Reservas hepáticas e musculares de glicogênio de ratos tratados com metformina e submetidos ao exercício agudo por natação

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of glycogen reserves over an acute exercise condition (50 minutes of swimming at low intesity), after treatment with metformin in rats. Forty Wistar rats (180- 200g) adults were divided into four groups (treated or not for a fortnight) and represented as follows: Control; Acute exercise by swimming (perform a session of swimming, 50 min on light intensity); Treated with metformin (received the drug metformin at a dose 1.4 mg/ml during the experimental period; Treated with metformin and exercised by swimming (received the drug metformin at a dose 1.4 mg/ml and held a swimming, 50 min on light intensity). The acute exercise decreased the glycogen reserves, while animals treated with metformin showed an increase in their muscle and liver glycogen reserves (p>0,05). Additionally, the drug showed no increase glucose and corticosterone concentration compared to the control and treated with metformin groups (p>0,05). Treatment with metformin improved energy conditions and lowers the stress response, suggesting that an important pharmacological tool for the potentiation of performance.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o comportamento das reservas glicogênicas de ratos, submetidos a uma condição de exercício agudo (50 minutos de natação na intensidade leve), após o tratamento com metformina. Quarenta ratos Wistar (180-200g) adultos foram divididos em quatro grupos (tratados ou não por quinze dias) e assim representados: Controle; Exercício agudo por natação (realizaram uma sessão de natação, sendo 50 minutos na intensidade leve); Tratado com metformina (receberam o fármaco metformina na dosagem de 1,4 mg/ml, durante o período experimental; Tratados com metformina e submetidos a condição exercício agudo por natação (receberam o fármaco metformina na dosagem de 1,4 mg/ml e realizaram uma sessão de natação, sendo 50 minutos na intensidade leve). O exercício agudo diminuiu as reservas glicogênicas, já os animais tratados com metformina, apresentaram um aumento em suas reservas glicogênicas musculares e hepáticas em relação ao grupo que realizou o exercício sem suplementação (p0,05). O tratamento com metformina promoveu melhora nas condições energéticas e menor resposta ao estresse, sugerindo ser uma importante ferramenta farmacológica para a potencialização da performance

The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO): Overview of pilot measurements on ecosystem ecology, meteorology, trace gases, and aerosols

The Amazon Basin plays key roles in the carbon and water cycles, climate change, atmospheric chemistry, and biodiversity. It has already been changed significantly by human activities, and more pervasive change is expected to occur in the coming decades. It is therefore essential to establish long-term measurement sites that provide a baseline record of present-day climatic, biogeochemical, and atmospheric conditions and that will be operated over coming decades to monitor change in the Amazon region, as human perturbations increase in the future. The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) has been set up in a pristine rain forest region in the central Amazon Basin, about 150 km northeast of the city of Manaus. Two 80 m towers have been operated at the site since 2012, and a 325 m tower is nearing completion in mid-2015. An ecological survey including a biodiversity assessment has been conducted in the forest region surrounding the site. Measurements of micrometeorological and atmospheric chemical variables were initiated in 2012, and their range has continued to broaden over the last few years. The meteorological and micrometeorological measurements include temperature and wind profiles, precipitation, water and energy fluxes, turbulence components, soil temperature profiles and soil heat fluxes, radiation fluxes, and visibility. A tree has been instrumented to measure stem profiles of temperature, light intensity, and water content in cryptogamic covers. The trace gas measurements comprise continuous monitoring of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and ozone at five to eight different heights, complemented by a variety of additional species measured during intensive campaigns (e.g., VOC, NO, NO2, and OH reactivity). Aerosol optical, microphysical, and chemical measurements are being made above the canopy as well as in the canopy space. They include aerosol light scattering and absorption, fluorescence, number and volume size distributions, chemical composition, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations, and hygroscopicity. In this paper, we discuss the scientific context of the ATTO observatory and present an overview of results from ecological, meteorological, and chemical pilot studies at the ATTO site. © Author(s) 2015

Structural assessment of the tower of the University of Coimbra by

The University of Coimbra was founded in 1290. Erected between 1728 and 1733, the present Tower of the University is not only the symbol of the university, but the symbol of the city itself. A recent inspection of the tower, conducted to prepare restoration works, revealed some structural anomalies, including degradation of joints and cracking of stone blocks. In this paper we describe a study undertaken to assess rapidly the structural integrity of the tower, in order to minimize the delay of the previously planned non-structural intervention. A finite element model of the tower was built with ADINA software and calibrated with measured data obtained from ambient vibration, namely the mode shapes and the natural frequencies. Results point toward the probable non existence of structural problems. It was concluded that modal identification is a fast and reliable technique that can be used in-situ to establish the structural assessment of this type of construction

Contagens leucocitárias e sintomas de infecções respiratórias após curto período de treinamento concorrente

Introduction: People often begin to practice exercises for periods not compatible with their level of trainability, and this could to induce a decrease in immune competence. Objective: To analyze the possible modulations in counts of circulating leukocytes and incidence of infections of the upper respiratory tract symptoms at the end of a week of concurrent training. Methods: A total of ten volunteers and sedentary male gender underwent a week of concurrent training sessions with five sequential days, with moderate intensity and duration of hundred minutes. Results: No changes were observed in leukocyte counts. As symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, 10% of the volunteers had coryza, 20% nasal congestion, and 40% headache at the end of intervention. Conclusions: Such intervention has no potential to negatively modulate leukocyte counts. However, the incidence of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections may be associated with decreased cellular functionality, possibly due to the volume outlined in the sessions

Treinamento de força e sintomas de infecções respiratórias em mulheres pós-menopausadas

AbstractIntroduction:Among the various symptoms associated with the menopause,nocturnal transpiration, vaginal dryness, heat waves, psychological alterationsrelated with depression, as well as the decrease of immune response can bementioned.Objective:To investigate the effects of resistance training on the in-tensity of the symptoms for upper respiratory tract infections in postmenopausalwomen.Methods:The study included 16 sedentary post-menopausal women(58.67 ± 6.12 years) allocated to the control group and training. All responded arecall questionnaire about the frequency and intensity of upper respiratory tractinfections symptoms by a standardized scale over the eight weeks of the inter-vention.Results:Similar levels were presented as the response of the intensity ofthe symptoms of infections of the upper airways during the intervention to thecontrol group (r = -0.75, p = 0.028) and training (r = -0.78, p = 0.029).Conclusion:The resistance training was considered safe as regards symptoms of infection ofthe upper respiratory tract, since there was no worsening of the clinical profile.Key words:Infection; Immune system; Menopause; Resistance training

Investigação eletroquímica e calorimétrica da interação de novos agentes antitumorais biscatiônicos com DNA

Biscationic amidines bind in the DNA minor groove and present biological activity against a range of infectious diseases. Two new biscationic compounds (bis-α,ω-S-thioureido, amino and sulfide analogues) were synthesized in good yields and fully characterized, and their interaction with DNA was also investigated. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to measure the thermodynamic properties of binding interactions between DNA and these ligands. A double stranded calf thymus DNA immobilized on an electrode surface was used to study the possible DNA-interacting abilities of these compounds towards dsDNA in situ. A remarkable interaction of these compounds with DNA was demonstrated and their potential application as anticancer agents was furthered