Stress Physiological Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

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- Plant Biology, Biology, Ecology, Medicine
- by Culum Brown
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- Social learning, Biological Sciences, Feeding Behavior, Physiological Stress Markers

Objectives. To evaluate the possible association between pressure pain sensitivity of the chest bone (PPS) and cardiovascular physiological factors related to persistent stress in connection with a three-month PPS-guided stress-reducing experimental intervention programme. Methods. Forty-two offi ce workers with an elevated PPS (Ն 60 arbitrary units) as a sign of increased level of persistent stress, completed a single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. The active treatment was a PPS (self-measurement)-guided stress management programme. Primary endpoints: Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and work of the heart measured as Pressure-Rate-Product (PRP); Secondary endpoints: Other features of the metabolic syndrome. Results. PPS decreased and changes in PPS after the intervention period were signifi cantly associated with HR, PRP, body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat index (all correlation coeffi cients Ͼ 0.2, p Ͻ 0.05). Compared to the control cluster group, the active cluster group obtained a signifi cant reduction in PPS, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total number of elevated risk factors (p Ͻ 0.05). On an individual level, signifi cant and clinically relevant between-group reductions were observed in respect to BP, HR, PRP, total and LDL cholesterol, and total number of elevated risk factors (p Ͻ 0.05). Conclusions. The stress intervention method applied in this study induced a decrease in PPS which was associated with a clinically relevant decrease in resting blood pressure, heart rate, work of the heart and serum cholesterols.

- by benny karpatschof
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- Pain, Stress, Blood Pressure, Heart rate

Improving rehabilitation after a severe tissue injury does not only require a reduction in pain, but also requires alleviation of negative affects, particularly anxiety. Although opioids remain unsurpassed analgesics to relieve moderate to severe pain, it has been shown that they also induce latent pain sensitization leading to long-lasting hyperalgesia via N-methyl-D-aspartate-(NMDA)-dependent pronociceptive systems. The present study evaluated the ability of nitrous oxide (N2O), a gas with NMDA antagonist properties, to prevent latent pain sensitization and long-term anxiety-like behavior (ALB) in rats with pain and opioid experiences. On D0, the pro-inflammatory drug carrageenan was injected in one hind paw of rats treated with fentanyl (4x100 microg/kg subcutaneously). Nociceptive threshold was evaluated with the paw pressure vocalization test. Rats were re-exposed to carrageenan or exposed to repeated non-nociceptive environmental stress (NNES) 2-3 weeks later. Rats were also challenged in the elevated plus-maze 2 weeks after fentanyl administration for evaluating ALB. The preventive effects of a single 4 h 50/50% N2O-O2 exposure performed on D0 was evaluated. Fifty percent N2O strongly reduced hyperalgesia induced by a first inflammation and its enhancement by fentanyl, and prevented exaggerated hyperalgesia induced by second inflammatory pain or NNES. Moreover, we provide first evidence that a high fentanyl dose induces long-term ALB 2 weeks after its administration. When associated with fentanyl, 50% N2O prevented such long-term ALB. These results suggest that a single exposure to N2O could improve post-injury pain management and facilitate rehabilitation especially when potent analgesics as opioids have to be used.

- by Guy Simonnet and +1
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- Psychology, Pain, Neuropharmacology, Anxiety

Background: While many randomised controlled trials have been conducted on multivitamins, to our knowledge no qualitative research exploring the subjective experience of taking a multivitamin during a clinical trial has been reported. Methods: Semi-structured and open-ended written questions were incorporated into a 16-week double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel groups trial of once-daily multivitamin administration. At the final study visit (week 16), three open-ended questions were posed to elucidate any positive, ...

- by Katherine Miller cox
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- Nutrition and Dietetics, Nutrition, Health, Medicine

The role of calcium-mediated signaling has been extensively studied in plant responses to abiotic stress signals. Calcineurin Blike proteins (CBLs) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) constitute a complex signaling network acting in diverse plant stress responses. Osmotic stress imposed by soil salinity and drought is a major abiotic stress that impedes plant growth and development and involves calcium-signaling processes. In this study, we report the functional analysis of CIPK21, an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CBL-interacting protein kinase, ubiquitously expressed in plant tissues and up-regulated under multiple abiotic stress conditions. The growth of a loss-of-function mutant of CIPK21, cipk21, was hypersensitive to high salt and osmotic stress conditions. The calcium sensors CBL2 and CBL3 were found to physically interact with CIPK21 and target this kinase to the tonoplast. Moreover, preferential localization of CIPK21 to the tonoplast was detected under salt stress condition when coexpressed with CBL2 or CBL3. These findings suggest that CIPK21 mediates responses to salt stress condition in Arabidopsis, at least in part, by regulating ion and water homeostasis across the vacuolar membranes. Drought and salinity cause osmotic stress in plants and severely affect crop productivity throughout the world. Plants respond to osmotic stress by changing a number of cellular processes (

- by Amita Pandey
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- Biological Sciences, Plant Physiology, Mutation, Arabidopsis

Measurement of salivary cortisol has been used extensively as a non-invasive alternative to blood sampling to assess adrenal activity in ruminants. However, there is evidence suggesting a considerable delay in the transfer of cortisol from plasma into saliva. Previous studies in cattle have used long sampling intervals making it difficult to characterise the relationship between plasma and salivary cortisol (PLCort and SACort, respectively) concentrations at different time points and determine whether or not such a time lag exist in large ruminants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterise the relationship between plasma and salivary cortisol and determine if there is a significant time lag between reaching peak cortisol concentrations in plasma and saliva across a 4.25 h time-period, using short sampling intervals of 10-15 min, following social separation in dairy cattle.Five cows were separated from their calves at 4 days after calving, and six calves were separa...

- by Agustin Orihuela
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- Animal Production, Social Isolation, Cattle, Saliva

OBJECTIVE The role of leptin in the acute stress response to extracorporeal circulation has been well documented, however, the relationship between leptin and zinc has not been investigated previously. We aimed to research the circulating leptin, zinc, and copper levels before, during, and after the extracorporeal circulation, and effect of preoperative zinc administration to these. METHODS Twenty patients who were taken to elective coronary artery bypass grafting operations using extracorporeal circulation were taken to this research and divided into two equal groups (n1, n2). In both groups blood samples were taken just before the operation (T0), at the end of operation (T1), and at the first postoperative day (T2). In the second group (n2) oral zinc (50 mg, once a day) was administered to patients for 5 days, preoperatively. The serum leptin, zinc, and copper levels were studied. RESULTS In group n1 circulating leptin levels were significantly increased at T2 when compared to T0 ...

- by ISIK GORMUS
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- Inflammation, Medicine, Antioxidants, Copper

Background The effect of pre-weaning concentrate supplementation on peripheral distribution of leukocytes, functional activity of neutrophils, acute phase protein response, metabolic and behavioural response, and performance of abruptly weaned and housed beef calves was investigated. Calves were grazed with their dams until the end of the grazing season when they were weaned and housed (day (d) 0) in a concrete slatted floor shed, and offered grass silage ad libitum plus supplementary concentrates. Twenty-six days prior to weaning and housing, 20 singled suckled, pure-bred Simmental male (non-castrated), (n = 10, m) and female (n = 10, f) calves were assigned to one of two treatments (i) concentrate supplement (CS: n = 10 (5 m and 5 f), mean age (s.d.) 201 (12.8) d, mean weight (s.d.) 258 (20.2) kg) or (ii) no concentrate supplement (controls) (NCS: n = 10, (5 m and 5 f), mean age (s.d.) 201 (13.4) d, mean weight (s.d.) 257 (19.6) kg) pre-weaning. Results There was a treatment × sam...

- by Bernie Earley
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- Microbiology, Animal Behavior, Biology, Diet

Elevated glucose levels in the presence of insulin are indicative of type 2 diabetes and the more inclusive metabolic syndrome. Alleles conferring susceptibility to these and other common conditions may be adaptations to past environments. It is possible that other mammals exhibiting environmental diversity harbor similar variants; therefore, we assessed glucose regulation in two species of deer mice (Peromyscus), a diverse endemic North American group. The prairie deer mouse, P. maniculatus bairdii (BW), and the Oldfield mouse, P. polionotus subgriseus (PO) differ in sexual dimorphism, behavior and habitat. PO animals exhibit better regulatory ability than BW animals, particularly among males, although both species display equivalent insulin levels/responses and non-fasted glucose levels. Hybrid males exhibit a PO glucose challenge response and subsequent analysis of consomic animals implicates Y chromosome variation as the genetic cause. Two pieces of evidence indicate that the ma...

- by Christopher Wiley
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- Biological Sciences, Glucose, Insulin, Y chromosome
- by Jan Simoni
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- Plant Biology, Apoptosis, Endothelial Cells, Astrocytes

The osmotic potential and effects of plasmolysis were investigated in two different Klebsormidium strains from alpine habitats by incubation in 300-2,000 (3,000) mM sorbitol. Several members of this genus were previously found to tolerate desiccation in the vegetative state yet information was lacking on the osmotic potentials of these algae. The strains were morphologically determined as Klebsormidium crenulatum and Klebsormidium nitens. These species belong to distinct clades, as verified by phylogenetic analysis of the rbcL gene. K. crenulatum is part of to the K. crenulatum/mucosum ('F' clade) and K. nitens of the 'E2' clade. Plasmolysis occurred in K. crenulatum at 800 mM sorbitol (961 mOsmol kg(-1), Ψ = -2.09 MPa) and in K. nitens at 600 mM sorbitol (720 mOsmol kg(-1), Ψ = -1.67 MPa). These are extraordinarily high osmotic values (very negative osmotic potentials) compared with values reported for other green algae. In K. crenulatum, the maximum photosynthe...

- by Louise Lewis
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- Photosynthesis, Plant Biology, Phylogeny, Osmotic pressure

Root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne spp., have major economic impact on coffee production in Central and South America. Genetic control of RKN constitutes an essential part for integrated pest management strategy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the resistance of Coffea canephora genotypes (clones) to Meloidogyne spp. Sensitive and drought-tolerant coffee genotypes were used to infer their resistance using nematode reproduction factor and histopathology. Eight clonal genotypes were highly resistant to M. paranaensis. 'Clone 14' (drought-tolerant) and 'ESN2010-04' were the only genotypes highly resistant and moderately resistant, respectively, to both M. incognita races 3 and 1. Several clones were highly resistant to both avirulent and virulent M. exigua. Clone 14 and ESN2010-04 showed multiple resistance to major RKNs tested. Roots of 'clone 14' (resistant) and 'clone 22' (susceptible) were histologically studied against infection by M. incognita race 3 and M. paranaensis. Reduction of juvenile (J2) penetration in clone 14 was first seen at 2 to 6 days after inoculation (DAI). Apparent early hypersensitive reaction (HR) was seen in root cortex between 4 and 6 DAI, which led to cell death and prevention of some nematode development. At 12 to 20 DAI, giant cells formed in the vascular cylinder, besides normal development into J3/J4. From 32 to 45 DAI, giant cells were completely degenerated. Late, intense HR and cell death were frequently observed around young females and giant cells reported for the first time in coffee pathosystem. These results provide rational bases for future studies, including prospection, characterization, and expression profiling of genomic loci involved in both drought tolerance and resistance to multiple RKN species.

- by Aldemiro sousa jorge
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- Microbiology, Phytopathology, Plant Biology, Plant diseases

It is generally considered that stress causes decreased immune function in fish. In this study we examined in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar Linnaeus) the effects of both short-(a single 15 s out of water) and long-term (4 weeks of daily handling 15 s out of water) stress on plasma cortisol (free and total) and glucose levels, expression of interleukin-1b (IL-1b) and survival of head kidney (HK) macrophages under culture with Aeromonas salmonicida. In the short-term study, samples were collected prior to the application of the stressor, and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h post stress. Free and total plasma cortisol levels and the percentage of free cortisol increased significantly in the stressed group at 1 and 3 h post stress. Plasma glucose levels were significantly higher than those of control fish at 1, 3 and 6 h post stress. Constitutive expression of IL-1b in macrophages isolated from head kidneys in stressed fish was significantly higher at 1 and 3 h post stress. However, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated expression of IL-1b in HK macrophages, exhibited significantly higher fold increases in unstressed fish compared to stressed fish. In the long-term study, with the exception of an increase in plasma glucose levels at 1 week, there were no significant differences in stress parameters between groups. There was a significantly higher constitutive IL-1b expression in macrophages isolated from stressed fish over the first 2 weeks. At weeks 1, 2 and 3 the magnitude of IL-1b response of isolated HK macrophages to LPS stimulation was reduced in >90% of the stressed fish. At 4 weeks there was no significant difference in inducible IL-1b expression between the groups. Macrophages isolated from stressed fish also showed significantly decreased survival when exposed to A. salmonicida. This study shows a clear pattern from repeated handling stress, whereby effects on immune cells begin with increased constitutive expression of IL-1b, followed by decreased stimulation of leucocytes by extracellular antigen, and finally decreased

- by Mark Fast
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- Fish Diseases, Macrophages, Lipopolysaccharide, Cortisol
- by Kim Huhman
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- Genetics, Quality of life, Biological Sciences, Social behavior

This project was based on the premise that decisions concerning the ballistic protection provided to defence personnel should derive from an evaluation of the balance between protection level and its impact on physiological function, mobility, and operational capability. Civilians and soldiers participated in laboratory- and field-based studies in which ensembles providing five levels of ballistic protection were evaluated, each with progressive increases in protection, mass (3.4–11.0 kg), and surface-area coverage (0.25–0.52 m2). Physiological trials were conducted on volunteers (N = 8) in a laboratory, under hot-dry conditions simulating an urban patrol: walking at 4 km·h−1 (90 min) and 6 km·h−1 (30 min or to fatigue). Field-based trials were used to evaluate tactical battlefield movements (mobility) of soldiers (N = 31) under tropical conditions, and across functional tests of power, speed, agility, endurance, and balance. Finally, trials were conducted at a jungle training centr...

- by Jace Drain
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- Biological Sciences, Young Adult, Forensic Ballistics, Military Personnel

Neuroscience is witnessing growing interest in understanding brain mechanisms of memory formation for emotionally arousing events, a development closely related to renewed interest in the concept of memory consolidation. Extensive research in animals implicates stress hormones and the amygdaloid complex as key,interacting modulators of memory consolidation for emotional events. Considerable evidence suggests that the amygdala is not a site of long-term explicit or declarative memory storage, but serves to influence memory-storage processes in other brain regions, such as the hippocampus, striatum and neocortex. Human-subject studies confirm the prediction of animal work that the amygdala is involved with the formation of enhanced declarative memory for emotionally arousing events.

- by James McGaugh
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- Cognitive Science, Emotion, Emotional Memory, Learning

Soil flooding has been widely reported to affect large areas of the world. In this work, we investigated the effect of waterlogging on citrus carbon and nitrogen pools and partitioning. Influence on their uptake and translocation was also studied through 15 N and 13 C labeling to provide insight into the physiological mechanisms underlying the responses. The data indicated that flooding severely reduced photosynthetic activity and affected growth and biomass partitioning. Total nitrogen content and concentration in the plant also progressively decreased throughout the course of the experiment. After 36 days of treatment, nitrogen content of flooded plants had decreased more than 2.3-fold compared to control seedlings, and reductions in nitrogen concentration ranged from 21 to 55% (in roots and leaves, respectively). Specific absorption rate and transport were also affected, leading to important changes in the distribution of this element inside the plant. Additionally, experiments involving labeled nitrogen revealed that 15 N uptake rate and accumulation were drastically decreased at the end of the experiment (93% and 54%, respectively). 13 CO 2 assimilation into the plant was strongly reduced by flooding, with ␦ 13 C reductions ranging from 22 to 37% in leaves and roots, respectively. After 36 days, the relative distribution of absorbed 13 C was also altered. Thus, 13 C recovery in flooded leaves increased compared to controls, whereas roots exhibited the opposite pattern. Interestingly, when carbohydrate partitioning was examined, the data revealed that sucrose concentration was augmented significantly in roots (37-56%), whereas starch was reduced. In leaves, a marked increase in sucrose was detected from the first sampling onwards (36-66%), and the same patter was observed for starch. Taken together, these results indicate that flooding altered carbon and nitrogen pools and partitioning in citrus. On one hand, reduced nitrogen concentration appears to be a consequence of impaired uptake and transport. On the other hand, the observed changes in carbohydrate distribution suggest that translocation from leaves to roots was reduced, leading to significant starch accumulation in leaves and further decreases in roots.

- by Ana Quiñones
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- Water, Carbon, Plant Biology, Plant Physiology

1. The tolerance of chickens to acute heat stress, evaluated by the time required to reach the critical body temperature (Tr) of 44.5 degrees C, was markedly enhanced as the period of fasting was extended. 2. Fasting reduced the rates of heat-induced changes in blood acid-base and electrolyte status. 3. Changes in Tr were correlated with changes in blood pH, pCO2, [Cl-] and [Pi] but not with changes in [Na+] or [K+]. 4. Blood acid-base and electrolyte status were related to Tr rather than time of exposure to heat stress.

- by Frank Edens
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- Fasting, Body Temperature, Heat stress, Chickens
- by kübra terim
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- Wood, Glutathione, Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase

The main purpose of the study is to verify if helical flow might be a surrogate marker of the exposure to disturbed shear in normal carotid bifurcations. Based on hemodynamic simulations data of 50 carotid bifurcations, we defined appropriate helicity-based bulk flow descriptors and multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to assess the potential for a combination of helicity-based indicators in describing the exposure to disturbed shear. To select the optimal combination of helicity-based descriptors in the regression model, the Akaike information criterion was applied. The identified statistical model is composed of two bulk flow descriptors proposed here to quantify helicity intensity and the balance between counter-rotating helical flow patterns in the flow field. The model revealed the existence of a significant relationship with adjusted squared Pearson's correlation coefficient in the range 0.4-0.7 (P o 0.0001). In detail, while a high helicity intensity is instrumental in suppressing flow disturbances, this protective effect could be moderated when one direction of rotation is dominant in the flow field. The in vivo quantification of the bulk flow features emerging in this study would offer a practical way to infer the presence of disturbed shear in large-scale in vivo studies of local risk factors in atherosclerosis.

- by Umberto Morbiducci
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- Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biomechanics, Carotid Sinus

In this study we tested the hypothesis that St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) may counteract stress-induced memory impairment. Object recognition test and Morris water maze were used to determine whether administration of H. perforatum (350 mg kg −1 for 21 days), standardized to 0.3% hypericin content, protects against non-spatial and/or spatial memory impairments due to chronic restraint stress (2 h daily for 21 days). A group of rats administered the exogenous corticosterone at the dose of 5 mg kg −1 daily for 21 days, yielding its similar plasma levels as these observed in stress was run in parallel. In the first experiment all rats were tested for recognition memory in the object recognition test. On the following day, the animals were tested in open field and elevated "plus" maze to control for the contribution of respectively, motor and emotional effects of our treatments to the memory tests. In the second experiment, new group of stressed animals was tested for spatial memory in the water maze. We observed that H. perforatum prevented the deleterious effects of both chronic restraint stress and long-term corticosterone on learning and memory as measured in both, the object recognition and the water maze tests. The herb not only prevented stress-and corticosterone-induced memory impairments, but it significantly improved recognition memory (p < 0.01) in comparison to control. These results suggest that H. perforatum has a potential to prevent stress memory disorders.

- by Emil Trofimiuk
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- Spatial Memory, Stress, Recognition memory, Object Recognition

The pathogenic role of self-addiction. Addiction to an endogenous chemical is a new paradigm termed 'self-addiction'. It may contribute to the development of certain habits, the pathological nature of which may set-in on the basis of this "self-addictive"dimension. Pathological eating habits could be inscribed in this perspective. Two extreme situations. In well-fed populations, the ingestion of food does not represent a limiting phase in the global feeding process. Its pathological management may, however, lead to two extreme situations: the absence of ingestion (anorexia) and excessive ingestion (bulimia). In favour of the self-addictive hypothesis. Eating disorders are associated with abnormal levels of endorphins and share clinical similarities with psychoactive drug abuse. The key role of endorphins has recently been demonstrated in animals with regard to certain aspects of normal, pathological and experimental eating habits (food restriction combined with str...

- by Yasmine Lienard
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- Eating Disorders, Dopamine, Endorphins, Personality Inventory
- by Stephen Porges
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- Mental Health, Love, Gene expression, Oxytocin

Despite many advances in management and housing of dairy calves, 1 in 10 US dairy heifers die before weaning. A better understanding of the internal and external stimuli that contribute to the physiological and behavioral responses of calves to stressors is needed to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality. Feeding calves their first meal is crucial, as successful passive transfer reduces the risk of mortality and morbidity. Sexually dimorphic immune and stress responses appear to be present in young cattle, but more research is needed to determine if this is caused by human bias for female calves. After that first feeding, 1 in 10 heifers and most bull calves in the United States are transported to specialized calf-raising facilities, yet information is lacking on the newborn calf stress response during transit. Whether calves are raised on site or at a calf ranch, individual housing systems are commonly used in the United States to reduce the risk of pathogen exposure and provide individual feeding and healthcare. However, health, growth, and social implications may be present for calves in alternative systems with greater space allowance than conventional systems or group housing. Disbudding and castration are typically performed at an early age for dairy calves during the pre-wean stage. These stressors often take place when the calf has decreased passive transfer of Ig and immunity is developing. Availability of pain mitigation through anesthetics and analgesics is limited, but evidence indicates that analgesics attenuate suppressed leukocyte function during these procedures. Solid-feed intake is a primary measure for determining weaning readiness, but some milk replacer formulas may influence the calf's oral behaviors before weaning; therefore, alternate weaning methods may need to coincide with alternate milk replacer formulas. The calf's behavioral and stress response at weaning may influence its immunity during the transition from individual to group housing (commingling). Alternate commingling strategies and nutritional supplements may help with this transition, but more research is needed to explore feasible alternatives. Optimizing the calf's health and well-being at these early stages may improve its longterm health and welfare.

- by L. Hulbert
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- Dairy Science, Animal Production, Immunity, Animal Feed

Freeze-drying of bacterial cells with retained viability and activity after storage requires appropriate formulation, i.e. mixing of physiologically adapted cell populations with suitable protective agents, and control of the freeze-drying process. Product manufacturing may alter the clinical effects of probiotics and it is essential to identify and understand possible factor co-dependencies during manufacturing. The physical solid-state behavior of the formulation and the freeze-drying parameters are critical for bacterial survival and thus process optimization is important, independent of strain. However, the maximum yield achievable is also strain-specific and strain survival is governed by e.g. medium, cell type, physiological state, excipients used, and process. The use of preferred compatible solutes for cross-protection of Lactobacilli during industrial manufacturing may be a natural step to introduce robustness, but knowledge is lacking on how compatible solutes, such as betaine, influence formulation properties and cell survival. This study characterized betaine formulations, with and without sucrose, and tested these with the model lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus coryniformis Si3. Betaine alone did not act as a lyo-protectant and thus betaine import prior to freeze-drying should be avoided. Differences in protective agents were analyzed by calorimetry, which proved to be a suitable tool for evaluating the characteristics of the freeze-dried end products.

- by Sebastian Hakansson
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- Cryobiology, Probiotics, Lactobacillus, Sucrose

Using chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence many aspects of the photosynthetic apparatus can be studied, both in vitro and, noninvasively, in vivo. Complementary techniques can help to interpret changes in the Chl a fluorescence kinetics. Kalaji et al. (Photosynth Res 122:121-158, 2014a) addressed several questions about instruments, methods and applications based on Chl a fluorescence. Here, additional Chl a fluorescence-related topics are discussed again in a question and answer format. Examples are the effect of connectivity on photochemical quenching, the correction of F V /F M values for PSI fluorescence, the energy partitioning concept, the interpretation of the complementary area, probing the donor side of PSII, the assignment of bands of 77 K fluorescence emission spectra to fluorescence emitters, the relationship between prompt and delayed fluorescence, potential problems when sampling tree canopies, the use of fluorescence parameters in QTL studies, the use of Chl a fluorescence in biosensor Hazem M. Kalaji and Gert Schansker have contributed equally to this paper.

- by pasquale losciale
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- Photosynthesis, Plant Biology, Fluorescence, Chlorophyll
- by Merav Socolovsky
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- Immunology, Cell Biology, Macrophages, Homeostasis

Numbers of giraffes are declining rapidly in their native habitat. As giraffe research and conservation efforts increase, the demand for more complete measures of the impact of conservation interventions and the effects of captive environments on animal health and welfare have risen. We compared the ability of six different enzyme immunoassays to quantify changes in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) resulting from three sources: adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test, transport, and time of day that samples were collected. Two male giraffes underwent ACTH injections; all six assays detected FGM increases following injection for Giraffe 1, while only three assays detected FGM increases following injection for Giraffe 2. Consistent with other ruminant species, the two 11-oxoetiocholanolone assays (one for 11,17-dioxoandrostanes and the other for 3α,11-oxo metabolites) measured the most pronounced and prolonged elevation of FGM, while an assay for 3β,11β-diol detected peaks ...

- by Franz Schwarzenberger
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- Microbiology, Feces, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Veterinary Sciences

Three experiments, each using 280 pigs, were conducted in a simulated compartment to test the effect of angle of entrance (AOE) to the ramp (90°, 60°, 30°, or 0°), ramp slope (0°, 16°, 21°, or 26°), and an initial 20-cm step associated with 16° or 21° ramp slopes on the ease of handling, heart rate (HR), and behavior of near market-weight pigs during unloading. Heart rate (pigs and handler), unloading time, interventions of the handler, and reactions of the pigs were monitored. The results of the first experiment show that using a 90° AOE had detrimental effects on ease of handling (P < 0.05), HR of the pig (P < 0.05), and behavior (P < 0.05). The 0° and 30° AOE appeared to improve the ease of unloading, whereas the 60° AOE had an intermediate effect. The 30° AOE appeared to be preferable, because pigs moved at this angle balked less frequently (P < 0.01) and required less manipulation (P < 0.05) than pigs moved with a 0° AOE. The results of the second experiment show that the use of a flat ramp led to the easiest unloading, as demonstrated by the lower number of balks (P < 0.001) when pigs were moved to the ramp and less frequent use of paddle (P = 0.001) or voice (P < 0.001) on the ramp, compared with the other treatments. However, the flat ramp did not differ from the 21° ramp in many of the variables reflecting ease of handling, which may be explained by the difference in configuration between the ramps. The results also show that the use of the steepest ramp slope had the most detrimental effect on balking and backing up behavior of pigs (P < 0.001), and handling (touches, slaps, and pushes; P < 0.05 for all) when moved to the ramp and on unloading time (P < 0.01). No differences in pig HR (P < 0.05) and ease of handling on the ramp (P < 0.05) were found between a 26° and 16° ramp slope, suggesting that the length of the ramp may be one of the factors that make unloading more difficult. The results of the last experiment show that an initial step made unloading physically more demanding for the handler (P < 0.001) and pigs on the ramp (P < 0.05) as demonstrated by their greater HR. The greater difficulty of handling (P < 0.01) and reluctance to move (P < 0.05) of pigs moved toward the 16° ramp with a step suggest that pigs perceived this ramp as more psychologically challenging. Making a few changes in terms of the design of the ramp could improve the efficiency of handling and reduce stress in pigs.

- by T. Crowe
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- Animal Science, Animal Behavior, Transportation, Animal Welfare

Copper oxide nanoparticles (nCuO) are widely used in boat antifouling paints and are released into the environment, potentially inducing toxicity to aquatic organisms. The present study aimed to understand the effects of nCuO and dissolved copper (Cu) on two ornamental Amazon fish species: dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma agassizii) and cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi). Fish were exposed to 50% of the LC for nCuO (dwarf cichlid 58.31μgL and cardinal tetra 69.6μgL) and Cu (dwarf cichlid 20μgL and cardinal tetra 22.9μgL) for 24, 48, 72 and 96h. Following exposure, aerobic metabolic rate (ṀO), gill osmoregulatory physiology and mitochondrial function, oxidative stress markers, and morphological damage were evaluated. Our results revealed species specificity in metabolic stress responses. An increase of ṀO was noted in cardinal tetra exposed to Cu, but not nCuO, whereas ṀO in dwarf cichlid showed little change with either treatment. In contrast, mitochondria from dwarf cichlid exhibit...

- by Adalberto L Val
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- Mitochondria, Multidisciplinary, Metal Nanoparticles, Copper
- by Byron Chalidis
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- Nursing, Surgery, Migration, Treatment

Stress may affect the physical, mental, and social health of an animal. The effect of stressors is individual to the animal concerned and results from the appraisal of the stressor by the animal. Emotional states are not mutually exclusive and emotional conflict can also have serious behavioral consequences. Treatment of animals presenting with problems deemed to be stress-related should focus on the amelioration of background stress as well as specific stress-related triggers. Providing animals with certain coping mechanisms as well as teaching them some key life skills may be beneficial for the prevention of stress-related problems.

- by Christos Karagiannis
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- Animal Behavior, Behavior, Stress, Health
- by Jay Weiss
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- Animal Behavior, Auditory Perception, Sound, Locomotion

We examined whether exposures to mobile phone radiation in biological/clinical experiments should be performed with real-life Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) emitted by commercially available mobile phone handsets, instead of simulated EMFs emitted by generators or test phones. Real mobile phone emissions are constantly and unpredictably varying and thus are very different from simulated emissions which employ fixed parameters and no variability. This variability is an important parameter that makes real emissions more bioactive. Living organisms seem to have decreased defense against environmental stressors of high variability. While experimental studies employing simulated EMF-emissions present a strong inconsistency among their results with less than 50% of them reporting effects, studies employing real mobile phone exposures demonstrate an almost 100% consistency in showing adverse effects. This consistency is in agreement with studies showing association with brain tumors, sympto...

- by George Carlo
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- Cell Phones, Biomed, Radio Waves, Stress Physiological

Constant exposure to various stressors, such as immune pressure, rapidly increasing population, deleterious changes in the ecosystem, climate change, infection with emerging and re-emerging pathogens, and fast-paced lifestyle, is a critical factor in the globally increasing incidences of immunocompromising health conditions, as well as stress. Synthetic chemotherapeutic agents, which are widely available in the commercial market, may be highly efficacious, but most are immunosuppressive and exert many side effects. Undoubtedly, the pivotal characteristics of immunostimulants and immunomodulators in the maintenance of the health and productivity of humans, as well as animals, cannot be overlooked. Numerous herbs used in ethnoveterinary medicine can be successfully employed as adjuvant rehabilitators to negate the deleterious effects of chemotherapeutics. The sources of these medicinal remedies are part of long traditions in different regions of the world, such as Indian Ayurveda and ...

- by Hafiz Iqbal
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- Ayurvedic Medicine, Medicinal Plants, Medicine, Phytotherapy

York at Buffalo 4 modes of reacting to the late adolescent identity crisis were described, measured, and validated. Criteria for inclusion in 1 of 4 identity statuses were the presence of crisis and commitment in the areas of occupation and ideology. Statuses were determined for 86 college male Ss by means of individual interviews. Performance on a stressful concept-attainment task, patterns of goal setting, authoritarianism, and vulnerability to self-esteem change were dependent variables. Ss higher in ego identity performed best on the conceptattainment task; those in the status characterized by adherence to parental wishes set goals unrealistically high and subscribed significantly more to authoritarian values. Failure of the self-esteem condition to discriminate among the statuses was attributed to unreliability in self-esteem measurement.

- by James Marcia
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- Marketing, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Adolescent
- by Csaba Koncz
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- Plant Biology, Plant Science, Plants, Plant Development

To examine the effect of heat stress on muscle energy metabolism during submaximal exercise, 12 endurance-trained men cycled on two occasions for approximately 40 min at 70% maximal O2 uptake in an environmental chamber at either 20 degrees C and 20% relative humidity (T20) or 40 degrees C and 20% relative humidity (T40). Trials were conducted > or = 1 wk apart in random order. No difference in mean O2 uptake was observed when exercise in T40 was compared with that in T20. In contrast, exercise in T40 resulted in a higher mean heart rate (P < 0.01) and respiratory exchange ratio (P < 0.05) compared with that in T20. Postexercise rectal and muscle temperatures were also higher (P < 0.01) in T40 than in T20. Lower (P < 0.01) postexercise creatine phosphate and higher creatine (P < 0.01) and ammonia (P < 0.05) were observed in muscle after exercise in T40 compared with T20. In addition, an increased (P < 0.01) muscle glycogenolysis and higher (P < 0.01) poste...

- by Rodney Snow
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- Endocrinology, Chemistry, Energy Metabolism, Biological Sciences

Alzheimer's disease, AD, is the most common form of dementia. AD initially targets memory and progressively destroys the mind. The brain atrophies as the neocortex suffers neuronal, synaptic, and dendritic losses, and the hallmark amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles proliferate. Pharmacological management, at best, is palliative and transiently effective, with marked adverse effects. Certain nutrients intrinsic to human biochemistry (orthomolecules) match or exceed pharmacological drug benefits in double-blind, randomized, controlled trials, with superior safety. Early intervention is feasible because its heritability is typically minimal and pathological deterioration is detectable years prior to diagnosis. The syndrome amnestic mild cognitive impairment exhibits AD pathology and to date has frustrated attempts at intervention. The condition age-associated memory impairment is a nonpathological extreme of normal brain aging, but with less severe cognitive impairment tha...

- by Dr Parris M Kidd
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- Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Medicine, Amnesia, Dietary Supplements
- by Seppo E. Iso-Ahola
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- Cognition, Stress, Social Support, Motivation

- by Ruchi Tiwari
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- Ayurvedic Medicine, Medicinal Plants, Phytotherapy, Stress Physiological

The endoribonuclease toxins of the E. coli toxin-antitoxin systems arrest bacterial growth and protein synthesis by targeting cellular mRNAs. As an exception, E. coli MazF was reported to cleave also 16S rRNA at a single site and separate an anti-Shine-Dalgarno sequence-containing RNA fragment from the ribosome. We noticed extensive rRNA fragmentation in response to induction of the toxins MazF and MqsR, which suggested that these toxins can cleave rRNA at multiple sites. We adapted differential RNAsequencing to map the toxin-cleaved 5 0 -and 3 0 -ends. Our results show that the MazF and MqsR cleavage sites are located within structured rRNA regions and, therefore, are not accessible in assembled ribosomes. Most of the rRNA fragments are located in the aberrant ribosomal subunits that accumulate in response to toxin induction and contain unprocessed rRNA precursors. We did not detect MazF-or MqsR-cleaved rRNA in stationary phase bacteria and in assembled ribosomes. Thus, we conclude that MazF and MqsR cleave rRNA precursors before the ribosomes are assembled and potentially facilitate the decay of surplus rRNA transcripts during stress.

- by Niilo Kaldalu
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- Genetics, Bacterial Toxins, Escherichia coli, Phosphorylation

During a football match played in warm (34.3 AE 0.6 1C), humid (64 AE 2% rh) conditions, 22 male players had their pre-match hydration status, body mass change, sweat loss and drinking behavior assessed. Pre-match urine specific gravity (1.012 AE 0.006) suggested that all but three players commenced the match euhydrated. Players lost 3.1 AE 0.6 L of sweat and 45 AE 9 mmol of sodium during the 90-min match and replaced 55 AE 19% of their sweat losses and hence by the end of the game were 2.2 AE 0.9% lighter. The water volume consumed during the game was highly variable (1653 AE 487 mL; 741-2387 mL) but there was a stronger relationship between the estimated pre-game hydration status and water volume consumed, than between sweat rate and water volume consumed. In a second match, with the same players 2 weeks later in 34.4 AE 0.6 1C, 65 AE 3% rh, 11 players had a sports drink available to them before and during the match in addition to water. Total drink volume consumed during the match was the same, but approximately half the volume was consumed as sports drink. The results indicate that substantial sweat water and electrolyte losses can occur during match play in hot conditions and a substantial water and sodium deficit can occur in many players even when water or sports drink is freely available.

- by zubeyde aslankeser
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- Chemistry, Nonparametric Statistics, Soccer, Medicine

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, when activated by stress, exerts an inhibitory effect on the female reproductive system. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) inhibits hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, and glucocorticoids inhibit pituitary luteinizing hormone and ovarian estrogen and progesterone secretion. These effects are responsible for the "hypothalamic" amenorrhea of stress, which is observed in anxiety and depression, malnutrition, eating disorders and chronic excessive exercise, and the hypogonadism of the Cushing syndrome. In addition, corticotropin-releasing hormone and its receptors have been identified in most female reproductive tissues, including the ovary, uterus, and placenta. Furthermore, corticotropin-releasing hormone is secreted in peripheral inflammatory sites where it exerts inflammatory actions. Reproductive corticotropin-releasing hormone is regulating reproductive functions with an inflammatory component, such as ovulation, luteolysis, decidualization, implantation, and early maternal tolerance. Placental CRH participates in the physiology of pregnancy and the onset of labor. Circulating placental CRH is responsible for the physiologic hypercortisolism of the latter half of pregnancy. Postpartum, this hypercortisolism is followed by a transient adrenal suppression, which may explain the blues/depression and increased autoimmune phenomena observed during this period.

- by S. Kalantaridou
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- Immunology, Stress, Corticotropin Releasing Hormone, Pregnancy

Many physically demanding occupations in both developed and developing economies involve exposure to extreme thermal environments that can affect work capacity and ultimately health. Thermal extremes may be present in either an outdoor or an indoor work environment, and can be due to a combination of the natural or artificial ambient environment, the rate of metabolic heat generation from physical work, processes specific to the workplace (e.g., steel manufacturing), or through the requirement for protective clothing impairing heat dissipation. Together, thermal exposure can elicit acute impairment of work capacity and also chronic effects on health, greatly contributing to worker health risk and reduced productivity. Surprisingly, in most occupations even in developed economies, there are rarely any standards regarding enforced heat or cold safety for workers. Furthermore, specific physical employment standards or accommodations for thermal stressors are rare, with workers commonly...

- by Juha Oksa
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- Occupational Health, Employment, Biological Sciences, Workplace

The activity and subunit amounts of V-ATPase and V-PPase in various plants of Butea monosperma Taub. (Fabaceae) (ver. Dhak; Palas) growing as a natural inhabitant in varying stress conditions in southeast Rajasthan were studied. Western blot analysis followed by immunological quantification of V-ATPase subunits using specific polyclonal antibodies showed that the subunits A, B, D, E, and c are clearly detectable in all plants, with A, B, and c appearing as intense bands. The other subunits of V-ATPase, viz., C, a, and d, were also detected in majority of the plants. Various subunits exhibited variations in their protein amount in different plants. Besides, a few other clear bands were also detected. Of these, the 30-and 29-kD bands may possibly be Di and Ei. Furthermore, a clear band of V-PPase corresponding to 67-70 kD was also detected. A comparison of the V-ATPase and V-PPase activity revealed that Butea plants in the upper region of the study site showed 70% and 39% higher activity, respectively. Furthermore, the immunological quantification showed that the V-ATPase and V-PPase protein amounts are also higher in the upper Butea plants which have drought stress and, moreover, are also exposed to stronger light intensities for relatively longer duration.

- by Nilima Kumari
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- Plant Biology, Stress, Drought Stress, Light Intensity

In response to most stressors, fish will elicit a generalized physiological stress response, which involves the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis (HPI). As in other vertebrates, this generalized stress response comprises physiological responses that are common to a wide range of environmental, physical and biological stressors. Recently, several families of heat shock proteins (hsps) have been proposed as indicators of a generalized stress response at the cellular level. Recent findings that hsp levels, in various fish tissues, respond to a wide range of stressors have supported the use of these proteins as indicators of stressed states in fish. However, the cellular stress response can vary, for example, according to tissue, hsp family and type of stressor. This brief overview of these responses in fish asks the question of whether changes in levels and families of hsps can be used as a suitable indicator of stressed states in fish. By casting this question i...

- by Paige Ackerman
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- Biological Sciences, Hypothalamus, Fishes, Pituitary Gland

The aim of this study was to describe the factors associated with work stress and burnout among dental hygienists. Furthermore, how to deal with work stressors in order to prevent burnout in the dental hygienist work environment will be discussed. From a small literature search, only a few empirical studies could be traced that describe work stress or burnout among dental hygienists. Burnout incidence among dental hygienists appears to be relatively favourable, when compared with other professions, according to a 20-year-old study. On the contrary, in a recent study, it was described that one out of eight dental hygienists felt emotionally exhausted from work. Dental hygienists, when compared with other professionals, are relatively negative about the variety of tasks they find in their work. Factors associated with experienced work stress are, according to another study, musculoskeletal pain, combining work and private life, highly efficient organization of work, long working hours...

- by Ronald Gorter
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- Dentistry, Job Satisfaction, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Work Stress

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) inflammatory attacks are often triggered by metabolic or physical stress. mTOR signaling and autophagy modulate cellular responses to metabolic danger signals. In this study, we investigated the implication of mTOR inhibition and autophagy in FMF pathophysiology. mTOR inhibition induced MEFV gene expression in polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) from healthy individuals, whereas it had no effect on PMNs from attack-free FMF patients. A significant reduction in pyrin levels in PMNs from FMF patients after mTOR inhibition was also observed. Pyrin levels in control PMNs remained unaffected. Moreover, the basal autophagic status in PMNs from FMF patients was reduced, as indicated by the lower LC3B-II/I ratio and ATG mRNA expression levels. However, mTOR inhibition had similar effects on the induction of autophagy in the two groups. The differential pyrin expression after metabolic stress induction and the impaired basal autophagy suggest a potential role in the triggering of FMF attacks.

- by K. Kambas
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- Immunology, Autophagy, Gene expression, Signal Transduction