The southern Appalachian Mountains have among the highest salamander diversity in the world, largely due to local speciation in the family Plethodontidae. Plethodontid salamanders (i.e., lungless salamanders) are particularly sensitive to habitat climate conditions due to their reliance on cutaneous respiration, and their immediate environmental conditions (microhabitat) likely influence their dispersion and activity more than the large-scale atmospheric conditions. The Northern Gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus) is restricted to high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between P. montanus and its microhabitat by examining behavioral preference for climatic conditions, characterizing the microclimate with small-scale models, and testing for differences in stress hormones at different elevations. We found that behavioral preference is most restricted by relative humidity, microclimate models predicted far less prevalence at lower elevations than typical coarse-scale models, and stress hormones were elevated at a low elevation plot compared to a high elevation plot.

Stress hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline, have been shown to be critical for heart development. Mice lacking dopamine greek lower case letter beta]-hydroxylase (Dbh), an enzyme responsible for synthesis of these adrenergic hormones, die during mid-gestation due to cardiac failure. Prior research showed that adrenergic cells are found within the electrical conduction system of the heart, and adrenergic deficiency leads to slowed cardiac conduction during embryogenesis. Microarray analysis of wild-type (Dbh+/+) and knockout (Dbh-/-) mouse hearts revealed significant differences in expression of retinoic acid (RA) signaling genes. RA signaling has also been shown to be critical for heart development. These data suggest that heart failure due to adrenergic deficiency may be dependent upon RA signaling. This led to the hypothesis that adrenergic hormones promote the development of the electrical conduction system through modulation of RA signaling. To test this, embryonic mouse hearts were cultured with LE 135, a RA receptor blocker. Heart rate, arrhythmic index (AI) and conduction time were measured. Under these conditions there was a marked increase in arrhythmias. Hearts treated with LE 135 showed a mean AI of 0.232±0.057 after 24 hours of treatment while when untreated had an AI of 0.083±0.028 (p<0.05;n=15). In contrast, there was no significant change in heart rate or conduction speed after 24 hours with or without the retinoic acid receptor blocker. To determine if adrenergic stimulus influences retinoic acid response, an established RA-sensitive reporter cell line was employed. These F9-RARE-LacZ cells were treated with forskolin (cAMP regulator) and isoproterenol (greek lower case letter beta]-agonist) to measure changes in RA signaling. Evaluation of RA signaling showed an increase in retinoic acid responsiveness when treated with an adrenergic signaling agonist.; These results suggest that proper retinoic acid signaling is essential for maintaining cardiac rhythmicity during embryonic development and adrenergic stimulation can influence this response.

abstract: This dissertation critically evaluated methodologies and devices for assessing and protecting the health of human populations, with particular emphasis on groundwater remediation and the use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to inform population health. A meta-analysis and assessment of laboratory-scale treatability studies for removing chlorinated solvents from groundwater found that sediment microcosms operated as continuous-flow columns are preferable to batch bottles when seeking to emulate with high fidelity the complex conditions prevailing in the subsurface in contaminated aquifers (Chapter 2). Compared to monitoring at the field-scale, use of column microcosms also showed (i) improved chemical speciation, and (ii) qualitative predictability of field parameters (Chapter 3). Monitoring of glucocorticoid hormones in wastewater of a university campus showed (i) elevated stress levels particularly at the start of the semester, (ii) on weekdays relative to weekend days (p = 0.05) (161 ± 42 μg d-1 per person, 122 ± 54 μg d-1 per person; p ≤ 0.05), and (iii) a positive association between levels of stress hormones and nicotine (rs: 0.49) and caffeine (0.63) consumption in this student population (Chapter 4). Also, (i) alcohol consumption determined by WBE was in line with literature estimates for this young sub-population (11.3 ± 7.5 g d-1 per person vs. 10.1 ± 0.8 g d-1 per person), whereas caffeine and nicotine uses were below (114 ± 49 g d-1 per person, 178 ± 19 g d-1 per person; 627 ± 219 g d-1 per person, 927 ± 243 g d-1 per person). The introduction of a novel continuous in situ sampler to WBE brought noted benefits relative to traditional time-integrated sampling, including (i) a higher sample coverage (93% vs. 3%), (ii) an ability to captured short-term analyte pulses (e.g., heroin, fentanyl, norbuprenorphine, and methadone), and (iii) an overall higher mass capture for drugs of abuse like morphine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and the opioid antagonist metabolite norbuprenorphine (p ≤ 0.01). Methods and devices developed in this work are poised to find applications in the remediation sector and in human health assessments. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2018

Pastarąjį dešimtmetį nustatyta, kad vitaminas D dalyvauja ne tik skeleto sistemos metaboliniuose procesuose, bet jo trūkumas siejamas ir su įvairiomis kitomis patologinėmis būsenomis, nes daugumoje organizmo ląstelių yra išsidėstę vitamino D receptoriai. Įvertinę šią vitamino D svarbą, epideminio pobūdžio jo trūkumą įvairiose šalyse bei tai, kad iki šiol panašaus pobūdžio mokslinių tyrimų mūsų šalyje neatlikta, nuspendėme įvertinti jaunų vyrų – Lietuvos kariuomenės šauktinių – vitamino D koncentracijos, kūno sandaros, endokrininės, psichologinės būklės ir gyvenimo kokybės rodiklių tarpusavio sąsajas. Daugumai tirtųjų nustatytas ženklus vitamino D trūkumas (95 proc. tyrimo pradžioje ir 96,7 proc. tyrimo pabaigoje). Tyrimo pabaigoje buvo nustatytas didesnis vitamino D trūkumas, kuris sąlygojo reikšmingą prieskydinių liaukų hormono koncentracijos padidėjimą, tačiau osteokalcino koncentracija reikšmingai nesikeitė. Taip pat nustatyta, kad didesnė vitamino D koncentracija teigiamai koreliuoja su didesne raumenų ir liesąja kūno mase, o tiems, kuriems nustatytas ryškus vitamino D trūkumas (≤10 ng/ml), būdinga mažesnė testosterono koncentracija. Be to, nustatyta, kad mažesnė vitamino D koncentracija sąlygoja depresiškumą–liūdesį ir įtampą–nerimą bei blogesnę psichologinę ir fizinę gyvenimo kokybę. Reikšmingų vitamino D koncentracijos ir pažintinių funkcijų tarpusavio ryšių bei sąsajų su tirtais stresiniais hormonais (kortizoliu, prolaktinu, tireotropiniu hormonu) nenustatyta. / Over the last decade it has been established that vitamin D is involved not only in the skeletal system metabolic processes, but its deficiency is associated with a variety of other pathological conditions, because vitamin D receptors are located in most of the body cells. Taking into consideration the importance of vitamin D, epidemic deficiency in different countries worlwide and the fact that similar studies in our country have not been performed yet, we evaluated vitamin D levels, body composition, endocrine, psychological status and quality of life in young men - Lithuanian army conscripts. Vitamin D deficiency was determined in the majority of the studied young men (95% at the beginning and 96.7% at the end of the study). There was a greater vitamin D deficiency determined at the end of the study, which conditioned a significant increase in parathyroid hormone concentration; however, there were no significant changes in the osteocalcin concentration observed. Vitamin D deficiency correlated with a smaller amount of lean body and muscle mass. A significantly smaller testosterone concentration was determined in the group of a lower vitamin D concentration (≤10 ng/mL). It was determined that a lower vitamin D concentration conditioned depression-sadness and tension-anxiety as well as psychological and physical life quality. No significant correlations between vitamin D concentration and cognitive functions, concentrations of cortisol, prolactin and thyreotropic hormone... [to full text]

Prolonged and intense exercise is known to modulate and suppress certain aspects of the immunoendocrine system. Such effects are thought to be largely mediated by the release of stress hormones and regulatory cytokines which originate from a variety of stress related paradigms in sport. These include acute physical exertion, chronic and repetitive exercise as well as other psychological and psychosocial aspects of training and competing in an elite environment. It may be of particular interest to study the effects of regular competition and training on immunoendocrine markers in rugby union players. At the professional level, rugby is an intense and physically demanding game where a significant amount of tissue trauma occurs as a result of the many game collisions. The aims of the studies outlined in this thesis were to determine the effects of acute, repeated and chronic exercise exposure on immunoendocrine markers and illness incidence in professional rugby union. Additional case studies were also undertaken to supplement main study findings. The first part of the thesis documented the effects of acute and repeated exercise on immunoendocrine markers in a cohort of international rugby union players. Data in study 1 showed that large disturbances in immunoendocine and hormone levels occur in players (n = 10) following game play. The magnitude of this response appeared dependent on game physicality (number of rucks/mauls, tackles) and the number of collisions players received during match play. Findings also showed suppression in host immunity, and in particular, innate immune function (neutrophil degranulation) which was not resolved 38 h (-29%) into the recovery period. In study 2, bloods were taken from players (n = 8) across a 21-day international rugby series. Data revealed that players entered the international camp with residual muscle damage (creatine kinase; CK) and inflammation (hs-CRP) following previous club involvement in European cup rugby. Further increases in stress related markers (cortisol, IL-6, CK, CRP) were not evident throughout the players time at the international training base. Conversely, a progressive increase in anabolic-catabolic balance (T/C ratio) was observed across time. In comparison to values on camp-entry (day 1), increases in T/C ratio were evident on day-5 (9.8%), day-7 (13%), day-19 (35%) and day-21 (45%) (P < 0.05). This data is suggestive of improved physiological recovery and was commensurate with team fitness goals (reduced volume + maintenance of training intensity) for that time. Findings suggest that monitoring of player club activities and training load preceding international duty is pertinent if they are required to represent their country inside 7 days. The second part of the thesis evaluated the stress induced effects of chronic rugby exposure in professional club players. Questionnaire data analysed from study 3 showed that players (n = 65) perceived current season length as being ‘too long’ (55%), ‘poorly structured’ (56%) and that game demands are increasing with time (52%). Furthermore, the majority of players (80%) felt that time ‘away’ from rugby was not sufficiently long enough and were in favour of a mid-season break (2 wks in duration). Investigation into the effects of chronic exercise on illness incidence, immunological and psychological state was carried out in a squad of club players (n = 30) over a competitive season (n = 48 wks) in studies 4-6. Findings revealed that specific periods in a rugby season resulted in disturbances to hormonal and immune status. These periods occurred following breaks in club game fixtures [November international and Six-nations period: February/early March], times of increased training intensity and increased ratio of conditioning/rugby activity. Peaks in number of upper respiratory illnesses (URIs) and disturbances in psychometric variables also occurred during these time periods. In 23% of all URIs, players reported that the presence of the illness either reduced activity (14.4%) or felt the need to go to bed (8.6%). Positional differences in variables were also observed. A higher incidence of URIs (3.4 vs 4.3) and lower concentrations of resting immune markers [salivary lysozyme: s-Lys (-31%); immunoglobulin A: s-IgA (-27%)] was observed in ‘backs’ (vs forwards) over the season. Higher mid-season cortisol levels was also observed in backs (P < 0.05) while conversely, greater concentrations of plasma CK and CRP were found in forwards throughout the season. These findings indicate positional specific differences in response to exercise load and point to the role of group specific recovery at certain times during the season. Data from study 6 showed that the number of training related complaints decreased across the season, findings which closely resembled corresponding decreases in plasma CRP values. This data is suggestive of a ‘repeated-bout’ effect or ‘contact adaptation’ in rugby union. Finally, comparison of methods used in the recording of illness data revealed that players were more honest when disclosing the existence of banal infections to a web-based training diary and under-reported infections to medical staff.

No description available.

Secondary sexual traits play an irreplaceable role in the reproduction of a range of animals and are used as quality and fitness sensors during pairing of individuals. Expression of these traits, ornamentes, can correlated with an individual's personal and behavioral strategies. In the case of melanin ornaments, not only the relationships with personal individuals are considered, but there is the possible connections with stress resistance and the level of stress responses too. This hypothesis is based on the pleiotropic effect of the melanocortin system, which can be used during melanogenesis but also in the production of hormones that contribute to range of stress responses. The aim of this work was to clarify the relationship between an individual's ornaments, his stress response and individuality in the barn swallows (Hirundo rustica rustica). In this work the relationship between selected ornaments and the stress reaction of the organism, stressed glucose levels measured 15 minutes after a stress stimulus, was tested. Both sexes showed a correlation between area of white tail spots and stress response. Only for males a relationship with the length of outermost tail feathers was found and a correlation with the color saturation of feathers on the throat was shown for females. The second part of...