The Effect of the Death of a Child on Midlife Mental and Physical Health: An Exploration of Risk and Resilience Factors

The study examined the long-term effects of a death of a child on a variety of parental psychological and physical outcomes, incorporating several methodological and conceptual innovations over previous research. Prior bereavement research typically has focused on functioning within a short time period after the death and often has utilized self-selected samples of grieving parents; thus current models of grief may be inadequate. In contrast, this study broadened the timeframe in which bereavement is studied (average time since death= 20 years), and examined a sample of bereaved parents who were not self-selected. Participants were members of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (713 bereaved and 713 non-bereaved parents) who were assessed in 1957, 1975/77, and 1992/94 and were matched on family of origin demographic variables. Results show that bereaved parents reported a higher sense of purpose in life than non-bereaved parents. Further, higher levels of purpose in life was associated with lower levels of depression in bereaved parents, and with lower levels of physical illness in bereaved men. As expected, bereaved parents exhibited higher levels of depression than non-bereaved parents. For bereaved women, having someone with whom to share private thoughts and feelings was correlated with higher levels of depression, indicating that social support may be sought when functioning is poor. Higher job satisfaction was associated with lower levels of depression in bereaved women suggesting that role variegation is a factor promoting resiliency. Further, having another child after the death of a child was associated with lower levels of depression for bereaved women. Contrary to expectations, having other children in the home at the time of death was associated with lower social support and higher divorce rates for bereaved women. In sum, the current study suggests that the negative effects of the death of a child are longstanding. Several factors (e.g., purpose in life, role variegation) may promote resiliency and thus merit more scientific study and clinical attention

Assessment Of The Capacity Of Ugandan Health Facilities, Personnel, And Resources To Prevent And Control Noncommunicable Diseases

Due to the rapid rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), the Uganda Ministry of Health (MoH) has prioritized NCD prevention, early diagnosis, and management. In partnership with the World Diabetic Foundation, MoH has embarked on a countrywide program to build capacity of the health facilities to address NCDs. A needs assessment was developed and conducted in 13 regional referral hospitals, 27 general hospitals, and 14 health center IVs in Uganda to: (1) assess the capacity of health units to detect and manage noncommunicable diseases; (2) describe provider knowledge, attitudes, resources, and practices, and (3) identify areas of improvement and areas in need of funding and training. Quantitative data on the human resources and skills, NCDs prevalence, services, equipment, medicines and stockouts, laboratory tests, referral system, health care providers\u27 skills and attitudes, community engagement, and NCD association membership were collected through the needs assessment, and qualitative interviews were conducted for supplemental information. Data were analyzed and summary statistics (N, % and Mean ±SD, where applicable) for each facility type were generated, and frequencies and percents were used to summarize each of the major aspects of the health facilities. Results of this assessment demonstrate that there remain significant gaps in the resources and personnel at all facilities. Although there is variability among them, none of the facilities meet the WHO standards for essential tools and medicines to implement effective NCDs interventions. The regional referral hospitals fare the best compared to general hospitals and health center IVs, but all facilities report a concerning lack of NCD screening and care services. The assessment results demonstrate the need for Uganda to scale-up low cost, high impact NCD interventions and strengthen the knowledge and capacity of health personnel to reduce NCD disability and death in the country

Diverse salinity responses in Crithmum maritimum tissues at different salinities over time

Crithmum maritimum (sea fennel) withstands high salinity, and to better understand how different protective mechanisms against salinity are activated, young seedlings were exposed to increasing concentrations of NaCl (0 to 512 mM) over six weeks. Plant survival and chlorophyll content were reduced at >85 mM NaCl and growth was affected at > 341 mM NaCl. Relative water content fell and Na+ accumulated more in leaves than in roots. Induction of Na+/H+ antiporter expression reached a maximum at 427 mM NaCl in both tissues. Salinity induced the accumulation of proline, soluble sugars and glycine betaine. All three accumulated to higher levels in leaves than roots and greatest accumulation was after 6 weeks and the highest salt concentrations. Hydrogen peroxide levels fell with increasing salinity in leaves, while ascorbic acid and catalase activity rose. Overall, the most dramatic changes occurred after six weeks of saline stress but different mechanisms were activated at different salinity thresholds and in the two tissues. Key salinity thresholds in the response of Crithmum maritimum to salinity stress are identified activating different mechanisms. At 85 mM NaCl roots reach osmotic adjustment, at 171 mM further osmolyte protection mechanisms are activated, at 256 mM NaCl leaves reach osmotic adjustment, at 341 mM plant growth is affected and at the highest salinity tested, 512 mM, protective mechanisms are affected in leaves but not in roots

Production and scavenging of reactive oxygen species and redox signaling during leaf and flower senescence: similar but different

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in the regulation of many developmental processes, including senescence, and in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Several mechanisms of ROS generation and scavenging are similar, but others differ between senescing leaves and petals, despite these organs sharing a common evolutionary origin. Photosynthesis-derived ROS, nutrient remobilization, and reversibility of senescence are necessarily distinct features of the progression of senescence in the two organs. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed specific redox signaling processes that act in concert with phytohormones and transcription factors to regulate senescence-associated genes in leaves and petals. Here, we review some of the recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the production and elimination of ROS in these two organs. We focus on unveiling common and differential aspects of redox signaling in leaf and petal senescence, with the aim of linking physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes. We conclude that the spatiotemporal impact of ROS in senescing tissues differs between leaves and flowers, mainly due to the specific functionalities of these organs

Multiple mechanisms mediate growth and survival in young seedlings of two populations of the halophyte Atriplex halimus (L) subjected to long single step salinity treatments

Understanding how halophytes survive high soil salinity in realistic long-term experiments is important for strategies to mitigate the effects of increasing soil salinity worldwide. Protective mechanisms in halophytes enabling survival include sequestration of salt via Na+/H+ antiporters, synthesis and accumulation of osmolytes, and activation of protective mechanisms against reactive oxygen species (ROS). Protective mechanisms elicited by a single step-up to a range of NaCl treatments (34–256 mM) in two populations of the halophyte Atriplex halimus L. from contrasting environments (arid steppe and saline coastline) were compared over 6 weeks. The coastal population survived significantly better at high salinity compared with the steppe population, although in both populations, salinity inhibited growth. Increased Na+ and K+ concentration was accompanied by higher induction of Na+/H+ antiporter gene expression in coastal than in steppe population leaves. Osmolytes increased more significantly in the coastal than in the steppe population with greater induction of choline mono-oxygenase gene expression. Activation of ROS scavenging mechanisms was greater in coastal than in steppe plants. Differential responses found through time, in different salt concentrations, and between leaves and roots indicate a finely tuned response. Sharp changes in responses at 171 mM NaCl indicate that different mechanisms may be invoked at different stress levels.</jats:p

Survey of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) on the Isle of Rum

There is currently little knowledge of the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) population on the Isle of Rum (Inner Hebrides, Scotland). Informal monitoring suggests that the mice on the island are larger than their mainland conspecifics, and also that wood mice on Rum are found living at higher altitudes than on the mainland. In 2009, SNH staff on Rum invited the Department of Life Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University to carry out a pilot survey of the wood mice on Rum, using live trapping to determine distribution and abundance. An important objective of this survey was to provide information about the likely consequences for the Rum wood mouse population of proposed rat control measures on the island. The main findings of this survey were as follows: Wood mice were found at all sites (n= 8) surveyed on Rum, from just above sea level to above 450m in the Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) nesting colonies. Wood mice were most abundant in areas of mature mixed woodland, but were also found in other habitats such as coniferous woodland and Molinia-dominated wet grasslands, and in areas where there has been no permanent human habitation for several decades. Trap damage sustained during this survey indicates possible brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) predation of wood mice on Rum. The implications of this finding, in relation to proposed future rat control on Rum, are discussed. Morphological data obtained during this study show that the wood mice on Rum are particularly large (a number of adult mice captured, of both sexes, had body weights of >30g). There was a significant difference in size between mice found around human habitation at low altitudes, and the (larger) mice living at high altitudes on Rum in the shearwater colonies. Recommendations for further research into the wood mice on Rum are outlined

Commercial processing of Oriental lilies affects bud opening and metabolic dynamics

Lilies are a high value cut flower typically producing 4–5 flowers per stem, but the opening of young buds of Oriental hybrid lilies is often affected in cut flowers. Commercial treatment includes harvesting of the stem when the oldest bud is closed and at turning colour, approximately 2 ds before it would open on the plant. Stems are then rehydrated, stored chilled for up to 72 h and transported dry. To understand the effect of commercial treatment on the nutrient status metabolomes were compared throughout bud opening from different positions on the stem. At each developmental stage the metabolomic profile was affected by bud position and commercial treatment. Starch accumulated as long as buds remain closed; upon bud opening starch content declined. Reciprocally, sugar levels rose during flower opening and were affected by edge/ midrib location and commercial treatment. Glucose, fructose and sucrose levels remained higher in opened flowers still on the plant. AMY2 (amylase) transcript levels rose as did those of two sugar transporters (MST6 and SWEET7). Commercial processing therefore impacts on the metabolome and the ability to accumulate sugars in the opening flower bud. Commercial treatment delayed bud opening and the effect was dependent on the position of the bud on the stem. However, it had little impact on the rate of cell expansion during flower opening. Cell expansion in the different areas of the adaxial epidermis was unaffected by the commercial treatment. Furthermore, edge and adaxial tepal cells expanded faster during opening. Expression of cell expansion related genes (EXPA1 and LoPIP1) fell as flowers opened. This differential cell expansion in the tepal sectors could underpin the transition of a convex to a concave tepal shape during opening. In conclusion, commercial processing mainly affects the early stages of bud opening. Sugar and metabolite accumulation is compromised by commercial treatment, but this did not affect the capacity for cell expansion in the tepal. Furthermore, our data indicate that differential cell expansion in the different sectors of the tepals is important in lily flower opening, and that this is associated with starch breakdown and sugar accumulation

Use of TD-GC-TOF-MS to assess volatile composition during post harvest storage in seven accessions of rocket salad (Eruca sativa)

An important step in breeding for nutritionally enhanced varieties is determining the effects of the post-harvest supply chain on phytochemicals and the changes in VOCs produced over time. TD- GC-TOF-MS was used and a technique for the extraction of VOCs from the headspace using portable tubes is described. Forty-two compounds were detected; 39 were identified by comparison to NIST libraries. Thirty-five compounds had not been previously reported in Eruca sativa. Seven accessions were assessed for changes in headspace VOCs over 7 days. Relative amounts of VOCs across 3 time points were significantly different - isothiocyanate-containing molecules being abundant on 'Day 0'. Each accession showed differences in proportions/types of volatiles produced on each day. PCA revealed a separation of VOC profiles according to the day of sampling. Changes in VOC profiles over time could provide a tool for assessment of shelf-life