Commentary: Childhood Exposure to Environmental Adversity and the Well-Being of People with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emerson, E.

2013-01-01

People with intellectual disabilities have poorer health than their non-disabled peers. They are also more likely to be exposed to a wide range of environmental adversities in childhood. Research undertaken in the general population has demonstrated that exposure to environmental adversity in childhood can have an adverse impact on health and…

RESEARCH: Conceptualizing Environmental Stress: A Stress-Response Model of Coastal Sandy Barriers.

PubMed

Gabriel; Kreutzwiser

2000-01-01

/ The purpose of this paper is to develop and apply a conceptual framework of environmental stress-response for a geomorphic system. Constructs and methods generated from the literature were applied in the development of an integrative stress-response framework using existing environmental assessment techniques: interaction matrices and a systems diagram. Emphasis is on the interaction between environmental stress and the geomorphic environment of a sandy barrier system. The model illustrates a number of stress concepts pertinent to modeling environmental stress-response, including those related to stress-dependency, frequency-recovery relationships, environmental heterogeneity, spatial hierarchies and linkages, and temporal change. Sandy barrier stress-response and recovery are greatly impacted by fluctuating water levels, stress intensity and frequency, as well as environmental gradients such as differences in sediment storage and supply. Aspects of these stress-response variables are articulated in terms of three main challenges to management: dynamic stability, spatial integrity, and temporal variability. These in turn form the framework for evaluative principles that may be applied to assess how policies and management practices reflect key biophysical processes and human stresses identified by the model.

Childhood adversities and post-traumatic stress disorder: evidence for stress sensitisation in the World Mental Health Surveys.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Katie A; Koenen, Karestan C; Bromet, Evelyn J; Karam, Elie G; Liu, Howard; Petukhova, Maria; Ruscio, Ayelet Meron; Sampson, Nancy A; Stein, Dan J; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Borges, Guilherme; Demyttenaere, Koen; Dinolova, Rumyana V; Ferry, Finola; Florescu, Silvia; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Gureje, Oye; Kawakami, Norito; Lee, Sing; Navarro-Mateu, Fernando; Piazza, Marina; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Posada-Villa, José; Ten Have, Margreet; Viana, Maria Carmen; Kessler, Ronald C

2017-11-01

Background Although childhood adversities are known to predict increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traumatic experiences, it is unclear whether this association varies by childhood adversity or traumatic experience types or by age. Aims To examine variation in associations of childhood adversities with PTSD according to childhood adversity types, traumatic experience types and life-course stage. Method Epidemiological data were analysed from the World Mental Health Surveys ( n = 27 017). Results Four childhood adversities (physical and sexual abuse, neglect, parent psychopathology) were associated with similarly increased odds of PTSD following traumatic experiences (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8), whereas the other eight childhood adversities assessed did not predict PTSD. Childhood adversity-PTSD associations did not vary across traumatic experience types, but were stronger in childhood-adolescence and early-middle adulthood than later adulthood. Conclusions Childhood adversities are differentially associated with PTSD, with the strongest associations in childhood-adolescence and early-middle adulthood. Consistency of associations across traumatic experience types suggests that childhood adversities are associated with generalised vulnerability to PTSD following traumatic experiences. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

Commentary: Childhood exposure to environmental adversity and the well-being of people with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Emerson, E

2013-07-01

People with intellectual disabilities have poorer health than their non-disabled peers. They are also more likely to be exposed to a wide range of environmental adversities in childhood. Research undertaken in the general population has demonstrated that exposure to environmental adversity in childhood can have an adverse impact on health and well-being across the life course. Recently, research in this area has added new breadth and depth to our understanding of: (1) the extent to which cumulative exposure to environmental adversities across the life course, but especially in early childhood, can reduce health and well-being; (2) the social, psychological and biological mediating pathways through which environmental adversities may impair health; (3) the processes associated with resilience and vulnerability in the face of exposure to adversity; and (4) the social significance of these effects in accounting for the magnitude of the inequalities in health that are apparent both between and within populations. This new knowledge is making a significant contribution to the development of social policies that seek to combine health gain with the reduction in health inequalities. This paper attempts to apply this knowledge to research aimed at understanding and improving the health and well-being of people with intellectual disabilities. © 2012 The Author. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

Beneficial effects of environmental enrichment on behavior, stress reactivity and synaptophysin/BDNF expression in hippocampus following early life stress.

PubMed

Dandi, Εvgenia; Kalamari, Aikaterini; Touloumi, Olga; Lagoudaki, Rosa; Nousiopoulou, Evangelia; Simeonidou, Constantina; Spandou, Evangelia; Tata, Despina A

2018-06-01

Exposure to environmental enrichment can beneficially influence the behavior and enhance synaptic plasticity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediated effects of environmental enrichment on postnatal stress-associated impact with regard to behavior, stress reactivity as well as synaptic plasticity changes in the dorsal hippocampus. Wistar rat pups were submitted to a 3 h maternal separation (MS) protocol during postnatal days 1-21, while another group was left undisturbed. On postnatal day 23, a subgroup from each rearing condition (maternal separation, no-maternal separation) was housed in enriched environmental conditions until postnatal day 65 (6 weeks duration). At approximately three months of age, adult rats underwent behavioral testing to evaluate anxiety (Elevated Plus Maze), locomotion (Open Field Test), spatial learning and memory (Morris Water Maze) as well as non-spatial recognition memory (Novel Object Recognition Test). After completion of behavioral testing, blood samples were taken for evaluation of stress-induced plasma corticosterone using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while immunofluorescence was applied to evaluate hippocampal BDNF and synaptophysin expression in dorsal hippocampus. We found that environmental enrichment protected against the effects of maternal separation as indicated by the lower anxiety levels and the reversal of spatial memory deficits compared to animals housed in standard conditions. These changes were associated with increased BDNF and synaptophysin expression in the hippocampus. Regarding the neuroendocrine response to stress, while exposure to an acute stressor potentiated corticosterone increases in maternally-separated rats, environmental enrichment of these rats prevented this effect. The current study aimed at investigating the compensatory role of enriched environment against the negative outcomes of adverse experiences early in life concurrently on emotional and cognitive

Comparative transcriptome and gene co-expression network analysis reveal genes and signaling pathways adaptively responsive to varied adverse stresses in the insect fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana.

PubMed

He, Zhangjiang; Zhao, Xin; Lu, Zhuoyue; Wang, Huifang; Liu, Pengfei; Zeng, Fanqin; Zhang, Yongjun

2018-01-01

Sensing, responding, and adapting to the surrounding environment are crucial for all living organisms to survive, proliferate, and differentiate in their biological niches. Beauveria bassiana is an economically important insect-pathogenic fungus which is widely used as a biocontrol agent to control a variety of insect pests. The fungal pathogen unavoidably encounters a variety of adverse environmental stresses and defense response from the host insects during application of the fungal agents. However, few are known about the transcription response of the fungus to respond or adapt varied adverse stresses. Here, we comparatively analyzed the transcriptome of B. bassiana in globe genome under the varied stationary-phase stresses including osmotic agent (0.8 M NaCl), high temperature (32 °C), cell wall-perturbing agent (Congo red), and oxidative agents (H 2 O 2 or menadione). Total of 12,412 reads were obtained, and mapped to the 6767 genes of the B. bassiana. All of these stresses caused transcription responses involved in basal metabolism, cell wall construction, stress response or cell rescue/detoxification, signaling transduction and gene transcription regulation, and likely other cellular processes. An array of genes displayed similar transcription patterns in response to at least two of the five stresses, suggesting a shared transcription response to varied adverse stresses. Gene co-expression network analysis revealed that mTOR signaling pathway, but not HOG1 MAP kinase pathway, played a central role in regulation the varied adverse stress responses, which was verified by RNAi-mediated knockdown of TOR1. Our findings provided an insight of transcription response and gene co-expression network of B. bassiana in adaptation to varied environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functions of Nitric Oxide (NO) in Roots during Development and under Adverse Stress Conditions

PubMed Central

Corpas, Francisco J.; Barroso, Juan B.

2015-01-01

The free radical molecule, nitric oxide (NO), is present in the principal organs of plants, where it plays an important role in a wide range of physiological functions. Root growth and development are highly regulated by both internal and external factors such as nutrient availability, hormones, pattern formation, cell polarity and cell cycle control. The presence of NO in roots has opened up new areas of research on the role of NO, including root architecture, nutrient acquisition, microorganism interactions and the response mechanisms to adverse environmental conditions, among others. Additionally, the exogenous application of NO throughout the roots has the potential to counteract specific damages caused by certain stresses. This review aims to provide an up-to-date perspective on NO functions in the roots of higher plants. PMID:27135326

Increased alpha-Amylase Response to an Acute Psychosocial Stress Challenge in Healthy Adults with Childhood Adversity

PubMed Central

Kuras, Yuliya I.; McInnis, Christine M.; Thoma, Myriam V.; Chen, Xuejie; Hanlin, Luke; Gianferante, Danielle; Rohleder, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Childhood adversity is highly prevalent and linked to lasting psychological and physiological consequences. A potential mechanism for negative health outcomes is altered stress reactivity. While previous research has addressed associations of childhood adversity with stress system reactivity, sympathetic nervous system (SNS) stress reactivity is understudied. We therefore set out here to examing salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) reactivity in relation with childhood adversity. Forty-one healthy adult subjects (n=24 male; n=17 female) aged 18-34 years underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Saliva for measurement of sAA was collected at three time points; before the TSST, immediately after, and 10 minutes post-TSST. We found that those with childhood trauma had a higher overall sAA response to the TSST, as seen in a repeated measures ANOVA (CTQ by time interaction: F(1.8,71.5)=6.46, p=.01) and an independent samples t-test indicating higher sAA baseline to peak response (t=3.22, p=.003). There was also a positive correlation between sAA reactivity and the CTQ subscales of childhood physical abuse (r=.46, p=.005) and emotional abuse (r=.37, p=.024). Healthy adults with low-to-moderate childhood adversity had a heightened sAA response immediately following the stressor. Higher SNS reactivity could be a link to negative health outcomes in adults with early adversity. Future research should address whether altered sAA reactivity is predictive of negative health outcomes in those with childhood adversity. PMID:27577885

[Seed vigor evaluation based on adversity resistance index of wheat seed germination under stress conditions.

PubMed

Chen, Lei Tai; Sun, Ai Qing; Yang, Min; Chen, Lu Lu; Ma, Xue Li; Li, Mei Ling; Yin, Yan Ping

2016-09-01

A total of 16 wheat cultivars were selected to detect seed vigor of different genotypes using standard germination test, seed germination test under stress conditions and field emergence test. The adversity resistance indices of seed vigor indices and field emergence percentage under different germination conditions were used as the indices to evaluate adversity resistance. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used for the comprehensive evaluation of seed vigor. Results showed that drought stress, artificial aging and cold soaking treatments affected seed vigor to some extent. The adversity resistance indices of the artificial aging and cold soaking tests were significantly positively correlated with the field emergence percentage, while the adversity resistance index of drought stress test had no significant correlation with the field emergence percentage. 16 wheat cultivars were classified as three groups based on the principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Yunong 949, Yumai 49-198, Luyuan 502, Zhengyumai 9987, Shimai 21, Shannong 23, and Shixin 828 belonged to high vigor seeds. Xunong 5, Yunong 982, Tangmai 8, Jimai 20, Jimai 22, Jinan 17, and Shannong 20 belonged to medium vigor seeds. The other two cultivars, Chang 4738 and Lunxuan 061, belonged to low vigor seeds.

Stress influences environmental donation behavior in men.

PubMed

Sollberger, Silja; Bernauer, Thomas; Ehlert, Ulrike

2016-01-01

Stress has been found to have both positive and negative effects on prosocial behavior, suggesting the involvement of moderating factors such as context and underlying motives. In the present study, we investigated the conditions under which acute stress leads to an increase vs. decrease in environmental donation behavior as an indicator of prosocial behavior. In particular, we examined whether the effects of stress depended on preexisting pro-environmental orientation and stage of the donation decision (whether or not to donate vs. the amount to be donated). Male participants with either high (N=40) or low (N=39) pro-environmental orientation were randomly assigned to a social stress test or a control condition. Salivary cortisol was assessed repeatedly before and after stress induction. At the end of the experiment, all subjects were presented with an opportunity to donate a portion of their monetary compensation to a climate protection foundation. We found that stress significantly increased donation frequency, but only in subjects with low pro-environmental orientation. Congruously, their decision to donate was positively associated with cortisol response to the stress test and the emotion regulation strategy mood repair, as well as accompanied by an increase in subjective calmness. In contrast, among the participants who decided to donate, stress significantly reduced the donated amount of money, regardless of pro-environmental orientation. In conclusion, our findings suggest that acute stress might generally activate more self-serving motivations, such as making oneself feel better and securing one's own material interests. Importantly, however, a strong pro-environmental orientation partially prevented these effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inoculation Stress Hypothesis of Environmental Enrichment

PubMed Central

Crofton, Elizabeth J.; Zhang, Yafang; Green, Thomas A.

2014-01-01

One hallmark of psychiatric conditions is the vast continuum of individual differences in susceptibility vs. resilience resulting from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The environmental enrichment paradigm is an animal model that is useful for studying a range of psychiatric conditions, including protective phenotypes in addiction and depression models. The major question is how environmental enrichment, a non-drug and non-surgical manipulation, can produce such robust individual differences in such a wide range of behaviors. This paper draws from a variety of published sources to outline a coherent hypothesis of inoculation stress as a factor producing the protective enrichment phenotypes. The basic tenet suggests that chronic mild stress from living in a complex environment and interacting non-aggressively with conspecifics can inoculate enriched rats against subsequent stressors and/or drugs of abuse. This paper reviews the enrichment phenotypes, mulls the fundamental nature of environmental enrichment vs. isolation, discusses the most appropriate control for environmental enrichment, and challenges the idea that cortisol/corticosterone equals stress. The intent of the inoculation stress hypothesis of environmental enrichment is to provide a scaffold with which to build testable hypotheses for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying these protective phenotypes and thus provide new therapeutic targets to treat psychiatric/neurological conditions. PMID:25449533

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

PubMed Central

Ortiz, Robin; Sibinga, Erica M.

2017-01-01

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. PMID:28264496

Increased alpha-amylase response to an acute psychosocial stress challenge in healthy adults with childhood adversity.

PubMed

Kuras, Yuliya I; McInnis, Christine M; Thoma, Myriam V; Chen, Xuejie; Hanlin, Luke; Gianferante, Danielle; Rohleder, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Childhood adversity is highly prevalent and linked to lasting psychological and physiological consequences. A potential mechanism for negative health outcomes is altered stress reactivity. While previous research has addressed associations of childhood adversity with stress system reactivity, sympathetic nervous system (SNS) stress reactivity is understudied. We therefore set out here to examining salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) reactivity in relation with childhood adversity. Forty-one healthy adult subjects (n = 24 male; n = 17 female) aged 18-34 years underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Saliva for measurement of sAA was collected at three time points; before the TSST, immediately after, and 10 min post-TSST. We found that those with childhood trauma had a higher overall sAA response to the TSST, as seen in a repeated measures ANOVA (CTQ by time interaction: F(1.8,71.5) = 6.46, p = .01) and an independent samples t-test indicating higher sAA baseline to peak response (t = 3.22, p = .003). There was also a positive correlation between sAA reactivity and the CTQ subscales of childhood physical abuse (r = .46, p = .005) and emotional abuse (r = .37, p = .024). Healthy adults with low-to-moderate childhood adversity had a heightened sAA response immediately following the stressor. Higher SNS reactivity could be a link to negative health outcomes in adults with early adversity. Future research should address whether altered sAA reactivity is predictive of negative health outcomes in those with childhood adversity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Attachment-Related Regulatory Processes Moderate the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Stress Reaction in Borderline Personality Disorder.

PubMed

Ehrenthal, Johannes C; Levy, Kenneth N; Scott, Lori N; Granger, Douglas A

2018-01-01

In this study, the authors explored whether attachment insecurity moderates the effects of adverse childhood experiences on stress reactivity in the context of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Participants were 113 women (39 with BPD, 15 with some BPD criteria present, 59 without any BPD symptoms) who participated in the Trier Social Stress Test. Saliva samples were collected before and after the stressor and assayed for salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol. Adverse childhood experiences were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and attachment by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire. Results revealed that attachment avoidance and a combination of more adverse childhood experiences and attachment insecurity resulted in higher sAA levels and differences in reactivity to the stressor. Interactions between attachment anxiety and adverse childhood experiences were related to blunted cortisol reactivity. The results suggest that the influence of adverse childhood experiences on stress regulation in BPD may be moderated by attachment-related regulatory processes.

Biological Sensitivity to Context: The Interactive Effects of Stress Reactivity and Family Adversity on Socio-Emotional Behavior and School Readiness

PubMed Central

Obradović, Jelena; Bush, Nicole R.; Stamperdahl, Juliet; Adler, Nancy E.; Boyce, W. Thomas

2009-01-01

This study examined the direct and interactive effects of stress reactivity and family adversity on socio-emotional and cognitive development in 338 five-to-six-year-old children. Neurobiological stress reactivity was measured as respiratory sinus arrhythmia and salivary cortisol responses to social, cognitive, sensory, and emotional challenges. Adaptation was assessed using child, parent, and teacher reports of externalizing symptoms, prosocial behaviors, school engagement, and academic competence. Results revealed significant interactions between reactivity and adversity. High stress reactivity was associated with more maladaptive outcomes in the context of high adversity but with better adaption in the context of low adversity. The findings corroborate a reconceptualization of stress reactivity as biological sensitivity to context by showing that high reactivity can both hinder and promote adaptive functioning. PMID:20331667

The Wisdom of Honeybee Defenses Against Environmental Stresses

PubMed Central

Li, Guilin; Zhao, Hang; Liu, Zhenguo; Wang, Hongfang; Xu, Baohua; Guo, Xingqi

2018-01-01

As one of the predominant pollinator, honeybees provide important ecosystem service to crops and wild plants, and generate great economic benefit for humans. Unfortunately, there is clear evidence of recent catastrophic honeybee colony failure in some areas, resulting in markedly negative environmental and economic effects. It has been demonstrated that various environmental stresses, including both abiotic and biotic stresses, functioning singly or synergistically, are the potential drivers of colony collapse. Honeybees can use many defense mechanisms to decrease the damage from environmental stress to some extent. Here, we synthesize and summarize recent advances regarding the effects of environmental stress on honeybees and the wisdom of honeybees to respond to external environmental stress. Furthermore, we provide possible future research directions about the response of honeybees to various form of stressors. PMID:29765357

Differential roles of childhood adversities and stressful war experiences in the development of mental health symptoms in post-war adolescents in northern Uganda.

PubMed

Okello, James; De Schryver, Maarten; Musisi, Seggane; Broekaert, Eric; Derluyn, Ilse

2014-09-09

Previous studies have shown a relationship between stressful war experiences and mental health symptoms in children and adolescents. To date, no comprehensive studies on the role of childhood adversities have been conducted with war-exposed adolescents living in post-war, low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional study of 551 school-going adolescents aged 13-21 years old was undertaken four years post-war in northern Uganda. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires assessing demographics, stressful war experiences, childhood adversities, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms. Our analyses revealed a main effect of gender on all mental health outcomes except avoidance symptoms, with girls reporting higher scores than boys. Stressful war experiences were associated with all mental health symptoms, after adjusting for potential confounders. Childhood adversity was independently associated with depression symptoms but not PTSD, anxiety, and PTSD cluster symptoms. However, in situations of high childhood adversity, our analyses showed that stressful war experiences were less associated with vulnerability to avoidance symptoms than in situations of low childhood adversity. Both stressful war experiences and childhood adversities are risk factors for mental health symptoms among war-affected adolescents. Adolescents with histories of high childhood adversities may be less likely to develop avoidance symptoms in situations of high stressful war experiences. Further exploration of the differential roles of childhood adversities and stressful war experiences is needed.

Inoculation stress hypothesis of environmental enrichment.

PubMed

Crofton, Elizabeth J; Zhang, Yafang; Green, Thomas A

2015-02-01

One hallmark of psychiatric conditions is the vast continuum of individual differences in susceptibility vs. resilience resulting from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The environmental enrichment paradigm is an animal model that is useful for studying a range of psychiatric conditions, including protective phenotypes in addiction and depression models. The major question is how environmental enrichment, a non-drug and non-surgical manipulation, can produce such robust individual differences in such a wide range of behaviors. This paper draws from a variety of published sources to outline a coherent hypothesis of inoculation stress as a factor producing the protective enrichment phenotypes. The basic tenet suggests that chronic mild stress from living in a complex environment and interacting non-aggressively with conspecifics can inoculate enriched rats against subsequent stressors and/or drugs of abuse. This paper reviews the enrichment phenotypes, mulls the fundamental nature of environmental enrichment vs. isolation, discusses the most appropriate control for environmental enrichment, and challenges the idea that cortisol/corticosterone equals stress. The intent of the inoculation stress hypothesis of environmental enrichment is to provide a scaffold with which to build testable hypotheses for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying these protective phenotypes and thus provide new therapeutic targets to treat psychiatric/neurological conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adiposity moderates links from early adversity and depressive symptoms to inflammatory reactivity to acute stress during late adolescence.

PubMed

Chiang, Jessica J; Bower, Julienne E; Irwin, Michael R; Taylor, Shelley E; Fuligni, Andrew J

2017-11-01

Both early adversity and depression are associated with heightened inflammation. However, few studies have focused on inflammatory reactivity to psychosocial stress and examined adiposity as a potential moderator. Yet, repeated heightened inflammatory reactivity over time is thought to contribute to low-grade chronic inflammation and adipose tissue is a key source of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether early adversity and depressive symptoms were related to stress-induced inflammation and whether these associations varied by total body and abdominal adiposity as measured by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in a sample of late adolescents. Participants reported on their early family environment and current depressive symptoms, had their height, weight, and WC assessed for adiposity markers, and provided blood samples for IL-6 assessment before and after a standardized laboratory stress task. No main effect of early adversity on IL-6 reactivity to acute stress was observed. However, significant interactions between early adversity and BMI and WC emerged. Greater exposure to early adversity was associated with greater IL-6 responses only among adolescents with higher BMI or WC. The same pattern of findings was observed for depressive symptoms. Additionally, moderated mediation analyses indicated that among adolescents with greater adiposity, early adversity indirectly influenced IL-6 reactivity via current depressive symptoms. These findings contribute to our understanding of vulnerability factors that may amplify the associations between early adversity and depressive symptoms and inflammation during relatively early stages of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress sensitization and adolescent depressive severity as a function of childhood adversity: a link to anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Espejo, Emmanuel P; Hammen, Constance L; Connolly, Nicole P; Brennan, Patricia A; Najman, Jake M; Bor, William

2007-04-01

The goal of the present study was to determine whether exposure to adversity in childhood contributes to a differential threshold at which stressful life events provoke depressive reactions in adolescence. In addition, to address empirical and conceptual questions about stress effects, the moderating effect of anxiety disorder history was also explored. This examination was conducted in a sample of 816 children of depressed and nondepressed mothers, who were followed from birth to age 15. Information on adversities experienced in childhood was collected both from mothers during the first five years of their youth's life and from the youths themselves at age 15, and included information on the mother's relationship with her partner, maternal psychopathology, as well as youth-reported abuse. Results indicated that youths with both greater exposure to adversity in childhood and a history of an anxiety disorder displayed increased depressive severity following low levels of episodic stress compared to youths with only one or neither of these risk factors. The results are speculated to reflect the possibility that early anxiety disorders associated with exposure to adversity in childhood may be a marker of dysregulated stress responses, and may help to account for the comorbidity of depression and anxiety in some individuals.

Childhood Adversity and Cumulative Life Stress: Risk Factors for Cancer-Related Fatigue.

PubMed

Bower, Julienne E; Crosswell, Alexandra D; Slavich, George M

2014-01-01

Fatigue is a common symptom in healthy and clinical populations, including cancer survivors. However, risk factors for cancer-related fatigue have not been identified. On the basis of research linking stress with other fatigue-related disorders, we tested the hypothesis that stress exposure during childhood and throughout the life span would be associated with fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Stress exposure was assessed using the Stress and Adversity Inventory, a novel computer-based instrument that assesses for 96 types of acute and chronic stressors that may affect health. Results showed that breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue reported significantly higher levels of cumulative lifetime stress exposure, including more stressful experiences in childhood and in adulthood, compared to a control group of nonfatigued survivors. These findings identify a novel risk factor for fatigue in the growing population of cancer survivors and suggest targets for treatment.

Childhood Adversity and Cumulative Life Stress: Risk Factors for Cancer-Related Fatigue

PubMed Central

Bower, Julienne E.; Crosswell, Alexandra D.; Slavich, George M.

2013-01-01

Fatigue is a common symptom in healthy and clinical populations, including cancer survivors. However, risk factors for cancer-related fatigue have not been identified. On the basis of research linking stress with other fatigue-related disorders, we tested the hypothesis that stress exposure during childhood and throughout the life span would be associated with fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Stress exposure was assessed using the Stress and Adversity Inventory, a novel computer-based instrument that assesses for 96 types of acute and chronic stressors that may affect health. Results showed that breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue reported significantly higher levels of cumulative lifetime stress exposure, including more stressful experiences in childhood and in adulthood, compared to a control group of nonfatigued survivors. These findings identify a novel risk factor for fatigue in the growing population of cancer survivors and suggest targets for treatment. PMID:24377083

Abundance of adverse environmental conditions during critical stages of crop production in Northern Germany.

PubMed

Strer, Maximilian; Svoboda, Nikolai; Herrmann, Antje

2018-01-01

Understanding the abundance of adverse environmental conditions e.g. frost, drought, and heat during critical crop growth stages, which are assumed to be altered by climate change, is crucial for an accurate risk assessment for cropping systems. While a lengthening of the vegetation period may be beneficial, higher frequencies of heat or frost events and drought spells are generally regarded as harmful. The objective of the present study was to quantify shifts in maize and wheat phenology and the occurrence of adverse environmental conditions during critical growth stages for four regions located in the North German Plain. First, a statistical analysis of phenological development was conducted based on recent data (1981-2010). Next, these data were used to calibrate the DSSAT-CERES wheat and maize models, which were then used to run three climate projections representing the maximum, intermediate and minimum courses of climate development within the RCP 8.5 continuum during the years 2021-2050. By means of model simulation runs and statistical analysis, the climate data were evaluated for the abundance of adverse environmental conditions during critical development stages, i.e. the stages of early crop development, anthesis, sowing and harvest. Proxies for adverse environmental conditions included thresholds of low and high temperatures as well as soil moisture. The comparison of the baseline climate and future climate projections showed a significant increase in the abundance of adverse environmental conditions during critical growth stages in the future. The lengthening of the vegetation period in spring did not compensate for the increased abundance of high temperatures, e.g. during anthesis. The results of this study indicate the need to develop adaptation strategies, such as implementing changes in cropping calendars. An increase in frost risk during early development, however, reveals the limited feasibility of early sowing as a mitigation strategy. In

Early life adversity reduces stress reactivity and enhances impulsive behavior: Implications for health behaviors

PubMed Central

Lovallo, William R.

2012-01-01

Altered reactivity to stress, either in the direction of exaggerated reactivity or diminished reactivity, may signal a dysregulation of systems intended to maintain homeostasis and a state of good health. Evidence has accumulated that diminished reactivity to psychosocial stress may signal poor health outcomes. One source of diminished cortisol and autonomic reactivity is the experience of adverse rearing during childhood and adolescence. The Oklahoma Family Health Patterns Project has examined a cohort of 426 healthy young adults with and without a family history of alcoholism. Regardless of family history, persons who had experienced high degrees of adversity prior to age 16 had a constellation of changes including reduced cortisol and heart rate reactivity, diminished cognitive capacity, and unstable regulation of affect, leading to behavioral impulsivity and antisocial tendencies. We present a model whereby this constellation of physiological, cognitive, and affective tendencies is consistent with altered central dopaminergic activity leading to changes in brain function that may foster impulsive and risky behaviors. These in turn may promote greater use of alcohol other drugs along with adopting poor health behaviors. This model provides a pathway from early life adversity to low stress reactivity that forms a basis for risky behaviors and poor health outcomes. PMID:23085387

The impact of environmental stress on male reproductive development in plants: biological processes and molecular mechanisms

PubMed Central

de Storme, Nico; Geelen, Danny

2014-01-01

In plants, male reproductive development is extremely sensitive to adverse climatic environments and (a)biotic stress. Upon exposure to stress, male gametophytic organs often show morphological, structural and metabolic alterations that typically lead to meiotic defects or premature spore abortion and male reproductive sterility. Depending on the type of stress involved (e.g. heat, cold, drought) and the duration of stress exposure, the underlying cellular defect is highly variable and either involves cytoskeletal alterations, tapetal irregularities, altered sugar utilization, aberrations in auxin metabolism, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS; oxidative stress) or the ectopic induction of programmed cell death (PCD). In this review, we present the critically stress-sensitive stages of male sporogenesis (meiosis) and male gametogenesis (microspore development), and discuss the corresponding biological processes involved and the resulting alterations in male reproduction. In addition, this review also provides insights into the molecular and/or hormonal regulation of the environmental stress sensitivity of male reproduction and outlines putative interaction(s) between the different processes involved. PMID:23731015

Evolution under environmental stress at macro- and microscales.

PubMed

Nevo, Eviatar

2011-01-01

Environmental stress has played a major role in the evolution of living organisms (Hoffman AA, Parsons PA. 1991. Evolutionary genetics and environmental stress. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Parsons PA. 2005. Environments and evolution: interactions between stress, resource inadequacy, and energetic efficiency. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 80:589-610). This is reflected by the massive and background extinctions in evolutionary time (Nevo E. 1995a. Evolution and extinction. Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology. New York: Academic Press, Inc. 1:717-745). The interaction between organism and environment is central in evolution. Extinction ensues when organisms fail to change and adapt to the constantly altering abiotic and biotic stressful environmental changes as documented in the fossil record. Extreme environmental stress causes extinction but also leads to evolutionary change and the origination of new species adapted to new environments. I will discuss a few of these global, regional, and local stresses based primarily on my own research programs. These examples will include the 1) global regional and local experiment of subterranean mammals; 2) regional experiment of fungal life in the Dead Sea; 3) evolution of wild cereals; 4) "Evolution Canyon"; 5) human brain evolution, and 6) global warming.

Evolution Under Environmental Stress at Macro- and Microscales

PubMed Central

Nevo, Eviatar

2011-01-01

Environmental stress has played a major role in the evolution of living organisms (Hoffman AA, Parsons PA. 1991. Evolutionary genetics and environmental stress. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Parsons PA. 2005. Environments and evolution: interactions between stress, resource inadequacy, and energetic efficiency. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 80:589–610). This is reflected by the massive and background extinctions in evolutionary time (Nevo E. 1995a. Evolution and extinction. Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology. New York: Academic Press, Inc. 1:717–745). The interaction between organism and environment is central in evolution. Extinction ensues when organisms fail to change and adapt to the constantly altering abiotic and biotic stressful environmental changes as documented in the fossil record. Extreme environmental stress causes extinction but also leads to evolutionary change and the origination of new species adapted to new environments. I will discuss a few of these global, regional, and local stresses based primarily on my own research programs. These examples will include the 1) global regional and local experiment of subterranean mammals; 2) regional experiment of fungal life in the Dead Sea; 3) evolution of wild cereals; 4) “Evolution Canyon”; 5) human brain evolution, and 6) global warming. PMID:21979157

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND ADVERSE HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS: HAZARD IDENTIFICATION USING INTERREGION COMPARISONS

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Associations between adverse health effects and environmental exposures are difficult to study, because exposures may be widespread, low-dose in nature, and common throughout the study population. Therefore, individual risk-factor epidemiology may not be the right to...

Responses to social and environmental stress are attenuated by strong male bonds in wild macaques

PubMed Central

Young, Christopher; Majolo, Bonaventura; Heistermann, Michael; Schülke, Oliver; Ostner, Julia

2014-01-01

In humans and obligatory social animals, individuals with weak social ties experience negative health and fitness consequences. The social buffering hypothesis conceptualizes one possible mediating mechanism: During stressful situations the presence of close social partners buffers against the adverse effects of increased physiological stress levels. We tested this hypothesis using data on social (rate of aggression received) and environmental (low temperatures) stressors in wild male Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) in Morocco. These males form strong, enduring, and equitable affiliative relationships similar to human friendships. We tested the effect of the strength of a male’s top three social bonds on his fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels as a function of the stressors’ intensity. The attenuating effect of stronger social bonds on physiological stress increased both with increasing rates of aggression received and with decreasing minimum daily temperature. Ruling out thermoregulatory and immediate effects of social interactions on fGCM levels, our results indicate that male Barbary macaques employ a tend-and-befriend coping strategy in the face of increased environmental as well as social day-to-day stressors. This evidence of a stress-ameliorating effect of social bonding among males under natural conditions and beyond the mother–offspring, kin or pair bond broadens the generality of the social buffering hypothesis. PMID:25489097

Socioeconomic Adversity and Women's Sleep: Stress and Chaos as Mediators.

PubMed

El-Sheikh, Mona; Keiley, Margaret; Bagley, Erika J; Chen, Edith

2015-01-01

We examined income-to-needs ratio, perceived economic well-being, and education and their relations with European and African American women's sleep (n = 219). Sleep was examined through actigraphy and self-reports. Income-to-needs ratio was related to sleep minutes. Perceived economic well-being and education were associated with subjective sleep problems. Perceived stress mediated relations between both income-to-needs ratio and economic well-being and subjective sleep problems. Chaos emerged as a mediator linking income-to-needs ratio and subjective sleep problems. African American women had fewer sleep minutes and lower sleep efficiency than European Americans, and more robust relations between economic well-being and stress was observed for European Americans. Findings highlight the importance of economic adversity for women's sleep and explicate some pathways of risk.

Vulnerability of point-of-care test reagents and instruments to environmental stresses: implications for health professionals and developers.

PubMed

Louie, Richard F; Ferguson, William J; Curtis, Corbin M; Vy, John H; Kost, Gerald J

2014-03-01

Strategic integration of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools during crisis response can accelerate triage and improve management of victims. Timely differential diagnosis is essential wherever care is provided to rule out or rule in disease, expedite life-saving treatment, and improve utilization of limited resources. POC testing needs to be accurate in any environment in which it is used. Devices are exposed to potentially adverse storage and operating conditions, such as high/low temperature and humidity during emergencies and field rescues. Therefore, characterizing environmental conditions allows technology developers, operators, and responders to understand the broad operational requirements of test reagents, instruments, and equipment in order to improve the quality and delivery of care in complex emergencies, disasters, and austere environmental settings. This review aims to describe the effects of environmental stress on POC testing performance and its impact on decision-making, to describe how to study the effects, and to summarize ways to mitigate the effects of environmental stresses through good laboratory practice, development of robust reagents, and novel thermal packaging solutions.

Allostatic load: A theoretical model for understanding the relationship between maternal posttraumatic stress disorder and adverse birth outcomes.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Rosemberg, Marie-Anne Sanon; Seng, Julia S

2018-07-01

Adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight are significant public health concerns and contribute to neonatal morbidity and mortality. Studies have increasingly been exploring the predictive effects of maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on adverse birth outcomes. However, the biological mechanisms by which maternal PTSD affects birth outcomes are not well understood. Allostatic load refers to the cumulative dysregulations of the multiple physiological systems as a response to multiple social-ecological levels of chronic stress. Allostatic load has been well documented in relation to both chronic stress and adverse health outcomes in non-pregnant populations. However, the mediating role of allostatic load is less understood when it comes to maternal PTSD and adverse birth outcomes. To propose a theoretical model that depicts how allostatic load could mediate the impact of maternal PTSD on birth outcomes. We followed the procedures for theory synthesis approach described by Walker and Avant (2011), including specifying focal concepts, identifying related factors and relationships, and constructing an integrated representation. We first present a theoretical overview of the allostatic load theory and the other 4 relevant theoretical models. Then we provide a brief narrative review of literature that empirically supports the propositions of the integrated model. Finally, we describe our theoretical model. The theoretical model synthesized has the potential to advance perinatal research by delineating multiple biomarkers to be used in future. After it is well validated, it could be utilized as the theoretical basis for health care professionals to identify high-risk women by evaluating their experiences of psychosocial and traumatic stress and to develop and evaluate service delivery and clinical interventions that might modify maternal perceptions or experiences of stress and eliminate their impacts on adverse birth outcomes. Copyright

Biological Stress Systems, Adverse Life Events, and the Improvement of Chronic Multisite Musculoskeletal Pain Across a 6-Year Follow-Up.

PubMed

Generaal, Ellen; Vogelzangs, Nicole; Macfarlane, Gary J; Geenen, Rinie; Smit, Johannes H; de Geus, Eco J C N; Dekker, Joost; Penninx, Brenda W J H

2017-02-01

Dysfunction of biological stress systems and adverse life events, independently and in interaction, have been hypothesized to predict chronic pain persistence. Conversely, these factors may hamper the improvement of chronic pain. Longitudinal evidence is currently lacking. We examined whether: 1) function of biological stress systems, 2) adverse life events, and 3) their combination predict the improvement of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain. Subjects of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) with chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain at baseline (N = 665) were followed-up 2, 4, and 6 years later. The Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire was used to determine improvement (not meeting the criteria) of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain at follow-up. Baseline assessment of biological stress systems included function of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (1-hour cortisol awakening response, evening level, and post dexamethasone level), the immune system (basal and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammatory markers), the autonomic nervous system (heart rate, pre-ejection period, SD of the normal-to-normal interval, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia). The number of adverse life events were assessed at baseline and 2-year follow-up using the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire. We showed that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, immune system, and autonomic nervous system functioning and adverse life events were not associated with the improvement of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain, either as a main effect or in interaction. This longitudinal study could not confirm that biological stress system dysfunction and adverse life events affect the course of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain. Biological stress systems and adverse life events are not associated with the improvement of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain over 6 years of follow-up. Other determinants should thus be considered in future research to identify in which

Biological stress systems, adverse life events and the onset of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain: a 6-year cohort study.

PubMed

Generaal, Ellen; Vogelzangs, Nicole; Macfarlane, Gary J; Geenen, Rinie; Smit, Johannes H; de Geus, Eco J C N; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Dekker, Joost

2016-05-01

Dysregulated biological stress systems and adverse life events, independently and in interaction, have been hypothesised to initiate chronic pain. We examine whether (1) function of biological stress systems, (2) adverse life events, and (3) their combination predict the onset of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain. Subjects (n=2039) of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, free from chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain at baseline, were identified using the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire and followed up for the onset of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain over 6 years. Baseline assessment of biological stress systems comprised function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (1-h cortisol awakening response, evening levels, postdexamethasone levels), the immune system (basal and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammation) and the autonomic nervous system (heart rate, pre-ejection period, SD of the normal-to-normal interval, respiratory sinus arrhythmia). The number of recent adverse life events was assessed at baseline using the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, immune system and autonomic nervous system functioning was not associated with onset of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain, either by itself or in interaction with adverse life events. Adverse life events did predict onset of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain (HR per event=1.14, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.24, p=0.005). This longitudinal study could not confirm that dysregulated biological stress systems increase the risk of developing chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain. Adverse life events were a risk factor for the onset of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain, suggesting that psychosocial factors play a role in triggering the development of this condition. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning change along environmental stress gradients.

PubMed

Steudel, Bastian; Hector, Andy; Friedl, Thomas; Löfke, Christian; Lorenz, Maike; Wesche, Moritz; Kessler, Michael; Gessner, Mark

2012-12-01

Positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has been observed in many studies, but how this relationship is affected by environmental stress is largely unknown. To explore this influence, we measured the biomass of microalgae grown in microcosms along two stress gradients, heat and salinity, and compared our results with 13 published case studies that measured biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships under varying environmental conditions. We found that positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning decreased with increasing stress intensity in absolute terms. However, in relative terms, increasing stress had a stronger negative effect on low-diversity communities. This shows that more diverse biotic communities are functionally less susceptible to environmental stress, emphasises the need to maintain high levels of biodiversity as an insurance against impacts of changing environmental conditions and sets the stage for exploring the mechanisms underlying biodiversity effects in stressed ecosystems. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Protein Sulfenylation: A Novel Readout of Environmental Oxidant Stress

EPA Science Inventory

Oxidative stress is a commonly cited mechanism of toxicity of environmental agents. Ubiquitous environmental chemicals such as the diesel exhaust component 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ)induce oxidative stress by redox cycling, which generates hydrogen peroxide (H202). Cysteinylthio...

Resilience of networks to environmental stress: From regular to random networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eom, Young-Ho

2018-04-01

Despite the huge interest in network resilience to stress, most of the studies have concentrated on internal stress damaging network structure (e.g., node removals). Here we study how networks respond to environmental stress deteriorating their external conditions. We show that, when regular networks gradually disintegrate as environmental stress increases, disordered networks can suddenly collapse at critical stress with hysteresis and vulnerability to perturbations. We demonstrate that this difference results from a trade-off between node resilience and network resilience to environmental stress. The nodes in the disordered networks can suppress their collapses due to the small-world topology of the networks but eventually collapse all together in return. Our findings indicate that some real networks can be highly resilient against environmental stress to a threshold yet extremely vulnerable to the stress above the threshold because of their small-world topology.

Socioeconomic Adversity and Women’s Sleep: Stress and Chaos as Mediators

PubMed Central

El-Sheikh, Mona; Keiley, Margaret; Bagley, Erika J.; Chen, Edith

2016-01-01

We examined income-to-needs ratio, perceived economic well-being, and education and their relations with European and African American women’s sleep (n = 219). Sleep was examined through actigraphy and self-reports. Income-to-needs ratio was related to sleep minutes. Perceived economic well-being and education were associated with subjective sleep problems. Perceived stress mediated relations between both income-to-needs ratio and economic well-being and subjective sleep problems. Chaos emerged as a mediator linking income-to-needs ratio and subjective sleep problems. African American women had fewer sleep minutes and lower sleep efficiency than European Americans, and more robust relations between economic well-being and stress was observed for European Americans. Findings highlight the importance of economic adversity for women’s sleep and explicate some pathways of risk. PMID:25115947

Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Psychotic-Like Symptoms and Stress Reactivity in Daily Life in Nonclinical Young Adults

PubMed Central

Ballespí, Sergi; Mitjavila, Mercè; Myin-Germeys, Inez; Kwapil, Thomas R.; Barrantes-Vidal, Neus

2016-01-01

Background There is increasing interest in elucidating the association of different childhood adversities with psychosis-spectrum symptoms as well as the mechanistic processes involved. This study used experience sampling methodology to examine (i) associations of a range of childhood adversities with psychosis symptom domains in daily life; (ii) whether associations of abuse and neglect with symptoms are consistent across self-report and interview methods of trauma assessment; and (iii) the role of different adversities in moderating affective, psychotic-like, and paranoid reactivity to situational and social stressors. Method A total of 206 nonclinical young adults were administered self-report and interview measures to assess childhood abuse, neglect, bullying, losses, and general traumatic events. Participants received personal digital assistants that signaled them randomly eight times daily for one week to complete questionnaires about current experiences, including symptoms, affect, and stress. Results Self-reported and interview-based abuse and neglect were associated with psychotic-like and paranoid symptoms, whereas only self-reported neglect was associated with negative-like symptoms. Bullying was associated with psychotic-like symptoms. Losses and general traumatic events were not directly associated with any of the symptom domains. All the childhood adversities were associated with stress reactivity in daily life. Interpersonal adversities (abuse, neglect, bullying, and losses) moderated psychotic-like and/or paranoid reactivity to situational and social stressors, whereas general traumatic events moderated psychotic-like reactivity to situational stress. Also, different interpersonal adversities exacerbated psychotic-like and/or paranoid symptoms in response to distinct social stressors. Discussion The present study provides a unique examination of how childhood adversities impact the expression of spectrum symptoms in the real world and lends support

Life course pathways of adverse childhood experiences toward adult psychological well-being: A stress process analysis.

PubMed

Nurius, Paula S; Green, Sara; Logan-Greene, Patricia; Borja, Sharon

2015-07-01

Growing evidence suggests that toxic stressors early in life not only convey developmental impacts but also augment risk of proliferating chains of additional stressors that can overwhelm individual coping and undermine recovery and health. Examining trauma within a life course stress process perspective, we posit that early childhood adversity carries a unique capacity to impair adult psychological well-being both independent of and cumulative with other contributors, including social disadvantage and stressful adult experiences. This study uses data from a representative population-based health survey (N=13,593) to provide one of the first multivariate assessments of unique, cumulative, and moderated effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) toward explaining 3 related yet distinct measures of adult mental health: perceived well-being, psychological distress, and impaired daily activities. Results demonstrate support for each set of hypothesized associations, including exacerbation and amelioration of ACEs effects by adult stress and resilience resources, respectively. Implications for services and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

You are not alone: relatedness reduces adverse effects of state orientation on well-being under stress.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Monischa B; Baumann, Nicola; Osborne, Danny

2013-04-01

A low ability to self-regulate emotions (state orientation) is associated with reduced well-being--especially under stress. Until now, research has approached this topic from an asocial perspective that views the self as devoid from relatedness concerns. However, people are social creatures who benefit from their relationships with others. As such, we expected that personally valuing (Study 1) and experimentally priming (Study 2) a sense of relatedness with others would act as a buffer against stress-related impairments in state-oriented individuals. In Study 1, high (vs. low) benevolence values removed the adverse effect of state orientation on well-being found under stressful life circumstances. In Study 2, focusing on similarities (vs. differences) while comparing oneself with a friend removed the adverse effect of state orientation on recovery from a negative mood induction. Our findings suggest that individuals with low self-regulatory competencies may profit from valuing and directing their attention toward their relatedness with others.

Life Course Pathways of Adverse Childhood Experiences Toward Adult Psychological Well-Being: A Stress Process Analysis

PubMed Central

Nurius, Paula S.; Green, Sara; Logan-Greene, Patricia; Borja, Sharon

2015-01-01

Growing evidence suggests that toxic stressors early in life not only convey developmental impacts but also augment risk of proliferating chains of additional stressors that can overwhelm individual coping and undermine recovery and health. Examining trauma within a life course stress process perspective, we posit that early childhood adversity carries a unique capacity to impair adult psychological well-being both independent of and cumulative with other contributors, including social disadvantage and stressful adult experiences. This study uses data from a representative population-based health survey (N = 13,593) to provide one of the first multivariate assessments of unique, cumulative, and moderated effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) toward explaining 3 related yet distinct measures of adult mental health: perceived well-being, psychological distress, and impaired daily activities. Results demonstrate support for each set of hypothesized associations, including exacerbation and amelioration of ACEs effects by adult stress and resilience resources, respectively. Implications for services and future research are discussed. PMID:25846195

Early-Life Adversity Interacts with FKBP5 Genotypes: Altered Working Memory and Cardiac Stress Reactivity in the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns Project.

PubMed

Lovallo, William R; Enoch, Mary-Anne; Acheson, Ashley; Cohoon, Andrew J; Sorocco, Kristen H; Hodgkinson, Colin A; Vincent, Andrea S; Goldman, David

2016-06-01

Exposure to stress during critical periods of development can have adverse effects on adult health behaviors, and genetic vulnerabilities may enhance these stress effects. We carried out an exploratory examination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics of 252 healthy young adults for the impact of early-life adversity (ELA) in relation to the G-to-A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs9296158, of the FKBP5 gene. FKBP5 is a molecular cochaperone that contributes to the functional status of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and to the quality of corticosteroid signaling. FKBP5 expression is upregulated by cortisol exposure during stressful episodes, with greater upregulation seen in A-allele carriers. As such, FKBP5 expression and GR function may be environmentally sensitive in A-allele carriers and therefore suitable for the study of gene-by-environment (G × E) interactions. Compared with FKBP5, GG homozygotes (N=118), A-allele carriers (N = 132) without psychiatric morbidity had progressively worse performance on the Stroop color-word task with increasing levels of ELA exposure (Genotype × ELA, F=5.14, P=0.007), indicating a G × E interaction on working memory in early adulthood. In addition, heart rate response to mental stress was diminished overall in AA/AG-allele carriers (F=5.15, P=0.024). Diminished working memory and attenuated autonomic responses to stress are both associated with risk for alcoholism and other substance use disorders. The present data suggest that FKBP5 in the GR pathway may be a point of vulnerability to ELA, as seen in this group of non-traumatized young adults. FKBP5 is accordingly a potential target for more extensive studies of the impact of ELA on health and health behaviors in adulthood.

Modeling the survival responses of a multi-component biofilm to environmental stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carles Brangarí, Albert; Manzoni, Stefano; Sanchez-Vila, Xavier; Fernàndez-Garcia, Daniel

2017-04-01

Biofilms are consortia of microorganisms embedded in self-produced matrices of biopolymers. The survival of such communities depends on their capacity to improve the environmental conditions of their habitat by mitigating, or even benefitting from some adverse external factors. The mechanisms by which the microbial habitat is regulated remain mostly unknown. However, many studies have reported physiological responses to environmental stresses that include the release of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the induction of a dormancy state. A sound understanding of these capacities is required to enhance the knowledge of the microbial dynamics in soils and its potential role in the carbon cycle, with significant implications for the degradation of contaminants and the emission of greenhouse gases, among others. We present a numerical analysis of the dynamics of soil microbes and their responses to environmental stresses. The conceptual model considers a multi-component heterotrophic biofilm made up of active cells, dormant cells, EPS, and extracellular enzymes. Biofilm distribution and properties are defined at the pore-scale and used to determine nutrient availability and water saturation via feedbacks of biofilm on soil hydraulic properties. The pore space micro-habitat is modeled as a simplified pore-network of cylindrical tubes in which biofilms proliferate. Microbial compartments and most of the carbon fluxes are defined at the bulk level. Microbial processes include the synthesis, decay and detachment of biomass, the activation/deactivation of cells, and the release and reutilization of EPS. Results suggest that the release of EPS and the capacity to enter a dormant state offer clear evolutionary advantages in scenarios characterized by environmental stress. On the contrary, when the conditions are favorable, the diversion of carbon into the production of the aforementioned survival mechanisms does not confer any additional benefit and the population

The psychological impact of chronic environmental adversity: Responding to prolonged drought.

PubMed

Stain, Helen J; Kelly, Brian; Carr, Vaughan J; Lewin, Terry J; Fitzgerald, Michael; Fragar, Lyn

2011-12-01

The health effects of chronic environmental adversity have received insufficient attention, particularly those associated with the psychological impact of drought. Resilience or adaptive response to drought has received even less attention than vulnerability factors. This research examined factors associated with drought impact in rural and remote Australian communities. In 2008 postal surveys were completed by 302 adults (mean age 53 years; 57% female, 77% married) living in rural areas of prolonged drought exposure. Outcome measures were: (i) psychological distress (Kessler 10) and (ii) an index of concern or worry about drought. A range of predictor variables were assessed: adaptability (hopefulness, neuroticism), other adverse events, personal support and community connectedness, and sense of place, as a measure of connection to the local environment. Predictors of drought related worry differed from those associated with psychological distress levels. The former included socio-economic factors (living on a farm [Odds Ratio, OR 3.09], current employment [OR 3.64]), personal psychological characteristics (neuroticism [OR 1.29]), and greater connection with the environment (sense of place [OR 1.05]). On the other hand, psychological distress was associated chiefly with personal factors, such as higher neuroticism [OR 1.92], lower levels of hopefulness [OR 0.28], and lower perceived social support and community connectedness [OR 0.39]. Practical financial, employment and family factors were identified as important elements of drought impact, as to a lesser extent was sense of place, reflecting a confrontation with the consequences of chronic environmental degradation, while personal hopefulness may help mitigate the psychological impact of such adversity. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the interplay of childhood adversities with more recent stressful life events and conditions in predicting panic pathology among adults from the general population.

PubMed

Asselmann, E; Stender, J; Grabe, H J; König, J; Schmidt, C O; Hamm, A O; Pané-Farré, C A

2018-01-01

Although research suggests that (a) childhood adversities and more recent stressful life events/conditions are risk factors for panic pathology and that (b) early life stress increases vulnerability to later psychopathology, it remains unclear whether childhood adversities amplify the association between more recent stressful life events/conditions and panic pathology. Data were derived from a general population sample (Study of Health in Pomerania, SHIP). Lifetime panic pathology was assessed with the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). Childhood adversities (emotional, physical and sexual abuse; emotional and physical neglect) were assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). More recent separation/loss events and long-lasting stressful conditions were assessed with the Stralsund Life Event List (SEL). Individuals with lifetime panic pathology (fearful spell, panic attack or panic disorder, N = 286) were compared to controls without any psychopathology (N = 286, matched for sex and age). Conditional logistic regressions revealed that childhood adversities as well as more recent separation/loss events and long-lasting stressful conditions were associated with panic pathology (OR 1.1-2.5). Moreover, more recent separation/loss events - but not long-lasting stressful conditions - interacted statistically with each of the examined childhood adversities except for sexual abuse in predicting panic pathology (OR 1.1-1.3). That is, separation/loss events were associated more strongly with panic pathology among individuals with higher childhood adversities. Data were assessed retrospectively and might be subject to recall biases. Findings suggest that early childhood adversities amplify the risk of developing panic pathology after experiencing separation or loss events. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Kindling of Life Stress in Bipolar Disorder: Effects of Early Adversity.

PubMed

Shapero, Benjamin G; Weiss, Rachel B; Burke, Taylor A; Boland, Elaine M; Abramson, Lyn Y; Alloy, Lauren B

2017-05-01

Most theoretical frameworks regarding the role of life stress in bipolar disorders (BD) do not incorporate the possibility of a changing relationship between psychosocial context and episode initiation across the course of the disorder. The kindling hypothesis theorizes that over the longitudinal course of recurrent affective disorders, the relationship between major life stressors and episode initiation declines (Post, 1992). The present study aimed to test an extension of the kindling hypothesis in BD by examining the effect of early life adversity on the relationship between proximal life events and prospectively assessed mood episodes. Data from 145 bipolar participants (59.3% female, 75.2% Caucasian, and mean age of 20.19 years; SD = 1.75 years) were collected as part of the Temple-Wisconsin Longitudinal Investigation of Bipolar Spectrum Project (112 Bipolar II; 33 Cyclothymic disorder). Participants completed a self-report measure of early adversity at baseline and interview-assessed mood episodes and life events at regular 4-month follow-ups. Results indicate that early childhood adversity sensitized bipolar participants to the effects of recent stressors only for depressive episodes and not hypomanic episodes within BD. This was particularly the case with minor negative events. The current study extends prior research examining the kindling model in BD using a methodologically rigorous assessment of life stressors and mood episode occurrence. Clinicians should assess experiences of early adversity in individuals with BD as it may impact reactivity to developing depressive episodes in response to future stressors. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Fetal sex modifies effects of prenatal stress exposure and adverse birth outcomes.

PubMed

Wainstock, Tamar; Shoham-Vardi, Ilana; Glasser, Saralee; Anteby, Eyal; Lerner-Geva, Liat

2015-01-01

Prenatal maternal stress is associated with pregnancy complications, poor fetal development and poor birth outcomes. Fetal sex has also been shown to affect the course of pregnancy and its outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether fetal sex modifies the association between continuous exposure to life-threatening rocket attack alarms and adverse pregnancy outcomes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in which the exposed group was comprised of 1846 women exposed to rocket-attack alarms before and during pregnancy. The unexposed group, with similar sociodemographic characteristics, delivered during the same period of time at the same medical center, but resided out of rocket-attack range. Multivariable models for each gender separately, controlling for possible confounders, evaluated the risk associated with exposure for preterm births (PTB), low birthweight (LBW), small for gestational age and small head circumference (HC). In both univariable and multivariable analyses exposure status was a significant risk factor in female fetuses only: PTB (adj. OR = 1.43; 1.04-1.96), LBW (adj. OR = 1.41; 1.02-1.95) and HC < 31 cm (adj. OR = 1.78; 1.11-2.88). In addition, regarding all adverse outcomes, the male-to-female ratio was higher in the exposed group than in the unexposed group. The findings support the hypothesis that male and female fetuses respond differentially to chronic maternal stress.

Coral lipids and environmental stress.

PubMed

Harriott, V J

1993-04-01

Environmental monitoring of coral reefs is presently limited by difficulties in recognising coral stress, other than by monitoring coral mortality over time. A recent report described an experiment demonstrating that a measured lipid index declined in shaded corals. The technique described might have application in monitoring coral health, with a decline in coral lipid index as an indicator of coral stress. The application of the technique as a practical monitoring tool was tested for two coral species from the Great Barrier Reef. Consistent with the previous results, lipid index for Pocillopora damicornis initially declined over a period of three weeks in corals maintained in filtered seawater in the dark, indicating possible utilization of lipid stored as energy reserves. However, lipid index subsequently rose to near normal levels. In contrast, lipid index of Acropora formosa increased after four weeks in the dark in filtered seawater. The results showed considerable variability in lipid content between samples from the same colony. Results were also found to be dependent on fixation times and sample weight, introducing potential error into the practical application of the technique. The method as described would be unsuitable for monitoring environmental stress in corals, but the search for a practical method to monitor coral health should continue, given its importance in coral reef management.

Genome-wide association analysis accounting for environmental factors through propensity-score matching: application to stressful live events in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Power, Robert A; Cohen-Woods, Sarah; Ng, Mandy Y; Butler, Amy W; Craddock, Nick; Korszun, Ania; Jones, Lisa; Jones, Ian; Gill, Michael; Rice, John P; Maier, Wolfgang; Zobel, Astrid; Mors, Ole; Placentino, Anna; Rietschel, Marcella; Aitchison, Katherine J; Tozzi, Federica; Muglia, Pierandrea; Breen, Gerome; Farmer, Anne E; McGuffin, Peter; Lewis, Cathryn M; Uher, Rudolf

2013-09-01

Stressful life events are an established trigger for depression and may contribute to the heterogeneity within genome-wide association analyses. With depression cases showing an excess of exposure to stressful events compared to controls, there is difficulty in distinguishing between "true" cases and a "normal" response to a stressful environment. This potential contamination of cases, and that from genetically at risk controls that have not yet experienced environmental triggers for onset, may reduce the power of studies to detect causal variants. In the RADIANT sample of 3,690 European individuals, we used propensity score matching to pair cases and controls on exposure to stressful life events. In 805 case-control pairs matched on stressful life event, we tested the influence of 457,670 common genetic variants on the propensity to depression under comparable level of adversity with a sign test. While this analysis produced no significant findings after genome-wide correction for multiple testing, we outline a novel methodology and perspective for providing environmental context in genetic studies. We recommend contextualizing depression by incorporating environmental exposure into genome-wide analyses as a complementary approach to testing gene-environment interactions. Possible explanations for negative findings include a lack of statistical power due to small sample size and conditional effects, resulting from the low rate of adequate matching. Our findings underscore the importance of collecting information on environmental risk factors in studies of depression and other complex phenotypes, so that sufficient sample sizes are available to investigate their effect in genome-wide association analysis. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Determining adaptive and adverse oxidative stress responses in human bronical epithelial cells exposed to zinc

EPA Science Inventory

Determining adaptive and adverse oxidative stress responses in human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to zincJenna M. Currier1,2, Wan-Yun Cheng1, Rory Conolly1, Brian N. Chorley1Zinc is a ubiquitous contaminant of ambient air that presents an oxidant challenge to the human lung...

Responses of Yeast Biocontrol Agents to Environmental Stress

PubMed Central

Sui, Yuan; Wisniewski, Michael; Droby, Samir

2015-01-01

Biological control of postharvest diseases, utilizing wild species and strains of antagonistic yeast species, is a research topic that has received considerable attention in the literature over the past 30 years. In principle, it represents a promising alternative to chemical fungicides for the management of postharvest decay of fruits, vegetables, and grains. A yeast-based biocontrol system is composed of a tritrophic interaction between a host (commodity), a pathogen, and a yeast species, all of which are affected by environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and UV light as well as osmotic and oxidative stresses. Additionally, during the production process, biocontrol agents encounter various severe abiotic stresses that also impact their viability. Therefore, understanding the ecological fitness of the potential yeast biocontrol agents and developing strategies to enhance their stress tolerance are essential to their efficacy and commercial application. The current review provides an overview of the responses of antagonistic yeast species to various environmental stresses, the methods that can be used to improve stress tolerance and efficacy, and the related mechanisms associated with improved stress tolerance. PMID:25710368

Adolescent environmental enrichment prevents behavioral and physiological sequelae of adolescent chronic stress in female (but not male) rats.

PubMed

Smith, Brittany L; Morano, Rachel L; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Myers, Brent; Solomon, Matia B; Herman, James P

2017-11-22

The late adolescent period is characterized by marked neurodevelopmental and endocrine fluctuations in the transition to early adulthood. Adolescents are highly responsive to the external environment, which enhances their ability to adapt and recover from challenges when given nurturing influences, but also makes them vulnerable to aberrant development when exposed to prolonged adverse situations. Female rats are particularly sensitive to the effects of chronic stress in adolescence, which manifests as passive coping strategies and blunted hypothalamo-pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) stress responses in adulthood. We sought to intervene by exposing adolescent rats to environmental enrichment (EE) immediately prior to and during chronic stress, hypothesizing that EE would minimize or prevent the long-term effects of stress that emerge in adult females. To test this, we exposed male and female rats to EE on postnatal days (PND) 33-60 and implemented chronic variable stress (CVS) on PND 40-60. CVS consisted of twice-daily unpredictable stressors. Experimental groups included: CVS/unenriched, unstressed/EE, CVS/EE and unstressed/unenriched (n = 10 of each sex/group). In adulthood, we measured behavior in the open field test and forced swim test (FST) and collected blood samples following the FST. We found that environmental enrichment given during the adolescent period prevented the chronic stress-induced transition to passive coping in the FST and reversed decreases in peak adrenocortical responsiveness observed in adult females. Adolescent enrichment had little to no effect on males or unstressed females tested in adulthood, indicating that beneficial effects are specific to females that were exposed to chronic stress.

Facility-level association of preoperative stress testing and postoperative adverse cardiac events.

PubMed

Valle, Javier A; Graham, Laura; Thiruvoipati, Thejasvi; Grunwald, Gary; Armstrong, Ehrin J; Maddox, Thomas M; Hawn, Mary T; Bradley, Steven M

2018-06-22

Despite limited indications, preoperative stress testing is often used prior to non-cardiac surgery. Patient-level analyses of stress testing and outcomes are limited by case mix and selection bias. Therefore, we sought to describe facility-level rates of preoperative stress testing for non-cardiac surgery, and to determine the association between facility-level preoperative stress testing and postoperative major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We identified patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery within 2 years of percutaneous coronary intervention in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, from 2004 to 2011, facility-level rates of preoperative stress testing and postoperative MACE (death, myocardial infarction (MI) or revascularisation within 30 days). We determined risk-standardised facility-level rates of stress testing and postoperative MACE, and the relationship between facility-level preoperative stress testing and postoperative MACE. Among 29 937 patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery at 131 VA facilities, the median facility rate of preoperative stress testing was 13.2% (IQR 9.7%-15.9%; range 6.0%-21.5%), and 30-day postoperative MACE was 4.0% (IQR 2.4%-5.4%). After risk standardisation, the median facility-level rate of stress testing was 12.7% (IQR 8.4%-17.4%) and postoperative MACE was 3.8% (IQR 2.3%-5.6%). There was no correlation between risk-standardised stress testing and composite MACE at the facility level (r=0.022, p=0.81), or with individual outcomes of death, MI or revascularisation. In a national cohort of veterans undergoing non-cardiac surgery, we observed substantial variation in facility-level rates of preoperative stress testing. Facilities with higher rates of preoperative stress testing were not associated with better postoperative outcomes. These findings suggest an opportunity to reduce variation in preoperative stress testing without sacrificing patient outcomes. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise

Biological Sensitivity to Context: The Interactive Effects of Stress Reactivity and Family Adversity on Socioemotional Behavior and School Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obradovic, Jelena; Bush, Nicole R.; Stamperdahl, Juliet; Adler, Nancy E.; Boyce, W. Thomas

2010-01-01

This study examined the direct and interactive effects of stress reactivity and family adversity on socioemotional and cognitive development in three hundred and thirty-eight 5- to 6-year-old children. Neurobiological stress reactivity was measured as respiratory sinus arrhythmia and salivary cortisol responses to social, cognitive, sensory, and…

Psychoneuroimmunology in Pregnancy: Immune Pathways Linking Stress with Maternal Health, Adverse Birth Outcomes, and Fetal Development

PubMed Central

Christian, Lisa M.

2011-01-01

It is well-established that psychological stress promotes immune dysregulation in nonpregnant humans and animals. Stress promotes inflammation, impairs antibody responses to vaccination, slows wound healing, and suppresses cell-mediated immune function. Importantly, the immune system changes substantially to support healthy pregnancy, with attenuation of inflammatory responses and impairment of cell-mediated immunity. This adaptation is postulated to protect the fetus from rejection by the maternal immune system. Thus, stress-induced immune dysregulation during pregnancy has unique implications for both maternal and fetal health, particularly preterm birth. However, very limited research has examined stress-immune relationships in pregnancy. The application of psychoneuroimmunology research models to the perinatal period holds great promise for elucidating biological pathways by which stress may affect adverse pregnancy outcomes, maternal health, and fetal development. PMID:21787802

Birth outcome racial disparities: A result of intersecting social and environmental factors.

PubMed

Burris, Heather H; Hacker, Michele R

2017-10-01

Adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth, low-birth weight, and infant mortality continue to disproportionately affect black and poor infants in the United States. Improvements in healthcare quality and access have not eliminated these disparities. The objective of this review was to consider societal factors, including suboptimal education, income inequality, and residential segregation, that together lead to toxic environmental exposures and psychosocial stress. Many toxic chemicals, as well as psychosocial stress, contribute to the risk of adverse birth outcomes and black women often are more highly exposed than white women. The extent to which environmental exposures combine with stress and culminate in racial disparities in birth outcomes has not been quantified but is likely substantial. Primary prevention of adverse birth outcomes and elimination of disparities will require a societal approach to improve education quality, income equity, and neighborhoods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed Central

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

2013-01-01

Aim Response to stress can vary greatly between individuals. However, it remains unknown whether perceived impact of stress on health is associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined whether individuals who report that stress adversely affects their health are at increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with those who report that stress has no adverse health impact. Methods and results Analyses are based on 7268 men and women (mean age: 49.5 years, interquartile range: 11 years) from the British Whitehall II cohort study. Over 18 years of follow-up, there were 352 coronary deaths or first non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) events. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, participants who reported at baseline that stress has affected their health ‘a lot or extremely’ had a 2.12 times higher (95% CI 1.52–2.98) risk of coronary death or incident non-fatal MI when compared with those who reported no effect of stress on their health. This association was attenuated but remained statistically significant after adjustment for biological, behavioural, and other psychological risk factors including perceived stress levels, and measures of social support; fully adjusted hazard ratio: 1.49 (95% CI 1.01–2.22). Conclusions In this prospective cohort study, the perception that stress affects health, different from perceived stress levels, was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether disease risk can be reduced by increasing clinical attention to those who complain that stress greatly affects their health. PMID:23804585

ARE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES TO CHLOROPHENOXY HERBICIDES ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASE IN ADVERSE HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS?

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Associations between adverse health effects and environmental exposures are difficult to study because exposures may be widespread, low-dose in nature, and common throughout the study population. Individual risk-factor epidemiology may not be able to initially ident...

Protein Sulfenylation: A Novel Readout of Environmental Oxidant Stress

PubMed Central

Wages, Phillip A.; Lavrich, Katelyn S.; Zhang, Zhenfa; Cheng, Wan-Yun; Corteselli, Elizabeth; Gold, Avram; Bromberg, Philip; Simmons, Steven O.; Samet, James M.

2016-01-01

Oxidative stress is a commonly cited mechanism of toxicity of environmental agents. Ubiquitous environmental chemicals such as the diesel exhaust component 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ) induce oxidative stress by redox cycling, which generates hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Cysteinyl thiolate residues on regulatory proteins are subjected to oxidative modification by H2O2 in physiological contexts and are also toxicological targets of oxidant stress induced by environmental contaminants. We investigated whether exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of 1,2-NQ can induce H2O2-dependent oxidation of cysteinyl thiols in regulatory proteins as a readout of oxidant stress in human airway epithelial cells. BEAS-2B cells were exposed to 0–1000 μM 1,2-NQ for 0–30 min, and levels of H2O2 were measured by ratiometric spectrofluorometry of HyPer. H2O2-dependent protein sulfenylation was measured using immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and isotopic mass spectrometry. Catalase overexpression was used to investigate the relationship between H2O2 generation and protein sulfenylation in cells exposed to 1,2-NQ. Multiple experimental approaches showed that exposure to 1,2-NQ at concentrations as low as 3 μM induces H2O2-dependent protein sulfenylation in BEAS-2B cells. Moreover, the time of onset and duration of 1,2-NQ-induced sulfenylation of the regulatory proteins GAPDH and PTP1B showed significant differences. Oxidative modification of regulatory cysteinyl thiols in human lung cells exposed to relevant concentrations of an ambient air contaminant represents a novel marker of oxidative environmental stress. PMID:26605980

Thermal Residual Stress in Environmental Barrier Coated Silicon Nitride - Modeled

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ali, Abdul-Aziz; Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.

2009-01-01

When exposed to combustion environments containing moisture both un-reinforced and fiber reinforced silicon based ceramic materials tend to undergo surface recession. To avoid surface recession environmental barrier coating systems are required. However, due to differences in the elastic and thermal properties of the substrate and the environmental barrier coating, thermal residual stresses can be generated in the coated substrate. Depending on their magnitude and nature thermal residual stresses can have significant influence on the strength and fracture behavior of coated substrates. To determine the maximum residual stresses developed during deposition of the coatings, a finite element model (FEM) was developed. Using this model, the thermal residual stresses were predicted in silicon nitride substrates coated with three environmental coating systems namely barium strontium aluminum silicate (BSAS), rare earth mono silicate (REMS) and earth mono di-silicate (REDS). A parametric study was also conducted to determine the influence of coating layer thickness and material parameters on thermal residual stress. Results indicate that z-direction stresses in all three systems are small and negligible, but maximum in-plane stresses can be significant depending on the composition of the constituent layer and the distance from the substrate. The BSAS and REDS systems show much lower thermal residual stresses than REMS system. Parametric analysis indicates that in each system, the thermal residual stresses can be decreased with decreasing the modulus and thickness of the coating.

Childhood Stress and Adversity is Associated with Late-Life Dementia in Aboriginal Australians.

PubMed

Radford, Kylie; Delbaere, Kim; Draper, Brian; Mack, Holly A; Daylight, Gail; Cumming, Robert; Chalkley, Simon; Minogue, Cecilia; Broe, Gerald A

2017-10-01

High rates of dementia have been observed in Aboriginal Australians. This study aimed to describe childhood stress in older Aboriginal Australians and to examine associations with late-life health and dementia. A cross-sectional study with a representative sample of community-dwelling older Aboriginal Australians. Urban and regional communities in New South Wales, Australia. 336 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 60-92 years, of whom 296 were included in the current analyses. Participants completed a life course survey of health, well-being, cognition, and social history including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), with consensus diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer disease. CTQ scores ranged from 25-117 (median: 29) and were associated with several adverse childhood indicators including separation from family, poor childhood health, frequent relocation, and growing up in a major city. Controlling for age, higher CTQ scores were associated with depression, anxiety, suicide attempt, dementia diagnosis, and, specifically, Alzheimer disease. The association between CTQ scores and dementia remained significant after controlling for depression and anxiety variables (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.05-2.45). In contrast, there were no significant associations between CTQ scores and smoking, alcohol abuse, diabetes, or cardiovascular risk factors. Childhood stress appears to have a significant impact on emotional health and dementia for older Aboriginal Australians. The ongoing effects of childhood stress need to be recognized as people grow older, particularly in terms of dementia prevention and care, as well as in populations with greater exposure to childhood adversity, such as Aboriginal Australians. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imposed Environmental Stresses Facilitate Cell-Free Nanoparticle Formation by Deinococcus radiodurans

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles has been examined in a wide range of organisms, due to increased interest in green synthesis and environmental remediation applications involving heavy metal ion contamination. Deinococcus radiodurans is particularly attractive for environmental remediation involving metal reduction, due to its high levels of resistance to radiation and other environmental stresses. However, few studies have thoroughly examined the relationships between environmental stresses and the resulting effects on nanoparticle biosynthesis. In this work, we demonstrate cell-free nanoparticle production and study the effects of metal stressor concentrations and identity, temperature, pH, and oxygenation on the production of extracellular silver nanoparticles by D. radiodurans R1. We also report the synthesis of bimetallic silver and gold nanoparticles following the addition of a metal stressor (silver or gold), highlighting how production of these particles is enabled through the application of environmental stresses. Additionally, we found that both the morphology and size of monometallic and bimetallic nanoparticles were dependent on the environmental stresses imposed on the cells. The nanoparticles produced by D. radiodurans exhibited antimicrobial activity comparable to that of pure silver nanoparticles and displayed catalytic activity comparable to that of pure gold nanoparticles. Overall, we demonstrate that biosynthesized nanoparticle properties can be partially controlled through the tuning of applied environmental stresses, and we provide insight into how their application may affect nanoparticle production in D. radiodurans during bioremediation. IMPORTANCE Biosynthetic production of nanoparticles has recently gained prominence as a solution to rising concerns regarding increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and a desire for environmentally friendly methods of bioremediation and chemical synthesis. To date, a range of

Imposed Environmental Stresses Facilitate Cell-Free Nanoparticle Formation by Deinococcus radiodurans.

PubMed

Chen, Angela; Contreras, Lydia M; Keitz, Benjamin K

2017-09-15

The biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles has been examined in a wide range of organisms, due to increased interest in green synthesis and environmental remediation applications involving heavy metal ion contamination. Deinococcus radiodurans is particularly attractive for environmental remediation involving metal reduction, due to its high levels of resistance to radiation and other environmental stresses. However, few studies have thoroughly examined the relationships between environmental stresses and the resulting effects on nanoparticle biosynthesis. In this work, we demonstrate cell-free nanoparticle production and study the effects of metal stressor concentrations and identity, temperature, pH, and oxygenation on the production of extracellular silver nanoparticles by D. radiodurans R1. We also report the synthesis of bimetallic silver and gold nanoparticles following the addition of a metal stressor (silver or gold), highlighting how production of these particles is enabled through the application of environmental stresses. Additionally, we found that both the morphology and size of monometallic and bimetallic nanoparticles were dependent on the environmental stresses imposed on the cells. The nanoparticles produced by D. radiodurans exhibited antimicrobial activity comparable to that of pure silver nanoparticles and displayed catalytic activity comparable to that of pure gold nanoparticles. Overall, we demonstrate that biosynthesized nanoparticle properties can be partially controlled through the tuning of applied environmental stresses, and we provide insight into how their application may affect nanoparticle production in D. radiodurans during bioremediation. IMPORTANCE Biosynthetic production of nanoparticles has recently gained prominence as a solution to rising concerns regarding increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and a desire for environmentally friendly methods of bioremediation and chemical synthesis. To date, a range of organisms

Mitogen-activated protein kinase hog1 in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana regulates environmental stress responses and virulence to insects.

PubMed

Zhang, Yongjun; Zhao, Jianhua; Fang, Weiguo; Zhang, Jianqing; Luo, Zhibing; Zhang, Mi; Fan, Yanhua; Pei, Yan

2009-06-01

Beauveria bassiana is an economically important insect-pathogenic fungus which is widely used as a biocontrol agent to control a variety of insect pests. However, its insecticide efficacy in the field is often influenced by adverse environmental factors. Thus, understanding the genetic regulatory processes involved in the response to environmental stress would facilitate engineering and production of a more efficient biocontrol agent. Here, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-encoding gene, Bbhog1, was isolated from B. bassiana and shown to encode a functional homolog of yeast HIGH-OSMOLARITY GLYCEROL 1 (HOG1). A Bbhog1 null mutation was generated in B. bassiana by targeted gene replacement, and the resulting mutants were more sensitive to hyperosmotic stress, high temperature, and oxidative stress than the wild-type controls. These results demonstrate the conserved function of HOG1 MAPKs in the regulation of abiotic stress responses. Interestingly, DeltaBbhog1 mutants exhibited greatly reduced pathogenicity, most likely due to a decrease in spore viability, a reduced ability to attach to insect cuticle, and a reduction in appressorium formation. The transcript levels of two hydrophobin-encoding genes, hyd1 and hyd2, were dramatically decreased in a DeltaBbhog1 mutant, suggesting that Bbhog1 may regulate the expression of the gene associated with hydrophobicity or adherence.

Community Stress, Psychosocial Hazards, and EPA Decision-Making in Communities Impacted by Chronic Technological Disasters

PubMed Central

Coles, Charlton J.

2011-01-01

Psychosocial stress has emerged as an important consideration in managing environmental health risks. Stress has adverse impacts on health and may interact with environmental hazards to increase health risk. This article's primary objective was to explore psychosocial stress related to environmental contamination. We hypothesized that knowledge about stress should be used in conjunction with chemical risk assessment to inform environmental risk management decisions. Knowledge of psychosocial stress at contaminated sites began by exploring the relationships among social capital, collective efficacy, and contamination at the community level. We discussed stress at the family and individual levels, focusing on stress proliferation, available resources, and coping styles and mechanisms. We then made recommendations on how to improve the use of information on psychosocial stress in environmental decision-making, particularly in communities facing chronic technological disasters. PMID:21836109

30 CFR 285.816 - What must I do if environmental or other conditions adversely affect a cable, pipeline, or facility?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Environmental Effects § 285.816 What must I do if environmental or other conditions adversely affect a cable... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What must I do if environmental or other... EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Environmental and Safety Management, Inspections, and...

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

PubMed

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.

Environmental and perceived stress in Australian dental undergraduates: Preliminary outcomes

PubMed Central

Astill, Shannon; Ricketts, Nikelle; Singh, Love-Amrit; Kurtz, Dylan; Gim, Yong Hoon; Huang, Boyen

2016-01-01

Background. Dental students have reported a high prevalence of psychological stress and the causes are associated with the challenging dental environmental and demographic factors. This study aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation on dental students’ stress status, using a sample of first-to-third-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery students in an Australian university. Special interests included causes of dental environmental stress and access to help services. Methods. A sample of 145 students was surveyed with a modified Dental Environmental Survey and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale in 2014. The participants’ demographic information was also collected. Results. The response rate was 95.4%. Second-year (P = 0.042), third-year (P < 0.001) and employed students (P = 0.027) were more likely to report stress resulting from transition to clinical learning. Third-year students were more often stressed about communicating and approaching staff (P = 0.023) as well as different opinions between staff (P < 0.001) and reduced holidays (P < 0.001). Students that were younger than 21 years of age (P = 0.001), that were first years (P < 0.001), and that were not in a relationship (P = 0.010) more often found difficulty of course work stressful. Students who were not in a relationship more often considered learning manual dexterity a source of stress (P = 0.034). Students previously seeking professional help were more likely to be stressed (P = 0.010). Conclusion. Causes of dental environment stress varied among years of study and demographic backgrounds. Professional support to stressed students should be enhanced. Further investigation is indicated. PMID:28096955

The Yeast Environmental Stress Response Regulates Mutagenesis Induced by Proteotoxic Stress

PubMed Central

Shor, Erika; Fox, Catherine A.; Broach, James R.

2013-01-01

Conditions of chronic stress are associated with genetic instability in many organisms, but the roles of stress responses in mutagenesis have so far been elucidated only in bacteria. Here, we present data demonstrating that the environmental stress response (ESR) in yeast functions in mutagenesis induced by proteotoxic stress. We show that the drug canavanine causes proteotoxic stress, activates the ESR, and induces mutagenesis at several loci in an ESR-dependent manner. Canavanine-induced mutagenesis also involves translesion DNA polymerases Rev1 and Polζ and non-homologous end joining factor Ku. Furthermore, under conditions of chronic sub-lethal canavanine stress, deletions of Rev1, Polζ, and Ku-encoding genes exhibit genetic interactions with ESR mutants indicative of ESR regulating these mutagenic DNA repair processes. Analyses of mutagenesis induced by several different stresses showed that the ESR specifically modulates mutagenesis induced by proteotoxic stress. Together, these results document the first known example of an involvement of a eukaryotic stress response pathway in mutagenesis and have important implications for mechanisms of evolution, carcinogenesis, and emergence of drug-resistant pathogens and chemotherapy-resistant tumors. PMID:23935537

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Stress and Mental Health in College Students.

PubMed

Karatekin, Canan

2018-02-01

The goal of this short-term longitudinal study was to examine whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) could be used to identify college students at risk for mental health problems and whether current level of stress mediates the relationship between ACEs and mental health. Data on ACEs and mental health (depression, anxiety and suicidality) were collected at the beginning of the semester, and data on current stressors and mental health were collected toward the end of the semester (n = 239). Findings indicated that ACEs predicted worsening of mental health over the course of a semester and suggested current number of stressors as a mediator of the relationship between ACEs and mental health. Results suggest that screening for ACEs might be useful to identify students at high risk for deterioration in mental health. Results further suggest that stress-related interventions would be beneficial for students with high levels of ACEs and point to the need for more research and strategies to increase help-seeking in college students. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Early-life adversity programs emotional functions and the neuroendocrine stress system: the contribution of nutrition, metabolic hormones and epigenetic mechanisms.

PubMed

Yam, Kit-Yi; Naninck, Eva F G; Schmidt, Mathias V; Lucassen, Paul J; Korosi, Aniko

2015-01-01

Clinical and pre-clinical studies have shown that early-life adversities, such as abuse or neglect, can increase the vulnerability to develop psychopathologies and cognitive decline later in life. Remarkably, the lasting consequences of stress during this sensitive period on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and emotional function closely resemble the long-term effects of early malnutrition and suggest a possible common pathway mediating these effects. During early-life, brain development is affected by both exogenous factors, like nutrition and maternal care as well as by endogenous modulators including stress hormones. These elements, while mostly considered for their independent actions, clearly do not act alone but rather in a synergistic manner. In order to better understand how the programming by early-life stress takes place, it is important to gain further insight into the exact interplay of these key elements, the possible common pathways as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms that mediate their effects. We here review evidence that exposure to both early-life stress and early-life under-/malnutrition similarly lead to life-long alterations on the neuroendocrine stress system and modify emotional functions. We further discuss how the different key elements of the early-life environment interact and affect one another and next suggest a possible role for the early-life adversity induced alterations in metabolic hormones and nutrient availability in shaping later stress responses and emotional function throughout life, possibly via epigenetic mechanisms. Such knowledge will help to develop intervention strategies, which gives the advantage of viewing the synergistic action of a more complete set of changes induced by early-life adversity.

Early life adversity potentiates the effects of later life stress on cumulative physiological dysregulation.

PubMed

Dich, Nadya; Hansen, Åse Marie; Avlund, Kirsten; Lund, Rikke; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Bruunsgaard, Helle; Rod, Naja Hulvej

2015-01-01

Previous research indicates that early life adversity may heighten stress reactivity and impair mechanisms for adaptive coping, suggesting that experience of stress in early life may also potentiate adults' physiological vulnerability to stress in later life. The study tested this hypothesis by investigating whether the experience of stressful events and circumstances (SEC) in childhood or adolescence amplified the effect of adulthood SEC on physiological dysregulation (allostatic load, AL) in later midlife. Observational data were used in the present study. Physiological functioning was measured in later midlife (participants' age ranged from 49 to 63 years). Both childhood/adolescence and adulthood SEC were reported retrospectively on the same occasion. Participants were 5309 Danish men and women from Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB). SEC included socioeconomic and family factors. The AL index was based on nine cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune biomarkers. Experience of SEC in both early life and adulthood independently predicted higher AL. In men, experience of SEC in early life also potentiated the effect of SEC in adulthood on AL. The results provide further insight into the mechanisms behind the "biological embedding" of childhood stress.

Cortisol Reactivity to Social Stress as a Mediator of Early Adversity on Risk and Adaptive Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conradt, Elisabeth; Abar, Beau; Lester, Barry M.; LaGasse, Linda L.; Shankaran, Seetha; Bada, Henrietta; Bauer, Charles R.; Whitaker, Toni M.; Hammond, Jane A.

2014-01-01

Children chronically exposed to stress early in life are at increased risk for maladaptive outcomes, though the physiological mechanisms driving these effects are unknown. Cortisol reactivity was tested as a mediator of the relation between prenatal substance exposure and/or early adversity on adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. Data were drawn…

Environmental adversity and children's early trajectories of problem behavior: The role of harsh parental discipline.

PubMed

Flouri, Eirini; Midouhas, Emily

2017-03-01

This study was performed to examine the role of harsh parental discipline in mediating and moderating the effects of environmental adversity (family socioeconomic disadvantage and adverse life events) on emotional and behavioral problems across early-to-middle childhood. The sample included 16,916 children (48% female; 24% non-White) from the U.K.'s Millennium Cohort Study. We analyzed trajectories of conduct, hyperactivity, and emotional problems, measured at ages 3, 5, and 7 years, using growth curve models. Harsh parental discipline was measured at these ages with parent-reported items on the frequency of using the physical and verbal discipline tactics of smacking, shouting at, and "telling off" the child. As expected, family socioeconomic disadvantage and adverse life events were significantly associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Harsh parental discipline was related to children's trajectories of problems, and it moderated, but did not explain, the effect of environmental risk on these trajectories. High-risk children experiencing harsh parental discipline had the highest levels of conduct problems and hyperactivity across the study period. In addition, harsh parental discipline predicted an increase in emotional symptoms over time in high-risk children, unseen in their counterparts experiencing low levels of harsh parental discipline. However, children in low-risk families were also negatively affected by harsh parental discipline concurrently and over time. In conclusion, harsh parental discipline predicted emotional and behavioral problems in high- and low-risk children and moderated the effects of family poverty and adversity on these problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Using adaptive processes and adverse outcome pathways to develop meaningful, robust, and actionable environmental monitoring programs.

PubMed

Arciszewski, Tim J; Munkittrick, Kelly R; Scrimgeour, Garry J; Dubé, Monique G; Wrona, Fred J; Hazewinkel, Rod R

2017-09-01

The primary goals of environmental monitoring are to indicate whether unexpected changes related to development are occurring in the physical, chemical, and biological attributes of ecosystems and to inform meaningful management intervention. Although achieving these objectives is conceptually simple, varying scientific and social challenges often result in their breakdown. Conceptualizing, designing, and operating programs that better delineate monitoring, management, and risk assessment processes supported by hypothesis-driven approaches, strong inference, and adverse outcome pathways can overcome many of the challenges. Generally, a robust monitoring program is characterized by hypothesis-driven questions associated with potential adverse outcomes and feedback loops informed by data. Specifically, key and basic features are predictions of future observations (triggers) and mechanisms to respond to success or failure of those predictions (tiers). The adaptive processes accelerate or decelerate the effort to highlight and overcome ignorance while preventing the potentially unnecessary escalation of unguided monitoring and management. The deployment of the mutually reinforcing components can allow for more meaningful and actionable monitoring programs that better associate activities with consequences. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:877-891. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

What is environmental stress? Insights from fish living in a variable environment.

PubMed

Schulte, Patricia M

2014-01-01

Although the term environmental stress is used across multiple fields in biology, the inherent ambiguity associated with its definition has caused confusion when attempting to understand organismal responses to environmental change. Here I provide a brief summary of existing definitions of the term stress, and the related concepts of homeostasis and allostasis, and attempt to unify them to develop a general framework for understanding how organisms respond to environmental stressors. I suggest that viewing stressors as environmental changes that cause reductions in performance or fitness provides the broadest and most useful conception of the phenomenon of stress. I examine this framework in the context of animals that have evolved in highly variable environments, using the Atlantic killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, as a case study. Consistent with the extreme environmental variation that they experience in their salt marsh habitats, killifish have substantial capacity for both short-term resistance and long-term plasticity in the face of changing temperature, salinity and oxygenation. There is inter-population variation in the sensitivity of killifish to environmental stressors, and in their ability to acclimate, suggesting that local adaptation can shape the stress response even in organisms that are broadly tolerant and highly plastic. Whole-organism differences between populations in stressor sensitivity and phenotypic plasticity are reflected at the biochemical and molecular levels in killifish, emphasizing the integrative nature of the response to environmental stressors. Examination of this empirical example highlights the utility of using an evolutionary perspective on stressors, stress and stress responses.

Scientists Trace Adversity's Toll

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Sarah D.

2012-01-01

The stress of a spelling bee or a challenging science project can enhance a student's focus and promote learning. But the stress of a dysfunctional or unstable home life can poison a child's cognitive ability for a lifetime, according to new research. Those studies show that stress forms the link between childhood adversity and poor academic…

Epigenetic Vestiges of Early Developmental Adversity: Childhood Stress Exposure and DNA Methylation in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Essex, Marilyn J.; Boyce, W. Thomas; Hertzman, Clyde; Lam, Lucia L.; Armstrong, Jeffrey M.; Neumann, Sarah M.A.; Kobor, Michael S.

2011-01-01

Fifteen-year-old adolescents (N=109) in a longitudinal study of child development were recruited to examine differences in DNA methylation in relation to parent reports of adversity during the adolescents’ infancy and preschool periods. Microarray technology applied to 28,000 cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites within DNA derived from buccal epithelial cells showed differential methylation among adolescents whose parents reported high levels of stress during their children’s early lives. Maternal stressors in infancy and paternal stressors in the preschool years were most strongly predictive of differential methylation, and the patterning of such epigenetic marks varied by children’s gender. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of prospective associations between adversities in early childhood and the epigenetic conformation of adolescents’ genomic DNA. PMID:21883162

The endocrinology of stress in fish: an environmental perspective.

PubMed

Pankhurst, N W

2011-01-15

Much of the understanding of the endocrine basis of stress in fish comes from studies of cultured stocks of teleosts; there is comparatively little information on stress responses in wild stock, and less still on chondrosteans and elasmobranchs. This understanding is being refined through increasing understanding of molecular processes underlying endocrine events, with molecular tools offering ready examination of parts of the endocrine pathway that have been resistant to easy measurement of hormone products. An assessment of the timecourse of activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis shows generally strong independence of temperature, with most teleosts showing measurable increase in plasma cortisol within 10 min of stress. Chondrostean and elasmobranch responses are less well described, but in chondrosteans at least, the response pattern appears to be similar to teleosts. The short latency for increases in corticosteroids following exposure to a stressor means that sampling of wild fish needs to occur rapidly after encounter. Several techniques including underwater sampling and rapid line capture are suitable for this, as is measurement of steroid release to the water by undisturbed fish, albeit possibly with a reduced range of applications. Basal cortisol values in wild teleosts are typically <10 ng mL(-1), but a number of species show values orders of magnitude higher in unstressed fish. Variability in corticosteroid levels arises from a range of factors in addition to stress including, sex and maturity, time of day or since feeding, and season. These factors need to be understood for the sensible assessment of stress responses in wild fish. Studies on free-living birds suggest that environmental stress resides mainly around unpredictable change, and the limited data available for fish support this view. The effect of unpredictable event such as floods or storms are difficult to assess in wild fish due to the difficulty in sampling at these times

Organelle redox autonomy during environmental stress.

PubMed

Bratt, Avishay; Rosenwasser, Shilo; Meyer, Andreas; Fluhr, Robert

2016-09-01

Oxidative stress is generated in plants because of inequalities in the rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and scavenging. The subcellular redox state under various stress conditions was assessed using the redox reporter roGFP2 targeted to chloroplastic, mitochondrial, peroxisomal and cytosolic compartments. In parallel, the vitality of the plant was measured by ion leakage. Our results revealed that during certain physiological stress conditions the changes in roGFP2 oxidation are comparable to application of high concentrations of exogenous H2 O2 . Under each stress, particular organelles were affected. Conditions of extended dark stress, or application of elicitor, impacted chiefly on the status of peroxisomal redox state. In contrast, conditions of drought or high light altered the status of mitochondrial or chloroplast redox state, respectively. Amalgamation of the results from diverse environmental stresses shows cases of organelle autonomy as well as multi-organelle oxidative change. Importantly, organelle-specific oxidation under several stresses proceeded cell death as measured by ion leakage, suggesting early roGFP oxidation as predictive of cell death. The measurement of redox state in multiple compartments enables one to look at redox state connectivity between organelles in relation to oxidative stress as well as assign a redox fingerprint to various types of stress conditions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stress, Behavior and Health: Developing a Model for Predicting Post-Deployment Morbidity, Mortality and Other Adverse Outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-07-01

related health outcomes and risk factors for adverse health events. A secondary effort is to link self-reports of stress and subsequent increases in...Gulf War era veterans, information critical to the interpretation of postwar differences between these two groups . We have identified potential

Plant responses to environmental stresses-from gene to biotechnology.

PubMed

Ahanger, Mohammad Abass; Akram, Nudrat Aisha; Ashraf, Muhammad; Alyemeni, Mohammed Nasser; Wijaya, Leonard; Ahmad, Parvaiz

2017-07-01

Increasing global population, urbanization and industrialization are increasing the rate of conversion of arable land into wasteland. Supplying food to an ever-increasing population is one of the biggest challenges that agriculturalists and plant scientists are currently confronting. Environmental stresses make this situation even graver. Despite the induction of several tolerance mechanisms, sensitive plants often fail to survive under environmental extremes. New technological approaches are imperative. Conventional breeding methods have a limited potential to improve plant genomes against environmental stress. Recently, genetic engineering has contributed enormously to the development of genetically modified varieties of different crops such as cotton, maize, rice, canola and soybean. The identification of stress-responsive genes and their subsequent introgression or overexpression within sensitive crop species are now being widely carried out by plant scientists. Engineering of important tolerance pathways, like antioxidant enzymes, osmolyte accumulation, membrane-localized transporters for efficient compartmentation of deleterious ions and accumulation of essential elements and resistance against pests or pathogens is also an area that has been intensively researched. In this review, the role of biotechnology and its successes, prospects and challenges in developing stress-tolerant crop cultivars are discussed.

The long reach of early adversity: Parenting, stress, and neural pathways to antisocial behavior in adulthood.

PubMed

Gard, Arianna M; Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S; Forbes, Erika E; Hariri, Ahmad R; Hyde, Luke W

2017-10-01

Early life adversities including harsh parenting, maternal depression, neighborhood deprivation, and low family economic resources are more prevalent in low-income urban environments and are potent predictors of psychopathology, including, for boys, antisocial behavior (AB). However, little research has examined how these stressful experiences alter later neural function. Moreover, identifying genetic markers of greater susceptibility to adversity is critical to understanding biopsychosocial pathways from early adversity to later psychopathology. Within a sample of 310 low-income boys followed from age 1.5 to 20, multimethod assessments of adversities were examined at age 2 and age 12. At age 20, amygdala reactivity to emotional facial expressions was assessed using fMRI, and symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder were assessed via structured clinical interview. Genetic variability in cortisol signaling ( CRHR1 ) was examined as a moderator of pathways to amygdala reactivity. Observed parenting and neighborhood deprivation at age 2 each uniquely predicted amygdala reactivity to emotional faces at age 20 over and above other adversities measured at multiple developmental periods. Harsher parenting and greater neighborhood deprivation in toddlerhood predicted clinically-significant symptoms of AB via less amygdala reactivity to fearful facial expressions and this pathway was moderated by genetic variation in CRHR1 . These results elucidate a pathway linking early adversity to less amygdala reactivity to social signals of interpersonal distress 18 years later, which in turn increased risk for serious AB. Moreover, these findings suggest a genetic marker of youth more susceptible to adversity.

Environmental stress, inbreeding, and the nature of phenotypic and genetic variance in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed Central

Fowler, Kevin; Whitlock, Michael C

2002-01-01

Fifty-two lines of Drosophila melanogaster founded by single-pair population bottlenecks were used to study the effects of inbreeding and environmental stress on phenotypic variance, genetic variance and survivorship. Cold temperature and high density cause reduced survivorship, but these stresses do not cause repeatable changes in the phenotypic variance of most wing morphological traits. Wing area, however, does show increased phenotypic variance under both types of environmental stress. This increase is no greater in inbred than in outbred lines, showing that inbreeding does not increase the developmental effects of stress. Conversely, environmental stress does not increase the extent of inbreeding depression. Genetic variance is not correlated with environmental stress, although the amount of genetic variation varies significantly among environments and lines vary significantly in their response to environmental change. Drastic changes in the environment can cause changes in phenotypic and genetic variance, but not in a way reliably predicted by the notion of 'stress'. PMID:11934358

A Holistic Look at Minimizing Adverse Environmental Impact Under Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act

DOE PAGES

Veil, John A.; Puder, Markus G.; Littleton, Debra J.; ...

2002-01-01

Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that “the location, design, construction, and capacity of cooling water intake structures reflect the best technology available for minimizing adverse environmental impact.” As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops new regulations to implement Section 316(b), much of the debate has centered on adverse impingement and entrainment impacts of cooling-water intake structures. Depending on the specific location and intake layout, once-through cooling systems withdrawing many millions of gallons of water per day can, to a varying degree, harm fish and other aquatic organisms in the water bodies from which the coolingmore » water is withdrawn. Therefore, opponents of once-through cooling systems have encouraged the EPA to require wet or dry cooling tower systems as the best technology available (BTA), without considering site-specific conditions. However, within the context of the broader scope of the CWA mandate, this focus seems too narrow. Therefore, this article examines the phrase “minimizing adverse environmental impact” in a holistic light. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of the terms “environmental” and “minimizing.” Congress chose “environmental” in lieu of other more narrowly focused terms like “impingement and entrainment,” “water quality,” or “aquatic life.” In this light, BTA for cooling-water intake structures must minimize the entire suite of environmental impacts, as opposed to just those associated with impingement and entrainment. Wet and dry cooling tower systems work well to minimize entrainment and impingement, but they introduce other equally important impacts because they impose an energy penalty on the power output of the generating unit. The energy penalty results from a reduction in plant operating efficiency and an increase in internal power consumption. As a consequence of the energy penalty, power companies must generate additional

Effects of cumulative stress and impulsivity on smoking status.

PubMed

Ansell, Emily B; Gu, Peihua; Tuit, Keri; Sinha, Rajita

2012-03-01

The stress-vulnerability model of addiction predicts that environmental factors, such as cumulative stress, will result in individual adaptations that decrease self-control, increase impulsivity, and increase risk for addiction. Impulsivity and cumulative stress are risk factors for tobacco smoking that are rarely examined simultaneously in research. We examined the indirect and direct effects of cumulative adversity in a community sample consisting of 291 men and women who participated in an assessment of cumulative stress, self-reported impulsivity, and smoking history. Data were analyzed using bootstrapping techniques to estimate indirect effects of stress on smoking via impulsivity. Cumulative adversity is associated with smoking status via direct effects and indirect effects through impulsivity scores. Additional models examining specific types of stress indicate contributions of traumatic stress and recent life events as well as chronic relationship stressors. Overall, cumulative stress is associated with increased risk of smoking via increased impulsivity and via pathways independent of impulsivity. These findings support the stress-vulnerability model and highlight the utility of mediation models in assessing how, and for whom, cumulative stress increases risk of current cigarette smoking. Increasing self-control is a target for interventions with individuals who have experienced cumulative adversity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of cumulative stress and impulsivity on smoking status

PubMed Central

Ansell, Emily B.; Gu, Peihua; Tuit, Keri; Sinha, Rajita

2013-01-01

Objective The stress-vulnerability model of addiction predicts that environmental factors, such as cumulative stress, will result in individual adaptations that decrease self-control, increase impulsivity, and increase risk for addiction. Impulsivity and cumulative stress are risk factors for tobacco smoking that are rarely examined simultaneously in research. Methods We examined the indirect and direct effects of cumulative adversity in a community sample consisting of 291 men and women who participated in an assessment of cumulative stress, self-reported impulsivity, and smoking history. Data were analyzed using bootstrapping techniques to estimate indirect effects of stress on smoking via impulsivity. Results Cumulative adversity is associated with smoking status via direct effects and indirect effects through impulsivity scores. Additional models examining specific types of stress indicate contributions of traumatic stress and recent life events as well as chronic relationship stressors. Conclusions Overall, cumulative stress is associated with increased risk of smoking via increased impulsivity and via pathways independent of impulsivity. These findings support the stress-vulnerability model and highlight the utility of mediation models in assessing how, and for whom, cumulative stress increases risk of current cigarette smoking. Increasing self-control is a target for interventions with individuals who have experienced cumulative adversity. PMID:22389084

Epigenetic vestiges of early developmental adversity: childhood stress exposure and DNA methylation in adolescence.

PubMed

Essex, Marilyn J; Boyce, W Thomas; Hertzman, Clyde; Lam, Lucia L; Armstrong, Jeffrey M; Neumann, Sarah M A; Kobor, Michael S

2013-01-01

Fifteen-year-old adolescents (N = 109) in a longitudinal study of child development were recruited to examine differences in DNA methylation in relation to parent reports of adversity during the adolescents' infancy and preschool periods. Microarray technology applied to 28,000 cytosine-guanine dinucleotide sites within DNA derived from buccal epithelial cells showed differential methylation among adolescents whose parents reported high levels of stress during their children's early lives. Maternal stressors in infancy and paternal stressors in the preschool years were most strongly predictive of differential methylation, and the patterning of such epigenetic marks varied by children's gender. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of prospective associations between adversities in early childhood and the epigenetic conformation of adolescents' genomic DNA. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Early childhood adversity, toxic stress, and the role of the pediatrician: translating developmental science into lifelong health.

PubMed

Garner, Andrew S; Shonkoff, Jack P

2012-01-01

Advances in a wide range of biological, behavioral, and social sciences are expanding our understanding of how early environmental influences (the ecology) and genetic predispositions (the biologic program) affect learning capacities, adaptive behaviors, lifelong physical and mental health, and adult productivity. A supporting technical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) presents an integrated ecobiodevelopmental framework to assist in translating these dramatic advances in developmental science into improved health across the life span. Pediatricians are now armed with new information about the adverse effects of toxic stress on brain development, as well as a deeper understanding of the early life origins of many adult diseases. As trusted authorities in child health and development, pediatric providers must now complement the early identification of developmental concerns with a greater focus on those interventions and community investments that reduce external threats to healthy brain growth. To this end, AAP endorses a developing leadership role for the entire pediatric community-one that mobilizes the scientific expertise of both basic and clinical researchers, the family-centered care of the pediatric medical home, and the public influence of AAP and its state chapters-to catalyze fundamental change in early childhood policy and services. AAP is committed to leveraging science to inform the development of innovative strategies to reduce the precipitants of toxic stress in young children and to mitigate their negative effects on the course of development and health across the life span.

The behavior of Kevlar fibers under environmental-stress conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, Mark Charles

There are a myriad of mechanisms by which polymers can degrade and fail. It is therefore important to understand the physical mechanics, chemistry, their interactions, and kinetics. This pursuit becomes more than just "academic" because these mechanisms might just change with service conditions (i.e. environment and loading). If one does not understand these processes from the molecular to macroscopic scale it would be exceedingly difficult to gain information from accelerated testing because the mechanisms just might change from one condition to another. The purpose of this study was to probe these processes on scales ranging from molecular to macroscopic in environmental stress conditions. This study reports the results of environmental-stress degradation of Kevlar 49 fibers. The environmental agent of focus was the ubiquitous air pollutant complex NOsb{x}. Other materials and environments were investigated to a lesser extent for purposes of comparison. Mechanical property (i.e., short-term strength, modulus, and creep lifetime) degradation was examined using single fiber, yarn, and epoxy coated yarn (composite) specimens under environmental-stress conditions. Optical and scanning electron microscopes were employed to examine and compare the appearance of fracture features resulting from the various testing conditions. Atomic force microscopy augmented these studies with detailed topographical mappings and measures of the fracture surface frictional and modulus properties. Molecular processes (i.e., chain scission and other mechanical-chemical reactions) were probed by measures of changes in viscosity average molecular weight and the infrared spectra. It was demonstrated that environmental-stress degradation effects do occur in the Kevlar-NOsb{x} gas system. Strength decay in environmentally exposed unloaded fibers was demonstrated and a synergistic response in creep reduced fiber lifetimes by three orders of magnitude at moderate loadings. That is to say, the

Interaction of FKBP5 with Childhood Adversity on Risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PubMed Central

Xie, Pingxing; Kranzler, Henry R; Poling, James; Stein, Murray B; Anton, Raymond F; Farrer, Lindsay A; Gelernter, Joel

2010-01-01

FKBP5 regulates the cortisol-binding affinity and nuclear translocation of the glucocorticoid receptor. Polymorphisms at the FKBP5 locus have been associated with increased recurrence risk of depressive episodes and rapid response to antidepressant treatment. A recent study showed that FKBP5 genotypes moderated the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms associated with childhood maltreatment. One thousand one hundred forty-three European Americans (EAs) and 1284 African Americans (AAs) recruited for studies of the genetics of substance dependence were also screened for lifetime PTSD. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FKBP5, rs3800373, rs9296158, rs1360780, and rs9470080, were genotyped on the complete sample. Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the interactive effect of FKBP5 polymorphisms and childhood adversity on the risk for PTSD. After correction for multiple testing, childhood adversity significantly increased the risk for PTSD. FKBP5 genotypes were not associated with the development of the disorder. In AAs, one of the SNPs, rs9470080, moderated the risk of PTSD that was associated with childhood abuse. Without childhood adverse experiences, participants with the TT genotype of this SNP had the lowest risk for PTSD, whereas they had the highest risk for PTSD after childhood adversity exposure. In addition, in EAs, alcohol dependence was observed to interact with childhood adverse experiences, and also FKBP5 polymorphisms, to increase the risk for PTSD. This study provides further evidence of a gene × environment effect of FKBP5 and childhood abuse on the risk for PTSD in AAs. Further study is required in other populations. PMID:20393453

Alteration of adenyl dinucleotide metabolism by environmental stress.

PubMed Central

Baker, J C; Jacobson, M K

1986-01-01

Exposure of cultured mammalian cells to a variety of conditions that induce the synthesis of stress proteins, including hyperthermia, ethanol, cadmium, and arsenite resulted in an increased cellular content of adenyl dinucleotides including diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A). Exposure to other agents that cause metabolic perturbations not known to induce the synthesis of stress proteins, such as cyclohexamide, cytosine arabinoside, hydroxyurea, and ultraviolet irradiation did not alter the content of these nucleotides. It is proposed that these unique nucleotides may mediate adaptive responses of mammalian cells to environmental stress. PMID:3458199

The Impact of Environmental Factors on Nursing Stress, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intention

PubMed Central

Applebaum, Diane; Fowler, Susan; Fiedler, Nancy; Osinubi, Omowunmi; Robson, Mark

2014-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between environmental factors of odor, noise, light, and color and perceived stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Background The physical work environment may positively or negatively influence nurses’ stress, and stress may negatively impact their job satisfaction and intention to change jobs. Methods The research questions were answered using a descriptive, correlational design. The sample (n = 116) consisted of medical-surgical nurses working in acute-care settings. A 36-item questionnaire addressed odor, noise, light, color, perceived stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Results Significant relationships were found between noise and perceived stress, perceived stress and job satisfaction, job satisfaction and turnover intention, and perceived stress and turnover intention. Conclusions Nurses tend to overlook their physical environment and “do their job.” Common environmental stressors in the work environment can be stressful to staff and influence job satisfaction and, ultimately, intention to change jobs. Mitigating or eliminating these environmental factors has the potential to improve staff satisfaction and retention. Stress influences nursing job satisfaction and, ultimately, intention to change jobs. PMID:20661062

The impact of environmental factors on nursing stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention.

PubMed

Applebaum, Diane; Fowler, Susan; Fiedler, Nancy; Osinubi, Omowunmi; Robson, Mark

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between environmental factors of odor, noise, light, and color and perceived stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. The physical work environment may positively or negatively influence nurses' stress, and stress may negatively impact their job satisfaction and intention to change jobs. The research questions were answered using a descriptive, correlational design. The sample (n = 116) consisted of medical-surgical nurses working in acute-care settings. A 36-item questionnaire addressed odor, noise, light, color, perceived stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Significant relationships were found between noise and perceived stress, perceived stress and job satisfaction, job satisfaction and turnover intention, and perceived stress and turnover intention. Nurses tend to overlook their physical environment and "do their job." Common environmental stressors in the work environment can be stressful to staff and influence job satisfaction and, ultimately, intention to change jobs. Mitigating or eliminating these environmental factors has the potential to improve staff satisfaction and retention. Stress influences nursing job satisfaction and, ultimately, intention to change jobs.

Testing the cumulative stress and mismatch hypotheses of psychopathology in a rat model of early-life adversity.

PubMed

Daskalakis, Nikolaos P; Oitzl, Melly S; Schächinger, Hartmut; Champagne, Danielle L; de Kloet, E Ronald

2012-07-16

demonstration of the cumulative stress hypothesis an injection of CORT in the adult Low LG offspring was required that increased APO-gnawing and reduced PPI. This CORT-induced PPI disruption was greatly enhanced after additional isolation rearing. The High LG group, either socially housed or reared in isolation, was resistant to the acute effects of CORT at adulthood. Experiment II: MS increased psychosis susceptibility only in NOVEL SEP rats that had experienced MS in the context of early social isolation. These individuals displayed increased adult APO-gnawing and reduced PPI, if reared post-weaning in a condition that does not match with their early life social environment (i.e. group housing). This finding supports the mismatch hypothesis. The outcome of environmental manipulations on developmental programming of psychosis susceptibility depends on the interplay of early-life adversity and later-life stressors in a manner that supports the mismatch hypothesis. However, evidence for the cumulative stress hypothesis arises if vulnerable individuals are exposed in later life additionally to excess of the stress hormone CORT. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Lifetime Stress Exposure Using the Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults (Adult STRAIN): An Overview and Initial Validation.

PubMed

Slavich, George M; Shields, Grant S

2018-01-01

Numerous theories have proposed that acute and chronic stressors may exert a cumulative effect on life-span health by causing biological "wear and tear," or allostatic load, which in turn promotes disease. Very few studies have directly tested such models, though, partly because of the challenges associated with efficiently assessing stress exposure over the entire life course. To address this issue, we developed the first online system for systematically assessing lifetime stress exposure, called the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN), and describe its initial validation here. Adults recruited from the community (n = 205) were administered the STRAIN, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, and Perceived Stress Scale, as well as measures of socioeconomic status, personality, social desirability, negative affect, mental and physical health complaints, sleep quality, computer-assessed executive function, and doctor-diagnosed general health problems and autoimmune disorders. The STRAIN achieved high acceptability and was completed relatively quickly (mean = 18 minutes 39 seconds; interquartile range = 12-23 minutes). The structure of the lifetime stress data best fit two latent classes overall and five distinct trajectories over time. Concurrent associations with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form and Perceived Stress Scale were good (r values = .147-.552). Moreover, the STRAIN was not significantly related to personality traits or social desirability characteristics and, in adjusted analyses, emerged as the measure most strongly associated with all six of the health and cognitive outcomes assessed except current mental health complaints (β values = .16-.41; risk ratios = 1.02-1.04). Finally, test-retest reliability for the main stress exposure indices over 2-4 weeks was excellent (r values = .904-.919). The STRAIN demonstrated good usability and acceptability; very good concurrent, discriminant, and predictive validity; and excellent test

Assessing Lifetime Stress Exposure Using the Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults (Adult STRAIN): An Overview and Initial Validation

PubMed Central

Slavich, George M.; Shields, Grant S.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective Numerous theories have proposed that acute and chronic stressors may exert a cumulative effect on life-span health by causing biological “wear and tear,” or allostatic load, which in turn promotes disease. Very few studies have directly tested such models, though, partly because of the challenges associated with efficiently assessing stress exposure over the entire life course. To address this issue, we developed the first online system for systematically assessing lifetime stress exposure, called the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN), and describe its initial validation here. Methods Adults recruited from the community (n = 205) were administered the STRAIN, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire—Short Form, and Perceived Stress Scale, as well as measures of socioeconomic status, personality, social desirability, negative affect, mental and physical health complaints, sleep quality, computer-assessed executive function, and doctor-diagnosed general health problems and autoimmune disorders. Results The STRAIN achieved high acceptability and was completed relatively quickly (mean = 18 minutes 39 seconds; interquartile range = 12–23 minutes). The structure of the lifetime stress data best fit two latent classes overall and five distinct trajectories over time. Concurrent associations with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire—Short Form and Perceived Stress Scale were good (r values = .147–.552). Moreover, the STRAIN was not significantly related to personality traits or social desirability characteristics and, in adjusted analyses, emerged as the measure most strongly associated with all six of the health and cognitive outcomes assessed except current mental health complaints (β values = .16–.41; risk ratios = 1.02–1.04). Finally, test-retest reliability for the main stress exposure indices over 2–4 weeks was excellent (r values = .904–.919). Conclusions The STRAIN demonstrated good usability and acceptability; very good concurrent

The biology of environmental stress: molecular biomarkers in Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata).

PubMed

Raftos, D A; Melwani, A R; Haynes, P A; Muralidharan, S; Birch, G F; Amaral, V; Thompson, E L; Taylor, D A

2016-09-14

This review describes our recent work on environmental stress in Sydney rock oysters, focusing on the identification of molecular biomarkers for ecotoxicological analysis. We begin by describing the environmental pressures facing coastal estuaries in Australia, with particular reference to Sydney Harbour. After providing that context, we summarise our transcriptional and proteomic analyses of Sydney rock oysters responding to chemical contamination and other forms of environmental stress. This work has shown that the intracellular processes of oysters are highly responsive to environmental threats. Our data agree with the broader literature, which suggests that there is a highly conserved intracellular stress response in oysters involving a limited number of biological processes. We conclude that many effective molecular markers for environmental biomonitoring are likely to lie within these biological pathways.

Markers of environmental stress in forest trees

Treesearch

Rakesh Minocha

1999-01-01

Gradual long-term changes in soil and environmental factors due to human activity, may affect forest trees and lead to loss of forest productivity. In most cases, the symptoms of stress appear too late for their effects to be reversed through management and/or treatment.

Placental Mitochondrial Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in HIV Pregnancies Under Antiretroviral Treatment Containing Zidovudine.

PubMed

Hernández, Sandra; Catalán-García, Marc; Morén, Constanza; García-Otero, Laura; López, Marta; Guitart-Mampel, Mariona; Milisenda, José; Coll, Oriol; Cardellach, Francesc; Gratacós, Eduard; Miró, Òscar; Garrabou, Glòria

2017-08-01

To determine whether mitochondrial, oxidative, and apoptotic abnormalities in placenta derived from HIV and combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) containing zidovudine (AZT) could be associated with adverse perinatal outcome. Cross-sectional, controlled, observational study. We studied obstetric results and mitochondrial, oxidative, and apoptotic state in placenta of 24 treated HIV-infected and 32 -uninfected pregnant women. We measured mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (mtND2/n18SrRNA), oxidative stress by the spectrophotometric quantification of lipid peroxidation and apoptosis by Western blot analysis of active caspase-3 respect to β-actin content and analysis of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling. Global adverse perinatal outcome (defined as preterm delivery or/and small newborns for gestational age) was significantly increased in HIV pregnancies [or 6.7 (1.3-33.2); P < 0.05]. mtDNA content in HIV-infected women was significantly depleted (39.20% ± 2.78%) with respect to controls (0.59 ± 0.03 vs. 0.97 ± 0.07; P < 0.001). A significant 29.50% ± 9.14% increase in oxidative stress was found in placentas of HIV-infected women (23.23 ± 1.64 vs. 17.94 ± 1.03; P < 0.01). A trend toward 41.18% ± 29.41% increased apoptosis active caspase-3/β-actin was found in HIV patients (0.48 ± 0.10 vs. 0.34 ± 0.05; P = not significant), confirmed by transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Adverse perinatal outcome did not correlate mitochondrial, oxidative, or apoptotic findings. Placentas of HIV-infected pregnant women under AZT cART showed evidence of mtDNA depletion, increased oxidative stress levels, and apoptosis suggestive of secondary mitochondrial failure, potential base of associated adverse perinatal outcome. Despite the fact that further demonstration of causality would need new approaches and bigger sample sizes, AZT-sparing cART should be considered in the context

The moderation by the serotonin transporter gene of environmental adversity in the aetiology of mental illness: review and methodological analysis.

PubMed

Uher, R; McGuffin, P

2008-02-01

Gene-environmental interaction (G x E) between a common functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) and environmental adversity on the onset of depression in humans has been found in fifteen independent studies. It is supported by evidence from animal experiments, pharmacological challenge and neuroimaging investigations. However, negative findings have been reported in two large samples. We explore reasons for the inconsistencies and suggest means to their resolution. Sample age and gender composition emerge as important factors. While the G x E has been consistently detected in young adult samples, there are contradictory findings in adolescent boys and elderly people. The method of assessment of environmental adversity is also important with detailed interview-based approaches being associated with positive G x E findings. Unresolved issues in the definition of the genotype include the dominance of alleles and influence of other polymorphisms, both in 5-HTT and other genes. Assessment of multiple adverse outcomes, including depression, substance use and self-destructive behaviour is needed to clarify the generalisability of the G x E pathogenic mechanisms. Biological and behavioural intermediate phenotypes are yet to be exploited to understand the mechanisms underlying the G x E.

Adverse morphological development in embryonic zebrafish exposed to environmental concentrations of contaminants individually and in mixture.

PubMed

Kinch, Cassandra D; Kurrasch, Deborah M; Habibi, Hamid R

2016-06-01

Exposure to environmental contaminants has been linked to developmental and reproductive abnormalities leading to infertility, spontaneous abortion, reduced number of offspring, and metabolic disorders. In addition, there is evidence linking environmental contaminants and endocrine disruption to abnormal developmental rate, defects in heart and eye morphology, and alterations in behavior. Notably, these effects could not be explained by interaction with a single hormone receptor. Here, using a whole-organism approach, we investigated morphological changes to developing zebrafish caused by exposure to a number of environmental contaminants, including bisphenol A (BPA), di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), nonylphenol, and fucosterol at concentrations measured in a local water body (Oldman River, AB), individually and in mixture. Exposure to nanomolar contaminant concentrations resulted in abnormal morphological development, including changes to body length, pericardia (heart), and the head. We also characterize the spatiotemporal expression profiles of estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormone receptors to demonstrate that localization of these receptors might be mediating contaminant effects on development. Finally, we examined the effects of contaminants singly and in mixture. Combined, our results support the hypothesis that adverse effects of contaminants are not mediated by single hormone receptor signaling, and adversity of contaminants in mixture could not be predicted by simple additive effect of contaminants. The findings provide a framework for better understanding of developmental toxicity of environmental contaminants in zebrafish and other vertebrate species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A global deltas typology of environmental stress and its relation to terrestrial hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tessler, Z. D.; Vorosmarty, C. J.; McDonald, K. C.; Schroeder, R.; Grossberg, M.; Gladkova, I.; Aizenman, H.

2013-12-01

River delta systems around the world are under varying degrees of environmental stress stemming from a variety of human impacts, both from upstream basin based activities and local impacts on the deltas themselves, as well as sea level rise. These stresses are known to affect rates of relative sea level rise by disrupting the delivery or deposition of sediment on the delta. We present a global database of several of these stresses, and investigate patterns of stress across delta systems. Several methods of aggregating the environmental stressors into an index score are also investigated. A statistical clustering analysis, which we refer to as a "global delta fingerprinting system", across the environmental stresses identifies systems under similar states of threat. Several deltas, including the Nile, are in unique clusters, while regional patterns are evident among deltas in Southeast Asia. These patterns are compared with observed surface inundation derived from SAR, NDVI from MODIS, river discharge estimates from the WBMplus numerical model, and ocean wave activity from WAVEWATCH III. Delta inundation sensitivity to river and coastal forcings are observed to vary with environmental stress and social indicators including population density and GDP.

The Balance Between Stress and Personal Capital during Pregnancy and the Relationship with Adverse Obstetric Outcomes: Findings from the 2007 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby (LAMB) Study

PubMed Central

Wakeel, Fathima; Wisk, Lauren E.; Gee, Rebekah; Chao, Shin M.; Witt, Whitney P.

2013-01-01

Purpose Stress during pregnancy is a salient risk factor for adverse obstetric outcomes. Personal capital during pregnancy, defined as internal and social resources that help women cope with or decrease their exposure to stress, may reduce the risk of poor obstetric outcomes. Methods Using data from the 2007 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby (LAMB) survey (N=3,353), we examined the relationships between the balance of stress and personal capital during pregnancy, or the Stress-to-Capital Ratio (SCR), and adverse obstetric outcomes ((i.e., pregnancy complications, preterm birth (PTB), low birthweight (LBW), and small-for-gestational-age (SGA)). Results Women with a higher SCR (i.e. greater stress relative to personal capital during pregnancy) were significantly more likely to experience at least one pregnancy complication, PTB, and lower gestational age, but not LBW or SGA. Accounting for pregnancy complications completely mediated the association between the SCR and PTB. Conclusions Our findings indicate that experiencing greater stress relative to personal capital during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for pregnancy complications, PTB, and lower gestational age and that pregnancy complications may be a mechanism by which the SCR is related to adverse obstetric outcomes. PMID:23812738

Environmental Stressors and Their Impact on Health and Disease with Focus on Oxidative Stress.

PubMed

Münzel, Thomas; Daiber, Andreas

2018-03-20

Epidemiological, preclinical and interventional clinical studies have demonstrated that environmental stressors are associated with health problems, namely cardiovascular diseases. According to estimations of the World Health Organization (WHO), environmental risk factors account for an appreciable part of global deaths and life years spent with disability. This Forum addresses the impact of the environmental risk factors such as traffic noise exposure, air pollution by particulate matter (PM), mental stress/loneliness, and the life style risk factor (water-pipe) smoking on health and disease with focus on the cardiovascular system. We will critically discuss the use of observatory/modifiable biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in environmental research on the aforementioned risk factors highlighting the need of exposome studies. Another focus will be on the epigenetic regulation via microRNAs in environmental stress upon exposure to noise and toxins/heavy metals as well as mental stress conditions, providing mechanistic insights into the modulation of microRNA signaling by oxidative stress, and vice versa the contribution of microRNAs to oxidative stress conditions. We will also provide an in-depth overview on the mechanistic pathways that lead to health problems (e.g., cardiovascular diseases) in response to environmental psychosocial stress, air pollution exposure in the form of ambient PM and diesel exhaust, traffic noise exposure, and the life style drug (water-pipe) smoking. Almost all stressors share the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and of the sympathetic nervous system with subsequent onset of inflammation and oxidative stress, defining the here proposed therapeutic (antioxidant and exercise) strategies. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 735-740.

NASA flight electronics environmental stress screening survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marian, E. J. (Compiler)

1983-01-01

Data compiled by the Institute of Environmental Sciences were used to establish guidelines for identifying defective, abnormal, or marginal parts as well as manufacturing defects. These data are augmented with other available sources of similar information in conjunction with NASA centers' data and presented in a form that may be useful to all NASA centers in planning and developing effective environmental stress screens. Information relative to thermal and vibration screens as the most effective methods for surfacing latent failures in electronic equipment at the component level is considered.

The intersection of stress, drug abuse and development.

PubMed

Thadani, Pushpa V

2002-01-01

Use or abuse of licit and illicit substances is often associated with environmental stress. Current clinical evidence clearly demonstrates neurobehavioral, somatic growth and developmental deficits in children born to drug-using mothers. However, the effects of environmental stress and its interaction with prenatal drug exposure on a child's development is unknown. Studies in pregnant animals under controlled conditions show drug-induced long-term alterations in brain structures and functions of the offspring. These cytoarchitecture alterations in the brain are often associated with perturbations in neurotransmitter systems that are intimately involved in the regulation of the stress responses. Similar abnormalities have been observed in the brains of animals exposed to other adverse exogenous (e.g., environmental stress) and/or endogenous (e.g., glucocorticoids) experiences during early life. The goal of this article is to: (1) provide evidence and a perspective that common neural systems are influenced during development both by perinatal drug exposure and early stress exposure; and (2) identify gaps and encourage new research examining the effects of early stress and perinatal drug exposure, in animal models, that would elucidate how stress- and drug-induced perturbations in neural systems influence later vulnerability to abused drugs in adult offspring.

Environmental Social Stress, Paranoia and Psychosis Liability: A Virtual Reality Study

PubMed Central

Veling, Wim; Pot-Kolder, Roos; Counotte, Jacqueline; van Os, Jim; van der Gaag, Mark

2016-01-01

The impact of social environments on mental states is difficult to assess, limiting the understanding of which aspects of the social environment contribute to the onset of psychotic symptoms and how individual characteristics moderate this outcome. This study aimed to test sensitivity to environmental social stress as a mechanism of psychosis using Virtual Reality (VR) experiments. Fifty-five patients with recent onset psychotic disorder, 20 patients at ultra high risk for psychosis, 42 siblings of patients with psychosis, and 53 controls walked 5 times in a virtual bar with different levels of environmental social stress. Virtual social stressors were population density, ethnic density and hostility. Paranoia about virtual humans and subjective distress in response to virtual social stress exposures were measured with State Social Paranoia Scale (SSPS) and self-rated momentary subjective distress (SUD), respectively. Pre-existing (subclinical) symptoms were assessed with the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE), Green Paranoid Thoughts Scale (GPTS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). Paranoia and subjective distress increased with degree of social stress in the environment. Psychosis liability and pre-existing symptoms, in particular negative affect, positively impacted the level of paranoia and distress in response to social stress. These results provide experimental evidence that heightened sensitivity to environmental social stress may play an important role in the onset and course of psychosis. PMID:27038469

Analysis of Environmental Stress Factors Using an Artificial Growth System and Plant Fitness Optimization

PubMed Central

Lee, Meonghun; Yoe, Hyun

2015-01-01

The environment promotes evolution. Evolutionary processes represent environmental adaptations over long time scales; evolution of crop genomes is not inducible within the relatively short time span of a human generation. Extreme environmental conditions can accelerate evolution, but such conditions are often stress inducing and disruptive. Artificial growth systems can be used to induce and select genomic variation by changing external environmental conditions, thus, accelerating evolution. By using cloud computing and big-data analysis, we analyzed environmental stress factors for Pleurotus ostreatus by assessing, evaluating, and predicting information of the growth environment. Through the indexing of environmental stress, the growth environment can be precisely controlled and developed into a technology for improving crop quality and production. PMID:25874206

A growth curve analysis of the course of dysthymic disorder: the effects of chronic stress and moderation by adverse parent-child relationships and family history.

PubMed

Dougherty, Lea R; Klein, Daniel N; Davila, Joanne

2004-12-01

Using mixed effects models, the authors examined the effects of chronic stress, adverse parent-child relationships, and family history on the 7.5-year course of dysthymic disorder. Participants included 97 outpatients with early-onset dysthymia who were assessed with semistructured interviews at baseline and 3 additional times at 30-month intervals for 7.5 years. Results indicated that higher levels of chronic stress 6 months prior to each follow-up predicted greater depression severity at follow-up, controlling for depression severity at the start of the chronic stress assessment. In addition, adverse parent-child relationships and family history of dysthymic disorder moderated this association. For patients with poorer parent-child relationships, chronic stress was associated with increased depression severity at follow-up, whereas patients with a higher familial loading for dysthymic disorder were less responsive to chronic stress over time. Copyright 2004 APA.

Adversity and psychosis: a 10-year prospective study investigating synergism between early and recent adversity in psychosis.

PubMed

Lataster, J; Myin-Germeys, I; Lieb, R; Wittchen, H-U; van Os, J

2012-05-01

Recent studies have suggested that early adverse events, such as childhood trauma, may promote enduring liability for psychosis whereas more recent adverse events may act as precipitants. Examination of these environmental dynamics, however, requires prospective studies in large samples. This study examines whether the association between recent adverse events and psychosis is moderated by exposure to early adversity. A random regional representative population sample of 3021 adolescents and young adults in Munich, Germany, was assessed three times over a period of up to 10 years, collecting information on sociodemographic factors, environmental exposures, and measures of psychopathology and associated clinical relevance. Evidence of statistical non-additivity between early adversity (two levels) and more recent adversity (four levels) was assessed in models of psychotic symptoms. Analyses were a priori corrected for age, gender, cannabis use, and urbanicity. Early and recent adversity were associated with each other (RR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.06-1.66; P = 0.014) and displayed statistical non-additivity at the highest level of exposure to recent adversity (χ(2) = 4.59; P = 0.032). The findings suggest that early adversity may impact on later expression of psychosis either by increasing exposure to later adversity and/or by rendering individuals more sensitive to later adversity if it is severe. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Oscillatory magnetic brain activity is related to dissociative symptoms and childhood adversities - A study in women with multiple trauma.

PubMed

Schalinski, I; Moran, J K; Elbert, T; Reindl, V; Wienbruch, C

2017-08-15

Individuals with trauma-related disorders are complex and heterogeneous; part of this complexity derives from additional psychopathology like dissociation as well as environmental adversities such as traumatic stress, experienced throughout the lifespan. Understanding the neurophysiological abnormalities in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires a simultaneous consideration of these factors. Resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were obtained from 41 women with PTSD and comorbid depressive symptoms, and 16 healthy women. Oscillatory brain activity was extracted for five frequency bands and 11 source locations, and analyzed in relation to shutdown dissociation and adversity-related measures. Dissociative symptoms were related to increased delta and lowered beta power. Adversity-related measures modulated theta and alpha oscillatory power (in particular childhood sexual abuse) and differed between patients and controls. Findings are based on women with comorbid depressive symptoms and therefore may not be applicable for men or groups with other clinical profiles. In respect to childhood adversities, we had no reliable source for the early infancy. Trauma-related abnormalities in neural organization vary with both exposure to adversities as well as their potential to evoke ongoing shutdown responses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Posttraumatic stress disorder, alone or additively with early life adversity, is associated with obesity and cardiometabolic risk.

PubMed

Farr, O M; Ko, B-J; Joung, K E; Zaichenko, L; Usher, N; Tsoukas, M; Thakkar, B; Davis, C R; Crowell, J A; Mantzoros, C S

2015-05-01

There is some evidence that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and early life adversity may influence metabolic outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, whether and how these interact is not clear. We analyzed data from a cross-sectional and longitudinal study to determine how PTSD severity influences obesity, insulin sensitivity, and key measures and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. We then looked at how PTSD and early life adversity may interact to impact these same outcomes. PTSD severity is associated with increasing risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, with higher symptoms correlating with higher values of BMI, leptin, fibrinogen, and blood pressure, and lower values of insulin sensitivity. PTSD and early life adversity have an additive effect on these metabolic outcomes. The longitudinal study confirmed findings from the cross sectional study and showed that fat mass, leptin, CRP, sICAM-1, and sTNFRII were significantly increased with higher PTSD severity during a 2.5 year follow-up period. Individuals with early life adversity and PTSD are at high risk and should be monitored carefully for obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic risk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A critical pathway for patients with acute chest pain and low risk for short-term adverse cardiac events: role of outpatient stress testing.

PubMed

Meyer, Mary C; Mooney, Robert P; Sekera, Anna K

2006-05-01

We evaluate the safety and feasibility of a critical care pathway protocol in which patients with acute chest pain who are low risk for coronary artery disease and short-term adverse cardiac outcomes receive outpatient stress testing within 72 hours of an emergency department (ED) visit. We performed an observational study of an ED-based chest pain critical pathway in an urban, community hospital in 979 consecutive patients. Patients enrolled in the protocol were observed in the ED before receiving 72-hour outpatient stress testing. The pathway was primarily analyzed for rates of death or myocardial infarction in the 6 months after ED discharge and outpatient stress testing. Secondary outcome measures included need for coronary intervention at initial stress testing and within 6 months after discharge, subsequent ED visits for chest pain, and subsequent hospitalization. Of 871 stress-tested patients aged 40 years or older, who had low risk for coronary artery disease and short-term adverse cardiac events, and had 6-month follow-up, 18 (2%) required coronary intervention, 1 (0.1%) had a myocardial infarction within 1 month, 2 (0.2%) had a myocardial infarction within 6 months, 6 (0.7%) had normal stress test results after discharge but required cardiac catheterization within 6 months, and 5 (0.6%) returned to the ED within 6 months for ongoing chest pain. Hospital admission rates decreased significantly from 31.2% to 26.1% after initiation of the protocol (P<.001). For patients with chest pain and low risk for short-term cardiac events, outpatient stress testing is feasible, safe, and associated with decreased hospital admission rates. With an evidence-based protocol, physicians efficiently identify patients at low risk for clinically significant coronary artery disease and short-term adverse cardiac outcomes.

Stress-induced neuroplasticity: (mal)adaptation to adverse life events in patients with PTSD--a critical overview.

PubMed

Deppermann, S; Storchak, H; Fallgatter, A J; Ehlis, A-C

2014-12-26

Stress is an adaptive response to demands of the environment and thus essential for survival. Exposure to stress triggers hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activation and associated neurochemical reactions, following glucocorticoid release from the adrenal glands, accompanied by rapid physiological responses. Stimulation of this pathway results in the activation of specific brain regions, including the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex which are enriched with glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). Recent findings indicate that the activation of GRs mediates the regulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is crucial for neural plasticity, as it promotes cellular growth and synaptic changes. Hence stress-induced activation of these pathways leads to neuroplastic changes, including the formation of long-lasting memories of the experiences. As a consequence, organisms can learn from stressful events and respond in an adaptive manner to similar demands in the future. Whereas an optimal stress level leads to enhancement of memory performance, the exposure to extreme, traumatic or chronic stressors is a risk factor for psychopathologies which are associated with memory impairment and cognitive deficits such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this review article, we will outline the implications of stress exposure on memory formation involving the role of glucocorticoids and BDNF. Within this context, potential adverse effects of neuroplastic alterations will be discussed using the example of PTSD. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental hazards and stress: evidence from the Texas City Stress and Health Study

PubMed Central

Peek, MK; Cutchin, MP; Freeman, D; Stowe, RP; Goodwin, JS

2013-01-01

Background Substantial research has suggested that exposure to environmental health hazards, such as polluting industrial activity, has deleterious effects on psychological and physiological well-being. However, one gap in the existing literature is comparative analysis of objective and subjective exposure's relative association with various measurable outcomes of exposure. Methods These relationships were explored within a community sample of 2604 respondents living near a large petrochemical complex in Texas City, Texas, USA. Objective exposure was investigated using distance of residence from a cluster of petrochemical plants and subjective exposure using residents' concern about potential health effects from those plants. Regression models were then used to examine how each type of exposure predicts perceived stress, physiological markers of stress and perceived health. Results Results suggest that objective exposure was associated primarily with markers of physiological stress (interleukin-6 and viral reactivation), and subjective exposure (concern about petrochemical health risk) was associated with variables assessing perceived health. Conclusions From the analysis, it can be inferred that, in the context of an environmental hazard of this type, subjective exposure may be at least as important a predictor of poor health outcomes as objective exposure. PMID:19282316

Environmental hazards and stress: evidence from the Texas City Stress and Health Study.

PubMed

Peek, M K; Cutchin, M P; Freeman, D; Stowe, R P; Goodwin, J S

2009-10-01

Substantial research has suggested that exposure to environmental health hazards, such as polluting industrial activity, has deleterious effects on psychological and physiological well-being. However, one gap in the existing literature is comparative analysis of objective and subjective exposure's relative association with various measurable outcomes of exposure. These relationships were explored within a community sample of 2604 respondents living near a large petrochemical complex in Texas City, Texas, USA. Objective exposure was investigated using distance of residence from a cluster of petrochemical plants and subjective exposure using residents' concern about potential health effects from those plants. Regression models were then used to examine how each type of exposure predicts perceived stress, physiological markers of stress and perceived health. Results suggest that objective exposure was associated primarily with markers of physiological stress (interleukin-6 and viral reactivation), and subjective exposure (concern about petrochemical health risk) was associated with variables assessing perceived health. From the analysis, it can be inferred that, in the context of an environmental hazard of this type, subjective exposure may be at least as important a predictor of poor health outcomes as objective exposure.

Environmental harshness, heat stress, and Marmota flaviventris.

PubMed

Webb, D R

1979-01-01

Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) were studied at three sites in central Oregon. Juveniles substantially reduced their foraging activity when equivalent black-body temperatures exceeded their upper critical temperature. Inclusion of heat stress into estimates of environmental harshness drastically reduced the differences in available foraging time between high elevation and low elevation sites.

Influence of pH, curing time and environmental stress on the immobilization of hazardous waste using activated fly ash.

PubMed

Srivastava, Shefali; Chaudhary, Rubina; Khale, Divya

2008-05-30

The current work is related to inorganic species in sludge generated from Common Effluent Treatment Plant contaminated with hazardous wastes at relatively high concentration. The environmental sensitive metals studied in the sludge are Pb, Fe, Ni, Zn and Mn. The solidification/stabilization (S/S) of heavy metals within fly ash-cement-based matrix was conducted for low cost treatment and reuse of sludge. The study examines the strength of the S/S product by predicting the effect of supplementary cementing material from efficiency factor (k) at 60 degrees C curing temperature. The leaching test was performed at two different pH 7 and 4 to determine the efficiency of heavy metal immobilization. It was observed that replacing 76% OPC by 56% fly ash and 20% sludge for 28 days curing period shows increase in strength as well as rate of stabilization for zinc, iron and manganese at pH 7, lead and nickel were stabilized by 79 and 82%, respectively. Environmental stress test was performed to evaluate the tolerance of extreme adverse environmental condition.

Sex differences in stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity following early life adversity: a two hit model.

PubMed

Prusator, D K; Greenwood-Van Meerveld, B

2016-12-01

Early life adversity (ELA) has been indicated as a risk factor for the development of stress axis dysfunction in adulthood, specifically in females. We previously showed that unpredictable ELA induces visceral hyperalgesia in adult female rats. It remains to be determined whether ELA alters visceral nociceptive responses to stress in adulthood. The current study tested the hypothesis that following ELA, exposure to an adulthood stressor, or second hit, serves as a risk factor for exaggerated stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity that is sex-specific. Following ELA, adult stress was induced via a single exposure (acute) or repetitive daily exposure, 1 h/day for 7 days (chronic), to water avoidance stress (WAS). Acute WAS increased pain behaviors in all adult female rats, however, females that experienced unpredictable ELA exhibited significantly more pain behaviors compared to those exposed to predictable ELA or controls. Following chronic WAS, all adult females exhibited increased pain responses, however, an exaggerated response was observed in rats exposed to unpredictable or predictable ELA compared to controls. Similarly, in adult male rats exposure to acute or chronic WAS increased pain behaviors, however, there were no differences in pain behaviors between ELA groups. This study highlights a novel consequence of ELA on stress-induced visceral nociception in adulthood that is sex-specific. More importantly, our study suggests that ELA not only serves as a risk factor for development of chronic pain in adulthood, but also serves as a predisposition for worsening of visceral pain following adult stress in female rats. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The combined effect of clothianidin and environmental stress on the behavioral and reproductive function in male mice

PubMed Central

HIRANO, Tetsushi; YANAI, Shogo; OMOTEHARA, Takuya; HASHIMOTO, Rie; UMEMURA, Yuria; KUBOTA, Naoto; MINAMI, Kiichi; NAGAHARA, Daichi; MATSUO, Eiko; AIHARA, Yoshiko; SHINOHARA, Ryota; FURUYASHIKI, Tomoyuki; MANTANI, Youhei; YOKOYAMA, Toshifumi; KITAGAWA, Hiroshi; HOSHI, Nobuhiko

2015-01-01

Neonicotinoids, some of the most widely used pesticides in the world, act as agonists to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of insects, resulting in death from abnormal excitability. Neonicotinoids unexpectedly became a major topic as a compelling cause of honeybee colony collapse disorder, which is damaging crop production that requires pollination worldwide. Mammal nAChRs appear to have a certain affinity for neonicotinoids with lower levels than those of insects; there is thus rising concern about unpredictable adverse effects of neonicotinoids on vertebrates. We hypothesized that the effects of neonicotinoids would be enhanced under a chronic stressed condition, which is known to alter the expression of targets of neonicotinoids, i.e., neuronal nAChRs. We performed immunohistochemical and behavioral analyses in male mice actively administered a neonicotinoid, clothianidin (CTD; 0, 10, 50 and 250 mg/kg/day), for 4 weeks under an unpredictable chronic stress procedure. Vacuolated seminiferous epithelia and a decrease in the immunoreactivity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 were observed in the testes of the CTD+stress mice. In an open field test, although the locomotor activities were not affected, the anxiety-like behaviors of the mice were elevated by both CTD and stress. The present study demonstrates that the behavioral and reproductive effects of CTD become more serious in combination with environmental stress, which may reflect our actual situation of multiple exposure. PMID:25960033

Cross-talk between Phosphate Starvation and Other Environmental Stress Signaling Pathways in Plants

PubMed Central

Baek, Dongwon; Chun, Hyun Jin; Yun, Dae-Jin; Kim, Min Chul

2017-01-01

The maintenance of inorganic phosphate (Pi) homeostasis is essential for plant growth and yield. Plants have evolved strategies to cope with Pi starvation at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels, which maximizes its availability. Many transcription factors, miRNAs, and transporters participate in the Pi starvation signaling pathway where their activities are modulated by sugar and phytohormone signaling. Environmental stresses significantly affect the uptake and utilization of nutrients by plants, but their effects on the Pi starvation response remain unclear. Recently, we reported that Pi starvation signaling is affected by abiotic stresses such as salt, abscisic acid, and drought. In this review, we identified transcription factors, such as MYB, WRKY, and zinc finger transcription factors with functions in Pi starvation and other environmental stress signaling. In silico analysis of the promoter regions of Pi starvation-responsive genes, including phosphate transporters, microRNAs, and phosphate starvation–induced genes, suggest that their expression may be regulated by other environmental stresses, such as hormones, drought, cold, heat, and pathogens as well as by Pi starvation. Thus, we suggest the possibility of cross-talk between Pi starvation signaling and other environmental stress signaling pathways. PMID:29047263

Association between adverse pregnancy outcome and imbalance in angiogenic regulators and oxidative stress biomarkers in gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.

PubMed

Turpin, Cornelius A; Sakyi, Samuel A; Owiredu, William K B A; Ephraim, Richard K D; Anto, Enoch O

2015-08-25

Gestational hypertension (GH) and Preeclampsia, (PE) are the most complicated amongst hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The mechanism that links hypertension in pregnancy to adverse maternal outcomes is not fully understood though some relate this to endothelial dysfunction originating from an imbalanced angiogenic regulators and oxidative stress biomarkers. This study assessed the correlation between angiogenic regulators and oxidative stress biomarker levels with adverse pregnancy outcomes among GH and PE participants. A cohort of pregnant women who received antenatal care at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) were followed. During their antenatal visits, 100 developed PE and 70 developed GE, of these, 50 PE and 50 GH gave informed consent. Their blood samples were taken at time of diagnosis and 48 h post-partum. 50 other aged-matched women who did not develop neither GH nor PE were selected as controls. Placental growth factor (PLGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and 8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha (8-epi-PGF2α) levels were estimated by ELISA and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was measured spectrophotometrically. Graphpad Prism was used for data analysis. Median levels of sFlt-1, 8-epi-PGF2α and sFlt-1/PLGF were elevated among participants with PE co-existing with intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), placental abruptio, placental previa, HELLP syndrome and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) compared to PE without adverse outcomes (p = 0.041, p = 0.005, p = 0.0002). Levels of PLGF, T-AOC and PLGF/sFlt-1 were significantly reduced among participants with PE co-existing with IUFD, placental abruptio, placental previa, HELLP syndrome and IUGR compared to PE without adverse outcomes (p = 0.0013, p = 0.006, p < 0.0001). A significant negative correlation of IUGR (p = 0.0030; p < 0.0001), placental abruptio (p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001), IUFD (p < 0.0001; p�

Mitigation of adverse environmental effects on lunar-based astronomical instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Charles L.; Dietz, Kurtis L.; Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.

The galactic cosmic-ray flux incident on the moon was examined for its potential adverse impact on the performance of the large lunar telescope (LLT) proposed as a part of NASA's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). Noise produced by the cosmic-ray flux in the charge coupled devices to be used as the primary photodetector in the telescope was estimated. It was calculated that approximately 2.5 m of regolith would provide the shielding necessary to reduce the noise to an acceptable level. Dust is an omnipresent environmental concern for any human-assisted or robotic scientific instruments deployed on the moon. The degree to which dust poses an operational risk to the telescope was examined. Three potential methods for reducing this risk were identified: locating scientific instruments at remote locations; utilizing a prepared, dust-free site for all rocket activities; and covering the optics during high-risk times.

Mitigation of adverse environmental effects on lunar-based astronomical instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Les; Dietz, Kurtis L.; Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.

1994-02-01

The galactic cosmic-ray flux incident on the Moon was examined for its potential adverse impact on the performance of the large lunar telescope (LLT) proposed as a part of NASA's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). Noise produced by the cosmic-ray flux in the charge coupled devices (CCD's) to be used as the primary photodetector in the telescope was estimated. It was calculated that approximately 2.5 m of regolith would provide the shielding necessary to reduce the noise to an acceptable level. Dust is an omnipresent environmental concern for any human-assisted or robotic scientific instruments deployed on the Moon. The degree to which dust poses an operational risk to the telescope was examined. Three potential methods for reducing this risk were identified: locating scientific instruments at remote locations; utilizing a prepared, dust-free site for all rocket activities; and covering the optics during high-risk times.

Mitigation of adverse environmental effects on lunar-based astronomical instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Charles L.; Dietz, Kurtis L.; Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.

1992-01-01

The galactic cosmic-ray flux incident on the moon was examined for its potential adverse impact on the performance of the large lunar telescope (LLT) proposed as a part of NASA's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). Noise produced by the cosmic-ray flux in the charge coupled devices to be used as the primary photodetector in the telescope was estimated. It was calculated that approximately 2.5 m of regolith would provide the shielding necessary to reduce the noise to an acceptable level. Dust is an omnipresent environmental concern for any human-assisted or robotic scientific instruments deployed on the moon. The degree to which dust poses an operational risk to the telescope was examined. Three potential methods for reducing this risk were identified: locating scientific instruments at remote locations; utilizing a prepared, dust-free site for all rocket activities; and covering the optics during high-risk times.

Mitigation of adverse environmental effects on lunar-based astronomical instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Dietz, Kurtis L.; Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.

1994-01-01

The galactic cosmic-ray flux incident on the Moon was examined for its potential adverse impact on the performance of the large lunar telescope (LLT) proposed as a part of NASA's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). Noise produced by the cosmic-ray flux in the charge coupled devices (CCD's) to be used as the primary photodetector in the telescope was estimated. It was calculated that approximately 2.5 m of regolith would provide the shielding necessary to reduce the noise to an acceptable level. Dust is an omnipresent environmental concern for any human-assisted or robotic scientific instruments deployed on the Moon. The degree to which dust poses an operational risk to the telescope was examined. Three potential methods for reducing this risk were identified: locating scientific instruments at remote locations; utilizing a prepared, dust-free site for all rocket activities; and covering the optics during high-risk times.

Adverse childhood experiences and adult smoking, Nebraska, 2011.

PubMed

Yeoman, Kristin; Safranek, Thomas; Buss, Bryan; Cadwell, Betsy L; Mannino, David

2013-09-19

Smoking is a public health risk; the prevalence of smoking among adults in Nebraska is 18.4%. Studies indicate that maltreatment of children alters their brain development, possibly increasing risk for tobacco use. Previous studies have documented associations between childhood maltreatment and adult health behaviors, demonstrating the influence of adverse experiences on tobacco use. We examined prevalence and associations between adverse childhood experiences and smoking among Nebraskans. We analyzed 2011 Nebraska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Adverse Childhood Experience module) data, defining adverse childhood experience exposures as physical, sexual, and verbal abuse (ie, direct exposures), and household dysfunction associated with mental illness, substance abuse, divorce, domestic violence, and living with persons with incarceration histories (ie, environmental exposures). We estimated prevalence of exposures, taking into account the complex survey design. We used logistic regression with predicted margins to estimate adjusted relative risk for smoking by direct or environmental exposure. Approximately 51% of Nebraskans experienced 1 or more adverse childhood events; 7% experienced 5 or more. Prevalence of environmental exposures (42%) was significantly higher than that of direct exposures (31%). Prevalence of individual exposures ranged from 6% (incarceration of a household member) to 25% (verbal abuse). Adjusted relative risks of smoking for direct and environmental exposures were 1.5 and 1.8, respectively. We present a new method of evaluating adverse childhood experience data. Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences is high among Nebraskans, and these exposures are associated with smoking. State-specific strategies to monitor adverse events among children and provide interventions might help to decrease the smoking rate in this population.

Adverse effects of stress on microbiota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The complex communities of microorganisms that colonize the gastrointestinal tract impact the health status of an animal. The health of an animal as well as production traits are also affected by exposure to stress. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effects of dehorning stress on the gut ...

Overview of Stress Effects on Body and Stress Prevention Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManus, John L.

Definitions of stress all imply that stress is a condition resulting from some change or imbalance that requires individual adjustment. When this does not occur, stress becomes an adverse condition which may eventually cause serious harm. Numerous studies have established the connection between unrelieved stress and adverse body reactions such as…

Surrogate species selection for assessing potential adverse environmental impacts of genetically engineered insect-resistant plants on non-target organisms

PubMed Central

Carstens, Keri; Cayabyab, Bonifacio; De Schrijver, Adinda; Gadaleta, Patricia G; Hellmich, Richard L; Romeis, Jörg; Storer, Nicholas; Valicente, Fernando H; Wach, Michael

2014-01-01

Most regulatory authorities require that developers of genetically engineered insect-resistant (GEIR) crops evaluate the potential for these crops to have adverse impacts on valued non-target organisms (NTOs), i.e., organisms not intended to be controlled by the trait. In many cases, impacts to NTOs are assessed using surrogate species, and it is critical that the data derived from surrogates accurately predict any adverse impacts likely to be observed from the use of the crop in the agricultural context. The key is to select surrogate species that best represent the valued NTOs in the location where the crop is going to be introduced, but this selection process poses numerous challenges for the developers of GE crops who will perform the tests, as well as for the ecologists and regulators who will interpret the test results. These issues were the subject of a conference “Surrogate Species Selection for Assessing Potential Adverse Environmental Impacts of Genetically Engineered Plants on Non-Target Organisms” convened by the Center for Environmental Risk Assessment, ILSI Research Foundation. This report summarizes the proceedings of the conference, including the presentations, discussions and the points of consensus agreed to by the participants. PMID:24637519

Surrogate species selection for assessing potential adverse environmental impacts of genetically engineered insect-resistant plants on non-target organisms.

PubMed

Carstens, Keri; Cayabyab, Bonifacio; De Schrijver, Adinda; Gadaleta, Patricia G; Hellmich, Richard L; Romeis, Jörg; Storer, Nicholas; Valicente, Fernando H; Wach, Michael

2014-01-01

Most regulatory authorities require that developers of genetically engineered insect-resistant (GEIR) crops evaluate the potential for these crops to have adverse impacts on valued non-target organisms (NTOs), i.e., organisms not intended to be controlled by the trait. In many cases, impacts to NTOs are assessed using surrogate species, and it is critical that the data derived from surrogates accurately predict any adverse impacts likely to be observed from the use of the crop in the agricultural context. The key is to select surrogate species that best represent the valued NTOs in the location where the crop is going to be introduced, but this selection process poses numerous challenges for the developers of GE crops who will perform the tests, as well as for the ecologists and regulators who will interpret the test results. These issues were the subject of a conference "Surrogate Species Selection for Assessing Potential Adverse Environmental Impacts of Genetically Engineered Plants on Non-Target Organisms" convened by the Center for Environmental Risk Assessment, ILSI Research Foundation. This report summarizes the proceedings of the conference, including the presentations, discussions and the points of consensus agreed to by the participants.

Intracellular proteins produced by mammalian cells in response to environmental stress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goochee, Charles F.; Passini, Cheryl A.

1988-01-01

The nature of the response of mammalian cells to environmental stress is examined by reviewing results of studies where cultured mouse L cells and baby hamster kidney cells were exposed to heat shock and the synthesis of heat-shock proteins and stress-response proteins (including HSP70, HSC70, HSP90, ubiquitin, and GRP70) in stressed and unstressed cells was evaluated using 2D-PAGE. The intracellular roles of the individual stress response proteins are discussed together with the regulation of the stress response system.

Positive childhood experiences predict less psychopathology and stress in pregnant women with childhood adversity: A pilot study of the benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) scale.

PubMed

Narayan, Angela J; Rivera, Luisa M; Bernstein, Rosemary E; Harris, William W; Lieberman, Alicia F

2018-04-01

This pilot study examined the psychometric properties of the Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) scale, a new instrument designed to assess positive early life experiences in adults with histories of childhood maltreatment and other adversities. A counterpart to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire, the BCEs was developed to be multiculturally-sensitive and applicable regardless of socioeconomic position, urban-rural background, or immigration status. Higher levels of BCEs were hypothesized to predict lower levels of psychopathology and stress beyond the effects of ACES in a sample of ethnically diverse, low-income pregnant women. BCEs were also expected to show adequate internal validity across racial/ethnic groups and test-retest stability from the prenatal to the postnatal period. Participants were 101 pregnant women (M=29.10years, SD=6.56, range=18-44; 37% Latina, 22% African-American, 20% White, 21% biracial/multiracial/other; 37% foreign-born, 26% Spanish-speaking) who completed the BCEs and ACEs scales; assessments of prenatal depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, perceived stress, and exposure to stressful life events (SLEs) during pregnancy; and demographic information. Higher levels of BCEs predicted less PTSD symptoms and SLEs, above and beyond ACEs. The BCEs showed excellent test-retest reliability, and mean levels were comparable across racial/ethnic and Spanish-English groups of women. Person-oriented analyses also showed that higher levels of BCEs offset the effects of ACEs on prenatal stress and psychopathology. The BCEs scale indexes promising promotive factors associated with lower trauma-related symptomatology and stress exposure during pregnancy and illuminates how favorable childhood experiences may counteract long-term effects of childhood adversity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-species multiple environmental stress responses: An integrated approach to identify candidate genes for multiple stress tolerance in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and related model species

PubMed Central

Modise, David M.; Gemeildien, Junaid; Ndimba, Bongani K.; Christoffels, Alan

2018-01-01

Background Crop response to the changing climate and unpredictable effects of global warming with adverse conditions such as drought stress has brought concerns about food security to the fore; crop yield loss is a major cause of concern in this regard. Identification of genes with multiple responses across environmental stresses is the genetic foundation that leads to crop adaptation to environmental perturbations. Methods In this paper, we introduce an integrated approach to assess candidate genes for multiple stress responses across-species. The approach combines ontology based semantic data integration with expression profiling, comparative genomics, phylogenomics, functional gene enrichment and gene enrichment network analysis to identify genes associated with plant stress phenotypes. Five different ontologies, viz., Gene Ontology (GO), Trait Ontology (TO), Plant Ontology (PO), Growth Ontology (GRO) and Environment Ontology (EO) were used to semantically integrate drought related information. Results Target genes linked to Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) controlling yield and stress tolerance in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and closely related species were identified. Based on the enriched GO terms of the biological processes, 1116 sorghum genes with potential responses to 5 different stresses, such as drought (18%), salt (32%), cold (20%), heat (8%) and oxidative stress (25%) were identified to be over-expressed. Out of 169 sorghum drought responsive QTLs associated genes that were identified based on expression datasets, 56% were shown to have multiple stress responses. On the other hand, out of 168 additional genes that have been evaluated for orthologous pairs, 90% were conserved across species for drought tolerance. Over 50% of identified maize and rice genes were responsive to drought and salt stresses and were co-located within multifunctional QTLs. Among the total identified multi-stress responsive genes, 272 targets were shown to be co

Environmental Social Stress, Paranoia and Psychosis Liability: A Virtual Reality Study.

PubMed

Veling, Wim; Pot-Kolder, Roos; Counotte, Jacqueline; van Os, Jim; van der Gaag, Mark

2016-11-01

The impact of social environments on mental states is difficult to assess, limiting the understanding of which aspects of the social environment contribute to the onset of psychotic symptoms and how individual characteristics moderate this outcome. This study aimed to test sensitivity to environmental social stress as a mechanism of psychosis using Virtual Reality (VR) experiments. Fifty-five patients with recent onset psychotic disorder, 20 patients at ultra high risk for psychosis, 42 siblings of patients with psychosis, and 53 controls walked 5 times in a virtual bar with different levels of environmental social stress. Virtual social stressors were population density, ethnic density and hostility. Paranoia about virtual humans and subjective distress in response to virtual social stress exposures were measured with State Social Paranoia Scale (SSPS) and self-rated momentary subjective distress (SUD), respectively. Pre-existing (subclinical) symptoms were assessed with the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE), Green Paranoid Thoughts Scale (GPTS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). Paranoia and subjective distress increased with degree of social stress in the environment. Psychosis liability and pre-existing symptoms, in particular negative affect, positively impacted the level of paranoia and distress in response to social stress. These results provide experimental evidence that heightened sensitivity to environmental social stress may play an important role in the onset and course of psychosis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Probing Resilience: Daily Environmental Mastery, Self-Esteem, and Stress Appraisal.

PubMed

Montpetit, Mignon A; Tiberio, Stacey S

2016-10-01

The current study explores one way the process of resilience arises by investigating the underlying process of stress appraisal. In particular, the analyses examine how resilience resources function each day to attenuate the extent to which life experiences are perceived as threatening, and how trait-like resilience resources shape the appraisal process. Daily diary and questionnaire data from 96 participants of Successful Aging in Context: The Macroenvironment and Daily Lived Experience (SAIC; MAge = 67 years, SDAge = 4.9 years; range: 58-86 years) were analyzed using multilevel random coefficient modeling to investigate how individuals' daily perceptions of control and self-esteem impacted perceived stress on a given day. Results suggested that both self-esteem and environmental mastery help mitigate the experience of stress; furthermore, dispositional resilience and self-esteem stability predict differences between individuals in the extent to which self-esteem tempers the perception of stress each day. The results inform theoretical and empirical work on the nature of resilience, especially regarding how the process arises in ordinary life. From an application perspective, results imply that augmenting environmental mastery and self-esteem, both of which are malleable, can facilitate resilience by helping elders challenge their perceptions of stress each day. © The Author(s) 2016.

Environmental stress speeds up DNA replication in Pseudomonas putida in chemostat cultivations.

PubMed

Lieder, Sarah; Jahn, Michael; Koepff, Joachim; Müller, Susann; Takors, Ralf

2016-01-01

Cellular response to different types of stress is the hallmark of the cell's strategy for survival. How organisms adjust their cell cycle dynamics to compensate for changes in environmental conditions is an important unanswered question in bacterial physiology. A cell using binary fission for reproduction passes through three stages during its cell cycle: a stage from cell birth to initiation of replication, a DNA replication phase and a period of cell division. We present a detailed analysis of durations of cell cycle phases, investigating their dynamics under environmental stress conditions. Applying continuous steady state cultivations (chemostats), the DNA content of a Pseudomonas putida KT2440 population was quantified with flow cytometry at distinct growth rates. Data-driven modeling revealed that under stress conditions, such as oxygen deprivation, solvent exposure and decreased iron availability, DNA replication was accelerated correlated to the severity of the imposed stress (up to 1.9-fold). Cells maintained constant growth rates by balancing the shortened replication phase with extended cell cycle phases before and after replication. Transcriptome data underpin the transcriptional upregulation of crucial genes of the replication machinery. Hence adaption of DNA replication speed appears to be an important strategy to withstand environmental stress. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Environmental stress alters genetic regulation of novelty seeking in vervet monkeys.

PubMed

Fairbanks, L A; Bailey, J N; Breidenthal, S E; Laudenslager, M L; Kaplan, J R; Jorgensen, M J

2011-08-01

Considerable attention has been paid to identifying genetic influences and gene-environment interactions that increase vulnerability to environmental stressors, with promising but inconsistent results. A nonhuman primate model is presented here that allows assessment of genetic influences in response to a stressful life event for a behavioural trait with relevance for psychopathology. Genetic and environmental influences on free-choice novelty seeking behaviour were assessed in a pedigreed colony of vervet monkeys before and after relocation from a low stress to a higher stress environment. Heritability of novelty seeking scores, and genetic correlations within and between environments were conducted using variance components analysis. The results showed that novelty seeking was markedly inhibited in the higher stress environment, with effects persisting across a 2-year period for adults but not for juveniles. There were significant genetic contributions to novelty seeking scores in each year (h(2) = 0.35-0.43), with high genetic correlations within each environment (rhoG > 0.80) and a lower genetic correlation (rhoG = 0.35, non-significant) between environments. There were also significant genetic contributions to individual change scores from before to after the move (h(2) = 0.48). These results indicate that genetic regulation of novelty seeking was modified by the level of environmental stress, and they support a role for gene-environment interactions in a behavioural trait with relevance for mental health. © 2011 The Authors. Genes, Brain and Behavior © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Adverse respiratory symptoms and environmental exposures among children and adolescents following Hurricane Katrina.

PubMed

Rath, Barbara; Young, Elizabeth A; Harris, Amy; Perrin, Keith; Bronfin, Daniel R; Ratard, Raoult; Vandyke, Russell; Goldshore, Matthew; Magnus, Manya

2011-01-01

Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures and their respiratory effects. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, residents experienced multiple adverse environmental exposures. We characterized the association between upper respiratory symptoms (URS) and lower respiratory symptoms (LRS) and environmental exposures among children and adolescents affected by Hurricane Katrina. We conducted a cross-sectional study following the return of the population to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina (October 2005 and February 2006) among a convenience sample of children and adolescents attending New Orleans health facilities. We used uni-, bi-, and multivariable analyses to describe participants, exposures, and associations with URS/LRS. Of 1,243 participants, 47% were Caucasian, 50% were male, and 72% were younger than 11 years of age. Multiple environmental exposures were identified during and after the storm and at current residences: roof/glass/storm damage (50%), outside mold (22%), dust (18%), and flood damage (15%). Self-reported URS and LRS (76% and 36%, respectively) were higher after the hurricane than before the hurricane (22% and 9%, respectively, p<0.0001). Roof/glass/storm damage at home was associated with URS (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15, 2.21) and LRS (AOR=1.35, 95% CI 1.01, 1.80), while mold growth at home was associated with LRS (AOR=1.47, 95% CI 1.02, 2.12). Children and adolescents affected by Hurricane Katrina experienced environmental exposures associated with increased prevalence of reported URS and LRS. Additional research is needed to investigate the long-term health impacts of Hurricane Katrina.

Consistency in adult reporting of adverse childhood experiences.

PubMed

Colman, I; Kingsbury, M; Garad, Y; Zeng, Y; Naicker, K; Patten, S; Jones, P B; Wild, T C; Thompson, A H

2016-02-01

Many studies have used retrospective reports to assess the long-term consequences of early life stress. However, current individual characteristics and experiences may bias the recall of these reports. In particular, depressed mood may increase the likelihood of recall of negative experiences. The aim of the study was to assess whether specific factors are associated with consistency in the reporting of childhood adverse experiences. The sample comprised 7466 adults from Canada's National Population Health Survey who had reported on seven childhood adverse experiences in 1994/1995 and 2006/2007. Logistic regression was used to explore differences between those who consistently reported adverse experiences and those whose reports were inconsistent. Among those retrospectively reporting on childhood traumatic experiences in 1994/1995 and 2006/2007, 39% were inconsistent in their reports of these experiences. The development of depression, increasing levels of psychological distress, as well as increasing work and chronic stress were associated with an increasing likelihood of reporting a childhood adverse experience in 2006/2007 that had not been previously reported. Increases in mastery were associated with reduced likelihood of new reporting of a childhood adverse experience in 2006/2007. The development of depression and increases in chronic stress and psychological distress were also associated with reduced likelihood of 'forgetting' a previously reported event. Concurrent mental health factors may influence the reporting of traumatic childhood experiences. Studies that use retrospective reporting to estimate associations between childhood adversity and adult outcomes associated with mental health may be biased.

Adverse childhood experiences of low-income urban youth.

PubMed

Wade, Roy; Shea, Judy A; Rubin, David; Wood, Joanne

2014-07-01

Current assessments of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may not adequately encompass the breadth of adversity to which low-income urban children are exposed. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the range of adverse childhood experiences faced by young adults who grew up in a low-income urban area. Focus groups were conducted with young adults who grew up in low-income Philadelphia neighborhoods. Using the nominal group technique, participants generated a list of adverse childhood experiences and then identified the 5 most stressful experiences on the group list. The most stressful experiences identified by participants were grouped into a ranked list of domains and subdomains. Participants identified a range of experiences, grouped into 10 domains: family relationships, community stressors, personal victimization, economic hardship, peer relationships, discrimination, school, health, child welfare/juvenile justice, and media/technology. Included in these domains were many but not all of the experiences from the initial ACEs studies; parental divorce/separation and mental illness were absent. Additional experiences not included in the initial ACEs but endorsed by our participants included single-parent homes; exposure to violence, adult themes, and criminal behavior; personal victimization; bullying; economic hardship; and discrimination. Gathering youth perspectives on childhood adversity broadens our understanding of the experience of stress and trauma in childhood. Future work is needed to determine the significance of this broader set of adverse experiences in predisposing children to poor health outcomes as adults. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Adversity-driven changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning during adolescence. The trails study.

PubMed

Laceulle, Odilia M; Nederhof, Esther; van Aken, Marcel A G; Ormel, Johan

2017-11-01

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed to be a key mechanism underlying the link between adversity and mental health, but longitudinal studies on adversity and HPA-axis functioning are scarce. Here, we studied adversity-driven changes in HPA-axis functioning during adolescence (N=141). HPA-axis functioning (basal cortisol, cortisol awakening response, anticipation of, reaction to and recovery after a stress task) was measured twice, at age 16 and 19. Adversity (i.e., social defeat and loss/illness) since age 16 was measured extensively with the Life Stress Interview at age 19. Adolescents who reported being exposed to social defeat showed increases in basal cortisol (ɳ 2 =0.029) and decreases in reaction to the stress task (ɳ 2 =0.030) from age 16-19, compared to their peers in the loss/illness and no stress group. The current study provides unique longitudinal data on the role of adversity in HPA-axis functioning. Evidence is provided that adversity can affect the body's neuroendocrine response to stress, dependent on the nature of both the HPA-measures and adverse events under study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response to environmental change in rainbow trout selected for divergent stress coping styles.

PubMed

Ruiz-Gomez, Maria de Lourdes; Huntingford, Felicity A; Øverli, Øyvind; Thörnqvist, Per-Ove; Höglund, Erik

2011-03-01

An extensive literature has documented differences in the way individual animals cope with environmental challenges and stressors. Two broad patterns of individual variability in behavioural and physiological stress responses are described as the proactive and reactive stress coping styles. In addition to variability in the stress response, contrasting coping styles may encompass a general difference in behavioural flexibility as opposed to routine formation in response to more subtle environmental changes and non-threatening novelties. In the present study two different manipulations, relocating food from a previously learned location, and introducing a novel object yielded contrasting responses in rainbow trout selected for high (HR) and low (LR) post stress plasma cortisol levels. No difference was seen in the rate of learning the original food location; however, proactive LR fish were markedly slower than reactive HR fish in altering their food seeking behaviour in response to relocated food. In contrast, LR fish largely ignored a novel object which disrupted feeding in HR fish. Hence, it appears that the two lines appraise environmental cues differently. This observation suggests that differences in responsiveness to environmental change are an integral component of heritable stress coping styles, which in this particular case, had opposite effects on foraging efficiency in different situations. Context dependent fitness effects may thus explain the persistence of stable divergence of this evolutionary widespread trait complex. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Decipher the Molecular Response of Plant Single Cell Types to Environmental Stresses

DOE PAGES

Nourbakhsh-Rey, Mehrnoush; Libault, Marc

2016-01-01

The analysis of the molecular response of entire plants or organs to environmental stresses suffers from the cellular complexity of the samples used. Specifically, this cellular complexity masks cell-specific responses to environmental stresses and logically leads to the dilution of the molecular changes occurring in each cell type composing the tissue/organ/plant in response to the stress. Therefore, to generate a more accurate picture of these responses, scientists are focusing on plant single cell type approaches. Several cell types are now considered as models such as the pollen, the trichomes, the cotton fiber, various root cell types including the root hairmore » cell, and the guard cell of stomata. Among them, several have been used to characterize plant response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Lastly, in this review, we are describing the various -omic studies performed on these different plant single cell type models to better understand plant cell response to biotic and abiotic stresses.« less

Decipher the Molecular Response of Plant Single Cell Types to Environmental Stresses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nourbakhsh-Rey, Mehrnoush; Libault, Marc

The analysis of the molecular response of entire plants or organs to environmental stresses suffers from the cellular complexity of the samples used. Specifically, this cellular complexity masks cell-specific responses to environmental stresses and logically leads to the dilution of the molecular changes occurring in each cell type composing the tissue/organ/plant in response to the stress. Therefore, to generate a more accurate picture of these responses, scientists are focusing on plant single cell type approaches. Several cell types are now considered as models such as the pollen, the trichomes, the cotton fiber, various root cell types including the root hairmore » cell, and the guard cell of stomata. Among them, several have been used to characterize plant response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Lastly, in this review, we are describing the various -omic studies performed on these different plant single cell type models to better understand plant cell response to biotic and abiotic stresses.« less

Environmental Maternal Effects Mediate the Resistance of Maritime Pine to Biotic Stress

PubMed Central

Vivas, María; Zas, Rafael; Sampedro, Luis; Solla, Alejandro

2013-01-01

The resistance to abiotic stress is increasingly recognised as being impacted by maternal effects, given that environmental conditions experienced by parent (mother) trees affect stress tolerance in offspring. We hypothesised that abiotic environmental maternal effects may also mediate the resistance of trees to biotic stress. The influence of maternal environment and maternal genotype and the interaction of these two factors on early resistance of Pinus pinaster half-sibs to the Fusarium circinatum pathogen was studied using 10 mother genotypes clonally replicated in two contrasting environments. Necrosis length of infected seedlings was 16% shorter in seedlings grown from favourable maternal environment seeds than in seedlings grown from unfavourable maternal environment seeds. Damage caused by F. circinatum was mediated by maternal environment and maternal genotype, but not by seed mass. Mechanisms unrelated to seed provisioning, perhaps of epigenetic nature, were probably involved in the transgenerational plasticity of P. pinaster, mediating its resistance to biotic stress. Our findings suggest that the transgenerational resistance of pines due to an abiotic stress may interact with the defensive response of pines to a biotic stress. PMID:23922944

Plasticity in reproduction and growth among 52 range-wide populations of a Mediterranean conifer: adaptive responses to environmental stress.

PubMed

Santos-Del-Blanco, L; Bonser, S P; Valladares, F; Chambel, M R; Climent, J

2013-09-01

A plastic response towards enhanced reproduction is expected in stressful environments, but it is assumed to trade off against vegetative growth and efficiency in the use of available resources deployed in reproduction [reproductive efficiency (RE)]. Evidence supporting this expectation is scarce for plants, particularly for long-lived species. Forest trees such as Mediterranean pines provide ideal models to study the adaptive value of allocation to reproduction vs. vegetative growth given their among-population differentiation for adaptive traits and their remarkable capacity to cope with dry and low-fertility environments. We studied 52 range-wide Pinus halepensis populations planted into two environmentally contrasting sites during their initial reproductive stage. We investigated the effect of site, population and their interaction on vegetative growth, threshold size for female reproduction, reproductive-vegetative size relationships and RE. We quantified correlations among traits and environmental variables to identify allocation trade-offs and ecotypic trends. Genetic variation for plasticity was high for vegetative growth, whereas it was nonsignificant for reproduction. Size-corrected reproduction was enhanced in the more stressful site supporting the expectation for adverse conditions to elicit plastic responses in reproductive allometry. However, RE was unrelated with early reproductive investment. Our results followed theoretical predictions and support that phenotypic plasticity for reproduction is adaptive under stressful environments. Considering expectations of increased drought in the Mediterranean, we hypothesize that phenotypic plasticity together with natural selection on reproductive traits will play a relevant role in the future adaptation of forest tree species. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2013 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Environmental stress increases variability in the expression of dental cusps.

PubMed

Riga, Alessandro; Belcastro, Maria Giovanna; Moggi-Cecchi, Jacopo

2014-03-01

Teeth are an important model for developmental studies but, despite an extensive literature on the genetics of dental development, little is known about the environmental influences on dental morphology. Here we test whether and to what extent the environment plays a role in producing morphological variation in human teeth. We selected a sample of modern human skulls and used dental enamel hypoplasia as an environmental stress marker to identify two groups with different stress levels, referred to as SG ("stressed" group) and NSG ("nonstressed" group). We collected data on the occurrence and the relative development of 15 morphological traits on upper molars using a standard methodology (ASU-DAS system) and then we compared the frequencies of the traits in the two groups. Overall, the results suggest that (a) stressors like malnutrition and/or systemic diseases have a significant effect on upper molar morphology; (b) stress generates a developmental response which increases the morphological variability of the SG; and (c) the increase in variability is directional, since individuals belonging to the SG have more developed and extra cusps. These results are consistent with the expectations of the current model of dental development. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interactive effects of environmental stress and inbreeding on reproductive traits in a wild bird population.

PubMed

Marr, A B; Arcese, P; Hochachka, W M; Reid, J M; Keller, L F

2006-11-01

1. Conservation biologists are concerned about the interactive effects of environmental stress and inbreeding because such interactions could affect the dynamics and extinction risk of small and isolated populations, but few studies have tested for these interactions in nature. 2. We used data from the long-term population study of song sparrows Melospiza melodia on Mandarte Island to examine the joint effects of inbreeding and environmental stress on four fitness traits that are known to be affected by the inbreeding level of adult birds: hatching success, laying date, male mating success and fledgling survival. 3. We found that inbreeding depression interacted with environmental stress to reduce hatching success in the nests of inbred females during periods of rain. 4. For laying date, we found equivocal support for an interaction between parental inbreeding and environmental stress. In this case, however, inbred females experienced less inbreeding depression in more stressful, cooler years. 5. For two other traits, we found no evidence that the strength of inbreeding depression varied with environmental stress. First, mated males fathered fewer nests per season if inbred or if the ratio of males to females in the population was high, but inbreeding depression did not depend on sex ratio. Second, fledglings survived poorly during rainy periods and if their father was inbred, but the effects of paternal inbreeding and rain did not interact. 6. Thus, even for a single species, interactions between the inbreeding level and environmental stress may not occur in all traits affected by inbreeding depression, and interactions that do occur will not always act synergistically to further decrease fitness.

Maternal effects of drought stress and inbreeding in Impatiens capensis (Balsaminaceae).

PubMed

Riginos, Corinna; Heschel, M Shane; Schmitt, Johanna

2007-12-01

Maternal effects can have substantial impacts on plant fitness and plant populations. Stressful environmental conditions can cause a maternal plant to inadequately provision its progeny, resulting in poor seedling growth, low reproductive success, and decreased competitive ability. Maternal effects consist of environmental and genetic load components, but the interactions between these two components have rarely been considered. To determine the effects of maternal drought stress and maternal inbreeding on progeny biomass (a fitness correlate) and physiological responses to drought stress, we conducted a greenhouse experiment with genetic lines from two populations (mesic site vs. dry site) of the herbaceous annual Impatiens capensis (Balsaminaceae). Seeds were collected from cleistogamous flowers of inbred or outcrossed maternal plants that were subject to either a drought or control treatment. These seeds were grown into juvenile plants that were also subject to either a drought stress or a control treatment. Plants from the mesic site had significantly reduced biomass from maternal drought stress, while plants from the dry site maintained biomass despite adverse maternal environmental conditions. Juvenile plants of both populations had reduced biomass only as a result of maternal inbreeding. Interestingly, inbreeding depression was more apparent when maternal environmental conditions were benign.

Bacillus: A Biological Tool for Crop Improvement through Bio-Molecular Changes in Adverse Environments

PubMed Central

Radhakrishnan, Ramalingam; Hashem, Abeer; Abd_Allah, Elsayed F.

2017-01-01

Crop productivity is affected by environmental and genetic factors. Microbes that are beneficial to plants are used to enhance the crop yield and are alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Pseudomonas and Bacillus species are the predominant plant growth-promoting bacteria. The spore-forming ability of Bacillus is distinguished from that of Pseudomonas. Members of this genus also survive for a long time under unfavorable environmental conditions. Bacillus spp. secrete several metabolites that trigger plant growth and prevent pathogen infection. Limited studies have been conducted to understand the physiological changes that occur in crops in response to Bacillus spp. to provide protection against adverse environmental conditions. This review describes the current understanding of Bacillus-induced physiological changes in plants as an adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. During water scarcity, salinity and heavy metal accumulate in soil, Bacillus spp. produce exopolysaccharides and siderophores, which prevent the movement of toxic ions and adjust the ionic balance and water transport in plant tissues while controlling the pathogenic microbial population. In addition, the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellic acid and1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase by Bacillus regulates the intracellular phytohormone metabolism and increases plant stress tolerance. Cell-wall-degrading substances, such as chitosanase, protease, cellulase, glucanase, lipopeptides and hydrogen cyanide from Bacillus spp. damage the pathogenic bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viruses and pests to control their populations in plants and agricultural lands. The normal plant metabolism is affected by unfavorable environmental stimuli, which suppress crop growth and yield. Abiotic and biotic stress factors that have detrimental effects on crops are mitigated by Bacillus-induced physiological changes, including the regulation of water transport, nutrient up-take and

Bacillus: A Biological Tool for Crop Improvement through Bio-Molecular Changes in Adverse Environments.

PubMed

Radhakrishnan, Ramalingam; Hashem, Abeer; Abd Allah, Elsayed F

2017-01-01

Crop productivity is affected by environmental and genetic factors. Microbes that are beneficial to plants are used to enhance the crop yield and are alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Pseudomonas and Bacillus species are the predominant plant growth-promoting bacteria. The spore-forming ability of Bacillus is distinguished from that of Pseudomonas . Members of this genus also survive for a long time under unfavorable environmental conditions. Bacillus spp. secrete several metabolites that trigger plant growth and prevent pathogen infection. Limited studies have been conducted to understand the physiological changes that occur in crops in response to Bacillus spp. to provide protection against adverse environmental conditions. This review describes the current understanding of Bacillus -induced physiological changes in plants as an adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. During water scarcity, salinity and heavy metal accumulate in soil, Bacillus spp. produce exopolysaccharides and siderophores, which prevent the movement of toxic ions and adjust the ionic balance and water transport in plant tissues while controlling the pathogenic microbial population. In addition, the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellic acid and1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase by Bacillus regulates the intracellular phytohormone metabolism and increases plant stress tolerance. Cell-wall-degrading substances, such as chitosanase, protease, cellulase, glucanase, lipopeptides and hydrogen cyanide from Bacillus spp. damage the pathogenic bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viruses and pests to control their populations in plants and agricultural lands. The normal plant metabolism is affected by unfavorable environmental stimuli, which suppress crop growth and yield. Abiotic and biotic stress factors that have detrimental effects on crops are mitigated by Bacillus -induced physiological changes, including the regulation of water transport, nutrient up-take and

Biomonitor of Environmental Stress: Coral Trace Metal Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grumet, N.; Hughen, K.

2006-12-01

Tropical reef corals are extremely sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and, as a result of environmental degradation and global climate change, coral reefs around the globe are severely threatened. Increased human population and development in tropical regions is leading to higher turbidity and silt loading from terrestrial runoff, increased pesticides and nutrients from agricultural land-use and sewage, and the release of toxic trace metals to coastal waters from industrial pollution. The uptake of these metals and nutrients within the coral skeletal aragonite is a sensitive biomonitor of environmental stresses on coral health. We analyzed 18 trace metals from the surface of coral skeletons collected in Bermuda, Indonesia and Belize to assess a range of threats to coral reef health - including climate change, agricultural runoff and pesticides, and coastal development and tourism. This surface sample network also includes samples representing 4 different coral species. Trace metal analysis was performed on an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) to a high degree of accuracy and precision at extremely low (ppb) concentrations using a protocol we developed for samples less than 2 mg. Proper cleaning techniques were employed to minimize blank level concentrations for ultra-trace metal ICP-MS solution analysis. However, Zn/Ca and Ni/Ca concentrations remain below analytical detection limits. Initial results indicate that sea surface temperature proxies (e.g., Sr/Ca, B/Ca and Mg/Ca) display similar ratios between the different sites, whereas those metals associated with anthropogenic activities, such as Co, Pb and Cu, are site-specific and are linked to individual environmental stressors. Results from this study will be applied to down core trace metal records in the future. In doing so, we aim to understand the impacts of compounding environmental stresses on coral health, and to identify regional threshold values beyond which corals

Plant hormone-mediated regulation of stress responses.

PubMed

Verma, Vivek; Ravindran, Pratibha; Kumar, Prakash P

2016-04-14

Being sessile organisms, plants are often exposed to a wide array of abiotic and biotic stresses. Abiotic stress conditions include drought, heat, cold and salinity, whereas biotic stress arises mainly from bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes and insects. To adapt to such adverse situations, plants have evolved well-developed mechanisms that help to perceive the stress signal and enable optimal growth response. Phytohormones play critical roles in helping the plants to adapt to adverse environmental conditions. The elaborate hormone signaling networks and their ability to crosstalk make them ideal candidates for mediating defense responses. Recent research findings have helped to clarify the elaborate signaling networks and the sophisticated crosstalk occurring among the different hormone signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize the roles of the major plant hormones in regulating abiotic and biotic stress responses with special focus on the significance of crosstalk between different hormones in generating a sophisticated and efficient stress response. We divided the discussion into the roles of ABA, salicylic acid, jasmonates and ethylene separately at the start of the review. Subsequently, we have discussed the crosstalk among them, followed by crosstalk with growth promoting hormones (gibberellins, auxins and cytokinins). These have been illustrated with examples drawn from selected abiotic and biotic stress responses. The discussion on seed dormancy and germination serves to illustrate the fine balance that can be enforced by the two key hormones ABA and GA in regulating plant responses to environmental signals. The intricate web of crosstalk among the often redundant multitudes of signaling intermediates is just beginning to be understood. Future research employing genome-scale systems biology approaches to solve problems of such magnitude will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding of plant development. Therefore, discovering additional crosstalk

Adverse Respiratory Symptoms and Environmental Exposures Among Children and Adolescents Following Hurricane Katrina

PubMed Central

Rath, Barbara; Young, Elizabeth A.; Harris, Amy; Perrin, Keith; Bronfin, Daniel R.; Ratard, Raoult; VanDyke, Russell; Goldshore, Matthew; Magnus, Manya

2011-01-01

Objectives Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures and their respiratory effects. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, residents experienced multiple adverse environmental exposures. We characterized the association between upper respiratory symptoms (URS) and lower respiratory symptoms (LRS) and environmental exposures among children and adolescents affected by Hurricane Katrina. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study following the return of the population to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina (October 2005 and February 2006) among a convenience sample of children and adolescents attending New Orleans health facilities. We used uni-, bi-, and multivariable analyses to describe participants, exposures, and associations with URS/LRS. Results Of 1,243 participants, 47% were Caucasian, 50% were male, and 72% were younger than 11 years of age. Multiple environmental exposures were identified during and after the storm and at current residences: roof/glass/storm damage (50%), outside mold (22%), dust (18%), and flood damage (15%). Self-reported URS and LRS (76% and 36%, respectively) were higher after the hurricane than before the hurricane (22% and 9%, respectively, p<0.0001). Roof/glass/storm damage at home was associated with URS (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15, 2.21) and LRS (AOR=1.35, 95% CI 1.01, 1.80), while mold growth at home was associated with LRS (AOR=1.47, 95% CI 1.02, 2.12). Conclusions Children and adolescents affected by Hurricane Katrina experienced environmental exposures associated with increased prevalence of reported URS and LRS. Additional research is needed to investigate the long-term health impacts of Hurricane Katrina. PMID:22043101

Induction of abiotic stress tolerance in plants by endophytic microbes.

PubMed

Lata, R; Chowdhury, S; Gond, S K; White, J F

2018-04-01

Endophytes are micro-organisms including bacteria and fungi that survive within healthy plant tissues and promote plant growth under stress. This review focuses on the potential of endophytic microbes that induce abiotic stress tolerance in plants. How endophytes promote plant growth under stressful conditions, like drought and heat, high salinity and poor nutrient availability will be discussed. The molecular mechanisms for increasing stress tolerance in plants by endophytes include induction of plant stress genes as well as biomolecules like reactive oxygen species scavengers. This review may help in the development of biotechnological applications of endophytic microbes in plant growth promotion and crop improvement under abiotic stress conditions. Increasing human populations demand more crop yield for food security while crop production is adversely affected by abiotic stresses like drought, salinity and high temperature. Development of stress tolerance in plants is a strategy to cope with the negative effects of adverse environmental conditions. Endophytes are well recognized for plant growth promotion and production of natural compounds. The property of endophytes to induce stress tolerance in plants can be applied to increase crop yields. With this review, we intend to promote application of endophytes in biotechnology and genetic engineering for the development of stress-tolerant plants. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Rab from the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei: characterization and its regulation upon environmental stress.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Wang, Xiao-Rong; Liu, Jin; Chen, Chu-Xian; Liu, Yuan; Wang, Wei-Na

2015-10-01

With the destruction of the ecological environment, shrimp cultivation in China has been seriously affected by outbreaks of infectious diseases. Rab, which belong to small GTPase Ras superfamily, can regulate multiple steps in eukaryotic vesicle trafficking including vesicle budding, vesicle tethering, and membrane fusion. Knowledge of Rab in shrimp is essential to understanding regulation and detoxification mechanisms of environmental stress. In this study, we analyzed the functions of Rab from the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Full-length cDNA of Rab was obtained, which was 751 bp long, with open reading frame encoding 206 amino acids. In this study, for the first time, the gene expression of Rab of L. vannamei was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR after exposure to five kinds of environmental stresses (bacteria, pH, Cd, salinity and low temperature). The results demonstrate that Rab is sensitive and involved in bacteria, pH, and Cd stress responses and Rab is more sensitive to bacteria than other stresses. Therefore we infer that Rab may have relationship with the anti-stress mechanism induced by environment stress in shrimp and Rab could be used as critical biomarkers for environmental quality assessment.

Environmental Stress and Pathogen Dynamics in the Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, T. J.; Neigel, J.; Gelpi, C. G.

2016-02-01

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus is an ecologically and economically valuable species along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of North America. Throughout its range, the blue crab encounters a diverse array of parasitic and pathogenic microorganisms that have episodic and occasionally severe impacts on population numbers and viability. This makes understanding factors that influence pathogen dynamics, such as host stress, an important priority. To explore the role of environmental stress on the susceptibility of blue crabs to pathogens we screened individuals collected during the summers of 2014 and 2015 for a number of infectious agents. We sampled three life stages (megalopae, juvenile, and adult) from multiple marsh and offshore locations in Louisiana. Duration of stressful environmental conditions at each location was quantified from hourly recordings provided by the Louisiana Coastwide Reference Monitoring System. Pathogenic microorganisms were detected in crabs from multiple locations and multiple years. Some of the variability in prevalence of infection can be explained by exposure to stressful extremes of temperature and salinity during summer months.

Adverse childhood experiences, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and emotional intelligence in partner aggression.

PubMed

Swopes, Rachael M; Simonet, Daniel V; Jaffe, Anna E; Tett, Robert P; Davis, Joanne L

2013-01-01

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to childhood abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and low emotional intelligence (EI). Relationships among adverse childhood experiences (ACE), PTSD symptoms, and partner aggression (i.e., generalized tendency to aggress toward one's partner) were assessed in 108 male IPV offenders. It was hypothesized that ACE is positively correlated with partner aggression, PTSD mediates the ACE-aggression relationship, and the ACE-PTSD-aggression mediation varies by selected EI facets. Results indicate that ACE has an indirect effect on partner aggression via PTSD and PTSD mediates the ACE-aggression link when emotional self-regulation is low and when intuition (vs. reason) is high. Trauma-exposed IPV offenders may benefit from comprehensive treatments focusing on PTSD symptoms, emotional control, and reasoning skills to reduce aggression.

Dealing with extreme environmental degradation: stress and marginalization of Sahel dwellers.

PubMed

Van Haaften, E H; Van de Vijver, F J

1999-07-01

Psychological aspects of environmental degradation are hardly investigated. In the present study these aspects were examined among Sahel dwellers, who live in environments with different states of degradation. The degradation was assessed in terms of vegetation cover, erosion, and loss of organic matter. Subjects came from three cultural groups: Dogon (agriculturalists, n = 225), Mossi (agriculturalists, n = 914), and Fulani (pastoralists, n = 844). Questionnaires addressing marginalization, locus of control, and coping were administered. Environmental degradation was associated with higher levels of stress, marginalization, passive coping (avoidance), a more external locus of control, and lower levels of active coping (problem solving and support seeking). Compared to agriculturalists, pastoralists showed a stronger variation in all psychological variables across all regions, from the least to the most environmentally degraded. Women showed higher scores of stress, (external) locus of control, problem solving, and support seeking than men. The interaction of gender and region was significant for several variables. It was concluded that environmental degradation has various psychological correlates: people are likely to display an active approach to environmental degradation as long as the level of degradation is not beyond their control.

Sex-specific selection under environmental stress in seed beetles.

PubMed

Martinossi-Allibert, I; Arnqvist, G; Berger, D

2017-01-01

Sexual selection can increase rates of adaptation by imposing strong selection in males, thereby allowing efficient purging of the mutation load on population fitness at a low demographic cost. Indeed, sexual selection tends to be male-biased throughout the animal kingdom, but little empirical work has explored the ecological sensitivity of this sex difference. In this study, we generated theoretical predictions of sex-specific strengths of selection, environmental sensitivities and genotype-by-environment interactions and tested them in seed beetles by manipulating either larval host plant or rearing temperature. Using fourteen isofemale lines, we measured sex-specific reductions in fitness components, genotype-by-environment interactions and the strength of selection (variance in fitness) in the juvenile and adult stage. As predicted, variance in fitness increased with stress, was consistently greater in males than females for adult reproductive success (implying strong sexual selection), but was similar in the sexes in terms of juvenile survival across all levels of stress. Although genetic variance in fitness increased in magnitude under severe stress, heritability decreased and particularly so in males. Moreover, genotype-by-environment interactions for fitness were common but specific to the type of stress, sex and life stage, suggesting that new environments may change the relative alignment and strength of selection in males and females. Our study thus exemplifies how environmental stress can influence the relative forces of natural and sexual selection, as well as concomitant changes in genetic variance in fitness, which are predicted to have consequences for rates of adaptation in sexual populations. © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Buspirone before prenatal stress protects against adverse effects of stress on emotional and inflammatory pain-related behaviors in infant rats: age and sex differences.

PubMed

Butkevich, Irina P; Mikhailenko, Viktor A; Vershinina, Elena A; Otellin, Vladimir A; Aloisi, Anna Maria

2011-10-24

Prenatal stress strengthens tonic pain and provokes depression. The serotoninergic system is involved in these processes. We recently showed that maternal buspirone, a 5-HT1A receptor agonist, protects against the adverse effects of in utero stress on depression and pain in adult rat offspring. Using a similar maternal treatment with buspirone, we focus here on the infant stage, which is important for the correction of prenatal abnormalities. Maternal buspirone before restraint stress during the last week of pregnancy decreased the time of immobility in the forced swim test in the infant offspring. Prenatal stress increased formalin-induced pain in the second part of the time-course of the response to formalin in males of middle infancy but in the first part of the response in males of late infancy. The effect was reversed by maternal buspirone. Pain dominated in males of both middle and late infancy but the time-course of formalin pain in infant females revealed a slower development of the processes. The results show that the time-course of formalin-induced pain in infant rats reacts to prenatal stress in an age-dependent and sexually dimorphic manner. Our finding of opposite influences of prenatal stress and buspirone before prenatal stress on formalin-induced pain during the interphase indicates that functional maturity of the descending serotonergic inhibitory system occurs in late infancy males (11-day-olds), and 5-HT1A receptors participate in this process. The data provide evidence that maternal treatment with buspirone prior to stress during pregnancy alleviates depression-like and tonic pain-related behaviors in the infant offspring. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental stress induces trinucleotide repeat mutagenesis in human cells.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Nimrat; Lin, Yunfu; Santillan, Beatriz A; Yotnda, Patricia; Wilson, John H

2015-03-24

The dynamic mutability of microsatellite repeats is implicated in the modification of gene function and disease phenotype. Studies of the enhanced instability of long trinucleotide repeats (TNRs)-the cause of multiple human diseases-have revealed a remarkable complexity of mutagenic mechanisms. Here, we show that cold, heat, hypoxic, and oxidative stresses induce mutagenesis of a long CAG repeat tract in human cells. We show that stress-response factors mediate the stress-induced mutagenesis (SIM) of CAG repeats. We show further that SIM of CAG repeats does not involve mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, or transcription, processes that are known to promote TNR mutagenesis in other pathways of instability. Instead, we find that these stresses stimulate DNA rereplication, increasing the proportion of cells with >4 C-value (C) DNA content. Knockdown of the replication origin-licensing factor CDT1 eliminates both stress-induced rereplication and CAG repeat mutagenesis. In addition, direct induction of rereplication in the absence of stress also increases the proportion of cells with >4C DNA content and promotes repeat mutagenesis. Thus, environmental stress triggers a unique pathway for TNR mutagenesis that likely is mediated by DNA rereplication. This pathway may impact normal cells as they encounter stresses in their environment or during development or abnormal cells as they evolve metastatic potential.

A systematic review on the role of environmental toxicants in stem cells aging.

PubMed

Hodjat, Mahshid; Rezvanfar, Mohammad Amin; Abdollahi, Mohammad

2015-12-01

Stem cells are an important target for environmental toxicants. As they are the main source for replenishing of organs in the body, any changes in their normal function could affect the regenerative potential of organs, leading to the appearance of age-related disease and acceleration of the aging process. Environmental toxicants could exert their adverse effect on stem cell function via multiple cellular and molecular mechanisms, resulting in changes in the stem cell differentiation fate and cell transformation, and reduced self-renewal capacity, as well as induction of stress-induced cellular senescence. The present review focuses on the effect of environmental toxicants on stem cell function associated with the aging process. We categorized environmental toxicants according to their preferred molecular mechanism of action on stem cells, including changes in genomic, epigenomic, and proteomic levels and enhancing oxidative stress. Pesticides, tobacco smoke, radiation and heavy metals are well-studied toxicants that cause stem cell dysfunction via induction of oxidative stress. Transgenerational epigenetic changes are the most important effects of a variety of toxicants on germ cells and embryos that are heritable and could affect health in the next several generations. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of toxicant-induced stem cell aging will help us to develop therapeutic intervention strategies against environmental aging. Meanwhile, more efforts are required to find the direct in vivo relationship between adverse effect of environmental toxicants and stem cell aging, leading to organismal aging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1991 Gulf War exposures and adverse birth outcomes.

PubMed

Arnetz, Bengt; Drutchas, Alexis; Sokol, Robert; Kruger, Michael; Jamil, Hikmet

2013-01-01

We studied 1991 Gulf War (GW)-related environmental exposures and adverse birth outcomes in Iraqis. A random cross-sectional sample of 307 Iraqi families that immigrated to the United States responded to a structured interview covering socioeconomics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and birth outcome. Data per each family was collected either from the man or the woman in the respective family. The respondents were divided into those that resided in Iraq during and following the GW (post-GW, n=185) and those that had left before (pre-GW, n=122). The primary outcome was lifetime prevalence of adverse birth outcomes, ie, congenital anomalies, stillbirth, low birth weight, and preterm delivery and its relationship to GW exposures. Mean number of adverse birth outcomes increased from 3.43 (SD=2.11) in the pre-GW to 4.63 (SD=2.63) in the post-GW group (P<.001). Mean chemical (Ch) and nonchemical (NCh) environmental exposure scores increased from pre-GW scores of 0.38 units (SD=1.76) and 0.43 (SD=1.86), respectively, to post-GW scores of 5.65 units (SD=6.23) and 7.26 (SD=5.67), P<.001 between groups for both exposures. There was a significant dose-response relationship between Ch environmental exposure (P=.001), but not NCh exposure, and number of adverse birth outcomes. Exposure to burning oil pits and mustard gas increased the risks for specific adverse birth outcomes by 2 to 4 times. Results indicate that Gulf War Ch, but not NCh exposures are related to adverse birth outcomes. Pregnancies in women with a history of war exposures might benefit from more intensive observation.

Beyond Cumulative Risk: A Dimensional Approach to Childhood Adversity.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Katie A; Sheridan, Margaret A

2016-08-01

Children who have experienced environmental adversity-such as abuse, neglect, or poverty-are more likely to develop physical and mental health problems, perform poorly at school, and have difficulties in social relationships than children who have not encountered adversity. What is less clear is how and why adverse early experiences exert such a profound influence on children's development. Identifying developmental processes that are disrupted by adverse early environments is the key to developing better intervention strategies for children who have experienced adversity. Yet, much existing research relies on a cumulative risk approach that is unlikely to reveal these mechanisms. This approach tallies the number of distinct adversities experienced to create a risk score. This risk score fails to distinguish between distinct types of environmental experience, implicitly assuming that very different experiences influence development through the same underlying mechanisms. We advance an alternative model. This novel approach conceptualizes adversity along distinct dimensions, emphasizes the central role of learning mechanisms, and distinguishes between different forms of adversity that might influence learning in distinct ways. A key advantage of this approach is that learning mechanisms provide clear targets for interventions aimed at preventing negative developmental outcomes in children who have experienced adversity.

Environmentally persistent free radicals amplify ultrafine particle mediated cellular oxidative stress and cytotoxicity

PubMed Central

Balakrishna, Shrilatha; Lomnicki, Slawo; McAvey, Kevin M; Cole, Richard B; Dellinger, Barry; Cormier, Stephania A

2009-01-01

Background Combustion generated particulate matter is deposited in the respiratory tract and pose a hazard to the lungs through their potential to cause oxidative stress and inflammation. We have previously shown that combustion of fuels and chlorinated hydrocarbons produce semiquinone-type radicals that are stabilized on particle surfaces (i.e. environmentally persistent free radicals; EPFRs). Because the composition and properties of actual combustion-generated particles are complex, heterogeneous in origin, and vary from day-to-day, we have chosen to use surrogate particle systems. In particular, we have chosen to use the radical of 2-monochlorophenol (MCP230) as the EPFR because we have previously shown that it forms a EPFR on Cu(II)O surfaces and catalyzes formation of PCDD/F. To understand the physicochemical properties responsible for the adverse pulmonary effects of combustion by-products, we have exposed human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to MCP230 or the CuO/silica substrate. Our general hypothesis was that the EPFR-containing particle would have greater toxicity than the substrate species. Results Exposure of BEAS-2B cells to our combustion generated particle systems significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and decreased cellular antioxidants resulting in cell death. Resveratrol treatment reversed the decline in cellular glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels for both types of combustion-generated particle systems. Conclusion The enhanced cytotoxicity upon exposure to MCP230 correlated with its ability to generate more cellular oxidative stress and concurrently reduce the antioxidant defenses of the epithelial cells (i.e. reduced GSH, SOD activity, and GPx). The EPFRs in MCP230 also seem to be of greater biological concern due to their ability to induce lipid peroxidation. These results are consistent with the oxidizing nature of the CuO/silica ultrafine particles and the

Longitudinal and Integrative Tests of Family Stress Model Effects on Mexican-Origin Adolescents

PubMed Central

White, Rebecca M. B.; Liu, Yu; Nair, Rajni L.; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2015-01-01

The family stress model represents a common framework through which to examine the effects of environmental stressors on adolescent adjustment. The model suggests that economic and neighborhood stressors influence youth adjustment via disruptions to parenting. Incorporating integrative developmental theory, we examined the degree to which parents’ cultural value orientations mitigated the effects of stressors on parenting disruptions and the degree to which environmental adversity qualified the effect of parenting on adolescent adjustment. We tested the hypothesized Integrative Family Stress Model longitudinally in a sample of mother-youth dyads (N = 749) and father-youth dyads (N = 467) from Mexican origin families, across three times points spanning early to middle adolescence. Providing the first longitudinal evidence of family stress mediated effects, mothers’ perceptions of economic pressure were associated with increases in adolescent externalizing symptoms five years later via intermediate increases in harsh parenting. The remaining findings supported the notion that integrative developmental theory can inform family stress model hypothesis testing that is culturally and contextually relevant for wide range of diverse families and youth. For example, fathers’ perceptions of economic pressure and neighborhood danger had important implications for adolescent internalizing, via reductions in paternal warmth, but only at certain levels of neighborhood adversity. Mothers’ familism value orientations mitigated the effects of economic pressure on maternal warmth, protecting their adolescents from experiencing developmental costs associated with environmental stressors. Results are discussed in terms of identifying how integrative developmental theory intersects with the family stress model to set diverse youth on different developmental pathways. PMID:25751100

Longitudinal and integrative tests of family stress model effects on Mexican origin adolescents.

PubMed

White, Rebecca M B; Liu, Yu; Nair, Rajni L; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2015-05-01

The family stress model represents a common framework through which to examine the effects of environmental stressors on adolescent adjustment. The model suggests that economic and neighborhood stressors influence youth adjustment via disruptions to parenting. Incorporating integrative developmental theory, we examined the degree to which parents' cultural value orientations mitigated the effects of stressors on parenting disruptions and the degree to which environmental adversity qualified the effect of parenting on adolescent adjustment. We tested the hypothesized integrative family stress model longitudinally in a sample of mother-youth dyads (N = 749) and father-youth dyads (N = 467) from Mexican origin families, across 3 times points spanning early to middle adolescence. Providing the first longitudinal evidence of family stress mediated effects, mothers' perceptions of economic pressure were associated with increases in adolescent externalizing symptoms 5 years later via intermediate increases in harsh parenting. The remaining findings supported the notion that integrative developmental theory can inform family stress model hypothesis testing that is culturally and contextually relevant for a wide range of diverse families and youth. For example, fathers' perceptions of economic pressure and neighborhood danger had important implications for adolescent internalizing, via reductions in paternal warmth, but only at certain levels of neighborhood adversity. Mothers' familism value orientations mitigated the effects of economic pressure on maternal warmth, protecting their adolescents from experiencing developmental costs associated with environmental stressors. Results are discussed in terms of identifying how integrative developmental theory intersects with the family stress model to set diverse youth on different developmental pathways. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Environmental Heat and Salt Stress Induce Transgenerational Phenotypic Changes in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Suter, Léonie; Widmer, Alex

2013-01-01

Plants that can adapt their phenotype may be more likely to survive changing environmental conditions. Heritable epigenetic variation could provide a way to rapidly adapt to such changes. Here we tested whether environmental stress induces heritable, potentially adaptive phenotypic changes independent of genetic variation over few generations in Arabidopsis thaliana. We grew two accessions (Col-0, Sha-0) of A. thaliana for three generations under salt, heat and control conditions and tested for induced heritable phenotypic changes in the fourth generation (G4) and in reciprocal F1 hybrids generated in generation three. Using these crosses we further tested whether phenotypic changes were maternally or paternally transmitted. In generation five (G5), we assessed whether phenotypic effects persisted over two generations in the absence of stress. We found that exposure to heat stress in previous generations accelerated flowering under G4 control conditions in Sha-0, but heritable effects disappeared in G5 after two generations without stress exposure. Previous exposure to salt stress increased salt tolerance in one of two reciprocal F1 hybrids. Transgenerational effects were maternally and paternally inherited. Lacking genetic variability, maternal and paternal inheritance and reversibility of transgenerational effects together indicate that stress can induce heritable, potentially adaptive phenotypic changes, probably through epigenetic mechanisms. These effects were strongly dependent on plant genotype and may not be a general response to stress in A. thaliana. PMID:23585834

Personal, Health, Academic, and Environmental Predictors of Stress for Residence Hall Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dusselier, Lauri; Dunn, Brian; Wang, Yongyi; Shelley, Mack C., II; Whalen, Donald F.

2005-01-01

The authors studied contributors to stress among undergraduate residence hall students at a midwestern, land grant university using a 76-item survey consisting of personal, health, academic, and environmental questions and 1 qualitative question asking what thing stressed them the most. Of 964 students selected at random, 462 (48%) responded to…

Salicylic Acid Alleviates the Adverse Effects of Salt Stress on Dianthus superbus (Caryophyllaceae) by Activating Photosynthesis, Protecting Morphological Structure, and Enhancing the Antioxidant System

PubMed Central

Ma, Xiaohua; Zheng, Jian; Zhang, Xule; Hu, Qingdi; Qian, Renjuan

2017-01-01

Salt stress critically affects the physiological processes and morphological structure of plants, resulting in reduced plant growth. Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signal molecule that mitigates the adverse effects of salt stress on plants. Large pink Dianthus superbus L. (Caryophyllaceae) usually exhibit salt-tolerant traits under natural conditions. To further clarify the salt-tolerance level of D. superbus and the regulating mechanism of exogenous SA on the growth of D. superbus under different salt stresses, we conducted a pot experiment to examine the biomass, photosynthetic parameters, stomatal structure, chloroplast ultrastructure, reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations, and antioxidant activities of D. superbus young shoots under 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% NaCl conditions, with and without 0.5 mM SA. D. superbus exhibited reduced growth rate, decreased net photosynthetic rate (Pn), increased relative electric conductivity (REC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, and poorly developed stomata and chloroplasts under 0.6 and 0.9% salt stress. However, exogenously SA effectively improved the growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activity, and stoma and chloroplast development of D. superbus. However, when the plants were grown under severe salt stress (0.9% NaCl condition), there was no significant difference in the plant growth and physiological responses between SA-treated and non-SA-treated plants. Therefore, our research suggests that exogenous SA can effectively counteract the adverse effect of moderate salt stress on D. superbus growth and development. PMID:28484476

Identifying Functional Mechanisms of Gene and Protein Regulatory Networks in Response to a Broader Range of Environmental Stresses

PubMed Central

Li, Cheng-Wei; Chen, Bor-Sen

2010-01-01

Cellular responses to sudden environmental stresses or physiological changes provide living organisms with the opportunity for final survival and further development. Therefore, it is an important topic to understand protective mechanisms against environmental stresses from the viewpoint of gene and protein networks. We propose two coupled nonlinear stochastic dynamic models to reconstruct stress-activated gene and protein regulatory networks via microarray data in response to environmental stresses. According to the reconstructed gene/protein networks, some possible mutual interactions, feedforward and feedback loops are found for accelerating response and filtering noises in these signaling pathways. A bow-tie core network is also identified to coordinate mutual interactions and feedforward loops, feedback inhibitions, feedback activations, and cross talks to cope efficiently with a broader range of environmental stresses with limited proteins and pathways. PMID:20454442

Novel perspectives for the engineering of abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

PubMed

Cabello, Julieta V; Lodeyro, Anabella F; Zurbriggen, Matias D

2014-04-01

Adverse environmental conditions pose serious limitations to agricultural production. Classical biotechnological approaches towards increasing abiotic stress tolerance focus on boosting plant endogenous defence mechanisms. However, overexpression of regulatory elements or effectors is usually accompanied by growth handicap and yield penalties due to crosstalk between developmental and stress-response networks. Herein we offer an overview on novel strategies with the potential to overcome these limitations based on the engineering of regulatory systems involved in the fine-tuning of the plant response to environmental hardships, including post-translational modifications, small RNAs, epigenetic control of gene expression and hormonal networks. The development and application of plant synthetic biology tools and approaches will add new functionalities and perspectives to genetic engineering programs for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental stress induces trinucleotide repeat mutagenesis in human cells

PubMed Central

Chatterjee, Nimrat; Lin, Yunfu; Santillan, Beatriz A.; Yotnda, Patricia; Wilson, John H.

2015-01-01

The dynamic mutability of microsatellite repeats is implicated in the modification of gene function and disease phenotype. Studies of the enhanced instability of long trinucleotide repeats (TNRs)—the cause of multiple human diseases—have revealed a remarkable complexity of mutagenic mechanisms. Here, we show that cold, heat, hypoxic, and oxidative stresses induce mutagenesis of a long CAG repeat tract in human cells. We show that stress-response factors mediate the stress-induced mutagenesis (SIM) of CAG repeats. We show further that SIM of CAG repeats does not involve mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, or transcription, processes that are known to promote TNR mutagenesis in other pathways of instability. Instead, we find that these stresses stimulate DNA rereplication, increasing the proportion of cells with >4 C-value (C) DNA content. Knockdown of the replication origin-licensing factor CDT1 eliminates both stress-induced rereplication and CAG repeat mutagenesis. In addition, direct induction of rereplication in the absence of stress also increases the proportion of cells with >4C DNA content and promotes repeat mutagenesis. Thus, environmental stress triggers a unique pathway for TNR mutagenesis that likely is mediated by DNA rereplication. This pathway may impact normal cells as they encounter stresses in their environment or during development or abnormal cells as they evolve metastatic potential. PMID:25775519

Adverse childhood experience and asthma onset: a systematic review.

PubMed

Exley, Daniel; Norman, Alyson; Hyland, Michael

2015-06-01

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect are associated with subsequent immune dysregulation. Some studies show an association between adverse childhood experiences and asthma onset, although significant disparity in results exists in the published literature. We aimed to review available studies employing a prospective design that investigates associations between adverse childhood experience and asthma. A search protocol was developed and studies were drawn from four electronic journal databases. Studies were selected in accordance with pre-set inclusion criteria and relevant data were extracted. 12 studies, assessing data from a total of 31 524 individuals, were identified that investigate the impact of a range of adverse childhood experiences on the likelihood of developing asthma. Evidence suggests that chronic stress exposure and maternal distress in pregnancy operate synergistically with known triggers such as traffic-related air pollution to increase asthma risk. Chronic stress in early life is associated with an increased risk of asthma onset. There is evidence that adverse childhood experience increases the impact of traffic-related air pollution and inconsistent evidence that adverse childhood experience has an independent effect on asthma onset. Copyright ©ERS 2015.

The three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience: towards understanding adaptation to early-life adversity outcome

PubMed Central

Daskalakis, Nikolaos P.; Bagot, Rosemary C.; Parker, Karen J.; Vinkers, Christiaan H.; de Kloet, E. R.

2013-01-01

Stressful experiences during early-life can modulate the genetic programming of specific brain circuits underlying emotional and cognitive aspects of behavioral adaptation to stressful experiences later in life. Although this programming effect exerted by experience-related factors is an important determinant of mental health, its outcome depends on cognitive inputs and hence the valence an individual assigns to a given environmental context. From this perspective we will highlight, with studies in rodents, non-human primates and humans, the three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience to stress-related mental disorders, which is based on gene-environment interactions during critical phases of perinatal and juvenile brain development. The three-hit (i.e., hit-1: genetic predisposition, hit-2: early-life environment, and hit-3: later-life environment) concept accommodates the cumulative stress hypothesis stating that in a given context vulnerability is enhanced when failure to cope with adversity accumulates. Alternatively, the concept also points to the individual’s predictive adaptive capacity, which underlies the stress inoculation and match/mismatch hypotheses. The latter hypotheses propose that the experience of relatively mild early-life adversity prepares for the future and promotes resilience to similar challenges in later-life; when a mismatch occurs between early and later-life experience, coping is compromised and vulnerability is enhanced. The three-hit concept is fundamental for understanding how individuals can either be prepared for coping with life to come and remain resilient or are unable to do so and succumb to a stress-related mental disorder, under seemingly identical circumstances. PMID:23838101

The three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience: toward understanding adaptation to early-life adversity outcome.

PubMed

Daskalakis, Nikolaos P; Bagot, Rosemary C; Parker, Karen J; Vinkers, Christiaan H; de Kloet, E R

2013-09-01

Stressful experiences during early-life can modulate the genetic programming of specific brain circuits underlying emotional and cognitive aspects of behavioral adaptation to stressful experiences later in life. Although this programming effect exerted by experience-related factors is an important determinant of mental health, its outcome depends on cognitive inputs and hence the valence an individual assigns to a given environmental context. From this perspective we will highlight, with studies in rodents, non-human primates and humans, the three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience to stress-related mental disorders, which is based on gene-environment interactions during critical phases of perinatal and juvenile brain development. The three-hit (i.e., hit-1: genetic predisposition, hit-2: early-life environment, and hit-3: later-life environment) concept accommodates the cumulative stress hypothesis stating that in a given context vulnerability is enhanced when failure to cope with adversity accumulates. Alternatively, the concept also points to the individual's predictive adaptive capacity, which underlies the stress inoculation and match/mismatch hypotheses. The latter hypotheses propose that the experience of relatively mild early-life adversity prepares for the future and promotes resilience to similar challenges in later-life; when a mismatch occurs between early and later-life experience, coping is compromised and vulnerability is enhanced. The three-hit concept is fundamental for understanding how individuals can either be prepared for coping with life to come and remain resilient or are unable to do so and succumb to a stress-related mental disorder, under seemingly identical circumstances. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abiotic Stresses Shift Belowground Populus-Associated Bacteria Toward a Core Stress Microbiome

PubMed Central

Carter, Kelsey R.; Carrell, Alyssa A.; Jun, Se-Ran; Jawdy, Sara S.; Vélez, Jessica M.; Gunter, Lee E.; Yang, Zamin; Nookaew, Intawat; Engle, Nancy L.; Lu, Tse-Yuan S.; Schadt, Christopher W.; Tschaplinski, Timothy J.; Tuskan, Gerald A.; Pelletier, Dale A.; Weston, David J.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Adverse growth conditions can lead to decreased plant growth, productivity, and survival, resulting in poor yields or failure of crops and biofeedstocks. In some cases, the microbial community associated with plants has been shown to alleviate plant stress and increase plant growth under suboptimal growing conditions. A systematic understanding of how the microbial community changes under these conditions is required to understand the contribution of the microbiome to water utilization, nutrient uptake, and ultimately yield. Using a microbiome inoculation strategy, we studied how the belowground microbiome of Populus deltoides changes in response to diverse environmental conditions, including water limitation, light limitation (shading), and metal toxicity. While plant responses to treatments in terms of growth, photosynthesis, gene expression and metabolite profiles were varied, we identified a core set of bacterial genera that change in abundance in response to host stress. The results of this study indicate substantial structure in the plant microbiome community and identify potential drivers of the phytobiome response to stress. IMPORTANCE The identification of a common “stress microbiome” indicates tightly controlled relationships between the plant host and bacterial associates and a conserved structure in bacterial communities associated with poplar trees under different growth conditions. The ability of the microbiome to buffer the plant from extreme environmental conditions coupled with the conserved stress microbiome observed in this study suggests an opportunity for future efforts aimed at predictably modulating the microbiome to optimize plant growth. PMID:29404422

Abiotic Stresses Shift Belowground Populus -Associated Bacteria Toward a Core Stress Microbiome

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Timm, Collin M.; Carter, Kelsey R.; Carrell, Alyssa A.

Adverse growth conditions can lead to decreased plant growth, productivity, and survival, resulting in poor yields or failure of crops and biofeedstocks. In some cases, the microbial community associated with plants has been shown to alleviate plant stress and increase plant growth under suboptimal growing conditions. A systematic understanding of how the microbial community changes under these conditions is required to understand the contribution of the microbiome to water utilization, nutrient uptake, and ultimately yield. Using a microbiome inoculation strategy, we studied how the belowground microbiome ofPopulus deltoideschanges in response to diverse environmental conditions, including water limitation, light limitation (shading),more » and metal toxicity. While plant responses to treatments in terms of growth, photosynthesis, gene expression and metabolite profiles were varied, we identified a core set of bacterial genera that change in abundance in response to host stress. The results of this study indicate substantial structure in the plant microbiome community and identify potential drivers of the phytobiome response to stress.The identification of a common “stress microbiome” indicates tightly controlled relationships between the plant host and bacterial associates and a conserved structure in bacterial communities associated with poplar trees under different growth conditions. The ability of the microbiome to buffer the plant from extreme environmental conditions coupled with the conserved stress microbiome observed in this study suggests an opportunity for future efforts aimed at predictably modulating the microbiome to optimize plant growth.« less

Abiotic Stresses Shift Belowground Populus -Associated Bacteria Toward a Core Stress Microbiome

DOE PAGES

Timm, Collin M.; Carter, Kelsey R.; Carrell, Alyssa A.; ...

2018-01-23

Adverse growth conditions can lead to decreased plant growth, productivity, and survival, resulting in poor yields or failure of crops and biofeedstocks. In some cases, the microbial community associated with plants has been shown to alleviate plant stress and increase plant growth under suboptimal growing conditions. A systematic understanding of how the microbial community changes under these conditions is required to understand the contribution of the microbiome to water utilization, nutrient uptake, and ultimately yield. Using a microbiome inoculation strategy, we studied how the belowground microbiome ofPopulus deltoideschanges in response to diverse environmental conditions, including water limitation, light limitation (shading),more » and metal toxicity. While plant responses to treatments in terms of growth, photosynthesis, gene expression and metabolite profiles were varied, we identified a core set of bacterial genera that change in abundance in response to host stress. The results of this study indicate substantial structure in the plant microbiome community and identify potential drivers of the phytobiome response to stress.The identification of a common “stress microbiome” indicates tightly controlled relationships between the plant host and bacterial associates and a conserved structure in bacterial communities associated with poplar trees under different growth conditions. The ability of the microbiome to buffer the plant from extreme environmental conditions coupled with the conserved stress microbiome observed in this study suggests an opportunity for future efforts aimed at predictably modulating the microbiome to optimize plant growth.« less

Varying susceptibility of clinical and environmental Scedosporium isolates to chemical oxidative stress in conidial germination.

PubMed

Staerck, Cindy; Godon, Charlotte; Bouchara, Jean-Philippe; Fleury, Maxime J J

2018-04-01

Scedosporium species are opportunistic pathogens causing a great variety of infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. The Scedosporium genus ranks the second among the filamentous fungi colonizing the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), after Aspergillus fumigatus, and most species are capable to chronically colonize the respiratory tract of these patients. Nevertheless, few data are available regarding evasion of the inhaled conidia to the host immune response. Upon microbial infection, macrophages and neutrophils release reactive oxygen species (ROS). To colonize the respiratory tract, the conidia need to germinate despite the oxidative stress generated by phagocytic cells. Germination of spores from different clinical or environmental isolates of the major Scedosporium species was investigated in oxidative stress conditions. All tested species showed susceptibility to oxidative stress. However, when comparing clinical and environmental isolates, differences in germination capabilities under oxidative stress conditions were seen between species as well as within each species. Among environmental isolates, Scedosporium aurantiacum isolates were the most resistant to oxidative stress whereas Scedosporium dehoogii were the most susceptible. Overall, the differences observed between Scedosporium species in the capacity to germinate under oxidative stress conditions could explain their varying prevalence and pathogenicity.

The Epigenetic Link between Prenatal Adverse Environments and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

PubMed Central

Kundakovic, Marija; Jaric, Ivana

2017-01-01

Prenatal adverse environments, such as maternal stress, toxicological exposures, and viral infections, can disrupt normal brain development and contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and autism. Increasing evidence shows that these short- and long-term effects of prenatal exposures on brain structure and function are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Animal studies demonstrate that prenatal exposure to stress, toxins, viral mimetics, and drugs induces lasting epigenetic changes in the brain, including genes encoding glucocorticoid receptor (Nr3c1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf). These epigenetic changes have been linked to changes in brain gene expression, stress reactivity, and behavior, and often times, these effects are shown to be dependent on the gestational window of exposure, sex, and exposure level. Although evidence from human studies is more limited, gestational exposure to environmental risks in humans is associated with epigenetic changes in peripheral tissues, and future studies are required to understand whether we can use peripheral biomarkers to predict neurobehavioral outcomes. An extensive research effort combining well-designed human and animal studies, with comprehensive epigenomic analyses of peripheral and brain tissues over time, will be necessary to improve our understanding of the epigenetic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:28335457

Defining "adverse environmental impact" and making paragraph 316(b) decisions: a fisheries management approach.

PubMed

Bailey, David E; Bulleit, Kristy A N

2002-05-17

The electric utility industry has developed an approach for decisionmaking that includes a definition of Adverse Environmental Impact (AEI) and an implementation process. The definition of AEI is based on lessons from fishery management science and analysis of the statutory term "adverse environmental impact" and is consistent with current natural resource management policy. The industry has proposed a definition focusing on "unacceptable risk to the population"s ability to sustain itself, to support reasonably anticipated commercial or recreational harvests, or to perform its normal ecological function." This definition focuses not on counting individual fish or eggs cropped by the various uses of a water body, but on preserving populations of aquatic organisms and their functions in the aquatic community. The definition recognizes that assessment of AEI should be site-specific and requires both a biological decision and a balancing of diverse societal values. The industry believes that the definition of AEI should be implemented in a process that will maximize the overall societal benefit of the paragraph 316(b) decision by considering the facility"s physical location, design, and operation, as well as the local biology. The approach considers effects on affected fish and shellfish populations and the benefits of any necessary best technology available (BTA) alternatives. This is accomplished through consideration of population impacts, which conversely allows consideration of the benefits of any necessary BTA modifications. This in turn allows selection of BTAs that will protect potentially affected populations in a cost-effective manner. The process also employs risk assessment with stakeholder participation, in accordance with EPA's Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment. The information and tools are now available to make informed decisions about site-specific impacts that will ensure protection of aquatic ecosystems and best serve the public interest.

Proposed methods and endpoints for defining and assessing adverse environmental impact (AEI) on fish communities/populations in Tennessee River reservoirs.

PubMed

Hickman, Gary D; Brown, Mary L

2002-06-07

Two multimetric indices have been developed to help address fish community (reservoir fish assemblage index [RFAI]) and individual population quality (sport fishing index [SFI]) in Tennessee River reservoirs. The RFAI, with characteristics similar to the index of biotic integrity (IBI) used in stream fish community determinations, was developed to monitor the existing condition of resident fish communities. The index, which incorporates standardized electrofishing of littoral areas and experimental gill netting for limnetic bottom-dwelling species, has been used to determine residential fish community response to various anthropogenic impacts in southeastern reservoirs. The SFI is a multimetric index designed to address the quality of the fishery for individual resident sport fish species in a particular lake or reservoir[4]. The SFI incorporates measures of fish population aspects and angler catch and pressure estimates. This paper proposes 70% of the maximum RFAI score and 10% above the average SFI score for individual species as "screening" endpoints for balanced indigenous populations (BIP) or adverse environmental impact (AEI). Endpoints for these indices indicate: (1) communities/populations are obviously balanced indigenous populations (BIP) indicating no adverse environmental impact (AEI), or are "screened out"; (2) communities/populations are considered to be potentially impacted; and (3) where the resident fish community/population should be considered adversely impacted. Suggestions are also made concerning how examination of individual metric scores can help determine the source or cause of the impact.

Emotion dysregulation mediates the relationship between lifetime cumulative adversity and depressive symptomatology.

PubMed

Abravanel, Benjamin T; Sinha, Rajita

2015-02-01

Repeated exposure to stressful events across the lifespan, referred to as cumulative adversity, is a potent risk factor for depression. Research indicates that cumulative adversity detrimentally affects emotion regulation processes, which may represent a pathway linking cumulative adversity to vulnerability to depression. However, empirical evidence that emotion dysregulation mediates the relationship between cumulative adversity and depression is limited, particularly in adult populations. We examined the direct and indirect effects of cumulative adversity on depressive symptomatology in a large community sample of adults (n = 745) who were further characterized by risk status: never-depressed (n = 638) and "at-risk" remitted mood-disordered (n = 107). All participants completed the Cumulative Adversity Inventory (CAI), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Bootstrapped confidence intervals were computed to estimate the indirect effect of emotion dysregulation on the relationship between cumulative adversity and depressive symptomatology and to test whether this indirect effect was moderated by risk status. Emotion dysregulation partially and significantly mediated the relationship between cumulative adversity and depressive symptomatology independent of risk status. Overall, cumulative adversity and emotion dysregulation accounted for 50% of the variance in depressive symptomatology. These findings support the hypothesis that disruption of adaptive emotion regulation processes associated with repeated exposure to stressful life events represents an intrapersonal mechanism linking the experience of adverse events to depression. Our results support the utility of interventions that simultaneously emphasize stress reduction and emotion regulation to treat and prevent depressive vulnerability and pathology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emotion Dysregulation Mediates the Relationship between Lifetime Cumulative Adversity and Depressive Symptomatology

PubMed Central

Abravanel, Benjamin T.; Sinha, Rajita

2014-01-01

Repeated exposure to stressful events across the lifespan, referred to as cumulative adversity, is a potent risk factor for depression. Research indicates that cumulative adversity detrimentally affects emotion regulation processes, which may represent a pathway linking cumulative adversity to vulnerability to depression. However, empirical evidence that emotion dysregulation mediates the relationship between cumulative adversity and depression is limited, particularly in adult populations. We examined the direct and indirect effects of cumulative adversity on depressive symptomatology in a large community sample of adults (n = 745) who were further characterized by risk status: never-depressed (n = 638) and “at-risk” remitted mood-disordered (n = 107). All participants completed the Cumulative Adversity Inventory (CAI), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Bootstrapped confidence intervals were computed to estimate the indirect effect of emotion dysregulation on the relationship between cumulative adversity and depressive symptomatology and to test whether this indirect effect was moderated by risk status. Emotion dysregulation partially and significantly mediated the relationship between cumulative adversity and depressive symptomatology independent of risk status. Overall, cumulative adversity and emotion dysregulation accounted for 50% of the variance in depressive symptomatology. These findings support the hypothesis that disruption of adaptive emotion regulation processes associated with repeated exposure to stressful life events represents an intrapersonal mechanism linking the experience of adverse events to depression. Our results support the utility of interventions that simultaneously emphasize stress reduction and emotion regulation to treat and prevent depressive vulnerability and pathology. PMID:25528603

Intensity of heat stress in winter wheat—phenology compensates for the adverse effect of global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyshi Rezaei, Ehsan; Siebert, Stefan; Ewert, Frank

2015-02-01

Higher temperatures during the growing season are likely to reduce crop yields with implications for crop production and food security. The negative impact of heat stress has also been predicted to increase even further for cereals such as wheat under climate change. Previous empirical modeling studies have focused on the magnitude and frequency of extreme events during the growth period but did not consider the effect of higher temperature on crop phenology. Based on an extensive set of climate and phenology observations for Germany and period 1951-2009, interpolated to 1 × 1 km resolution and provided as supplementary data to this article (available at stacks.iop.org/ERL/10/024012/mmedia), we demonstrate a strong relationship between the mean temperature in spring and the day of heading (DOH) of winter wheat. We show that the cooling effect due to the 14 days earlier DOH almost fully compensates for the adverse effect of global warming on frequency and magnitude of crop heat stress. Earlier heading caused by the warmer spring period can prevent exposure to extreme heat events around anthesis, which is the most sensitive growth stage to heat stress. Consequently, the intensity of heat stress around anthesis in winter crops cultivated in Germany may not increase under climate change even if the number and duration of extreme heat waves increase. However, this does not mean that global warning would not harm crop production because of other impacts, e.g. shortening of the grain filling period. Based on the trends for the last 34 years in Germany, heat stress (stress thermal time) around anthesis would be 59% higher in year 2009 if the effect of high temperatures on accelerating wheat phenology were ignored. We conclude that climate impact assessments need to consider both the effect of high temperature on grain set at anthesis but also on crop phenology.

Environmental Stress-Induced Bacterial Lysis and Extracellular DNA Release Contribute to Campylobacter jejuni Biofilm Formation.

PubMed

Feng, Jinsong; Ma, Lina; Nie, Jiatong; Konkel, Michael E; Lu, Xiaonan

2018-03-01

Campylobacter jejuni is a microaerophilic bacterium and is believed to persist in a biofilm to antagonize environmental stress. This study investigated the influence of environmental conditions on the formation of C. jejuni biofilm. We report an extracellular DNA (eDNA)-mediated mechanism of biofilm formation in response to aerobic and starvation stress. The eDNA was determined to represent a major form of constitutional material of C. jejuni biofilms and to be closely associated with bacterial lysis. Deletion mutation of the stress response genes spoT and recA enhanced the aerobic influence by stimulating lysis and increasing eDNA release. Flagella were also involved in biofilm formation but mainly contributed to attachment rather than induction of lysis. The addition of genomic DNA from either Campylobacter or Salmonella resulted in a concentration-dependent stimulation effect on biofilm formation, but the effect was not due to forming a precoating DNA layer. Enzymatic degradation of DNA by DNase I disrupted C. jejuni biofilm. In a dual-species biofilm, eDNA allocated Campylobacter and Salmonella at distinct spatial locations that protect Campylobacter from oxygen stress. Our findings demonstrated an essential role and multiple functions of eDNA in biofilm formation of C. jejuni , including facilitating initial attachment, establishing and maintaining biofilm, and allocating bacterial cells. IMPORTANCE Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of foodborne illness worldwide. In the natural environment, the growth of C. jejuni is greatly inhibited by various forms of environmental stress, such as aerobic stress and starvation stress. Biofilm formation can facilitate the distribution of C. jejuni by enabling the survival of this fragile microorganism under unfavorable conditions. However, the mechanism of C. jejuni biofilm formation in response to environmental stress has been investigated only partially. The significance of our research is in identifying extracellular

Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Mental Health of Veterans.

PubMed

McGuinness, Teena M; Waldrop, Jessica R

2015-06-01

Many U.S. Veterans have experienced the burdens of mental illness and suicide. The current article focuses on Veterans who served from 2001-2015. Although combat exposure and suicidal ideation are linked, approximately one half of all suicides among Active Duty service members (who have served since 2001) occurred among those who never deployed. Researchers who sought additional risks for suicide found that Veterans have greater odds of adversities in childhood than the general population. Adverse childhood experiences are stressful and traumatic experiences, including abuse and neglect, as well as witnessing household dysfunction, or growing up with individuals with mental illness or substance abuse. Further, childhood physical abuse has been shown to be a significant predictor for posttraumatic stress disorder and suicide. Adverse childhood experiences confer additional risk for the mental health of service members. Psychiatric nursing implications include the importance of assessing early childhood adversity during psychosocial assessments. Providing trauma-informed strategies for treatment is an essential element of psychiatric nursing care. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Prenatal stress effects in a wild, long-lived primate: predictive adaptive responses in an unpredictable environment.

PubMed

Berghänel, Andreas; Heistermann, Michael; Schülke, Oliver; Ostner, Julia

2016-09-28

Prenatal maternal stress affects offspring phenotype in numerous species including humans, but it is debated whether these effects are evolutionarily adaptive. Relating stress to adverse conditions, current explanations invoke either short-term developmental constraints on offspring phenotype resulting in decelerated growth to avoid starvation, or long-term predictive adaptive responses (PARs) resulting in accelerated growth and reproduction in response to reduced life expectancies. Two PAR subtypes were proposed, acting either on predicted internal somatic states or predicted external environmental conditions, but because both affect phenotypes similarly, they are largely indistinguishable. Only external (not internal) PARs rely on high environmental stability particularly in long-lived species. We report on a crucial test case in a wild long-lived mammal, the Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis), which evolved and lives in an unpredictable environment where external PARs are probably not advantageous. We quantified food availability, growth, motor skills, maternal caretaking style and maternal physiological stress from faecal glucocorticoid measures. Prenatal maternal stress was negatively correlated to prenatal food availability and led to accelerated offspring growth accompanied by decelerated motor skill acquisition and reduced immune function. These results support the 'internal PAR' theory, which stresses the role of stable adverse internal somatic states rather than stable external environments. © 2016 The Author(s).

A transcription factor hierarchy defines an environmental stress response network.

PubMed

Song, Liang; Huang, Shao-Shan Carol; Wise, Aaron; Castanon, Rosa; Nery, Joseph R; Chen, Huaming; Watanabe, Marina; Thomas, Jerushah; Bar-Joseph, Ziv; Ecker, Joseph R

2016-11-04

Environmental stresses are universally encountered by microbes, plants, and animals. Yet systematic studies of stress-responsive transcription factor (TF) networks in multicellular organisms have been limited. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) influences the expression of thousands of genes, allowing us to characterize complex stress-responsive regulatory networks. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, we identified genome-wide targets of 21 ABA-related TFs to construct a comprehensive regulatory network in Arabidopsis thaliana Determinants of dynamic TF binding and a hierarchy among TFs were defined, illuminating the relationship between differential gene expression patterns and ABA pathway feedback regulation. By extrapolating regulatory characteristics of observed canonical ABA pathway components, we identified a new family of transcriptional regulators modulating ABA and salt responsiveness and demonstrated their utility to modulate plant resilience to osmotic stress. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Morphological changes in textile fibres exposed to environmental stresses: atomic force microscopic examination.

PubMed

Canetta, Elisabetta; Montiel, Kimberley; Adya, Ashok K

2009-10-30

The ability of the atomic force microscope (AFM) to investigate the nanoscopic morphological changes in the surfaces of fabrics was examined for the first time. This study focussed on two natural (cotton and wool), and a regenerated cellulose (viscose) textile fibres exposed to various environmental stresses for different lengths of times. Analyses of the AFM images allowed us to measure quantitatively the surface texture parameters of the environmentally stressed fabrics as a function of the exposure time. It was also possible to visualise at the nanoscale the finest details of the surfaces of three weathered fabrics and clearly distinguish between the detrimental effects of the imposed environmental conditions. This study confirmed that the AFM could become a very powerful tool in forensic examination of textile fibres to provide significant fibre evidence due to its capability of distinguishing between different environmental exposures or forced damages to fibres.

Microbiota and environmental stress: how pollution affects microbial communities in Manila clams.

PubMed

Milan, M; Carraro, L; Fariselli, P; Martino, M E; Cavalieri, D; Vitali, F; Boffo, L; Patarnello, T; Bargelloni, L; Cardazzo, B

2018-01-01

Given the crucial role of microbiota in host development, health, and environmental interactions, genomic analyses focusing on host-microbiota interactions should certainly be considered in the investigation of the adaptive mechanisms to environmental stress. Recently, several studies suggested that microbiota associated to digestive tract is a key, although still not fully understood, player that must be considered to assess the toxicity of environmental contaminants. Bacteria-dependent metabolism of xenobiotics may indeed modulate the host toxicity. Conversely, environmental variables (including pollution) may alter the microbial community and/or its metabolic activity leading to host physiological alterations that may contribute to their toxicity. Here, 16s rRNA gene amplicon sequencing has been applied to characterize the hepatopancreas microbiota composition of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum. The animals were collected in the Venice lagoon area, which is subject to different anthropogenic pressures, mainly represented by the industrial activities of Porto Marghera (PM). Seasonal and geographic differences in clam microbiotas were explored and linked to host response to chemical stress identified in a previous study at the transcriptome level, establishing potential interactions among hosts, microbes, and environmental parameters. The obtained results showed the recurrent presence of putatively detoxifying bacterial taxa in PM clams during winter and over-representation of several metabolic pathways involved in xenobiotic degradation, which suggested the potential for host-microbial synergistic detoxifying actions. Strong interaction between seasonal and chemically-induced responses was also observed, which partially obscured such potentially synergistic actions. Seasonal variables and exposure to toxicants were therefore shown to interact and substantially affect clam microbiota, which appeared to mirror host response to environmental variation. It

Environmental Stress Induces Trinucleotide Repeat Mutagenesis in Human Cells by Alt-Nonhomologous End Joining Repair.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Nimrat; Lin, Yunfu; Yotnda, Patricia; Wilson, John H

2016-07-31

Multiple pathways modulate the dynamic mutability of trinucleotide repeats (TNRs), which are implicated in neurodegenerative disease and evolution. Recently, we reported that environmental stresses induce TNR mutagenesis via stress responses and rereplication, with more than 50% of mutants carrying deletions or insertions-molecular signatures of DNA double-strand break repair. We now show that knockdown of alt-nonhomologous end joining (alt-NHEJ) components-XRCC1, LIG3, and PARP1-suppresses stress-induced TNR mutagenesis, in contrast to the components of homologous recombination and NHEJ, which have no effect. Thus, alt-NHEJ, which contributes to genetic mutability in cancer cells, also plays a novel role in environmental stress-induced TNR mutagenesis. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The dynamic changes of the plasma membrane proteins and the protective roles of nitric oxide in rice subjected to heavy metal cadmium stress

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The heavy metal cadmium is a common environmental contaminant in soils and has adverse effects on crop growth and development. The signaling processes in plants that initiate cellular responses to environmental stress have been shown to be located in the plasma membrane (PM). A better understanding ...

Short-term environmental enrichment is sufficient to counter stress-induced anxiety and associated structural and molecular plasticity in basolateral amygdala.

PubMed

Ashokan, Archana; Hegde, Akshaya; Mitra, Rupshi

2016-07-01

Moderate levels of anxiety enable individual animals to cope with stressors through avoidance, and could be an adaptive trait. However, repeated stress exacerbates anxiety to pathologically high levels. Dendritic remodeling in the basolateral amygdala is proposed to mediate potentiation of anxiety after stress. Similarly, modulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor is thought to be important for the behavioral effects of stress. In the present study, we investigate if relatively short periods of environmental enrichment in adulthood can confer resilience against stress-induced anxiety and concomitant changes in neuronal arborisation and brain derived neurotrophic factor within basolateral amygdala. Two weeks of environmental enrichment countermanded the propensity of increased anxiety following chronic immobilization stress. Environmental enrichment concurrently reduced dendritic branching and spine density of projection neurons of the basolateral amygdala. Moreover, stress increased abundance of BDNF mRNA in the basolateral amygdala in agreement with the dendritic hypertrophy post-stress and role of BDNF in promoting dendritic arborisation. In contrast, environmental enrichment prevented stress-induced rise in the BDNF mRNA abundance. Gain in body weights and adrenal weights remained unaffected by exposure to environmental enrichment. These observations suggest that a short period of environmental enrichment can provide resilience against maladaptive effects of stress on hormonal, neuronal and molecular mediators of anxiogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Childhood adversity, recent life stressors and suicidal behavior in Chinese college students.

PubMed

You, Zhiqi; Chen, Mingxi; Yang, Sen; Zhou, Zongkui; Qin, Ping

2014-01-01

Although the independent effects of childhood adversities and of recent negative events on suicidality have been well-documented, the combinative role of childhood and recent adversities on risk for suicidality is still underexplored, especially in the context of Chinese culture and in consideration of specific types of negative events. 5989 students, randomly sampled from six universities in central China, completed the online survey for this study. Suicidal behavior, life adversity during childhood and stressful events in recent school life were assessed with designed questionnaires. Students experiencing recent stressful life events more often reported an experience of life adversity during childhood. While recent stressful life events and childhood life adversity both were associated with an increased risk for suicidal behavior, the two exposures presented conjunctively and acted interactively to increase the risk. There was noticeable variation of effects associated with specific childhood life adversities, and sexual abuse, poor parental relationship, divorce of parents and loss of a parent were among the adversities associated with the highest increased risk. Recent conflicts with classmates, poor school performance and rupture of romantic relationships were the recent school life stressors associated with the highest increased risk. Childhood adversity and recent school life stressors had a combinative role in predicting suicidality of young people studying in Chinese colleges. Unhappy family life during childhood and recent interpersonal conflicts in school were the most important predictors of suicidality in this population.

Childhood Adversity, Recent Life Stressors and Suicidal Behavior in Chinese College Students

PubMed Central

You, Zhiqi; Chen, Mingxi; Yang, Sen; Zhou, Zongkui; Qin, Ping

2014-01-01

Background Although the independent effects of childhood adversities and of recent negative events on suicidality have been well-documented, the combinative role of childhood and recent adversities on risk for suicidality is still underexplored, especially in the context of Chinese culture and in consideration of specific types of negative events. Method 5989 students, randomly sampled from six universities in central China, completed the online survey for this study. Suicidal behavior, life adversity during childhood and stressful events in recent school life were assessed with designed questionnaires. Results Students experiencing recent stressful life events more often reported an experience of life adversity during childhood. While recent stressful life events and childhood life adversity both were associated with an increased risk for suicidal behavior, the two exposures presented conjunctively and acted interactively to increase the risk. There was noticeable variation of effects associated with specific childhood life adversities, and sexual abuse, poor parental relationship, divorce of parents and loss of a parent were among the adversities associated with the highest increased risk. Recent conflicts with classmates, poor school performance and rupture of romantic relationships were the recent school life stressors associated with the highest increased risk. Conclusions Childhood adversity and recent school life stressors had a combinative role in predicting suicidality of young people studying in Chinese colleges. Unhappy family life during childhood and recent interpersonal conflicts in school were the most important predictors of suicidality in this population. PMID:24681891

Toward Understanding How Early-Life Stress Reprograms Cognitive and Emotional Brain Networks.

PubMed

Chen, Yuncai; Baram, Tallie Z

2016-01-01

Vulnerability to emotional disorders including depression derives from interactions between genes and environment, especially during sensitive developmental periods. Adverse early-life experiences provoke the release and modify the expression of several stress mediators and neurotransmitters within specific brain regions. The interaction of these mediators with developing neurons and neuronal networks may lead to long-lasting structural and functional alterations associated with cognitive and emotional consequences. Although a vast body of work has linked quantitative and qualitative aspects of stress to adolescent and adult outcomes, a number of questions are unclear. What distinguishes 'normal' from pathologic or toxic stress? How are the effects of stress transformed into structural and functional changes in individual neurons and neuronal networks? Which ones are affected? We review these questions in the context of established and emerging studies. We introduce a novel concept regarding the origin of toxic early-life stress, stating that it may derive from specific patterns of environmental signals, especially those derived from the mother or caretaker. Fragmented and unpredictable patterns of maternal care behaviors induce a profound chronic stress. The aberrant patterns and rhythms of early-life sensory input might also directly and adversely influence the maturation of cognitive and emotional brain circuits, in analogy to visual and auditory brain systems. Thus, unpredictable, stress-provoking early-life experiences may influence adolescent cognitive and emotional outcomes by disrupting the maturation of the underlying brain networks. Comprehensive approaches and multiple levels of analysis are required to probe the protean consequences of early-life adversity on the developing brain. These involve integrated human and animal-model studies, and approaches ranging from in vivo imaging to novel neuroanatomical, molecular, epigenomic, and computational

Wheat proteomics: proteome modulation and abiotic stress acclimation

PubMed Central

Komatsu, Setsuko; Kamal, Abu H. M.; Hossain, Zahed

2014-01-01

Cellular mechanisms of stress sensing and signaling represent the initial plant responses to adverse conditions. The development of high-throughput “Omics” techniques has initiated a new era of the study of plant molecular strategies for adapting to environmental changes. However, the elucidation of stress adaptation mechanisms in plants requires the accurate isolation and characterization of stress-responsive proteins. Because the functional part of the genome, namely the proteins and their post-translational modifications, are critical for plant stress responses, proteomic studies provide comprehensive information about the fine-tuning of cellular pathways that primarily involved in stress mitigation. This review summarizes the major proteomic findings related to alterations in the wheat proteomic profile in response to abiotic stresses. Moreover, the strengths and weaknesses of different sample preparation techniques, including subcellular protein extraction protocols, are discussed in detail. The continued development of proteomic approaches in combination with rapidly evolving bioinformatics tools and interactive databases will facilitate understanding of the plant mechanisms underlying stress tolerance. PMID:25538718

Modeling life course pathways from adverse childhood experiences to adult mental health.

PubMed

Jones, Tiffany M; Nurius, Paula; Song, Chiho; Fleming, Christopher M

2018-06-01

Although the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult mental health is becoming well established, less is known about the complex and multiple pathways through which ACEs exert their influence. Growing evidence suggests that adversity early in life conveys not only early impacts, but also augments risk of stress-related life course cascades that continue to undermine health. The present study aims to test pathways of stress proliferation and stress embodiment processes linking ACEs to mental health impairment in adulthood. Data are from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, a representative sample of Washington State adults ages 18 and over (N = 14,001). Structural equation modeling allowed for testing of direct and indirect effects from ACEs though low income status, experiences of adversity in adulthood, and social support. The model demonstrated that adult low income, social support and adult adversity are in fact conduits through which ACEs exert their influence on mental health impairment in adulthood. Significant indirect pathways through these variables supported hypotheses that the effect of ACEs is carried through these variables. This is among the first models that demonstrates multiple stress-related life course pathways through which early life adversity compromises adult mental health. Discussion elaborates multiple service system opportunities for intervention in early and later life to interrupt direct and indirect pathways of ACE effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental adaptability and stress tolerance of Laribacter hongkongensis: a genome-wide analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Laribacter hongkongensis is associated with community-acquired gastroenteritis and traveler's diarrhea and it can reside in human, fish, frogs and water. In this study, we performed an in-depth annotation of the genes in its genome related to adaptation to the various environmental niches. Results L. hongkongensis possessed genes for DNA repair and recombination, basal transcription, alternative σ-factors and 109 putative transcription factors, allowing DNA repair and global changes in gene expression in response to different environmental stresses. For acid stress, it possessed a urease gene cassette and two arc gene clusters. For alkaline stress, it possessed six CDSs for transporters of the monovalent cation/proton antiporter-2 and NhaC Na+:H+ antiporter families. For heavy metals acquisition and tolerance, it possessed CDSs for iron and nickel transport and efflux pumps for other metals. For temperature stress, it possessed genes related to chaperones and chaperonins, heat shock proteins and cold shock proteins. For osmotic stress, 25 CDSs were observed, mostly related to regulators for potassium ion, proline and glutamate transport. For oxidative and UV light stress, genes for oxidant-resistant dehydratase, superoxide scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, exclusion and export of redox-cycling antibiotics, redox balancing, DNA repair, reduction of disulfide bonds, limitation of iron availability and reduction of iron-sulfur clusters are present. For starvation, it possessed phosphorus and, despite being asaccharolytic, carbon starvation-related CDSs. Conclusions The L. hongkongensis genome possessed a high variety of genes for adaptation to acid, alkaline, temperature, osmotic, oxidative, UV light and starvation stresses and acquisition of and tolerance to heavy metals. PMID:21711489

Environmental stress cracking of polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahan, K. I.

1980-01-01

A two point bending method for use in studying the environmental stress cracking and crazing phenomena is described and demonstrated for a variety of polymer/solvent systems. Critical strain values obtained from these curves are reported for various polymer/solvent systems including a considerable number of systems for which critical strain values have not been previously reported. Polymers studied using this technique include polycarbonate (PC), ABS, high impact styrene (HIS), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Critical strain values obtained using this method compared favorably with available existing data. The major advantage of the technique is the ability to obtain time vs. strain curves over a short period of time. The data obtained suggests that over a short period of time the transition in most of the polymer solvent systems is more gradual than previously believed.

Isolation of polysomal RNA for analyzing stress-responsive genes regulated at the translational level in plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alteration of gene expression is an essential mechanism, which allows plants to respond and adapt to adverse environmental conditions. Transcriptome and proteome analyses in plants exposed to abiotic stresses revealed that protein levels are not correlated with the changes in corresponding mRNAs, in...

Evolution of a Planar Wake in Adverse Pressure Gradient

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driver, David M.; Mateer, George G.

2016-01-01

In the interest of improving the predictability of high-lift systems at maximum lift conditions, a series of fundamental experiments were conducted to study the effects of adverse pressure gradient on a wake flow. Mean and fluctuating velocities were measured with a two-component laser-Doppler velocimeter. Data were obtained for several cases of adverse pressure gradient, producing flows ranging from no reversed flow to massively reversed flow. While the turbulent Reynolds stresses increase with increasing size of the reversed flow region, the gradient of Reynolds stress does not. Computations using various turbulence models were unable to reproduce the reversed flow.

A Pathway to Psychological Difficulty: Perceived Chronic Social Adversity and Its Symptomatic Reactions.

PubMed

Ding, Cody; Zhang, Jingqiu; Yang, Dong

2018-01-01

In this paper, we attempt to predict and explain psychological maladjustment or difficulty. Specifically, we discuss the concept of perceived chronic social adversity, and we expect that such perceived chronic social adversity may potentially lead to chronic stress responses. Accordingly, we propose the symptomatic reactions of perceived chronic social adversity. We put forward a set of hypotheses regarding the relationships between perceived chronic social adversity and those chronic stress responses, and we further hypothesize a mediating role of individualized negative essentialism brought by perceived chronical social adversity. Resilience and individual differences in the ability to cope with perceived adversity are discussed. Future research and prevention need to pay more attention to effects of subjective personal experiences on psychological difficulty, focusing on the importance of exploring daily social experiences in improving cognitive construction processes and developing appropriate preventions.

A Pathway to Psychological Difficulty: Perceived Chronic Social Adversity and Its Symptomatic Reactions

PubMed Central

Ding, Cody; Zhang, Jingqiu; Yang, Dong

2018-01-01

In this paper, we attempt to predict and explain psychological maladjustment or difficulty. Specifically, we discuss the concept of perceived chronic social adversity, and we expect that such perceived chronic social adversity may potentially lead to chronic stress responses. Accordingly, we propose the symptomatic reactions of perceived chronic social adversity. We put forward a set of hypotheses regarding the relationships between perceived chronic social adversity and those chronic stress responses, and we further hypothesize a mediating role of individualized negative essentialism brought by perceived chronical social adversity. Resilience and individual differences in the ability to cope with perceived adversity are discussed. Future research and prevention need to pay more attention to effects of subjective personal experiences on psychological difficulty, focusing on the importance of exploring daily social experiences in improving cognitive construction processes and developing appropriate preventions. PMID:29755394

Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Network Development for Fatty Liver

EPA Science Inventory

Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are descriptive biological sequences that start from a molecular initiating event (MIE) and end with an adverse health outcome. AOPs provide biological context for high throughput chemical testing and further prioritize environmental health risk re...

Modeling the Interplay Between Psychological Processes and Adverse, Stressful Contexts and Experiences in Pathways to Psychosis: An Experience Sampling Study

PubMed Central

Klippel, Annelie; Myin-Germeys, Inez; Chavez-Baldini, UnYoung; Preacher, Kristopher J.; Kempton, Matthew; Valmaggia, Lucia; Calem, Maria; So, Suzanne; Beards, Stephanie; Hubbard, Kathryn; Gayer-Anderson, Charlotte; Onyejiaka, Adanna; Wichers, Marieke; McGuire, Philip; Murray, Robin; Garety, Philippa; van Os, Jim; Wykes, Til; Morgan, Craig

2017-01-01

Abstract Several integrated models of psychosis have implicated adverse, stressful contexts and experiences, and affective and cognitive processes in the onset of psychosis. In these models, the effects of stress are posited to contribute to the development of psychotic experiences via pathways through affective disturbance, cognitive biases, and anomalous experiences. However, attempts to systematically test comprehensive models of these pathways remain sparse. Using the Experience Sampling Method in 51 individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP), 46 individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis, and 53 controls, we investigated how stress, enhanced threat anticipation, and experiences of aberrant salience combine to increase the intensity of psychotic experiences. We fitted multilevel moderated mediation models to investigate indirect effects across these groups. We found that the effects of stress on psychotic experiences were mediated via pathways through affective disturbance in all 3 groups. The effect of stress on psychotic experiences was mediated by threat anticipation in FEP individuals and controls but not in ARMS individuals. There was only weak evidence of mediation via aberrant salience. However, aberrant salience retained a substantial direct effect on psychotic experiences, independently of stress, in all 3 groups. Our findings provide novel insights on the role of affective disturbance and threat anticipation in pathways through which stress impacts on the formation of psychotic experiences across different stages of early psychosis in daily life. PMID:28204708

Unraveling the role of fungal symbionts in plant abiotic stress tolerance

PubMed Central

Singh, Lamabam Peter

2011-01-01

Fungal symbionts have been found to be associated with every plant studied in the natural ecosystem, where they colonize and reside entirely or partially in the internal tissues of their host plant. Fungal endophytes can express/form a range of different lifestyle/relationships with different host including symbiotic, mutualistic, commensalistic and parasitic in response to host genotype and environmental factors. In mutualistic association fungal endophyte can enhance growth, increase reproductive success and confer biotic and abiotic stress tolerance to its host plant. Since abiotic stress such as, drought, high soil salinity, heat, cold, oxidative stress and heavy metal toxicity is the common adverse environmental conditions that affect and limit crop productivity worldwide. It may be a promising alternative strategy to exploit fungal endophytes to overcome the limitations to crop production brought by abiotic stress. There is an increasing interest in developing the potential biotechnological applications of fungal endophytes for improving plant stress tolerance and sustainable production of food crops. Here we have described the fungal symbioses, fungal symbionts and their role in abiotic stress tolerance. A putative mechanism of stress tolerance by symbionts has also been covered. PMID:21512319

Stress reactivity and its effects on subsequent food intake in depressed and healthy women with and without adverse childhood experiences.

PubMed

Wingenfeld, Katja; Kuehl, Linn K; Boeker, Anita; Schultebraucks, Katharina; Ritter, Kristin; Hellmann-Regen, Julian; Otte, Christian; Spitzer, Carsten

2017-06-01

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) increase the risk to develop major depressive disorder (MDD) and obesity or metabolic syndrome in adulthood. In addition, ACE may be associated with an exaggerated endocrine response to stress, which, in turn, may lead to enhanced food intake resulting in obesity and metabolic problems. We systematically examined the stress response and consecutive food intake in 32 women with MDD and ACE as determined by a clinical interview (Early Trauma Inventory), 52 women with MDD without ACE, 22 women with ACE but no current or lifetime MDD and 37 healthy women without either MDD or ACE. All participants underwent a psychosocial stress test (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) and a control condition (Placebo-TSST) before they were offered a buffet of snacks. Participants were not aware that the primary outcome variable was the amount of consumed kilocalories (kcal). The four groups did not differ in demographic variables. Stress resulted in higher cortisol release and higher blood pressure compared to the control condition. Patients with MDD without ACE had a significantly lower cortisol response to stress compared to controls. Across groups, we found higher kcal intake after stress compared to the control condition. Comparing high and low cortisol responders to stress, higher kcal intake after stress was only seen in those with low cortisol release. This study provides evidence that blunted rather than enhanced cortisol release to stress might lead to increased food intake, independent from MDD and ACE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does the cortisol awakening response link childhood adversity to adult BMI?

PubMed

Miller, Kelly F; Arbel, Reout; Shapiro, Lauren S; Han, Sohyun C; Margolin, Gayla

2018-06-01

Childhood adversity is a risk factor for the development of obesity in adulthood. Dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity, which has been associated separately with both adverse childhood experiences and obesity, has been posited as a mechanism by which stressful experiences influence body mass index (BMI); however, this mechanism has not yet been tested longitudinally. The present study uses multireporter, longitudinal data across three time points to test whether the adolescent cortisol awakening response (CAR), an index of diurnal HPA activity, mediates the association between adversity in childhood and BMI in adulthood. Eighty-two youth, mothers, and fathers reported on adverse childhood experiences from middle childhood to late adolescence. During adolescence, youth provided saliva samples three times each morning across three days, which were assayed for cortisol to calculate CAR. During early adulthood, youth reported height and weight to calculate BMI. Greater adversity predicted flatter CAR and higher young adult BMI. Flatter CAR partially mediated the association between childhood adversity and young adult BMI. Stress-related alterations to HPA activity account in part for the childhood adversity-adult obesity link. Findings are consistent with theoretical models implicating HPA alterations as linking childhood adversity to metabolic and behavioral determinants of BMI in adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Additive Contributions of Childhood Adversity and Recent Stressors to Inflammation at Midlife: Findings from the MIDUS Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hostinar, Camelia E.; Lachman, Margie E.; Mroczek, Daniel K.; Seeman, Teresa E.; Miller, Gregory E.

2015-01-01

We examined the joint contributions of self-reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and recent life events (RLEs) to inflammation at midlife, by testing 3 competing theoretical models: stress generation, stress accumulation, and early life stress sensitization. We aimed to identify potential mediators between adversity and inflammation.…

Adversity in Preschool-Aged Children: Effects on Salivary Interleukin-1β

PubMed Central

Tyrka, Audrey R.; Parade, Stephanie H.; Valentine, Thomas R.; Eslinger, Nicole M.; Seifer, Ronald

2016-01-01

Exposure to early life adversity is linked to impaired affective, cognitive, and behavioral functioning and increases risk for various psychiatric and medical conditions. Stress-induced increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines may be a biological mechanism of these effects. Few studies have examined cytokine levels in children experiencing early life adversity, and very little research has investigated cytokines or other markers of inflammation in saliva. In the present study, we examined salivary IL-1β and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in relation to stress exposure in 40 children aged 3 to 5 years who were enrolled in a larger study of early life adversity. Childhood maltreatment status was assessed via review of child welfare records, and contextual stress exposure, traumatic life event history, and symptoms of psychopathology were assessed via caregiver interviews at a home visit. In a subsequent visit, salivary IL-1β and CRP were obtained before and after participation in four emotion-eliciting tasks. Number of past month contextual stressors, lifetime contextual stressors, and traumatic life events each demonstrated a significant main effect on IL-1β. Baseline IL-1β was positively associated with each of the significant main-effect adversities. Post-challenge IL-1β displayed positive associations with each adversity variable, but were not significant. CRP was not significantly associated with any of the adversity variables. Given evidence suggesting involvement of IL-1β in the neuropathology of psychiatric conditions, these results may have important implications for developmental outcomes. PMID:25997772

Identification and Characterization of Adverse Effects in 21st Century Toxicology

EPA Science Inventory

The ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Project Committee on Distinguishing Adverse from Non-Adverse / Adaptive Effects held a workshop in May 2011 to discuss approaches to identifying adverse effects in the context of the 2007 NRC committee report titled “Toxicity T...

Stress and food allergy: mechanistic considerations.

PubMed

Schreier, Hannah M C; Wright, Rosalind J

2014-04-01

Recent years have seen a marked increase in food allergy prevalence among children, particularly in Western countries, that cannot be explained by genetic factors alone. This has resulted in an increased effort to identify environmental risk factors underlying food allergies and to understand how these factors may be modified through interventions. Food allergy is an immune-mediated adverse reaction to food. Consequently, considerations of candidate risk factors have begun to focus on environmental influences that perturb the healthy development of the emerging immune system during critical periods of development (eg, prenatally and during early childhood), particularly in the gut. Given that psychosocial stress is known to play an important role in other allergic and inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, its potential role in food allergy is a growing area of research. However, research to date has largely focused on animal studies. This review synthesizes relevant animal research and epidemiological data, providing proof of concept for moderating influences of psychological stress on food allergy outcomes in humans. Pathways that may underlie associations between psychosocial stress and the expression of food allergy are discussed. Copyright © 2014 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2015-11-01

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

Environmental-stress-induced Chromatin Regulation and its Heritability

PubMed Central

Fang, Lei; Wuptra, Kenly; Chen, Danqi; Li, Hongjie; Huang, Shau-Ku; Jin, Chunyuan; Yokoyama, Kazunari K

2014-01-01

Chromatin is subject to proofreading and repair mechanisms during the process of DNA replication, as well as repair to maintain genetic and epigenetic information and genome stability. The dynamic structure of chromatin modulates various nuclear processes, including transcription and replication, by altering the accessibility of the DNA to regulatory factors. Structural changes in chromatin are affected by the chemical modification of histone proteins and DNA, remodeling of nucleosomes, incorporation of variant histones, noncoding RNAs, and nonhistone DNA-binding proteins. Phenotypic diversity and fidelity can be balanced by controlling stochastic switching of chromatin structure and dynamics in response to the environmental disruptors and endogenous stresses. The dynamic chromatin remodeling can, therefore, serve as a sensor, through which environmental and/or metabolic agents can alter gene expression, leading to global cellular changes involving multiple interactive networks. Furthermore its recent evidence also suggests that the epigenetic changes are heritable during the development. This review will discuss the environmental sensing system for chromatin regulation and genetic and epigenetic controls from developmental perspectives. PMID:25045581

The secret language of destiny: stress imprinting and transgenerational origins of disease

PubMed Central

Zucchi, Fabiola C. R.; Yao, Youli; Metz, Gerlinde A.

2012-01-01

Epigenetic regulation modulates gene expression without altering the DNA sequence to facilitate rapid adjustments to dynamically changing environmental conditions. The formation of an epigenetic memory allows passing on this information to subsequent generations. Here we propose that epigenetic memories formed by adverse environmental conditions and stress represent a critical determinant of health and disease in the F3 generation and beyond. Transgenerational programming of epigenetic regulation may represent a key to understand adult-onset complex disease pathogenesis and cumulative effects of life span and familial disease etiology. Ultimately, the mechanisms of generating an epigenetic memory may become of potentially promising diagnostic and therapeutic relevance due to their reversible nature. Exploring the role of environmental factors, such as stress, in causing variations in epigenetic profiles may lead to new avenues of personalized, preventive medicine based on epigenetic signatures and interventions. PMID:22675331

Methylphenidate and environmental enrichment ameliorate the deleterious effects of prenatal stress on attention functioning.

PubMed

Zubedat, Salman; Aga-Mizrachi, Shlomit; Cymerblit-Sabba, Adi; Ritter, Ami; Nachmani, Maayan; Avital, Avi

2015-01-01

Either pre- or post-natal environmental factors seem to play a key role in brain and behavioral development and to exert long-term effects. Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to prenatal stress (PS) leads to motor and learning deficits and elevated anxiety, while enriched environment (EE) shows protective effects. The dopaminergic system is also sensitive to environmental life circumstances and affects attention functioning, which serves as the preliminary gate to cognitive processes. However, the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on the dopaminergic system and attentional functioning, in the context of these life experiences, remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effects of EE or PS on distinct types of attention, along with possible effects of MPH exposure. We found that PS impaired selective attention as well as partial sustained attention, while EE had beneficial effects. Both EE and MPH ameliorated the deleterious effects of PS on attention functioning. Considering the possible psychostimulant effect of MPH, we examined both anxiety-like behavior as well as motor learning. We found that PS had a clear anxiogenic effect, whereas EE had an anxiolytic effect. Nevertheless, the treatment with both MPH and/or EE recovered the deleterious effects of PS. In the motor-learning task, the PS group showed superior performance while MPH led to impaired motor learning. Performance decrements were prevented in both the PS + MPH and EE + MPH groups. This study provides evidence that peripubertal exposure to EE (by providing enhanced sensory, motor, and social opportunities) or MPH treatments might be an optional therapeutic intervention in preventing the PS long-term adverse consequences.

40 CFR 717.12 - Significant adverse reactions that must be recorded.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE REACTIONS TO HEALTH OR THE ENVIRONMENT General Provisions § 717.12 Significant adverse... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Significant adverse reactions that must be recorded. 717.12 Section 717.12 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...

Increasing the Adaptive Capacity of the Organism When Exposed to Adverse Environmental Factors Through Phytoadaptogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babii, N. V.; Pomozova, V. A.; Kiseleva, T. F.; Romanenko, V. O.

2017-07-01

The Problem of improving the quality of life of the population in modern conditions is the most relevant. The level of human health largely depends on the quality of the environment. Of special importance are the risk factors for the spread of diseases like environmental pollution, social conditions and bad habits. To the emergence of ecologically dependent diseases leads the combined impact of technogenic, social-economic, natural-climatic factors. The introduction of the principles of biotechnology, nanotechnology and innovations in industrial processing of plant resources, especially natural adaptogens, contributes to the production of balanced, ecologically clean food products functional purpose, the use of which will significantly minimize the adverse effects of the environment on humans.

Adulthood Stressors, History of Childhood Adversity, and Risk of Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence

PubMed Central

Roberts, Andrea L.; McLaughlin, Katie A.; Conron, Kerith J.; Koenen, Karestan C.

2010-01-01

Background Over half a million U.S. women and more than 100,000 men are treated for injuries from intimate partner violence (IPV) annually, making IPV perpetration a major public health problem. However, little is known about causes of perpetration across the life course. Purpose This paper examines the role of “stress sensitization,” whereby adult stressors increase risk for IPV perpetration most strongly in people with a history of childhood adversity. Methods The study investigated a possible interaction effect between adulthood stressors and childhood adversities in risk of IPV perpetration, specifically, whether the difference in risk of IPV perpetration associated with past-year stressors varied by history of exposure to childhood adversity. Analyses were conducted in 2010 using de-identified data from 34,653 U.S. adults from the 2004–2005 follow-up wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Results There was a significant stress sensitization effect. For men with high-level childhood adversity, past-year stressors were associated with an 8.8% increased risk of perpetrating compared to a 2.3% increased risk among men with low-level adversity. Women with high-level childhood adversity had a 14.3% increased risk compared with a 2.5% increased risk in the low-level adversity group. Conclusions Individuals with recent stressors and histories of childhood adversity are at particularly elevated risk of IPV perpetration; therefore, prevention efforts should target this population. Treatment programs for IPV perpetrators, which have not been effective in reducing risk of perpetrating, may benefit from further investigating the role of stress and stress reactivity in perpetration. PMID:21238860

Cumulative adversity and smaller gray matter volume in medial prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and insula regions.

PubMed

Ansell, Emily B; Rando, Kenneth; Tuit, Keri; Guarnaccia, Joseph; Sinha, Rajita

2012-07-01

Cumulative adversity and stress are associated with risk of psychiatric disorders. While basic science studies show repeated and chronic stress effects on prefrontal and limbic neurons, human studies examining cumulative stress and effects on brain morphology are rare. Thus, we assessed whether cumulative adversity is associated with differences in gray matter volume, particularly in regions regulating emotion, self-control, and top-down processing in a community sample. One hundred three healthy community participants, aged 18 to 48 and 68% male, completed interview assessment of cumulative adversity and a structural magnetic resonance imaging protocol. Whole-brain voxel-based-morphometry analysis was performed adjusting for age, gender, and total intracranial volume. Cumulative adversity was associated with smaller volume in medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), insular cortex, and subgenual anterior cingulate regions (familywise error corrected, p < .001). Recent stressful life events were associated with smaller volume in two clusters: the medial PFC and the right insula. Life trauma was associated with smaller volume in the medial PFC, anterior cingulate, and subgenual regions. The interaction of greater subjective chronic stress and greater cumulative life events was associated with smaller volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and anterior and subgenual cingulate regions. Current results demonstrate that increasing cumulative exposure to adverse life events is associated with smaller gray matter volume in key prefrontal and limbic regions involved in stress, emotion and reward regulation, and impulse control. These differences found in community participants may serve to mediate vulnerability to depression, addiction, and other stress-related psychopathology. Copyright © 2012 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cumulative Adversity and Smaller Gray Matter Volume in Medial Prefrontal, Anterior Cingulate, and Insula Regions

PubMed Central

Ansell, Emily B.; Rando, Kenneth; Tuit, Keri; Guarnaccia, Joseph; Sinha, Rajita

2012-01-01

Background Cumulative adversity and stress are associated with risk of psychiatric disorders. While basic science studies show repeated and chronic stress effects on prefrontal and limbic neurons, human studies examining cumulative stress and effects on brain morphology are rare. Thus, we assessed whether cumulative adversity is associated with differences in gray matter volume, particularly in regions regulating emotion, self-control, and top-down processing in a community sample. Methods One hundred three healthy community participants, aged 18 to 48 and 68% male, completed interview assessment of cumulative adversity and a structural magnetic resonance imaging protocol. Whole-brain voxel-based-morphometry analysis was performed adjusting for age, gender, and total intracranial volume. Results Cumulative adversity was associated with smaller volume in medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), insular cortex, and subgenual anterior cingulate regions (familywise error corrected, p <.001). Recent stressful life events were associated with smaller volume in two clusters: the medial PFC and the right insula. Life trauma was associated with smaller volume in the medial PFC, anterior cingulate, and subgenual regions. The interaction of greater subjective chronic stress and greater cumulative life events was associated with smaller volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and anterior and subgenual cingulate regions. Conclusions Current results demonstrate that increasing cumulative exposure to adverse life events is associated with smaller gray matter volume in key prefrontal and limbic regions involved in stress, emotion and reward regulation, and impulse control. These differences found in community participants may serve to mediate vulnerability to depression, addiction, and other stress-related psychopathology. PMID:22218286

Adverse reactions from essential oil-containing natural flea products exempted from Environmental Protection Agency regulations in dogs and cats.

PubMed

Genovese, Allison G; McLean, Mary Kay; Khan, Safdar A

2012-08-01

To describe adverse effects in dogs and cats exposed to Environmental Protection Agency exempted plant-derived flea preventatives containing mixtures of essential oils. Retrospective study from 2006 to 2008. Records of dog and cat cases were reviewed from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Poison Control Center database. Thirty-nine cats and 9 dogs with history of exposure to natural flea preventatives. The following information was retrieved from each incident: number of animals, species involved, frequency, types, onset time, duration of clinical signs, exposure appropriateness, final outcome, and treatment information. Ninety-two percent of animals (n = 44) showed presence of one or more adverse effects. The frequency of adverse effects in dogs (n = 8; 89%) and cats (n = 36; 92%) was similar. Onset time of adverse effects in 39 of 44 animals occurred within 24 hours. The duration of signs in 24 animals ranged from 30 minutes to 149 hours. The products were used as per label in 77% animals (n = 37). Of 28 animals with known outcome, 50% (n = 14) recovered with bathing alone while others received intravenous fluids, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsive medications. Death (1 cat; n = 1/28; 4%) or euthanasia (1 cat and 1 dog; n = 2/28; 7%) was reported in 3 animals. Dogs and cats can experience significant adverse effects when exposed to plant-derived flea preventatives even when used according to label directions. The number of reports of exposure in cats was higher than dogs, but the frequency of reported adverse effects was similar between the 2 species. Agitation and hypersalivation were common in cats, whereas lethargy and vomiting were common in dogs. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2012.

STRESS PATHWAY-BASED REPORTER ASSAYS TO ASSESS TOXICITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS.

EPA Science Inventory

There is an increasing need for assays for the rapid and efficient assessment of toxicities of large numbers of environmental chemicals. To meet this need, we are developing cell-based reporter assays that measure the activation of key molecular stress pathways. We are using pro...

The CRF system, stress, depression and anxiety – insights from human genetic studies

PubMed Central

Binder, Elisabeth B.; Nemeroff, Charles B.

2011-01-01

A concatenation of findings from preclinical and clinical studies support a preeminent role for the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in mediating the physiological response to external stressors and in the pathophysiology of anxiety and depression. Recently, human genetic studies have provided considerable support to several long-standing hypotheses of mood and anxiety disorders, including the CRF hypothesis. These data, reviewed in this report, are congruent with the hypothesis that this system is of paramount importance in mediating stress-related psychopathology. More specifically variants in the gene encoding the CRF1 receptor interact with adverse environmental factors to predict risk for stress-related psychiatric disorders. In depth characterization of these variants will likely be important in furthering our understanding of the long term consequences of adverse experience. PMID:20010888

Ecological comparison of cellular stress responses among populations - normalizing RT-qPCR values to investigate differential environmental adaptations.

PubMed

Koenigstein, Stefan; Pöhlmann, Kevin; Held, Christoph; Abele, Doris

2013-05-16

Rising temperatures and other environmental factors influenced by global climate change can cause increased physiological stress for many species and lead to range shifts or regional population extinctions. To advance the understanding of species' response to change and establish links between individual and ecosystem adaptations, physiological reactions have to be compared between populations living in different environments. Although changes in expression of stress genes are relatively easy to quantify, methods for reliable comparison of the data remain a contentious issue. Using normalization algorithms and further methodological considerations, we compare cellular stress response gene expression levels measured by RT-qPCR after air exposure experiments among different subpopulations of three species of the intertidal limpet Nacella. Reference gene assessment algorithms reveal that stable reference genes can differ among investigated populations and / or treatment groups. Normalized expression values point to differential defense strategies to air exposure in the investigated populations, which either employ a pronounced cellular stress response in the inducible Hsp70 forms, or exhibit a comparatively high constitutive expression of Hsps (heat shock proteins) while showing only little response in terms of Hsp induction. This study serves as a case study to explore the methodological prerequisites of physiological stress response comparisons among ecologically and phylogenetically different organisms. To improve the reliability of gene expression data and compare the stress responses of subpopulations under potential genetic divergence, reference gene stability algorithms are valuable and necessary tools. As the Hsp70 isoforms have been shown to play different roles in the acute stress responses and increased constitutive defenses of populations in their different habitats, these comparative studies can yield insight into physiological strategies of adaptation to

On the interactions among tropospheric ozone levels and typical environmental stresses challenging Mediterranean crops.

PubMed

Fagnano, Massimo; Maggio, Albino

2018-03-01

The main environmental stresses of Italian croplands are discussed in relation to their interactions with ozone effects on crops. Water deficit and salinization are frequent in Mediterranean environments during spring-summer causing a decrease of soil water potential and water uptake by roots and consequently stomatal closure. These stresses also stimulate secondary metabolism and antioxidant accumulation, which also serves as a stress protection mechanism. High concentrations of tropospheric ozone are common all over Italy during the spring-summer season. Ozone injuries to vegetation are related to its penetration into plant tissues, mostly via stomatal uptake, rather than to tropospheric concentrations per se. In several crops, closure of stomata due to drought/salinization reduces ozone entering into leaf tissues and counteracts possible ozone damages. Furthermore, the stimulation of antioxidant synthesis as a response to environmental stresses can represent a further protection factor from ozone injuries for Mediterranean crops.The co-existence of stress-induced stomatal closure and high ozone levels during spring-summer in Mediterranean environments implies that models that do not take into account physiological responses of crops to drought and salinity stress may overestimate ozone damages when stress responses overlap with seasonal ozone peaks. The shift from concentration-based to flux-based approaches has improved the accuracy of models to assess ozone effects on agricultural crops. It is, however, necessary to further refine the flux concept with respect to the plant abiotic stress defense capacity that can differ among genotypes, climatic conditions, and physiological states.

Measuring Stress Before and During Pregnancy: A Review of Population-Based Studies of Obstetric Outcomes

PubMed Central

Witt, Whitney; Litzelman, Kristin; Cheng, Erika R; Wakeel, Fathima; Barker, Emily S.

2013-01-01

Objectives Mounting evidence from clinic and convenience samples suggests that stress is an important predictor of adverse obstetric outcomes. Using a proposed theoretical framework, this review identified and synthesized the population-based literature on the measurement of stress prior to and during pregnancy in relation to obstetric outcomes. Methods Population-based, peer-reviewed empirical articles that examined stress prior to or during pregnancy in relation to obstetric outcomes were identified in the PubMed and PsycInfo databases. Articles were evaluated to determine the domain(s) of stress (environmental, psychological, and/or biological), period(s) of stress (preconception and/or pregnancy), and strength of the association between stress and obstetric outcomes. Results Thirteen studies were evaluated. The identified studies were all conducted in developed countries. The majority of studies examined stress only during pregnancy (n=10); three examined stress during both the preconception and pregnancy periods (n=3). Most studies examined the environmental domain (e.g., life events) only (n=9), two studies examined the psychological domain only, and two studies examined both. No study incorporated a biological measure of stress. Environmental stressors before and during pregnancy were associated with worse obstetric outcomes, although some conflicting findings exist. Conclusions Few population-based studies have examined stress before or during pregnancy in relation to obstetric outcomes. Although considerable variation exists in the measurement of stress across studies, environmental stress increased the risk for poor obstetric outcomes. Additional work using a lifecourse approach is needed to fill the existing gaps in the literature and to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which stress impacts obstetric outcomes. PMID:23447085

An environmental stress model correctly predicts unimodal trends in overall species richness and diversity along intertidal elevation gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwerschke, Nadescha; Bollen, Merle; Molis, Markus; Scrosati, Ricardo A.

2013-12-01

Environmental stress is a major factor structuring communities. An environmental stress model (ESM) predicts that overall species richness and diversity should follow a unimodal trend along the full stress gradient along which assemblages from a regional biota can occur (not to be confused with the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, which makes predictions only for basal species along an intermediate-to-high stress range). Past studies could only provide partial support for ESM predictions because of the limited stress range surveyed or a low sampling resolution. In this study, we measured overall species richness and diversity (considering all seaweeds and invertebrates) along the intertidal elevation gradient on two wave-sheltered rocky shores from Helgoland Island, on the NE Atlantic coast. In intertidal habitats, tides cause a pronounced gradient of increasing stress from low to high elevations. We surveyed up to nine contiguous elevation zones between the lowest intertidal elevation (low stress) and the high intertidal boundary (high stress). Nonlinear regression analyses revealed that overall species richness and diversity followed unimodal trends across elevations on the two studied shores. Therefore, our study suggests that the ESM might constitute a useful tool to predict local richness and diversity as a function of environmental stress. Performing tests on other systems (marine as well as terrestrial) should help to refine the model.

A Modelling Study for Predicting Life of Downhole Tubes Considering Service Environmental Parameters and Stress

PubMed Central

Zhao, Tianliang; Liu, Zhiyong; Du, Cuiwei; Hu, Jianpeng; Li, Xiaogang

2016-01-01

A modelling effort was made to try to predict the life of downhole tubes or casings, synthetically considering the effect of service influencing factors on corrosion rate. Based on the discussed corrosion mechanism and corrosion processes of downhole tubes, a mathematic model was established. For downhole tubes, the influencing factors are environmental parameters and stress, which vary with service duration. Stress and the environmental parameters including water content, partial pressure of H2S and CO2, pH value, total pressure and temperature, were considered to be time-dependent. Based on the model, life-span of an L80 downhole tube in oilfield Halfaya, an oilfield in Iraq, was predicted. The results show that life-span of the L80 downhole tube in Halfaya is 247 months (approximately 20 years) under initial stress of 0.1 yield strength and 641 months (approximately 53 years) under no initial stress, which indicates that an initial stress of 0.1 yield strength will reduce the life-span by more than half. PMID:28773872

Managing Environmental Stress: An Evaluation of Environmental Management of the Long Point Sandy Barrier, Lake Erie, Canada.

PubMed

Kreutzwiser; Gabriel

2000-01-01

/ This paper assesses the extent to which key geomorphic components, processes, and stresses have been reflected in the management of a coastal sandy barrier environment. The management policies and practices of selected agencies responsible for Long Point, a World Biosphere Reserve along Lake Erie, Canada, were evaluated for consistency with these principles of environmental management for sandy barriers: maintaining natural stresses essential to sandy barrier development and maintenance;protecting sediment sources, transfers, and storage; recognizing spatial variability and cyclicity of natural stresses, such as barrier overwash events; and accepting and planning for long-term evolutionary changes in the sandy barrier environment. Generally, management policies and practices have not respected the dynamic and sensitive environment of Long Point because of limited mandates of the agencies involved, inconsistent policies, and failure to apply or enforce existing policies. This is particularly evident with local municipalities and less so for the Canadian Wildlife Service, the federal agency responsible for managing National Wildlife Areas at the point. In the developed areas of Long Point, landward sediment transfers and sediment storage in dunes have been impacted by cottage development, shore protection, and maintenance of roads and parking lots. Additionally, agencies responsible for managing Long Point have no jurisdiction over sediment sources as far as 95 km away. Evolutionary change of sandy barriers poses the greatest challenge to environmental managers.

Thermoregulatory responses to environmental toxicants: The interaction of thermal stress and toxicant exposure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leon, Lisa R.

2008-11-15

Thermal stress can have a profound impact on the physiological responses that are elicited following environmental toxicant exposure. The efficacy by which toxicants enter the body is directly influenced by thermoregulatory effector responses that are evoked in response to high ambient temperatures. In mammals, the thermoregulatory response to heat stress consists of an increase in skin blood flow and moistening of the skin surface to dissipate core heat to the environment. These physiological responses may exacerbate chemical toxicity due to increased permeability of the skin, which facilitates the cutaneous absorption of many environmental toxicants. The core temperature responses that aremore » elicited in response to high ambient temperatures, toxicant exposure or both can also have a profound impact on the ability of an organism to survive the insult. In small rodents, the thermoregulatory response to thermal stress and many environmental toxicants (such as organophosphate compounds) is often biphasic in nature, consisting initially of a regulated reduction in core temperature (i.e., hypothermia) followed by fever. Hypothermia is an important thermoregulatory survival strategy that is used by small rodents to diminish the effect of severe environmental insults on tissue homeostasis. The protective effect of hypothermia is realized by its effects on chemical toxicity as molecular and cellular processes, such as lipid peroxidation and the formation of reactive oxygen species, are minimized at reduced core temperatures. The beneficial effects of fever are unknown under these conditions. Perspective is provided on the applicability of data obtained in rodent models to the human condition.« less

Adverse effects of microplastics and oxidative stress-induced MAPK/Nrf2 pathway-mediated defense mechanisms in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana

PubMed Central

Jeong, Chang-Bum; Kang, Hye-Min; Lee, Min-Chul; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Han, Jeonghoon; Hwang, Dae-Sik; Souissi, Sami; Lee, Su-Jae; Shin, Kyung-Hoon; Park, Heum Gi; Lee, Jae-Seong

2017-01-01

Microplastic pollution causes a major concern in the marine environment due to their worldwide distribution, persistence, and adverse effects of these pollutants in the marine ecosystem. Despite its global presence, there is still a lack of information on the effect of microplastics on marine organisms at the molecular level. Herein we demonstrated ingestion and egestion of nano- (0.05 μm) and micro-sized (0.5 and 6 μm) polystyrene microbeads in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana, and examined molecular responses to exposure to microbeads with in vivo endpoints such as growth rate and fecundity. Also, we proposed an adverse outcome pathway for microplastic exposure that covers molecular and individual levels. This study provides the first insight into the mode of action in terms of microplastic-induced oxidative stress and related signaling pathways in P. nana. PMID:28117374

Adverse effects of microplastics and oxidative stress-induced MAPK/Nrf2 pathway-mediated defense mechanisms in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Chang-Bum; Kang, Hye-Min; Lee, Min-Chul; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Han, Jeonghoon; Hwang, Dae-Sik; Souissi, Sami; Lee, Su-Jae; Shin, Kyung-Hoon; Park, Heum Gi; Lee, Jae-Seong

2017-01-01

Microplastic pollution causes a major concern in the marine environment due to their worldwide distribution, persistence, and adverse effects of these pollutants in the marine ecosystem. Despite its global presence, there is still a lack of information on the effect of microplastics on marine organisms at the molecular level. Herein we demonstrated ingestion and egestion of nano- (0.05 μm) and micro-sized (0.5 and 6 μm) polystyrene microbeads in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana, and examined molecular responses to exposure to microbeads with in vivo endpoints such as growth rate and fecundity. Also, we proposed an adverse outcome pathway for microplastic exposure that covers molecular and individual levels. This study provides the first insight into the mode of action in terms of microplastic-induced oxidative stress and related signaling pathways in P. nana.

Self-focused and other-focused resiliency: Plausible mechanisms linking early family adversity to health problems in college women.

PubMed

Coleman, Sulamunn R M; Zawadzki, Matthew J; Heron, Kristin E; Vartanian, Lenny R; Smyth, Joshua M

2016-01-01

This study examined whether self-focused and other-focused resiliency help explain how early family adversity relates to perceived stress, subjective health, and health behaviors in college women. Female students (N = 795) participated between October 2009 and May 2010. Participants completed self-report measures of early family adversity, self-focused (self-esteem, personal growth initiative) and other-focused (perceived social support, gratitude) resiliency, stress, subjective health, and health behaviors. Using structural equation modeling, self-focused resiliency associated with less stress, better subjective health, more sleep, less smoking, and less weekend alcohol consumption. Other-focused resiliency associated with more exercise, greater stress, and more weekend alcohol consumption. Early family adversity was indirectly related to all health outcomes, except smoking, via self-focused and other-focused resiliency. Self-focused and other-focused resiliency represent plausible mechanisms through which early family adversity relates to stress and health in college women. This highlights areas for future research in disease prevention and management.

A Growth Curve Analysis of the Course of Dysthymic Disorder: The Effects of Chronic Stress and Moderation by Adverse Parent-Child Relationships and Family History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dougherty, Lea R.; Klein, Daniel N.; Davila, Joanne

2004-01-01

Using mixed effects models, the authors examined the effects of chronic stress, adverse parent-child relationships, and family history on the 7.5-year course of dysthymic disorder. Participants included 97 outpatients with early-onset dysthymia who were assessed with semistructured interviews at baseline and 3 additional times at 30-month…

Impacts of making sense of adversity on depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and posttraumatic growth among a sample of mainly newly diagnosed HIV-positive Chinese young homosexual men: the mediating role of resilience.

PubMed

Yu, Nancy Xiaonan; Chen, Lihua; Ye, Zhi; Li, Xiaoming; Lin, Danhua

2017-01-01

The experience of HIV, as a life-transforming event, might produce both negative and positive outcomes. Guided by the stress appraisal model, the present study investigated the hypothesized pathways in predicting symptomatology and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a sample of Chinese male patients with HIV (PHIV) who were mainly newly diagnosed, young, and homosexual. In this cross-sectional study, 141 Chinese male PHIV (87.2% of them were homosexual) completed measures of making negative/positive sense of adversity, resilience, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and PTG. The path analysis results showed that making negative sense of adversity was associated with depression and PTSD, partially mediated by low levels of resilience, whereas making positive sense of adversity was associated with PTG, partially mediated by resilience. The results suggest that negative and positive outcomes of trauma are impacted by making negative and positive sense of adversity, respectively, via two separate pathways, both mediated by resilience. Our findings contribute to an understanding of the cognitive process of symptomatology and PTG in the HIV context. Theoretical considerations, clinical implications, and future directions are discussed.

Psychosocial work stress during pregnancy and birthweight.

PubMed

Lee, Bo-Eun; Ha, Mina; Park, Hyesook; Hong, Yun-Chul; Kim, Yangho; Kim, Young Ju; Ha, Eun-Hee

2011-05-01

Although there is a growing interest in the health effects of psychosocial work stress, studies on the relationships between job stress and adverse reproductive outcome are limited. We, therefore, investigated the associations between prenatal maternal occupational stress and birthweight using 310 mother-infant pairs included in the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study. Information on job stress was collected by interviewing women at enrollment during the first trimester of pregnancy using standardised questionnaires, namely, the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) of job strain and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaires. Regression analyses were carried out. Decision latitude scores of the JCQ were found to be positively related to birthweight, while ERI ratios determined using the ERI model were found to be inversely related to gestational age. In addition, a passive job as defined by the job strain model was found to be associated with a lower birthweight, compared with a relaxed job. These results suggest that work-related psychosocial stress in pregnant women appears to affect birth outcomes, such as birthweight and gestational age. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEAT AND COLD STRESS ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO ORGANOPHOSPHATES AND OTHER TOXICANTS.

EPA Science Inventory

Most toxicological and pharmacological studies are performed in laboratory rodents maintained under comfortable environmental conditions. However, exposure to toxicants as well as some drugs can occur under stressful conditions during rest or while exercising. Heat stress can exa...

Cumulative stress and autonomic dysregulation in a community sample.

PubMed

Lampert, Rachel; Tuit, Keri; Hong, Kwang-Ik; Donovan, Theresa; Lee, Forrester; Sinha, Rajita

2016-05-01

Whether cumulative stress, including both chronic stress and adverse life events, is associated with decreased heart rate variability (HRV), a non-invasive measure of autonomic status which predicts poor cardiovascular outcomes, is unknown. Healthy community dwelling volunteers (N = 157, mean age 29 years) participated in the Cumulative Stress/Adversity Interview (CAI), a 140-item event interview measuring cumulative adversity including major life events, life trauma, recent life events and chronic stressors, and underwent 24-h ambulatory ECG monitoring. HRV was analyzed in the frequency domain and standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) calculated. Initial simple regression analyses revealed that total cumulative stress score, chronic stressors and cumulative adverse life events (CALE) were all inversely associated with ultra low-frequency (ULF), very low-frequency (VLF) and low-frequency (LF) power and SDNN (all p < 0.05). In hierarchical regression analyses, total cumulative stress and chronic stress each was significantly associated with SDNN and ULF even after the highly significant contributions of age and sex, with no other covariates accounting for additional appreciable variance. For VLF and LF, both total cumulative stress and chronic stress significantly contributed to the variance alone but were not longer significant after adjusting for race and health behaviors. In summary, total cumulative stress, and its components of adverse life events and chronic stress were associated with decreased cardiac autonomic function as measured by HRV. Findings suggest one potential mechanism by which stress may exert adverse effects on mortality in healthy individuals. Primary preventive strategies including stress management may prove beneficial.

Cumulative stress and autonomic dysregulation in a community sample

PubMed Central

Lampert, Rachel; Tuit, Keri; Hong, Kwang-ik; Donovan, Theresa; Lee, Forrester; Sinha, Rajita

2016-01-01

Whether cumulative stress, including both chronic stress and adverse life events, is associated with decreased heart rate variability (HRV), a non-invasive measure of autonomic status which predicts poor cardiovascular outcomes, is unknown. Healthy community dwelling volunteers, (N= 157, mean age 29 years) participated in the Cumulative Stress/Adversity Interview, (CAI) a 140-item event interview measuring cumulative adversity including major life events, life trauma, recent life events and chronic stressors, and underwent 24 hour ambulatory ECG monitoring. HRV was analyzed in the frequency domain and standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) calculated. Initial simple regression analyses revealed that total cumulative stress score, chronic stressors, and cumulative adverse life events (CALE) were all inversely associated with ultra low frequency (ULF), very low frequency (VLF), and low frequency (LF) power and SDNN (all p<0.05). In hierarchical regression analyses, total cumulative stress and chronic stress each was significantly associated with SDNN and ULF even after the high significant contribution of age and sex, with no other covariates accounting for additional appreciable variance. For VLF and LF, both total cumulative stress and chronic stress significantly contributed to the variance were no longer significant after adjusting for race and health behaviors. (p’s<.05). In summary, total cumulative stress, and its components of adverse life events and chronic stress were associated with decreased cardiac autonomic function as measured by HRV. Findings suggest one potential mechanism by which stress may exert adverse effects on mortality in healthy individuals. Primary preventive strategies including stress management may prove beneficial. PMID:27112063

The University of California Institute of Environmental Stress Marathon Field Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maron, Michael B.

2014-01-01

In 1973, the Institute of Environmental Stress of the University of California-Santa Barbara, under the direction of Steven M. Horvath, began a series of field and laboratory studies of marathon runners during competition. As one of Horvath's graduate students, many of these studies became part of my doctoral dissertation. The rationale for…

Ecological comparison of cellular stress responses among populations – normalizing RT-qPCR values to investigate differential environmental adaptations

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Rising temperatures and other environmental factors influenced by global climate change can cause increased physiological stress for many species and lead to range shifts or regional population extinctions. To advance the understanding of species’ response to change and establish links between individual and ecosystem adaptations, physiological reactions have to be compared between populations living in different environments. Although changes in expression of stress genes are relatively easy to quantify, methods for reliable comparison of the data remain a contentious issue. Using normalization algorithms and further methodological considerations, we compare cellular stress response gene expression levels measured by RT-qPCR after air exposure experiments among different subpopulations of three species of the intertidal limpet Nacella. Results Reference gene assessment algorithms reveal that stable reference genes can differ among investigated populations and / or treatment groups. Normalized expression values point to differential defense strategies to air exposure in the investigated populations, which either employ a pronounced cellular stress response in the inducible Hsp70 forms, or exhibit a comparatively high constitutive expression of Hsps (heat shock proteins) while showing only little response in terms of Hsp induction. Conclusions This study serves as a case study to explore the methodological prerequisites of physiological stress response comparisons among ecologically and phylogenetically different organisms. To improve the reliability of gene expression data and compare the stress responses of subpopulations under potential genetic divergence, reference gene stability algorithms are valuable and necessary tools. As the Hsp70 isoforms have been shown to play different roles in the acute stress responses and increased constitutive defenses of populations in their different habitats, these comparative studies can yield insight into

Accelerating Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) development via computationally predicted AOP networks

EPA Science Inventory

The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework is increasingly being adopted as a tool for organizing and summarizing the mechanistic information connecting molecular perturbations by environmental stressors with adverse outcomes relevant for ecological and human health outcomes. Ho...

Environmental design, work, and well being: managing occupational stress through changes in the workplace environment.

PubMed

Heerwagen, J H; Heubach, J G; Montgomery, J; Weimer, W C

1995-09-01

The physical environment can be an important contributor to occupational stress. Factors that contribute to stress and other negative outcomes include: lack of control over the environment, distractions from coworkers, lack of privacy, noise, crowding, and environmental deprivations (such as lack of windows and aesthetic impoverishment). The design of "salutogenic" environments requires not only the elimination of negative stress inducing features, but also the addition of environmental enhancements, including such factors as increased personal control, contact with nature and daylight, aesthetically pleasing spaces, and spaces for relaxation alone or with others. Salutogenic environments also take into consideration positive psychosocial "fit," as well as functional fit between people and environments. At the heart of the current interest in the work environment are two major concerns: organizational productivity and employee well being.

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase prevents oxidative stress induced by UV and thermal stresses in corals and human cells.

PubMed

Courtial, Lucile; Picco, Vincent; Grover, Renaud; Cormerais, Yann; Rottier, Cécile; Labbe, Antoine; Pagès, Gilles; Ferrier-Pagès, Christine

2017-04-04

Coral reefs are of major ecological and socio-economic interest. They are threatened by global warming and natural pressures such as solar ultraviolet radiation. While great efforts have been made to understand the physiological response of corals to these stresses, the signalling pathways involved in the immediate cellular response exhibited by corals remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation is involved in the early response of corals to thermal and UV stress. Furthermore, we found that JNK activity is required to repress stress-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in both the coral Stylophora pistillata and human skin cells. We also show that inhibiting JNK activation under stress conditions leads to ROS accumulation, subsequent coral bleaching and cell death. Taken together, our results suggest that an ancestral response, involving the JNK pathway, is remarkably conserved from corals to human, protecting cells from the adverse environmental effects.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Young Adult Health Outcomes among Youth Aging Out of Foster Care.

PubMed

Rebbe, Rebecca; Nurius, Paula S; Courtney, Mark E; Ahrens, Kym R

2018-04-27

Former youth in foster care (YFC) are at greater risk of chronic health conditions than their peers. Although research in general population samples has demonstrated a dose-response relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult health outcomes, few studies have conducted similar analyses in highly stress-exposed populations such as YFC. This paper uses person-centered latent class analysis (LCA) methods to examine the relationship between different profiles of ACE exposures and divergent health trajectories amongst this high-risk population. Data are from longitudinal research that followed transition-age YFC from age 17-26 (N =732). Using three subgroups previously identified by their ACEs histories, Complex, Environmental, and Lower Adversity groups, we applied group mean statistics to test for differences between the groups for physical and sexual health outcomes in young adulthood. In contrast to prior research demonstrating that the Environmental group was at the highest risk of criminal behavior outcomes, for most of the physical and sexual health risk outcomes evaluated in this paper, the Complex Adversity group had the highest risk. This study demonstrates that there are subgroups of YFC which each have a distinct profile of risk in young adulthood, with the Complex group being at highest risk of the physical and sexual health risk outcomes evaluated. Findings strongly suggest the need for targeted strategies to promote screening for ACEs and chronic health conditions, linkage to adult healthcare, and continuity of care for adolescents and young adults in foster care to offset these trajectories. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Polygenic interactions with environmental adversity in the aetiology of major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Mullins, N; Power, R A; Fisher, H L; Hanscombe, K B; Euesden, J; Iniesta, R; Levinson, D F; Weissman, M M; Potash, J B; Shi, J; Uher, R; Cohen-Woods, S; Rivera, M; Jones, L; Jones, I; Craddock, N; Owen, M J; Korszun, A; Craig, I W; Farmer, A E; McGuffin, P; Breen, G; Lewis, C M

2016-03-01

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and disabling condition with well-established heritability and environmental risk factors. Gene-environment interaction studies in MDD have typically investigated candidate genes, though the disorder is known to be highly polygenic. This study aims to test for interaction between polygenic risk and stressful life events (SLEs) or childhood trauma (CT) in the aetiology of MDD. The RADIANT UK sample consists of 1605 MDD cases and 1064 controls with SLE data, and a subset of 240 cases and 272 controls with CT data. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were constructed using results from a mega-analysis on MDD by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. PRS and environmental factors were tested for association with case/control status and for interaction between them. PRS significantly predicted depression, explaining 1.1% of variance in phenotype (p = 1.9 × 10(-6)). SLEs and CT were also associated with MDD status (p = 2.19 × 10(-4) and p = 5.12 × 10(-20), respectively). No interactions were found between PRS and SLEs. Significant PRSxCT interactions were found (p = 0.002), but showed an inverse association with MDD status, as cases who experienced more severe CT tended to have a lower PRS than other cases or controls. This relationship between PRS and CT was not observed in independent replication samples. CT is a strong risk factor for MDD but may have greater effect in individuals with lower genetic liability for the disorder. Including environmental risk along with genetics is important in studying the aetiology of MDD and PRS provide a useful approach to investigating gene-environment interactions in complex traits.

Childhood adversity and insomnia in adolescence.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Raffeld, Miriam R; Slopen, Natalie; Hale, Lauren; Dunn, Erin C

2016-05-01

The study aims to evaluate the association between exposure to childhood adversity and insomnia, with an emphasis on the role of adversity type, timing, and accumulation (i.e., the number of specific types of adversities the child reported being exposed to). Our analytic sample comprised 9582 adolescents from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), a nationally representative population-based sample. We examined the association between 18 different types of retrospectively reported adversities (capturing interpersonal violence, accidents and injuries, social network or witnessing events, and other adverse events) and risk of self-reported past-year insomnia. We also examined whether the age at first exposure to adversity was associated with the risk of insomnia, and whether exposure to a greater number of different types of adversities (ie, accumulation) conferred an elevated risk of insomnia. In addition, we performed a sensitivity analysis excluding adolescents with a past-year diagnosis of major depression, dysthymia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or generalized anxiety disorder. Almost one-third of adolescents reported insomnia, with a higher prevalence among girls and those from racial/ethnic minority groups. Adolescents exposed to at least one childhood adversity of any type (59.41%) were more likely than their nonexposed peers to experience insomnia (across adversities, prevalence ratios (PRs) ranged from 1.31 to 1.89). Risk of insomnia differed based on the age at first exposure to adversity as well as the type of adversity. Adolescents exposed to a greater number of different types of adversities had a higher risk of insomnia compared to those experiencing fewer adversities. These results were similar, by and large, to those obtained after excluding adolescents with at least one of the four past-year psychiatric disorders. Exposure to adversity confers an elevated risk of insomnia. This association varied by type

Early-life adversity-induced long-term epigenetic programming associated with early onset of chronic physical aggression: Studies in humans and animals.

PubMed

Chistiakov, Dimitry A; Chekhonin, Vladimir P

2017-06-05

To examine whether chronic physical aggression (CPA) in adulthood can be epigenetically programmed early in life due to exposure to early-life adversity. Literature search of public databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus. Children/adolescents susceptible for CPA and exposed to early-life abuse fail to efficiently cope with stress that in turn results in the development of CPA later in life. This phenomenon was observed in humans and animal models of aggression. The susceptibility to aggression is a complex trait that is regulated by the interaction between environmental and genetic factors. Epigenetic mechanisms mediate this interaction. Subjects exposed to stress early in life exhibited long-term epigenetic programming that can influence their behaviour in adulthood. This programming affects expression of many genes not only in the brain but also in other systems such as neuroendocrine and immune. The propensity to adult CPA behaviour in subjects experienced to early-life adversity is mediated by epigenetic programming that involves long-term systemic epigenetic alterations in a whole genome.

Role of chromatin in water stress responses in plants

PubMed Central

Han, Soon-Ki; Wagner, Doris

2014-01-01

As sessile organisms, plants are exposed to environmental stresses throughout their life. They have developed survival strategies such as developmental and morphological adaptations, as well as physiological responses, to protect themselves from adverse environments. In addition, stress sensing triggers large-scale transcriptional reprogramming directed at minimizing the deleterious effect of water stress on plant cells. Here, we review recent findings that reveal a role of chromatin in water stress responses. In addition, we discuss data in support of the idea that chromatin remodelling and modifying enzymes may be direct targets of stress signalling pathways. Modulation of chromatin regulator activity by these signaling pathways may be critical in minimizing potential trade-offs between growth and stress responses. Alterations in the chromatin organization and/or in the activity of chromatin remodelling and modifying enzymes may furthermore contribute to stress memory. Mechanistic insight into these phenomena derived from studies in model plant systems should allow future engineering of broadly drought-tolerant crop plants that do not incur unnecessary losses in yield or growth. PMID:24302754

Tolerance of pentose utilising yeast to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress.

PubMed

Spencer, Jennifer; Phister, Trevor G; Smart, Katherine A; Greetham, Darren

2014-03-17

Bioethanol fermentations follow traditional beverage fermentations where the yeast is exposed to adverse conditions such as oxidative stress. Lignocellulosic bioethanol fermentations involve the conversion of pentose and hexose sugars into ethanol. Environmental stress conditions such as osmotic stress and ethanol stress may affect the fermentation performance; however, oxidative stress as a consequence of metabolic output can also occur. However, the effect of oxidative stress on yeast with pentose utilising capabilities has yet to be investigated. Assaying for the effect of hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress on Candida, Pichia and Scheffersomyces spp. has demonstrated that these yeast tolerate hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in a manner consistent with that demonstrated by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pichia guillermondii appears to be more tolerant to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress when compared to Candida shehatae, Candida succiphila or Scheffersomyces stipitis. Sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress increased in the presence of minimal media; however, addition of amino acids and nucleobases was observed to increase tolerance. In particular adenine increased tolerance and methionine reduced tolerance to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress.

Tolerance of pentose utilising yeast to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Bioethanol fermentations follow traditional beverage fermentations where the yeast is exposed to adverse conditions such as oxidative stress. Lignocellulosic bioethanol fermentations involve the conversion of pentose and hexose sugars into ethanol. Environmental stress conditions such as osmotic stress and ethanol stress may affect the fermentation performance; however, oxidative stress as a consequence of metabolic output can also occur. However, the effect of oxidative stress on yeast with pentose utilising capabilities has yet to be investigated. Results Assaying for the effect of hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress on Candida, Pichia and Scheffersomyces spp. has demonstrated that these yeast tolerate hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in a manner consistent with that demonstrated by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pichia guillermondii appears to be more tolerant to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress when compared to Candida shehatae, Candida succiphila or Scheffersomyces stipitis. Conclusions Sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress increased in the presence of minimal media; however, addition of amino acids and nucleobases was observed to increase tolerance. In particular adenine increased tolerance and methionine reduced tolerance to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress. PMID:24636079

Effects of environmental noise exposure on DNA methylation in the brain and metabolic health.

PubMed

Guo, Liqiong; Li, Peng-Hui; Li, Hua; Colicino, Elena; Colicino, Silvia; Wen, Yi; Zhang, Ruiping; Feng, Xiaotian; Barrow, Timothy M; Cayir, Akin; Baccarelli, Andrea A; Byun, Hyang-Min

2017-02-01

Environmental noise exposure is associated with adverse effects on human health including hearing loss, heart disease, and changes in stress-related hormone levels. Alteration in DNA methylation in response to environmental exposures is a well-known phenomenon and it is implicated in many human diseases. Understanding how environmental noise exposures affect DNA methylation patterns may help to elucidate the link between noise and adverse effects on health. In this pilot study we examined the effects of environmental noise exposure on DNA methylation of genes related to brain function and investigated whether these changes are related with metabolic health. We exposed four groups of male Wistar rats to moderate intensity noise (70-75dB with 20-4000Hz) at night for three days as short-term exposure, and for three weeks as long-term exposure. Noise exposure was limited to 45dB during the daytime. Control groups were exposed to only 45dB, day and night. We measured DNA methylation in the Bdnf, Comt, Crhr1, Mc2r, and Snca genes in tissue from four brain regions of the rats (hippocampus, frontal lobe, medulla oblongata, and inferior colliculus). Further, we measured blood pressure and body weight after long-term noise exposure. We found that environmental noise exposure is associated with gene-specific DNA methylation changes in specific regions of the brain. Changes in DNA methylation are significantly associated with changes in body weight (between Bdnf DNA methylation and Δ body weight: r=0.59, p=0.018; and between LINE-1 ORF DNA methylation and Δ body weight: =-0.80, p=0.0004). We also observed that noise exposure decreased blood pressure (p=0.038 for SBP, p=0.017 for DBP and p 0. 017 for MAP) and decreased body weight (β=-26g, p=0.008). In conclusion, environmental noise exposures can induce changes in DNA methylation in the brain, which may be associated with adverse effects upon metabolic health through modulation of response to stress-related hormones

The Neurobiology of Intervention and Prevention in Early Adversity.

PubMed

Fisher, Philip A; Beauchamp, Kate G; Roos, Leslie E; Noll, Laura K; Flannery, Jessica; Delker, Brianna C

2016-01-01

Early adverse experiences are well understood to affect development and well-being, placing individuals at risk for negative physical and mental health outcomes. A growing literature documents the effects of adversity on developing neurobiological systems. Fewer studies have examined stress neurobiology to understand how to mitigate the effects of early adversity. This review summarizes the research on three neurobiological systems relevant to interventions for populations experiencing high levels of early adversity: the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis, the prefrontal cortex regions involved in executive functioning, and the system involved in threat detection and response, particularly the amygdala. Also discussed is the emerging field of epigenetics and related interventions to mitigate early adversity. Further emphasized is the need for intervention research to integrate knowledge about the neurobiological effects of prenatal stressors (e.g., drug use, alcohol exposure) and early adversity. The review concludes with a discussion of the implications of this research topic for clinical psychology practice and public policy.

Remote in vivo stress assessment of aquatic animals with microencapsulated biomarkers for environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurkov, Anton; Shchapova, Ekaterina; Bedulina, Daria; Baduev, Boris; Borvinskaya, Ekaterina; Meglinski, Igor; Timofeyev, Maxim

2016-11-01

Remote in vivo scanning of physiological parameters is a major trend in the development of new tools for the fields of medicine and animal physiology. For this purpose, a variety of implantable optical micro- and nanosensors have been designed for potential medical applications. At the same time, the important area of environmental sciences has been neglected in the development of techniques for remote physiological measurements. In the field of environmental monitoring and related research, there is a constant demand for new effective and quick techniques for the stress assessment of aquatic animals, and the development of proper methods for remote physiological measurements in vivo may significantly increase the precision and throughput of analyses in this field. In the present study, we apply pH-sensitive microencapsulated biomarkers to remotely monitor the pH of haemolymph in vivo in endemic amphipods from Lake Baikal, and we compare the suitability of this technique for stress assessment with that of common biochemical methods. For the first time, we demonstrate the possibility of remotely detecting a change in a physiological parameter in an aquatic organism under ecologically relevant stressful conditions and show the applicability of techniques using microencapsulated biomarkers for remote physiological measurements in environmental monitoring.

Neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent stress reactivity

PubMed Central

Hackman, Daniel A.; Betancourt, Laura M.; Brodsky, Nancy L.; Hurt, Hallam; Farah, Martha J.

2012-01-01

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher levels of life stress, which in turn affect stress physiology. SES is related to basal cortisol and diurnal change, but it is not clear if SES is associated with cortisol reactivity to stress. To address this question, we examined the relationship between two indices of SES, parental education and concentrated neighborhood disadvantage, and the cortisol reactivity of African–American adolescents to a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). We found that concentrated disadvantage was associated with cortisol reactivity and this relationship was moderated by gender, such that higher concentrated disadvantage predicted higher cortisol reactivity and steeper recovery in boys but not in girls. Parental education, alone or as moderated by gender, did not predict reactivity or recovery, while neither education nor concentrated disadvantage predicted estimates of baseline cortisol. This finding is consistent with animal literature showing differential vulnerability, by gender, to the effects of adverse early experience on stress regulation and the differential effects of neighborhood disadvantage in adolescent males and females. This suggests that the mechanisms underlying SES differences in brain development and particularly reactivity to environmental stressors may vary across genders. PMID:23091454

The Public Health Burden of Early Adversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlueter, Lisa J.; Watamura, Sarah Enos

2017-01-01

Severe and chronic stress in early childhood has enormous physical and mental health costs across an individual's lifespan. Unfortunately, exposure to early life adversity is common, and costs accrue to individuals and society. This article highlights several promising approaches to buffer children from the negative health consequences associated…

Adverse childhood event experiences, fertility difficulties and menstrual cycle characteristics.

PubMed

Jacobs, Marni B; Boynton-Jarrett, Renee D; Harville, Emily W

2015-01-01

Increased childhood adversity may be affect adult fertility, however, the mechanism through which this occurs is unclear. Menstrual cycle abnormalities are predictive of fertility difficulties, and stress influences menstrual cycle characteristics. Here, we assess whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with fertility difficulties and menstrual cycle dysregulation, offering a plausible mechanism for the link between lifetime stress and fertility. From April 2012 to February 2014, 742 pregnant and non-pregnant women aged 18-45 years residing in southeastern Louisiana provided information on childhood adversity and reproductive history. Associations between ACEs and fertility difficulties and menstrual cycle patterns were evaluated. As the number of ACEs increased, risk of fertility difficulties and amenorrhea increased (RR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.05-1.13 and RR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10, respectively), while fecundability decreased [fecundability ratio (FR) = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-1.00]. Compared to women with no adversity, women in the high adversity group were more likely to experience both infertility and amenorrhea (RR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.45-5.21 and RR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.52-4.25, respectively), and reduced fecundability (FR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.56-1.00). Although similar patterns were seen for menstrual cycle irregularity, associations were diminished. Associations did not materially change following adjustment for age, body mass index, race, education, smoking and income. Results are constrained by the self-report nature of the study and the limited generalizability of the study population. To our knowledge, this is the first study to present evidence of a link between childhood stressors, menstrual cycle disruption and fertility difficulties. The effect of childhood stress on fertility may be mediated through altered functioning of the HPA axis, acting to suppress fertility in response to less than optimal reproductive circumstances.

Analysis of Stress-Responsive Gene Expression in Cultivated and Weedy Rice Differing in Cold Stress Tolerance

PubMed Central

Pereira, Andy; Tseng, Te-Ming; Zimmer, Paulo Dejalma; Burgos, Nilda Roma

2015-01-01

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars show impairment of growth in response to environmental stresses such as cold at the early seedling stage. Locally adapted weedy rice is able to survive under adverse environmental conditions, and can emerge in fields from greater soil depth. Cold-tolerant weedy rice can be a good genetic source for developing cold-tolerant, weed-competitive rice cultivars. An in-depth analysis is presented here of diverse indica and japonica rice genotypes, mostly weedy rice, for cold stress response to provide an understanding of different stress adaptive mechanisms towards improvement of the rice crop performance in the field. We have tested a collection of weedy rice genotypes to: 1) classify the subspecies (ssp.) grouping (japonica or indica) of 21 accessions; 2) evaluate their sensitivity to cold stress; and 3) analyze the expression of stress-responsive genes under cold stress and a combination of cold and depth stress. Seeds were germinated at 25°C at 1.5- and 10-cm sowing depth for 10d. Seedlings were then exposed to cold stress at 10°C for 6, 24 and 96h, and the expression of cold-, anoxia-, and submergence-inducible genes was analyzed. Control plants were seeded at 1.5cm depth and kept at 25°C. The analysis revealed that cold stress signaling in indica genotypes is more complex than that of japonica as it operates via both the CBF-dependent and CBF-independent pathways, implicated through induction of transcription factors including OsNAC2, OsMYB46 and OsF-BOX28. When plants were exposed to cold + sowing depth stress, a complex signaling network was induced that involved cross talk between stresses mediated by CBF-dependent and CBF-independent pathways to circumvent the detrimental effects of stresses. The experiments revealed the importance of the CBF regulon for tolerance to both stresses in japonica and indica ssp. The mechanisms for cold tolerance differed among weedy indica genotypes and also between weedy indica and cultivated

Effects of IL1B single nucleotide polymorphisms on depressive and anxiety symptoms are determined by severity and type of life stress.

PubMed

Kovacs, David; Eszlari, Nora; Petschner, Peter; Pap, Dorottya; Vas, Szilvia; Kovacs, Peter; Gonda, Xenia; Juhasz, Gabriella; Bagdy, Gyorgy

2016-08-01

Interleukin-1β is one of the main mediators in the cross-talk between the immune system and the central nervous system. Higher interleukin-1β levels are found in mood spectrum disorders, and the stress-induced expression rate of the interleukin-1β gene (IL1B) is altered by polymorphisms in the region. Therefore we examined the effects of rs16944 and rs1143643 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the IL1B gene on depressive and anxiety symptoms, as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory, in a Hungarian population sample of 1053 persons. Distal and proximal environmental stress factors were also included in our analysis, namely childhood adversity and recent negative life-events. We found that rs16944 minor (A) allele specifically interacted with childhood adversity increasing depressive and anxiety symptoms, while rs1143643's minor (A) allele showed protective effect against depressive symptoms after recent life stress. The genetic main effects of the two SNPs were not significant in the main analysis, but the interaction effects remained significant after correction for multiple testing. In addition, the effect of rs16944 A allele was reversed in a subsample with low-exposure to life stress, suggesting a protective effect against depressive symptoms, in the post hoc analysis. In summary, both of the two IL1B SNPs showed specific environmental stressor-dependent effects on mood disorder symptoms. We also demonstrated that the presence of exposure to childhood adversity changed the direction of the rs16944 effect on depression phenotype. Therefore our results suggest that it is advisable to include environmental factors in genetic association studies when examining the effect of the IL1B gene. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome-Wide Identification of the PHD-Finger Family Genes and Their Responses to Environmental Stresses in Oryza sativa L.

PubMed Central

Sun, Mingzhe; Yang, Junkai; Cui, Na; Zhu, Yanming

2017-01-01

The PHD-finger family has been demonstrated to be involved in regulating plant growth and development. However, little information is given for its role in environmental stress responses. Here, we identified a total of 59 PHD family genes in the rice genome. These OsPHDs genes were located on eleven chromosomes and synteny analysis only revealed nine duplicated pairs within the rice PHD family. Phylogenetic analysis of all OsPHDs and PHDs from other species revealed that they could be grouped into two major clusters. Furthermore, OsPHDs were clustered into eight groups and members from different groups displayed a great divergence in terms of gene structure, functional domains and conserved motifs. We also found that with the exception of OsPHD6, all OsPHDs were expressed in at least one of the ten tested tissues and OsPHDs from certain groups were expressed in specific tissues. Moreover, our results also uncovered differential responses of OsPHDs expression to environmental stresses, including ABA (abscisic acid), water deficit, cold and high Cd. By using quantitative real-time PCR, we further confirmed the differential expression of OsPHDs under these stresses. OsPHD1/7/8/13/33 were differentially expressed under water deficit and Cd stresses, while OsPHD5/17 showed altered expression under water deficit and cold stresses. Moreover, OsPHD3/44/28 displayed differential expression under ABA and Cd stresses. In conclusion, our results provide valuable information on the rice PHD family in plant responses to environmental stress, which will be helpful for further characterizing their biological roles in responding to environmental stresses.

Contribution of early environmental stress to alcoholism vulnerability.

PubMed

Campbell, Joannalee C; Szumlinski, Karen K; Kippin, Tod E

2009-11-01

The most problematic aspects of alcohol abuse disorder are excessive alcohol consumption and the inability to refrain from alcohol consumption during attempted abstinence. The root causes that predispose certain individuals to these problems are poorly understood but are believed to be produced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Early environmental trauma alters neurodevelopmental trajectories that can predispose an individual to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance abuse. Prenatal stress (PNS) is a well-established protocol that produces perturbations in nervous system development, resulting in behavioral alterations that include hyperresponsiveness to stress, novelty, and psychomotor stimulant drugs (e.g., cocaine, amphetamine). Moreover, PNS animals exhibit enduring alterations in basal and cocaine-induced changes in dopamine and glutamate transmission within limbic structures, which exhibit pathology in drug addiction and alcoholism, suggesting that these alterations may contribute to an increased propensity to self-administer large amounts of drugs of abuse or to relapse after periods of drug withdrawal. Given that cocaine and alcohol have actions on common limbic neural substrates (albeit by different mechanisms), we hypothesized that PNS would elevate the motivation for, and consumption of, alcohol. Accordingly, we have found that male C57BL/6J mice subject to PNS exhibit higher operant responding and consume more alcohol during alcohol reinforcement as adults. Alterations in glutamate and dopamine neurotransmission within the forebrain structures appear to contribute to the PNS-induced predisposition to high alcohol intake and are induced by excessive alcohol intake. Accordingly, we are exploring the interactions between neurochemical changes produced by PNS and changes induced by consumption of alcohol in adulthood to model the biological bases of high vulnerability to alcohol abuse.

Contribution of early environmental stress to alcoholism vulnerability

PubMed Central

Campbell, Joannalee C.; Szumlinski, Karen K.; Kippin, Tod E.

2011-01-01

The most problematic aspects of alcohol abuse disorder are excessive alcohol consumption and the inability to refrain from alcohol consumption during attempted abstinence. The root causes that predispose certain individuals to these problems are poorly understood but are believed to be produced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Early environmental trauma alters neurodevelopmental trajectories that can predispose an individual to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance abuse. Prenatal stress (PNS) is a well-established protocol that produces perturbations in nervous system development, resulting in behavioral alterations that include hyperresponsiveness to stress, novelty, and psychomotor stimulant drugs (e.g., cocaine, amphetamine). Moreover, PNS animals exhibit enduring alterations in basal and cocaine-induced changes in dopamine and glutamate transmission within limbic structures, which exhibit pathology in drug addiction and alcoholism, suggesting that these alterations may contribute to an increased propensity to self-administer large amounts of drugs of abuse or to relapse after periods of drug withdrawal. Given that cocaine and alcohol have actions on common limbic neural substrates (albeit by different mechanisms), we hypothesized that PNS would elevate the motivation for, and consumption of, alcohol. Accordingly, we have found that male C57BL/6J mice subject to PNS exhibit higher operant responding and consume more alcohol during alcohol reinforcement as adults. Alterations in glutamate and dopamine neurotransmission within the forebrain structures appear to contribute to the PNS-induced predisposition to high alcohol intake and are induced by excessive alcohol intake. Accordingly, we are exploring the interactions between neurochemical changes produced by PNS and changes induced by consumption of alcohol in adulthood to model the biological bases of high vulnerability to alcohol abuse. PMID:19913199

Infectious Disease risks associated with exposure to stressful environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meehan, Ichard T.; Smith, Morey; Sams, Clarence

1993-01-01

Multiple environmental factors asociated with space flight can increase the risk of infectious illness among crewmembers thereby adversely affecting crew health and mission success. Host defences can be impaired by multiple physiological and psychological stressors including: sleep deprivation, disrupted circadian rhythms, separation from family, perceived danger, radiation exposure, and possibly also by the direct and indirect effects of microgravity. Relevant human immunological data from isolated or stressful environments including spaceflight will be reviewed. Long-duration missions should include reliable hardware which supports sophisticated immunodiagnostic capabilities. Future advances in immunology and molecular biology will continue to provide therapeutic agents and biologic response modifiers which should effectively and selectively restore immune function which has been depressed by exposure to environmental stressors.

A Central Role of Abscisic Acid in Stress-Regulated Carbohydrate Metabolism

PubMed Central

Kempa, Stefan; Krasensky, Julia; Dal Santo, Silvia; Kopka, Joachim; Jonak, Claudia

2008-01-01

Background Abiotic stresses adversely affect plant growth and development. The hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a central role in the response and adaptation to environmental constraints. However, apart from the well established role of ABA in regulating gene expression programmes, little is known about its function in plant stress metabolism. Principal Findings Using an integrative multiparallel approach of metabolome and transcriptome analyses, we studied the dynamic response of the model glyophyte Arabidopsis thaliana to ABA and high salt conditions. Our work shows that salt stress induces complex re-adjustment of carbohydrate metabolism and that ABA triggers the initial steps of carbon mobilisation. Significance These findings open new perspectives on how high salinity and ABA impact on central carbohydrate metabolism and highlight the power of iterative combinatorial approaches of non-targeted and hypothesis-driven experiments in stress biology. PMID:19081841

Probiotics production and alternative encapsulation methodologies to improve their viabilities under adverse environmental conditions.

PubMed

Coghetto, Chaline Caren; Brinques, Graziela Brusch; Ayub, Marco Antônio Záchia

2016-12-01

Probiotic products are dietary supplements containing live microorganisms producing beneficial health effects on the host by improving intestinal balance and nutrient absorption. Among probiotic microorganisms, those classified as lactic acid bacteria are of major importance to the food and feed industries. Probiotic cells can be produced using alternative carbon and nitrogen sources, such as agroindustrial residues, at the same time contributing to reduce process costs. On the other hand, the survival of probiotic cells in formulated food products, as well as in the host gut, is an essential nutritional aspect concerning health benefits. Therefore, several cell microencapsulation techniques have been investigated as a way to improve cell viability and survival under adverse environmental conditions, such as the gastrointestinal milieu of hosts. In this review, different aspects of probiotic cells and technologies of their related products are discussed, including formulation of culture media, and aspects of cell microencapsulation techniques required to improve their survival in the host.

Descriptive epidemiology of chronic childhood adversity in Mexican adolescents.

PubMed

Benjet, Corina; Borges, Guilherme; Medina-Mora, María Elena; Zambrano, Joaquín; Cruz, Carlos; Méndez, Enrique

2009-11-01

To estimate the prevalence of adversity (neglect and abuse, parental loss, parental psychopathology, economic adversity, and serious physical illness), the interrelatedness of adversities, and their socio-demographic correlates. This is a multistage probability survey of 3005 adolescents aged 12-17 years residing in Mexico City. Youth were administered the computer-assisted adolescent version of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview in their homes. The childhood and posttraumatic stress disorder sections provided information regarding adversity. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed considering the multistage and weighted sample design. A total of 68% of adolescents have experienced at least one type of chronic childhood adversity, whereas almost 7% have experienced four of more. The most frequent adversity is economic adversity followed by witnessing domestic violence. Boys experience more neglect than girls, and girls experience more sexual abuse than boys. Family dysfunction adversities tend to clump together such that youth exposed to abuse of any form also report witnessing domestic violence and parental mental pathology. Youth whose parents have divorced are likely to experience economic adversity. Parental death is independent of experiencing other childhood adversities. Older adolescents, school drop-outs, those with young mothers, those with more siblings, and those whose parents have less education are more likely to experience adversity. Although most adolescents have experienced some adversity, a small group is exposed to many adversities. Understanding the distribution of adversities may help us to identify at-risk youth and to better interpret the findings from studies on the role of adversity in diverse health outcomes.

Meta-analysis of studies using suppression subtractive hybridization and microarrays to investigate the effects of environmental stress on gene transcription in oysters.

PubMed

Anderson, Kelli; Taylor, Daisy A; Thompson, Emma L; Melwani, Aroon R; Nair, Sham V; Raftos, David A

2015-01-01

Many microarray and suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) studies have analyzed the effects of environmental stress on gene transcription in marine species. However, there have been no unifying analyses of these data to identify common stress response pathways. To address this shortfall, we conducted a meta-analysis of 14 studies that investigated the effects of different environmental stressors on gene expression in oysters. The stressors tested included chemical contamination, hypoxia and infection, as well as extremes of temperature, pH and turbidity. We found that the expression of over 400 genes in a range of oyster species changed significantly after exposure to environmental stress. A repeating pattern was evident in these transcriptional responses, regardless of the type of stress applied. Many of the genes that responded to environmental stress encoded proteins involved in translation and protein processing (including molecular chaperones), the mitochondrial electron transport chain, anti-oxidant activity and the cytoskeleton. In light of these findings, we put forward a consensus model of sub-cellular stress responses in oysters.

Meta-Analysis of Studies Using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization and Microarrays to Investigate the Effects of Environmental Stress on Gene Transcription in Oysters

PubMed Central

Thompson, Emma L.; Melwani, Aroon R.; Nair, Sham V.; Raftos, David A.

2015-01-01

Many microarray and suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) studies have analyzed the effects of environmental stress on gene transcription in marine species. However, there have been no unifying analyses of these data to identify common stress response pathways. To address this shortfall, we conducted a meta-analysis of 14 studies that investigated the effects of different environmental stressors on gene expression in oysters. The stressors tested included chemical contamination, hypoxia and infection, as well as extremes of temperature, pH and turbidity. We found that the expression of over 400 genes in a range of oyster species changed significantly after exposure to environmental stress. A repeating pattern was evident in these transcriptional responses, regardless of the type of stress applied. Many of the genes that responded to environmental stress encoded proteins involved in translation and protein processing (including molecular chaperones), the mitochondrial electron transport chain, anti-oxidant activity and the cytoskeleton. In light of these findings, we put forward a consensus model of sub-cellular stress responses in oysters. PMID:25768438

Residual stresses and phase transformations in Ytterbium silicate environmental barrier coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolzenburg, Fabian

Due to their high melting temperature, low density, and good thermomechanical stability, silicon-based ceramics (SiC, Si3N4) are some of the most promising materials systems for high temperature structural applications in gas turbine engines. However, their silica surface layer reacts with water vapor contained in combustion environments. The resulting hydroxide layer volatilizes, leading to component recession. Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) have been developed to shield the substrate from degradation. Next generation coatings for silicon-based ceramics based on ytterbium silicates have shown a promising combination of very low and good thermomechanical properties. The focus of this thesis is threefold: In the first part, phase transformations in plasma sprayed ytterbium silicates were investigated. Plasma sprayed materials are known to contain large amounts of amorphous material. Phase changes during the conversion from amorphous to crystalline materials were investigated as they have been known to lead to failure in many coatings. The second part of this work focused on measuring residual stresses in multilayer EBCs using synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD). Strains were resolved spatially, with probe sizes as small as 20 um. Stresses were calculated using mechanical properties of ytterbium silicates, determined with in-situ loading and heating experiments. In-situ and ex-situ heating experiments allowed for the study of changes in stress states that occur in these EBC materials during heating and cooling cycles. Lastly, the interaction of ytterbium silicates with low-melting environmental calcium-magnesium-aluminosilicate (CMAS) glasses was studied. Synchrotron XRD was used to study the influence of CMAS on the stress state in the coating, X-ray computed tomography was used to provide 3D images of coatings, and EDS and TEM analysis were used to study the interactions at the CMAS/ytterbium silicate interface in detail.

Purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria monitor environmental stresses.

PubMed

Kis, Mariann; Sipka, Gábor; Asztalos, Emese; Rázga, Zsolt; Maróti, Péter

2015-10-01

Heavy metal ion pollution and oxygen deficiency are major environmental risks for microorganisms in aqueous habitat. The potential of purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria for biomonitoring and bioremediation was assessed by investigating the photosynthetic capacity in heavy metal contaminated environments. Cultures of bacterial strains Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rubrivivax gelatinosus were treated with heavy metal ions in micromolar (Hg(2+)), submillimolar (Cr(6+)) and millimolar (Pb(2+)) concentration ranges. Functional assays (flash-induced absorption changes and bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence induction) and electron micrographs were taken to specify the harmful effects of pollution and to correlate to morphological changes of the membrane. The bacterial strains and functional tests showed differentiated responses to environmental stresses, revealing that diverse mechanisms of tolerance and/or resistance are involved. The microorganisms were vulnerable to the prompt effect of Pb(2+), showed weak tolerance to Hg(2+) and proved to be tolerant to Cr(6+). The reaction center controlled electron transfer in Rvx. gelatinosus demonstrated the highest degree of resistance against heavy metal exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential mechanisms of development-dependent adverse effects of the herbicide paraquat in 3D rat brain cell cultures.

PubMed

Sandström, J; Broyer, A; Zoia, D; Schilt, C; Greggio, C; Fournier, M; Do, K Q; Monnet-Tschudi, F

2017-05-01

Exposure to environmental toxicants during vulnerable windows of brain development is suspected to raise the prevalence for neurological dysfunctions at later stages in life. Differentiation processes and changes in morphology, as well as a lack of physiological barriers, might be reasons that render a developing brain more susceptible to neurotoxicants than an adult. However, also the intrinsic capacity of cells to combat toxicant induced cellular stress might differ between the immature- and mature brain. In order to study whether this intrinsic protection capacity differs between immature and maturated brain cells we chose to study the maturation-dependent adverse effects of the known neurotoxicant Paraquat Dichloride (PQ) in 3D rat brain cell cultures. This in vitro system consists of the major brain cell types - neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia - and over the time in vitro cultured cells undergo differentiation and maturation into a tissue-like organization. PQ was applied repeatedly over ten days in the sub-micromolar range, and effects were evaluated on neurons and glial cells. We observed that despite a higher PQ-uptake in mature cultures, PQ-induced adverse effects on glutamatergic-, GABAergic- and dopaminergic neurons, as assessed by gene expression and enzymatic activity, were more pronounced in immature cultures. This was associated with a stronger astrogliosis in immature- as compared to mature cultures, as well as perturbations of the glutathione-mediated defense against oxidative stress. Furthermore we observed evidence of microglial activation only in mature cultures, whereas immature cultures appeared to down-regulate markers for neuroprotective M2-microglial phenotype upon PQ-exposure. Taken together our results indicate that immature brain cell cultures have less intrinsic capacity to cope with cellular stress elicited by PQ as compared to mature cells. This may render immature brain cells more susceptible to the adverse

Future Directions in Childhood Adversity and Youth Psychopathology.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Katie A

2016-01-01

Despite long-standing interest in the influence of adverse early experiences on mental health, systematic scientific inquiry into childhood adversity and developmental outcomes has emerged only recently. Existing research has amply demonstrated that exposure to childhood adversity is associated with elevated risk for multiple forms of youth psychopathology. In contrast, knowledge of developmental mechanisms linking childhood adversity to the onset of psychopathology-and whether those mechanisms are general or specific to particular kinds of adversity-remains cursory. Greater understanding of these pathways and identification of protective factors that buffer children from developmental disruptions following exposure to adversity is essential to guide the development of interventions to prevent the onset of psychopathology following adverse childhood experiences. This article provides recommendations for future research in this area. In particular, use of a consistent definition of childhood adversity, integration of studies of typical development with those focused on childhood adversity, and identification of distinct dimensions of environmental experience that differentially influence development are required to uncover mechanisms that explain how childhood adversity is associated with numerous psychopathology outcomes (i.e., multifinality) and identify moderators that shape divergent trajectories following adverse childhood experiences. A transdiagnostic model that highlights disruptions in emotional processing and poor executive functioning as key mechanisms linking childhood adversity with multiple forms of psychopathology is presented as a starting point in this endeavour. Distinguishing between general and specific mechanisms linking childhood adversity with psychopathology is needed to generate empirically informed interventions to prevent the long-term consequences of adverse early environments on children's development.

Environmental adversities and psychotic symptoms: The impact of timing of trauma, abuse, and neglect.

PubMed

Schalinski, Inga; Breinlinger, Susanne; Hirt, Vanessa; Teicher, Martin H; Odenwald, Michael; Rockstroh, Brigitte

2017-11-13

Trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) occur more often in mental illness, including psychosis, than in the general population. Individuals with psychosis (cases) report a higher number and severity (dose) of adversities than healthy controls. While a dose-dependent increase of adversities has been related to more severe psychopathology, the role of type and timing is still insufficiently understood on the exacerbation of positive and negative psychotic symptoms. Moreover, dissociative symptoms were examined as potential mediator between adversities and severity of psychotic symptoms. Exposure to adversities were assessed by interviews in n=180 cases and n=70 controls. In cases, symptom severities were obtained for psychotic symptoms and dissociation. Conditioned random forest regression determined the importance of type and timing of ACE for positive and negative symptom severity, and mediator analyses evaluated the role of dissociative symptoms in the relationship between adversities and psychotic symptoms. Cases experienced substantially more abuse and neglect than controls. Adversities were related in a dose-dependent manner to psychotic disorder. An array of adversities was associated with more severe positive symptoms, while the conditioned random forest regression depicted neglect at age 10 as the most important predictor. Dissociative symptoms mediated the small relation of trauma load in childhood and positive symptoms. The role of trauma and ACE on psychotic symptoms can be specified by neglect during frontocortical development in the exacerbation of positive symptoms. The mediating role of dissociation is restricted to the relation of childhood trauma and positive symptoms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Leveraging the biology of adversity to address the roots of disparities in health and development

PubMed Central

Shonkoff, Jack P.

2012-01-01

Extensive evidence that personal experiences and environmental exposures are embedded biologically (for better or for worse) and the cumulative knowledge of more than four decades of intervention research provide a promising opportunity to mobilize evolving scientific insights to catalyze a new era of more effective early childhood policy and practice. Drawing on emerging hypotheses about causal mechanisms that link early adversity with lifelong impairments in learning, behavior, and health, this paper proposes an enhanced theory of change to promote better outcomes for vulnerable, young children by strengthening caregiver and community capacities to reduce or mitigate the impacts of toxic stress, rather than simply providing developmental enrichment for the children and parenting education for their mothers. PMID:23045654

Outcome of dysthymic disorder at 5-year follow-up: the effect of familial psychopathology, early adversity, personality, comorbidity, and chronic stress.

PubMed

Hayden, E P; Klein, D N

2001-11-01

This study sought to identify predictors of course and outcome in dysthymic disorder. Eighty-six outpatients with early-onset dysthymic disorder (before age 21) participated in a prospective 5-year follow-up study. Family history of psychopathology, early home environment, axis I and II comorbidity, social support, and chronic stress were assessed at baseline. The Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used in the follow-up assessments conducted at 30 and 60 months. Comorbid anxiety disorder, cluster C and depressive personality features, and chronic stress were associated with a lower rate of recovery from dysthymic disorder, while family history of bipolar disorder was associated with a higher probability of recovery. Family history of dysthymic disorder, poor childhood maternal and paternal relationships, childhood sexual abuse, cluster C features, neuroticism, a history of anxiety and eating disorders, and chronic stress predicted higher levels of depression at follow-up. Multivariate models indicated that almost all domains contributed to the prediction of course and outcome. The course and outcome of dysthymic disorder is best conceptualized within a multifactorial framework, with family history of psychopathology, early adversity, axis I and II comorbidity, and chronic stress all making important contributions.

Effects of self-fertilization, environmental stress and exposure to xenobiotics on fitness-related traits of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis.

PubMed

Coutellec, Marie-Agnès; Lagadic, Laurent

2006-03-01

Genetic and ecological factors may interact in their effects on fitness. Such interactions are thus to be expected between inbreeding and exposure of a population to a toxicant. The magnitude of inbreeding depression is thought to increase in stressful environments. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the combined effects of environmental conditions and inbreeding on fitness in the self-fertile snail Lymnaea stagnalis, using a stress gradient (0-2) applied to a 100 isolated and paired lineages: laboratory control (0), outdoor microcosm control (1) and pesticide exposure under outdoor microcosm conditions (2). Outdoor stress conditions were maintained for 28 days prior to measurements of fitness traits (fecundity, hatching success, and size at hatching) under laboratory conditions, so that delayed environmental effects could be estimated. Under laboratory control conditions, we found significant initial family level heterogeneity for most measured traits, including physiological performances as assessed through energetic biomarkers. Whatever the environmental conditions, inbreeding depression was very low for progeny performances. Negative values of self-fertilization depression (SFD) were obtained. Unexpectedly, SFD showed a negative relationship with the assumed stress intensity, reflecting a higher sensitivity under pairing than under selfing, mostly due to parental fecundity. This suggests that stressful conditions may favour selfing. Stress intensity increased the distribution limits of both depression indices, suggesting that changes in fitness are less predictable in a population under stress. Implications of such findings for environmental risk assessment of pesticides are discussed.

Linking air pollution data and adverse birth outcomes: environmental public health tracking in New York State.

PubMed

Brown, Jessica M; Harris, Gerald; Pantea, Cristian; Hwang, Syni-An; Talbot, Thomas O

2015-01-01

Studies investigating associations between ambient air pollution and fetal growth and gestational duration have reported inconclusive findings. The study goal was to use the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to describe the association between exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone and term low birth weight (TLBW) in New York State. Birth data for the years 2001-2006 were linked to Census data and hierarchical Bayesian modeled air pollution data. Daily 8-hour maximums for ozone and daily average PM2.5 estimates were averaged by trimester and exposure quartiles. The Environmental Public Health Tracking Academic Center for Excellence at Rutgers University partnered with New York and several other states to create a statistical program that uses logistic regression to determine the association between air pollution exposure and TLBW. There were no consistent dose-response relationships between the pollutants and TLBW. Ozone exposure was associated with a higher risk of TLBW only in the first trimester, but these results were not statistically significant. Exposure to the third quartile of ozone for the full gestational period had negative associations with TLBW (odds ratio = 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.92). Collaboration within the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to share methods and data for research proved feasible and efficient in assessing the relationship of air pollutants to adverse birth outcomes. This study finds little evidence to support positive associations between exposure to ozone or PM2.5 and TLBW in New York State.

Cumulative burden of lifetime adversities: Trauma and mental health in low-SES African Americans and Latino/as.

PubMed

Myers, Hector F; Wyatt, Gail E; Ullman, Jodie B; Loeb, Tamra B; Chin, Dorothy; Prause, Nicole; Zhang, Muyu; Williams, John K; Slavich, George M; Liu, Honghu

2015-05-01

This study examined the utility of a lifetime cumulative adversities and trauma model in predicting the severity of mental health symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. We also tested whether ethnicity and gender moderate the effects of this stress exposure construct on mental health using multigroup structural equation modeling. A sample of 500 low-socioeconomic status African American and Latino men and women with histories of adversities and trauma were recruited and assessed with a standard battery of self-report measures of stress and mental health. Multiple-group structural equation models indicated good overall model fit. As hypothesized, experiences of discrimination, childhood family adversities, childhood sexual abuse, other childhood trauma, and chronic stresses all loaded on the latent cumulative burden of adversities and trauma construct (CBAT). The CBAT stress exposure index in turn predicted the mental health status latent variable. Although there were several significant univariate ethnic and gender differences, and ethnic and gender differences were observed on several paths, there were no significant ethnic differences in the final model fit of the data. These findings highlight the deleterious consequences of cumulative stress and trauma for mental health and underscore a need to assess these constructs in selecting appropriate clinical interventions for reducing mental health disparities and improving human health. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Future Directions in Childhood Adversity and Youth Psychopathology

PubMed Central

McLaughlin, Katie A.

2016-01-01

Despite long-standing interest in the influence of adverse early experiences on mental health, systematic scientific inquiry into childhood adversity and developmental outcomes has emerged only recently. Existing research has amply demonstrated that exposure to childhood adversity is associated with elevated risk for multiple forms of youth psychopathology. In contrast, knowledge of developmental mechanisms linking childhood adversity to the onset of psychopathology—and whether those mechanisms are general or specific to particular kinds of adversity—remains cursory. Greater understanding of these pathways and identification of protective factors that buffer children from developmental disruptions following exposure to adversity is essential to guide the development of interventions to prevent the onset of psychopathology following adverse childhood experiences. This article provides recommendations for future research in this area. In particular, use of a consistent definition of childhood adversity, integration of studies of typical development with those focused on childhood adversity, and identification of distinct dimensions of environmental experience that differentially influence development are required to uncover mechanisms that explain how childhood adversity is associated with numerous psychopathology outcomes (i.e., multifinality) and identify moderators that shape divergent trajectories following adverse childhood experiences. A transdiagnostic model that highlights disruptions in emotional processing and poor executive functioning as key mechanisms linking childhood adversity with multiple forms of psychopathology is presented as a starting point in this endeavour. Distinguishing between general and specific mechanisms linking childhood adversity with psychopathology is needed to generate empirically informed interventions to prevent the long-term consequences of adverse early environments on children’s development. PMID:26849071

Early childhood adversity potentiates the adverse association between prenatal organophosphate pesticide exposure and child IQ: The CHAMACOS cohort.

PubMed

Stein, Lauren J; Gunier, Robert B; Harley, Kim; Kogut, Katherine; Bradman, Asa; Eskenazi, Brenda

2016-09-01

Previous studies have observed an adverse association between prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticide (OPs) and child cognition, but few studies consider the potential role of social stressors in modifying this relationship. We seek to explore the potential role of early social adversities in modifying the relationship between OPs and child IQ in an agricultural Mexican American population. Participants from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study, a prospective longitudinal pre-birth cohort study, include 329 singleton infants and their mothers followed from pregnancy through age 7. Dialkyl phosphate metabolite concentrations (DAPs), a biomarker of organophosphate pesticide exposure, were measured in maternal urine collected twice during pregnancy and averaged. Child cognitive ability was assessed at 7 years using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition. Demographic characteristics and adversity information were collected during interviews and home visits at numerous time points from pregnancy until age 7. Among low-income Latina mothers and their children in the Salinas Valley, total adversity and specific domains of adversity including poor learning environment and adverse parent-child relationships were negatively associated with child cognition. Adverse associations between DAP concentrations and IQ were stronger in children experiencing greater adversity; these associations varied by child sex. For example, the association between prenatal OP exposure and Full-Scale IQ is potentiated among boys who experienced high adversity in the learning environment (β=-13.3; p-value <0.01). Greater total and domain-specific adversity modifies negative relationships between prenatal OP exposure and child IQ differently among male and female children. These findings emphasize the need to consider plausible interactive pathways between social adversities and environmental exposures. Copyright �

Adverse mood effects of combined oral contraceptives in relation to personality traits.

PubMed

Borgström, Anna; Odlind, Viveca; Ekselius, Lisa; Sundström-Poromaa, Inger

2008-12-01

Mood symptoms, such as depressed mood, anxiety and increased irritability, remain one of the major reasons for discontinuation of combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills. The aim of this study was to compare personality traits in women with ongoing or previous use of COCs and different experiences from these compounds with respect to adverse mood symptoms. Thirty women currently on COCs with no reports of adverse mood symptoms, 28 women currently on COCs and experiencing mood-related side effects, 27 women who had discontinued COC use for reasons other than adverse mood symptoms and 33 women who had discontinued COC use due to adverse mood effects were included. All participants were asked to fill out the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) to assess different personality traits. The women who were experiencing mood-related side effects on their current COC use exhibited higher scores on the somatic anxiety and stress susceptibility traits as compared to the women who did not experience any mood-related side effects from their current COCs. Women who had discontinued COC treatment because of adverse mood effects had higher scores of detachment and mistrust compared to women who had discontinued COC for reasons unrelated to mood effects. Higher scores on specific personality traits such as somatic anxiety and stress susceptibility are found in women with ongoing experience of adverse mood symptoms from COC. Higher scores of mistrust and detachment are more common among women who have discontinued COC treatment due to adverse mood effects.

Understanding and Promoting Resilience in the Context of Adverse Childhood Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sciaraffa, Mary A.; Zeanah, Paula D.; Zeanah, Charles H.

2018-01-01

Brain development in the early years is especially susceptible to toxic stress caused by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). According to epigenetics research, toxic stress has the capacity to physically change a child's brain and be hardwired into the child's biology via genes in the DNA. The compelling nature of the impact of early adversity…

Identification and Prioritization of Relationships between Environmental Stressors and Adverse Human Health Impacts.

PubMed

Bell, Shannon M; Edwards, Stephen W

2015-11-01

There are > 80,000 chemicals in commerce with few data available describing their impacts on human health. Biomonitoring surveys, such as the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), offer one route to identifying possible relationships between environmental chemicals and health impacts, but sparse data and the complexity of traditional models make it difficult to leverage effectively. We describe a workflow to efficiently and comprehensively evaluate and prioritize chemical-health impact relationships from the NHANES biomonitoring survey studies. Using a frequent itemset mining (FIM) approach, we identified relationships between chemicals and health biomarkers and diseases. The FIM method identified 7,848 relationships between 219 chemicals and 93 health outcomes/biomarkers. Two case studies used to evaluate the FIM rankings demonstrate that the FIM approach is able to identify published relationships. Because the relationships are derived from the vast majority of the chemicals monitored by NHANES, the resulting list of associations is appropriate for evaluating results from targeted data mining or identifying novel candidate relationships for more detailed investigation. Because of the computational efficiency of the FIM method, all chemicals and health effects can be considered in a single analysis. The resulting list provides a comprehensive summary of the chemical/health co-occurrences from NHANES that are higher than expected by chance. This information enables ranking and prioritization on chemicals or health effects of interest for evaluation of published results and design of future studies. Bell SM, Edwards SW. 2015. Identification and prioritization of relationships between environmental stressors and adverse human health impacts. Environ Health Perspect 123:1193-1199; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409138.

Environmental heat stress enhances crystallization in urine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setyawan, H.; Pratiwi, Q. C.; Sjarifah, I.; Atmojo, T. B.; Khotijah

2018-03-01

Over the past several decades, agriculture and plantations have been used as the main livelihood of most of the Karanganyar residents. However, these two sources of living are now replaced by industrial areas that employ thousands of people in that district. The development of this industry triggers multiple environmental impacts, including ecosystem and temperature changes. In consequence, there is an increase in air temperature that can cause a variety of diseases, especially in the workplace. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) data in 2013, one worker dies every 15 second due to a work accident and 160 workers are suffering from the occupational disease. In Indonesia, the incidence of crystallization in urine is actually still unknown, but it is estimated that there are 170,000 cases annually. A high temperature or called heat stress is one among many factors causing this disease to appear. The workers in the textile industry, especially in the Finishing Department Kusumahadi Co. Ltd that exposed heat stress from the finishing machines and inadequate ventilation. This hot working climate causes the human body to adapt in the form of body cooling mechanism or called sweating This adaptation can cause an increase in sweat production and decrease the production of urine. If it is not followed by consuming the recommended amount of water intake, it can result in the precipitation of body salts that, in a long time, will cause crystallization in urine. The research used the analytic observational designs for a cross-sectional study. There were 34 samples collected from 57 finishing workers. The data were analyzed using Spearman correlation test. The results showed that heat stress (p=0,015) and water intake (p=0,034) has a significant correlation with crystallization in urine.

Fluctuating Asymmetry and Environmental Stress: Understanding the Role of Trait History

PubMed Central

De Coster, Greet; Van Dongen, Stefan; Malaki, Phillista; Muchane, Muchai; Alcántara-Exposito, Angelica; Matheve, Hans; Lens, Luc

2013-01-01

While fluctuating asymmetry (FA; small, random deviations from perfect symmetry in bilaterally symmetrical traits) is widely regarded as a proxy for environmental and genetic stress effects, empirical associations between FA and stress are often weak or heterogeneous among traits. A conceptually important source of heterogeneity in relationships with FA is variation in the selection history of the trait(s) under study, i.e. traits that experienced a (recent) history of directional change are predicted to be developmentally less stable, potentially through the loss of canalizing modifiers. Here we applied X-ray photography on museum specimens and live captures to test to what extent the magnitude of FA and FA-stress relationships covary with directional shifts in traits related to the flight apparatus of four East-African rainforest birds that underwent recent shifts in habitat quality and landscape connectivity. Both the magnitude and direction of phenotypic change varied among species, with some traits increasing in size while others decreased or maintained their original size. In three of the four species, traits that underwent larger directional changes were less strongly buffered against random perturbations during their development, and traits that increased in size over time developed more asymmetrically than those that decreased. As we believe that spurious relationships due to biased comparisons of historic (museum specimens) and current (field captures) samples can be ruled out, these results support the largely untested hypothesis that directional shifts may increase the sensitivity of developing traits to random perturbations of environmental or genetic origin. PMID:23472123

Applying Aggregate Exposure Pathway and Adverse Outcome ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Hazard assessment for nanomaterials often involves applying in vitro dose-response data to estimate potential health risks that arise from exposure to products that contain nanomaterials. However, much uncertainty is inherent in relating bioactivities observed in an in vitro system to the perturbations of biological mechanisms that lead to apical adverse health outcomes in living organisms. The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework addresses this uncertainty by acting as a scaffold onto which in vitro toxicity testing and other data can be arranged to aid in the interpretation of these results in terms of biologically-relevant responses, as an AOP connects an upstream molecular initiating event (MIE) to a downstream adverse outcome. In addition to hazard assessment, risk estimation also requires reconciling in vitro concentrations sufficient to produce bioactivity with in vivo concentrations that can trigger a MIE at the relevant biological target. Such target site exposures (TSEs) can be estimated by integrating pharmacokinetic considerations with environmental and exposure factors. Environmental and exposure data have been historically scattered in various resources, such as monitoring data for air pollutants or exposure models for specific chemicals. The Aggregate Exposure Pathway (AEP) framework is introduced to organize existing knowledge concerning biologically, chemically, and physically plausible, as well as empirically supported, links between the i

The neurobiology of social environmental risk for schizophrenia: an evolving research field.

PubMed

Akdeniz, Ceren; Tost, Heike; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas

2014-04-01

Schizophrenia is a severe and complex brain disorder that usually manifests in early adulthood and disturbs a wide range of human functions. More than 100 years after its initial description, the pathophysiology of the disorder is still incompletely understood. Many epidemiological studies strongly suggest a complex interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors for the development of the disorder. While there is considerable evidence for a social environmental component of this risk, the links between adverse social factors and altered brain function have just come into focus. In the present review, we first summarize epidemiological evidence for the significance of social environmental risk factors, outline the role of altered social stress processing in mental illness, and review the latest experimental evidence for the neural correlates of social environmental risk for schizophrenia. The studies we have discussed in this review provide a selection of the current work in the field. We suggest that many of the social environmental risk factors may impact on perceived social stress and engage neural circuits in the brain whose functional and structural architecture undergoes detrimental change in response to prolonged exposure. We conclude that multidisciplinary approaches involving various fields and thoroughly constructed longitudinal designs are necessary to capture complex structure of social environmental risks.

Environmental conditions can modulate the links among oxidative stress, age, and longevity.

PubMed

Marasco, Valeria; Stier, Antoine; Boner, Winnie; Griffiths, Kate; Heidinger, Britt; Monaghan, Pat

2017-06-01

Understanding the links between environmental conditions and longevity remains a major focus in biological research. We examined within-individual changes between early- and mid-adulthood in the circulating levels of four oxidative stress markers linked to ageing, using zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata): a DNA damage product (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine; 8-OHdG), protein carbonyls (PC), non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (OXY), and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD). We further examined whether such within-individual changes differed among birds living under control (ad lib food) or more challenging environmental conditions (unpredictable food availability), having previously found that the latter increased corticosterone levels when food was absent but improved survival over a three year period. Our key findings were: (i) 8-OHdG and PC increased with age in both environments, with a higher increase in 8-OHdG in the challenging environment; (ii) SOD increased with age in the controls but not in the challenged birds, while the opposite was true for OXY; (iii) control birds with high levels of 8-OHdG died at a younger age, but this was not the case in challenged birds. Our data clearly show that while exposure to the potentially damaging effects of oxidative stress increases with age, environmental conditions can modulate the pace of this age-related change. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seasonal monitoring of blue mussel (Mytilus spp.) populations in a harbor area: A focus on responses to environmental factors and chronic contamination.

PubMed

Lacroix, C; Duvieilbourg, E; Guillou, N; Guyomarch, J; Bassoulet, C; Moraga, D; Chapalain, G; Auffret, M

2017-08-01

Coastal waters corresponding to macrotidal systems are among the most variable marine biotopes. Sessile animals as bivalve mollusks may however be found forming intertidal beds at high densities, as allowed by full adaptation to local conditions. A better knowledge of adaptive responses to environmental factors is required to foresee possible adverse effects of global change. At the sub-cellular level, transcriptional responses are among the earliest signals of environmental disturbances and they can reveal subtle and meaningful changes in organism exposed to stress. Three blue mussel (Mytilus spp.) populations inhabiting the Bay of Brest (France) in sites exposed to different levels of chronic pollution, from low to moderate, were surveyed upon a seasonal schedule, with special attention to the reproductive cycle. Major seawater parameters were monitored over a full-year in the framework of the S!RANO project, based on an automatic high frequency acquisition system installed aboard a ship of opportunity. The health status of mussels has been assessed by measuring a condition index and gametogenesis has been followed by histology. Selected biological responses to environmental stress were detected using a multimarker approach including expression of genes involved in chemical stress response and energetic metabolism, and cellular immune parameters. Environmental parameters showed deep seasonal variations which differed among sites. Most biological responses followed a seasonal pattern. Late winter and spring corresponded to an active reproduction period in the Bay of Brest. Earlier spawning was observed in harbor areas compared to the oceanic site and an altered physiological state was assumed in commercial harbor mussels during the reproductive period, suggesting that their health is compromised at this time of year. However, no signs of severe chemical stress were detected in both harbor mussel populations, which could reflect adaptive responses to adverse

Adversity, Adaptive Calibration, and Health: The Case of Disadvantaged Families.

PubMed

de Baca, Tomás Cabeza; Wahl, Richard A; Barnett, Melissa A; Figueredo, Aurelio José; Ellis, Bruce J

2016-06-01

Epidemiologists and medical researchers often employ an allostatic load model that focuses on environmental and lifestyle factors, together with biological vulnerabilities, to explain the deterioration of human physiological systems and chronic degenerative disease. Although this perspective has informed medicine and public health, it is agnostic toward the functional significance of pathophysiology and health deterioration. Drawing on Life History (LH) theory, the current paper reviews the literature on disadvantaged families to serve as a conceptual model of stress-health relationships in which the allocation of reproductive effort is instantiated in the LH strategies of individuals and reflects the bioenergetic and material resource tradeoffs . We propose that researchers interested in health disparities reframe chronic degenerative diseases as outcomes resulting from strategic calibration of physiological systems to best adapt, survive, and reproduce in response to demands of specific developmental contexts. These effects of adversity on later-age degenerative disease are mediated, in part, by socioemotional and cognitive mechanisms expressed in different life history strategies.

Adversity, Adaptive Calibration, and Health: The Case of Disadvantaged Families

PubMed Central

de Baca, Tomás Cabeza; Wahl, Richard A.; Barnett, Melissa A.; Figueredo, Aurelio José; Ellis, Bruce J.

2016-01-01

Epidemiologists and medical researchers often employ an allostatic load model that focuses on environmental and lifestyle factors, together with biological vulnerabilities, to explain the deterioration of human physiological systems and chronic degenerative disease. Although this perspective has informed medicine and public health, it is agnostic toward the functional significance of pathophysiology and health deterioration. Drawing on Life History (LH) theory, the current paper reviews the literature on disadvantaged families to serve as a conceptual model of stress-health relationships in which the allocation of reproductive effort is instantiated in the LH strategies of individuals and reflects the bioenergetic and material resource tradeoffs. We propose that researchers interested in health disparities reframe chronic degenerative diseases as outcomes resulting from strategic calibration of physiological systems to best adapt, survive, and reproduce in response to demands of specific developmental contexts. These effects of adversity on later-age degenerative disease are mediated, in part, by socioemotional and cognitive mechanisms expressed in different life history strategies. PMID:27175327

Retraumatization Mediates the Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Clinical Training-Related Secondary Traumatic Stress Symptoms.

PubMed

Butler, Lisa D; Maguin, Eugene; Carello, Janice

2018-01-01

Previous research (Butler, Carello, & Maguin, 2016) has found that exposure to trauma-related material in graduate clinical coursework and field training can put students at risk for reactivations of feelings/memories from negative past experiences (retraumatization) and for secondary traumatic stress (STS) symptoms. The present report sought to examine the role, if any, of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in these outcomes. Using the Butler et al. (2016) sample, we examined: (1) rates of ACEs in 195 graduate social work students, (2) whether the total number of ACEs was associated with training-related retraumatization (TRT) and/or STS symptoms, and (3) if TRT mediated the relationship between ACEs and STS symptoms. The results indicate that more than three quarters of the sample had experienced one or more ACEs before age 18 and almost one third endorsed 4 or more. The most commonly reported ACEs were household mental illness, parental separation/divorce, household alcohol/substance abuse, and emotional abuse or neglect by a parent or household member. Higher ACE scores were associated with increased likelihood of TRT experiences and STS symptoms during training. A mediation analysis confirmed that TRT mediated the effect of ACE scores on STS symptoms; this finding also provides support for the role of proximal emotional reactions in mediating the effects of distal adverse experiences on the development of trauma symptoms. In summary, despite the evident resilience of this graduate student sample, those with ACE histories were at heightened risk for training-related distress. These results underscore the need for a trauma-informed approach to clinical training.

Hsp90 and environmental stress transform the adaptive value of natural genetic variation.

PubMed

Jarosz, Daniel F; Lindquist, Susan

2010-12-24

How can species remain unaltered for long periods yet also undergo rapid diversification? By linking genetic variation to phenotypic variation via environmental stress, the Hsp90 protein-folding reservoir might promote both stasis and change. However, the nature and adaptive value of Hsp90-contingent traits remain uncertain. In ecologically and genetically diverse yeasts, we find such traits to be both common and frequently adaptive. Most are based on preexisting variation, with causative polymorphisms occurring in coding and regulatory sequences alike. A common temperature stress alters phenotypes similarly. Both selective inhibition of Hsp90 and temperature stress increase correlations between genotype and phenotype. This system broadly determines the adaptive value of standing genetic variation and, in so doing, has influenced the evolution of current genomes.

Mass spectrometry-based plant metabolomics: Metabolite responses to abiotic stress.

PubMed

Jorge, Tiago F; Rodrigues, João A; Caldana, Camila; Schmidt, Romy; van Dongen, Joost T; Thomas-Oates, Jane; António, Carla

2016-09-01

Metabolomics is one omics approach that can be used to acquire comprehensive information on the composition of a metabolite pool to provide a functional screen of the cellular state. Studies of the plant metabolome include analysis of a wide range of chemical species with diverse physical properties, from ionic inorganic compounds to biochemically derived hydrophilic carbohydrates, organic and amino acids, and a range of hydrophobic lipid-related compounds. This complexitiy brings huge challenges to the analytical technologies employed in current plant metabolomics programs, and powerful analytical tools are required for the separation and characterization of this extremely high compound diversity present in biological sample matrices. The use of mass spectrometry (MS)-based analytical platforms to profile stress-responsive metabolites that allow some plants to adapt to adverse environmental conditions is fundamental in current plant biotechnology research programs for the understanding and development of stress-tolerant plants. In this review, we describe recent applications of metabolomics and emphasize its increasing application to study plant responses to environmental (stress-) factors, including drought, salt, low oxygen caused by waterlogging or flooding of the soil, temperature, light and oxidative stress (or a combination of them). Advances in understanding the global changes occurring in plant metabolism under specific abiotic stress conditions are fundamental to enhance plant fitness and increase stress tolerance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 35:620-649, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Environmental and biological context modulates the physiological stress response of bats to human disturbance.

PubMed

Phelps, Kendra L; Kingston, Tigga

2018-06-01

Environmental and biological context play significant roles in modulating physiological stress responses of individuals in wildlife populations yet are often overlooked when evaluating consequences of human disturbance on individual health and fitness. Furthermore, most studies gauge individual stress responses based on a single physiological biomarker, typically circulating glucocorticoid concentrations, which limits interpretation of the complex, multifaceted responses of individuals to stressors. We selected four physiological biomarkers to capture short-term and prolonged stress responses in a widespread cave-roosting bat, Hipposideros diadema, across multiple gradients of human disturbance in and around caves in the Philippines. We used conditional inference trees and random forest analysis to determine the role of environmental quality (cave complexity, available roosting area), assemblage composition (intra- and interspecific associations and species richness), and intrinsic characteristics of individuals (sex and reproductive status) in modulating responses to disturbance. Direct cave disturbance (hunting pressure and human visitation) was the primary driver of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios, with lower ratios associated with increased disturbance, while context-specific factors were more important in explaining total leukocyte count, body condition, and ectoparasite load. Moreover, conditional inference trees revealed complex interactions among human disturbance and modulating factors. Cave complexity often ameliorated individual responses to human disturbance, whereas conspecific abundance often compounded responses. Our study demonstrates the importance of an integrated approach that incorporates environmental and biological context when identifying drivers of physiological responses, and that assesses responses to gradients of direct and indirect disturbance using multiple complementary biomarkers.

Environmental Factors Contribute to β Cell Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Neo-Antigen Formation in Type 1 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Marré, Meghan L.; Piganelli, Jon D.

2017-01-01

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which immune-mediated targeting and destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic islet β cells leads to chronic hyperglycemia. There are many β cell proteins that are targeted by autoreactive T cells in their native state. However, recent studies have demonstrated that many β cell proteins are recognized as neo-antigens following posttranslational modification (PTM). Although modified neo-antigens are well-established targets of pathology in other autoimmune diseases, the effects of neo-antigens in T1D progression and the mechanisms by which they are generated are not well understood. We have demonstrated that PTM occurs during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a process to which β cells are uniquely susceptible due to the high rate of insulin production in response to dynamic glucose sensing. In the context of genetic susceptibility to autoimmunity, presentation of these modified neo-antigens may activate autoreactive T cells and cause pathology. However, inherent β cell ER stress and protein PTM do not cause T1D in every genetically susceptible individual, suggesting the contribution of additional factors. Indeed, many environmental factors, such as viral infection, chemicals, or inflammatory cytokines, are associated with T1D onset, but the mechanisms by which these factors lead to disease onset remain unknown. Since these environmental factors also cause ER stress, exposure to these factors may enhance production of neo-antigens, therefore boosting β cell recognition by autoreactive T cells and exacerbating T1D pathogenesis. Therefore, the combined effects of physiological ER stress and the stress that is induced by environmental factors may lead to breaks in peripheral tolerance, contribute to antigen spread, and hasten disease onset. This Hypothesis and Theory article summarizes what is currently known about ER stress and protein PTM in autoimmune diseases including T1D and proposes a role for

Sex-Specific Differences in the Association Between Childhood Adversity and Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood: Evidence From a National Cohort Study.

PubMed

Garad, Yasmin; Maximova, Katerina; MacKinnon, Nathalie; McGrath, Jennifer J; Kozyrskyj, Anita L; Colman, Ian

2017-08-01

Childhood adversity increases the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adulthood. Previously proposed mechanisms suggest that the association is mediated by stress reactivity-known to be higher in women-and is aggravated by adult stress, but this has not yet been confirmed. Therefore, we investigated sex differences to better understand possible pathways from childhood adversity to CVD. The National Population Health Survey, a 15-year cohort study of Canadians aged 18-49 years at baseline was used. Logistic regression with interaction terms for sex and stressful life events was used to assess the risk of CVD after childhood adversity. In secondary analyses, we assessed mediation effects of depression, smoking, alcohol, exercise, and diet using the product of coefficient approach. Mediated moderation was subsequently used to explain sex-moderated effects. There was a strong association between childhood adversity and CVD (odds ratio [OR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56-2.94) for 3+ childhood adversities. The association was stronger with increasing stressful events, and female patients with 3+ stressful events exhibited the highest risk of CVD (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 1.98-9.75). No association was found in men. Depression, smoking, and poor diet partially mediated the relationship between childhood adversity and CVD (14%, 9%, and 9%, respectively), but differences in these behaviours did not fully explain the sex-specific differences in the mediated moderation analysis. The effect of childhood adverse events on CVD is heightened among women, particularly women with stressful adulthoods, and this difference is not mediated by depression, smoking, or poor diet. These findings have important implications for understanding sex differences in CVD risk. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Obtaining Heat Stress Measurements. Module 15. Vocational Education Training in Environmental Health Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Consumer Dynamics Inc., Rockville, MD.

This module, one of 25 on vocational education training for careers in environmental health occupations, contains self-instructional materials on obtaining heat stress measurements. Following guidelines for students and instructors and an introduction that explains what the student will learn are three lessons: (1) naming and describing the…

Life stress and mental disorders in the South African Stress and Health study

PubMed Central

Seedat, Soraya; Stein, Dan J; Jackson, Pamela B; Heeringa, Steven G; Williams, David R; Myer, Landon

2011-01-01

Background Although stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with psychopathology, the contribution from distal and proximal events and the specificity of their association with common mental disorders require further exploration. We examined the association of recent life events and past adversities to mood, anxiety, substance use and impulse control disorders in South Africa. Methods Data were analysed from the South African Stress and Health study, a population-based study of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of 4 351 adults. Psychiatric disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). This included questions covering early and later SLEs (negative life events, relationship stress, partner violence, social strain and adverse events during childhood) and various socio-demographic variables. Logistic regression models were constructed for 3 957 respondents (2 371 female, 1 586 male) with no missing covariate data, to assess life stress and socio-demographic predictors of 12-month and lifetime disorder. Results Recent negative life events and relationship problems were significant predictors of any 12-month disorder and any lifetime disorder. Physical partner violence predicted any lifetime disorder. There was evidence of specificity for the prediction of mood versus anxiety disorders, with childhood adversity specifically associated with mood disorders but not anxiety disorders. Single marital status was the strongest socio-demographic predictor of any 12-month and any lifetime disorder. Conclusions Stressful life events, distal and proximal, contribute significantly and independently to the prediction of major psychiatric disorders among South Africans, underscoring the importance of screening adversities in adults with common mental disorders, and of providing appropriate adjunctive interventions. PMID:19588801

Assessing planetary and regional nitrogen boundaries related to food security and adverse environmental impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vries, Wim; Kros, Hans; Kroeze, Carolien; Seitzinger, Sybil

2014-05-01

In this presentation, we first discuss the concept of -, governance interest in- and criticism on planetary boundaries, specifically with respect to the nitrogen (N) cycle. We then systematically evaluate the criticism and argue that planetary N boundaries need to include both the benefits and adverse impacts of reactive N (Nr) and the spatial variability of Nr impacts, in terms of shortage and surplus, being main arguments for not deriving such boundaries. Next, we present an holistic approach for an updated planetary N boundary by considering the need to: (i) avoid adverse impacts of elevated Nr emissions to water, air and soils, and (ii) feed the world population in an adequate way. The derivation of a planetary N boundary, in terms of anthropogenic fixation of di-nitrogen (N2) by growing legumes and production of N fertilizer, is illustrated by (i) identification of multiple threat N indicators and setting critical limits for them, (ii) back calculating critical N losses from critical limits for N indicators, while accounting for the spatial variability of indicators and their exceedance and (iii) back calculating critical N fixation rates from critical N losses. The derivation of the needed planetary N fixation is assessed from the global population, the recommended dietary N consumption per capita and the N use efficiency in the complete chain from N fixation to N consumption. Results of example applications show that the previously suggested planetary N boundary of 25% of the current value is too low in view of needed N fixation and also unnecessary in view of most environmental impacts. We also illustrate the impacts of changes in the N use efficiency on planetary boundaries in terms of critical N fixation rates.

Integration of environmental and spectral data for sunflower stress determination. [Red River Valley, Minnesota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lillesand, T.; Seeley, M.

1983-01-01

Stress in sunflowers was assessed in western and northwestern Minnesota. Weekly ground observations (acquired in 1980 and 1981) were analyzed in concert with large scale aerial photography and concurrent LANDSAT data. Using multidate supervised and unsupervised classification procedures, it was found that all crops grown in association with sunflowers in the study area are spectrally separable from one another. Under conditions of extreme drought, severely stressed plants were differentiable from those not severely stressed, but between-crop separation was not possible. Initial regression analyses to estimate sunflower seed yield showed a sensitivity to environmental stress during the flowering and seed development stages. One of the most important biological factors related to sunflower production in the Red River Valley area was found to be the extent and severity of insect infestations.

[Psychological stress and sudden death].

PubMed

Pignalberi, Carlo; Ricci, Renato; Santini, Massimo

2002-10-01

Recent studies provide relevant evidence that psychological stress significantly influences the pathogenesis of sudden cardiac death. Psychological stress expresses a situation of imbalance, derived from a real or perceived disparity between environmental demands and the individual's ability to cope with these demands. A situation of psychological stress may include different components: personality factors and character traits, anxiety and depression, social isolation and acute or chronic adverse life events. In particular, it has been documented that a sudden extremely hard event, such as an earthquake or a war strike, can significantly increase the incidence of sudden death. Nevertheless, each one of these factors, if not present, can balance a partially unfavorable situation; this overview suggests a multifactorial situation where almost all elements are present and in which the relative influence of each one varies according to the individual examined. Sudden death occurs when a transient disruption (such as acute myocardial ischemia, platelet activation or neuroendocrine variations), occurring in a patient with a diseased myocardium (such as one with a post-necrotic scar or hypertrophy), triggers a malignant arrhythmia. Psychological stress acts at both levels: by means of a "chronic" action it contributes to create the myocardial background, while by means of an acute action it can create the transient trigger precipitating sudden death. In the chronic action two possible mechanisms can be detected: the first is a direct interaction, which contributes to cause a hypertension status or to exacerbate coronary atherosclerosis consequent to endothelial dysfunction; the second one acts through adverse health behaviors, such as a poor diet, alcohol consumption or smoking. In case of acute psychological stress, the mechanisms involved are mainly the ability to trigger myocardial ischemia, to promote arrhythmogenesis, to stimulate platelet function, and to increase

Childhood adversity profiles and adult psychopathology in a representative Northern Ireland study.

PubMed

McLafferty, Margaret; Armour, Cherie; McKenna, Aine; O'Neill, Siobhan; Murphy, Sam; Bunting, Brendan

2015-10-01

Childhood adversities are key aetiological factors in the onset and persistence of psychopathology. The aims of this study were to identify childhood adversity profiles, and investigate the relationship between the adversity classes and psychopathology in Northern Ireland. The study utilized data from the Northern Ireland Study of Health and Stress, an epidemiological survey (N=1986), which used the CIDI to examine mental health disorders and associated risk factors. Latent Class Analysis revealed 3 distinct typologies; a low risk class (n=1709; 86%), a poly-adversity class (n=122; 6.1%), and an economic adversity class (n=155; 7.8%). Logistic Regression models revealed that individuals in the economic adversity class had a heightened risk of anxiety and substance disorders, with individuals in the poly-adversity class more likely to have a range of mental health problems and suicidality. The findings indicate the importance of considering the impact of co-occurring childhood adversities when planning treatment, prevention, and intervention programmes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early life stress determines the effects of glucocorticoids and stress on hippocampal function: Electrophysiological and behavioral evidence respectively.

PubMed

Pillai, Anup G; Arp, Marit; Velzing, Els; Lesuis, Sylvie L; Schmidt, Mathias V; Holsboer, Florian; Joëls, Marian; Krugers, Harm J

2018-05-01

Exposure to early-life adversity may program brain function to prepare individuals for adaptation to matching environmental contexts. In this study we tested this hypothesis in more detail by examining the effects of early-life stress - induced by raising offspring with limited nesting and bedding material from postnatal days 2-9 - in various behavioral tasks and on synaptic function in adult mice. Early-life stress impaired adult performance in the hippocampal dependent low-arousing object-in-context recognition memory task. This effect was absent when animals were exposed to a single stressor before training. Early-life stress did not alter high-arousing context and auditory fear conditioning. Early-life stress-induced behavioral modifications were not associated with alterations in the dendritic architecture of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons or principal neurons of the basolateral amygdala. However, early-life stress reduced the ratio of NMDA to AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents and glutamate release probability specifically in hippocampal CA1 neurons, but not in the basolateral amygdala. These ex vivo effects in the hippocampus were abolished by acute glucocorticoid treatment. Our findings support that early-life stress can hamper object-in-context learning via pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms that affect hippocampal function but these effects are counteracted by acute stress or elevated glucocorticoid levels. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of gene x environment interactions: implications for diagnosis and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders

PubMed Central

Binder, Elisabeth B.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Epidemiological studies indicate a combined contribution of genetic and environmental factors, mainly exposure to adverse life events, in the risk for psychiatric disease. Understanding how adverse life events interact with genetic predisposition on the molecular level to shape risk and resilience to psychiatric disorders may yield important insight into disease mechanism. Using the example of the molecular mechanisms of interaction of functional genetic variants within the stress-regulating gene FKBP5 and early adversity, it is delineated how this interaction could contribute to transdiagnostic disease risk via a combined genetic and epigenetic disinhibition of FKBP5 transcription. This knowledge may now allow to develop biomarkers for a transdiagnostic subset of psychiatric patients and to personalize treatment. PMID:29372006

Adverse weather impacts on arable cropping systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobin, Anne

2016-04-01

Damages due to extreme or adverse weather strongly depend on crop type, crop stage, soil conditions and management. The impact is largest during the sensitive periods of the farming calendar, and requires a modelling approach to capture the interactions between the crop, its environment and the occurrence of the meteorological event. The hypothesis is that extreme and adverse weather events can be quantified and subsequently incorporated in current crop models. Since crop development is driven by thermal time and photoperiod, a regional crop model was used to examine the likely frequency, magnitude and impacts of frost, drought, heat stress and waterlogging in relation to the cropping season and crop sensitive stages. Risk profiles and associated return levels were obtained by fitting generalized extreme value distributions to block maxima for air humidity, water balance and temperature variables. The risk profiles were subsequently confronted with yields and yield losses for the major arable crops in Belgium, notably winter wheat, winter barley, winter oilseed rape, sugar beet, potato and maize at the field (farm records) to regional scale (statistics). The average daily vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and reference evapotranspiration (ET0) during the growing season is significantly lower (p < 0.001) and has a higher variability before 1988 than after 1988. Distribution patterns of VPD and ET0 have relevant impacts on crop yields. The response to rising temperatures depends on the crop's capability to condition its microenvironment. Crops short of water close their stomata, lose their evaporative cooling potential and ultimately become susceptible to heat stress. Effects of heat stress therefore have to be combined with moisture availability such as the precipitation deficit or the soil water balance. Risks of combined heat and moisture deficit stress appear during the summer. These risks are subsequently related to crop damage. The methodology of defining

The influence of the built environment on adverse birth outcomes.

PubMed

Woods, N; Gilliland, J; Seabrook, J A

2017-01-01

Adverse birth outcomes are associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality, and higher risk for coronary heart disease, non-insulin-dependent diabetes and hypertension in adulthood. Although there has been considerable research investigating the association between maternal and environmental factors on adverse birth outcomes, one risk factor, not fully understood, is the influence of the built environment. A search of MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane was conducted to find articles assessing the influence of the built environment on preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and small-for-gestational-age (SGA). In total, 41 studies met our inclusion criteria, and were organized into nine categories: Roadways, Greenness, Power Plants, Gas Stations/Wells, Waste Management, Power Lines, Neighborhood Conditions, Food Environment, and Industry. The most common built environmental variable was roads/traffic, encompassing 17/41 (41%) of the articles reviewed, of which 12/17 (71%) found a significant small to moderate association between high traffic exposure and adverse birth outcomes.

Minimal evidence for consistent changes in maize DNA methylation patterns following environmental stress.

PubMed

Eichten, Steven R; Springer, Nathan M

2015-01-01

DNA methylation is a chromatin modification that is sometimes associated with epigenetic regulation of gene expression. As DNA methylation can be reversible at some loci, it is possible that methylation patterns may change within an organism that is subjected to environmental stress. In order to assess the effects of abiotic stress on DNA methylation patterns in maize (Zea mays), seeding plants were subjected to heat, cold, and UV stress treatments. Tissue was later collected from individual adult plants that had been subjected to stress or control treatments and used to perform DNA methylation profiling to determine whether there were consistent changes in DNA methylation triggered by specific stress treatments. DNA methylation profiling was performed by immunoprecipitation of methylated DNA followed by microarray hybridization to allow for quantitative estimates of DNA methylation abundance throughout the low-copy portion of the maize genome. By comparing the DNA methylation profiles of each individual plant to the average of the control plants it was possible to identify regions of the genome with variable DNA methylation. However, we did not find evidence of consistent DNA methylation changes resulting from the stress treatments used in this study. Instead, the data suggest that there is a low-rate of stochastic variation that is present in both control and stressed plants.

Reef corals bleach to resist stress.

PubMed

Obura, David O

2009-02-01

A rationale is presented here for a primary role of bleaching in regulation of the coral-zooxanthellae symbiosis under conditions of stress. Corals and zooxanthellae have fundamentally different metabolic rates, requiring active homeostasis to limit zooxanthellae production and manage translocated products to maintain the symbiosis. The control processes for homeostasis are compromised by environmental stress, resulting in metabolic imbalance between the symbionts. For the coral-zooxanthella symbiosis the most direct way to minimize metabolic imbalance under stress is to reduce photosynthetic production by zooxanthellae. Two mechanisms have been demonstrated that do this: reduction of the chlorophyll concentration in individual zooxanthellae and reduction of the relative biomass of zooxanthellae. Both mechanisms result in visual whitening of the coral, termed bleaching. Arguments are presented here that bleaching provides the final control to minimize physiological damage from stress as an adversity response to metabolic imbalance. As such, bleaching meets the requirements of a stress response syndrome/general adaptive mechanism that is sensitive to internal states rather than external parameters. Variation in bleaching responses among holobionts reflects genotypic and phenotypic differentiation, allowing evolutionary change by natural selection. Thus, reef corals bleach to resist stress, and thereby have some capacity to adapt to and survive change. The extreme thermal anomalies causing mass coral bleaching worldwide lie outside the reaction norms for most coral-zooxanthellae holobionts, revealing the limitations of bleaching as a control mechanism.

Extracellular and cellular Hsp72 differ as biomarkers in acute exercise/environmental stress and recovery.

PubMed

Lee, E C-H; Muñoz, C X; McDermott, B P; Beasley, K N; Yamamoto, L M; Hom, L L; Casa, D J; Armstrong, L E; Kraemer, W J; Anderson, J M; Maresh, C M

2017-01-01

Stress-inducible Hsp72 is a potential biomarker to track risk of exertional heat illness during exercise/environmental stress. Characterization of extracellular (eHsp72) vs cellular Hsp72 (iHsp72) responses is required to define the appropriate use of Hsp72 as a reliable biomarker. In each of four repeat visits, participants (n = 6 men, 4 trials; total n = 24): (a) passively dehydrated overnight, (b) exercised (2 h) with no fluid in a hot, humid environmental chamber, (c) rested and rehydrated (1 h), (d) maximally exercised for 0.5 h, and (e) returned after 24 h of at-home recovery and rehydration. We measured rectal temperature, hydration status (% body mass loss, urine markers, serum osmolality), and Hsp72 (ELISA, flow cytometry. eHsp72 (circulating) and iHsp72 (CD3 + PBMCs) correlated (P < 0.05) with markers of heat, exercise, and dehydration stresses. eHsp72 immediately post-exercise (>15% above baseline, P < 0.05) decreased back to baseline levels by 1 h post-exercise, but iHsp72 expression continued to rise and remained elevated 24 h post-exercise (~2.5-fold baseline, P < 0.05). These data suggest that in addition to the classic physiological biomarkers of exercise heat stress, using cellular Hsp72 as an indicator of lasting effects of stress into recovery may be most appropriate for determining long-term effects of stress on risk for exertional heat illness. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stress and Protists: No life without stress.

PubMed

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

2016-08-01

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

Assessment of nitrogen ceilings for Dutch agricultural soils to avoid adverse environmental impacts.

PubMed

de Vries, W; Kros, H; Oenema, O; Erisman, J W

2001-11-09

In the Netherlands, high traffic density and intensive animal husbandry have led to high emissions of reactive nitrogen (N) into the environment. This leads to a series of environmental impacts, including: (1) nitrate (NO3) contamination of drinking water, (2) eutrophication of freshwater lakes, (3) acidification and biodiversity impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, (4) ozone and particle formation affecting human health, and (5) global climate change induced by emissions of N2O. Measures to control reactive N emissions were, up to now, directed towards those different environmental themes. Here we summarize the results of a study to analyse the agricultural N problem in the Netherlands in an integrated way, which means that all relevant aspects are taken into account simultaneously. A simple N balance model was developed, representing all crucial processes in the N chain, to calculate acceptable N inputs to the farm (so-called N ceiling) and to the soil surface (application in the field) by feed concentrates, organic manure, fertiliser, deposition, and N fixation. The N ceilings were calculated on the basis of critical limits for NO 3 concentrations in groundwater, N concentrations in surface water, and ammonia (NH3) emission targets related to the protection of biodiversity of natural areas. Results show that in most parts of the Netherlands, except the western and the northern part, the N ceilings are limited by NH 3 emissions, which are derived from critical N loads for nature areas, rather than limits for both ground- and surface water. On the national scale, the N ceiling ranges between 372 and 858 kton year(-1) depending on the choice of critical limits. The current N import is 848 kton year(-1). A decrease of nearly 60% is needed to reach the ceilings that are necessary to protect the environment against all adverse impacts of N pollution from agriculture.

Epigenetic events in plant male germ cell heat stress responses.

PubMed

Chen, Yuanyuan; Müller, Florian; Rieu, Ivo; Winter, Peter

2016-06-01

A review on pollen epigenetics. Plants grow in an ever-changing environment and are used to environmental fluctuations such as high and low temperatures during their life cycles. To cope with adverse conditions, plants have evolved intricate short-term and long-term mechanisms to respond and adapt to external stresses. The plant's ability to respond to stresses largely depends on its capacity to modulate the transcriptome rapidly and specifically. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, chromatin dynamics and small RNAs, play an essential role in the regulation of stress-responsive gene expression. Stress-related covalent modifications of DNA and histones can be passed on during mitosis and meiosis to the next generation and provide a memory that enables the plant and even its offspring to adopt better to a subsequent stress. Plant reproduction, in particular pollen development, is the most stress-sensitive process in the life cycle of the organism. In particular, developmental stages around the meiotic and mitotic divisions are the most vulnerable. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of epigenetic mechanisms involved in pollen development and speculate on their roles in pollen heat stress response.

Neonatal handling and environmental enrichment increase the expression of GAP-43 in the hippocampus and promote cognitive abilities in prenatally stressed rat offspring.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengyu; Zhang, Hua; Du, Baoling; Chen, Zhiqiang

2012-07-26

Neonatal handling and environmental enrichment have been used to aid the treatment and recovery of a diverse variety of brain dysfunctions. However, the underlying mechanism and the effects on cognitive function following neonatal handling and environmental enrichment are still unclear. In this study, we investigated GAP-43 protein levels in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed rat pups by Western blot on postnatal day (P) 10, P20 and P45. The cognitive ability of prenatally stressed rat pups was tested by using the Morris water maze on P45. GAP-43 protein levels were upregulated on P10 in the prenatal restraint stress (RS) group and the prenatal restraint stress plus neonatal handling and environmental enrichment (RE) group compared to the negative control (NC) group. However, the expression of GAP-43 in RS pups was lower on P20 and P45 than that in NC and RE pups. Exposure to prenatal stress prolonged average latency and total swim distance, but neonatal handling and environmental enrichment could reverse the change. Differences were also observed in the selection of search strategies. These results indicate that neonatal handling and environmental enrichment can improve the spatial learning and memory ability of prenatally stressed offspring, and the possible mechanism is the upregulation of GAP-43. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Prenatal alcohol and other early childhood adverse exposures: Direct and indirect pathways to adolescent drinking

PubMed Central

Cornelius, Marie D.; De Genna, Natacha M.; Goldschmidt, Lidush; Larkby, Cynthia; Day, Nancy L.

2016-01-01

We examined direct and indirect pathways between adverse environmental exposures during gestation and childhood and drinking in mid-adolescence. Mothers and their offspring (n = 917 mother/child dyads) were followed prospectively from second trimester to a 16-year follow-up assessment. Interim assessments occurred at delivery, 6, 10, and 14 years. Adverse environmental factors included gestational exposures to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, exposures to childhood maltreatment and violence, maternal psychological symptoms, parenting practices, economic and home environments, and demographic characteristics of the mother and child. Indirect effects of early child behavioral characteristics including externalizing, internalizing activity, attention, and impulsivity were also examined. Polytomous logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate direct effects of adverse environmental exposures with level of adolescent drinking. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to simultaneously estimate the relation between early adversity variables, childhood characteristics, and drinking level at age 16 while controlling for significant covariates. Level of drinking among the adolescent offspring was directly predicted by prenatal exposure to alcohol, less parental strictness, and exposures to maltreatment and violence during childhood. Whites and offspring with older mothers were more likely to drink at higher levels. There was a significant indirect effect between childhood exposure to violence and adolescent drinking via childhood externalizing behavior problems. All other hypothesized indirect pathways were not significant. Thus most of the early adversity measures directly predicted adolescent drinking and did not operate via childhood behavioral dysregulation characteristics. These results highlight the importance of adverse environmental exposures on pathways to adolescent drinking. PMID:26994529

Interactive Effect of Stressful Life Events and the Serotonin Transporter 5-HTTLPR Genotype on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Diagnosis in 2 Independent Populations

PubMed Central

Xie, Pingxing; Kranzler, Henry R.; Poling, James; Stein, Murray B.; Anton, Raymond F.; Brady, Kathleen; Weiss, Roger D.; Farrer, Lindsay; Gelernter, Joel

2010-01-01

Context: The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) has been found to moderate several categories of emotional response after stressful life events. Previous studies generally focused on its effect on depressive symptoms; little is known about its moderation of the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: To examine the effects of childhood adversity, adult traumatic events, 5-HTTLPR genotypes, and gene×environment interactions on the etiology of PTSD. Design: A cross-sectional study in which participants in several studies investigating the genetics of substance dependence were also screened for lifetime PTSD. The triallelic system of 5-HTTLPR was genotyped. Logistic regression modeling was used in the analyses. Setting: General community. Participants: Five hundred eighty-two European American and 670 African American individuals who reported experiences of childhood adversity, adult traumatic events, or both. Main Outcome Measure: Diagnosis of PTSD, defined by DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and assessed through the Semi-Structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism interview. Results: Childhood adversity and adult traumatic events both predicted PTSD. Although the 5-HTTLPR genotype alone did not predict the onset of PTSD, it interacted with adult traumatic events and childhood adversity to increase the risk for PTSD, especially for those with high rates of both types of trauma exposure (European American: odds ratio [OR], 2.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-5.45; P=.002; African American: OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.04-3.40; P=.04; pooled: OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.50-3.56; P<.001). Conclusions: Participants who had both childhood adversity and adult traumatic events were more likely to develop lifetime PTSD compared with those who experienced either type of adverse event. The risk was increased in individuals with 1 or 2 copies of the S′ (S) allele compared with the L′ (L) homozygotes

Haemophilus parasuis CpxRA two-component system confers bacterial tolerance to environmental stresses and macrolide resistance.

PubMed

Cao, Qi; Feng, Fenfen; Wang, Huan; Xu, Xiaojuan; Chen, Huanchun; Cai, Xuwang; Wang, Xiangru

2018-01-01

Haemophilus parasuis is an opportunistic pathogen localized in the upper respiratory tracts of pigs, its infection begins from bacterial survival under complex conditions, like hyperosmosis, oxidative stress, phagocytosis, and sometimes antibiotics as well. The two-component signal transduction (TCST) system serves as a common stimulus-response mechanism that allows microbes to sense and respond to diverse environmental conditions via a series of phosphorylation reactions. In this study, we investigated the role of TCST system CpxRA in H. parasuis in response to different environmental stimuli by constructing the ΔcpxA and ΔcpxR single deletion mutants as well as the ΔcpxRA double deletion mutant from H. parasuis serotype 4 isolate JS0135. We demonstrated that H. parasuis TCST system CpxRA confers bacterial tolerance to stresses and bactericidal antibiotics. The CpxR was found to play essential roles in mediating oxidative stress, osmotic stresses and alkaline pH stress tolerance, as well as macrolide resistance (i.e. erythromycin), but the CpxA deletion did not decrease bacterial resistance to abovementioned stresses. Moreover, we found via RT-qPCR approach that HAPS_RS00160 and HAPS_RS09425, both encoding multidrug efflux pumps, were significantly decreased in erythromycin challenged ΔcpxR and ΔcpxRA mutants compared with wild-type strain JS0135. These findings characterize the role of the TCST system CpxRA in H. parasuis conferring stress response tolerance and bactericidal resistance, which will deepen our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism in H. parasuis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Global issues in environmental medicine.

PubMed

Goldstein, B D

1993-03-01

This overview will discuss a number of the issues posed by the challenge of international environmental health. The reasons that environmental problems occurring elsewhere in the world are of importance to occupational and environmental physicians in North America include the interconnectedness of the biosphere of our planet so that environmental alterations in one part of the globe can have an adverse outcome on our health and well-being; the often high levels of pollution and environmental degradation elsewhere provide an opportunity to determine and predict adverse consequences of environmental agents pertinent to protecting our own health; and, most importantly, our own ability to provide assistance in helping economic development occur in a setting of low risk of environmental pollution.

The Regulatory Roles of ncRNA Rli60 in Adaptability of Listeria monocytogenes to Environmental Stress and Biofilm Formation.

PubMed

Peng, Ye-Long; Meng, Qing-Ling; Qiao, Jun; Xie, Kun; Chen, Cheng; Liu, Tian-Li; Hu, Zheng-Xiang; Ma, Yu; Cai, Xue-Peng; Chen, Chuang-Fu

2016-07-01

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium. It is well adapted to external environments and able to infect both humans and animals. To understand the impacts of ncRNA Rli60 on the adaptability of L. monocytogenes to environmental stresses and biofilm formation, a rli60 deletion strain of L. monocytogenes (LM-Δrli60) was constructed using splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR) and homologous recombination and then compared it with wild-type strain L. monocytogenes EGD-e in the aspects of adaptability to environmental stresses by measuring their growth under stresses of different temperatures, and acidic, alkaline, hypertonic and alcoholic conditions, and capability of biofilm formation by using crystal violet staining, as well as the transcriptional levels of genes (gltB and gltC) related to the biofilm formation by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). The results showed that (1) the growth of LM-Δrli60 strain was significantly slower under environmental stresses of low temperature (30 °C), high temperature (42 °C), as well as alkaline and alcoholic conditions, (2) the amount of biofilm formed by LM-Δrli60 was attenuated, and (3) the transcriptional levels of gltB and gltC genes at 24 h and 48 h in LM-Δrli60 revealed a significant reduction. Overall, the results confirmed that ncRNA Rli60 plays important roles in regulating the adaptability of L. monocytogenes to environmental stresses and biofilm formation possibly through impacting the expression of gltB and gltC genes.

Drought stress had a predominant effect over heat stress on three tomato cultivars subjected to combined stress.

PubMed

Zhou, Rong; Yu, Xiaqing; Ottosen, Carl-Otto; Rosenqvist, Eva; Zhao, Liping; Wang, Yinlei; Yu, Wengui; Zhao, Tongmin; Wu, Zhen

2017-01-25

Abiotic stresses due to environmental factors could adversely affect the growth and development of crops. Among the abiotic stresses, drought and heat stress are two critical threats to crop growth and sustainable agriculture worldwide. Considering global climate change, incidence of combined drought and heat stress is likely to increase. The aim of this study was to shed light on plant growth performance and leaf physiology of three tomatoes cultivars ('Arvento', 'LA1994' and 'LA2093') under control, drought, heat and combined stress. Shoot fresh and dry weight, leaf area and relative water content of all cultivars significantly decreased under drought and combined stress as compared to control. The net photosynthesis and starch content were significantly lower under drought and combined stress than control in the three cultivars. Stomata and pore length of the three cultivars significantly decreased under drought and combined stress as compared to control. The tomato 'Arvento' was more affected by heat stress than 'LA1994' and 'LA2093' due to significant decreases in shoot dry weight, chlorophyll a and carotenoid content, starch content and NPQ (non-photochemical quenching) only in 'Arvento' under heat treatment. By comparison, the two heat-tolerant tomatoes were more affected by drought stress compared to 'Arvento' as shown by small stomatal and pore area, decreased sucrose content, Φ PSII (quantum yield of photosystem II), ETR (electron transport rate) and q L (fraction of open PSII centers) in 'LA1994' and 'LA2093'. The three cultivars showed similar response when subjected to the combination of drought and heat stress as shown by most physiological parameters, even though only 'LA1994' and 'LA2093' showed decreased F v /F m (maximum potential quantum efficiency of photosystem II), Φ PSII , ETR and q L under combined stress. The cultivars differing in heat sensitivity did not show difference in the combined stress sensitivity, indicating that selection for

Measuring Environmental Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, John E.; Dahm, Douglas B.

1975-01-01

Infrared remote sensors, plus photometric interpretation and digital data analysis are being used to record the stresses on air, water, vegetation and soil. Directly recorded photographic information has been the most effective recording media for remote sensing. (BT)

Juvenile Male Rats Exposed to a Low-Dose Mixture of Twenty-Seven Environmental Chemicals Display Adverse Health Effects

PubMed Central

Svingen, Terje; Mandrup, Karen; Skov, Kasper; Pedersen, Mikael; Frederiksen, Hanne; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz; Vinggaard, Anne Marie

2016-01-01

Humans are exposed to a large number of environmental chemicals in their daily life, many of which are readily detectable in blood or urine. It remains uncertain if these chemicals can cause adverse health effects when present together at low doses. In this study we have tested whether a mixture of 27 chemicals administered orally to juvenile male rats for three months could leave a pathophysiological footprint. The mixture contained metals, perfluorinated compounds, PCB, dioxins, pesticides, heterocyclic amines, phthalate, PAHs and others, with a combined dose of 0.16 (Low dose), 0.47 (Mid dose) or 1.6 (High dose) mg/kg bw/day. The lowest dose was designed with the aim of obtaining plasma or urine concentrations in rats at levels approaching those observed in humans. Some single congeners were administered at doses representative of combined doses for chemical groups. With this baseline, we found effects on weight, histology and gene expression in the liver, as well as changes to the blood plasma metabolome in all exposure groups, including low-dose. Additional adverse effects were observed in the higher dosed groups, including enlarged kidneys and alterations to the metabolome. No significant effects on reproductive parameters were observed. PMID:27598887

Adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions.

PubMed

Siegrist, J

1996-01-01

In addition to the person-environment fit model (J. R. French, R. D. Caplan, & R. V. Harrison, 1982) and the demand-control model (R. A. Karasek & T. Theorell, 1990), a third theoretical concept is proposed to assess adverse health effects of stressful experience at work: the effort-reward imbalance model. The focus of this model is on reciprocity of exchange in occupational life where high-cost/low-gain conditions are considered particularly stressful. Variables measuring low reward in terms of low status control (e.g., lack of promotion prospects, job insecurity) in association with high extrinsic (e.g., work pressure) or intrinsic (personal coping pattern, e.g., high need for control) effort independently predict new cardiovascular events in a prospective study on blue-collar men. Furthermore, these variables partly explain prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, atherogenic lipids) in 2 independent studies. Studying adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions seems well justified, especially in view of recent developments of the labor market.

Combat and Operational Stress: Minimizing Its Adverse Effects on Service Members

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-18

munitions. Combat stress has received many labels since the First World War. These labels include “shell shock, war neurosis , psychoneurosis, combat...war neurosis and psychoneurosis carried an inherently negative connotation because they implied by their name that a mental illness or disorder...who became combat stress casualties. In 1916, the term war neurosis replaced shell shocked as the number of combat stress casualties continued due

Effects of caffeine, sleep loss, and stress on cognitive performance and mood during U.S. Navy SEAL training. Sea-Air-Land.

PubMed

Lieberman, Harris R; Tharion, William J; Shukitt-Hale, Barbara; Speckman, Karen L; Tulley, Richard

2002-11-01

When humans are acutely exposed to multiple stressors, cognitive performance is substantially degraded. Few practical strategies are available to sustain performance under such conditions. This study examined whether moderate doses of caffeine would reduce adverse effects of sleep deprivation and exposure to severe environmental and operational stress on cognitive performance. Volunteers were 68 U.S. Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) trainees, randomly assigned to receive either 100, 200, or 300 mg caffeine or placebo in capsule form after 72 h of sleep deprivation and continuous exposure to other stressors. Cognitive tests administered included scanning visual vigilance, four-choice visual reaction time, a matching-to-sample working memory task and a repeated acquisition test of motor learning and memory. Mood state, marksmanship, and saliva caffeine were also assessed. Testing was conducted 1 and 8 h after treatment. Sleep deprivation and environmental stress adversely affected performance and mood. Caffeine, in a dose-dependent manner, mitigated many adverse effects of exposure to multiple stressors. Caffeine (200 and 300 mg) significantly improved visual vigilance, choice reaction time, repeated acquisition, self-reported fatigue and sleepiness with the greatest effects on tests of vigilance, reaction time, and alertness. Marksmanship, a task that requires fine motor coordination and steadiness, was not affected by caffeine. The greatest effects of caffeine were present 1 h post-administration, but significant effects persisted for 8 h. Even in the most adverse circumstances, moderate doses of caffeine can improve cognitive function, including vigilance, learning, memory, and mood state. When cognitive performance is critical and must be maintained during exposure to severe stress, administration of caffeine may provide a significant advantage. A dose of 200 mg appears to be optimal under such conditions.

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Adverse Birth Outcomes.

PubMed

Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Ristovska, Gordana; Dadvand, Payam

2017-10-19

Introduction: Three recent systematic reviews suggested a relationship between noise exposure and adverse birth outcomes. The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence for the World Health Organization (WHO) noise guidelines and conduct an updated systematic review of environmental noise, specifically aircraft and road traffic noise and birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, being small for gestational age and congenital malformations. Materials and methods : We reviewed again all the papers on environmental noise and birth outcomes included in the previous three systematic reviews and conducted a systematic search on noise and birth outcomes to update previous reviews. Web of Science, PubMed and Embase electronic databases were searched for papers published between June 2014 (end date of previous systematic review) and December 2016 using a list of specific search terms. Studies were also screened in the reference list of relevant reviews/articles. Further inclusion and exclusion criteria for the studies provided by the WHO expert group were applied. Risk of bias was assessed according to criteria from the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale for case-control and cohort studies. Finally, we applied the GRADE principles to our systematic review in a reproducible and appropriate way for judgment about quality of evidence. Results: In total, 14 studies are included in this review, six studies on aircraft noise and birth outcomes, five studies (two with more or less the same population) on road traffic noise and birth outcomes and three related studies on total ambient noise that is likely to be mostly traffic noise that met the criteria. The number of studies on environmental noise and birth outcomes is small and the quality of evidence generally ranges from very low to low, particularly in case of the older studies. The quality is better for the more recent traffic noise and birth outcomes studies. As there were too few studies, we did

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Adverse Birth Outcomes

PubMed Central

Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.; Ristovska, Gordana; Dadvand, Payam

2017-01-01

Introduction: Three recent systematic reviews suggested a relationship between noise exposure and adverse birth outcomes. The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence for the World Health Organization (WHO) noise guidelines and conduct an updated systematic review of environmental noise, specifically aircraft and road traffic noise and birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, being small for gestational age and congenital malformations. Materials and methods: We reviewed again all the papers on environmental noise and birth outcomes included in the previous three systematic reviews and conducted a systematic search on noise and birth outcomes to update previous reviews. Web of Science, PubMed and Embase electronic databases were searched for papers published between June 2014 (end date of previous systematic review) and December 2016 using a list of specific search terms. Studies were also screened in the reference list of relevant reviews/articles. Further inclusion and exclusion criteria for the studies provided by the WHO expert group were applied. Risk of bias was assessed according to criteria from the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale for case-control and cohort studies. Finally, we applied the GRADE principles to our systematic review in a reproducible and appropriate way for judgment about quality of evidence. Results: In total, 14 studies are included in this review, six studies on aircraft noise and birth outcomes, five studies (two with more or less the same population) on road traffic noise and birth outcomes and three related studies on total ambient noise that is likely to be mostly traffic noise that met the criteria. The number of studies on environmental noise and birth outcomes is small and the quality of evidence generally ranges from very low to low, particularly in case of the older studies. The quality is better for the more recent traffic noise and birth outcomes studies. As there were too few studies, we did

Association between childhood adversities and long-term suicidality among South Africans from the results of the South African Stress and Health study: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Bruwer, Belinda; Govender, Ravi; Bishop, Melanie; Williams, David R; Stein, Dan J; Seedat, Soraya

2014-06-11

Suicide and suicidal behaviours are significant public health problems and a leading cause of death worldwide and in South Africa. We examined the association between childhood adversities and suicidal behaviour over the life course. A national probability sample of 4351 South African adult participants (aged 18 years and older) in the South African Stress and Health (SASH) study was interviewed as part of the World Mental Health Surveys initiative. Respondents provided sociodemographic and diagnostic information, as well as an account of suicide-related thoughts and behaviours. Suicidality or suicidal behaviour were defined as were defined as suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in the total sample, and suicide plans and attempts among ideators. Childhood adversities included physical abuse, sexual abuse, parental death, parental divorce, other parental loss, family violence, physical illness and financial adversity. The association between suicidality and childhood adversities was examined using discrete-time survival models. More than a third of the respondents with suicidal behaviour experienced at least one childhood adversity, with physical abuse, parental death and parental divorce being the most prevalent adversities. Physical abuse, sexual abuse and parental divorce were identified as significant risk markers for lifetime suicide attempts, while physical abuse and parental divorce were significantly correlated with suicidal ideation. Two or more childhood adversities were associated with a twofold higher risk of lifetime suicide attempts. Sexual abuse (OR 9.3), parental divorce (OR 3.1) and childhood physical abuse (OR 2.2) had the strongest associations with lifetime suicide attempts. The effect of childhood adversities on suicidal tendencies varied over the life course. For example, sexual abuse was significantly associated with suicide attempts during childhood and teen years, but not during young and later adulthood. Childhood adversities

Experience of low-dose aminophylline use to relieve minor adverse effects of dipyridamole in patients undergoing stress myocardial perfusion imaging.

PubMed

Lin, Li-Fan; Cheng, Cheng-Yi; Hou, Cheng-Han; Ku, Chih-Hung; Tseng, Neng-Chuan; Shen, Daniel H Y

2014-06-01

Intravenous administration of aminophylline is widely adopted to reverse dipyridamole-related adverse effects (AEs) during stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of lower-dose aminophylline to relieve minor AEs. 2,250 consecutive patients undergoing dipyridamole-stressed MPI were enrolled. Information concerning AE occurrence and dosages of aminophylline was collected to evaluate the efficacy of lower-dose aminophylline. A logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of dipyridamole-related AE occurrence. No severe AE was noted. Overall mild AE incidence was 37.0% (833/2,250 patients). Initial low-dose (25 mg) aminophylline relieved symptoms in 98.8% of patients with mild AEs (823/833 patients). An extra 25 mg aminophylline sufficed to reverse all such AEs. Mean body mass index (BMI) differed significantly between patients with and without any AE [25.6 vs 25.1 (P = .009)]. There was no significant difference between two subgroups in mean age, male gender prevalence, body height and weight, dipyridamole dose/BMI, or prevalence of significant perfusion defect(s) on MPI. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated BMI remained the independent predictor of dipyridamole-related AE occurrence (odds ratio 1.028, 95% confidence interval 1.007-1.049, P = .01). Low-dose (≦50 mg, and usually 25 mg) aminophylline seems sufficient to relieve mild dipyridamole-related AEs during stress MPI.

Why Does Military Combat Experience Adversely Affect Marital Relations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gimbel, Cynthia; Booth, Alan

1994-01-01

Describes investigation of ways in which combat decreases marital quality and stability. Results support three models: (1) factors propelling men into combat also make them poor marriage material; (2) combat causes problems that increase marital adversity; and (3) combat intensifies premilitary stress and antisocial behavior which then negatively…

Stress and Protists: No life without stress

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

We report a summary of the symposium “Stress and Protists: No life without stress”, which was held in September 2015 on the VII European Congress of Protistology in partnership with the International Society of Protistologists (Seville, Spain). We present an overview on general comments and concepts on cellular stress which can be also applied to any protist. Generally, various environmental stressors may induce similar cell responses in very different protists. Two main topics are reported in this manuscript: (i) metallic nanoparticles as environmental pollutants and stressors for aquatic protists, and (ii) ultraviolet radiation – induced stress and photoprotective strategies in ciliates. Model protists such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Tetrahymena thermophila were used to assess stress caused by nanoparticles while stress caused by ultraviolet radiation was tested with free living planktonic ciliates as well as with the symbiont-bearing model ciliate Paramecium bursaria. For future studies, we suggest more intensive analyses on protist stress responses to specific environmental abiotic and/or biotic stressors at molecular and genetic levels up to ecological consequences and food web dynamics. PMID:27365178

Adverse early life experience and social stress during adulthood interact to increase serotonin transporter mRNA expression

PubMed Central

Gardner, Katherine L.; Hale, Matthew W.; Lightman, Stafford L.; Plotsky, Paul M.; Lowry, Christopher A.

2009-01-01

Anxiety disorders, depression and animal models of vulnerability to a depression-like syndrome have been associated with dysregulation of serotonergic systems in the brain. To evaluate the effects of early life experience, adverse experiences during adulthood, and potential interactions between these factors on serotonin transporter (slc6a4) mRNA expression, we investigated in rats the effects of maternal separation (180 min/day from days 2–14 of life; MS180), neonatal handing (15 min/day from days 2–14 of life; MS15), or normal animal facility rearing control conditions (AFR) with or without subsequent exposure to adult social defeat on slc6a4 mRNA expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) and caudal linear nucleus. At the level of specific subdivisions of the DR, there were no differences in slc6a4 mRNA expression between MS15 and AFR rats. Among rats exposed to a novel cage control condition, increased slc6a4 mRNA expression was observed in the dorsal part of the DR in MS180 rats, relative to AFR control rats. In contrast, MS180 rats exposed to social defeat as adults had increased slc6a4 mRNA expression throughout the DR compared to both MS15 and AFR controls. Social defeat increased slc6a4 mRNA expression, but only in MS180 rats and only in the “lateral wings” of the DR. Overall these data demonstrate that early life experience and stressful experience during adulthood interact to determine slc6a4 mRNA expression. These data support the hypothesis that early life experience and major stressful life events contribute to dysregulation of serotonergic systems in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. PMID:19781533

Understanding brassinosteroid-regulated mechanisms to improve stress tolerance in plants: a critical review.

PubMed

Nawaz, Fahim; Naeem, Muhammad; Zulfiqar, Bilal; Akram, Asim; Ashraf, Muhammad Yasin; Raheel, Muhammad; Shabbir, Rana Nauman; Hussain, Rai Altaf; Anwar, Irfan; Aurangzaib, Muhammad

2017-07-01

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroidal plant hormones involved in regulation of physiological and molecular processes to ameliorate various biotic and abiotic stresses. Exogenous application of BRs to improve stress tolerance in plants has recently become a high research priority. Several studies have revealed the involvement of these steroidal hormones in upregulation of stress-related defense genes and their cross talk with other metabolic pathways. This is likely to stimulate research on many unanswered questions regarding their role in enhancing the ability of plants to tolerate adverse environmental conditions. Thus, this review appraises new insights on mechanisms mediating BR-regulated changes in plants, focused mainly on their involvement in regulation of physiological and molecular mechanisms under stress conditions. Herein, examples of BR-stimulated modulation of antioxidant defense system and upregulation of transcription factors in plants exposed to various biotic (bacterial, viral, and fungal attack) and abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, heat, low temperature, and heavy metal stress) are discussed. Based on these insights, future research in the current direction can be helpful to increase our understanding of BR-mediated complex and interrelated processes under stress conditions.

The Role of MicroRNAs in Environmental Risk Factors, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, and Mental Stress.

PubMed

Miguel, Verónica; Cui, Julia Yue; Daimiel, Lidia; Espinosa-Díez, Cristina; Fernández-Hernando, Carlos; Kavanagh, Terrance J; Lamas, Santiago

2018-03-20

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression and define part of the epigenetic signature. Their influence on every realm of biomedicine is established and progressively increasing. The impact of environment on human health is enormous. Among environmental risk factors impinging on quality of life are those of chemical nature (toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pollutants, and pesticides) as well as those related to everyday life such as exposure to noise or mental and psychosocial stress. Recent Advances: This review elaborates on the relationship between miRNAs and these environmental risk factors. The most relevant facts underlying the role of miRNAs in the response to these environmental stressors, including redox regulatory changes and oxidative stress, are highlighted and discussed. In the cases wherein miRNA mutations are relevant for this response, the pertinent literature is also reviewed. We conclude that, even though in some cases important advances have been made regarding close correlations between specific miRNAs and biological responses to environmental risk factors, a need for prospective large-cohort studies is likely necessary to establish causative roles. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 773-796.

Environmental Durability and Stress Rupture of EBC/CMCs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appleby, Matthew; Morscher, Gregory N.; Zhu, Dongming

2012-01-01

This research focuses on the strength and creep performance of SiC fiber-reinforced SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) environmental barrier coating (EBC) systems under complex simulated engine environments. Tensile-strength and stress-rupture testing was conducted to illustrate the material properties under isothermal and thermal gradient conditions. To determine material durability, further testing was conducted under exposure to thermal cycling, thermal gradients and simulated combustion environments. Emphasis is placed on experimental techniques as well as implementation of non-destructive evaluation, including modal acoustic emission and electrical resistivity monitoring, to characterize strength degradation and damage mechanisms. Currently, little is known about the behavior of EBC-CMCs under these conditions; consequently, this work will prove invaluable in the development of structural components for use in high temperature applications.

Global Gradients of Coral Exposure to Environmental Stresses and Implications for Local Management

PubMed Central

Maina, Joseph; McClanahan, Tim R.; Venus, Valentijn; Ateweberhan, Mebrahtu; Madin, Joshua

2011-01-01

Background The decline of coral reefs globally underscores the need for a spatial assessment of their exposure to multiple environmental stressors to estimate vulnerability and evaluate potential counter-measures. Methodology/Principal Findings This study combined global spatial gradients of coral exposure to radiation stress factors (temperature, UV light and doldrums), stress-reinforcing factors (sedimentation and eutrophication), and stress-reducing factors (temperature variability and tidal amplitude) to produce a global map of coral exposure and identify areas where exposure depends on factors that can be locally managed. A systems analytical approach was used to define interactions between radiation stress variables, stress reinforcing variables and stress reducing variables. Fuzzy logic and spatial ordinations were employed to quantify coral exposure to these stressors. Globally, corals are exposed to radiation and reinforcing stress, albeit with high spatial variability within regions. Based on ordination of exposure grades, regions group into two clusters. The first cluster was composed of severely exposed regions with high radiation and low reducing stress scores (South East Asia, Micronesia, Eastern Pacific and the central Indian Ocean) or alternatively high reinforcing stress scores (the Middle East and the Western Australia). The second cluster was composed of moderately to highly exposed regions with moderate to high scores in both radiation and reducing factors (Caribbean, Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Central Pacific, Polynesia and the western Indian Ocean) where the GBR was strongly associated with reinforcing stress. Conclusions/Significance Despite radiation stress being the most dominant stressor, the exposure of coral reefs could be reduced by locally managing chronic human impacts that act to reinforce radiation stress. Future research and management efforts should focus on incorporating the factors that mitigate the effect of coral stressors

In vitro assessment of environmental stress of persistent organic pollutants on the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin.

PubMed

Jia, Kuntong; Ding, Liang; Zhang, Lingli; Zhang, Mei; Yi, Meisheng; Wu, Yuping

2015-12-25

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are detected ubiquitously and are linked to range of adverse health effects. The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin inhabited the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), China, where high concentrations of POPs have been reported. This study evaluated the threats posed by POPs in the environment to the dolphin using an in vitro system. We selected BNF(β-naphthoflavone) and four POPs (DDTs (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes), CHLs(chlorides), HCHs(hexachlorocyclohexanes) and HCB(hexachlorobenzene)) which had been accumulated in the dolphin with high concentrations to treat the cultured skin fibroblast cells (ScSF cells) of the dolphin, and investigated the expression patterns of the ecological stress biomarkers CYP1A1, AHR and HSP70 in the cell line. The results showed that CYP1A1 was up-regulated after being exposed to different concentrations of BNF, DDTs and HCHs. CHLs, HCHs and HCB promoted AHR expression. HSP70 expression was increased by high concentrations of BNF and DDTs. Moreover, comet assay experiments revealed that DDTs produced higher degree of DNA damage to ScSF cells than other POPs, implying that the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin in the PRE has been threatened by POPs accumulated in the body, especially by DDTs. Our results provided important information to assess the risk of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin raised by environmental POPs in vivo. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transposable Elements as Stress Adaptive Capacitors Induce Genomic Instability in Fungal Pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae

PubMed Central

Chadha, Sonia; Sharma, Mradul

2014-01-01

A fundamental problem in fungal pathogenesis is to elucidate the evolutionary forces responsible for genomic rearrangements leading to races with fitter genotypes. Understanding the adaptive evolutionary mechanisms requires identification of genomic components and environmental factors reshaping the genome of fungal pathogens to adapt. Herein, Magnaporthe oryzae, a model fungal plant pathogen is used to demonstrate the impact of environmental cues on transposable elements (TE) based genome dynamics. For heat shock and copper stress exposed samples, eight TEs belonging to class I and II family were employed to obtain DNA profiles. Stress induced mutant bands showed a positive correlation with dose/duration of stress and provided evidences of TEs role in stress adaptiveness. Further, we demonstrate that genome dynamics differ for the type/family of TEs upon stress exposition and previous reports of stress induced MAGGY transposition has underestimated the role of TEs in M. oryzae. Here, we identified Pyret, MAGGY, Pot3, MINE, Mg-SINE, Grasshopper and MGLR3 as contributors of high genomic instability in M. oryzae in respective order. Sequencing of mutated bands led to the identification of LTR-retrotransposon sequences within regulatory regions of psuedogenes. DNA transposon Pot3 was identified in the coding regions of chromatin remodelling protein containing tyrosinase copper-binding and PWWP domains. LTR-retrotransposons Pyret and MAGGY are identified as key components responsible for the high genomic instability and perhaps these TEs are utilized by M. oryzae for its acclimatization to adverse environmental conditions. Our results demonstrate how common field stresses change genome dynamics of pathogen and provide perspective to explore the role of TEs in genome adaptability, signalling network and its impact on the virulence of fungal pathogens. PMID:24709911

Contributions of early adversity to pro-inflammatory phenotype in infancy: the buffer provided by attachment security.

PubMed

Measelle, Jeffrey R; Ablow, Jennifer C

2018-02-01

Adversity early in life is associated with systemic inflammation by adolescence and beyond. At present, few studies have investigated the associations between different forms of adversity and inflammation during infancy, making it difficult to specify the origins of disease vulnerability. This study examined the association between multiple forms of early adversity - socioeconomic status disadvantage, familial stress, maternal depression, and security of attachment - and individual differences in a composite measure of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and the inflammatory protein C-reactive protein that were collected via saliva when (n = 49) children were 17 months old. In addition to gauging the direct effects of adversity, we also tested the hypothesis that infants' attachment relationship with their mother might buffer infants against the immunologic effects of early adversity. Results show that familial stress, maternal depression, and security of attachment were directly associated with infant salivary inflammation and that attachment status moderated the effect of maternal depression. The findings suggest that exposure to certain forms of adversity very early in life may engender a pro-inflammatory phenotype with possible life-long implications for health.

Adversity before Conception Will Affect Adult Progeny in Rats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shachar-Dadon, Alice; Schulkin, Jay; Leshem, Micah

2009-01-01

The authors investigated whether adversity in a female, before she conceives, will influence the affective and social behavior of her progeny. Virgin female rats were either undisturbed (controls) or exposed to varied, unpredictable, stressors for 7 days (preconceptual stress [PCS]) and then either mated immediately after the end of the stress…

Evidence of volcanic induced environmental stress during the end-Triassic event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindström, Sofie; Sanei, Hamed; van de Schootbrugge, Bas; Krarup Pedersen, Gunver; Dybkjær, Karen; van der Weijst, Carolien; Hovedskov Hansen, Katrine

2015-04-01

The end-Triassic biotic crisis is generally explained by massive input of CO2 and/or methane to the atmosphere linked to the formation of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province. Such massive volcanism can be compared to industrial pollution releasing large amounts of the greenhouse gases CO2 and SO2 to the atmosphere. Indeed, the fossil record provides evidence of major perturbations in the δ13C-record of both calcareous and organic material. In the marine realm loss of calcifying organisms provides evidence of ocean acidification due to the increased pCO2, while in the terrestrial realm physiological responses in fossil plants indicate intense global warming across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. Changing climatic conditions is further indicated by charcoal records from Greenland, Denmark, Sweden and Poland showing increased wildfire activity. Increased reworking of palynological material and marked changes in fluvial style in terrestrial successions seem to indicate an increased hydrological cycle. Here we examine and compare two proxies, Mercury and palynology, that may both, each in their own way, indicate volcanic induced environmental stress. Mercury (Hg) is one of the most toxic elements on the planet, with volcanic emissions being the largest natural input to the Hg-cycle. The temporal distribution of Hg in relation to organic matter can provide evidence of atmospheric Hg loading on the marine ecosystem. In the terrestrial realm, pollen and spores are known to be sensitive bioindicators of atmospheric pollution and environmental stress. Quantitive abundances of aberrant, and thus probably non-viable, pollen and spores are often used to assess environmental impact on polluted sites today. We present, compare and discuss Hg and aberrant spore/pollen records from the stratigraphically well-constrained Triassic-Jurassic boundary succession at Stenlille in the Danish Basin, and the possible impact of these data on the interpretation of events during end

Role of environmental and antibiotic stress on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm microstructure.

PubMed

Stewart, Elizabeth J; Satorius, Ashley E; Younger, John G; Solomon, Michael J

2013-06-11

Cellular clustering and separation of Staphylococcus epidermidis surface adherent biofilms were found to depend significantly on both antibiotic and environmental stress present during growth under steady flow. Image analysis techniques common to colloidal science were applied to image volumes acquired with high-resolution confocal laser scanning microscopy to extract spatial positions of individual bacteria in volumes of size ~30 × 30 × 15 μm(3). The local number density, cluster distribution, and radial distribution function were determined at each condition by analyzing the statistics of the bacterial spatial positions. Environmental stressors of high osmotic pressure (776 mM NaCl) and sublethal antibiotic dose (1.9 μg/mL vancomycin) decreased the average bacterial local number density 10-fold. Device-associated bacterial biofilms are frequently exposed to these environmental and antibiotic stressors while undergoing flow in the bloodstream. Characteristic density phenotypes associated with low, medium, and high local number densities were identified in unstressed S. epidermidis biofilms, while stressed biofilms contained medium- and low-density phenotypes. All biofilms exhibited clustering at length scales commensurate with cell division (~1.0 μm). However, density phenotypes differed in cellular connectivity at the scale of ~6 μm. On this scale, nearly all cells in the high- and medium-density phenotypes were connected into a single cluster with a structure characteristic of a densely packed disordered fluid. However, in the low-density phenotype, the number of clusters was greater, equal to 4% of the total number of cells, and structures were fractal in nature with d(f) =1.7 ± 0.1. The work advances the understanding of biofilm growth, informs the development of predictive models of transport and mechanical properties of biofilms, and provides a method for quantifying the kinetics of bacterial surface colonization as well as biofilm fracture and

Stressful life experiences in adolescence and cardiometabolic risk factors in young adulthood.

PubMed

Wickrama, Kandauda A S; Lee, Tae-Kyoung; O'Neal, Catherine Walker

2015-04-01

An increasing number of studies have provided evidence for the persistent influence of childhood/adolescent socioeconomic adversities on subsequent health outcomes. However, less is known about the distinct and additive influences of these early socioeconomic adversities and adolescents' own stressful life experiences on health outcomes in young adulthood. We used data from 11,030 adolescents who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health at Waves 1, 3, and 4 and provided biomarker data at Wave 4. Three early socioeconomic adversities (community socioeconomic adversity, family economic hardship, and low parental education) were evaluated. Adolescents' stressful transition to young adulthood was captured by six specific precocious life events as follows: early sex, early marriage or cohabitation, early leaving home, early pregnancy, early employment, and truncated education. A summary measure of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk was assessed using nine biomarkers. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate regression analyses were employed. Early socioeconomic adversities and stressful life transition events were uniquely associated with elevated levels of cardiometabolic (CM) biomarkers and cumulative CM disease risk. For all of the biomarkers, young adults in high-adversity/stress groups were more likely to be in the high CM disease risk groups (>75th percentile) than in the low-adversity/stress groups. These findings provide support for the influence of multiple early socioeconomic adversities and adolescents' stressful life transitions on their CM disease risk as young adults. Increased efforts to prevent and mitigate these experiences may improve disease risks across a number of biomarkers. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship of childhood adversity and neighborhood violence to a proinflammatory phenotype in emerging adult African American men: An epigenetic link.

PubMed

Janusek, Linda Witek; Tell, Dina; Gaylord-Harden, Noni; Mathews, Herbert L

2017-02-01

African American men (AAM) who are exposed to trauma and adversity during their early life are at greater risk for poor health over their lifespan. Exposure to adversity during critical developmental windows may embed an epigenetic signature that alters expression of genes that regulate stress response systems, including those genes that regulate the inflammatory response to stress. Such an epigenetic signature may increase risk for diseases exacerbated by inflammation, and may contribute to health disparity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent to which exposure to early life adversity influences the psychological, cortisol, and proinflammatory response to acute stress (Trier Social Stress Test - TSST) in emerging adult AAM, ages 18-25years (N=34). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the cortisol and IL-6 pattern of response to the TSST with respect to childhood adversity factors and DNA methylation of the IL-6 promoter. Findings revealed that in response to the TSST, greater levels of childhood trauma and indirect exposure to neighborhood violence were associated with a greater TSST-induced IL-6 response, and a blunted cortisol response. Reduced methylation of the IL6 promoter was related to increased exposure to childhood trauma and greater TSST-induced IL-6 levels. These results support the concept that exposure to childhood adversity amplifies the adult proinflammatory response to stress, which is related to epigenetic signature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Natural Selection and Adaptive Evolution of Leptin in the Ochotona Family Driven by the Cold Environmental Stress

PubMed Central

Yang, Jie; Wang, Zhen Long; Zhao, Xin Quan; Wang, De Peng; Qi, De Lin; Xu, Bao Hong; Ren, Yong Hong; Tian, Hui Fang

2008-01-01

Background Environmental stress can accelerate the evolutionary rate of specific stress-response proteins and create new functions specialized for different environments, enhancing an organism's fitness to stressful environments. Pikas (order Lagomorpha), endemic, non-hibernating mammals in the modern Holarctic Region, live in cold regions at either high altitudes or high latitudes and have a maximum distribution of species diversification confined to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Variations in energy metabolism are remarkable for them living in cold environments. Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, plays important roles in energy homeostasis. Methodology/Principal Findings To examine the extent of leptin variations within the Ochotona family, we cloned the entire coding sequence of pika leptin from 6 species in two regions (Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Inner Mongolia steppe in China) and the leptin sequences of plateau pikas (O. curzonia) from different altitudes on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We carried out both DNA and amino acid sequence analyses in molecular evolution and compared modeled spatial structures. Our results show that positive selection (PS) acts on pika leptin, while nine PS sites located within the functionally significant segment 85-119 of leptin and one unique motif appeared only in pika lineages-the ATP synthase α and β subunit signature site. To reveal the environmental factors affecting sequence evolution of pika leptin, relative rate test was performed in pikas from different altitudes. Stepwise multiple regression shows that temperature is significantly and negatively correlated with the rates of non-synonymous substitution (Ka) and amino acid substitution (Aa), whereas altitude does not significantly affect synonymous substitution (Ks), Ka and Aa. Conclusions/Significance Our findings support the viewpoint that adaptive evolution may occur in pika leptin, which may play important roles in pikas' ecological adaptation to extreme environmental

Reynolds stress structures in a self-similar adverse pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer at the verge of separation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, C.; Sekimoto, A.; Jiménez, J.; Soria, J.

2018-04-01

Mean Reynolds stress profiles and instantaneous Reynolds stress structures are investigated in a self-similar adverse pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer (APG-TBL) at the verge of separation using data from direct numerical simulations. The use of a self-similar APG-TBL provides a flow domain in which the flow gradually approaches a constant non-dimensional pressure gradient, resulting in a flow in which the relative contribution of each term in the governing equations is independent of streamwise position over a domain larger than two boundary layer thickness. This allows the flow structures to undergo a development that is less dependent on the upstream flow history when compared to more rapidly decelerated boundary layers. This APG-TBL maintains an almost constant shape factor of H = 2.3 to 2.35 over a momentum thickness based Reynolds number range of Re δ 2 = 8420 to 12400. In the APG-TBL the production of turbulent kinetic energy is still mostly due to the correlation of streamwise and wall-normal fluctuations, 〈uv〉, however the contribution form the other components of the Reynolds stress tensor are no longer negligible. Statistical properties associated with the scale and location of sweeps and ejections in this APG-TBL are compared with those of a zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer developing from the same inlet profile, resulting in momentum thickness based range of Re δ 2 = 3400 to 3770. In the APG-TBL the peak in both the mean Reynolds stress and the production of turbulent kinetic energy move from the near wall region out to a point consistent with the displacement thickness height. This is associated with a narrower distribution of the Reynolds stress and a 1.6 times higher relative number of wall-detached negative uv structures. These structures occupy 5 times less of the boundary layer volume and show a similar reduction in their streamwise extent with respect to the boundary layer thickness. A significantly lower percentage

Adversity and Resilience Are Associated with Outcome after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Military Service Members.

PubMed

Reid, Matthew W; Cooper, Douglas B; Lu, Lisa H; Iverson, Grant L; Kennedy, Jan E

2018-05-15

The objective of this study was to assess the associations between resilience, adversity, post-concussion symptoms, and post-traumatic stress symptom reporting after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We hypothesized that resilience would be associated with less symptom reporting, and adversity would be associated with greater symptom reporting. This was a cross-sectional study of retrospective data collected for an ongoing TBI repository. United States military service members who screened positive for mTBI during a primary care visit completed the Trauma History Screen (THS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). Data collected from February 2015 to August 2016 were used for the present study. Only participants with complete data for the above measures were included, yielding a sample size of 165 participants. Adversity (THS) and resilience (CD-RISC) scores were each correlated significantly with post-concussion (NSI) and traumatic stress (PCL-C) total and subscale scores in the hypothesized direction. Interactions between adversity and resilience were absent for all measures except the NSI sensory subscale. Four traumatic event types were significantly associated positively with most NSI and PCL-C total and subscale scores, but the age at which traumatic events were first experienced showed few and mixed significant associations. In conclusion, resilience and adversity were significantly associated with symptom endorsement after mTBI. Screening for cumulative adversity may identify individuals at greater risk of developing persistent post-concussion symptoms and/or PTSD, and interventions that increase resilience may reduce symptom severity.

Associations between childhood adversity, adult stressful life events, and past-year drug use disorders in the National Epidemiological Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).

PubMed

Myers, Bronwyn; McLaughlin, Katie A; Wang, Shuai; Blanco, Carlos; Stein, Dan J

2014-12-01

Stress sensitization, whereby CA lowers tolerance to later stressors, has been proposed as a potential mechanism explaining the association between exposure to childhood adversities (CA) and drug use disorders in adulthood. However, this mechanism remains untested. This paper begins to address this gap through exploring associations between CA exposure and stressful events in adulthood for predicting drug use disorders. We used data drawn from Wave 2 of the U.S. National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (n = 34,653) to explore whether the association between past-year stressful life events and the 12-month prevalence of disordered cannabis, stimulant, and opiate use varied by the number of types of CA that an individual was exposed to. Past-year stressful life events were associated with an increased risk of cannabis, stimulant, and opiate use disorders among men and women. Exposure to CA was associated with increased risk for disordered cannabis use among men and women and opiate use among men only. Finally, we found significant associations between exposure to CA and past-year stressful life events in predicting disordered drug use, but only for women in relation to disordered stimulant and opiate use. Findings are suggestive of possible stress sensitization effects in predicting disordered stimulant and opiate use among women. Implications of these findings for the prevention and treatment of drug use disorders and for future research are discussed.

Environmental forensic research for emerging contaminants in complex environmental matrices

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has established criteria to address many of the significant traditional pollutants demonstrated to have adverse affects on environmental quality. However, new chemicals are being created almost daily, and these new chemicals, as ...

Prenatal Family Adversity and Maternal Mental Health and Vulnerability to Peer Victimisation at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lereya, Suzet Tanya; Wolke, Dieter

2013-01-01

Background: Prenatal stress has been shown to predict persistent behavioural abnormalities in offspring. Unknown is whether prenatal stress makes children more vulnerable to peer victimisation. Methods: The current study is based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective community-based study. Family adversity, maternal…

Glutathione Is Involved in Environmental Stress Responses in Rhizobium tropici, Including Acid Tolerance

PubMed Central

Riccillo, Pablo M.; Muglia, Cecilia I.; de Bruijn, Frans J.; Roe, Andrew J.; Booth, Ian R.; Aguilar, O. Mario

2000-01-01

The isolation of rhizobial strains which exhibit an intrinsic tolerance to acidic conditions has been reported and has facilitated studies on the basic mechanisms underlying acid tolerance. Rhizobium tropici strain CIAT899 displays a high intrinsic tolerance to acidity and therefore was used in this work to study the molecular basis of bacterial responses to acid conditions and other environmental stresses. We generated a collection of R. tropici CIAT899 mutants affected in acid tolerance using Tn5-luxAB mutagenesis, and one mutant strain (CIAT899-13T2), which fails to grow under acid conditions, was characterized in detail. Strain CIAT899-13T2 was found to contain a single Tn5-luxAB insertion in a gene showing a high degree of similarity with the Escherichia coli gshB gene, encoding the enzyme glutathione synthetase. Intracellular potassium pools and intracellular pH levels were found to be lower in the mutant than in the parent. The glutathione-deficient mutant was shown to be sensitive to weak organic acids, osmotic and oxidative stresses, and the presence of methylglyoxal. Glutathione restores responses to these stresses almost to wild-type levels. Our data show that in R. tropici the production of glutathione is essential for growth in extreme environmental conditions. The mutant strain CIAT899-13T2 induced effective nodules; however, it was found to be outcompeted by the wild-type strain in coinoculation experiments. PMID:10692382

Toxic stress and child refugees.

PubMed

Murray, John S

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe the phenomenon of toxic stress and its impact on the physical and mental health of child refugees. Almost two decades ago, researchers found that recurring adverse childhood events (ACEs; e.g., physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction such as substance abuse, mental illness, and criminal behavior) were associated with a significant increase in serious illnesses during adulthood. Illnesses include heart, lung, and liver disease, cancer, and bone fractures. The scientists reported that experiencing four or more ACEs during childhood significantly increases the risk for toxic stress. Toxic stress is defined as the exposure to extreme, frequent, and persistent adverse events without the presence of a supportive caretaker. There is a paucity of literature related to toxic stress and child refugees. However, it has been clearly established that the prolonged brutal and traumatizing war in Syria is having a profound impact on the physical and mental health of child refugees at a distressing rate. Prevention of toxic stress should be a primary goal of all pediatric healthcare professionals working with child refugees. While this seems daunting given the population, and the seemingly insurmountable stressors they experience, some basic interventions should be considered. Providing basic anticipatory guidance to parents and caregivers of child refugees, to encourage positive parenting and strengthening support networks, will be highly effective in developing the requisite buffers that mitigate the effects of stress and avoid toxic stress. Efforts should also be focused on addressing caregiver stress and improving their ability to provide safe, reliable, and nurturing care that will help to mitigate any stress response experienced by a child. It is critical that greater awareness be placed on the effects of toxic stress on child refugees who are exposed to significant adverse events early in life

Childhood Adversity, Religion, and Change in Adult Mental Health.

PubMed

Jung, Jong Hyun

2018-02-01

Research indicates that childhood adversity is associated with poor mental health in adulthood. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the deleterious long-term effects of childhood adversity on adult mental health are reduced for individuals who are involved in religious practices. Using longitudinal data from a representative sample of American adults ( N = 1,635), I find that religious salience and spirituality buffer the noxious effects of childhood abuse on change in positive affect over time. By contrast, these stress-buffering properties of religion fail to emerge when negative affect serves as the outcome measure. These results underscore the importance of religion as a countervailing mechanism that blunts the negative impact of childhood abuse on adult mental health over time. I discuss the theoretical implications of these findings for views about religion, childhood adversity, and mental health.

Adverse perinatal conditions and the inner ear.

PubMed

Newton, V

2001-12-01

Epidemiological studies in a number of Western countries have attributed 6-14% of sensorineural hearing impairment from birth or early childhood to problems relating to the birth process [1-4]. In spite of this association it is not always clear in individual instances whether adverse perinatal conditions identified subsequently have been causative of a hearing loss or not. It is possible that the hearing impairment was the consequence of an earlier intrauterine insult or is a coincidental finding. Infants carrying genetic mutations for hearing loss may coincidentally experience perinatal stress. It is therefore important to investigate the cause of a hearing loss discovered in infancy irrespective of the history of the infant having experienced adverse conditions surrounding the time of birth. Copyright 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Phase transformations and residual stresses in environmental barrier coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harder, Bryan J.

Silicon-based ceramics (SiC, Si3N4) are promising materials for high-temperature structural applications in turbine engines. However, the silica layer that forms on these materials is susceptible to attack from water vapor present in combustion environments. To protect against this degradation, environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) were developed to protect the underlying substrate. In the case of silicon carbide (SiC), multilayer coating systems consist of a Ba1-xSrxAl2Si 2O8 (BSAS) topcoat, a mullite or mullite + SrAl2Si 2O8 (SAS) interlayer, and a silicon bond coat. In this work, biaxial strains were measured on as-sprayed and heat-treated samples to analyze the stress and phase evolution in the coating system as a function of depth and temperature. Models were used to compare the results with an ideal coating system. In the assprayed state, tensile stresses as high as 175 MPa were measured, and cracking was observed. After thermally cycling the samples, stresses were significantly reduced and cracks in the topcoat had closed. The addition of SAS to the interlayer increased the compressive stress in the BSAS topcoat in thermally-cycled samples, which was desirable for EBC applications. The BSAS topcoat transformed from the as-deposited hexacelsian state to the stable celsian above 1200°C. This phase transformation is accompanied by a CTE reduction. The kinetics of the hexacelsian-to-celsian transformation were quantified for freestanding plasma-sprayed BSAS. Activation energies for bulk bars and crushed powder were determined to be ˜340 kJ/mol and ˜500 kJ/mol, respectively. X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction were used to establish how microstructural constraints reduce the transformation energy. Barrier coating lifetime and stability are also influenced by exposure to reactive, low-melting point calcium-magnesium-aluminosilicate (CMAS) deposits formed from dust and sand. Multilayer doped aluminosilicate coatings and bulk BSAS material were

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol a at environmentally relevant doses adversely affects the murine female reproductive tract later in life.

PubMed

Newbold, Retha R; Jefferson, Wendy N; Padilla-Banks, Elizabeth

2009-06-01

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals during critical developmental periods causes adverse consequences later in life; an example is prenatal exposure to the pharmaceutical diethylstilbestrol (DES). Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental estrogen used in the synthesis of plastics, is of concern because its chemical structure resembles that of DES, and it is a "high-volume production" chemical with widespread human exposure. In this study we investigated whether prenatal BPA causes long-term adverse effects in female reproductive tissues in an experimental animal model previously shown useful in studying effects of prenatal DES. Timed pregnant CD-1 mice were treated on days 9-16 of gestation with BPA (0.1, 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 mug/kg/day). After delivery, pups were held for 18 months; reproductive tissues were then evaluated. Ovarian cysts were significantly increased in the 1-mug/kg BPA group; ovarian cyst-adenomas were seen in the other three BPA-treated groups but not in corn-oil controls. We observed increased progressive proliferative lesions of the oviduct after BPA treatment, similar to those described in response to DES. Further, although not statistically different from the controls, prominent mesonephric (Wolffian) remnants and squamous metaplasia of the uterus, as well as vaginal adenosis, were present in BPA-treated mice, similar to lesions reported following DES treatment. More severe pathologies observed in some BPA-treated animals included atypical hyperplasia and stromal polyps of the uterus; sarcoma of the uterine cervix; and mammary adenocarcinoma. We did not observe these lesions in controls. These data suggest that BPA causes long-term adverse reproductive and carcinogenic effects if exposure occurs during critical periods of differentiation.

Vantage Sensitivity: Environmental Sensitivity to Positive Experiences as a Function of Genetic Differences.

PubMed

Pluess, Michael

2017-02-01

A large number of gene-environment interaction studies provide evidence that some people are more likely to be negatively affected by adverse experiences as a function of specific genetic variants. However, such "risk" variants are surprisingly frequent in the population. Evolutionary analysis suggests that genetic variants associated with increased risk for maladaptive development under adverse environmental conditions are maintained in the population because they are also associated with advantages in response to different contextual conditions. These advantages may include (a) coexisting genetic resilience pertaining to other adverse influences, (b) a general genetic susceptibility to both low and high environmental quality, and (c) a coexisting propensity to benefit disproportionately from positive and supportive exposures, as reflected in the recent framework of vantage sensitivity. After introducing the basic properties of vantage sensitivity and highlighting conceptual similarities and differences with diathesis-stress and differential susceptibility patterns of gene-environment interaction, selected and recent empirical evidence for the notion of vantage sensitivity as a function of genetic differences is reviewed. The unique contribution that the new perspective of vantage sensitivity may make to our understanding of social inequality will be discussed after suggesting neurocognitive and molecular mechanisms hypothesized to underlie the propensity to benefit disproportionately from benevolent experiences. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence of negative life events and chronic adversities in European pre- and primary-school children: results from the IDEFICS study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Children are not always recognized as being susceptible to stress, although childhood stressors may originate from multiple events in their everyday surroundings with negative effects on children’s health. Methods As there is a lack of large-scale, European prevalence data on childhood adversities, this study presents the prevalence of (1) negative life events and (2) familial and social adversities in 4637 European pre- and primary-school children (4–11 years old), using a parentally-reported questionnaire embedded in the IDEFICS project (‘Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS’). Results The following findings were observed: (1) Certain adversities occur only rarely, while others are very regular (i.e. parental divorce); (2) A large percentage of children is shielded from stressors, while a small group of children is exposed to multiple, accumulating adversities; (3) The prevalence of childhood adversity is influenced by geographical location (e.g. north versus south), age group and sex; (4) Childhood adversities are associated and co-occur, resulting in potential cumulative childhood stress. Conclusions This study demonstrated the importance of not only studying traumatic events but also of focusing on the early familial and social environment in childhood stress research and indicated the importance of recording or monitoring childhood adversities. PMID:23173879

Environmental light color affects the stress response of Nile tilapia.

PubMed

Maia, Caroline Marques; Volpato, Gilson Luiz

2013-02-01

We investigated the effects of environmental light colors (blue, yellow and white) on the stress responses (measured by changes in ventilatory frequency - VF) of Nile tilapia to confinement. After 7 days of light treatment, the VF was similar for fish in each color. On the 8th day, fish were confined for 15 min. After release, the post-confinement VF was measured six times (first period: 0, 2 and 4 min; second period: 6, 8 and 10 min). Irrespective of the light color treatment, confinement increased the VF to higher levels during the first post-confinement period than during the second one. When color was analyzed, irrespective of time, fish under white light increased their VF post-confinement, and blue light prevented this effect. We conclude that blue light is the preferred color for Nile tilapia in terms of reducing stress. This finding is in contrast to previous choice test studies that indicated that yellow is their preferred color. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The Elaborated Environmental Stress Hypothesis as a Framework for Understanding the Association Between Motor Skills and Internalizing Problems: A Mini-Review

PubMed Central

Mancini, Vincent O.; Rigoli, Daniela; Cairney, John; Roberts, Lynne D.; Piek, Jan P.

2016-01-01

Poor motor skills have been shown to be associated with a range of psychosocial issues, including internalizing problems (anxiety and depression). While well-documented empirically, our understanding of why this relationship occurs remains theoretically underdeveloped. The Elaborated Environmental Stress Hypothesis by Cairney et al. (2013) provides a promising framework that seeks to explain the association between motor skills and internalizing problems, specifically in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The framework posits that poor motor skills predispose the development of internalizing problems via interactions with intermediary environmental stressors. At the time the model was proposed, limited direct evidence was available to support or refute the framework. Several studies and developments related to the framework have since been published. This mini-review seeks to provide an up-to-date overview of recent developments related to the Elaborated Environmental Stress Hypothesis. We briefly discuss the past research that led to its development, before moving to studies that have investigated the framework since it was proposed. While originally developed within the context of DCD in childhood, recent developments have found support for the model in community samples. Through the reviewed literature, this article provides support for the Elaborated Environmental Stress Hypothesis as a promising theoretical framework that explains the psychosocial correlates across the broader spectrum of motor ability. However, given its recent conceptualization, ongoing evaluation of the Elaborated Environmental Stress Hypothesis is recommended. PMID:26941690

Induction, adaptation and recovery of biological responses: implications for environmental monitoring.

PubMed

Wu, Rudolf S S; Siu, William H L; Shin, Paul K S

2005-01-01

A wide range of biological responses have been used to identify exposure to contaminants, monitor spatial and temporal changes in contamination levels, provide early warning of environmental deterioration and indicate occurrences of adverse ecological consequences. To be useful in environmental monitoring, a biological response must reflect the environmental stress over time in a quantitative way. We here argue that the time required for initial induction, maximum induction, adaptation and recovery of these stress responses must first be fully understood and considered before they can be used in environmental monitoring, or else erroneous conclusions (both false-negative and false-positive) may be drawn when interpreting results. In this study, data on initial induction, maximum induction, adaptation and recovery of stress responses at various biological hierarchies (i.e., molecular, biochemical, physiological, behavioral, cytological, population and community responses) upon exposure to environmentally relevant levels of contaminants (i.e., metals, oil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorines, organophosphates, endocrine disruptors) were extracted from 922 papers in the biomarker literature and analyzed. Statistical analyses showed that: (a) many stress responses may decline with time after induction (i.e., adaptation), even if the level of stress remains constant; (b) times for maximum induction and recovery of biochemical responses are positively related; (c) there is no evidence to support the general belief that time for induction of responses at a lower biological hierarchy (i.e., molecular responses and biochemical responses) is shorter than that at higher hierarchy (i.e., physiological, cytological and behavioral responses), although longer recovery time is found for population and community responses; (d) there are significant differences in times required for induction and adaptation of biological responses caused by different types of

Adverse Outcome Pathways – Organizing Toxicological ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The number of chemicals for which environmental regulatory decisions are required far exceeds the current capacity for toxicity testing. High throughput screening (HTS) commonly used for drug discovery has the potential to increase this capacity. The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) concept has emerged as a natural framework for connecting high throughput toxicity testing (HTT) results to potential impacts on humans and wildlife populations. An AOP consists of two main components that describe the biological mechanisms driving toxicity. Key events represent biological processes essential for causing the adverse outcome that are also measurable experimentally. Key event relationships capture the biological processes connecting the key events. Evidence documented for each KER based on measurements of the KEs can provide the confidence needed for extrapolating HTT from early key events to overt toxicity represented by later key events based on the AOP. The IPCS mode of action (MOA) framework incorporates information required for making a chemical-specific toxicity determination. Given the close relationship between the AOP and MOA frameworks, it is possible to assemble an MOA by incorporating HTT results, chemical properties including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), and an AOP describing the biological basis of toxicity thereby streamlining the process. While current applications focus on the assessment of risk for environmental chemicals,

Desiccation: An environmental and food industry stress that bacteria commonly face.

PubMed

Esbelin, Julia; Santos, Tiago; Hébraud, Michel

2018-02-01

Water is essential for all living organisms, for animals as well as for plants and micro-organisms. For these latter, the presence of water or a humid environment with a high air relative humidity (RH) is necessary for their survival and growth. Thus, variations in the availability of water or in the air relative humidity constitute widespread environmental stresses which challenge microorganisms, and especially bacteria. Indeed, in their direct environment, bacteria are often faced with conditions that remove cell-bound water through air-drying of the atmosphere. Bacterial cells are subject to daily or seasonal environmental variations, sometimes going through periods of severe desiccation. This is also the case in the food industry, where air dehumidification treatments are applied after the daily cleaning-disinfection procedures. In plants producing low-water activity products, it is also usual to significantly reduce or eliminate water usage. Periodic desiccation exposure affects bacteria viability and so they require strategies to persist. Negative effects of desiccation are wide ranging and include direct cellular damage but also changes in the biochemical and biophysical properties of cells for which planktonic cells are more exposed than cells in biofilm. Understanding the mechanisms of desiccation adaptation and tolerance has a biological and biotechnological interest. This review gives an overview of the factors influencing desiccation tolerance and the biological mechanisms involved in this stress response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Study of a Three-Dimensional Shear-Driven Turbulent Boundary Layer with Streamwise Adverse Pressure Gradient

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driver, David M.; Johnston, James P.

1990-01-01

The effects of a strong adverse pressure gradient on a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer are studied in an axisymmetric spinning cylinder geometry. Velocity measurements made with a three-component laser Doppler velocimeter include all three mean flow components, all six Reynolds stress components, and all ten triple-product correlations. Reynolds stress diminishes as the flow becomes three-dimensional. Lower levels of shear stress were seen to persist under adverse pressure gradient conditions. This low level of stress was seen to roughly correlate with the magnitude of cross-flow (relative to free stream flow) for this experiment as well as most of the other experiments in the literature. Variations in pressure gradient do not appear to alter this correlation. For this reason, it is hypothesized that a three-dimensional boundary layer is more prone to separate than a two-dimensional boundary layer, although it could not be directly shown here. None of the computations performed with either a Prandtl mixing length, k-epsilon, or a Launder-Reece-Rodi full Reynolds-stress model were able to predict the reduction in Reynolds stress.

Antioxidant response of soybean seedlings to joint stress of lanthanum and acid rain.

PubMed