Influence of Pulsed Electric Fields on Photosynthesis in Light/Dark-Acclimated Lettuce

Recent years have seen numerous studies into how applying pulsed high electric fields (PEF) to living organisms induces various stress reactions. Plants produce glucose through photosynthesis and use this as a source of energy for living, yet there are few studies on the photosynthetic response characteristics when PEF is applied to growing plants. In this study, the photosynthetic response when electric fields of 10 to 100 V/mm were applied to light and dark-acclimated leaves of lettuce was measured by combined gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, and the exposure time was kept constant at 500 s. The responses to PEF with regard to the photosynthetic parameters of electron transfer rate (ETR), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), photosynthetic rate (A), and transpiration rate (E) were recorded during the experiment. Results showed that PEF can cause both the activation and deactivation of photosynthetic activity in lettuce, that there is an optimum value for activation, and that the application of excessive energy leads to inactivation. This study also found that stomata on both active and deactivated lettuce had been open to a greater extent than lettuce to which PEF had not been applied. All the results of statistical significance in this study were p < 0.05 and p < 0.01.

Meaningfulness Buffers and Crisis of Meaning Mediates The Longitudinal Effect of Covid-19 Stress On General Mental Distress

Background: Reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic are diverse. People who experience the situation as stressful (COVID-19 stress) appear vulnerable to developing general mental distress. Moreover, existential crises can arise. The identification of buffering factors and their effect over time is therefore highly relevant. The current study examined longitudinal protective effects of meaningfulness and self-control and negative effects of crisis of meaning on general mental distress. Methods: N=431 participants from Germany and Austria (mean age: 42 years) completed an online survey in both April/May (T1) and July/August 2020 (T2). We examined (i) whether two personal resources, meaningfulness, and self-control, measured at T1, moderated the longitudinal effect of COVID-19 stress (T1) on general mental distress (T2), and (ii) whether crisis of meaning (T1) mediated the latter effect. Results: Meaningfulness and self-control predicted lower symptoms of anxiety and depression over time, and crisis of meaning predicted higher symptoms. Meaningfulness but not self-control buffered the longitudinal effect of COVID-19 stress on general mental distress. COVID-19 stress was associated with crisis of meaning which, in further consequence, predicted general mental distress three months later. Conclusions: Meaningfulness and self-control appear to have generally protective effects on psychological distress. Moreover, meaningfulness seems to be particularly protective when people feel burdened by the situation. Strengthening this resource is thus especially appropriate for vulnerable populations. Measures that support meaningfulness will also prevent the emergence of crises of meaning, which can be triggered by acute stress reactions and appear to affect mental health in the longer term.

The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R): A Patient-Reported Outcome Measure in Parkinson’s Disease

Objective: This is the first study applying Clinimetric Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (CLIPROM) criteria to evaluate the construct validity, sensitivity, and clinical utility of the SCL-90-R in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: A Rasch analysis was conducted using a sample of 488 PD outpatients. Results: Testing for dimensionality revealed that less than 5% of t-tests were significant, indicating that the SCL-90-R subscales entailed the property of construct validity. As to the total score, a Person Separation Reliability Index of .96 was found. Conclusions: The SCL-90-R total score is a sensitive screening measure that can be used not only to differentiate healthy stress reactions from symptoms of psychological distress but also to detect PD patients with an increased risk for psychiatric complications. As to the subscales, the brief versions that did not include misfitting items should be used to assess the severity of specific symptoms of psychological distress affecting PD patients.

Development of Inflammation in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Rats after Prolonged Administration of Alcohol

The purpose of the work was to experimentally study the chronic alcohol intoxication on the indicators of inflammation and lipid peroxidation in the gastrointestinal system. Materials and methods. Ethyl alcohol was added to the water for 2-month-old male rats, ranging from 5% to 15% for 108 days. In homogenates of mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, the activity of elastase enzymes, acid phosphatase and the concentration of malonic dialdehyde were determined, in serum – elastase activity and malonic dialdehyde content. Results and discussion. Biochemical research of one of the markers of inflammation (elastase activity) in rats found a probable increase of elastase activity in different parts of the digestive tract after prolonged alcohol consumption, regardless of the sex of the animals. Thus, in the serum of rats after the introduction of ethanol, the activity of elastase increased by 71.7%, in the oral mucosa – by 29.2%, in the gastric mucosa – by 55.5%, in the liver – by 29.0%. In the small and large intestine, the level of this marker of inflammation has changed slightly. The level of elastase activity shows the degree of accumulation of leukocytes in the tissues as a result of the development of the inflammatory process. Acid phosphatase activity in the oral mucosa of rats treated with ethanol increased by 47.4%, in the gastric mucosa – by 30.3%, in the mucous membrane of the small intestine – by 37.4%, in the mucous membrane of the colon – by 40.4%, in the liver – by 112.6%. Activation of acid phosphatase, along with other lysosomal enzymes, is the primary inflammatory response that triggers the production of mediators, which in turn cause secondary tissue alteration in subsequent stages of the inflammatory process. Therefore, the results obtained on the activation of acid phosphatase along with elastase indicate the presence of inflammation in the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, and especially in the liver of rats chronically treated with ethanol. The introduction of alcohol also led to an increase in the concentration of malonic dialdehyde in the mucous membranes: the oral cavity – by 20.3%, the stomach – by 32.3%, the small intestine – by 96.6%, the colon – by 50.2%, in the liver – by 39.4%, in serum – by 33.3%. A significant increase in the level of malonic dialdehyde in the tissues of the digestive tract of rats after long-term intake of ethanol is a sign of activation of lipid peroxidation and intensification of oxidative stress reactions. Conclusion. The results of the study of elastase activity indicate the development of inflammation in the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and serum of rats under the influence of chronic administration of ethanol. Increased acid phosphatase activity in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract after prolonged use of ethanol indicates damage to cell membranes, which is a consequence of inflammation. A significant increase in the level of malonic dialdehyde in the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and serum of rats after chronic ethanol intake is a sign of intensification of oxidative stress reactions

Elicitation of Medicinal Plants In Vivo—Is It a Realistic Tool? The Effect of Methyl Jasmonate and Salicylic Acid on Lamiaceae Species

Salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJa) are prominent phytohormones that are involved in stress reactions. Both compounds may influence the biosynthesis of secondary compounds; however, scientific experiments in vivo are rare and contradictive. This paper reports on a study on the elicitation of volatiles and total phenolics (TPC) by MeJa and SA. The subjects were four Lamiaceae species studied in open field conditions in Budapest (Hungary). According to the results, both elicitors provoked specific responses in each plant species depending on the dosage applied and the parameter studied; 2 mM of SA stimulated essential oil (EO) accumulation in marjoram and peppermint, while in hyssop 0.1 mM was optimal. MeJa proved to be effective only in marjoram and in basil. In marjoram, cis-sabinene hydrate was decreased and in hyssop, isopinocamphone was increased by both dosages of SA. In peppermint, pulegone content was reduced by 2 mM SA, but no significant change of the major components of basil EO was detected. SA was successful in increasing TPC and antioxidant activity (AC) in three of the experimental species, but not in hyssop. In marjoram, only 0.1 mM induced TPC and eventually AC, while in peppermint and basil both dosages of SA were effective. Optimalisation of the treatments is suggested in further in vivo experiments.

Human rDNA and Cancer

In human cells, each rDNA unit consists of the ~13 kb long ribosomal part and ~30 kb long intergenic spacer (IGS). The ribosomal part, transcribed by RNA polymerase I (pol I), includes genes coding for 18S, 5.8S, and 28S RNAs of the ribosomal particles, as well as their four transcribed spacers. Being highly repetitive, intensively transcribed, and abundantly methylated, rDNA is a very fragile site of the genome, with high risk of instability leading to cancer. Multiple small mutations, considerable expansion or contraction of the rDNA locus, and abnormally enhanced pol I transcription are usual symptoms of transformation. Recently it was found that both IGS and the ribosomal part of the locus contain many functional/potentially functional regions producing non-coding RNAs, which participate in the pol I activity regulation, stress reactions, and development of the malignant phenotype. Thus, there are solid reasons to believe that rDNA locus plays crucial role in carcinogenesis. In this review we discuss the data concerning the human rDNA and its closely associated factors as both targets and drivers of the pathways essential for carcinogenesis. We also examine whether variability in the structure of the locus may be blamed for the malignant transformation. Additionally, we consider the prospects of therapy focused on the activity of rDNA.

Addressing Acute Stress among Professionals Caring for COVID-19 Patients: Lessons Learned during the First Outbreak in Spain (March–April 2020)

Objectives: To describe lessons learned during the first COVID-19 outbreak in developing urgent interventions to strengthen healthcare workers’ capacity to cope with acute stress caused by health care pressure, concern about becoming infected, despair of witnessing patients’ suffering, and critical decision-making requirements of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic during the first outbreak in Spain. Methods: A task force integrated by healthcare professionals and academics was activated following the first observations of acute stress reactions starting to compromise the professionals’ capacity for caring COVID-19 patients. Literature review and qualitative approach (consensus techniques) were applied. The target population included health professionals in primary care, hospitals, emergencies, and nursing homes. Interventions designed for addressing acute stress were agreed and disseminated. Findings: There are similarities in stressors to previous outbreaks, and the solutions devised then may work now. A set of issues, interventions to cope with, and their levels of evidence were defined. Issues and interventions were classified as: adequate communication initiative to strengthen work morale (avoiding information blackouts, uniformity of criteria, access to updated information, mentoring new professionals); resilience and recovery from physical and mental fatigue (briefings, protecting the family, regulated recovery time during the day, psychological first aid, humanizing care); reinforce leadership of intermediate commands (informative leadership, transparency, realism, and positive messages, the current state of emergency has not allowed for an empirical analysis of the effectiveness of proposed interventions. Sharing information to gauge expectations, listening to what professionals need, feeling protected from threats, organizational flexibility, encouraging teamwork, and leadership that promotes psychological safety have led to more positive responses. Attention to the needs of individuals must be combined with caring for the teams responsible for patient care. Conclusions: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has a more devastating effect than other recent outbreaks, there are common stressors and lessons learned in all of them that we must draw on to increase our capacity to respond to future healthcare crises.

Vision of the role of long-term social stress in the formation of "diseases of civilization". mechanisms of adaptation to stressor situations and factors of its failure

Today, the issue of studying the mechanisms of the impact of social stress on public health and its role in the formation of key human diseases is relevant and necessary. A large number of works, both clinical observations and experimental studies, are devoted to this problem. However, despite the high interest in this problem, there are still "white spots". Therefore, the purpose of our study was to analyze modern sources of information that highlight current issues of long-term social stress and its role in the formation of "diseases of civilization." Matherials and methods: analysis of scientific publications from the following databases: Google Scholar, Web of Science, Pub Med, by keywords: rats, social stress, diseases of civilization, neuroendocrine regulation, hypothalamus, supraoptic nucleus, paravetricular nucleus. Conclusions: Thus, the analysis of resources shows the undoubted role of stress in the formation of human diseases. Many articles are devoted to the description and analysis of the negative effects of environmental factors and peculiarities of living conditions on human health. Most researchers agree on the key role of the hypothalamus in regulating the body's stress response and the presence of morphofunctional changes associated with stress. It is important to note that scientists have paid much attention to the study of individual models of stress, namely pain, immobilization and hypoxic over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, there are few facts concerning the analysis of the influence of long-term negative social factors that do not cause stereotyped reactions, but form latent changes that are inherent in classical stress reactions.