Embodied stress: The physiological resonance of psychosocial stress

Psychosocial stress is a ubiquitous phenomenon in our society. While acute stress responses are necessary and adaptive, excessive activation of neurobiological stress systems can predispose an individual to far-reaching adverse health outcomes. Living in a complex social environment, experiencing stress is not limited to challenges humans face individually. Possibly linked with our capacity for empathy, we also display the tendency to physiologically resonate with others’ stress responses. This recently identified source of stress raises many interesting questions. In comparison to the wealth of studies that have advanced our understanding of sharing others’ affective states, the physiological resonance of stress has only recently begun to be more closely investigated. The aim of the current paper is to review the existing literature surrounding the emerging area of “stress contagion”, “empathic stress” or “stress resonance”, as it has been variably called. After a brief introduction of the concepts of stress and empathy, we discuss several key studies that paved the way for the merging of empathy with the concept of physiological resonance. We then delineate recent empirical studies specifically focusing on the physiological resonance of stress. In the final section of this review, we highlight differences between these studies and discuss the variability in terminology used for what seems to be the same phenomenon. Lastly, potential health implications of chronic empathic stress are presented and possible mechanisms of physiological stress transmission are discussed

The Herschel/PACS view of disks around low-mass stars in Chamaleon-I

Circumstellar disks are expected to be the birthplaces of planets. The potential for forming one or more planets of various masses is essentially driven by the initial mass of the disks. We present and analyze Herschel/PACS observations of disk-bearing M-type stars that belong to the young ~2 Myr old Chamaleon-I star forming region. We used the radiative transfer code RADMC to successfully model the SED of 17 M-type stars detected at PACS wavelengths. We first discuss the relatively low detection rates of M5 and later spectral type stars with respect to the PACS sensitivity, and argue their disks masses, or flaring indices, are likely to be low. For M0 to M3 stars, we find a relatively broad range of disk masses, scale heights, and flaring indices. Via a parametrization of dust stratification, we can reproduce the peak fluxes of the 10 $\mu$m emission feature observed with Spitzer/IRS, and find that disks around M-type stars may display signs of dust sedimentation. The Herschel/PACS observations of low-mass stars in Cha-I provide new constraints on their disk properties, overall suggesting that disk parameters for early M-type stars are comparable to those for more massive stars (e.g., comparable scale height and flaring angles). However, regions of the disks emitting at about 100 $\mu$m may still be in the optically thick regime, preventing direct determination of disk masses. Thus the modeled disk masses should be considered as lower limits. Still, we are able to extend the wavelength coverage of SED models and start characterizing effects such as dust sedimentation, an effort leading the way towards ALMA observations of these low-mass stars

Investigating the impact of distinct contemplative mental trainings on daily life stress, thoughts and affect: Evidence from a nine-month longitudinal ecological momentary assessment study

Mindfulness-based mental training interventions have become a popular means to alleviate stress and stress-associated health risks. Previous scientific investigations emphasize the importance of exploring the effects of such interventions in naturalistic settings to evaluate their implementation into daily life. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of three distinct mental training modules on a range of measures of daily life experience in the scope of the ReSource Project, a 9-month longitudinal mental training study comparing modules targeting attention and interoception (Presence), socio-affective (Affect) or socio-cognitive abilities (Perspective). We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to repeatedly probe levels of stress and stress-coping efficacy combined with stress-reactive cortisol levels, and further explored arousal, affective states, and thought patterns in the daily lives of 289 healthy adults (172 women; 20–55 years). We found increased presence-focused thought and heightened arousal after a training duration of 3–6 months, independent of the type of prior training. Increased coping efficacy emerged specifically after socio-cognitive Perspective training, following 6–9 months of training duration. No training effects were found for subjective stress, stress-reactive cortisol levels, or daily life affect. Our findings corroborate and add ecological validity to previous ReSource findings by showing that they replicate in participants’ everyday environment. Regarding endocrine and subjective stress markers, our results suggest caution in generalizing acute laboratory findings to individuals’ everyday routines. Overall, the current study provides substantiated insights into how cultivating one’s mind through contemplative mental training translates to daily life experience, enhances stress-coping, and may ultimately aide in maintaining health

A Newly Discovered Bordetella Species Carries a Transcriptionally Active CRISPR-Cas with a Small Cas9 Endonuclease

Background Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated genes (cas) are widely distributed among bacteria. These systems provide adaptive immunity against mobile genetic elements specified by the spacer sequences stored within the CRISPR. Methods The CRISPR-Cas system has been identified using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) against other sequenced and annotated genomes and confirmed via CRISPRfinder program. Using Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) and Sanger DNA sequencing, we discovered CRISPRs in additional bacterial isolates of the same species of Bordetella. Transcriptional activity and processing of the CRISPR have been assessed via RT-PCR. Results Here we describe a novel Type II-C CRISPR and its associated genes—cas1, cas2, and cas9—in several isolates of a newly discovered Bordetella species. The CRISPR-cas locus, which is absent in all other Bordetella species, has a significantly lower GC-content than the genome-wide average, suggesting acquisition of this locus via horizontal gene transfer from a currently unknown source. The CRISPR array is transcribed and processed into mature CRISPR RNAs (crRNA), some of which have homology to prophages found in closely related species B. hinzii. Conclusions Expression of the CRISPR-Cas system and processing of crRNAs with perfect homology to prophages present in closely related species, but absent in that containing this CRISPR-Cas system, suggest it provides protection against phage predation. The 3,117-bp cas9 endonuclease gene from this novel CRISPR-Cas system is 990 bp smaller than that of Streptococcus pyogenes, the 4,017-bp allele currently used for genome editing, and which may make it a useful tool in various CRISPR-Cas technologies

Carbon in different phases ([CII], [CI], and CO) in infrared dark clouds: Cloud formation signatures and carbon gas fractions

Context: How do molecular clouds form out of the atomic phase? And what are the relative fractions of carbon in the ionized, atomic and molecular phase? These are questions at the heart of cloud and star formation. Methods: Using multiple observatories from Herschel and SOFIA to APEX and the IRAM 30m telescope, we mapped the ionized, atomic and molecular carbon ([CII]@1900GHz, [CI]@492GHz and C18O(2-1)@220GHz) at high spatial resolution (12"-25") in four young massive infrared dark clouds (IRDCs). Results: The three carbon phases were successfully mapped in all four regions, only in one source the [CII] line remained a non-detection. Both the molecular and atomic phases trace the dense structures well, with [CI] also tracing material at lower column densities. [CII] exhibits diverse morphologies in our sample, from compact to diffuse structures probing the cloud environment. In at least two out of the four regions, we find kinematic signatures strongly indicating that the dense gas filaments have formed out of a dynamically active and turbulent atomic/molecular cloud, potentially from converging gas flows. The atomic-to-molecular carbon gas mass ratios are low between 7% and 12% with the lowest values found toward the most quiescent region. In the three regions where [CII] is detected, its mass is always higher by a factor of a few than that of the atomic carbon. The ionized carbon emission depends as well on the radiation field, however, we also find strong [CII] emission in a region without significant external sources, indicating that other processes, e.g., energetic gas flows can contribute to the [CII] excitation as well.Comment: 15 pages, 18 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics, a higher resolution version can be found at http://www.mpia.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm

Smoothing data series by means of cubic splines: quality of approximation and introduction of a repeating spline approach

Cubic splines with equidistant spline sampling points are a common method in atmospheric science, used for the approximation of background conditions by means of filtering superimposed fluctuations from a data series. What is defined as background or superimposed fluctuation depends on the specific research question. The latter also determines whether the spline or the residuals – the subtraction of the spline from the original time series – are further analysed.Based on test data sets, we show that the quality of approximation of the background state does not increase continuously with an increasing number of spline sampling points and/or decreasing distance between two spline sampling points. Splines can generate considerable artificial oscillations in the background and the residuals.We introduce a repeating spline approach which is able to significantly reduce this phenomenon. We apply it not only to the test data but also to TIMED-SABER temperature data and choose the distance between two spline sampling points in a way that is sensitive for a large spectrum of gravity waves

The cultural and geopolitical dimensions of nation-building in the Ukraine

Ukraine belongs among those young countries where the beginnings of democratisation and nation-building approximately coincided. While the development of nation states in Central Europe was usually preceded by the development of nations, the biggest dilemma in the Ukraine is whether a nation-state programme — parallel to the aim of state-building — is able to bring unfinished nation-building to completion. Ukraine sways between the EU and Russia with enormous amplitude. The alternating orientation between the West and the East can be ascribed to superpower ambitions reaching beyond Ukraine. Eventually, internal and external determinants are intertwined and mutually interact with one another. The aim of the paper is to explain the dilemmas arising from identity problems behind the Ukraine’s internal and external orientation

Event-driven management algorithm of an Engineering documents circulation system

Development methodology of an engineering documents circulation system in the design company is reviewed. Discrete event-driven automatic models using description algorithms of project management is offered. Petri net use for dynamic design of projects is offered

NGC 2264 IRS1: The central engine and its cavity

We present a high-resolution study of NGC 2264 IRS1 in CS(2-1) and in the 3-mm continuum using the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We complement these radio data with images taken at 2.2, 4.6, and 11.9 micron. The combined information allow a new interpretation of the closest environment of NGC 2264 IRS1. No disk around the B-type star IRS1 was found. IRS1 and its low-mass companions are located in a low-density cavity which is surrounded by the remaining dense cloud core which has a clumpy shell-like structure. Strong evidence for induced on-going star formation was found in the surroundings of IRS1. A deeply embedded very young stellar object 20 arcsec to the north of IRS1 is powering a highly collimated bipolar outflow. The object 8 in the closer environment of IRS1 is a binary surrounded by dusty circumbinary material and powering two bipolar outflows.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, The paper is accepted and will appear in the Astrophysical Journal, Vol 599, No 1 (issue December 10). A high-resolution postscript version of this paper is available here ( http://www.astro.uni-jena.de/Users/martin/publi.html). Furthermore, you can find a high resolution PDF file here ( http://www.tls-tautenburg.de/research/tls-research/pub2003.html

The youth movement Nashi: contentious politics, civil society, and party politics

The youth movement Nashi was established in Russia with the support of the Putin regime in 2005. The success of anti-regime demonstrators in Ukraine's ‘Orange Revolution’ in 2004 had been noted in Moscow, and Nashi's role was to serve as a pro-regime force to be mobilised against the opposition. Its focus was the contentious politics of the street. Nashi represents an interesting theoretical case from the perspective of contentious politics and its relationship with civil society and formal party politics. Nashi's role has developed to include facilitating young people's engagement with party politics and business. Its early centralised control has been ameliorated somewhat by a reorganisation focused on local action. Nonetheless, Nashi exists with state support. Its continued role in contentious politics in support of the Putin regime, for example, countering opposition demonstrations in Moscow in December 2011, makes its identification as a component of democratic civil society problematic