Subjective Socioeconomic Status Matters Less When Perceived Social Support Is High: A Study of Cortisol Responses to Stress

Low objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with the experience offrequent stressors known to have physiological costs. We tested whether perceived social support, a key health-protective resource, buffered the association between lower subjective SES and cortisol responses to an acute stressor. Participants (N=115; 54.78% female; age M=19.56) reported subjective SES and perceived support, completed a social-evaluative stressor task, and provided saliva for cortisol assessment. There was a significant interaction of subjective SES with support predicting linear change in cortisol stress responses, γ=0.08, z=2.34, p=.02. When support was low, subjective SES was strongly related to cortisol, and those who reported lower subjective SES exhibited higher cortisol during recovery than those who reported higher subjective SES. When support was high, those who reported higher and lower subjective SES exhibited similar cortisol responses. These results highlight the important, protective role that supportive relationships can have when subjective SES is low

Valorization of byproducts of hemp multipurpose crop: Short non-aligned bast fibers as a source of nanocellulose

Nanocellulose was extracted from short bast fibers, from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants harvested at seed maturity, non-retted, and mechanically decorticated in a defibering apparatus, giving non-aligned fibers. A chemical pretreatment with NaOH and HCl allowed the removal of most of the non-cellulosic components of the fibers. No bleaching was performed. The chemically pretreated fibers were then refined in a beater and treated with a cellulase enzyme, followed by mechanical defibrillation in an ultrafine friction grinder. The fibers were characterized by microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction after each step of the process to understand the evolution of their morphology and composition. The obtained nanocellulose suspension was composed of short nanofibrils with widths of 5–12 nm, stacks of nanofibrils with widths of 20–200 nm, and some larger fibers. The crystallinity index was found to increase from 74% for the raw fibers to 80% for the nanocellulose. The nanocellulose retained a yellowish color, indicating the presence of some residual lignin. The properties of the nanopaper prepared with the hemp nanocellulose were similar to those of nanopapers prepared with wood pulp-derived rod-like nanofibrils

Morganella morganii septicemia and concurrent renal crassicaudiasis in a Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) stranded in Italy

Information regarding bacterial diseases in Cuvier's beaked whale (CBW, Ziphius cavirostris) is scattered and mostly incomplete. This report describes a case of septicemia by Morganella morganii in a juvenile male CBW with concurrent renal crassicaudiasis. The animal stranded along the Ligurian coastline (Italy) and underwent a systematic post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death. Histopathology showed lesions consistent with a septicemic infection, severe meningoencephalitis, and renal crassicaudiasis. An M. morganii alpha-hemolytic strain was isolated in pure culture from liver, lung, prescapular lymph node, spleen, hepatic and renal abscesses, and central nervous system (CNS). The antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the strain was evaluated with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) method and reduced susceptibility to Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole is reported. Crassicauda sp. nematodes were retrieved from both kidneys. No other pathogens were detected by immunohistochemistry, serology, or biomolecular analyses. Toxicological investigations detected high concentrations of immunosuppressant pollutants in the blubber. The chronic parasitic infestation and the toxic effects of xenobiotics likely compromised the animal's health, predisposing it to an opportunistic bacterial infection. To our knowledge, this is the first description of M. morganii septicemia with CNS involvement in a wild cetacean

Oscheius tipulae in Italy: Evidence of an Alien Isolate in the Integral Natural Reserve of Montecristo Island (Tuscany)

Montecristo Island is an integral natural reserve of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park (Central Italy), characterized by a peculiar assemblage of flora and fauna, with several endemic taxa, and also with a high number of alien species. During a soil survey, we found an alien Oscheius tipulae Lam & Webster, 1971 isolate, phylogenetically close to others from South America. In this article, we examined the possible pathways of introduction of this nematode. Because of the high number of alien plants in this protected area and the low desiccation survival ability of O. tipulae, we hypothesized that the presence of this alien nematode isolate may be related to the soil of introduced plants, although historical association with plant-associated invertebrates is also possible. Further studies with more populations and marker molecules are necessary to investigate the distribution of O. tipulae and the possible impact on this natural reserve

Do Worry and Brooding Predict Health Behaviors? A Daily Diary Investigation

Background Meta-analyses have reported associations between perseverative cognition (both worry and brooding) and increased engagement in health-risk behaviors, poorer sleep, and poorer physiological health outcomes. Method Using a daily diary design, this study investigated the within- and between-person relationships between state and trait perseverative cognition and health behaviors (eating behavior, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and sleep) both crosssectionally and prospectively. Participants (n = 273, 93% students, Mage = 20.2, SD = 4.11, 93% female) completed morning and evening diaries across 7 consecutive days. Results Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that, cross-sectionally, higher levels of state worry were associated with more time spent sitting and higher levels of state brooding predicted less daily walking. Conclusion Worry and brooding may represent useful intervention targets for improving inactivity and walking levels, respectively

Live Tissue Imaging Shows Reef Corals Elevate pH under Their Calcifying Tissue Relative to Seawater

The threat posed to coral reefs by changes in seawater pH and carbonate chemistry (ocean acidification) raises the need for a better mechanistic understanding of physiological processes linked to coral calcification. Current models of coral calcification argue that corals elevate extracellular pH under their calcifying tissue relative to seawater to promote skeleton formation, but pH measurements taken from the calcifying tissue of living, intact corals have not been achieved to date. We performed live tissue imaging of the reef coral Stylophora pistillata to determine extracellular pH under the calcifying tissue and intracellular pH in calicoblastic cells. We worked with actively calcifying corals under flowing seawater and show that extracellular pH (pHe) under the calicoblastic epithelium is elevated by ∼0.5 and ∼0.2 pH units relative to the surrounding seawater in light and dark conditions respectively. By contrast, the intracellular pH (pHi) of the calicoblastic epithelium remains stable in the light and dark. Estimates of aragonite saturation states derived from our data indicate the elevation in subcalicoblastic pHe favour calcification and may thus be a critical step in the calcification process. However, the observed close association of the calicoblastic epithelium with the underlying crystals suggests that the calicoblastic cells influence the growth of the coral skeleton by other processes in addition to pHe modification. The procedure used in the current study provides a novel, tangible approach for future investigations into these processes and the impact of environmental change on the cellular mechanisms underpinning coral calcification

The Power of Exercise: Buffering the Effect of Chronic Stress on Telomere Length

Background: Chronic psychological stress is associated with detrimental effects on physical health, and may operate in part through accelerated cell aging, as indexed by shorter telomeres at the ends of chromosomes. However, not all people under stress have distinctly short telomeres, and we examined whether exercise can serve a stress-buffering function. We predicted that chronic stress would be related to short telomere length (TL) in sedentary individuals, whereas in those who exercise, stress would not have measurable effects on telomere shortening. Methodology and Principal Findings: 63 healthy post-menopausal women underwent a fasting morning blood draw for whole blood TL analysis by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), and for three successive days reported daily minutes of vigorous activity. Participants were categorized into two groups-sedentary and active (those getting Centers for Disease Control-recommended daily amount of activity). The likelihood of having short versus long telomeres was calculated as a function of stress and exercise group, covarying age, BMI and education. Logistic regression analyses revealed a significant moderating effect of exercise. As predicted, among non-exercisers a one unit increase in the Perceived Stress Scale was related to a 15-fold increase in the odds of having short telomeres (p,.05), whereas in exercisers, perceived stress appears to be unrelated to TL (B = 2.59, SE =.78, p =.45)

Protein disulphide isomerase-assisted functionalization of proteinaceous substrates

Protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) is an enzyme that catalyzes thiol-disulphide exchange reactions among a broad spectrum of substrates, including proteins and low-molecular thiols and disulphides. As the first protein-folding catalyst reported, the study of PDI has mainly involved the correct folding of several cysteine-containing proteins. Its application on the functionalization of protein-based materials has not been extensively reported. Herein, we review the applications of PDI on the modification of proteinaceous substrates and discuss its future potential. The mechanism involved in PDI functionalization of fibrous protein substrates is discussed in detail. These approaches allow innovative applications in textile dyeing and finishing, medical textiles, controlled drug delivery systems and hair or skin care products.We thank to FCT 'Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia' (scholarship SFRH/BD/38363/2007) for providing Margarida Fernandes the grant for PhD studies

Contributi per una flora vascolare di Toscana. VIII (440-506)

New localities and/or confirmations concerning 67 specific and subspecific plant taxa of Tuscan vascular flora, belonging to 59 genera and 37 families are presented: Alisma (Alismataceae), Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae), Leucojum, Sternbergia, Tristagma (Amaryllidaceae), Aloe (Asphodelaceae), Erigeron, Galinsoga, Hieracium, Rhagadiolus, Silybum, Soliva, Taraxacum (Asteraceae), Impatiens (Balsaminaceae), Berberis (Berberidaceae), Cardamine (Brassicaceae), Opuntia (Cactaceae), Cephalaria, Sixalix, Succisa (Caprifoliaceae), Silene (Caryophyllaceae), Convolvulus, Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae), Aeonium (Crassulaceae), Scirpus (Cyperaceae), Equisetum (Equisetaceae), Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), Astragalus, Trifolium (Fabaceae), Quercus (Fagaceae), Crocus (Iridaceae), Juncus (Juncaceae), Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae), Peplis (Lythraceae), Maclura (Moraceae), Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae), Oenothera (Onagraceae), Anacamptis, Orchis (Orchidaceae), Orobanche (Orobanchaceae), Callitriche, Veronica (Plantaginaceae), Alopecurus, Eleusine, Glyceria, Phleum (Poaceae), Persicaria, Polygonum (Polygonaceae), Groenlandia (Potamogetonaceae), Clematis, Pulsatilla, Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae), Rhamnus (Rhamnaceae), Fragaria, Potentilla, Pyracantha (Rosaceae), Galium (Rubiaceae), Sparganium (Typhaceae), Vitis (Vitaceae). In the end, the conservation status of the units and eventual protection of the cited biotopes are discussed