A randomized controlled pilot study of inflammatory gene expression in response to a stress management intervention for stem cell transplant caregivers.

Few studies have addressed whether stress-associated physiological changes in caregivers are reversible by psychological interventions mitigating distress. We report on pro-inflammatory, sympathetic, and oxidative stress gene expression in response to stress management for caregivers of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (Allo-HSCT) patients. Following randomization by permuted block to either treatment as usual (TAU, n = 11) or a stress management intervention (PsychoEducation, Paced Respiration, and Relaxation, PEPRR, n = 13), twenty-four caregivers were selected at the conclusion of a larger trial of 149 caregivers. PEPRR was provided one-on-one beginning around transplant. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling was conducted on peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected prior to randomization and on completion of PEPRR 3 months post-transplant. Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed genes indicated reduced activity of transcription control pathways associated with inflammation (NF-κB), sympathetic nervous system (CREB), and oxidative stress (NRF2) in caregivers receiving PEPRR compared to TAU aligning with reductions in stress, depression, and anxiety. This suggests that PEPRR may alter transcriptomic effects reported for distressed individuals.

A trait-based trade-off between growth and mortality: evidence from 15 tropical tree species using size-specific relative growth rates.

A life-history trade-off between low mortality in the dark and rapid growth in the light is one of the most widely accepted mechanisms underlying plant ecological strategies in tropical forests. Differences in plant functional traits are thought to underlie these distinct ecological strategies; however, very few studies have shown relationships between functional traits and demographic rates within a functional group. We present 8 years of growth and mortality data from saplings of 15 species of Dipterocarpaceae planted into logged-over forest in Malaysian Borneo, and the relationships between these demographic rates and four key functional traits: wood density, specific leaf area (SLA), seed mass, and leaf C:N ratio. Species-specific differences in growth rates were separated from seedling size effects by fitting nonlinear mixed-effects models, to repeated measurements taken on individuals at multiple time points. Mortality data were analyzed using binary logistic regressions in a mixed-effects models framework. Growth increased and mortality decreased with increasing light availability. Species differed in both their growth and mortality rates, yet there was little evidence for a statistical interaction between species and light for either response. There was a positive relationship between growth rate and the predicted probability of mortality regardless of light environment, suggesting that this relationship may be driven by a general trade-off between traits that maximize growth and traits that minimize mortality, rather than through differential species responses to light. Our results indicate that wood density is an important trait that indicates both the ability of species to grow and resistance to mortality, but no other trait was correlated with either growth or mortality. Therefore, the growth mortality trade-off among species of dipterocarp appears to be general in being independent of species crossovers in performance in different light environments.

Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and DHEA using a novel collection device: electronic monitoring confirms accurate recording of collection time using this device.

The accurate indication of saliva collection time is important for defining the diurnal decline in salivary cortisol as well as characterizing the cortisol awakening response. We tested a convenient and novel collection device for collecting saliva on strips of filter paper in a specially constructed booklet for determination of both cortisol and DHEA. In the present study, 31 healthy adults (mean age 43.5 years) collected saliva samples four times a day on three consecutive days using filter paper collection devices (Saliva Procurement and Integrated Testing (SPIT) booklet) which were maintained during the collection period in a large plastic bottle with an electronic monitoring cap. Subjects were asked to collect saliva samples at awakening, 30 min after awakening, before lunch and 600 min after awakening. The time of awakening and the time of collection before lunch were allowed to vary by each subjects' schedule. A reliable relationship was observed between the time recorded by the subject directly on the booklet and the time recorded by electronic collection device (n=286 observations; r(2)=0.98). However, subjects did not consistently collect the saliva samples at the two specific times requested, 30 and 600 min after awakening. Both cortisol and DHEA revealed diurnal declines. In spite of variance in collection times at 30 min and 600 min after awakening, the slope of the diurnal decline in both salivary cortisol and DHEA was similar when we compared collection tolerances of ±7.5 and ±15 min for each steroid. These unique collection booklets proved to be a reliable method for recording collection times by subjects as well as for estimating diurnal salivary cortisol and DHEA patterns.