The Physiological Impact of GFLV Virus Infection on Grapevine Water Status: First Observations

In a vineyard, grapevines are simultaneously exposed to combinations of several abiotic (drought, extreme temperatures, salinity) and biotic stresses (phytoplasmas, viruses, bacteria). With climate change, the incidences of drought in vine growing regions are increased and the host range of pathogens with increased chances of virulent strain development has expanded. Therefore, we studied the impact of the combination of abiotic (drought) and biotic (Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) infection) stress on physiological and molecular responses on the grapevine of cv. Schioppettino by studying the influence of drought and GFLV infection on plant water status of grapevines, on grapevine xylem vessel occlusion, and on expression patterns of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 1 (NCED1), 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 2 (NCED2), WRKY encoding transcription factor (WRKY54) and RD22-like protein (RD22) genes in grapevines. A complex response of grapevine to the combination of drought and GFLV infection was shown, including priming in the case of grapevine water status, net effect in the case of area of occluded vessels in xylem, and different types of interaction of both stresses in the case of expression of four abscisic acid-related genes. Our results showed that mild (but not severe) water stress can be better sustained by GFLV infection rather than by healthy vines. GFLV proved to improve the resilience of the plants to water stress, which is an important outcome to cope with the challenges of global warming.

Molecular Mechanism of Hyperactivation Conferred by a Truncated TRPA1 Disease Mutant Suggests New Gating Insights

The wasabi receptor, TRPA1, is a non-selective homotetrameric cation channel expressed in primary sensory neurons of the pain pathway, where it is activated by diverse chemical irritants. A direct role for TRPA1 in human health has been highlighted by the discovery of genetic variants associated with severe pain disorders. One such TRPA1 mutant was identified in a father-son pair with cramp fasciculation syndrome (CFS) and neuronal hyperexcitability-hypersensitivity symptoms that may be caused by aberrant channel activity, though the mechanism of action for this mutant is unknown. Here, we show the CFS-associated R919* TRPA1 mutant is functionally inactive when expressed alone in heterologous cells, which is not surprising since it lacks the 201 C-terminal amino acids that house critical channel gating machinery including the pore-lining transmembrane helix. Interestingly, the R919* mutant confers enhanced agonist sensitivity when co-expressed with wild type (WT) TRPA1. This channel hyperactivation mechanism is conserved in distant TRPA1 species orthologues and can be recapitulated in the capsaicin receptor, TRPV1. Using a combination of ratiometric calcium imaging, immunostaining, surface biotinylation, pulldown assays, fluorescence size exclusion chromatography, and proximity biotinylation assays, we show that the R919* mutant co-assembles with WT subunits into heteromeric channels. Within these heteromers, we postulate that R919* TRPA1 subunits contribute to hyperactivation by lowering energetic barriers to channel activation contributed by the missing regions. Additionally, we show heteromer activation can originate from the R919* TRPA1 subunits, which suggests an unexpected role for the ankyrin repeat and coiled coil domains in concerted channel gating. Our results demonstrate the R919* TRPA1 mutant confers gain-of-function thereby expanding the physiological impact of nonsense mutations, reveals a novel and genetically tractable mechanism for selective channel sensitization that may be broadly applicable to other receptors, and uncovers new gating insights that may explain the molecular mechanism of temperature sensing by some TRPA1 orthologues.

Worker Saturation in Facing Changes in the Work Environment: The Physiological Impact of Online Jobs

This article discuss about worker saturation in facing changes in the work environment in the physiological impact of online jobs. During the Covid-19 epidemic, social segregation was implemented, and employees worked from home (WFH) via online platform. Some workers get saturation in facing the situation. A process that makes individuals feel ill, uneasy, or anxious as a result of their employment, workplace, or work circumstance. The capacity to adapt to and appreciate current circumstances transforms stress from distress to eustress. Effective stress management tactics include regular exercise, setting aside time for relaxation and self-care, balancing work and pleasure, and practicing time management and meditation

Intermittent fasting: eating by the clock for health and exercise performance

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an increasingly popular dietary practice, and its implementation is found throughout human civilisation in various cultural, spiritual and religious traditions. Emerging evidence has shown that the health benefits of IF stretch beyond calorie restriction and weight loss. These benefits include metabolic shifts in energy production, the optimisation of peripheral circadian clocks, and overall improvement in physiological markers of metabolic health. IF has been proposed to reduce systemic inflammation and have a role in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. For the athlete, IF protocols offer a potential new frontier for maintaining performance in the fasted state. They may allow athletes to optimise training adaptions, while respecting individual cultural, religious, and/or spiritual preferences to fast and exercise. Below, we discuss the physiological impact of fasted exercise while highlighting areas for future work to improve our understanding and implementation of the practice for the benefit of both the active general community and sporting populations.

Endurance Training in Humans Modulates the Bacterial DNA Signature of Skeletal Muscle

Accumulating evidence supports the existence of a tissue microbiota, which may regulate the physiological function of tissues in normal and pathological states. To gain insight into the regulation of tissue-borne bacteria in physiological conditions, we quantified and sequenced the 16S rRNA gene in aseptically collected skeletal muscle and blood samples from eight healthy male individuals subjected to six weeks of endurance training. Potential contamination bias was evaluated and the taxa profiles of each tissue were established. We detected bacterial DNA in skeletal muscle and blood, with background noise levels of detected bacterial DNA considerably lower in control versus tissue samples. In both muscle and blood, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most prominent phyla. Endurance training changed the content of resident bacterial DNA in skeletal muscle but not in blood, with Pseudomonas being less abundant, and both Staphylococcus and Acinetobacter being more abundant in muscle after exercise. Our results provide evidence that endurance training specifically remodels the bacterial DNA profile of skeletal muscle in healthy young men. Future investigations may shed light on the physiological impact, if any, of training-induced changes in bacterial DNA in skeletal muscle.

Potential of Asparagopsis armata as a Biopesticide for Weed Control under an Invasive Seaweed Circular-Economy Framework

Marine macroalgae have been increasingly targeted as a source of bioactive compounds to be used in several areas, such as biopesticides. When harvesting invasive species, such as Asparagopsis armata, for this purpose, there is a two-folded opportunity: acquiring these biomolecules from a low-cost resource and controlling its spreading and impacts. The secondary metabolites in this seaweed’s exudate have been shown to significantly impact the physiology of species in the ecosystems where it invades, indicating a possible biocidal potential. Considering this in the present work, an A. armata exudate cocktail was applied in the model weed Thellungiella halophila to evaluate its physiological impact and mode of action, addressing its potential use as a natural biocide. A. armata greatly affected the test plants’ physiology, namely, their photochemical energy transduction pathway (impairing light-harvesting and chemical energy production throughout the chloroplast electron transport chain), carotenoid metabolism and oxidative stress. These mechanisms of action are similar to the ones triggered when using the common chemical pesticides, highlighting the potential of the A. armata exudate cocktail as an eco-friendly biopesticide.

Psychologically and Physiologically Impact of COVID-19 on Students Who Studying in China and Stocked in Pakistan (A Cross-Sectional Study)

Background: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought destructive consequences on the global political, economical, social, financial, and healthcare structures [1]. The pandemic has risen up the level of anxiety, depressive thoughts and psychological stress among students who were studying in china, but now stocked in home country. Approximately 30,000 Pakistani students are being enrolled in M.Phil and PhD in China. The aim of this study is to identify the psychological and physiological impact of COVID-19 on these students.

The implementation and evaluation of the field of view in 3D PC game

This research developed a 3D third-person game, made open and closed scenes, through experiments to investigate the field of view suitable for different scenes. Playing 3D games can sometimes cause 3D discomfort or motion sickness. There are many people who have this kind of 3D discomfort. In the research on this issue, the authenticity of the game or the physiological impact of the observer was discussed in detail; however, the impact of the design of the game itself was less discussed. The field of view in the game scene is likely to cause motion sickness. This experimental method uses the adjustment method in psychophysics to test whether the player is comfortable with different scenes. According to the test of different scenarios, the average and standard deviation of the most comfortable visual field are obtained. The viewing angles of different scenes are significantly different, and the best viewing angle of a closed scene is larger than that of an open scene.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Functionalized 5-(4-arylpiperazin-1-yl)-N-Quinolinyl-pentanamides as Selective Dopamine D3 Receptor Ligands

Dopamine (1) plays a key role in normal physiological pathways in both the central nervous system and the periphery. The physiological impact of this neurotransmitter is mediated through its interaction with family of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptors are designated as D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5 and divided into two sub-families, the D1-like sub-family (D1 and D5) and D2-like sub-family (D2, D3 and D4) based on pharmacological properties, amino acid homology, and genetic organization. Aberrant D3 activity has been linked to multiple diseases and conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, substance use disorder, inflammatory diseases, and Parkinson’s disease (PD). As part of our on-going program focused on the identification of novel D3 ligands, we have identified a novel series of 5-(4-arylpiperazin-1-yl)-N-quinolinyl-pentanamides that are high affinity ligands for this receptor.