No description available.

This empirical double-blind multi-centre empirical study assessed the sources of stress, stress-related symptoms, role of psychosocial moderating variables and the role of micronutrients (specifically the effect of intervention with micronutrient supplementation) on stress levels and symptoms in South Africans. The sample consisted of 300 volunteer, English-speaking South Africans from two centres (KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng) who had predetermined stress levels. The participants were evenly divided between the two centres (N=150 each). The Experimental Group (Active group) who comprised 151 participants received a multivitamin and mineral combination, while the Control Group (Placebo) group received a placebo. The research dealt with perceived stressors, coping resources and outcomes in the general population (both at baseline and after intervention). Outcome was assessed using standardized self-report instruments which examined stress levels and symptoms, perception of stress levels, anxiety, psychological general well-being and neurocognitive functions (verbal and visual memory). Univariate and multivariate correlational analyses were performed to investigate correlations and the predictive value of risk and rescue factors for the outcome variables. The findings indicate that there were no significant differences in the number of stressors between the two groups at baseline, although they differed in respect of two particular stressors (A>P regarding concern over children's future; P>A regarding life decisions). An interaction of stressors and moderating variables (life orientation and perceived coping incapacity) have an important role in predicting stress and stress outcome, and outcomes themselves may function as stressors. The bidirectional, circular interactive effects of stressors, moderators and outcomes are important in the stress and coping process. The study failed to find any effect of stress on the neurocognitive functions assessed. No significant treatment effect for the micronutrient was found, but a number of trends in respect of efficacy were suggested by the findings. The findings also suggested particular patterns of interactions in this regard for predicting pre-post differences (delta). Strengths and limitations of the study are highlighted and implications for intervention in respect of a stress management programme are also discussed. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

The goal of this study was to access the possibility that a vigorous physical regimen is suppressive to the immune system and that conditioning to the exercise minimizes the immune suppression. The following groups of fifteen rats each were used: (i) control rats. (ii) rats exposed to one bout of swimming for two to three hours (exercise-stressed), and (iii) rats which were conditioned to the exercise by swimming two hours daily for two months (exercise-conditioned).FINDINGS1. Exercise-stressed rats were immune suppressed as compared to control rats. In contrast, exercise-conditioned rats were only slightly immune suppressed.2. The immune reactivity of spleen cells from exercise-stressed rats and from exercise-conditioned rats was restored by the addition of indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor.3. Exercise-stressed rat spleen cells were more sensitive to the immune suppressive effectsPGE than were the control or excercise-conditioned rat spleen cells.4. The nonadherent spleen cells from both exercise-stressed and exercise-conditioned rats were immune suppressive as compared to control rat nonadherent spleen cells. However, immune stimulatory activity was prominent in the nonadherent spleen cells from the excercise-conditioned rats. Immune stimulatory activity was negligible in the adherent spleen cell fractions from exercise-stressed rats.CONCLUSIONSThe results of this study showed that, extreme physical exercise was immune suppressive while conditioning to the exercise minimized the suppression.The immune suppression in the exercise-stressed rats resulted from an increased sensitivity to the immunosuppressive effects of PGE and from immune suppressor activity of nonadherent lymphoid cells. The minimal extent of immune suppression in the exercise-conditioned rats resulted from a reduced sensitivity to immune suppression by PGE and from immune stimulatory activity of adherent macrophages.

A field investigation was carried out with student nurses entering General Training in a School of Nursing. Autogenic Regulation Training (ART), sickness absence, personal problems, time and their emotional physical experience was evaluated. Measures used in the study included:The Sickness Absence Record (SAR)The Mooney Problem Checklist (MPC)The Crown-Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI)and The Personal Observations Inventory (POI)Data was collected at different time periods early in their nurse education. The study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of ART in providing a method of coping with individual stress. Analyses were made between and within an ART group of student nurses and a comparison group who did not receive training in ART. Consideration was also given to individual differences of student nurses in each group.Particular attention was paid to the hypotheses that 1) ART is associated with reduced sickness absence in student nurses when analysed against a comparison group' of student nurses not trained in ART; and 2) ART is associated with reduced stress in student nurses when compared with student nurses not trained in ART. 'It is generally concluded that student nurses trained in ART may reduce their level of sickness absence and can alleviate stress for some student nurses. However, examination of individual student nurse reports of ART and its usefulness and practice within these group data, suggest more complex interpretations of the study. Despite the study limitations, implications for methods of stress control for nurses, curriculum development and cost-effective savings for nursing administrations are suggested, and possibilities for the development of comprehensive counselling services for nurses are raised. These issues it is suggested, should be examined within a broader programme of research into coping with stress amongst nurses.

Introduction: Obesity, and in particular central fat accumulation, is associated with a number of metabolic disturbances such as dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance. Such `clustering' of factors is known as the Insulin ResistanceS yndrome( IRS). More recently, hypofibrinolysisa s a resulto f elevated concentrations of PAI-1 at rest has been included in the IRS. Acute exercise in normal weight individuals results in an increase in fibrinolytic capacity due to a rise in t-PA and a reduction in PAI-1 concentrations. The primary aim of the following studies therefore was to determine the effect of acute exercise and exercise training on fibrinolytic markers in obese populations. The secondary aim of this work was to examine the relationships between PAI-1 concentrations and other markers of the IRS to determine a potential role for these factors in the short-term regulation of plasma PAI-1 concentrations. Methods: Premenopausal female and male overweight and obese volunteers underwent acute bouts of exercise at intensities ranging from 50% to 100% V02 max A group of obese premenopausal omen also underwent a graded maximal exerciset est to exhaustionb efore and after 12 weeks of exercise training at 50% or 70% VO2 max. Venous blood samples were taken at rest, immediately post exercise and up to 2 hours post exercise. Samples were analysed for fibrinolytic factors (t-PA, total PAI-1 & active PAI-1), markers of endothelial damage (vWF) as well as other components of the IRS including lipid profiles, insulin and leptin. Results: Plasma t-PA concentrations rose with acute exercise at intensities greater than 50% V02 max in all study populations with the exception of obese sedentary males. In all cases t-PA returned to baseline levels 30 minutes post exercise. None of the protocols administered were sufficient to lower total PAI-1 concentrations immediately post exercise but exercise at an intensity of 70% V02 max and a duration of greater than 30 minutes resulted in elevated PAI-1 concentrations 30 minutes post exercise in the overweight and obese populations. Active PAI-1 concentrations decreased with exercise either immediately or within 30 minutes post exercise at an intensity of 70% V02 max and durations greater than 30 minutes. Exercise training at both 50% and 70% V02 max increased the t-PA response to maximal exercise but only exercise training at 70% V02 max resulted in greater decrease in active PAI-1 with exercise. No factors were consistently associated with PAI-1 throughout the studies although anthropometric measures and blood pressure were regularly associated with PAI-1 at rest. Conclusions: Overall, exercise at an intensity of 70% V02 max for duration of at least 30 minutes in obese populations results in an increased fibrinolytic capacity as shown by elevated t- PA concentrations and decreased active PAI-1 concentrations. It is important to remember however that obese populations still remain hypofibrinolytic with respect to non-obese populations at rest, during exercise and in the recovery period.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-163) / Microfiche. / xi, 163 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

This thesis is concerned with cellular responses to stress including the adaptive response to H2O2, and the cellular roles of sumoylation in stress responses. 286 H2O2-sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants were screened and YAP1, SKN7, GAL11, RPE1, TKL1, IDP1 were identified to be important for adaptation to H2O2. The mutants fell into two groups based on their responses to acute and chronic doses of H2O2. Transcription factors Yap1p, Skn7p and Gal11p were important for both acute and chronic responses to H2O2. Yap1p and Skn7p were needed for up-regulation of anti-oxidant functions rather than generation of NADPH or glutathione. Adaptation was reduced in strains deleted for GPX3 and YBP1, which are involved in sensing H2O2 and activating Yap1p, but to a lesser extent than YAP1 deletion. RPE1, TKL1 and IDP1 deletants affected in NADPH production were chronically sensitive to H2O2, but resistant to an acute dose and other mutants affected in NADPH generation were also affected in adaptation. These mutants overproduced reduced glutathione (GSH) but maintained normal cellular redox homeostasis. Over-production of GSH was not regulated by transcription of the gene encoding -glutamylcysteine-synthetase. The Skn7p transcription factor is therefore important for the adaptive response to oxidative stress-induced by H2O2, and NADPH generation is also required for adaptation. The roles of sumoylation in stress responses and transcriptional regulation were examined by deleting the SUMO ligases Siz1p and Siz2p. Siz1p is required for tolerance to copper ions and DNA damage repair. Siz2p is involved in repression of stress responses, particularly oxidative stress and is required for activation of nucleotide and RNA metabolism, DNA processing and cell division. Both Siz1p and Siz2p act in parallel in the repressing heat-shock responses and in reducing chronological life span. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis showed that Siz1p and Siz2p repress the mitochondrial retrograde pathway and arginine biosynthesis, while activating some carbon and nitrogen metabolism genes. Sumoylation of proteins in the wild type was induced by nitrogen starvation or mitochondrial inhibition during the initial treatment. However, nitrogen starvation led to some protein degradation, while the SUMO-conjugated proteins were recycled in cells with disrupted mitochondrial functions.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2004. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Health Sciences. Bibliography: leaves 351-376.

Thesis (Ph.D.). / Written for the Desautels Faculty of Management. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/05/09). Includes bibliographical references.