Body fat, general physical self-concept, self-esteem and physical appearance in university students

O objetivo do presente estudo é caracterizar e comparar os estudantes da UCLM (Campus de Cuenca) praticantes e não praticantes de atividade física desportiva regular, relativamente às dimensões: (1) gordura corporal; (2) auto-conceito físico geral; (3) auto-estima; (4) aparência física. Foi utilizado o Physical Self Description Questionnaire (PSDQ), de Marsh (1996), traduzido e adaptado para a cultura Espanhola (versão reduzida de 20 itens, agrupados em 4 dimensões). Participaram no estudo 266 estudantes, 175 praticantes de atividade física desportiva e 91 não praticantes, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 35 anos (M ± DP = 21,80 ± 3,31). De acordo com a falsidade (gordura corporal, auto-estima) ou veracidade (autoconceito físico geral, aparência física) das respostas aos diferentes itens, é possível verificar que nas 4 dimensões existe uma maior positividade e uma melhor forma de encarar estes problemas pela parte dos praticantes de atividade desportiva [gordura corporal (M=2,27), autoconceito físico geral (M=4,49), auto-estima (M=1,67), aparência física (M=4,37)], havendo mesmo diferenças estatisticamente significativas, entre os dois grupos de participantes, em 3 das 4 dimensões: [gordura corporal (p=0,05), auto-conceito físico geral (p=0,02), auto-estima (p=0,01)].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Consenso da Sociedade Portuguesa de Gastrenterologia sobre o Diagnóstico e Tratamento da Doença Hemorroidária

Hemorrhoidal disease (HD) is a frequent health problem with considerable repercussions on patients' quality of life. However, much of the clinical practice related to HD is based on knowledge without scientific evidence and supported largely by empirical experience of the physician who deals with this pathology. As in other countries, the goal of this consensus is to establish statements supported by solid scientific evidence and whose purpose will be to standardize and guide the diagnosis and management of HD both in the general population and in some particular groups of patients.A doença hemorroidária é uma patologia prevalente com repercussões consideráveis na qualidade de vida dos doentes. No entanto, muita da prática clínica relacionada com a doença hemorroidária é baseada em conhecimentos sem evidência científica e apoiada largamente por uma experiência empírica por parte do médico que lida com esta patologia. À semelhança do que tem sido feito noutros países, o objetivo deste consenso foi estabelecer statements suportados por evidência científica sólida e cuja finalidade será o de uniformizar e orientar o diagnóstico e tratamento da doença hemorroidária quer na população em geral quer em grupos particulares de doentes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Deep Learning Neural Network to Classify Obesity Risk in Portuguese Adolescents Based on Physical Fitness Levels and Body Mass Index Percentiles: Insights for National Health Policies

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults is a risk factor for many chronic diseases and death. In addition, obesity among children and adolescents has reached unprecedented levels and studies show that obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese adults. Therefore, both the prevention and treatment of obesity in adolescents are critical. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) neural network (NNET) model that identifies the risk of obesity in Portuguese adolescents based on their body mass index (BMI) percentiles and levels of physical fitness. Using datasets from the FITescola® project, 654 adolescents aged between 10–19 years old, male: 334 (51%), female: n = 320 (49%), age 13.8 ± 2 years old, were selected to participate in a cross-sectional observational study. Physical fitness variables, age, and sex were used to identify the risk of obesity. The NNET had good accuracy (75%) and performance validation through the Receiver Operating Characteristic using the Area Under the Curve (ROC AUC = 64%) in identifying the risk of obesity in Portuguese adolescents based on the BMI percentiles. Correlations of moderate effect size were perceived for aerobic fitness (AF), upper limbs strength (ULS), and sprint time (ST), showing that some physical fitness variables contributed to the obesity risk of the adolescents. Our NNET presented a good accuracy (75%) and was validated with the K-Folds Cross-Validation (K-Folds CV) with good accuracy (71%) and ROC AUC (66%). According to the NNET, there was an increased risk of obesity linked to low physical fitness in Portuguese teenagers.This project was supported by the National Funds through the FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (project UIDB/04045/2021).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Complexo multienzimático em dietas de poedeiras comerciais

The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of laying hen diets with increasing levels of enzymatic complex composed of α-amylase, β-glucanase, cellulase, xylanase, protease and phytase in the forms “on top”, with reductions in the levels of PB, MS, Ca, P available and amino acids. Semi-heavy 384 layers were used with Isa Brown hens, with an initial age of 29 weeks, distributed in six treatments with eight replications, with eight birds per experimental plot, using a completely randomized design (CRD) with sub installments on time (4 periods of 28 days each). The treatments were: Positive Control (PC) 2.750 kcal kg-1 MS, 17.2% PC and 0.41% available P; Negative Control (NC) 2.600 kcal kg-1 MS, 16.7% PC, 0.26% available P; Positive Control + 350 g ton-1 of feed of enzymatic complex (PC350); Negative Control + 250 g ton-1 of feed of enzymatic complex (NC250); Negative Control + 350 g ton-1 of feed of enzymatic complex (NC350) and; Negative Control + 500 g ton-1 of feed of enzymatic complex (NC500). The variables analyzed for growth performance were: feed intake (g bird-1 day-1), egg production (% bird-1 day-1), average egg weight (%) and feed conversion per egg mass (kg kg-1 of feed/eggs). The internal and external quality variables of the analyzed eggs were shell thickness (mm), bark percentages of albumen and yolk, Haugh unit and specific gravity (g cm-3). The addition of enzymatic complex did not interfere in the results of zoo-technical importance or quality of eggs from hens aged 29-44 weeks. Increased consumption of feed/bird/day was enough to supply the reduced nutritional levels of NC diets and maintain balance in the results to the rest of the variables. For some growth performance variables sometimes during the trial period, a negative influence of the inclusion of high levels of enzymatic complex was observed where the NC350 and NC500 diets had a high feed intake and a worst feed conversion than the other diets.Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da suplementação de rações de poedeiras comerciais com um complexo multienzimático (CE), nas formas “on top”, com reduções nos níveis de PB, EM, Ca, P disponível e aminoácidos, com adição em níveis crescentes do complexo enzimático. Foram utilizadas 384 poedeiras semipesadas da linhagem Isa Brown, com idade inicial de 29 semanas, distribuídas em seis tratamentos com oito repetições, sendo oito aves por parcela experimental, utilizando o delineamento inteiramente casualizado (DIC) com parcelas subdividas no tempo (4 períodos de 28 dias cada). Os tratamentos foram: Controle Positivo (CP) 2.750 kcal kg-1 EM, 17,2% PB e 0,41% P disponível; Controle Negativo (CN) 2.600 kcal kg-1 EM, 16,7% PB e 0,26% P disponível; Controle Positivo + 350 g tonelada-1 do complexo enzimático (CP350); Controle Negativo + 250 g tonelada-1 de complexo enzimático (CN250); Controle Negativo + 350 g tonelada-1 de complexo enzimático (CN350) e; Controle Negativo + 500 g tonelada-1 do complexo enzimático (CN500). As variáveis analisadas de desempenho zootécnico foram: consumo de ração/ave/dia, produção de ovos/ave/dia, peso médio do ovo e conversão alimentar por massa de ovos. As variáveis de qualidade interna e externa dos ovos foram: espessura da casca, porcentagens de casca, albúmen e gema, Unidade Haugh e gravidade específica. A inclusão do complexo multienzimático não interferiu nos resultados de importância zootécnica nem na qualidade dos ovos de poedeiras com idade entre 29 a 44 semanas de vida. O aumento no consumo de ração/ave/dia foi suficiente para suprir os níveis nutricionais reduzidos das dietas CN e manter em equilíbrio os resultados para o restante das variáveis. Para algumas variáveis de desempenho zootécnico, em alguns momentos, foi possível observar a influência negativa da inclusão de altos níveis do complexo multienzimático

Circumstellar Medium Interaction in SN 2018lab, A Low-Luminosity II-P Supernova observed with TESS

We present photometric and spectroscopic data of SN 2018lab, a low luminosity type IIP supernova (LLSN) with a V-band peak luminosity of $-15.1\pm0.1$ mag. SN 2018lab was discovered by the Distance Less Than 40 Mpc (DLT40) SNe survey only 0.73 days post-explosion, as determined by observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TESS observations of SN 2018lab yield a densely sampled, fast-rising, early time light curve likely powered by circumstellar medium (CSM) interaction. The blue-shifted, broadened flash feature in the earliest spectra ($<$2 days) of SN 2018lab provide further evidence for ejecta-CSM interaction. The early emission features in the spectra of SN 2018lab are well described by models of a red supergiant progenitor with an extended envelope and close-in CSM. As one of the few LLSNe with observed flash features, SN 2018lab highlights the need for more early spectra to explain the diversity of flash feature morphology in type II SNe

Efectos de la reforestación en la sensibilización al polen de árboles en habitantes de Nuevo León, México

Las áreas verdes urbanas son importantes en la planeación de las ciudades para promover la interacción de los ciudadanos con el ambiente y la salud. La falta de planeación y diseño de estas áreas y la mala selección de árboles han contribuido a aumentar la incidencia de alergia al polen entre la población. Con frecuencia los programas de reforestación ambiental no toman en cuenta el potencial alergénico de algunas especies. El gobierno de Nuevo León en los últimos cuatro años ha plantado cerca de 18 mil árboles de la especie Quercus, además de un número indeterminado de árboles de la especie Fraxinus, cuyo polen es alergénico. Objetivos: identificar el cambio en la sensibilización al polen de árboles de acuerdo con los programas de reforestación ambiental. ABSTRACT Climate change has implications for health, ecology and society. Urban green areas are a key element in the planning of cities, promoting citizen interaction with the environment, as well as health. Lack of planning and design of these areas as well as the selection of ornamental trees can be a trigger of pollen allergy in the surrounding population. Reforestation is among the programs implemented by the government that have an impact on allergy. Environmental reforestation programs do not take into account the allergenic potential of some species. In the last 4 years, the government of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, has planted nearly 18,000 Quercus species trees, in addition to an unknown number of Fraxinus species trees that are listed as tree species with high pollen production. Objective: To identify changes in tree pollen sensitization, based on environmental reforestation programs

Hepatic steatosis does not cause insulin resistance in people with familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia

Item does not contain fulltextAIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Hepatic steatosis is strongly associated with hepatic and whole-body insulin resistance. It has proved difficult to determine whether hepatic steatosis itself is a direct cause of insulin resistance. In patients with familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia (FHBL), hepatic steatosis is a direct consequence of impaired hepatic VLDL excretion, independently of metabolic derangements. Thus, patients with FHBL provide a unique opportunity to investigate the relation between increased liver fat and insulin sensitivity. METHODS: We included seven male participants with FHBL and seven healthy matched controls. Intrahepatic triacylglycerol content and intramyocellular lipid content were measured using localised proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS). A two-step hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp, using stable isotopes, was assessed to determine hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: (1)H-MRS showed moderate to severe hepatic steatosis in patients with FHBL. Basal endogenous glucose production (EGP) and glucose levels did not differ between the two groups, whereas insulin levels tended to be higher in patients compared with controls. Insulin-mediated suppression of EGP during lower dose insulin infusion and insulin-mediated peripheral glucose uptake during higher dose insulin infusion were comparable between FHBL participants and controls. Baseline fatty acids and lipolysis (glycerol turnover) at baseline and during the clamp did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: In spite of moderate to severe hepatic steatosis, people with FHBL do not display a reduction in hepatic or peripheral insulin sensitivity compared with healthy matched controls. These results indicate that hepatic steatosis per se is not a causal factor leading to insulin resistance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN35161775

Enhanced nuclear protein export in premature aging and rescue of the progeria phenotype by modulation of CRM1 activity

The study of Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) has provided important clues to decipher mechanisms underlying aging. Progerin, a mutant lamin A, disrupts nuclear envelope structure/function, with further impairment of multiple processes that culminate in senescence. Here, we demonstrate that the nuclear protein export pathway is exacerbated in HGPS, due to progerin‐driven overexpression of CRM1, thereby disturbing nucleocytoplasmic partitioning of CRM1‐target proteins. Enhanced nuclear export is central in HGPS, since pharmacological inhibition of CRM1 alleviates all aging hallmarks analyzed, including senescent cellular morphology, lamin B1 downregulation, loss of heterochromatin, nuclear morphology defects, and expanded nucleoli. Exogenous overexpression of CRM1 on the other hand recapitulates the HGPS cellular phenotype in normal fibroblasts. CRM1 levels/activity increases with age in fibroblasts from healthy donors, indicating that altered nuclear export is a common hallmark of pathological and physiological aging. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into HGPS pathophysiology, identifying CRM1 as potential therapeutic target in HGPS

The JWST Galactic Center Survey -- A White Paper

The inner hundred parsecs of the Milky Way hosts the nearest supermassive black hole, largest reservoir of dense gas, greatest stellar density, hundreds of massive main and post main sequence stars, and the highest volume density of supernovae in the Galaxy. As the nearest environment in which it is possible to simultaneously observe many of the extreme processes shaping the Universe, it is one of the most well-studied regions in astrophysics. Due to its proximity, we can study the center of our Galaxy on scales down to a few hundred AU, a hundred times better than in similar Local Group galaxies and thousands of times better than in the nearest active galaxies. The Galactic Center (GC) is therefore of outstanding astrophysical interest. However, in spite of intense observational work over the past decades, there are still fundamental things unknown about the GC. JWST has the unique capability to provide us with the necessary, game-changing data. In this White Paper, we advocate for a JWST NIRCam survey that aims at solving central questions, that we have identified as a community: i) the 3D structure and kinematics of gas and stars; ii) ancient star formation and its relation with the overall history of the Milky Way, as well as recent star formation and its implications for the overall energetics of our galaxy's nucleus; and iii) the (non-)universality of star formation and the stellar initial mass function. We advocate for a large-area, multi-epoch, multi-wavelength NIRCam survey of the inner 100\,pc of the Galaxy in the form of a Treasury GO JWST Large Program that is open to the community. We describe how this survey will derive the physical and kinematic properties of ~10,000,000 stars, how this will solve the key unknowns and provide a valuable resource for the community with long-lasting legacy value.Comment: This White Paper will be updated when required (e.g. new authors joining, editing of content). Most recent update: 24 Oct 202