Anoectochilus roxburghii Extract Extends the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans through Activating the daf-16/FoxO Pathway.

As a significant global issue, aging is prompting people's interest in the potential anti-aging properties of Anoectochilus roxburghii (A. roxburghii), a plant traditionally utilized in various Asian countries for its purported benefits in treating diabetes and combating aging. However, the specific anti-aging components and mechanisms of A. roxburghii remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the anti-aging effects and mechanisms of A. roxburghii extract E (ARE). Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were exposed to media containing different concentrations of ARE whose superior in vitro radical scavenging capacity was thus identified. Lifespan assays, stress resistance tests, and RT-qPCR analyses were conducted to evaluate anti-aging efficacy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, antioxidant enzyme activity, and daf-16, sod-3, and gst-4 levels. Additionally, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to elucidate the potential anti-aging mechanisms of ARE. Fluorescence protein assays and gene knockout experiments were employed to validate the impacts of ARE on anti-aging mechanisms. Our results revealed that ARE not only prolonged the lifespan of C. elegans but also mitigated ROS and lipofuscin accumulation, and boosted resistance to UV and heat stress. Furthermore, ARE modulated the expression of pivotal anti-aging genes including daf-16, sod-3, and gst-4, facilitating the nuclear translocation of DAF-16. Significantly, ARE failed to extend the lifespan of daf-16-deficient C. elegans (CF1038), indicating its dependency on the daf-16/FoxO signaling pathway. These results underscored the effectiveness of ARE as a natural agent for enhancing longevity and stress resilience to C. elegans, potentially to human.

Hippocampal HDAC5-mediated histone acetylation underlies stress susceptibility in mice exposed to chronic social defeat stress.

Chronic stress leads to social avoidance and anhedonia in susceptible individuals, a phenomenon that has been observed in both human and animal models. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular mechanisms underpinning stress susceptibility and resilience remain largely unclear. There is growing evidence that epigenetic histone deacetylase (HDAC) mediated histone acetylation is involved in the modulation of depressive-related behaviors. We hypothesized that histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5), which is associated with stress-related behaviors and antidepressant response, may play a vital role in the susceptibility to chronic stress. In the current study, we detected the levels of HDAC5 and acetylation of histone 4 (H4) in the hippocampus subsequent to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) in C57BL/6J mice. We found that CSDS induces a notable increase in HDAC5 expression, concomitant with a reduction in the acetylation of histone H4 at lysine 12 (H4K12) in the hippocampus of susceptible mice. Meanwhile, intrahippocampal infusion of HDAC5 shRNA or HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) both reversed the depression susceptibility in susceptible mice that subjected to CSDS. Furthermore, HDAC5 overexpression was sufficient to induce depression susceptibility following microdefeat stress, accompanied by a significant reduction in H4K12 level within the hippocampus of mice. Additionally, the Morris water maze (MWM) results indicated that neither CSDS nor HDAC5 exerted significant effects on spatial memory function in mice. Taken together, these investigations indicated that HDAC5-modulated histone acetylation is implicated in regulating the depression susceptibility, and may be serve as potential preventive targets for susceptible individuals.

Physical exercise mediates cortical synaptic protein lactylation to improve stress resilience.

Lactate is a critical metabolite during the body's adaption to exercise training, which effectively relieves anxiety-like disorders. The biological mechanism of lactate in the exercise-mediated anxiolytic effect has, however, not been comprehensively investigated. Here, we report that exercise-induced lactate markedly potentiates the lactylation of multiple synaptic proteins, among which synaptosome-associated protein 91 (SNAP91) is the critical molecule for synaptic functions. Both anatomical evidence and in vivo recording data showed that the lactylation of SNAP91 confers resilience against chronic restraint stress (CRS) via potentiating synaptic structural formation and neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). More interestingly, exercise-potentiated lactylation of SNAP91 is necessary for the prevention of anxiety-like behaviors in CRS mice. These results collectively suggest a previously unrecognized non-histone lactylation in the brain for modulating mental functions and provide evidence for the brain's metabolic adaption during exercise paradigms.

Exploring anesthesiology nurse' presenteeism in China: cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The department of anesthesiology is the main battlefield for the treatment of acute and critical patients, with high work risk and high work pressure. Due to the particularity of the working environment and nature of work, medical staff have become a group with a high incidence of occupational exhaustion and presenteeism. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of presenteeism among anesthesiology nurses in China and to analyze the related influencing factors. METHODS: Three hundred twelve anesthesiology nurses in Sichuan Province were surveyed by means of general data questionnaire, presenteeism scale, work-family conflict scale, perceived social support scale, occupational commitment scale and stress resistance scale from September to November 2023 by convenience sampling method. RESULTS: The total score of presenteeism was (14.67 ± 3.92), the score of work-family conflict was (45.44 ± 15.90), the score of professional commitment was (87.28 ± 14.30), and the score of perceived social support was (66.04 ± 12.78). The evaluation score of stress resistance was (73.35 ± 11.54). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age, education, mode of employment, position, overtime hours per week, work-family conflict, perceived social support and stress resistance were the factors that affected the presenteeism of anesthesiology nurses, which could explain 44.1% of the total variation. The position ( ß = 0.296, P < 0.001), overtime hours per week (h) ( ß = 0.271, P < 0.001), perceived social support ( ß = -0.279, P < 0.001) turned out as the stronger predictors of presenteeism. CONCLUSION: The presenteeism of anesthesiology nurses is at a high level and needs to be further improved. Clinical nursing managers should pay attention to the physical and mental health and special needs of anesthesiology nurses. Interventions are made according to the main influencing factors, so as to reduce the incidence of presenteeism and improve the quality and safety of surgery.

Immune evasion: An imperative and consequence of MYC deregulation.

MYC has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human tumors and has been described for many years as a transcription factor that regulates genes with pleiotropic functions to promote tumorigenic growth. However, despite extensive efforts to identify specific target genes of MYC that alone could be responsible for promoting tumorigenesis, the field is yet to reach a consensus whether this is the crucial function of MYC. Recent work shifts the view on MYC's function from being a gene-specific transcription factor to an essential stress resilience factor. In highly proliferating cells, MYC preserves cell integrity by promoting DNA repair at core promoters, protecting stalled replication forks, and/or preventing transcription-replication conflicts. Furthermore, an increasing body of evidence demonstrates that MYC not only promotes tumorigenesis by driving cell-autonomous growth, but also enables tumors to evade the host's immune system. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of how MYC impairs antitumor immunity and why this function is evolutionarily hard-wired to the biology of the MYC protein family. We show why the cell-autonomous and immune evasive functions of MYC are mutually dependent and discuss ways to target MYC proteins in cancer therapy.

Novel Bacillus and Prestia isolates from Dwarf century plant enhance crop yield and salinity tolerance.

Soil salinity is a major environmental stressor impacting global food production. Staple crops like wheat experience significant yield losses in saline environments. Bioprospecting for beneficial microbes associated with stress-resistant plants offers a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture. We isolated two novel endophytic bacteria, Bacillus cereus (ADJ1) and Priestia aryabhattai (ADJ6), from Agave desmettiana Jacobi. Both strains displayed potent plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, such as producing high amounts of indole-3-acetic acid (9.46, 10.00 µgml-1), ammonia (64.67, 108.97 µmol ml-1), zinc solubilization (Index of 3.33, 4.22, respectively), ACC deaminase production and biofilm formation. ADJ6 additionally showed inorganic phosphate solubilization (PSI of 2.77), atmospheric nitrogen fixation, and hydrogen cyanide production. Wheat seeds primed with these endophytes exhibited enhanced germination, improved growth profiles, and significantly increased yields in field trials. Notably, both ADJ1 and ADJ6 tolerated high salinity (up to 1.03 M) and significantly improved wheat germination and seedling growth under saline stress, acting both independently and synergistically. This study reveals promising stress-tolerance traits within endophytic bacteria from A. desmettiana. Exploiting such under-explored plant microbiomes offers a sustainable approach to developing salt-tolerant crops, mitigating the impact of climate change-induced salinization on global food security.

Synergy of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and silicon in regulation of AgNPs induced stress of rice seedlings.

Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs), as an emerging pollutant, have been receiving significant attention as they deepen the concern regarding the issue of food security. Silicon (Si) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are likely to serve as a sustainable approach to ameliorating abiotic stress and improving plant growth through various mechanisms. The present study aims to evaluate the synergistic effect of Si and PGPRs on growth, physiological, and molecular response in rice seedlings (Oryza sativa) under AgNPs stress. Data suggested that under AgNPs exposure, the root and shoot growth, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzymes (CAT and APX), expression of antioxidant genes (OsAPX and OsGR), silicon transporter (OsLsi2), and auxin hormone-related genes (OsPIN10 and OsYUCCA1) were significantly decreased which accompanied with the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) and might be due to higher accumulation of Ag in plant cells. Interestingly, the addition of Si along with the AgNPs enhances the level of ROS generation, thus oxidative stress, which causes severe damage in all the above-tested parameters. On the other hand, application of PGPR alone and along with Si reduced the toxic effect of AgNPs through the improvement of growth, biochemical, and gene regulation (OsAPX and OsGR, OsPIN10 and OsYUCCA1). However, the addition of L-NAME along with PGPR and silicon drastically lowered the AgNPs induced toxicity through lowering the oxidative stress and maintained the overall growth of rice seedlings, which suggests the role of endogenous NO in Si and PGPRs mediated management of AgNPs toxicity in rice seedlings.

Practice effects of a breathing technique on pilots' cognitive and stress associated heart rate variability during flight operations.

Commercial pilots endure multiple stressors in their daily and occupational lives which are detrimental to psychological well-being and cognitive functioning. The Quick coherence technique (QCT) is an effective intervention tool to improve stress resilience and psychophysiological balance based on a five-minute paced breathing exercise with heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback. The current research reports on the application of QCT training within an international airline to improve commercial pilots' psychological health and support cognitive functions. Forty-four commercial pilots volunteered in a one-month training programme to practise self-regulated QCT in day-to-day life and flight operations. Pilots' stress index, HRV time-domain and frequency-domain parameters were collected to examine the influence of QCT practice on the stress resilience process. The results demonstrated that the QCT improved psychophysiological indicators associated with stress resilience and cognitive functions, in both day-to-day life and flight operation settings. HRV fluctuations, as measured through changes in RMSSD and LF/HF, revealed that the resilience processes were primarily controlled by the sympathetic nervous system activities that are important in promoting pilots' energy mobilization and cognitive functions, thus QCT has huge potential in facilitating flight performance and aviation safety. These findings provide scientific evidence for implementing QCT as an effective mental support programme and controlled rest strategy to improve pilots' psychological health, stress management, and operational performance.

Systematic review on music interventions during pregnancy in favor of the well-being of mothers and eventually their offspring.

OBJECTIVE: Mental health affects maternal well-being and indirectly affects the development of fetal brain structures and motor and cognitive skills of the offspring up to adulthood. This study aimed to identify specific characteristics of music interventions that improve validated maternal outcomes. DATA SOURCES: Randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews investigating music interventions during pregnancy were identified from the start of data sources up to December 2023 using MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, or Web of Science. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Using Covidence, 2 reviewers screened for randomized controlled trials with ≥3 music interventions during pregnancy and applied either the Perceived Stress Scale score, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score, or blood pressure as outcomes. METHODS: The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2, the checklist to assess Trustworthiness in RAndomised Clinical Trials, and the reversed Cohen d were applied. This review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number: CRD42022299950). RESULTS: From 251 detected records, 14 randomized controlled trials and 2375 pregnancies were included. Music interventions varied from 3 to 84 active or passive sessions with either patient-selected or preselected music and a duration of 10 to 60 minutes per session. Thereby, 2 of 4 studies observed a significant decrease in the Perceived Stress Scale, 8 of 9 studies observed a significant decrease in the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and 3 of 4 studies observed a significant decrease in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Blood pressure was significantly reduced in 3 of 4 randomized controlled trials. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2 was "high" in 5 of 14 studies or "with concerns" in 9 of 14 studies. Stratifying the Cohen d in 14 intervention arms suggested a big effect in 234 of 469 mothers on blood pressure and in 244 of 489 mothers on maternal anxiety and a medium effect in 284 of 529 mothers on maternal anxiety. Small or very small effects on blood pressure, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale were observed in 35 of 70, 136 of 277, and 374 of 784 mothers-to-be, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study found a general positive effect of music interventions on maternal stress resilience. This was independent of the music but was influenced by the frequency and empathy of the performances. How far music interventions may improve postnatal development and skills of the offspring should be increasingly evaluated with follow-ups to interrupt vicious epigenetic circles during global pandemics, violent conflicts, and natural catastrophes. El resumen está disponible en Español al final del artículo.

Self-regulation training improves stress resilience in elite pre-pubescent female gymnasts.

Introduction: In the context of young female athletes, namely elite gymnasts, effective stress management strategies not only enhance performance, but also reduce the risk of injuries and promote overall well-being. This study aims to investigate the effects of biofeedback-based training on stress management in prepubescent elite female gymnasts, recognizing its pivotal role in promoting healthy growth and proper training load management. Methods: Eight elite young female athletes from a top flight French national league club participated in an experimental condition involving four-week biofeedback training program to improve self-regulation skills, during both rest and stress phases. Additionally, each subject experienced a control condition, with entailed exposure to domain-specific motivational videos. Comprehensive evaluations of physiological parameters were conducted to assess the impact of biofeedback training, both before and after the training, as well as during the stress and recovery phases. Furthermore, an interoceptive body awareness test, using the MAIA questionnaire, was performed. Results: The results highlight a significant enhancement of the self-regulatory skills of the gymnasts in managing the selected physiological parameters-peripheral temperature (p < 0.05) and blood volume pressure (p < 0.05)-after the biofeedback treatment. Moreover, psychological data from the MAIA questionnaire revealed a noteworthy increase in interoceptive awareness (p < 0.001), particularly in the subscales of Not Distracting (p < 0.001), Attention regulation (p < 0.05), Emotional awareness (p < 0.05), and Self-regulation (p < 0.05). Discussion: Thus, we conclude that biofeedback training improves self-regulatory and psychological resilience under stressful conditions, while reducing sensitivity to gymnastics-specific stress.

Comb size, shape complexity and laterality of laying hens reared in environments varying in resource choice.

The comb is an ornament involved in signalling condition in domestic fowl. We hypothesised that comb size, comb shape complexity (i.e., rugosity, the comb perimeter jaggedness), and comb laterality of laying hens would be influenced by the degree of environmental enrichment experienced during juvenile development in the form of resource choice. We conducted a 2 × 2 factorial crossover experiment with pullets reared in pens containing four perches of equal length and four litter areas of equal size. Pullets were exposed to a single choice vs multiple choices of perch and litter types (i.e., all the same vs all different) during Weeks 1-4 (Period 1) and/or Weeks 5-15 (Period 2) of rearing (n = 4 pens/treatment combination) prior to transfer to standard adult laying pens for Weeks 16-27 (Period 3). In Week 27, combs were photographed, and comb laterality (hanging on left or right side) was noted. Using a custom-made image analysis programme, we captured comb area (mm2), perimeter length (mm), and rugosity ((perimeter length - horizontal length) / horizontal length) from comb photographs of 6-7 randomly selected hens/pen. We predicted that hens reared in the multi-choice environment during Periods 1 and 2 would have larger, more complex, and left-side-biased combs than those in the other treatment groups, reflecting lower allostatic load. The predicted comb side bias was based on a possible bias in head posture/movements associated with greater right eye/ear use and left-brain hemispheric dominance. Contrary to our predictions, we detected an overall right-side bias in comb laterality, and no associations between resource choice treatment in Period 1 or Period 2 and comb area, perimeter length, rugosity, or laterality of the adult hens. Thus, variation in allostatic load resulting from the rearing treatments was insufficient to modify the trajectory of comb morphological development, possibly due to a ceiling effect when comparing environmental treatments on the positive end of the welfare spectrum. We found that left-lopping combs had shorter perimeters than right-lopping combs. However, among hens with left-lopping combs, those with larger combs were heavier and had less feather damage, while among hens with right-lopping combs, those with longer-perimeter combs were heavier and tended to have less comb damage. In conclusion, comb characteristics were related to physical condition at the individual level but did not serve as sensitive integrated indicators of hen welfare in response to basic vs enhanced resource choice during rearing.

Molecular Mechanisms of CBL-CIPK Signaling Pathway in Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Hormone Crosstalk.

Abiotic stressors, including drought, salt, cold, and heat, profoundly impact plant growth and development, forcing elaborate cellular responses for adaptation and resilience. Among the crucial orchestrators of these responses is the CBL-CIPK pathway, comprising calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). While CIPKs act as serine/threonine protein kinases, transmitting calcium signals, CBLs function as calcium sensors, influencing the plant's response to abiotic stress. This review explores the intricate interactions between the CBL-CIPK pathway and plant hormones such as ABA, auxin, ethylene, and jasmonic acid (JA). It highlights their role in fine-tuning stress responses for optimal survival and acclimatization. Building on previous studies that demonstrated the enhanced stress tolerance achieved by upregulating CBL and CIPK genes, we explore the regulatory mechanisms involving post-translational modifications and protein-protein interactions. Despite significant contributions from prior research, gaps persist in understanding the nuanced interplay between the CBL-CIPK system and plant hormone signaling under diverse abiotic stress conditions. In contrast to broader perspectives, our review focuses on the interaction of the pathway with crucial plant hormones and its implications for genetic engineering interventions to enhance crop stress resilience. This specialized perspective aims to contribute novel insights to advance our understanding of the potential of the CBL-CIPK pathway to mitigate crops' abiotic stress.

Alcohol exacerbates psychosocial stress-induced neuropsychiatric symptoms: Attenuation by geraniol.

Adaptation to psychosocial stress is psychologically distressing, initiating/promoting comorbidity with alcohol use disorders. Emerging evidence moreover showed that ethanol (EtOH) exacerbates social-defeat stress (SDS)-induced behavioral impairments, neurobiological sequelae, and poor therapeutic outcomes. Hence, this study investigated the effects of geraniol, an isoprenoid monoterpenoid alcohol with neuroprotective functions on EtOH escalated SDS-induced behavioral impairments, and neurobiological sequelae in mice. Male mice chronically exposed to SDS for 14 days were repeatedly fed with EtOH (2 g/kg, p. o.) from days 8-14. From days 1-14, SDS-EtOH co-exposed mice were concurrently treated with geraniol (25 and 50 mg/kg) or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) orally. After SDS-EtOH translational interactions, arrays of behavioral tasks were examined, followed by investigations of oxido-inflammatory, neurochemicals levels, monoamine oxidase-B and acetylcholinesterase activities in the striatum, prefrontal-cortex, and hippocampus. The glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) expression was also quantified in the prefrontal-cortex immunohistochemically. Adrenal weights, serum glucose and corticosterone concentrations were measured. EtOH exacerbated SDS-induced low-stress resilience, social impairment characterized by anxiety, depression, and memory deficits were attenuated by geraniol (50 and 100 mg/kg) and fluoxetine. In line with this, geraniol increased the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and glutamic-acid decarboxylase enzyme, accompanied by reduced monoamine oxidase-B and acetylcholinesterase activities in the prefrontal-cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Geraniol inhibited SDS-EtOH-induced adrenal hypertrophy, corticosterone, TNF-α, IL-6 release, malondialdehyde and nitrite levels, with increased antioxidant activities. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that geraniol enhanced GFAP immunoreactivity in the prefrontal-cortex relative to SDS-EtOH group. We concluded that geraniol ameliorates SDS-EtOH interaction-induced behavioral changes via normalization of neuroimmune-endocrine and neurochemical dysregulations in mice brains.

A Pilot Study on the Influence of Maternal Attachment Representations on Maternal Heart Rate Mediated by Perceived Stress.

Past findings have suggested that there is a link between attachment representations and reactions towards stress (subjective and physiological). The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of perceived stress on the association between attachment representation and physiological changes, specifically heart rate. As part of a long-term study investigating the transgenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment, n = 163 mothers participated in multiple assessments. The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP) was used to measure maternal attachment representation, categorizing individuals as securely or insecurely attached. Perceived daily stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale 14 (PSS-14), and maternal baseline heart rate (HR) was measured via electrocardiography during a laboratory visit. The results revealed that the representation of secure attachment had a significant reducing effect on both the mother's perceived daily stress and heart rate. Furthermore, the association between secure attachment representation and heart rate was mediated by perceived stress. This study emphasizes the role of attachment representation in maternal well-being, highlighting its impact on stress and physiological responses.

Static and Temporal Dynamic in Functional Connectivity of Large-scale Brain Networks During Acute Stress Regulate Stress Resilience Differently: The Promotion Role of Trait Resilience.

Stress resilience has been largely regarded as a process in which individuals actively cope with and recover from stress. Over the past decade, the emergence of large-scale brain networks has provided a new perspective for the study of the neural mechanisms of stress. However, the role of inter-network functional-connectivity (FC) and its temporal fluctuations in stress resilience is still unclear. To bridge this knowledge gap, seventy-seven participants (age, 17-22 years, 37 women) were recruited for a ScanSTRESS brain imaging study. A static perspective was initially adopted, using changes in FC that obtained from stress vs. control condition during the entire stress induction phase as a static indicator. Further, changes in FC between different stress runs were analyzed as an index of temporal dynamics. Stress resilience was gauged using salivary cortisol levels, while trait resilience was measured via behavioral-activation-system (BAS) sensitivity. Results found that, for the static index, enhanced FC between the salience-network (SN), default-mode-network (DMN) and limbic-network (LBN) during acute stress could negatively signal stress resilience. For the temporal dynamics index, FC among the dorsal-attention-network (DAN), central-executive-network (CEN) and visual-network (VN) decreased significantly during repeated stress induction. Moreover, the decline of FC positively signaled stress resilience, and this relationship only exist in people with high BAS. The current research elucidates the intricate neural underpinnings of stress resilience, offering insights into the adaptive mechanisms underlying effective stress responses.

Inflammation and Connexin 43 profiles in the prefrontal cortex are relevant to stress susceptibility and resilience in mice.

Depression is a major chronic mental illness worldwide, characterized by anhedonia and pessimism. Exposed to the same stressful stimuli, some people behave normally, while others exhibit negative behaviors and psychology. The exact molecular mechanisms linking stress-induced depressive susceptibility and resilience remain unclear. Connexin 43 (Cx43) forms gap junction channels between the astrocytes, acting as a crucial role in the pathogenesis of depression. Cx43 dysfunction could lead to depressive behaviors, and depression down-regulates the expression of Cx43 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Besides, accumulating evidence indicates that inflammation is one of the most common pathological features of the central nervous system dysfunction. However, the roles of Cx43 and peripheral inflammation in stress-susceptible and stress-resilient individuals have rarely been investigated. Thus, animals were classified into the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-susceptible group and the CUS-resilient group based on the performance of behavioral tests following the CUS protocol in this study. The protein expression of Cx43 in the PFC, the Cx43 functional changes in the PFC, and the expression levels including interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, and IL-18 in the peripheral serum were detected. Here, we found that stress exposure triggered a significant reduction in Cx43 protein expression in the CUS-susceptible mice but not in the CUS-resilient mice accompanied by various Cx43 phosphorylation expression and the changes of inflammatory signals. Stress resilience is associated with Cx43 in the PFC and fluctuation in inflammatory signaling, showing that therapeutic targeting of these pathways might promote stress resilience.

Building psychological resilience in Armed Forces worldwide.

Psychological resilience among troops can be enhanced through relatively simple interventions. Globally, various Armed Forces have successfully implemented modules for building psychological resilience. Programs from different countries are listed, evaluated and their underpinnings explored. Recommendations for a variety of feasible and culturally acceptable interventions targeted at individuals, families, units, community and organizations in the Indian context have been made; ranging from mindfulness training to embedded combat psychologists. Interventions are likely to succeed if integrated within existing basic training and unit/career programs.

The gut microbiome modulates the susceptibility to traumatic stress in a sex-dependent manner.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological condition triggered by exposure to extreme or chronic stressful events, exhibits a sex bias in incidence and clinical manifestations. Emerging research implicates the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of PTSD and its roles in stress susceptibility. However, it is unclear whether differential gut microbiota contribute to PTSD susceptibility in male and female rats. Here, we utilized the single prolonged stress animal model and employed unsupervised machine learning to classify stressed animals into stress-susceptible subgroups and stress-resilient subgroups. Subsequently, using 16S V3-V4 rDNA sequencing, we investigated the differential gut microbiota alterations between susceptible and resilient individuals in male and female rats. Our findings revealed distinct changes in gut microbiota composition between the sexes at different taxonomic levels. Furthermore, the abundance of Parabacteroides was lower in rats that underwent SPS modeling compared to the control group. In addition, the abundance of Tenericutes in the stress-susceptible subgroup was higher than that in the control group and stress-resilient subgroup, suggesting that Tenericutes may be able to characterize stress susceptibility. What is particularly interesting here is that Cyanobacteria may be particularly associated with anti-anxiety effects in male rats. This study underscores sex-specific variations in gut microbiota composition in response to stress and sex differences should be taken into account when using macrobiotics for neuropsychiatric treatment, highlighting potential targets for PTSD therapeutic interventions.

Optimizing military mental health and stress resilience training through the lens of trainee preferences: A conjoint analysis approach.

Effective mental health and stress resilience (MHSR) training is essential in military populations given their exposure to operational stressors. The scarcity of empirical evidence supporting the benefits of these programs emphasizes the need for research dedicated to program optimization. This paper aims to identify the relative importance of MHSR training attributes preferred by military members. Conjoint analysis (CA), an experimental method used to prioritize end-user preferences for product feature development, was conducted using an online survey with 567 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel. Participants made a series of choices between hypothetical MHSR training options that were systematically varied across seven training attributes. Each training attribute consisted of 3-4 variations in the nature of the attribute or its intensity. Participants also completed questions on health beliefs, mental health and previous MHSR training experiences, and demographics, to assess whether preferences varied by individual characteristics. CA demonstrated that instructor type, leadership buy-in, degree of skills practice, and content relevance/applicability were attributes of highest and relatively equal importance. This was followed by degree of accessible supplemental content. Lowest importance was placed on degree of behavioral nudging and demographic similarity between the trainee and trainer. Sociodemographic factors were not associated with MHSR training preferences. Programs that incorporate expert-led instruction, demonstrate leadership buy-in, embed practical applications within simulated stress environments, and provide a digitally-accessible platform to augment training may be well-received among military members. Understanding and accommodating personal preferences when designing MHSR training programs may increase relevance, foster acceptance and trust, and support sustained engagement.

Quantum dots: next shift to combat plant diseases.

Plant diseases caused by microbial pathogens significantly reduce agriculture productivity and worsen food insecurity. Recently, Qiu et al. revealed that polyethyleneimine (PEI)-coated MXene quantum dots (QDs) improve tolerance in cotton seedlings against Verticillium wilt disease by maintaining oxidative system homeostasis. This finding shows how customized QDs can be used to enhance crop disease resistance.