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OBJECTIVE:To determine whether a workplace stress-reduction intervention decreases reactivity to stress among personnel exposed to a highly stressful occupational environment. METHODS:Personnel from a surgical intensive care unit were randomized to a stress-reduction intervention or a waitlist control group. The 8-week group mindfulness-based intervention included mindfulness, gentle yoga, and music. Psychological and biological markers of stress were measured 1 week before and 1 week after the intervention. RESULTS:Levels of salivary α-amylase, an index of sympathetic activation, were significantly decreased between the first and second assessments in the intervention group with no changes in the control group. There was a positive correlation between salivary α-amylase levels and burnout scores. CONCLUSIONS:These data suggest that this type of intervention could decrease not only reactivity to stress but also the risk of burnout.

To determine whether a workplace stress-reduction intervention decreases reactivity to stress among personnel exposed to a highly stressful occupational environment. Personnel from a surgical intensive care unit were randomized to a stress-reduction intervention or a waitlist control group. The 8-week group mindfulness-based intervention included mindfulness, gentle yoga, and music. Psychological and biological markers of stress were measured 1 week before and 1 week after the intervention. Levels of salivary α-amylase, an index of sympathetic activation, were significantly decreased between the first and second assessments in the intervention group with no changes in the control group. There was a positive correlation between salivary α-amylase levels and burnout scores. These data suggest that this type of intervention could decrease not only reactivity to stress but also the risk of burnout.

The characterization of innate immune activation is crucial for vaccine and therapeutic development, including RNA-based vaccines, a promising approach. Current measurement methods quantify type I interferon and inflammatory cytokine production, but they do not allow for the isolation of individual pathways, do not provide kinetic activation or spatial information within tissues, and cannot be translated into clinical studies. Here we demonstrated the use of proximity ligation assays (PLAs) to detect pattern recognition receptor (PRR) activation in cells and in tissue samples. First, we validated PLA’s sensitivity and specificity using well-characterized soluble agonists. Next, we characterized PRR activation from in vitro-transcribed (IVT) mRNAs, as well as the effect of sequence and base modifications in vitro. Finally, we established the measurement of PRR activation in tissue sections via PLA upon IVT mRNA intramuscular (i.m.) injection in mice. Overall, our results indicate that PLA is a valuable, versatile, and sensitive tool to monitor PRR activation for vaccine, adjuvant, and therapeutic screening. [Display omitted]