Showing papers on "Morning published in 1979"

Circadian Variation of Plasma Catecholamines in Young and Old Men: Relation to Rapid Eye Movement and Slow Wave Sleep

Abstract: Young and old healthy subjects with indwelling venous cannulae were found to undergo significant diurnal variations in plasma catecholamine levels Both norepinephrine and epinephrine levels peaked in late morning and reached lowest values at night during sleep Catecholamine levels were similar during slow wave and rapid eye movement sleep While epinephrine levels were unaffected by age, norepinephrine levels were greater in older subjects by 28‰ during the day (at 1100 h; P < 001) and by 75‰ at night (between 2200-0900 h; P < 001) Older subjects slept less well; they had 90‰ less stage 4 sleep, 27‰ less rapid eye movement sleep, and twice as much wakefulness at night (P < 005) These findings raise the possibility that this well known age effect on sleep may be related to increased sympathetic nervous system activity

The concentrations of urinary oestrone-3-glucuronide, LH and pregnanediol-3alpha-glucuronide as indices of ovarian function.

Abstract: Methods based upon the principles of radioimmunoassay have been developed and evaluated for the measurement of oestrone-3-glucuronide, LH and pregnanediol-3alpha-glucuronide in samples of unextracted urine. The procedures have been applied to daily urine (early morning fraction and combined 24 hour collections) from 6 women throughout one complete menstrual cycle and to serial samples from an additional 14 women who only collected early morning specimens. The results showed that there were characteristic, well-defined changes in the concentration of all 3 metabolites in both samples of urine and from all subjects. In addition, there was a reasonable correlation between the concentration of all 3 compounds in samples of early morning urine and the corresponding rates of excretion per 24 hours. These findings suggest that the procedures may be of value for monitoring ovarian function over long periods of time, without the problems of stress and inconvenience to the patient. Furthermore, the ratio of values for oestrone-3-glucuronide to pregnanediol-3alpha-glucuronide may be used to indicate the start and finish of the fertile period.

Diurnal rhythms in airway obstruction.

Abstract: Diurnal patterns of variation in peak expiratory flow rate were studied in patients with all types of airway obstruction. Most regular patterns fall into one of two types: morning dip (M) with the lowest reading in the morning and (P) or double dip with the lowest readings morning and evening. Regular patterns were most frequently seen in asthmatics, but occurred also in bronchitis, particularly those with a history of wheeze. Treatment with bronchodilators reduces the prevalence of all regular patterns but does not abolish them. M pattern is characteristic of asthma but P pattern is the most frequent regular pattern seen in bronchitis. Amplitude of variation is greater in asthmatics than in simple bronchitics. It is reduced by about 20% with bronchodilators. Random observation of magnitude of response of peak flow rate to a bronchodilator is not a good indicator of amplitude of variation over the day. Because of the occurrence of a peak pattern in many patients the magnitude of diurnal variation may be underestimated by twice-daily peak flow rate readings. Treatment with corticosteroids does not appear strongly to influence either characteristic patterns or amplitude of variation.

Circadian system response to night work in relation to the individual circadian phase position.

Abstract: In 6 night nurses the daily course of body temperature and pulse rate was measured under strict resting conditions immediately after a 7 to 18-day period with night work as well as after a 10-day period of recovery under normal life conditions. Three of the subjects were morning types and three evening types according to the Horne-Ostberg-Questionnaire as well as to the phase position of the body temperature cycle. In order to quantify the changes in amplitude, phase position, and frequency a “flattening index”, a “circadian deformation index”, and according to the calculated phase shift a “corrected deformation index” were used. While the evening types reacted with a flattening of their circadian amplitude and thus gained a greater tolerance, the morning types hyper reacted when exposed to the inverse life pattern, developing an increased amplitude and adding to the circadian deformation by ultradian periods. No significant differences could be detected in phase shift. Higher amounts of subjective complaints and deficit of sleep as well as differences in the additionally controlled vigilance functions demonstrated the lower tolerance of the morning types to night work. The discussion concerns the methological basis of a quantitative evaluation of disturbance of the circadian system, and shows off, that the greater tolerance of evening types to night work is based on a lower reagibility of the vegetative functions to changes in the outer environment.

Fasting Hyperglycemia and Associated Free Insulin and Cortisol Changes in “Somogyi-Like” Patients

Abstract: Blood glucose levels were measured over a 24-h period in eight insulin-dependent diabetic subjects who were difficult to control and who presented with morning fasting hyperglycemia. At least seven exhibited clinical characteristics suggestive of the Somogyi phenomenon. A continuous glucose monitoring apparatus was used to relate the concentrations of glucose during the day to concomitant levels of free insulin and cortisol. In all patients a significant (P < 0.01) rise in fasting morning glucose started at about 0600 h, while they were still asleep. In six patients the morning elevation of blood glucose was preceded by stable, almost normal glucose levels during the night (117 ± 2.5 mg/dl); one of the two remaining patients (no. 7) exhibited high overnight glucose levels (268 ± 7 . 2 mg/dl), whereas the other (no. 8) had a mild hypoglycemic episode (45 mg/dl) 6 h before the hyperglycemic period.In all patients the fasting glucose rise was associated with the usual morning cortisol surge (P < 0.05)and with a significant decrease in the concentration of serum free insulin (P < 0.01). The free insulin levels in patient no. 8 were higher, while those of patient no. 7 were lower, than in the other six patients. We conclude that the diurnal morning rise in cortisol may cause hyperglycemia in insulin dependent diabetic patients if insufficient exogenous insulin remains and/or endogenous insulin is not secreted. In such patients the high levels of fasting glucose in the morning may misrepresent their overnight control of blood glucose and lead to an erroneous impression of the Somogyi phenomenon.

Time dependent changes in the pharmacokinetics of aspirin.

Abstract: In an experiment carried out on six volunteers, measurement of total serum salicylate concentration was used to describe aspirin kinetics after a single 1500 mg oral dose. The availability of the drug was significantly better when it was administered at 6(00) than at 18(00) or 22(00). Also a significant time-dependence was found between the morning and evening values of both the serum half-life time of salicylate and kel. The possible relation between these results and the appearance of undesirable side effects in patients should be examined.

Occupational asthma in an electronics factory: a case control study to evaluate aetiological factors

Abstract: This is the final part of a study carried out to investigate occupational asthma due to sensitivity to colophony fumes (a component of soldering flux) in an electronics factory. Fifty-eight workers with occupational asthma employed on the main shop floor were investigated. In them the interval between first exposure and sensitisation varied widely with a group becoming sensitive within one to two years of first exposure, and another group whose sensitisation was delayed for three to 23 years. Once sensitised the interval between arriving at work and the onset of daily symptoms seemed to be bimodally distributed, resembling the immediate and late asthmatic symptoms seen on provocation testing. Twenty-three out of 58 had no definite daily deterioration at work but improved at the weekends. Wheeze and breathlessness occurred in the evenings at home in most, and one-third were woken by breathlessness at least on some nights. These 58 cases were compared with 48 controls without occupational asthma who had worked on the same shop floor for at least four years. Mean levels of FEV1 were significantly worse in the cases before exposure on Monday morning. The cases also had more than twice as much sickness absence as controls. FEV1 fell by more than 10% over a working shift in 33% of cases and 5% of controls. Atopy (a positive skin prick test to one or more common allergens) and a past history of allergic disease were weakly but significantly associated with being a case. The effects of smoking and a family history of allergic disease were trivial. Prick testing with an antigen derived from the colophony in the solder flux was completely negative, but cases and controls had significantly raised levels of total IgM compared with blood bank controls, perhaps suggesting some previously unrecognised immunological process.

Diurnal Variation in the Response of Plasma Prolactin, Cortisol, and Growth Hormoneto Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia in Normal Men*

Abstract: Plasma PRL, cortisol, and GH responses to a standard iv dose of regular insulin were studied during the morning and evening in seven normal young men. Hypoglycemia achieved during morning and evening in the same subjects was equal. There was a substantially greater maximal increment in PRL in the evening compared to the morning (P < 0.01). The peak levels of cortisol achieved in the morning and evening were equal, but the evening maximal increase was greater (P < 0.05) because of the significantly lower evening basal cortisol level. Evening increases in GH were greater than in the morning in five subjects and were essentially the same in two subjects; for the group, the evening maximal increment in GH was significantly greater (P < 0.05 after log transformation). Since seroto-nergic mechanisms appear to be involved in the PRL, GH, and cortisol responses to hypoglycemia, we suggest the possibility of a diurnal variation in hypothalamic serotonin activity which may partly mediate these differential diurnal ...

The effects of repeated nocturnal doses of clobazam, dipotassium chlorazepate and placebo on subjective ratings of sleep and early morning behaviour and objective measures of arousal, psychomotor performance and anxiety.

Abstract: 1. Repeated nocturnal doses of 30 mg clobazam and dipotassium chlorazepate 15 mg showed no significant effects compared to matching placebo on tests of psychomotor performance and serial subtraction of numbers given in the morning and afternoon of the day following treatment. 2. Both active preparations improved the perceived quality of sleep compared to placebo. 3. A reduction in rated anxiety scores was found with clobazam on the afternoon of the day following treatment together with an elevation of critical flicker fusion thresholds. 4. Dipotassium chlorazepate was found to impair performance of a low level conceptual task but not to influence performance at a more difficult level.

Circadian rhythmicity in rat intestinal villus length and cell number.

Abstract: Circadian rhythmicity has been reported in various small intestinal digestive-absorptive functions and in the mitotic activity of intestinal crypt cells. These functional activity rhythms and perhaps the mitotic rhythms are cued by the feeding schedule. We now report that circadian rhythms also occurred in both the villus height and cell number in rats maintained on morning or afternoon feeding schedules for 7 days. Villus width was constant. In afternoon-fed rats both villus height and cell number were 50% greater just before feeding than 12 h later. The amplitudes of the two rhythms in the morning fed rats were decreased, the general shape of the cycles were changed and the average number of cells was increased. These changes between morning and afternoon feeding are attributed to incomplete phase shifting due to an insufficient adaptation span for the morning fed rats. We conclude that circadian rhythms occurring in villus height and cell number are affected by the feeding schedule. Similarities to some previously reported functional rhythms suggest that fluctuations in cell number and/or villus length might be related to the functional changes.

Lithium effects on time estimation and mood in manic-melancholic patients. A study of diurnal variations.

Abstract: Behavioural measurements of time experience and phenomenologi-cal self-ratings of mood-variations (Beecher's Mood Scale) have been carried out at night and on the following morning in a group of lithium-treated patients, in a group of psychiatric patients not given lithium, and in an untreated group of healthy subjects. In all the groups investigated the internal “clock” was slower in the morning than in the night. The results indicated that the internal “clock” in lithium-treated patients was slower than in the two other groups, but only at night. Mood variations from night to morning were observed in all three groups. The group of lithium-treated patients had fewer complaints as to self-report of mood-variations compared with the other groups.

Plasma cortisol levels in depression and other psychiatric disorders: a study of newly admitted psychiatric patients.

Abstract: Morning and evening plasma cortisol levels were checked in 123 consecutively newly admitted psychiatric patients with a variety of diagnoses. Questions asked were whether there were differences among groups with more severe illness, type of depression, alcohol abuse, or particular symptoms. Morning cortisol elevation was found in 33% of patients and was not associated with any particular diagnostic category. Evening cortisol elevation occurred in 85% of the subjects. It was significantly higher in those with unipolar depression and organic brain syndrome, also in those patients who abused alcohol regardless of diagnosis. Evening cortisol elevation was twice as common in patients with diagnoses of more severe psychiatric illness than in those with minor disorders. Further study is suggested to see if these patterns of cortisol elevation are sustained beyond the stress-of-admission period.

Sun tracking device employing displaced heating surfaces for automatic morning reorientation

Abstract: The present invention is a device for rotating a collector of solar energy in such a way as to keep it constantly oriented during the day in the best direction for interception of radiation and for returning it to a position from which it will begin collecting radiation again in the morning. Whereas a previously disclosed device for automatic return to morning position relies upon changing the rate of heat loss from the surfaces of the interconnected canisters which power it, the present invention removes the heat-collecting surfaces whose differential heating by the west-moving sun controls the tilting of the collector from the canisters themselves to plates located below and on sides opposite the canisters served so as to give these surfaces a larger view of the sky and enable them to find the sun from almost any position.

Body temperature, respiration and pulse rate in Corriedale, Marwari and Magra sheep in the Rajasthan desert

Abstract: During summer the morning (08.00 h) to afternoon (15.00 h) increases in rectal temperature, respiratory rate and pulse rate of free grazing Marwari and Magra sheep (rams) of the desert areas of north-western India were compared with those of Corriedale rams, which are being imported into India to improve the productivity of local stock through cross-breeding. Basal (morning) values for all three measurements were similar in the three breeds. While the afternoon values in respect of all three characters were significantly higher than the morning values in all the breeds, the increases were greatest in the Corriedales.

Discrimination, temperature, and time of day.

Abstract: Performance measures on a binary discrimination task and oral temperature readings, were obtained at two times of day, morning (0800) and evening (2000), from each of 18 subjects. On the task, subjects reported not only the presence of signal A or B, but also the confidence of their judgment. A signal detection theory approach was applied to derive separate measures of perceptual efficiency and of the decision-making aspects. The results indicate that whereas efficiency, indexed by d', did not alter significantly between testing times, both response-bias and report confidence did change significantly, the latter showing an increase between morning and evening. A parallel rise in oral temperature was also found, and significant correlations between temperature and confidence were obtained. Neither efficiency nor response-bias was significantly related to temperature. The results are discussed in relation to previous reports that perceptual efficiency and body temperature are related and change in parallel ...

Diurnal variation of the human auditory evoked potential

Abstract: Averaged auditory evoked potential (AEP) waveforms were computed during morning and evening sessions from human bipolar scalp recordings. Pure-tone stimuli were presented binaurally at 10 intensity levels at each time of day. Linear amplitude-intensity functions were obtained at both sessions. There was no relative change in the amplitude-intensity function. The difference between residual variances at the two time periods and the difference between regression coefficients were nonsignificant. However, waveform amplitude significantly decreased during the evening. The results demonstrated a negative shift of the AEP amplitude-intensity function from morning to evening.

Circadian and circannual variations in growth and cold resistance of warm acclimated rats and their relationship with the geomagnetic activity.

Abstract: In winter, summer, spring and fall, groups of 200 g Sprague Dawley male rats were kept for 14 days at constant Ta 28°C±°C and LD 12:12(07:00–19:00 h). They were fed a laboratory chow (P) or a semi-purified diet (H). They were weighed at 0, 7 and 14 days. Cold resistance was determined by the fall in rectal temperature during 4 hours of restrained exposure to +1°C either in the morning (09:00 – 13:00 h) or in the afternoon (14:00 – 18:00 h). Rats fed the H diet could better tolerate cold exposure in the morning than in the afternoon, whereas the chow-fed rats were more vulnerable and became severely hypothermic both in morning and afternoon. The greater morning resistance provided by the H diet was evident in summer and winter but not in spring or fall. With both diets, cold resistance as well as growth decreased during spring and fall. Frozen storage of the diets and the water for use during other seasons showed that the nutrients per se were not a factor in the observed seasonal cycle. Although humidity in the 28°C room varied between a minimum of 26.5% in April to a maximum of 44.3% in August, it was not a statistically significant factor in the growth cycle. Arguments are presented to rule out relative humidity as a significant factor in the seasonal variation in the degree of cold resistance. A significant correlation was found for growth and cold resistance with geomagnetic activity.

[Average normal temperature of the chicken in the morning and after 1-2 days of fasting].

Abstract: On the morning the average temperature of the growing chicken. It is found at 41.8 degrees C +/- 0.18 degrees. After one day without having eaten, the bodily temperature diminishes to 40.41 degrees +/- 0.97 degrees (-1.39 degrees). After two days without having eaten the temperature diminishes to 39.68 degrees C +/- 0.89 degrees (-2.12 degrees). After the first day of re-feeding the average temperature is 41.28 degrees C +/- 0.52 degrees C. During the period of no feeding the reduction in bodily temperature depends on the metabolic material availability. We can assume that the thermoregulator mechanisms are not modified by non-feeding and that the reduction in temperature is caused by the non efficiency of their normal efferents.

Reentrainment of diurnal variation of psychological and physiological performance at the end of a slowly rotated shift system in hospital workers.

Abstract: Eighteen normal male nurses were tested on a battery of simple psychomotor tasks, subjective self-ratings and physiological tests on three weekly occasions, during the 6th day of each shift (morning, afternoon, night) of their actual job rotation pattern. The shift order was assigned according to a fully balanced design and the tests were carried out between the 3rd and the 5th h from the beginning of work (approximately at 10 a.m., 6 p.m., and 2 a.m.). During the night shift, the subjects rated themselves as most tired and reported higher perceived exertion at different work loads performed on a bicycle ergometer. None of the psychological and physiological variables showed significant inter-shift differences except heart rate and blood pressure: both were lower in the night, the former only at rest and after a light effort, the latter only under hardest work loads. A very high correlation was found between perceived exertion and heart rate in all three shift conditions while a negative correlation between perceived exertion and extraversion emerged in the night occasion only. The present results are discussed and the hypothesis of an adaptation of performance, on most of the tests used, to this weekly rotating shift system is suggested.

Sessionon Cerebral Metabolism and Blood Flow Morning Meeting Thursday, April 26, 1979

Abstract: images in front of one-half of a clear plastic hemisphere into which the subject looked, while the opposite half of the hemisphere was blackened. This hemifield visual stimulation caused a marked asymmetry in the occipital pole, with the side contralateral to the stimulated hemifield exhibiting a 15 to 25 percent greater LCMRgl than the ipsilatera1 side. The somatosensory stimulus, consisting of brush stroking of the fingers and hand of one arm, caused a dramatic increase in LCMRgl in the postcentral gyrus contralateral to the hand being stimulated. The auditory stimulus, in which the subject listened attentively to a story with either the left or right ear, caused the right temporal cortex to become appreciably more active (25 to 30 percent) than the left temporal cortex. These s tudies demonst ra te t h e u t i l i t y of t h e laFfluorodeoxyglucose technique for mapping metabolic changes in response to alterations in functional activity in man. M. SHINOHARA, R. BLASBERG, and C. PATLAK, Bethesda, Maryland, and W. SHAPIRO, New York Local cerebral glucose utilization measured by the W-deoxyglucose method (Sokoloff e t al: J Neurochem 28:897,1977) was studied in awake rats with Walker 256-metastatic brain tumors (Ushio e t al: Ann Neuml 2:20,1977). Alternatingbrain sections werecut for autoradiography and histologic staining to permit a direct comparison between tissue morphology and the autoradiographic images. The larger tumor masses demonstrated three clearly distinguishable regions: (1) a central region, composed largely of “necrotic” tumor cells, had very low rates of glucose consumption (9 to 28 pol l100 gndminute); (2) a peripheral region, composed of “viable” tumor cells, had very high rates of glucose utilization (165 to 223 pn01/100 &minute); and (3) cortical tissue adjacent to the sharply demarcated tumor had low rates of consumption (39 to 54 pmo1/100 &minute). Smaller tumor foci, in the absence of any apparent necrosis and down to 0.5 mm in diameter, had uniformly high glucose utilization. Several uninvolved brain regions ipsilateral to the tumors had lower rates of glucose utilization than their contralateral counterparts Le., cortex = 62 and 80 pno11100 &minute, respectively) and these as well as other regions had somewhat lower rates of glucose utilization in comparison to published controls (i.e., inferior colliculus = 134 and 198 pnoU100 gm/minute, respectively). The viable cells of the metastatic tumor have very high rates of glucose utilization in contrast to the necrotic cells; the effect ofthe tumor mass also appears to depress glucose consumption in adjacent as well as remote brain structures.