Physiological blunting during pregnancy extends to induced relaxation.

There is accumulating evidence that pregnancy is accompanied by hyporesponsivity to physical, cognitive, and psychological challenges. This study evaluates whether observed autonomic blunting extends to conditions designed to decrease arousal. Physiological and psychological responsivity to an 18-min guided imagery relaxation protocol in healthy pregnant women during the 32nd week of gestation (n=54) and non-pregnant women (n=28) was measured.

Strategies of light energy utilisation, dissipation and attenuation in six co-occurring alpine heath species in Tasmania.

Alpine environments are characterised by low temperatures and high light intensities. This combination leads to high light stress owing to the imbalance between light energy harvesting and its use in photochemistry. In extreme cases, high light stress can lead to the level of photo-oxidative damage exceeding the rate of repair to the photosynthetic apparatus.