Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ADAPTATION”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,063 records · Page 59Linked to original sources

Adaptation of spatiotemporal mechanisms by increment and decrement stimuli.

Sawtooth modulation has been used in the past to examine visual sensitivity to luminance increments and decrements. The threshold elevation caused by adaptation depends on the spatial profile of the stimulus field and the polarities of the adaptation and test stimuli. We hypothesized that the adaptation effects reflect a change in the sensitivity of the spatiotemporal channels that detect the stimuli. We used a 2-deg disk centered in a larger surround field. Five levels of contrast between the test field and surround were investigated: equiluminant, three intermediate levels, and dark. At each contrast, observers adapted for 5 s to 2-Hz sawtooth modulation (rapid-on or rapid-off). Immediately after adaptation, thresholds were measured for detection of a single cycle of either a rapid-on or a rapid-off waveform. Varying the contrast of the surround affected observers' sensitivity to the polarity of the sawtooth stimulus to the extent that the pattern of sensitivity with the equiluminant surround was the opposite of that with the dark surround. To examine temporal factors, we measured thresholds for slow (500-ms ramps) and fast (8.3-ms pulses) test stimuli. The adaptation effect was preserved with the ramp stimuli but not with the pulse stimuli. Blurring the edge between the test and surround fields in the equiluminant surround condition raised thresholds for all sawtooth test stimuli, suggesting that spatiotemporal channels sensitive to high spatial frequencies and low temporal frequencies facilitate detection in that condition. These findings suggest that adaptation to sawtooth modulation can differentially effect the sensitivity of ON and OFF pathways, but the relative desensitization of each pathway depends on an interaction with the adaptation state of spatiotemporal channels that are involved in detection.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Effect of pattern adaptation on spatial frequency discrimination.

The effect of pattern adaptation on spatial frequency discrimination was examined in two experiments. In the first experiment delta f/f was measured (with and without adaptation) as a function of stimulus contrast; in the second experiment the contrast required to discriminate a fixed delta f/f was measured (with and without adaptation) as a function of the value of delta f/f. Maximum precision, as measured by the asymptotic value that delta f/f approaches at medium and high contrasts, was not altered by adaptation. Rather, the effect of adaptation was to translate the functions relating delta f/f and contrast along the log-contrast axis, i.e., to increase by a constant factor the contrast required to achieve a given precision of discrimination. This factor agreed closely with the factor by which adaptation raised the contrast threshold for detection of the test stimuli. The largest effects were observed when the reference and the adapting stimuli had the same spatial frequency (5 cycles/deg). Smaller or negligible effects were observed when reference and adapting frequencies differed by an octave.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

The retinal pigment epithelium of the teleost Notopterus notopterus (Pallas): appearance of basal infoldings during prolonged dark-adaptation.

In teleosts, the basal part of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is relatively smooth, i. e., it is free of basal membrane infoldings. In the featherback, Notopterus notopterus, whereas this is the situation in light adaptation, during dark-adaptation, especially when kept for prolonged periods (6-9 hour), numerous infoldings appear at the basal region, as found uniquely by transmission electron microscopy. In this teleost, during retinomotor movements, the rods move vitreally during dark-adaptation, while the cones do not elongate, and remain stationary in both light- and dark-adaptation. The significance of the appearance of basal infoldings in dark-adapted RPE is explained in terms of the pattern of retinomotor responses and the features of RPE and photoreceptors in this species. It is suggested that (1) the thick, impervious tapetal layer present in the RPE, (2) the unusual position of the photoreceptors in the visual cell layer of dark-adapted retina, and (3) the presumably high demand for glucose and O2 of the outer retina during dark-adaptation might contribute to cause this phenomenon in this species. The available evidence tend to associate this phenomenon with the involvement of the RPE in nutrient and O2 delivery to the photoreceptors via the basal infoldings of the RPE in dark-adapted state in this species. This has not been reported for any other teleosts to date.

Animals↗

Cross-whisker adaptation of neurons in the rat barrel cortex.

Neurons in the barrel cortex and the thalamus respond preferentially to stimulation of one whisker (the principal whisker) and weakly to several adjacent whiskers. Cortical neurons, unlike thalamic cells, gradually adapt to repeated whisker stimulations. Whether cortical adaptation is specific to the stimulated whisker is not known. The aim of this intracellular study was to determine whether the response of a cortical cell to stimulation of an adjacent whisker would be affected by previous adaptation induced by stimulation of the principal whisker and vice versa. Using a high-frequency stimulation that causes substantial adaptation in the cortex and much less adaptation in the thalamus, we show that cortical adaptation evoked by a train of stimuli applied to one whisker does not affect the synaptic response to subsequent stimulation of a neighboring whisker. Our data indicate that intrinsic mechanisms are not involved in cortical adaptation. Thalamic recordings obtained under the same conditions demonstrated that an adjacent whisker response was not generated in the thalamus, indicating that the observed whisker-specific adaptation results from diverging thalamic inputs or from cortical integration.

Action Potentials↗

Spike-frequency adaptation separates transient communication signals from background oscillations.

Spike-frequency adaptation is a prominent feature of many neurons. However, little is known about its computational role in processing behaviorally relevant natural stimuli beyond filtering out slow changes in stimulus intensity. Here, we present a more complex example in which we demonstrate how spike-frequency adaptation plays a key role in separating transient signals from slower oscillatory signals. We recorded in vivo from very rapidly adapting electroreceptor afferents of the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. The firing-frequency response of electroreceptors to fast communication stimuli ("small chirps") is strongly enhanced compared with the response to slower oscillations ("beats") arising from interactions of same-sex conspecifics. We are able to accurately predict the electroreceptor afferent response to chirps and beats, using a recently proposed general model for spike-frequency adaptation. The parameters of the model are determined for each neuron individually from the responses to step stimuli. We conclude that the dynamics of the rapid spike-frequency adaptation is sufficient to explain the data. Analysis of additional data from step responses demonstrates that spike-frequency adaptation acts subtractively rather than divisively as expected from depressing synapses. Therefore, the adaptation dynamics is linear and creates a high-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 23 Hz that separates fast signals from slower changes in input. A similar critical frequency is seen in behavioral data on the probability of a fish emitting chirps as a function of beat frequency. These results demonstrate how spike-frequency adaptation in general can facilitate extraction of signals of different time scales, specifically high-frequency signals embedded in slower oscillations.

Action Potentials↗

Effects of background adaptation on the pituitary and plasma concentrations of some pro-opiomelanocortin-related peptides in the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri).

Radioimmunoassays for alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, ACTH and endorphin were used to measure pituitary concentrations of these peptides in rainbow trout during adaptation to black and white backgrounds. There was no difference in the pituitary content of any of these peptides between long-term black- and white-adapted trout. Plasma levels of alpha-MSH immunoreactivity were significantly higher in black-adapted trout than in white-adapted trout. Time-course studies revealed that although the body colour of trout showed an initial rapid adaptation to background colour, this was not paralleled by a corresponding change in plasma alpha-MSH levels. These only showed significant changes after 7 or more days of background adaptation, when melanophore recruitment or degradation occurred on black or white backgrounds respectively. Intravenous administration of mammalian alpha-MSH, salmon beta-MSH I or antibodies to these peptides did not affect short-term background adaptation. However, long-term administration of mammalian alpha-MSH via osmotic minipump maintained melanophore numbers in grey-adapted trout transferred to a white background, although this observation was based on only two fish. It is concluded that peptides derived from pro-opiomelanocortin do not appear to be involved in controlling physiological colour change but may be involved in regulating morphological colour change of the rainbow trout.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

The processing of beta-endorphin and alpha-melanotrophin in the pars intermedia of Xenopus laevis is influenced by background adaptation.

beta-Endorphin- and alpha-melanotrophin (alpha-MSH)-related peptides were extracted from the pars intermedia of Xenopus laevis maintained for 2, 4 or 6 weeks on a white background and for the same periods on a black background. The peptides were resolved under dissociating conditions by gel exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and they were detected by radioimmunoassay with antibodies to beta-endorphin, alpha,N-acetyl beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH. The beta-endorphin-related peptides separated into two fractions of different molecular size. Further purification of the peptides in each fraction was by ion exchange chromatography on SP-Sephadex C-25 and by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The alpha-MSH-related peptides were resolved by gel exclusion and ion exchange chromatography. The purified beta-endorphin- and alpha-MSH-immunoreactive peptides were identified by comparison of their chromatographic properties with the corresponding peptides from porcine pituitary or by comparison with synthetic peptides. The major form of beta-endorphin in the pars intermedia of the frog adapted to a white background was identified as alpha,N-acetyl beta-endorphin (1-8); it was accompanied by a small quantity of acetylated peptides with molecular size similar to beta-endorphin. In contrast, the pars intermedia of the frogs adapted to a black background contained approximately equal amounts of alpha,N-acetyl beta-endorphin (1-8) and the larger forms of beta-endorphin. The higher molecular weight forms were identified as the alpha,N-acetyl derivatives of beta-endorphin (1-26), (1-27) and (1-31); however after 6 weeks of white adaptation the sole remaining peptide in this group was the 26-residue peptide. An additional beta-endorphin immunoreactive peptide, provisionally identified as beta-endorphin (10-26), was present in both black- and white-adapted animals; the amounts of this peptide increased during white adaptation. Major differences in the processing of alpha-MSH were also observed. In the frogs adapted to a black background des-acetyl alpha-MSH greatly predominated over the acetyl form whereas after 6- weeks adaptation to a white background the acetylated peptide proved to be the principal component. The results demonstrate that the proteolytic processing of beta-endorphin and the acetylation of alpha-MSH in Xenopus laevis are influenced by background adaptation. The formation of beta-endorphin (1-8) appears to reflect the action of an endopeptidase that acts at the single arginine residue present at position 9.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acetylation↗

Diverse adaptability in oryzias species to high environmental salinity.

The genus Oryzias containing freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW) species is a potential model for studying mechanisms of osmotic adaptation. In this study, we compared SW adaptability of four Oryzias species, O. javanicus, O. dancena, O. latipes and O. marmoratus inhabiting different osmotic environments. SW adaptability was evaluated at several stages of the lifecycle: (i) survival rates of adult fish after transfer from FW to 50%SW or SW, (ii) spawning ability in FW and SW, (iii) fertilization rates in FW and SW, and (iv) hatching rates in FW, 50%SW and SW. Results obtained agreed with the natural habitat of each species: O. javanicus, which inhabits SW or brackish water (BW), is fully adaptable to both SW and FW at all the stages examined. The BW species O. dancena also revealed high SW adaptability except for the hatching rate. O. marmoratus, confined in FW, exhibited low SW adaptability at all stages examined while O. latipes, another FW species, was adaptable to SW at most stages examined. Based on these results, the role of SW adaptability to the distribution area of each species is discussed.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Long-term metabolic and skeletal muscle adaptations to short-sprint training: implications for sprint training and tapering.

The adaptations of muscle to sprint training can be separated into metabolic and morphological changes. Enzyme adaptations represent a major metabolic adaptation to sprint training, with the enzymes of all three energy systems showing signs of adaptation to training and some evidence of a return to baseline levels with detraining. Myokinase and creatine phosphokinase have shown small increases as a result of short-sprint training in some studies and elite sprinters appear better able to rapidly breakdown phosphocreatine (PCr) than the sub-elite. No changes in these enzyme levels have been reported as a result of detraining. Similarly, glycolytic enzyme activity (notably lactate dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase and glycogen phosphorylase) has been shown to increase after training consisting of either long (>10-second) or short (<10-second) sprints. Evidence suggests that these enzymes return to pre-training levels after somewhere between 7 weeks and 6 months of detraining. Mitochondrial enzyme activity also increases after sprint training, particularly when long sprints or short recovery between short sprints are used as the training stimulus. Morphological adaptations to sprint training include changes in muscle fibre type, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and fibre cross-sectional area. An appropriate sprint training programme could be expected to induce a shift toward type IIa muscle, increase muscle cross-sectional area and increase the sarcoplasmic reticulum volume to aid release of Ca(2+). Training volume and/or frequency of sprint training in excess of what is optimal for an individual, however, will induce a shift toward slower muscle contractile characteristics. In contrast, detraining appears to shift the contractile characteristics towards type IIb, although muscle atrophy is also likely to occur. Muscle conduction velocity appears to be a potential non-invasive method of monitoring contractile changes in response to sprint training and detraining. In summary, adaptation to sprint training is clearly dependent on the duration of sprinting, recovery between repetitions, total volume and frequency of training bouts. These variables have profound effects on the metabolic, structural and performance adaptations from a sprint-training programme and these changes take a considerable period of time to return to baseline after a period of detraining. However, the complexity of the interaction between the aforementioned variables and training adaptation combined with individual differences is clearly disruptive to the transfer of knowledge and advice from laboratory to coach to athlete.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Modifying effects of perceived adaptation to shift work on health, wellbeing, and alertness on the job among nuclear power plant operators.

This study examined the relationship between perceived adaptation to shift work and shift-related problems. A total of 608 male operators at nuclear power plants completed a set of validated questionnaires including a modified version of the Standard Shiftwork Index, which covered adaptation to shift work, fit to job content, chronotypes, chronic fatigue, sleep, naps, shift work locus of control (SHLOC), psychological health, social/family life, daytime sleepiness, workload, alertness on the job, and lifestyle factors. Participants were divided into two groups according to their perceived level of adaptation to shift work. The good adaptation group showed better outcomes than the poor adaptation group in terms of fit to job content, chronic fatigue, daytime sleep before night shifts, social and family disruption, SHLOC, psychological health, and alertness during night shifts (ps<0.001). Operators who reported good adaptation also took a more frequent, longer nap and more cigarettes during night shifts (ps<0.05). The cross-sectional study design cannot determine a causal relationship between perceived adaptation and shift work problems, yet the present results suggest that the effects of working shifts may be modified by perceptions of shift work adaptation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Adaptation of beef cattle to high-concentrate diets: performance and ruminal metabolism.

The diet adaptation period is widely considered a critical period of time in which nutritional management practices can promote or impair subsequent performance and health. Performance studies indicate that adapting feedlot cattle with incremental increases in dietary concentrate, from approximately 55 to 90% of diet DM, in 14 d or less, while allowing ad libitum access to the diet, generally results in reduced performance during adaptation or over the entire feeding period. However, the number of cattle involved in these studies does not allow insight into the frequencies of metabolic disorders associated with the management practices tested. Adapting cattle by restricting the quantity of higher-concentrate diets offered shows promise for improving production efficiency, but further development is needed for application in commercial feedlots. Evidence suggests considerable diversity in the ability of animals to cope with ingested cereal grain, and indicates that diet adaptation procedures should affect the frequency of health-impaired or low-performing cattle in a pen. Individuals that seem to effectively regulate voluntary feed intake during adaptation generally display a steady increase in DMI as dietary concentrate is increased. These data also highlight a seemingly counterproductive, repeating cycle of overconsumption, followed by a pronounced reduction in ruminal pH, by cattle that appear to cope less favorably with grain adaptation. At least a portion of this diversity may relate to the maintenance of protozoal populations. Increases in amylolytic bacteria seemed to follow the increment of additional concentrate. Protozoa were most numerous when the diet contained approximately 60% concentrate, and lactate-utilizing bacteria increased more markedly when the diet contained more than approximately 70% concentrate. Available in vivo data suggest that the number of lactate-utilizing bacteria may reach a plateau for a given diet composition after 2 to 7 d, but thorough assessments of the time course of events using modern techniques are lacking. Further research is needed to characterize how the quantity and frequency of increases in cereal grain consumption, reflective of industry practices, impact microbial dynamics, and to identify the biological features that allow certain animals to adapt more readily to high-concentrate diets.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Functional adaptation of articular cartilage from birth to maturity under the influence of loading: a biomechanical analysis.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: The concept of functional adapatation of articular cartilage during maturation has emerged from earlier biochemical research. However, articular cartilage has principally a biomechanical function governed by joint loading. OBJECTIVES: To verify whether the concept of functional adaptation can be confirmed by direct measurement of biomechanical properties of cartilage. HYPOTHESIS: Fetuses have homogeneous (i.e. site-independent) cartilage with regard to biomechanical properties. During growth and development to maturity, the biomechanical characteristics adapt according to functional (loading) demands, leading to distinct, site-dependent biomechanical heterogeneity of articular cartilage. METHODS: Osteochondral plugs were drilled out of the surface at 2 differently loaded sites (Site 1: intermittent impact-loading during locomotion, Site 2: low-level constant loading during weightbearing) of the proximal articular cartilage surface of the proximal phalanx in the forelimb from stillborn foals (n = 8), horses of age 5 (n = 9) and 18 months (n = 9) and mature horses (n = 13). Cartilage thickness was measured using ultrasonic, optical and needle-probe techniques. The osteochondral samples were biomechanically tested in indentation geometry. Young's modulus at equilibrium, dynamic modulus at 1 Hz and the ratios of these moduli values between Sites 1 and 2 were calculated. Age and site effects were evaluated statistically using ANOVA tests. The level of significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: Fetal cartilage was significantly thicker compared to the other ages with no further age-dependent differences in cartilage thickness from age 5 months onwards. Young's modulus stayed constant at Site 1, whereas at Site 2 there was a gradual, statistically significant increase in modulus during maturation. Values of dynamic modulus at both Sites 1 and 2 were significantly higher in the fetus and decreased after birth. Values for both moduli were significantly different between Sites 1 and 2 from age 18 months onwards. The ratio of values between Sites 1 and 2 for Young's modulus and dynamic modulus showed a gradual decrease from approximately 1.0 at birth to 0.5-0.6 in the mature horse. At age 18 months, all values were comparable to those in the mature horse. CONCLUSIONS: In line with the concept of functional adaptation, the neonate is born with biomechanically 'blank' or homogeneous cartilage. Functional adaptation of biomechanical properties takes place early in life, resulting in cartilage with a distinct heterogeneity in functional characteristics. At age 18 months, functional adaptation, as assessed by the biomechanical characteristics, has progressed to a level comparable to the mature horse and, after this age, no major adaptations seem to occur. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Throughout life, different areas of articular cartilage are subjected to different types of loading. Differences in loading can adequately be met only when the tissue is biomechanically adapted to withstand these different loading conditions without injury. This process of functional adaptation starts immediately after birth and is completed well before maturity. This makes the factor of loading at a young age a crucial variable, and emphasises the necessity to optimise joint loading during early life in order to create an optimal biomechanical quality of articular cartilage, which may well turn out to be the best prevention for joint injury later in life.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Gastric adaptation to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in man.

Adaptation describes the phenomenon in which visible gastric mucosal injury lessens or resolves completely despite continued administration of an injurious substance such as aspirin. Adaptation occurs in man although the mechanism remains unclear. Recent evidence suggests increased cell proliferation and correction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced reduction in gastric blood flow as possibly being important. Gastric erosions and ulcers in chronic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug users represent failed adaptation. Gastric erosions and ulcers in chronic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug users represent failed adaptation. The factors responsible for failure of adaptation are unknown but one clue is that there appears to be a dose-response effect relating anti-inflammatory dose and effectiveness of adaptation (i.e., adaptation is delayed, or less effective, when higher anti-inflammatory doses are administered). Gastric adaptation can be enhanced by co-therapy with synthetic prostaglandins but not with sucralfate or H2-receptor antagonists.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Mutational characteristics in consecutive passage of rapidly replicating variants of hepatitis A virus strain H2 during cell culture adaptation.

AIM: To investigate the molecular mechanism of cell adaptation and rapid replication of hepatitis A virus strain H2 in KBM17 cells. METHODS: Virus of strain H2 at passage 7 was consecutively passaged in KBM17 cells for 22 passages, every passage was incubated for 14 days. Antigenic and infectious titers of every passage and one-step growth dynamics of passage 22 were determined with ELISA. Genomes of passage 6, passage 12, passage 18 and passage 22 were sequenced and compared with H2K7. RESULTS: During continuous passage of vaccine strain H2 at passage K7 in KMB17 cells, infectious and antigenic titers increased with the increase of passages, infectious titers at day 14 reached 6.77LgCCID(50)ml(-1) for passage 6 (P6), 7.0 LgCCID(50)ml(-1) for passage 12 (P12), 7.33 LgCCID(50)ml(-1) for passage 18 (P18) and 7.83 LgCCID(50)ml(-1) for passage 22 (P22), respectively. The one-step growth dynamics showed that replicating peak of P22 appeared at day 14 with infectious titers of 7.83 LgCCID(50)ml(-1) and antigenic titer of 1:1024. After passage 22 a new cell-adapted variant (P22) of H2K7 with rapid and shortened replication cycle from 28 days to 14 days was obtained. Sequencing and comparisons of genomes of P6, P12, P18 and P22 showed that mutational numbers in genomes of different passages increased with adaptive passages, and mutations scattered over the genome. In comparison with that of K7, P6 had only 6 nucleotides (nt) mutations, P12 had 7 mutational changes, in addition to 6 same mutations with P6, there appeared a new mutation in 5'NTR at nucleotide position 591 resulting in a nucleotide exchange from A to G. P18 had 10 nt mutations, among the 10 mutations, 7 mutational changes were same as with P12, three new mutational changes appeared in the genome, one in 5'NTR, one in 3C coding region, one in 3D coding region, at P22 there appeared 18 nucleotide changes in the genome, on the basis of P18,there occurred additional 8 nucleotide mutations, two in 5'NTR, three in 2C, one in 3A, one in 3C and one in 3D. The results suggested that although H2K7 was already an attenuated strain, the mutations of genome is not sufficient to completely adapt the KMB17, further mutations caused rapid replication adaptation. CONCLUSION: 18-nt changes scattering over the genome are cooperatively responsible for further adaptation characterized by rapid and shortened replication cycle from 28 days to 14 days in KMB17 cells. The mutations in 2C coding region play more important role in increase of infectious titer than other mutations, the mutations in 2B coding region show less important role than it usually does in cell adaptation, nucleotide changes in 5' NTR seem to be not relevant to cell adaptation during initial stages (before P6), but do in late stages.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Adaptation to time-compressed speech: phonological determinants.

Perceptual adaptation to time-compressed speech was analyzed in two experiments. Previous research has suggested that this adaptation phenomenon is language specific and takes place at the phonological level. Moreover, it has been proposed that adaptation should only be observed for languages that are rhythmically similar. This assumption was explored by studying adaptation to different time-compressed languages in Spanish speakers. In Experiment 1, the performances of Spanish-speaking subjects who adapted to Spanish, Italian, French, English, and Japanese were compared. In Experiment 2, subjects from the same population were tested with Greek sentences compressed to two different rates. The results showed adaptation for Spanish, Italian, and Greek and no adaptation for English and Japanese, with French being an intermediate case. To account for the data, we propose that variables other than just the rhythmic properties of the languages, such as the vowel system and/or the lexical stress pattern, must be considered. The Greek data also support the view that phonological, rather than lexical, information is a determining factor in adaptation to compressed speech.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Some implications of a science of adaptive responses.

The concept of occupational therapy as a "science of adaptive responses," as proposed by King in her 1978 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture, is explored and expanded on in this article. The authors postulate an adaptation continuum consisting of homeostatic reactions, adaptive responses, adaptive skills, and adaptive patterns--a continuum that places the adaptive response in a sequential and interdependent relationship to other human responses that serve an adaptive function. Assuming that authentic occupational therapy practice is "eliciting adaptive responses" (1), the authors use the continuum to delineate the domain of occupational therapy as compared to the primary concerns of other health disciplines and to indicate the nature of collaboration between them in areas that overlap. Finally, they draw attention to some of the issues and questions that emerge from the analysis.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Olfactory adaptation depends on the Trp Ca2+ channel in Drosophila.

Olfactory adaptation is shown to occur in Drosophila, at both behavioral and physiological levels. In a behavioral paradigm, the extent of adaptation is shown to depend on the dose and duration of the adapting stimulus. Half-maximal adaptation occurred after 15 sec of exposure to an odor, and recovery occurred with a half-time of 1. 5 min, under a set of test conditions. Cross-adaptation was observed among all odor combinations tested, although to a lesser extent than when the same odor was used as both the adapting and the test stimulus. Mutants of the transient receptor potential (Trp) Ca2+ channel were normal in olfactory response, but defective in olfactory adaptation, when measured either behaviorally or in tests of antennal physiology. These results indicate that olfactory response and adaptation can be distinguished. Trp expression was detected in the developing antenna but, surprisingly, not in the mature antenna. These results, together with temperature-shift analysis of a temperature-sensitive trp mutant, provide evidence of a role of Trp in olfactory system development.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Adaptive effects of spaceflight as revealed by short-term partial weight suspension.

BACKGROUND: Human performance and adaptation to altered loading levels is investigated. A previous astronaut jumping study demonstrated significantly altered landing performance following spaceflight, complementing reports of postflight postural and gait instabilities. A dynamic model indicated that leg stiffness changes accounted for the kinematic differences due to adaptation in open-loop modulation of leg impedance. Muscular atrophy or altered stretch reflexes and vestibular sensing could not be discounted. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesize that partial weight unloading can cause modulation of leg impedance and altered jump landing performance similar to longer-term microgravity exposure, while controlling for muscle atrophy and altered graviceptor inputs. Lower-body impedance changes after partial weight unloading support the hypothesis that postflight differences result primarily from modulation of leg impedance due to reduced postural control demands in microgravity. METHODS: Six subjects performed six baseline 30-cm downward jumps from a platform, followed by 10 jumps under 60% body weight unloading (the adaptation sequence), and then six additional jumps under full-body loading (termed "adapted jumps"). Joint and mass center kinematics were compared for the baseline and adapted jump landings. A second order model evaluated changes in vertical leg impedance. RESULTS: Three subjects exhibited significant increased joint angles and rates. Vertical ground reaction forces showed more heavily damped responses after adaptation. Model fits to mass center motion indicated reduced leg stiffness. CONCLUSIONS: Post-adaptation performance is similar to that of four astronaut subjects who demonstrated reduced postflight leg stiffness. The new study strongly suggests adaptive control of lower limb impedance to accommodate altered gravity levels which can be induced by minimal unloading exposure. Partial weight unloading provides a simple, inexpensive analog to spaceflight for certain postural and movement studies.

Adaptation, Physiological↗