Résumé
The purpose of the present study was to indicate the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures, the daily rhythm of oral temperature (OT), and lifestyle. Five-hundred young men volunteered to participate in this study. Their OT, measured using a digital thermometer, was recorded every 2h from the time they woke up to the time they went to sleep for 1 week. The daily rhythm of OT was calculated as a quadratic function using the 1-week data. The HRQOL was measured using the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2). The participants were divided into 3 groups: a high-value group (HG) with ≥ 55 points of each summary score and each subscale score, a middle-value group (MG) with score > 45 and < 55 points, and a low-value group (LG) with score ≤ 45 points. Lifestyle was assessed in terms of eating habits, sleeping and exercise, and the presence of unidentified complaints. At the mental component summary, the OT at the time of waking up and the peak OT in the HG were significantly higher than those in the LG. At the physical and mental component summary, lifestyle in the HG was more favorable. These data suggest that the daily rhythms of OT may reflect the mental health status of an individual. The entraining factors in circadian variation might play a role in improving mental health and reducing unidentified complaints. In conclusion, there appears to be an association between mental health status, lifestyle, and daily rhythms of OT.
Résumé
Daily variation in circulatory melatonin level, during different seasons, has been reported to influence immune system and free-radical scavenging capacity in mammals, including human beings. Similar studies have not been carried out on small ruminant viz. goats that are susceptible to opportunistic infections, increased oxidative load and sickness during free-grazing activity and frequent exposure to agro-chemicals. Therefore, daily variation in immune status, antioxidant enzyme activity and its possible correlation with circulatory melatonin level during two different seasons, summer (long day) and winter (short day) were studied in the Indian goat, Capra hircus. The clinically important immune parameters, such as total leukocyte count, % lymphocyte count and % stimulation ratio of T-lymphocytes presented a day/night rhythm prominently in the winter. The oxidative load in terms of malonedialdehyde was always low during night while antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant status were high during nighttime (1800 to 0600 hrs). Interestingly, the studied parameters were significantly higher during the winter in both the sexes. Rhythmometric analyses showed prominent rhythmicity in above parameters. The data presented strong positive correlation between high levels of nighttime melatonin levels and immune parameters during winter. It suggests that melatonin possesses immunoenhacing as well as antioxidative property during winter. This might be a necessity for maintenance of physiological harmony in goats to protect them from winter stress.
Résumé
Triatomine bugs show a temporal modulation of many activities. Here, we analyse the daily modulation of the aggregation behaviour of Triatoma infestans larvae and its chronobiological basis. In the laboratory, groups of six bugs were released over an experimental arena during six consecutive days, where their aggregation behaviour was quantified every hour. When submitted to a 12/12 h photoperiod (L/D), the larvae of T. infestans exhibited a cyclic pattern of aggregation with a 24 h period, evincing the existence of a daily rhythm of aggregation in this species. Bugs exhibited the maximum aggregation tendency at the end of the scotophase (7:00 h), moment in which they naturally search for refuges. The minimum aggregation (i.e. maximal dispersion) was observed during the last part of the photophase and beginning of the scotophase (15:00 to 1:00 h). This cyclic pattern disappeared when constant conditions of illumination (L/L) or darkness (D/D) were imposed to the bugs, suggesting the absence of an endogenous circadian control of this behaviour. Insects submitted to L/L and D/D photoperiods presented lower global levels of aggregation than those submitted to L/D conditions. The lack of an endogenous control and the relevance of light cycles as a synchronization signal are discussed as the temporal modulation of this behaviour might play an important role in the nocturnal habits of this species.