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PubMed2005

The auditory acclimatization effect in sensorineural hearing-impaired listeners: evidence for functional plasticity.

The present study provides new data on perceptual and physiological modifications associated with hearing aid (HA) fitting. Eight sensorineural hearing-impaired (SNHI) listeners participated. They had symmetrical hearing loss and were being fitted with binaural HAs for the first time. Perceptual performances were measured four times during auditory rehabilitation, using an intensity discrimination task and a loudness-scaling task. Pure tones of two different frequencies were used, one well amplified by HAs and the other weakly amplified. Two intensity levels were also tested, one rated 'soft' by SNHI listeners and the other 'loud'. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to click stimulation were recorded. All measures were performed without HA. Results were consistent with the auditory acclimatization effect: most modifications induced by HA fitting were found at loud intensity levels and at high frequency, i.e., for acoustic information that was newly available to the listener. While both ears had similar hearing loss and aided gains, some differences between ears appeared in both perceptual tasks and in ABRs. In the right ear, a shortening of wave V latency paralleled perceptual modifications. The present results suggest that HA-fitting induces functional plasticity at the peripheral level of the auditory system.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2005

Removal kinetics of acetone and MIBK from a complex industrial wastewater by an acclimatized activated sludge.

Removal rates of acetone and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) were determined singularly and in combination in batch experiments employing an acclimatized activated sludge from a pilot system treating an organic chemical manufacturer industrial wastewater, as well as during the course of operation of the pilot system. Both acetone and MIBK removals were described by first-order removal kinetics. Acetone, as a single substrate, was biodegraded at a rate of 1.7 day(-1). MIBK was biodegraded, during the single-substrate experiments, at an observed rate of 2.23 day(-1). Relative to the control (no spike) experiments, acetone removal was augmented by a factor of 3 during the acetone spike, with an observed biomass-specific removal rate of 0.0023 L/mg VSSday. MIBK removal during an MIBK spike was also enhanced by a factor of 2, and the greatest biomass-specific removal rate of MIBK was observed during the acetone spike of 0.0019 L/mg VSSday. The observed rates were approximately 3 orders of magnitude greater than the observed rates in the pilot scale system. MIBK exerted a synergistic effect on the acetone-removal rate while acetone exerted an inhibitory impact on the MIBK-removal rate.

Acetone↗
PubMed2000

Increased connexin43 gap junction protein in hamster cardiomyocytes during cold acclimatization and hibernation.

OBJECTIVE: The physiology of hibernation is characterized by dramatic reductions of heart rate, respiration, metabolism, blood pressure and body temperature and by resistance to ventricular fibrillation. Gap junctions in the heart provide low resistance pathways, facilitating electrical and metabolic coupling between cardiac muscle cells for coordinated action of the heart and tissue homeostasis. The conductance of these junctions, and therefore their function, is likely to be affected by the physiological changes that take place during hibernation. Our objective was to quantitate gap junction protein levels in cold acclimatization, hibernation and arousal. METHODS: We have used specific antibodies to connexins 43 and 40, in combination with confocal microscopy, to quantitatively analyze the expression of connexin protein in hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) left ventricles in four animal groups: normal controls at euthermy, cold controls (cold-exposed animals that did not undergo hibernation), hibernating animals and animals aroused from hibernation for 2 h. RESULTS: Connexin40 immunostaining was not detected in ventricular cardiomyocytes in any animal group but connexin43 was found in all groups. Connexin43 expression was significantly enhanced in hibernation and cold control ventricular cardiomyocytes. Total plaque area, numerical density and plaque size were higher in the cold controls and hibernating hamsters compared to normal controls and animals aroused from hibernation. CONCLUSION: It is possible that the increased size and number of connexin43 gap junction plaques in the cold controls may represent a compensatory response in order to maintain sufficient gap junction communication during physiological conditions that would reduce conductance. These changes may represent a mechanism by which the hamster avoids ventricular fibrillation during hibernation and arousal.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2000

Measuring ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia: comparative aspects.

Acclimatization to hypoxia increases the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) in mammals. The literature on humans shows that several protocols can quantify this increase in HVR if isocapnia is maintained, regardless of the exact level of Pa(CO(2)). In rats, the isocapnic HVR also increases with chronic hypoxia and this cannot be explained by a non-specific effect of increased ventilatory drive on the HVR. Changes in arterial pH are predicted to increase the HVR during chronic hypoxia in rats but this has not been quantified. Limitations in determining mechanisms of change in the HVR from reflex experiments are discussed. Chronic hypoxia changes some, but not all, indices of ventilatory motor output that are useful for normalization between experiments on anesthetized rats. Finally, ducks also show time-dependent increases in ventilation during chronic hypoxia and birds provide a good experimental model to study reflex interactions. However, reflexes from intrapulmonary CO(2) chemoreceptors can complicate the measurement of changes in the isocapnic HVR during chronic hypoxia in birds.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Sympathoadrenal responses to submaximal exercise in women after acclimatization to 4,300 meters.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the sympathoadrenal response to exercise in women after acclimatization to high altitude. Sixteen eumenorrheic women (age, 23.6 +/- 1.2 years; weight, 56.2 +/- 4.3 kg) were studied at sea level and after 10 days of high-altitude exposure (4,300 m) in either the follicular (n = 11) or luteal (n = 5) phase. Subjects performed two 45-minute submaximal steady-state exercise tests (50% and 65% peak O2 consumption [VO2 peak]) at sea level on a bicycle ergometer. Exercise tests were also performed on day 10 of altitude exposure (50% VO2 peak at sea level). As compared with rest, plasma epinephrine levels increased 36% in response to exercise at 50% VO2 peak at sea level, with no differences found between cycle phases. This increase was significantly greater (increase 44%) during exercise at 65% VO2 peak. At altitude, the epinephrine response was identical to that found for 65% VO2 peak exercise at sea level (increase 44%), with no differences found between phase assignments. The plasma norepinephrine response differed from that for epinephrine such that the increase with exercise at altitude (increase 61%) was significantly greater compared with 65% Vo2 peak exercise at sea level (increase 49%). Again, no phase differences were observed. It is concluded that the sympathoadrenal response to exercise (1) did not differ between cycle phases across any condition and (2) was similar to that found previously in men, and (3) the relative exercise intensity is the primary factor responsible for the epinephrine response to exercise, whereas altitude had an additive effect on the norepinephrine response to exercise.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1999

Rat peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and brown adipose tissue function during cold acclimatization.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) hyperplasia is a fundamental physiological response to cold; it involves an acute phase of mitotic cell growth followed by a prolonged differentiation phase. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are key regulators of fatty acid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation and may therefore mediate important metabolic changes during non-shivering thermogenesis. In the present study we have investigated PPAR mRNA expression in relation to peroxisome proliferation in rat BAT during cold acclimatization. By immunoelectron microscopy we show that the number of peroxisomes per cytoplasmic volume and acyl-CoA oxidase immunolabeling density remained constant (thus increasing in parallel with tissue mass and cell number) during the initial proliferative phase and the acute thermogenic response but increased after 14 days of cold exposure, correlating with terminal differentiation of BAT. A pronounced decrease in BAT PPARalpha and PPARgamma mRNA levels was found within hours of exposure to cold, which was reversed after 14 days, suggesting a role for either or both of these subtypes in the proliferation and induction of peroxisomes and peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes. In contrast, PPARdelta mRNA levels increased progressively during cold exposure. Transactivation assays in HIB 1B and HEK-293 cells demonstrated an adrenergic stimulation of peroxisome proliferator response element reporter activity via PPAR, establishing a role for these nuclear receptors in hormonal regulation of gene transcription in BAT.

Acyl-CoA Oxidase↗
PubMed2006

Long-term acclimatization of hydraulic properties, xylem conduit size, wall strength and cavitation resistance in Phaseolus vulgaris in response to different environmental effects.

Phaseolus vulgaris grown under various environmental conditions was used to assess long-term acclimatization of xylem structural characteristics and hydraulic properties. Conduit diameter tended to be reduced and 'wood' density (of 'woody' stems) increased under low moisture ('dry'), increased soil porosity ('porous soil') and low phosphorus ('low P') treatments. Dry and low P had the largest percentage of small vessels. Dry, low light ('shade') and porous soil treatments decreased P50 (50% loss in conductivity) by 0.15-0.25 MPa (greater cavitation resistance) compared with 'controls'. By contrast, low P increased P50 by 0.30 MPa (less cavitation resistance) compared with porous soil (the control for low P). Changes in cavitation resistance were independent of conduit diameter. By contrast, changes in cavitation resistance were correlated with wood density for the control, dry and porous soil treatments, but did not appear to be a function of wood density for the shade and low P treatments. In a separate experiment comparing control and porous soil plants, stem hydraulic conductivity (kh), specific conductivity (ks), leaf specific conductivity (LSC), total pot water loss, plant biomass and leaf area were all greater for control plants compared to porous soil plants. Porous soil plants, however, demonstrated higher midday stomatal conductance to water vapour (gs), apparently because they experienced proportionally less midday xylem cavitation.

Light↗
PubMed1992

The time course and magnitude of perceptual acclimatization to frequency responses: evidence from monaural fitting of hearing aids.

At high presentation levels, normally aided ears yield better performance for speech identification than normally unaided ears, while at low presentation levels the converse is true [S. Gatehouse, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 86, 2103-2106 (1989)]. To explain this process further, the speech identification abilities of four subjects with bilateral symmetric sensorineural hearing impairment were investigated following provision of a single hearing aid. Results showed significant increases in the benefit from amplifying speech in the aided ear, but not in the control ear. In addition, a headphone simulation of the unaided condition for the fitted ear shows a decrease in speech identification. The benefits from providing a particular frequency spectrum do not emerge immediately, but over a time course of at least 6-12 weeks. The findings support the existence of perceptual acclimatization effects, and call into question short-term methods of hearing aid evaluation and selection by comparative speech identification tests.

Aged↗
PubMed1965

Fatty-tissue changes in rats with acclimatization to altitude.

Adipose tissue in the adult white rat changes in both quantity and histologic characteristics during a 5-week period of acclimatization to a simulated altitude of 4350 meters at 26 degrees C. These findings are descriptive and do not at present permit conclusions as to the mechanisms involved.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1985

Ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia is not dependent on arterial hypoxemia.

Goats were prepared so that one carotid body (CB) could be perfused with blood in which the gas tensions could be controlled independently from the blood perfusing the systemic arterial system, including the brain. Since one CB is functionally adequate, the nonperfused CB was excised. To determine whether systemic arterial hypoxemia is necessary for ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia (VAH), the CB was perfused with hypoxic normocapnic blood for 6 h [means +/- SE: partial pressure of carotid body O2 (PcbO2), 40.6 +/- 0.3 Torr; partial pressure of carotid body CO2 (PcbCO2), 38.8 +/- 0.2 Torr] while the awake goat breathed room air to maintain systemic arterial normoxia. In control periods before and after CB hypoxia the CB was perfused with hyperoxic normocapnic blood. Changes in arterial PCO2 (PaCO2) were used as an index of changes in ventilation. Acute hypoxia (0.5 h of hypoxic perfusion) resulted in hyperventilation sufficient to reduce average PaCO2 by 6.7 Torr from control (P less than 0.05). Over the subsequent 5.5 h of hypoxic perfusion, average PaCO2 decreased further, reaching 4.8 Torr below that observed acutely (P less than 0.05). Acute CB hyperoxic perfusion (20 min) following 6 h of hypoxia resulted in only partial restoration of PaCO2 toward control values; PaCO2 remained 7.9 Torr below control (P less than 0.05). The progressive hyperventilation that occurred during and after 6 h of CB hypoxia with concomitant systemic normoxia is similar to that occurring with total body hypoxia. We conclude that systemic (and probably brain) hypoxia is not a necessary requisite for VAH.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1997

Effects of carotid body hypocapnia during ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia.

Hypoxic ventilatory sensitivity is increased during ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia (VAH) in awake goats, resulting in a time-dependent increase in expired ventilation (VE). The objectives of this study were to determine whether the increased carotid body (CB) hypoxic sensitivity is dependent on the level of CB CO2 and whether the CB CO2 gain is changed during VAH. Studies were carried out in adult goats with CB blood gases controlled by an extracorporeal circuit while systemic (central nervous system) blood gases were regulated independently by the level of inhaled gases. Acute VE responses to CB hypoxia (CB PO2 40 Torr) and CB hypercapnia (CB PCO2 50 and 60 Torr) were measured while systemic normoxia and isocapnia were maintained. CB PO2 was then lowered to 40 Torr for 4 h while the systemic blood gases were kept normoxic and normocapnic. During the 4-h CB hypoxia, VE increased in a time-dependent manner. Thirty minutes after return to normoxia, the ventilatory response to CB hypoxia was significantly increased compared with the initial response. The slope of the CB CO2 response was also elevated after VAH. An additional group of goats (n = 7) was studied with a similar protocol, except that CB PCO2 was lowered throughout the 4-h CB hypoxic exposure to prevent reflex hyperventilation. CB PCO2 was progressively lowered throughout the 4-h CB hypoxic period to maintain VE at the control level. After the 4-h CB hypoxic exposure, the ventilatory response to hypoxia was also significantly elevated. However, the slope of the CB CO2 response was not elevated after the 4-h hypoxic exposure. These results suggest that CB sensitivity to both O2 and CO2 is increased after 4 h of CB hypoxia with systemic isocapnia. The increase in CB hypoxic sensitivity is not dependent on the level of CB CO2 maintained during the 4-h hypoxic period.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Cold-induced angiogenesis in seasonally acclimatized rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Seasonal acclimatization of rainbow trout induced an inverse relationship between environmental temperature and the capillary:fibre ratio of slow locomotory muscle, which increased from 1.73±0.09 in the summer (18 °C) to 2.50±0.15 in the winter (4 °C). However, the rate of capillary growth (angiogenesis) was exceeded by that of fibre growth at low temperatures such that the extensive fibre hypertrophy found at 4 °C led to a decrease in capillary density, NA(c,f), to 57 % of that found at 11 °C and 85 % of that at 18 °C. Cold-induced angiogenesis resulted in an expanded capillary bed of similar topology to the existing network, with capillary orientation deviating from that of muscle fibres by only 4­7 %. Capillary length density was maximal at 11 °C, JV(c,f)=2421±239 mm-2, which as previously described corresponds to the point when muscle blood flow is highest and the scope for aerobic swimming is greatest, reflecting an integrated response to optimize aerobic performance at intermediate temperatures. In contrast, ventricular NA(c,f) parallels heart rate and hence was highest at 18 °C, while there was no seasonal variation in myocyte diameter. Although a systemic response to seasonal adjustments in humoral factors may occur, the data reported here suggest that angiogenesis is probably stimulated by different mechanical factors in these two muscles.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1981

[Blood sugar and the hematocrit: relation to acclimatization at 4560 m. altitude].

We had intended to study the relation between glycemia and hematocrit during high altitude acclimatization (Morococha, Peru-4560 m) and to observe if, subsequently to an increase of hematocrit, glycemia should become lower. From obtained results upon 176 hematologic observations of glycemia, hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte production, on 38 healthy European subjects (27-58 years aged), it doesn't result, from the first analysis, the existence of this relation. We reserve ourselves, in any case, to accomplish further tests, such as insulinemic dosage for evaluating pancreatic activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Role of perceptual acclimatization in the selection of frequency responses for hearing aids.

Previous work concerning the late-onset auditory deprivation and/or acclimatization effect in adult hearing-aid users has suggested that the benefits of a particular frequency response from a hearing aid may not become apparent until material exposure to that frequency response has been achieved. The generality of that finding was tested further. A group of subjects who were established users (12 to 15 months) of a particular frequency response (limited at high frequencies by the system of provision) were re-prescribed with a theoretically advantageous frequency response according to the NAL prescription. Using a speech-in-noise test (word identification) and a sentence verification test, the benefits of the re-prescription were not (or at best only marginally) evident upon immediate testing but became statistically significant and of material clinical magnitude following experience with the represcription for 8 and 16 weeks. These results suggest that comparative selection regimes and research designs based upon little or no experience of the listening environment through the hearing aid are likely to seriously misrepresent the benefits available to the hearing-impaired listener.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗
PubMed1996

Benefit acclimatization in elderly hearing aid users.

A previous study from this laboratory indicated that the benefit obtained from a hearing aid in a noisy environment might increase over the first few months of hearing aid use. It was hypothesized that this acclimatization of benefit was due to a process in which the individual optimized his/her use of modified or newly available high-frequency acoustic speech cues. This investigation further explored the effect in 22 elderly individuals with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing losses, fitted unilaterally with hearing aids. None of the subjects was a current or recent hearing aid wearer. Speech intelligibility testing over a 12-week post-fitting period indicated that a significant improvement in benefit was seen for the group as a whole, probably beginning after about 6 weeks of regular hearing aid use. However, the magnitude of improvement was very small for most subjects. Only three individuals experienced a dramatic improvement in their benefit for speech in noise over this period. No evidence was found for a specific role of high-frequency cues. Seven subjects participated in a long-term follow-up in which benefit was measured after several months of use of their newly acquired personal hearing aids. Further increase in benefit was noted but was due exclusively to a decline in performance for unaided listening.

Aged↗