Alexithymia and impulsivity in combat sports – A tale of three measures

The purpose of this study was to compare the psychometric properties of two measures of alexithymia – the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) – as well as the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11 measure of behavioural impulsivity because the psychometric properties of these scales have not been established in athletes. As part of a larger study, 298 participants completed an online survey that included the TAS-20, PAQ, and BIS 11, as well personal- (age and gender) and sport-specific (primary combat sport and level of competition) demographic measures. A unidimensional model was retained for the TAS-20. A unidimensional model with the possibility of multidimensional measure was retained for the PAQ, with the viability of a subscale for Generalised Externally Orientated Thinking supported. The only versions of the BIS that were retainable were unidimensional models for the BIS-15 (a 15-item version of the BIS 11) and the BIS-Brief (an 8-item version of the BIS 11). As expected, the measures of alexithymia were highly correlated. The associations between impulsivity and alexithymia as well as age and alexithymia were small in nature, with none these associations moderated by level of gender, level of competition, or primary sport for the participants. No differences in alexithymia or impulsivity according to gender, level of competition, or primary sport were noted for the participants. Implications of these findings for the measures of alexithymia – the TAS-20 and PAQ – and impulsivity – the BIS-15 and BIS-Brief – examined in the present study with athletes (as well as with other populations) are discussed

Hearing in the Juvenile Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas): A Comparison of Underwater and Aerial Hearing Using Auditory Evoked Potentials

Sea turtles spend much of their life in aquatic environments, but critical portions of their life cycle, such as nesting and hatching, occur in terrestrial environments, suggesting that it may be important for them to detect sounds in both air and water. In this study we compared underwater and aerial hearing sensitivities in five juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) by measuring auditory evoked potential responses to tone pip stimuli. Green sea turtles detected acoustic stimuli in both media, responding to underwater stimuli between 50 and 1600 Hz and aerial stimuli between 50 and 800 Hz, with maximum sensitivity between 200 and 400 Hz underwater and 300 and 400 Hz in air. When underwater and aerial hearing sensitivities were compared in terms of pressure, green sea turtle aerial sound pressure thresholds were lower than underwater thresholds, however they detected a wider range of frequencies underwater. When thresholds were compared in terms of sound intensity, green sea turtle sound intensity level thresholds were 2–39 dB lower underwater particularly at frequencies below 400 Hz. Acoustic stimuli may provide important environmental cues for sea turtles. Further research is needed to determine how sea turtles behaviorally and physiologically respond to sounds in their environment

Psychologists\u27 understanding of resilience: Implications for the discipline of psychology and psychology practice

Current adoptions of strength-based approaches, as suggested by the positive psychology movement, asks professionals to develop different perspectives on familiar constructs. Given that we have little understanding how psychologists define and work with psychological phenomena, this current study sought to determine how Western Australian registered psychologists understand resilience. The 213 participants were asked to provide definitions and information about their understanding of resilience via an open-ended questionnaire. Demographic questions included the level and year ofqualification(s) and nature of psychological work undertaken. The definitions obtained from the participants were rated against definitions of resilience in the literature. The participants understandings of resilience were also assessed against the constructs believed to underpin resilience, as presented in the resilience literature. Although theconcept of resilience is widely researched and much information is published in psychological journals, participants in this study did not fully articulate the concept and its relevance to strength-based approaches

Fecal glucocorticoids and anthropogenic injury and mortality in North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis

© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Endangered Species Research 34 (2017): 417-429, doi:10.3354/esr00866.As human impacts on marine ecosystems escalate, there is increasing interest in quantifying sub-lethal physiological and pathological responses of marine mammals. Glucocorticoid hormones are commonly used to assess stress responses to anthropogenic factors in wildlife. While obtaining blood samples to measure circulating hormones is not currently feasible for free-swimming large whales, immunoassay of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCs) has been validated for North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis (NARW). Using a general linear model, we compared fGC concentrations in right whales chronically entangled in fishing gear (n = 6) or live-stranded (n = 1), with right whales quickly killed by vessels (n = 5) and healthy right whales (n = 113) to characterize fGC responses to acute vs. chronic stressors. fGCs in entangled whales (mean ± SE: 1856.4 ± 1644.9 ng g-1) and the stranded whale (5740.7 ng g-1) were significantly higher than in whales killed by vessels (46.2 ± 19.2 ng g-1) and healthy whales (51.7 ± 8.7 ng g-1). Paired feces and serum collected from the live-stranded right whale provided comparison of fGCs in 2 matrices in a chronically stressed whale. Serum cortisol and corticosterone in this whale (50.0 and 29.0 ng ml-1, respectively) were much higher than values reported in other cetaceans, in concordance with extremely elevated fGCs. Meaningful patterns in fGC concentration related to acute vs. chronic impacts persisted despite potential for bacterial degradation of hormone metabolites in dead whales. These results provide biological validation for using fGCs as a biomarker of chronic stress in NARWs.This research was funded by the NOAA/NMFS, Office of Naval Research Marine Mammals and Biology Program, Northeast Consortium, Island Foundation, Irving Oil, NEAq Internal Research Fund, Prescott Grant NA08NMF4390590, and NOAA CINAR Cooperative Agreement NA09OAR4320129

The potential link between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and post-exercise airway narrowing across puberty: a longitudinal cohort study

Citation: Emerson, S. R., Rosenkranz, S. K., Rosenkranz, R. R., Kurti, S. P., & Harms, C. A. (2016). The potential link between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and post-exercise airway narrowing across puberty: a longitudinal cohort study. Public Health Nutrition, 19(13), 2435-2440. doi:10.1017/s1368980015003109Objective The prevalence of asthma is rising, presenting serious public health challenges. Recent data suggest that sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption plays a role in asthma aetiology. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether SSB consumption is linked to post-exercise airway narrowing (predictor of asthma development) across puberty. Design Participants completed pulmonary function tests, physical activity and dietary habit questionnaires, and an exercise test to exhaustion. Setting Community in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. Subjects We recruited ten boys and ten girls from an original cohort of forty participants tested in our laboratory approximately 5 years prior. Participants were aged 97 (sd 09) years at baseline and 147 (sd 09) years at follow-up. Results Pre-puberty, boys consumed 68 (sd 48) servings/week and girls consumed 69 (sd 37) servings/week, while post-puberty boys consumed 115 (sd 53) servings/week and girls consumed 77 (sd 43) servings/week. Using Pearson correlation, SSB consumption was not significantly related to post-exercise airway narrowing at pre-puberty (r=-035, P=0130). In linear regression analyses, SSB consumption was significantly related to post-exercise airway narrowing post-puberty before (standardized =-060, P=0005) but not after (standardized =-033, P=0211) adjustment for confounders. Change in SSB consumption from pre- to post-puberty was significantly associated with post-exercise airway narrowing post-puberty (r=-061, P=0010) and change in post-exercise airway narrowing from pre- to post-puberty (r=-045, P=0048) when assessed via Pearson correlations. Conclusions These findings suggest a possible link between SSB consumption and asthma development during maturation. Reduced SSB intake may be a possible public health avenue for blunting rising asthma prevalence

The Effects of Feeding on Hematological and Plasma Biochemical Profiles in Green (Chelonia mydas) and Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) Sea Turtles

In mammals, lipemic blood from sampling too soon after an animal feeds can have substantial effects on biochemical values. Plasma biochemical values in reptiles may be affected by species, age, season, and nutritional state. However, fasting status is not routinely considered when sampling reptile blood. In this paper, we evaluated 2-hour postprandial blood collection in two sea turtle species to investigate the effects of feeding on hematological and plasma biochemical values. Feeding had no significant effects on hematological values in either species, nor did it have an effect on plasma biochemistry values in Kemp's ridley sea turtles. In postprandial green turtles, total protein, albumin, ALP, AST, ALT, amylase, and cholesterol increased significantly, and chloride decreased significantly. Although statistically significant changes were observed, the median percent differences between pre- and postprandial values did not exceed 10% for any of these analytes and would not likely alter the clinical interpretation

Household Air Pollution Exposure and Influence of Lifestyle on Respiratory Health and Lung Function in Belizean Adults and Children: A Field Study

Citation: Kurti, S. P., Kurti, A. N., Emerson, S. R., Rosenkranz, R. R., Smith, J. R., Harms, C. A., & Rosenkranz, S. K. (2016). Household Air Pollution Exposure and Influence of Lifestyle on Respiratory Health and Lung Function in Belizean Adults and Children: A Field Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(7), 12. doi:10.3390/ijerph13070643Household air pollution (HAP) contributes to the global burden of disease. Our primary purpose was to determine whether HAP exposure was associated with reduced lung function and respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms in Belizean adults and children. Our secondary purpose was to investigate whether lifestyle (physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable consumption (FV)) is associated with reported symptoms. Belizean adults (n = 67, 19 Male) and children (n = 23, 6 Male) from San Ignacio Belize and surrounding areas participated in this cross-sectional study. Data collection took place at free walk-in clinics. Investigators performed initial screenings and administered questionnaires on (1) sources of HAP exposure; (2) reported respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms and (3) validated lifestyle questionnaires. Participants then performed pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and exhaled breath carbon monoxide (CO). There were no significant associations between HAP exposure and pulmonary function in adults. Increased exhaled CO was associated with a significantly lower forced expiratory volume in 1-s divided by forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) in children. Exposed adults experienced headaches, burning eyes, wheezing and phlegm production more frequently than unexposed adults. Adults who met PA guidelines were less likely to experience tightness and pressure in the chest compared to those not meeting guidelines. In conclusion, adults exposed to HAP experienced greater respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms, which may be attenuated by lifestyle modifications

Does moderate intensity exercise attenuate the postprandial lipemic and airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal?

Citation: Stephanie P. Kurti, Sara K. Rosenkranz, Morton Levitt, et al., “Does Moderate Intensity Exercise Attenuate the Postprandial Lipemic and Airway Inflammatory Response to a High-Fat Meal?,” BioMed Research International, vol. 2015, Article ID 647952, 10 pages, 2015. doi:10.1155/2015/647952We investigated whether an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise in the postprandial period attenuates the triglyceride and airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal (HFM) compared to remaining inactive in the postprandial period. Seventeen (11 M/6 F) physically active (≥150 min/week of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) subjects were randomly assigned to an exercise (EX; 60% VO[subscript 2peak]) or sedentary (CON) condition after a HFM (10 kcal/kg, 63% fat). Blood analytes and airway inflammation via exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) were measured at baseline, and 2 and 4 hours after HFM. Airway inflammation was assessed with induced sputum and cell differentials at baseline and 4 hours after HFM. Triglycerides doubled in the postprandial period (~113 ± 18%, P < 0.05 ), but the increase did not differ between EX and CON. Percentage of neutrophils was increased 4 hours after HFM (~17%), but the increase did not differ between EX and CON. Exhaled nitric oxide changed nonlinearly from baseline to 2 and 4 hours after HFM (P < 0.05, ƞ² = 0.36) . Our findings suggest that, in active individuals, an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise does not attenuate the triglyceride or airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal

Acute supplementation of N-acetylcysteine does not affect muscle blood flow and oxygenation characteristics during handgrip exercise

Citation: Smith, J. R., Broxterman, R. M., Ade, C. J., Evans, K. K., Kurti, S. P., Hammer, S. M., . . . Harms, C. A. (2016). Acute supplementation of N-acetylcysteine does not affect muscle blood flow and oxygenation characteristics during handgrip exercise. Physiological Reports, 4(7), 1-10. doi:10.14814/phy2.12748N-acetylcysteine (NAC; antioxidant and thiol donor) supplementation has improved exercise performance and delayed fatigue, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. One possibility is NAC supplementation increases limb blood flow during severe-intensity exercise. The purpose was to determine if NAC supplementation affected exercising arm blood flow and muscle oxygenation characteristics. We hypothesized that NAC would lead to higher limb blood flow and lower muscle deoxygenation characteristics during severe-intensity exercise. Eight healthy nonendurance trained men (21.8 ± 1.2 years) were recruited and completed two constant power handgrip exercise tests at 80% peak power until exhaustion. Subjects orally consumed either placebo (PLA) or NAC (70 mg/kg) 60 min prior to handgrip exercise. Immediately prior to exercise, venous blood samples were collected for determination of plasma redox balance. Brachial artery blood flow (BABF) was measured via Doppler ultrasound and flexor digitorum superficialis oxygenation characteristics were measured via near-infrared spectroscopy. Following NAC supplementaiton, plasma cysteine (NAC: 47.2 ± 20.3 ?mol/L vs. PLA: 9.6 ± 1.2 ?mol/L; P = 0.001) and total cysteine (NAC: 156.2 ± 33.9 ?mol/L vs. PLA: 132.2 ± 16.3 ?mol/L; P = 0.048) increased. Time to exhaustion was not significantly different (P = 0.55) between NAC (473.0 ± 62.1 sec) and PLA (438.7 ± 58.1 sec). Resting BABF was not different (P = 0.79) with NAC (99.3 ± 31.1 mL/min) and PLA (108.3 ± 46.0 mL/min). BABF was not different (P = 0.42) during exercise or at end-exercise (NAC: 413 ± 109 mL/min; PLA: 445 ± 147 mL/min). Deoxy-[hemoglobin+myoglobin] and total-[hemoglobin+myoglobin] were not significantly different (P = 0.73 and P = 0.54, respectively) at rest or during exercise between conditions. We conclude that acute NAC supplementation does not alter oxygen delivery during exercise in men. © 2016 Published by the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society