The relationship of female physical attractiveness to body fatness

Funding This work was supported by NSFC grant 91431102 from the National Science Foundation of China. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Acknowledgements We are grateful to all the participants from all the countries and all the members of Molecular Energetics Group for their help on the investigation and discussion of the results.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Short synthesis and anti-rhinoviral activity of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines: the effect of acyl groups at 3-position

Various 2-amino-3-acyl-6-[(E)-1-phenyl-2-N-methylcarbamoylvinyl]-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, structurally related to Enviroxime were prepared to determine the effect of acyl groups on the antirhinoviral activity. A short and efficient means for the construction of the imidazo nucleus as well as biological evaluation of the final compounds are disclosed.This research was supported by a CDTI program (Plan concertado 96/0036) and the Spanish Farma III programme (Ministerio de Industria y Ministerio de Sanidad). We are also grateful to the Lilly Rhinovirus Action Group for their advice and interest in this work

Delayed functional expression of neuronal chemokine receptors following focal nerve demyelination in the rat: a mechanism for the development of chronic sensitization of peripheral nociceptors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Animal and clinical studies have revealed that focal peripheral nerve axon demyelination is accompanied by nociceptive pain behavior. C-C and C-X-C chemokines and their receptors have been strongly implicated in demyelinating polyneuropathies and persistent pain syndromes. Herein, we studied the degree to which chronic nociceptive pain behavior is correlated with the neuronal expression of chemokines and their receptors following unilateral lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-induced focal demyelination of the sciatic nerve in rats.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Focal nerve demyelination increased behavioral reflex responsiveness to mechanical stimuli between postoperative day (POD) 3 and POD28 in both the hindpaw ipsilateral and contralateral to the nerve injury. This behavior was accompanied by a bilateral increase in the numbers of primary sensory neurons expressing the chemokine receptors CCR2, CCR5, and CXCR4 by POD14, with no change in the pattern of CXCR3 expression. Significant increases in the numbers of neurons expressing the chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2), Regulated on Activation, Normal T Expressed and Secreted (RANTES/CCL5) and interferon γ-inducing protein-10 (IP-10/CXCL10) were also evident following nerve injury, although neuronal expression pattern of stromal cell derived factor-1α (SDF1/CXCL12) did not change. Functional studies demonstrated that acutely dissociated sensory neurons derived from LPC-injured animals responded with increased [Ca²⁺]_ifollowing exposure to MCP-1, IP-10, SDF1 and RANTES on POD 14 and 28, but these responses were largely absent by POD35. On days 14 and 28, rats received either saline or a CCR2 receptor antagonist isomer (CCR2 RA-<b>[R]</b>) or its inactive enantiomer (CCR2 RA-<b>[S]</b>) by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. CCR2 RA-[<b>R</b>] treatment of nerve-injured rats produced stereospecific bilateral reversal of tactile hyperalgesia.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that the presence of chemokine signaling by both injured and adjacent, uninjured sensory neurons is correlated with the maintenance phase of a persistent pain state, suggesting that chemokine receptor antagonists may be an important therapeutic intervention for chronic pain.</p

Physical activity and fat-free mass during growth and in later life

Physical activity may be a way to increase and maintain fat-free mass (FFM) in later life, similar to the prevention of fractures by increasing peak bone mass.A study is presented of the association between FFM and physical activity in relation to age.In a cross-sectional study, FFM was analyzed in relation to physical activity in a large participant group as compiled in the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water database. The database included 2000 participants, age 3–96 y, with measurements of total energy expenditure (TEE) and resting energy expenditure (REE) to allow calculation of physical activity level (PAL = TEE/REE), and calculation of FFM from isotope dilution.PAL was a main determinant of body composition at all ages. Models with age, fat mass (FM), and PAL explained 76\% and 85\% of the variation in FFM in females and males &lt; 18 y old, and 32\% and 47\% of the variation in FFM in females and males ≥ 18 y old, respectively. In participants &lt; 18 y old, mean FM-adjusted FFM was 1.7 kg (95\% CI: 0.1, 3.2 kg) and 3.4 kg (95\% CI: 1.0, 5.6 kg) higher in a very active participant with PAL = 2.0 than in a sedentary participant with PAL = 1.5, for females and males, respectively. At age 18 y, height and FM–adjusted FFM was 3.6 kg (95\% CI: 2.8, 4.4 kg) and 4.4 kg (95\% CI: 3.2, 5.7 kg) higher, and at age 80 y 0.7 kg (95\% CI: −0.2, 1.7 kg) and 1.0 kg (95\% CI: −0.1, 2.1 kg) higher, in a participant with PAL = 2.0 than in a participant with PAL = 1.5, for females and males, respectively.If these associations are causal, they suggest physical activity is a major determinant of body composition as reflected in peak FFM, and that a physically active lifestyle can only partly protect against loss of FFM in aging adults

Human total, basal and activity energy expenditures are independent of ambient environmental temperature

Acknowledgments The DLW database, which can be found at https://www.dlwdatabase.org, is hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and generously supported by Taiyo Nippon Sanso and SERCON . We are grateful to the IAEA and these companies for their support. XYZ was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant CAS 153E11KYSB20190045 to J.R.S.), and the database was also supported by the US National Science Foundation (grant BCS-1824466 to H.P.). The funders played no role in the content of this manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Greater male variability in daily energy expenditure develops through puberty

The authors also gratefully acknowledge funding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant no. CAS153E11KYSB20190045) to J.R.S. and the US National Science Foundation (grant no. BCS-1824466) awarded to H.P. Acknowledgements Yvonne Schönbeck provided important information about morphometric measurements for Dutch children. A chat over dinner with Karsten Koehler, Eimear Dolan and Danny Longman brought up a number of thoughts that influenced this manuscript. The DLW database, which can be found at https://doublylabelled-waterdatabase.iaea.org/home, is hosted by the IAEA and generously supported by Taiyo Nippon Sanso and SERCON. We are grateful to the IAEA and these companies for their support and especially to Takashi Oono for his tremendous efforts at fundraising on our behalf.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Human total, basal and activity energy expenditures are independent of ambient environmental temperature

ower ambient temperature (Ta) requires greater energy expenditure to sustain body temperature. However, effects of Ta on human energetics may be buffered by environmental modification and behavioral compensation. We used the IAEA DLW database for adults in the USA (n = 3213) to determine the effect of Ta (−10 to +30°C) on TEE, basal (BEE) and activity energy expenditure (AEE) and physical activity level (PAL). There were no significant relationships (p > 0.05) between maximum, minimum and average Ta and TEE, BEE, AEE and PAL. After adjustment for fat-free mass, fat mass and age, statistically significant (p < 0.01) relationships between TEE, BEE and Ta emerged in females but the effect sizes were not biologically meaningful. Temperatures inside buildings are regulated at 18–25°C independent of latitude. Hence, adults in the US modify their environments to keep TEE constant across a wide range of external ambient temperatures

Total energy expenditure is repeatable in adults but not associated with short-term changes in body composition

Low total energy expenditure (TEE, MJ/d) has been a hypothesized risk factor for weight gain, but repeatability of TEE, a critical variable in longitudinal studies of energy balance, is understudied. We examine repeated doubly labeled water (DLW) measurements of TEE in 348 adults and 47 children from the IAEA DLW Database (mean ± SD time interval: 1.9 ± 2.9 y) to assess repeatability of TEE, and to examine if TEE adjusted for age, sex, fat-free mass, and fat mass is associated with changes in weight or body composition. Here, we report that repeatability of TEE is high for adults, but not children. Bivariate Bayesian mixed models show no among or within-individual correlation between body composition (fat mass or percentage) and unadjusted TEE in adults. For adults aged 20-60 y (N = 267; time interval: 7.4 ± 12.2 weeks), increases in adjusted TEE are associated with weight gain but not with changes in body composition; results are similar for subjects with intervals >4 weeks (N = 53; 29.1 ± 12.8 weeks). This suggests low TEE is not a risk factor for, and high TEE is not protective against, weight or body fat gain over the time intervals tested

Variability in energy expenditure is much greater in males than females

In mammals, trait variation is often reported to be greater among males than females. However, to date, mainly only morphological traits have been studied. Energy expenditure represents the metabolic costs of multiple physical, physiological, and behavioral traits. Energy expenditure could exhibit particularly high greater male variation through a cumulative effect if those traits mostly exhibit greater male variation, or a lack of greater male variation if many of them do not. Sex differences in energy expenditure variation have been little explored. We analyzed a large database on energy expenditure in adult humans (1494 males and 3108 females) to investigate whether humans have evolved sex differences in the degree of interindividual variation in energy expenditure. We found that, even when statistically comparing males and females of the same age, height, and body composition, there is much more variation in total, activity, and basal energy expenditure among males. However, with aging, variation in total energy expenditure decreases, and because this happens more rapidly in males, the magnitude of greater male variation, though still large, is attenuated in older age groups. Considerably greater male variation in both total and activity energy expenditure could be explained by greater male variation in levels of daily activity. The considerably greater male variation in basal energy expenditure is remarkable and may be explained, at least in part, by greater male variation in the size of energy-demanding organs. If energy expenditure is a trait that is of indirect interest to females when choosing a sexual partner, this would suggest that energy expenditure is under sexual selection. However, we present a novel energetics model demonstrating that it is also possible that females have been under stabilizing selection pressure for an intermediate basal energy expenditure to maximize energy available for reproduction. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe