Individual typological characteristics of hormonal responses in dogs during psychoemotional stress

Effects of psycho-emotional stress on contents of steroid hormones in the blood were studied in dogs with different typological properties of the higher nervous activity. Under stress condition, a significant correlation between the cortisol and testosterone levels and the dogs' typological characteristics was found. The more obvious fluctuations in the hormones level occurred in animals with strong and excitable type of the nervous system as compared with dogs belonging to weak and inert type.     

Systemic analysis: Individual typological characteristics of the human body

Statistical analysis of the distribution of the mean somatometric, functional, and psychophysiological parameters in the total sample of subjects with the use of the χ² and λ tests and low, medium, and high habitual physical activity (HPA) levels (LHPA, MHPA, and HHPA, respectively) at different ontogenetic stages (junior and senior school students and young adults of both sexes) showed wide quantitative and qualitative ranges of psychophysiological individuality in a healthy population and demonstrated that it is reasonable to distinguish three typological groups or functional constitutional types (FT-1 corresponding to LHPA; FT-2, to MHPA; and FT-3, to HHPA). Typical first- and second-order parameters, as well as the results of third-order tests characterizing the current state, were determined for each FT. In order to comprehensively assess the constitutional type (synthetic constitution) of the subjects with low, medium, and high HPAs, the integrated analysis of the set of their characteristics was performed using the principles of polythetic (multi-variate) classification. The results obtained using multivariate statistical methods confirmed the basic postulate of the concept of typological variability of physiological individuality that a healthy human population is qualitatively heterogeneous in morphological, functional, and psychophysiological traits. The integrated physiological and statistical analyses of the results provided a scientific basis for three functional constitutional types (FT-1, FT-2, and FT-3) corresponding to three synthetic constitutional types (C 0-1, C 00, and C 01). These data indicate that the systemic (constitutional) approach to the estimation of individual typological characteristics confirm a high informativeness of partial constitution (FT-1, FT-2, and FT-3) in the human biological organization, and the set of characters selected for analysis allows the synthetic constitutional types to be adequately differentiated on a formal basis.     

Integrated assessment of neurodynamic and autonomic indicators in adolescents: Age-specific,gender-specific,and typological characteristics

The results of investigations carried out in school students aged 11–16 years (n = 930) have allowed us to determine some gender- and age-specific features in the neurodynamic and autonomic indicators of adolescents and identify the factors determining the formation of their psychophysiological state. The analysis of associations between the characteristics recorded in adolescents and a specific type of autonomic regulation has led to the conclusion about the predictive significance shown by the assessment of their functional constitution as an individual’s adaptation and resource characteristics.     

Individual typological characteristics of higher nervous performance and asymmetry of hippocampus and amygdala electrical activity in dogs

Electrical activity of the frontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, basolateral amygdala and lateral hypothalamus of both hemispheres was recorded in nine dogs in the state of quiet wakefulness without any stimulation. Individual typological features of higher nervous activity were assessed by the animal performance under conditions of free choice of the reinforcement mode: either high probable but of low alimentary quality, or with low probability but more valuable. Mean values of the maxima of crosscorrelation function between electrical activity of the investigated structures of two hemispheres were used as a basis for assessment of conditions for interaction between left and right formations. For the hippocampus and amygdala, in some dogs these conditions were the best in the theta and beta 2 ranges, in other animals--in the theta and alpha bands. In phlegmatic dogs, spectral densities in the theta range were higher in the left hippocampus than in the symmetrical structure, in sanguine animals spectral densities in the theta and beta 2 ranges in the hippocampus and amygdala were higher in the right hemisphere than in the left one. Thus, the hemispheric asymmetry of electrical activity of the limbic formations seems to be an important factor, which determines the individual typological features of the higher nervous activity in dogs.     

Individual typological features of the dog behavior during the choice between food and avoidance of electrocutaneous stimulation

Two conditioned reflexes (CR) on flash were elaborated in five dogs in three experimental series. In one of them pressing on pedal were constantly reinforced with two pieces of liver, in other--escape or avoidance of skin stimulation with lifting of leg. In a third series, series of reinforcement choice, in front of animal with electrodes, fasting on leg, put the pedal. During of choice series defensive reactions were dominated in two dogs, alimentary reactions--three of them. For restoration alimentary behaviour in dog with great dominating of defensive reactions were many times reinforced with--food "passive" pressing legs on pedal during conditional stimuli, dog with less dominating of these reactions for restoration were enough a few coupling of conditional stimuli with food. With intensification electrocutaneus stimulation of legs or decreasing alimentary reinforcement we a success of diminishing of degree of alimentary reaction domination in one dog and in other ones temporarily changed of these domination on prevalence of defensive reactions. The results were compared with data, obtained in these dogs with technique of choice between probability and value of alimentary reinforcement. This comparison were permitted us of ranging dogs on scale "carefulness-riskiness", revealed of individual typological features of these animals.     

Protist diversity in a permanently ice-covered Antarctic Lake during the polar night transition

The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica harbor numerous permanently ice-covered lakes, which provide a year-round oasis for microbial life. Microbial eukaryotes in these lakes occupy a variety of trophic levels within the simple aquatic food web ranging from primary producers to tertiary predators. Here, we report the first molecular study to describe the vertical distribution of the eukaryotic community residing in the photic zone of the east lobe (ELB) and west lobe (WLB) of the chemically stratified Lake Bonney. The 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) libraries revealed vertically stratified populations dominated by photosynthetic protists, with a cryptophyte dominating shallow populations (ELB–6 m; WLB–10 m), a haptophyte occupying mid-depths (both lobes 13 m) and chlorophytes residing in the deepest layers (ELB–18 and 20 m; WLB–15 and 20 m) of the photic zone. A previously undetected stramenopile occurred throughout the water column of both lobes. Temporal variation in the eukaryotic populations was examined during the transition from Antarctic summer (24-h sunlight) to polar night (complete dark). Protist diversity was similar between the two lobes of Lake Bonney due to exchange between the photic zones of the two basins via a narrow bedrock sill. However, vertical and temporal variation in protist distribution occurred, indicating the influence of the unique water chemistry on the biology of the two dry valley watersheds.     

Psychophysiological effects of autogenic training and progressive relaxation

Although autogenic training and progressive relaxation are widely used relaxation techniques, little research has been conducted on their comparative effects. Twenty-two normal subjects received five sessions of instruction in either progressive relaxation or autogenic training over a 5-week period. Both types of training, when compared to the control group, significantly decreased SCL-90 scores on four scales: anxiety, depression, number of symptoms, and intensity of symptoms. Also, autogenic training appeared to produce specific effects on self-perception of heaviness and warmth in the limbs and depth of breathing. However, there were no significant differences between groups in pretest versus posttest changes in heart rate or skin conductance. These results are consistent with the results of other recent research on nonanxious individuals in this laboratory.This report is based on a Master of Science thesis at Rutgers University by the senior author. The research was supported in part by a General Research Support Grant from Rutgers Medical School to the junior author. The authors are indebted to Robert Edelberg for his generously supplied psychophysiological help and advice, and to Alan Jusko for his technical help.     

Individual typological features in the EEG of athletes after acute hypoxic treatment

In athletes with different types of physical training and various temperaments, variability of the main rhythms of the EEG (??, ??, and ??) and the parameters of the desynchronization response of the ??-rhythm, the individual extent of the decrease in the power of the ??-rhythm during eye opening under the conditions of hypoxia growing from 20.9 to 10% of O₂ were studied. Twenty-four 18- to 26-year-old athletes, including 11 swimmers and 13 skiers, were involved in the study. We found that, in contrast to normoxia conditions, hypoxia was associated with the instability of the spectrum of the EEG rhythms and phasic changes during a 25-min hypoxia. The EEG response during hypoxia depended on individual typological features estimated using Strelau??s temperament questionnaire. Negative correlation between the psychological construct ??endurance?? measured using the FCB-TI questionnaire (Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory) and the power of the EEG ??-rhythm was found. The parameters of training and the features of the respiration pattern that appeared as a consequence of training modulated the sensitivity of brain structures to hypoxia, which was reflected in the changes in the EEG ??-rhythm under hypoxia conditions.     

Interhemispheric asymmetry and the typological characteristics of the nervous system in rats

The paper is devoted to studies of interrelations between behavioural dominance of the left or right hemisphere and typological characteristics of the nervous system in rats. Rats with a strong type of nervous system are shown to possess species-specific interhemispheric asymmetry. In animals with a balanced nervous system it is greater than in animals with an unbalanced nervous system. Rats with a weak type of nervous system have no species-specific interhemispheric asymmetry.     

Individual human personality characteristics as a factor in the etiology of postvaccinal reactions

Healthy volunteers with quite opposite emotional properties defined by means of Cattell Personality Questionnaires were shown to have essential differences in their postvaccinal reactions. These differences were seemingly caused by psychoemotional tension developing in unstable persons as a result of their perception of vaccination as a threatening factor. The administration of Phenasepam (3 mg) decreased such emotional tension and thus removed negative reactions at the postvaccinal period. The preparation had no influence on the production of protective antibodies to all types of antigens used for immunization.     

Feedback and the typological characteristics of higher nervous activity]

Apparatus of the theory of automatic regulation and control systems is applied for explanation of typological characteristics of the higher nervous activity. On the basis of the analysis of activity of four types of automatic control systems a hypothesis is suggested that these characteristics are connected with organization of the feedback in the functional system, and analogies drawn between the types of the higher nervous activity and types of automatic systems.     

Modular community structure suggests metabolic plasticity during the transition to polar night in ice-covered Antarctic lakes

High-latitude environments, such as the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valley lakes, are subject to seasonally segregated light–dark cycles, which have important consequences for microbial diversity and function on an annual basis. Owing largely to the logistical difficulties of sampling polar environments during the darkness of winter, little is known about planktonic microbial community responses to the cessation of photosynthetic primary production during the austral sunset, which lingers from approximately February to April. Here, we hypothesized that changes in bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic community structure, particularly shifts in favor of chemolithotrophs and mixotrophs, would manifest during the transition to polar night. Our work represents the first concurrent molecular characterization, using 454 pyrosequencing of hypervariable regions of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene, of bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic communities in permanently ice-covered lakes Fryxell and Bonney, before and during the polar night transition. We found vertically stratified populations that varied at the community and/or operational taxonomic unit-level between lakes and seasons. Network analysis based on operational taxonomic unit level interactions revealed nonrandomly structured microbial communities organized into modules (groups of taxa) containing key metabolic potential capacities, including photoheterotrophy, mixotrophy and chemolithotrophy, which are likely to be differentially favored during the transition to polar night.