Inspiratory muscle training and its effect on indices of physiological and perceived stress during incremental walking exercise in normobaric hypoxia

This study evaluated the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on inspiratory muscle fatigue (IMF) and physiological and perceptual responses during trekking-specific exercise. An 8-week IMT program was completed by 21 males (age 32.4 ± 9.61 years, VO2peak 58.8 ± 6.75 mL/kg/min) randomised within matched pairs to either the IMT group (n = 11) or the placebo group [(P), n = 9]. Twice daily, participants completed 30 (IMT) or 60 (P) inspiratory efforts using a Powerbreathe initially set at a resistance of 50% (IMT) or used at 15% (P) of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) throughout. A loaded (12.5 kg) 39-minute incremental walking protocol (3–5 km/hour and 1–15% gradient) was completed in normobaric hypoxia (PIO2 = 110 mmHg, 3000 m) before and after training. MIP increased from 164 to 188 cmH2O (18%) and from 161 to 171 cmH2O (6%) in the IMT and P groups (P = 0.02). The 95% CI for IMT showed a significant improvement in MIP (5.21±43.33 cmH2O), but not for P. IMF during exercise (MIP) was*5%, showing no training effect for either IMT or P (P = 0.23). Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was consistently reduced (*1) throughout exercise following training for IMT, but not for P (P = 0.03). The mean blood lactate concentration during exercise was significantly reduced by 0.26 and 0.15 mmol/L in IMT and P (P = 0.00), with no differences between groups (P = 0.34). Rating of dyspnoea during exercise decreased (*0.4) following IMT but increased (*0.3) following P (P = 0.01). IMT may attenuate the increased physiological and perceived exercise stress experienced during normobaric hypoxia, which may benefit moderate altitude expedition

The Spermatophore in Glossina morsitans morsitans: Insights into Male Contributions to Reproduction.

Male Seminal Fluid Proteins (SFPs) transferred during copulation modulate female reproductive physiology and behavior, impacting sperm storage/use, ovulation, oviposition, and remating receptivity. These capabilities make them ideal targets for developing novel methods of insect disease vector control. Little is known about the nature of SFPs in the viviparous tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae), vectors of Human and Animal African trypanosomiasis. In tsetse, male ejaculate is assembled into a capsule-like spermatophore structure visible post-copulation in the female uterus. We applied high-throughput approaches to uncover the composition of the spermatophore in Glossina morsitans morsitans. We found that both male accessory glands and testes contribute to its formation. The male accessory glands produce a small number of abundant novel proteins with yet unknown functions, in addition to enzyme inhibitors and peptidase regulators. The testes contribute sperm in addition to a diverse array of less abundant proteins associated with binding, oxidoreductase/transferase activities, cytoskeletal and lipid/carbohydrate transporter functions. Proteins encoded by female-biased genes are also found in the spermatophore. About half of the proteins display sequence conservation relative to other Diptera, and low similarity to SFPs from other studied species, possibly reflecting both their fast evolutionary pace and the divergent nature of tsetse's viviparous biology

Stress in nursing staff: a comparative analysis between intensive care units and general medicine units

It's a current belief that stress is an outstanding feature of intensive care units, in particular within nursing staff. The aim of this study was to compare some variables belonging to stress (i.e. anxiety, depression and `Burnout' syndrome) between nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) and general medicine units (GMUs). Materials and methods We studied a population of 883 nurses working in ICUs, distributed in 79 Italian hospitals (70.1 % female) and 509 nurses working in GMUs, distributed in 35 Italian hospitals (80.2 % female). We asked them to fill in a form including: 1) general data and his/her work environment; 2) different evaluation standardized scales - the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, divided into anxiety (HAD A) and depression (HAD D) status 0-7 `non cases', 8-10 `doubtful cases', 11-21 `cases'; the S.T.A.I. scale, divided into acute anxiety (Y-1) and chronic anxiety (Y-2) status; the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI.) divided into Emotional Exhaustion (EE), 64 18 `low', 19-26 `average', 65 27 `high', Depersonalization (DP) and Personal Accomplishment (PA). We also evaluated the different reasons of anxiety through individual questions (higher value, more anxiety): A1, a critically ill patient; A2, a young patient; A3, an old patient; A4, a suicidal patient; A5, a terminal patient; A6, presence of mechanical supports; A7, relationship with patients' relatives. The comparison between the two groups was performed by the Mann-Whitney Rank Sum test and z-test; statistical significance was accepted as P<0.05. Results The results, expressed as median value, with 25th and 75th percentile in brackets, are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 also shows the proportions of nurses that had a highest value of HAD A and M.B.I. EE. Conclusions Pathologic anxiety and emotional exhaustion are more prevalent in nurses working in GMUs. Thus, contrary to a common belief, `stress' is a more distinctive peculiarity of general medicine units than intensive care units

Could specific EKG markers identify a pharmacologically induced type 1 Brugada pattern? Insights from a large, single-centre cohort

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background. Pharmacological (Ajmaline) induction of a type 1 Brugada pattern is currently considered mandatory for the diagnosis of Brugada syndrome. However, performing the test requires time and healthcare resources. Some EKG markers have been proposed as predictors of positive result at Ajmaline test. Aim. To evaluate in a large population the predictive value of multiple EKG markers for Ajmaline test results. Methods. We retrospectively analysed consecutive patients (pts) referred to our Centre to perform Ajmaline test. All pts had type 2 Brugada pattern detected at a conventional EKG or were relatives of pts with positive Ajmaline test, with or without type 2 Brugada pattern at EKG. All pts performed the Ajmaline pharmacological test (1 mg/Kg iv) with EKG "superior" right precordial unipolar derivations monitoring. To determine whether clinical parameters (age, gender, cardiomyopathy, history of arrhythmias, symptoms, familiarity) and EKG markers (heart rate (HR), PR duration, R1V1 and SV6 duration and amplitude, QRSV1/QRSV6 duration, V1 and V2 ST amplitude (coved or saddle back pattern) were independently associated to positivity at Ajmaline test, a logistic regression model was applied. Results. From January 2010 to December 2019 we evaluated 442 consecutive pts: mean age 40.1 ± 14.5 years; 273 (65%) male; 352 (80%) pts were included because of type 2 Brugada pattern at EKG and 90 (20%) for familial screening. The Ajmaline test was positive in 150 (34%) pts. At multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for baseline confounders, age &gt; 45 years (OR= 1.64, 95%CI: 1.03 to 2.54; p = 0.0385), female gender (OR = 1.79, 95%CI: 1.12 to 2.85; p = 0.0141), HR &gt; 60 bpm (OR = 2.44, 95%CI: 1.48 to 4.03; p = 0.0005), QRSV1/QRSV6 duration (msec) &gt;1 (OR = 5.34, 95%CI: 3.28 to 8.69; p &lt; 0.0001) and non isoelectric pattern (coved/saddle back) in V2 (OR = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.03 to 3.63, p = 0.0416) remained associated with a positive Ajmaline test. The percentage of pts with positive Ajmaline test increased according to the presence of significant EKG markers in their risk profile: 11.3% (8 out 71, absence of both QRSV1/QRSV6 duration (msec) &gt;1 and V2 non isoelectric pattern), 24.3% (50 out 206, presence of only V2 non isoelectric pattern), 48.5% (16 out 33, presence of only QRSV1/QRSV6 duration (msec) &gt;1), 57.6% (76 out 132, presence of both factors). Conclusions. In our large population: 1) we confirmed the positive predictive power of QRSV1/QRSV6 duration (msec) &gt;1 and of a non isoelectric pattern (coved/saddle back) in V2 for a pharmacologically induced type 1 Brugada pattern; 2) we observed a non-negligible percentage of pts who would not be correctly diagnosed for type 1 Brugada pattern, if selected according to an EKG parameters-based prescreening

Transcriptional variation of sensory-related genes in natural populations of Aedes albopictus

BACKGROUND: The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a highly dangerous invasive vector of numerous medically important arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. In four decades it has spread from tropical Southeast Asia to many parts of the world in both tropical and temperate climes. The rapid invasion process of this mosquito is supported by its high ecological and genetic plasticity across different life history traits. Our aim was to investigate whether wild populations, both native and adventive, also display transcriptional genetic variability for functions that may impact their biology, behaviour and ability to transmit arboviruses, such as sensory perception. RESULTS: Antennal transcriptome data were derived from mosquitoes from a native population from Ban Rai, Thailand and from three adventive Mediterranean populations: Athens, Greece and Arco and Trento from Italy. Clear inter-population differential transcriptional activity was observed in different gene categories related to sound perception, olfaction and viral infection. The greatest differences were detected between the native Thai and the Mediterranean populations. The two Italian populations were the most similar. Nearly one million quality filtered SNP loci were identified. CONCLUSION: The ability to express this great inter-population transcriptional variability highlights, at the functional level, the remarkable genetic flexibility of this mosquito species. We can hypothesize that the differential expression of genes, including those involved in sensory perception, in different populations may enable Ae. albopictus to exploit different environments and hosts, thus contributing to its status as a global vector of arboviruses of public health importance. The large number of SNP loci present in these transcripts represents a useful addition to the arsenal of high-resolution molecular markers and a resource that can be used to detect selective pressure and adaptive changes that may have occurred during the colonization process

Transcriptional variation of sensory-related genes in natural populations of Aedes albopictus

BACKGROUND: The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a highly dangerous invasive vector of numerous medically important arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. In four decades it has spread from tropical Southeast Asia to many parts of the world in both tropical and temperate climes. The rapid invasion process of this mosquito is supported by its high ecological and genetic plasticity across different life history traits. Our aim was to investigate whether wild populations, both native and adventive, also display transcriptional genetic variability for functions that may impact their biology, behaviour and ability to transmit arboviruses, such as sensory perception. RESULTS: Antennal transcriptome data were derived from mosquitoes from a native population from Ban Rai, Thailand and from three adventive Mediterranean populations: Athens, Greece and Arco and Trento from Italy. Clear inter-population differential transcriptional activity was observed in different gene categories related to sound perception, olfaction and viral infection. The greatest differences were detected between the native Thai and the Mediterranean populations. The two Italian populations were the most similar. Nearly one million quality filtered SNP loci were identified. CONCLUSION: The ability to express this great inter-population transcriptional variability highlights, at the functional level, the remarkable genetic flexibility of this mosquito species. We can hypothesize that the differential expression of genes, including those involved in sensory perception, in different populations may enable Ae. albopictus to exploit different environments and hosts, thus contributing to its status as a global vector of arboviruses of public health importance. The large number of SNP loci present in these transcripts represents a useful addition to the arsenal of high-resolution molecular markers and a resource that can be used to detect selective pressure and adaptive changes that may have occurred during the colonization process

Gene discovery in an invasive tephritid model pest species, the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The medfly, <it>Ceratitis capitata</it>, is a highly invasive agricultural pest that has become a model insect for the development of biological control programs. Despite research into the behavior and classical and population genetics of this organism, the quantity of sequence data available is limited. We have utilized an expressed sequence tag (EST) approach to obtain detailed information on transcriptome signatures that relate to a variety of physiological systems in the medfly; this information emphasizes on reproduction, sex determination, and chemosensory perception, since the study was based on normalized cDNA libraries from embryos and adult heads.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 21,253 high-quality ESTs were obtained from the embryo and head libraries. Clustering analyses performed separately for each library resulted in 5201 embryo and 6684 head transcripts. Considering an estimated 19% overlap in the transcriptomes of the two libraries, they represent about 9614 unique transcripts involved in a wide range of biological processes and molecular functions. Of particular interest are the sequences that share homology with <it>Drosophila </it>genes involved in sex determination, olfaction, and reproductive behavior. The medfly <it>transformer2 </it>(<it>tra2</it>) homolog was identified among the embryonic sequences, and its genomic organization and expression were characterized.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The sequences obtained in this study represent the first major dataset of expressed genes in a tephritid species of agricultural importance. This resource provides essential information to support the investigation of numerous questions regarding the biology of the medfly and other related species and also constitutes an invaluable tool for the annotation of complete genome sequences. Our study has revealed intriguing findings regarding the transcript regulation of <it>tra2 </it>and other sex determination genes, as well as insights into the comparative genomics of genes implicated in chemosensory reception and reproduction.</p

Chemical Doping of Conjugated Polymers with the Strong Oxidant Magic Blue

Molecular doping of organic semiconductors is a powerful tool for the optimization of organic electronic devices and organic thermoelectric materials. However, there are few redox dopants that have a sufficiently high electron affinity to allow the doping of conjugated polymers with an ionization energy of more than 5.3\ua0eV. Here, p-doping of a broad palette of conjugated polymers with high ionization energies is achieved by using the strong oxidant tris(4-bromophenyl)ammoniumyl hexachloroantimonate (Magic Blue). In particular diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based copolymers reach a conductivity of up to 100 S cm−1 and a thermoelectric power factor of 10 \ub5W m−1 K−2. Further, both electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) as well as a combination of spectroelectrochemistry and chronoamperometry is used to estimate the charge-carrier density of the polymer PDPP-3T doped with Magic Blue. A molar attenuation coefficient of 6.0\ua0\ub1\ua00.2 7 103 m2 mol−1 is obtained for the first polaronic sub-bandgap absorption of electrochemically oxidized PDPP-3T. Comparison with chemically doped PDPP-3T suggests a charge-carrier density on the order of 1026 m−3, which yields a charge-carrier mobility of up to 0.5 cm2 V−1 s−1 for the most heavily doped material

Sex and the single embryo: early deveopment in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In embryos the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MTZ) integrates post-transcriptional regulation of maternal transcripts with transcriptional activation of the zygotic genome. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying this event are being clarified in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it>, little is know about the embryogenic processes in other insect species. The recent publication of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from embryos of the global pest species <it>Ceratitis capitata </it>(medfly) has enabled the investigation of embryogenesis in this species and has allowed a comparison of the embryogenic processes in these two related dipteran species, <it>C. capitata </it>and <it>D. melanogaster</it>, that shared a common ancestor 80-100 mya.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using a novel PCR-based sexing method, which takes advantage of a putative LTR retrotransposon MITE insertion on the medfly Y chromosome, the transcriptomes of individual early male and female embryos were analysed using RT-PCR. This study is focused on two crucial aspects of the onset of embryonic development: sex determination and cellular blastoderm formation. Together with the three known medfly genes (<it>Cctransformer</it>, <it>Cctransformer2 </it>and <it>Ccdoublesex</it>), the expression patterns of other medfly genes that are similar to the <it>D. melanogaster </it>sex-determination genes (<it>sisterlessA, groucho, deadpan, Sex-lethal, female lethal d, sans fille </it>and <it>intersex</it>) and four cellular blastoderm formation genes (<it>Rho1, spaghetti squash, slow-as-molasses </it>and <it>serendipity-α</it>) were analyzed, allowing us to sketch a preliminary outline of the embryonic process in the medfly. Furthermore, a putative homologue of the <it>Zelda </it>gene has been considered, which in <it>D. melanogaster </it>encodes a DNA-binding factor responsible for the maternal-to-zygotic transition.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our novel sexing method facilitates the study of i) when the MTZ transition occurs in males and females of <it>C. capitata</it>, ii) when and how the maternal information of "female-development" is reprogrammed in the embryos and iii) similarities and differences in the regulation of gene expression in <it>C. capitata </it>and <it>D. melanogaster</it>. We suggest a new model for the onset of the sex determination cascade in the medfly: the maternally inherited <it>Cctra </it>transcripts in the female embryos are insufficient to produce enough active protein to inhibit the male mode of <it>Cctra </it>splicing. The slow rate of development and the inefficiency of the splicing mechanism in the pre-cellular blastoderm facilitates the male-determining factor (M) activity, which probably acts by inhibiting CcTRA protein activity.</p