Saliva Cortisol Concentrations Research Articles

Do cows with stereotypic tongue-rolling behaviour cope better with their environment?

Stereotypic behaviours, especially oral stereotypic behaviours, are frequently expressed in farm animals. Tongue-rolling is the most common oral stereotypic behaviour in dairy cows (Bos taurus). If animals frequently display stereotypic behaviours, this is an indication of poor welfare. It has been suggested that animals express stereotypic behaviours as a way of coping with stress. As a result, animals with stereotypic behaviours may have lower levels of stress hormones than animals without stereotypic behaviours. In this study, 916 Holstein cows in the first lactation were subjected to scan sampling behavioural observations 200 times for 10 days. All cows were assigned to either a stereotypic behaviours group (SB) or a control group (CON). The SB group was further subdivided into a tongue-rolling group (TR) and an other-stereotypic behaviours group (OS). The TR group was also split into an only tongue-rolling group (OTR) and a mixed tongue-rolling and other stereotypic behaviours group (TROS). Some cows in the TR group belonged to an extreme tongue-rolling group (ETR). Hair and saliva samples were collected from 601 cows to test cortisol concentrations and dairy herd improvement (DHI) data were collected from a total of 762 cows. There were no differences in hair or saliva cortisol concentrations between the groups (p>0.05), and the frequencies of tongue-rolling were not associated with cortisol concentrations (p>0.05). For DHI in cows, the milk protein percentage (p = 0.028), milk true protein percentage (p = 0.021) and milk crude protein percentage (p = 0.023) of cows in the ETR group were significantly lower than those in the CON group. For cows in ETR group, as the frequencies of tongue-rolling increased, the milk protein percentage (p = 0.034, r = 0.365), milk true protein percentage (p = 0.022, r = 0.393) and milk crude protein percentage (p = 0.035, r = 0.363) increased. We investigated the relationship between stereotypic behaviours and stress by using a non-invasive sampling method to minimise harm to the cows. We suggest that tongue-rolling may not be a way for cows to cope with stress, at least in terms of cortisol concentrations.

Effects of flavoring additives on feed intake, growth performance, temperament and markers of immune function for newly received feedlot cattle.

Ninety Angus × Hereford steers (259.9 ± 36.18kg body weight (BW)), were used in a 56-d experiment to assess the effects of flavoring additives on feed intake, and stress and immune response of newly received feedlot cattle. Steers were homogenously distributed by BW into six pens equipped with an individual feed intake monitoring system, and pen was randomly assigned to one of three treatments (15 head/pen; 30 head/treatment): a standard feedlot receiving diet (CT), or the same diet with a flavoring additive comprised of either sweeteners (Luctarom Feedlot, SW) or a mix of basic tastes (Luctarom Feedlot Mix, MX) at 1kg/mT. Pens were equipped with a feed intake monitoring system, while BW, chute behavior, flight speed, blood and saliva samples were collected bi-weekly, and hair samples collected at 4-week intervals during the study. Data were analyzed using a mixed-effects model for a pen study using individual animal records with repeated measures. There was a treatment × week interaction (P < 0.01) where meal duration was greater in SW steers than MX and CT on wk 3, and than CT on wk 7 and 8. A trend for treatment × week interaction (P = 0.06) showed that the number of visits per day tended to be greater in SW than MX steers on wk 4 and 5, and it tended to be greater in SW than MX and CT on wk 5. The concentration of IL-6 was greater (P <0.01) on d 1 and 28 than on d 14. The IgM concentration was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 compared to d 14, 28 and 56. The concentration of haptoglobin was greater (P < 0.01) on 14 than d 28, 42 and 56, and it was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 than d 42 and 56. The concentration of serum amyloid A was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 compared to the rest of sampling days. Fibrinogen concentration was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 compared to d 14 and 42. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was greater (P < 0.01) on d 42 and 56 compared to d 1 and 28, and greater (P < 0.01) on d 14 compared to d 28. Hair and saliva cortisol concentration were lower (P < 0.01) on d 56 compared to d 1 and 28, respectively. The use of flavoring additives, particularly when based on sweeteners (SW), caused some changes in the feeding pattern of newly received steers. These changes, however, were not consistent over the 56-d feeding period and were not accompanied by a change in growth performance, temperament, biomarkers of stress, inflammation, or immune function.

Effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on attention and dispositional mindfulness in young adult males

This study examined the impact of brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) training on attention function and dispositional mindfulness in young males. 126 male participants aged 18–26 from the security industry were recruited, with 66 participants (M = 22.84, SD = 2.41) undergoing 4-week mindfulness meditation training and 60 participants (M = 23.07, SD = 2.29) in the active control group. The intervention was integrated into the participants' schedules. Measures included Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaires (FFMQ), concentration and assignment attention tasks, Attention Network Test (ANT), and saliva cortisol concentration. Findings indicate that brief mindfulness meditation training led to significant improvements in participants' FFMQ scores), with marginally significant enhancements in the executive control network. However, it had no discernible effect on alertness and orientation networks. Additionally, brief mindfulness meditation training enhanced attention allocation to light stimulation and prolonged individual attention. Surprisingly, there was no observed decrease in saliva cortisol concentration among meditation training participants. However, this study did not find a decrease in saliva cortisol concentration in the brief mindfulness meditation group. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of a 4-week brief mindfulness meditation training program to enhance dispositional mindfulness and specific aspects of attention function in young men, offering practical insights into the benefits of mindfulness meditation practices for this demographic.

A randomised controlled trial assessing the effects of weather sensitivity profile and walking in nature on the psychophysiological response to stress in individuals with coronary artery disease. A study protocol

BackgroundThe following protocol pertains to a pioneer study, aiming to investigate how weather sensitivity and walking in different environments affects the psychophysiological responses to the stress of individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD) during rehabilitation (WE_SENSE_THE_NATURE). This randomised control trial will provide fresh insight on the influence of the environmental exposure in CAD patients, as it is seldom investigated in association to the disease. Additionally, findings on the link between personality traits and cognitive functions (especially cognitive flexibility), and weather sensitivity may help reveal a fine-grained perspective on the treatment possibilities for individuals with CAD at risk to stress-vulnerability.MethodsThe proposed protocol is for a randomised control trial among individuals attending a cardiac rehabilitation program. We aim to recruit 164 individuals, collecting information related to demographic characteristics, weather sensitivity, functional capacity, personality traits, subjective mental health status, cognitive function, and basal cortisol level of participating individuals. Basal cortisol level refers to cortisol concentration in saliva and will be tested in the morning and the afternoon prior to the day of the experiment. After baseline measurements, the patients will be randomly assigned to either walking outdoors or walking indoors. All measures and their sequential order will remain the same within each group, while the treatment condition (i.e., walking environment) will vary between groups. On the day of the experiment, hemodynamic parameters (assessed via 6-hour blood pressure measurements), stress level (consisting of assessments of cortisol level), and mood (assessed using visual analogues scale) will be registered. Cold stress test will be administered to evaluate the effect of walking in different environments.DiscussionThe outcomes of this study may have direct clinical applications for the use of different types of exercise environments in cardiac rehabilitation programs. Awareness about the potential influence of weather sensitivity on the psychophysiological reactions to stress in individuals with CAD may contribute to a timely planning and implementation of actions leading to improved medical care services and preventive measures, especially considering the expected weather oscillations and extreme weather events due to unfolding of the climate change.Trial registrationThis protocol has been retrospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier code: NCT06139705 on November 20, 2023.

Frontal asymmetry and physiological responses in religious and spiritual problems with and without conversion

ABSTRACT Religious conversion is often associated with a negative emotional state accompanied by profound changes in sacred beliefs, values, attitudes, and practices. This negative emotional state is referred to as “Religious or Spiritual Problem” (RSP) in the revised 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR, 2022). The physiological and neuronal correlates of RSP and religious conversion are not known. Therefore, we measured lateralized frontal alpha-asymmetry, saliva cortisol levels, and heart rate in 24 individuals who experienced religious conversion with RSP, 23 individuals with RSP without religious conversion, and 20 problem-free controls with matched religiosity. In the baseline condition, participants read newspapers and listened to non-religious music; in the religious condition, they read Bible verses and listened to sacred music. Relative to the controls, both groups with RSP showed stress responses in the religious condition, including increased frontal alpha-asymmetry (left > right frontal activation), elevated saliva cortisol concentrations, and higher heart rate. Participants experiencing religious conversion displayed higher frontal alpha-asymmetry than those without conversion, but the cortisol levels and heart rate responses were similar in converters and non-converters. These results indicate that religious conversion with RSP demands a higher cognitive load than RSP alone.

Morphofunctional and psychophysiological body indicators in monitoring students’ health status, in view of their adjustment to academic environment

Students’ adjustment to higher education process depends largely on the body’s individual features. The student’s physiological and psychological status, as well as the initial motivational setting attitudes are the determining factors. Given this backcloth, the search for ways to improve the health, while aiming at enhancing future qualified specialists’ working and adjustment capacity, appears to be an issue of utmost importance.Material and methods. A longitudinal study involving university students of different years was carried out, through which anthropometric data were evaluated for the same students in their 1st year and then – in their 2nd year of training; the concentration of testosterone and cortisol in saliva, thyroid-stimulating hormone and triiodothyronine in blood serum was measured by ELISA; also, psychophysiological values were estimated through unified questionnaires.Results. The results showed that over the course of education, the students had their hemoglobin concentration, average hemoglobin content in erythrocytes, and leukocyte number decreased. Notable was a significant increase in 3rd year students’ thyroid-stimulating hormone content and a decrease of triiodothyronine and testosterone. A test relying on the Buss – Durkee Hostility Inventory helped to detect an increase in the aggression and suspicion criterion indicators among senior students if matched versus similar values obtained for their freshmen-counterparts.Conclusions. The research outcomes expand the informational and the methodological base required to evaluate an average student’s functional status from the standpoint of a systematic approach and the theory of the norm. Besides, such data will offer an insight into the main mechanisms behind stressinducing, just like stress-limiting, adjustment strategies. This study of the morphofunctional status indicators allows – while within the annual health monitoring approach – identifying the regulatory and the adjustment capacities in students, both at the time they are enrolled as freshmen and further, thus helping predict the potential risk of maladjustment, which, in turn, may serve a useful tool in taking preventive measures, the final goal being to maintain students’ health through their higher education training period.

Academic stress and practical performance of freshmen in human anatomy

Objective: to evaluate salivary Cortisol and Alpha-amylase levels, relating them to the level of stress and academic performance of calories in the Human Anatomy discipline. Methods: Saliva collection procedures were performed before and after the application of the practical assessment of Human Anatomy. Saliva Cortisol and alpha-amylase concentrations were evaluated by ELISA method. The short version of the Stress Assessment Questionnaire for Nursing Students (ASNS) was used. Results: There was an increase in the students' stress level, with a significant increase of 46.8% in the levels of Cortisol and 46.1% of Alpha-amylase, (p &lt;0.0009 and p &lt;0.0001, respectively) after performing the proof. Initial averages were evaluated, before the start of the evaluation, of 0.440 ± 0.047 µg/dL for Cortisol and 111.19 ± 11.86 U/mL for salivary Alpha-amylase, and final average, after the evaluation was carried out, of Cortisol and final Alpha-amylase of 0.646 ± 0.178 µg/dL and 162.45 ± 44.69, respectively. The level of stress detected by the questionnaire presented significantly and positively (Cortisol: r²= 0.4353; p=0.0272/Alpha-amylase: r²= 0.4413; p=0.0258), with peak Cortisol (0, 21±0.15 μg/dL) and alpha-amylase (162.5 ± 44.7 U/ml). There was a significant and negative glow of academic performance with the peak of Cortisol (r²= 0.4169; p=0.0319) and Alpha-amylase (r²=0.4178; p=0.0316). Conclusion: The increase in declared stress is multifactorial, in which the university routine and emotional instability intensify the increase in anxiety and self-demand, which has repercussions on the performance of academics.

A smartphone-assisted portable strategy based on maple leaf-like Au/Cu2S/MoS2 composite for photothermal and colorimetric sensing of cortisol

Herein, we describe a first-time synthesis of a maple leaf-like Au/Cu2S/MoS2 composite (denoted as ACM throughout this paper) with both photothermal and peroxidase (POD) activities. Based on the ACM, we developed a smartphone-assisted portable detection platform for the photothermal and colorimetric dual-mode sensing of cortisol in human saliva. Because of complementary base pairing, the “Y”-type signal-probe (formed by the coincubation of ACM-DNA1 and ACM-DNA2) is fixed on cortisol-specific aptamer-functionalized magnetic beads (MB–Aptcortisol). ​In the presence of target cortisol, MB-Aptcortisol is more likely to combine with cortisol, “Y”-type signal-probes are released, which can oxidize 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to blue oxTMB in the existence of H2O2. Notably, the oxTMB exhibits a distinct photothermal response which, in combination with the photothermal properties of the ACM, achieves transduction and signal amplification of cortisol through a cascade enzyme reaction. The photothermal and colorimetric signals increase with increasing target concentrations. This portable dual-signal sensing platform enables the detection of cortisol in the range of 5–10000 ng/mL, with detection limits of 0.11 and 0.25 ng/mL for photothermal and colorimetric signals, respectively (The reference concentration of cortisol in saliva of healthy people is 1–12 ng/mL in the morning and 0.1–3 ng/mL at night). It is inexpensive, user-friendly, and allows for rapid analysis, rendering it suitable for clinical applications.

PSX-21 Evaluation of the Effect of Extended-Term Delivery of Local Anesthetic on Mitigating the Pain Caused By Castration

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the extended-term delivery of anesthesia on the physiological and behavioral signs of pain caused by band castration in 1-month-old bull calves. Forty-eight calves (37.04 ± 8.98 days of age) were homogenously assigned by age to one of three band castration protocols (n = 16/protocol); 1) regular elastrator bands (REG), 2) regular elastrator bands preceded by two 2-mL injections of lidocaine (REG+L; LIDO-2 with epinephrine, Rafter 8 Products Inc, Calgary, Canada), and 3) lidocaine elastrator bands (LBAND; Care-Ring, Chinook Contract Research Inc., Calgary, Canada). During the castration procedure, two observers scored (from 1 to 10) how much pain each animal was experiencing (visual analog score, VAS), number of body shakes and leg kicks for each calf. Calves were weighed on d -1, 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56. Hair cortisol concentration was measured on d -1, 28, and 56. Saliva cortisol concentration was measured right after castration, 60, 120, 240 minutes after castration, on d 1 and weekly thereafter until d 56. Flight speed (FS) was recorded on d -1, right after castration, 60, 120, 240 minutes after castration, d 1, and weekly thereafter until d 56. Calf behaviors in the pen indicative of pain and discomfort were recorded on d 0, 1, and weekly thereafter until d 56. The REG+L calves tended to have decreased (P = 0.09) VAS scores than REG calves. The average daily gain was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) from d 42 to 56 than from d 1 to 42, and from d 1 to 28 compared with d 28 to 42 in all treatment groups. The REG calves had decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) hair cortisol concentrations than both REG+L and LBAND calves. Saliva cortisol concentrations were greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) 60 minutes after castration than any other sample time in all treatment groups. There was an interaction between treatment and time (P = 0.04), where only LBAND had a greater FS immediately after castration compared with d -1. When calves were observed in the pen there were no treatment effects (P &amp;gt; 0.10) but only time differences (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in the frequency of head turns, oral behaviors, tail flicks, and number of standing and walking bouts. The behavioral and physiological parameters assessed showed expected results on the effects of band castrating calves, while the administration of lidocaine via REG+L or LBAND did not show any pain mitigation effect compared with the standard industry banding method (REG).

Metabolic rates in female guinea pigs during different reproductive stages

Reproduction in female mammals is characterized by major changes in steroid hormone concentrations, which can be linked to fluctuations in energy expenditure (EE). Estradiol and cortisol can increase EE and metabolic rates (MRs), but knowledge on MR changes during the estrous cycle and gestation is scarce for many species. This also applies to the domestic guinea pig, a species exhibiting an exceptional estrous cycle among rodents. In this study, MRs were measured through oxygen (O2) consumption in female guinea pigs during different reproductive stages. Mean O2 consumption over 2.5 h, resting metabolic rate (RMR, lowest and most stable O2 consumption over 3 min), body mass, fecal estrogen and progesterone, and saliva cortisol concentrations were measured in twelve female guinea pigs in a repeated measurements design during diestrus, estrus, and the second trimester of gestation. In estrus, body mass was significantly lower and estrogen and cortisol concentrations were significantly higher compared to diestrus and gestation. Mean O2 consumption and RMR both were significantly increased in estrus compared to diestrus. Additionally, a positive effect of body mass on MRs detected during diestrus and gestation was not found during estrus. Mean O2 consumption was also higher during gestation compared to diestrus, and a significant increase in cortisol concentrations during the 2.5-h MR measurement was recorded. The results indicate that estrus in guinea pigs is energetically demanding, which probably reflects catabolic effects of estrogens and cortisol that uncoupled MRs from body mass. Knowledge on the energetic requirements associated with different reproductive stages is important for future physiological and behavioral studies on female guinea pigs.

Extremely and very preterm children who were born appropriate for gestational age show no differences in cortisol concentrations or diurnal rhythms compared to full-term children.

The objective of this study was to compare the diurnal variations in cortisol and cortisone concentrations in serum and saliva among extremely preterm (EPT), very preterm (VPT), and full-term (FT) children, all born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). EPT, VPT, and FT children, all born AGA, were recruited from two healthcare centers. Cortisol and cortisone concentrations in serum and saliva were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC‒MS). Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric tests. A total of 101 children (5.0-8.9 years old) were included in this study: EPT=18, VPT=43 and FT=40. All groups had similar distributions in terms of age, birth weight standard deviation score (SDS) and BMI (SDS), showing no differences in serum ACTH, cortisol, or cortisone levels. Additionally, salivary cortisol and cortisone concentrations decreased significantly throughout the day (p values<0.0001). Salivary cortisol concentrations were below the limit of detection (0.55 nmol/L) before dinner andbefore bedtime in approximately one-third and two-thirds of all children, respectively. Salivary cortisone was detectable in all but one sample. The diurnal cortisol rhythm was preserved in all preterm children, regardless of their gestational age, and no differences in cortisol concentrations among the groups were found. This may have significant implications for the clinical management and follow-up of preterm individuals.

Stress and streets: How the network structure of streets is associated with stress-related brain activation

Previous research has examined the relation between urban design factors and mental health, but the impact of street networks is underrepresented. This exploratory, cross-sectional study examines the association between street network variables based on the Space Syntax theory and whole-brain activation during a social stress paradigm. Forty-two individuals who lived in Berlin participated in an fMRI study during which acute social stress was induced. Saliva cortisol concentrations, subjective stress ratings, and mean heart rate were assessed as proxies for a successful stress induction. Space Syntax was used as a tool to objectively measure street network characteristics including global integration (‘proximity’ of a street to all the other streets in a network), local integration (‘proximity’ of a street to a certain number of streets within a walkable area), connectivity (‘direct street connections’ a street has), and normalized angular choice (NACH) (‘straightest and shortest’ route for a street in a street network). They were analyzed within a 1500 m radius of participants' address (i.e., neighborhood) as well as for the street closest to their address (i.e., point address). Higher mean neighborhood global and local integration, which equate to better integrated streets in the network, were associated with less activation during stress provocation in several brain regions, including dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and thalamus, which play a role in the detection of salient stimuli and threats. No association was found between brain activity and global and local integration for the point address. There was also no association between brain activity and connectivity or NACH for any conditions. The study indicates that Space Syntax is a useful tool for measuring macro-scale urban space (e.g., street networks) in neuro-urbanistic studies. The results underline the need to explore the potential of optimizing street networks to better understand pathways to urban mental health.

Maternal stress is associated with higher protein-bound amino acid concentrations in human milk.

Maternal stress in the postpartum period affects not only the mother but also her newborn child, who is at increased risk of developing metabolic and mental disorders later in life. The mechanisms by which stress is transmitted to the infant are not yet fully understood. Human milk (HM) is a potential candidate as maternal stress affects various components of HM, e.g., fat and immunoglobulin concentrations. To date, it is unknown whether maternal stress also affects the amino acids (AAs) in HM, even though this nutrient is of extreme importance to child health and development. This study aimed to investigate whether and how maternal stress is associated with the AA composition of HM. In this observational cohort study (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), lactating women were recruited in two study groups: a high-stress (HS) group; women whose child was hospitalized (n = 24), and a control (CTL) group; women who gave birth to a healthy child (n = 73). HM was collected three times a day, on postpartum days 10, 17, and 24. Perceived psychological stress was measured using validated questionnaires, while biological stress measures were based on hair, saliva, and HM cortisol concentrations. HM protein-bound and free AAs were analyzed by liquid chromatography and compared between groups. Maternal perceived stress scores were higher in the HS group (p < 0.01). The concentrations of protein-bound AAs in HM were higher in the HS group compared to the CTL group (p = 0.028) and were positively associated with HM cortisol concentrations (p = 0.024). The concentrations of free AAs did not differ between study groups and were unrelated to cortisol concentrations. Findings from this prospective cohort study suggest that maternal stress in the postpartum period is associated with an altered human milk amino acid composition, which could play a role in the transmission of maternal stress effects to her child. The physiological implications of these stress-induced changes for infant development await future research.

Relationship among indicators of pain and stress in response to piglet surgical castration: an exploratory analysis

Multi-dimensional approaches are suggested as advantageous for evaluation of pain and/or stress at piglet castration, but the interpretation of data from such approaches is limited by a lack of understanding of relationships among different types of indicators and associated parameters. This paper used an exploratory approach to evaluate the interrelationships between different physiological, vocal, and behavioral indicators obtained during and after surgical castration of 580 piglets aged 3-4 days. The data, obtained from two experimental studies, were examined by analyses of correlations and by principal component analyses (PCA). Principal components were analyzed in mixed effects models. Each type of indicator (vocalization, resistance movement, saliva cortisol concentration, behavioral response in a social motivation test, behavior in the home pen, reaction to human) mainly contributed to separate principal components in the PCA and showed relatively low correlation coefficients between each other, indicating a variation in the response explained by the indicator types. Even within a type of indicator, specific parameters were, in several cases, found to explain different aspects of the piglet response. Overall, the results point to the importance of careful consideration of the differences existing among indicator types and highlight the need for further methodological development in that domain.

Longitudinal association between saliva and hair cortisol concentration: A systematic comparison

Cortisol assays from hair have become increasingly common in psychoneuroendocrinological research as indicators of long-term output relevant to stress and health outcomes. Comparisons of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) with salivary samples have produced mixed findings, and it remains unclear which aspects of the diurnal salivary profile correspond most closely to HCC, and what time intervals between saliva and hair sampling are most relevant, taking the rate of hair growth into account. This longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the correspondence between HCC and parameters of total salivary cortisol output in the morning (CARauc and CARi) and during the rest of the day excluding the early morning period (DAYauc), by systematically studying three time periods – two weeks, four weeks, and six weeks – before hair sampling. At each time period, 54 female university students (mean age: 20.85 ± 1.16 years) provided three saliva cortisol samples on day 1 at 11 am, 3 pm, at bedtime, then two samples the following day on waking and 30 min after awakening. Hair strand collection (1 cm nearest the scalp) took place two weeks after the last saliva sample. Results of multivariable regressions indicate that HCC was consistently associated with DAYauc for all three time periods and with the aggregate DAYauc across days after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, oral contraceptive use, hair washing frequency and hair treatments. The strongest associations were found for DAYauc two weeks before hair sampling (β = 0.578, p < 0.001) and the aggregated DAYauc across all three time periods (β = 0.596, p < 0.001), although the confidence intervals overlapped those for four and six week analyses. There was no significant association between HCC and either CARauc or CARi. Our study confirms that hair cortisol could be a reliable retrospective biomarker of basal and long-term cortisol output secretion at least up to six weeks earlier. The results contribute to a better understanding of the different associations between HCC and salivary cortisol in the morning and the rest of the day, while also having implications for the use of HCC as an outcome measure in intervention and treatment research.

Non-Invasive Biomarkers in Saliva and Eye Infrared Thermography to Assess the Stress Response of Calves during Transport.

Animal transport is currently a stressful procedure. Therefore, animal-based indicators are needed for reliable and non-invasive welfare assessment. Saliva is a biospecimen with potential validity for the determination of cortisol and oxidative stress, although its use to assess calf welfare during transport has never been tested. Similarly, the applicability and reliability of infrared thermography to assess temperature change during calves' transport have never been evaluated. These objectives were outlined following the known and growing need to identify non-invasive methodologies for stress assessment in bovines. This study was conducted on 20 calves of the Arouquesa autochthone breed, at about nine months of age, during their transport to slaughter. For each animal, saliva samples and thermographic images of the eye were collected at three time points: before transport, after transport, and at slaughter. The saliva was then processed to measure cortisol levels and oxidative stress parameters (reactive oxygen species, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, carbonyls, and advanced oxidation protein products), and the images were analyzed using FLIR Tools+ software. There was an increase in cortisol concentration and oxidative stress parameters (reactive oxygen species, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, carbonyls, and advanced oxidation protein products) in saliva after transport. An increase in eye temperature triggered by transport was also observed. The cortisol and eye temperature results at slaughter were returned to values similar to those before transport; however, the values of oxidative stress remained increased (mainly TBARS values). These non-invasive techniques seem to be reliable indicators of stress in bovine transport, and oxidative stress parameters in saliva may be a persistent marker for welfare assessment.

Effects of sensor ear tags with twin pin fixing system on health and well-being of cattle.

A sensor ear tag (SET) containing Global Positioning System (GPS), accelerometer, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), and Bluetooth technologies was tested for wearing comfort and compliance with animal welfare requirements in cattle in a free stall barn and on summer pasture in Switzerland. The SET was equipped with a long-lasting battery via solar panel and used a «twin pin» fixing system. Right ears of 12 newborns and 26 adolescent animals were tagged with the SET. While left ears were tagged simultaneously with official ear tags in newborns, the adolescent animals already carried the official ear tags. The newborns stayed in a free stall barn during the entire experiment, while adolescent animals were housed in a free stall barn and on pasture during summer. All animals developed crusts beginning on day 7 after tagging with the SET. Pain reactions were observed occasionally in the first two weeks. Ear growth in newborns during 11 months of observation did not differ between ears with SET and official ear tags. Cortisol concentration in saliva of newborns decreased in the first week after tagging which is physiological for this age group. In older animals cortisol concentrations in saliva were not affected. We registered 19 incidences in 11 animals with the SET, that required veterinary or staff intervention. Two animals lost the SET with ear injury. Scars due to tag migration were observed in ears of all newborns after the 9th month of observation. In conclusion, SET with a weight of 32 g that need a twin pin fixation in cows do not seem to induce systemic or local inflammations more frequently compared to official ear tags; however, the higher risk of accidental injuries and migration in ear cartilage would not meet Swiss welfare standards and the attachment to the ear needs to be improved for general use.

A description of the elevation of pericardial cortisol: cortisone ratio in patients with tuberculous pericarditis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is an inflammatory disease associated with an elevated cortisol/cortisone ratio at the site of infection and an array of cytokine changes. Tuberculous pericarditis is a less common but more lethal form of tuberculosis and has a similar inflammatory process in the pericardium. As the pericardium is largely inaccessible, the effect of tuberculous pericarditis on pericardial glucocorticoids is largely unknown. We wished to describe pericardial cortisolcortisone ratio in relation to plasma and saliva cortisol/cortisone ratios and the associated changes in cytokine concentrations. The median (interquartile range) of plasma, pericardial, and saliva cortisol concentration was 443 (379-532), 303 (257-384), and 20 (10-32) nmol/L, respectively, whereas the median (interquartile range) of plasma, pericardial, and saliva cortisone concentrations was 49 (35-57), 15.0 (0.0-21.7), and 37 (25-55) nmol/L, respectively. The cortisol/cortisone ratio was highest in pericardium with median (interquartile range) of 20 (13-445), followed by plasma of 9.1 (7.4-12.1) and saliva of 0.4 (0.3-0.8). The elevated cortisol/cortisone ratio was associated with elevated pericardial, interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and induced protein 10. Administration of a single dose of 120 mg of prednisolone was associated with the suppression of pericardial cortisol and cortisone within 24h of administration. The cortisol/cortisone ratio was highest at the site of infection, in this case, the pericardium. The elevated ratio was associated with a differential cytokine response. The observed pericardial cortisol suppression suggests that 120 mg of prednisolone was sufficient to evoke an immunomodulatory effect in the pericardium.

Neuroendocrine response to a psychosocial stress test is not related to schizotypy but cortisol elevation predicts inflexibility of semantic memory retrieval

An altered stress response can contribute to the transition from preclinical psychotic symptoms to the clinical manifestation of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The present study was aimed at testing the hypotheses that (i) the autonomic and neuroendocrine responses under psychosocial stress are dysregulated in individuals with high psychosis proneness (schizotypy); (ii) the magnitude of post-stress autonomic activation and cortisol release predicts alterations in semantic memory retrieval. The study was performed in 73 healthy individuals of both sexes with either high or low schizotypal traits preselected out of 609 individuals using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. A psychosocial stress procedure based on public speech was used as a stress model. We found that individuals with high schizotypy engaged in less adaptive emotional stress-coping strategies than low schizotypy individuals. Yet, the neuroendocrine, immune, and sympathetic activation in response to the stress test was not different between the groups. Irrespective of the exposure to the stressor, individuals with high schizotypy were less fluent when retrieving associations from semantic memory. In addition, we demonstrated that acute psychosocial stress reduced the flexibility of semantic memory retrieval. The post-stress mental inflexibility was reliably predicted by the concomitant elevation of cortisol concentrations in saliva. The present study thus brings novel evidence indicating that the acute psychosocial challenge impairs retrieval flexibility in the semantic domain, which may be due to neuroendocrine activation.

Assessing stress using repeated saliva concentration of steroid hormones in dementia care dyads: results from a controlled pilot care music intervention.

Stress-related biomarkers have the potential to provide objective measures of whether interventions directed at people with dementia (PWD) and their family caregivers (FCG) are successful. The use of such biomarkers has been limited by logistical barriers to sample collection. Explore saliva concentration of steroid hormones in dementia care dyads during a music intervention. Consecutive PWD attending a memory evaluation center and their FCG were allocated to either an intervention-with-music or a non-intervention control group. All were living at home. Stress biomarkers, salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) samples were collected by the PWD and their FCG, in the morning and evening, 5 days a week, for 8 consecutive weeks. Biomarker concentrations of the intervention and the control groups were compared at week 8, in an intention-to-treat approach with adjustment for baseline value. Twenty-four PWD in the intervention group and 10 in the control group, and their FCG were included in the analyses. The mean number of morning saliva collections was similar in the intervention and the control groups, ranging from 4.3 to 4.9 per participant weekly during the first 7 weeks, declining to 3.3 during week 8. Median log morning cortisol (pg/mL) among caregivers was lower in the intervention group than in the control group (8.09 vs. 8.57, P = 0.0133). This study demonstrates that music intervention was associated with lower morning saliva cortisol concentrations for FCGs.