Oats as a Functional Food

Oat (Avena sativa) belongs to the grass (Poaceae) family. It has been recognized as a healthful and nutritious cereal containing high concentration of soluble fiber compounds such as β-glucan, which are beneficial for digestive system and preventive against colon rectal cancer help to maintain an optimal weight due to high fiber content. It also contains antioxidants, vitamins, phenolic acids sterols and phytic acid which has essential role in our body functioning. The key cholesterol lowering ingredient in oats is soluble fiber. β-glucans, the most important cereal non-starch. β-glucan, is abundant in oat kernels and exhibits a high viscosity at relatively low concentrations. Viscosity is an important rheological property of β-glucan and is associated with beneficial physiologic responses that mediate appetite regulation. Oats were traditionally eaten as porridge with salt or sugar were added recent modern product innovation has created an array of oat products (Oat breads, oat cakes and oats milk etc.). Oats are used as an additive in Cereal breakfast, baked goods, oat milk and oat powder is incorporated in many Dairy products like (low-fat ice creams, yoghurts, cheese and other fermented drinks). It is stated that 3 g/day oat β-glucan reduced the total and LDL cholesterol by five to ten per cent.

LPS induces rapid increase in GDF15 levels in mice, rats and humans but is not required for anorexia in mice

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a TGFβ superfamily cytokine, acts through its receptor, GDNF-family receptor α-like (GFRAL), to suppress food intake and promote nausea. GDF15 is broadly expressed at low levels but increases in states of disease such as cancer, cachexia, and sepsis. Whether GDF15 is necessary for inducing sepsis associated anorexia and body weight loss is currently unclear. To test this we used a model of moderate systemic infection in GDF15KO and GFRALKO mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment to define the role of GDF15 signaling in infection-mediated physiologic responses. Since physiologic responses to LPS depend on housing temperature, we tested the effects of subthermoneutral and thermoneutral conditions on eliciting anorexia and inducing GDF15. Our data demonstrate a conserved LPS-mediated increase in circulating GDF15 levels in mouse, rat and human. However, we did not detect differences in LPS induced anorexia between WT and GDF15KO or GFRALKO mice. Further, there were no differences in anorexia or circulating GDF15 levels at either thermoneutral or subthermoneutral housing conditions in LPS treated mice. These data demonstrate that GDF15 is not necessary to drive food intake suppression in response to moderate doses of LPS.

Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care plus Touch Therapy versus Kangaroo Mother Care Alone on the Low-Birth-Weight Infant’s Growth and Physiologic Responses: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) has facilitated infant growth and decreased morbidities and hospital stay. Adding touch therapy (TT) may potentiate the KMC benefits. Objective. To compare the effectiveness of KMC+TT versus KMC alone in improving anthropometric and physiologic parameters and decreasing morbidities and hospital stay in low birth weight (LBW) infants. Methods. Stable LBW infants (<2000 g) admitted in the KMC ward were randomized to either intervention (KMC+TT) or control (KMC only) group. The KMC+TT group underwent thrice daily touch therapy sessions until discharge. Results. A total of 50 infants were included in the study. Baseline characteristics between the two groups were comparable. There was a significant increase in weight gain (grams/kg/day) in the KMC+TT group compared to KMC only. Physiologic parameters like heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature were significantly better in the KMC+TT group. More infants in the KMC only group were transferred to NICU care, while more KMC+TT infants went home against advice. Hospital stay was similar between the two groups. Conclusion. Touch therapy added to KMC is more effective than KMC alone in improving weight gain and physiologic parameters. It is associated with lower morbidities, although it did not affect the hospital stay.

Post-exercise urinary alpha-1 acid glycoprotein is not dependent on hypoxia

Introduction: Proteinuria is a transient physiologic phenomenon that occurs with a range of physical activities and during ascent to altitude. Exercise intensity appears to dictate the magnitude of post-exercise proteinuria; however, evidence also indicates possible contributions from exercise-induced hypoxemia or reoxygenation. Utilizing an environmental hypoxic chamber, this crossover designed study aimed to evaluate urinary alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (α1-AGP) excretion pre/post exercise performed in hypoxia and normoxia. Methods: Sixteen individuals underwent experimental sessions in normoxia (NOR, 20.9% O2) and hypoxia (HYP, 12.0% O2). Sessions began with a 2-hour priming period before completing a graded maximal exercise test (GXT) on a cycle ergometer, which was followed by continuation of exposure for an additional 2 hours. Physiologic responses (i.e., blood pressure, heart rate, and peripheral oxygenation), Lake Louise Scores, and urine specimens (analyzed for albumin and α1-AGP) were collected pre- and post-exercise (after 30, 60, and 120 minutes). Results: Peak power output was significantly reduced in HYP (193 ± 45 W) compared to NOR (249 ± 59 W, p < 0.01). Post-exercise urinary α1-AGP was greater in NOR (20.04 ± 14.84 μg•min-1) compared to HYP (15.08 ± 13.46 μg•min-1), albeit the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). Changes in urinary α1-AGP from pre- to post-30 minutes were not related to physiologic responses or performance outcomes observed during GXT in NOR or HYP. Conclusion: Despite profound systemic hypoxemia with maximal exercise in hypoxia, post-exercise α1-AGP excretion was not elevated above levels observed following normoxic exercise.

Clinical Implications for Exercise at Altitude Among Individuals With Cardiovascular Disease

An increasing number of individuals travel to mountainous environments for work and pleasure. However, oxygen availability declines at altitude, and hypoxic environments place unique stressors on the cardiovascular system. These stressors may be exacerbated by exercise at altitude, because exercise increases oxygen demand in an environment that is already relatively oxygen deplete compared with sea‐level conditions. Furthermore, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, as well as diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, and lung disease, is high among individuals living in the United States. As such, patients who are at risk of or who have established cardiovascular disease may be at an increased risk of adverse events when sojourning to these mountainous locations. However, these risks may be minimized by appropriate pretravel assessments and planning through shared decision‐making between patients and their managing clinicians. This American Heart Association scientific statement provides a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the physiologic responses to exercise in hypoxic locations, as well as important considerations for minimizing the risk of adverse cardiovascular events during mountainous excursions.

Interaction effects of response inhibition and affectivity in tobacco craving

Introduction: Models of nicotine dependence indicate the influence of impulsivity and affectivity in smoking behaviors. However, it is necessary that studies with higher ecological validity are carried out in order to elucidate how impulsivity and affectivity articulate to provoke tobacco craving. Objective: To evaluate the interaction effects of response inhibition and affectivity in tobacco craving. Method: The study was carried out with 90 smokers, who were divided into two groups, according to their performance on a parametric Go/No-Go task (higher and lower level of response inhibition). Cue-elicited craving was measured by physiologic responses and self-report, before and after a pleasant or unpleasant affectivity manipulation. Results: Moderation analysis suggests that response inhibition and unpleasant affect have combined effects in self-report and skin conductance related to tobacco craving. Response inhibition levels seem to increase tobacco craving, but they are independent of pleasant affect. Discussion and conclusions: Affectivity is a fundamental factor in comprehending the relationship between response inhibition and craving for tobacco. The unpleasant affect is one of the triggers for the desire to smoke, especially for those more impulsive individuals, which have an exaggerated perception of tobacco effect in alleviating unpleasant experiences. It is essential to train techniques to control negative affect stimuli, especially in those individuals with less capacity to inhibit responses.

A large-scale study of stress, emotions, and blood pressure in daily life using a digital platform

Stress is often associated with pathophysiologic responses, like blood pressure (BP) reactivity, which when experienced repeatedly may be one pathway through which stress leads to poor physical health. Previous laboratory and field studies linking stress to physiological measures are limited by small samples, narrow demographics, and artificial stress manipulations, whereas large-scale studies often do not capture measures like BP reactivity in daily life. We examined perceived stress, emotions, heart rate, and BP during daily life using a 3-wk app-based study. We confirmed the validity of a smartphone-based optic sensor to measure BP and then analyzed data from more than 330,000 daily responses from over 20,000 people. Stress was conceptualized as the ratio of situational demands relative to individual resources to cope. We found that greater demands were associated with higher BP reactivity, but critically, the ratio of demands relative to resources improved prediction of BP changes. When demands were higher and resources were lower, there was higher BP reactivity. Additionally, older adults showed greater concordance between self-reported stress and physiologic responses than younger adults. We also observed that physiologic reactivity was associated with current emotional state, and both valence and arousal mattered. For example, BP increased with high-arousal negative emotions (e.g., anger) and decreased with low-arousal positive emotions (e.g., contentment). Taken together, this work underscores the potential for expanding stress science and public health data using handheld phones to reliably and validly measure physiologic responses linked to stress, emotion, and physical health.

Associations between Physiological Biomarkers and Psychosocial Measures of Pregnancy-Specific Anxiety and Depression with Support Intervention

Stress and anxiety significantly impact the hypothalamic–pituitary axis, and in pregnancy, the subsequent maternal–fetal response can lead to poor outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the association between psychosocial measures of pregnancy-specific anxiety and physiologic inflammatory responses. Specifically, to determine the effectiveness of the Mentors Offering Maternal Support (M-O-M-STM) program to reduce psychosocial anxiety and associated inflammatory response. In conjunction with measures of pregnancy-specific anxiety and depression, serum biomarkers (IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL1-B, TNF-α, CRH, CRP, and cortisol) were analyzed for each trimester throughout pregnancy. Results demonstrated that women receiving the M-O-M-STM intervention had longitudinally sustained lower TNF-α/IL-10 ratios than the control group, and it was significantly associated with psychosocial measures of anxiety, specifically for fears of labor and spouse/partner relationships. Additionally, the anxiety of spouse/partner relationships was significantly associated with IL-6/IL-10 ratios. The findings highlight the important counter-regulatory relationship between anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines and provide insight into the distinct physiologic responses to pregnancy-specific anxiety with early prenatal intervention.

Anemia: Perioperative Risk and Treatment Opportunity

Anemia is associated adverse outcomes in perioperative patients. Understanding the adaptive cellular and physiologic responses may help define the associated mechanisms and support utilization of effective patient blood management treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes. Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.