Prebiotics, Prosynbiotics and Synbiotics: Can They Reduce Plasma Oxidative Stress Parameters? A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi-Abargouei, Amin; Ghiasvand, Reza; Hariri, Mitra

2017-03-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of presybiotics, prosybiotics and synbiotics on reducing serum oxidative stress parameters. PubMed/Medline, Ovid, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science and SCOPUS were searched up to September 2016. English language randomized clinical trials reporting the effect of presybiotics, prosybiotics or synbiotic interventions on serum oxidative stress parameters in human adults were included. Twenty-one randomized clinical trials met the inclusion criteria for systematic review. Two studies investigated prebiotics, four studies synbiotics and fifteen studies probiotics. According to our systematic review, prebiotic could decrease malondialdehyde and increase superoxidative dismutase, but evidence is not enough. In comparison with fructo-oligosaccharide, inulin is much more useful for oxidative stress reduction. Using probiotics with dairy products could reduce oxidative stress significantly, but probiotic in form of supplementation did not have any effect on oxidative stress. There is limited but supportive evidence that presybiotics, prosybiotics and synbiotics are effective for reducing oxidative stress parameters. Further randomized clinical trials with longer duration of intervention especially on population with increased oxidative stress are needed to provide more definitive results before any recommendation for clinical use of these interventions.

Baicalein reduces oxidative stress in CHO cell cultures and improves recombinant antibody productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kwang Ha, Tae; Hansen, Anders Holmgaard; Kol, Stefan

2017-01-01

. Addition of baicalein significantly reduced the expression level of BiP and CHOP along with reduced reactive oxygen species level, suggesting oxidative stress accumulated in the cells can be relieved using baicalein. As a result, addition of baicalein in batch cultures resulted in 1.7 - 1.8-fold increase...

High intensity and reduced volume training attenuates stress and recovery levels in elite swimmers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elbe, Anne-Marie; Rasmussen, Camilla P; Nielsen, Glen

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effect of increased high-intensity interval training (HIT) at the expense of total training volume on the stress and recovery levels of elite swimmers. Forty-one elite swimmers participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either a HIT or a control group (CON....... The Recovery Stress Questionnaire - Sport was used to measure the swimmers' stress and recovery levels. After the 12 week intervention, the general stress level was 16.6% (2.6-30.7%; mean and 95% CI) lower and the general recovery level was 6.5% (0.7-12.4%) higher in HIT compared to the CON, after adjusting...... for baseline values. No significant effects could be observed in sports-specific stress or sports-specific recovery. The results indicate that increasing training intensity and reducing training volume for 12 weeks can reduce general stress and increase general recovery levels in competitive swimmers....

Chewing reduces sympathetic nervous response to stress and prevents poststress arrhythmias in rats.

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Koizumi, So; Minamisawa, Susumu; Sasaguri, Kenichi; Onozuka, Minoru; Sato, Sadao; Ono, Yumie

2011-10-01

Reducing stress is important in preventing sudden death in patients with cardiovascular disease, as stressful events may cause autonomic imbalance and trigger fatal arrhythmias. Since chewing has been shown to inhibit stress-induced neuronal responses in the hypothalamus, we hypothesized that chewing could ameliorate stress-induced autonomic imbalance and prevent arrhythmias. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed changes in radiotelemetered electrocardiograms in rats that were allowed to chew a wooden stick during a 1-h period of immobilization stress. Chewing significantly reduced the occurrence of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) and complex ventricular ectopy after immobilization and prevented stress-induced prolongation of the QT interval of VPBs throughout the 10-h experimental period. It also prevented prolongation of the QRS complex and fluctuations in the QT interval in normal sinus rhythm beats preceding VPBs during both immobilization and in the poststress period. Fast Fourier transform-based spectral analysis of heart-rate variability further showed that chewing significantly inhibited the stress-induced increase in the power ratio of low-to-high frequency activity (LF/HF: a marker of sympathetic activity) during immobilization and in addition was associated with blunting of the stress-induced increase in plasma noradrenaline observed at the termination of immobilization. Similar suppressive effects on the occurrence of VPBs and the LF/HF were observed in rats that were administered the β-adrenergic blocker propranolol before immobilization. These results indicate that chewing can ameliorate sympathetic hyperactivity during stress and prevent poststress arrhythmias and suggest that chewing may provide a nonpharmacological and cost-effective treatment option for patients with a high risk of stress-induced fatal arrhythmia.

Acute immobilization stress following contextual fear conditioning reduces fear memory: timing is essential.

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Uwaya, Akemi; Lee, Hyunjin; Park, Jonghyuk; Lee, Hosung; Muto, Junko; Nakajima, Sanae; Ohta, Shigeo; Mikami, Toshio

2016-02-24

Histone acetylation is regulated in response to stress and plays an important role in learning and memory. Chronic stress is known to deteriorate cognition, whereas acute stress facilitates memory formation. However, whether acute stress facilitates memory formation when it is applied after fear stimulation is not yet known. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of acute stress applied after fear training on memory formation, mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), epigenetic regulation of BDNF expression, and corticosterone level in mice in vivo. Mice were subjected to acute immobilization stress for 30 min at 60 or 90 min after contextual fear conditioning training, and acetylation of histone 3 at lysine 14 (H3K14) and level of corticosterone were measured using western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. A freezing behavior test was performed 24 h after training, and mRNA expression of BDNF was measured using real-time polymerase chain reactions. Different groups of mice were used for each test. Freezing behavior significantly decreased with the down-regulation of BDNF mRNA expression caused by acute immobilization stress at 60 min after fear conditioning training owing to the reduction of H3K14 acetylation. However, BDNF mRNA expression and H3K14 acetylation were not reduced in animals subjected to immobilization stress at 90 min after the training. Further, the corticosterone level was significantly high in mice subjected to immobilization stress at 60 min after the training. Acute immobilization stress for 30 min at 60 min after fear conditioning training impaired memory formation and reduced BDNF mRNA expression and H3K14 acetylation in the hippocampus of mice owing to the high level of corticosterone.

Neonicotinoid pesticides and nutritional stress synergistically reduce survival in honey bees.

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Tosi, Simone; Nieh, James C; Sgolastra, Fabio; Cabbri, Riccardo; Medrzycki, Piotr

2017-12-20

The honey bee is a major pollinator whose health is of global concern. Declines in bee health are related to multiple factors, including resource quality and pesticide contamination. Intensive agricultural areas with crop monocultures potentially reduce the quality and quantity of available nutrients and expose bee foragers to pesticides. However, there is, to date, no evidence for synergistic effects between pesticides and nutritional stress in animals. The neonicotinoids clothianidin (CLO) and thiamethoxam (TMX) are common systemic pesticides that are used worldwide and found in nectar and pollen. We therefore tested if nutritional stress (limited access to nectar and access to nectar with low-sugar concentrations) and sublethal, field-realistic acute exposures to two neonicotinoids (CLO and TMX at 1/5 and 1/25 of LD 50 ) could alter bee survival, food consumption and haemolymph sugar levels. Bee survival was synergistically reduced by the combination of poor nutrition and pesticide exposure (-50%). Nutritional and pesticide stressors reduced also food consumption (-48%) and haemolymph levels of glucose (-60%) and trehalose (-27%). Our results provide the first demonstration that field-realistic nutritional stress and pesticide exposure can synergistically interact and cause significant harm to animal survival. These findings have implications for current pesticide risk assessment and pollinator protection. © 2017 The Author(s).

Surplus dietary tryptophan reduces plasma cortisol and noradrenaline concentrations and enhances recovery after social stress in pigs.

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Koopmans, Sietse Jan; Ruis, Marko; Dekker, Ruud; van Diepen, Hans; Korte, Mechiel; Mroz, Zdzislaw

2005-07-21

Social stress occurs in intensive pig farming due to aggressive behavior. This stress may be reduced at elevated dietary levels of tryptophan (TRP). In this study, we compared the effects of high (13.2%) vs. normal (3.4%) dietary TRP to large neutral amino acid (LNAA) ratios on behavior and stress hormones in catheterized pigs ( approximately 50 kg BW), which were exposed to social stress by placing them twice into the territory of a dominant pig ( approximately 60 kg) for 15 min. Pre-stress plasma TRP concentrations were 156+/-15 vs. 53+/-6 micromol/l (psocial confrontations, pigs on the high vs. normal TRP diets show a tendency towards reduced active avoidance behavior (3.2+/-1.1 vs. 6.7+/-1.2 min, psocial confrontations, the post-stress plasma cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations and/or curves (from +5 min to 2 h) were lower/steeper (psurplus TRP in diets for pigs (1) does not significantly affect behavior when exposed to social stress, (2) reduces basal plasma cortisol and noradrenaline concentrations, (3) does not affect the immediate hormonal response to stress, and (4) reduces the long-term hormonal response to stress. In general, pigs receiving high dietary TRP were found to be less affected by stress.

Desferrioxamine Reduces Oxidative Stress in the Lung Contusion

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Umit Nusret Basaran

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Our hypothesis in this study is that desferrioxamine (DFX has therapeutic effects on experimental lung contusions in rats. The rats were divided into four groups (n=8: control, control+DFX, contusion, and contusion+DFX. In the control+DFX and contusion+DFX groups, 100 mg/kg DFX was given intraperitoneally once a day just after the contusion and the day after the contusion. Contusions led to a meaningful rise in the malondialdehyde (MDA level in lung tissue. MDA levels in the contusion+DFX group experienced a significant decline. Glutathione levels were significantly lower in the contusion group than in the control group and significantly higher in the contusion+DFX group. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx and superoxide dismutase (SOD levels in the contusion group were significantly lower than those in the control group. In the contusion+DFX group, SOD and GPx levels were significantly higher than those in the contusion group. In light microscopic evaluation, the contusion and contusion+DFX groups showed edema, hemorrhage, alveolar destruction, and leukocyte infiltration. However, histological scoring of the contusion+DFX group was significantly more positive than that of the contusion group. The iNOS staining in the contusion group was significantly more intensive than that in all other groups. DFX reduced iNOS staining significantly in comparison to the contusion group. This study showed that DFX reduced oxidative stress in lung contusions in rats and histopathologically ensured the recovery of the lung tissue.

Stress-reducing preventive maintenance model for a unit under stressful environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J.H.; Chang, Woojin; Lie, C.H.

2012-01-01

We develop a preventive maintenance (PM) model for a unit operated under stressful environment. The PM model in this paper consists of a failure rate model and two cost models to determine the optimal PM scheduling which minimizes a cost rate. The assumption for the proposed model is that stressful environment accelerates the failure of the unit and periodic maintenances reduce stress from outside. The failure rate model handles the maintenance effect of PM using improvement and stress factors. The cost models are categorized into two failure recognition cases: immediate failure recognition and periodic failure detection. The optimal PM scheduling is obtained by considering the trade-off between the related cost and the lifetime of a unit in our model setting. The practical usage of our proposed model is tested through a numerical example.

Mindfulness significantly reduces self-reported levels of anxiety and depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Würtzen, Hanne; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Elsass, Peter

2013-01-01

INTRODUCTION: As the incidence of and survival from breast cancer continue to raise, interventions to reduce anxiety and depression before, during and after treatment are needed. Previous studies have reported positive effects of a structured 8-week group mindfulness-based stress reduction program...

Mindfulness and meditation: treating cognitive impairment and reducing stress in dementia.

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Russell-Williams, Jesse; Jaroudi, Wafa; Perich, Tania; Hoscheidt, Siobhan; El Haj, Mohamad; Moustafa, Ahmed A

2018-02-21

This study investigates the relationship between mindfulness, meditation, cognition and stress in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia, mild cognitive impairment and subjective cognitive decline. Accordingly, we explore how the use of meditation as a behavioural intervention can reduce stress and enhance cognition, which in turn ameliorates some dementia symptoms. A narrative review of the literature was conducted with any studies using meditation as an intervention for dementia or dementia-related memory conditions meeting inclusion criteria. Studies where moving meditation was the main intervention were excluded due to the possible confounding of exercise. Ten papers were identified and reviewed. There was a broad use of measures across all studies, with cognitive assessment, quality of life and perceived stress being the most common. Three studies used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure functional changes to brain regions during meditation. The interventions fell into the following three categories: mindfulness, most commonly mindfulness-based stress reduction (six studies); Kirtan Kriya meditation (three studies); and mindfulness-based Alzheimer's stimulation (one study). Three of these studies were randomised controlled trials. All studies reported significant findings or trends towards significance in a broad range of measures, including a reduction of cognitive decline, reduction in perceived stress, increase in quality of life, as well as increases in functional connectivity, percent volume brain change and cerebral blood flow in areas of the cortex. Limitations and directions for future studies on meditation-based treatment for AD and stress management are suggested.

Beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress, improves glutathione metabolism and modifies antioxidant defense systems in lead-exposed workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasperczyk, Sławomir; Dobrakowski, Michał; Kasperczyk, Janusz; Ostałowska, Alina; Zalejska-Fiolka, Jolanta; Birkner, Ewa

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether beta-carotene administration reduces oxidative stress and influences antioxidant, mainly glutathione-related, defense systems in workers chronically exposed to lead. The population consisted of two randomly divided groups of healthy male volunteers exposed to lead. Workers in the first group (reference group) were not administered any antioxidants, while workers in the second group (CAR group) were treated orally with 10 mg of beta-carotene once a day for 12 weeks. Biochemical analysis included measuring markers of lead-exposure and oxidative stress in addition to the levels and activities of selected antioxidants. After treatment, levels of malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxides and lipofuscin significantly decreased compared with the reference group. However, the level of glutathione significantly increased compared with the baseline. Treatment with beta-carotene also resulted in significantly decreased glutathione peroxidase activity compared with the reference group, while the activities of other glutathione-related enzymes and of superoxide dismutase were not significantly changed. However, the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and catalase, as well as the level of alpha-tocopherol, were significantly higher after treatment compared with the baseline. Despite controversy over the antioxidant properties of beta-carotene in vivo, our findings showed reduced oxidative stress after beta-carotene supplementation in chronic lead poisoning. - Highlights: • Beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress in lead-exposed workers. • Beta-carotene elevates glutathione level in lead-exposed workers. • Beta-carotene administration could be beneficial in lead poisoning

Beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress, improves glutathione metabolism and modifies antioxidant defense systems in lead-exposed workers

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Kasperczyk, Sławomir, E-mail: kaslav@mp.pl [Dept. of Biochemistry, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze (Poland); Dobrakowski, Michał [Dept. of Biochemistry, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze (Poland); Kasperczyk, Janusz [Dept. of Environmental Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze (Poland); Ostałowska, Alina; Zalejska-Fiolka, Jolanta; Birkner, Ewa [Dept. of Biochemistry, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze (Poland)

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether beta-carotene administration reduces oxidative stress and influences antioxidant, mainly glutathione-related, defense systems in workers chronically exposed to lead. The population consisted of two randomly divided groups of healthy male volunteers exposed to lead. Workers in the first group (reference group) were not administered any antioxidants, while workers in the second group (CAR group) were treated orally with 10 mg of beta-carotene once a day for 12 weeks. Biochemical analysis included measuring markers of lead-exposure and oxidative stress in addition to the levels and activities of selected antioxidants. After treatment, levels of malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxides and lipofuscin significantly decreased compared with the reference group. However, the level of glutathione significantly increased compared with the baseline. Treatment with beta-carotene also resulted in significantly decreased glutathione peroxidase activity compared with the reference group, while the activities of other glutathione-related enzymes and of superoxide dismutase were not significantly changed. However, the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and catalase, as well as the level of alpha-tocopherol, were significantly higher after treatment compared with the baseline. Despite controversy over the antioxidant properties of beta-carotene in vivo, our findings showed reduced oxidative stress after beta-carotene supplementation in chronic lead poisoning. - Highlights: • Beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress in lead-exposed workers. • Beta-carotene elevates glutathione level in lead-exposed workers. • Beta-carotene administration could be beneficial in lead poisoning.

Petroselinum Crispum is Effective in Reducing Stress-Induced Gastric Oxidative Damage

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Ayşin Akıncı

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Oxidative stress has been shown to play a principal role in the pathogenesis of stress-induced gastric injury. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum contains many antioxidants such as flavanoids, carotenoids and ascorbic acid. Aims: In this study, the histopathological and biochemical results of nutrition with a parsley-rich diet in terms of eliminating stress-induced oxidative gastric injury were evaluated. Study Design: Animal experimentation. Methods: Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups: control, stress, stress + standard diet, stress + parsley-added diet and stress + lansoprazole (LPZ groups. Subjects were exposed to 72 hours of fasting and later immobilized and exposed to the cold at +4 degrees for 8 hours to create a severe stress condition. Samples from the animals’ stomachs were arranged for microscopic and biochemical examinations. Results: Gastric mucosal injury was obvious in rats exposed to stress. The histopathologic damage score of the stress group (7.00±0.57 was higher than that of the control group (1.50±0.22 (p<0.05. Significant differences in histopathologic damage score were found between the stress and stress + parsley-added diet groups (p<0.05, the stress and stress + standard diet groups (p<0.05, and the stress and stress + LPZ groups (p<0.05. The mean tissue malondialdehyde levels of the stress + parsley-added group and the stress + LPZ group were lower than that of the stress group (p<0.05. Parsley supported the cellular antioxidant system by increasing the mean tissue glutathione level (53.31±9.50 and superoxide dismutase (15.18±1.05 and catalase (16.68±2.29 activities. Conclusion: Oral administration of parsley is effective in reducing stress-induced gastric injury by supporting the cellular antioxidant defence system

Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Stress Management Program to Reduce Work-Related Stress in a Medium-Sized Enterprise

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive workplace stress management program consisting of participatory action-oriented training (PAOT) and individual management. Methods A comprehensive workplace stress management program was conducted in a medium-sized enterprise. The baseline survey was conducted in September 2011, using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) and Worker’s Stress Response Inventory (WSRI). After implementing both organizational and individual level interventions, the follow up evaluation was conducted in November 2011. Results Most of the workers participated in the organizational level PAOT and made Team-based improvement plans. Based on the stress survey, 24 workers were interviewed by a researcher. After the organizational and individual level interventions, there was a reduction of several adverse psychosocial factors and stress responses. In the case of blue-collar workers, psychosocial factors such as the physical environment, job demands, organizational system, lack of rewards, and occupational climate were significantly improved; in the case of white-collar workers, the occupational climate was improved. Conclusions In light of these results, we concluded that the comprehensive stress management program was effective in reducing work-related stress in a short-term period. A persistent long-term follow up is necessary to determine whether the observed effects are maintained over time. Both team-based improvement activities and individual interviews have to be sustainable and complementary to each other under the long-term plan. PMID:24524591

Effectiveness of a comprehensive stress management program to reduce work-related stress in a medium-sized enterprise.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Shin-Ae; Suh, Chunhui; Park, Mi-Hee; Kim, Kunhyung; Lee, Chae-Kwan; Son, Byung-Chul; Kim, Jeong-Ho; Lee, Jong-Tae; Woo, Kuck-Hyun; Kang, Kabsoon; Jung, Hyunjin

2014-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive workplace stress management program consisting of participatory action-oriented training (PAOT) and individual management. A comprehensive workplace stress management program was conducted in a medium-sized enterprise. The baseline survey was conducted in September 2011, using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) and Worker's Stress Response Inventory (WSRI). After implementing both organizational and individual level interventions, the follow up evaluation was conducted in November 2011. Most of the workers participated in the organizational level PAOT and made Team-based improvement plans. Based on the stress survey, 24 workers were interviewed by a researcher. After the organizational and individual level interventions, there was a reduction of several adverse psychosocial factors and stress responses. In the case of blue-collar workers, psychosocial factors such as the physical environment, job demands, organizational system, lack of rewards, and occupational climate were significantly improved; in the case of white-collar workers, the occupational climate was improved. In light of these results, we concluded that the comprehensive stress management program was effective in reducing work-related stress in a short-term period. A persistent long-term follow up is necessary to determine whether the observed effects are maintained over time. Both team-based improvement activities and individual interviews have to be sustainable and complementary to each other under the long-term plan.

Stress Analysis of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Leaflets Under Dynamic Loading: Effect of Reduced Tissue Thickness.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, Mostafa; Azadani, Ali N

2017-07-01

In order to accommodate transcatheter valves to miniaturized catheters, the leaflet thickness must be reduced to a value which is typically less than that of surgical bioprostheses. The study aim was to use finite-element simulations to determine the impact of the thickness reduction on stress and strain distribution. A 23 mm transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) was modelled based on the Edwards SAPIEN XT (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA). Finite-element (FE) analysis was performed using the ABAQUS/Explicit solver. An ensemble-averaged transvalvular pressure waveform measured from in-vitro tests conducted in a pulse duplicator was applied to the leaflets. Through a parametric study, uniform TAV leaflet thickness was reduced from 0.5 to 0.18 mm. By reducing leaflet thickness, significantly higher stress values were found in the leaflet's fixed edge during systole, and in the commissures during diastole. Through dynamic FE simulations, the highest stress values were found during systole in the leaflet fixed edge. In contrast, at the peak of diastole high-stress regions were mainly observed in the commissures. The peak stress was increased by 178% and 507% within the leaflets after reducing the thickness of 0.5 mm to 0.18 mm at the peak of systole and diastole, respectively. The study results indicated that, the smaller the leaflet thickness, the higher the maximum principal stress. Increased mechanical stress on TAV leaflets may lead to accelerated tissue degeneration. By using a thinner leaflet, TAV durability may not atch with that of surgical bioprostheses.

Aerobic Training Prevents Heatstrokes in Calsequestrin-1 Knockout Mice by Reducing Oxidative Stress

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Flávia Alessandra Guarnier

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Calsequestrin-1 knockout (CASQ1-null mice suffer lethal episodes when exposed to strenuous exercise and environmental heat, crises known as exertional/environmental heatstroke (EHS. We previously demonstrated that administration of exogenous antioxidants (N-acetylcysteine and trolox reduces CASQ1-null mortality during exposure to heat. As aerobic training is known to boost endogenous antioxidant protection, we subjected CASQ1-null mice to treadmill running for 2 months at 60% of their maximal speed for 1 h, 5 times/week. When exposed to heat stress protocol (41°C/1 h, the mortality rate of CASQ1-null mice was significantly reduced compared to untrained animals (86% versus 16%. Protection from heatstrokes was accompanied by a reduced increase in core temperature during the stress protocol and by an increased threshold of response to caffeine of isolated extensor digitorum longus muscles during in vitro contracture test. At cellular and molecular levels, aerobic training (i improved mitochondrial function while reducing their damage and (ii lowered calpain activity and lipid peroxidation in membranes isolated from sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Based on this evidence, we hypothesize that the protective effect of aerobic training is essentially mediated by a reduction in oxidative stress during exposure of CASQ1-null mice to adverse environmental conditions.

Stress responses of Calluna vulgaris to reduced and oxidised N applied under 'real world conditions'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheppard, Lucy J.; Leith, Ian D.; Crossley, A.; Van Dijk, N.; Fowler, D.; Sutton, M.A.; Woods, C.

2008-01-01

Effects and implications of reduced and oxidised N, applied under 'real world' conditions, since May 2002, are reported for Calluna growing on an ombrotrophic bog. Ammonia has been released from a 10 m line source generating monthly concentrations of 180-6 μg m -3 , while ammonium chloride and sodium nitrate are applied in rainwater at nitrate and ammonium concentrations below 4 mM and providing up to 56 kg N ha -1 year -1 above a background deposition of 10 kg N ha -1 year -1 . Ammonia concentrations, >8 μg m -3 have significantly enhanced foliar N concentrations, increased sensitivity to drought, frost and winter desiccation, spring frost damage and increased the incidence of pathogen outbreaks. The mature Calluna bushes nearest the NH 3 source have turned bleached and moribund. By comparison the Calluna receiving reduced and oxidised N in rain has shown no significant visible or stress related effects with no significant increase in N status. - Exposure to NH 3 reduces stress resistance and increases visible damage in mature Calluna

Investigation of Stress Indices and Directional Loading of Eccentric Reducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, R.; Wais, E.A.; Rodabaugh, E.C.

2003-01-01

OAK- B135 Engineering for fatigue is an essential concern in piping systems. Addressing this concern, the ASME Section III and ANSI B31.1 Codes provide stress indices and stress intensification factors (SIFs) to be used in the design and evaluation of Class 1, 2 and 3 systems. In recent research cosponsored by EPRI and the U.S. DOE, new test data have been developed for comparison with the ASME stress indices and SIFs. This report presents the results of fatigue tests on eccentric reducers, taking into account the directionality of the loading. As detailed in the report, the results can help to improve the evaluation of reducers and can help to reduce unnecessary conservatism in piping system design

Housing under the pyramid reduces susceptibility of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons to prenatal stress in the developing rat offspring.

Science.gov (United States)

Murthy, Krishna Dilip; George, Mitchel Constance; Ramasamy, Perumal; Mustapha, Zainal Arifin

2013-12-01

Mother-offspring interaction begins before birth. The foetus is particularly vulnerable to environmental insults and stress. The body responds by releasing excess of the stress hormone cortisol, which acts on glucocorticoid receptors. Hippocampus in the brain is rich in glucocorticoid receptors and therefore susceptible to stress. The stress effects are reduced when the animals are placed under a model wooden pyramid. The present study was to first explore the effects of prenatal restraint-stress on the plasma corticosterone levels and the dendritic arborisation of CA3 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus of the offspring. Further, to test whether the pyramid environment would alter these effects, as housing under a pyramid is known to reduce the stress effects, pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were restrained for 9 h per day from gestation day 7 until parturition in a wire-mesh restrainer. Plasma corticosterone levels were found to be significantly increased. In addition, there was a significant reduction in the apical and the basal total dendritic branching points and intersections of the CA3 hippocampal pyramidal neurons. The results thus suggest that, housing in the pyramid dramatically reduces prenatal stress effects in rats.

Reducing stress to minimize injury: the nation's first employee assistance program for dairy farmers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickens, Steven; Dotter, Earl; Handy, Myra; Waterman, Louise

2014-01-01

This commentary describes the nation's first Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for dairy farmers. It discusses (1) the significant financial strain and emotional stress experienced by Vermont's dairy farmers reaching dangerous levels; (2) the effect of stress and anxiety on workplace safety; and (3) the highly effective role of an EAP in reducing stress. The commentary depicts the Farm First program model of prevention and early intervention services for dairy farmers that include short-term solution-focused counseling, resources, and referrals to help farmers address the stressors they confront daily. The Farm First program mitigates depression, anxiety, financial and legal problems, family issues, and other stressors on farms that are correlated with accidents, on-the-job injuries, disability, and harm to self or others. EAPs specifically have been shown to reduce on-the-job injuries by reducing employee stress. Ultimately the program has seen good usage commensurate with that at any place of employment. Further, in addition to seeking help for themselves, a number of farmers have used this management consultation service to obtain assistance with farm worker issues. Although the authors have not systematically studied this approach, it shows promise and the authors encourage its duplication and further study in other states.

Lifelong Aerobic Exercise Reduces the Stress Response in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrelli, A; Di Nardo, M; Masucci, A; Brusco, A; Basso, N; Matkovic, L

2018-04-15

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of lifelong aerobic exercise (AE) on the adaptive response of the stress system in rats. It is well known that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity differs when triggered by voluntary or forced exercise models. Male Wistar rats belonging to exercise (E) or control (C) groups were subjected to chronic AE, and two cutoff points were established at 8 (middle age) and 18 months (old age). Behavioral, biochemical and histopathological studies were performed on the main components/targets of the stress system. AE increased adrenal sensitivity (AS), brain corticosterone (CORT) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), but had no effect on the thymus, adrenal glands (AGs) weight or plasma CORT. In addition, AE exerted no effect on the sympathetic tone, but significantly reduced anxiety-related behavior and emotionality. Aging decreased AS and deregulated neuroendocrine feedback, leading to an anxiogenic state which was mitigated by AE. Histopathological and morphometric analysis of AGs showed no alterations in middle-aged rats but adrenal vacuolization in approximately 20% old rats. In conclusion, lifelong AE did not produce adverse effects related to a chronic stress state. On the contrary, while AE upregulated some components of the HPA axis, it generated an adaptive response to cumulative changes, possibly through different compensatory and/or super compensatory mechanisms, modulated by age. The long-term practice of AE had a strong positive impact on stress resilience so that it could be recommended as a complementary therapy in stress and depression disease. Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Yoga and Compassion Meditation Program Reduces Stress in Familial Caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease Patients

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M. A. D. Danucalov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Familial caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease exhibit reduced quality of life and increased stress levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week yoga and compassion meditation program on the perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and salivary cortisol levels in familial caregivers. A total of 46 volunteers were randomly assigned to participate in a stress-reduction program for a 2-month period (yoga and compassion meditation program—YCMP group (n=25 or an untreated group for the same period of time (control group (n=21. The levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and morning salivary cortisol of the participants were measured before and after intervention. The groups were initially homogeneous; however, after intervention, the groups diverged significantly. The YCMP group exhibited a reduction of the stress (P<0.05, anxiety (P<0.000001, and depression (P<0.00001 levels, as well as a reduction in the concentration of salivary cortisol (P<0.05. Our study suggests that an 8-week yoga and compassion meditation program may offer an effective intervention for reducing perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and salivary cortisol in familial caregivers.

A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness to reduce stress and burnout among intern medical practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Ireland, Michael J; Clough, Bonnie; Gill, Kim; Langan, Fleur; O'Connor, Angela; Spencer, Lyndall

2017-04-01

Stress and burnout are highly prevalent among medical doctors, and are associated with negative consequences for doctors, patients, and organizations. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness training intervention in reducing stress and burnout among medical practitioners, by means of a Randomised Controlled Trial design. Participants were 44 intern doctors completing an emergency department rotation in a major Australian hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to either an active control (one hour extra break per week) or the 10-week mindfulness training intervention. Measures of stress and burnout were taken pre-, mid- and post intervention. Participants undergoing the 10-week mindfulness training program reported greater improvements in stress and burnout relative to participants in the control condition. Significant reduction in stress and burnout was observed for participants in the mindfulness condition. No such reductions were observed for participants in the control condition. Mindfulness interventions may provide medical practitioners with skills to effectively manage stress and burnout, thereby reducing their experience of these symptoms. It is likely that doctors would benefit from the inclusion of such a training program as a part of their general medical education.

Down-regulation of miR-181a can reduce heat stress damage in PBMCs of Holstein cows.

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Chen, Kun-Lin; Fu, Yuan-Yuan; Shi, Min-Yan; Li, Hui-Xia

2016-09-01

Heat stress can weaken the immune system and even increase livestock's susceptibility to disease. MicroRNA (miR) is short non-coding RNA that functions in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and some phenotypes. Our recent study found that miR-181a is highly expressed in the serum of heat-stressed Holstein cows, but the potential function of miR-181a is still not clarified. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), isolated from Holstein cows' peripheral blood, were used to investigate the effects of miR-181a inhibitor on heat stress damage. Our results showed that significant apoptosis and oxidative damage were induced by heat stress in PBMCs. However, with apoptosis, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were reduced, while the content of glutathione (GSH) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were increased even under heat stress conditions after transfecting miR-181a inhibitors to PBMCs. Meanwhile, mRNA expression of bax and caspase-3 was significantly decreased, but mRNA expression of bcl-2 was increased in transfected PBMCs. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that down-regulation of miR-181a can reduce heat stress damage in PBMCs of Holstein cows.

Reducing Stress Among Mothers in Drug Treatment: A Description of a Mindfulness Based Parenting Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Vanessa L; Gannon, Meghan; Weingarten, Wendy; Kaltenbach, Karol; LaNoue, Marianna; Abatemarco, Diane J

2017-06-01

Background Parenting women with substance use disorder could potentially benefit from interventions designed to decrease stress and improve overall psychosocial health. In this study we assessed whether a mindfulness based parenting (MBP) intervention could be successful in decreasing general and parenting stress in a population of women who are in treatment for substance use disorder and who have infants or young children. Methods MBP participants (N = 59) attended a two-hour session once a week for 12 weeks. Within-group differences on stress outcome measures administered prior to the beginning of the MBP intervention and following the intervention period were investigated using mixed-effects linear regression models accounting for correlations arising from the repeated-measures. Scales assessed for pre-post change included the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS) and the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI). Results General stress, as measured by the PSS, decreased significantly from baseline to post-intervention. Women with the highest baseline general stress level experienced the greatest change in total stress score. A significant change also occurred across the Parental Distress PSI subscale. Conclusions Findings from this innovative interventional study suggest that the addition of MBP within treatment programs for parenting women with substance use disorder is an effective strategy for reducing stress within this at risk population.

Linking physiological and cellular responses to thermal stress: β-adrenergic blockade reduces the heat shock response in fish.

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Templeman, Nicole M; LeBlanc, Sacha; Perry, Steve F; Currie, Suzanne

2014-08-01

When faced with stress, animals use physiological and cellular strategies to preserve homeostasis. We were interested in how these high-level stress responses are integrated at the level of the whole animal. Here, we investigated the capacity of the physiological stress response, and specifically the β-adrenergic response, to affect the induction of the cellular heat shock proteins, HSPs, following a thermal stress in vivo. We predicted that blocking β-adrenergic stimulation during an acute heat stress in the whole animal would result in reduced levels of HSPs in red blood cells (RBCs) of rainbow trout compared to animals where adrenergic signaling remained intact. We first determined that a 1 h heat shock at 25 °C in trout acclimated to 13 °C resulted in RBC adrenergic stimulation as determined by a significant increase in cell swelling, a hallmark of the β-adrenergic response. A whole animal injection with the β2-adrenergic antagonist, ICI-118,551, successfully reduced this heat-induced RBC swelling. The acute heat shock caused a significant induction of HSP70 in RBCs of 13 °C-acclimated trout as well as a significant increase in plasma catecholamines. When heat-shocked fish were treated with ICI-118,551, we observed a significant attenuation of the HSP70 response. We conclude that circulating catecholamines influence the cellular heat shock response in rainbow trout RBCs, demonstrating physiological/hormonal control of the cellular stress response.

The effects of compensatory workplace exercises to reduce work-related stress and musculoskeletal pain

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Fabiana Cristina Taubert de Freitas-Swerts

2014-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: to assess the effect of a compensatory workplace exercise program on workers with the purpose of reducing work-related stress and musculoskeletal pain.METHOD: quasi-experimental research with quantitative analysis of the data, involving 30 administrative workers from a Higher Education Public Institution. For data collection, questionnaires were used to characterize the workers, as well as the Workplace Stress Scale and the Corlett Diagram. The research took place in three stages: first: pre-test with the application of the questionnaires to the subjects; second: Workplace Exercise taking place twice a week, for 15 minutes, during a period of 10 weeks; third: post-test in which the subjects answered the questionnaires again. For data analysis, the descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistics were used through the Wilcoxon Test.RESULTS: work-related stress was present in the assessed workers, but there was no statistically significant reduction in the scores after undergoing Workplace Exercise. However, there was a statistically significant pain reduction in the neck, cervical, upper, middle and lower back, right thigh, left leg, right ankle and feet.CONCLUSION: the Workplace Exercise promoted a significant pain reduction in the spine, but did not result in a significant reduction in the levels of work-related stress.

Brief, pre-learning stress reduces false memory production and enhances true memory selectively in females.

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Zoladz, Phillip R; Peters, David M; Kalchik, Andrea E; Hoffman, Mackenzie M; Aufdenkampe, Rachael L; Woelke, Sarah A; Wolters, Nicholas E; Talbot, Jeffery N

2014-04-10

Some of the previous research on stress-memory interactions has suggested that stress increases the production of false memories. However, as accumulating work has shown that the effects of stress on learning and memory depend critically on the timing of the stressor, we hypothesized that brief stress administered immediately before learning would reduce, rather than increase, false memory production. In the present study, participants submerged their dominant hand in a bath of ice cold water (stress) or sat quietly (no stress) for 3 min. Then, participants completed a short-term memory task, the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm, in which they were presented with 10 different lists of semantically related words (e.g., candy, sour, sugar) and, after each list, were tested for their memory of presented words (e.g., candy), non-presented unrelated "distractor" words (e.g., hat), and non-presented semantically related "critical lure" words (e.g., sweet). Stress, overall, significantly reduced the number of critical lures recalled (i.e., false memory) by participants. In addition, stress enhanced memory for the presented words (i.e., true memory) in female, but not male, participants. These findings reveal that stress does not unequivocally enhance false memory production and that the timing of the stressor is an important variable that could mediate such effects. Such results could have important implications for understanding the dependability of eyewitness accounts of events that are observed following stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sucralfate significantly reduces ciprofloxacin concentrations in serum.

OpenAIRE

Garrelts, J C; Godley, P J; Peterie, J D; Gerlach, E H; Yakshe, C C

1990-01-01

The effect of sucralfate on the bioavailability of ciprofloxacin was evaluated in eight healthy subjects utilizing a randomized, crossover design. The area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 h was reduced from 8.8 to 1.1 micrograms.h/ml by sucralfate (P less than 0.005). Similarly, the maximum concentration of ciprofloxacin in serum was reduced from 2.0 to 0.2 micrograms/ml (P less than 0.005). We conclude that concurrent ingestion of sucralfate significantly reduces the concentr...

Reduced emotional and corticosterone responses to stress in μ-opioid receptor knockout mice

Science.gov (United States)

Ide, Soichiro; Sora, Ichiro; Ikeda, Kazutaka; Minami, Masabumi; Uhl, George R.; Ishihara, Kumatoshi

2014-01-01

The detailed mechanisms of emotional modulation in the nervous system by opioids remain to be elucidated, although the opioid system is well known to play important roles in the mechanisms of analgesia and drug dependence. In the present study, we conducted behavioral tests of anxiety and depression and measured corticosterone concentrations in both male and female μ-opioid receptor knockout (MOP-KO) mice to reveal the involvement of μ-opioid receptors in stress-induced emotional responses. MOP-KO mice entered more and spent more time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze compared with wild-type mice. MOP-KO mice also displayed significantly decreased immobility in a 15 min tail-suspension test compared with wild-type mice. Similarly, MOP-KO mice exhibited significantly decreased immobility on days 2, 3, and 4 in a 6 min forced swim test conducted for 5 consecutive days. The increase in plasma corticosterone concentration induced by tail-suspension, repeated forced swim, or restraint stress was reduced in MOP-KO mice compared with wild-type mice. Corticosterone levels were not different between wild-type and MOP-KO mice before stress exposure. In contrast, although female mice tended to exhibit fewer anxiety-like responses in the tail-suspension test in both genotypes, no significant gender differences were observed in stress-induced emotional responses. These results suggest that MOPs play an important facilitatory role in emotional responses to stress, including anxiety- and depression-like behavior and corticosterone levels. PMID:19596019

Color It Real: A Program to Increase Condom Use and Reduce Substance Abuse and Perceived Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Zellner, Tiffany; Trotter, Jennie; Lenoir, Shelia; Walston, Kelvin; Men-Na'a, L'dia; Henry-Akintobi, Tabia; Miller, Assia

2015-12-22

Few interventions have targeted perceived stress as a co-occurring construct central to substance use and subsequent HIV/AIDS risk reduction among African American urban young adults. The Color It Real Program was a seven session, weekly administered age-specific and culturally-tailored intervention designed to provide substance abuse and HIV education and reduce perceived stress among African Americans ages 18 to 24 in Atlanta, GA. Effectiveness was assessed through a quasi-experimental study design that consisted of intervention (n = 122) and comparison (n = 70) groups completing a pre- and post-intervention survey. A series of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were used to assess pre- to post-intervention changes between study groups. For intervention participants, perceived stress levels were significantly reduced by the end of the intervention (t(70) = 2.38, p = 0.020), condom use at last sexual encounter significantly increased (F = 4.43, p = 0.0360), intervention participants were significantly less likely to drink five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting (F = 5.10, p = 0.0245), and to use clean needles when injecting the drug (F = 36.99, p = 0.0001). This study is among the first of its kind to incorporate stress management as an integral approach to HIV/SA prevention. The program has implications for the design of other community-based, holistic approaches to addressing substance use and risky behaviors for young adults.

The stress-reducing effect of music listening varies depending on the social context.

Science.gov (United States)

Linnemann, Alexandra; Strahler, Jana; Nater, Urs M

2016-10-01

Given that music listening often occurs in a social context, and given that social support can be associated with a stress-reducing effect, it was tested whether the mere presence of others while listening to music enhances the stress-reducing effect of listening to music. A total of 53 participants responded to questions on stress, presence of others, and music listening five times per day (30min after awakening, 1100h, 1400h, 1800h, 2100h) for seven consecutive days. After each assessment, participants were asked to collect a saliva sample for the later analysis of salivary cortisol (as a marker for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) and salivary alpha-amylase (as a marker for the autonomic nervous system). Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that music listening per se was not associated with a stress-reducing effect. However, listening to music in the presence of others led to decreased subjective stress levels, attenuated secretion of salivary cortisol, and higher activity of salivary alpha-amylase. When listening to music alone, music that was listened to for the reason of relaxation predicted lower subjective stress. The stress-reducing effect of music listening in daily life varies depending on the presence of others. Music listening in the presence of others enhanced the stress-reducing effect of music listening independently of reasons for music listening. Solitary music listening was stress-reducing when relaxation was stated as the reason for music listening. Thus, in daily life, music listening can be used for stress reduction purposes, with the greatest success when it occurs in the presence of others or when it is deliberately listened to for the reason of relaxation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Active power decoupling with reduced converter stress for single ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

SUJATA BHOWMICK

Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, ... Single phase; double-frequency ripple; active power decoupling; reduced stress; ... sation of renewable energy sources (e.g., PV), potential ... In standard grid connected DC/AC H-bridge configuration, ..... solar inverter with reduced-size dc link.

The Efficacy of Filial Therapy on Reducing Mothers’ Stress with Children with Externalizing Disorder

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مرضیه عطاردی

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The present study is planned to investigate the efficacy of filial therapy on reducing mother stress with six and seven years old sons with externalizing disorders in Iran. In this single subject study, six mothers whose children according to their scores on the Child Behavior Checklist are above the normal range were selected in judgmental sampling method. Before intervention initiation, parents were evaluated by “Parenting Stress Inventory-Short Form” to establish a baseline three times with a 3-week interval between each session. Then participant attended nine weekly one-hour and half group session. At third, sixth, and ninth sessions, participant was evaluated once more. At the end of the treatment intervention they were tested again, twice with two weeks interval. Repeated measures were used in order to determine the effectiveness of treatment on the entire descent group member too. Examination of diagrams indicates that all participants expect two subjects, show significant changes in mother’s stress. So, an observed percentage recovery between 0.04% to 23% was found with an average to high effect size. However, results did not reach to significant level for two participants who did not complete the process of intervention. In repeated measure test with Huynh-Felt test, results indicate that filial therapy is effective for reducing mother’s stress with six and seven years old sons with externalizing disorder (p<0.012.

Modest Amounts of Voluntary Exercise Reduce Pain- and Stress-Related Outcomes in a Rat Model of Persistent Hind Limb Inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitcher, Mark H; Tarum, Farid; Rauf, Imran Z; Low, Lucie A; Bushnell, Catherine

2017-06-01

Aerobic exercise improves outcomes in a variety of chronic health conditions, yet the support for exercise-induced effects on chronic pain in humans is mixed. Although many rodent studies have examined the effects of exercise on persistent hypersensitivity, the most used forced exercise paradigms that are known to be highly stressful. Because stress can also produce analgesic effects, we studied how voluntary exercise, known to reduce stress in healthy subjects, alters hypersensitivity, stress, and swelling in a rat model of persistent hind paw inflammation. Our data indicate that voluntary exercise rapidly and effectively reduces hypersensitivity as well as stress-related outcomes without altering swelling. Moreover, the level of exercise is unrelated to the analgesic and stress-reducing effects, suggesting that even modest amounts of exercise may impart significant benefit in persistent inflammatory pain states. Modest levels of voluntary exercise reduce pain- and stress-related outcomes in a rat model of persistent inflammatory pain, independently of the amount of exercise. As such, consistent, self-regulated activity levels may be more relevant to health improvement in persistent pain states than standardized exercise goals. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Systematic review of interventions for reducing occupational stress in health care workers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruotsalainen, Jani; Serra, Consol; Marine, Albert; Verbeek, Jos

2008-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of interventions in reducing stress at work among health care workers. A systematic search was conducted of the literature on reducing stress or burnout in health care workers. The quality of the studies found was then appraised and the results combined. A

Effectiveness of stress release geometries on reducing residual stress in electroforming metal microstructure

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Song, Chang; Du, Liqun; Zhao, Wenjun; Zhu, Heqing; Zhao, Wen; Wang, Weitai

2018-04-01

Micro electroforming, as a mature micromachining technology, is widely used to fabricate metal microdevices in micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). However, large residual stress in the local positions of the micro electroforming layer often leads to non-uniform residual stress distributions, dimension accuracy defects and reliability issues during fabrication of the metal microdevice. To solve this problem, a novel design method of presetting stress release geometries in the topological structure of the metal microstructure is proposed in this paper. First, the effect of stress release geometries (circular shape, annular groove shape and rivet shape) on the residual stress in the metal microstructure was investigated by finite element modeling (FEM) analysis. Two evaluation parameters, stress concentration factor K T and stress non-uniformity factor δ were calculated. The simulation results show that presetting stress release geometries can effectively reduce and homogenize the residual stress in the metal microstructures were measured metal microstructure. By combined use with stress release geometries of annular groove shape and rivet shape, the stress concentration factor K T and the stress non-uniformity factor δ both decreased at a maximum of 49% and 53%, respectively. Meanwhile, the average residual stress σ avg decreased at a maximum of 20% from  -292.4 MPa to  -232.6 MPa. Then, micro electroforming experiments were carried out corresponding to the simulation models. The residual stresses in the metal microstructures were measured by micro Raman spectroscopy (MRS) method. The results of the experiment proved that the stress non-uniformity factor δ and the average residual stress σ avg also decreased at a maximum with the combination use of annular groove shape and rivet shape stress release geometries, which is in agreement with the results of FEM analysis. The stress non-uniformity factor δ has a maximum decrease of 49% and the

Cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test in obese and reduced obese individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Therrien, Fanny; Drapeau, Vicky; Lalonde, Josée; Lupien, Sonia J; Beaulieu, Serge; Doré, Jean; Tremblay, Angelo; Richard, Denis

2010-05-01

Impact of body weight loss, body fat distribution and the nutritional status on the cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was investigated in this study. Fifty-one men (17 non-obese, 20 abdominally obese and 14 reduced obese) and 28 women (12 non-obese, 10 peripherally obese and 6 reduced obese) were subjected to the TSST in fed and fasted states. The TSST response was determined using salivary cortisol measurements. The nutritional status (being fed or fasted) had no effect on the cortisol levels during and following the TSST. Reduced obese men exhibited lower cortisol levels than non-obese men. Cortisol levels in obese men were not different from those of non-obese and reduced obese subjects. In women, there was no significant difference between groups. These finding suggest that weight status in men influences cortisol reactivity to a psychological stress and the different responses seen among genders could be linked to the different fat distributions that characterize men and women. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Mindfulness Intervention in Reducing Stress and Burnout for Mental Health Professionals in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Suyi, Yang; Meredith, Pamela; Khan, Asaduzzaman

Stress and burnout have been shown to be a concern among mental health professionals in several countries including Singapore, and can affect quality of care and staff turnover. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness program in increasing mindfulness and compassion, and reducing stress and burnout, among mental health professionals in Singapore. The study utilized data from a prospective pre-post study design with follow-up. A total of 37 mental health professionals participated in the program, which was conducted in three cohorts over nine months. The program consisted of six, two-hour sessions offered once a week over six weeks, and used a range of mindfulness techniques to teach participants to cultivate compassionate and non-judgemental attitudes toward their inner experiences. Data were collected at three stages: pre- and post-intervention, and three months follow-up. Assessments considered mindfulness (five facets mindfulness questionnaire), compassion (self-compassion scale-SF and compassion scale), stress (perceived stress scale-10), and burnout (Oldenburg Burnout inventory). Participants demonstrated significant improvement in four of the five mindfulness facets (observe, describe, non-judge, and non-react) and in compassion levels, and a significant reduction in stress, following intervention. The gains in mindfulness and self-compassion scores were maintained at three months follow-up. No change was observed for burnout variables. Results suggest that mindfulness training was effective in reducing stress and improving mindfulness and compassion, but not decreasing burnout, for this group of mental health professionals in Singapore. Future experimental research with larger samples is warranted to validate the findings of the present study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is 1/f sound more effective than simple resting in reducing stress response?

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Eun-Joo; Cho, Il-Young; Park, Soon-Kwon

2014-01-01

It has been previously demonstrated that listening to 1/f sound effectively reduces stress. However, these findings have been inconsistent and further study on the relationship between 1/f sound and the stress response is consequently necessary. The present study examined whether sound with 1/f properties (1/f sound) affects stress-induced electroencephalogram (EEG) changes. Twenty-six subjects who voluntarily participated in the study were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. Data from four participants were excluded because of EEG artifacts. A mental arithmetic task was used as a stressor. Participants in the experiment group listened to 1/f sound for 5 minutes and 33 seconds, while participants in the control group sat quietly for the same duration. EEG recordings were obtained at various points throughout the experiment. After the experiment, participants completed a questionnaire on the affective impact of the 1/f sound. The results indicated that the mental arithmetic task effectively induced a stress response measurable by EEG. Relative theta power at all electrode sites was significantly lower than baseline in both the control and experimental group. Relative alpha power was significantly lower, and relative beta power was significantly higher in the T3 and T4 areas. Secondly, 1/f sound and simple resting affected task-associated EEG changes in a similar manner. Finally, participants reported in the questionnaire that they experienced a positive feeling in response to the 1/f sound. Our results suggest that a commercialized 1/f sound product is not more effective than simple resting in alleviating the physiological stress response.

Music as a Therapeutic Assistant: Strategy to Reduce Work Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dereck Sena de Lima

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: to understand the influence of music as a therapeutic assistant in reducing work stress of nursing professionals in a basic health unit. Method: it is an exploratory and descriptive research with a quantitative approach, developed with 9 nursing professionals from UBS Integrated Nova Esperança in João Pessoa, Paraíba. Data collection began after approval of the Research Ethics Committee of the Health Sciences Center of the Federal University of Paraíba, nº. 0508/16, CAAE: 58741916.6.0000.5188. Results: we identified that 33.3% of nursing professionals presented signs of stress, of the 33.3% who presented stress, 100% demonstrated to be in the resistance phase, 100% of the nursing professionals evaluated the musical strategy in a positive way. Conclusion: the musical strategy received extremely positive evaluations by the participants of the research, about 100% of professionals said that listening to music can reduce work stress.

Hypoxis hemerocallidea Significantly Reduced Hyperglycaemia and Hyperglycaemic-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Liver and Kidney Tissues of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Male Wistar Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oluwafemi O. Oguntibeju

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Hypoxis hemerocallidea is a native plant that grows in the Southern African regions and is well known for its beneficial medicinal effects in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. Aim. This study evaluated the effects of Hypoxis hemerocallidea on oxidative stress biomarkers, hepatic injury, and other selected biomarkers in the liver and kidneys of healthy nondiabetic and streptozotocin- (STZ- induced diabetic male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with 50 mg/kg of STZ to induce diabetes. The plant extract-Hypoxis hemerocallidea (200 mg/kg or 800 mg/kg aqueous solution was administered (daily orally for 6 weeks. Antioxidant activities were analysed using a Multiskan Spectrum plate reader while other serum biomarkers were measured using the RANDOX chemistry analyser. Results. Both dosages (200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg of Hypoxis hemerocallidea significantly reduced the blood glucose levels in STZ-induced diabetic groups. Activities of liver enzymes were increased in the diabetic control and in the diabetic group treated with 800 mg/kg, whereas the 200 mg/kg dosage ameliorated hepatic injury. In the hepatic tissue, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP, catalase, and total glutathione were reduced in the diabetic control group. However treatment with both doses improved the antioxidant status. The FRAP and the catalase activities in the kidney were elevated in the STZ-induced diabetic group treated with 800 mg/kg of the extract possibly due to compensatory responses. Conclusion. Hypoxis hemerocallidea demonstrated antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effects especially in the liver tissue.

Color It Real: A Program to Increase Condom Use and Reduce Substance Abuse and Perceived Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiffany Zellner

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Few interventions have targeted perceived stress as a co-occurring construct central to substance use and subsequent HIV/AIDS risk reduction among African American urban young adults. The Color It Real Program was a seven session, weekly administered age-specific and culturally-tailored intervention designed to provide substance abuse and HIV education and reduce perceived stress among African Americans ages 18 to 24 in Atlanta, GA. Effectiveness was assessed through a quasi-experimental study design that consisted of intervention (n = 122 and comparison (n = 70 groups completing a pre- and post-intervention survey. A series of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA tests were used to assess pre- to post-intervention changes between study groups. For intervention participants, perceived stress levels were significantly reduced by the end of the intervention (t(70 = 2.38, p = 0.020, condom use at last sexual encounter significantly increased (F = 4.43, p = 0.0360, intervention participants were significantly less likely to drink five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting (F = 5.10, p = 0.0245, and to use clean needles when injecting the drug (F = 36.99, p = 0.0001. This study is among the first of its kind to incorporate stress management as an integral approach to HIV/SA prevention. The program has implications for the design of other community-based, holistic approaches to addressing substance use and risky behaviors for young adults.

Interventions to reduce postpartum stress in first-time mothers: a randomized-controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Osman, Hibah; Saliba, Matilda; Chaaya, Monique; Naasan, Georges

2014-10-15

The postpartum period can be a challenging time particularly for first-time mothers. This study aimed to assess two different interventions designed to reduce stress in the postpartum among first-time mothers. Healthy first-time mothers with healthy newborns were recruited from hospitals in Beirut, Lebanon after delivery. The two interventions were a 20-minute film addressing common stressors in the postpartum period and a 24-hour telephone support hotline. Participants were randomized to one of four study arms to receive either the postpartum support film, the hotline service, both interventions, or a music CD (control). Participants were interviewed at eight to twelve weeks postpartum for assessment of levels of stress as measured by the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Of the 632 eligible women, 552 (88%) agreed to participate in the study. Of those, 452 (82%) completed the study. Mean PSS-10 scores of mothers who received the film alone (15.76) or the film with the hotline service (15.86) were significantly lower than that of the control group (18.93) (p-value film and the 24-hour telephone hotline service reduced stress in the postpartum period in first-time mothers. These simple interventions can be easily implemented and could have an important impact on the mental wellbeing of new mothers. The trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (identifier # NCT00857051) on March 5, 2009.

Enhanced transfection by antioxidative polymeric gene carrier that reduces polyplex-mediated cellular oxidative stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Min Sang; Kim, Nak Won; Lee, Kyuri; Kim, Hongtae; Jeong, Ji Hoon

2013-06-01

To test the hypothesis in which polyplex-induced oxidative stress may affect overall transfection efficiency, an antioxidative transfection system minimizing cellular oxidative stress was designed for enhanced transfection. An amphiphilic copolymer (PEI-PLGA) was synthesized and used as a micelle-type gene carrier containing hydrophobic antioxidant, α-tocopherol. Cellular oxidative stress and the change of mitochondrial membrane potential after transfection was measured by using a fluorescent probe (H₂DCFDA) and lipophilic cationic probe (JC-1), respectively. Transfection efficiency was determined by measuring a reporter gene (luciferase) expression level. The initial transfection study with conventional PEI/plasmid DNA polyplex showed significant generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The PEI-PLGA copolymer successfully carried out the simultaneous delivery of α-tocopherol and plasmid DNA (PEI-PLGA/Toco/pDNA polyplex) into cells, resulting in a significant reduction in cellular ROS generation after transfection and helped to maintain the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ). In addition, the transfection efficiency was dramatically increased using the antioxidative transfection system. This work showed that oxidative stress would be one of the important factors that should be considered in designing non-viral gene carriers and suggested a possible way to reduce the carrier-mediated oxidative stress, which consequently leads to enhanced transfection.

Protective effect of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury via reducing oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Lei; Wang, Zhenfei; Li, Changwei; Yang, Kai; Liang, Yu

2017-02-01

As previous studies demonstrate that oxidative stress and apoptosis play crucial roles in ischemic pathogenesis and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) treatment attenuates oxidative stress-induced cell death among primary neurons and astrocytes as well as significantly reduce cerebral ischemic injury in rats. We used a spinal cord ischemia injury (SCII) model in rats to verify our hypothesis that NAD + could ameliorate oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis. Adult male rats were subjected to transient spinal cord ischemia for 60min, and different doses of NAD + were administered intraperitoneally immediately after the start of reperfusion. Neurological function was determined by Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) scores. The oxidative stress level was assessed by superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The degree of apoptosis was analyzed by deoxyuridinetriphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and protein levels of cleaved caspase-3 and AIF (apoptosis inducing factor). The results showed that NAD + at 50 or 100mg/kg significantly decreased the oxidative stress level and neuronal apoptosis in the spinal cord of ischemia-reperfusion rats compared with saline, as accompanied with the decreased oxidative stress, NAD + administration significantly restrained the neuronal apoptosis after ischemia injury while improved the neurological and motor function. These findings suggested that NAD + might protect against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion via reducing oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased intracellular proteolysis reduces disease severity in an ER stress-associated dwarfism.

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Mullan, Lorna A; Mularczyk, Ewa J; Kung, Louise H; Forouhan, Mitra; Wragg, Jordan Ma; Goodacre, Royston; Bateman, John F; Swanton, Eileithyia; Briggs, Michael D; Boot-Handford, Raymond P

2017-10-02

The short-limbed dwarfism metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid (MCDS) is linked to mutations in type X collagen, which increase ER stress by inducing misfolding of the mutant protein and subsequently disrupting hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation. Here, we show that carbamazepine (CBZ), an autophagy-stimulating drug that is clinically approved for the treatment of seizures and bipolar disease, reduced the ER stress induced by 4 different MCDS-causing mutant forms of collagen X in human cell culture. Depending on the nature of the mutation, CBZ application stimulated proteolysis of misfolded collagen X by either autophagy or proteasomal degradation, thereby reducing intracellular accumulation of mutant collagen. In MCDS mice expressing the Col10a1.pN617K mutation, CBZ reduced the MCDS-associated expansion of the growth plate hypertrophic zone, attenuated enhanced expression of ER stress markers such as Bip and Atf4, increased bone growth, and reduced skeletal dysplasia. CBZ produced these beneficial effects by reducing the MCDS-associated abnormalities in hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation. Stimulation of intracellular proteolysis using CBZ treatment may therefore be a clinically viable way of treating the ER stress-associated dwarfism MCDS.

Reduced Slc6a15 in Nucleus Accumbens D2-Neurons Underlies Stress Susceptibility.

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Chandra, Ramesh; Francis, T Chase; Nam, Hyungwoo; Riggs, Lace M; Engeln, Michel; Rudzinskas, Sarah; Konkalmatt, Prasad; Russo, Scott J; Turecki, Gustavo; Iniguez, Sergio D; Lobo, Mary Kay

2017-07-05

Previous research demonstrates that Slc6a15, a neutral amino acid transporter, is associated with depression susceptibility. However, no study examined Slc6a15 in the ventral striatum [nucleus accumbens (NAc)] in depression. Given our previous characterization of Slc6a15 as a striatal dopamine receptor 2 (D2)-neuron-enriched gene, we examined the role of Slc6a15 in NAc D2-neurons in mediating susceptibility to stress in male mice. First, we showed that Slc6a15 mRNA was reduced in NAc of mice susceptible to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), a paradigm that produces behavioral and molecular adaptations that resemble clinical depression. Consistent with our preclinical data, we observed Slc6a15 mRNA reduction in NAc of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). The Slc6a15 reduction in NAc occurred selectively in D2-neurons. Next, we used Cre-inducible viruses combined with D2-Cre mice to reduce or overexpress Slc6a15 in NAc D2-neurons. Slc6a15 reduction in D2-neurons caused enhanced susceptibility to a subthreshold social defeat stress (SSDS) as observed by reduced social interaction, while a reduction in social interaction following CSDS was not observed when Slc6a15 expression in D2-neurons was restored. Finally, since both D2-medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and D2-expressing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) interneurons express Slc6a15, we examined Slc6a15 protein in these interneurons after CSDS. Slc6a15 protein was unaltered in ChAT interneurons. Consistent with this, reducing Slc5a15 selectively in NAc D2-MSNs, using A2A-Cre mice that express Cre selectively in D2-MSNs, caused enhanced susceptibility to SSDS. Collectively, our data demonstrate that reduced Slc6a15 in NAc occurs in MDD individuals and that Slc6a15 reduction in NAc D2-neurons underlies stress susceptibility. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our study demonstrates a role for reduced Slc6a15, a neutral amino acid transporter, in nucleus accumbens (NAc) in depression and stress susceptibility. The

Maternal undernutrition significantly impacts ovarian follicle number and increases ovarian oxidative stress in adult rat offspring.

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Angelica B Bernal

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We have shown recently that maternal undernutrition (UN advanced female pubertal onset in a manner that is dependent upon the timing of UN. The long-term consequence of this accelerated puberty on ovarian function is unknown. Recent findings suggest that oxidative stress may be one mechanism whereby early life events impact on later physiological functioning. Therefore, using an established rodent model of maternal UN at critical windows of development, we examined maternal UN-induced changes in offspring ovarian function and determined whether these changes were underpinned by ovarian oxidative stress. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our study is the first to show that maternal UN significantly reduced primordial and secondary follicle number in offspring in a manner that was dependent upon the timing of maternal UN. Specifically, a reduction in these early stage follicles was observed in offspring born to mothers undernourished throughout both pregnancy and lactation. Additionally, antral follicle number was reduced in offspring born to all mothers that were UN regardless of whether the period of UN was restricted to pregnancy or lactation or both. These reductions were associated with decreased mRNA levels of genes critical for follicle maturation and ovulation. Increased ovarian protein carbonyls were observed in offspring born to mothers UN during pregnancy and/or lactation and this was associated with peroxiredoxin 3 hyperoxidation and reduced mRNA levels; suggesting compromised antioxidant defence. This was not observed in offspring of mothers UN during lactation alone. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that maternal UN, particularly at a time-point that includes pregnancy, results in reduced offspring ovarian follicle numbers and mRNA levels of regulatory genes and may be mediated by increased ovarian oxidative stress coupled with a decreased ability to repair the resultant oxidative damage. Together these data are suggestive of

Large step-down DC-DC converters with reduced current stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, Esam H.

2009-01-01

In this paper, several DC-DC converters with large voltage step-down ratios are introduced. A simple modification in the output section of the conventional buck and quadratic converters can effectively extend the duty-cycle range. Only two additional components (an inductor and diode) are necessary for extending the duty-cycle range. The topologies presented in this paper show an improvement in the duty-cycle (about 40%) over the conventional buck and quadratic converters. Consequently, they are well suited for extreme step-down voltage conversion ratio applications. With extended duty-cycle, the current stress on all components is reduced, leading to a significant improvement of the system losses. The principle of operation, theoretical analysis, and comparison of circuit performances with other step-down converters is discussed regarding voltage and current stress. Experimental results of one prototype rated 40-W and operating at 100 kHz are provided in this paper to verify the performance of this new family of converters. The efficiency of the proposed converters is higher than the quadratic converters

Soluble Moringa oleifera leaf extract reduces intracellular cadmium accumulation and oxidative stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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Kerdsomboon, Kittikhun; Tatip, Supinda; Kosasih, Sattawat; Auesukaree, Choowong

2016-05-01

Moringa oleifera leaves are a well-known source of antioxidants and traditionally used for medicinal applications. In the present study, the protective action of soluble M. oleifera leaf extract (MOLE) against cadmium toxicity was investigated in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results showed that this extract exhibited a protective effect against oxidative stress induced by cadmium and H2O2 through the reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Interestingly, not only the co-exposure of soluble MOLE with cadmium but also pretreatment of this extract prior to cadmium exposure significantly reduced the cadmium uptake through an inhibition of Fet4p, a low-affinity iron(II) transporter. In addition, the supplementation of soluble MOLE significantly reduced intracellular iron accumulation in a Fet4p-independent manner. Our findings suggest the potential use of soluble extract from M. oleifera leaves as a dietary supplement for protection against cadmium accumulation and oxidative stress. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reducing stress and fuel consumption providing road information

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Víctor CORCOBA MAGAÑA

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a solution to reduce the stress level of the driver, minimize fuel consumption and improve safety. The system analyzes the driving style and the driver’s workload during the trip while driving. If it discovers an area where the stress increases and the driving style is not appropriate from the point of view of energy efficiency and safety for a particular driver, the location of this area is saved in a shared database. On the other hand, the implemented solution warns a particular user when approaching a region where the driving is difficult (high fuel consumption and stress using the shared database based on previous recorded knowledge of similar drivers in that area. In this case, the proposal provides an optimal deceleration profile if the vehicle speed is not adequate. Therefore, he or she may adjust the vehicle speed with both a positive impact on the driver workload and fuel consumption. The Data Envelopment Analysis algorithm is used to estimate the efficiency of driving and the driver’s workload in in each area. We employ this method because there is no preconceived form on the data in order to calculate the efficiency and stress level. A validation experiment has been conducted using both a driving simulator and a real environment with 12 participants who made 168 driving tests. The system reduced the slowdowns (38%, heart rate (4.70%, and fuel consumption (12.41% in the real environment. The proposed solution is implemented on Android mobile devices and does not require the installation of infrastructure on the road. It can be installed on any model of vehicle.

Oxidative stress reduces levels of dysbindin-1A via its PEST domain.

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Yap, Mei-Yi Alicia; Lo, Yew-Long; Talbot, Konrad; Ong, Wei-Yi

2014-12-01

Oxidative stress resulting from the generation of reactive oxygen species has been proposed as an etiological factor in schizophrenia. The present study tests the hypothesis that oxidative stress can affect levels of dysbindin-1A, encoded by Dtnbp1, a genetic risk factor for schizophrenia, via its PEST domain. In vitro studies on SH-SY5Y cells indicate that oxidative stress triggers proteasomal degradation of dysbindin-1A, and that this requires interactions with its PEST domain, which may be a TRIM32 target. We specifically found (a) that oxidative stress induced in SH-SY5Y cells by 500 µM hydrogen peroxide reduced levels of full-length dysbindin-1, but did not reduce levels of that protein lacking its PEST domain and (b) that levels of full-length dysbindin-1, but not dysbindin-1 lacking its PEST domain, were higher in cells treated with the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Oxidative stress thus emerges as the first known cellular factor regulating dysbindin-1 isoforms with PEST domains. These findings are consistent with the previously noted fact that phosphorylation of PEST domains often marks proteins for proteasomal degradation, and raises the possibility that treatments reducing oxidative stress in the brain, especially during development, may lower schizophrenia risk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing Variability in Stress Drop with Root-Mean Acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Crempien, J.; Archuleta, R. J.

2012-12-01

Stress drop is a fundamental property of the earthquake source. For a given tectonic region stress drop is assumed to be constant allowing for the scaling of earthquake spectra. However, the variability of the stress drop, either for worldwide catalogs or regional catalogs, is quite large. The variability around the median value is on the order of 1.5 in log10 units. One question that continues to pervade the analysis of stress drop is whether this variability is an inherent characteristic of the Earth or is an artifact of the determination of stress drop via the use of the spectral analysis. It is simple to see that the stress drop determined by seismic moment times corner frequency cubed that errors in the corner frequency will strongly influence the variability in the stress drop. To avoid this strong dependence on corner frequency cubed, we have examined the determination of stress drop based on the approach proposed by Hanks (1979), namely using the root-mean-square acceleration. The stress drop determined using rms acceleration may be advantageous because the stress drop is only affected by the square root of the corner frequency. To test this approach we have determined stress drops for the 2000 Tottori earthquake and its aftershocks. We use both the classic method of fitting to a spectrum as well as using rms acceleration. For a preliminary analysis of eight aftershocks and the mainshock we find that the variability in stress drop is reduced by about a factor of two. This approach needs more careful analysis of more events, which will be shown at the meeting.

Diallyl trisulfide ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by reducing oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis in type 1 diabetic rats: role of SIRT1 activation.

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Yu, Liming; Li, Shu; Tang, Xinlong; Li, Zhi; Zhang, Jian; Xue, Xiaodong; Han, Jinsong; Liu, Yu; Zhang, Yuji; Zhang, Yong; Xu, Yinli; Yang, Yang; Wang, Huishan

2017-07-01

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) protects against apoptosis during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury in diabetic state, although the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. Previously, we and others demonstrated that silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) activation inhibited oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during MI/R injury. We hypothesize that DATS reduces diabetic MI/R injury by activating SIRT1 signaling. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic rats were subjected to MI/R surgery with or without perioperative administration of DATS (40 mg/kg). We found that DATS treatment markedly improved left ventricular systolic pressure and the first derivative of left ventricular pressure, reduced myocardial infarct size as well as serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. Furthermore, the myocardial apoptosis was also suppressed by DATS as evidenced by reduced apoptotic index and cleaved caspase-3 expression. However, these effects were abolished by EX527 (the inhibitor of SIRT1 signaling, 5 mg/kg). We further found that DATS effectively upregulated SIRT1 expression and its nuclear distribution. Additionally, PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP-mediated ER stress-induced apoptosis was suppressed by DATS treatment. Moreover, DATS significantly activated Nrf-2/HO-1 antioxidant signaling pathway, thus reducing Nox-2/4 expressions. However, the ameliorative effects of DATS on oxidative stress and ER stress-mediated myocardial apoptosis were inhibited by EX527 administration. Taken together, these data suggest that perioperative DATS treatment effectively ameliorates MI/R injury in type 1 diabetic setting by enhancing cardiac SIRT1 signaling. SIRT1 activation not only upregulated Nrf-2/HO-1-mediated antioxidant signaling pathway but also suppressed PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP-mediated ER stress level, thus reducing myocardial apoptosis and eventually preserving cardiac function.

Chlorella vulgaris reduces the impact of stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and brain c-fos expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza Queiroz, Julia; Marín Blasco, Ignacio; Gagliano, Humberto; Daviu, Nuria; Gómez Román, Almudena; Belda, Xavier; Carrasco, Javier; Rocha, Michelle C; Palermo Neto, João; Armario, Antonio

2016-03-01

Predominantly emotional stressors activate a wide range of brain areas, as revealed by the expression of immediate early genes, such as c-fos. Chlorella vulgaris (CV) is considered a biological response modifier, as demonstrated by its protective activities against infections, tumors and stress. We evaluated the effect of acute pretreatment with CV on the peripheral and central responses to forced swimming stress in adult male rats. Pretreatment with CV produced a significant reduction of stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation, demonstrated by decreased corticotrophin releasing factor gene expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and lower ACTH response. Hyperglycemia induced by the stressor was similarly reduced. This attenuated neuroendocrine response to stress occurred in parallel with a diminished c-fos expression in most evaluated areas, including the PVN. The data presented in this study reinforce the usefulness of CV to diminish the impact of stressors, by reducing the HPA response. Although our results suggest a central effect of CV, further studies are necessary to understand the precise mechanisms underpinning this effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nurses' experiences, expectations, and preferences for mind-body practices to reduce stress

OpenAIRE

McCool Jane A; Ott Mary; Krueger Deborah; Bulla Sally; Kemper Kathi; Gardiner Paula

2011-01-01

Abstract Background Most research on the impact of mind-body training does not ask about participants' baseline experience, expectations, or preferences for training. To better plan participant-centered mind-body intervention trials for nurses to reduce occupational stress, such descriptive information would be valuable. Methods We conducted an anonymous email survey between April and June, 2010 of North American nurses interested in mind-body training to reduce stress. The e-survey included:...

Subchronic nandrolone administration reduces cardiac oxidative markers during restraint stress by modulating protein expression patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Pergolizzi, Barbara; Carriero, Vitina; Abbadessa, Giuliana; Penna, Claudia; Berchialla, Paola; De Francia, Silvia; Bracco, Enrico; Racca, Silvia

2017-10-01

Nandrolone decanoate (ND), an anabolic-androgenic steroid prohibited in collegiate and professional sports, is associated with detrimental cardiovascular effects through redox-dependent mechanisms. We previously observed that high-dose short-term ND administration (15 mg/kg for 2 weeks) did not induce left heart ventricular hypertrophy and, paradoxically, improved postischemic response, whereas chronic ND treatment (5 mg/kg twice a week for 10 weeks) significantly reduced the cardioprotective effect of postconditioning, with an increase in infarct size and a decrease in cardiac performance. We wanted to determine whether short-term ND administration could affect the oxidative redox status in animals exposed to acute restraint stress. Our hypothesis was that, depending on treatment schedule, ND may have a double-edged sword effect. Measurement of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal, two oxidative stress markers, in rat plasma and left heart ventricular tissue, revealed that the levels of both markers were increased in animals exposed to restraint stress, whereas no increase in marker levels was noted in animals pretreated with ND, indicating a possible protective action of ND against stress-induced oxidative damage. Furthermore, isolation and identification of proteins extracted from the left heart ventricular tissue samples of rats pretreated or not with ND and exposed to acute stress showed a prevalent expression of enzymes involved in amino acid synthesis and energy metabolism. Among other proteins, peroxiredoxin 6 and alpha B-crystallin, both involved in the oxidative stress response, were predominantly expressed in the left heart ventricular tissues of the ND-pretreated rats. In conclusion, ND seems to reduce oxidative stress by inducing the expression of antioxidant proteins in the hearts of restraint-stressed animals, thus contributing to amelioration of postischemic heart performance.

Implementation of a Computerized Order Entry Tool to Reduce the Inappropriate and Unnecessary Use of Cardiac Stress Tests With Imaging in Hospitalized Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gertz, Zachary M; O'Donnell, William; Raina, Amresh; Balderston, Jessica R; Litwack, Andrew J; Goldberg, Lee R

2016-10-15

The rising use of imaging cardiac stress tests has led to potentially unnecessary testing. Interventions designed to reduce inappropriate stress testing have focused on the ambulatory setting. We developed a computerized order entry tool intended to reduce the use of imaging cardiac stress tests and improve appropriate use in hospitalized patients. The tool was evaluated using preimplementation and postimplementation cohorts at a single urban academic teaching hospital. All hospitalized patients referred for testing were included. The co-primary outcomes were the use of imaging stress tests as a percentage of all stress tests and the percentage of inappropriate tests, compared between the 2 cohorts. There were 478 patients in the precohort and 463 in the postcohort. The indication was chest pain in 66% and preoperative in 18% and was not significantly different between groups. The use of nonimaging stress tests increased from 4% in the pregroup to 15% in the postgroup (p nonimaging stress tests increased from 7% to 25% (p nonimaging cardiac stress tests and reduced the use of imaging tests yet was not able to reduce inappropriate use. Our study highlights the differences in cardiac stress testing between hospitalized and ambulatory patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A short-term supranutritional vitamin E supplementation alleviated respiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat stressed pigs

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Fan Liu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Objective Heat stress (HS triggers oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in pigs. The objective of this experiment was to study whether a short-term supranutritional amount of dietary vitamin E (VE can mitigate oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in heat-stressed pigs. Methods A total of 24 pigs were given either a control diet (17 IU/kg VE or a high VE (200 IU/kg VE; HiVE diet for 14 d, then exposed to thermoneutral (TN; 20°C, 45% humidity or HS (35°C, 35% to 45% humidity, 8 h daily conditions for 7 d. Respiration rate and rectal temperature were measured three times daily during the thermal exposure. Blood gas variables and oxidative stress markers were studied in blood samples collected on d 7. Results Although HiVE diet did not affect the elevated rectal temperature or respiration rate observed during HS, it alleviated (all p<0.05 for diet×temperature the loss of blood CO2 partial pressure and bicarbonate, as well as the increase in blood pH in the heat-stressed pigs. The HS reduced (p = 0.003 plasma biological antioxidant potential (BAP and tended to increase (p = 0.067 advanced oxidized protein products (AOPP in the heat-stressed pigs, suggesting HS triggers oxidative stress. The HiVE diet did not affect plasma BAP or AOPP. Only under TN conditions the HiVE diet reduced the plasma reactive oxygen metabolites (p<0.05 for diet× temperature. Conclusion A short-term supplementation with 200 IU/kg VE partially alleviated respiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat-stressed pigs.

Role of anuloma viloma pranayama in reducing stress in chronic alcoholics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, L.R.

2011-01-01

Despite improved clinical care, heightened public awareness and wide spread use of health innovations, alcoholism remains a leading cause of death in many parts of the world. Chronic alcoholics suffer from stress and multitude of symptoms. The progressive addiction to alcohol will gradually nullify all other interests in the patient's life so that a deterioration of the physical, psychological, social, cultural and religious values takes place. The role of yoga in healing asthma, arthritis and other disorders has been known. Methods: Breathing technique (Anuloma Viloma Pranayama) was taught to chronic alcoholics. Using galvanic skin resistance, stress levels were measured before and after anuloma viloma yoga in controls and chronic alcoholics. Results: Reduced stress levels were noted using the galvanic skin resistance in both controls and chronic alcoholics after yogic breathing. Conclusion: There is a promising effect of simple yoga techniques in organising effective rehabilitation and treatment programmes to reduce stress in chronic alcoholics. This study would help to chart out a better management programme for enhancing relapse and alleviate the symptoms. (author)

Nurses' experiences, expectations, and preferences for mind-body practices to reduce stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemper, Kathi; Bulla, Sally; Krueger, Deborah; Ott, Mary Jane; McCool, Jane A; Gardiner, Paula

2011-04-11

Most research on the impact of mind-body training does not ask about participants' baseline experience, expectations, or preferences for training. To better plan participant-centered mind-body intervention trials for nurses to reduce occupational stress, such descriptive information would be valuable. We conducted an anonymous email survey between April and June, 2010 of North American nurses interested in mind-body training to reduce stress. The e-survey included: demographic characteristics, health conditions and stress levels; experiences with mind-body practices; expected health benefits; training preferences; and willingness to participate in future randomized controlled trials. Of the 342 respondents, 96% were women and 92% were Caucasian. Most (73%) reported one or more health conditions, notably anxiety (49%); back pain (41%); GI problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (34%); or depression (33%). Their median occupational stress level was 4 (0 = none; 5 = extreme stress). Nearly all (99%) reported already using one or more mind-body practices to reduce stress: intercessory prayer (86%), breath-focused meditation (49%), healing or therapeutic touch (39%), yoga/tai chi/qi gong (34%), or mindfulness-based meditation (18%). The greatest expected benefits were for greater spiritual well-being (56%); serenity, calm, or inner peace (54%); better mood (51%); more compassion (50%); or better sleep (42%). Most (65%) wanted additional training; convenience (74% essential or very important), was more important than the program's reputation (49%) or scientific evidence about effectiveness (32%) in program selection. Most (65%) were willing to participate in a randomized trial of mind-body training; among these, most were willing to collect salivary cortisol (60%), or serum biomarkers (53%) to assess the impact of training. Most nurses interested in mind-body training already engage in such practices. They have greater expectations about spiritual and emotional than

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-01-01

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

Stress-reducing effects of indoor plants in the built healthcare environment: The mediating role of perceived attractiveness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, K.; Pieterse, Marcel E.; Pruyn, Adriaan T.H.

2008-01-01

Objective: Natural elements in the built healthcare environment have shown to hold potential stress-reducing properties. In order to shed light on the underlying mechanism of stress-reducing effects of nature, the present study investigates whether the stress-reducing effects of indoor plants occur

Stress-reducing effects of indoor plants in the built healthcare environment : The mediating role of perceived attractiveness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, K.; Pieterse, Marcel E.; Pruyn, A.Th.

Objective: Natural elements in the built healthcare environment have shown to hold potential stress-reducing properties. In order to shed light on the underlying mechanism of stress-reducing effects of nature, the present study investigates whether the stress-reducing effects of indoor plants occur

Ceramic Composite Intermediate Temperature Stress-Rupture Properties Improved Significantly

Science.gov (United States)

Morscher, Gregory N.; Hurst, Janet B.

2002-01-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) composites are considered to be potential materials for future aircraft engine parts such as combustor liners. It is envisioned that on the hot side (inner surface) of the combustor liner, composites will have to withstand temperatures in excess of 1200 C for thousands of hours in oxidizing environments. This is a severe condition; however, an equally severe, if not more detrimental, condition exists on the cold side (outer surface) of the combustor liner. Here, the temperatures are expected to be on the order of 800 to 1000 C under high tensile stress because of thermal gradients and attachment of the combustor liner to the engine frame (the hot side will be under compressive stress, a less severe stress-state for ceramics). Since these composites are not oxides, they oxidize. The worst form of oxidation for strength reduction occurs at these intermediate temperatures, where the boron nitride (BN) interphase oxidizes first, which causes the formation of a glass layer that strongly bonds the fibers to the matrix. When the fibers strongly bond to the matrix or to one another, the composite loses toughness and strength and becomes brittle. To increase the intermediate temperature stress-rupture properties, researchers must modify the BN interphase. With the support of the Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program, significant improvements were made as state-of-the-art SiC/SiC composites were developed during the Enabling Propulsion Materials (EPM) program. Three approaches were found to improve the intermediate-temperature stress-rupture properties: fiber-spreading, high-temperature silicon- (Si) doped boron nitride (BN), and outside-debonding BN.

The significance of translation regulation in the stress response

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The stress response in bacteria involves the multistage control of gene expression but is not entirely understood. To identify the translational response of bacteria in stress conditions and assess its contribution to the regulation of gene expression, the translational states of all mRNAs were compared under optimal growth condition and during nutrient (isoleucine) starvation. Results A genome-scale study of the translational response to nutritional limitation was performed in the model bacterium Lactococcus lactis. Two measures were used to assess the translational status of each individual mRNA: the fraction engaged in translation (ribosome occupancy) and ribosome density (number of ribosomes per 100 nucleotides). Under isoleucine starvation, half of the mRNAs considered were translationally down-regulated mainly due to decreased ribosome density. This pattern concerned genes involved in growth-related functions such as translation, transcription, and the metabolism of fatty acids, phospholipids and bases, contributing to the slowdown of growth. Only 4% of the mRNAs were translationally up-regulated, mostly related to prophagic expression in response to stress. The remaining genes exhibited antagonistic regulations of the two markers of translation. Ribosome occupancy increased significantly for all the genes involved in the biosynthesis of isoleucine, although their ribosome density had decreased. The results revealed complex translational regulation of this pathway, essential to cope with isoleucine starvation. To elucidate the regulation of global gene expression more generally, translational regulation was compared to transcriptional regulation under isoleucine starvation and to other post-transcriptional regulations related to mRNA degradation and mRNA dilution by growth. Translational regulation appeared to accentuate the effects of transcriptional changes for down-regulated growth-related functions under isoleucine starvation although m

Exercise coupled with dietary restriction reduces oxidative stress in male adolescents with obesity.

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Li, Chunyan; Feng, Feihu; Xiong, Xiaoling; Li, Rui; Chen, Ning

2017-04-01

The increased oxidative stress is usually observed in obese population, but the control of body weight by calorie restriction and/or exercise training can ameliorate oxidative stress. In order to evaluate oxidative stress in response to exercise and dietary restriction in obese adolescents, a total of 20 obese volunteers were enrolled in a 4-week intervention program including exercise training and dietary restriction. Body compositions and blood samples were analysed before and after 4-week intervention, and biomarkers associated with oxidative stress were examined. After 4-week exercise training coupled with dietary restriction, physical composition parameters including body mass, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass, body fat mass and fat mass ratio had obvious reduction by 12.43%, 13.51%, 5.83%, 25.05% and 14.52%, respectively. In addition, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) revealed a remarkable enhancement. On the other hand, protein carbonyls (PC) exhibited an obvious reduction. Moreover, total thiols and nitrites with respect to baseline revealed a reducing trend although no significant difference was observed. Therefore, the 4-week exercise intervention coupled with dietary restriction is benefit for the loss of body weight and the mitigation of oxidative stress in obese population so that it can be a recommendable intervention prescription for the loss of body weight.

Supporting law students’ skills development online – a strategy to improve skills and reduce student stress?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Hewitt

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Law students internationally suffer from a high level of psychological distress compared with the general and student populations, and anecdotal evidence suggests that students developing skills without adequate support experience significant stress and anxiety. This article considers an initiative at one Australian law school to develop a degree-wide structured online skills development programme as a means to both improve student skills acquisition and reduce student stress. The project implements, through the use of learning technology, the principles proposed by McKinney for making small changes to law school teaching, informed by self-efficacy theory, which can have powerful results.

Nurses' experiences, expectations, and preferences for mind-body practices to reduce stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McCool Jane A

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most research on the impact of mind-body training does not ask about participants' baseline experience, expectations, or preferences for training. To better plan participant-centered mind-body intervention trials for nurses to reduce occupational stress, such descriptive information would be valuable. Methods We conducted an anonymous email survey between April and June, 2010 of North American nurses interested in mind-body training to reduce stress. The e-survey included: demographic characteristics, health conditions and stress levels; experiences with mind-body practices; expected health benefits; training preferences; and willingness to participate in future randomized controlled trials. Results Of the 342 respondents, 96% were women and 92% were Caucasian. Most (73% reported one or more health conditions, notably anxiety (49%; back pain (41%; GI problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (34%; or depression (33%. Their median occupational stress level was 4 (0 = none; 5 = extreme stress. Nearly all (99% reported already using one or more mind-body practices to reduce stress: intercessory prayer (86%, breath-focused meditation (49%, healing or therapeutic touch (39%, yoga/tai chi/qi gong (34%, or mindfulness-based meditation (18%. The greatest expected benefits were for greater spiritual well-being (56%; serenity, calm, or inner peace (54%; better mood (51%; more compassion (50%; or better sleep (42%. Most (65% wanted additional training; convenience (74% essential or very important, was more important than the program's reputation (49% or scientific evidence about effectiveness (32% in program selection. Most (65% were willing to participate in a randomized trial of mind-body training; among these, most were willing to collect salivary cortisol (60%, or serum biomarkers (53% to assess the impact of training. Conclusions Most nurses interested in mind-body training already engage in such practices. They have greater

Reducing occupational stress with a B-vitamin focussed intervention: a randomized clinical trial: study protocol

OpenAIRE

Stough, Con; Simpson, Tamara; Lomas, Justine; McPhee, Grace; Billings, Clare; Myers, Stephen; Oliver, Chris; Downey, Luke A

2014-01-01

Background Workplace stress in Australia and other western countries has been steadily increasing over the past decade. It can be observed not only in terms of increased compensation claims but also costs due to absenteeism, loss of productivity at work and reduced psychological and physiological health and well-being. Given the cost and pervasive effects of stress in the modern workforce, time efficient and cost-effective interventions capable of reducing occupational stress (or strain) and ...

Mucuna pruriens Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Semen in Infertile Men

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Kamla Kant Shukla

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The present investigation was undertaken to assess the role of Mucuna pruriens in infertile men who were under psychological stress. Study included 60 subjects who were undergoing infertility screening and were found to be suffering from psychological stress, assessed on the basis of a questionnaire and elevated serum cortisol levels. Age-matched 60 healthy men having normal semen parameters and who had previously initiated at least one pregnancy were included as controls. Infertile subjects were administered with M. pruriens seed powder (5 g day−1 orally. For carrying out morphological and biochemical analysis, semen samples were collected twice, first before starting treatment and second after 3 months of treatment. The results demonstrated decreased sperm count and motility in subjects who were under psychological stress. Moreover, serum cortisol and seminal plasma lipid peroxide levels were also found elevated along with decreased seminal plasma glutathione (GSH and ascorbic acid contents and reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD and catalase activity. Treatment with M. pruriens significantly ameliorated psychological stress and seminal plasma lipid peroxide levels along with improved sperm count and motility. Treatment also restored the levels of SOD, catalase, GSH and ascorbic acid in seminal plasma of infertile men. On the basis of results of the present study, it may be concluded that M. pruriens not only reactivates the anti-oxidant defense system of infertile men but it also helps in the management of stress and improves semen quality.

Mucuna pruriens Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Semen in Infertile Men.

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Shukla, Kamla Kant; Mahdi, Abbas Ali; Ahmad, Mohammad Kaleem; Jaiswar, Shyam Pyari; Shankwar, Satya Narain; Tiwari, Sarvada Chandra

2010-03-01

The present investigation was undertaken to assess the role of Mucuna pruriens in infertile men who were under psychological stress. Study included 60 subjects who were undergoing infertility screening and were found to be suffering from psychological stress, assessed on the basis of a questionnaire and elevated serum cortisol levels. Age-matched 60 healthy men having normal semen parameters and who had previously initiated at least one pregnancy were included as controls. Infertile subjects were administered with M. pruriens seed powder (5 g day(-1)) orally. For carrying out morphological and biochemical analysis, semen samples were collected twice, first before starting treatment and second after 3 months of treatment. The results demonstrated decreased sperm count and motility in subjects who were under psychological stress. Moreover, serum cortisol and seminal plasma lipid peroxide levels were also found elevated along with decreased seminal plasma glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid contents and reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity. Treatment with M. pruriens significantly ameliorated psychological stress and seminal plasma lipid peroxide levels along with improved sperm count and motility. Treatment also restored the levels of SOD, catalase, GSH and ascorbic acid in seminal plasma of infertile men. On the basis of results of the present study, it may be concluded that M. pruriens not only reactivates the anti-oxidant defense system of infertile men but it also helps in the management of stress and improves semen quality.

Reducing Listening-Related Stress in School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Rance, Gary; Chisari, Donella; Saunders, Kerryn; Rault, Jean-Loup

2017-01-01

High levels of stress and anxiety are common in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Within this study of school-aged children (20 male, 6 female) we hypothesised that functional hearing deficits (also pervasive in ASD) could be ameliorated by auditory interventions and that, as a consequence, stress levels would be reduced. The use of…

Presence of a dog reduces subjective but not physiological stress responses to an analog trauma

OpenAIRE

Lass-Hennemann, Johanna; Peyk, Peter; Streb, Markus; Holz, Elena; Michael, Tanja

2014-01-01

Dogs are known to have stress and anxiety reducing effects. Several studies have shown that dogs are able to calm people during cognitive and performance stressors. Recently, therapy dogs have been proposed as a treatment adjunct for post-traumatic stress disorder patients. In this study we aimed to investigate, whether dogs also have anxiety- and stress reducing effect during “traumatic stressors.” 80 healthy female participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. They were exp...

Using the stress and adversity inventory as a teaching tool leads to significant learning gains in two courses on stress and health.

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Slavich, George M; Toussaint, Loren

2014-10-01

The ability to measure cumulative stress exposure is important for research and teaching in stress and health, but until recently, no structured system has existed for assessing exposure to stress over the lifespan. Here, we report the results of two experimental studies that examined the pedagogical efficacy of using an automated system for assessing life stress, called the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN), for teaching courses on stress and health. In Study 1, a randomized, wait-list controlled experiment was conducted with 20 college students to test whether the STRAIN, coupled with a related lecture and discussion, promoted learning about stress and health. Results showed that this experiential lesson led to significant learning gains. To disentangle the effects of completing the STRAIN from participating in the lecture and discussion, we subsequently conducted Study 2 on 144 students using a 2 (STRAIN versus control activity) by 2 (STRAIN-specific lecture versus general stress lecture) repeated-measures design. Although the STRAIN-specific lecture was sufficient for promoting learning, completing the STRAIN also generated significant learning gains when paired with only the general stress lecture. Together, these studies suggest that the STRAIN is an effective tool for promoting experiential learning and teaching students about stress and health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hyperosmotic stress reduces melanin production by altering melanosome formation.

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Bin, Bum-Ho; Bhin, Jinhyuk; Yang, Seung Ha; Choi, Dong-Hwa; Park, Kyuhee; Shin, Dong Wook; Lee, Ai-Young; Hwang, Daehee; Cho, Eun-Gyung; Lee, Tae Ryong

2014-01-01

Many tissues of the human body encounter hyperosmotic stress. The effect of extracellular osmotic changes on melanin production has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we determined that hyperosmotic stress induced by organic osmolytes results in reduced melanin production in human melanoma MNT-1 cells. Under hyperosmotic stress, few pigmented mature melanosomes were detected, but there was an increase in swollen vacuoles. These vacuoles were stained with an anti-M6PR antibody that recognizes late endosomal components and with anti-TA99 and anti-HMB45 antibodies, implying that melanosome formation was affected by hyperosmotic stress. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that the M6PR-positive swollen vacuoles were multi-layered and contained melanized granules, and they produced melanin when L-DOPA was applied, indicating that these vacuoles were still capable of producing melanin, but the inner conditions were not compatible with melanin production. The vacuolation phenomenon induced by hyperosmotic conditions disappeared with treatment with the PI3K activator 740 Y-P, indicating that the PI3K pathway is affected by hyperosmotic conditions and is responsible for the proper formation and maturation of melanosomes. The microarray analysis showed alterations of the vesicle organization and transport under hyperosmotic stress. Our findings suggest that melanogenesis could be regulated by physiological conditions, such as osmotic pressure.

Overexpression of catalase in mice reduces age-related oxidative stress and maintains sperm production.

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Selvaratnam, Johanna; Robaire, Bernard

2016-11-01

Advanced paternal age is associated with increased complications in pregnancy and genetic diseases in offspring. Oxidative stress is a major contributor to the damage accumulated in sperm during aging. Complex networks of antioxidants regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the testis. While mounting evident shows that redox dysfunction compromises the quality of developing male germ cells, the mechanisms by which aging causes this remain unclear. Furthermore, therapies to successfully alleviate aging-associated loss in germ cell quality are limited. The antioxidant catalase (CAT) has been used in aging-associated pathologies to alleviate oxidative stress. We used mice overexpressing CAT (MCAT) to determine whether CAT overexpression alleviates the redox dysfunction observed with aging. We found that MCAT mice did not exhibit the age-dependent loss of spermatozoa, nor did they show aging associated loss in testicular germ and Sertoli cells seen in wild type (WT). Low overall ROS and reduced peroxynitrite levels were detected in spermatocytes from aged MCAT mice, following exposure to the pro-oxidant tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Germ cells from young MCATs showed elevated levels of DNA-damage repair markers, γ-H2AX and 53BP1, but this response was lost with aging. Finally, we found oxidative stress induced 8-oxodG lesions to increase in sperm with aging; these lesions were significantly reduced in aged MCAT and these mice showed no decrease in the age-dependent number of pups per litter. Thus we conclude that aged MCAT mice generate sperm at the same rate as young mice; these sperm are protected from oxidative stress associated damage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement and Clinical Significance of Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Humans

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Ilaria Marrocco

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Oxidative stress is the result of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS formation and enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Biomarkers of oxidative stress are relevant in the evaluation of the disease status and of the health-enhancing effects of antioxidants. We aim to discuss the major methodological bias of methods used for the evaluation of oxidative stress in humans. There is a lack of consensus concerning the validation, standardization, and reproducibility of methods for the measurement of the following: (1 ROS in leukocytes and platelets by flow cytometry, (2 markers based on ROS-induced modifications of lipids, DNA, and proteins, (3 enzymatic players of redox status, and (4 total antioxidant capacity of human body fluids. It has been suggested that the bias of each method could be overcome by using indexes of oxidative stress that include more than one marker. However, the choice of the markers considered in the global index should be dictated by the aim of the study and its design, as well as by the clinical relevance in the selected subjects. In conclusion, the clinical significance of biomarkers of oxidative stress in humans must come from a critical analysis of the markers that should give an overall index of redox status in particular conditions.

Reducing Stress within the Rehabilitative Work Setting - A Report on the ROSE Project

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Wells, John S. G.; Denny, Margaret

Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment (ROSE) is an EU funded project which aims to develop a combined person and work directed stress management programme in order to improve the long-term retention of staff in the vocational rehabilitation sector for mental health and intellectual disabilities.

Stress Exposure in Significant Relationships Is Associated with Lymph Node Status in Breast Cancer.

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Chiara Renzi

Full Text Available Life stress exposure may impact on health and disease. Previous literature showed that stressful life events are associated with cancer incidence, survival and mortality. In animal models, patterns of maternal care have been shown to critically affect stress sensitivity and immunity trajectories later in life, by modifying DNA methylation during critical periods early in life. However, the role of parental care in breast cancer progression and survival has only limitedly been explored. Here, we investigated whether these factors may be linked to biological prognostic variables.One hundred twenty-three women hospitalized for surgery of primary breast cancer completed a questionnaire assessing parental bonding. Stressful events throughout the life span were also assessed.We found that the absence of optimal parental relationships is significantly associated with an increased risk of lymph node involvement, adjusting for confounders, while cumulative stress in the area of sentimental relationships is borderline significantly associated with the same prognostic factor.Our results suggest that parental bonding and sentimental relations may have a role in breast cancer progression. These variables represent an important evolutionary aspect which may modulate cancer progression through psycho-physiological stress pathways and influence the immune system.

Reduced Cortisol Output during Public Speaking Stress in Ostracized Women.

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Weik, Ulrike; Ruhweza, Jennifer; Deinzer, Renate

2017-01-01

Ostracism (being excluded or ignored) is experienced as unpleasant and distressing. In previous studies, an immediate pre-stress experience of ostracism induced by Cyberball, a virtual ball-tossing game, was found to inhibit cortisol reactivity to public speaking stress in female students. The present study examines whether the effect will persist when a 15-min time gap between the Cyberball experience and subsequent psychological stress is introduced. N = 84 women were randomly assigned to Cyberball ostracism vs. inclusion. 15 min after playing Cyberball, all women were subjected to public speaking stress. Salivary cortisol and mood were repeatedly assessed during the course of the experiment. These are the main findings of the study: Repeated measures ANCOVA revealed that public speaking stress resulted in a significant increase of cortisol in both groups (inclusion vs. ostracism). However, cortisol levels were significantly lower in the ostracism group. In earlier studies when Cyberball was played immediately before public speaking stress, the cortisol response to public speaking was completely suppressed in ostracized women. By introducing a waiting period between Cyberball and public speaking stress in the present study, the main effect of an ostracism induced reduction of cortisol remained, although both groups showed an increase of cortisol as a response to public speaking. These results again suggest that the experience of ostracism might inhibit hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, thereby confirming previous results. The formerly observed total suppression of HPA axis responsiveness to public speaking, however, seems to be a rather short-term effect.

Environmental enrichment reduces chronic psychosocial stress-induced anxiety and ethanol-related behaviors in mice.

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Bahi, Amine

2017-07-03

Previous research from our laboratory has shown that exposure to chronic psychosocial stress increased voluntary ethanol consumption and preference as well as acquisition of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in mice. This study was done to determine whether an enriched environment could have "curative" effects on chronic psychosocial stress-induced ethanol intake and CPP. For this purpose, experimental mice "intruders" were exposed to the chronic subordinate colony (CSC) housing for 19 consecutive days in the presence of an aggressive "resident" mouse. At the end of that period, mice were tested for their anxiety-like behavior using the elevated plus maze (EPM) test then housed in a standard or enriched environment (SE or EE respectively). Anxiety and ethanol-related behaviors were investigated using the open field (OF) test, a standard two-bottle choice drinking paradigm, and the CPP procedure. As expected, CSC exposure increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced weight gain as compared to single housed colony (SHC) controls. In addition, CSC exposure increased voluntary ethanol intake and ethanol-CPP. Interestingly, we found that EE significantly and consistently reduced anxiety and ethanol consumption and preference. However, neither tastants' (saccharin and quinine) intake nor blood ethanol metabolism were affected by EE. Finally, and most importantly, EE reduced the acquisition of CPP induced by 1.5g/kg ethanol. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that EE can reduce voluntary ethanol intake and ethanol-induced conditioned reward and seems to be one of the strategies to reduce the behavioral deficits and the risk of anxiety-induced alcohol abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consequences of inbreeding and reduced genetic variation on tolerance to cadmium stress in the midge Chironomus riparius

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, Carsten; Jost, Daniel; Vogt, Christian; Oetken, Matthias; Schwenk, Klaus; Oehlmann, Joerg

2007-01-01

Inbreeding and loss of genetic variation are considered to be major threats to small and endangered populations. The reduction of fitness due to inbreeding is believed to be more severe under stressful environmental conditions. We generated nine strains of the ecotoxicological model organism Chironomus riparius of different inbreeding levels in order to test the hypothesis that the inbreeding level and thus the degree of genome-wide homozygosity influences the life-history under cadmium exposure. Therefore, midge populations were exposed to a gradient of sediment-bound cadmium. The level of genetic variation in the used strains was assessed using microsatellite markers. In the life-cycle tests, inbreeding reduced fitness within C. riparius populations both under control and stressed conditions. However, differences between genetically diverse and impoverished strains were greatest at high cadmium exposure. Overall, inbreeding effects were not only dependent on cadmium concentrations in the sediment, but also on the life-history trait investigated. While some parameters where only affected by inbreeding, others were altered by both, inbreeding and cadmium. For the larval developmental time, a significant interaction was found between inbreeding and cadmium stress. While all strains showed a similar developmental time under control conditions, high rates of inbreeding led to a significantly delayed emergence time under high cadmium concentrations, resulting in longer generation periods and reduced population growth rates as population-relevant effects. The results show, that bioassays with C. riparius are affected by the level of inbreeding within Chironomus test strains. Pollution stress is therefore likely to affect the survival of rare and endangered populations more severe than that of large and genetically diverse ones

Protective effect of catechin in type I Gaucher disease cells by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yea-Jin; Kim, Sung-Jo; Heo, Tae-Hwe

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Catechin reduces the expression level of ER stress marker protein in type I Gaucher disease cells. → Catechin induces the proliferation rate of GD cells similar levels to normal cells. → Catechin improves wound healing activity. → Catechin-mediated reductions in ER stress may be associated with enhanced cell survival. → We identified catechin as a protective agent against ER stress in GD cells. -- Abstract: Gaucher disease (GD) is the most common lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) and is divided into three phenotypes, I, II, and III. Type I is the most prevalent form and has its onset in adulthood. The degree of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is one of the factors that determine GD severity. It has recently been reported that antioxidants reduce ER stress and apoptosis by scavenging the oxidants that cause oxidative stress. For this report, we investigated the possibility that catechin can act on type I GD patient cells to alleviate the pathogenic conditions of GD. We treated GD cells with catechin and examined the expression level of GRP78/BiP (an ER stress marker) by western blots and fluorescence microscopy, the proliferation rate of GD cells, and scratch-induced wound healing activity. Our results show that catechin reduces the expression level of GRP78/BiP, leads to cell proliferation rates of GD cells similar levels to normal cells, and improves wound healing activity. We conclude that catechin protects against ER stress in GD cells and catechin-mediated reductions in ER stress may be associated with enhanced cell survival.

Protective effect of catechin in type I Gaucher disease cells by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yea-Jin [Department of Biotechnology, Hoseo University, Baebang, Asan, Chungnam, 336-795 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung-Jo, E-mail: sungjo@hoseo.edu [Department of Biotechnology, Hoseo University, Baebang, Asan, Chungnam, 336-795 (Korea, Republic of); Heo, Tae-Hwe, E-mail: thhur92@catholic.ac.kr [College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 420-743 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-09-23

Highlights: {yields} Catechin reduces the expression level of ER stress marker protein in type I Gaucher disease cells. {yields} Catechin induces the proliferation rate of GD cells similar levels to normal cells. {yields} Catechin improves wound healing activity. {yields} Catechin-mediated reductions in ER stress may be associated with enhanced cell survival. {yields} We identified catechin as a protective agent against ER stress in GD cells. -- Abstract: Gaucher disease (GD) is the most common lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) and is divided into three phenotypes, I, II, and III. Type I is the most prevalent form and has its onset in adulthood. The degree of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is one of the factors that determine GD severity. It has recently been reported that antioxidants reduce ER stress and apoptosis by scavenging the oxidants that cause oxidative stress. For this report, we investigated the possibility that catechin can act on type I GD patient cells to alleviate the pathogenic conditions of GD. We treated GD cells with catechin and examined the expression level of GRP78/BiP (an ER stress marker) by western blots and fluorescence microscopy, the proliferation rate of GD cells, and scratch-induced wound healing activity. Our results show that catechin reduces the expression level of GRP78/BiP, leads to cell proliferation rates of GD cells similar levels to normal cells, and improves wound healing activity. We conclude that catechin protects against ER stress in GD cells and catechin-mediated reductions in ER stress may be associated with enhanced cell survival.

Mental Health Nurse's Exposure to Workplace Violence Leads to Job Stress, Which Leads to Reduced Professional Quality of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Itzhaki, Michal; Bluvstein, Irit; Peles Bortz, Anat; Kostistky, Hava; Bar Noy, Dor; Filshtinsky, Vivian; Theilla, Miriam

2018-01-01

Professional quality of life (ProQOL) reflects how individuals feel about their work as helpers. Psychiatric ward nurses cope with significant psychological and physical challenges, including exposure to verbal and physical violence. This study was based on two aspects of ProQOL, the positive compassion satisfaction, and the negative compassion fatigue, with the aim of investigating the relation of ProQOL to job stress and violence exposure at a large mental health center. Data were collected from 114 mental health nurses (49/63 M/F) who completed a self-administered questionnaire examining violence exposure, ProQOL, and job stress. The results showed that during the last year, almost all nurses (88.6%) experienced verbal violence, and more than half (56.1%) experienced physical violence. Only 2.6% experienced no violence. ProQOL was not associated with violence exposure but was reduced by work stress and by previous exposure to violence; nurses who perceived their work as more stressful had lower satisfaction from their work. In conclusion, although most mental health nurses are exposed to physical and verbal violence, their ProQOL is more related to job stress than to workplace violence (WPV). Hospital managements should conduct work stress reduction intervention programs and promote strategizes to reduce WPV. Further exploration of (a) factors affecting ProQOL and (b) the effect of violence coping workshops on ProQOL is warranted.

The effectiveness of stress inoculation group training (SIT on reducing job stress of employees of RAZAK pharmaceutical company in Tehran

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M. Soudani

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background and aims Despite the fact that work is the major part of human life and the source of satisfying the sense of idealism, innovation and the feeling of consent in the individual, but it is one of the most important factors of creating stress in today's societies. One of the most efficient methods of interfering in stress inoculation group training (SIT. The aim of the present research is the investigation of the efficacy of the stress inoculation group training (SIT on reducing career stress of employees of Razak Co.'s employees.     Methodsthis study is an intermediary study and the research method is experimental of pretest and posttest type with control group. 46 of subjects whose score in career stress test was above the average score were selected as sample, and were replaced in simple random way in two groups of test and control. 8-session test group of 1.5 hours each received team immunity training against stress. Both groups were tested and evaluated three times at the same time (pretest, posttest and follow up.   Resultsafter adjusting the posttest scores based on pretest scores, the results of one-way covariance pretest showed that stress inoculation group training (SIT had a meaningful influence on reduction of career stress on employees. Also the results of multivariable covariance analysis (Mankoa showed that this effect existed in every component of career stress, i.e. exceeding accountability, responsibility of others, very high working pressure, decision making that influences the others, and understanding of self as an individual not quite competent and qualified. In follow up studies after one month, the results showed that stress inoculation group training (SIT has a stable influence on reduction of career stress and it components.   Conclusion on the base of the obtained findings from research and effectiveness from the stress inoculation group training (SIT , it is recommended to apply this therapeutic

The Effectiveness of Group Coping Skills Ttraining on Reducing Stress of Mothers with Disabled Children

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Shirin Valizadeh

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the Effectiveness of group Coping Skills training on reducing stress of mothers with mentally retarded children's. Methods: The research method was quasi experimental with pre-test and post-test design with a control group. Population of the study was all of the mothers of mentally retarded children's that referred to welfare organization centers in Tehran. The sample was 44 mothers of mentally retarded children's that randomly selected from participations that had inclusion criteria. They were placed randomly in case group (22 mothers and control group (22 mothers. Case group received 12 session’s of coping skills training, while control group didn’t receive any intervention. Results: The results showed that case group had significantly decreased in stress level after intervention than control group (P<0.001. Discussion: Results of this study indicated that coping skills training for decreasing stress level of mothers with mentally retarded children's is effective. Based on the results, coping skills training can be considered an effective program for prevention of stress and promoting coping skills in mothers with mentally retarded children's.

Transperineal ultrasonography in stress urinary incontinence: The significance of urethral rotation angles.

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Al-Saadi, Wasan Ismail

2016-03-01

To assess, using transperineal ultrasonography (TPUS), the numerical value of the rotation of the bladder neck [represented by the difference in the anterior (α angle) and posterior urethral angles (β angle)] at rest and straining, in continent women and women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), to ascertain if there are significant differences in the angles of rotation (Rα and Rβ) between the groups. In all, 30 women with SUI (SUI group) and 30 continent women (control group) were included. TPUS was performed at rest and straining (Valsalva manoeuver), and the threshold value for the urethral angles (α and β angles) for each group were estimated. The degree of rotation for each angle was calculated and was considered as the angle of rotation. Both the α and β angles were significantly different between the groups at rest and straining, and there was a significant difference in the mean increment in the value of each angle. Higher values of increment (higher rotation angles) were reported in the SUI group for both the α and β angles compared with those of the control group [mean (SD) Rα SUI group 19.43 (12.76) vs controls 10.53 (2.98) °; Rβ SUI group 28.30 (12.96) vs controls 16.33 (10.8) °; P < 0.001]. Urethral rotation angles may assist in the assessment and diagnosis of patients with SUI, which may in turn reduce the need for more sophisticated urodynamic studies.

Starved Escherichia coli preserve reducing power under nitric oxide stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gowers, Glen-Oliver F. [Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Robinson, Jonathan L. [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Brynildsen, Mark P., E-mail: mbrynild@princeton.edu [Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)

2016-07-15

Nitric oxide (NO) detoxification enzymes, such as NO dioxygenase (NOD) and NO reductase (NOR), are important to the virulence of numerous bacteria. Pathogens use these defense systems to ward off immune-generated NO, and they do so in environments that contain additional stressors, such as reactive oxygen species, nutrient deprivation, and acid stress. NOD and NOR both use reducing equivalents to metabolically deactivate NO, which suggests that nutrient deprivation could negatively impact their functionality. To explore the relationship between NO detoxification and nutrient deprivation, we examined the ability of Escherichia coli to detoxify NO under different levels of carbon source availability in aerobic cultures. We observed failure of NO detoxification under both carbon source limitation and starvation, and those failures could have arisen from inabilities to synthesize Hmp (NOD of E. coli) and/or supply it with sufficient NADH (preferred electron donor). We found that when limited quantities of carbon source were provided, NO detoxification failed due to insufficient NADH, whereas starvation prevented Hmp synthesis, which enabled cells to maintain their NADH levels. This maintenance of NADH levels under starvation was confirmed to be dependent on the absence of Hmp. Intriguingly, these data show that under NO stress, carbon-starved E. coli are better positioned with regard to reducing power to cope with other stresses than cells that had consumed an exhaustible amount of carbon. -- Highlights: •Carbon source availability is critical to aerobic E. coli NO detoxification. •Carbon source starvation, under NO stress, preserves intracellular NADH levels. •Preservation of NADH depends on starvation-dependent inhibition of Hmp induction.

Reducing primary and secondary traumatic stress symptoms among educators by training them to deliver a resiliency program (ERASE-Stress) following the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.

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Berger, Rony; Abu-Raiya, Hisham; Benatov, Joy

2016-03-01

The current investigation evaluated the impact of a universal school-based resiliency intervention (ERASE-Stress) on educators who were working with elementary schoolchildren exposed to the Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand. In the context of major disasters, educators may suffer from "dual trauma"; they can experience symptoms of both primary trauma (as a result of the disaster itself) and secondary trauma (as a result of working with traumatized students). Sixty-three educators were randomly assigned to either the ERASE-Stress intervention or an alternative Managing Emergencies and Traumatic Incidents (METI) program which served as a control group. Efficacy of the program was evaluated at the end of the training as well as at 8 months follow-up. Compared with educators in the control group, those in the ERASE-Stress intervention significantly reduced their posttraumatic distress and secondary traumatization symptoms, improved their perceived level of professional self-efficacy as a helper of earthquake survivors, developed an optimistic outlook regarding their personal future and enhanced their sense of hope, and honed some of their positive coping strategies and reduced the utilization of some maladaptive coping methods. These beneficial consequences of the ERASE-Stress training make it a potentially useful tool for educators working with traumatized students in the context of major disasters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Interventions to reduce stress in university students: a review and meta-analysis.

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Regehr, Cheryl; Glancy, Dylan; Pitts, Annabel

2013-05-15

Recent research has revealed concerning rates of anxiety and depression among university students. Nevertheless, only a small percentage of these students receive treatment from university health services. Universities are thus challenged with instituting preventative programs that address student stress and reduce resultant anxiety and depression. A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing stress in university students. Studies were eligible for inclusion if the assignment of study participants to experimental or control groups was by random allocation or parallel cohort design. Retrieved studies represented a variety of intervention approaches with students in a broad range of programs and disciplines. Twenty-four studies, involving 1431 students were included in the meta-analysis. Cognitive, behavioral and mindfulness interventions were associated with decreased symptoms of anxiety. Secondary outcomes included lower levels of depression and cortisol. Included studies were limited to those published in peer reviewed journals. These studies over-represent interventions with female students in Western countries. Studies on some types of interventions such as psycho-educational and arts based interventions did not have sufficient data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. This review provides evidence that cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness interventions are effective in reducing stress in university students. Universities are encouraged to make such programs widely available to students. In addition however, future work should focus on developing stress reduction programs that attract male students and address their needs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring and reducing stress in young restaurant workers: results of a randomized field trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Petree, Robyn D; Broome, Kirk M; Bennett, Joel B

2012-01-01

Young adult restaurant workers face the dual stressors of work adjustment and managing personal responsibilities. We assessed a new psychosocial/health promotion training designed to reduce these stressors in the context of restaurant work. DESIGN . A cluster-randomized trial of a training program, with surveys administered approximately 2 weeks before training and both 6 and 12 months after training. A national restaurant chain. A total of 947 restaurant workers in 28 restaurants. Personal stress, exposure to problem coworkers, and personal and job characteristics. Team Resilience (TR) is an interactive program for stress management, teamwork, and work-life balance. TR focuses on "five Cs" of resilience: compassion, commitment, centering, community, and confidence. ANALYSIS . Mixed-model (multilevel) analysis of covariances. Compared with workers in control stores, workers in TR-trained stores showed significant reductions over time in exposure to problem coworkers (F[2, 80.60]  =  4.48; p  =  .01) and in personal stress (F[2, 75.28]  =  6.12; p  =  .003). The TR program may help young workers who face the challenges of emerging adulthood and work-life balance.

Acute stress reduces wound-induced activation of microbicidal potential of ex vivo isolated human monocyte-derived macrophages.

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Ulrike Kuebler

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Psychological stress delays wound healing but the precise underlying mechanisms are unclear. Macrophages play an important role in wound healing, in particular by killing microbes. We hypothesized that (a acute psychological stress reduces wound-induced activation of microbicidal potential of human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM, and (b that these reductions are modulated by stress hormone release. METHODS: Fourty-one healthy men (mean age 35 ± 13 years were randomly assigned to either a stress or stress-control group. While the stress group underwent a standardized short-term psychological stress task after catheter-induced wound infliction, stress-controls did not. Catheter insertion was controlled. Assessing the microbicidal potential, we investigated PMA-activated superoxide anion production by HMDM immediately before and 1, 10 and 60 min after stress/rest. Moreover, plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine and salivary cortisol were repeatedly measured. In subsequent in vitro studies, whole blood was incubated with norepinephrine in the presence or absence of phentolamine (norepinephrine blocker before assessing HMDM microbicidal potential. RESULTS: Compared with stress-controls, HMDM of the stressed subjects displayed decreased superoxide anion-responses after stress (p's <.05. Higher plasma norepinephrine levels statistically mediated lower amounts of superoxide anion-responses (indirect effect 95% CI: 4.14-44.72. Norepinephrine-treated HMDM showed reduced superoxide anion-production (p<.001. This effect was blocked by prior incubation with phentolamine. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that acute psychological stress reduces wound-induced activation of microbicidal potential of HMDM and that this reduction is mediated by norepinephrine. This might have implications for stress-induced impairment in wound healing.

Aerobic Exercise Reduces Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetzner, Mathew G; Asmundson, Gordon J G

2015-01-01

Evidence suggests aerobic exercise has anxiolytic effects; yet, the treatment potential for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and responsible anxiolytic mechanisms have received little attention. Emerging evidence indicates that attentional focus during exercise may dictate the extent of therapeutic benefit. Whether benefits are a function of attentional focus toward or away from somatic arousal during exercise remains untested. Thirty-three PTSD-affected participants completed two weeks of stationary biking aerobic exercise (six sessions). To assess the effect of attentional focus, participants were randomized into three exercise groups: group 1 (attention to somatic arousal) received prompts directing their attention to the interoceptive effects of exercise, group 2 (distraction from somatic arousal) watched a nature documentary, and group 3 exercised with no distractions or interoceptive prompts. Hierarchal linear modeling showed all groups reported reduced PTSD and anxiety sensitivity (AS; i.e., fear of arousal-related somatic sensations) during treatment. Interaction effects between group and time were found for PTSD hyperarousal and AS physical and social scores, wherein group 1, receiving interoceptive prompts, experienced significantly less symptom reduction than other groups. Most participants (89%) reported clinically significant reductions in PTSD severity after the two-week intervention. Findings suggest, regardless of attentional focus, aerobic exercise reduces PTSD symptoms.

Pets in Workplace Please Workers, May Reduce Stress

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Melissa; Schorr; 余爱邛

2001-01-01

新闻!新闻!美国的一家杂志the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology(职业健康心理杂志)载文认为把家里的宠物带到工作场所,能够reduce stress and improve their health!另外的好处还有:…foster(培养)social interaction(互相作用)and are good for business.不过本文在谈到如此做法的drawbacks(缺点),倒也客观公允。

Heme oxygenase-1 induction improves cardiac function following myocardial ischemia by reducing oxidative stress.

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Yossi Issan

Full Text Available Oxidative stress plays a key role in exacerbating diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1, a stress response protein, is cytoprotective, but its role in post myocardial infarction (MI and diabetes is not fully characterized. We aimed to investigate the protection and the mechanisms of HO-1 induction in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia and in diabetic mice subjected to LAD ligation.In vitro: cultured cardiomyocytes were treated with cobalt-protoporphyrin (CoPP and tin protoporphyrin (SnPP prior to hypoxic stress. In vivo: CoPP treated streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice were subjected to LAD ligation for 2/24 h. Cardiac function, histology, biochemical damage markers and signaling pathways were measured.HO-1 induction lowered release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH and creatine phospho kinase (CK, decreased propidium iodide staining, improved cell morphology and preserved mitochondrial membrane potential in cardiomyocytes. In diabetic mice, Fractional Shortening (FS was lower than non-diabetic mice (35±1%vs.41±2, respectively p<0.05. CoPP-treated diabetic animals improved cardiac function (43±2% p<0.01, reduced CK, Troponin T levels and infarct size compared to non-treated diabetic mice (P<0.01, P<0.001, P<0.01 respectively. CoPP-enhanced HO-1 protein levels and reduced oxidative stress in diabetic animals, as indicated by the decrease in superoxide levels in cardiac tissues and plasma TNFα levels (p<0.05. The increased levels of HO-1 by CoPP treatment after LAD ligation led to a shift of the Bcl-2/bax ratio towards the antiapoptotic process (p<0.05. CoPP significantly increased the expression levels of pAKT and pGSK3β (p<0.05 in cardiomyocytes and in diabetic mice with MI. SnPP abolished CoPP's cardioprotective effects.HO-1 induction plays a role in cardioprotection against hypoxic damage in cardiomyocytes and in reducing post ischemic cardiac damage in the diabetic heart as proved by the increased levels of pAKT with

Inhibition of Myeloperoxidase by N-Acetyl Lysyltyrosylcysteine Amide Reduces Oxidative Stress-Mediated Inflammation, Neuronal Damage, and Neural Stem Cell Injury in a Murine Model of Stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Guoliang; Liang, Ye; Zheng, Shikan; Zhang, Hao

2018-02-01

Recent studies suggest that myeloperoxidase (MPO)-dependent oxidative stress plays a significant role in brain injury in stroke patients. We previously showed that N -acetyl lysyltyrosylcysteine amide (KYC), a novel MPO inhibitor, significantly decreased infarct size, blood-brain barrier leakage, infiltration of myeloid cells, loss of neurons, and apoptosis in the brains of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mice. Inhibition of MPO also noticeably reduced neurologic severity scores of MCAO mice. Thus, our data support the idea that MPO-dependent oxidative stress plays a detrimental role in tissue injury in ischemic stroke. However, the mechanisms of MPO-induced injury in stroke are still largely unknown. Here, we present new evidence showing that KYC treatment greatly reduced inflammation by decreasing the number of proinflammatory M1 microglial cells and N1 neutrophils in the brains of MCAO mice. KYC also markedly reduced the expression of high-mobility group box 1, receptor for advanced glycation end products, and nuclear factor- κ B in the brains of MCAO mice. Both neurons and neural stem cells (NSCs) were oxidatively injured by MPO-dependent oxidative stress in MCAO mice. Inhibiting MPO-dependent oxidative stress with KYC significantly reduced oxidative injury and apoptosis in neurons and NSCs. KYC treatment also protected transplanted exogenous NSCs in the brains of MCAO mice. Thus, our studies suggest that MPO-dependent oxidative stress directly injures brain tissues by oxidizing neurons and NSCs and increasing inflammation during stroke. Inhibition of MPO activity with KYC preserves neuronal function and helps the brain recover from injury after stroke. Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

A randomized controlled pilot study feasibility of a tablet-based guided audio-visual relaxation intervention for reducing stress and pain in adults with sickle cell disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezenwa, Miriam O; Yao, Yingwei; Engeland, Christopher G; Molokie, Robert E; Wang, Zaijie Jim; Suarez, Marie L; Wilkie, Diana J

2016-06-01

To test feasibility of a guided audio-visual relaxation intervention protocol for reducing stress and pain in adults with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell pain is inadequately controlled using opioids, necessitating further intervention such as guided relaxation to reduce stress and pain. Attention-control, randomized clinical feasibility pilot study with repeated measures. Randomized to guided relaxation or control groups, all patients recruited between 2013-2014 during clinical visits, completed stress and pain measures via a Galaxy Internet-enabled Android tablet at the Baseline visit (pre/post intervention), 2-week posttest visit and also daily at home between the two visits. Experimental group patients were asked to use a guided relaxation intervention at the Baseline visit and at least once daily for 2 weeks. Control group patients engaged in a recorded sickle cell discussion at the Baseline visit. Data were analysed using linear regression with bootstrapping. At baseline, 27/28 of consented patients completed the study protocol. Group comparison showed that guided relaxation significantly reduced current stress and pain. At the 2-week posttest, 24/27 of patients completed the study, all of whom reported liking the study. Patients completed tablet-based measures on 71% of study days (69% in control group, 72% in experiment group). At the 2-week posttest, the experimental group had significantly lower composite pain index scores, but the two groups did not differ significantly on stress intensity. This study protocol appears feasible. The tablet-based guided relaxation intervention shows promise for reducing sickle cell pain and warrants a larger efficacy trial. The ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is: NCT02501447. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effectiveness of benzocaine in reducing deep cavity restoration and post-extraction stress in dental patients

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Khalid H. Al-Samadani

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of topical anesthetic, 20% benzocaine in relieving pain and stress in patients following deep cavity restoration and extraction of teeth under local anesthesia (LA. Methods: A prospective clinical trial was conducted from October 2014 until April 2015 at Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Forty-five patients were included in the 20% benzocaine group, and 46 in the normal saline group. Evaluation of the dental stress was made pre-operatively and immediately post-operative treatment using the visual analogue scale (VAS. Furthermore, discomfort of the injections were recorded by the patients after each treatment on standard 100 mm VAS, tagged at the endpoints with “no pain” (0 mm and “unbearable pain” (100 mm. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the mean stress scores for patients in the benzocaine and normal saline groups post-operatively (p=0.002. There were significant differences between the mean pain scores for patients in the post buccal injection (p=0.001, post palatal injection (p=0.01, and the post inferior alveolar nerve block groups (p=0.02. Buccal, palatal, and inferior alveolar nerve block injections were more painful for patients in the normal saline group than the benzocaine group. Conclusion: This investigation has demonstrated that post-operative stress associated with deep cavity restoration and dental extractions under LA can be reduced by the application of topical anesthetic (20% benzocaine at the operative site for intra-oral injections.

Chronic water stress reduces tree growth and the carbon sink of deciduous hardwood forests.

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Brzostek, Edward R; Dragoni, Danilo; Schmid, Hans Peter; Rahman, Abdullah F; Sims, Daniel; Wayson, Craig A; Johnson, Daniel J; Phillips, Richard P

2014-08-01

Predicted decreases in water availability across the temperate forest biome have the potential to offset gains in carbon (C) uptake from phenology trends, rising atmospheric CO2 , and nitrogen deposition. While it is well established that severe droughts reduce the C sink of forests by inducing tree mortality, the impacts of mild but chronic water stress on forest phenology and physiology are largely unknown. We quantified the C consequences of chronic water stress using a 13-year record of tree growth (n = 200 trees), soil moisture, and ecosystem C balance at the Morgan-Monroe State Forest (MMSF) in Indiana, and a regional 11-year record of tree growth (n > 300 000 trees) and water availability for the 20 most dominant deciduous broadleaf tree species across the eastern and midwestern USA. We show that despite ~26 more days of C assimilation by trees at the MMSF, increasing water stress decreased the number of days of wood production by ~42 days over the same period, reducing the annual accrual of C in woody biomass by 41%. Across the deciduous forest region, water stress induced similar declines in tree growth, particularly for water-demanding 'mesophytic' tree species. Given the current replacement of water-stress adapted 'xerophytic' tree species by mesophytic tree species, we estimate that chronic water stress has the potential to decrease the C sink of deciduous forests by up to 17% (0.04 Pg C yr(-1) ) in the coming decades. This reduction in the C sink due to mesophication and chronic water stress is equivalent to an additional 1-3 days of global C emissions from fossil fuel burning each year. Collectively, our results indicate that regional declines in water availability may offset the growth-enhancing effects of other global changes and reduce the extent to which forests ameliorate climate warming. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mental Health Nurse’s Exposure to Workplace Violence Leads to Job Stress, Which Leads to Reduced Professional Quality of Life

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Michal Itzhaki

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Professional quality of life (ProQOL reflects how individuals feel about their work as helpers. Psychiatric ward nurses cope with significant psychological and physical challenges, including exposure to verbal and physical violence. This study was based on two aspects of ProQOL, the positive compassion satisfaction, and the negative compassion fatigue, with the aim of investigating the relation of ProQOL to job stress and violence exposure at a large mental health center. Data were collected from 114 mental health nurses (49/63 M/F who completed a self-administered questionnaire examining violence exposure, ProQOL, and job stress. The results showed that during the last year, almost all nurses (88.6% experienced verbal violence, and more than half (56.1% experienced physical violence. Only 2.6% experienced no violence. ProQOL was not associated with violence exposure but was reduced by work stress and by previous exposure to violence; nurses who perceived their work as more stressful had lower satisfaction from their work. In conclusion, although most mental health nurses are exposed to physical and verbal violence, their ProQOL is more related to job stress than to workplace violence (WPV. Hospital managements should conduct work stress reduction intervention programs and promote strategizes to reduce WPV. Further exploration of (a factors affecting ProQOL and (b the effect of violence coping workshops on ProQOL is warranted.

A short-term supranutritional vitamin E supplementation alleviated respiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat stressed pigs.

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Liu, Fan; Celi, Pietro; Chauhan, Surinder Singh; Cottrell, Jeremy James; Leury, Brian Joseph; Dunshea, Frank Rowland

2018-02-01

Heat stress (HS) triggers oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in pigs. The objective of this experiment was to study whether a short-term supranutritional amount of dietary vitamin E (VE) can mitigate oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in heat-stressed pigs. A total of 24 pigs were given either a control diet (17 IU/kg VE) or a high VE (200 IU/kg VE; HiVE) diet for 14 d, then exposed to thermoneutral (TN; 20°C, 45% humidity) or HS (35°C, 35% to 45% humidity, 8 h daily) conditions for 7 d. Respiration rate and rectal temperature were measured three times daily during the thermal exposure. Blood gas variables and oxidative stress markers were studied in blood samples collected on d 7. Although HiVE diet did not affect the elevated rectal temperature or respiration rate observed during HS, it alleviated (all prespiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat-stressed pigs.

Analysis of Zero Reynolds Shear Stress Appearing in Dilute Surfactant Drag-Reducing Flow

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Weiguo Gu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Dilute surfactant solution of 25 ppm in the two-dimensional channel is investigated experimentally compared with water flow. Particle image velocimetry (PIV system is used to take 2D velocity frames in the streamwise and wall-normal plane. Based on the frames of instantaneous vectors and statistical results, the phenomenon of zero Reynolds shear stress appearing in the drag-reducing flow is discussed. It is found that 25 ppm CTAC solution exhibits the highest drag reduction at Re = 25000 and loses drag reduction completely at Re = 40000. When drag reduction lies in the highest, Reynolds shear stress disappears and reaches zero although the RMS of the velocity fluctuations is not zero. By the categorization in four quadrants, the fluctuations of 25 ppm CTAC solution are distributed in all four quadrants equally at Re = 25000, which indicates that turnaround transportation happens in drag-reducing flow besides Reynolds shear stress transportation. Moreover, the contour distribution of streamwise velocity and the fluctuations suggests that turbulence transportation is depressed in drag-reducing flow. The viscoelasticity is possible to decrease the turbulence transportation and cause the turnaround transportation.

Randomized test of an implementation intention-based tool to reduce stress-induced eating.

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O'Connor, Daryl B; Armitage, Christopher J; Ferguson, Eamonn

2015-06-01

Stress may indirectly contribute to disease (e.g. cardiovascular disease, cancer) by producing deleterious changes to diet. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a stress management support (SMS) tool to reduce stress-related unhealthy snacking and to promote stress-related healthy snacking. Participants were randomized to complete a SMS tool with instruction to link stressful situations with healthy snack alternatives (experimental) or a SMS tool without a linking instruction (control). On-line daily reports of stressors and snacking were completed for 7 days. Daily stressors were associated with unhealthy snack consumption in the control condition but not in the experimental condition. Participants highly motivated towards healthy eating consumed a greater number of healthy snacks in the experimental condition on stressful days compared to participants in the experimental condition with low and mean levels of motivation. This tool is an effective, theory driven, intervention that helps to protect against stress-induced high-calorie snack consumption.

Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

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Hadinia, Anousha; Meyer, Antonia; Bruegger, Viviane; Hatz, Florian; Nowak, Karolina; Taub, Ethan; Nyberg, Elisabeth; Stieglitz, Rolf-Dieter; Fuhr, Peter; Gschwandtner, Ute

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare a cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBT) with a health enhancement program (HEP) for stress reduction and the impact on quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Method : Thirty patients with PD participated in the study: 16 received CBT including stress-reducing elements and 14 took part in a HEP. The two groups did not differ significantly in their baseline demographic characteristics. The patients in both groups underwent weekly sessions of 2 h duration for 9 weeks. The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire with 39 items (PDQ-39), the Burden Questionnaire for Parkinson's Disease (translated from the original German: Belastungsfragebogen für Parkinsonpatienten (BELA) and the Disease-Related Questionnaire [ Fragebogen zur krankheitsbezogenen Kommunikation (FKK)] were used for assessment. Ratings were completed at baseline and after 9 weeks (immediately after the last treatment session). Results : The patients in the CBT group achieved significantly better BELA, FKK and PDQ-39 scores ( p Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy appears to be an effective way for patients with PD to lessen stress and improve their quality of life.

Significance of collateral circulation on peri-infarct zone: assessment with stress thallium-201 scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imamura, T.; Araki, H.; Fukuyama, T.; Maruoka, Y.; Ootsubo, H.; Nakamura, M.; Koiwaya, Y.; Tanaka, K.

1986-01-01

To evaluate the significance of collateral circulation on peri-infarct zone, stress myocardial scintigraphy and contrast left ventriculography (LVG) were performed in 38 patients with recent myocardial infarction (MI). All patients had at least one completely occluded coronary artery corresponding to the infarct area. In patients with good collaterals, stress induced transient enlargement of the perfusion defect, however, in those with poor or no collaterals the enlargement did not occur (p less than 0.05). Wall motion abnormality on LVG was significantly milder in the former patients than in the latter (p less than 0.001). Transient enlargement of the perfusion defect after stress and milder left ventricular asynergy were more frequently observed in patients with anterior MI and good collaterals. These observations indicate that good collaterals may keep some myocardium in the peri-infarct zone viable

The significance of residual stresses in relation to the integrity of LWR pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidbury, D.P.G.

1984-01-01

The level and distribution of residual stresses in heavy section weldments and the factors affecting their relaxation with post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) are discussed; residual stresses are also considered in relation to the deposition of austenitic strip cladding and repair welding. A brief survey is made of currently available methods of measuring surface and sub-surface residual stresses in heavy section weldments; the effects of compressive residual stresses on the detection and sizing of planar defects are similarly considered. Available fracture mechanics methodologies with the capability of evaluation defect significance in the presence of residual and other secondary stresses are reviewed in some detail. On-going experimental investigations of the effects of residual stresses on structural integrity are also described. Following a general discussion, the desirability of internationally agreed Codes and Methods for assessing defects in the presence of residual and other self-limiting stresses is pointed out. It is argued that before such agreement could be achieved, however, further work is necessary, and a number of recommendations are given. (author)

Acquiring a Pet Dog Significantly Reduces Stress of Primary Carers for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Case Control Study

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Wright, H. F.; Hall, S.; Hames, A.; Hardiman, J.; Mills, R.; Mills, D. S.

2015-01-01

This study describes the impact of pet dogs on stress of primary carers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Stress levels of 38 primary carers acquiring a dog and 24 controls not acquiring a dog were sampled at: Pre-intervention (17 weeks before acquiring a dog), post-intervention (3-10 weeks after acquisition) and follow-up…

Next-generation nozzle check valve significantly reduces operating costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roorda, O. [SMX International, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2009-01-15

Check valves perform an important function in preventing reverse flow and protecting plant and mechanical equipment. However, the variety of different types of valves and extreme differences in performance even within one type can change maintenance requirements and life cycle costs, amounting to millions of dollars over the typical 15-year design life of piping components. A next-generation non-slam nozzle check valve which prevents return flow has greatly reduced operating costs by protecting the mechanical equipment in a piping system. This article described the check valve varieties such as the swing check valve, a dual-plate check valve, and nozzle check valves. Advancements in optimized design of a non-slam nozzle check valve were also discussed, with particular reference to computer flow modelling such as computational fluid dynamics; computer stress modelling such as finite element analysis; and flow testing (using rapid prototype development and flow loop testing), both to improve dynamic performance and reduce hydraulic losses. The benefits of maximized dynamic performance and minimized pressure loss from the new designed valve were also outlined. It was concluded that this latest non-slam nozzle check valve design has potential applications in natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and oil pipelines, including subsea applications, as well as refineries, and petrochemical plants among others, and is suitable for horizontal and vertical installation. The result of this next-generation nozzle check valve design is not only superior performance, and effective protection of mechanical equipment but also minimized life cycle costs. 1 fig.

Presence of a dog reduces subjective but not physiological stress responses to an analogue trauma

OpenAIRE

Johanna eLass-Hennemann; Peter ePeyk; Markus eStreb; Elena eHolz; Tanja eMichael

2014-01-01

Dogs are known to have stress and anxiety reducing effects. Several studies have shown that dogs are able to calm people during cognitive and performance stressors. Recently, therapy dogs have been proposed as a treatment adjunct for PTSD patients. In this study we aimed to investigate, whether dogs also have anxiety- and stress reducing effect during traumatic stressors. 80 healthy female participants were randomly assigned to one of 4 conditions. They were exposed to a traumatic film clip (...

Group antenatal intervention to reduce perinatal stress and depressive symptoms related to intergenerational conflicts: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Sharron S K; Lam, T H

2012-11-01

Intergenerational conflicts are a major source of stress, which might lead to depression in new mothers. The conflict is heightened when grandparents are involved in childcare. To examine the effectiveness of an interpersonal psychotherapy oriented group intervention to reduce stress and depressive symptoms in new mothers and enhance happiness and self-efficacy in managing intergenerational conflict in childcare. This study is one of the intervention projects of FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society, funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Multisite randomized controlled trial with two arms: an intervention group attended an additional 4-week program and a control group who received usual care only. Six Maternal and Child Health Centres in Hong Kong From September 2009 to January 2010, 156 pregnant women who would have grandparents involved in childcare were recruited at their 14-32 weeks' gestation. Participants were randomized to groups using computer generated random sequences by blinded recruitment staff. Primary outcomes were stress and depressive symptoms immediately after the intervention and 6-8 weeks after delivery. Secondary outcomes were happiness and self-efficacy in managing conflict. After screening 2870 pregnant women, 156 eligible participants were randomized. Intention-to-treat analysis showed that the intervention group (n=78) had significantly lower perceived stress (p=0.017; Cohen d=0.38) and greater happiness (p=0.004; Cohen d=0.41) than the control group (n=78) immediately after the intervention. However, the effects were not sustained at postnatal follow-up. Subgroup analysis showed that participants with depressive symptoms (EPDS>12) at baseline reported significantly lower stress, greater happiness (p=0.035 and 0.037, respectively; both Cohen d=0.61), greater self-efficacy in managing conflict (p=0.012; Cohen d=0.76) than the control group after the intervention. Also, after delivery, they had significantly

[Stress after labour - significance for maternal health behaviour].

Science.gov (United States)

Grieshop, M; Schücking, B

2012-04-01

Maternal stress and lack of social support in the postpartum period have a negative impact on health behaviour of new mothers. Midwives can enhance mother's coping with stress and improve their social support by early interventions in postpartum care. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Computer-based versus in-person interventions for preventing and reducing stress in workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuster, Anootnara Talkul; Dalsbø, Therese K; Luong Thanh, Bao Yen; Agarwal, Arnav; Durand-Moreau, Quentin V; Kirkehei, Ingvild

2017-08-30

Chronic exposure to stress has been linked to several negative physiological and psychological health outcomes. Among employees, stress and its associated effects can also result in productivity losses and higher healthcare costs. In-person (face-to-face) and computer-based (web- and mobile-based) stress management interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing stress in employees compared to no intervention. However, it is unclear if one form of intervention delivery is more effective than the other. It is conceivable that computer-based interventions are more accessible, convenient, and cost-effective. To compare the effects of computer-based interventions versus in-person interventions for preventing and reducing stress in workers. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, NIOSHTIC, NIOSHTIC-2, HSELINE, CISDOC, and two trials registers up to February 2017. We included randomised controlled studies that compared the effectiveness of a computer-based stress management intervention (using any technique) with a face-to-face intervention that had the same content. We included studies that measured stress or burnout as an outcome, and used workers from any occupation as participants. Three authors independently screened and selected 75 unique studies for full-text review from 3431 unique reports identified from the search. We excluded 73 studies based on full-text assessment. We included two studies. Two review authors independently extracted stress outcome data from the two included studies. We contacted study authors to gather additional data. We used standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to report study results. We did not perform meta-analyses due to variability in the primary outcome and considerable statistical heterogeneity. We used the GRADE approach to rate the quality of the evidence. Two studies met the inclusion criteria, including a total of 159 participants in the included arms of the studies

Running Reduces Uncontrollable Stress-Evoked Serotonin and Potentiates Stress-Evoked Dopamine Concentrations in the Rat Dorsal Striatum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter J Clark

Full Text Available Accumulating evidence from both the human and animal literature indicates that exercise reduces the negative consequences of stress. The neurobiological etiology for this stress protection, however, is not completely understood. Our lab reported that voluntary wheel running protects rats from expressing depression-like instrumental learning deficits on the shuttle box escape task after exposure to unpredictable and inescapable tail shocks (uncontrollable stress. Impaired escape behavior is a result of stress-sensitized serotonin (5-HT neuron activity in the dorsal raphe (DRN and subsequent excessive release of 5-HT into the dorsal striatum following exposure to a comparatively mild stressor. However, the possible mechanisms by which exercise prevents stress-induced escape deficits are not well characterized. The purpose of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that exercise blunts the stress-evoked release of 5-HT in the dorsal striatum. Changes to dopamine (DA levels were also examined, since striatal DA signaling is critical for instrumental learning and can be influenced by changes to 5-HT activity. Adult male F344 rats, housed with or without running wheels for 6 weeks, were either exposed to tail shock or remained undisturbed in laboratory cages. Twenty-four hours later, microdialysis was performed in the medial (DMS and lateral (DLS dorsal striatum to collect extracellular 5-HT and DA before, during, and following 2 mild foot shocks. We report wheel running prevents foot shock-induced elevation of extracellular 5-HT and potentiates DA concentrations in both the DMS and DLS approximately 24 h following exposure to uncontrollable stress. These data may provide a possible mechanism by which exercise prevents depression-like instrumental learning deficits following exposure to acute stress.

Development, implementation, and evaluation of a mental rehearsal strategy to improve clinical performance and reduce stress: A mixed methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ignacio, Jeanette; Dolmans, Diana; Scherpbier, Albert; Rethans, Jan-Joost; Lopez, Violeta; Liaw, Sok Ying

2016-02-01

Mental rehearsal is a form of mental training that has been used by physicians and nurses to improve performance of clinical skills, and as a vital component of stress management training. To help novice nurses deal with often stressful clinical events that require the processing of information essential to patient management, a mental rehearsal strategy was developed and implemented in a Year 3 nursing simulation program. Inherent to mental rehearsal is imagery, which facilitates cognitive and affective modification, and reduction of extraneous cognitive load. As such, it was expected that the mental rehearsal strategy would improve students' performance and reduce stress in managing deteriorating patients. The study used a mixed methods design. Eighteen Year 3 nursing students participated in the pre- and post-design study, which consisted of the development and implementation of a mental rehearsal strategy. The Rescuing A Patient In Deteriorating Situations (RAPIDS) tool was used to assess performance. Heart rates and systolic blood pressures were used to measure stress. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used as a psychological measure of stress/anxiety. Five participants were involved in a focus group discussion that evaluated the usefulness of the mental rehearsal strategy. There was a significant improvement in performance (Pstrategy. The mental rehearsal strategy for deteriorating patient management can be valuable based on the findings on performance and based on the participants' feedback. Its role in reducing stress, however, needs further evaluation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of reduced worktime on sleep and perceived stress - a group randomized intervention study using diary data.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Helena; Lekander, Mats; Rajaleid, Kristiina; Hellgren, Carina; Åkerstedt, Torbjörn; Barck-Holst, Peter; Kecklund, Göran

2017-03-01

Objective Insufficient time for recovery between workdays may cause fatigue and disturbed sleep. This study evaluated the impact of an intervention that reduced weekly working hours by 25% on sleep, sleepiness and perceived stress for employees within the public sector. Method Participating workplaces (N=33) were randomized into intervention and control groups. Participants (N=580, 76% women) worked full-time at baseline. The intervention group (N=354) reduced worktime to 75% with preserved salary during 18 months. Data were collected at baseline and after 9 and 18 months follow-up. Sleep quality, sleep duration, sleepiness, perceived stress,and worries and stress at bedtime were measured with diary during one week per data collection. Result A multilevel mixed model showed that compared with the control group, at the 18-month follow-up, the intervention group had improved sleep quality and sleep duration (+23 minutes) and displayed reduced levels of sleepiness, perceived stress, and worries and stress at bedtime on workdays (Psleep length. Effect sizes were small (Cohen's f2sleep quality and worries and stress at bedtime as additional between-group factors did not influence the results. Conclusion A 25% reduction of weekly work hours with retained salary resulted in beneficial effects on sleep, sleepiness and perceived stress both on workdays and days off. These effects were maintained over an 18-month period. This randomized intervention thus indicates that reduced worktime may improve recovery and perceived stress.

Spirulina improves antioxidant status by reducing oxidative stress in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet.

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Kim, Mi Yeon; Cheong, Sun Hee; Lee, Jeung Hee; Kim, Min Ji; Sok, Dai-Eun; Kim, Mee Ree

2010-04-01

The beneficial effect of Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) on tissue lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage was tested in the hypercholesterolemic New Zealand White rabbit model. After hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding a high cholesterol (0.5%) diet (HCD) for 4 weeks, then HCD supplemented with 1% or 5% Spirulina (SP1 or SP5, respectively) was provided for an additional 8 weeks. Spirulina supplementation significantly reduced the increased lipid peroxidation level in HCD-fed rabbits, and levels recovered to control values. Oxidative stress biomarkers such as glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase were significantly improved in the liver and red blood cells of rabbits fed SP1. Furthermore, SP5 induced antioxidant enzyme activity by 3.1-fold for glutathione, 2.5-fold for glutathione peroxidase, 2.7-fold for glutathione reductase, and 2.3-fold for glutathione S-transferase in liver, compared to the HCD group. DNA damage in lymphocytes was significantly reduced in both the SP1 and SP5 groups, based on the comet assay. Findings from the present study suggest that dietary supplementation with Spirulina may be useful to protect the cells from lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage.

Reduced coupling of oxidative phosphorylation in vivo precedes electron transport chain defects due to mild oxidative stress in mice.

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Michael P Siegel

Full Text Available Oxidative stress and mitochondrial function are at the core of many degenerative conditions. However, the interaction between oxidative stress and in vivo mitochondrial function is unclear. We used both pharmacological (2 week paraquat (PQ treatment of wild type mice and transgenic (mice lacking Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1(-/- models to test the effect of oxidative stress on in vivo mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle. Magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopy were used to measure mitochondrial ATP and oxygen fluxes and cell energetic state. In both models of oxidative stress, coupling of oxidative phosphorylation was significantly lower (lower P/O at rest in vivo in skeletal muscle and was dose-dependent in the PQ model. Despite this reduction in efficiency, in vivo mitochondrial phosphorylation capacity (ATPmax was maintained in both models, and ex vivo mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized muscle fibers was unchanged following PQ treatment. In association with the reduced P/O, PQ treatment led to a dose-dependent reduction in PCr/ATP ratio and increased phosphorylation of AMPK. These results indicate that oxidative stress uncouples oxidative phosphorylation in vivo and results in energetic stress in the absence of defects in the mitochondrial electron transport chain.

Optimal design of the gerotor (2-ellipses) for reducing maximum contact stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwak, Hyo Seo; Li, Sheng Huan [Dept. of Mechanical Convergence Technology, Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Chul [School of Mechanical Design and Manufacturing, Busan Institute of Science and Technology, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

The oil pump, which is used as lubricator of engines and auto transmission, supplies working oil to the rotating elements to prevent wear. The gerotor pump is used widely in the automobile industry. When wear occurs due to contact between an inner rotor and an outer rotor, the efficiency of the gerotor pump decreases rapidly, and elastic deformation from the contacts also causes vibration and noise. This paper reports the optimal design of a gerotor with a 2-ellipses combined lobe shape that reduces the maximum contact stress. An automatic program was developed to calculate Hertzian contact stress of the gerotor using the Matlab and the effect of the design parameter on the maximum contact stress was analyzed. In addition, the method of theoretical analysis for obtaining the contact stress was verified by performing the fluid-structural coupled analysis using the commercial software, Ansys, considering both the driving force of the inner rotor and the fluid pressure, which is generated by working oil.

Reduced Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling Restores the Dynamic Properties of Key Stress Granule Proteins during Aging

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Marie C. Lechler

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Summary: Low-complexity “prion-like” domains in key RNA-binding proteins (RBPs mediate the reversible assembly of RNA granules. Individual RBPs harboring these domains have been linked to specific neurodegenerative diseases. Although their aggregation in neurodegeneration has been extensively characterized, it remains unknown how the process of aging disturbs RBP dynamics. We show that a wide variety of RNA granule components, including stress granule proteins, become highly insoluble with age in C. elegans and that reduced insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1 daf-2 receptor signaling efficiently prevents their aggregation. Importantly, stress-granule-related RBP aggregates are associated with reduced fitness. We show that heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF-1 is a main regulator of stress-granule-related RBP aggregation in both young and aged animals. During aging, increasing DAF-16 activity restores dynamic stress-granule-related RBPs, partly by decreasing the buildup of other misfolded proteins that seed RBP aggregation. Longevity-associated mechanisms found to maintain dynamic RBPs during aging could be relevant for neurodegenerative diseases. : Lechler et al. show that RNA-binding proteins (RBPs including stress granule proteins are prone to aggregate with age in C. elegans. Aggregation of stress granule RBPs with “prion-like” domains is associated with reduced fitness. Their aggregation is prevented by longevity pathways and promoted by the aggregation of other misfolded proteins. Keywords: neurodegenerative diseases, Caenorhabditis elegans, protein aggregation, aging, RNA-binding proteins, stress granules, HSF-1, DAF-2, longevity

Morphine Protects Spinal Cord Astrocytes from Glutamate-Induced Apoptosis via Reducing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

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Chao Zhang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Glutamate is not only a neurotransmitter but also an important neurotoxin in central nervous system (CNS. Chronic elevation of glutamate induces both neuronal and glial cell apoptosis. However, its effect on astrocytes is complex and still remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether morphine, a common opioid ligand, could affect glutamate-induced apoptosis in astrocytes. Primary cultured astrocytes were incubated with glutamate in the presence/absence of morphine. It was found that morphine could reduce glutamate-induced apoptosis of astrocytes. Furthermore, glutamate activated Ca2+ release, thereby inducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress in astrocytes, while morphine attenuated this deleterious effect. Using siRNA to reduce the expression of κ-opioid receptor, morphine could not effectively inhibit glutamate-stimulated Ca2+ release in astrocytes, the protective effect of morphine on glutamate-injured astrocytes was also suppressed. These results suggested that morphine could protect astrocytes from glutamate-induced apoptosis via reducing Ca2+ overload and ER stress pathways. In conclusion, this study indicated that excitotoxicity participated in the glutamate mediated apoptosis in astrocytes, while morphine attenuated this deleterious effect via regulating Ca2+ release and ER stress.

Chronic Stress Reduces Nectin-1 mRNA Levels and Disrupts Dendritic Spine Plasticity in the Adult Mouse Perirhinal Cortex

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Qian Gong

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In adulthood, chronic exposure to stressful experiences disrupts synaptic plasticity and cognitive function. Previous studies have shown that perirhinal cortex-dependent object recognition memory is impaired by chronic stress. However, the stress effects on molecular expression and structural plasticity in the perirhinal cortex remain unclear. In this study, we applied the chronic social defeat stress (CSDS paradigm and measured the mRNA levels of nectin-1, nectin-3 and neurexin-1, three synaptic cell adhesion molecules (CAMs implicated in the adverse stress effects, in the perirhinal cortex of wild-type (WT and conditional forebrain corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 conditional knockout (CRHR1-CKO mice. Chronic stress reduced perirhinal nectin-1 mRNA levels in WT but not CRHR1-CKO mice. In conditional forebrain corticotropin-releasing hormone conditional overexpression (CRH-COE mice, perirhinal nectin-1 mRNA levels were also reduced, indicating that chronic stress modulates nectin-1 expression through the CRH-CRHR1 system. Moreover, chronic stress altered dendritic spine morphology in the main apical dendrites and reduced spine density in the oblique apical dendrites of perirhinal layer V pyramidal neurons. Our data suggest that chronic stress disrupts cell adhesion and dendritic spine plasticity in perirhinal neurons, which may contribute to stress-induced impairments of perirhinal cortex-dependent memory.

Sucrose preload reduces snacking after mild mental stress in healthy participants as a function of 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter gene promoter polymorphism.

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Markus, C Rob; Jonkman, Lisa M; Capello, Aimee; Leinders, Sacha; Hüsch, Fabian

2015-01-01

Brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) dysfunction is considered to promote food intake and eating-related disturbances, especially under stress or negative mood. Vulnerability for 5-HT disturbances is considered to be genetically determined, including a short (S) allele polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) that is associated with lower serotonin function. Since 5-HT function may be slightly increased by carbohydrate consumption, S-allele 5-HTTLPR carriers in particular may benefit from a sugar-preload due to their enhanced 5-HT vulnerability. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a sugar-containing preload may reduce appetite and energy intake after exposure to stress to induce negative mood, depending on genetic 5-HT vulnerability. From a population of 771 healthy young male and female genotyped college students 31 S/S carriers (8 males, 23 females) and 26 long allele (L/L) carriers (9 males, 17 females) (mean ± S.D. 22 ± 1.6 years; body mass index, BMI, 18-33 kg/m(2)) were monitored for changes in appetite and snacking behavior after stress exposure. Results revealed an increased energy intake after mild mental stress (negative mood) mainly for high-fat sweet foods, which was significantly greater in S/S carriers, and only in these genotypes this intake was significantly reduced by a sucrose-containing preload. Although alternative explanations are possible, it is suggested that S/S participants may have enhanced brain (hypothalamic) 5-HT responsiveness to food that makes them more susceptible to the beneficial satiation effects of a sucrose-preload as well as to the negative effects of mild mental stress on weight gain.

Group Reality Therapy in Addicts Rehabilitation Process to Reduce Depression, Anxiety and Stress

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Omid Massah

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Substance abuse is one of the most outstanding socio-psychological hazards that can easily wreck one’s personal, family and social life. Reality Therapy is a type of Cognitive rehabilitation (known as psychosocial rehabilitation, and the application of this method in the treatment of different disorders has recently been the topic of research. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group reality therapy on the reduction of stress, anxiety and depression in addicts. Methods: A quasi-experimental study of pretest-posttest design, with a control group was conducted. The study population consisted of all addicts attending Tehran’s ‘Neda’ Rehab Clinic. First, the DASS-21 questionnaire was administered and then 40 people were selected from those who had scored average and higher. They were then randomly assigned to two test and control groups of 20 each. Analysis of co-variance was used to analyze the data, with which pretest scores were controlled, and the effect of the independent variable on posttest scores was evaluated. Results: Following the intervention, there were significant decreases in the mean scores of all three variables, i.e. stress, anxiety and depression in the test group (P<0.05. Discussion: Psychosocial rehabilitation based on reality therapy can be considered as an effective method for reducing stress, anxiety and depression in addicts and also as an adjunctive therapy in treating other ailments.

Dietary supplementation with a superoxide dismutase-melon concentrate reduces stress, physical and mental fatigue in healthy people: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

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Carillon, Julie; Notin, Claire; Schmitt, Karine; Simoneau, Guy; Lacan, Dominique

2014-06-19

We aimed to investigate effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD)-melon concentrate supplementation on psychological stress, physical and mental fatigue in healthy people. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed on 61 people divided in two groups: active supplement (n = 32) and placebo (n = 29) for 12 weeks. Volunteers were given one small hard capsule per day. One capsule contained 10 mg of SOD-melon concentrate (140 U of SOD) and starch for the active supplement and starch only for the placebo. Stress and fatigue were evaluated using four psychometric scales: PSS-14; SF-36; Stroop tests and Prevost scale. The supplementation with SOD-melon concentrate significantly decreased perceived stress, compared to placebo. Moreover, quality of life was improved and physical and mental fatigue were reduced with SOD-melon concentrate supplementation. SOD-melon concentrate supplementation appears to be an effective and natural way to reduce stress and fatigue. trial approved by the ethical committee of Poitiers (France), and the ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is NCT01767922.

Hypertonic saline solution reduces the oxidative stress responses in traumatic brain injury patients

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Mojtaba Mojtahedzadeh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Oxidative stress processes play an important role in the pathogenesis of secondary brain injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI. Hypertonic saline (HTS has advantages as being preferred osmotic agent, but few studies investigated oxidant and antioxidant effects of HTS in TBI. This study was designed to compare two different regimens of HTS 5% with mannitol on TBI-induced oxidative stress. Materials and Methods: Thirty-three adult patients with TBI were recruited and have randomly received one of the three protocols: 125 cc of HTS 5% every 6 h as bolus, 500 cc of HTS 5%as infusion for 24 h or 1 g/kg mannitol of 20% as a bolus, repeated with a dose of 0.25-0.5 g/kg every 6 h based on patient′s response for 3 days. Serum total antioxidant power (TAP, reactive oxygen species (ROS and nitric oxide (NO were measured at baseline and daily for 3 days. Results: Initial serum ROS and NO levels in patients were higher than control(6.86± [3.2] vs. 1.57± [0.5] picoM, P = 0.001, 14.6± [1.6] vs. 7.8± [3.9] mM, P = 0.001, respectively. Levels of ROS have decreased for all patients, but reduction was significantly after HTS infusion and mannitol (3. 08 [±3.1] to 1.07 [±1.6], P = 0.001, 5.6 [±3.4] to 2.5 [±1.8], P = 0.003 respectively. During study, NO levels significantly decreased in HTS infusion but significantly increased in mannitol. TAP Levels had decreased in all patients during study especially in mannitol (P = 0.004. Conclusion: Hypertonic saline 5% has significant effects on the oxidant responses compared to mannitol following TBI that makes HTS as a perfect therapeutic intervention for reducing unfavorable outcomes in TBI patients.

WAYS OF REDUCING THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON HUMAN CAPITAL PERFORMANCE

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Nicoleta Valentina FLOREA

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The world is a dangerous place, offering people less safe conditions to live, to develop, to work and to perform. The organizations are also under a lot of pressure and stressor factors. Yet, the employees must work, communicate, interrelate and obtain performance and organizations competitive advantage. The article analyze the main stressor factors which are influencing the individual and the organization activity, the different causes of stress appearance and its negative influence over the normal activity of employees. It also analyze the best practices which may be implemented by the organization in order to reduce the impact of stress and obtain performance This article suggests some ways of minimizing the stress appearance, by implementing efficient measures at strategic level, such as implementing efficient regulation and procedures, developing efficient programs of communication, creating a strong organizational culture and implicating the management function in solving the problems and finding pertinent solutions.

Reduced Synapse and Axon Numbers in the Prefrontal Cortex of Rats Subjected to a Chronic Stress Model for Depression

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Csabai, Dávid; Wiborg, Ove; Czéh, Boldizsár

2018-01-01

Stressful experiences can induce structural changes in neurons of the limbic system. These cellular changes contribute to the development of stress-induced psychopathologies like depressive disorders. In the prefrontal cortex of chronically stressed animals, reduced dendritic length and spine loss have been reported. This loss of dendritic material should consequently result in synapse loss as well, because of the reduced dendritic surface. But so far, no one studied synapse numbers in the prefrontal cortex of chronically stressed animals. Here, we examined synaptic contacts in rats subjected to an animal model for depression, where animals are exposed to a chronic stress protocol. Our hypothesis was that long term stress should reduce the number of axo-spinous synapses in the medial prefrontal cortex. Adult male rats were exposed to daily stress for 9 weeks and afterward we did a post mortem quantitative electron microscopic analysis to quantify the number and morphology of synapses in the infralimbic cortex. We analyzed asymmetric (Type I) and symmetric (Type II) synapses in all cortical layers in control and stressed rats. We also quantified axon numbers and measured the volume of the infralimbic cortex. In our systematic unbiased analysis, we examined 21,000 axon terminals in total. We found the following numbers in the infralimbic cortex of control rats: 1.15 × 109 asymmetric synapses, 1.06 × 108 symmetric synapses and 1.00 × 108 myelinated axons. The density of asymmetric synapses was 5.5/μm3 and the density of symmetric synapses was 0.5/μm3. Average synapse membrane length was 207 nm and the average axon terminal membrane length was 489 nm. Stress reduced the number of synapses and myelinated axons in the deeper cortical layers, while synapse membrane lengths were increased. These stress-induced ultrastructural changes indicate that neurons of the infralimbic cortex have reduced cortical network connectivity. Such reduced network connectivity is likely

Reduced Synapse and Axon Numbers in the Prefrontal Cortex of Rats Subjected to a Chronic Stress Model for Depression

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Dávid Csabai

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Stressful experiences can induce structural changes in neurons of the limbic system. These cellular changes contribute to the development of stress-induced psychopathologies like depressive disorders. In the prefrontal cortex of chronically stressed animals, reduced dendritic length and spine loss have been reported. This loss of dendritic material should consequently result in synapse loss as well, because of the reduced dendritic surface. But so far, no one studied synapse numbers in the prefrontal cortex of chronically stressed animals. Here, we examined synaptic contacts in rats subjected to an animal model for depression, where animals are exposed to a chronic stress protocol. Our hypothesis was that long term stress should reduce the number of axo-spinous synapses in the medial prefrontal cortex. Adult male rats were exposed to daily stress for 9 weeks and afterward we did a post mortem quantitative electron microscopic analysis to quantify the number and morphology of synapses in the infralimbic cortex. We analyzed asymmetric (Type I and symmetric (Type II synapses in all cortical layers in control and stressed rats. We also quantified axon numbers and measured the volume of the infralimbic cortex. In our systematic unbiased analysis, we examined 21,000 axon terminals in total. We found the following numbers in the infralimbic cortex of control rats: 1.15 × 109 asymmetric synapses, 1.06 × 108 symmetric synapses and 1.00 × 108 myelinated axons. The density of asymmetric synapses was 5.5/μm3 and the density of symmetric synapses was 0.5/μm3. Average synapse membrane length was 207 nm and the average axon terminal membrane length was 489 nm. Stress reduced the number of synapses and myelinated axons in the deeper cortical layers, while synapse membrane lengths were increased. These stress-induced ultrastructural changes indicate that neurons of the infralimbic cortex have reduced cortical network connectivity. Such reduced network

The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma

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Robin Ortiz

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Research suggests that many children are exposed to adverse experiences in childhood. Such adverse childhood exposures may result in stress and trauma, which are associated with increased morbidity and mortality into adulthood. In general populations and trauma-exposed adults, mindfulness interventions have demonstrated reduced depression and anxiety, reduced trauma-related symptoms, enhanced coping and mood, and improved quality of life. Studies in children and youth also demonstrate that mindfulness interventions improve mental, behavioral, and physical outcomes. Taken together, this research suggests that high-quality, structured mindfulness instruction may mitigate the negative effects of stress and trauma related to adverse childhood exposures, improving short- and long-term outcomes, and potentially reducing poor health outcomes in adulthood. Future work is needed to optimize implementation of youth-based mindfulness programs and to study long-term outcomes into adulthood.

Brief quiet ego contemplation reduces oxidative stress and mind-wandering

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Heidi A. Wayment

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Excessive self-concern increases perceptions of threat and defensiveness. In contrast, fostering a more inclusive and expanded sense of self can reduce stress and improve well-being. We developed and tested a novel brief intervention designed to strengthen a student’s compassionate self-identity, an identity that values balance and growth by reminding them of four quiet ego characteristics: detached awareness, inclusive identity, perspective taking, and growth. Students (N = 32 in their first semester of college who reported greater self-protective (e.g., defensive goals in the first two weeks of the semester were invited to participate in the study. Volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: quiet ego contemplation (QEC, QEC with virtual reality headset (QEC-VR, and control. Participants came to the lab three times to engage in a 15-minute exercise in a 30-day period. The 15-minute Quiet Ego Contemplation (QEC briefly described each quiet ego characteristic followed by a few minutes time to reflect on what that characteristic meant to them. Those in the QEC condition reported improved quiet ego characteristics and pluralistic thinking, decreases in a urinary marker of oxidative stress, and reduced mind-wandering on a cognitive task. Contrary to expectation, participants who wore the VR headsets while listening to the QEC demonstrated the least improvement. Results suggest that a brief intervention that reduces self-focus and strengthens a more compassionate self-view may offer an additional resource that individuals can use in their everyday lives.

Endomembrane Ca2+-AtPases play a significant role in virus-induced adaptation to oxidative stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shabala, Sergey; Bækgaard, Lone; Shabala, Lana

2011-01-01

Although the role of Ca2+ influx channels in oxidative stress signaling and cross-tolerance in plants is well established, little is known about the role of active Ca2+ efflux systems in this process. In our recent paper,17 we reported Potato Virus X (PVX)-induced acquired resistance to oxidative...... in adaptive responses to oxidative stress by removing excessive Ca2+ from the cytosol, and that their functional expression is significantly altered in PVX-inoculated plants. These findings highlight the crucial role of Ca2+ efflux systems in acquired tolerance to oxidative stress and open up prospects...... stress in Nicotiana benthamiana and showed the critical role of plasma membrane Ca2+/H+ exchangers in this process. The current study continues this research. Using biochemical and electrophysiological approaches, we reveal that both endomembrane P2A and P2B Ca2+-ATPases play significant roles...

Prognostic significance of silent myocardial ischemia on a thallium stress test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, L.I.; Tresgallo, M.; Sciacca, R.R.; Blood, D.K.; Seldin, D.W.; Johnson, L.L.

1990-01-01

The clinical significance of silent ischemia is not fully known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the presence or absence of angina during a thallium stress test positive for ischemia was independently predictive of an adverse outcome. Two hundred thirty-four consecutive patients with ischemia on a thallium stress test were identified. Ischemia was defined as the presence of defect(s) on the immediate postexercise scans not in the distribution of prior infarctions that redistributed on 4-hour scans. During the test 129 patients had angina, defined as characteristic neck, jaw, arm, back or chest discomfort, while the remaining 105 patients had no angina. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 8.2 years (mean 5.2 +/- 2.1) and was successfully obtained in 156 patients. Eighty-two of the 156 patients had angina (group A) and 74 had silent ischemia (group S). Group A patients were significantly older (62 +/- 8 vs 59 +/- 8 years, p less than 0.05). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of sex, history of prior infarction or presence of left main/3-vessel disease. A larger percentage of patients in group A were receiving beta blockers (60 vs 41%, p less than 0.05) and nitrates (52 vs 36%, 0.05 less than p less than 0.10). There was a large number of cardiac events (myocardial infarction, revascularization and death) in both groups (37 of 82 [45%] in group A; 28 of 72 [38%] in group S) but no statistically significant difference between the groups. Similarly, life-table analysis revealed no difference in mortality between the 2 groups

Blockade of central vasopressin receptors reduces the cardiovascular response to acute stress in freely moving rats.

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Stojicić, S; Milutinović-Smiljanić, S; Sarenac, O; Milosavljević, S; Paton, J F R; Murphy, D; Japundzić-Zigon, N

2008-04-01

To investigate the contribution of central vasopressin receptors to blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) response to stress we injected non-peptide selective V(1a) (SR49059), V(1b) (SSR149415), V(2) (SR121463) receptor antagonists, diazepam or vehicle in the lateral cerebral ventricle of conscious freely moving rats stressed by blowing air on their heads for 2 min. Cardiovascular effects of stress were evaluated by analyzing maximum increase of BP and HR (MAX), latency of maximum response (LAT), integral under BP and HR curve (integral), duration of their recovery and spectral parameters of BP and HR indicative of increased sympathetic outflow (LF(BP) and LF/HF(HR)). Moreover, the increase of serum corticosterone was measured. Exposure to air-jet stress induced simultaneous increase in BP and HR followed by gradual decline during recovery while LF(BP) oscillation remained increased as well as serum corticosterone level. Rats pre-treated with vasopressin receptor antagonists were not sedated while diazepam induced sedation that persisted during exposure to stress. V(1a), V(1b) and V(2) receptor antagonists applied separately did not modify basal values of cardiovascular parameters but prevented the increase in integral(BP). In addition, V(1b) and V(2) receptor antagonists reduced BP(MAX) whereas V(1a), V(1b) antagonist and diazepam reduced HR(MAX) induced by exposure to air-jet stress. All drugs shortened the recovery period, prevented the increase of LF(BP) without affecting the increase in serum corticosterone levels. Results indicate that vasopressin receptors located within the central nervous system mediate, in part, the cardiovascular response to air-jet stress without affecting either the neuroendocrine component or inducing sedation. They support the view that the V(1b) receptor antagonist may be of potential therapeutic value in reducing arterial pressure induced by stress-related disorders.

Detection and significance of serum inflammatory factors and oxidative stress indicators in diabetic retinopathy

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wei Gao; Jing Wang; Chao Zhang; Ping Qin

2017-01-01

Objective:To determine the serum inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters of diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients to explore their possible role in the DR.Methods: 116 cases of type 2 diabetic patients were selected from June 2015 to June 2016 in our hospital as research subjects, divided into diabetic Diabetes without retinopathy (NDR group,n = 63) and diabetic with retinopathy patients (DR group,n = 53). And 60 cases of healthy check-ups of the same period in our hospital medical center were selected as normal control group (NC). The VEGF, IL-6, TNF-α , MDA and SOD levels of three groups of patients were detected. Results:The IL-6 levels of NC group, NDR group and DR group were increased gradually, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The TNF-α levels of NC group, NDR group and DR group were increased gradually, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The VEGF levels of NC group, NDR group and DR group were increased gradually, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of NC group, NDR group and DR group increased gradually, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels of NC group, NDR group and DR group were decreased gradually, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions: DR patients express high levels of IL-6, TNF-α and VEGF, and there exists significant oxidative stress in DR, which shows that the inflammation occurrence and oxidative stress state play an important role in the development of DR.

White tea (Camellia sinensis extract reduces oxidative stress and triacylglycerols in obese mice

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Lílian Gonçalves Teixeira

2012-12-01

Full Text Available White tea is an unfermented tea made from young shoots of Camellia sinensis protected from sunlight to avoid polyphenol degradation. Although its levels of catechins are higher than those of green tea (derived from the same plant, there are no studies addressing the relationship between this tea and obesity associated with oxidative stress.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of white tea on obesity and its complications using a diet induced obesity model. Forty male C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet to induce obesity (Obese group or the same diet supplemented with 0.5% white tea extract (Obese + WTE for 8 weeks. Adipose tissue, serum lipid profile, and oxidative stress were studied. White tea supplementation was not able to reduce food intake, body weight, or visceral adiposity. Similarly, there were no changes in cholesterol rich lipoprotein profile between the groups. A reduction in blood triacylglycerols associated with increased cecal lipids was observed in the group fed the diet supplemented with white tea. White tea supplementation also reduced oxidative stress in liver and adipose tissue. In conclusion, white tea extract supplementation (0.5% does not influence body weight or adiposity in obese mice. Its benefits are restricted to the reduction in oxidative stress associated with obesity and improvement of hypertriacylglycerolemia.

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

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

2008-10-01

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

Clinical significance of increased lung/heart ratio in 210Tl stress myocardial image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Zaoli; Chang Fengqin; Zhang Fengge; Wang Xiaoyuan; Liu Liuhua

1990-01-01

230 cases were studied with 201 Tl stress image. The results showed that the lung/heart ratio closely correlated with the presence and severity of coronary heart disease (CHD). Among them, 18 cases (7.8%) showed significantly elevated lung/heart ratio (> 0.50). It was confirmed that all of the 18 cases have severe CHD with left ventricular insufficiency. The author emphasizes that measurement of the lung/heart ratio during 201 Tl stress myocardial image may be useful for the assessment of the severity, evalation of the left ventricular function and judgement of prognosis in CHD

Surplus dietary tryptophan reduces plasma cortisol and noradrenaline concentrations and enhances recovery after social stress in pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, S.J.; Ruis, M.A.W.; Dekker, R.A.; Diepen, van J.T.M.; Korte, S.M.; Mroz, Z.

2005-01-01

Social stress occurs in intensive pig farming due to aggressive behavior. This stress may be reduced at elevated dietary levels of tryptophan (TRP). In this study, we compared the effects of high (13.2%) vs. normal (3.4%) dietary TRP to large neutral amino acid (LNAA) ratios on behavior and stress

The effects of propolis extract on ovarian tissue and oxidative stress in rats with maternal separation stress

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Atefeh Arabameri

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Stress in infancy has dramatic effects on different systems, including the nervous system, endocrine, immune, reproductive and etc. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of extract of Iranian propolis (EIP on ovarian tissue and oxidative stress in rats with maternal separation stress. Materials and Methods: 48 immature female rats were divided randomly into six groups. 1 Control group, 2 Control group+saline, 3 Stress group, includes infants that were separated from their mothers 6 hr/day, the 4th, 5th and 6th groups consisted of infants who in addition to daily stress received 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of EIP, respectively. Then serum corticosterone, 17-beta-estradiol, malondialdehyde, total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and ferric reducing antioxidant power levels were measured. The ovarian sections were stained by H&E, PAS, and TUNEL methods and were studied with optical microscopy. Results: Stress increased the blood serum corticosterone levels and 17-beta-estradiol reduced significantly (p<0.001 and EIP prevented from this changes (p<0.01. EIP significantly increased the number of ovarian follicles, oocytes and oocytes diameter in neonatal rat following stress (p<0.01. EIP also significantly decreased the number of atretic follicles, TUNEL+granulosa cells, malondialdehyde levels and increased ferric reducing antioxidant power, total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase serum levels in neonatal rats following stress. The dose of 200 mg/kg EIP was more effective. Conclusion: This Study showed that the Iranian Propolis significantly could prevent oxidative stress and histopathological changes in the ovary of the neonatal rat the following stress.

Evaluation of a Training Program to Reduce Stressful Trunk Postures in the Nursing Professions: A Pilot Study.

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Kozak, Agnessa; Freitag, Sonja; Nienhaus, Albert

2017-01-01

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate metrologically the effectiveness of a training program on the reduction of stressful trunk postures in geriatric nursing professions. A training program, consisting of instruction on body postures in nursing, practical ergonomic work methods at the bedside or in the bathroom, reorganization of work equipment, and physical exercises, was conducted in 12 wards of 6 nursing homes in Germany. The Computer-Assisted Recording and Long-Term Analysis of Musculoskeletal Loads (CUELA) measurement system was used to evaluate all movements and trunk postures adopted during work before and 6 months after the training program. In total, 23 shifts were measured. All measurements were supported by video recordings. A specific software program (WIDAAN 2.75) was used to synchronize the measurement data and video footage. The median proportion of time spent in sagittal inclinations at an angle of >20° was significantly reduced (by 29%) 6 months after the intervention [from 35.4% interquartile range (27.6-43.1) to 25.3% (20.7-34.1); P 4 s [4.4% (3.0-6.7) to 3.6% (2.5-4.5); P ergonomic measures were implemented properly, either at the bedside or in the bathroom. Stressful trunk postures could be significantly reduced by raising awareness of the physical strains that frequently occur during a shift, by changes in work practices and by redesigning the work environment. Workplace interventions aimed at preventing or reducing low back pain in nursing personnel would probably benefit from sensitizing employees to their postures during work. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Davallialactone reduces inflammation and repairs dentinogenesis on glucose oxidase-induced stress in dental pulp cells.

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Lee, Young-Hee; Kim, Go-Eun; Song, Yong-Beom; Paudel, Usha; Lee, Nan-Hee; Yun, Bong-Sik; Yu, Mi-Kyung; Yi, Ho-Keun

2013-11-01

The chronic nature of diabetes mellitus (DM) raises the risk of oral complication diseases. In general, DM causes oxidative stress to organs. This study aimed to evaluate the cellular change of dental pulp cells against glucose oxidative stress by glucose oxidase with a high glucose state. The purpose of this study was to test the antioxidant character of davallialactone and to reduce the pathogenesis of dental pulp cells against glucose oxidative stress. The glucose oxidase with a high glucose concentration was tested for hydroxy peroxide (H2O2) production, cellular toxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, induction of inflammatory molecules and disturbance of dentin mineralization in human dental pulp cells. The anti-oxidant effect of Davallilactone was investigated to restore dental pulp cells' vitality and dentin mineralization via reduction of H2O2 production, cellular toxicity, ROS formation and inflammatory molecules. The treatment of glucose oxidase with a high glucose concentration increased H2O2 production, cellular toxicity, and inflammatory molecules and disturbed dentin mineralization by reducing pulp cell activity. However, davallialactone reduced H2O2 production, cellular toxicity, ROS formation, inflammatory molecules, and dentin mineralization disturbances even with a long-term glucose oxidative stress state. The results of this study imply that the development of oral complications is related to the irreversible damage of dental pulp cells by DM-induced oxidative stress. Davallialactone, a natural antioxidant, may be useful to treat complicated oral disease, representing an improvement for pulp vital therapy. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Presence of a dog reduces subjective but not physiological stress responses to an analog trauma.

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Lass-Hennemann, Johanna; Peyk, Peter; Streb, Markus; Holz, Elena; Michael, Tanja

2014-01-01

Dogs are known to have stress and anxiety reducing effects. Several studies have shown that dogs are able to calm people during cognitive and performance stressors. Recently, therapy dogs have been proposed as a treatment adjunct for post-traumatic stress disorder patients. In this study we aimed to investigate, whether dogs also have anxiety- and stress reducing effect during "traumatic stressors." 80 healthy female participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. They were exposed to a "traumatic" film clip (trauma-film-paradigm). For one group of participants a friendly dog was present during the film, one group of participants was accompanied by a friendly human, another control group watched the film with a toy animal and the last group watched the film clip alone. Participants that were accompanied by the dog during the film reported lower anxiety ratings and less negative affect after the film clip as compared to the "toy dog group" and the "alone group." Results of the "dog group" were comparable to the group that was accompanied by a friendly human. There were no differences in physiological stress responses between the four conditions. Our results show that dogs are able to lessen subjectively experienced stress and anxiety during a "traumatic" stress situation. This effect was comparable to that of social support by a friendly person. Implications for PTSD patients are discussed.

Intracerebroventricular tempol administration in older rats reduces oxidative stress in the hypothalamus but does not change STAT3 signalling or SIRT1/AMPK pathway.

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Toklu, Hale Z; Scarpace, Philip J; Sakarya, Yasemin; Kirichenko, Nataliya; Matheny, Michael; Bruce, Erin B; Carter, Christy S; Morgan, Drake; Tümer, Nihal

2017-01-01

Hypothalamic inflammation and increased oxidative stress are believed to be mechanisms that contribute to obesity. 4-Hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (tempol), a free radical scavenger, has been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. We hypothesized that brain infusion of tempol would reduce oxidative stress, and thus would reduce food intake and body weight and improve body composition in rats with age-related obesity and known elevated oxidative stress. Furthermore, we predicted an associated increase in markers of leptin signalling, including the silent mating type information regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1)/5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. For this purpose, osmotic minipumps were placed in the intracerebroventricular region of young (3 months) and aged (23 months) male Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats for the continuous infusion of tempol or vehicle for 2 weeks. Tempol significantly decreased (p < 0.01) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity in the hypothalamus but failed to reduce food intake or weight gain and did not alter body composition. SIRT1 activity and Acetyl p53 were decreased and phosphorylation of AMPK was increased with age, but they were unchanged with tempol. Basal phosphorylation of STAT3 was unchanged with age or tempol. These results indicate that tempol decreases oxidative stress but fails to alter feeding behaviour, body weight, or body composition. Moreover, tempol does not modulate the SIRT1/AMPK/p53 pathway and does not change leptin signalling. Thus, a reduction in hypothalamic oxidative stress is not sufficient to reverse age-related obesity.

Reduced endothelial thioredoxin-interacting protein protects arteries from damage induced by metabolic stress in vivo.

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Bedarida, Tatiana; Domingues, Alison; Baron, Stephanie; Ferreira, Chrystophe; Vibert, Francoise; Cottart, Charles-Henry; Paul, Jean-Louis; Escriou, Virginie; Bigey, Pascal; Gaussem, Pascale; Leguillier, Teddy; Nivet-Antoine, Valerie

2018-06-01

Although thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is involved in a variety of biologic functions, the contribution of endothelial TXNIP has not been well defined. To investigate the endothelial function of TXNIP, we generated a TXNIP knockout mouse on the Cdh5-cre background (TXNIP fl/fl cdh5 cre ). Control (TXNIP fl/fl ) and TXNIP fl/fl cdh5 cre mice were fed a high protein-low carbohydrate (HP-LC) diet for 3 mo to induce metabolic stress. We found that TXNIP fl/fl and TXNIP fl/fl cdh5 cre mice on an HP-LC diet displayed impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia concretizing the metabolic stress induced. We evaluated the impact of this metabolic stress on mice with reduced endothelial TXNIP expression with regard to arterial structure and function. TXNIP fl/fl cdh5 cre mice on an HP-LC diet exhibited less endothelial dysfunction than littermate mice on an HP-LC diet. These mice were protected from decreased aortic medial cell content, impaired aortic distensibility, and increased plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 secretion. This protective effect came with lower oxidative stress and lower inflammation, with a reduced NLRP3 inflammasome expression, leading to a decrease in cleaved IL-1β. We also show the major role of TXNIP in inflammation with a knockdown model, using a TXNIP-specific, small interfering RNA included in a lipoplex. These findings demonstrate a key role for endothelial TXNIP in arterial impairments induced by metabolic stress, making endothelial TXNIP a potential therapeutic target.-Bedarida, T., Domingues, A., Baron, S., Ferreira, C., Vibert, F., Cottart, C.-H., Paul, J.-L., Escriou, V., Bigey, P., Gaussem, P., Leguillier, T., Nivet-Antoine, V. Reduced endothelial thioredoxin-interacting protein protects arteries from damage induced by metabolic stress in vivo.

A mindfulness training program based on brief practices (M-PBI) to reduce stress in the workplace: a randomised controlled pilot study.

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Arredondo, M; Sabaté, M; Valveny, N; Langa, M; Dosantos, R; Moreno, J; Botella, L

2017-01-01

Work stress is a major contributor to absenteeism and reduced work productivity. A randomised and controlled study in employee-volunteers (with Perceived Stress Scale [PSS-14]>22) was performed to assess a mindfulness program based on brief integrated mindfulness practices (M-PBI) with the aim of reducing stress in the workplace. The PSS-14 of the employees before and after 8-weeks M-PBI program, as well as after a 20-week follow-up, was assessed (primary endpoint). The employees also carried the following questionnaires (secondary endpoints): Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Experiences Questionnaire-Decentering (EQ-D), and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS). Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was measured during each session in a subgroup of employees (n = 10) of the interventional group randomly selected. A total of 40 employees (77.5% female median [SD] age of 36.6 [5.6] years) took part in this study: 21 and 19 in the intervention and control group, respectively. No differences in baseline characteristics were encountered between the groups. Results show a significant decrease in stress and increase in mindfulness over time in the intervention group (PSS-14 and FFMQ; p < 0.05 both). Additionally, an improvement in decentering (EQ-D), self-compassion (SCS) and burnout (MBI-GS) were also observed compared to the control group (p < 0.05 in all). HRV measurement also showed an improvement. In conclusion, a brief practices, 8-weeks M-BIP program is an effective tool to quickly reduce stress and improve well-being in a workplace.

Smartphone Applications Utilizing Biofeedback Can Aid Stress Reduction

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Dillon, Alison; Kelly, Mark; Robertson, Ian H.; Robertson, Deirdre A.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Stress is one of the leading global causes of disease and premature mortality. Despite this, interventions aimed at reducing stress have low adherence rates. The proliferation of mobile phone devices along with gaming-style applications allows for a unique opportunity to broaden the reach and appeal of stress-reduction interventions in modern society. We assessed the effectiveness of two smartphone applications games combined with biofeedback in reducing stress. Methods: We compared a control game to gaming-style smartphone applications combined with a skin conductance biofeedback device (the Pip). Fifty participants aged between 18 and 35 completed the Trier Social Stress Test. They were then randomly assigned to the intervention (biofeedback game) or control group (a non-biofeedback game) for thirty minutes. Perceived stress, heart rate and mood were measured before and after participants had played the games. Results: A mixed factorial ANOVA showed a significant interaction between time and game type in predicting perceived stress [F(1,48) = 14.19, p biofeedback intervention had significantly reduced stress compared to the control group. There was also a significant interaction between time and game in predicting heart rate [F(1,48) = 6.41, p biofeedback intervention showed significant reductions in heart rate compared to the control group. Discussion: This illustrates the potential for gaming-style smartphone applications combined with biofeedback as stress reduction interventions. PMID:27378963

Bidirectional crosstalk between stress-induced gastric ulcer and depression under chronic stress.

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Shuang Zhang

Full Text Available Stress contributes to a variety of diseases and disorders such as depression and peptic ulcer. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between stress ulcer and depression in pathogenesis and treatment by using chronic stress depression (CSD, chronic psychological stress ulcer (CPSU and water immersion restrain stress models in rats. Our data showed that the ulcer index of the animals after CSD exposure was significantly higher than that of controls. Depression-like behaviors were observed in rat after CPSU exposure. Fluoxetine hydrochloride significantly reduced the ulcer index of rats exposed to CPSU stress, while ranitidine inhibited depression-like behavior of the animals in CSD group. The ulcer index of rats administered with mifepristone after CPSU stress was markedly reduced compared to CPSU group, although there was no significant difference in the depression-like behavior between mifepristone-treated CSD group and naive controls. We also found that the rats exposed to CPSU or CSD stress displayed a lower level of corticosterone than naive controls, however, the acute stress (AS group showed an opposite result. Additionally, in order to study the relevance of H(2 receptors and depression, we treated the CSD group with cimetidine and famotidine respectively. The data showed that cimetidine inhibited depression-like behavior in CSD rats, and famotidine had no impact on depression. Overall our data suggested that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis dysfunction may be the key role in triggering depression and stress ulcer. Acid-suppressing drugs and antidepressants could be used for treatment of depression and stress ulcer respectively. The occurrence of depression might be inhibited by blocking the central H(2 receptors.

Prenatal zinc reduces stress response in adult rat offspring exposed to lipopolysaccharide during gestation.

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Galvão, Marcella C; Chaves-Kirsten, Gabriela P; Queiroz-Hazarbassanov, Nicolle; Carvalho, Virgínia M; Bernardi, Maria M; Kirsten, Thiago B

2015-01-01

Previous investigations by our group have shown that prenatal treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 μg/kg, intraperitoneally) on gestation day (GD) 9.5 in rats, which mimics infections by Gram-negative bacteria, induces short- and long-term behavioral and neuroimmune changes in the offspring. Because LPS induces hypozincemia, dams were treated with zinc after LPS in an attempt to prevent or ameliorate the impairments induced by prenatal LPS exposure. LPS can also interfere with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis development; thus, behavioral and neuroendocrine parameters linked to HPA axis were evaluated in adult offspring after a restraint stress session. We prenatally exposed Wistar rats to LPS (100 μg/kg, intraperitoneally, on GD 9.5). One hour later they received zinc (ZnSO4, 2 mg/kg, subcutaneously). Adult female offspring that were in metestrus/diestrus were submitted to a 2 h restraint stress session. Immediately after the stressor, 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations, open field behavior, serum corticosterone and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and striatal and hypothalamic neurotransmitter and metabolite levels were assessed. Offspring that received prenatal zinc after LPS presented longer periods in silence, increased locomotion, and reduced serum corticosterone and striatal norepinephrine turnover compared with rats treated with LPS and saline. Prenatal zinc reduced acute restraint stress response in adult rats prenatally exposed to LPS. Our findings suggest a potential beneficial effect of prenatal zinc, in which the stress response was reduced in offspring that were stricken with infectious/inflammatory processes during gestation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nicotine Significantly Improves Chronic Stress-Induced Impairments of Cognition and Synaptic Plasticity in Mice.

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Shang, Xueliang; Shang, Yingchun; Fu, Jingxuan; Zhang, Tao

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to examine if nicotine was able to improve cognition deficits in a mouse model of chronic mild stress. Twenty-four male C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: control, stress, and stress with nicotine treatment. The animal model was established by combining chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and isolated feeding. Mice were exposed to CUMS continued for 28 days, while nicotine (0.2 mg/kg) was also administrated for 28 days. Weight and sucrose consumption were measured during model establishing period. The anxiety and behavioral despair were analyzed using the forced swim test (FST) and open-field test (OFT). Spatial cognition was evaluated using Morris water maze (MWM) test. Following behavioral assessment, both long-term potentiation (LTP) and depotentiation (DEP) were recorded in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region. Both synaptic and Notch1 proteins were measured by Western. Nicotine increased stressed mouse's sucrose consumption. The MWM test showed that spatial learning and reversal learning in stressed animals were remarkably affected relative to controls, whereas nicotine partially rescued cognitive functions. Additionally, nicotine considerably alleviated the level of anxiety and the degree of behavioral despair in stressed mice. It effectively mitigated the depression-induced impairment of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, in which both the LTP and DEP were significantly inhibited in stressed mice. Moreover, nicotine enhanced the expression of synaptic and Notch1 proteins in stressed animals. The results suggest that nicotine ameliorates the depression-like symptoms and improves the hippocampal synaptic plasticity closely associated with activating transmembrane ion channel receptors and Notch signaling components. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Significance of radiographic abnormalities in patients with tibial stress injuries: correlation with magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kijowski, Richard; Choi, James; Smet, Arthur de; Mukharjee, Rajat

2007-01-01

The objective was to correlate radiographic findings with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with suspected tibial stress injuries in order to determine the significance of radiographic signs of stress injury in these individuals. The study group consisted of 80 patients with suspected tibial stress injuries who underwent a radiographic and MR examination of the tibia. Nineteen patients had bilateral involvement. Thus, a total of 99 tibias were evaluated. All radiographs and MR examinations were retrospectively reviewed, 1 month apart, in consensus by two musculoskeletal radiologists. The radiographs were reviewed without knowledge of the site of the clinical symptoms. Fisher's exact tests were used to determine the association between a positive radiograph and the presence of various MRI signs of a high-grade stress injury. There was a strong association between the presence of periosteal reaction on radiographs at the site of the clinical symptoms and a Fredericson grade 4 stress injury on MRI. The presence of periosteal reaction on radiographs at the site of clinical symptoms is predictive of a high-grade stress injury by MRI criteria. (orig.)

Soybean Salt Tolerance 1 (GmST1) Reduces ROS Production, Enhances ABA Sensitivity, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Shuxin; Lyle, Chimera; Jiang, Guo-Liang; Penumala, Abhishek

2016-01-01

Abiotic stresses, including high soil salinity, significantly reduce crop production worldwide. Salt tolerance in plants is a complex trait and is regulated by multiple mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms and dissecting the components on their regulatory pathways will provide new insights, leading to novel strategies for the improvement of salt tolerance in agricultural and economic crops of importance. Here we report that soybean salt tolerance 1, named GmST1, exhibited strong tolerance to salt stress in the Arabidopsis transgenic lines. The GmST1-overexpressed Arabidopsis also increased sensitivity to ABA and decreased production of reactive oxygen species under salt stress. In addition, GmST1 significantly improved drought tolerance in Arabidopsis transgenic lines. GmST1 belongs to a 3-prime part of Glyma.03g171600 gene in the current version of soybean genome sequence annotation. However, comparative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis around Glyma.03g171600 genomic region confirmed that GmST1 might serve as an intact gene in soybean leaf tissues. Unlike Glyma.03g171600 which was not expressed in leaves, GmST1 was strongly induced by salt treatment in the leaf tissues. By promoter analysis, a TATA box was detected to be positioned close to GmST1 start codon and a putative ABRE and a DRE cis-acting elements were identified at about 1 kb upstream of GmST1 gene. The data also indicated that GmST1-transgenic lines survived under drought stress and showed a significantly lower water loss than non-transgenic lines. In summary, our results suggest that overexpression of GmST1 significantly improves Arabidopsis tolerance to both salt and drought stresses and the gene may be a potential candidate for genetic engineering of salt- and drought-tolerant crops.

Soybean salt tolerance 1 (GmST1 reduces ROS production, enhances ABA sensitivity and abiotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuxin eRen

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Abiotic stresses, including high soil salinity, significantly reduce crop production worldwide. Salt tolerance in plants is a complex trait and is regulated by multiple mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms and dissecting the components on their regulatory pathways will provide new insights, leading to novel strategies for the improvement of salt tolerance in agricultural and economic crops of importance. Here we report that soybean salt tolerance 1, named GmST1, exhibited strong tolerance to salt stress in the Arabidopsis transgenic lines. The GmST1-overexpressed Arabidopsis also increased sensitivity to ABA and decreased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS under salt stress. In addition, GmST1 significantly improved drought tolerance in Arabidopsis transgenic lines. GmST1 belongs to a 3-prime part of Glyma.03g171600 gene in the current version of soybean genome sequence annotation. However, comparative RT-PCR analysis around Glyma.03g171600 genomic region confirmed that GmST1 might serve as an intact gene in soybean leaf tissues. Unlike Glyma.03g171600 which was not expressed in leaves, GmST1 was strongly induced by salt treatment in the leaf tissues. By promoter analysis, a TATA box was detected to be positioned close to GmST1 start codon and a putative ABRE and a DRE cis-acting elements were identified at about 1kb upstream of GmST1 gene. The data also indicated that GmST1-transgenic lines survived under drought stress and showed a significantly lower water loss than non-transgenic lines. In summary, our results suggest that overexpression of GmST1 significantly improves Arabidopsis tolerance to both salt and drought stresses and the gene may be a potential candidate for genetic engineering of salt- and drought-tolerant crops.

Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Culture and Cooperation of L-carnitine in Reducing Stress Induced Cellular Damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamsi, Farrukh A.; Al-Rajhi, Ali A.; Athmanathan, S.; Boulton, M.; Chaudhry, Imtiaz A.

2006-01-01

Purpose was to show that L-carnitine (LC) is capable of reducing non-oxidative stress in the retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) of the human eye. The RPE cells were cultured from donor eyes, obtained immediately after post-mortem. The interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and non-oxidative (sodium hydroxide and methyl methane sulphonate) stress-inducers was observed by recording the change in the absorption profiles of the interacting molecules after incubation in light for 5 hours and after treatment with LC. The isolated and cultured RPE cells from the human eyes were treated with sodium hydroxide or methyl methane sulphonate and/or LC for 5 hours under light, and the qualitative effect on cell morphology after treatment was analyzed by staining cells with Giemsa and visualization by light microscopy. The cell morphology was also qualitatively analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). L-carnitine and stress-inducers interact with BSA and bring about changes in the spectral profile of the interacted molecules. Light microscopy as well as SEM show that the changes in the cellular morphology, induced by 100 uM concentrations of non-oxidative stress-inducers, are considerably reduced in the presence of 100 uM LC. However, L-carnitine alone does not cause any qualitative damage to the cell morphology during incubation under similar conditions. The results give a preliminary indication that LC has ability to reduce the changes brought about by the non-oxidative stress-inducers in the RPF cells in culture. (author)

Dietary Supplementation with a Superoxide Dismutase-Melon Concentrate Reduces Stress, Physical and Mental Fatigue in Healthy People: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

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Julie Carillon

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: We aimed to investigate effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD-melon concentrate supplementation on psychological stress, physical and mental fatigue in healthy people. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed on 61 people divided in two groups: active supplement (n = 32 and placebo (n = 29 for 12 weeks. Volunteers were given one small hard capsule per day. One capsule contained 10 mg of SOD-melon concentrate (140 U of SOD and starch for the active supplement and starch only for the placebo. Stress and fatigue were evaluated using four psychometric scales: PSS-14; SF-36; Stroop tests and Prevost scale. Results: The supplementation with SOD-melon concentrate significantly decreased perceived stress, compared to placebo. Moreover, quality of life was improved and physical and mental fatigue were reduced with SOD-melon concentrate supplementation. Conclusion: SOD-melon concentrate supplementation appears to be an effective and natural way to reduce stress and fatigue. Trial registration: trial approved by the ethical committee of Poitiers (France, and the ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is NCT01767922.

Thymol reduces oxidative stress, aortic intimal thickening, and inflammation-related gene expression in hyperlipidemic rabbits

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Ya-Mei Yu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Atherosclerosis plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, and is often associated with oxidative stress and local inflammation. Thymol, a major polyphenolic compound in thyme, exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we measured the in vitro antioxidant activity of thymol, and investigated the effect of thymol on high-fat-diet-induced hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. New Zealand white rabbits were fed with regular chow, high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HC, T3, or T6 (HC with thymol supplementation at 3 mg/kg/d or 6 mg/kg/d, respectively for 8 weeks. Aortic intimal thickening, serum lipid parameters, multiple inflammatory markers, proinflammatory cytokines, and atherosclerosis-associated indicators were significantly increased in the HC group but decreased upon thymol supplementation. In summary, thymol exhibits antioxidant activity, and may suppress the progression of high-fat-diet-induced hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis by reducing aortic intimal lipid lesion, lowering serum lipids and oxidative stress, and alleviating inflammation-related responses.

How sulphate-reducing microorganisms cope with stress: Lessons from systems biology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, J.; He, Q.; Hemme, C.L.; Mukhopadhyay, A.; Hillesland, K.; Zhou, A.; He, Z.; Nostrand, J.D. Van; Hazen, T.C.; Stahl, D.A.; Wall, J.D.; Arkin, A.P.

2011-04-01

Sulphate-reducing microorganisms (SRMs) are a phylogenetically diverse group of anaerobes encompassing distinct physiologies with a broad ecological distribution. As SRMs have important roles in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and various metals, an understanding of how these organisms respond to environmental stresses is of fundamental and practical importance. In this Review, we highlight recent applications of systems biology tools in studying the stress responses of SRMs, particularly Desulfovibrio spp., at the cell, population, community and ecosystem levels. The syntrophic lifestyle of SRMs is also discussed, with a focus on system-level analyses of adaptive mechanisms. Such information is important for understanding the microbiology of the global sulphur cycle and for developing biotechnological applications of SRMs for environmental remediation, energy production, biocorrosion control, wastewater treatment and mineral recovery.

Water Stress in Global Transboundary River Basins: Significance of Upstream Water Use on Downstream Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Munia, H.; Guillaume, J. H. A.; Mirumachi, N.; Porkka,M.; Wada, Yoshihide; Kummu, M.

2016-01-01

Growing population and water demand have increased pressure on water resources in various parts of the globe, including many transboundary river basins. While the impacts of upstream water use on downstream water availability have been analyzed in many of these international river basins, this has not been systematically done at the global scale using coherent and comparable datasets. In this study, we aim to assess the change in downstream water stress due to upstream water use in the world's transboundary river basins. Water stress was first calculated considering only local water use of each sub-basin based on country-basin mesh, then compared with the situation when upstream water use was subtracted from downstream water availability. Wefound that water stress was generally already high when considering only local water use, affecting 0.95-1.44 billion people or 33%-51% of the population in transboundary river basins. After accounting for upstream water use, stress level increased by at least 1 percentage-point for 30-65 sub-basins, affecting 0.29-1.13 billion people. Altogether 288 out of 298 middle-stream and downstream sub-basin areas experienced some change in stress level. Further, we assessed whether there is a link between increased water stress due to upstream water use and the number of conflictive and cooperative events in the transboundary river basins, as captured by two prominent databases. No direct relationship was found. This supports the argument that conflicts and cooperation events originate from a combination of different drivers, among which upstream-induced water stress may play a role. Our findings contribute to better understanding of upstream-downstream dynamics in water stress to help address water allocation problems.

Professional stress in special and rehabilitation education teachers – what is it and how we can reduce it

OpenAIRE

Škorjanc, Nika

2013-01-01

The diploma paper is based on the overview of Slovenian and foreign literature connected with stress, occupational stress and strategies for reducing its negative consequences. In the first chapter, the analysis of different definitions of the term stress confirmed that we cannot define it with only one general definition. We presented two most common models of stress and types of stress (according to its origin, reaction and also according to objective factors). The chapter concludes with...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Pseudomonas in reduce drought stress damage in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.): a field study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahimzadeh, Saeedeh; Pirzad, Alireza

2017-08-01

Drought stress, which is one of the most serious world environmental threats to crop production, might be compensated by some free living and symbiotic soil microorganisms. The physiological response of flax plants to inoculation with two species of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (Funneliformis mosseae or Rhizophagus intraradices) and a phosphate solubilizing bacterium (Pseudomonas putida P13; PSB) was evaluated under different irrigation regimes (irrigation after 60, 120, and 180 mm of evaporation from Class A pan as well-watered, mild, and severe stress, respectively). A factorial (three factors) experiment was conducted for 2 years (2014-2015) based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at Urmia University, Urmia, located at North-West of Iran (37° 39' 24.82″ N44° 58' 12.42″ E). Water deficit decreased biomass, showing that flax was sensitive to drought, and AM root colonization improved the performance of the plant within irrigation levels. In all inoculated and non-inoculated control plants, leaf chlorophyll decreased with increasing irrigation intervals. Water deficit-induced oxidative damage (hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage) were significantly reduced in dual colonized plants. All enzymatic (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and ascorbate peroxidase) and non-enzymatic (glutathione, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids) antioxidants were reduced by water-limiting irrigation. Dual inoculated plants with AM plus Pseudomonas accumulated more enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants than plants with bacterial or fungal inoculation singly. Dual colonized plants significantly decreased the water deficit-induced glycine betaine and proline in flax leaves. These bacterial-fungal interactions in enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense of flax plants demonstrated equal synergism with both AM fungi species. In conclusion, increased activity of enzymatic antioxidants and higher production of non

Agmatine attenuates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction in rats.

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Turan, Inci; Ozacmak, Hale Sayan; Ozacmak, V Haktan; Barut, Figen; Araslı, Mehmet

2017-11-15

Oxidative stress and inflammatory response are major factors causing several tissue injuries in intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). Agmatine has been reported to attenuate I/R injury of various organs. The present study aims to analyze the possible protective effects of agmatine on intestinal I/R injury in rats. Four groups were designed: sham control, agmatine-treated control, I/R control, and agmatine-treated I/R groups. IR injury of small intestine was induced by the occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery for half an hour to be followed by a 3-hour-long reperfusion. Agmatine (10mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally before reperfusion period. After 180min of reperfusion period, the contractile responses to both carbachol and potassium chloride (KCl) were subsequently examined in an isolated-organ bath. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured in intestinal tissue. Plasma cytokine levels were determined. The expression of the intestinal inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was also assessed by immunohistochemistry. The treatment with agmatine appeared to be significantly effective in reducing the MDA content and MPO activity besides restoring the content of GSH. The treatment also attenuated the histological injury. The increases in the I/R induced expressions of iNOS, IFN-γ, and IL-1α were brought back to the sham control levels by the treatment as well. Our findings indicate that the agmatine pretreatment may ameliorate reperfusion induced injury in small intestine mainly due to reducing inflammatory response and oxidative stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Presence of a dog reduces subjective but not physiological stress responses to an analogue trauma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johanna eLass-Hennemann

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Dogs are known to have stress and anxiety reducing effects. Several studies have shown that dogs are able to calm people during cognitive and performance stressors. Recently, therapy dogs have been proposed as a treatment adjunct for PTSD patients. In this study we aimed to investigate, whether dogs also have anxiety- and stress reducing effect during traumatic stressors. 80 healthy female participants were randomly assigned to one of 4 conditions. They were exposed to a traumatic film clip (trauma-film-paradigm. For one group of participants a friendly dog was present during the film, one group of participants was accompanied by a friendly human, another control group watched the film with a toy animal and the last group watched the film clip alone. Participants that were accompanied by the dog during the film reported lower anxiety ratings and less negative affect after the film clip as compared to the toy dog group and the alone group. Results of the dog group were comparable to the group that was accompanied by a friendly human. There were no differences in physiological stress responses between the four conditions. Our results show that dogs are able to lessen subjectively experienced stress and anxiety during a traumatic stress situation. This effect was comparable to that of social support by a friendly person. Implications for PTSD patients are discussed.

Predicting effects of structural stress in a genome-reduced model bacterial metabolism

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Güell, Oriol; Sagués, Francesc; Serrano, M. Ángeles

2012-08-01

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a human pathogen recently proposed as a genome-reduced model for bacterial systems biology. Here, we study the response of its metabolic network to different forms of structural stress, including removal of individual and pairs of reactions and knockout of genes and clusters of co-expressed genes. Our results reveal a network architecture as robust as that of other model bacteria regarding multiple failures, although less robust against individual reaction inactivation. Interestingly, metabolite motifs associated to reactions can predict the propagation of inactivation cascades and damage amplification effects arising in double knockouts. We also detect a significant correlation between gene essentiality and damages produced by single gene knockouts, and find that genes controlling high-damage reactions tend to be expressed independently of each other, a functional switch mechanism that, simultaneously, acts as a genetic firewall to protect metabolism. Prediction of failure propagation is crucial for metabolic engineering or disease treatment.

TSL Family Therapy Followed by Improved Marital Quality and Reduced Oxidative Stress

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Kim, Jae Yop; Kim, Dong Goo; Nam, Seok In

2012-01-01

Objectives: The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a form of family therapy developed in Korea. The "Thank you--Sorry--Love" (TSL) model was applied to a group of elderly retired men to improve the quality of their marriage and to reduce their stress. Methods: Thirty married retired Korean men were assigned to three groups.…

Significance of residual stress on fatigue properties of welded pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohta, A.; Maeda, Y.; Kanao, M.

1984-01-01

The mean stress effect on the fatigue properties of two kinds of welded pipes was investigated in cantilever bending. The fatigue strength changed with the mean stress on fillet welded pipes, but did not change on butt welded pipes. The fatigue crack initiated from the toe of weld on the outer surface of fillet welded pipes and from the undercut on the inner surface of butt welded pipes. The measurement of the fatigue crack propagation rate and the residual stress distribution through the thickness of pipe revealed that the difference in the fatigue properties between fillet and butt welded pipes arose from the weld-induced residual stress, tension on the inner surface and compression on the outer surface. It is suggested that the production of compressive residual stress along the inner surface would be an effective means for improving the fatigue strength of butt welded pipes. (author)

Effect of stress management interventions on job stress among nurses working in critical care units.

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Light Irin, C; Bincy, R

2012-01-01

Stress in nurses affects their health and increases absenteeism, attrition rate, injury claims, infection rates and errors in treating patients. This in turn significantly increases the cost of employment in healthcare units. Proper management of stress ensures greater efficiency at work place and improved wellbeing of the employee. Therefore, a pre-experimental study was conducted among 30 Critical Care Unit nurses working inMedical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, (Kerala) to assess the effect of stress management interventions such as Job Stress Awareness, Assertiveness Training, Time Management, andProgressive Muscle Relaxation on job stress. The results showed that caring for patients, general job requirements and workload were the major sources of stress for the nurses. The level of severe stress was reduced from 60 percent to 20 percent during post-test. The Stress Management Interventions were statistically effective in reducing the stress of nurses at p<0.001 level.

Brain angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas axis: A new target to reduce the cardiovascular risk to emotional stress.

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Fontes, Marco Antônio Peliky; Martins Lima, Augusto; Santos, Robson Augusto Souza dos

2016-04-01

Emotional stress is now considered a risk factor for several diseases including cardiac arrhythmias and hypertension. It is well known that the activation of neuroendocrine and autonomic mechanisms features the response to emotional stress. However, its link to cardiovascular diseases and the regulatory mechanisms involved remain to be further comprehended. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in homeostasis on all body systems. Specifically in the brain, the RAS regulates a number of physiological aspects. Recent data indicate that the activation of angiotensin-converting enzyme/angiotensin II/AT1 receptor axis facilitates the emotional stress responses. On the other hand, growing evidence indicates that its counterregulatory axis, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/(Ang)iotensin-(1-7)/Mas axis, reduces anxiety and attenuates the physiological responses to emotional stress. The present review focuses on angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas axis as a promising target to attenuate the physiological response to emotional stress reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solid-solid phase transformation via internal stress-induced virtual melting, significantly below the melting temperature. Application to HMX energetic crystal.

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Levitas, Valery I; Henson, Bryan F; Smilowitz, Laura B; Asay, Blaine W

2006-05-25

We theoretically predict a new phenomenon, namely, that a solid-solid phase transformation (PT) with a large transformation strain can occur via internal stress-induced virtual melting along the interface at temperatures significantly (more than 100 K) below the melting temperature. We show that the energy of elastic stresses, induced by transformation strain, increases the driving force for melting and reduces the melting temperature. Immediately after melting, stresses relax and the unstable melt solidifies. Fast solidification in a thin layer leads to nanoscale cracking which does not affect the thermodynamics or kinetics of the solid-solid transformation. Thus, virtual melting represents a new mechanism of solid-solid PT, stress relaxation, and loss of coherence at a moving solid-solid interface. It also removes the athermal interface friction and deletes the thermomechanical memory of preceding cycles of the direct-reverse transformation. It is also found that nonhydrostatic compressive internal stresses promote melting in contrast to hydrostatic pressure. Sixteen theoretical predictions are in qualitative and quantitative agreement with experiments conducted on the PTs in the energetic crystal HMX. In particular, (a) the energy of internal stresses is sufficient to reduce the melting temperature from 551 to 430 K for the delta phase during the beta --> delta PT and from 520 to 400 K for the beta phase during the delta --> beta PT; (b) predicted activation energies for direct and reverse PTs coincide with corresponding melting energies of the beta and delta phases and with the experimental values; (c) the temperature dependence of the rate constant is determined by the heat of fusion, for both direct and reverse PTs; results b and c are obtained both for overall kinetics and for interface propagation; (d) considerable nanocracking, homogeneously distributed in the transformed material, accompanies the PT, as predicted by theory; (e) the nanocracking does not

Reduced tonic inhibition in the dentate gyrus contributes to chronic stress-induced impairments in learning and memory.

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Lee, Vallent; MacKenzie, Georgina; Hooper, Andrew; Maguire, Jamie

2016-10-01

It is well established that stress impacts the underlying processes of learning and memory. The effects of stress on memory are thought to involve, at least in part, effects on the hippocampus, which is particularly vulnerable to stress. Chronic stress induces hippocampal alterations, including but not limited to dendritic atrophy and decreased neurogenesis, which are thought to contribute to chronic stress-induced hippocampal dysfunction and deficits in learning and memory. Changes in synaptic transmission, including changes in GABAergic inhibition, have been documented following chronic stress. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated shifts in EGABA in CA1 pyramidal neurons following chronic stress, compromising GABAergic transmission and increasing excitability of these neurons. Interestingly, here we demonstrate that these alterations are unique to CA1 pyramidal neurons, since we do not observe shifts in EGABA following chronic stress in dentate gyrus granule cells. Following chronic stress, there is a decrease in the expression of the GABAA receptor (GABAA R) δ subunit and tonic GABAergic inhibition in dentate gyrus granule cells, whereas there is an increase in the phasic component of GABAergic inhibition, evident by an increase in the peak amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). Given the numerous changes observed in the hippocampus following stress, it is difficult to pinpoint the pertinent contributing pathophysiological factors. Here we directly assess the impact of a reduction in tonic GABAergic inhibition of dentate gyrus granule cells on learning and memory using a mouse model with a decrease in GABAA R δ subunit expression specifically in dentate gyrus granule cells (Gabrd/Pomc mice). Reduced GABAA R δ subunit expression and function in dentate gyrus granule cells is sufficient to induce deficits in learning and memory. Collectively, these findings suggest that the reduction in GABAA R δ subunit-mediated tonic inhibition

Reduced tonic inhibition in the dentate gyrus contributes to chronic stress-induced impairments in learning and memory

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, Andrew; Maguire, Jamie

2016-01-01

It is well established that stress impacts the underlying processes of learning and memory. The effects of stress on memory are thought to involve, at least in part, effects on the hippocampus, which is particularly vulnerable to stress. Chronic stress induces hippocampal alterations, including but not limited to dendritic atrophy and decreased neurogenesis, which are thought to contribute to chronic stress-induced hippocampal dysfunction and deficits in learning and memory. Changes in synaptic transmission, including changes in GABAergic inhibition, have been documented following chronic stress. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated shifts in EGABA in CA1 pyramidal neurons following chronic stress, compromising GABAergic transmission and increasing excitability of these neurons. Interestingly, here we demonstrate that these alterations are unique to CA1 pyramidal neurons, since we do not observe shifts in EGABA following chronic stress in dentate gyrus granule cells. Following chronic stress, there is a decrease in the expression of the GABAA receptor (GABAAR) δ subunit and tonic GABAergic inhibition in dentate gyrus granule cells; whereas, there is an increase in the phasic component of GABAergic inhibition, evident by an increase in the peak amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). Given the numerous changes observed in the hippocampus following stress, it is difficult to pinpoint the pertinent contributing pathophysiological factors. Here we directly assess the impact of a reduction in tonic GABAergic inhibition of dentate gyrus granule cells on learning and memory using a mouse model with a decrease in GABAAR δ subunit expression specifically in dentate gyrus granule cells (Gabrd/Pomc mice). Reduced GABAAR δ subunit expression and function in dentate gyrus granule cells is sufficient to induce deficits in learning and memory. Collectively, these findings suggest that the reduction in GABAAR δ subunit-mediated tonic inhibition in

Moderated Online Social Therapy: A Model for Reducing Stress in Carers of Young People Diagnosed with Mental Health Disorders.

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Gleeson, John; Lederman, Reeva; Koval, Peter; Wadley, Greg; Bendall, Sarah; Cotton, Sue; Herrman, Helen; Crisp, Kingsley; Alvarez-Jimenez, Mario

2017-01-01

Family members caring for a young person diagnosed with the onset of mental health problems face heightened stress, depression, and social isolation. Despite evidence for the effectiveness of family based interventions, sustaining access to specialist family interventions is a major challenge. The availability of the Internet provides possibilities to expand and sustain access to evidence-based psychoeducation and personal support for family members. In this paper we describe the therapeutic model and the components of our purpose-built moderated online social therapy (MOST) program for families. We outline the background to its development, beginning with our face-to-face EPISODE II family intervention, which informed our selection of therapeutic content, and the integration of recent developments in positive psychology. Our online interventions for carers integrate online therapy, online social networking, peer and expert support, and online social problem solving which has been designed to reduce stress in carers. The initial version of our application entitled Meridian was shown to be safe, acceptable, and feasible in a feasibility study of carers of youth diagnosed with depression and anxiety. There was a significant reduction in self-reported levels of stress in caregivers and change in stress was significantly correlated with use of the system. We have subsequently launched a cluster RCT for caregivers with a relative diagnosed with first-episode psychosis. Our intervention has the potential to improve access to effective specialist support for families facing the onset of serious mental health problems in their young relative.

Residual stress of particulate polymer composites with reduced thermal expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishino, T; Kotera, M; Sugiura, Y

2009-01-01

Thermal expansion behavior was investigated for tangusten zirconium phosphate (Zr 2 (WO 4 )(PO 4 ) 2 (ZWP)) particulate filled poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) composite. ZWP is known as ceramic filler with a negative thermal expansion. By incorporating ZWP with 40 volume %, the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the PEEK composite was reduced to almost same value (2.53 X 10 -5 K -1 ) with that of aluminum. This decrease was found to be quite effective for the decrease of the residual stress at the interface between aluminum plate and the composite.

Fluoxetine ameliorates atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice through reducing psychological stress and inflammatory response

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Yanxi Li

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Atopic dermatitis (AD is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder, and patients with AD suffer from severe psychological stress, which markedly increases the prevalence rate of depression and anxiety disorders in later life. Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, has recently been reported to exert anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. However, it is unclear whether fluoxetine is effective in the treatment of AD through reducing psychological stress and inflammatory reaction. Here, we reported that a BALB/c mouse model of AD was induced by application of 2,4‑dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB onto hairless dorsal skin. Chronic fluoxetine treatment (10 mg/kg per day, i.p. significantly attenuated AD-like symptoms, as reflected by a dramatic decrease in scratching bouts, as well as a decrease in anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Furthermore, these behavioral changes were accompanied by a significant decrease in epidermal thickness, the number of mast cells in skin tissue, mRNA levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4 and IL-13 in the spleen, as well as serum immunoglobulin E (IgE in the DNCB-treated mice by treatment with fluoxetine. Taken together, these results indicate that fluoxetine may suppress psychological stress and inflammatory response during AD development, and subsequently ameliorate AD symptoms, suggesting that fluoxetine may be a potential therapeutic agent against AD in clinic.

COMPANY AIKIDO – IT SEEMS TO BE A PRACTICAL METHOD TO REDUCE STRESS AND INCREASE A PERSON’S ENERGY

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Andronicus TORP

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Companies are increasingly using methods such as massage, sports, mindfulness, etc. in order for example to improve employee well-being, reduce stress, or increase the energy level of the employees. This article examines, based on a case study, if Aikido may be a practical way to reduce stress and/or increase energy. The empirical study is based on measuring the energy and stress level of the practitioners before and after the practice of Aikido by the use of the ElectroPhotonic Imaging Device developed by Prof. Dr. Korotkov.

Reduced Orexin System Function Contributes to Resilience to Repeated Social Stress.

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Grafe, Laura A; Eacret, Darrell; Dobkin, Jane; Bhatnagar, Seema

2018-01-01

Exposure to stress increases the risk of developing affective disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, these disorders occur in only a subset of individuals, those that are more vulnerable to the effects of stress, whereas others remain resilient. The coping style adopted to deal with the stressor, either passive or active coping, is related to vulnerability or resilience, respectively. Important neural substrates that mediate responses to a stressor are the orexins. These neuropeptides are altered in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with stress-related illnesses such as depression and PTSD. The present experiments used a rodent social defeat model that generates actively coping rats and passively coping rats, which we have previously shown exhibit resilient and vulnerable profiles, respectively, to examine if orexins play a role in these stress-induced phenotypes. In situ radiolabeling and qPCR revealed that actively coping rats expressed significantly lower prepro-orexin mRNA compared with passively coping rats. This led to the hypothesis that lower levels of orexins contribute to resilience to repeated social stress. To test this hypothesis, rats first underwent 5 d of social defeat to establish active and passive coping phenotypes. Then, orexin neurons were inhibited before each social defeat for three additional days using designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). Inhibition of orexins increased social interaction behavior and decreased depressive-like behavior in the vulnerable population of rats. Indeed, these data suggest that lowering orexins promoted resilience to social defeat and may be an important target for treatment of stress-related disorders.

Better cognitive control of emotional information is associated with reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine reactivity to emotional stress.

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Shields, Grant S; Kuchenbecker, Shari Young; Pressman, Sarah D; Sumida, Ken D; Slavich, George M

2016-01-01

Stress is strongly associated with several mental and physical health problems that involve inflammation, including asthma, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and depression. It has been hypothesized that better cognitive control of emotional information may lead to reduced inflammatory reactivity to stress and thus better health, but to date no studies have examined whether differences in cognitive control predict pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to stress. To address this issue, we conducted a laboratory-based experimental study in which we randomly assigned healthy young-adult females to either an acute emotional stress (emotionally evocative video) or no-stress (control video) condition. Salivary levels of the key pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 were measured before and after the experimental manipulation, and following the last cytokine sample, we assessed participants' cognitive control of emotional information using an emotional Stroop task. We also assessed participants' cortisol levels before and after the manipulation to verify that documented effects were specific to cytokines and not simply due to increased nonwater salivary output. As hypothesized, the emotional stressor triggered significant increases in IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. Moreover, even in fully adjusted models, better cognitive control following the emotional (but not control) video predicted less pronounced cytokine responses to that stressor. In contrast, no effects were observed for cortisol. These data thus indicate that better cognitive control specifically following an emotional stressor is uniquely associated with less pronounced pro-inflammatory cytokine reactivity to such stress. These findings may therefore help explain why superior cognitive control portends better health over the lifespan.

The significance of reduced respiratory chain enzyme activities: clinical, biochemical and radiological associations.

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Mordekar, S R; Guthrie, P; Bonham, J R; Olpin, S E; Hargreaves, I; Baxter, P S

2006-03-01

Mitochondrial diseases are an important group of neurometabolic disorders in children with varied clinical presentations and diagnosis that can be difficult to confirm. To report the significance of reduced respiratory chain enzyme (RCE) activity in muscle biopsy samples from children. Retrospective odds ratio was used to compare clinical and biochemical features, DNA studies, neuroimaging, and muscle biopsies in 18 children with and 48 without reduced RCE activity. Children with reduced RCE activity were significantly more likely to have consanguineous parents, to present with acute encephalopathy and lactic acidaemia and/or within the first year of life; to have an axonal neuropathy, CSF lactate >4 mmol/l; and/or to have signal change in the basal ganglia. There were positive associations with a maternal family history of possible mitochondrial cytopathy; a presentation with failure to thrive and lactic acidaemia, ragged red fibres, reduced fibroblast fatty acid oxidation and with an abnormal allopurinol loading test. There was no association with ophthalmic abnormalities, deafness, epilepsy or myopathy. The association of these clinical, biochemical and radiological features with reduced RCE activity suggests a possible causative link.

Sodium phenylbutyrate ameliorates focal cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury associated with comorbid type 2 diabetes by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and DNA fragmentation.

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Srinivasan, Krishnamoorthy; Sharma, Shyam S

2011-11-20

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been postulated to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury and diabetes. Diabetes is a major risk factor and also common amongst the people who suffer from stroke. In this study, we have investigated the neuroprotective potential of sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (SPB; 30-300mg/kg), a chemical chaperone by targeting ER stress in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia associated with comorbid type 2 diabetes. Intraperitoneal treatment with SPB (100 and 300mg/kg) significantly ameliorated brain I/R damage as evidenced by reduction in cerebral infarct and edema volume. It also significantly improved the functional recovery of various neurobehavioral impairments (neurological deficit score, grip strength and rota rod) evoked by I/R compared with vehicle-treatment. Further, SPB (100mg/kg) significantly reduced the DNA fragmentation as shown by prominent reduction in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. This effect was observed concomitantly with significant attenuation in upregulation of 78kDa glucose regulated protein (GRP78), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein or growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (CHOP/GADD153) and activation of caspase-12, specific markers of ER stress/apoptosis. The neuroprotection observed with SPB was independent of its effect on cerebral blood flow and blood glucose. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the neuroprotective effect of SPB owing to amelioration of ER stress and DNA fragmentation. It also suggest that targeting ER stress might offer a promising therapeutic approach and benefits against ischemic stroke associated with comorbid type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Can an Internal Locus of Control and Social Support Reduce Work-Related Levels of Stress and Strain?: A Comparative Study Between Spanish Owners and Managers.

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Ariza-Montes, Antonio; Leal-Rodríguez, Antonio L; Rodríguez-Félix, Lucía; Albort-Morant, Gema

2017-09-01

The aim of this article is to assess the role played by both individual and contextual factors in reducing the manager's levels of stress and strain within the workplace setting. This article also highlights the manager's locus of control (LOC) as an internal factor and emphasizes the social support variable as a contextual factor. We use a sample of 332 respondents belonging to Spanish manufacturing and services firms and a structural equation modeling technique (partial least squares path modeling). The results reveal that there are significant differences between managers and owners about stress-strain relationship. The study provides support for the literature on stress management, which emphasizes the importance of a LOC and social support in influencing stress and strain between managers and owners.

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation Reduces Oxidative Stress and Prolongs Survival in Rats with Advanced Liver Cirrhosis

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Mifuji-Moroka, Rumi; Hara, Nagisa; Miyachi, Hirohide; Sugimoto, Ryosuke; Tanaka, Hideaki; Fujita, Naoki; Gabazza, Esteban C.; Takei, Yoshiyuki

2013-01-01

Long-term supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) is associated with prolonged survival and decreased frequency of development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the pharmaceutical mechanism underlying this association is still unclear. We investigated whether continuous BCAA supplementation increases survival rate of rats exposed to a fibrogenic agent and influences the iron accumulation, oxidative stress, fibrosis, and gluconeogenesis in the liver. Further, the effects of BCAA on gluconeogenesis in cultured cells were also investigated. A significant improvement in cumulative survival was observed in BCAA-supplemented rats with advanced cirrhosis compared to untreated rats with cirrhosis (PBCAA supplementation was associated with reduction of iron contents, reactive oxygen species production and attenuated fibrosis in the liver. In addition, BCAA ameliorated glucose metabolism by forkhead box protein O1 pathway in the liver. BCAA prolongs survival in cirrhotic rats and this was likely the consequences of reduced iron accumulation, oxidative stress and fibrosis and improved glucose metabolism in the liver. PMID:23936183

Protocol: a multi-level intervention program to reduce stress in 9-1-1 telecommunicators.

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Meischke, Hendrika; Lilly, Michelle; Beaton, Randal; Calhoun, Rebecca; Tu, Ann; Stangenes, Scott; Painter, Ian; Revere, Debra; Baseman, Janet

2018-05-02

Nationwide, emergency response systems depend on 9-1-1 telecommunicators to prioritize, triage, and dispatch assistance to those in distress. 9-1-1 call center telecommunicators (TCs) are challenged by acute and chronic workplace stressors: tense interactions with citizen callers in crisis; overtime; shift-work; ever-changing technologies; and negative work culture, including co-worker conflict. This workforce is also subject to routine exposures to secondary traumatization while handling calls involving emergency situations and while making time urgent, high stake decisions over the phone. Our study aims to test the effectiveness of a multi-part intervention to reduce stress in 9-1-1 TCs through an online mindfulness training and a toolkit containing workplace stressor reduction resources. The study employs a randomized controlled trial design with three data collection points. The multi-part intervention includes an individual-level online mindfulness training and a call center-level organizational stress reduction toolkit. 160 TCs will be recruited from 9-1-1 call centers, complete a baseline survey at enrollment, and are randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group. Intervention group participants will start a 7-week online mindfulness training developed in-house and tailored to 9-1-1 TCs and their call center environment; control participants will be "waitlisted" and start the training after the study period ends. Following the intervention group's completion of the mindfulness training, all participants complete a second survey. Next, the online toolkit with call-center wide stress reduction resources is made available to managers of all participating call centers. After 3 months, a third survey will be completed by all participants. The primary outcome is 9-1-1 TCs' self-reported symptoms of stress at three time points as measured by the C-SOSI (Calgary Symptoms of Stress Inventory). Secondary outcomes will include: perceptions of social work

[Reducing maternal parenting stress of children with autism spectrum disorder: father's involvement].

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Hu, C C; Li, Y; Zhou, B R; Liu, C X; Li, C Y; Zhang, Y; Xu, Q; Xu, X

2017-05-04

Objective: To explore the relationship between fathers' nursing time and maternal parenting stress of children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD). Method: Mothers of 98 ASD children who were first diagnosed in the department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University during June 2015 to January 2016 were included in the ASD group, with mothers of 92 typical children from a Community Maternal and Child Health Hospital and a kindergarten in the control group. The evaluation of parenting stress, parents' nursing time and other related factors were cross-sectionally analyzed. Interview was conducted with the following tools: Parental Stress Index-Short Form(PSI-SF)for maternal parenting stress, and self-made General Parenting Information Questionnaire for nursing time of both parents and other related factors. The relationships were analyzed by Multiple Linear Regression analysis and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test. Result: Maternal parenting stress of ASD children had a significant negative correlation with father's nursing time in total score of parenting stress, PCDI domain and PD domain ( t =-2.76, -2.98, -2.79; P =0.007, 0.004, 0.006), within which PD domain also included family annual income and mothers' nursing time ( R (2)=0.22, 0.24, 0.25); while no such correlation was found in control group in terms of father's nursing time( P =0.22, 0.42, 0.06). Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test showed that in 62 (63.3%) double-income ASD families and 72(78.3%) double-income typical families, there were significant differences between ASD fathers' and ASD mothers'and typical fathers'nursing time(2.0(0.5, 2.1) vs . 3.5(2.4, 6.0) vs . 3.0(2.0, 4.7)h, t =-86.32、-49.65, all P children's families. Increasing these fathers' nursing time, as well as their enthusiasm and initiative in the family intervention could relieve maternal parenting stress and improve the intervention pattern of ASD children.

Heat waves imposed during early pod development in soybean (Glycine max) cause significant yield loss despite a rapid recovery from oxidative stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Siebers, Matthew H; Yendrek, Craig R; Drag, David; Locke, Anna M; Rios Acosta, Lorena; Leakey, Andrew D B; Ainsworth, Elizabeth A; Bernacchi, Carl J; Ort, Donald R

2015-08-01

Heat waves already have a large impact on crops and are predicted to become more intense and more frequent in the future. In this study, heat waves were imposed on soybean using infrared heating technology in a fully open-air field experiment. Five separate heat waves were applied to field-grown soybean (Glycine max) in central Illinois, three in 2010 and two in 2011. Thirty years of historical weather data from Illinois were analyzed to determine the length and intensity of a regionally realistic heat wave resulting in experimental heat wave treatments during which day and night canopy temperatures were elevated 6 °C above ambient for 3 days. Heat waves were applied during early or late reproductive stages to determine whether and when heat waves had an impact on carbon metabolism and seed yield. By the third day of each heat wave, net photosynthesis (A), specific leaf weight (SLW), and leaf total nonstructural carbohydrate concentration (TNC) were decreased, while leaf oxidative stress was increased. However, A, SLW, TNC, and measures of oxidative stress were no different than the control ca. 12 h after the heat waves ended, indicating rapid physiological recovery from the high-temperature stress. That end of season seed yield was reduced (~10%) only when heat waves were applied during early pod developmental stages indicates the yield loss had more to do with direct impacts of the heat waves on reproductive process than on photosynthesis. Soybean was unable to mitigate yield loss after heat waves given during late reproductive stages. This study shows that short high-temperature stress events that reduce photosynthesis and increase oxidative stress resulted in significant losses to soybean production in the Midwest, U.S. The study also suggests that to mitigate heat wave-induced yield loss, soybean needs improved reproductive and photosynthetic tolerance to high but increasingly common temperatures. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is

The significance of translation regulation in the stress response

OpenAIRE

Picard, Flora; Loubière, Pascal; Girbal, Laurence; Bousquet, Muriel

2013-01-01

Background: The stress response in bacteria involves the multistage control of gene expression but is not entirely understood. To identify the translational response of bacteria in stress conditions and assess its contribution to the regulation of gene expression, the translational states of all mRNAs were compared under optimal growth condition and during nutrient (isoleucine) starvation. Results: A genome-scale study of the translational response to nutritional limitation was performed in t...

Amending reduced fish-meal feeds with marine lecithin, but not soy lecithin, improves the growth of juvenile cobia and may attenuate heightened responses to stress challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Trushenski, J; Schwarz, M; Pessoa, W V N; Mulligan, B; Crouse, C; Gause, B; Yamamoto, F; Delbos, B

2013-02-01

Sparing of marine resources in aquafeeds can be environmentally and economically advantageous; however, fish meal (FM) replacement can affect the production performance and physiological competence. Phospholipids are increasingly understood to be involved in maintaining growth and vigour in fish and may be deficient in reduced FM formulations. Accordingly, we evaluated the growth and stress tolerance of juvenile cobia fed typical (50% FM) or reduced FM feeds (12% FM) with or without phospholipid amendment [1% marine lecithin (12% FM + Marine PL) or soy lecithin (12% FM + Soy PL)] for 6 weeks in triplicate tanks (N = 3) in a recirculation aquaculture system. The 50% FM feed yielded significantly superior growth and growth efficiency in comparison with the 12% FM and 12% FM+ Soy PL feeds, but the 12% FM+ Marine PL feed yielded comparable results to 50% FM feed. A low-water stress challenge induced elevated plasma glucose, cortisol and lactate levels in all treatments. However, a significant interaction (diet × stress) effect suggested a lesser cortisol response among fish fed the 12% FM+ Marine PL and 50% FM diets. These findings demonstrate that growth performance and, perhaps, resilience of cobia raised on reduced FM feeds may be improved by the addition of marine-origin phospholipid to the diet. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Mindfulness as a personal resource to reduce work stress in the job demands-resources model.

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Steven L; Teo, Stephen T T; Pick, David; Roche, Maree

2017-10-01

Based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this study examines the different ways that the personal resource of mindfulness reduces stress. Structural equation modeling based on data from 415 Australian nurses shows that mindfulness relates directly and negatively to work stress and perceptions of emotional demands as well as buffering the relation of emotional demands on psychological stress. This study contributes to the literature by employing empirical analysis to the task of unravelling how personal resources function within the JD-R model. It also introduces mindfulness as a personal resource in the JD-R model. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Four-phonon scattering significantly reduces intrinsic thermal conductivity of solids

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Tianli; Lindsay, Lucas; Ruan, Xiulin

2017-10-01

For decades, the three-phonon scattering process has been considered to govern thermal transport in solids, while the role of higher-order four-phonon scattering has been persistently unclear and so ignored. However, recent quantitative calculations of three-phonon scattering have often shown a significant overestimation of thermal conductivity as compared to experimental values. In this Rapid Communication we show that four-phonon scattering is generally important in solids and can remedy such discrepancies. For silicon and diamond, the predicted thermal conductivity is reduced by 30% at 1000 K after including four-phonon scattering, bringing predictions in excellent agreement with measurements. For the projected ultrahigh-thermal conductivity material, zinc-blende BAs, a competitor of diamond as a heat sink material, four-phonon scattering is found to be strikingly strong as three-phonon processes have an extremely limited phase space for scattering. The four-phonon scattering reduces the predicted thermal conductivity from 2200 to 1400 W/m K at room temperature. The reduction at 1000 K is 60%. We also find that optical phonon scattering rates are largely affected, being important in applications such as phonon bottlenecks in equilibrating electronic excitations. Recognizing that four-phonon scattering is expensive to calculate, in the end we provide some guidelines on how to quickly assess the significance of four-phonon scattering, based on energy surface anharmonicity and the scattering phase space. Our work clears the decades-long fundamental question of the significance of higher-order scattering, and points out ways to improve thermoelectrics, thermal barrier coatings, nuclear materials, and radiative heat transfer.

Prognostic significance of normal quantitative planar thallium-201 stress scintigraphy in patients with chest pain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wackers, F.J.; Russo, D.J.; Russo, D.; Clements, J.P.

1985-01-01

The prognostic significance of normal quantitative planar thallium-201 stress scintigraphy was evaluated in patients with a chest pain syndrome. The prevalence of cardiac events during follow-up was related to the pretest (that is, before stress scintigraphy) likelihood of coronary artery disease determined on the basis of symptoms, age, sex and stress electrocardiography. In a consecutive series of 344 patients who had adequate thallium-201 stress scintigrams, 95 had unequivocally normal studies by quantitative analysis. The pretest likelihood of coronary artery disease in the 95 patients had a bimodal distribution. During a mean follow-up period of 22 +/- 3 months, no patient died. Three patients (3%) had a cardiac event: two of these patients (pretest likelihood of coronary artery disease 54 and 94%) had a nonfatal myocardial infarction 8 and 22 months, respectively, after stress scintigraphy, and one patient (pretest likelihood 98%) underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty 16 months after stress scintigraphy for persisting anginal complaints. Three patients were lost to follow-up; all three had a low pretest likelihood of coronary artery disease. It is concluded that patients with chest pain and normal findings on quantitative thallium-201 scintigraphy have an excellent prognosis. Cardiac events are rare (infarction rate 1% per year) and occur in patients with a moderate to high pretest likelihood of coronary artery disease

Estimating Usage Can Reduce the Stress of Social Networking

OpenAIRE

Zhou, Y.; Bird, J.; Cox, A. L.; Brumby, D.

2013-01-01

Social networks are increasingly popular and provide benefits such as easy peer group communication. However, there is evidence that they can have negative consequences, such as increased stress levels. For two weeks, we provided participants with an objective measure of their social network usage and also asked them for a daily estimate of their usage over the previous 24 hours. Although their social network usage did not significantly change, participants’ perception of this activity was tr...

ADAPTATION MODEL FOR REDUCING THE MANAGERIAL STRESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VIOLETA GLIGOROVSKI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Changes are an inseparable component of the company's life cycle and they can contribute to its essential growth in the future. The purpose of this paper is to explain managerial stress caused by implementation of changes and creating an adaptation model to decrease managerial stress. How much the manager will successfully lead the project for implementation of a change and how much they will manage to amortize stress among employees, mostly depends on their expertise, knowledge and skills to accurately and comprehensively inform and integrate the employees in the overall process. The adaptation model is actually a new approach and recommendation for managers for dealing with stress when the changes are implemented. Methodology. For this purpose, the data presented, in fact, were collected through a questionnaire that was submitted to 61 respondents/ managers. The data were measured using the Likert scale from 1 to 7. Namely, with the help of the Likert scale, quantification of stress was made in relation to the various variables that were identified as the most important for the researched issues. An adaption model (new approach for amortizing changes was created using the DIA Diagram application, to show the relations between manager and the relevant amortization approaches.

Improving Health by Reducing Stress: An Experiential Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Largo-Wight, Erin; Moore, Michele J.; Barr, Elissa M.

2011-01-01

Stress is a leading health issue among college students. Managing stress involves enhancing resources necessary to cope with life's demands. Relaxation techniques are especially critical coping strategies when stress is chronic and coping resources are overused and fatigued. Methods: This article describes a research-based relaxation technique…

Chinese phytotherapy to reduce stress, anxiety and improve quality of life: randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurebayashi, Leonice Fumiko Sato; Turrini, Ruth Natalia Teresa; Kuba, Gisele; Shimizu, Miki Hoshi Minamizawa; Takiguch, Raymond Sehiji

2016-01-01

To evaluate the effect of Chinese phytotherapyto reduce stress levels, anxiety and improve quality of life. double-blind randomized controlled trial with 89 volunteers divided into three groups: control (no intervention), Placebo and Phytotherapy. The study was conducted in 2015 with healthy adults treated at the Integrated and Eastern Therapy Institute,in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Participants were evaluated at baseline and after three weeks with the Stress Symptoms List (SSL), Anxiety Inventory-Trait and State and SF12v2 for quality of life. Intervention groups received a placebo or Gan May Zao formula (GMDZ)flaskwith 50 ml. According to ANOVA, there were significant differences (p = 0.025) after treatment of stress (SSL2). And the difference was between control and Phytotherapy groups, according to the Tukey post hoc (p = 0.022). There were no differences in the levels of state-anxiety and physical and mental domains in the SF12v2. The GMDZ formula reduced stress levels, but more studies are needed with greater sample, with reassessment of dosage and a longer period of treatment to confirm and extend the results. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR-28s4hz. Avaliar o efeito da fitoterapia chinesa na redução de níveis de estresse, ansiedade e melhoria de qualidade de vida. Ensaio clínico randomizado duplo-cego, com 89 voluntários divididos em três grupos: Controle (sem intervenção), Placebo e Fitoterapia. Foi realizado em 2015, com adultos saudáveis atendidos no Instituto de Terapia Integrada e Oriental, São Paulo. Foram avaliados no baseline e, após 3 semanas,pela Lista de Sintomas de Stress (LSS), Inventário de Ansiedade-Traço e Estado e o SF12v2 de qualidade de vida. Os grupos de intervenção receberam um frasco de 50 ml de placebo ou da fórmula Gan Mai Da Zao (GMDZ). Segundo ANOVA, houve diferença (p=0,025) no pós-tratamento de estresse (LSS2). E a diferença foi entre os grupos Controle e Fitoterapia, de acordo com o post hocde Tukey (p=0

Tocopherol deficiency reduces sucrose export from salt-stressed potato leaves independently of oxidative stress and symplastic obstruction by callose

Science.gov (United States)

Asensi-Fabado, María Amparo; Ammon, Alexandra; Sonnewald, Uwe; Munné-Bosch, Sergi; Voll, Lars M.

2015-01-01

Tocopherol cyclase, encoded by the gene SUCROSE EXPORT DEFECTIVE1, catalyses the second step in the synthesis of the antioxidant tocopherol. Depletion of SXD1 activity in maize and potato leaves leads to tocopherol deficiency and a ‘sugar export block’ phenotype that comprises massive starch accumulation and obstruction of plasmodesmata in paraveinal tissue by callose. We grew two transgenic StSXD1:RNAi potato lines with severe tocopherol deficiency under moderate light conditions and subjected them to salt stress. After three weeks of salt exposure, we observed a strongly reduced sugar exudation rate and a lack of starch mobilization in leaves of salt-stressed transgenic plants, but not in wild-type plants. However, callose accumulation in the vasculature declined upon salt stress in all genotypes, indicating that callose plugging of plasmodesmata was not the sole cause of the sugar export block phenotype in tocopherol-deficient leaves. Based on comprehensive gene expression analyses, we propose that enhanced responsiveness of SnRK1 target genes in mesophyll cells and altered redox regulation of phloem loading by SUT1 contribute to the attenuation of sucrose export from salt-stressed SXD:RNAi source leaves. Furthermore, we could not find any indication that elevated oxidative stress may have served as a trigger for the salt-induced carbohydrate phenotype of SXD1:RNAi transgenic plants. In leaves of the SXD1:RNAi plants, sodium accumulation was diminished, while proline accumulation and pools of soluble antioxidants were increased. As supported by phytohormone contents, these differences seem to increase longevity and prevent senescence of SXD:RNAi leaves under salt stress. PMID:25428995

Headaches: Reduce Stress to Prevent the Pain

Science.gov (United States)

... 275773138. Accessed May 18, 2015. Stress tip sheet. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2007/10/stress-tips.aspx . Accessed June 18, 2015. Your guide to healthy sleep. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/ ...

Reducing bending stress in external spur gears by redesign of the standard cutting tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Leergaard

2009-01-01

For the design of gears the stress due to bending plays a significant role. The stress from bending is largest in the root of the gear teeth, and the magnitude of the maximum stress is controlled by the nominal bending stress and stress concentration due to the geometric shape of the tooth....... In this work the bending stress of involute teeth is minimized by shape optimizing the tip of the standard cutting tool. By redesign of the tip of the standard cutting tool we achieve that the functional part of the teeth stays the same while at the same time the root shape is changed so that a reduction...... of the stresses results. The tool tip shape is described by different parameterizations that use the super ellipse as the central shape. For shape optimization it is important that the shape is given analytically. The shape of the cut tooth that is the envelope of the cutting tool is found analytically...

FoxO/Daf-16 restored thrashing movement reduced by heat stress in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Furuhashi, Tsubasa; Sakamoto, Kazuichi

2014-04-01

Many studies on thermotolerance have been done in Caenorhabditis elegans in order to extend survival under heat stress; Daf-16, a homolog of FoxO in C. elegans, was detected as the key factor in thermotolerance. However, the recovery process from heat stress damage has been seldom discussed. In this study, we analyzed the roles of FoxO/Daf-16 on the recovery from heat stress damage by monitoring thrashing movement. Heat shock reduced the movement, which was restored by culturing at 20°C. Thrashing movement was not restored in the daf-16 mutant, which suggests that Daf-16 is one of the essential factors in repairing the damage. Movement restoration was promoted in the daf-2 mutant, a homolog of insulin/IGF-1-like receptor, in a daf-16-dependent manner. In addition, heat stress decreased the expression of daf-28 and ins-7, agonists of Daf-2. Taken together, these results revealed that FoxO/Daf-16 removes heat stress damage and restores movement via inhibition of the insulin-like signaling pathway in C. elegans, suggesting that FoxO/Daf-16 plays a critical role in thermotolerance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Effect of twirling-reinforcing-reducing needling manipulations on contents of serum acetylcholine and arterial NOS and cGMP in stress-induced hypertension rats].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei; Zhu, Ling-Qun; Chen, Si-Si; Lu, Shu-Chao; Tang, Jie; Liu, Qing-Guo

2015-04-01

To observe the effect of twirling-reinforcing or reducing needling manipulations on plasma acetylcholine (Ach) content and expression of nitric oxide synthetase (NOS) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in thoracic artery tissue in stress-induced hypertension rats. A total of 60 male rats were randomly divided into blank control, model, acupuncture (no-needle-manipulation) , twirling-reinforcing needling and twirling-reducing needling groups (n = 12 in each group). The stress hypertension model was established by giving the animals with noise and electric shock stimulation (paw), twice a day for 15 days. Acupuncture stimulation was applied to bilateral "Taichong" (LR 3) for 1 min, followed by retaining the needles for 20 min. The treatment was conducted once daily for 7 days. Systolic blood pressure of the rat's tail was detected with non-invasive method and plasma Ach, and NOS and cGMP contents in the thoracic artery tissue were measured using ELISA method. Compared with the control group, the systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in the model group after 15 days' stress stimulation (P arterial NOS and cGMP were markedly down-regulated (P arterial cGMP content was found in the no-needle-manipulation group (P > 0.05). The effect of the twirling-reducing needling was superior to that of no-needle-manipulation and twirling-reinforcing needling in lowering blood pressure and raising plasma Ach content (P hypertensive effect in stress hypertension rats, which may be associated with its effects in raising blood Ach, and arterial NOS and cGMP levels.

Coping with organizational stress among hospital nurses in Southern Ontario.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyson, Paul D; Pongruengphant, Rana; Aggarwal, Bela

2002-05-01

Government cutbacks and anticipated staff reductions were hypothesized to be a unique source of organizational stress. The study focused on how nurses coped with stress and whether any strategy effectively reduced occupational stress. A sample of 107 nurses were asked to rate their occupational stress, job satisfaction, and coping strategies. Avoidance and social support were found to be significantly correlated with stress, but neither of these coping strategies appeared to reduce nurses' level of organizational stress. However, an interaction between problem solving and job satisfaction was found to be highly significant and it added 42% to predicting stress levels. Supporting the stress-buffering hypothesis, nurses with lower intrinsic job satisfaction seemed to benefit from employing problem solving as a coping strategy whereas dissatisfied nurses who infrequently use problem solving reported the highest levels of organizational stress. Paradoxically, intrinsically satisfied nurses who most frequently utilize problem solving experienced heightened organizational stress.

Nursing students' time management, reducing stress and gaining satisfaction: a grounded theory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzaei, Tayebeh; Oskouie, Fatemeh; Rafii, Forough

2012-03-01

In the course of their studies, nursing students must learn many skills and acquire the knowledge required for their future profession. This study investigates how Iranian nursing students manage their time according to the circumstances and obstacles of their academic field. Research was conducted using the grounded theory method. Twenty-one nursing students were purposefully chosen as participants. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the method suggested by Corbin and Strauss. One of the three processes that the nursing students used was "unidirectional time management." This pattern consists of accepting the nursing field, overcoming uncertainty, assessing conditions, feeling stress, and trying to reduce stress and create satisfaction. It was found that students allotted most of their time to academic tasks in an attempt to overcome their stress. The findings of this study indicate the need for these students to have time for the extra-curricular activities and responsibilities that are appropriate to their age. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Jinlida reduces insulin resistance and ameliorates liver oxidative stress in high-fat fed rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yixuan; Song, An; Zang, Shasha; Wang, Chao; Song, Guangyao; Li, Xiaoling; Zhu, Yajun; Yu, Xian; Li, Ling; Wang, Yun; Duan, Liyuan

2015-03-13

Jinlida (JLD) is a compound preparation formulated on the basis of traditional Chinese medicine and is officially approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in China. We aimed to elucidate the mechanism of JLD treatment, in comparison to metformin treatment, on ameliorating insulin sensitivity in insulin resistant rats and to reveal its anti-oxidant properties. Rats were fed with standard or high-fat diet for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, the high-fat fed rats were subdivided into five groups and orally fed with JLD or metformin for 8 weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting blood insulin, blood lipid and antioxidant enzymes were measured. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique were carried out to measure insulin sensitivity. Gene expression of the major signaling pathway molecules that regulate glucose uptake, including insulin receptor (INSR), insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase beta (AKT), and glucose transporter type 2 (GLUT2), were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. The totle and phosphorylation expression of IRS-1, AKT, JNK and p38MAPK were determined by Western blot. Treatment with JLD effectively ameliorated the high-fat induced hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia. Similar to metformin, the high insulin resistance in high-fat fed rats was significantly decreased by JLD treatment. JLD displayed anti-oxidant effects, coupled with up-regulation of the insulin signaling pathway. The attenuation of hepatic oxidative stress by JLD treatment was associated with reduced phosphorylation protein levels of JNK and p38MAPK. Treatment with JLD could moderate glucose and lipid metabolism as well as reduce hepatic oxidative stress, most likely through the JNK and p38MAPK pathways. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of mindfulness based programs in reducing stress experienced by nurses in adult hospital settings: a systematic review of quantitative evidence protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Botha, Elmarie; Gwin, Teri; Purpora, Christina

2015-10-01

defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 as "paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment". The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program is an educationally based program that focuses on training in the contemplative practice of mindfulness. It is an eight-week program where participants meet weekly for two-and-a-half hours and join a one-day long retreat for six hours. The program incorporates a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness and yoga to help increase mindfulness in participants. The practice is meant to facilitate relaxation in the body and calming of the mind by focusing on present-moment awareness. The program has proven to be effective in reducing stress, improving quality of life and increasing self-compassion in healthcare professionals.Researchers have demonstrated that mindfulness interventions can effectively reduce stress, anxiety and depression in both clinical and non-clinical populations. In a meta-analysis of seven studies conducted with healthy participants from the general public, the reviewers reported a significant reduction in stress when the treatment and control groups were compared. However, there have been limited studies to date that focused specifically on the effectiveness of mindfulness programs to reduce stress experienced by nurses.In addition to stress reduction, mindfulness based interventions can also enhance nurses' capacity for focused attention and concentration by increasing present moment awareness. Mindfulness techniques can be applied in everyday situations as well as stressful situations. According to Kabat-Zinn, work-related stress influences people differently based on their viewpoint and their interpretation of the situation. He states that individuals need to be able to see the whole picture, have perspective on the connectivity of all things and not operate on automatic pilot to effectively cope with stress. The goal of

Reducing Stress of Farm Men and Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Keating, Norah C.

1987-01-01

Questioned 753 farm men and women to identify factors associated with stress in farm families. Results suggest that high mastery provides the best buffer against stress for both farm men and women. The task of family life educators is to help farm families augment their personal and social resources while managing high financial and work demands.…

Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in High School and College Athletes for Reducing Stress and Injury, and Improving Quality of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Petterson, Haley; Olson, Bernadette L

2017-11-01

Clinical Scenario: Student athletes experience a variety of stressors from school and social activities, as well as the additional demands of sport participation. Mindfulness-based interventions can help increase mental awareness and acceptance, as well as mitigate negative thoughts and emotions. The use of mindfulness-based interventions may be beneficial for reducing thoughts of stress, injury reduction, and improving overall wellbeing. Does the use of mindfulness-based interventions for student-athletes aged 13-24 years reduce stress and injury as well as improve overall quality of life? The literature was searched for studies that investigated the use of mindfulness-based strategies for student-athletes specifically for reducing stress and injury and/or improving quality of life. The literature search returned 8 possible studies related to the clinical question and 3 studies met the inclusion criteria (1 randomized control trial, 2 nonrandomized control cohort studies). All 3 included studies demonstrated overall improved levels of mindfulness among student-athletes after the use of a mindfulness-based intervention. Mindfulness-based interventions had positive effects for reducing negative thoughts and levels of perceived stress. The number of injury occurrences were found to decrease following the integration of a mindfulness-based intervention within an athletic population. Clinical Bottom Line: There is sufficient evidence supporting the use of mindfulness-based interventions with student-athletes for increasing mindfulness, managing negative emotions and perceived stress, as well as improving overall well-being. There is also current literature that advocates the use of mindfulness-based interventions for reducing injury, but further research is needed for support. Strength of Recommendation: Grade B evidence exists to support that the use of mindfulness-based interventions for student-athletes will reduce stress and improve overall well-being as well as

Fully porous 3D printed titanium femoral stem to reduce stress-shielding following total hip arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Arabnejad, Sajad; Johnston, Burnett; Tanzer, Michael; Pasini, Damiano

2017-08-01

Current hip replacement femoral implants are made of fully solid materials which all have stiffness considerably higher than that of bone. This mechanical mismatch can cause significant bone resorption secondary to stress shielding, which can lead to serious complications such as peri-prosthetic fracture during or after revision surgery. In this work, a high strength fully porous material with tunable mechanical properties is introduced for use in hip replacement design. The implant macro geometry is based off of a short stem taper-wedge implant compatible with minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. The implant micro-architecture is fine-tuned to locally mimic bone tissue properties which results in minimum bone resorption secondary to stress shielding. We present a systematic approach for the design of a 3D printed fully porous hip implant that encompasses the whole activity spectrum of implant development, from concept generation, multiscale mechanics of porous materials, material architecture tailoring, to additive manufacturing, and performance assessment via in vitro experiments in composite femurs. We show that the fully porous implant with an optimized material micro-structure can reduce the amount of bone loss secondary to stress shielding by 75% compared to a fully solid implant. This result also agrees with those of the in vitro quasi-physiological experimental model and the corresponding finite element model for both the optimized fully porous and fully solid implant. These studies demonstrate the merit and the potential of tuning material architecture to achieve a substantial reduction of bone resorption secondary to stress shielding. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1774-1783, 2017. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reducing the harm of stress: medications to rescue the prefrontal cortex and overcome bad habits: the science of stress: focus on the brain, breaking bad habits, and chronic disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Lu E

2011-12-01

Our brain is sensitive to stress. Both acute and chronic stress cause cognitive deficits and induce chronic disorders such as drug addiction. In a June 2011 conference at Yale entitled "The Science of Stress: Focus on the Brain, Breaking Bad Habits, and Chronic Disease," Drs. Amy Arnsten and Sherry Mckee discussed the roles of prefrontal cortex in the treatment of stress impairments and addiction. Medications to strengthen the prefrontal function, such as prazosin and guanfacine, may reduce the harm of stress and help overcome smoking and alcohol abuse.

Amelioration of azoxymethane induced-carcinogenesis by reducing oxidative stress in rat colon by natural extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Waly, Mostafa I; Al-Rawahi, Amani S; Al Riyami, Marwa; Al-Kindi, Mohamed A; Al-Issaei, Halima K; Farooq, Sardar A; Al-Alawi, Ahmed; Rahman, Mohammad S

2014-02-18

Azoxymethane (AOM) is a potent carcinogenic agent commonly used to induce colon cancer in rats; the cytotoxicity of AOM is considered to mediate oxidative stress. This study investigated the chemopreventive effect of three natural extracts [pomegranate peel extract (PomPE), papaya peel extract (PapPE) and seaweed extract (SE)] against AOM-induced oxidative stress and carcinogenesis in rat colon. Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats (aged 4 weeks) were randomly divided into 8 groups (10 rats/group). Control group was fed a basal diet; AOM-treated group was fed a basal diet and received AOM intraperitonial injections for two weeks at a dose of 15 mg/kg bodyweight, whereas the other six groups were received oral supplementation of PomPE, PapPE or SE, in the presence or absence of AOM injection. All animals were continuously fed ad-libitum until aged 16 weeks, then all rats were sacrificed and the colon tissues were examined microscopically for pathological changes and aberrant crypt foci (ACF) development, genotoxicity (induced micronuclei (MN) cells enumeration), and glutathione and lipid peroxidation. Our results showed that AOM-induced ACF development and pathological changes in the colonic mucosal tissues, increased bone marrow MN cells and oxidative stress (glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation) in rat colonic cells. The concomitant treatment of AOM with PomPE, PapPE or SE significantly ameliorated the cytotoxic effects of AOM. The results of this study provide in-vivo evidence that PomPE, PapPE and SE reduced the AOM-induced colon cancer in rats, through their potent anti-oxidant activities.

Branched-chain amino acid supplementation reduces oxidative stress and prolongs survival in rats with advanced liver cirrhosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motoh Iwasa

Full Text Available Long-term supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA is associated with prolonged survival and decreased frequency of development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the pharmaceutical mechanism underlying this association is still unclear. We investigated whether continuous BCAA supplementation increases survival rate of rats exposed to a fibrogenic agent and influences the iron accumulation, oxidative stress, fibrosis, and gluconeogenesis in the liver. Further, the effects of BCAA on gluconeogenesis in cultured cells were also investigated. A significant improvement in cumulative survival was observed in BCAA-supplemented rats with advanced cirrhosis compared to untreated rats with cirrhosis (P<0.05. The prolonged survival due to BCAA supplementation was associated with reduction of iron contents, reactive oxygen species production and attenuated fibrosis in the liver. In addition, BCAA ameliorated glucose metabolism by forkhead box protein O1 pathway in the liver. BCAA prolongs survival in cirrhotic rats and this was likely the consequences of reduced iron accumulation, oxidative stress and fibrosis and improved glucose metabolism in the liver.

Maintenance of water uptake and reduced water loss contribute to water stress tolerance of Spiraea alba Du Roi and Spiraea tomentosa L.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Kelly M; Mickelbart, Michael V

2014-01-01

Two primarily eastern US native shrubs, Spiraea alba Du Roi and Spiraea tomentosa L., are typically found growing in wet areas, often with standing water. Both species have potential for use in the landscape, but little is known of their environmental requirements, including their adaptation to water stress. Two geographic accessions of each species were evaluated for their response to water stress under greenhouse conditions. Above-ground biomass, water relations and gas exchange were measured in well-watered and water stress treatments. In both species, water stress resulted in reduced growth, transpiration and pre-dawn water potential. However, both species also exhibited the ability to osmotically adjust to lower soil water content, resulting in maintained midday leaf turgor potential in all accessions. Net CO2 assimilation was reduced only in one accession of S. alba, primarily due to large reductions in stomatal conductance. S. tomentosa lost a larger proportion of leaves than S. alba in response to water stress. The primary water stress tolerance strategies of S. alba and S. tomentosa appear to be the maintenance of water uptake and reduced water loss.

Reduced levels of SCD1 accentuate palmitate-induced stress in insulin-producing β-cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hovsepyan Meri

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1 is an ER resident enzyme introducing a double-bond in saturated fatty acids. Global knockout of SCD1 in mouse increases fatty acid oxidation and insulin sensitivity which makes the animal resistant to diet-induced obesity. Inhibition of SCD1 has therefore been proposed as a potential therapy of the metabolic syndrome. Much of the work has focused on insulin target tissue and very little is known about how reduced levels of SCD1 would affect the insulin-producing β-cell, however. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate how reduced levels of SCD1 affect the β-cell. Results Insulin-secreting MIN6 cells with reduced levels of SCD1 were established by siRNA mediated knockdown. When fatty acid oxidation was measured, no difference between cells with reduced levels of SCD1 and mock-transfected cells were found. Also, reducing levels of SCD1 did not affect insulin secretion in response to glucose. To investigate how SCD1 knockdown affected cellular mechanisms, differentially regulated proteins were identified by a proteomic approach. Cells with reduced levels of SCD1 had higher levels of ER chaperones and components of the proteasome. The higher amounts did not protect the β-cell from palmitate-induced ER stress and apoptosis. Instead, rise in levels of p-eIF2α and CHOP after palmitate exposure was 2-fold higher in cells with reduced levels of SCD1 compared to mock-transfected cells. Accordingly, apoptosis rose to higher levels after exposure to palmitate in cells with reduced levels of SCD1 compared to mock-transfected cells. Conclusions In conclusion, reduced levels of SCD1 augment palmitate-induced ER stress and apoptosis in the β-cell, which is an important caveat when considering targeting this enzyme as a treatment of the metabolic syndrome.

Conflict stress and reduced well-being at work : The buffering effect of third-party help

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Giebels, E; Janssen, O

This study among 108 Dutch social services workers examined whether particularly the intrapsychic tension directly associated with interpersonal conflict at work, i.e., conflict stress, is responsible for reduced well-being in terms of emotional exhaustion, absenteeism, and turnover intentions.

Morphological plasticity of root growth under mild water stress increases water use efficiency without reducing yield in maize

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Qian; Zhang, Yulong; Sun, Zhanxiang; Zheng, Jiaming; Bai, Wei; Zhang, Yue; Liu, Yang; Feng, Liangshan; Feng, Chen; Zhang, Zhe; Yang, Ning; Evers, Jochem B.; Zhang, Lizhen

2017-08-01

A large yield gap exists in rain-fed maize (Zea mays L.) production in semi-arid regions, mainly caused by frequent droughts halfway through the crop-growing period due to uneven distribution of rainfall. It is questionable whether irrigation systems are economically required in such a region since the total amount of rainfall does generally meet crop requirements. This study aimed to quantitatively determine the effects of water stress from jointing to grain filling on root and shoot growth and the consequences for maize grain yield, above- and below-ground dry matter, water uptake (WU) and water use efficiency (WUE). Pot experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 with a mobile rain shelter to achieve conditions of no, mild or severe water stress. Maize yield was not affected by mild water stress over 2 years, while severe stress reduced yield by 56 %. Both water stress levels decreased root biomass slightly but shoot biomass substantially. Mild water stress decreased root length but increased root diameter, resulting in no effect on root surface area. Due to the morphological plasticity in root growth and the increase in root / shoot ratio, WU under water stress was decreased, and overall WUE for both above-ground dry matter and grain yield increased. Our results demonstrate that an irrigation system might be not economically and ecologically necessary because the frequently occurring mild water stress did not reduce crop yield much. The study helps us to understand crop responses to water stress during a critical water-sensitive period (middle of the crop-growing season) and to mitigate drought risk in dry-land agriculture.

Morphological plasticity of root growth under mild water stress increases water use efficiency without reducing yield in maize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Cai

2017-08-01

Full Text Available A large yield gap exists in rain-fed maize (Zea mays L. production in semi-arid regions, mainly caused by frequent droughts halfway through the crop-growing period due to uneven distribution of rainfall. It is questionable whether irrigation systems are economically required in such a region since the total amount of rainfall does generally meet crop requirements. This study aimed to quantitatively determine the effects of water stress from jointing to grain filling on root and shoot growth and the consequences for maize grain yield, above- and below-ground dry matter, water uptake (WU and water use efficiency (WUE. Pot experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 with a mobile rain shelter to achieve conditions of no, mild or severe water stress. Maize yield was not affected by mild water stress over 2 years, while severe stress reduced yield by 56 %. Both water stress levels decreased root biomass slightly but shoot biomass substantially. Mild water stress decreased root length but increased root diameter, resulting in no effect on root surface area. Due to the morphological plasticity in root growth and the increase in root ∕ shoot ratio, WU under water stress was decreased, and overall WUE for both above-ground dry matter and grain yield increased. Our results demonstrate that an irrigation system might be not economically and ecologically necessary because the frequently occurring mild water stress did not reduce crop yield much. The study helps us to understand crop responses to water stress during a critical water-sensitive period (middle of the crop-growing season and to mitigate drought risk in dry-land agriculture.

Rutin improves spatial memory in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice by reducing Aβ oligomer level and attenuating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

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Xu, Peng-Xin; Wang, Shao-Wei; Yu, Xiao-Lin; Su, Ya-Jing; Wang, Teng; Zhou, Wei-Wei; Zhang, He; Wang, Yu-Jiong; Liu, Rui-Tian

2014-05-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Aβ aggregation is closely associated with neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuronal inflammation. The soluble Aβ oligomers are believed to be the most neurotoxic form among all forms of Aβ aggregates. We have previously reported a polyphenol compound rutin that could inhibit Aβ aggregation and cytotoxicity, attenuate oxidative stress, and decrease the production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in vitro. In the current study, we investigated the effect of rutin on APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice. Results demonstrated that orally administered rutin significantly attenuated memory deficits in AD transgenic mice, decreased oligomeric Aβ level, increased super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio, reduced GSSG and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, downregulated microgliosis and astrocytosis, and decreased interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels in the brain. These results indicated that rutin is a promising agent for AD treatment because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and reducing Aβ oligomer activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A case study employing operant conditioning to reduce stress of capture for red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus).

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Owen, Yvonne; Amory, Jonathan R

2011-01-01

Traditional techniques used to capture New World monkeys, such as net capture, can induce high levels of acute stress detrimental to welfare. Alternatively, training nonhuman animals via operant conditioning to voluntarily participate in husbandry and/or veterinary practices is accepted as a humane process that can reduce stress and improve welfare. This study details the use of operant conditioning using positive reinforcement training (PRT) and target training to train a family of 5 captive red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus) in a wildlife park to voluntarily enter a transportation box and remain calm for 1 min after 54 training sessions. Observations of 2 unrelated net-capture processes provided measures of locomotion and vocalizations as indicators of stress behavior that were compared with those of the trained tamarins. Net-captured monkeys exhibited rapid erratic locomotion and emitted long, high-frequency vocalizations during capture whereas the trained tamarins exhibited minimal locomotion and emitted only 4 brief vocalizations (root mean square 35 dB) during capture. This indicates that the use of PRT considerably reduced potential for stress and improved welfare during the capture and containment of the tamarins. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Exposure to aged crumb rubber reduces survival time during a stress test in earthworms (Eisenia fetida).

Science.gov (United States)

Pochron, Sharon; Nikakis, Jacqueline; Illuzzi, Kyra; Baatz, Andrea; Demirciyan, Loriana; Dhillon, Amritjot; Gaylor, Thomas; Manganaro, Alexa; Maritato, Nicholas; Moawad, Michael; Singh, Rajwinder; Tucker, Clara; Vaughan, Daniel

2018-04-01

Solid waste management struggles with the sustainable disposal of used tires. One solution involves shredding used tires into crumb rubber and using the material as infill for artificial turf. However, crumb rubber contains hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and heavy metals, and it travels into the environment. Earthworms living in soil contaminated with virgin crumb rubber gained 14% less body weight than did earthworms living in uncontaminated soil, but the impact of aged crumb rubber on the earthworms is unknown. Since many athletic fields contain aged crumb rubber, we compared the body weight, survivorship, and longevity in heat and light stress for earthworms living in clean topsoil to those living in topsoil contaminated with aged crumb rubber. We also characterized levels of metals, nutrients, and micronutrients of both soil treatments and compared those to published values for soil contaminated with virgin crumb rubber. Consistent with earlier research, we found that contaminated soil did not inhibit microbial respiration rates. Aged crumb rubber, like new crumb rubber, had high levels of zinc. However, while exposure to aged crumb rubber did not reduce earthworm body weight as did exposure to new crumb rubber, exposure to aged crumb rubber reduced earthworm survival time during a stress test by a statistically significant 38 min (16.2%) relative to the survival time for worms that had lived in clean soil. Aged crumb rubber and new crumb rubber appear to pose similar toxic risks to earthworms. This study suggests an environmental cost associated with the current tire-recycling solution.

Organisational interventions for improving wellbeing and reducing work-related stress in teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Naghieh, Ali; Montgomery, Paul; Bonell, Christopher P; Thompson, Marc; Aber, J Lawrence

2015-04-08

The teaching profession is an occupation with a high prevalence of work-related stress. This may lead to sustained physical and mental health problems in teachers. It can also negatively affect the health, wellbeing and educational attainment of children, and impose a financial burden on the public budget in terms of teacher turnover and sickness absence. Most evaluated interventions for the wellbeing of teachers are directed at the individual level, and so do not tackle the causes of stress in the workplace. Organisational-level interventions are a potential avenue in this regard. To evaluate the effectiveness of organisational interventions for improving wellbeing and reducing work-related stress in teachers. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ASSIA, AEI, BEI, BiblioMap, DARE, DER, ERIC, IBSS, SSCI, Sociological Abstracts, a number of specialist occupational health databases, and a number of trial registers and grey literature sources from the inception of each database until January 2015. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-RCTs, and controlled before-and-after studies of organisational-level interventions for the wellbeing of teachers. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Four studies met the inclusion criteria. They were three cluster-randomised controlled trials and one with a stepped-wedge design.Changing task characteristicsOne study with 961 teachers in eight schools compared a task-based organisational change intervention along with stress management training to no intervention. It found a small reduction at 12 months in 10 out of 14 of the subscales in the Occupational Stress Inventory, with a mean difference (MD) varying from -3.84 to 0.13, and a small increase in the Work Ability Index (MD 2.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64 to 2.90; 708 participants, low-quality evidence).Changing organisational characteristicsTwo studies compared teacher

Intraoperative hemidiaphragm electrical stimulation reduces oxidative stress and upregulates autophagy in surgery patients undergoing mechanical ventilation: exploratory study

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Robert T. Mankowski

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mechanical ventilation (MV during a cardio-thoracic surgery contributes to diaphragm muscle dysfunction that impairs weaning and can lead to the ventilator- induced diaphragm dysfunction. Especially, it is critical in older adults who have lower muscle reparative capacity following MV. Reports have shown that the intraoperative intermittent hemidiaphragm electrical stimulation can maintain and/or improve post-surgery diaphragm function. In particular, from a molecular point of view, intermittent electrical stimulation (ES may reduce oxidative stress and increase regulatory autophagy levels, and therefore improve diaphragm function in animal studies. We have recently shown in humans that intraoperative ES attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction and force decline in single diaphragm muscle fibers. The aim of this study was to investigate an effect of ES on oxidative stress, antioxidant status and autophagy biomarker levels in the human diaphragm during surgery. Methods One phrenic nerve was simulated with an external cardiac pacer in operated older subjects (62.4 ± 12.9 years (n = 8 during the surgery. The patients received 30 pulses per min every 30 min. The muscle biopsy was collected from both hemidiaphragms and frozen for further analyses. 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE, an oxidative stress marker, and autophagy marker levels (Beclin-1 and the ratio of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, I and II-LC3 II/I protein concentrations were detected by the Western Blot technique. Antioxidant enzymatic activity copper-zinc (CuZnSOD and manganese (MnSOD superoxide dismutase were analyzed. Results Levels of lipid peroxidation (4-HNE were significantly lower in the stimulated side (p  0.05. Additionally, the protein concentrations of Beclin-1 and the LC3 II/I ratio were higher in the stimulated side (p < 0.05. Conclusion These results suggest that the intraoperative electrical stimulation decreases oxidative stress levels

Effects of heat stress on baroreflex function in humans

Science.gov (United States)

Crandall, Craig G.; Cui, Jian; Wilson, Thad E.

2003-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Heat stress significantly reduces orthostatic tolerance in humans. The mechanism(s) causing this response remain unknown. The purpose of this review article is to present data pertaining to the hypothesis that reduced orthostatic tolerance in heat stressed individuals is a result of heat stress induced alterations in baroflex function. METHODS: In both normothermic and heat stressed conditions baroreflex responsiveness was assessed via pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. In addition, the effects of heat stress on post-synaptic vasoconstrictor responsiveness were assessed. RESULTS: Generally, whole body heating did not alter baroreflex sensitivity defined as the gain of the linear portion of the baroreflex curve around the operating point. However, whole body heating shifted the baroreflex curve to the prevailing (i.e. elevated) heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Finally, the heat stress impaired vasoconstrictor responses to exogenous administration of adrenergic agonists. CONCLUSION: Current data do not support the hypothesis that reduced orthostatic tolerance associated with heat stress in humans is due to impaired baroreflex responsiveness. This phenomenon may be partially due to the effects of heat stress on reducing vasoconstrictor responsiveness.

Efficacy of a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention in reducing stress and inflammation: preliminary results.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Raj Kumar; Magan, Dipti; Mehta, Nalin; Sharma, Ratna; Mahapatra, Sushil Chandra

2012-07-01

Previously it was shown that a brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention was efficacious in reducing oxidative stress and risk of chronic diseases even in a short duration. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of this intervention in reducing stress and inflammation in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. This study reports preliminary results from a nonrandomized prospective ongoing study with pre-post design. The study was conducted at the Integral Health Clinic, an outpatient facility conducting these yoga-based lifestyle intervention programs for prevention and management of chronic diseases. Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and overweight/obese subjects were included while physically challenged, and those on other interventions were excluded from the study. A pretested intervention program included asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), stress management, group discussions, lectures, and individualized advice. There was a reduction in stress (plasma cortisol and β-endorphin) and inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6 and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) at day 0 versus day 10. Eighty-six (86) patients (44 female, 42 male, 40.07 ± 13.91 years) attended this program. Overall, the mean level of cortisol decreased from baseline to day 10 (149.95 ± 46.07, 129.07 ± 33.30 ng/mL; p=0.001) while β-endorphins increased from baseline to day 10 (3.53 ± 0.88, 4.06 ± 0.79 ng/mL; p=0.024). Also, there was reduction from baseline to day 10 in mean levels of IL-6 (2.16 ± 0.42, 1.94 ± 0.10 pg/mL, p=0.036) and TNF-α (2.85 ± 0.59, 1.95 ± 0.32 pg/mL, p=0.002). This brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention reduced the markers of stress and inflammation as early as 10 days in patients with chronic diseases; however, complete results of this study will confirm whether this program has utility as complementary and alternative therapy.

Spirituality and stress management in healthy adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuck, Inez; Alleyne, Renee; Thinganjana, Wantana

2006-12-01

The purposes of this longitudinal, descriptive pilot study were to (a) test the acceptability and feasibility of a 6-week spiritual intervention; (b) determine the relationship between spirituality and stress; (c) explore the effects of the intervention on measures of perceived stress, spiritual perspective, and spiritual well-being; and (d) explore the meaning of spirituality. The sample consisted of 27 community-dwelling adults. Six categories emerged from the qualitative data as descriptors of the meaning and significance of spirituality. The survey data indicated that there were significant negative correlations between perceived stress and spiritual well-being at three time intervals, a significant decline in the levels of perceived stress, and a significant increase in spiritual perspective from the pretest to the 6-week follow-up. There were no significant changes in spiritual well-being. The intervention proved effective in reducing stress in this healthy adult sample.

Reduced incidence of stress ulcer in germ-free Sprague Dawley rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Paré, W P; Burken, M I; Allen, E D; Kluczynski, J M

1993-01-01

Recent findings with respect to the role of spiral gram-negative bacteria in peptic ulcer disease have stimulated interest in discerning the role of these agents in stress ulcer disease. We tested the hypothesis that a standard restraint-cold ulcerogenic procedure would fail to produce ulcers in axenic rats. Axenic, as well as normal Sprague Dawley rats, were exposed to a cold-restraint procedure. The germ-free condition was maintained throughout the study in the axenic rats. Axenic rats had significantly fewer ulcers as compared to normal rats exposed to the standard cold-restraint procedure, as well as handling control rats. The data represent the first report suggesting a microbiologic component in the development of stress ulcer using the rat model.

Energy restriction and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reduce postprandial α-dicarbonyl stress in obese women with type 2 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maessen, Dionne E; Hanssen, Nordin M; Lips, Mirjam A; Scheijen, Jean L; Willems van Dijk, Ko; Pijl, Hanno; Stehouwer, Coen D; Schalkwijk, Casper G

2016-09-01

Dicarbonyl compounds are formed as byproducts of glycolysis and are key mediators of diabetic complications. However, evidence of postprandial α-dicarbonyl formation in humans is lacking, and interventions to reduce α-dicarbonyls have not yet been investigated. Therefore, we investigated postprandial α-dicarbonyl levels in obese women without and with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, we evaluated whether a diet very low in energy (very low calorie diet [VLCD]) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) reduces α-dicarbonyl stress in obese women with type 2 diabetes. In lean (n = 12) and obese women without (n = 27) or with type 2 diabetes (n = 27), we measured the α-dicarbonyls, methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), and glucose in fasting and postprandial plasma samples obtained during a mixed meal test. Obese women with type 2 diabetes underwent either a VLCD or RYGB. Three weeks after the intervention, individuals underwent a second mixed meal test. Obese women with type 2 diabetes had higher fasting and particularly higher postprandial plasma α-dicarbonyl levels, compared with those without diabetes. After three weeks of a VLCD, postprandial α-dicarbonyl levels in diabetic women were significantly reduced (AUC MGO -14%, GO -16%, 3-DG -25%), mainly through reduction of fasting plasma α-dicarbonyls (MGO -13%, GO -13%, 3-DG -33%). Similar results were found after RYGB. This study shows that type 2 diabetes is characterised by increased fasting and postprandial plasma α-dicarbonyl stress, which can be reduced by improving glucose metabolism through a VLCD or RYGB. These data highlight the potential to reduce reactive α-dicarbonyls in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01167959.

Swim stress reduces chronic pain in mice through an opioid mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmody, J; Cooper, K

1987-03-09

Chronic nociception has been studied in male mice by means of the formalin test in which forelimb motor behaviour is scored after subcutaneous formalin injection. The rating remained above 2.0 for 30 min after the injection (scale range 0-3). The magnitude of the nociception has been compared with that reported in other animal types. Mice are more sensitive than rats, cats and monkeys. The stress of a swim of 3 min has been found to reduce nociception by up to 25%. This analgesia is wholly opioid in nature, being abolished by a moderate dose of naloxone (1 mg/kg).

Protective effects of carnosol against oxidative stress induced brain damage by chronic stress in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Samarghandian, Saeed; Azimi-Nezhad, Mohsen; Borji, Abasalt; Samini, Mohammad; Farkhondeh, Tahereh

2017-05-04

Oxidative stress through chronic stress destroys the brain function. There are many documents have shown that carnosol may have a therapeutic effect versus free radical induced diseases. The current research focused the protective effect of carnosol against the brain injury induced by the restraint stress. The restraint stress induced by keeping animals in restrainers for 21 consecutive days. Thereafter, the rats were injected carnosol or vehicle for 21 consecutive days. At the end of experiment, all the rats were subjected to his open field test and forced swimming test. Afterwards, the rats were sacrificed for measuring their oxidative stress parameters. To measure the modifications in the biochemical aspects after the experiment, the activities of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase (CAT) were evaluated in the whole brain. Our data showed that the animals received chronic stress had a raised immobility time versus the non-stressed animals (p < 0.01). Furthermore, chronic stress diminished the number of crossing in the animals that were subjected to the chronic stress versus the non-stressed rats (p < 0.01). Carnosol ameliorated this alteration versus the non-treated rats (p < 0.05). In the vehicle treated rats that submitted to the stress, the level of MDA levels was significantly increased (P < 0.001), and the levels of GSH and antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased versus the non-stressed animals (P < 0.001). Carnosol treatment reduced the modifications in the stressed animals as compared with the control groups (P < 0.001). All of these carnosol effects were nearly similar to those observed with fluoxetine. The current research shows that the protective effects of carnosol may be accompanied with enhanced antioxidant defenses and decreased oxidative injury.

Impact of Heartfulness Meditation on Reducing Stress in Nursing Students: A Prospective Observational Study

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Raja Amarnath G

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study and assess the effectiveness of Heartfulness Meditation in reducing stress levels of nursing students in a learning environment. Methodology: A cross-sectional research designed using a standard Perceived Stress Questionnaire pertaining to the subjective perception of things in the learning and clinical environment leading to emotional stress such as workload, worries, tension, and harassment as well as joyful conditions. Overall 120 students from I, II and IV years of a private nursing college in Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India participate in 3 hours (1 hour each day on 3 consecutive days Heartfulness meditation workshop. Results: The predominant themes represented are perceptions of the learning environment and clinical practice, coping, personal issues, balancing college work, and personal life. Mean Baseline stress scores of workload is higher for first and second-year students compared with final year students; Worries and Harassment score is higher in second-year students; Joy score is higher for first-year students; Tension score is higher in final year students. After Heartfulness meditation workshop, the mean decrease in workload, worries, tension and harassment score and mean increase in Joy score is observed in the participants. Conclusion: The investigation on the effectiveness of Heartfulness Meditation as a mental and emotional support tool to deal with and to mitigate stress reveals positive results. Based on these results, it is evident that Heartfulness meditation can be employed as a coping mechanism to deal with stress in a clinical and learning environment. Given the adverse effects of stress on the physiological and psychological well-being of caregivers; Heartfulness Meditation may be considered for inclusion in the standard curriculum of nursing colleges.

Technological significances to reduce the material problems. Feasibility of heat flux reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Seiichiro; Shimada, Michiya.

1994-01-01

For a divertor plate in a fusion power reactor, a high temperature coolant must be used for heat removal to keep thermal efficiency high. It makes the temperature and thermal stress of wall materials higher than the design limits. Issues of the coolant itself, e.g. burnout of high temperature water, will also become a serious problem. Sputtering erosion of the surface material will be a great concern of its lifetime. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the heat and particle loads to the divertor plate technologically. The feasibility of some technological methods of heat reduction, such as separatrix sweeping, is discussed. As one of the most promising ideas, the methods of radiative cooling of the divertor plasma are summarized based on the recent results of large tokamaks. The feasibility of remote radiative cooling and gas divertor is discussed. The ideas are considered in recent design studies of tokamak power reactors and experimental reactors. By way of example, conceptual designs of divertor plate for the steady state tokamak power reactor are described. (author)

Effects of prenatal stress on vulnerability to stress in prepubertal and adult rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Fride, E; Dan, Y; Feldon, J; Halevy, G; Weinstock, M

1986-01-01

This study investigated the hypotheses that unpredictable prenatal stress has effects on the offspring, similar to those induced by perinatal administration of glucocorticoids and increases the vulnerability to stressful situations at adulthood. Rats were exposed to random noise and light stress throughout pregnancy. Offspring were tested for the development of spontaneous alternation behavior (SA) and at adulthood, their response to novel or aversive situations, open field, extinction and punishment following acquisition of an appetitive response and two-way active avoidance, were assessed. In prenatally stressed rats, the development of SA was significantly delayed. On repeated exposure to an open field they were less active; control rats had elevated plasma corticosterone (CCS) on days 2 and 4 of open field exposure, while prenatally stressed rats had significantly raised plasma CCS after each exposure (days 1-8). Furthermore, punishment-induced suppression of an appetitive response was enhanced. Acquisition of active avoidance was faciliated in female but reduced in male prenatally stressed offspring. It is suggested that random prenatal noise and light stress may cause impairment of development of hippocampal function which lasts into adulthood. This impairment is manifested as an increase in vulnerability and a decrease in habituation to stressful stimuli.

The significance of beaking sign on cystography in stress urinary incontinence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jee Won; Kim, Jeong Kon; Lee, Seung Soo; Kahng, Yu Ri; Choo, Myung Soo; Cho, Kyoung Sik [College of Medicine, Ulsan Univ, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-10-01

To evaluate the clinical and urodynamic significance of the beaking sign at cystography in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). We retrospectively reviewed the cystograms of 253 patients with SUI, defining the beaking sign as the triangular contrast collection below the bladder base in the resting state without overt leakage. Various clinical parameters including patients age, symptom duration, parity, the one-hour pad test, and urodynamic study data including Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) and maximal urethral closing pressure (MUCP) were compared between the beaking-positive and the beaking-negative group. The distribution of Blaivas type in SUI between these two groups was also analysed. The beaking sign was observed in 153 patients (60%). Those who were older and showed greater parity more often belonged to the beaking-positive group than the beaking-negative (p<0.005). Both VLPP and MUCP were significantly lower in the beaking-positive group than in beaking-negative group (p=0.03; p=0.01, respectively). Type-0 or -I SUI was more common in the beaking-negative group, while the frequency of other types was similar between the two groups. The beaking sign has clinical and urodynamic significance, reflecting functional deficiencies of the intrinsic sphincter, and may possibly be regarded as an additional parameter in the planning of treatment.

Overexpression of an Arabidopsis heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein gene, AtRNP1, affects plant growth and reduces plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhenyu; Zhao, Xiuyang; Wang, Bing; Liu, Erlong; Chen, Ni; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Heng

2016-01-01

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) participate in diverse regulations of plant growth and environmental stress responses. In this work, an Arabidopsis hnRNP of unknown function, AtRNP1, was investigated. We found that AtRNP1 gene is highly expressed in rosette and cauline leaves, and slightly induced under drought, salt, osmotic and ABA stresses. AtRNP1 protein is localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. We performed homologous overexpression of AtRNP1 and found that the transgenic plants showed shortened root length and plant height, and accelerated flowering. In addition, the transgenic plants also showed reduced tolerance to drought, salt, osmotic and ABA stresses. Further studies revealed that under both normal and stress conditions, the proline contents in the transgenic plants are markedly decreased, associated with reduced expression levels of a proline synthase gene and several stress-responsive genes. These results suggested that the overexpression of AtRNP1 negatively affects plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. - Highlights: • AtRNP1 is a widely expressed gene and its expression is slightly induced under abiotic stresses. • AtRNP1 protein is localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. • Overexpression of AtRNP1 affects plant growth. • Overexpression of AtRNP1 reduces plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses. • AtRNP1 overexpression plants show decreased proline accumulation and stress-responsive gene expressions.

Overexpression of an Arabidopsis heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein gene, AtRNP1, affects plant growth and reduces plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Zhenyu, E-mail: wzy72609@163.com [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030 (China); Zhao, Xiuyang, E-mail: xiuzh@psb.vib-ugent.be [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030 (China); Wang, Bing, E-mail: wangbing@ibcas.ac.cn [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030 (China); Liu, Erlong, E-mail: liuel14@lzu.edu.cn [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030 (China); Chen, Ni, E-mail: 63710156@qq.com [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030 (China); Zhang, Wei, E-mail: wzhang1216@yahoo.com [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Liu, Heng, E-mail: hengliu@lzu.edu.cn [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030 (China)

2016-04-01

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) participate in diverse regulations of plant growth and environmental stress responses. In this work, an Arabidopsis hnRNP of unknown function, AtRNP1, was investigated. We found that AtRNP1 gene is highly expressed in rosette and cauline leaves, and slightly induced under drought, salt, osmotic and ABA stresses. AtRNP1 protein is localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. We performed homologous overexpression of AtRNP1 and found that the transgenic plants showed shortened root length and plant height, and accelerated flowering. In addition, the transgenic plants also showed reduced tolerance to drought, salt, osmotic and ABA stresses. Further studies revealed that under both normal and stress conditions, the proline contents in the transgenic plants are markedly decreased, associated with reduced expression levels of a proline synthase gene and several stress-responsive genes. These results suggested that the overexpression of AtRNP1 negatively affects plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. - Highlights: • AtRNP1 is a widely expressed gene and its expression is slightly induced under abiotic stresses. • AtRNP1 protein is localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. • Overexpression of AtRNP1 affects plant growth. • Overexpression of AtRNP1 reduces plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses. • AtRNP1 overexpression plants show decreased proline accumulation and stress-responsive gene expressions.

Loss of NHE1 activity leads to reduced oxidative stress in heart and mitigates high-fat diet-induced myocardial stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Vikram; Lorenz, John N; Miller, Marian L; Vairamani, Kanimozhi; Nieman, Michelle L; Wang, Yigang; Shull, Gary E

2013-12-01

Acute inhibition of the NHE1 Na(+)/H(+) exchanger protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury and chronic inhibition attenuates development of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. To determine the cardiac effects of chronic inhibition of NHE1 under non-pathological conditions we used NHE1-null mice as a model of long-term NHE1 inhibition. Cardiovascular performance was relatively normal in Nhe1(-/-) mice although cardiac contractility and relaxation were slightly improved in mutant mice of the FVB/N background. GSH levels and GSH:GSSG ratios were elevated in Nhe1(-/-) hearts indicating an enhanced redox potential. Consistent with a reduced need for antioxidant protection, expression of heat shock proteins Hsp60 and Hsp25 was lower in Nhe1(-/-) hearts. Similarly, expression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 was reduced, with no increase in expression of other ROS scavenging enzymes. GLUT1 levels were increased in Nhe1(-/-) hearts, the number of lipid droplets in myocytes was reduced, and PDK4 expression was refractory to high-fat diet-induced upregulation observed in wild-type hearts. High-fat diet-induced stress was attenuated in Nhe1(-/-) hearts, as indicated by smaller increases in phosphorylation of Hsp25 and α-B crystallin, and there was better preservation of insulin sensitivity, as evidenced by PKB/Akt phosphorylation. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were lower and high-fat diet-induced hepatic lipid accumulation was reduced in Nhe1(-/-) mice, demonstrating extracardiac effects of NHE1 ablation. These data indicate that long-term ablation of NHE1 activity increases the redox potential, mitigates high-fat diet-induced myocardial stress and fatty liver disease, leads to better preservation of insulin sensitivity, and may alter both cardiac and systemic metabolic substrate handling in mice. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy reduces blood pressure and hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne K. McGavigan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Bariatric surgery, such as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG, causes remarkable improvements in cardiometabolic health, including hypertension remission. However, the mechanisms responsible remain undefined and poorly studied. Therefore, we developed and validated the first murine model of VSG that recapitulates the blood pressure-lowering effect of VSG using gold-standard radiotelemetry technology. We used this model to investigate several potential mechanisms, including body mass, brain endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress signaling and brain inflammatory signaling, which are all critical contributors to the pathogenesis of obesity-associated hypertension. Mice fed on a high-fat diet underwent sham or VSG surgery and radiotelemeter implantation. Sham mice were fed ad libitum or were food restricted to match their body mass to VSG-operated mice to determine the role of body mass in the ability of VSG to lower blood pressure. Blood pressure was then measured in freely moving unstressed mice by radiotelemetry. VSG decreased energy intake, body mass and fat mass. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP was reduced in VSG-operated mice compared with both sham-operated groups. VSG-induced reductions in MAP were accompanied by a body mass-independent decrease in hypothalamic ER stress, hypothalamic inflammation and sympathetic nervous system tone. Assessment of gut microbial populations revealed VSG-induced increases in the relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and Enterococcus, and decreases in Adlercreutzia. These results suggest that VSG reduces blood pressure, but this is only partly due to the reduction in body weight. VSG-induced reductions in blood pressure may be driven by a decrease in hypothalamic ER stress and inflammatory signaling, and shifts in gut microbial populations.

Safety aspects of genetically modified crops with abiotic stress tolerance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liang, C.; Prins, T.W.; Wiel, van de C.C.M.; Kok, E.J.

2014-01-01

Abiotic stress, such as drought, salinity, and temperature extremes, significantly reduce crop yields. Hence, development of abiotic stress-tolerant crops by modern biotechnology may contribute to global food security. Prior to introducing genetically modified crops with abiotic stress tolerance to

Evaluation of hemodynamic significance of coronary fistulae. Diagnostic integration between coronary angiography and stress/rest myocardial scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubini, G.; Sebastiani, M.

2000-01-01

It is here reported on the importance of the integration of data obtained from digital coronary angiography and stress/rest 99m Tc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography in evaluationing the hemodynamic significance of coronary arteriovenous fistulae. Coronary fistulae were detected with coronary angiography in 9 patients. All patients underwent clinical examination, trans thoracic echocardiography, stress electrocardiogram and stress/rest 99m Tc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography. Stress/rest 99m Tc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon tomography and stress electrocardiogram showed stress-induced myocardial ischemia in 2 patients. The first patient with familial predisposition and risk factors for ischemic heart disease presented a mesocardic heart murmur on clinical examination. At stress ECG (125 Watt, 153 b/m max frequency 93%, arterial pressure 230 mmHg, max frequency pressure product 35200) ischemic alterations were recorded at the first minute of the second stage of the Bruce protocol. Coronary angiography detected a circumflex artery fistula in the coronary sinus. Stress/rest 99m Tc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography for the evaluation of stress/rest perfusion detected a reversible perfusion defect of the proximal portion of the posterolateral and lateral walls, thus confirming the hemodynamic importance of the flow through the fistula during stress cycloergometric testing. In the second patient familial predisposition to ischemic heart disease and previous inferior wall myocardial infarction and non-significant stress ECG, coronary angiography identified a seclusive stenosis of the right coronary artery and anomaly between the anterior interventricular artery and the left pulmonary artery. The presence of the contrast medium in the left pulmonary artery identified a flow from the left ventricle to the left pulmonary artery. Good angiographic results were obtained

Mindfulness Intervention for Stress Eating to Reduce Cortisol and Abdominal Fat among Overweight and Obese Women: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Daubenmier

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Psychological distress and elevated cortisol secretion promote abdominal fat, a feature of the Metabolic Syndrome. Effects of stress reduction interventions on abdominal fat are unknown. Forty-seven overweight/obese women (mean BMI =31.2 were randomly assigned to a 4-month intervention or waitlist group to explore effects of a mindfulness program for stress eating. We assessed mindfulness, psychological distress, eating behavior, weight, cortisol awakening response (CAR, and abdominal fat (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry pre- and posttreatment. Treatment participants improved in mindfulness, anxiety, and external-based eating compared to control participants. Groups did not differ on average CAR, weight, or abdominal fat over time. However, obese treatment participants showed significant reductions in CAR and maintained body weight, while obese control participants had stable CAR and gained weight. Improvements in mindfulness, chronic stress, and CAR were associated with reductions in abdominal fat. This proof of concept study suggests that mindfulness training shows promise for improving eating patterns and the CAR, which may reduce abdominal fat over time.

Mindfulness Intervention for Stress Eating to Reduce Cortisol and Abdominal Fat among Overweight and Obese Women: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Daubenmier, Jennifer; Kristeller, Jean; Hecht, Frederick M; Maninger, Nicole; Kuwata, Margaret; Jhaveri, Kinnari; Lustig, Robert H; Kemeny, Margaret; Karan, Lori; Epel, Elissa

2011-01-01

Psychological distress and elevated cortisol secretion promote abdominal fat, a feature of the Metabolic Syndrome. Effects of stress reduction interventions on abdominal fat are unknown. Forty-seven overweight/obese women (mean BMI = 31.2) were randomly assigned to a 4-month intervention or waitlist group to explore effects of a mindfulness program for stress eating. We assessed mindfulness, psychological distress, eating behavior, weight, cortisol awakening response (CAR), and abdominal fat (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) pre- and posttreatment. Treatment participants improved in mindfulness, anxiety, and external-based eating compared to control participants. Groups did not differ on average CAR, weight, or abdominal fat over time. However, obese treatment participants showed significant reductions in CAR and maintained body weight, while obese control participants had stable CAR and gained weight. Improvements in mindfulness, chronic stress, and CAR were associated with reductions in abdominal fat. This proof of concept study suggests that mindfulness training shows promise for improving eating patterns and the CAR, which may reduce abdominal fat over time.

To reduce the maximum stress and the stress shielding effect around a dental implant-bone interface using radial functionally graded biomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Asgharzadeh Shirazi, H; Ayatollahi, M R; Asnafi, A

2017-05-01

In a dental implant system, the value of stress and its distribution plays a pivotal role on the strength, durability and life of the implant-bone system. A typical implant consists of a Titanium core and a thin layer of biocompatible material such as the hydroxyapatite. This coating has a wide range of clinical applications in orthopedics and dentistry due to its biocompatibility and bioactivity characteristics. Low bonding strength and sudden variation of mechanical properties between the coating and the metallic layers are the main disadvantages of such common implants. To overcome these problems, a radial distributed functionally graded biomaterial (FGBM) was proposed in this paper and the effect of material property on the stress distribution around the dental implant-bone interface was studied. A three-dimensional finite element simulation was used to illustrate how the use of radial FGBM dental implant can reduce the maximum von Mises stress and, also the stress shielding effect in both the cortical and cancellous bones. The results, of course, give anybody an idea about optimized behaviors that can be achieved using such materials. The finite element solver was validated by familiar methods and the results were compared to previous works in the literature.

Mangiferin Reduces Oxidative Stress-mediated Renal Injury in γ-radiated Mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Kabany, H.; Lotfi, S.A.

2012-01-01

Whole body exposure to ionizing radiation induces the formation of reactive oxygen species in different tissues provoking oxidative damage and tissue injury. Mangiferin (MGN), 1,3,6,7-tetra hydroxyxanthone-C 2 -β-D-glucoside, a naturally occurring polyphenol, present in Mangifera indica (M. indica) in large amounts in the leaves and edible mango fruits has been reported to possess antioxidant properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of MGN on radiation-induced oxidative stress and histological changes in the kidney of mice. MGN (20 mg/ kg body weight) was administrated to male albino mice via gavages during 15 successive days before whole body exposures to gamma rays (4 Gy). The animals were sacrificed 48 hours post irradiation. Biochemical analysis in the kidney of irradiated mice revealed an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant species. A significant increase was recorded in the level of lipid peroxidation products; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) and lipid hydroperoxides (HDPx), in addition to a significant increase in the level of protein carbonyl content (PC) , marker of protein oxidation. The increase of oxidative markers was accompanied by a significant decrease in the contents of total sulphydryl (SH) group ,glutathione (GSH) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity. Moreover, irradiation induced a significant decrease in the activity of glutathione reductase (GR) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Histological observations in the kidney of irradiated mice revealed tubular necrosis, degeneration, dilatation, desquamation, thickening of basement membrane and luminal cast formation. MGN pre-treatment has significantly improved the oxidant /antioxidant status, which was associated with significant regeneration of the kidney tissue. Based on these results, it is concluded that the natural dietary antioxidant M GN m ight

Vinpocetine reduces diclofenac-induced acute kidney injury through inhibition of oxidative stress, apoptosis, cytokine production, and NF-κB activation in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Fattori, Victor; Borghi, Sergio M; Guazelli, Carla F S; Giroldo, Andressa C; Crespigio, Jefferson; Bussmann, Allan J C; Coelho-Silva, Letícia; Ludwig, Natasha G; Mazzuco, Tânia L; Casagrande, Rubia; Verri, Waldiceu A

2017-06-01

Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents a complex clinical condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Approximately, 19-33% AKI episodes in hospitalized patients are related to drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Although, considered safe, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as diclofenac have received special attention in the past years due to the potential risk of renal damage. Vinpocetine is a nootropic drug known to have anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanisms of vinpocetine in a model of diclofenac-induced AKI. We observed that diclofenac increased proteinuria and blood urea, creatinine, and oxidative stress levels 24h after its administration. In renal tissue, diclofenac also increased oxidative stress and induced morphological changes consistent with renal damage. Moreover, diclofenac induced kidney cells apoptosis, up-regulated proinflammatory cytokines, and induced the activation of NF-κB in renal tissue. On the other hand, vinpocetine reduced diclofenac-induced blood urea and creatinine. In the kidneys, vinpocetine inhibited diclofenac-induced oxidative stress, morphological changes, apoptosis, cytokine production, and NF-κB activation. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that diclofenac-induced AKI increases NF-κB activation, and that vinpocetine reduces the nephrotoxic effects of diclofenac. Therefore, vinpocetine is a promising molecule for the treatment of diclofenac-induced AKI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intranasal cotinine improves memory, and reduces depressive-like behavior, and GFAP+ cells loss induced by restraint stress in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Urrutia, Nelson; Mendoza, Cristhian; Alvarez-Ricartes, Nathalie; Oliveros-Matus, Patricia; Echeverria, Florencia; Grizzell, J Alex; Barreto, George E; Iarkov, Alexandre; Echeverria, Valentina

2017-09-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic psychological stress, and major depressive disorder have been found to be associated with a significant decrease in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in the hippocampus of rodents. Cotinine is an alkaloid that prevents memory impairment, depressive-like behavior and synaptic loss when co-administered during restraint stress, a model of PTSD and stress-induced depression, in mice. Here, we investigated the effects of post-treatment with intranasal cotinine on depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors, visual recognition memory as well as the number and morphology of GFAP+ immunoreactive cells, in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of mice subjected to prolonged restraint stress. The results revealed that in addition to the mood and cognitive impairments, restraint stress induced a significant decrease in the number and arborization of GFAP+ cells in the brain of mice. Intranasal cotinine prevented these stress-derived symptoms and the morphological abnormalities GFAP+ cells in both of these brain regions which are critical to resilience to stress. The significance of these findings for the therapy of PTSD and depression is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxidative stress response after laparoscopic versus conventional sigmoid resection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Michael Tvilling; Kücükakin, Bülent; Lykkesfeldt, Jens

2012-01-01

Surgery is accompanied by a surgical stress response, which results in increased morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress is a part of the surgical stress response. Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery may result in reduced oxidative stress compared with open surgery. Nineteen patients...... scheduled for sigmoid resection were randomly allocated to open or laparoscopic sigmoid resection in a double-blind, prospective clinical trial. Three biochemical markers of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid, and dehydroascorbic acid) were measured at 6 different time points (preoperatively......, 1 h, 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively). There were no statistical significant differences between laparoscopic and open surgery for any of the 3 oxidative stress parameters. Malondialdehyde was reduced 1 hour postoperatively (P...

Overcoming the effects of stress on reactor operator performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Xuhong; Wei Li; Zhao Bingquan

2003-01-01

Reactor operators may be exposed to significant levels of stress during plant emergencies and their performance may be affected by the stress. This paper first identified the potential sources of stress in the nuclear power plant, then discussed the ways in which stress is likely to affect the reactor operators, and finally identified several training approaches for reducing or eliminating stress effects. The challenges for effective stress reducing training may seem daunting, yet the challenges are real and must be addressed. This paper reviewed researches in training design, knowledge and skill acquisition, and training transfer point to a number of strategies that can be used to address these challenges and lead to more effective training and development. (author)

Overcoming the effects of stress on reactor operator performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He Xuhong; Wei Li; Zhao Bingquan [Tsinghua Univ., Nuclear Power Plant Simulation Training Center, Beijing (China)

2003-03-01

Reactor operators may be exposed to significant levels of stress during plant emergencies and their performance may be affected by the stress. This paper first identified the potential sources of stress in the nuclear power plant, then discussed the ways in which stress is likely to affect the reactor operators, and finally identified several training approaches for reducing or eliminating stress effects. The challenges for effective stress reducing training may seem daunting, yet the challenges are real and must be addressed. This paper reviewed researches in training design, knowledge and skill acquisition, and training transfer point to a number of strategies that can be used to address these challenges and lead to more effective training and development. (author)

Vernonia cinerea Less. supplementation and strenuous exercise reduce smoking rate: relation to oxidative stress status and beta-endorphin release in active smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Leelarungrayub, Donrawee; Pratanaphon, Sainatee; Pothongsunun, Prapas; Sriboonreung, Thanyaluck; Yankai, Araya; Bloomer, Richard J

2010-05-26

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Vernonia cinerea Less. (VC) supplementation and exercise on oxidative stress biomarkers, beta-endorphin release, and the rate of cigarette smoking. Volunteer smokers were randomly divided into four groups: group 1: VC supplement; group 2: exercise with VC supplement; group 3: exercise; and group 4: control. VC was prepared by wash and dry techniques and taken orally before smoking, matching the frequency of strenuous exercise (three times weekly). Before and after a two month period, exhaled carbon monoxide (CO), blood oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NOx], protein hydroperoxide [PrOOH] and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]), beta-endorphin and smoking rate were measured, and statistically analyzed. In Group 1, MDA, PrOOH, and NOx significantly decreased, whereas TAC increased (p 0.05). In Group 3, MDA, PrOOH, NOx, TAC, and beta-endorphin levels increased significantly (p stress variables or beta-endorphine levels (p > 0.05). All groups had lower levels of CO after the intervention. The smoking rate for light cigarette decreased in group 2(62.7%), 1(59.52%), 3 (53.57%) and 4(14.04%), whereas in self-rolled cigarettes it decreased in group 1 (54.47%), 3 (42.30%), 2 (40%) and 4 (9.2%). Supplementation with Vernonia cinerea Less and exercise provided benefit related to reduced smoking rate, which may be related to oxidaive stress and beta-endorphine levels.

Quercetin prevents chronic unpredictable stress induced behavioral dysfunction in mice by alleviating hippocampal oxidative and inflammatory stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Vineet; Parashar, Arun; Udayabanu, Malairaman

2017-03-15

It is now evident that chronic stress is associated with anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction and very few studies have focused on identifying possible methods to prevent these stress-induced disorders. Previously, we identified abundance of quercetin in Urtica dioica extract, which efficiently attenuated stress related complications. Therefore, current study was designed to investigate the effect of quercetin on chronic unpredicted stress (CUS) induced behavioral dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in the mouse hippocampus. Animals were subjected to unpredicted stress for 21days, during which 30mg/kg quercetin was orally administered to them. Effect of CUS and quercetin treatment on animal behavior was assessed between day 22-26. Afterward, the hippocampus was processed to evaluate neuronal damage, oxidative and inflammatory stress. Results revealed that stressed animals were highly anxious (Elevated Plus Maze and Open Field), showed depressive-like behavior (sucrose preference task), performed poorly in short-term and long-term associative memory task (passive avoidance step-through task) and displayed reduced locomotion (open field). Quercetin alleviated behavioral dysfunction in chronically stressed animals. Compared to CUS, quercetin treatment significantly reduced anxiety, attenuated depression, improved cognitive dysfunction and normalized locomotor activity. Further, CUS elevated the levels of oxidative stress markers (TBARS, nitric oxide), lowered antioxidants (total thiol, catalase), enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β and COX-2) in the hippocampus and damaged hippocampal neurons. Quercetin treatment significantly lowered oxidative and inflammatory stress and prevented neural damage. In conclusion, quercetin can efficiently prevent stress induced neurological complications by rescuing brain from oxidative and inflammatory stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Internal Casting Stresses and Dimensional Stability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andriollo, Tito; Vedel-Smith, Nikolaj Kjelgaard; Thorborg, Jesper

2017-01-01

, accelerated stress corrosion, decreased fatigue resistance, and so on. In addition, they can also be responsible for undesirable shape distortions, which may compromise the fulfillment of geometrical tolerance requirements. As a consequence, a good understanding of what residual stresses are, how they form......It is common knowledge that cast iron components may be affected by the presence of residual stresses. This often represents a serious threat, because residual stresses almost invariably cause a significant degradation of the most important material properties, such as reduced fracture toughness...

Gradual training of alpacas to the confinement of metabolism pens reduces stress when normal excretion behavior is accommodated.

Science.gov (United States)

Lund, Kirrin E; Maloney, Shane K; Milton, John T B; Blache, Dominique

2012-01-01

Confinement in metabolism pens may provoke a stress response in alpacas that will reduce the welfare of the animal and jeopardize the validity of scientific results obtained in such pens. In this study, we tested a protocol designed to successfully train alpacas to be held in a specially designed metabolism pen so that the animals' confinement would not jeopardize their welfare. We hypothesized that the alpacas would show fewer behaviors associated with a response to stress as training gradually progressed, and that they would adapt to being in the confinement of the metabolism pen. The training protocol was successful at introducing alpacas to the metabolism pens, and it did reduce the incidence of behavioral responses to stress as the training progressed. The success of the training protocol may be attributed to the progressive nature of the training, the tailoring of the protocol to suit alpacas, and the use of positive reinforcement. This study demonstrated that both animal welfare and the validity of the scientific outcomes could be maximized by the gradual training of experimental animals, thereby minimizing the stress imposed on the animals during experimental procedures.

Male circumcision significantly reduces prevalence and load of genital anaerobic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Cindy M; Hungate, Bruce A; Tobian, Aaron A R; Serwadda, David; Ravel, Jacques; Lester, Richard; Kigozi, Godfrey; Aziz, Maliha; Galiwango, Ronald M; Nalugoda, Fred; Contente-Cuomo, Tania L; Wawer, Maria J; Keim, Paul; Gray, Ronald H; Price, Lance B

2013-04-16

Male circumcision reduces female-to-male HIV transmission. Hypothesized mechanisms for this protective effect include decreased HIV target cell recruitment and activation due to changes in the penis microbiome. We compared the coronal sulcus microbiota of men from a group of uncircumcised controls (n = 77) and from a circumcised intervention group (n = 79) at enrollment and year 1 follow-up in a randomized circumcision trial in Rakai, Uganda. We characterized microbiota using16S rRNA gene-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) and pyrosequencing, log response ratio (LRR), Bayesian classification, nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PerMANOVA). At baseline, men in both study arms had comparable coronal sulcus microbiota; however, by year 1, circumcision decreased the total bacterial load and reduced microbiota biodiversity. Specifically, the prevalence and absolute abundance of 12 anaerobic bacterial taxa decreased significantly in the circumcised men. While aerobic bacterial taxa also increased postcircumcision, these gains were minor. The reduction in anaerobes may partly account for the effects of circumcision on reduced HIV acquisition. The bacterial changes identified in this study may play an important role in the HIV risk reduction conferred by male circumcision. Decreasing the load of specific anaerobes could reduce HIV target cell recruitment to the foreskin. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the benefits of male circumcision could help to identify new intervention strategies for decreasing HIV transmission, applicable to populations with high HIV prevalence where male circumcision is culturally less acceptable.

Exogenous L-arginine reduces matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activities and oxidative stress in patients with hypertension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garcia, Vinicius P; Rocha, Helena N M; Silva, Gustavo M.

2016-01-01

Aims Increased matrix metalloproteinases activity and reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability contributes to development of hypertension and this may be associated with a defective L-arginine-NO pathway. Exogenous L-arginine improves endothelial function to prevent the onset of cardiovascular...... disease, but the mechanism by which this is accomplished remains unclear. We determined the effects of exogenous L-arginine infusion on vascular biomarkers in patients with hypertension. Main methods Venous blood samples were obtained from seven patients with hypertension (45 ± 5 yrs., HT group...... biomarkers between groups during the saline infusion (P > 0.05). Significance Exogenous L-arginine diminished metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activities and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio along with restoring the oxidative stress balance in patients with hypertension....

Reducing the Risk of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Children Following Natural Disasters

Science.gov (United States)

Mohay, Heather; Forbes, Nicole

2009-01-01

A significant number of children suffer long-term psychological disturbance following exposure to a natural disaster. Evidence suggests that a dose-response relationship exists, so that children and adolescents who experience the most intense or extensive exposure to the risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are likely to develop…

The Application of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy to Reduce Stress among Mother with Leukemia Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuni Sufyanti Arief

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: A child who is diagnosed with Leukemia will undergo several procedures are long and painful action. During the process of hospitalization due to leukemia children and parents can experience a variety of events or actions handling according to various studies shown by the experience very traumatic and stressful (Supartini 2004 in Arif, SY, 2007. Some of the methods used to deal with anxiety is psikoprofilaksis, relaxation and imagination (Reeder et al., 2011. Rational-emotive behavior therapy by Albert Ellis in 1990 describes a unique man who is basically have a tendency to think rational and irrational. Methods: aim of this study is to explain the effect of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT for stress levels of mothers with children suffering from Leukemia. The study design used was a pre-experiment Quasy-post control group design. The sample was 10 mothers of children diagnosed with leukemia are treated in a child hematology ward Soetomo hospital. Variable in this study is the level of depression and anxiety mothers with children suffering from leukemia. Result: Based on the results obtained Wilcoxon statistical test p = 0.025 in the treatment group and p = 0.32 in the control group. Mann Whitney test results obtained p = 0.012. Conclution: Rational-emotive behavior therapy can reduce levels of depression and anxiety (stress mothers with children suffering from leukemia. It is expected that the application of rational -emotive behavior therapy can be done to reduce depression and anxiety in women with chronic disease cases while maintaining the effectiveness the goal of REBT. Keywords: stress, anxiety, depression, rational-emotive behavior

The stress-reducing effects of art in pediatric health care: art preferences of healthy children and hospitalized children.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisen, Sarajane L; Ulrich, Roger S; Shepley, Mardelle M; Varni, James W; Sherman, Sandra

2008-09-01

Art is assumed to possess therapeutic benefits of healing for children, as part of patient-focused design in health care. Since the psychological and physiological well-being of children in health care settings is extremely important in contributing to the healing process, it is vitally important to identify what type of art supports stress reduction. Based on adult studies, nature art was anticipated to be the most preferred and to have stress-reducing effects on pediatric patients. Nature art refers to art images dominated by natural vegetation, flowers or water. The objective of this study was to investigate what type of art image children prefer, and what type of art image has potentially stress-reducing effects on children in hospitals. This study used a three-phase, multi-method approach with children aged 5-17 years: a focus group study (129 participants), a randomized study (48 participants), and a quasi-experimental study design (48 participants). Findings were evaluated from three phases.

Sleep, Stress & Relaxation: Rejuvenate Body & Mind

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A rational-emotive stress management intervention for reducing job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Ugwoke, Samuel C.; Eseadi, Chiedu; Onuigbo, Liziana N.; Aye, Eucharia N.; Akaneme, Immaculata N.; Oboegbulem, Angie I.; Ezenwaji, Ifeyinwa O.; Nwobi, Anthonia U.; Nwaubani, Okechukwu O.; Ezegbe, Bernedeth N.; Ede, Moses O.; Orji, Chibueze T.; Onuoha, Joseph C.; Onu, Eucharia U.; Okeke, Francisca; Agu, Patricia; Omeje, Joachim C.; Omeke, Faith; Ugwu, Romanus; Arumede, Florence; Eneh, Annastasia

2018-01-01

Abstract Background: Job-related burnout and distress are adverse stress responses which affect individuals in their occupational environment. This study aimed at investigating the effect of a rational-emotive stress management program on job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers in Nigeria. Methods: A pretest–posttest randomized control group design was used. The participants in the study were 54 special education teachers. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Participants were allocated to either the treatment group (n = 28 [59.1%]) or the waitlist control group (n = 26 [48.1%]), respectively. A rational-emotive stress management manual was used to deliver the intervention. We statistically analyzed the data collected at three-time points with repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: At baseline, the job-related burnout symptoms and distress scores of participants were high. However, an intention-to-treat analysis showed that the rational-emotive stress management intervention program was efficacious in reducing the levels of job-related burnout symptoms and dysfunctional distress among participants assigned to the treatment group, compared to a waitlisted group at post-treatment and follow-up meetings. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of a rational-emotive stress management intervention in reducing the level of job-related burnout and distress in a sample of special education teachers in Nigeria. Occupational health counsellors and other clinicians with sufficient knowledge of rational-emotive behavior therapy framework are urged to employ this approach in assisting other employees in managing job burnout symptoms, and distress. PMID:29703004

Simvastatin and oxidative stress in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Sanne Tofte; Andersen, Jon Thor Trærup; Nielsen, Torben Kjær

2016-01-01

in mitochondrial respiratory complexes I and II and might thereby reduce the formation of reactive oxygen species, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that simvastatin may reduce oxidative stress in humans in vivo. We conducted a randomized, double......-blinded, placebo-controlled study in which subjects were treated with either 40 mg of simvastatin or placebo for 14 days. The endpoints were six biomarkers for oxidative stress, which represent intracellular oxidative stress to nucleic acids, lipid peroxidation and plasma antioxidants, that were measured in urine.......1% in the placebo group for DNA oxidation and 7.3% in the simvastatin group compared to 3.4% in the placebo group. The differences in biomarkers related to plasma were not statistically significant between the treatments groups, with the exception of total vitamin E levels, which, as expected, were reduced...

Stress test, what is the reality and significance of it?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Tetsuo

2012-01-01

Stress test was introduced in July 2011 by 'political judgment' to demonstrate the ability of nuclear power plants to withstand severe earthquake and tsunami. Stress test consisted of two stages and the first stage using computerized simulation required to obtain 'cliff edge' for earthquake, tsunami, their superposition, loss of all alternating current power and loss of final heat sink, and effectiveness of severe accident management after emergency safety measures. Clearing the first stage of the test was a prerequisite for restarting reactors that had been suspended for regular inspections. NISA had received such test results for 14 nuclear reactors as of January 18, 2012. After passing IAEA's evaluation of stress test review process, NISA's endorsement of test results, NSC's confirmation of NISA's screening results and approval of local government, Prime Minister and relevant ministers concerned would decide whether reactors could be restarted as 'political judgment'. Using ranking list and referring to respective experiences of 14 reactors hit by earthquake and tsunami at the Great East Japan earthquake might better perform comprehensive judgment. (T. Tanaka)

A Reduced Switch Voltage Stress Class E Power Amplifier Using Harmonic Control Network

OpenAIRE

Ali Reza Zirak; Sobhan Roshani

2016-01-01

In this paper, a harmonic control network (HCN) is presented to reduce the voltage stress (maximum MOSFET voltage) of the class E power amplifier (PA). Effects of the HCN on the amplifier specifications are investigated. The results show that the proposed HCN affects several specifications of the amplifier, such as drain voltage, switch current, output power capability (Cp factor), and drain impedance. The output power capability of the presented amplifier is also improved, compared with the ...

A randomized, controlled trial of the effectiveness of an early-intervention program in reducing parenting stress after preterm birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaaresen, Per Ivar; Rønning, John A; Ulvund, Stein Erik; Dahl, Lauritz B

2006-07-01

Preterm birth has been associated with increased parenting stress in early infancy, and some reports have found this to be a risk factor for later behavioral problems. There are, however, few studies and conflicting results. Information about the fathers is scarce. Our goal was to study the effects of an early-intervention program on parenting stress after a preterm birth until 1 year corrected age. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted including infants with a birth weight effects of a modified version of the Mother-Infant Transaction Program on parenting stress measured by the Parenting Stress Index. A term control group was also recruited. The Parenting Stress Index was administered to the mothers at 6 and 12 months' corrected age and to the fathers at 12 months' corrected age. The intervention consisted of 8 sessions shortly before discharge and 4 home visits by specially trained nurses focusing on the infant's unique characteristics, temperament, and developmental potential and the interaction between the infant and the parents. Seventy-one infants were included in the preterm intervention group, and 69 were included in the preterm control group. The preterm groups were well balanced. Seventy-four infants were included in the term control group. Compared with the preterm controls, both the mothers and fathers in the preterm intervention group reported significant lower scores in child domain, parent domain, and total stress on all occasions except the mother-reported child domain at 12 months. These differences were not related to birth weight or gestational age. The level of stress among the preterm intervention group was comparable to their term peers. Both parents in the intervention group reported consistently lower scores within the distractibility/hyperactivity, reinforces parents, competence, and attachment subscales compared with the preterm control group. There were no differences in mean summary stress scores between the mothers and fathers in

Neuropeptide Y and Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murat Gulsun

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The neurobiological aspects of stress and coping skills has been the focus of interest for many researchers. Some of the studies has shown that there is a significant relationship among genetically variables, stress response and life events. Neuropeptide Y is one of the systems regulating the stress response. Under the prolonged or repeated trauma neuropeptide Y is released from the brain's key areas. This system shows different levels of functioning in individuals with different levels of resilience. There is particular interest in the variations of genes that encode stress-sensitive signaling molecules during gene-environment interaction. This condition may contribute to susceptibility of stress or stress resilience. Neuropeptide Y system plays a key role in the adaptation to behavioral stress. The reduced levels of neuropeptide Y have also been observed in treatment-resistant depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Lower level of neuropeptide Y expression and dysfunctional neuropeptide Y system in response to stress and resulting decreased stress resilience could increase susceptibility to stress-related disorders.

Quilting after mastectomy significantly reduces seroma formation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

reduce or prevent seroma formation among mastectomy patients ... of this prospective study is to evaluate the effect of surgical quilting ... Seroma was more common in smokers (p=0.003) and was not decreased by the .... explain its aetiology.

Hepatoprotective Flavonoids in Opuntia ficus-indica Fruits by Reducing Oxidative Stress in Primary Rat Hepatocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung Wha; Kim, Tae Bum; Kim, Hyun Woo; Park, Sang Wook; Kim, Hong Pyo; Sung, Sang Hyun

2017-01-01

Liver disorder was associated with alcohol consumption caused by hepatic cellular damages. Opuntia ficus-indica fruit extracts (OFIEs), which contain betalain pigments and polyphenols including flavonoids, have been introduced as reducing hangover symptoms and liver protective activity. To evaluate hepatoprotective activity of OFIEs and isolated compounds by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). The extract of O. ficus-indica fruits was fractionated into methylene chloride and n -butanol. The n -butanol fraction was isolated by HSCCC separation (methylene chloride-methanol- n -butanol-water, 5:4:3:5, v/v/v/v). The hepatoprotective activity of OFIEs and isolated compounds was evaluated on rat primary hepatocytes against ethanol-induced toxicity. Antioxidative parameters such as glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-P x ) enzymes and the GSH content were measured. Two flavonoids, quercetin 3- O -methyl ester (1) and (+)-taxifolin, and two flavonoid glycosides, isorhamnetin 3- O -β- d -glucoside (3) and narcissin (4), were isolated from the n -butanol fraction by HSCCC separation. Among them, compound 2 significantly protected rat primary hepatocytes against ethanol exposure by preserving antioxidative properties of GR and GSH-P x . OFIEs and (+)-taxifolin were suggested to reduce hepatic damage by alcoholic oxidative stress. Hepatoprotective Flavonoids were isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica by high -speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC).

Effect of silica Nanoparticles on Basil (Ocimum basilicum Under Salinity Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manizheh Kalteh

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Application of nanofertilizers is one of the promising methods for increasing resources use efficiency and reducing environmental pollutions. Uncontrolled application of chemical fertilizer and pesticides has caused many problems to human health and domestic animals. Nanofertilizers application could be a suitable way to reduce these problems. Accordingly, in order to assess the silicon nanoparticles effect on some vegetative features of basil under salinity stress, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted in greenhouse condition. Treatments included different levels of silicon fertilizer (without silicon, normal silicon fertilizer and silicon nanoparticles and salinity stress (1, 3 and 6 ds/m. Physiological traits (chlorophyll and proline content of leaves and morphological traits (shoot fresh weight and dry weight were investigated in this study. Results showed a significant reduction in growth and development indices due to the salinity stress.  Leaf dry and fresh weight reduced by increment in NaCl concentration while significantly (P≤0.01 increased with silicon nanoparticles application. The chlorophyll content reduced in salinity stress, but increased by silicon nanoparticles treatment. Proline content increased under salinity stress which was a response to stress. Moreover, proline increased by silicon nanoparticles which was due to tolerance induction in plant. Silicon nanoparticles application reduced the pollution effects originated from salinity in Basil.

Dry Priming of Maize Seeds Reduces Aluminum Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Alcântara, Berenice Kussumoto; Machemer-Noonan, Katja; Silva Júnior, Francides Gomes; Azevedo, Ricardo Antunes

2015-01-01

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is directly related to acidic soils and substantially limits maize yield. Earlier studies using hormones and other substances to treat the seeds of various crops have been carried out with the aim of inducing tolerance to abiotic stress, especially chilling, drought and salinity. However, more studies regarding the effects of seed treatments on the induction of Al tolerance are necessary. In this study, two independent experiments were performed to determine the effect of ascorbic acid (AsA) seed treatment on the tolerance response of maize to acidic soil and Al stress. In the first experiment (greenhouse), the AsA seed treatment was tested in B73 (Al-sensitive genotype). This study demonstrates the potential of AsA for use as a pre-sowing seed treatment (seed priming) because this metabolite increased root and shoot growth under acidic and Al stress conditions. In the second test, the evidence from field experiments using an Al-sensitive genotype (Mo17) and an Al-tolerant genotype (DA) suggested that prior AsA seed treatment increased the growth of both genotypes. Enhanced productivity was observed for DA under Al stress after priming the seeds. Furthermore, the AsA treatment decreased the activity of oxidative stress-related enzymes in the DA genotype. In this study, remarkable effects using AsA seed treatment in maize were observed, demonstrating the potential future use of AsA in seed priming. PMID:26714286

Sensory trigeminal ULF-TENS stimulation reduces HRV response to experimentally induced arithmetic stress: A randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Monaco, Annalisa; Cattaneo, Ruggero; Ortu, Eleonora; Constantinescu, Marian Vladimir; Pietropaoli, Davide

2017-05-01

Ultra Low Frequency Transcutaneous Electric Nervous Stimulation (ULF-TENS) is extensively used for pain relief and for the diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). In addition to its local effects, ULF-TENS acts on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), with particular reference to the periaqueductal gray (PAG), promoting the release of endogenous opioids and modulating descending pain systems. It has been suggested that the PAG participates in the coupling between the emotional stimulus and the appropriate behavioral autonomic response. This function is successfully investigated by HRV. Therefore, our goal is to investigate the effects of trigeminal ULF-TENS stimulation on autonomic behavior in terms of HRV and respiratory parameters during an experimentally-induced arithmetic stress test in healthy subjects. Thirty healthy women between 25 and 35years of age were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the control (TENS stimulation off) or test group (TENS stimulation on). Heart (HR, LF, HF, LF/HF ratio, DET, RMSSD, PNN50, RR) and respiratory (BR) rate were evaluated under basal, T1 (TENS off/on), and stress (mathematical task) conditions. Results showed that HRV parameters and BR significantly changed during the arithmetic stress paradigm (pTENS and control group could be discriminated only by non-linear HRV data, namely RR and DET (p=0.038 and p=0.027, respectively). During the arithmetic task, LF/HF ratio was the most sensitive parameter to discriminate between groups (p=0.019). Our data suggest that trigeminal sensory ULF-TENS reduces the autonomic response in terms of HRV and BR during acute mental stress in healthy subjects. Future directions of our work aim at applying the HRV and BR analysis, with and without TENS stimulation, to individuals with dysfunctional ANS among those with TMD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Reduced In Vivo Norepinephrine Availability in the Locus Coeruleus

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrzak, Robert H.; Gallezot, Jean-Dominique; Ding, Yu-Shin; Henry, Shannan; Potenza, Marc N.; Southwick, Steven M.; Krystal, John H.; Carson, Richard E.; Neumeister, Alexander

2014-01-01

IMPORTANCE Animal data suggest that chronic stress is associated with a reduction in norepinephrine transporter (NET) availability in the locus coeruleus. However, it is unclear whether such models are relevant to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been linked to noradrenergic dysfunction in humans. OBJECTIVES To use positron emission tomography and the radioligand [11C]methylreboxetine to examine in vivo NET availability in the locus coeruleus in the following 3 groups of individuals: healthy adults (HC group), adults exposed to trauma who did not develop PTSD (TC group), and adults exposed to trauma who developed PTSD (PTSD group) and to evaluate the relationship between NET availability in the locus coeruleus and a contemporary phenotypic model of PTSD symptoms. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional positron emission tomography study under resting conditions at academic and Veterans Affairs medical centers among 56 individuals in the following 3 study groups: HC (n = 18), TC (n = 16), and PTSD (n = 22). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The [11C]methylreboxetine-binding potential of NET availability in the locus coeruleus and the severity of PTSD symptoms assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. RESULTS The PTSD group had significantly lower NET availability than the HC group (41% lower, Cohen d = 1.07). NET availability did not differ significantly between the TC and HC groups (31% difference, Cohen d = 0.79) or between the TC and PTSD groups (15% difference, Cohen d = 0.28). In the PTSD group, NET availability in the locus coeruleus was independently positively associated with the severity of anxious arousal (ie, hypervigilance) symptoms (r = 0.52) but not with any of the other PTSD symptom clusters. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These results suggest that PTSD is associated with significantly reduced NET availability in the locus coeruleus and that greater NET availability in this brain region is associated with increased severity

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Differentially Elevated in Objective Versus Habitual Subjective Reduced Sleep Duration in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Science.gov (United States)

DeMartino, Theresanne; Ghoul, Rawad El; Wang, Lu; Bena, James; Hazen, Stanley L; Tracy, Russel; Patel, Sanjay R; Auckley, Dennis; Mehra, Reena

2016-07-01

Data have demonstrated adverse health effects of sleep deprivation. We postulate that oxidative stress and systemic inflammation biomarkers will be elevated in relation to short-term and long-term sleep duration reduction. We analyzed data from the baseline examination of a randomized controlled trial involving participants with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Baseline polysomnography provided the total sleep time (PSG-TST, primary predictor); self-reported habitual sleep duration (SR-HSD) data was collected. Morning measures of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation included: myeloperoxidase (MPO, pmol/L), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL, U/L), F2-isoprostane (ng/mg), paraoxonase 1 (PON1, nmol·min(-1)·mL(-1)), and aryl esterase (μmol·min(-1)·mL(-1)). Linear models adjusted for age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), cardiovascular disease (CVD), smoking, statin/anti-inflammatory medications, and apnea-hypopnea index were utilized (beta estimates and 95% confidence intervals). One hundred forty-seven participants comprised the final analytic sample; they were overall middle-aged (51.0 ± 11.7 y), obese (BMI = 37.3 ± 8.1 kg/m(2)), and 17% had CVD. Multivariable models demonstrated a significant inverse association of PSG-TST and MPO (β [95% CI] = -20.28 [-37.48, -3.08], P = 0.021), i.e., 20.3 pmol/L MPO reduction per hour increase PSG-TST. Alternatively, a significant inverse association with ox-LDL and SR-HSD was observed (β [95% CI] = 0.98 [0.96, 0.99], P = 0.027), i.e., 2% ox-LDL reduction per hour increase SR-HSD. Even after consideration of obesity and OSA severity, inverse significant findings were observed such that reduced PSG-TST was associated with elevated MPO levels and SR-HSD with ox-LDL, suggesting differential up-regulation of oxidative stress and pathways of inflammation in acute versus chronic sleep curtailment. NIH clinical trials registry number NCT00607893. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Strain modulations as a mechanism to reduce stress relaxation in laryngeal tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Eric J; Siegmund, Thomas; Chan, Roger W

2014-01-01

Vocal fold tissues in animal and human species undergo deformation processes at several types of loading rates: a slow strain involved in vocal fold posturing (on the order of 1 Hz or so), cyclic and faster posturing often found in speech tasks or vocal embellishment (1-10 Hz), and shear strain associated with vocal fold vibration during phonation (100 Hz and higher). Relevant to these deformation patterns are the viscous properties of laryngeal tissues, which exhibit non-linear stress relaxation and recovery. In the current study, a large strain time-dependent constitutive model of human vocal fold tissue is used to investigate effects of phonatory posturing cyclic strain in the range of 1 Hz to 10 Hz. Tissue data for two subjects are considered and used to contrast the potential effects of age. Results suggest that modulation frequency and extent (amplitude), as well as the amount of vocal fold overall strain, all affect the change in stress relaxation with modulation added. Generally, the vocal fold cover reduces the rate of relaxation while the opposite is true for the vocal ligament. Further, higher modulation frequencies appear to reduce the rate of relaxation, primarily affecting the ligament. The potential benefits of cyclic strain, often found in vibrato (around 5 Hz modulation) and intonational inflection, are discussed in terms of vocal effort and vocal pitch maintenance. Additionally, elderly tissue appears to not exhibit these benefits to modulation. The exacerbating effect such modulations may have on certain voice disorders, such as muscle tension dysphonia, are explored.

Strain modulations as a mechanism to reduce stress relaxation in laryngeal tissues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric J Hunter

Full Text Available Vocal fold tissues in animal and human species undergo deformation processes at several types of loading rates: a slow strain involved in vocal fold posturing (on the order of 1 Hz or so, cyclic and faster posturing often found in speech tasks or vocal embellishment (1-10 Hz, and shear strain associated with vocal fold vibration during phonation (100 Hz and higher. Relevant to these deformation patterns are the viscous properties of laryngeal tissues, which exhibit non-linear stress relaxation and recovery. In the current study, a large strain time-dependent constitutive model of human vocal fold tissue is used to investigate effects of phonatory posturing cyclic strain in the range of 1 Hz to 10 Hz. Tissue data for two subjects are considered and used to contrast the potential effects of age. Results suggest that modulation frequency and extent (amplitude, as well as the amount of vocal fold overall strain, all affect the change in stress relaxation with modulation added. Generally, the vocal fold cover reduces the rate of relaxation while the opposite is true for the vocal ligament. Further, higher modulation frequencies appear to reduce the rate of relaxation, primarily affecting the ligament. The potential benefits of cyclic strain, often found in vibrato (around 5 Hz modulation and intonational inflection, are discussed in terms of vocal effort and vocal pitch maintenance. Additionally, elderly tissue appears to not exhibit these benefits to modulation. The exacerbating effect such modulations may have on certain voice disorders, such as muscle tension dysphonia, are explored.

Guided Imagery and Stress in Pregnant Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Theresa A; Jones, Brittney A; Ausderau, Karla K

2016-01-01

We examined the effects of a guided imagery intervention on perceived stress in pregnant adolescents. Thirty-five pregnant adolescents recruited from a local alternative education program participated in a guided imagery intervention. Participants listened to a pregnancy-specific guided imagery recording on four separate occasions during their pregnancies. Perceived stress was measured immediately before and after each session using the Perceived Stress Measure-9 (PSM-9). Participants' pre- and postsession PSM-9 scores for three of the four sessions demonstrated a significant reduction in stress. Participants' baseline stress levels also decreased significantly across the four listening sessions. The greatest reductions in stress within and between sessions occurred in the early sessions, with effects diminishing over time. Pregnant teens experienced initial short- and long-term stress reduction during a guided imagery intervention, supporting the use of guided imagery to reduce stress in pregnant adolescents. Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Regulating the Flow of Change to Reduce Fontline Nurse Stress and Burnout.

Science.gov (United States)

Koppel, Jenna; Virkstis, Katherine; Strumwasser, Sarah; Katz, Marie; Boston-Fleischhauer, Carol

2015-11-01

The nursing workforce is at the center of many changes associated with care delivery transformation. To achieve this transformation, frontline nursing staff must be engaged in their work, committed to their organization's mission, and capable of delivering high-quality care. To identify top opportunities for driving nursing engagement, researchers from The Advisory Board Company analyzed engagement survey responses from more than 343 000 employees at 575 healthcare organizations. In this article, the authors describe 3 strategies for addressing 1 of the greatest opportunities for improving nurse engagement: ensuring nurses feel their organization helps them reduce stress and burnout.

Cholinergic Modulation of Restraint Stress Induced Neurobehavioral ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The involvement of the cholinergic system in restraint stress induced neurobehavioral alterations was investigated in rodents using the hole board, elevated plus maze, the open field and the light and dark box tests. Restraint stress (3h) reduced significantly (p<0.05) the number of entries and time spent in the open arm, ...

Relaxation and guided imagery do not reduce stress, pain and unpleasantness for 11- to 12-year-old girls during vaccinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Stefan; Forsner, Maria; Finnström, Berit; Mörelius, Evalotte

2015-07-01

Relaxation and guided imagery is a distraction technique known to reduce discomfort during paediatric medical procedures. We examined whether its use decreased the stress experienced by 11- to 12-year-old girls receiving the human papilloma virus vaccination, as well as the intensity and unpleasantness of any pain. A randomised crossover trial was conducted with 37 girls. During the first vaccination, each girl was randomised to receive either relaxation and guided imagery or standard care. They then received the other form of care during the second vaccination. Salivary cortisol was measured before each vaccination, and 30 minutes after it was administered. The girls reported pain intensity and pain unpleasantness before and directly after each vaccination and stress after each vaccination. On a group level, relaxation and guided imagery did not decrease cortisol levels, self-reported stress, pain intensity and pain unpleasantness. Salivary cortisol levels decreased significantly in both groups during the second vaccination. Relaxation and guided imagery did not prove beneficial during the vaccination of 11- to 12-year-old girls and is not recommended as a regular nursing intervention. However, further research is needed into effective techniques to help children who experience pain unpleasantness in connection with needle procedures. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Branched-chain amino acids reduce hepatic iron accumulation and oxidative stress in hepatitis C virus polyprotein-expressing mice

Science.gov (United States)

Korenaga, Masaaki; Nishina, Sohji; Korenaga, Keiko; Tomiyama, Yasuyuki; Yoshioka, Naoko; Hara, Yuichi; Sasaki, Yusuke; Shimonaka, Yasushi; Hino, Keisuke

2015-01-01

Background & Aims Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) reduce the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. However, the mechanisms that underlie these effects remain unknown. Previously, we reported that oxidative stress in male transgenic mice that expressed hepatitis C virus polyprotein (HCVTgM) caused hepatic iron accumulation by reducing hepcidin transcription, thereby leading to HCC development. This study investigated whether long-term treatment with BCAA reduced hepatic iron accumulation and oxidative stress in iron-overloaded HCVTgM and in patients with HCV-related advanced fibrosis. Methods Male HCVTgM were fed an excess-iron diet that comprised either casein or 3.0% BCAA, or a control diet, for 6 months. Results For HCVTgM, BCAA supplementation increased the serum hepcidin-25 levels and antioxidant status [ratio of biological antioxidant potential (BAP) relative to derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (dROM)], decreased the hepatic iron contents, attenuated reactive oxygen species generation, and restored mitochondrial superoxide dismutase expression and mitochondrial complex I activity in the liver compared with mice fed the control diet. After 48 weeks of BCAA supplementation in patients with HCV-related advanced fibrosis, BAP/dROM and serum hepcidin-25 increased and serum ferritin decreased compared with the pretreatment levels. Conclusions BCAA supplementation reduced oxidative stress by restoring mitochondrial function and improved iron metabolism by increasing hepcidin-25 in both iron-overloaded HCVTgM and patients with HCV-related advanced fibrosis. These activities of BCAA may partially account for their inhibitory effects on HCC development in cirrhosis patients. PMID:25156780

Social buffering by God: prayer and measures of stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Belding, Jennifer N; Howard, Malcolm G; McGuire, Anne M; Schwartz, Amanda C; Wilson, Janie H

2010-06-01

Social buffering is characterized by attenuation of stress in the presence of others, with supportive individuals providing superior buffering. We were interested in learning if the implied presence of a supportive entity, God, would reduce acute stress. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: prayer, encouraging self-talk, and control. They were subsequently placed in a stressful situation. Self ratings of stress were lower among the prayer and self-talk conditions relative to controls. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures only among those who prayed were lower than controls; however, prayer and self-talk did not differ. Prayer alone did not significantly reduce stress, perhaps because the majority of students in the prayer condition did not consider reading a prayer to constitute praying.

Clinical significance of stress-related increase in blood pressure: current evidence in office and out-of-office settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Munakata, Masanori

2018-05-29

High blood pressure is the most significant risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases worldwide. Blood pressure and its variability are recognized as risk factors. Thus, hypertension control should focus not only on maintaining optimal levels but also on achieving less variability in blood pressure. Psychosocial stress is known to contribute to the development and worsening of hypertension. Stress is perceived by the brain and induces neuroendocrine responses in either a rapid or long-term manner. Moreover, endothelial dysfunction and inflammation might be further involved in the modulation of blood pressure elevation associated with stress. White-coat hypertension, defined as high clinic blood pressure but normal out-of-office blood pressure, is the most popular stress-related blood pressure response. Careful follow-up is necessary for this type of hypertensive patients because some show organ damage or a worse prognosis. On the other hand, masked hypertension, defined as high out-of-office blood pressure but normal office blood pressure, has received considerable interest as a poor prognostic condition. The cause of masked hypertension is complex, but evidence suggests that chronic stress at the workplace or home could be involved. Chronic psychological stress could be associated with distorted lifestyle and mental distress as well as long-lasting allostatic load, contributing to the maintenance of blood pressure elevation. Stress issues are common in patients in modern society. Considering psychosocial stress as the pathogenesis of blood pressure elevation is useful for achieving an individual-focused approach and 24-h blood pressure control.

Pea p68, a DEAD-box helicase, provides salinity stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis machinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuteja, Narendra; Banu, Mst Sufara Akhter; Huda, Kazi Md Kamrul; Gill, Sarvajeet Singh; Jain, Parul; Pham, Xuan Hoi; Tuteja, Renu

2014-01-01

The DEAD-box helicases are required mostly in all aspects of RNA and DNA metabolism and they play a significant role in various abiotic stresses, including salinity. The p68 is an important member of the DEAD-box proteins family and, in animal system, it is involved in RNA metabolism including pre-RNA processing and splicing. In plant system, it has not been well characterized. Here we report the cloning and characterization of p68 from pea (Pisum sativum) and its novel function in salinity stress tolerance in plant. The pea p68 protein self-interacts and is localized in the cytosol as well as the surrounding of cell nucleus. The transcript of pea p68 is upregulated in response to high salinity stress in pea. Overexpression of p68 driven by constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus-35S promoter in tobacco transgenic plants confers enhanced tolerances to salinity stress by improving the growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant machinery. Under stress treatment, pea p68 overexpressing tobacco accumulated higher K+ and lower Na+ level than the wild-type plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was remarkably regulated by the overexpression of pea p68 under salinity stress conditions, as shown from TBARS content, electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide accumulation and 8-OHdG content and antioxidant enzyme activities. To the best of our knowledge this is the first direct report, which provides the novel function of pea p68 helicase in salinity stress tolerance. The results suggest that p68 can also be exploited for engineering abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants of economic importance.

Organisational intervention to reduce occupational stress and turnover in hospital nurses in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rickard, Greg; Lenthall, Sue; Dollard, Maureen; Opie, Tessa; Knight, Sabina; Dunn, Sandra; Wakerman, John; MacLeod, Martha; Seller, Jo; Brewster-Webb, Denise

2012-01-01

To evaluate the impact of an organisational intervention aimed to reduce occupational stress and turnover rates of 55% in hospital nurses. The evaluation used a pre- and post-intervention design, triangulating data from surveys and archival information. Two public hospitals (H1 and H2) in the Northern Territory (NT) Australia participated in the intervention. 484 nurses from the two NT hospitals (H1, Wave 1, N = 103, Wave 2, N = 173; H2, Wave 1, N = 75, Wave 2, N = 133) responded to questionnaires administered in 2008 and in 2010. The intervention included strategies such as the development and implementation of a nursing workload tool to assess nurse workloads, roster audits, increased numbers of nursing personnel to address shortfall, increased access to clinical supervision and support for graduates, increased access to professional development including postgraduate and short courses, and a recruitment campaign for new graduates and continuing employees. We used an extended Job Demand-Resources framework to evaluate the intervention and 17 evaluation indicators canvassing psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, work engagement, job satisfaction, job demands, job resources, and system factors such as psychosocial safety climate. Turnover rates were obtained from archival data. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in psychological distress and emotional exhaustion and a significant improvement in job satisfaction, across both hospitals, and a reduction in turnover in H2 from 2008 and 2010. Evidence suggests that the intervention led to significant improvements in system capacity (adaptability, communication) in combination with a reduction in job demands in both hospitals, and an increase in resources (supervisor and coworker support, and job control) particularly in H1. The research addresses a gap in the theoretical and intervention literature regarding system/organisation level approaches to occupational stress. The approach was very successful

Physiological and biochemical responses of Hibiscus sabdariffa to drought stress in the presence of salicylic acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzieh Mirshekari

2017-08-01

Salicylic acid (SA is one of the important signal molecules, which modulates plant responses to environmental stress. In the present work, impact of exogenous SA on some physiological and biochemical traits of Hibiscus sabdariffa in response to drought stress was studied. Hibiscus sabdariffa seedlings were exposed to six drought levels (0, -0.05, -0.1, -0.5, -0.75, and 1 MPa with two SA concentrations (0 and 500 µM in 5 days intervals up to 20 days in a factorial design. During drought stress period, the root and shoot growth, relative water content, pigments content, non-reducing sugar and starch content was significantly decreased. SA treatment cause prevention of the growth reduction and improvement of relative water content. Protein concentration was roughly unchanged during drought stress with SA, while, reducing sugars accumulates and non-reducing sugars and starch significantly decreases. The results show that exogenous SA application on leaves during drought stress can ameliorate detrimental effects of stress through reducing water loss and accumulating reducing sugars, which cause preserving turgor pressure of the cells.

Neonatal stress tempers vulnerability of acute stress response in adult socially isolated rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariangela Serra

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Adverse experiences occurred in early life and especially during childhood and adolescence can have negative impact on behavior later in life and the quality of maternal care is considered a critical moment that can considerably influence the development and the stress responsiveness in offspring. This review will assess how the association between neonatal and adolescence stressful experiences such as maternal separation and social isolation, at weaning, may influence the stress responsiveness and brain plasticity in adult rats. Three hours of separation from the pups (3-14 postnatal days significantly increased frequencies of maternal arched-back nursing and licking-grooming by dams across the first 14 days postpartum and induced a long-lasting increase in their blood levels of corticosterone. Maternal separation, which per sedid not modified brain and plasma allopregnanolone and corticosterone levels in adult rats, significantly reduced social isolation-induced decrease of the levels of these hormones. Moreover, the enhancement of corticosterone and allopregnanolone levels induced by foot shock stress in socially isolated animals that were exposed to maternal separation was markedly reduced respect to that observed in socially isolated animals. Our results suggest that in rats a daily brief separation from the mother during the first weeks of life, which per se did not substantially alter adult function and reactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis, elicited a significant protection versus the subsequent long-term stressful experience such that induced by social isolation from weaning. Proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Neonatology · Cagliari (Italy · October 22nd-25th, 2014 · The last ten years, the next ten years in NeonatologyGuest Editors: Vassilios Fanos, Michele Mussap, Gavino Faa, Apostolos Papageorgiou

Corrigendum to "Acute and repeated exposure to social stress reduces gut microbiota diversity in Syrian hamsters" [Behav. Brain Res. 345 (2018) 39-48].

Science.gov (United States)

Partrick, Katherine A; Chassaing, Benoit; Beach, Linda Q; McCann, Katharine E; Gewirtz, Andrew T; Huhman, Kim L

2018-08-01

Social stress can promote a variety of neuropsychiatric illnesses, many of which have a high co-morbidity with gastrointestinal disorders. Recent data indicate that gastrointestinal microbiota can affect their host's brain and behavior. Syrian hamsters are ideal subjects for social stress research because they are territorial, aggressive, and rapidly form dominant/subordinate relationships. The purpose of this study was to determine if exposure to social stress in hamsters alters gut microbiota in dominants and subordinates after an agonistic encounter and if pre-stress gut microbiota composition is correlated with the outcome of such a conflict. Microbiota composition was assessed via 16S mRNA Illumina sequencing on fecal samples. One agonistic encounter caused a decrease in alpha diversity in both dominant and subordinate animals with a more pronounced decrease after repeated encounters. PERMANOVA analysis of the unweighted unifrac distance revealed a distinct change in beta diversity after one and nine encounters in both dominants and subordinates. Linear discriminant analysis (LEfSE) showed bacteria from the order Lactobacillales were significantly reduced following social stress in both dominants and subordinates, and both groups exhibited increases in phyla Bacteroidetes and decreases in phyla Firmicutes following repeated encounters. LEfSE analysis on samples collected prior to social interaction revealed that some microbial taxa were correlated with a hamster achieving dominant or subordinate status. These data suggest that even an acute exposure to social stress can impact gastrointestinal microbiota and that the state of the microbial community before social stress may predict dominant/subordinate status following a subsequent agonistic encounter. Copyright © 2018.

Assessment of Workplace Stress: Occupational Stress, Its Consequences, and Common Causes of Teacher Stress.

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Hansen, Jo-Ida; Sullivan, Brandon A.

This chapter introduces teachers and other education professionals to the assessment of occupational stress. It begins with a brief discussion of what occupational stress is, and overview of the consequences of prolonged stress, and a review of the common causes of teacher stress. Next, it presents methods for reducing occupational stress through…

Improving bending stress in spur gears using asymmetric gears and shape optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Leergaard

2010-01-01

Bending stress plays a significant role in gear design wherein its magnitude is controlled by the nominal bending stress and the stress concentration due to the geometrical shape. The bending stress is indirectly related to shape changes made to the cutting tool. This work shows that the bending...... stress can be reduced significantly by using asymmetric gear teeth and by shape optimizing the gear through changes made to the tool geometry. However, to obtain the largest possible stress reduction a custom tool must be designed depending on the number of teeth, but the stress reductions found...

The dtudy of physiological and biochemical responses of Agrostis stolonifera and Festuca arundinacea Schreb. under drought stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Hassan Alibiglouei

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Drought stress is a main limiting factor of turfgrass growth in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, in this study, the physiological and biochemical changes in two turfgrass species Agrostis stolonifera and Festuca arundinacea schreb during drought stress (70-75 centibar in a 40-day period and recovery were investigated. Control plants during drought stress were regularly irrigated at soil field capacity (20-25 centibar. The results showed that leaf relative water content and leaf chlorophyll content with long-term stress decreased. Electrolyte leakage and proline during drought stress significantly increased and in recovery stage, the level of electrolyte leakage and proline reached to the control. The activity of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in two turfgrass significantly increased after 30 days and then significantly reduced. In F. arundinacea schreb the activity of ascorbat peroxidase after 20 days significantly increased and then significantly reduced. Also, in F. arundinacea schreb species the activity of catalase increased during drought stress and in recovery stage the activity of catalase reduced. In studied species during drought stress and recovery stage, the activity of ascorbat peroxidase and catalase significantly increased compared to the control. These results suggested that the resistant species F. arundinacea schreb, under drought stress had a low level of electrolyte leakage, higher level of relative water content and chlorophyll destruction was less than A. stolonifera.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis Is Associated with Significant Oxidative Stress

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S. Kaur

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Research has confirmed the involvement of oxidative stress (OxS in allergic contact dermatitis whilst other inflammation-related biomarkers have been less studied. Objective. To evaluate systemic levels of selected inflammatory markers, OxS indices and adipokines as well as their associations in allergic contact dermatitis. Methods. In 40 patients, interleukin- (IL- 6, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1, and IL-10 levels were measured in sera with the Evidence Investigator Cytokine & Growth factors High-Sensitivity Array, total peroxide concentration (TPX and total antioxidant capacity (TAC by means of spectrophotometry, and the plasma concentrations of adiponectin and leptin by the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. Results. TNF-α level (P < 0.01 and TPX (P < 0.0001 were increased whilst IL-10 (P < 0.05 and TAC (P < 0.0001 were decreased in the patients as compared to controls. Correlation and multiple linear regression analysis identified both, TPX and TAC (inversely, as possible independent markers for evaluating allergic contact dermatitis. Adiponectin level in patients was increased (P < 0.0001, but neither adiponectin nor leptin correlated significantly with the biomarkers of inflammation or OxS. Conclusion. OxS parameters, especially TPX and OSI, reflect the degree of systemic inflammation associated with allergic contact dermatitis in the best way. The relation between OxS and adiponectin level warrants further studies.

Exposure of natural rubber to personal lubricants--swelling and stress relaxation as potential indicators of reduced seal integrity of non-lubricated male condoms.

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Sarkar Das, Srilekha; Coburn, James C; Tack, Charles; Schwerin, Matthew R; Richardson, D Coleman

2014-07-01

Male condoms act as mechanical barriers to prevent passage of body fluids. For effective use of condoms the mechanical seal is also expected to remain intact under reasonable use conditions, including with personal lubricants. Absorption of low molecular weight lubricant components into the material of male condoms may initiate material changes leading to swelling and stress relaxation of the polymer network chains that could affect performance of the sealing function of the device. Swelling indicates both a rubber-solvent interaction and stress relaxation, the latter of which may indicate and/or result in a reduced seal pressure in the current context. Swelling and stress relaxation of natural rubber latex condoms were assessed in a laboratory model in the presence of silicone-, glycol-, and water-based lubricants. Within 15 minutes, significant swelling (≥6 %) and stress reduction (≥12 %) of condoms were observed with 2 out of 4 silicone-based lubricants tested, but neither was observed with glycol- or water-based lubricants tested. Under a given strain, reduction in stress was prominent during the swelling processes, but not after the process was complete. Lubricant induced swelling and stress relaxation may loosen the circumferential stress responsible for the mechanical seal. Swelling and stress relaxation behavior of latex condoms in the presence of personal lubricants may be useful tests to identify lubricant-rooted changes in condom-materials. For non-lubricated latex condoms, material characteristics--which are relevant to failure--may change in the presence of a few silicone-based personal lubricants. These changes may in turn induce a loss of condom seal during use, specifically at low strain conditions. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Elastic/plastic analyses of advanced composites investigating the use of the compliant layer concept in reducing residual stresses resulting from processing

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Steven M.; Arya, Vinod K.; Melis, Matthew E.

1990-01-01

High residual stresses within intermetallic and metal matrix composite systems can develop upon cooling from the processing temperature to room temperature due to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the fiber and matrix. As a result, within certain composite systems, radial, circumferential, and/or longitudinal cracks have been observed to form at the fiber-matrix interface. The compliant layer concept (insertion of a compensating interface material between the fiber and matrix) was proposed to reduce or eliminate the residual stress buildup during cooling and thus minimize cracking. The viability of the proposed compliant layer concept is investigated both elastically and elastoplastically. A detailed parametric study was conducted using a unit cell model consisting of three concentric cylinders to determine the required character (i.e., thickness and material properties) of the compliant layer as well as its applicability. The unknown compliant layer mechanical properties were expressed as ratios of the corresponding temperature dependent Ti-24Al-11Nb (a/o) matrix properties. The fiber properties taken were those corresponding to SCS-6 (SiC). Results indicate that the compliant layer can be used to reduce, if not eliminate, radial and circumferential residual stresses within the fiber and matrix and therefore also reduce or eliminate the radial cracking. However, with this decrease in in-plane stresses, one obtains an increase in longitudinal stress, thus potentially initiating longitudinal cracking. Guidelines are given for the selection of a specific compliant material, given a perfectly bonded system.

Effects of chocolate intake on Perceived Stress; a Controlled Clinical Study.

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Al Sunni, Ahmed; Latif, Rabia

2014-10-01

Cocoa polyphenols have been shown to reduce stress in highly stressed, as well as normal healthy individuals, we wondered whether commercially available chocolate could reduce perceived stress in medical students or not, so we decided to conduct this study. Sixty students were divided into 3 groups (10 males + 10 females/group): i) Dark chocolate (DC) ii) Milk chocolate (MC) iii) White chocolate (WC). Subjects answered a PSS-10 (Perceived Stress Scale) questionnaire at baseline and after consumption of chocolate (40 g/day) for 2 weeks. Data were analyzed by using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 20. Descriptive analyses were conducted. Means were compared across the study groups by One-Way ANOVA and within the same group by paired 't' test. Mean stress scores compared between the groups by ANOVA revealed statistically not significant differences before (F =0.505; P=0.606) and after chocolate consumption (F=0.188; P=0.829). Paired 't' test compared stress scores means before and after chocolate supplementation within the same group and exhibited statistically significant decrease in DC (t = 2.341; p value = 0.03) and MC (t = 3.302; p value = 0.004) groups. Mean stress scores decreased, on average, by approximately 2 and 3 points in DC and MC groups, respectively, at 95% Confidence Interval. The difference was more evident and statistically significant in female students as compared to the males. Consumption of 40 g of Dark and Milk chocolate daily during a period of 2 weeks appear to be an effective way to reduce perceived stress in females.

Defibrillator charging before rhythm analysis significantly reduces hands-off time during resuscitation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, L. K.; Folkestad, L.; Brabrand, M.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to reduce hands-off time during cardiopulmonary resuscitation as increased hands-off time leads to higher mortality. METHODS: The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) 2005 and ERC 2010 guidelines were compared with an alternative sequence (ALT). Pulseless ventricular...... physicians were included. All had prior experience in advanced life support. Chest compressions were shorter interrupted using ALT (mean, 6.7 vs 13.0 seconds). Analyzing data for ventricular tachycardia scenarios only, hands-off time was shorter using ALT (mean, 7.1 vs 18.2 seconds). In ERC 2010 vs ALT, 12...... physicians were included. Two physicians had not prior experience in advanced life support. Hands-off time was reduced using ALT (mean, 3.9 vs 5.6 seconds). Looking solely at ventricular tachycardia scenarios, hands-off time was shortened using ALT (mean, 4.5 vs 7.6 seconds). No significant reduction...

Interior design for ambulatory care facilities: how to reduce stress and anxiety in patients and families.

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Frasca-Beaulieu, K

1999-01-01

The following article illustrates some important factors to consider when designing ambulatory care facilities (ACFs), and focuses on how wayfinding, noise control, privacy, security, color and lighting, general ambience, textures, and nature can have a profound influence on patient and family stress, consumer satisfaction, health and well-being. Other important design issues: convenience and accessibility, accommodation to various populations, consumer and family focus, patient education, image, as well as current equipment needs and future growth are examined in light of the prevailing trends in health care delivery. In sum, this feature explores the important stress-reducing and health-promoting elements involved in successful ACF design.

Stress coping strategies in hearing-impaired students

OpenAIRE

Bahman Akbari; Zohreh Teymori; Shahnam Abolghasemi; Hamidreza Khorshidiyan

2013-01-01

Background and Aim: The majority of people experience problems and stressors, such as job layoffs and illnesses during their lives. However, the way people cope with stress varies. According to previous research, use of effective coping strategies can significantly reduce stress and tension. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of stress coping strategies on hearing-impaired students.Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test, and control...

Modified single prolonged stress reduces cocaine self-administration during acquisition regardless of rearing environment.

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Hofford, Rebecca S; Prendergast, Mark A; Bardo, Michael T

2018-02-15

Until recently, there were few rodent models available to study the interaction of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug taking. Like PTSD, single prolonged stress (SPS) produces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction and alters psychostimulant self-administration. Other stressors, such as isolation stress, also alter psychostimulant self-administration. However, it is currently unknown if isolation housing combined with SPS can alter the acquisition or maintenance of cocaine self-administration. The current study applied modified SPS (modSPS; two hours restraint immediately followed by cold swim stress) to rats raised in an isolation condition (Iso), enrichment condition (Enr), or standard condition (Std) to measure changes in cocaine self-administration and HPA markers. Regardless of rearing condition, rats exposed to modSPS had greater corticosterone (CORT) release and reduced cocaine self-administration during initial acquisition compared to non-stressed controls. In addition, during initial acquisition, rats that received both Iso rearing and modSPS showed a more rapid increase in cocaine self-administration across sessions compared to Enr and Std rats exposed to modSPS. Following initial acquisition, a dose response analysis showed that Iso rats were overall most sensitive to changes in cocaine unit dose; however, modSPS had no effect on the cocaine dose response curve. Further, there was no effect of either modSPS or differential rearing on expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in hypothalamus, medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, or nucleus accumbens. By using modSPS in combination with Iso housing, this study identified unique contributions of each stressor to acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The shape of change in perceived stress, negative affect, and stress sensitivity during mindfulness based stress reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snippe, E.; Dziak, J.J.; Lanza, S.T.; Nyklicek, I.; Wichers, M.

2017-01-01

Both daily stress and the tendency to react to stress with heightened levels of negative affect (i.e., stress sensitivity) are important vulnerability factors for adverse mental health outcomes. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may help to reduce perceived daily stress and stress

The Shape of Change in Perceived Stress, Negative Affect, and Stress Sensitivity During Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snippe, Evelien; Dziak, John J.; Lanza, Stephanie T.; Nykliek, Ivan; Wichers, Marieke

Both daily stress and the tendency to react to stress with heightened levels of negative affect (i.e., stress sensitivity) are important vulnerability factors for adverse mental health outcomes. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may help to reduce perceived daily stress and stress

Pea p68, a DEAD-box helicase, provides salinity stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis machinery.

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Narendra Tuteja

Full Text Available The DEAD-box helicases are required mostly in all aspects of RNA and DNA metabolism and they play a significant role in various abiotic stresses, including salinity. The p68 is an important member of the DEAD-box proteins family and, in animal system, it is involved in RNA metabolism including pre-RNA processing and splicing. In plant system, it has not been well characterized. Here we report the cloning and characterization of p68 from pea (Pisum sativum and its novel function in salinity stress tolerance in plant.The pea p68 protein self-interacts and is localized in the cytosol as well as the surrounding of cell nucleus. The transcript of pea p68 is upregulated in response to high salinity stress in pea. Overexpression of p68 driven by constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus-35S promoter in tobacco transgenic plants confers enhanced tolerances to salinity stress by improving the growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant machinery. Under stress treatment, pea p68 overexpressing tobacco accumulated higher K+ and lower Na+ level than the wild-type plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS accumulation was remarkably regulated by the overexpression of pea p68 under salinity stress conditions, as shown from TBARS content, electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide accumulation and 8-OHdG content and antioxidant enzyme activities.To the best of our knowledge this is the first direct report, which provides the novel function of pea p68 helicase in salinity stress tolerance. The results suggest that p68 can also be exploited for engineering abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants of economic importance.

Bio-Energy during Finals: Stress Reduction for a University Community.

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Running, Alice; Hildreth, Laura

2016-01-01

To re-examine the effectiveness of a bio-energy intervention on self-reported stress for a convenience sample of university students during dead week, a quasi-experimental, single-group pretest-posttest design was used. Thirty-three students participated, serving as their own controls. After participants had consented, a 15-min Healing Touch intervention followed enrollment. Self-reported stress was significantly reduced after the bio-energy (Healing Touch) intervention. Bio-energy therapy has shown to be beneficial in reducing stress for students during dead week, the week before final examinations. Further research is needed.

The fracture mechanical significance of cracks formed during stress-relief annealing of a submerged arc weldment in pressure vessel steel of type A508 class 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liljestrand, L.-G.; Oestberg, G.

1978-01-01

In large weldments of type A508 C12 cracks can form in the heat-affected zone during stress-relief annealing. The significance of such cracks with respect to catastrophic fracture is of interest from the point of view of safety, in particular for nuclear pressure vessels. In this investigation the size of reheat cracks, as formed and after fatigue growth, has been compared with the critical size for fast fracture. The latter was assessed by determination of the toughness of the heat-affected zones. The fracture toughness of the heat-affected zones did not differ much from that of the parent material. The presence of microcracks reduced the fracture toughness (of a special type of simulated specimen) at 20 0 C by about 20%. The fracture mechanical evaluation indicates that the cracks formed during stress-relief annealing should not impair the safety of the vessel under normal conditions, except for particular geometries and when the cracks may rapidly link together during fatigue. (author)

Coregulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in neuropathic pain and disinhibition of the spinal nociceptive circuitry.

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Ge, Yanhu; Jiao, Yingfu; Li, Peiying; Xiang, Zhenghua; Li, Zhi; Wang, Long; Li, Wenqian; Gao, Hao; Shao, Jiayun; Wen, Daxiang; Yu, Weifeng

2018-05-01

The accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen leads to ER stress, which is related to cellular reactive oxygen species production. Neuropathic pain may result from spinal dorsal horn (SDH) ER stress. In this study, we examined the cause-effect relationship between ER stress and neuropathic pain using the spinal nerve ligation (SNL) rat model. We showed that ER stress was mutually promotive with oxidative stress during the process. We also tested the hypothesis that spinal sensitization arose from reduced activities of GABA-ergic interneurons and that spinal sensitization was mediated by SDH ER stress. Other important findings in this study including the following: (1) nociceptive behavior was alleviated in SNL rat as long as tauroursodeoxycholic acid injections were repeated to inhibit ER stress; (2) inducing SDH ER stress in healthy rat resulted in mechanical hyperalgesia; (3) blocking protein disulfide isomerase pharmacologically reduced ER stress and nociceptive behavior in SNL rat; (4) cells in the dorsal horn with elevated ER stress were mainly neurons; and (5) whole-cell recordings made in slide preparations revealed significant inhibition of GABA-ergic interneuron activity in the dorsal horn with ER stress vs in the healthy dorsal horn. Taken together, results of the current study demonstrate that coregulation of ER stress and oxidative stress played an important role in neuropathic pain process. Inhibiting SDH ER stress could be a potential novel strategy to manage neuropathic pain.

Vernonia cinerea Less. supplementation and strenuous exercise reduce smoking rate: relation to oxidative stress status and beta-endorphin release in active smokers

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Yankai Araya

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Vernonia cinerea Less. (VC supplementation and exercise on oxidative stress biomarkers, beta-endorphin release, and the rate of cigarette smoking. Methods Volunteer smokers were randomly divided into four groups: group 1: VC supplement; group 2: exercise with VC supplement; group 3: exercise; and group 4: control. VC was prepared by wash and dry techniques and taken orally before smoking, matching the frequency of strenuous exercise (three times weekly. Before and after a two month period, exhaled carbon monoxide (CO, blood oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NOx], protein hydroperoxide [PrOOH] and total antioxidant capacity [TAC], beta-endorphin and smoking rate were measured, and statistically analyzed. Results In Group 1, MDA, PrOOH, and NOx significantly decreased, whereas TAC increased (p 0.05. In Group 3, MDA, PrOOH, NOx, TAC, and beta-endorphin levels increased significantly (p 0.05. All groups had lower levels of CO after the intervention. The smoking rate for light cigarette decreased in group 2(62.7%, 1(59.52%, 3 (53.57% and 4(14.04%, whereas in self-rolled cigarettes it decreased in group 1 (54.47%, 3 (42.30%, 2 (40% and 4 (9.2%. Conclusion Supplementation with Vernonia cinerea Less and exercise provided benefit related to reduced smoking rate, which may be related to oxidaive stress and beta-endorphine levels.

Stress and Recovery during Simulated Microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolas, Michel

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a 60-day head-down tilt long-term bed rest (HDT) on stress and recovery in sixteen healthy female volunteers during the WISE-2005 study (Women International Space Simulation for Exploration). Participants were randomly assigned to either an exercise group (Exe) that followed a training program combining resistive and aerobic exercises, or to a no-exercise control group (Ctl). Psychological states were assessed using the Rest-Q, a validated questionnaire based on stress-recovery responses. A longitudinal analysis revealed significant changes in the general and specific stress scales for all participants throughout the experiment with a critical stage from supine to standing posture leading to a significant decrease in physical recovery. During HDT, Exe reported higher scores in stress subscales, as well as lower recovery scores compared to the Ctl. During the post HDT ambulatory recovery period, the exercisers still reported higher scores than the non-exercisers on the Lack of energy stress related scale, along with lower scores in general well-being and personal accomplishment. The present findings show that simulated weightlessness such as HDT may induce psychological stress and lead to subsequent alterations in perceived recovery. Exercise did not reduce HDT impaired effects on stress and recovery states. In the perspective of spaceflights of long-duration such as the future missions to Mars, there is a need for additional experiments to further investigate spaceflight-induced changes of stress and recovery parameters and the effects of exercise on these parameters. Further studies might determine and analyze the psychological factors involved, but also how to intervene concerning these factors with efficient psychological preparation which, although not yet fully investigated, may reduce stress, promote recovery and support adaptive responses to such extreme environments.

Good stress, bad stress and oxidative stress: insights from anticipatory cortisol reactivity.

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Aschbacher, Kirstin; O'Donovan, Aoife; Wolkowitz, Owen M; Dhabhar, Firdaus S; Su, Yali; Epel, Elissa

2013-09-01

Chronic psychological stress appears to accelerate biological aging, and oxidative damage is an important potential mediator of this process. However, the mechanisms by which psychological stress promotes oxidative damage are poorly understood. This study investigates the theory that cortisol increases in response to an acutely stressful event have the potential to either enhance or undermine psychobiological resilience to oxidative damage, depending on the body's prior exposure to chronic psychological stress. In order to achieve a range of chronic stress exposure, forty-eight post-menopausal women were recruited in a case-control design that matched women caring for spouses with dementia (a chronic stress model) with similarly aged control women whose spouses were healthy. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing perceived stress over the previous month and provided fasting blood. Three markers of oxidative damage were assessed: 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2α) (IsoP), lipid peroxidation, 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-oxoG) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), reflecting oxidative damage to RNA/DNA respectively. Within approximately one week, participants completed a standardized acute laboratory stress task while salivary cortisol responses were measured. The increase from 0 to 30 min was defined as "peak" cortisol reactivity, while the increase from 0 to 15 min was defined as "anticipatory" cortisol reactivity, representing a cortisol response that began while preparing for the stress task. Women under chronic stress had higher 8-oxoG, oxidative damage to RNA (pstress and elevated oxidative stress damage, but only among women under chronic stress. Consistent with this model, bootstrapped path analysis found significant indirect paths from perceived stress to 8-oxoG and IsoP (but not 8-OHdG) via anticipatory cortisol reactivity, showing the expected relations among chronically stressed participants (p≤.01) Intriguingly, among those with low chronic stress

Sodium-Reduced Meat and Poultry Products Contain a Significant Amount of Potassium from Food Additives.

Science.gov (United States)

Parpia, Arti Sharma; Goldstein, Marc B; Arcand, JoAnne; Cho, France; L'Abbé, Mary R; Darling, Pauline B

2018-05-01

counterparts (mean difference [95% CI]: 486 [334-638]; Padditives appearing on the product label ingredient list, did not significantly differ between the two groups. Potassium additives are frequently added to sodium-reduced MPPs in amounts that significantly contribute to the potassium load for patients with impaired renal handling of potassium caused by chronic kidney disease and certain medications. Patients requiring potassium restriction should be counseled to be cautious regarding the potassium content of sodium-reduced MPPs and encouraged to make food choices accordingly. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Photobiomodulation Leads to Reduced Oxidative Stress in Rats Submitted to High-Intensity Resistive Exercise

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Helenita Antonia de Oliveira

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine whether oxidative stress markers are influenced by low-intensity laser therapy (LLLT in rats subjected to a high-intensity resistive exercise session (RE. Female Wistar rats divided into three experimental groups (Ctr: control, 4J: LLLT, and RE and subdivided based on the sampling times (instantly or 24 h postexercise underwent irradiation with LLLT using three-point transcutaneous method on the hind legs, which was applied to the gastrocnemius muscle at the distal, medial, and proximal points. Laser (4J or placebo (device off were carried out 60 sec prior to RE that consisted of four climbs bearing the maximum load with a 2 min time interval between each climb. Lipoperoxidation levels and antioxidant capacity were obtained in muscle. Lipoperoxidation levels were increased (4-HNE and CL markers instantly post-RE. LLLT prior to RE avoided the increase of the lipid peroxidation levels. Similar results were also notified for oxidation protein assays. The GPx and FRAP activities did not reduce instantly or 24 h after RE. SOD increased 24 h after RE, while CAT activity did not change with RE or LLLT. In conclusion, LLLT prior to RE reduced the oxidative stress markers, as well as, avoided reduction, and still increased the antioxidant capacity.

Does spending time outdoors reduce stress? A review of real-time stress response to outdoor environments

Science.gov (United States)

Michelle C. Kondo; Sara F. Jacoby; Eugenia C. South

2018-01-01

Everyday environmental conditions impact human health. One mechanism underlying this relationship is the experience of stress. Through systematic review of published literature, we explore how stress has been measured in real-time non-laboratory studies of stress responses to deliberate exposure to outdoor environments. The types of exposures evaluated in this review...

History of chronic stress modifies acute stress-evoked fear memory and acoustic startle in male rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmeltzer, Sarah N; Vollmer, Lauren L; Rush, Jennifer E; Weinert, Mychal; Dolgas, Charles M; Sah, Renu

2015-01-01

Chronicity of trauma exposure plays an important role in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thus, exposure to multiple traumas on a chronic scale leads to worse outcomes than acute events. The rationale for the current study was to investigate the effects of a single adverse event versus the same event on a background of chronic stress. We hypothesized that a history of chronic stress would lead to worse behavioral outcomes than a single event alone. Male rats (n = 14/group) were exposed to either a single traumatic event in the form of electric foot shocks (acute shock, AS), or to footshocks on a background of chronic stress (chronic variable stress-shock, CVS-S). PTSD-relevant behaviors (fear memory and acoustic startle responses) were measured following 7 d recovery. In line with our hypothesis, CVS-S elicited significant increases in fear acquisition and conditioning versus the AS group. Unexpectedly, CVS-S elicited reduced startle reactivity to an acoustic stimulus in comparison with the AS group. Significant increase in FosB/ΔFosB-like immunostaining was observed in the dentate gyrus, basolateral amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex of CVS-S rats. Assessments of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a stress-regulatory transmitter associated with chronic PTSD, revealed selective reduction in the hippocampus of CVS-S rats. Collectively, our data show that cumulative stress potentiates delayed fear memory and impacts defensive responding. Altered neuronal activation in forebrain limbic regions and reduced NPY may contribute to these phenomena. Our preclinical studies support clinical findings reporting worse PTSD outcomes stemming from cumulative traumatization in contrast to acute trauma.

Determination of oxidative stress in wheat leaves as influenced by boron toxicity and NaCl stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Masood, Sajid; Saleh, Livia; Witzel, Katja; Plieth, Christoph; Mühling, Karl H

2012-07-01

Boron (B) toxicity symptoms are visible in the form of necrotic spots and may worsen the oxidative stress caused by salinity. Hence, the interactive effects of combined salinity and B toxicity stress on antioxidative activities (TAC, LUPO, SOSA, CAT, and GR) were investigated by novel luminescence assays and standard photometric procedures. Wheat plants grown under hydroponic conditions were treated with 2.5 μM H₃BO₃ (control), 75 mM NaCl, 200 μM H₃BO₃, or 75 mM NaCl + 200 μM H₃BO₃, and analysed 6 weeks after germination. Shoot fresh weight (FW), shoot dry weight (DW), and relative water content (RWC) were significantly reduced, whereas the antioxidative activity of all enzymes was increased under salinity compared with the control. High B application led to necrotic leaf spots but did not influence growth parameters. Following NaCl + B treatment, shoot DW, RWC, SOSA, GR, and CAT activities remained the same compared with NaCl alone, whereas the TAC and LUPO activities were increased under the combined stress compared with NaCl alone. However, shoot FW was significantly reduced under NaCl + B compared with NaCl alone, as an additive effect of combined stress. Thus, we found an adjustment of antioxidative enzyme activity to the interactive effects of NaCl and high B. The stress factor "salt" mainly produced more oxidative stress than that of the factor "high B". Furthermore, addition of higher B in the presence of NaCl increases TAC and LUPO demonstrating that increased LUPO activity is an important physiological response in wheat plants against multiple stresses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The integration of studio cycling into a worksite stress management programme.

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Clark, Matthew M; Soyring, Jason E; Jenkins, Sarah M; Daniels, Denise C; Berkland, Bridget E; Werneburg, Brooke L; Hagen, Philip T; Lopez-Jimenez, Francisco; Warren, Beth A; Olsen, Kerry D

2014-04-01

High stress is a prevalent problem in the worksite. To reduce stress, improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and lower healthcare costs, many companies offer exercise classes or stress management programmes. Although physical activity is an important component of stress management, few worksites have integrated physical activity into their comprehensive stress reduction programmes. The purpose of this single-arm pilot project was to examine the potential effectiveness of an integrated exercise (studio cycling) and cognitive-behavioural stress management programme. Eighty-four adults, 75% female, mostly aged 40+ years, participated in an integrated 12-week cycling studio and cognitive-behavioural stress management programme. Participants experienced a significant and clinically meaningful reduction on the Perceived Stress Scale (p manage stress at the programme's end and at a 1-month follow-up. Participants also reported having significantly improved overall health, improved nutritional habits, higher physical activity level, greater confidence in their ability to follow a healthy diet, higher spiritual well-being, improved sleep, receiving more support for maintaining healthy living and improved quality of life at the completion of the 12-week programme and 1-month follow-up. These findings provide further support for an integrated exercise and stress management programme. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Heat stress and reduced plane of nutrition decreases intestinal integrity and function in pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearce, S C; Mani, V; Weber, T E; Rhoads, R P; Patience, J F; Baumgard, L H; Gabler, N K

2013-11-01

Heat stress can compromise intestinal integrity and induce leaky gut in a variety of species. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine if heat stress (HS) directly or indirectly (via reduced feed intake) increases intestinal permeability in growing pigs. We hypothesized that an increased heat-load causes physiological alterations to the intestinal epithelium, resulting in compromised barrier integrity and altered intestinal function that contributes to the overall severity of HS-related illness. Crossbred gilts (n=48, 43±4 kg BW) were housed in constant climate controlled rooms in individual pens and exposed to 1) thermal neutral (TN) conditions (20°C, 35-50% humidity) with ad libitum intake, 2) HS conditions (35°C, 20-35% humidity) with ad libitum feed intake, or 3) pair-fed in TN conditions (PFTN) to eliminate confounding effects of dissimilar feed intake. Pigs were sacrificed at 1, 3, or 7 d of environmental exposure and jejunum samples were mounted into modified Ussing chambers for assessment of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and intestinal fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled lipopolysaccharide (LPS) permeability (expressed as apparent permeability coefficient, APP). Further, gene and protein markers of intestinal integrity and stress were assessed. Irrespective of d of HS exposure, plasma endotoxin levels increased 45% (Pwarm summer months.

A Tele-Behavioral Health Intervention to Reduce Depression, Anxiety, and Stress and Improve Diabetes Self-Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Mochari-Greenberger, Heidi; Vue, Lee; Luka, Andi; Peters, Aimee; Pande, Reena L

2016-08-01

Depression is prevalent among individuals with diabetes and associated with suboptimal self-management. Little is known about the feasibility and potential impact of tele-behavioral therapy to improve depressive symptoms and self-management among diabetes patients. This was a retrospective observational study of consecutive graduates enrolled in a national 8-week diabetes behavioral telehealth program between August 1, 2014, and January 31, 2015 (N = 466; mean age 56.8 ± 5.0 years; 56% female). Participant characteristics (demographics, comorbidities) were obtained by standardized questionnaire. Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DASS; validated Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 survey), and glucose self-testing frequency and values (point-of-care monitor) were measured at program start and completion. Changes in DASS severity and glucose self-testing frequency were assessed by chi-square tests. Changes in DASS and blood glucose levels were evaluated by paired t-tests. At baseline, approximately one in three participants had elevated depression (32%), anxiety (33%), or stress (31%) scores. Significant reductions in average DASS, depression (-8.8), anxiety (-6.9), and stress (-9.9), scores were observed at graduation among those with elevated baseline scores (p depression, anxiety, or stress categories. Improved glucose self-testing frequency (69% vs. 60% tested ≥once per week; p = 0.0005) and significant reductions in mean morning glucose levels (-12.3 mg/dL; p = 0.0002) were observed from baseline to graduation. Participants with normal versus non-normal depression scores were more likely to have lower (depression, anxiety, stress, and glucose levels, as well as increased frequency of glucose self-testing, among participants in a diabetes behavioral telehealth program.

Smaller amygdala volume and reduced anterior cingulate gray matter density associated with history of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Mark A; Yamasue, Hidenori; Abe, Osamu; Yamada, Haruyasu; Ohtani, Toshiyuki; Iwanami, Akira; Aoki, Shigeki; Kato, Nobumasa; Kasai, Kiyoto

2009-12-30

Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be seen to represent a failure to extinguish learned fear, significant aspects of the pathophysiology relevant to this hypothesis remain unknown. Both the amygdala and hippocampus are necessary for fear extinction occur, and thus both regions may be abnormal in PTSD. Twenty-five people who experienced the Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995, nine who later developed PTSD and 16 who did not, underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with manual tracing to determine bilateral amygdala and hippocampus volumes. At the time of scanning, one had PTSD and eight had a history of PTSD. Results indicated that the group with a history of PTSD had significantly smaller mean bilateral amygdala volume than did the group that did not develop PTSD. Furthermore, left amygdala volume showed a significant negative correlation with severity of PTSD symptomatology as well as reduced gray matter density in the left anterior cingulate cortex. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of an association between PTSD and amygdala volume. Furthermore the apparent interplay between amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex represents support at the level of gross brain morphology for the theory of PTSD as a failure of fear extinction.

A field test of a web-based workplace health promotion program to improve dietary practices, reduce stress, and increase physical activity: randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Royer F; Billings, Douglas W; Hersch, Rebekah K; Back, Anita S; Hendrickson, April

2007-06-19

Most work sites engage in some form of health promotion programming designed to improve worker health and reduce health care costs. Although these programs have typically been delivered through combinations of seminars and print materials, workplace health promotion programs are increasingly being delivered through the Internet. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based multimedia health promotion program for the workplace, designed to improve dietary practices, reduce stress, and increase physical activity. Using a randomized controlled trial design with pretest-posttest comparisons within each group, 419 employees of a human resources company were randomly assigned to the Web-based condition or to a condition that provided print materials on the same topics. All subjects were assessed at pretest and posttest through an online questionnaire containing multiple measures of health behavior and attitudes. The test period was 3 months. Questionnaire data were analyzed mainly by analysis of covariance and t tests. Retention rates were good for both groups-85% for the Web-based group and 87% for the print group. Subjects using the Web-based program performed significantly better than the print group on Attitudes Toward a Healthful Diet (F(1,415) = 7.104, P = .008) and Dietary Stage of Change (F(1,408) = 6.487, P = .01), but there were no significant group differences on the five other dietary measures. Both groups also showed improvement from pretest to posttest on most dietary measures, as indicated by significant t tests. Within the Web-based group, dosage analyses showed significant effects of the number of times the subject accessed the program on measures of Dietary Self-Efficacy (F(2,203) = 5.270, P = .003), Attitudes Toward a Healthful Diet (F(2,204) = 2.585, P = .045), and Dietary Stage of Change (F(2,200) = 4.627, P = .005). No significant differences were found between the two groups on measures of stress or physical

Synergetic effects of radiation stress and hot-carrier stress on the current gain of npn bipolar junction transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witczak, S.C.; Kosier, S.L.; Schrimpf, R.D.; Galloway, K.F.

1994-01-01

The combined effects of ionizing radiation and hot-carrier stress on the current gain of npn bipolar junction transistors were investigated. The analysis was carried out experimentally by examining the consequences of interchanging the order in which the two stress types were applied to identical transistors which were stressed to various levels of damage. The results indicate that the hot-carrier response of the transistor is improved by radiation damage, whereas hot-carrier damage has little effect on subsequent radiation stress. Characterization of the temporal progression of hot-carrier effects revealed that hot-carrier stress acts initially to reduce excess base current and improve current gain in irradiated transistors. PISCES simulations show that the magnitude of the peak electric-field within the emitter-base depletion region is reduced significantly by net positive oxide charges induced by radiation. The interaction of the two stress types is explained in a qualitative model based on the probability of hot-carrier injection determined by radiation damage and on the neutralization and compensation of radiation-induced positive oxide charges by injected electrons. The result imply that a bound on damage due to the combined stress types is achieved when hot-carrier stress precedes any irradiation

Impact of elevated nitrate on sulfate-reducing bacteria: A comparative study of Desulfovibrio vulgaris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Q.; He, Z.; Joyner, D.C.; Joachimiak, M.; Price, M.N.; Yang, Z.K.; Yen, H.-C. B.; Hemme, C. L.; Chen, W.; Fields, M.; Stahl, D. A.; Keasling, J. D.; Keller, M.; Arkin, A. P.; Hazen, T. C.; Wall, J. D.; Zhou, J.

2010-07-15

Sulfate-reducing bacteria have been extensively studied for their potential in heavy-metal bioremediation. However, the occurrence of elevated nitrate in contaminated environments has been shown to inhibit sulfate reduction activity. Although the inhibition has been suggested to result from the competition with nitrate-reducing bacteria, the possibility of direct inhibition of sulfate reducers by elevated nitrate needs to be explored. Using Desulfovibrio vulgaris as a model sulfate-reducing bacterium, functional genomics analysis reveals that osmotic stress contributed to growth inhibition by nitrate as shown by the upregulation of the glycine/betaine transporter genes and the relief of nitrate inhibition by osmoprotectants. The observation that significant growth inhibition was effected by 70 mM NaNO{sub 3} but not by 70 mM NaCl suggests the presence of inhibitory mechanisms in addition to osmotic stress. The differential expression of genes characteristic of nitrite stress responses, such as the hybrid cluster protein gene, under nitrate stress condition further indicates that nitrate stress response by D. vulgaris was linked to components of both osmotic and nitrite stress responses. The involvement of the oxidative stress response pathway, however, might be the result of a more general stress response. Given the low similarities between the response profiles to nitrate and other stresses, less-defined stress response pathways could also be important in nitrate stress, which might involve the shift in energy metabolism. The involvement of nitrite stress response upon exposure to nitrate may provide detoxification mechanisms for nitrite, which is inhibitory to sulfate-reducing bacteria, produced by microbial nitrate reduction as a metabolic intermediate and may enhance the survival of sulfate-reducing bacteria in environments with elevated nitrate level.

Whole-Body Cryostimulation as an Effective Method of Reducing Oxidative Stress in Healthy Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanek, Agata; Sieroń-Stołtny, Karolina; Romuk, Ewa; Cholewka, Armand; Wielkoszyński, Tomasz; Cieślar, Grzegorz; Kwiatek, Sebastian; Sieroń, Aleksander; Kawczyk-Krupka, Aleksandra

2016-01-01

Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) is the therapeutic exposure of the total human body (without underwear) to a very low temperature (below -100°C) for 120-180 s. Currently, WBC is used more frequently not only in the treatment of patients suffering from various diseases, but also by healthy people as a wellness method. The aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of WBC procedures on oxidative stress parameters in healthy men. The study involved 32 healthy male subjects who were randomly divided into 2 groups: 16 men exposed to WBC procedures with subsequent kinesiotherapy (WBC group) and 16 men exposed only to kinesiotherapy procedures (KT group). Depending on the group, the subjects were exposed to 10 daily WBC procedures lasting 3 min, with a subsequent 60-min of kinesiotherapy, or exclusively to kinesiotherapy. In subjects from both groups, a day before the beginning of a cycle of treatment and a day after its completion, the level of selected indicators of oxidative stress and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes in serum, plasma and erythrocyte lysates were determined. In the WBC group subjects, we recorded a statistically significant decrease in the concentrations of most of the parameters of oxidative stress with an accompanying increase in plasma concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants (total antioxidant status and uric acid). We recorded no significant changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (plasma total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and its isoenzymes SOD-Mn and SOD-ZnCu, erythrocyte catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase). The results we obtained confirmed that WBC decreases oxidative stress in healthy men.

A chimpanzee recognizes synthetic speech with significantly reduced acoustic cues to phonetic content.

Science.gov (United States)

Heimbauer, Lisa A; Beran, Michael J; Owren, Michael J

2011-07-26

A long-standing debate concerns whether humans are specialized for speech perception, which some researchers argue is demonstrated by the ability to understand synthetic speech with significantly reduced acoustic cues to phonetic content. We tested a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) that recognizes 128 spoken words, asking whether she could understand such speech. Three experiments presented 48 individual words, with the animal selecting a corresponding visuographic symbol from among four alternatives. Experiment 1 tested spectrally reduced, noise-vocoded (NV) synthesis, originally developed to simulate input received by human cochlear-implant users. Experiment 2 tested "impossibly unspeechlike" sine-wave (SW) synthesis, which reduces speech to just three moving tones. Although receiving only intermittent and noncontingent reward, the chimpanzee performed well above chance level, including when hearing synthetic versions for the first time. Recognition of SW words was least accurate but improved in experiment 3 when natural words in the same session were rewarded. The chimpanzee was more accurate with NV than SW versions, as were 32 human participants hearing these items. The chimpanzee's ability to spontaneously recognize acoustically reduced synthetic words suggests that experience rather than specialization is critical for speech-perception capabilities that some have suggested are uniquely human. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative metabolic responses and adaptive strategies of wheat (Triticum aestivum) to salt and alkali stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Rui; Yang, Zongze; Li, Feng; Yan, Changrong; Zhong, Xiuli; Liu, Qi; Xia, Xu; Li, Haoru; Zhao, Long

2015-07-07

It is well known that salinization (high-pH) has been considered as a major environmental threat to agricultural systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between salt stress and alkali stress in metabolic profiles and nutrient accumulation of wheat; these parameters were also evaluated to determine the physiological adaptive mechanisms by which wheat tolerates alkali stress. The harmful effect of alkali stress on the growth and photosynthesis of wheat were stronger than those of salt stress. High-pH of alkali stress induced the most of phosphate and metal ions to precipitate; as a result, the availability of nutrients significantly declined. Under alkali stress, Ca sharply increased in roots, however, it decreased under salt stress. In addition, we detected the 75 metabolites that were different among the treatments according to GC-MS analysis, including organic acids, amino acids, sugars/polyols and others. The metabolic data showed salt stress and alkali stress caused different metabolic shifts; alkali stress has a stronger injurious effect on the distribution and accumulation of metabolites than salt stress. These outcomes correspond to specific detrimental effects of a highly pH environment. Ca had a significant positive correlation with alkali tolerates, and increasing Ca concentration can immediately trigger SOS Na exclusion system and reduce the Na injury. Salt stress caused metabolic shifts toward gluconeogenesis with increased sugars to avoid osmotic stress; energy in roots and active synthesis in leaves were needed by wheat to develop salt tolerance. Alkali stress (at high pH) significantly inhibited photosynthetic rate; thus, sugar production was reduced, N metabolism was limited, amino acid production was reduced, and glycolysis was inhibited.

Cyclosporine treatment reduces oxygen free radical generation and oxidative stress in the brain of hypoxia-reoxygenated newborn piglets.

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Richdeep S Gill

Full Text Available Oxygen free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. It has previously been shown in traumatic brain injury animal models that treatment with cyclosporine reduces brain injury. However, the potential neuroprotective effect of cyclosporine in asphyxiated neonates has yet to be fully studied. Using an acute newborn swine model of hypoxia-reoxygenation, we evaluated the effects of cyclosporine on the brain, focusing on hydrogen peroxide (H(2O(2 production and markers of oxidative stress. Piglets (1-4 d, 1.4-2.5 kg were block-randomized into three hypoxia-reoxygenation experimental groups (2 h hypoxia followed by 4 h reoxygenation (n = 8/group. At 5 min after reoxygenation, piglets were given either i.v. saline (placebo, controls or cyclosporine (2.5 or 10 mg/kg i.v. bolus in a blinded-randomized fashion. An additional sham-operated group (n = 4 underwent no hypoxia-reoxygenation. Systemic hemodynamics, carotid arterial blood flow (transit-time ultrasonic probe, cerebral cortical H(2O(2 production (electrochemical sensor, cerebral tissue glutathione (ELISA and cytosolic cytochrome-c (western blot levels were examined. Hypoxic piglets had cardiogenic shock (cardiac output 40-48% of baseline, hypotension (mean arterial pressure 27-31 mmHg and acidosis (pH 7.04 at the end of 2 h of hypoxia. Post-resuscitation cyclosporine treatment, particularly the higher dose (10 mg/kg, significantly attenuated the increase in cortical H(2O(2 concentration during reoxygenation, and was associated with lower cerebral oxidized glutathione levels. Furthermore, cyclosporine treatment significantly attenuated the increase in cortical cytochrome-c and lactate levels. Carotid blood arterial flow was similar among groups during reoxygenation. Conclusively, post-resuscitation administration of cyclosporine significantly attenuates H(2O(2 production and minimizes oxidative stress in newborn piglets following hypoxia-reoxygenation.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy significantly reduces xerostomia compared with conventional radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braam, Petra M.; Terhaard, Chris H.J. M.D.; Roesink, Judith M.; Raaijmakers, Cornelis P.J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: Xerostomia is a severe complication after radiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer, as the salivary glands are in close proximity with the primary tumor. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) offers theoretical advantages for normal tissue sparing. A Phase II study was conducted to determine the value of IMRT for salivary output preservation compared with conventional radiotherapy (CRT). Methods and Materials: A total of 56 patients with oropharyngeal cancer were prospectively evaluated. Of these, 30 patients were treated with IMRT and 26 with CRT. Stimulated parotid salivary flow was measured before, 6 weeks, and 6 months after treatment. A complication was defined as a stimulated parotid flow rate <25% of the preradiotherapy flow rate. Results: The mean dose to the parotid glands was 48.1 Gy (SD 14 Gy) for CRT and 33.7 Gy (SD 10 Gy) for IMRT (p < 0.005). The mean parotid flow ratio 6 weeks and 6 months after treatment was respectively 41% and 64% for IMRT and respectively 11% and 18% for CRT. As a result, 6 weeks after treatment, the number of parotid flow complications was significantly lower after IMRT (55%) than after CRT (87%) (p = 0.002). The number of complications 6 months after treatment was 56% for IMRT and 81% for CRT (p = 0.04). Conclusions: IMRT significantly reduces the number of parotid flow complications for patients with oropharyngeal cancer

Overfeeding reduces insulin sensitivity and increases oxidative stress, without altering markers of mitochondrial content and function in humans.

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Dorit Samocha-Bonet

Full Text Available Mitochondrial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. High fat feeding induces insulin resistance and increases skeletal muscle oxidative stress in rodents, but there is controversy as to whether skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and function is altered.Forty (37 ± 2 y non-obese (25.6 ± 0.6 kg/m(2 sedentary men (n = 20 and women (n = 20 were overfed (+1040 ± 100 kcal/day, 46 ± 1% of energy from fat for 28 days. Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps were performed at baseline and day 28 of overfeeding and skeletal muscle biopsies taken at baseline, day 3 and day 28 of overfeeding in a sub cohort of 26 individuals (13 men and 13 women that consented to having all 3 biopsies performed. Weight increased on average in the whole cohort by 0.6 ± 0.1 and 2.7 ± 0.3 kg at days 3 and 28, respectively (P<0.0001, without a significant difference in the response between men and women (P = 0.4. Glucose infusion rate during the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp decreased from 54.8 ± 2.8 at baseline to 50.3 ± 2.5 µmol/min/kg FFM at day 28 of overfeeding (P = 0.03 without a significant difference between men and women (P = 0.4. Skeletal muscle protein carbonyls and urinary F2-isoprostanes increased with overfeeding (P<0.05. Protein levels of muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC1α and subunits from complex I, II and V of the electron transport chain were increased at day 3 (all P<0.05 and returned to basal levels at day 28. No changes were detected in muscle citrate synthase activity or ex vivo CO(2 production at either time point.Peripheral insulin resistance was induced by overfeeding, without reducing any of the markers of mitochondrial content that were examined. Oxidative stress was however increased, and may have contributed to the reduction in insulin sensitivity observed.

Significance of psychological stress response and health-related quality of life in spouses of cancer patients when given bad news

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Toyoko Kugimoto

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study illuminates the degree of psychological stress response experienced by spouses of cancer patients when given bad news at three different times (notification of the name of the disease, notification of recurrence, and notification of terminality as well as the factors that influence the response and the health status of the spouse as measured by health-related quality of life (QOL. Methods: A total of 203 individuals (57 men and 146 women who had received the three types of news were surveyed using a self-report questionnaire on psychological stress response, marital satisfaction, and health-related QOL scales. Results: The degree of the psychological stress response was the highest for notification of terminality, followed by notification of the name of the disease, and notification of recurrence. The influencing factors varied depending on the notification period. Although no significant difference was observed for health-related QOL among the three notification types, significant differences were observed for certain items when compared with national standard values. Conclusions: When a notification of terminality, which produced the highest psychological stress response, is given, providing care that considers health-related QOL is necessary not only for patients but also for their spouses.

The impact of reduced worktime on sleep and perceived stress: A group randomized intervention study using diary data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schiller, H.; Lekander, M.; Rajaleid, K.; Hellgren, C.; Akerstedt, T.; Barck-Holst, P.; Kecklund, L.G.

2017-01-01

Objective: Insufficient time for recovery between workdays may cause fatigue and disturbed sleep. This study evaluated the impact of an intervention that reduced weekly working hours by 25% on sleep, sleepiness and perceived stress for employees within the public sector. Method: Participating

Role of ascorbic acid supplement in reducing oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity in lead intoxication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farooq, Y.; Hussain, M.M.; Aleem, S.B.

2013-01-01

Objective: The present study was conducted to measure the oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity in lead intoxicated sprague dawley rats with and without supplementation of ascorbic acid. Study Design: Randomized Control Trial. Place of Study: Physiology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi. (From Oct 2007 to Sep 2008) Material and Methods: One hundred and five male rats (age, 90-120 days; weight 200 - 250 gm) were divided into three groups each having 35 rats. Rats of group 1 and group 2 were given weekly injections of sodium acetate (10 mg /kg body weight) and lead acetate (10 mg /kg body weight) respectively, whereas rats of group 3 were administered lead acetate(10 mg /kg body weight) through weekly injections and ascorbic acid in drinking water (500 mg/l). After 6 weeks, 4 ml of blood was drawn from each rat by cardiac puncture. The blood was allowed to clot and serum was separated for estimation of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels on spectrophotometer; and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels on Merck Micorlab 200. Results: Lead intoxication of rats revealed that serum MDA levels were raised to 7.8 +- 0.48 micro mol/l (control, 3.2 +-0.39 micro mol/l), ALT levels to 76.26 +- 5.88 IU/l (control, 44.1 +- 3.26) and AST levels to 258.06 +- 13.30 IU/l (control, 156.2 +- 4.97). Ascorbic acid supplementation significantly lowered serum MDA levels (3.8 +- 0.34 micro mol/l), ALT levels (52.26 +-4.57 IU/l) and AST levels (188.13 +- 12.91 IU/l). Conclusion: Ascorbic acid supplementation ameliorates lead intoxication probably by reducing the oxidative stress, thus preventing the development of hepatotoxicity, but this amelioration is not equal to the control. (author)

Ultraviolet-B and water stress effects on growth, gas exchange and oxidative stress in sunflower plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cechin, Inês; Corniani, Natália; de Fátima Fumis, Terezinha; Cataneo, Ana Catarina

2008-07-01

The effects and interaction of drought and UV-B radiation were studied in sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L. var. Catissol-01), growing in a greenhouse under natural photoperiod conditions. The plants received approximately 1.7 W m(-2) (controls) or 8.6 W m(-2) (+UV-B) of UV-B radiation for 7 h per day. The UV-B and water stress treatments started 18 days after sowing. After a period of 12 days of stress, half of the water-stressed plants (including both UV-B irradiated or non-irradiated) were rehydrated. Both drought and UV-B radiation treatments resulted in lower shoot dry matter per plant, but there was no significant interaction between the two treatments. Water stress and UV-B radiation reduced photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration. However, the amplitude of the effects of both stressors was dependent on the interactions. This resulted in alleviation of the negative effect of drought on photosynthesis and transpiration by UV-B radiation as the water stress intensified. Intercelluar CO(2) concentration was initially reduced in all treatments compared to control plants but it increased with time. Photosynthetic pigments were not affected by UV-B radiation. Water stress reduced photosynthetic pigments only under high UV-B radiation. The decrease was more accentuated for chlorophyll a than for chlorophyll b. As a measure for the maximum efficiency of photosystem II in darkness F (v)/F (m) was used, which was not affected by drought stress but initially reduced by UV-B radiation. Independent of water supply, UV-B radiation increased the activity of pirogalol peroxidase and did not increase the level of malondialdehyde. On the other hand, water stress did not alter the activity of pirogalol peroxidase and caused membrane damage as assessed by lipid peroxidation. The application of UV-B radiation together with drought seemed to have a protective effect by lowering the intensity of lipid peroxidation caused by water stress. The content of proline

A novel transgenic mouse model of growth plate dysplasia reveals that decreased chondrocyte proliferation due to chronic ER stress is a key factor in reduced bone growth

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Benedetta Gualeni

2013-11-01

Disease mechanisms leading to different forms of chondrodysplasia include extracellular matrix (ECM alterations and intracellular stress resulting in abnormal changes to chondrocyte proliferation and survival. Delineating the relative contribution of these two disease mechanisms is a major challenge in understanding disease pathophysiology in genetic skeletal diseases and a prerequisite for developing effective therapies. To determine the influence of intracellular stress and changes in chondrocyte phenotype to the development of chondrodysplasia, we targeted the expression of the G2320R mutant form of thyroglobulin to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER of resting and proliferating chondrocytes. Previous studies on this mutant protein have shown that it induces intracellular aggregates and causes cell stress and death in the thyroid gland. The expression and retention of this exogenous mutant protein in resting and proliferating chondrocytes resulted in a chronic cell stress response, growth plate dysplasia and reduced bone growth, without inducing any alterations to the architecture and organization of the cartilage ECM. More significantly, the decreased bone growth seemed to be the direct result of reduced chondrocyte proliferation in the proliferative zone of growth plates in transgenic mice, without transcriptional activation of a classical unfolded protein response (UPR or apoptosis. Overall, these data show that mutant protein retention in the ER of resting and proliferative zone chondrocytes is sufficient to cause disrupted bone growth. The specific disease pathways triggered by mutant protein retention do not necessarily involve a prototypic UPR, but all pathways impact upon chondrocyte proliferation in the cartilage growth plate.

Significant improvement in the thermal annealing process of optical resonators

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Salzenstein, Patrice; Zarubin, Mikhail

2017-05-01

Thermal annealing performed during process improves the quality of the roughness of optical resonators reducing stresses at the periphery of their surface thus allowing higher Q-factors. After a preliminary realization, the design of the oven and the electronic method were significantly improved thanks to nichrome resistant alloy wires and chopped basalt fibers for thermal isolation during the annealing process. Q-factors can then be improved.

Effects of Yoga on Stress, Stress Adaption, and Heart Rate Variability Among Mental Health Professionals--A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shu-Ling; Huang, Ching-Ya; Shiu, Shau-Ping; Yeh, Shu-Hui

2015-08-01

Mental health professionals experiencing work-related stress may experience burn out, leading to a negative impact on their organization and patients. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of yoga classes on work-related stress, stress adaptation, and autonomic nerve activity among mental health professionals. A randomized controlled trial was used, which compared the outcomes between the experimental (e.g., yoga program) and the control groups (e.g., no yoga exercise) for 12 weeks. Work-related stress and stress adaptation were assessed before and after the program. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured at baseline, midpoint through the weekly yoga classes (6 weeks), and postintervention (after 12 weeks of yoga classes). The results showed that the mental health professionals in the yoga group experienced a significant reduction in work-related stress (t = -6.225, p control group revealed no significant changes. Comparing the mean differences in pre- and posttest scores between yoga and control groups, we found the yoga group significantly decreased work-related stress (t = -3.216, p = .002), but there was no significant change in stress adaptation (p = .084). While controlling for the pretest scores of work-related stress, participants in yoga, but not the control group, revealed a significant increase in autonomic nerve activity at midpoint (6 weeks) test (t = -2.799, p = .007), and at posttest (12 weeks; t = -2.099, p = .040). Because mental health professionals experienced a reduction in work-related stress and an increase in autonomic nerve activity in a weekly yoga program for 12 weeks, clinicians, administrators, and educators should offer yoga classes as a strategy to help health professionals reduce their work-related stress and balance autonomic nerve activities. © 2015 The Authors. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing.

Reducing residual stresses and deformations in selective laser melting through multi-level multi-scale optimization of cellular scanning strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohanty, Sankhya; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2016-01-01

. A multilevel optimization strategy is adopted using a customized genetic algorithm developed for optimizing cellular scanning strategy for selective laser melting, with an objective of reducing residual stresses and deformations. The resulting thermo-mechanically optimized cellular scanning strategies......, a calibrated, fast, multiscale thermal model coupled with a 3D finite element mechanical model is used to simulate residual stress formation and deformations during selective laser melting. The resulting reduction in thermal model computation time allows evolutionary algorithm-based optimization of the process...

Inhibition of xanthine oxidase reduces oxidative stress and improves skeletal muscle function in response to electrically stimulated isometric contractions in aged mice

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Michael J.; Jackson, Janna R.; Hao, Yanlei; Leonard, Stephen S.; Alway, Stephen E.

2012-01-01

Oxidative stress is a putative factor responsible for reducing function and increasing apoptotic signaling in skeletal muscle with aging. This study examined the contribution and functional significance of the xanthine oxidase enzyme as a potential source of oxidant production in aged skeletal muscle during repetitive in situ electrically stimulated isometric contractions. Xanthine oxidase activity was inhibited in young adult and aged mice via a subcutaneously placed time release (2.5 mg/day) allopurinol pellet, 7 days prior to the start of in situ electrically stimulated isometric contractions. Gastrocnemius muscles were electrically activated with 20 maximal contractions for three consecutive days. Xanthine oxidase activity was 65% greater in the gastrocnemius muscle of aged mice compared to young mice. Xanthine oxidase activity also increased after in situ electrically stimulated isometric contractions in muscles from both young (33%) and aged (28%) mice, relative to contralateral non-contracted muscles. Allopurinol attenuated the exercise-induced increase in oxidative stress, but it did not affect the elevated basal levels of oxidative stress that was associated with aging. In addition, inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity decreased caspase 3 activity, but it had no effect on other markers of mitochondrial associated apoptosis. Our results show that compared to control conditions, suppression of xanthine oxidase activity by allopurinol reduced xanthine oxidase activity, H2O2 levels, lipid peroxidation and caspase-3 activity, prevented the in situ electrically stimulated isometric contraction-induced loss of glutathione, prevented the increase of catalase and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase activities, and increased maximal isometric force in the plantar flexor muscles of aged mice after repetitive electrically evoked contractions. PMID:21530649

Review Article: Heat stress and the role of protective clothing in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The body heat exchange, environmental stress and protective clothing becomes stressful in military service too. The use of microporous material and ventilation of garment significantly improve heat exchange, hence reducing physiological strain and improving tolerance to the heat. Moisture absorption ...

Maternal psychological distress and parenting stress after gastrostomy placement in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Avitsland, Tone Lise; Faugli, Anne; Pripp, Are Hugo; Malt, Ulrik Fredrik; Bjørnland, Kristin; Emblem, Ragnhild

2012-11-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate stress in mothers of children with feeding problems before and after gastrostomy placement, and to identify changes in child health and variables affecting maternal stress. Psychological distress and parenting stress in 34 mothers of children referred for gastrostomy were assessed using general health questionnaire (GHQ) (overall psychological distress), impact of event scale (IES) (intrusive stress related to child's feeding problems), and parenting stress index (PSI) (stress related to parenting) before, 6, and 18 months after placement of a gastrostomy. Information of child health and long-term gastrostomy complications were recorded. A semistructured interview constructed for the present study explored maternal preoperative expectations and child's quality of life. Insertion of a gastrostomy did not significantly influence vomiting or the number of children with a low weight-for-height percentile. All of the children experienced peristomal complications. Despite this, mothers' overall psychological distress was significantly reduced after 6 and 18 months, and the majority of mothers (85%) reported that their preoperative expectations were fulfilled and that the child's quality of life was improved after gastrostomy placement. Maternal concerns for the child's feeding problems, measured as intrusive stress, had effect on maternal overall psychological distress. Despite frequent stomal complications the gastrostomy significantly reduced the mothers' psychological distress and improved the child's quality of life as reported by the mother.

A rational-emotive stress management intervention for reducing job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers: An effect study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugwoke, Samuel C; Eseadi, Chiedu; Onuigbo, Liziana N; Aye, Eucharia N; Akaneme, Immaculata N; Oboegbulem, Angie I; Ezenwaji, Ifeyinwa O; Nwobi, Anthonia U; Nwaubani, Okechukwu O; Ezegbe, Bernedeth N; Ede, Moses O; Orji, Chibueze T; Onuoha, Joseph C; Onu, Eucharia A; Okeke, Francisca; Agu, Patricia; Omeje, Joachim C; Omeke, Faith; Ugwu, Romanus; Arumede, Florence; Eneh, Annastasia

2018-04-01

Job-related burnout and distress are adverse stress responses which affect individuals in their occupational environment. This study aimed at investigating the effect of a rational-emotive stress management program on job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers in Nigeria. A pretest-posttest randomized control group design was used. The participants in the study were 54 special education teachers. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Participants were allocated to either the treatment group (n = 28 [59.1%]) or the waitlist control group (n = 26 [48.1%]), respectively. A rational-emotive stress management manual was used to deliver the intervention. We statistically analyzed the data collected at three-time points with repeated-measures analysis of variance. At baseline, the job-related burnout symptoms and distress scores of participants were high. However, an intention-to-treat analysis showed that the rational-emotive stress management intervention program was efficacious in reducing the levels of job-related burnout symptoms and dysfunctional distress among participants assigned to the treatment group, compared to a waitlisted group at post-treatment and follow-up meetings. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of a rational-emotive stress management intervention in reducing the level of job-related burnout and distress in a sample of special education teachers in Nigeria. Occupational health counsellors and other clinicians with sufficient knowledge of rational-emotive behavior therapy framework are urged to employ this approach in assisting other employees in managing job burnout symptoms, and distress.

Effectiveness of a stress management pilot program aimed at reducing the incidence of sports injuries in young football (soccer) players.

Science.gov (United States)

Olmedilla-Zafra, Aurelio; Rubio, Victor J; Ortega, Enrique; García-Mas, Alexandre

2017-03-01

Several attempts to reduce the incidence of sport injuries using psychosocial interventions produced fruitful, although inconclusive results. This paper presents the effectiveness and implementation issues of a pilot 3-month stress-management and muscle relaxation program aimed at reducing sport injury incidence. Pre-post treatment-non treatment group comparison. The program was administered by a trained psychologist on a once-a-week, 1-h session basis. Seventy-four male soccer players from four National Youth league teams voluntarily participated. Teams were randomly assigned to either treatment/non-treatment group. Injury protocol, Self-monitoring cards, Athletes' satisfaction and commitment survey, Coaches' interview. Group main effect and Time-Group interaction effect were both statistically significant, F(1,60) = 8.30, p = 0.005, η 2 p  = 0.121, with the average number of injuries larger in the post-treatment phase of non-treatment group (p = 0.005, η 2 p  = 0.077). There was a significant decrease in the average number of injuries for the intervention group before and after implementing the program (p youth soccer sport injuries, with a high level of satisfaction and commitment from the athletes, as well as high acceptance from the coaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduced memory skills and increased hair cortisol levels in recent Ecstasy/MDMA users: significant but independent neurocognitive and neurohormonal deficits.

Science.gov (United States)

Downey, Luke A; Sands, Helen; Jones, Lewis; Clow, Angela; Evans, Phil; Stalder, Tobias; Parrott, Andrew C

2015-05-01

The goals of this study were to measure the neurocognitive performance of recent users of recreational Ecstasy and investigate whether it was associated with the stress hormone cortisol. The 101 participants included 27 recent light users of Ecstasy (one to four times in the last 3 months), 23 recent heavier Ecstasy users (five or more times) and 51 non-users. Rivermead paragraph recall provided an objective measure for immediate and delayed recall. The prospective and retrospective memory questionnaire provided a subjective index of memory deficits. Cortisol levels were taken from near-scalp 3-month hair samples. Cortisol was significantly raised in recent heavy Ecstasy users compared with controls, whereas hair cortisol in light Ecstasy users was not raised. Both Ecstasy groups were significantly impaired on the Rivermead delayed word recall, and both groups reported significantly more retrospective and prospective memory problems. Stepwise regression confirmed that lifetime Ecstasy predicted the extent of these memory deficits. Recreational Ecstasy is associated with increased levels of the bio-energetic stress hormone cortisol and significant memory impairments. No significant relationship between cortisol and the cognitive deficits was observed. Ecstasy users did display evidence of a metacognitive deficit, with the strength of the correlations between objective and subjective memory performances being significantly lower in the Ecstasy users. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Does a modified mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) course have the potential to reduce stress and burnout in NHS GPs? Feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton-West, Kate; Pellatt-Higgins, Tracy; Pillai, Neil

2018-04-19

AimTo explore, for the first time, whether a modified mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) course has the potential to reduce stress and burnout among National Health Service (NHS) General Practitioners. There is a crisis of low morale among NHS GPs, with most describing their workload as 'unmanageable'. MBCT has been demonstrated to improve stress and burnout in other populations, but has not yet been evaluated in a cohort of NHS GPs. NHS GPs in South East England (n=22) attended a modified version of the MBCT course approved by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for prevention of depressive relapse. This comprised eight weekly 2-h sessions with homework (mindfulness practice) between sessions. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) before (baseline) and then again one month (T2) and three months (T3) after attending the course. We also obtained qualitative data on participants' experiences of the course.FindingsCompliance with the intervention was very high. All GPs attended at least six sessions and all completed baseline questionnaires. At T2, data were obtained from 21 participants (95%); PSS scores were significantly lower than at baseline (P<0.001), as were MBI emotional exhaustion (P<0.001) and depersonalization scores (P=0.0421). At T3 we obtained data for 13 participants (59%); PSS scores and MBI emotional exhaustion scores were significantly lower (P<0.001; P=0.0024, respectively) and personal accomplishment scores were significantly higher (P<0.001) than at baseline. Participants reported that the course helped them to manage work pressures, feel more relaxed, enjoy their work and experience greater empathy and compassion (for self, colleagues and patients). Findings of this preliminary evaluation are promising. Further research is needed to evaluate this approach within a larger randomized-controlled trial.

Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, stress and mindfulness in Korean nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yeoungsuk; Lindquist, Ruth

2015-01-01

Nursing students often experience depression, anxiety, stress and decreased mindfulness which may decrease their patient care effectiveness. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) effectively reduced depression, anxiety and stress, and increased mindfulness in previous research with other populations, but there is sparse evidence regarding its effectiveness for nursing students in Korea. To examine the effects of MBSR on depression, anxiety, stress and mindfulness in Korean nursing students. A randomized controlled trial. Fifty (50) nursing students at KN University College of Nursing in South Korea were randomly assigned to two groups. Data from 44 students, MBSR (n=21) and a wait list (WL) control (n=23) were analyzed. The MBSR group practiced mindfulness meditation for 2 h every week for 8 weeks. The WL group did not receive MBSR intervention. Standardized self-administered questionnaires of depression, anxiety, stress and mindfulness were administered at the baseline prior to the MBSR program and at completion (at 8 weeks). Compared with WL participants, MBSR participants reported significantly greater decreases in depression, anxiety and stress, and greater increase in mindfulness. A program of MBSR was effective when it was used with nursing students in reducing measures of depression, anxiety and stress, and increasing their mindful awareness. MBSR shows promise for use with nursing students to address their experience of mild depression, anxiety and stress, and to increase mindfulness in academic and clinical work, warranting further study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma is associated with reduced cortical differentiation between threat and non-threat faces in posttraumatic stress disorder adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Denise A; Bryant, Richard A; Gatt, Justine M; Harris, Anthony Wf

2018-03-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder and childhood trauma frequently co-occur. Both are associated with abnormal neural responses to salient emotion stimuli. As childhood trauma is a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder, differentiating between their neurophysiological effects is necessary to elucidate the neural pathways by which childhood trauma exposure contributes to increased posttraumatic stress disorder risks. Face-specific N170 evoked response potentials for backward-masked (non-conscious) and conscious threat (fear, angry) and non-threat (happy) faces were measured in 77 adults (18-64 years old, 64% women, 78% right-handed) symptomatic for posttraumatic stress disorder. Differences in N170 peak amplitudes for fear-versus-happy and angry-versus-happy faces at bilateral temporo-occipital (T5, T6) sites were computed. The effect of cumulative exposure to childhood interpersonal trauma, other childhood trauma, adult trauma, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity on the N170 response was assessed using hierarchical multiple regression analyses. T5 N170 peak amplitudes for non-conscious fear-versus-happy faces were inversely related to cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma after accounting for socio-demographic, clinical symptom and other trauma factors. Posttraumatic stress disorder Avoidance was positively associated with N170 peak amplitudes for non-conscious fear-versus-happy faces, primarily due to reduced N170 responsivity to happy faces. Childhood interpersonal trauma exposure is associated with reduced discrimination between fear and happy faces, while avoidance symptom severity is associated with dampened responsivity to automatically processed happy faces in posttraumatic stress disorder adults. Results are discussed in terms of the likely contributions of impaired threat discrimination and deficient reward processing during neural processing of salient emotion stimuli, to increased risks of posttraumatic stress disorder

Adaptation to Chronic Nutritional Stress Leads to Reduced Dependence on Microbiota in Drosophila melanogaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Erkosar, Berra; Kolly, Sylvain; van der Meer, Jan R; Kawecki, Tadeusz J

2017-10-24

Numerous studies have shown that animal nutrition is tightly linked to gut microbiota, especially under nutritional stress. In Drosophila melanogaster , microbiota are known to promote juvenile growth, development, and survival on poor diets, mainly through enhanced digestion leading to changes in hormonal signaling. Here, we show that this reliance on microbiota is greatly reduced in replicated Drosophila populations that became genetically adapted to a poor larval diet in the course of over 170 generations of experimental evolution. Protein and polysaccharide digestion in these poor-diet-adapted populations became much less dependent on colonization with microbiota. This was accompanied by changes in expression levels of dFOXO transcription factor, a key regulator of cell growth and survival, and many of its targets. These evolutionary changes in the expression of dFOXO targets to a large degree mimic the response of the same genes to microbiota, suggesting that the evolutionary adaptation to poor diet acted on mechanisms that normally mediate the response to microbiota. Our study suggests that some metazoans have retained the evolutionary potential to adapt their physiology such that association with microbiota may become optional rather than essential. IMPORTANCE Animals depend on gut microbiota for various metabolic tasks, particularly under conditions of nutritional stress, a relationship usually regarded as an inherent aspect of animal physiology. Here, we use experimental evolution in fly populations to show that the degree of host dependence on microbiota can substantially and rapidly change as the host population evolves in response to poor diet. Our results suggest that, although microbiota may initially greatly facilitate coping with suboptimal diets, chronic nutritional stress experienced over multiple generations leads to evolutionary adaptation in physiology and gut digestive properties that reduces dependence on the microbiota for growth and

Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on perceived stress and psychological health in patients with tension headache

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdollah Omidi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Programs for improving health status of patients with illness related to pain, such as headache, are often still in their infancy. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR is a new psychotherapy that appears to be effective in treating chronic pain and stress. This study evaluated efficacy of MBSR in treatment of perceived stress and mental health of client who has tension headache. Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial. Sixty patients with tension type headache according to the International Headache Classification Subcommittee were randomly assigned to the Treatment As Usual (TAU group or experimental group (MBSR. The MBSR group received eight weekly classmates with 12-min sessions. The sessions were based on MBSR protocol. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS were administered in the pre- and posttreatment period and at 3 months follow-up for both the groups. Results: The mean of total score of the BSI (global severity index; GSI in MBSR group was 1.63 ± 0.56 before the intervention that was significantly reduced to 0.73 ± 0.46 and 0.93 ± 0.34 after the intervention and at the follow-up sessions, respectively (P < 0.001. In addition, the MBSR group showed lower scores in perceived stress in comparison with the control group at posttest evaluation. The mean of perceived stress before the intervention was 16.96 ± 2.53 and was changed to 12.7 ± 2.69 and 13.5 ± 2.33 after the intervention and at the follow-up sessions, respectively (P < 0.001. On the other hand, the mean of GSI in the TAU group was 1.77 ± 0.50 at pretest that was significantly reduced to 1.59 ± 0.52 and 1.78 ± 0.47 at posttest and follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001. Also, the mean of perceived stress in the TAU group at pretest was 15.9 ± 2.86 and that was changed to 16.13 ± 2.44 and 15.76 ± 2.22 at posttest and follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001. Conclusion: MBSR could reduce stress and improve

Deduction and Analysis of the Interacting Stress Response Pathways of Metal/Radionuclide-reducing Bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Jizhong [University of Oklahoma; He, Zhili [University of Oklahoma

2010-02-28

Project Title: Deduction and Analysis of the Interacting Stress Response Pathways of Metal/Radionuclide-reducing Bacteria DOE Grant Number: DE-FG02-06ER64205 Principal Investigator: Jizhong (Joe) Zhou (University of Oklahoma) Key members: Zhili He, Aifen Zhou, Christopher Hemme, Joy Van Nostrand, Ye Deng, and Qichao Tu Collaborators: Terry Hazen, Judy Wall, Adam Arkin, Matthew Fields, Aindrila Mukhopadhyay, and David Stahl Summary Three major objectives have been conducted in the Zhou group at the University of Oklahoma (OU): (i) understanding of gene function, regulation, network and evolution of Desulfovibrio vugaris Hildenborough in response to environmental stresses, (ii) development of metagenomics technologies for microbial community analysis, and (iii) functional characterization of microbial communities with metagenomic approaches. In the past a few years, we characterized four CRP/FNR regulators, sequenced ancestor and evolved D. vulgaris strains, and functionally analyzed those mutated genes identified in salt-adapted strains. Also, a new version of GeoChip 4.0 has been developed, which also includes stress response genes (StressChip), and a random matrix theory-based conceptual framework for identifying functional molecular ecological networks has been developed with the high throughput functional gene array hybridization data as well as pyrosequencing data from 16S rRNA genes. In addition, GeoChip and sequencing technologies as well as network analysis approaches have been used to analyze microbial communities from different habitats. Those studies provide a comprehensive understanding of gene function, regulation, network, and evolution in D. vulgaris, and microbial community diversity, composition and structure as well as their linkages with environmental factors and ecosystem functioning, which has resulted in more than 60 publications.

Aging and oxidative stress reduce the response of human articular chondrocytes to insulin-like growth factor 1 and osteogenic protein 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Loeser, Richard F; Gandhi, Uma; Long, David L; Yin, Weihong; Chubinskaya, Susan

2014-08-01

To determine the effects of aging and oxidative stress on the response of human articular chondrocytes to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and osteogenic protein 1 (OP-1). Chondrocytes isolated from normal articular cartilage obtained from tissue donors were cultured in alginate beads or monolayer. Cells were stimulated with 50-100 ng/ml of IGF-1, OP-1, or both. Oxidative stress was induced using tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Sulfate incorporation was used to measure proteoglycan synthesis, and immunoblotting of cell lysates was performed to analyze cell signaling. Confocal microscopy was performed to measure nuclear translocation of Smad4. Chondrocytes isolated from the articular cartilage of tissue donors ranging in age from 24 years to 81 years demonstrated an age-related decline in proteoglycan synthesis stimulated by IGF-1 and IGF-1 plus OP-1. Induction of oxidative stress inhibited both IGF-1- and OP-1-stimulated proteoglycan synthesis. Signaling studies showed that oxidative stress inhibited IGF-1-stimulated Akt phosphorylation while increasing phosphorylation of ERK, and that these effects were greater in cells from older donors. Oxidative stress also increased p38 phosphorylation, which resulted in phosphorylation of Smad1 at the Ser(206) inhibitory site and reduced nuclear accumulation of Smad1. Oxidative stress also modestly reduced OP-1-stimulated nuclear translocation of Smad4. These results demonstrate an age-related reduction in the response of human chondrocytes to IGF-1 and OP-1, which are 2 important anabolic factors in cartilage, and suggest that oxidative stress may be a contributing factor by altering IGF-1 and OP-1 signaling. Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Exercise-induced rib stress fractures: influence of reduced bone mineral density

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther, Anders; Kanstrup, Inge-Lis; Christiansen, Erik

2005-01-01

study investigated BMD in seven Danish national team rowers with previous rib stress fracture (RSF) and 7 controls (C) matched for gender, age, height, weight and training experience. Total body scan and specific scans of the lumbar spine (L2-L4), femoral neck and distal radius were performed using......Exercise-induced rib stress fractures have been reported frequently in elite rowers during the past decade. The etiology of rib stress fractures is unclear, but low bone mineral density (BMD) has been suggested to be a potential risk factor for stress fractures in weight-bearing bones. The present...... density may be a potential risk factor for the development of exercise-induced rib stress fractures in elite rowers....

Vibration stress relief of DH 36 rectangle welded plates

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuqi; Fang, Hongyuan

2018-03-01

Vibration stress relief (VSR) is widely used in reducing residual stress in welded structures. However, the effectiveness of this method is still instable in some circumstance. In this study, a covert negative treatment phenomenon was investigated, i.e. natural frequency of welded structures decreased after VSR but residual stress in one direction increased. When the alteration of natural frequency after VSR is significant, the residual stresses in both the longitudinal and transversal directions shall decrease. Otherwise, residual stresses may increase on one direction. Thus, sufficient power shall be applied to the welded structures to avoid negative results.

Blunted stress reactivity in chronic cannabis users.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuttler, Carrie; Spradlin, Alexander; Nusbaum, Amy T; Whitney, Paul; Hinson, John M; McLaughlin, Ryan J

2017-08-01

One of the most commonly cited reasons for chronic cannabis use is to cope with stress. Consistent with this, cannabis users have shown reduced emotional arousal and dampened stress reactivity in response to negative imagery. To our knowledge, the present study represents the first to examine the effects of an acute stress manipulation on subjective stress and salivary cortisol in chronic cannabis users compared to non-users. Forty cannabis users and 42 non-users were randomly assigned to complete either the stress or no stress conditions of the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST). The stress condition of the MAST manipulates both physiological (placing hand in ice bath) and psychosocial stress (performing math under conditions of social evaluation). Participants gave baseline subjective stress ratings before, during, and after the stress manipulation. Cortisol was measured from saliva samples obtained before and after the stress manipulation. Further, cannabis cravings and symptoms of withdrawal were measured. Subjective stress ratings and cortisol levels were significantly higher in non-users in the stress condition relative to non-users in the no stress condition. In contrast, cannabis users demonstrated blunted stress reactivity; specifically, they showed no increase in cortisol and a significantly smaller increase in subjective stress ratings. The stress manipulation had no impact on cannabis users' self-reported cravings or withdrawal symptoms. Chronic cannabis use is associated with blunted stress reactivity. Future research is needed to determine whether this helps to confer resiliency or vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology as well as the mechanisms underlying this effect.

Stress-induced variation in evolution: from behavioural plasticity to genetic assimilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Badyaev, Alexander V

2005-05-07

Extreme environments are closely associated with phenotypic evolution, yet the mechanisms behind this relationship are poorly understood. Several themes and approaches in recent studies significantly further our understanding of the importance that stress-induced variation plays in evolution. First, stressful environments modify (and often reduce) the integration of neuroendocrinological, morphological and behavioural regulatory systems. Second, such reduced integration and subsequent accommodation of stress-induced variation by developmental systems enables organismal 'memory' of a stressful event as well as phenotypic and genetic assimilation of the response to a stressor. Third, in complex functional systems, a stress-induced increase in phenotypic and genetic variance is often directional, channelled by existing ontogenetic pathways. This accounts for similarity among individuals in stress-induced changes and thus significantly facilitates the rate of adaptive evolution. Fourth, accumulation of phenotypically neutral genetic variation might be a common property of locally adapted and complex organismal systems, and extreme environments facilitate the phenotypic expression of this variance. Finally, stress-induced effects and stress-resistance strategies often persist for several generations through maternal, ecological and cultural inheritance. These transgenerational effects, along with both the complexity of developmental systems and stressor recurrence, might facilitate genetic assimilation of stress-induced effects. Accumulation of phenotypically neutral genetic variance by developmental systems and phenotypic accommodation of stress-induced effects, together with the inheritance of stress-induced modifications, ensure the evolutionary persistence of stress-response strategies and provide a link between individual adaptability and evolutionary adaptation.

The Effect of Vermicompost on Reducing the Adverse Effects of Water Stress on Growth and Chemical Composition of Corn in a Calcareous Soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

leila zare

2017-01-01

stress and vermicompost on the concentrations of shoot N and Cu were significant and both were incresead by simultanoeus application of vermicompost and levels of water stress. The applicaion of 30 g kg-1 vermicompost (about 60 ton ha-1 under 60% FC moisture level increased significantly dry matter yield and the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, copper and iron in corn shoot by 29%,5.5%, 23, 110, 41 and 71 percent compared to the control, respectively. However, because of the antagonistic relationships,the iron or manganese concentrations were reduced, but were yet in the sufficiency range. The use of 30 g kg-1 vermicompost under 80% FC moisture level Also increased significantly the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, iron and copper by 9, 23, 24, 59 and 43 percent compared to the control, respectively. Conclusion: The applicaion of 30 g kg-1 vermicompost increased significantly dry matter yield and the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, copper and iron in corn shoot under water stress treatments. In conclusion, the application of vermicompost mitigated the detrimental effects of water stress on corn dry matter yield and concentration of nutrients due to the positive effects of compost on physical, chemical and biological properties of the calcareous soil.

Residual Stress Developed During the Cure of Thermosetting Polymers: Optimizing Cure Schedule to Minimize Stress.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kropka, Jamie Michael; Stavig, Mark E.; Jaramillo, Rex

2016-06-01

When thermosetting polymers are used to bond or encapsulate electrical, mechanical or optical assemblies, residual stress, which often affects the performance and/or reliability of these devices, develops within the structure. The Thin-Disk-on-Cylinder structural response test is demonstrated as a powerful tool to design epoxy encapsulant cure schedules to reduce residual stress, even when all the details of the material evolution during cure are not explicitly known. The test's ability to (1) distinguish between cohesive and adhesive failure modes and (2) demonstrate methodologies to eliminate failure and reduce residual stress, make choices of cure schedules that optimize stress in the encapsulant unambiguous. For the 828/DEA/GMB material in the Thin-Disk-on-Cylinder geometry, the stress associated with cure is significant and outweighs that associated with cool down from the final cure temperature to room temperature (for measured lid strain, Scure I > I I e+h erma * II) * The difference between the final cure temperature and 1 1 -- the temperature at which the material gels, Tf-T ge i, was demonstrated to be a primary factor in determining the residual stress associated with cure. Increasing T f -T ge i leads to a reduction in cure stress that is described as being associated with balancing some of the 828/DEA/GMB cure shrinkage with thermal expansion. The ability to tune residual stress associated with cure by controlling T f -T ge i would be anticipated to translate to other thermosetting encapsulation materials, but the times and temperatures appropriate for a given material may vary widely.

Repetitive stress leads to impaired cognitive function that is associated with DNA hypomethylation, reduced BDNF and a dysregulated HPA axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Makhathini, Khayelihle B; Abboussi, Oualid; Stein, Dan J; Mabandla, Musa V; Daniels, William M U

2017-08-01

Exposure to repetitive stress has a negative influence on cognitive-affective functioning, with growing evidence that these effects may be mediated by a dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, abnormal neurotrophic factor levels and its subsequent impact on hippocampal function. However, there are few data about the effect of repetitive stressors on epigenetic changes in the hippocampus. In the present study, we examine how repetitive restrain stress (RRS) affects cognitive-affective functioning, HPA axis regulation, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and global hippocampal DNA methylation. RRS was induced in rats by restraining the animals for 6h per day for 28 days. The novel object recognition test (NORT) was used to assess cognitive functioning and the open field test (OFT) was performed to assess anxiety-like behavior during the last week of stress. Hippocampal BDNF levels, glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptor mRNA were assessed using real-time PCR and confirmed with Western blot, while ELISAs were used to determine plasma corticosterone levels and the global methylation status of the hippocampus. Animals exposed to repetitive stress demonstrated significant alterations in the NORT and OFT, had significantly increased plasma corticosterone and significantly decreased hippocampal BDNF concentrations. The expression levels of GR and MR mRNA and protein levels of these genes were significantly decreased in the stressed group compared to control animals. The global DNA methylation of the hippocampal genome of stressed animals was also significantly decreased compared to controls. The data here are consistent with previous work emphasizing the role of the HPA axis and neurotrophic factors in mediating cognitive-affective changes after exposure to repetitive stressors. Our findings, however, extend the literature by indicating that epigenetic alterations in the hippocampal genome may also play an important role in the

IL-6 deficiency leads to reduced metallothionein-I+II expression and increased oxidative stress in the brain stem after 6-aminonicotinamide treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Penkowa, M; Hidalgo, J

2000-01-01

-AN-injected IL-6KO mice reactive astrocytosis and recruitment of macrophages and T-lymphocytes were clearly reduced, as were BM leukopoiesis and spleen immune reaction. Expression of MT-I+II was significantly reduced while MT-III was increased. Oxidative stress, as determined by measuring nitrated...... in brain stem gray matter areas and BM toxicity. In both normal and genetically IL-6-deficient mice (IL-6 knockout (IL-6KO) mice), the extent of astroglial degeneration/cell death in the brain stem was similar as determined from disappearance of GFAP immunoreactivity. In 6-AN-injected normal mice reactive...... tyrosine and malondialdehyde, was increased by 6-AN to a greater extent in IL-6KO mice. The blood-brain barrier to albumin was only disrupted in 6-AN-injected normal mice, which likely is due to the substantial migration of blood-derived inflammatory cells into the CNS. The present results demonstrate...

Reducing Stress-Corrosion Cracking in Bearing Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Paton, N. E.; Dennies, D. P.; Lumsden, I., J.b.

1986-01-01

Resistance to stress-corrosion cracking in some stainless-steel alloys increased by addition of small amounts of noble metals. 0.75 to 1.00 percent by weight of palladium or platinum added to alloy melt sufficient to improve properties of certain stainless steels so they could be used in manufacture of high-speed bearings.

Perceived life stress exposure modulates reward-related medial prefrontal cortex responses to acute stress in depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Poornima; Slavich, George M; Berghorst, Lisa H; Treadway, Michael T; Brooks, Nancy H; Dutra, Sunny J; Greve, Douglas N; O'Donovan, Aoife; Bleil, Maria E; Maninger, Nicole; Pizzagalli, Diego A

2015-07-15

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often precipitated by life stress and growing evidence suggests that stress-induced alterations in reward processing may contribute to such risk. However, no human imaging studies have examined how recent life stress exposure modulates the neural systems that underlie reward processing in depressed and healthy individuals. In this proof-of-concept study, 12 MDD and 10 psychiatrically healthy individuals were interviewed using the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS) to assess their perceived levels of recent acute and chronic life stress exposure. Additionally, each participant performed a monetary incentive delay task under baseline (no-stress) and stress (social-evaluative) conditions during functional MRI. Across groups, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activation to reward feedback was greater during acute stress versus no-stress conditions in individuals with greater perceived stressor severity. Under acute stress, depressed individuals showed a positive correlation between perceived stressor severity levels and reward-related mPFC activation (r=0.79, p=0.004), whereas no effect was found in healthy controls. Moreover, for depressed (but not healthy) individuals, the correlations between the stress (r=0.79) and no-stress (r=-0.48) conditions were significantly different. Finally, relative to controls, depressed participants showed significantly reduced mPFC gray matter, but functional findings remained robust while accounting for structural differences. Small sample size, which warrants replication. Depressed individuals experiencing greater recent life stress recruited the mPFC more under stress when processing rewards. Our results represent an initial step toward elucidating mechanisms underlying stress sensitization and recurrence in depression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Temperature-dependent stress response in oysters, Crassostrea virginica: Pollution reduces temperature tolerance in oysters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lannig, Gisela; Flores, Jason F.; Sokolova, Inna M.

2006-01-01

Combined effects of temperature and a toxic metal, cadmium (Cd), on energy metabolism were studied in a model marine bivalve, the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica, acclimated at 20, 24 and 28 deg. C and exposed to 50 μg l -1 of Cd. Both increasing temperature and Cd exposure led to a rise in standard metabolic rates, and combined stressors appeared to override the capability for aerobic energy production resulting in impaired stress tolerance. Oysters exposed to elevated temperature but not Cd showed no significant change in condition, survival rate and lipid peroxidation, whereas those exposed to both Cd and temperature stress suffered high mortality accompanied by low condition index and elevated lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, RNA/DNA ratios indicative of protein synthesis rate, and levels of glutathione, which is involved in metal detoxification, increased in Cd-exposed oysters at 20 deg. C but not at 28 deg. C. Implications of the synergism between elevated temperatures and cadmium stress on energy metabolism of oysters are discussed in the light of the potential effects of climate change on oyster populations in polluted areas

Tocopherol And Tocotrienol: Therapeutic Potential In Animal Models of Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Azlina, Mohd Fahami Nur; Kamisah, Yusof; Qodriyah, Mohd Saad

2017-11-22

Scientific reports had shown that stress is related to numerous pathological changes in the body. These pathological changes can bring about numerous diseases and can significantly cause negative effects in an individual. These include gastric ulcer, liver pathology and neurobehavioral changes. A common pathogenesis in many diseases related to stress involves oxidative damage. Therefore, the administration of antioxidants such as vitamin E is a reasonable therapeutic approach. However, there is conflicting evidence about antioxidant supplementation. The aim of this work was to summarize documented reports on the effects of tocopherol and tocotrienol on various pathological changes induced by stress. This review will reveal the scientific evidence of enteral supplementation of vitamin E in the forms of tocotrienol and tocopherol in animal models of stress. These models mimic the stress endured by critically ill patients in a clinical setting and psychological stress in individuals. Positive outcomes from enteral feeding of vitamin E in reducing the occurrence of stress-induced pathological changes are discussed in this review. These positive findings include their ability to reduced stress-induced gastric ulcers, elevated liver enzymes and improved locomotors activity. Evidences showing tocotrienol and tocopherol effects are not just related to its ability to reduce oxidative stress but also acting on other mechanism are discussed. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Arctigenin alleviates ER stress via activating AMPK

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yuan; Sun, Xiao-xiao; Ye, Ji-ming; He, Li; Yan, Shou-sheng; Zhang, Hao-hao; Hu, Li-hong; Yuan, Jun-ying; Yu, Qiang

2012-01-01

Aim: To investigate the protective effects of arctigenin (ATG), a phenylpropanoid dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan from Arctium lappa L (Compositae), against ER stress in vitro and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: A cell-based screening assay for ER stress regulators was established. Cell viability was measured using MTT assay. PCR and Western blotting were used to analyze gene and protein expression. Silencing of the CaMKKβ, LKB1, and AMPKα1 genes was achieved by RNA interference (RNAi). An ATP bioluminescent assay kit was employed to measure the intracellular ATP levels. Results: ATG (2.5, 5 and 10 μmol/L) inhibited cell death and unfolded protein response (UPR) in a concentration-dependent manner in cells treated with the ER stress inducer brefeldin A (100 nmol/L). ATG (1, 5 and 10 μmol/L) significantly attenuated protein synthesis in cells through inhibiting mTOR-p70S6K signaling and eEF2 activity, which were partially reversed by silencing AMPKα1 with RNAi. ATG (1-50 μmol/L) reduced intracellular ATP level and activated AMPK through inhibiting complex I-mediated respiration. Pretreatment of cells with the AMPK inhibitor compound C (25 μmol/L) rescued the inhibitory effects of ATG on ER stress. Furthermore, ATG (2.5 and 5 μmol/L) efficiently activated AMPK and reduced the ER stress and cell death induced by palmitate (2 mmol/L) in INS-1 β cells. Conclusion: ATG is an effective ER stress alleviator, which protects cells against ER stress through activating AMPK, thus attenuating protein translation and reducing ER load. PMID:22705729

Effects of a father-based in-home intervention on perceived stress and family dynamics in parents of children with autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Bendixen, Roxanna M; Elder, Jennifer H; Donaldson, Susan; Kairalla, John A; Valcante, Greg; Ferdig, Richard E

2011-01-01

Parents of children with autism report high rates of stress. Parental differences in stress are inconsistent, with most research indicating that mothers report higher levels of stress than fathers. We explored parental differences before and after an in-home training program. Fathers were taught an intervention designed to improve their child's social reciprocity and communication; they then trained mothers. Stress was assessed with the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and family dynamics was assessed with the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II. Both mothers and fathers reported high preintervention levels of stress. After intervention, fathers' stress was reduced, but not significantly, possibly because of the variability in fathers' scores; mothers' stress scores were significantly reduced. Parenting styles were significantly different before and after intervention. Interdisciplinary teams, including occupational therapists, nurses, and special educators, can work.together to have a positive impact on the lives of families of children with autism.

Water stress drastically reduces root growth and inulin yield in Cichorium intybus (var. sativum) independently of photosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Vandoorne, B.; Mathieu, A.-S.; Van den Ende, W.; Vergauwen, R.; Périlleux, C.; Javaux, M.; Lutts, S.

2012-01-01

Root chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativum) is a cash crop cultivated for inulin production in Western Europe. This plant can be exposed to severe water stress during the last 3 months of its 6-month growing period. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of a progressive decline in water availability on plant growth, photosynthesis, and sugar metabolism and to determine its impact on inulin production. Water stress drastically decreased fresh and dry root weight, leaf number, total leaf area, and stomatal conductance. Stressed plants, however, increased their water-use efficiency and leaf soluble sugar concentration, decreased the shoot-to-root ratio and lowered their osmotic potential. Despite a decrease in photosynthetic pigments, the photosynthesis light phase remained unaffected under water stress. Water stress increased sucrose phosphate synthase activity in the leaves but not in the roots. Water stress inhibited sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase and fructan:fructan 1 fructosyltransferase after 19 weeks of culture and slightly increased fructan 1-exohydrolase activity. The root inulin concentration, expressed on a dry-weight basis, and the mean degree of polymerization of the inulin chain remained unaffected by water stress. Root chicory displayed resistance to water stress, but that resistance was obtained at the expense of growth, which in turn led to a significant decrease in inulin production. PMID:22577185

Low Lifetime Stress Exposure Is Associated with Reduced Stimulus-Response Memory

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-01-01

Exposure to stress throughout life can cumulatively influence later health, even among young adults. The negative effects of high cumulative stress exposure are well-known, and a shift from episodic to stimulus-response memory has been proposed to underlie forms of psychopathology that are related to high lifetime stress. At the other extreme,…

Can green roofs reduce urban heat stress in vulnerable urban communities: A coupled atmospheric and social modeling approach

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Sharma, A.; Woodruff, S.; Budhathoki, M.; Hamlet, A. F.; Fernando, H. J. S.; Chen, F.

2017-12-01

Urban areas provide organized, engineered, sociological and economical infrastructure designed to provide a high quality of life, but the implementation and management of urban infrastructure has been a continued challenge. Increasing urbanization, warming climate, as well as anthropogenic heat emissions that accompany urban development generates "stress". This rapidly increasing `urban stress' affects the sustainability of cities, making populations more vulnerable to extreme hazards, such as heat. Cities are beginning to extensively use green roofs as a potential urban heat mitigation strategy. This study explores the potential of green roofs to reduce summertime temperatures in the most vulnerable neighborhoods of the Chicago metropolitan area by combining social vulnerability indices (a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity), and temperatures from mesoscale model. Numerical simulations using urbanized version the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model were performed to measure rooftop temperatures, a representative variable for exposure in this study. The WRF simulations were dynamically coupled with a green roof algorithm as a part of urban parameterization within WRF. Specifically, the study examines roof surface temperature with changing green roof fractions and how would they help reduce exposure to heat stress for vulnerable urban communities. This study shows an example of applied research that can directly benefit urban communities and be used by urban planners to evaluate mitigation strategies.