to have more stress and to study harder in order to live up to expectations. The implicit message interns hear is to remain silent about insecurities and stress, and, in particular, female students might face disadvantages. Students who feel less able to manifest the 'masculine protest' may benefit from a culture that embraces more collaborative styles, such as having open conversation

  14. Monitoring expression profiles of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genes under abiotic stresses using cDNA Microarray Analysis (abstract)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rabbani, M.A.

    2005-01-01

    Transcript regulation in response to cold, drought, high salinity and ABA application was investigated in rice (Oryza sativa L., Nipponbare) with microarray analysis including approx. 1700 independent DNA elements derived from three cDNA libraries constructed from 15-day old rice seedlings stressed with drought, cold and high salinity. A total of 141 non-redundant genes were identified, whose expression ratios were more than three-fold compared with the control genes for at least one of stress treatments in microarray analysis. However, after RNA gel blot analysis, a total of 73 genes were identified, among them the transcripts of 36, 62, 57 and 43 genes were found increased after cold, drought, high salinity and ABA application, respectively. Sixteen of these identified genes have been reported previously to be stress inducible in rice, while 57 of which are novel that have not been reported earlier as stress responsive in rice. We observed a strong association in the expression patterns of stress responsive genes and found 15 stress inducible genes that responded to all four treatments. Based on Venn diagram analysis, 56 genes were induced by both drought and high salinity, whereas 22 genes were upregulated by both cold and high salinity stress. Similarly 43 genes were induced by both drought stress and ABA application, while only 17 genes were identified as cold and ABA inducible genes. These results indicated the existence of greater cross talk between drought, ABA and high salinity stress signaling processes than those between cold and ABA, and cold and high salinity stress signaling pathways. The cold, drought, high salinity and ABA inducible genes were classified into four gene groups from their expression profiles. Analysis of data enabled us to identify a number of promoters and possible cis-acting DNA elements of several genes induced by a variety of abiotic stresses by combining expression data with genomic sequence data of rice. Comparative analysis of

  15. The relationship between self-reported childhood adversities, adulthood psychopathology and psychological stress markers in patients with schizophrenia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seidenfaden, Dea; Knorr, Ulla; Soendergaard, Mia Greisen

    2017-01-01

    : To compare levels of childhood trauma in schizophrenia patients vs. healthy control persons, and to study the association between childhood adversity and the symptomatology of adulthood schizophrenia, as well as subjective and biological markers of psychological stress.  Methods: Thirty-seven patients...... of the patients was measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and analyzed by a five-factor PANSS model. Measures of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity (9 AM plasma cortisol and daytime salivary cortisol output) were recorded...... was found (P = 0.009). The high CATS score group showed higher levels of perceived stress (P = 0.02), but there was no difference between the high vs. low CATS group in HPA-axis activity. Conclusion: Although causal inferences cannot be made from this cross-sectional study, the study adds support...

  16. Bias-stress characterization of solution-processed organic field-effect transistor based on highly ordered liquid crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunii, M.; Iino, H.; Hanna, J.

    2017-06-01

    Bias-stress effects in solution-processed, 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-10) field effect transistors (FETs) are studied under negative and positive direct current bias. The bottom gate, bottom contact polycrystalline Ph-BTBT-10 FET with a hybrid gate dielectric of polystyrene and SiO2 shows high field effect mobility as well as a steep subthreshold slope when fabricated with a highly ordered smectic E liquid crystalline (SmE) film as a precursor. Negative gate bias-stress causes negative threshold voltage shift (ΔVth) for Ph-BTBT-10 FET in ambient air, but ΔVth rapidly decreases as the gate bias decreases and approaches to near zero when the gate bias goes down to 9 V in amplitude. In contrast, positive gate bias-stress causes negligible ΔVth even with a relatively high bias voltage. These results conclude that Ph-BTBT-10 FET has excellent bias-stress stability in ambient air in the range of low to moderate operating voltages.

  17. Job stress, depression, work performance, and perceptions of supervisors in military personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pflanz, Steven E; Ogle, Alan D

    2006-09-01

    Recent studies have identified high levels of job stress in military personnel. This study examined the relationship among job stress, depression, work performance, types of stressors, and perceptions about supervisors in military personnel. Eight hundred nine military personnel answered a 43-item survey on work stress, physical and emotional health, work performance, perceptions about leadership, job stressors, and demographics. More than one- quarter (27.4%) of this military population reported suffering from significant job stress. Both the report of work stress and depression were significantly related to impaired work performance, more days of missed work, poorer physical health, and negative perceptions about the abilities of supervisors and commanders. Depression and job stress were significantly and positively related to each other. These results support accumulating data indicating that work stress is a significant occupational health hazard in the routine military work environment. Targeting and eliminating sources of job stress should be a priority for the U.S. military to preserve and protect the mental health of military personnel.

  18. Stress and Cognitive Reserve as independent factors of neuropsychological performance in healthy elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Carlos Centurion Cabral

    Full Text Available Abstract Exposure to high levels of cortisol and self-reported stress, as well as cognitive reserve, have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease pathology. However, there are no studies on the interaction of these variables. The present study aims to assess the associations of measures of cortisol, self-reported stress, and cognitive reserve with neuropsychological performance in healthy elderly people; besides, to test the interactions between these variables. Cross-sectional analyzes were conducted using data on stress, cognitive reserve and clinical conditions in 145 healthy elderly adults. A neuropsychological battery was used to assess executive functions, verbal memory and processing speed. Measurement of salivary cortisol at the circadian nadir was taken. A negative association between different stress measures and performance on tasks of memory, executive functions and processing speed was observed. Elderly people with higher cognitive reserve showed superior performance on all neuropsychological measures. No significant interaction between stress and cognitive reserve to neuropsychological performance was observed. These results indicate that older adults with high levels of stress and reduced cognitive reserve may be more susceptible to cognitive impairment.

  19. Insight into small RNA abundance and expression in high- and low-temperature stress response using deep sequencing in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baev, Vesselin; Milev, Ivan; Naydenov, Mladen; Vachev, Tihomir; Apostolova, Elena; Mehterov, Nikolay; Gozmanva, Mariyana; Minkov, Georgi; Sablok, Gaurav; Yahubyan, Galina

    2014-11-01

    Small RNA profiling and assessing its dependence on changing environmental factors have expanded our understanding of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of plant stress responses. Insufficient data have been documented earlier to depict the profiling of small RNA classes in temperature-associated stress which has a wide implication for climate change biology. In the present study, we report a comparative assessment of the genome-wide profiling of small RNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana using two conditional responses, induced by high- and low-temperature. Genome-wide profiling of small RNAs revealed an abundance of 21 nt small RNAs at low temperature, while high temperature showed an abundance of 21 nt and 24 nt small RNAs. The two temperature treatments altered the expression of a specific subset of mature miRNAs and displayed differential expression of a number of miRNA isoforms (isomiRs). Comparative analysis demonstrated that a large number of protein-coding genes can give rise to differentially expressed small RNAs following temperature shifts. Low temperature caused accumulation of small RNAs, corresponding to the sense strand of a number of cold-responsive genes. In contrast, high temperature stimulated the production of small RNAs of both polarities from genes encoding functionally diverse proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Long range stress correlations in the inherent structures of liquids at rest

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chowdhury, Sadrul; Abraham, Sneha; Hudson, Toby; Harrowell, Peter [School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

    2016-03-28

    Simulation studies of the atomic shear stress in the local potential energy minima (inherent structures) are reported for binary liquid mixtures in 2D and 3D. These inherent structure stresses are fundamental to slow stress relaxation and high viscosity in supercooled liquids. We find that the atomic shear stress in the inherent structures (IS’s) of both liquids at rest exhibits slowly decaying anisotropic correlations. We show that the stress correlations contribute significantly to the variance of the total shear stress of the IS configurations and consider the origins of the anisotropy and spatial extent of the stress correlations.

  1. Sex and stress: Men and women show different cortisol responses to psychological stress induced by the Trier social stress test and the Iowa singing social stress test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reschke-Hernández, Alaine E; Okerstrom, Katrina L; Bowles Edwards, Angela; Tranel, Daniel

    2017-01-02

    Acute psychological stress affects each of us in our daily lives and is increasingly a topic of discussion for its role in mental illness, aging, cognition, and overall health. A better understanding of how such stress affects the body and mind could contribute to the development of more effective clinical interventions and prevention practices. Over the past 3 decades, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) has been widely used to induce acute stress in a laboratory setting based on the principles of social evaluative threat, namely, a judged speech-making task. A comparable alternative task may expand options for examining acute stress in a controlled laboratory setting. This study uses a within-subjects design to examine healthy adult participants' (n = 20 men, n = 20 women) subjective stress and salivary cortisol responses to the standard TSST (involving public speaking and math) and the newly created Iowa Singing Social Stress Test (I-SSST). The I-SSST is similar to the TSST but with a new twist: public singing. Results indicated that men and women reported similarly high levels of subjective stress in response to both tasks. However, men and women demonstrated different cortisol responses; men showed a robust response to both tasks, and women displayed a lesser response. These findings are in line with previous literature and further underscore the importance of examining possible sex differences throughout various phases of research, including design, analysis, and interpretation of results. Furthermore, this nascent examination of the I-SSST suggests a possible alternative for inducing stress in the laboratory. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. A family history of Type 1 alcoholism differentiates alcohol consumption in high cortisol responders to stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brkic, Sejla; Söderpalm, Bo; Söderpalm Gordh, Anna

    2015-03-01

    The differentiation between high and low cortisol responders to stress is of interest in determining the risk factors which may, along with genetic vulnerability, influence alcohol intake. Thirty-two healthy volunteers, family history positive to alcoholism (FHP, n = 16) and family history negative (FHN, n = 16) attended two laboratory sessions during which alcohol or placebo was offered. There were no differences in consumption of alcohol or placebo between FHP and FHN subjects. STUDY 2: Fifty-eight healthy social drinkers, FHP (n = 27) and FHN (n = 31) attended two laboratory sessions. They were administered either alcohol or placebo in both sessions they attended. All subjects underwent either a stress task (the Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) or a stress-free period, at two separate occasions, before being offered beverage. After the salivary cortisol analysis, subjects in each group were divided into high (HCR) or low (LCR) cortisol responders. After stress, subjects who were FHP-HCR consumed more alcohol than FHN-HCR. There were no differences in the placebo intake between FHP and FHN subjects regardless of their cortisol response. This result indicates that stress promotes alcohol consumption only in subjects with a family history of Type 1 alcoholism who show an increase in cortisol response to stress. This behaviour is similar to that previously observed in alcohol dependent individuals after stress and thus could represent an endophenotype posing a risk for future development of alcohol use disorders. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  3. Contrast Media–Induced Anaphylaxis Causing a Stress-Related Cardiomyopathy Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajeev Seecheran

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Anaphylaxis is a sudden-onset, severe hypersensitivity reaction that can be potentially fatal. It can often transition to refractory hemodynamic instability, eventually resulting in death. Stress-related cardiomyopathies (SRCs have multifactorial etiologies, including being linked to excessive catecholamine release in periods of intense stress. This novel case report recounts a SRC caused by contrast-induced anaphylaxis within 1 hour post percutaneous coronary intervention. Both acutely life-threatening conditions may occur simultaneously and are implicated with devastating complications. Further research is required to understand this cardiac-neuroaxis interplay in SRC to identify risk factors and develop management strategies.

  4. Job Satisfaction, Stress and Coping Strategies in the Teaching Profession-What Do Teachers Say?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skaalvik, Einar M.; Skaalvik, Sidsel

    2015-01-01

    This study explored job satisfaction, work-related stress, consequences of stress, and coping strategies among Norwegian teachers. The study is based on qualitative interviews with 30 working teachers and four retired teachers. The respondents reported high job satisfaction but also severe stress and exhaustion. Teachers of different ages or at…

  5. Ultrasound-Diagnosed Tibia Stress Fracture: A Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amoako, Adae; Abid, Ayesha; Shadiack, Anthony; Monaco, Robert

    2017-01-01

    Stress fractures are a frequent cause of lower extremity pain in athletes, and especially in runners. Plain imaging has a low sensitivity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or bone scan scintigraphy is the criterion standard, but expensive. We present the case of a young female distance runner with left shin pain. Plain radiography was unremarkable. Ultrasound showed focal hyperechoic elevation of the periosteum with irregularity over the distal tibia and increased flow on Doppler. These findings were consistent with a distal tibia stress fracture and confirmed by MRI. Examination of our case will highlight the utility of considering an ultrasound for diagnosis of tibial stress fracture.

  6. Ultrasound-Diagnosed Tibia Stress Fracture: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adae Amoako

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Stress fractures are a frequent cause of lower extremity pain in athletes, and especially in runners. Plain imaging has a low sensitivity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI or bone scan scintigraphy is the criterion standard, but expensive. We present the case of a young female distance runner with left shin pain. Plain radiography was unremarkable. Ultrasound showed focal hyperechoic elevation of the periosteum with irregularity over the distal tibia and increased flow on Doppler. These findings were consistent with a distal tibia stress fracture and confirmed by MRI. Examination of our case will highlight the utility of considering an ultrasound for diagnosis of tibial stress fracture.

  7. Numerical modeling of rock stresses within a basaltic nuclear waste repository. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardy, M.P.; Hocking, G.

    1978-01-01

    The modeling undertaken during this project incorporated a wide range of problems that impact the design of the waste repository. Interaction of groundwater, heat and stress were considered on a regional scale, whereas on the room and canister scale thermo-mechanical analyses were undertaken. In the Phase II report, preliminary guidelines for waste densities were established based primarily on short-term stress criteria required to maintain stability during the retrievability period. Additional analyses are required to evaluate the effect of joints, borehole linings, room support and ventilation on these preliminary waste loading densities. The regional analyses did not indicate any adverse effect that could control the allowable waste loading densities. However, further refinements of geologic structure, hydrologic models, seismicity and possible induced seismicity are required before firm estimates of the loading densities can be made

  8. Co-Rumination Exacerbates Stress Generation among Adolescents with Depressive Symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, Amanda J; Glick, Gary C; Smith, Rhiannon L; Schwartz-Mette, Rebecca A; Borowski, Sarah K

    2017-07-01

    Through stress generation, individuals' own thoughts and behaviors can actually lead to increases in their experience of stress. Unfortunately, stress generation is especially common among individuals who are already suffering from elevated depressive symptoms. However, despite the acknowledgement that some individuals with depressive symptoms generate greater stress than others, few studies have identified specific factors that could exacerbate stress generation among individuals with depressive symptoms. The present study examines co-rumination as a factor that might exacerbate stress generation among adolescents with depressive symptoms using a short-term longitudinal design. Considering these processes among adolescents was critical given that many youth experience increases in depressive symptoms at this developmental stage and that co-rumination also becomes more common at adolescence. Participants were 628 adolescents (326 girls; 302 boys) who reported on their depressive symptoms, experiences of stress, and co-rumination with a best friend. Interpersonal stressors (peer and family stress) and non-interpersonal stressors (school and sports stress) were assessed. Consistent with past research, adolescents with depressive symptoms experienced greater interpersonal and non-interpersonal stress over time. Importantly, co-rumination interacted with both depressive symptoms and gender in predicting increases in peer stress. Depressive symptoms predicted the generation of peer stress only for girls who reported high levels of co-rumination with friends. Implications for protecting youth with depressive symptoms against stress generation are discussed.

  9. Perceived stress and fatigue among students in a doctor of chiropractic training program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kizhakkeveettil, Anupama; Vosko, Andrew M; Brash, Marissa; Ph, Dr; Philips, Michael A

    2017-03-01

    High levels of stress and fatigue are associated with decreased academic success, well-being, and quality of life. The objective of this research was to quantify levels of perceived stress and fatigue among chiropractic students to identify sources of and student coping mechanisms for perceived stress and fatigue and to identify the relationship between students' perceived stress and fatigue. A survey comprised of the Perceived Stress Scale, the Undergraduate Sources of Stress Survey, and the Piper Fatigue Scale was administered to chiropractic students in their 2nd, 5th, and 8th trimesters of doctoral study. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, 1-way analysis of variance, and linear correlation tests. Students reported having moderate to high levels of stress and fatigue, with higher levels of stress and fatigue seen in women than in men. A nonsignificant difference among stress scores and a significant difference among fatigue scores were observed based on program term. Levels of stress predicted levels of fatigue, and stress was strongly correlated with psychological health, relationships with family members, mood, and need for learning accommodations. Fatigue was strongly correlated with psychological health, academic demands, and conflicts between studies and other activities. There are differences in the reporting of perceived stress and fatigue levels in this chiropractic student population based on gender. The correlation between fatigue and stress also suggests that measures that may alleviate one may likely affect the other.

  10. Tribbles 3 Mediates Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Ho-Jin; Toyoda, Taro; Didesch, Michelle M.; Lee, Min-Young; Sleeman, Mark W.; Kulkarni, Rohit N.; Musi, Nicolas; Hirshman, Michael F.; Goodyear, Laurie J.

    2013-01-01

    Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress has been linked to insulin resistance in multiple tissues but the role of ER stress in skeletal muscle has not been explored. ER stress has also been reported to increase tribbles 3 (TRB3) expression in multiple cell lines. Here, we report that high fat feeding in mice, and obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans significantly increases TRB3 and ER stress markers in skeletal muscle. Overexpression of TRB3 in C2C12 myotubes and mouse tibialis anterior muscles significantly impairs insulin signaling. Incubation of C2C12 cells and mouse skeletal muscle with ER stressors thapsigargin and tunicamycin increases TRB3 and impairs insulin signaling and glucose uptake, effects reversed in cells overexpressing RNAi for TRB3 and in muscles from TRB3 knockout mice. Furthermore, TRB3 knockout mice are protected from high fat diet-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. These data demonstrate that TRB3 mediates ER stress-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. PMID:23695665

  11. The relationship between perceived stress and gastrointestinal symptoms in nursing and midwifery students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasan Huseyin Cam

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Students are subjected to different kinds of stressors, such as the pressure of academics with an obligation, an uncertain future and difficulties of integrating into the system. Although nursing and midwifery students experience a high level of stress during their training, there has been limited research on stress and its impact on the student's physical responses, such as gastrointestinal symptoms. The aims of this study are to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in nursing and midwifery students and to examine the association between the perceived stress and gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods: This performed using cross-sectional descriptive study design study enrolled a total of 449 students participates in the study in a university degree program was carried out on 366 nursing and midwifery students accepted. A personal information questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and a Gastrointestinal Symptoms Questionnaire were administered through a self-reported system. Results: Seventy point two percent of the nursing and midwifery students experienced at least one gastrointestinal symptom, with 35.8% of students reporting at least three gastrointestinal symptoms. Most of the nursing and midwifery students complained of upper dysmotility and bowel symptoms. In addition, students who reported higher perceived stress were significantly more likely to complain of gastrointestinal symptoms. Compared to students with the lowest perceived stress level, the adjusted odds ratio for gastrointestinal symptoms in students with the highest perceived stress level was 6.45 times higher. Conclusions: Gastrointestinal symptoms that are highly prevalent among nursing and midwifery students are significantly associated with the perceived stress level. High perceived stress should be considered a risk factor for gastrointestinal symptoms. Based on the study findings, there is a critical need of instructing the nursing and midwifery students

  12. Thermal stress relieving of dilute uranium alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckelmeyer, K.H.

    1980-01-01

    The kinetics of thermal stress relieving of uranium - 2.3 wt. % niobium, uranium - 2.0 wt. % molybdenum, and uranium - 0.75 wt. % titanium are reported and discussed. Two temperature regimes of stress relieving are observed. In the low temperature regime (T 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by an athermal microplasticity mechanism which can be completely suppressed by prior age hardening. In the high temperature regime (300 0 C 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by a classical diffusional creep mechanism which is strongly dependent on temperature and time. Stress relieving is accelerated in cases where it occurs simultaneously with age hardening. The potential danger of residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking of uranium alloys is discussed. It is shown that the residual stress relief which accompanies age hardening of uranium - 0.75% titanium more than compensates for the reduction in K/sub ISCC/ caused by aging. As a result, age hardening actually decreases the susceptibility of this alloy to residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking

  13. Parenting stress among parents of children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, Francesco; Operto, Francesca Felicia; De Giacomo, Andrea; Margari, Lucia; Frolli, Alessandro; Conson, Massimiliano; Ivagnes, Sara; Monaco, Marianna; Margari, Francesco

    2016-08-30

    In recent years, studies have shown that parents of children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) experience more parenting stress than parents of typically developing children, but the relation between the type of disorders and parenting stress is far from clear. The purpose of this study was to compare the parenting stress experienced by parents of 239 children with Specific Learning Disorders (SpLD), Language Disorders (LD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and typical development (TD). Parents of children with NDDs experience more parenting stress than those of children who have TD. Although, parents of children with ASD or ADHD report the most high scores of parenting stress, also the parents of children with SpLD or LD report higher parental stress compared with parent of children without NDDs. Another interesting finding was that IQ level or emotional and behavioral problems are associated with the higher levels of parenting stress. This study suggest that parent, both mothers and fathers, of children with different type of NDDs should be provided with interventions and resources to empower them with the knowledge and skills to reduce their stress and to enhance their quality of life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. [Stress and Burnout Risk in Nursery School Teachers: Results from a Survey].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jungbauer, J; Ehlen, S

    2015-06-01

    This article presents results from a study of 834 nursery school teachers in Germany, investigating working conditions, stress, and stress-related health problems. In order to evaluate the extent of mental and psychosomatic troubles, as well as the risk of burnout, we used the standardised questionnaire "Burnout Screening Scales" (BOSS I). Data analysis yielded a high percentage of nursery school teachers who reported a remarkably high stress level; nearly 20% can be considered as a high-risk group for burnout. Poor staff conditions in many nurseries turned out to be the crucial stress source, along with large groups, insufficient teacher-child ratio, time pressure and multitasking. In the concluding discussion of the study results, we consider possible measures to reduce stress and to improve working conditions for nursery school teachers. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  15. Validation of a Residual Stress Measurement Method by Swept High-Frequency Eddy Currents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, C.; Shen, Y.; Lo, C. C. H.; Nakagawa, N.

    2007-01-01

    This paper reports on a swept high-frequency eddy current (SHFEC) measurement method developed for electromagnetic nondestructive characterization of residual stresses in shot peened aerospace materials. In this approach, we regard shot-peened surfaces as modified surface layers of varying conductivity, and determine the conductivity deviation profile by inversion of the SHFEC data. The SHFEC measurement system consists of a pair of closely matched printed-circuit-board coils driven by laboratory instrument under software control. This provides improved sensitivity and high frequency performance compared to conventional coils, so that swept frequency EC measurements up to 50 MHz can be made to achieve the smallest skin depth of 80 μm for nickel-based superalloys. We devised a conductivity profile inversion procedure based on the laterally uniform multi-layer theory of Cheng, Dodd and Deeds. The main contribution of this paper is the methodology validation. Namely, the forward and inverse models were validated against measurements on artificial layer specimens consisting of metal films with different conductivities placed on a metallic substrate. The inversion determined the film conductivities which were found to agree with those measured using the direct current potential drop (DCPD) method

  16. Validation of a Residual Stress Measurement Method by Swept High-Frequency Eddy Currents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, C.; Shen, Y.; Lo, C. C. H.; Nakagawa, N.

    2007-03-01

    This paper reports on a swept high-frequency eddy current (SHFEC) measurement method developed for electromagnetic nondestructive characterization of residual stresses in shot peened aerospace materials. In this approach, we regard shot-peened surfaces as modified surface layers of varying conductivity, and determine the conductivity deviation profile by inversion of the SHFEC data. The SHFEC measurement system consists of a pair of closely matched printed-circuit-board coils driven by laboratory instrument under software control. This provides improved sensitivity and high frequency performance compared to conventional coils, so that swept frequency EC measurements up to 50 MHz can be made to achieve the smallest skin depth of 80 μm for nickel-based superalloys. We devised a conductivity profile inversion procedure based on the laterally uniform multi-layer theory of Cheng, Dodd and Deeds. The main contribution of this paper is the methodology validation. Namely, the forward and inverse models were validated against measurements on artificial layer specimens consisting of metal films with different conductivities placed on a metallic substrate. The inversion determined the film conductivities which were found to agree with those measured using the direct current potential drop (DCPD) method.

  17. The mediating effects of self-esteem and coronary-prone behavior on problem solving and affect under low and high stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbs-Tait, L; Blodgett, C J

    1989-01-01

    Self-esteem and coronary-prone behavior were identified as two personality constructs related to different stress responses. It was hypothesized that in the case of low self-esteem Type A subjects the conflicting stress responses would have a particularly adverse effect on problem-solving behavior, mood, and self-perception. Subjects were 32 Type A and 32 Type B males evenly divided into high and low self-esteem groups. Half of the subjects in each group solved 10 matrix problems under high stress, half under low stress. Compared with high self-esteem Type As, low self-esteem Type As under high stress became more hostile and perceived themselves as more tense and more hurried. They also tended to make more errors. Results are interpreted as implying that low and high self-esteem Type A subjects are not psychologically homogeneous. It is suggested that the two groups may differ substantially in terms of cardiovascular risk.

  18. Financial strain is associated with increased oxidative stress levels: the Women's Health and Aging Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palta, Priya; Szanton, Sarah L; Semba, Richard D; Thorpe, Roland J; Varadhan, Ravi; Fried, Linda P

    2015-01-01

    Elevated oxidative stress levels may be one mechanism contributing to poor health outcomes. Financial strain and oxidative stress are each predictors of morbidity and mortality, but little research has investigated their relationship. Community-dwelling older adults (n = 728) from the Women's Health and Aging Studies I and II were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Financial strain was ascertained as an ordinal response to: "At the end of the month, do you have more than enough money left over, just enough, or not enough?" Oxidative stress was measured using serum protein carbonyl concentrations. Linear regression was used to quantify the relationship between financial strain and oxidative stress. Participants who reported high financial strain exhibited 13.4% higher protein carbonyl concentrations compared to individuals who reported low financial strain (p = 0.002). High financial strain may be associated with increased oxidative stress, suggesting that oxidative stress could mediate associations between financial strain and poor health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Stress-intensity factors for surface cracks in pipes: a computer code for evaluation by use of influence functions. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dedhia, D.D.; Harris, D.O.

    1982-06-01

    A user-oriented computer program for the evaluation of stress intensity factors for cracks in pipes is presented. Stress intensity factors for semi-elliptical, complete circumferential and long longitudinal cracks can be obtained using this computer program. The code is based on the method of influence functions which makes it possible to treat arbitrary stresses on the plane of the crack. The stresses on the crack plane can be entered as a mathematical or tabulated function. A user's manual is included in this report. Background information is also included

  20. Brown rice and its component, γ-oryzanol, attenuate the preference for high-fat diet by decreasing hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozuka, Chisayo; Yabiku, Kouichi; Sunagawa, Sumito; Ueda, Rei; Taira, Shin-Ichiro; Ohshiro, Hiroyuki; Ikema, Tomomi; Yamakawa, Ken; Higa, Moritake; Tanaka, Hideaki; Takayama, Chitoshi; Matsushita, Masayuki; Oyadomari, Seiichi; Shimabukuro, Michio; Masuzaki, Hiroaki

    2012-12-01

    Brown rice is known to improve glucose intolerance and prevent the onset of diabetes. However, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. In the current study, we investigated the effect of brown rice and its major component, γ-oryzanol (Orz), on feeding behavior and fuel homeostasis in mice. When mice were allowed free access to a brown rice-containing chow diet (CD) and a high-fat diet (HFD), they significantly preferred CD to HFD. To reduce hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress on an HFD, mice were administered with 4-phenylbutyric acid, a chemical chaperone, which caused them to prefer the CD. Notably, oral administration of Orz, a mixture of major bioactive components in brown rice, also improved glucose intolerance and attenuated hypothalamic ER stress in mice fed the HFD. In murine primary neuronal cells, Orz attenuated the tunicamycin-induced ER stress. In luciferase reporter assays in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, Orz suppressed the activation of ER stress-responsive cis-acting elements and unfolded protein response element, suggesting that Orz acts as a chemical chaperone in viable cells. Collectively, the current study is the first demonstration that brown rice and Orz improve glucose metabolism, reduce hypothalamic ER stress, and, consequently, attenuate the preference for dietary fat in mice fed an HFD.

  1. Multiple High Voltage Pulse Stressing of Polymer Thick Film Resistors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Busi Rambabu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to study high voltage interactions in polymer thick film resistors, namely, polyvinyl chloride- (PVC- graphite thick film resistors, and their applications in universal trimming of these resistors. High voltages in the form of impulses for various pulse durations and with different amplitudes have been applied to polymer thick film resistors and we observed the variation of resistance of these resistors with high voltages. It has been found that the resistance of polymer thick film resistors decreases in the case of higher resistivity materials and the resistance of polymer thick film resistor increases in the case of lower resistivity materials when high voltage impulses are applied to them. It has been also found that multiple high voltage pulse (MHVP stressing can be used to trim the polymer thick film resistors either upwards or downwards.

  2. The effects of anticipating a high-stress task on sleep and performance during simulated on-call work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprajcer, Madeline; Jay, Sarah M; Vincent, Grace E; Vakulin, Andrew; Lack, Leon; Ferguson, Sally A

    2018-04-22

    On-call work is used to manage around the clock working requirements in a variety of industries. Often, tasks that must be performed while on-call are highly important, difficult and/or stressful by nature and, as such, may impact the level of anxiety that is experienced by on-call workers. Heightened anxiety is associated with poor sleep, which affects next-day cognitive performance. Twenty-four male participants (20-35 years old) spent an adaptation, a control and two counterbalanced on-call nights in a time-isolated sleep laboratory. On one of the on-call nights they were told that they would be required to do a speech upon waking (high-stress condition), whereas on the other night they were instructed that they would be required to read to themselves (low-stress condition). Pre-bed anxiety was measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory form x-1, and polysomnography and quantitative electroencephalogram analyses were used to investigate sleep. Performance was assessed across each day using the 10-min psychomotor vigilance task (09:30 hours, 12:00 hours, 14:30 hours, 17:00 hours). The results indicated that participants experienced no significant changes in pre-bed anxiety or sleep between conditions. However, performance on the psychomotor vigilance task was best in the high-stress condition, possibly as a result of heightened physiological arousal caused by performing the stressful task that morning. This suggests that performing a high-stress task may be protective of cognitive performance to some degree when sleep is not disrupted. © 2018 European Sleep Research Society.

  3. Role of high-temperature creep stress in thermally grown oxide growth of thermal barrier coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogawa, K.; Nakao, Y.; Seo, D.; Miura, H.; Shoji, T. [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan)

    2008-07-01

    Thermally grown oxide (TGO) grows at the top / bond coating interface of the thermal barrier coating (TBC) in service. It is supposed that the failures of the TBC occur due to thermal stress and the decrease of adhesive strength caused by the TGO growth. Recently, large local stress has been found to change both the diffusion constant of oxygen through an existing oxide and the rate of chemical reaction at the oxide / oxidized material interface. Since high thermal stress occurs in the TBC, the volume expansion of the newly grown oxide, and centrifugal force, the growth rate of the TGO may change depending on not only temperature but also the stress. The aim of this study is to make clear the influence of stress on the growth rate of the TGO quantitatively. As a result, the thickness of the TGO clearly increases with increase of the amplitude of the applied stress and temperature. The increase rate of the TGO thickness is approximately 23% when the applied stress is increased from 0 to 205 MPa at 900 C, and approximately 29% when the stress is increased from 0 to 150 MPa at 950 C. (orig.)

  4. The Arabidopsis Transcription Factor MYB112 Promotes Anthocyanin Formation during Salinity and under High Light Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lotkowska, Magda E; Tohge, Takayuki; Fernie, Alisdair R; Xue, Gang-Ping; Balazadeh, Salma; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd

    2015-11-01

    MYB transcription factors (TFs) are important regulators of flavonoid biosynthesis in plants. Here, we report MYB112 as a formerly unknown regulator of anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Expression profiling after chemically induced overexpression of MYB112 identified 28 up- and 28 down-regulated genes 5 h after inducer treatment, including MYB7 and MYB32, which are both induced. In addition, upon extended induction, MYB112 also positively affects the expression of PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT1, a key TF of anthocyanin biosynthesis, but acts negatively toward MYB12 and MYB111, which both control flavonol biosynthesis. MYB112 binds to an 8-bp DNA fragment containing the core sequence (A/T/G)(A/C)CC(A/T)(A/G/T)(A/C)(T/C). By electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we show that MYB112 binds in vitro and in vivo to MYB7 and MYB32 promoters, revealing them as direct downstream target genes. We further show that MYB112 expression is up-regulated by salinity and high light stress, environmental parameters that both require the MYB112 TF for anthocyanin accumulation under these stresses. In contrast to several other MYB TFs affecting anthocyanin biosynthesis, MYB112 expression is not controlled by nitrogen limitation or an excess of carbon. Thus, MYB112 constitutes a regulator that promotes anthocyanin accumulation under abiotic stress conditions. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  5. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: a single exercise stress test might be misleading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salavitabar, Arash; Silver, Eric S; Liberman, Leonardo

    2017-05-01

    Risk stratification of patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome for sudden death is a complex process, particularly in understanding the utility of the repeat exercise stress test. We report a case of an 18-year-old patient who was found to have a high-risk pathway by both invasive and exercise stress testing after an initial exercise stress test showing beat-to-beat loss of pre-excitation.

  6. Further evidence for an association between self-reported health and cardiovascular as well as cortisol reactions to acute psychological stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Rooij, Susanne R.; Roseboom, Tessa J.

    2010-01-01

    In a recent study, the association between cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress and self-reported health was examined. Participants with excellent or good self-reported health exhibited higher cardiovascular reactivity than those who reported fair or poor health. We investigated

  7. Population Structure, Genetic Diversity and Molecular Marker-Trait Association Analysis for High Temperature Stress Tolerance in Rice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharat Kumar Pradhan

    Full Text Available Rice exhibits enormous genetic diversity, population structure and molecular marker-traits associated with abiotic stress tolerance to high temperature stress. A set of breeding lines and landraces representing 240 germplasm lines were studied. Based on spikelet fertility percent under high temperature, tolerant genotypes were broadly classified into four classes. Genetic diversity indicated a moderate level of genetic base of the population for the trait studied. Wright's F statistic estimates showed a deviation of Hardy-Weinberg expectation in the population. The analysis of molecular variance revealed 25 percent variation between population, 61 percent among individuals and 14 percent within individuals in the set. The STRUCTURE analysis categorized the entire population into three sub-populations and suggested that most of the landraces in each sub-population had a common primary ancestor with few admix individuals. The composition of materials in the panel showed the presence of many QTLs representing the entire genome for the expression of tolerance. The strongly associated marker RM547 tagged with spikelet fertility under stress and the markers like RM228, RM205, RM247, RM242, INDEL3 and RM314 indirectly controlling the high temperature stress tolerance were detected through both mixed linear model and general linear model TASSEL analysis. These markers can be deployed as a resource for marker-assisted breeding program of high temperature stress tolerance.

  8. Population Structure, Genetic Diversity and Molecular Marker-Trait Association Analysis for High Temperature Stress Tolerance in Rice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradhan, Sharat Kumar; Barik, Saumya Ranjan; Sahoo, Ambika; Mohapatra, Sudipti; Nayak, Deepak Kumar; Mahender, Anumalla; Meher, Jitandriya; Anandan, Annamalai; Pandit, Elssa

    2016-01-01

    Rice exhibits enormous genetic diversity, population structure and molecular marker-traits associated with abiotic stress tolerance to high temperature stress. A set of breeding lines and landraces representing 240 germplasm lines were studied. Based on spikelet fertility percent under high temperature, tolerant genotypes were broadly classified into four classes. Genetic diversity indicated a moderate level of genetic base of the population for the trait studied. Wright's F statistic estimates showed a deviation of Hardy-Weinberg expectation in the population. The analysis of molecular variance revealed 25 percent variation between population, 61 percent among individuals and 14 percent within individuals in the set. The STRUCTURE analysis categorized the entire population into three sub-populations and suggested that most of the landraces in each sub-population had a common primary ancestor with few admix individuals. The composition of materials in the panel showed the presence of many QTLs representing the entire genome for the expression of tolerance. The strongly associated marker RM547 tagged with spikelet fertility under stress and the markers like RM228, RM205, RM247, RM242, INDEL3 and RM314 indirectly controlling the high temperature stress tolerance were detected through both mixed linear model and general linear model TASSEL analysis. These markers can be deployed as a resource for marker-assisted breeding program of high temperature stress tolerance.

  9. A high-order boundary integral method for surface diffusions on elastically stressed axisymmetric rods

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Xiaofan; Nie, Qing

    2009-01-01

    Many applications in materials involve surface diffusion of elastically stressed solids. Study of singularity formation and long-time behavior of such solid surfaces requires accurate simulations in both space and time. Here we present a high-order boundary integral method for an elastically stressed solid with axi-symmetry due to surface diffusions. In this method, the boundary integrals for isotropic elasticity in axi-symmetric geometry are approximated through modified alternating quadratu...

  10. High energy X-ray diffraction analysis of strain and residual stress in silicon nitride ceramic diffusion bonds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vila, M.; Prieto, C.; Miranzo, P.; Osendi, M.I.; Terry, A.E.; Vaughan, G.B.M.

    2005-01-01

    High resolution X-ray scanning diffractometry is used to study the residual stress in binary metal/ceramic (Ni/Si 3 N 4 ) diffusion bonds fabricated by simultaneous high temperature heating and uniaxial pressing. In order to diminish the experimental error on the stress determination, the method consists of three steps: (i) to measure the axial and radial strains following some selected lines at the inner volume of the ceramic; (ii) to fit the strain data using finite element method (FEM) analysis and (iii) to determinate stresses by using the results obtained from the FEM method in the strain calculation

  11. Residual stress evaluation by Barkhausen signals with a magnetic field sensor for high efficiency electrical motors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchida, Yuji; Enokizono, Masato

    2018-04-01

    The iron loss of industrial motors increases by residual stress during manufacturing processes. It is very important to make clear the distribution of the residual stress in the motor cores to reduce the iron loss in the motors. Barkhausen signals which occur on electrical steel sheets can be used for the evaluation of the residual stress because they are very sensitive to the material properties. Generally, a B-sensor is used to measure Barkhausen signals, however, we developed a new H-sensor to measure them and applied it into the stress evaluation. It is supposed that the Barkhausen signals by using a H-sensor can be much effective to the residual stress on the electrical steel sheets by referring our results regarding to the stress evaluations. We evaluated the tensile stress of the electrical steel sheets by measuring Barkhausen signals by using our developed H-sensor for high efficiency electrical motors.

  12. 3T MRI induced post-traumatic stress disorder: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakhan Shaheen E

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction MRI is considered a safe and well tolerated imaging technique with risks largely limited to heating and/or displacement of implanted ferromagnetic metal in the patient’s body, worsening anxiety, triggering claustrophobia, and gadolinium induced nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Case presentation We present a case of a 26 year old Asian American man with no significant past medical or psychiatric history and two months of left T4 radicular pain. During 3T-MRI of the whole spine, the patient experienced acute agitation, fear, anxiety, tachypnea, tachycardia with palpitations, and dizziness. He felt intense surface heat over segments of his body and very loud noises. He perceived impending serious bodily harm by the scanner. The scan was aborted at the lumbar spine, and cervical and thoracic spine was unremarkable. The patient’s pain resolved in the weeks following with over the counter analgesics, however, he developed increased arousal, re-experiencing the event, persistent avoidance, and significant psychosocial impairment consistent with DSM-IV-TR criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD. Conclusion This is the first reported case of MRI induced PTSD. Theoretically, the high-magnetic field of the 3T scanner may have contributed to the development of symptoms.

  13. On the Recovery Stress of a Ni50.3Ti29.7Hf20 High Temperature Shape Memory Alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benafan, O.; Noebe, R. D.; Padula, S. A., II; Bigelow, G. S.; Gaydosh, D. J.; Garg, A.; Halsmer, T. J.

    2015-01-01

    Recovery stress in shape memory alloys (SMAs), also known as blocking stress, is an important property generally obtained during heating under a dimensional constraint as the material undergoes the martensitic phase transformation. This property has been instinctively utilized in most SMA shape-setting procedures, and has been used in numerous applications such as fastening and joining, rock splitting, safety release mechanisms, reinforced composites, medical devices, and many other applications. The stress generation is also relevant to actuator applications where jamming loads (e.g., in case the actuator gets stuck and is impeded from moving) need to be determined for proper hardware sizing. Recovery stresses in many SMA systems have been shown to reach stresses in the order of 800 MPa, achieved via thermo-mechanical training such as pre-straining, heat treatments or other factors. With the advent of high strength, high temperature SMAs, recovery stress data has been rarely probed, and there is no information pertinent to the magnitudes of these stresses. Thus, the purpose of this work is to investigate the recovery stress capability of a precipitation strengthened, Ni50.3Ti29.7Hf20 (at.) high temperature SMA in uniaxial tension and compression. This material has been shown to exhibit outstanding strength and stability during constant-stress, thermal cycling, but no data exists on constant-strain thermal cycling. Several training routines were implemented as part of this work including isothermal pre-straining, isobaric thermal cycling, and isothermal cyclic training routines. Regardless of the training method used, the recovery stress was characterized using constant-strain (strain-controlled condition) thermal cycling between the upper and lower cycle temperatures. Preliminary results indicate recovery stresses in excess of 1.5 GPa were obtained after a specific training routine. This stress magnitude is significantly higher than conventional NiTi stress

  14. High doses of the histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate trigger a stress-like response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagliano, Humberto; Delgado-Morales, Raul; Sanz-Garcia, Ancor; Armario, Antonio

    2014-04-01

    The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is activated by a wide range of stimuli, including drugs. Here we report that in male rats, a dose of sodium butyrate (NaBu) that is typically used to inhibit histone deacetylation (1200 mg/kg) increased the peripheral levels of HPA hormones and glucose. In a further experiment, we compared the effects of two different doses of NaBu (200 and 1200 mg/kg) and equimolar saline solutions on peripheral neuroendocrine markers and brain c-Fos expression to demonstrate a specific stress-like effect of NaBu that is not related to hypertonicity and to localise putatively involved brain areas. Only the high dose of NaBu increased the plasma levels of stress markers. The equimolar (hypertonic) saline solution also activated the HPA axis and the c-Fos expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), a key area for the control of the HPA axis, but the effects were of a lower magnitude than those of NaBu. Regarding other brain areas, group differences in c-Fos expression were not observed in the medial prefrontal cortex or the medial amygdala, but they were observed in the central amygdala and the lateral ventral septum. However, only the latter area of the NaBu group showed enhanced c-Fos expression that was significantly higher than that after hypertonic saline. The present data indicate that high doses of NaBu appear to act as a pharmacological stressor, and this fact should be taken into account when using this drug to study the role of epigenetic processes in learning and emotional behaviour. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Ecological momentary analysis of the relations among stressful events, affective reactivity, and smoking among smokers with high versus low depressive symptoms during a quit attempt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minami, Haruka; Frank, Brandon E; Bold, Krysten W; McCarthy, Danielle E

    2018-02-01

    To assess whether individuals trying to quit smoking who have high depressive symptoms (HD), compared with low depressive symptoms (LD): (1) report more frequent stressful events (SEs), (2) are more likely to smoke after SEs, (3) experience greater acute or persistent changes in affect after an SE, and (4) are at greater risk of smoking following affective changes. Smoking cessation data were analyzed using multi-level path modeling to examine the moderating effects of depressive symptoms on relations among SEs, subsequent affect, and smoking. An academic research center in Central New Jersey, USA. Seventy-one adult treatment-seeking daily smokers recruited from 2010 to 2012. Baseline depressive symptoms [HD: Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) ≥ 16 versus LD: CES-D affect, and smoking assessed during 21 days post-quit. Multi-level models indicated that HD smokers were more likely than LD smokers to report stressful events [odds ratio (OR) = 2.323, P = 0.009], but had similar post-stress acute affective changes (negative affect: b = -0.117, P = 0.137, positive affect: b = 0.020, P = 0.805). Only HD smokers reported increased negative affect (NA) (b = 0.199, P = 0.030) and decreased positive affect (PA) up to 12 hours later (b = -0.217, P = 0.021), and greater lapse risk up to 24 hours after an SE (OR = 3.213, P = 0.017). The persistence of elevated NA and suppressed PA was partially explained by increased odds of subsequent SEs among HD smokers. However, the heightened stress-lapse association over 24 hours found in HD smokers was not fully explained by sustained aversive affect or subsequent SEs. Depressed and non-depressed smokers trying to quit appear to experience similar acute affective changes following stress: however, depressed smokers experience higher rates of exposure to stress, longer-lasting post-stress affective disturbance and greater risk of smoking lapse 12-24 hours after a stressful event

  16. Fear of failure, psychological stress, and burnout among adolescent athletes competing in high level sport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustafsson, H; Sagar, S S; Stenling, A

    2017-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate fear of failure in highly competitive junior athletes and the association with psychological stress and burnout. In total 258 athletes (152 males and 108 females) ranged in age from 15 to 19 years (M = 17.4 years, SD = 1.08) participated. Athletes competed in variety of sports including both team and individual sports. Results showed in a variable-oriented approach using regression analyses that one dimension, fear of experiencing shame and embarrassment had a statistically significant effect on perceived psychological stress and one dimension of burnout, reduced sense of accomplishment. However, adopting a person-oriented approach using latent class analysis, we found that athletes with high levels of fear failure on all dimensions scored high on burnout. We also found another class with high scores on burnout. These athletes had high scores on the individual-oriented dimensions of fear of failure and low scores on the other oriented fear of failure dimensions. The findings indicate that fear of failure is related to burnout and psychological stress in athletes and that this association is mainly associated with the individual-oriented dimensions of fear of failure. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. A survey of diet self-efficacy and food intake in students with high and low perceived stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nastaskin, Robyn S; Fiocco, Alexandra J

    2015-04-23

    Given the rise in obesity and obesity-related disorders, understanding the relationship between stress, self-efficacy and food choice in young adulthood may have implications for preventing negative health outcomes later in life that stem from poor eating habits. The current study examined whether stress levels and diet self-efficacy may be associated with unhealthy eating habits in young adults. Male and female undergraduate students (N = 136) completed questionnaires that tap into diet self-efficacy (DSE), perceived stress (PS), sodium, and fat intake. Sex differences in choice of food were predicted, and low levels of perceived stress and high diet self-efficacy were expected to be associated with lower fat and sodium intake. Findings indicate an interaction between perceived stress and diet self-efficacy on fat intake and a main effect for diet self-efficacy on sodium intake in this population. As expected, low levels of perceived stress and high diet self-efficacy were associated with the lowest levels of fat and sodium intake in students. Findings were driven by females. This study provides preliminary evidence that diet self-efficacy and perceived stress levels relate to nutrient intake in young adult females, and that increasing diet self-efficacy and reducing perceived stress in young adult females may lead to reductions in fat and sodium intake, leading to healthier eating habits.

  18. Evaluating the interplay between spirituality, personality and stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labbé, Elise E; Fobes, Ashley

    2010-06-01

    Spirituality and the big five personality traits may be risk or protective factors for coping with stress. We hypothesized young adults who reported higher spirituality ratings would demonstrate lower sympathetic nervous system arousal and better emotional coping when exposed to a laboratory stressor compared to those who rated themselves lower in spirituality. We also compared spirituality groups on trait anger, neuroticism, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and openness to experience. Eighty participants completed trait-state anger, personality and spirituality questionnaires and were grouped into low, average and high spirituality. Participants' physiological responses were monitored before and during a stressful event. Significant differences were found between low, average and high spirituality groups' respiration rate and emotional response to the stressor. Significant differences were also found between spirituality groups in extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, trait anger and neuroticism. Females reported higher levels of spirituality and conscientiousness than males.

  19. Think aloud: acute stress and coping strategies during golf performances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholls, Adam R; Polman, Remco C J

    2008-07-01

    A limitation of the sport psychology coping literature is the amount of time between a stressful episode and the recall of the coping strategies used in the stressful event (Nicholls & Polman, 2007). The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a technique to measure acute stress and coping during performance. Five high-performance adolescent golfers took part in Level 2 verbalization think aloud trials (Ericsson & Simon, 1993), which involved participants verbalizing their thoughts, over six holes of golf. Verbal reports were audio-recorded during each performance, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using protocol analysis (Ericsson & Simon, 1993). Stressors and coping strategies varied throughout the six holes, which support the proposition that stress and coping is a dynamic process that changes across phases of the same performance (Lazarus, 1999). The results also revealed information regarding the sequential patterning of stress and coping, suggesting that the golfers experienced up to five stressors before reporting a coping strategy. Think aloud appears a suitable method to collect concurrent stress and coping data.

  20. Swedish female physiotherapy students have more stress than Dutch female physiotherapy students

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hodselmans, Audy Paul; Svantesson, Ulla; Hobbelen, Hans

    2016-01-01

    Health care students’ report high levels of stress with academic pressure as the greatest source. Physiotherapy (PT) curriculum in Sweden is 3 years (180 EC’s) and in the Netherlands 4 years (240 Ec’s) Aim : to determine differences in overall level of stress, stressors and reactions to stressors

  1. [Relationship between occupational stress and working ability of workers in a petroleum processing enterprise in high altitude area].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, X M; Kang, H L; Shi, C B; Li, Y; Wu, Y F; Liu, Z H; Wang, G; Lei, H Y

    2017-12-20

    Objective: To investigate the relationship between occupational stress and working ability of workers in a petroleum processing enterprise in a high altitude area. Methods: A total of 728 workers in a petroleum processing enterprise at an altitude of 2850 m were subjected to a survey using Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI) , Work Ability Index (WAI) Scale, Occupational Role Questionnaire (ORQ) , Personal Strain Questionnaire (PSQ) , and Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) from May 2014 to August 2016. Results: Of the 728 workers, 55 (7.6%) had a poor working ability, moderate in 262 (35.9%) , and good in 411 (56.5%). There were significant differences in WAI between the workers with different types of work, sexes, ages, and working years ( P occupational stress groups ( P Occupational stress is an influencing factor for the working ability of workers in the petroleum processing enterprise in the high altitude area. Hypoxia in high altitude area may further reduce the working ability. In order to reduce occupational stress and improve work ability, it should be considered to strengthen skills training, improve the working environment, and pay attention to mental health.

  2. Biochemical basis of the high resistance to oxidative stress

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Aerobic organisms experience oxidative stress due to generation of reactive oxygen species during normal aerobic metabolism. In addition, several chemicals also generate reactive oxygen species which induce oxidative stress. Thus oxidative stress constitutes a major threat to organisms living in aerobic environments.

  3. Wheat cultivars selected for high Fv /Fm under heat stress maintain high photosynthesis, total chlorophyll, stomatal conductance, transpiration and dry matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Dew Kumari; Andersen, Sven Bode; Ottosen, Carl-Otto; Rosenqvist, Eva

    2015-02-01

    The chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv /Fm reflects the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry and has been widely used for early stress detection in plants. Previously, we have used a three-tiered approach of phenotyping by Fv /Fm to identify naturally existing genetic variation for tolerance to severe heat stress (3 days at 40°C in controlled conditions) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Here we investigated the performance of the previously selected cultivars (high and low group based on Fv /Fm value) in terms of growth and photosynthetic traits under moderate heat stress (1 week at 36/30°C day/night temperature in greenhouse) closer to natural heat waves in North-Western Europe. Dry matter accumulation after 7 days of heat stress was positively correlated to Fv /Fm . The high Fv /Fm group maintained significantly higher total chlorophyll and net photosynthetic rate (PN ) than the low group, accompanied by higher stomatal conductance (gs ), transpiration rate (E) and evaporative cooling of the leaf (ΔT). The difference in PN between the groups was not caused by differences in PSII capacity or gs as the variation in Fv /Fm and intracellular CO2 (Ci ) was non-significant under the given heat stress. This study validated that our three-tiered approach of phenotyping by Fv /Fm performed under increasing severity of heat was successful in identifying wheat cultivars differing in photosynthesis under moderate and agronomically more relevant heat stress. The identified cultivars may serve as a valuable resource for further studies to understand the physiological mechanisms underlying the genetic variability in heat sensitivity of photosynthesis. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  4. Linear and nonlinear characterization of low-stress high-confinement silicon-rich nitride waveguides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krückel, Clemens J; Fülöp, Attila; Klintberg, Thomas; Bengtsson, Jörgen; Andrekson, Peter A; Torres-Company, Víctor

    2015-10-05

    In this paper we introduce a low-stress silicon enriched nitride platform that has potential for nonlinear and highly integrated optics. The manufacturing process of this platform is CMOS compatible and the increased silicon content allows tensile stress reduction and crack free layer growth of 700 nm. Additional benefits of the silicon enriched nitride is a measured nonlinear Kerr coefficient n(2) of 1.4·10(-18) m(2)/W (5 times higher than stoichiometric silicon nitride) and a refractive index of 2.1 at 1550 nm that enables high optical field confinement allowing high intensity nonlinear optics and light guidance even with small bending radii. We analyze the waveguide loss (∼1 dB/cm) in a spectrally resolved fashion and include scattering loss simulations based on waveguide surface roughness measurements. Detailed simulations show the possibility for fine dispersion and nonlinear engineering. In nonlinear experiments we present continuous-wave wavelength conversion and demonstrate that the material does not show nonlinear absorption effects. Finally, we demonstrate microfabrication of resonators with high Q-factors (∼10(5)).

  5. Rapid chilling cannot prevent inferior pork quality caused by high preslaughter stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hambrecht, E.; Eissen, J.J.; Klein, W.J.H.; Ducro, B.J.; Smits, C.H.M.; Verstegen, M.W.A.; Hartog, den L.A.

    2004-01-01

    The present experiment investigated whether increasing chilling rate could improve meat quality in pigs exposed to either minimal or high stress immediately preslaughter. Pigs (n = 192) were offspring of halothane-free lines. On various days, four groups of 48 pigs were processed at a commercial

  6. Tonic immobility differentiates stress responses in PTSD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fragkaki, Iro; Stins, John; Roelofs, Karin; Jongedijk, Ruud A; Hagenaars, Muriel A

    2016-11-01

    Tonic immobility (TI) is a state of physical immobility associated with extreme stress and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is unknown whether TI is associated with a distinct actual stress response, i.e., objective immobility measured by a stabilometric platform. This study made a first step in exploring this as well as differences in body sway responses between PTSD patients and healthy controls. We hypothesized that PTSD would be related to increased body sway under stress, whereas TI would be related to decreased body sway under stress. Eye closure was selected as a PTSD-relevant stress induction procedure. Body sway and heart rate (HR) were measured in 12 PTSD patients and 12 healthy controls in four conditions: (1) maintaining a stable stance with eyes open, (2) with eyes closed, (3) during a mental arithmetic task with eyes open, and (4) with eyes closed. As predicted, PTSD patients showed increased body sway from eyes open to eyes closed compared to controls and this effect was eliminated by executing the arithmetic task. Most importantly, retrospective self-reported TI was associated with lower body sway increases in PTSD and higher body sway decreases in controls from eyes-open to eyes-closed conditions. These preliminary findings suggest that eye closure has a different effect on PTSD patients than controls and that high self-reported TI might indicate a distinct stress response pattern, i.e., a proneness for immobility. It may be relevant to take such individual differences in stress-response into account in PTSD treatment.

  7. Heat transfer and structure stress analysis of micro packaging component of high power light emitting diode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsu Chih-Neng

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on the heat transfer and structural stress analysis of the micro- scale packaging structure of a high-power light emitting diode. The thermal-effect and thermal-stress of light emitting diode are determined numerically. Light emitting diode is attached to the silicon substrate through the wire bonding process by using epoxy as die bond material. The silicon substrate is etched with holes at the bottom and filled with high conductivity copper material. The chip temperature and structure stress increase with input power consumption. The micro light emitting diode is mounted on the heat sink to increase the heat dissipation performance, to decrease chip temperature, to enhance the material structure reliability and safety, and to avoid structure failure as well. This paper has successfully used the finite element method to the micro-scale light emitting diode heat transfer and stress concentration at the edges through etched holes.

  8. Effect of 5-HT2A receptor polymorphisms and occupational stress on self-reported sleep quality: a cross-sectional study in Xinjiang, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Yu; Cui, Changyong; Ge, Hua; Guan, Suzhen; Lian, Yulong; Liu, Jiwen

    2016-04-01

    Occupational stress and the serotonin receptor (5-HTR) play a key role in the regulation of sleep quality. Previous studies on the relationship between work-related stress, 5-HTR2A polymorphism, and sleep complaints found that 5-HTR2A modulates the response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to stress and the maintenance of circadian rhythm. However, the effect of 5-HTR2A polymorphism and occupational stress on sleep quality has not been reported. The present study investigated the effects of 5-HTR2A genotypes, occupational stress, and gene-environment interactions on the sleep quality. Using a three-stage stratified sampling method, 1181 participants were recruited. Then, according to the study exclusion criteria, 810 subjects remained eligible. Finally, because some of subjects did not agree to being involved in this study, 700 workers were included. Of 700 workers finally included in the study, 251 had poor sleep quality based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The 5-HTR2A genotypes were determined with the SNaPshot single nucleotide polymorphism assay. Occupational stress was assessed with the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised questionnaire. 5-HTR2A genotype was significantly associated with sleep quality. The CT genotype of rs1923884 was detected at a higher frequency among individuals with low sleep efficiency; the AA genotype of rs2070040 was associated with long sleep duration and more daytime dysfunction; and the CC genotype of rs6313 was linked to long sleep latency and duration and poor sleep quality. A high level of occupational stress was linked to higher risk of poor sleep quality than low or moderate levels (odds ratio [OR] = 12.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.02-22.43). A crossover analysis demonstrated an occupational stress × 5-HTR2A interaction. Compared to participants with low occupational stress and a CT/TT genotype, those with high occupational stress and a CC genotype had a higher risk of poor sleep quality (OR

  9. Perceived Stress, Sources and Severity of Stress among medical undergraduates in a Pakistani Medical School

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malik Samina

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently there is a growing concern about stress during undergraduate medical training. However, studies about the same are lacking from Pakistani medical schools. The objectives of our study were to assess perceived stress, sources of stress and their severity and to assess the determinants of stressed cases. Methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among undergraduate medical students of CMH Lahore Medical College, Pakistan during January to March 2009. Perceived stress was assessed using the perceived stress scale. A 33-item questionnaire was used to assess sources of stress and their severity. Results The overall response rate was 80.5% (161 out of 200 students. The overall mean perceived stress was 30.84 (SD = 7.01 and was significantly higher among female students. By logistic regression analysis, stressed cases were associated with occurrence of psychosocial (OR 5.01, 95% CI 2.44-10.29 and academic related stressors (OR 3.17 95% CI 1.52-6.68. The most common sources of stress were related to academic and psychosocial concerns. 'High parental expectations', 'frequency of examinations', 'vastness of academic curriculum', 'sleeping difficulties', 'worrying about the future', 'loneliness', 'becoming a doctor', 'performance in periodic examinations' were the most frequently and severely occurring sources of stress. There was a negative but insignificant correlation between perceived stress and academic performance (r = -0.099, p > 0.05. Conclusion A higher level of perceived stress was reported by the students. The main stressors were related to academic and psychosocial domains. Further studies are required to test the association between stressed cases and gender, academic stressors and psychosocial stressors.

  10. [Stress and attitudes toward negative emotions in adolescence].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozawa, Eiji

    2010-12-01

    This study investigated the relationship between stress and attitudes toward negative emotions in adolescents. Adolescent students (N=1500) completed a questionnaire that measured attitudes toward negative emotions, emotional-stress reactions, and stress coping. Analysis of date yielded, two factors of the attitudes toward negative emotions: "Negative feelings about negative emotions" and "Capabilities of switching of negative emotions". In order to examine the theoretical relationships among attitudes toward negative emotions, emotional-stress reactions, and stress coping, a hypothetical model was tested by covariance structure analysis. This model predicted that students who have a high level of attitudes toward negative emotions would report enhanced problem solving which promoted stress coping. The results indicated that "Negative feelings about negative emotions" enhanced avoidable coping, and avoidable coping enhanced stress reactions. "Capabilities of switching of negative emotions" was related to a decrease of avoidable coping. Based on the results from covariance structure analysis and a multiple population analysis, the clinical significance and developmental characteristics were discussed.

  11. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL TOUGHNESS, STRESS, AND BURNOUT AMONG ADOLESCENTS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY WITH SWISS VOCATIONAL STUDENTS (.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, Markus; Feldmeth, Anne Karina; Lang, Christin; Brand, Serge; Elliot, Catherine; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe

    2015-12-01

    Past research has shown that higher stress is associated with increased burnout symptoms. The purpose of this study was to test whether mental toughness protects against symptoms of burnout and whether mental toughness moderates the relationship between perceived stress and burnout over time. Fifty-four vocational students (M age = 18.1 yr., SD = 1.2; 27 males, 27 females) completed self-report questionnaires twice, 10 mo. apart. Perceived stress, mental toughness, and burnout were measured using the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ), the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ), and the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM). Students who perceived higher stress and lower mental toughness scores reported higher burnout symptoms. Although no significant interaction effects were found between stress and mental toughness in the prediction of burnout, the graphical inspection of the interactions indicated that among students with high stress, those with high mental toughness remained below the cutoff for mild burnout, whereas an increase in burnout symptoms was observable among peers with low mental toughness.

  12. Stress-inducible expression of AtDREB1A transcription factor greatly improves drought stress tolerance in transgenic indica rice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravikumar, G; Manimaran, P; Voleti, S R; Subrahmanyam, D; Sundaram, R M; Bansal, K C; Viraktamath, B C; Balachandran, S M

    2014-06-01

    The cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa L.), a major food crop, requires ample water (30 % of the fresh water available worldwide), and its productivity is greatly affected by drought, the most significant environmental factor. Much research has focussed on identifying quantitative trait loci, stress-regulated genes and transcription factors that will contribute towards the development of climate-resilient/tolerant crop plants in general and rice in particular. The transcription factor DREB1A, identified from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, has been reported to enhance stress tolerance against drought stress. We developed transgenic rice plants with AtDREB1A in the background of indica rice cultivar Samba Mahsuri through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The AtDREB1A gene was stably inherited and expressed in T1 and T2 plants and in subsequent generations, as indicated by the results of PCR, Southern blot and RT-PCR analyses. Expression of AtDREB1A was induced by drought stress in transgenic rice lines, which were highly tolerant to severe water deficit stress in both the vegetative and reproductive stages without affecting their morphological or agronomic traits. The physiological studies revealed that the expression of AtDREB1A was associated with an increased accumulation of the osmotic substance proline, maintenance of chlorophyll, increased relative water content and decreased ion leakage under drought stress. Most of the homozygous lines were highly tolerant to drought stress and showed significantly a higher grain yield and spikelet fertility relative to the nontransgenic control plants under both stressed and unstressed conditions. The improvement in drought stress tolerance in combination with agronomic traits is very essential in high premium indica rice cultivars, such as Samba Mahsuri, so that farmers can benefit in times of seasonal droughts and water scarcity.

  13. Coping with organizational stress among hospital nurses in Southern Ontario.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyson, Paul D; Pongruengphant, Rana; Aggarwal, Bela

    2002-05-01

    Government cutbacks and anticipated staff reductions were hypothesized to be a unique source of organizational stress. The study focused on how nurses coped with stress and whether any strategy effectively reduced occupational stress. A sample of 107 nurses were asked to rate their occupational stress, job satisfaction, and coping strategies. Avoidance and social support were found to be significantly correlated with stress, but neither of these coping strategies appeared to reduce nurses' level of organizational stress. However, an interaction between problem solving and job satisfaction was found to be highly significant and it added 42% to predicting stress levels. Supporting the stress-buffering hypothesis, nurses with lower intrinsic job satisfaction seemed to benefit from employing problem solving as a coping strategy whereas dissatisfied nurses who infrequently use problem solving reported the highest levels of organizational stress. Paradoxically, intrinsically satisfied nurses who most frequently utilize problem solving experienced heightened organizational stress.

  14. Mosaic-shaped cathode for highly durable solid oxide fuel cell under thermal stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joo, Jong Hoon; Jeong, Jaewon; Kim, Se Young; Yoo, Chung-Yul; Jung, Doh Won; Park, Hee Jung; Kwak, Chan; Yu, Ji Haeng

    2014-02-01

    In this study, we propose a novel "mosaic structure" for a SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) cathode with high thermal expansion to improve the stability against thermal stress. Self-organizing mosaic-shaped cathode has been successfully achieved by controlling the amount of binder in the dip-coating solution. The anode-supported cell with mosaic-shaped cathode shows itself to be highly durable performance for rapid thermal cycles, however, the performance of the cell with a non-mosaic cathode exhibits severe deterioration originated from the delamination at the cathode/electrolyte interface after 7 thermal cycles. The thermal stability of an SOFC cathode can be evidently improved by controlling the surface morphology. In view of the importance of the thermal expansion properties of the cathode, the effects of cathode morphology on the thermal stress stability are discussed.

  15. The interactive role of eating regulation and stress in the prediction of weight-related outcomes among college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsiwalla, Dilbur D; Arnold, Amanda W; Teel, Karla P; Ulrich, Pamela V; Gropper, Sareen S

    2018-02-01

    The interactive role of eating regulation and perceived stress on weight-related outcomes was examined among 319 sophomore year college students (110 males and 209 females). Moderated regressions were used to examine interactions between stress and eating regulation on study outcomes including body mass index (BMI) and body fat. Eating regulation moderated associations between stress and BMI and body fat outcomes. Students reporting high perceived stress, high autonomous eating regulation, low controlled regulation, and low amotivation exhibited higher outcomes (BMI and body fat) than those with similar eating regulation but lower perceived stress. Students with lower autonomous eating regulation and higher controlled regulation had no differences in study outcomes across levels of stress. College students who regulate their eating behaviours for health reasons (specifically showing autonomous regulation) exhibit higher BMI and body fat when they report higher levels of perceived stress. Health promotion programs for college students need to target education efforts towards stress reduction and healthy eating behaviours. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Stress fractures of the ribs in elite competitive rowers: a report of nine cases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dragoni, S. [Institute of Sport Medicine and Science of the Italian Olympic Committee, Department of Radiology, Rome (Italy); Giombini, A.; Ripani, M. [University of Motor Sciences, Department of Health, Rome (Italy); Di Cesare, A. [University of Rome ' ' La Sapienza' ' , Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rome (Italy); Magliani, G. [Medical Department of the Italian State Police, Rome (Italy)

    2007-10-15

    The objective was to report the clinical and imaging patterns of nine cases of stress fractures of the rib diagnosed in Italian Olympic rowers. Nine patients with stress fractures of the rib detected from 103 (8.7%) Italian team rowers competing between May 2000 and May 2006 were identified based on the database of a sports medicine institute. All athletes were male. They were aged between 17 and 31 years (mean: 24.4). Patient weight, fracture location, rowing side and imaging methods employed were noted. The diagnosis was made based on history, clinical examination and Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy. Eight of the 9 fractures were located anterolaterally between the fourth and ninth rib. In 1 of the 5 athletes with standard radiographs, a fracture line was visible and in 4 there was callus formation. In 2 athletes sonography was performed, which detected discontinuity of the rib surface and callus formation (1 case each). Stress fractures of the ribs are relatively common in competitive rowers. They are characterized by increasing lateral chest pain and typical scintigraphic, radiographic and sonographic findings. (orig.)

  17. Stress fractures of the ribs in elite competitive rowers: a report of nine cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dragoni, S.; Giombini, A.; Ripani, M.; Di Cesare, A.; Magliani, G.

    2007-01-01

    The objective was to report the clinical and imaging patterns of nine cases of stress fractures of the rib diagnosed in Italian Olympic rowers. Nine patients with stress fractures of the rib detected from 103 (8.7%) Italian team rowers competing between May 2000 and May 2006 were identified based on the database of a sports medicine institute. All athletes were male. They were aged between 17 and 31 years (mean: 24.4). Patient weight, fracture location, rowing side and imaging methods employed were noted. The diagnosis was made based on history, clinical examination and Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy. Eight of the 9 fractures were located anterolaterally between the fourth and ninth rib. In 1 of the 5 athletes with standard radiographs, a fracture line was visible and in 4 there was callus formation. In 2 athletes sonography was performed, which detected discontinuity of the rib surface and callus formation (1 case each). Stress fractures of the ribs are relatively common in competitive rowers. They are characterized by increasing lateral chest pain and typical scintigraphic, radiographic and sonographic findings. (orig.)

  18. Brief Report: Parent's Assessments of Their Care-Related Stress and Child's ASD Symptoms in Relation to Their child's Intervention History.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepherd, Daniel; Csako, Rita; Landon, Jason; Goedeke, Sonja; Ty, Kelly

    2018-03-20

    Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be stressful. Understanding parent's perceptions of their stress and their child's ASD-related symptoms is important for both the well-being of parent and child and for other reasons, such as intervention adherence and diagnostic accuracy. We report parent (N = 570) ratings of both their ASD Care-Related Stress scores and their child's symptoms in relation to the child's exposure to five mainstream ASD interventions. Differences across intervention history in the way parents perceive their child's symptoms and rate the stressfulness of performing ASD-related parenting duties were found.

  19. A study of fuel failure behavior in high burnup HTGR fuel. Analysis by STRESS3 and STAPLE codes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, David G.; Sawa, Kazuhiro; Ueta, Shouhei; Sumita, Junya

    2001-05-01

    In current high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), Tri-isotropic coated fuel particles are employed as fuel. In safety design of the HTGR fuels, it is important to retain fission products within particles so that their release to primary coolant does not exceed an acceptable level. From this point of view, the basic design criteria for the fuel are to minimize the failure fraction of as-fabricated fuel coating layers and to prevent significant additional fuel failures during operation. This report attempts to model fuel behavior in irradiation tests using the U.K. codes STRESS3 and STAPLE. Test results in 91F-1A and HRB-22 capsules irradiation tests, which were carried out at the Japan Materials Testing Reactor of JAERI and at the High Flux Isotope Reactor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, respectively, were employed in the calculation. The maximum burnup and fast neutron fluence were about 10%FIMA and 3 x 10 25 m -2 , respectively. The fuel for the irradiation tests was called high burnup fuel, whose target burnup and fast neutron fluence were higher than those of the first-loading fuel of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor. The calculation results demonstrated that if only mean fracture stress values of PyC and SiC are used in the calculation it is not possible to predict any particle failures, by which is meant when all three load bearing layers have failed. By contrast, when statistical variations in the fracture stresses and particle specifications are taken into account, as is done in the STAPLE code, failures can be predicted. In the HRB-22 irradiation test, it was concluded that the first two particles which had failed were defective in some way, but that the third and fourth failures can be accounted for by the pressure vessel model. In the 91F-1A irradiation test, the result showed that 1 or 2 particles had failed towards the end of irradiation in the upper capsule and no particles failed in the lower capsule. (author)

  20. Subjective health complaints, work-related stress and self-efficacy in Norwegian aircrew.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omholt, M L; Tveito, T H; Ihlebæk, C

    2017-03-01

    The European civilian aviation industry has undergone major changes in the last decade. Despite this, there is little knowledge about work-related stress and subjective health complaints (SHCs) affecting Norwegian aircrew. To investigate the relationships between work-related stress, self-efficacy and SHCs in commercial aircrew in Norway and to explore differences between cockpit and cabin crew. Aircrew members from the three major airlines operating from Norway completed an electronically distributed questionnaire. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the association between work-related stress, self-efficacy and SHCs. There was a 21% response rate. Among the 843 study subjects, tiredness, sleep problems, bloating, low back pain, headaches and neck pain were the most prevalent SHCs. Cabin crew reported significantly higher numbers, prevalences and mean values for all SHCs compared with cockpit crew (P stress levels. High levels of work-related stress were significantly associated with all SHC factors in both groups. Self-efficacy partly moderated the relationship between stress and psychological complaints in both cockpit and cabin crew, and for musculoskeletal complaints in cockpit crew. The model explained 23 and 32% of the variance in psychological complaints for cockpit and cabin crew, respectively. Commercial aircrew in Norway reported high numbers of SHCs, and high levels of work-related stress were associated with high numbers of SHC. More knowledge is needed on the physical, organizational and psychosocial stressors affecting cockpit and cabin crew in order to create a healthier work environment for these groups. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  1. Peeling stress analysis for an inhomogeneous high-Tc superconductor with a discontinuous interface at the substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Zhiwen; Lee, Kang Yong; Zhou Youhe

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → The thermal stress generated in the inhomogeneous HTS is larger on a SiTiO 3 substrate than on a MgO substrate. → The maximum thermal stresses, i.e., the peeling stresses, occur near the bottom corner of the inhomogeneous HTS and may induce fracture behavior at the bi-material interface. → The inhomogeneous HTS cools at a slower pace than the homogeneous HTS from the room temperature to the operating temperature. → The magnitude of the peeling stress for a homogeneous HTS is larger than that for an inhomogeneous HTS. - Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of a superconductor-substrate system to calculate the peeling stress of a high temperature superconductor (HTS) when the temperature decreases from ambient to operating conditions (cryogenic temperatures). Firstly, the values for the material properties of the inhomogeneous high temperature superconductor (HTS) were obtained by fitting a second order polynomial to the experimental data. It is assumed that the material properties of the inhomogeneous HTS vary with varying height coordinate and temperature. Then, through the proposed graded finite element method, the coupled thermo-mechanical equations were solved numerically. The numerical results show that the thermal stress generated in the inhomogeneous HTS is larger on a SiTiO 3 substrate than on a MgO substrate. The maximum thermal stresses, i.e., the peeling stresses, occur near the bottom corner of the inhomogeneous HTS and may induce fracture behavior at the bi-material interface. The inhomogeneous HTS cools at a slower pace than the homogeneous HTS from the room temperature to the operating temperature. It is also shown that the magnitude of the peeling stress for a homogeneous HTS is larger than that for an inhomogeneous HTS. It is intended that the model presented here be useful to researchers who are interested in the mechanical properties of an inhomogeneous HTS.

  2. What stresses remote area nurses? Current knowledge and future action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenthall, Sue; Wakerman, John; Opie, Tess; Dollard, Maureen; Dunn, Sandra; Knight, Sabina; Macleod, Martha; Watson, Colin

    2009-08-01

    Review and synthesise the literature identifying the stresses experienced by remote area nurses (RANs). Identify interventions implemented to address identified stresses. Explore the use of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the meta-databases Ovid and Informit. Remote Australian primary health care centres. The reported demands experienced by RANs can be grouped into four themes: (i) the remote context; (ii) workload and extended scope of practice; (iii) poor management; and (iv) violence in the workplace and community. In this high-demand, low-resource context, the JD-R model of occupational stress is particularly pertinent to examining occupational stress among RANs. The demands on RANs, such as the isolated geographical context, are immutable. However, there are key areas where resources can be enhanced to better meet the high level of need. These are: (i) adequate and appropriate education, training and orientation; (ii) appropriate funding of remote health services; and (iii) improved management practices and systems. There is a lack of empirical evidence relating to stresses experienced by RANs. The literature identifies some of the stresses experienced by RANs as unique to the remote context, while some are related to high demands coupled with a deficit of appropriate resources. Use of models, such as the JD-R model of occupational stress, might assist in identifying key areas where resources can be enhanced to better meet the high level of need and reduce RANs' levels of stress.

  3. Metal stress consequences on frost hardiness of plants at northern high latitudes: a review and hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taulavuori, Kari; Prasad, M N V; Taulavuori, Erja; Laine, Kari

    2005-05-01

    This paper reviews the potential of trace/heavy metal-induced stress to reduce plant frost hardiness at northern high latitudes. The scientific questions are first outlined prior to a brief summary of heavy metal tolerance. The concepts of plant capacity and survival adaptation were used to formulate a hypothesis, according to which heavy metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness for the following reasons: (1) Heavy metals change membrane properties through impaired resource acquisition and subsequent diminution of the cryoprotectant pool. (2) Heavy metals change membrane properties directly through oxidative stress, i.e. an increase of active oxygen species. (3) The involved co-stress may further increase oxidative stress. (4) The risk of frost injury increases due to membrane alterations. An opposite perspective was also discussed: could metal stress result in enhanced plant frost hardiness? This phenomenon could be based on the metabolism (i.e. glutathione, polyamines, proline, heat shock proteins) underlying a possible general adaptation syndrome of stress (GAS). As a result of the review it was suggested that metal-induced stress seems to reduce rather than increase plant frost hardiness.

  4. Computerized screening for visual stress in children with dyslexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singleton, Chris; Henderson, Lisa-Marie

    2007-05-01

    Visual stress-a condition in which unpleasant visual symptoms are experienced when reading-has been reported to be more prevalent in dyslexic individuals but at the present time the relationship between dyslexia and visual stress remains controversial. ViSS, a computerized visual stress screener that incorporates reading-like visual search, has recently shown promise in studies with unselected samples of primary and secondary school children. This study investigated the use of ViSS with dyslexic children. Dyslexic children identified as having high visual stress showed significantly higher per cent increases in reading rate with a coloured overlay and reported significantly higher critical symptoms of visual stress, compared to dyslexic children with low visual stress. The same results were found for reading-age controls, indicating that ViSS can be equally effective with normal readers as well as with children with dyslexia. Compared to reading-age controls, dyslexic children were found to have significantly higher susceptibility to visual stress, significantly larger per cent increases in reading rate with an overlay, and significantly higher critical and non-critical symptoms of visual stress. Extrapolated to unselected population samples, the data also suggest that visual stress is more likely to be found in people with dyslexia than in people who do not have dyslexia. These results, which point to an important link between the two conditions, are discussed in relation to current theories that attribute visual stress to either a magnocellular dysfunction or cortical hyperexcitability.

  5. High intake of heterocyclic amines from meat is associated with oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, A M; Miranda, A M; Santos, F A; Loureiro, A P M; Fisberg, R M; Marchioni, D M

    2015-04-28

    High meat intake has been related to chronic diseases such as cancer and CVD. One hypothesis is that heterocyclic amines (HCA), which are formed during the cooking process of meat, can generate reactive species. These compounds can cause oxidation of lipids, proteins and DNA, resulting in oxidative stress, cell damage and loss of biological function. This association has been seen in vitro; however, it remains unclear in vivo. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between oxidative stress and HCA intake, and oxidative stress and meat intake. Data were from the Health Survey for Sao Paulo--ISA-Capital (561 adult and elderly). Food intake was estimated by one 24-h dietary recall (24HR) complemented by a detailed FFQ with preferences of cooking methods and level of doneness for meat. HCA intake was estimated linking the meat from the 24HR to a database of HCA. Oxidative stress was estimated by malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the plasma, after derivatisation with thiobarbituric acid and quantification by HPLC/diode array. Analyses were performed using multivariate logistic regressions adjusted for smoking, sex, age, BMI, skin colour, energy intake, fruit and vegetable intake, and physical activity. A positive association between HCA intake and MDA concentration (OR 1·17; 95% CI 1·01, 1·38) was observed, showing that HCA from meat may contribute to increase oxidative stress, and may consequently increase the risk of chronic diseases.

  6. The Social and Spatial Patterning of Life Stress Among Immigrants in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lu; Palacios, Elmer Lara

    2017-06-01

    While much literature has examined immigrants' health in Canada, less attention has focused specifically on the life stress, an important yet understudied post-migration challenge which may lead to poor coping strategies and negative health consequences. For this study, the pooled 2009-2014 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) was analyzed, using multilevel logistic regression to examine the compositional effects (at an individual level) and areal effects (at a CMA/CA level) on reported high life stress. Separate models have been run for immigrants and non-immigrants for comparative purposes. The results reveal different ways in which select individual socioeconomic and lifestyle factors affect life stress. A statistically significant yet small areal effect at the CMA/CA level on life stress was identified for both immigrants and non-immigrants. When comparing immigrants to non-immigrants, factors such as smoking, length of residency in Canada, and mental health status were found to be particularly informative for predicting high life stress among immigrants. A Healthy Immigrant Effect (HIE) is partially evident, as immigrants with a longer stay in Canada are more likely to be highly stressed than recent arrivals. The areal effect on variances in high life stress is minimal, suggesting the importance of focusing on individual-level effects as stress predictors.

  7. Stress, Roles and Responsibilities of Single Mothers in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohd Hashim Intan Hashimah

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Life as a single mother is often associated with great demands and many challenges. This study examines how a group of single mothers in Malaysia views sources of stress and challenges in their lives. It also investigates perceived roles and responsibilities of single mothers. Three hundred single mothers from all over Malaysia were interviewed in this study. Single mothers reported relatively low level of stress that was mostly related to financial (insufficient pay and day-to-day living. They had fairly low stress on issues related to romantic partner and romantic relationships. They however reported extensive roles and responsibilities. Single mothers reported feeling responsible across various domains of life including for their own health and well-being and also for the health and wellbeing of their family and friends. They reported high level of coping and particularly oriented towards solving the problems. They also reported general satisfaction over life. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationships between roles and responsibilities and life satisfaction and coping in which coping was associated with higher level of roles and responsibilities and life satisfaction. There was also a negative correlation between stress and life satisfaction in which more stress was associated with lower life satisfaction. Findings indicated a substantial nurturing role of single mothers and provided important policy and practice implications that highlights the important to study and continuously improve quality of life for these women. Finally, this study highlights the important to continuously study and support, important but marginalized groups in society such as single mothers.

  8. Hardiness as a mediator between perceived stress and happiness in nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdollahi, A; Abu Talib, M; Yaacob, S N; Ismail, Z

    2014-01-01

    The relevance of the study of happiness and stress in nurses has been emphasized. In this sense, the intelligent use of hardiness is enable nurses to cope better with stress and contribute to being happier. This study aimed to examine the relationship among hardiness, perceived stress, and happiness in nurses. Moreover, we examined the mediator role of hardiness on the relationship between perceived stress and happiness in nurses. Our study revealed that hardi-attitude nurses evaluate situations as less stressful which results in a higher happiness. This study showed hardiness as being a protective factor against perceived stress and a facilitating factor for happiness in nurses. The findings could be important in training future nurses so that hardiness can be imparted, thereby giving them the ability to control their stress. Nursing is a stressful occupation with high levels of stress within the health professions. Given that hardiness is an important construct to enable nurses to cope better with stress and contribute to being happier; therefore, it is necessary we advance our knowledge about the aetiology of happiness, especially the role of hardiness in decreasing stress levels and increasing happiness. The present study sought to investigate the role of hardiness as a mediator between perceived stress and happiness. The participants, comprising 252 nurses from six private hospitals in Tehran, completed the Personal Views Survey, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Inventory. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and answer the research hypotheses. As expected, hardiness partially mediated between perceived stress and happiness among nurses, and nurses with low levels of perceived stress were more likely to report greater hardiness and happiness. In addition, nurses with high levels of hardiness were more likely to report happiness. This study showed hardiness as being a protective factor against perceived stress and

  9. Burnout and stress amongst interns in Irish hospitals: contributing factors and potential solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannan, E; Breslin, N; Doherty, E; McGreal, M; Moneley, D; Offiah, G

    2018-05-01

    The transition from medical school to internship can be daunting for newly qualified doctors. High rates of stress and burnout have been reported, with negative impacts on patient care and physician wellbeing. We surveyed interns in our hospital group to evaluate rates of stress and burnout, as well as identify the causative factors and propose potential solutions to these. A hundred and one interns working in four different hospitals over a 2-year period were invited to participate in an anonymous survey. The survey collected basic demographic details and surveyed aspects of mental health using the burnout scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the stress scale and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Interns were also asked to rate a variety of workplace factors on a Likert scale based on the degree of stress caused. Finally, they were surveyed on their awareness of support services available to them. Our results showed that 37% of interns met the criteria for psychological distress, high levels of emotional exhaustion, high depersonalisation and a low sense of personal accomplishment were reported in 55.4, 51.5 and 41.6%, respectively. Inadequate preparation for practice, financial worries, poor role definition and sleep deprivation were reported as significant stressors. Most were unaware of available support services and expressed interest in leaving Ireland after internship. Burnout and stress are significant problems amongst doctors in Irish hospitals. Ensuring better preparation for clinical practice and awareness of support services is vital to tackle this issue.

  10. High early life stress and aberrant amygdala activity: risk factors for elevated neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Uraina S; Sweet, Lawrence H; Morgello, Susan; Philip, Noah S; Cohen, Ronald A

    2017-06-01

    Relative to HIV-negative adults, HIV+ adults report elevated levels of early life stress (ELS). In non-HIV samples, high ELS has been linked to abnormalities in brain structure and function, as well as increased risk of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Yet, little is known about the neural effects of high ELS, and their relation to elevated neuropsychiatric symptoms, in HIV+ adults. Recent studies have revealed combined effects of HIV and high ELS on amygdala morphometry. Aberrant amygdala activity is prominently implicated in studies of neuropsychiatric symptomology in non-HIV samples. Hence, this preliminary study examined: 1) the combined effects of HIV and high ELS on amygdala activity, and 2) the relation between amygdala activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults. We included 28 HIV+ adults and 25 demographically-matched HIV-negative control (HC) adults. ELS exposure was quantified using a retrospective ELS questionnaire, which defined four groups: HIV+ Low-ELS (N = 15); HIV+ High-ELS (N = 13); HC Low-ELS (N = 16); and HC High-ELS (N = 9). Participants completed a battery of neuropsychiatric measures. BOLD fMRI assessed amygdala reactivity during explicit observation of fearful/angry faces. High-ELS participants demonstrated reduced levels of amygdala reactivity relative to Low-ELS participants. HIV+ High-ELS participants reported higher levels of neuropsychiatric symptoms than all other groups. In the HIV+ group, lower amygdala responses were associated with higher neuropsychiatric symptoms, particularly depression, anxiety, and alexithymia. Collectively, these results suggest that high ELS exposure is a significant risk factor for neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults. Furthermore, our results implicate ELS-related abnormalities in amygdala activity in the etiology of neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults.

  11. Residual Stress Measurement of SiC tile/Al7075 Hybrid Composites by Neutron Diffraction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jong Bok; Lee, Jun Ho; Hong, Soon Hyung; Ryu, Ho Jin [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Bok; Lee, Sang Kwan [Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon (Korea, Republic of); Muslihd, M. Rifai [Center for Advanced Materials Science and Technology, Tangerang (India)

    2016-05-15

    In this research, SiC which has low density, high compressive strength, and high elastic modulus was used to fabricate the armor plate. In addition, Al which has low density and high toughness was used for a metal matrix of the composites. If two materials are combined, the composite can be effective materials for light weight armor applications. However, the existence of a large difference in coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) between SiC and Al matrix, SiC/Al composites can have residual stresses while cooled in the fabrication process. Previous research reported that residual stresses in the composites or microstructures have an effect on the fatigue life and their mechanical properties. Some researchers reported about the residual stresses in the SiCp/Al metal matrix composites by numerical simulation systems, X-ray diffraction, and destructive methods. In order to analyze the residual stress of SiC/Al composites, the neutron diffraction as the non-destructive method was performed in this research. The 50 vol.% SiC{sub p}/Al7075 composites and SiC tile inserted 50 vol.% SiC{sub p}/Al7075 hybrid composites were measured to analyze the residual stress of Al (111) and SiC (111). Both samples had the tensile residual stresses in the Al (111) and the compressive residual stresses in the SiC (111) due to the difference in CTE.

  12. Metal stress consequences on frost hardiness of plants at northern high latitudes: a review and hypothesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taulavuori, Kari; Prasad, M.N.V.; Taulavuori, Erja; Laine, Kari

    2005-01-01

    This paper reviews the potential of trace/heavy metal-induced stress to reduce plant frost hardiness at northern high latitudes. The scientific questions are first outlined prior to a brief summary of heavy metal tolerance. The concepts of plant capacity and survival adaptation were used to formulate a hypothesis, according to which heavy metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness for the following reasons: (1) Heavy metals change membrane properties through impaired resource acquisition and subsequent diminution of the cryoprotectant pool. (2) Heavy metals change membrane properties directly through oxidative stress, i.e. an increase of active oxygen species. (3) The involved co-stress may further increase oxidative stress. (4) The risk of frost injury increases due to membrane alterations. An opposite perspective was also discussed: could metal stress result in enhanced plant frost hardiness? This phenomenon could be based on the metabolism (i.e. glutathione, polyamines, proline, heat shock proteins) underlying a possible general adaptation syndrome of stress (GAS). As a result of the review it was suggested that metal-induced stress seems to reduce rather than increase plant frost hardiness. - Metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness

  13. Metal stress consequences on frost hardiness of plants at northern high latitudes: a review and hypothesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taulavuori, Kari [Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu (Finland)]. E-mail: kari.taulavuori@oulu.fi; Prasad, M.N.V. [Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 046, Andhra Pradesh (India); Taulavuori, Erja [Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu (Finland); Laine, Kari [Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu (Finland)

    2005-05-01

    This paper reviews the potential of trace/heavy metal-induced stress to reduce plant frost hardiness at northern high latitudes. The scientific questions are first outlined prior to a brief summary of heavy metal tolerance. The concepts of plant capacity and survival adaptation were used to formulate a hypothesis, according to which heavy metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness for the following reasons: (1) Heavy metals change membrane properties through impaired resource acquisition and subsequent diminution of the cryoprotectant pool. (2) Heavy metals change membrane properties directly through oxidative stress, i.e. an increase of active oxygen species. (3) The involved co-stress may further increase oxidative stress. (4) The risk of frost injury increases due to membrane alterations. An opposite perspective was also discussed: could metal stress result in enhanced plant frost hardiness? This phenomenon could be based on the metabolism (i.e. glutathione, polyamines, proline, heat shock proteins) underlying a possible general adaptation syndrome of stress (GAS). As a result of the review it was suggested that metal-induced stress seems to reduce rather than increase plant frost hardiness. - Metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness.

  14. Maternal stress and high-fat diet effect on maternal behavior, milk composition, and pup ingestive behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purcell, Ryan H; Sun, Bo; Pass, Lauren L; Power, Michael L; Moran, Timothy H; Tamashiro, Kellie L K

    2011-09-01

    Chronic variable prenatal stress or maternal high-fat diet results in offspring that are significantly heavier by the end of the first postnatal week with increased adiposity by weaning. It is unclear, however, what role maternal care and diet play in the ontogenesis of this phenotype and what contributions come from differences already established in the rat pups. In the present studies, we examined maternal behavior and milk composition as well as offspring ingestive behavior. Our aim was to better understand the development of the obese phenotype in offspring from dams subjected to prenatal stress and/or fed a high-fat (HF) diet during gestation and lactation. We found that dams maintained on a HF diet through gestation and lactation spent significantly more time nursing their pups during the first postnatal week. In addition, offspring of prenatal stress dams consumed more milk at postnatal day (PND) 3 and offspring of HF dams consume more milk on PND 7 in an independent ingestion test. Milk from HF dams showed a significant increase in fat content from PND 10-21. Together these results suggest that gestational dietary or stress manipulations can alter the rat offspring's developmental environment, evidence of which is apparent by PND 3. Alterations in maternal care, milk composition, and pup consumption during the early postnatal period may contribute to long-term changes in body weight and adiposity induced by maternal prenatal stress or high-fat diet. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A case report of a completely displaced stress fracture of the femoral shaft in a middle-aged male athlete - A precursor of things to come?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Peter; Elsoe, Rasmus; Rathleff, Michael S

    2016-05-01

    Displaced stress fractures of the femoral shaft are very uncommon. The proportion of middle-aged and older age groups participating in long-distance running, triathlon and other high intensity sports is increasing. As a consequence stress fracture of the femoral shaft may be on the rise in the future. The patient was 43 years old male caucasian triathlete. The authors met the patient after he was admitted with a displaced femoral shaft fracture. The fracture occurred during running at the national championship in ½ Ironman. The patient reported that his symptoms had gradually developed over the last month before the fracture with pain localized anterior to the thigh. The patient interpreted the symptoms as local muscle damage. A clinical examination was conducted by a physiotherapist and the symptoms were interpreted as a simple muscle injury in the quadriceps. When presented with a patient with non-traumatic, diffuse anterior thigh pain in an individual of this age, who is participating in high-level endurance running; clinicians should consider the possibility that the cause of the symptoms may be a femoral shaft stress fracture. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Perceived stress in first year medical students - associations with personal resources and emotional distress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinen, Ines; Bullinger, Monika; Kocalevent, Rüya-Daniela

    2017-01-06

    Medical students have been found to report high levels of perceived stress, yet there is a lack of theoretical frameworks examining possible reasons. This cross-sectional study examines correlates of perceived stress in medical students on the basis of a conceptual stress model originally developed for and applied to the general population. The aim was to identify via structural equation modeling the associations between perceived stress and emotional distress (anxiety and depression), taking into account the activation of personal resources (optimism, self-efficacy and resilient coping). Within this cross-sectional study, 321 first year medical students (age 22 ± 4 years, 39.3% men) completed the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-20), the Self-Efficacy Optimism Scale (SWOP) and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). The statistical analyses used t-tests, ANOVA, Spearman Rho correlation and multiple regression analysis as well as structural equation modeling. Medical students reported higher levels of perceived stress and higher levels of anxiety and depression than reference samples. No statistically significant differences in stress levels were found within the sample according to gender, migration background or employment status. Students reported more self-efficacy, optimism, and resilient coping and higher emotional distress compared to validation samples and results in other studies. Structural equation analysis revealed a satisfactory fit between empirical data and the proposed stress model indicating that personal resources modulated perceived stress, which in turn had an impact on emotional distress. Medical students' perceived stress and emotional distress levels are generally high, with personal resources acting as a buffer, thus supporting the population-based general stress model. Results suggest providing individual interventions for those students, who need support in dealing with the

  17. Stress and Sleep Reactivity: A Prospective Investigation of the Stress-Diathesis Model of Insomnia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drake, Christopher L.; Pillai, Vivek; Roth, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Study Objectives: To prospectively assess sleep reactivity as a diathesis of insomnia, and to delineate the interaction between this diathesis and naturalistic stress in the development of insomnia among normal sleepers. Design: Longitudinal. Setting: Community-based. Participants: 2,316 adults from the Evolution of Pathways to Insomnia Cohort (EPIC) with no history of insomnia or depression (46.8 ± 13.2 y; 60% female). Interventions: None. Measurements and Results: Participants reported the number of stressful events they encountered at baseline (Time 1), as well as the level of cognitive intrusion they experienced in response to each stressor. Stressful events (OR = 1.13; P insomnia one year hence (Time 2). Intrusion mediated the effects of stressful events on risk for insomnia (P insomnia (OR = 1.78; P insomnia as a function of intrusion was significantly higher in individuals with high sleep reactivity. Trait sleep reactivity also constituted a significant risk for depression (OR = 1.67; P Insomnia at Time 2 significantly mediated this effect (P insomnia, and that it triggers insomnia by exacerbating the effects of stress-induced intrusion. Sleep reactivity is also a precipitant of depression, as mediated by insomnia. These findings support the stress-diathesis model of insomnia, while highlighting sleep reactivity as an important diathesis. Citation: Drake CL, Pillai V, Roth T. Stress and sleep reactivity: a prospective investigation of the stress-diathesis model of insomnia. SLEEP 2014;37(8):1295-1304. PMID:25083009

  18. Activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by oxidative stress mediates high glucose-induced increase of adipogenic differentiation in primary rat osteoblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yu; Yang, Jian-Hong

    2013-11-01

    Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risk of osteopenia and bone fracture that may be related to hyperglycemia. However, the mechanisms accounting for diabetic bone disorder are unclear. Here, we showed that high glucose significantly promoted the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in rat primary osteoblasts. Most importantly, we reported for the first time that ROS induced by high glucose increased alkaline phosphatase activity, inhibited type I collagen (collagen I) protein level and cell mineralization, as well as gene expression of osteogenic markers including runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), collagen I, and osteocalcin, but promoted lipid droplet formation and gene expression of adipogenic markers including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aP2), and adipsin, which were restored by pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger. Moreover, high glucose-induced oxidative stress activated PI3K/Akt pathway to inhibited osteogenic differentiation but stimulated adipogenic differentiation. In contrast, NAC and a PI3K inhibitor, LY-294002, reversed the down-regulation of osteogenic markers and the up-regulation of adipogenic markers as well as the activation of Akt under high glucose. These results indicated that oxidative stress played a key role in high glucose-induced increase of adipogenic differentiation, which contributed to the inhibition of osteogenic differentiation. This process was mediated by PI3K/Akt pathway in rat primary osteoblasts. Hence, suppression of oxidative stress could be a potential therapeutic approach for diabetic osteopenia. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Ultrasonic test of highly stressed gear shafts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schreiner, T [Siemens AG, Power Generation, KWU, Muelheim (Germany); Heinrich, W [Siemens AG, Power Generation, KWU, Berlin (Germany); Achtzehn, J [Siemens AG, Power Generation, ICVW, Erlangen (Germany); Hensley, H [Siemens Power Generation (Germany)

    1999-12-31

    In the power plant industry, gears are used for increasingly higher turbine capacities. Efficiency enhancements, particularly for the combined gas and steam turbine process, lead to an increase in stresses, even for high-performance gears. Consequently, the requirements for non-destructive material testing are on the increase as well. At Siemens KWU, high-performance gears are used so far only for gas turbines with lower rating (65 MW) to adapt the gas turbine speed (5413 rpm) to the generator speed (3000 rpm/ 50 Hz or 3600 rpm/60 Hz). The gear train consists of a forged and case-hardened wheel shaft and pinion shaft made of material 17 CrNiMo 6, where the wheel shaft can be either a solid or a hollow shaft. Dimensions are typically 2.3 m length and 1 m diameter. As a rule, pinion shafts are solid. The gear design, calling for an additional torsion shaft turning inside the hollow wheel shaft, can absorb more torsional load surges and is more tolerant of deviations during gear train alignment. This design requires two additional forgings (torsion shaft and hub) and an additional bearing 2 refs.

  20. Ultrasonic test of highly stressed gear shafts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schreiner, T. [Siemens AG, Power Generation, KWU, Muelheim (Germany); Heinrich, W. [Siemens AG, Power Generation, KWU, Berlin (Germany); Achtzehn, J. [Siemens AG, Power Generation, ICVW, Erlangen (Germany); Hensley, H. [Siemens Power Generation (Germany)

    1998-12-31

    In the power plant industry, gears are used for increasingly higher turbine capacities. Efficiency enhancements, particularly for the combined gas and steam turbine process, lead to an increase in stresses, even for high-performance gears. Consequently, the requirements for non-destructive material testing are on the increase as well. At Siemens KWU, high-performance gears are used so far only for gas turbines with lower rating (65 MW) to adapt the gas turbine speed (5413 rpm) to the generator speed (3000 rpm/ 50 Hz or 3600 rpm/60 Hz). The gear train consists of a forged and case-hardened wheel shaft and pinion shaft made of material 17 CrNiMo 6, where the wheel shaft can be either a solid or a hollow shaft. Dimensions are typically 2.3 m length and 1 m diameter. As a rule, pinion shafts are solid. The gear design, calling for an additional torsion shaft turning inside the hollow wheel shaft, can absorb more torsional load surges and is more tolerant of deviations during gear train alignment. This design requires two additional forgings (torsion shaft and hub) and an additional bearing 2 refs.