Chronic exposure to airborne fungi has been associated with different respiratory symptoms and pathologies in occupational populations, such as grain workers. However, the homogeneity in the fungal species composition of these bioaerosols on a large geographical scale and the different drivers that shape these fungal communities remain unclear. In this study, the diversity of fungi in grain dus...

Upon increasing levels of threat, animals activate qualitatively different defensive modes, including freezing and active fight-or-flight reactions. Whereas freezing is a form of behavioural inhibition accompanied by parasympathetically dominated heart rate deceleration, fight-or-flight reactions are associated with sympathetically driven heart rate acceleration. Despite the potential relevance...

Freezing sensitivity of leaves and xylem was examined in four co-occurring Mediterranean oaks (Quercus spp.) grown in a common garden to determine whether freezing responses of leaves and xylem were coordinated and could be predicted by leaf lifespan. Freezing-induced embolism and loss of photosynthetic function were measured after overnight exposure to a range of subzero temperatures in both s...

Infrared video thermography was used to observe ice nucleation temperatures, patterns of ice formation, and freezing rates in nonacclimated and cold acclimated leaves of a spring (cv Quest) and a winter (cv Express) canola (Brassica napus). Distinctly different freezing patterns were observed, and the effect of water content, sugars, and soluble proteins on the freezing process was characterize...

OBJECTIVES In some individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), freezing of gait episodes develops as the disease progresses. The neural mechanism underlying freezing in PD is poorly understood. Here, we report a 2-year follow-up on the novel discovery of prolonged step initiation duration as a potential marker of impending freezing. METHODS Non-freezing PD participants in stages 2.5...

Freezing is a defensive response to acute stress that is associated with coping and alterations in attentional processing. However, it remains unclear whether individuals in high risk professions, who are skilled at making rapid decisions in emergency situations, show altered threat-induced freezing. Here we investigated the effect of incident experience in a high risk profession on freezing. A...

Plants vary greatly in their ability to survive freezing temperatures. At one extreme are plants from tropical regions that have virtually no capacity to survive even the slightest freeze. In contrast, herbaceous plants from temperate regions generally survive freezing temperatures ranging from 25°C to 230°C, depending on the species, whereas perennials in the boreal forests routinely survive w...