First eddy covariance flux measurements of semi-volatile organic compounds with the PTR3-TOF-MS

We present first eddy covariance flux measurements with the PTR3-TOF-MS, a novel proton transfer time of flight reaction mass spectrometer. During 3 weeks in spring 2016, the instrument recorded 10 Hz data of biogenic volatile organic compounds above a boreal forest, on top of a measurement tower at the SMEAR (Station for Measuring Ecosystem –Atmosphere Relations) II station in Hyytiälä, Finland. Flux and concentration data of isoprene, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes were compared to the literature. Due to the improved instrument sensitivity and a customized wall-less inlet design, we could detect fluxes of semi-volatile and low-volatility organic compounds with less than single-digit picomol per square meter per second (pmolm-2s-1) values for the first time. These compounds include sesquiterpene oxidation products and diterpenes. Daytime diterpene fluxes were in the range of 0.05 to 0.15 pmolm-2s-1, which amounts to about 0.25 % to 0.5 % of the daytime sesquiterpene flux above canopy.

Mast Cells, Stress, Fear and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by impaired communication and obsessive behavior that affects 1 in 59 children. ASD is expected to affect 1 in about 40 children by 2020, but there is still no distinct pathogenesis or effective treatments. Prenatal stress has been associated with higher risk of developing ASD in the offspring. Moreover, children with ASD cannot handle anxiety and respond disproportionately even to otherwise benign triggers. Stress and environmental stimuli trigger the unique immune cells, mast cells, which could then trigger microglia leading to abnormal synaptic pruning and dysfunctional neuronal connectivity. This process could alter the “fear threshold” in the amygdala and lead to an exaggerated “fight-or-flight” reaction. The combination of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), secreted under stress, together with environmental stimuli could be major contributors to the pathogenesis of ASD. Recognizing these associations and preventing stimulation of mast cells and/or microglia could greatly benefit ASD patients.

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fear Response, and Environmental Exposures

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by impaired social interactions and communication, as well as by stereotypic movements, that affects 1 in 59 children. ASD is expected to reach 1 in about 40 children by 2020, yet it remains without distinct pathogenesis and effective treatment. Children with ASD respond with high anxiety to almost any unknown stimulus and appear to misread danger/threat signals, and may not experience anxiety in situations where normotypic children do. The authors propose that environmental stimuli stimulate the unique immune cells, known as mast cells (MC), which then trigger microglia, leading to dysfunctional neuronal connectivity in the amygdala. This process lowers or disrupts the “fear response” and leads to an exaggerated “fight-or-flight” reaction. corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) could have a synergistic effect with environmental stimuli, especially mycotoxins. Recognizing this association and preventing stimulation of mast cells/microglia could lead to effective treatment of ASD.

A REVIEW ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT APPROACHES TO STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the "stress response. The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. It’s what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. Keywords- Stress, psychology of stress, HPA axis, ACTH

Stress Management For Good Physical And Mental Health

Stress can have a negative impact on just about every part of your body. It can suppress your immune system, cause a heart attack, or stroke, increase your risk of cancer, delay wound healing, promote inflammation, cause you to gain weight, impair your memory, cause depression, exacerbate diabetes and worsen your sexual function. Stress also makes you age faster….Dean Ornish MD : The Spectrum Stress is a physical or emotional reaction / response to any kind of change which may be external, internal or both. External pressure for example can be due to job stress, competition, challenges or frequently changing government policies etc. Internal pressure is mainly due to negative thoughts, fear, and anxiety. There is a individual variation in stress response. Many people have inner strength or resilience to manage day to day stress and cumulative stress well. People who have learned to manage stress also minimize the effect of stress. Those who do not have good inner strength and who have not learned the management of stress suffer a lot because of stress.Whenever there is stress, brain tells the body to release some chemicals so that the body is ready for the fight or flight reaction to deal with immediate danger.

Alcohol and aggression

About half of all murders are committed in Western industrialized countries by subjects under the influence of alcohol. Chronic alcohol use also increases the rate of violent attacks. These findings appear to be due to an interaction between acute and chronic environmental effects (acute alcohol consumption and chronic social isolation stress) on the one hand and limbic processing of aversive stimuli modulated by neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine and serotonin on the other. Animal experiments showed that early social isolation stress can induce serotonin dysfunction and appears to predispose individuals towards increased threat perception. Studies in humans revealed that depending on serotonergic neurotransmission and serotonin transporter genotype, some individuals are prone to show elevated functional activation elicited by aversive and threatening cues. Previous experience with alcohol-related aggression seems to further predispose an individual towards a “fight vs. flight” reaction when confronted with perceived threat during alcohol intake. Together, these findings point to complex gene-environment interactions and a specific role of social isolation stress in the development of alcohol-related aggression.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Effects of Short or Long-Term Exposure of Dithiopyr on Certaine Blood, Growth and Tissue Biochemical Parameters in Catfish (Clarias garipinus)

In the current study the effects of acute or chronic exposure of dithiopyr herbicide (weed controllers) in Catfish (Clarias garipinus) was studied. LC50 was determined, and recorded as 460 μgl-1. Acute and chronic effects on certain blood, growth and tissue biochemical parameters were studied as a function of exposure time. Exposure of Clarias garipinus to acute or chronic toxicity of the herbicide resulted in significant increase in glucose, total cholesterol, creatinine, uric acid and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the herbicide-treated group, while aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) showed a fluctuating activities in both exposures. In contrast, there was significantly (P<0.01) lower values for liver and muscle glycogen in acute toxicity as compared with the control group. Also, in herbicide exposed fish a significant reduction in growth parameters was recorded. These alterations could be attributed to the changes in the metabolic pathways of the studied fish that meight be takes place as a secondary response in the fish to provide energy for the "fight-or-flight" reaction and to compensate the high energy demand. This study implies the importance of previous knowledge about the susceptibility of cultured fish species before using herbicides.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 314-321 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12686

Detection of Driver's Fight or Flight Reaction by Spatio-Temporal Spectrum Differential Analysis ofFacial Skin Thermogram

Before a person has a car accident, he may have several “close calls.” These “close calls” may cause a person to experience tension and fear. People experience the “fight or flight reaction” (FFR) under such circumstances, as it is known that people exhibit the FFR when they feel anxiety, strain, or threat. If the manifestation of the FFR in a driver can be determined using a biological measurement, it would be an extremely effective indicator that might help in the prevention of car accidents. In this research, we conducted FFR-arousing experiments using a driving simulator, and the STSDA method was used to detect spatio-temporal changes in the skin temperature on facial skin thermograms accompanying the occurrence of the FFR.