Physical Activity, Gut Microbiota, and Genetic Background for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

It is estimated that one in 100 children worldwide has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD frequently suffer from gut dysbiosis and gastrointestinal issues, findings which possibly play a role in the pathogenesis and/or severity of their condition. Physical activity may have a positive effect on the composition of the intestinal microbiota of healthy adults. However, the effect of exercise both on the gastrointestinal problems and intestinal microbiota (and thus possibly on ASD) itself in affected children is unknown. In terms of understanding the physiopathology and manifestations of ASD, analysis of the gut–brain axis holds some promise. Here, we discuss the physiopathology of ASD in terms of genetics and microbiota composition, and how physical activity may be a promising non-pharmaceutical approach to improve ASDrelated symptoms."Fundacion Ramon Areces", Madrid, SpainANID/BECAS ChileSpanish Ministry Universities 7218054

Geographic assignment of seabirds to their origin: combining morphology, genetics and biogeochemical analyses

Longline fisheries, oil spills, and offshore wind farms are some of the major threats increasing seabird mortality at sea, but the impact of these threats on specific populations has been difficult to determine so far. We tested the use of molecular markers, morphometric measures, and stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) and trace element concentrations in the first primary feather (grown at the end of the breeding period) to assign the geographic origin of Calonectris shearwaters. Overall, we sampled birds from three taxa: 13 Mediterranean Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea diomedea) breeding sites, 10 Atlantic Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis) breeding sites, and one Cape Verde Shearwater (C. edwardsii) breeding site. Assignment rates were investigated at three spatial scales: breeding colony, breeding archipelago, and taxa levels. Genetic analyses based on the mitochondrial control region (198 birds from 21 breeding colonies) correctly assigned 100% of birds to the three main taxa but failed in detecting geographic structuring at lower scales. Discriminant analyses based on trace elements composition achieved the best rate of correct assignment to colony (77.5%). Body measurements or stable isotopes mainly succeeded in assigning individuals among taxa (87.9% and 89.9%, respectively) but failed at the colony level (27.1% and 38.0%, respectively). Combining all three approaches (morphometrics, isotopes, and trace elements on 186 birds from 15 breeding colonies) substantially improved correct classifications (86.0%, 90.7%, and 100% among colonies, archipelagos, and taxa, respectively). Validations using two independent data sets and jackknife cross-validation confirmed the robustness of the combined approach in the colony assignment (62.5%, 58.8%, and 69.8% for each validation test, respectively). A preliminary application of the discriminant model based on stable isotope δ15N and δ13C values and trace elements (219 birds from 17 breeding sites) showed that 41 Cory's Shearwaters caught by western Mediterranean long-liners came mainly from breeding colonies in Menorca (48.8%), Ibiza (14.6%), and Crete (31.7%). Our findings show that combining analyses of trace elements and stable isotopes on feathers can achieve high rates of correct geographic assignment of birds in the marine environment, opening new prospects for the study of seabird mortality at sea

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL RECORDATORIO DE 24 HORAS APLICADO A MUJERES CON DIABETES GESTACIONAL DEL HOSPITAL MATERNO PERINATAL “MÓNICA PRETELINI SÁENZ”, EN EL PERÍODO AGOSTO-DICIEMBRE 2011

Antecedentes: La diabetes gestacional complica del 8 al 12% de los embarazos en México. Es importante el conocimiento de los factores de riesgo para instaurar el tratamiento y seguimiento multidisciplinario de la mujer embarazada, a fin de disminuir las complicaciones maternas y perinatales. La composición de la dieta puede ser un predictor de riesgo modificable para la tolerancia anormal a la glucosa durante el embarazo. Objetivo: Describir el recordatorio de dieta de 24 horas de las pacientes con diabetes gestacional. Material y métodos: Estudio exploratorio, retrospectivo, transversal y analítico efectuado en 201 pacientes embarazadas del Hospital Materno Perinatal “Mónica Pretelini Sáenz”, en el periodo agosto-diciembre 2011. Los factores de riesgo a evaluar fueron: antecedentes heredofamiliares de diabetes, edad materna, edad gestacional, índice de masa corporal pregestacional y la composición de la dieta, evaluada a través del recordatorio de dieta de 24 horas. Por medio de la razón de momios se estimó el riesgo que representan dichos factores sobre el desarrollo de diabetes gestacional. Resultados: Los antecedentes heredofamiliares de diabetes ocuparon un lugar preponderante, no sólo en relación a su frecuencia, sino también en cuanto a su contribución al desarrollo de diabetes durante el embarazo (OR 3.55). La edad materna mayor a 25 años incremento el riesgo diabetes (OR 3.36) al igual que un IMC >25 (OR 1.64). Conforme a lo reportado en los recordatorios de dieta de 24 horas la ingestión calórica muestra un mayor riesgo (OR 4), respecto al porcentaje de adecuación de hidratos de carbono y lípidos (OR 0.99) y proteínas (OR 2.39). Conclusiones: La alimentación es un factor de riesgo modificable para desarrollar diabetes gestacional. Las pacientes con diabetes tienden a ingerir mayor cantidad de energía y lípidos, además de superar las cantidades recomendadas de hidratos de carbono simples y ácidos grasos saturados

CAREER PROFILES OF IMMIGRANTS IN THE MODERN CAREER CONTEXT: CASE OF LITHUANIA

This paper reports on findings from a descriptive study of immigrants career profiles. A total of 71 respondents, highly skilled immigrants in Lithuania volunteered to fill in the survey. The research was based on protean (Hall, 1996) and boundaryless (Arthur, 1994) career theories. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation. A significant portion of immigrants have protean career profile which means that they are strongly self-directed in their career management process, they base their decision-making process on personal values and they are physically and psychologically boundaryless. The second most dominant career profile is solid citizen. These profile agents are strongly self-directed in career management, values driven and psychologically boundary less but they lack physical mobility

On the Soundness of XAI in Prognostics and Health Management (PHM)

The aim of Predictive Maintenance, within the field of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM), is to identify and anticipate potential issues in the equipment before these become critical. The main challenge to be addressed is to assess the amount of time a piece of equipment will function effectively before it fails, which is known as Remaining Useful Life (RUL). Deep Learning (DL) models, such as Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, have been widely adopted to address the task, with great success. However, it is well known that this kind of black box models are opaque decision systems, and it may be hard to explain its outputs to stakeholders (experts in the industrial equipment). Due to the large number of parameters that determine the behavior of these complex models, understanding the reasoning behind the predictions is challenging. This work presents a critical and comparative revision on a number of XAI methods applied on time series regression model for PM. The aim is to explore XAI methods within time series regression, which have been less studied than those for time series classification. The model used during the experimentation is a DCNN trained to predict the RUL of an aircraft engine. The methods are reviewed and compared using a set of metrics that quantifies a number of desirable properties that any XAI method should fulfill. The results show that GRAD-CAM is the most robust method, and that the best layer is not the bottom one, as is commonly seen within the context of Image Processing

Trophic Structure in a Seabird Host-Parasite Food Web: Insights from Stable Isotope Analyses

Ecological studies on food webs rarely include parasites, partly due to the complexity and dimensionality of host-parasite interaction networks. Multiple co-occurring parasites can show different feeding strategies and thus lead to complex and cryptic trophic relationships, which are often difficult to disentangle by traditional methods. We analyzed stable isotope ratios of C (13C/12C, δ13C) and N (15N/14N, δ15N) of host and ectoparasite tissues to investigate trophic structure in 4 co-occurring ectoparasites: three lice and one flea species, on two closely related and spatially segregated seabird hosts (Calonectris shearwaters). δ13C isotopic signatures confirmed feathers as the main food resource for the three lice species and blood for the flea species. All ectoparasite species showed a significant enrichment in δ15N relatively to the host tissue consumed (discrimination factors ranged from 2 to 5‰ depending on the species). Isotopic differences were consistent across multiple host-ectoparasite locations, despite of some geographic variability in baseline isotopic levels. Our findings illustrate the influence of both ectoparasite and host trophic ecology in the isotopic structuring of the Calonectris ectoparasite community. This study highlights the potential of stable isotope analyses in disentangling the nature and complexity of trophic relationships in symbiotic systems

Trophic Structure in a Seabird Host-Parasite Food Web: Insights from Stable Isotope Analyses

Ecological studies on food webs rarely include parasites, partly due to the complexity and dimensionality of host-parasite interaction networks. Multiple co-occurring parasites can show different feeding strategies and thus lead to complex and cryptic trophic relationships, which are often difficult to disentangle by traditional methods. We analyzed stable isotope ratios of C (13C/12C, δ13C) and N (15N/14N, δ15N) of host and ectoparasite tissues to investigate trophic structure in 4 co-occurring ectoparasites: three lice and one flea species, on two closely related and spatially segregated seabird hosts (Calonectris shearwaters). δ13C isotopic signatures confirmed feathers as the main food resource for the three lice species and blood for the flea species. All ectoparasite species showed a significant enrichment in δ15N relatively to the host tissue consumed (discrimination factors ranged from 2 to 5‰ depending on the species). Isotopic differences were consistent across multiple host-ectoparasite locations, despite of some geographic variability in baseline isotopic levels. Our findings illustrate the influence of both ectoparasite and host trophic ecology in the isotopic structuring of the Calonectris ectoparasite community. This study highlights the potential of stable isotope analyses in disentangling the nature and complexity of trophic relationships in symbiotic systems