A sniff of happiness.

It is well known that feelings of happiness transfer between individuals through mimicry induced by vision and hearing. The evidence is inconclusive, however, as to whether happiness can be communicated through the sense of smell via chemosignals. As chemosignals are a known medium for transferring negative emotions from a sender to a receiver, we examined whether chemosignals are also involved in the transmission of positive emotions. Positive emotions are important for overall well-being and yet relatively neglected in research on chemosignaling, arguably because of the stronger survival benefits linked with negative emotions. We observed that exposure to body odor collected from senders of chemosignals in a happy state induced a facial expression and perceptual-processing style indicative of happiness in the receivers of those signals. Our findings suggest that not only negative affect but also a positive state (happiness) can be transferred by means of odors.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines: The Advantage of Mucosal Vaccine Delivery and Local Immunity.

Immunity against respiratory pathogens is often short-term, and, consequently, there is an unmet need for the effective prevention of such infections. One such infectious disease is coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel Beta coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that emerged around the end of 2019. The World Health Organization declared the illness a pandemic on 11 March 2020, and since then it has killed or sickened millions of people globally. The development of COVID-19 systemic vaccines, which impressively led to a significant reduction in disease severity, hospitalization, and mortality, contained the pandemic's expansion. However, these vaccines have not been able to stop the virus from spreading because of the restricted development of mucosal immunity. As a result, breakthrough infections have frequently occurred, and new strains of the virus have been emerging. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 will likely continue to circulate and, like the influenza virus, co-exist with humans. The upper respiratory tract and nasal cavity are the primary sites of SARS-CoV-2 infection and, thus, a mucosal/nasal vaccination to induce a mucosal response and stop the virus' transmission is warranted. In this review, we present the status of the systemic vaccines, both the approved mucosal vaccines and those under evaluation in clinical trials. Furthermore, we present our approach of a B-cell peptide-based vaccination applied by a prime-boost schedule to elicit both systemic and mucosal immunity.

Age-related variations in hematologic and plasma biochemical test results in Beagles and Labrador Retrievers.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate age-related variations in results of hematologic and plasma biochemical tests performed on dogs of 2 common breeds. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. ANIMALS: 34 Beagles and 44 Labrador Retrievers. PROCEDURE: Blood samples were collected throughout the dogs' lives; 589 samples were collected from the Beagles and 964 samples were collected from the Labrador Retrievers (age at the time of sample collection ranged from 22 days to 15 years). White blood cell and RBC counts; hemoglobin concentration; Hct; mean cell volume; mean cell hemoglobin concentration; alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase activities; and calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol, urea, protein, and albumin concentrations were measured. RESULTS: For all tests, there were significant effects of age on test results. There was a significant interaction between age and breed for all tests except hemoglobin, albumin, and phosphorus concentrations. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that there were age-related changes in hematologic and plasma biochemical test results in these 2 breeds of dogs. Changes were most evident during the first year of life, reflecting growth and maturation of the puppies. In some instances, values for puppies diverged markedly from those for adults, necessitating the use of age-specific reference ranges for the interpretation of clinical data.

Psychopharmacology of theobromine in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Theobromine, a methylxanthine related to caffeine and present in high levels in cocoa, may contribute to the appeal of chocolate. However, current evidence for this is limited. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a within-subjects placebo-controlled study of a wide range of oral theobromine doses (250, 500, and 1,000 mg) using an active control dose of caffeine (200 mg) in 80 healthy participants. RESULTS: Caffeine had the expected effects on mood including feelings of alertness and cardiovascular parameters. Theobromine responses differed according to dose; it showed limited subjective effects at 250 mg and negative mood effects at higher doses. It also dose-dependently increased heart rate. In secondary analyses, we also examined individual differences in the drug's effects in relation to genes related to their target receptors, but few associations were detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the highest dose of theobromine studied in humans. We conclude that theobromine at normal intake ranges may contribute to the positive effects of chocolate, but at higher intakes, effects become negative.

Calcium absorption from fortified ice cream formulations compared with calcium absorption from milk.

OBJECTIVE: Optimal bone mass in early adulthood is achieved through appropriate diet and lifestyle, thereby protecting against osteoporosis and risk of bone fracture in later life. Calcium and vitamin D are essential to build adequate bones, but calcium intakes of many population groups do not meet dietary reference values. In addition, changes in dietary patterns are exacerbating the problem, thereby emphasizing the important role of calcium-rich food products. We have designed a calcium-fortified ice cream formulation that is lower in fat than regular ice cream and could provide a useful source of additional dietary calcium. Calcium absorption from two different ice cream formulations was determined in young adults and compared with milk. SUBJECTS/SETTING: Sixteen healthy volunteers (25 to 45 years of age), recruited from the general public of The Netherlands, participated in a randomized, reference-controlled, double-blind cross-over study in which two test products and milk were consumed with a light standard breakfast on three separate occasions: a standard portion of ice cream (60 g) fortified with milk minerals and containing a low level (3%) of butter fat, ice cream (60 g) fortified with milk minerals and containing a typical level (9%) of coconut oil, and reduced-fat milk (1.7% milk fat) (200 mL). Calcium absorption was measured by the dual-label stable isotope technique. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Effects on calcium absorption were evaluated by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Fractional absorption of calcium from the 3% butterfat ice cream, 9% coconut oil ice cream, and milk was 26%+/-8%, 28%+/-5%, and 31%+/-9%, respectively, and did not differ significantly (P=0.159). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that calcium bioavailability in the two calcium-fortified ice cream formulations used in this study is as high as milk, indicating that ice cream may be a good vehicle for delivery of calcium.

The function of ascorbate oxidase in tobacco.

The function of the apoplastic enzyme ascorbate oxidase (AO) was investigated in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The abundance of AO mRNA was up-regulated by light. Cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (APX1) transcripts were also highest in the light. In contrast, L-galactono-gamma-lactone dehydrogenase, stromal APX, and thylakoid APX transcripts remained constant over the day/night cycle. Salicylic acid inhibited growth, increased expression of the pathogenesis-related protein (PR) 1a, and decreased AO transcript abundance. In contrast, the application of auxin enhanced growth and increased AO and PR 1a gene expression. Therefore, AO transcript abundance varied in a manner similar to hormone-mediated changes in plant growth. To study the effects of modified AO expression on growth, transformed tobacco plants expressing AO in the sense and antisense orientations were generated. The resultant large changes in apoplastic AO activity in the transformed tobacco plants had little effect on whole leaf ascorbate (AA) content, but they had dramatic effects on apoplastic AA levels. Enhanced AO activity oxidized the apoplastic AA pool, whereas decreased AO activity increased the amount of AA compared with dehydroascorbate. A relationship was observed between AO activity and plant height and biomass. Native AO transcript levels were no longer subject to light/dark regulation in AO sense and antisense plants. Taken together, these data show that there is an interaction between hormone, redox, and light signals at the level of the apoplast via modulation of ion of AA content.