Morning

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Morning

  • early morning
  • next morning

  • Terms modified by Morning

  • morning dose
  • morning hour
  • morning peak
  • morning report
  • morning stiffness
  • morning temperature

  • Selected Abstracts


    Book Review: Morning has broken: ten years after the dawn of evolutionary medicine

    JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2001
    Evolutionary Medicine.
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    My Life , Morning, Noon and Night

    ASIA-PACIFIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2009
    Wong Lit Shoon
    [source]


    Hormonal and metabolic effects of morning or evening dosing of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor vildagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
    Yan-Ling He
    WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT , Vildagliptin is an orally active, potent inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase IV and was developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. , In clinical trials, once or twice daily dosing with vildagliptin (up to 100 mg day,1) has been shown to reduce endogenous glucose production and fasting plasma glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes. , The comparative efficacy of vildagliptin under a morning vs. evening dosing regimen has not previously been determined. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS , Once daily dosing with vildagliptin 100 mg for 28 days improved glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes independent of whether vildagliptin was administered in the morning or evening. , Morning or evening dosing with vildagliptin had similar effects on 24 h glycaemic control and plasma concentrations of the hormones insulin, glucagon and glucagon-like peptide 1. AIM This randomized, double-blind, crossover study compared post-prandial hormonal and metabolic effects of vildagliptin, (an oral, potent, selective inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase IV [DPP-4]) administered morning or evening in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS Forty-eight patients were randomized to once daily vildagliptin 100 mg administered before breakfast or before dinner for 28 days then crossed over to the other dosing regimen. Blood was sampled frequently after each dose at baseline (day ,1) and on days 28 and 56 to assess pharmacodynamic parameters. RESULTS Vildagliptin inhibited DPP-4 activity (>80% for 15.5 h post-dose), and increased active glucagon-like peptide-1 compared with placebo. Both regimens reduced total glucose exposure compared with placebo (area under the 0,24 h effect,time curve [AUE(0,24 h)]: morning ,467 mg dl,1 h, P= 0.014; evening ,574 mg dl,1 h, P= 0.003) with no difference between regimens (P= 0.430). Reductions in daytime glucose exposure (AUE(0,10.5 h)) were similar between regimens. Reduction in night-time exposure (AUE(10.5,24 h) was greater with evening than morning dosing (,336 vs.,218 mg dl,1 h, P= 0.192). Only evening dosing significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose (,13 mg dl,1, P= 0.032) compared with placebo. Insulin exposure was greater with evening dosing (evening 407 µU ml,1 h; morning 354 µU ml,1 h, P= 0.050). CONCLUSIONS Both morning and evening dosing of once daily vildagliptin 100 mg significantly reduced post-prandial glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes; only evening dosing significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose. Although evening dosing with vildagliptin 100 mg tended to decrease night-time glucose exposure more than morning dosing, both regimens were equally effective in reducing 24 h mean glucose exposure (AUE(0,24 h)) in patients with type 2 diabetes. [source]


    Relationship between changes in interferon-, production by peripheral blood T cells and changes in peak expiratory flow rate in patients with chronic stable asthma

    CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 12 2002
    Y. I. Koh
    Summary Background Cytokines production by T helper lymphocytes (Th cells), which orchestrate the interplay of the different cells involved in airway inflammation of asthma, may be reflected in peripheral blood. Some studies have suggested that the Th cell cytokines by peripheral blood T cells correlate with asthma severity. Objective To investigate the relationship between changes in IFN-, production by peripheral blood T cells and changes in lung function in chronic stable asthmatics. Methods Sixteen patients with chronic stable moderate asthma aged 35,65 years (nine women) were recruited. Morning and evening peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR) monitoring and blood sampling for peripheral blood T cell culture, total IgE and blood eosinophils were performed at baseline and week 12. Levels of IFN-,, IL-4 and IL-5 in culture supernatants of peripheral blood T cell were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results Patients with increased IFN-, changes from baseline showed significantly increased changes in morning (P = 0.02) and evening (P < 0.05) PEFR compared with those with decreased IFN-, changes. The changes in IFN-, production and IFN-,: IL-4 ratio significantly correlated with the changes in morning PEFR (Rs = 0.59, P < 0.02; Rs = 0.63, P < 0.01, respectively) and tended to correlate with the changes in evening PEFR (Rs = 0.45, P = 0.08; Rs = 0.5, P = 0.05, respectively). The changes in IL-4 and IL-5 did not correlate with the changes in IgE and blood eosinophils, respectively. Conclusions These findings suggest that IFN-, may be associated with the alteration of lung function in asthmatics and play a role in the pathophysiology of chronic stable asthma. [source]


    Diurnal cycle in salivary cortisol levels in common marmosets

    DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
    Nicola Cross
    Abstract A noninvasive method of saliva sampling was used to assess the diurnal cortisol rhythm from 0900 to 1700 hr in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). The levels of cortisol were highest in the morning and declined significantly over the day. Individual marmosets varied in the magnitude of the cycle, and the greatest individual variability occurred in the morning levels. The decrease in cortisol levels was more rapid after than before the midday feeding period in subordinate marmosets (aged 53,63 months) compared to dominant marmosets (aged 79,80 months), and overall, the levels of cortisol were higher in the subordinate marmosets. We found no effect of sex on cortisol levels across the cycle. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 45: 134-139, 2004. [source]


    Leptin,a predictor of abnormal glucose tolerance and prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction and without previously known Type 2 diabetes

    DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 8 2008
    M. Wallander
    Abstract Aims High levels of leptin and low adiponectin are associated with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular (CV) disease. We studied the prognostic implications of leptin and adiponectin in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without previously known Type 2 DM. Methods One hundred and eighty-one patients were included. Based on an oral glucose tolerance test at hospital discharge (day 4,5), 168 (67% men) had normal or abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT), defined as impaired glucose tolerance or T2DM. Sex- and age-matched healthy persons served as control subjects (n = 185). The associations between fasting serum leptin and adiponectin (day 2) and newly discovered AGT and CV events (CV mortality, non-fatal stroke, reinfarction or severe heart failure) during a median follow-up of 34 months were investigated. Results Compared with control subjects, patients of both genders had significantly higher levels of leptin 2 days after an AMI. These levels were higher than those obtained at hospital discharge and 3 months later. Circulating levels of (ln) leptin 2 days after the AMI predicted AGT at discharge (odds ratio 2.03, P = 0.042). Ln leptin at day 2 was the only biochemical variable that significantly predicted CV events both on univariate [hazard ratio (HR) 1.60, P = 0.018] and on multivariate analysis (HR 1.75, P = 0.045). Adiponectin levels did not differ between patients and control subjects and did not relate to AGT or CV events. Conclusions Elevated circulating levels of leptin on the first morning after an AMI are associated with the presence of AGT at discharge and with a poorer long-term prognosis. [source]


    Short-term nocturnal hypoglycaemia increases morning food intake in healthy humans

    DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 2 2008
    S. M. Schmid
    Abstract Aims Hypoglycaemia during wakefulness increases hunger and food intake. Patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus are at high risk of recurrent hypoglycaemia and weight gain. Given the background of frequent hypoglycaemic episodes during night-time sleep in diabetic patients, we investigated morning food intake after nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Methods We tested 16 healthy normal-weight subjects (eight women) on three nights. A linear fall in plasma glucose to a nadir of 2.2 mmol/l within 60 min was induced by insulin infusion immediately after sleep onset (,early hypo') or after about 3.5 h of sleep (,late hypo'). On a control night, no hypoglycaemia was induced. Spontaneous food intake at a breakfast buffet was registered on the subsequent morning. Results Compared with the control condition (700 ± 93 kcal), subjects ate more after ,late hypo' (867 ± 108 kcal; P = 0.041), but not after ,early hypo' (852 ± 111 kcal; P = 0.130). Analyses of macronutrient fractions revealed that in comparison with the control condition, subjects ate significantly more carbohydrates after both ,late hypo' (277 ± 25 kcal vs. 206 ± 23 kcal, P < 0.001) and ,early hypo' (245 ± 23 kcal, P = 0.048), with this effect being more pronounced after late than early nocturnal hypoglycaemia (P = 0.026). Conclusions In healthy subjects, nocturnal hypoglycaemia during sleep stimulates spontaneous food intake the following morning, with carbohydrate intake being especially affected. Effects were more pronounced after ,late hypo', suggesting the influence of temporal dynamics. Although healthy non-diabetic subjects were studied, similar mechanisms may contribute to the frequently observed body weight gain in insulin-treated diabetic patients. [source]


    Two-hourly surface change on supra-tidal rock (Marengo, Victoria, Australia)

    EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 1 2007
    Lluķs Gómez-Pujol
    Abstract A traversing micro-erosion meter was used to measure rock surface micro-topography over 40 cm2 on a supra-tidal cliff face from early morning to late evening in late spring. From 06:00 hours to 22:00 hours the relative heights of 188 coordinates were obtained using the meter at 2-hour intervals, resulting in a data set of 1607 readings. Monitoring shows that rock surfaces are dynamic entities, with significant rise and fall relative to the first measurement at shorter timescales than previously reported. The maximum positive rise between readings was 0·261 mm and lowering was 0·126 mm. The pattern of change did not relate as expected to environmental variables such as temperature or insolation. Rather, the surface showed greater surface change in the early morning and late afternoon. It is hypothesized that this pattern relates to the expansion and contraction of lichen thalli as moisture is absorbed during higher humidity in the morning and late afternoon. The implications of these results for weathering studies are considered. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Thrips see red , flower colour and the host relationships of a polyphagous anthophilic thrips

    ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
    A. YAKU
    Abstract 1.,The common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei, is a polyphagous anthophilic species that colonises a wide range of host-plant species across different plant taxa. The environmental cues used by these polyphagous insects to recognise and locate host plants are not known. We therefore determined if colour is an important environmental signal used by F. schultzei to recognise flowers of eight of its more significant host-plant species. 2.,The effect of flower colour on the colonisation of different host plant species by F. schultzei was investigated by collecting and analysing the following: (a) numbers of thrips from different heights and aspects of the primary host plant Malvaviscus arboreus, (b) thrips distribution within flowers of Hibiscus rosasinensis, (c) colour reflectance from flowers of eight different host-plant species, and (d) reflectance from different coloured sticky traps and the number of thrips trapped on them at different times of the day and on different dates. 3.,The results indicate that: (a) the thrips (both sexes) concentrate towards the top of the primary host plant M. arboreus and are not distributed differentially according to sunny or shady aspect of the plant, (b) the number of female thrips on H. rosasinensis was higher in anthers compared to petals (corolla) and the basal parts of the flower, and males were as numerous on the petals as were females, and (c) there is a common floral reflectance pattern (but with different intensities) across the eight host plant species, mainly in the red part of the spectrum (600,700 nm). 4.,Results of colour sticky trapping show that red attracts more female thrips compared to any other colour and that most were caught between 09.00 and 11.00 hours. By contrast, more male thrips were trapped between 07.00 and 09.00 hours. Males were more evenly distributed across the different colours but the highest numbers were associated with the yellow traps. 5.,The higher densities of thrips at the top of their host plant may be related to the early morning (07.00,11.00 hours) activity of the thrips, when the top portions of the plant are more exposed to sunlight. The sex-related distributions of F. schultzei thrips across time, coloured sticky traps, and various parts of the flowers seem to be related to mating swarm formation by the males, on the one hand, and the relative frequency and intensity of the use of M. arboreus by the females, on the other, as a feeding and oviposition site. Frankliniella schultzei females respond more strongly to red than to any other colours, so it is predicted that the spectral properties of colour recognition by this species will correlate with the predominant red reflectance of its primary host, M. arboreus, and that there may well be a sex-related difference in colour recognition within this species. [source]


    Dung beetles in a Central Amazonian rainforest and their ecological role as secondary seed dispersers

    ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
    Ellen Andresen
    Abstract 1. The role of several factors that affect the composition of the dung beetle assemblages in an Amazonian rainforest was quantified, together with the effect of these factors on the role that dung beetles play as secondary seed dispersers. 2. A total of 61 dung beetle species was captured during 3360 h of trapping. During nocturnal trapping periods, more dung beetles, of larger mean size, and more species were captured per trap than during diurnal trapping periods. 3. During the rainy season, more dung beetle species were captured per trap than during the dry season, but the number of individuals and their mean size did not vary between seasons. 4. Bait size had a significant effect on the mean number of beetles and mean number of species but not on mean beetle size. As bait size increased from 5, 10, 25, to 50 g, more beetles and more species were captured per trap. 5. Between 6 and 73% of plastic beads, used as seed mimics, were buried by dung beetles at depths that ranged from 0.5 to 7 cm. Both the proportion of beads buried and burial depth decreased with increasing bead size, and increased with increasing amounts of dung surrounding each bead (5, 10, and 25 g). 6. The proportion of buried seeds for three species varying in size between 5 and 27 mm, increased with increasing dung beetle size, using beetles of seven sizes, varying between 10 and 25 mm. 7. Seeds surrounded by dung were buried more often and more deeply when placed on the forest floor during the late afternoon than when placed during the early morning. Seeds were also buried more often when placed on the forest floor during the rainy season than when placed during the dry season, but season had no effect on burial depth. 8. Forests in Central Amazonia hold a rich dung beetle community that plays an active role in secondary seed dispersal, and consequently in plant regeneration. The interaction between seeds and beetles is complex because it is affected by many factors. [source]


    Does timing of daily feeding affect growth rates of juvenile three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus L?

    ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 3 2001
    M. Ali
    Abstract , To assess the consequences of unpredictability in the availability of food, this study measured the effect of timing of the daily feeding on food consumption and growth rates of juvenile Gasterosteus aculeatus. The experiment lasted 21 days at 14 °C and a photoperiod of 10 hours of light and 14 hours of dark. Fish were housed individually and allocated at random to three treatments. The mean initial weight of fish was 0.402 g. Group 1 were fed live enchytraeid worms for 2 h after lights came on ("morning"), group 2 was offered food for 2 h randomly at any time of the day ("random") during the light period and group 3 received food for 2 h before the lights went off ("evening"). There was no significant effect of timing of feeding on mean daily food consumption, which was 0.052 g day,1. Daily consumption on the random schedule was more irregular than on the two fixed schedules. Timing of feeding had no significant effect on mean specific growth rate (G) (2.42% day,1), gross growth efficiency (23.3%), white muscle RNA:DNA ratio (5.6), carcase lipid content (31.7% dry wt) and carcase dry matter content (27.4% wet wt). Thus, a lack of predictability in the availability of food during the light period of the day did not impose a detectable cost on the growth performance of the stickleback., [source]


    The effects of binge drinking on college students' next-day academic test-taking performance and mood state

    ADDICTION, Issue 4 2010
    Jonathan Howland
    ABSTRACT Aim To assess the effects of binge drinking on students' next-day academic test-taking performance. Design A placebo-controlled cross-over design with randomly assigned order of conditions. Participants were randomized to either alcoholic beverage [mean = 0.12 g% breath alcohol concentration (BrAC)] or placebo on the first night and then received the other beverage a week later. The next day, participants were assessed on test-taking, neurocognitive performance and mood state. Participants A total of 196 college students (,21 years) recruited from greater Boston. Setting The trial was conducted at the General Clinical Research Center at the Boston Medical Center. Measurements The Graduate Record Examinations© (GREs) and a quiz on a lecture presented the previous day measured test-taking performance; the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES3) and the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) measured neurocognitive performance; and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) measured mood. Findings Test-taking performance was not affected on the morning after alcohol administration, but mood state and attention/reaction-time were affected. Conclusion Drinking to a level of 0.12 g% BrAC does not affect next-day test-taking performance, but does affect some neurocognitive measures and mood state. [source]


    Epidemiology of unarmed threats in the emergency department

    EMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 4 2005
    Jonathan C Knott
    Abstract Objective:, To evaluate the precipitants, subject characteristics, nature and outcomes of unarmed threats in the ED. Methods:, A 12 month prospective survey of security codes precipitated by an unarmed threat (Code Grey). Results:, Data were collected on 151 subjects. The Code Grey rate was 3.2/1000 ED presentations. They were most frequent on Saturday and in the late evening/early morning. There were verbal or physical threats of violence made to staff on 104 occasions (69%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 61,76) and a perceived threat of patient self-harm on 114 occasions (76%, 95% CI 68,82). Median time to be seen by a doctor was 8 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 2,21 min) and median time from presentation to Code was 59 min (IQR: 5,222 min). Sixteen subjects (11%, 95% CI 6,17) had a history of violence, 45 (30%, 95% CI 23,38) were affected by alcohol, 25 (17%, 95% CI 11,24) had used illicit drugs and 79 (52%, 95% CI 44,60) had a significant mental illness contributing to the Code Grey. Seventy-one patients (47%, 95% CI 39,55) required psychiatric admission, 49 (79%, 95% CI 66,88) involuntarily. Conclusion:, Acutely agitated subjects pose a threat to themselves and the staff caring for them. The reason for the agitation is multifactorial and the majority arrive in a behaviourally disturbed state requiring early intervention. The times most likely to result in a Code Grey coincide with least available resources: ED and hospital risk management policies must account for this. A coherent approach by ED to this population is required to optimize patient and staff outcomes. [source]


    Segregation of temporal and spatial distribution between kleptoparasites and parasitoids of the eusocial sweat bee, Lasioglossum malachurum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae, Mutillidae)

    ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2009
    Carlo POLIDORI
    Abstract Cuckoo bees and velvet ants use different resources of their shared host bees, the former laying eggs on the host pollen stores and the latter on immature stages. We studied the activity patterns of the cuckoo bee Sphecodes monilicornis and the velvet ant Myrmilla capitata at two nesting sites of their host, the social digger bee Lasioglossum malachurum, over a 3 year period. Due to the difference in host exploitation, we expected different temporal patterns of the two natural enemies as well as a positive spatial association with host nest density for both species. At a daily level, S. monilicornis was more abundant between 10.00 and 15.00 h, while M. capitata was most active in the early morning and late afternoon; both species activities were independent from host provisioning activity. The activity of cuckoo bees was in general positively correlated with the density of open host nests (but not with the total number of nests), while that of velvet ants was rarely correlated with this factor. Sphecodes monilicornis was seen both attacking the guard bees and directly entering into the host nests or digging close to nest entrances, while M. capitata only gained access to host nests through digging. We conclude that the temporal and spatial segregation between the two species may be, at least partially, explained both by the different resources exploited and by the different dynamics of host interactions. [source]


    Temporal Variation in Cleanerfish and Client Behaviour: Does It Reflect Ectoparasite Availability?

    ETHOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
    Isabelle M. Cōté
    We tested the importance of ectoparasites as the proximate cause of cleaning interactions by comparing the activity of Caribbean cleaning gobies (Elacatinus evelynae) and of their clients during three daily periods (early morning, midday, and late afternoon) in which ectoparasite availability varied naturally. Emergence from the benthos of gnathiid isopod larvae, the main target of cleaning goby predation, was higher at night, when cleaners were inactive, than during the day. As a result, overall ectoparasite loads on client fish tended to be higher in the morning. Inspection bouts by cleaning gobies were longest in the morning, but also at midday when ectoparasite availability on clients was lower. Client fish were observed at cleaning stations most often in the afternoon, when they harboured few ectoparasites, but they were more likely to adopt incitation poses, which increase the likelihood of being cleaned, in the morning than later in the day. Most cleaner and client behaviours therefore did not change predictably in response to natural diurnal variation in ectoparasite availability. Our study suggests that the ultimate and proximate causes of cleaning behaviour need not necessarily coincide. [source]


    Probabilities of alcohol high-risk drinking, abuse or dependence estimated on grounds of tobacco smoking and nicotine dependence

    ADDICTION, Issue 6 2003
    Ulrich John
    ABSTRACT Aims, To estimate probabilities of alcohol high-risk drinking, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence on grounds of smoking-behaviour related variables and single nicotine dependence criteria. Design, Cross-sectional population-based study. Setting, Adult population of a region in north Germany. Participants, Cigarette smokers (n = 2437) among a random sample of 4075 females and males aged 18,64, drawn in 1996. Measurement, Smoking, nicotine dependence according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-IV) and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND); increasing alcohol-related harm (ARH): high-risk drinking, DSM-IV alcohol abuse, remitted and current alcohol dependence diagnosed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Findings, Having smoked 30 cigarettes or more per day, onset of smoking at the age of 17 or younger, nicotine dependence and single nicotine dependence criteria revealed odds ratios higher than 4.0 for alcohol dependence. For alcohol dependence, a logistic regression model showed an increased odds ratios for male gender, smoking for 25 years or more, no attempt to quit or cut down, continuation of smoking despite problems, craving for nicotine, withdrawal experience 1 day or longer, smoking first cigarette in the morning 5 minutes or less after waking. The probability of increasing ARH was more likely in males, smokers for 25 years or more, no attempt to quit or cut down, continuation of smoking despite problems and smoking first cigarette in the morning 5 minutes or less after waking. Conclusions, Gender and single nicotine dependence criteria show particularly high probabilities of alcohol dependence and increasing ARH. Interventions need to take these connections into account. [source]


    Therapy of circadian rhythm disorders in chronic fatigue syndrome: no symptomatic improvement with melatonin or phototherapy

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 11 2002
    G. Williams
    Abstract Background Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) show evidence of circadian rhythm disturbances. We aimed to determine whether CFS symptoms were alleviated by melatonin and bright-light phototherapy, which have been shown to improve circadian rhythm disorders and fatigue in jet-lag and shift workers. Design Thirty patients with unexplained fatigue for > 6 months were initially assessed using placebo and then received melatonin (5 mg in the evening) and phototherapy (2500 Lux for 1 h in the morning), each for 12 weeks in random order separated by a washout period. Principal symptoms of CFS were measured by visual analogue scales, the Shortform (SF-36) Health Survey, Mental Fatigue Inventory and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We also determined the circadian rhythm of body temperature, timing of the onset of melatonin secretion, and the relationship between these. Results Neither intervention showed any significant effect on any of the principal symptoms or on general measures of physical or mental health. Compared with placebo, neither body temperature rhythm nor onset of melatonin secretion was significantly altered by either treatment, except for a slight advance of temperature phase (0·8 h; P = 0·04) with phototherapy. Conclusion Melatonin and bright-light phototherapy appear ineffective in CFS. Both treatments are being prescribed for CFS sufferers by medical and alternative practitioners. Their unregulated use should be prohibited unless, or until, clear benefits are convincingly demonstrated. [source]


    CLINICAL AND IMAGING STUDY: Glucocorticoid negative feedback in methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with ongoing cocaine dependence: dose,response to dexamethasone suppression

    ADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
    Bruno Aouizerate
    ABSTRACT Combined cocaine and illicit opiate use is common. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that cocaine dependence in former heroin-addicted patients maintained on methadone treatment is associated with enhanced glucocorticoid negative feedback. Multiple dose dexamethasone suppression tests, using a conventional 2.0 mg dose, and two lower doses, 0.5 mg and 0.125 mg, were performed in 10 methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with ongoing cocaine dependence (C-MM), 10 stabilized methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with no ongoing drug or alcohol use (MM), and 22 normal volunteers (NV). At 9 hours, there was no difference in plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and/or cortisol levels among groups on the baseline day, as well as after the two lower doses of dexamethasone. At 17 hours, C-MM and MM had significantly lower plasma ACTH and/or cortisol levels than NV. However, C-MM did not significantly differ from MM in their hormonal levels. When the hormonal responses to dexamethasone are expressed as magnitude of lowering from baseline, there was no significant difference at any dose among groups. Therefore, C-MM exhibited a normal glucocorticoid negative feedback in the morning. Using the standard interpretation of dexamethasone suppression testing based on the examination of the actual hormonal levels rather than the difference from baseline condition, C-MM appear to have glucocorticoid effects similar to MM, yet were both greater than NV in the late afternoon. Thus, further studies are needed to know whether altered glucocorticoid negative feedback is related to chronic cocaine exposure, or is the result of former heroin addiction and/or its long-term treatment with methadone. [source]


    Dream recall frequency and sleep quality of patients with restless legs syndrome

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2001
    M. Schredl
    The present study investigated the dream recall frequency and the pattern of influencing factors of patients with restless legs syndrome in comparison with healthy controls. The patients' dream recall frequency did not differ from that of healthy controls. Dream recall, however, was negatively associated with the number of periodic leg movements with arousal (PLMAI). Subjective estimates of sleep quality or feeling of being refreshed in the morning, on the other hand, did not correlate with the PLMAI index. Whereas subjective sleep parameters were related to dream recall frequency in healthy controls, no substantial relationships were found in the patient group, except for the positive correlation between sleep latency and dream recall frequency. The results of the present study can not be interpreted as clear evidence for the arousal,retrieval model of dream recall; it seems plausible that other factors, e.g. the functional state of the brain, are of importance in explaining dream recall in this patient group. [source]


    Roles of light and serotonin in the regulation of gastrin-releasing peptide and arginine vasopressin output in the hamster SCN circadian clock

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 7 2010
    Jessica M. Francl
    Abstract Daily timing of the mammalian circadian clock of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is regulated by photic input from the retina via the retinohypothalamic tract. This signaling is mediated by glutamate, which activates SCN retinorecipient units communicating to pacemaker cells in part through the release of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP). Efferent signaling from the SCN involves another SCN-containing peptide, arginine vasopressin (AVP). Little is known regarding the mechanisms regulating these peptides, as literature on in vivo peptide release in the SCN is sparse. Here, microdialysis,radioimmunoassay procedures were used to characterize mechanisms controlling GRP and AVP release in the hamster SCN. In animals housed under a 14/10-h light,dark cycle both peptides exhibited daily fluctuations of release, with levels increasing during the morning to peak around midday. Under constant darkness, this pattern persisted for AVP, but rhythmicity was altered for GRP, characterized by a broad plateau throughout the subjective night and early subjective day. Neuronal release of the peptides was confirmed by their suppression with reverse-microdialysis perfusion of calcium blockers and stimulation with depolarizing agents. Reverse-microdialysis perfusion with the 5-HT1A,7 agonist 8-OH-DPAT ((±)-8-hydroxydipropylaminotetralin hydrobromide) during the day significantly suppressed GRP but had little effect on AVP. Also, perfusion with the glutamate agonist NMDA, or exposure to light at night, increased GRP but did not affect AVP. These analyses reveal distinct daily rhythms of SCN peptidergic activity, with GRP but not AVP release attenuated by serotonergic activation that inhibits photic phase-resetting, and activated by glutamatergic and photic stimulation that mediate this phase-resetting. [source]


    Daytime variations of interleukin-1, in gingival crevicular fluid

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 1 2008
    Angela Bergmann
    Interleukin-1, (IL-1,) is an important parameter in periodontal research because of its role in inflammation and bone resorption. One measure used to assess local IL-1, concentrations is analysis of its levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). While studies on serum IL-1, concentrations indicate a circadian rhythm of this parameter, nothing is known about daytime variations of IL-1, in GCF. The present study thus aimed to analyse such variations. Daytime variations of GCF-IL-1, between 08:00 and 22:00 h were assessed, with a time resolution of 2 h, in 28 periodontally healthy subjects. The data showed a significant variation throughout the day, with the lowest concentrations and total amounts in the morning and the highest in the evening. The effect sizes of comparisons between morning and evening samples were medium to high and corresponded in magnitude to those reported in other published research comparing healthy sites and those affected by periodontitis. The smallest daytime variations were found to occur between 12:00 h and 18:00 h. It is concluded that daytime variations in GCF-IL-1, are large enough to be able to mimic or mask differences caused by clinical factors. [source]


    Factors influencing proximal dental contact strengths

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 5 2000
    Christof E. Dörfer
    The aim of this study was to systematically measure proximal contact strength in complete natural dentitions of 30 adults (25.3±3.0 years of age), and to analyze its relationship to tooth type, tooth location, chewing effort and time of day variation. The contact strengths were measured dynamically during removal of a calibrated 0.05-mm-thick metal strip between the proximal contacts of adjacent teeth. Proximal contact strengths were lower in the maxilla (2.51±1.36 N) compared to the mandible (4.26±1.88 N). Within the jaws, the lowest proximal contact strength was measured between canine and first premolar (2.91±1.79 N) and the highest between second premolar and first molar (3.73±1.95 N). Chewing increased the proximal contact strength within the maxilla (before: 2.51±1.36 N, after: 3.02±1.45 N) but it remained unchanged in the mandible (before: 4.26±1.88 N, after: 4.22±1.85 N). The proximal contact strength increased significantly from morning (3.39±1.86 N) to noon (3.61±1.77 N), and then decreased in the afternoon (3.43±1.60 N). It was concluded that proximal contact strength can be significantly influenced by location, tooth type, chewing and time of day variation. Based on the differences in distribution due to the effect of chewing and time of day, it is speculated that proximal contact strength is a physiological entity of multifactorial origin. [source]


    Hash browns for breakfast, baked potatoes for dinner: Changes in food attitudes as a function of motivation and context

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
    Shelley N. Aikman
    Two studies investigated whether participants' motivational state and the context in which attitude reports are made influence food attitudes. Specifically, these studies examined whether hunger and the time-typicality of foods (i.e. match or mismatch between the time when a food is typically eaten and the time the attitude is reported) interact to influence reported attitudes. Study 1 suggests that hunger leads to more positive attitudes toward foods that are typically eaten at the time the attitude report is made (e.g. breakfast foods in morning) compared to foods not typically eaten at the time the attitude report is made (e.g. breakfast foods in evening). Study 2 replicates this time-typical effect of hunger and suggests that time-typical experience rather than general experience with foods is important for hunger induced attitude change. By demonstrating that food attitudes are influenced by motivational states and the match between when the attitude is reported and when it is typically encountered, the present studies extend previous attitude theory and research that has identified other contextual factors that influence attitude reports. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    DOES VIVIPARITY EVOLVE IN COLD CLIMATE REPTILES BECAUSE PREGNANT FEMALES MAINTAIN STABLE (NOT HIGH) BODY TEMPERATURES?

    EVOLUTION, Issue 8 2004
    Richard Shine
    Abstract Viviparity (live bearing) has evolved from egg laying (oviparity) in many lineages of lizards and snakes, apparently in response to occupancy of cold climates. Explanations for this pattern have focused on the idea that behaviorally thermoregulating (sun-basking) pregnant female reptiles can maintain higher incubation temperatures for their embryos than would be available in nests under the soil surface. This is certainly true at very high elevations, where only viviparous species occur. However, comparisons of nest and lizard temperatures at sites close to the upper elevational limit for oviparous reptiles (presumably, the selective environment where the transition from oviparity to viviparity actually occurs) suggest that reproductive mode has less effect on mean incubation temperatures than on the diel distribution of those temperatures. Nests of the oviparous scincid lizard Bassiana duperreyi showed smooth diel cycles of heating and cooling. In contrast, body temperatures of the viviparous scincid Eulamprus heatwolei rose abruptly in the morning, were high and stable during daylight hours, and fell abruptly at night. Laboratory incubation experiments mimicking these patterns showed that developmental rates of eggs and phenotypic traits of hatchling B. duperreyi were sensitive to this type of thermal variance as well as to mean temperature. Hence, diel distributions as well as mean incubation temperatures may have played an important role in the selective forces for viviparity. More generally, variances as well as mean values of abiotic factors may constitute significant selective forces on life-history evolution. [source]


    Night sampling improves indices used for management of yellow perch in Lake Erie

    FISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
    P. M. KOCOVSKY
    Abstract, Catch rate (catch per hour) was examined for age-0 and age-1 yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), captured in bottom trawls from 1991 to 2005 in western Lake Erie: (1) to examine variation of catch rate among years, seasons, diel periods and their interactions; and (2) to determine whether sampling during particular diel periods improved the management value of CPH data used in models to project abundance of age-2 yellow perch. Catch rate varied with year, season and the diel period during which sampling was conducted as well as by the interaction between year and season. Indices of abundance of age-0 and age-1 yellow perch estimated from night samples typically produced better fitting models and lower estimates of age-2 abundance than those using morning or afternoon samples, whereas indices using afternoon samples typically produced less precise and higher estimates of abundance. The diel period during which sampling is conducted will not affect observed population trends but may affect estimates of abundance of age-0 and age-1 yellow perch, which in turn affect recommended allowable harvest. A field experiment throughout western Lake Erie is recommended to examine potential benefits of night sampling to management of yellow perch. [source]


    Bigger is better: implications of body size for flight ability under different light conditions and the evolution of alloethism in bumblebees

    FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2007
    A. KAPUSTJANSKIJ
    Summary 1In social insects, reproductive success and survival of the colony critically depend on the colony's ability to efficiently allocate workers to the various tasks which need to be performed. In bumblebees, workers show a large variation of body size within a colony. Large workers tend to leave the nest and forage for nectar and pollen, whereas small workers stay inside the nest and fulfill nest duties. It was speculated that size-related differences of the sensory system might contribute to alloethism found in bumblebee colonies. 2In the first part, we investigated how body size determines eye morphology. We measured several eye parameters of Bombus terrestris workers and drones. In both, workers and drones, larger individuals had larger eyes with larger facet diameters, more ommatidia and larger ocelli. At similar body size, drones exhibited larger eyes and ocelli compared to workers. Due to theoretical considerations, we predict that large individuals with large eyes should be better able to operate in illumination conditions of lower intensity than small individuals, since ommatidial sensitivity is proportional to the square of facet diameter. 3In the second part, we tested this prediction. In a behavioural experiment, we first caught bumblebees of various sizes in the field and then determined the lowest light intensity level at which they are just able to fly under controlled laboratory conditions. We tested workers of B. terrestris and B. pascuorum, and workers and drones of B. lapidarius. Large bumblebees were able to fly under lower light levels compared to small bees, with light intensity thresholds ranging from 1·1 to 5·5 lux. 4Our results indicate that the increased light sensitivity of the visual system of large bumblebees allows them to fly under poor light conditions, for example, very early in the morning or late at dusk. This is of potential benefit to the survival of a bumblebee colony since flowers that open early in the morning usually have accumulated a relatively high amount of nectar and pollen throughout the night, and large bumblebees can utilize these resources earlier than most other bees. Thus, our findings have important implications for the understanding of the functional significance and evolution of alloethism in bumblebee colonies. [source]


    Thermogenesis and respiration of inflorescences of the dead horse arum Helicodiceros muscivorus, a pseudo-thermoregulatory aroid associated with fly pollination

    FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
    R. S. Seymour
    Summary 1In central Corsica, Helicodiceros muscivorus (Schott ex. K. Koch) produces a protogynous inflorescence that resembles the anal area of a dead mammal and produces a foetid scent during the few hours after sunrise. Flies enter the floral chamber, pollinate the female florets and become trapped until the next morning, when pollen is shed from the male florets and the flies are released. 2The exposed appendix exhibits a strong, unimodal episode of thermogenesis associated with scent production, reaching a maximum of 30 °C at 15 °C ambient temperature. The male florets in the floral chamber are highly thermogenic throughout the second night and generally maintain stable floret temperatures of about 24 °C at ambient temperatures down to 13 °C. 3Maximum respiration rates of the appendix (0·45 µmol CO2 s,1 g,1) and the male florets (0·82 µmol s,1 g,1) may be the highest recorded for plant tissue. 4Thermogenesis of the appendix does not depend on ambient temperature, but that of the male florets increases with decreasing ambient temperature in most cases. However, the pattern of heat production by the males appears related more to time than to ambient temperature, hence the term ,pseudo-thermoregulation'. 5The behaviour and thoracic temperatures of flies emerging from captivity suggests that male floral warming does not enhance their activity. [source]


    Relative importance of microhabitat, plant form and photosynthetic physiology to carbon gain in two alpine herbs

    FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2001
    M. J. Germino
    Abstract 1.,The effects of microhabitat and plant form on sunlight interception, leaf temperatures, frost occurrence and photosynthesis were evaluated for Caltha leptosepala DC and Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh. Both plants are perennials that commonly emerge from alpine snowbanks where the combination of cool temperatures and strong sunlight is among the most extreme for vascular plants. 2., Caltha leptosepala occurred in microsites where colder air accumulates, and has larger, less inclined and more densely clustered leaves compared to E. grandiflorum (which has two steeply inclined leaves). 3.,These differences in microsite and plant form led to leaf temperatures below 0 °C on 70% of nights during the summer growth season in C. leptosepala, compared to only 38% in E. grandiflorum. Leaves of C. leptosepala warmed more slowly on mornings following frosts compared to E. grandiflorum, due to less aerodynamic coupling between leaf and air temperature, and also a 45% smaller ratio of sunlit to total leaf area due to mutual shading among leaves. 4.,As a result, night frost did not affect subsequent CO2 assimilation (A) in E. grandiflorum, while frostless nights and warmer mornings led to 35% greater A in C. leptosepala in the early morning. 5.,There were no appreciable differences in the temperature and light response of photosynthesis between the two species. The apparent quantum yield of A declined only ,8% in both species following frost and exposure to strong sunlight, indicating little adjustment of photosynthetic physiology. 6.,Greater daily carbon gain probably occurs for E. grandiflorum because of its plant form and microclimate, rather than differences in photosynthetic physiology. [source]


    Imagined and Embodied Spaces in the Global Sex Industry

    GENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 1 2010
    Elina Penttinen
    This article investigates the space of a sex bar in Finland as a global conjuncture in which new forms of gendered and ethnicized subjectivity and agency emerge. The commercial sex culture in Finland is seen as an effect of the globalization of the world economy and culture. The subjectivities formed in a sex bar are analysed according to Irigaray's formulation of a heterosexual matrix in which women embody a specular function that enables the formation of the masculine subject. This is developed by analysing the position of erotic dancers as listening bodies who perform a position of someone who cares. The narrative method is used to show the constraints and possibilities of these embodied positions and their organization in a sex bar. This is emphasized by the opening narrative that presents the client and the erotic dancer ,the morning after', emphasizing the situatedness and temporality of subjectivities created in a sex bar. [source]


    The Haiti Earthquake: a salutary lesson in (non) earthquake engineering

    GEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 2 2010
    Peter Styles
    A devastating earthquake of magnitude 7 struck very close and almost beneath Port au Prince the capital of Haiti, the western half of the island of Hispaniola, early in the morning of Tuesday, 12 January 2010 (Fig. 1). While in absolute terms this was by no means the largest earthquake recorded this year globally, the death toll is around 230 000, making it one of the world's worst earthquakes in terms of casualties in recorded history, with almost uncountable economic loss to one of the poorest countries in the world. Figure 1. Intensity map of 2010 Haiti earthquake (Image: USGS). [source]