Locus coeruleus to basolateral amygdala noradrenergic projections promote anxiety-like behavior

Increased tonic activity of locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NE) neurons induces anxiety-like and aversive behavior. While some information is known about the afferent circuitry that endogenously drives this neural activity and behavior, the downstream receptors and anatomical projections that mediate these acute risk aversive behavioral states via the LC-NE system remain unresolved. Here we use a combination of retrograde tracing, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, electrophysiology, and in vivo optogenetics with localized pharmacology to identify neural substrates downstream of increased tonic LC-NE activity in mice. We demonstrate that photostimulation of LC-NE fibers in the BLA evokes norepinephrine release in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), alters BLA neuronal activity, conditions aversion, and increases anxiety-like behavior. Additionally, we report that β-adrenergic receptors mediate the anxiety-like phenotype of increased NE release in the BLA. These studies begin to illustrate how the complex efferent system of the LC-NE system selectively mediates behavior through distinct receptor and projection-selective mechanisms

Effects of long-haul transmeridian travel on player preparedness: Case study of a national team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

© 2016 Sports Medicine Australia Objectives Describe the effects of eastward long-haul transmeridian air travel on subjective jet-lag, sleep and wellness in professional football (soccer) players prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Design Single cohort involving twenty-two male professional football players representing a national football team. Methods Data was collected from players prior to and following international travel from Sydney, Australia to Vitoria, Brazil. In total there were three flights, 19-h and 14,695 km of travel east across 11 time-zones. Training load and wellness measures were obtained in the week prior to and following travel, whilst sleep and jet-lag measures were collected on the day prior to travel (Pre), the day of arrival and for five days following travel (Post 1–5). Results Compared to Pre, perceived jet-lag was significantly increased on Post 1 to 4, with significantly greater levels on Post 1 compared to Post 5 (p < 0.05). Self-reported sleep duration during travel was 5.9 (4.8–7.0) h, which was significantly lower than all other nights (p ˂ 0.01), except for the night of arrival, where time in bed and sleep duration were significantly reduced compared to Post 1–4 (p ˂ 0.01). Lastly, compared to the week prior to travel, mean wellness was significantly reduced during the week following travel (p ˂ 0.01). Conclusions Self-reported sleep disruption during and following eastward long-haul transmeridian air travel, together with exacerbated jet-lag symptoms may result in reduced player wellness. Consequently, player preparedness for subsequent training and competition may be impeded, though physical performance data is lacking

Enhanced cosmic-ray flux toward zeta Persei inferred from laboratory study of H3+ - e- recombination rate

The H3+ molecular ion plays a fundamental role in interstellar chemistry, as it initiates a network of chemical reactions that produce many interstellar molecules. In dense clouds, the H3+ abundance is understood using a simple chemical model, from which observations of H3+ yield valuable estimates of cloud path length, density, and temperature. On the other hand, observations of diffuse clouds have suggested that H3+ is considerably more abundant than expected from the chemical models. However, diffuse cloud models have been hampered by the uncertain values of three key parameters: the rate of H3+ destruction by electrons, the electron fraction, and the cosmic-ray ionisation rate. Here we report a direct experimental measurement of the H3+ destruction rate under nearly interstellar conditions. We also report the observation of H3+ in a diffuse cloud (towards zeta Persei) where the electron fraction is already known. Taken together, these results allow us to derive the value of the third uncertain model parameter: we find that the cosmic-ray ionisation rate in this sightline is forty times faster than previously assumed. If such a high cosmic-ray flux is indeed ubiquitous in diffuse clouds, the discrepancy between chemical models and the previous observations of H3+ can be resolved.Comment: 6 pages, Nature, in pres

Observations of rotationally resolved C3 in translucent sight lines

The rotationally resolved spectrum of the A ^1Pi_u <- X ^1Sigma^+_g 000-000 transition of C3, centered at 4051.6A, has been observed along 10 translucent lines of sight. To interpret these spectra, a new method for the determination of column densities and analysis of excitation profiles involving the simulation and fitting of observed spectra has been developed. The populations of lower rotational levels (J<14) in C3 are best fit by thermal distributions that are consistent with the kinetic temperatures determined from the excitation profile of C2. Just as in the case of C2, higher rotational levels (J>14) of C3 show increased nonthermal population distributions in clouds which have been determined to have total gas densities below ~500 cm-3.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Spectropolarimetry of the Type IIb Supernova 2001ig

We present spectropolarimetric observations of the Type IIb SN 2001ig in NGC 7424; conducted with the ESO VLT FORS1 on 2001 Dec 16, 2002 Jan 3 and 2002 Aug 16 or 13, 31 and 256 days post-explosion. These observations are at three different stages of the SN evolution: (1) The hydrogen-rich photospheric phase, (2) the Type II to Type Ib transitional phase and (3) the nebular phase. At each of these stages, the observations show remarkably different polarization properties as a function of wavelength. We show that the degree of interstellar polarization is 0.17%. The low intrinsic polarization (~0.2%) at the first epoch is consistent with an almost spherical (<10% deviation from spherical symmetry) hydrogen dominated ejecta. Similar to SN 1987A and to Type IIP SNe, a sharp increase in the degree of the polarization (~1%) is observed when the outer hydrogen layer becomes optically thin by day 31; only at this epoch is the polarization well described by a ``dominant axis.'' The polarization angle of the data shows a rotation through ~40 degrees between the first and second epochs, indicating that the asymmetries of the first epoch were not directly coupled with those observed at the second epoch. For the most polarized lines, we observe wavelength-dependent loop structures in addition to the dominant axis on the Q-U plane. We show that the polarization properties of Type IIb SNe are roughly similar to one another, but with significant differences arising due to line blending effects especially with the high velocities observed for SN 2001ig. This suggests that the geometry of SN 2001ig is related to SN 1993J and that these events may have arisen from a similar binary progenitor system.Comment: 42 pages, 12 figures (figs. 11 and 12 are both composed of four subpanels, figs. 6,7,8,11 and 12 are in color, fig. 1 is low res and a high res version is available at http://www.as.utexas.edu/~jrm/), ApJ Accepte

Observations of H3+ in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium

Surprisingly large column densities of H3+ have been detected using infrared absorption spectroscopy in seven diffuse cloud sightlines (Cygnus OB2 12, Cygnus OB2 5, HD 183143, HD 20041, WR 104, WR 118, and WR 121), demonstrating that H3+ is ubiquitous in the diffuse interstellar medium. Using the standard model of diffuse cloud chemistry, our H3+ column densities imply unreasonably long path lengths (~1 kpc) and low densities (~3 cm^-3). Complimentary millimeter-wave, infrared, and visible observations of related species suggest that the chemical model is incorrect and that the number density of H3+ must be increased by one to two orders of magnitude. Possible solutions include a reduced electron fraction, an enhanced rate of H2 ionization, and/or a smaller value of the H3+ dissociative recombination rate constant than implied by laboratory experiments.Comment: To be published in Astrophysical Journal, March 200

Modulation Of Hsp25 And Tnf-alpha During The Early Stages Of Functional Overload Of A Rat Slow And Fast Muscle

Early events in response to abrupt increases in activation and loading with muscle functional overload (FO) are associated with increased damage and inflammation. Heat shock protein 25 (HSP25) may protect against these stressors. and its expression can be regulated by muscle loading and activation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the responses of HSP25. phosphorylated HSP25 (pHSP25), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) during FO of the slow soleus and fast plantaris. We compared the HSP25 mRNA, HSP25 protein, pHSP25, and TNF-alpha responses in the soleus and plantaris after 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 7 days of FO. HSP25 and pHSP25 were quantified in soluble and insoluble fractions. HSP25 mRNA increased immediately in both muscles and decreased with continued FO. However, HSP25 mRNA levels were consistently higher in the Muscles of FO than control rats. In the soluble fraction. HSP25 increased in the plantaris after 2-7 days of FO with the greatest response at 3 and 7 days. The pHSP25 response to FO was greater in the plantaris than soleus at all points in the soluble fraction and at 0.5 days in the insoluble fraction. TNF-alpha levels in the plantaris, but not soleus, were higher than control at 0.5-2 days of FO. This may have contributed to the greater FO response in pHSP25 in the plantaris than soleus as TNF-alpha increased pHSP25 in C2C12 myotubes. These results suggest that the initial responses of pHSP25 and TNF-alpha to mechanical stress and inflammation associated with FO are greater in a fast than slow extensor muscle

Linear and nonlinear modulus surfaces in stress space, from stress-strain measurements on Berea sandstone

International audienceThe elastic response of many rocks to quasistatic stress changes is highly nonlinear and hysteretic, displaying discrete memory. Rocks also display unusual nonlinear response to dynamic stress changes. A model to describe the elastic behavior of rocks and other consolidated materials is called the Preisach-Mayergoyz (PM) space model. In contrast to the traditional analytic approach to stress-strain, the PM space picture establishes a relationship between the quasistatic data and a number density of hysteretic mesoscopic elastic elements in the rock. The number density allows us to make quantitative predictions of dynamic elastic properties. Using the PM space model, we analyze a complex suite of quasistatic stress-strain data taken on Berea sandstone. We predict a dynamic bulk modulus and a dynamic shear modulus surface as a function of mean stress and shear stress. Our predictions for the dynamic moduli compare favorably to moduli derived from time of flight measurements. We derive a set of nonlinear elastic constants and a set of constants that describe the hysteretic behavior of the sandstone

A new theoretical paradigm to describe hysteresis, discrete memory and nonlinear elastic wave propagation in rock

International audienceThe velocity of sound in rock is a strong function of pressure, indicating that wave propagation in rocks is very nonlinear. The quasistatic elastic properties of rocks axe hysteretic, possessing discrete memory. In this paper a new theory is developed, placing all of these properties (nonlinearity, hysteresis, and memory) on equal footing. The starting point of the new theory is closer to a microscopic description of a rock than the starting point of the traditional five-constant theory of nonlinear elasticity. However, this starting point (the number density ? of generic mechanical elements in an abstract space) is deliberately independent of a specific microscopic model. No prejudice is imposed as to the mechanism causing nonlinear response in the microscopic mechanical elements. The new theory (1) relates suitable stress-strain measurements to the number density ? and (2) uses the number density ? to find the behaviour of nonlinear elastic waves. Thus the new theory provides for the synthesis of the full spectrum of elastic behaviours of a rock. Early development of the new theory is sketched in this contribution

Introduction to RISC-KIT: Resilience-increasing strategies for coasts

Recent and historic low-frequency, high-impact events have demonstrated the flood risks faced by exposed coastal areas in Europe and beyond. These coastal zone risks are likely to increase in the future which requires a re-evaluation of coastal disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies and a new mix of PMP (prevention, e.g., dike protection; mitigation, e.g., limiting construction in flood-prone areas and eco-system based solutions; and preparedness, e.g., Early Warning Systems, EWS) measures. In response to these challenges, the RISC-KIT project has delivered a set of open-source and openaccess methods, tools and management approaches to reduce risk and increase resilience to lowfrequency, high-impact hydro-meteorological events in the coastal zone (the “RISC-toolKIT”). These products enhance forecasting, prediction and early warning capabilities, improve the assessment of long-term coastal risk and optimise the mix of PMP-measures. In this paper an introduction is provided to the objectives, products, applications and lessonslearned of the RISC-KIT project, which are the subjects of this Special Issue. Subsequent papers provide details on the tools and their application on 10 case study sites in Europe