An alternative method to enhance vagal activities and suppress sympathetic activities in humans,”

Abstract Vagal withdrawal and/or sympathetic overactivity is always accompanied by various kinds of stress and is dangerous to the body. We proposed that mild acupuncture on the Sishencong points may effectively enhance vagal activities but suppress sympathetic regulations of the heart in humans. Experiments were carried out on nine healthy male volunteers, while they were lying in a quiet room during 2 -4 P.M. Acupuncture was applied 2 mm deep into the skin using standard stainless acupuncture needles at the Sishencong points, which are located on the vertex of the head, each 1 cm away from Baihui (GV 20) in four directions. Four points around the temporal area were selected as control points. Forty minutes of precordial ECG signals before, during, and after acupuncture were recorded continuously. Frequency-domain analysis of the stationary RR intervals was performed to evaluate the total variance, high-frequency power (HF, 0.15 -0.40 Hz) and lowfrequency power (LF, 0.04 -0.15 Hz) in normalized units (LF%). Acupuncture on the Sishencong points resulted in an increased HF but a decreased LF% compared with the before acupuncture stage. Such effects did not occur when manual acupuncture was applied to the control points. The differences in the heart rate dynamics between Sishencong and the control groups took place 10 min after initiation of acupuncture and persisted even after the removal of the needles. Based on these results, we concluded that manual acupuncture on the Sishencong points enhanced cardiac vagal and suppressed sympathetic activities in humans. The underlying mechanisms and potential applications warrant further investigations.

An alternative method to enhance vagal activities and suppress sympathetic activities in humans,”

Abstract Vagal withdrawal and/or sympathetic overactivity is always accompanied by various kinds of stress and is dangerous to the body. We proposed that mild acupuncture on the Sishencong points may effectively enhance vagal activities but suppress sympathetic regulations of the heart in humans. Experiments were carried out on nine healthy male volunteers, while they were lying in a quiet room during 2 -4 P.M. Acupuncture was applied 2 mm deep into the skin using standard stainless acupuncture needles at the Sishencong points, which are located on the vertex of the head, each 1 cm away from Baihui (GV 20) in four directions. Four points around the temporal area were selected as control points. Forty minutes of precordial ECG signals before, during, and after acupuncture were recorded continuously. Frequency-domain analysis of the stationary RR intervals was performed to evaluate the total variance, high-frequency power (HF, 0.15 -0.40 Hz) and lowfrequency power (LF, 0.04 -0.15 Hz) in normalized units (LF%). Acupuncture on the Sishencong points resulted in an increased HF but a decreased LF% compared with the before acupuncture stage. Such effects did not occur when manual acupuncture was applied to the control points. The differences in the heart rate dynamics between Sishencong and the control groups took place 10 min after initiation of acupuncture and persisted even after the removal of the needles. Based on these results, we concluded that manual acupuncture on the Sishencong points enhanced cardiac vagal and suppressed sympathetic activities in humans. The underlying mechanisms and potential applications warrant further investigations.

Methadone-Mediated Autonomic Functioning of Male Patients with Heroin Dependence: The Influence of Borderline Personality Pattern

BACKGROUND: We hypothesize that the population with borderline personality shows different autonomic response to methadone compared to individuals with other personalities. This study applies heart rate variability (HRV) measurements and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) to examine this hypothesis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Forty-four male patients with heroin dependence were recruited from a methadone maintenance treatment program. Eight personality patterns were classified according to the TPQ norm used in Taiwan. The borderline pattern (BP, composed of high novelty seeking, high harm avoidance and low reward dependence) and the other personality patterns (OP) were separated into two groups. We compared the HRV profiles between the BP and OP groups. Correlation and regression analysis were performed to clarify relationship between HRV differences and the borderline index (BI, a new concept defined by us, which is calculated as novelty seeking + harm avoidance - reward dependence). The HRV targets investigated included low frequency (LF) power, high frequency (HF) power, total power (TP), normalized LF (LF%), and LF/HF. No baseline HRV parameters showed any inter-group difference. The BP group had a significantly lower ΔHF and a higher ΔLF/HF than the OP group. The personality dimension, reward dependence, showed a negative correlation with ΔLF/HF and ΔLF%. BI was negatively correlated with ΔHF and positively correlated with ΔLF/HF and ΔLF%. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Borderline personality individuals show increased sympathetic activity and decreased parasympathetic activity compared to other personalities after taking methadone. The results support the hypothesis that there is an interaction between borderline personality and autonomic modulation

On-Call Duty Effects on Sleep-State Physiological Stability in Male Medical Interns

Background: On-call duty among medical interns is characterized by sleep deprivation and stressful working conditions, both of which alter cardiac autonomic modulation. We hypothesized that sleep stability decreased in medical interns during on-call duty. We used cardiopulmonary-coupling (CPC) analysis to test our hypothesis. Methods: We used electrocardiogram (ECG)-based CPC analysis to quantify physiological parameters of sleep stability in 13 medical interns during on-call and on-call duty-free periods. There were ten 33.5-h on-call duty shifts per month for interns, each followed by 2 on-call duty-free days, over 3 months. Measurements during sleep were collected before, during, and after an on-call shift. Measurements were repeated 3 months later during an on-call duty-free period. Results: The medical interns had significantly reduced stable sleep, and displayed increased latency to the first epoch of stable sleep during the on-call night shift, compared to the pre-call and on-call duty-free nights. Interns also had significantly increased rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep during the on-call night shift, compared to the pre-call and on-call duty-free nights. Conclusion: Medical interns suffer disrupted sleep stability and continuity during on-call night shifts. The ECG-based CPC analysis provides a straightforward means to quantify sleep quality and stability in medical staff performing shift work under stressful conditions

Association between Frequency Domain Heart Rate Variability and Unplanned Readmission to Hospital in Geriatric Patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An accurate prediction of unplanned readmission (UR) after discharge from hospital can facilitate physician's decision making processes for providing better quality of care in geriatric patients. The objective of this study was to explore the association of cardiac autonomic functions as measured by frequency domain heart rate variability (HRV) and 14-day UR in geriatric patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients admitted to the geriatric ward of a regional hospital in Chiayi county in Taiwan were followed prospectively from July 2006 to June 2007. Those with invasive tubes and those who were heavy smokers, heavy alcohol drinkers, on medications that might influence HRV, or previously admitted to the hospital within 30 days were excluded. Cardiac autonomic functions were evaluated by frequency domain indices of HRV. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between UR and HRV indices adjusted for age and length of hospitalization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 78 patients met the inclusion criteria and 15 of them were readmitted within 14 days after discharge. The risk of UR was significantly higher in patients with lower levels of total power (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.04-2.00), low frequency power (LF) (OR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.03-1.49), high frequency power (HF) (OR = 1.27; 95% CI = 1.02-1.64), and lower ratios of low frequency power to high frequency power (LF/HF ratio) (OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.07-3.84).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first study to evaluate the association between frequency domain heart rate variability and the risk of UR in geriatric patients. Frequency domain heart rate variability indices measured on admission were significantly associated with increased risk of UR in geriatric patients. Additional studies are required to confirm the value and feasibility of using HRV indices on admission as a non-invasive tool to assist the prediction of UR in geriatric patients.</p

Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective

A growing body of empirical evidence is revealing the value of nature experience for mental health. With rapid urbanization and declines in human contact with nature globally, crucial decisions must be made about how to preserve and enhance opportunities for nature experience. Here, we first provide points of consensus across the natural, social, and health sciences on the impacts of nature experience on cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and other dimensions of mental health. We then show how ecosystem service assessments can be expanded to include mental health, and provide a heuristic, conceptual model for doing so

Autonomic Modulation and Health-Related Quality of Life among Schizophrenic Patients Treated with Non-Intensive Case Management

Schizophrenia is associated with autonomic dysfunction and this may increase cardiovascular mortality. Past studies on autonomic modulation of schizophrenic patients focused on inpatients rather than individuals in a community setting, especially those receiving non-intensive case management (non-ICM). Besides, autonomic modulation and its association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this population remain unexplored.A total of 25 schizophrenic patients treated by non-ICM and 40 healthy volunteers were matched by age, gender and body mass index; smokers were excluded. Between the two groups, we compared the individuals' 5 min resting assessments of heart rate variability and their HRQoL, which was measured using EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D). Patients with schizophrenia were assessed for psychopathology using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS). We examined the relationship between heart rate variability measurements, HRQoL scores, PANSS scores, and other clinical variables among the schizophrenic patients treated by non-ICM.Compared to the controls, patients with schizophrenia showed a significant impairment of autonomic modulation and a worse HRQoL. Cardiovagal dysfunction among the schizophrenic patients could be predicted independently based on lower educational level and more negative symptoms. Sympathetic predominance was directly associated with anticholinergics use and EQ-5D using a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS).Patients with schizophrenia treated by non-ICM show a significant impairment of their autonomic function and HRQoL compared to the controls. Since the sympathovagal dysfunction is associated with more negative symptoms or higher VAS score, the treatment of the negative symptoms as well as the monitoring of HRQoL might help to manage cardiovascular risk among these individuals. In addition, EQ-VAS scores must be interpreted more cautiously in such a population

Niche of harmful alga Aureococcus anophagefferens revealed through ecogenomics

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of National Academy of Sciences for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108 (2011): 4352-4357, doi:10.1073/pnas.1016106108.Harmful algal blooms (HABs) cause significant economic and ecological damage worldwide. Despite considerable efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the factors that promote these blooms has been lacking because the biochemical pathways that facilitate their dominance relative to other phytoplankton within specific environments have not been identified. Here, biogeochemical measurements demonstrated that the harmful 43 Aureococcus anophagefferens outcompeted co-occurring phytoplankton in estuaries with elevated levels of dissolved organic matter and turbidity and low levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. We subsequently sequenced the first HAB genome (A. anophagefferens) and compared its gene complement to those of six competing phytoplankton species identified via metaproteomics. Using an ecogenomic approach, we specifically focused on the gene sets that may facilitate dominance within the environmental conditions present during blooms. A. anophagefferens possesses a larger genome (56 mbp) and more genes involved in light harvesting, organic carbon and nitrogen utilization, and encoding selenium- and metal-requiring enzymes than competing phytoplankton. Genes for the synthesis of microbial deterrents likely permit the proliferation of this species with reduced mortality losses during blooms. Collectively, these findings suggest that anthropogenic activities resulting in elevated levels of turbidity, organic matter, and metals have opened a niche within coastal ecosystems that ideally suits the unique genetic capacity of A. anophagefferens and thus has facilitated the proliferation of this and potentially other HABs.Joint Genome Institute is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. Efforts were also supported by awards from New York Sea Grant to Stony Brook University, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research award #NA09NOS4780206 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NIH grant GM061603 to Harvard University, and NSF award IOS-0841918 to The University of Tennessee

Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals

During 2015–2016, record temperatures triggered a pan-tropical episode of coral bleaching, the third global-scale event since mass bleaching was first documented in the 1980s. Here we examine how and why the severity of recurrent major bleaching events has varied at multiple scales, using aerial and underwater surveys of Australian reefs combined with satellite-derived sea surface temperatures. The distinctive geographic footprints of recurrent bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 1998, 2002 and 2016 were determined by the spatial pattern of sea temperatures in each year. Water quality and fishing pressure had minimal effect on the unprecedented bleaching in 2016, suggesting that local protection of reefs affords little or no resistance to extreme heat. Similarly, past exposure to bleaching in 1998 and 2002 did not lessen the severity of bleaching in 2016. Consequently, immediate global action to curb future warming is essential to secure a future for coral reefs

Non-equivalence of Wnt and R-spondin ligands during Lgr5+ intestinal stem-cell self-renewal

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway governs diverse developmental, homeostatic and pathologic processes. Palmitoylated Wnt ligands engage cell surface Frizzled (Fzd) receptors and Lrp5/6 co-receptors enabling β-catenin nuclear translocation and Tcf/Lef-dependent gene transactivation1–3. Mutations in Wnt downstream signaling components have revealed diverse functions presumptively attributed to Wnt ligands themselves, although direct attribution remains elusive, as complicated by redundancy between 19 mammalian Wnts and 10 Fzds1 and Wnt hydrophobicity2,3. For example, individual Wnt ligand mutations have not revealed homeostatic phenotypes in the intestinal epithelium4, an archetypal canonical Wnt pathway-dependent rapidly self-renewing tissue whose regeneration is fueled by proliferative crypt Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells (ISCs)5–9. R-spondin ligands (Rspo1–4) engage distinct Lgr4-6 and Rnf43/Znrf3 receptor classes10–13, markedly potentiate canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and induce intestinal organoid growth in vitro and Lgr5+ ISCs in vivo8,14–17. However, the interchangeability, functional cooperation and relative contributions of Wnt versus Rspo ligands to in vivo canonical Wnt signaling and ISC biology remain unknown. Here, we deconstructed functional roles of Wnt versus Rspo ligands in the intestinal crypt stem cell niche. We demonstrate that the default fate of Lgr5+ ISCs is lineage commitment, escape from which requires both Rspo and Wnt ligands. However, gain-of-function studies using Rspo versus a novel non-lipidated Wnt analog reveal qualitatively distinct, non-interchangeable roles for these ligands in ISCs. Wnts are insufficient to induce Lgr5+ ISC self-renewal, but rather confer a basal competency by maintaining Rspo receptor expression that enables Rspo to actively drive and specify the extent of stem cell expansion. This functionally non-equivalent yet cooperative interplay between Wnt and Rspo ligands establishes a molecular precedent for regulation of mammalian stem cells by distinct priming and self-renewal factors, with broad implications for precision control of tissue regeneration