Australian languages have often been noted for their high rates of phonological uniformity cross-linguistically; investigations into the phonetics of these languages, however, have revealed rich phonetic variation below the phonological level. In the current study, the phonetic correlates of stress in thirteen Australian languages with fixed initial stress placement are investigated using corpus phonetics methods and based on archival field recordings of natural speech. Across these languages, a high f0 peak is a common correlate of initial stress, as has often been cited in the literature; increased vowel duration is similarly common. Effects of onset consonant or post-tonic consonant lengthening have been noted for many Australian languages and are sometimes found in this study, though the lengthening may only apply to one or two of stops, nasals, and glides.

This article presents a case of superadditive ganging-up cumulativity in the metrical phonology of Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian (BCMS). BCMS individually permits monomoraic feet and feet with a toneless head mora, but prohibits toneless monomoraic feet. Across BCMS dialects, several prosodic processes conspire against this doubly marked structure. Because of the superadditive character of this interaction, both Optimality Theory and, importantly, Harmonic Grammar require local constraint conjunction to capture the ban on toneless monomoraic feet in BCMS. This demonstration constitutes evidence for conjoined constraints in weighted constraint grammar. The study contributes to the typology of cumulativity effects by documenting superadditive ganging up in a categorical prosodic pattern, whereas virtually all previously reported cases of superadditivity have been observed in variable phonological patterns.

This article examines the default stress pattern of Sentani (Papuan), situates it within the typology of iambic stress patterns, and provides an analysis within the Weak Bracketing framework for metrical stress theory. Sentani is unique in sometimes employing clash (adjacent stressed syllables) and other times employing lapse (adjacent stressless syllables) in an effort to avoid final stress in even-parity forms. Clash is employed in four-syllable forms, but lapse is employed in longer even-parity forms. Key to the analysis are constraints insisting that both the initial foot and the final foot carry a stress. When the initial and final foot are adjacent (i.e., in four-syllable forms), insisting that both be stressed results in a clash. When the initial and final foot are not adjacent (i.e., in longer even-parity forms), a medial foot emerges without stress in order to avoid clash.

Chronic stress can lead to physical and mental health conditions. This study aimed to identify the different stress profiles and stress relief methods among Filipinos living in the Philippines using latent class analysis. A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study was employed in this study. The stressors and stress-relief practices among Filipinos were investigated using the I-HEART-FILIPINOS data set. Latent class analysis was used to identify the different profiles of stress causes and management methods among 1,196 Filipinos residing in the Philippines, specifically the Northern Luzon area. Four stress-related profiles were identified: (1) low financial stress relieved by eating and exercise; (2) work-related stress relieved by self-care; (3) familial and economic turmoil relieved by eating, exercise and prayer; (4) high financial stress relieved by staying at home and remaining indoors. The four-class solution explained 58% of the variation in the data through classification. Disparities were observed between classes in terms of emotional distress and sociodemographic variables, implying how sociocultural factors could affect stress presentation and management in Filipinos. The findings of this study inform the development of stress management interventions specifically designed to address the needs of underserved populations in the Philippines and neighboring countries to improve overall health.

Tail biting in pigs is a serious problem both from an animal welfare and an economic perspective. Once the behaviour starts, it is important to identify it and intervene immediately to restrict the spread and risk of secondary problems, such as infections. In this study, we tested whether thermal camera imaging could be used as an aid for early detection of tail biting. We also assessed links between skin temperature, tail health and saliva biomarkers for stress and inflammation. Bitten tails were slightly warmer based on thermal imaging than non-lesioned tails. However, the difference was not sufficiently large or specific to enable its use as a practical tool in the early detection of tail lesions. The methodology, however, warrants further investigation. Shortened, but healed tails had a lower skin temperature than tails of other health categories. In combination with a lower saliva cortisol level in pigs with shortened tails, potentially indicative of chronic stress, this supports previous studies indicating chronic pain in shortened pig tails, and/or chronic stress as a result of being a victim of tail biting. These findings provide a further insight into the link between stress, infections and tail biting, while also illustrating potential for skin temperature changes to be used as an early indicator of health and welfare challenges in pigs.

The microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA) has garnered considerable attention for its role in health, disease, and higher psychological processes. One area of particular importance is the relationship between the MGBA and stress. Although numerous animal models are suitable for research on stress, the number suitable for research on the impact of social stressors with translatability to humans is limited. The prairie vole is regarded as an ideal organism for probing the impact of social stress, as these animals not only exhibit social behaviours rare in mammals but also lack many drawbacks that come with using non-human primates. Moreover, the neurophysiological basis of their social behaviours is well characterized, and numerous studies have examined the impact of social stress, particularly social isolation, on these animals. However, only a limited number of studies have examined the prairie vole gastrointestinal system, intestinal microbiome, or MGBA. Consequently, this leaves ample opportunity for future research. In this review article, we summarize basic aspects of prairie vole ecology, behaviour, and neurophysiology, then review the limited but valuable body of research examining the gastrointestinal system and microbiome of prairie voles. Additionally, we note potential challenges and opportunities for future MGBA research utilizing prairie voles.

Social decision-making is a multifaceted process where decisions impact not only the individual but also the larger group. Acute stress may influence individual decision-making, potentially increasing reward-driven choices and affecting learning and adaptive adjustment. However, studies examining stress’s impact on social decision-making have presented inconsistencies, potentially arising from assessing decision-making as a singular dimension. This article aims to test, using computational modeling, the stress effect on social decision making and cognitive subprocesses involved during the Ultimatum Game (UG). Seventy-three healthy participants underwent the UG, with only half exposed before to the virtual Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-VR). In our data, prosocial behavior—as indexed by the number of accepted offers and sensitivity to unfair distributions—did not show immediate alterations 15 min following stressor onset. However, stressed participants exhibited a diminished capacity to learn and adapt during the task, alongside a more perseverative decision-making pattern. These results support the negative impact of stress on social decisions and underscore the importance of considering its effects in mitigating challenges related to social integration and cohesion.

Since little is known about the mental health status of Chinese male adults, the present study aimed to explore the prevalence and predictors of psychological distress among Chinese male adults. This cross-sectional study recruited 6,140 men by convenience sampling in Liaoning and Shanghai. Psychological distress and perceived social support were measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 and the Perceived Social Support Scale. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate the factors associated with psychological distress. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among Chinese male adults were 14.2%, 26.4% and 12.9%, respectively. Male adults with low perceived social support reported symptoms on all measurements. Being middle-aged, college or above and residing in urban areas were associated with depression, while living in urban areas was the independent risk factor of anxiety. Stress was significantly associated with being middle-aged, married status and college or above. Our results revealed a high prevalence of psychological distress among Chinese male adults in this sample. Results suggest more attention needs to be paid to the mental health of male adults in the studied population, especially those who are middle-aged, college or above, married status and reside in urban areas.

The aim of the experiment reported in this research paper was to determine the influence of the bovine appeasing substance (BAS) on milk yield, energy metabolism, inflammation, and stress in cows during the transition period. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein cows (day 28 pre-partum to 21 postpartum) were distributed randomly into two groups: control (n = 12) and BAS (Secure Cattle®; n = 12). Each animal was administered 5 mL of the product on days 28 and 14 pre-partum and on the day of calving. The feed intake was assessed using automated, individual feeders and the milk yield was determined electronically. Six milk samples were obtained from each animal, which were analyzed for chemical composition and somatic cell count. Six blood samples were obtained per animal for future biochemical analyses (free fatty acids, beta hydroxybutyrate, cortisol, myeloperoxidase and paraoxonase 1). The statistical analyses were conducted with the JMP Pro 14 software, with P ≤ 0.05 being considered as statistical significance. BAS-treated cows showed higher milk yield than controls. Dry matter intake (DMI) during the pre- and postpartum periods was greater for the control than treated group. The BAS group exhibited reduced plasma cortisol postpartum. In conclusion, cows treated with BAS showed higher milk yield, lower DMI, and reduced plasma cortisol concentrations than controls.

In the UK, fireworks are common during several celebratory events throughout the year. Previous evidence has shown the adverse effects of fireworks on domestic companion animals. However, there has been little focus on equids. An online survey was developed to understand the impact of fireworks on horses and donkeys, how owners attempt to mitigate these impacts, and the owners’ views on fireworks. A total of 1,234 horse owners and 232 donkey owners responded. The majority (77%) advocated tighter regulations surrounding the use of fireworks, including reduction in the maximum noise produced, and control over when fireworks were used. Horse owners typically perceived their animals to be more fearful of fireworks than donkey owners, with running, kicking, bucking and rearing, being the most reported responses. However, horses used for hunting and sport were perceived as being less fearful. Eight percent of horse owners reported injury due to fireworks compared to donkeys, with only one report of injury. Stabling, staying with the animal, moving the animal to different premises, and music, were common mitigation strategies, all of which were rated as effective by owners. Owner concern and horse injury rates highlight fireworks as a potential threat to horse welfare and safety. Whilst owner mitigation strategies can be effective, they are limited in their ability to completely prevent injury and, importantly, require suitable forewarning. Differences between horses and donkeys are potentially due to different fear responses, with horses more likely to exhibit flight or fright responses, and donkeys flight or freeze.

This study investigates how stress and metathesis interact in Sevillian Spanish, focusing on how their interaction sheds light on representation. Metathesis affects /s/–voiceless stop sequences, moving a debuccalised coda /s/ to the release of the following stop ( → [patha]). This process plausibly changes syllable structure: the syllable where /s/ originated is closed at one representational level, but open on the surface ([pah.ta] → [pa.tha]). The change in syllable structure could affect weight-sensitive stress, depending on the level speakers refer to in assigning stress. In a stress judgement task, Sevillian listeners treated syllables from which an /s/ had metathesised out similarly to heavy penults and differently from light penults. I outline a range of analyses to account for their behaviour, and suggest that a comprehensive analysis could include gestural representations and separate stress from metathesis, so that phonetic variability in the realisation of metathesis is permitted but does not affect stress.

The intensification of pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) production systems raises concerns regarding animal welfare, particularly during pre-slaughter conditions, a phase associated with significant stress. Saliva is increasingly recognised as a non-invasive matrix for detecting stress-related biomarkers in pigs. This preliminary study aimed to explore salivary protein changes in pigs subjected to two distinct pre-slaughter conditions at the slaughterhouse, improved (Group A) and stressful (Group B), by tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomics. Proteomic analysis of saliva from three pigs per group revealed 13 proteins with a statistically significant difference in relative abundance between the groups. Group B showed elevated levels of proteins linked to metabolic stress, inflammation, and coagulation, such as cystatin-C and fibrinogen chains, while proteins like vimentin and follistatin-related protein were decreased. Cystatin-C and vimentin were further validated by immunoassays in 12 additional pigs per group, confirming their differential abundance. These findings suggest that salivary cystatin-C and vimentin, along with the other 11 proteins that showed changes at proteomics, may serve as candidate biomarkers of acute stress at slaughter. While further validation is required, our results support the potential of salivary proteomics for welfare monitoring in livestock.

Stress in Gujarati (Indo-Aryan, India and Pakistan) has been alternately claimed to be strictly positional or sensitive to vowel sonority. The latter analyses figure prominently in arguments for scalar markedness constraints (de Lacy 2002, 2006). This study presents acoustic measures and speaker intuitions to evaluate both the positional and sonority-driven stress hypotheses. The acoustic results support weakly cued positional stress, though speaker intuitions for primary stress placement were inconsistent. This replicates Shih's (2018) negative findings, and indicates that Gujarati stress should not figure in discussions of sonority-driven stress or associated theoretical proposals.