Fish models of induced osteoporosis

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are bone disorders characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD), altered bone microarchitecture and increased bone fragility. Because of global aging, their incidence is rapidly increasing worldwide and novel treatments that would be more efficient at preventing disease progression and at reducing the risk of bone fractures are needed. Preclinical studies are today a major bottleneck to the collection of new data and the discovery of new drugs, since they are commonly based on rodent in vivo systems that are time consuming and expensive, or in vitro systems that do not exactly recapitulate the complexity of low BMD disorders. In this regard, teleost fish, in particular zebrafish and medaka, have recently emerged as suitable alternatives to study bone formation and mineralization and to model human bone disorders. In addition to the many technical advantages that allow faster and larger studies, the availability of several fish models that efficiently mimic human osteopenia and osteoporosis phenotypes has stimulated the interest of the academia and industry toward a better understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenesis but also toward the discovery of new bone anabolic or antiresorptive compounds. This mini review recapitulates the in vivo teleost fish systems available to study low BMD disorders and highlights their applications and the recent advances in the field.UIDB/04326/2020, EAPA_151/2016/BLUEHUMANinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cost, power consumption and performance analysis in SDM ROADM architectures for uncoupled spatial channels

Currently optical networks are reaching their maximum transport capacity. Different solutions can be used to overcome this capacity limit, but we are going to study, in particular, space division multiplexing (SDM). To use SDM, the reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) need to be adapted to support this multiplexing. In this paper we analyze four switching strategies used in SDM ROADMs and the respective SDM ROADM architectures. These strategies are explained and analyzed, for uncoupled scenarios, in terms of cost and power consumption. The impact of the physical layer impairments (PLIs) amplified spontaneous emission noise, non-linear interference, passband narrowing due to optical filtering and in-band crosstalk is also assessed, considering a cascade of SDM ROADMs with spatial and spatial-wavelength switching granularities. The PLI inband crosstalk, has insignificant impact, in networks with a single spatial channel or in SDM networks with spatial granularity ROADM architecture, but in a SDM network with spatial wavelength granularity this PLI can lead to an OSNR penalty of around 2 dB, when the number of spatial channels is high. The other PLIs have similar impacts in all networks studied.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Effects of Brain Gym® Exercises in Institutionalized Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo comparar los efectos de un programa de ejercicios de Brain Gym® con un programa de gimnasia de mantenimiento en pacientes mayores institucionalizados con deterioro cognitivo. Veintinueve personas institucionalizadas con deterioro cognitivo participaron en dos programas, uno basado en ejercicios de Brain Gym® y otro de gimnasia de mantenimiento, durante 18 semanas. Se emplearon los test Mini-examen cognoscitivo, Fototest, Trail Making Test, Índice de Barthel y el Timed up and Go. No se encontraron mejoras significativas en las variables analizadas. Se observó una tendencia positiva, especialmente en el grupo de gimnasia de mantenimiento, en la función cognitiva global y salud física. En conclusión, los efectos de un programa de ejercicios de Brain Gym® en una muestra de personas mayores institucionalizadas con deterioro cognitivo fueron similares a los de un programa de gimnasia de mantenimiento, sin mejoras significativas de la función cognitiva o independencia funcionalThis study aimed at comparing the effects of a program based on Brain Gym® exercises against a fitness exercise program on the cognitive function and functional independence in institutionalized older adults with cognitive impairment. Twenty-nine institutionalized older adults with cognitive impairment took part either on a Brain Gym® based exercise program or on a fitness exercise program during eighteen weeks. The assessment measures used were the Mini-Examen Cognoscitivo, Fototest, Trail making test, Barthel Index and the Timed up and Go Test. None of the variables analysed improved significantly. A trend towards improvement, particularly in the fitness exercise group, in both cognitive status and functional independence was observed. In conclusion, the performance of a Brain Gym® exercise-based program had the same effects than taking part in a fitness exercise program, with no significant improvements on the cognitive function or functional independence, in a sample of institutionalized older adults with cognitive impairmen

A qualitative study of the experiences and perceptions of adults with chronic musculoskeletal conditions following a 12-week Pilates exercise programme

Introduction The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of adult patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions following a Pilates exercise programme. A qualitative approach was taken to both data collection and analysis, with alignment to the philosophy of interpretive phenomenology. Participants included 15 women and seven men with a range of chronic musculoskeletal conditions, including nonspecific low back pain, peripheral joint osteoarthritis and a range of postsurgical conditions. The age range was from 36 years to 83 years, and the mean age was 57 years (standard deviation 14.1 years). Methods Data were collected via digital recordings of four focus groups in three North‐West of England physiotherapy clinics. The data were transcribed verbatim and then analysed using a thematic framework. Data were verified by a researcher and randomly selected participants, and agreement was achieved between all parties. Results The results were organized into five main themes: physical improvements; Pilates promotes an active lifestyle: improved performance at work and hobbies; psychosocial benefits and improved confidence; increased autonomy in managing their own condition; and motivation to continue with exercise. Conclusion The study was the first to investigate individual perceptions of the impact of Pilates on the daily lives of people with chronic conditions. The Pilates‐based exercise programme enabled the participants to function better and manage their condition more effectively and independently. Further to previous work, the study revealed psychological and social benefits which increase motivation to adhere to the programme and promote a healthier lifestyle

Zebrafish models to study ectopic calcification and calcium-associated pathologies

Ectopic calcification refers to the pathological accumulation of calcium ions in soft tissues and is often the result of a dysregulated action or disrupted function of proteins involved in extracellular matrix mineralization. While the mouse has traditionally been the go-to model organism for the study of pathologies associated with abnormal calcium deposition, many mouse mutants often have exacerbated phenotypes and die prematurely, limiting the understanding of the disease and the development of effective therapies. Since the mechanisms underlying ectopic calcification share some analogy with those of bone formation, the zebrafish (Danio rerio)—a well-established model for studying osteogenesis and mineralogenesis—has recently gained momentum as a model to study ectopic calcification disorders. In this review, we outline the mechanisms of ectopic mineralization in zebrafish, provide insights into zebrafish mutants that share phenotypic similarities with human pathological mineralization disorders, list the compounds capable of rescuing mutant phenotypes, and describe current methods to induce and characterize ectopic calcification in zebrafish.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Matrix gla protein in xenopus laevis: molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and evolutionary considerations

Matrix Gla protein (MGP) belongs to the family of vitamin K-dependent, Gla-containing proteins and in higher vertebrates, is found in the extracellular matrix of mineralized tissues and soft tissues. MGP synthesis is highly regulated at the transcription and posttranscription levels and is now known to be involved in the regulation of extracellular matrix calcification and maintenance of cartilage and soft tissue integrity during growth and development. However, its mode of action at the molecular level remains unknown. Because there is a large degree of conservation between amino,acid sequences of shark and human MGP, the function of MGP probably has been conserved throughout evolution. Given the complexity of the mammalian system, the study of MGP in a lower vertebrate might be advantageous to relate the onset of MGP expression with specific events during development. Toward this goal, MGP was purified from Xenopus long bones and its N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined and used to clone the Xenopus MGP complementary DNA (cDNA) by a mixture of reverse-transcription (RT)- and 5'- rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). MGP messenger RNA (mRNA) was present in all tissues analyzed although predominantly expressed in Xenopus bone and heart and its presence was detected early in development at the onset of chondrocranium development and long before the appearance of the first calcified structures and metamorphosis. These results show that in this system, as in mammals, MGP may be required to delay or prevent mineralization of cartilage and soft tissues during the early stages of development and indicate that Xenopus is an adequate model organism to further study MGP function during growth and development.NATO/CRG940751/SA5.2.05, Praxis XXI/BIA 469/94, (NIH; grant AR 25921) (Praxis XXI/BPD/18816) (Praxis XXI/BICJ-2985

Screening of mineralogenic and osteogenic compounds in zebrafish—tools to improve assay throughput and data accuracy

Bone disorders affect millions of people worldwide and treatments currently available often produce undesirable secondary effects or have limited efficacy. It is therefore of the utmost interest for patients to develop more efficient drugs with reduced off-target activities. In the long process of drug development, screening and preclinical validation have recently gained momentum with the increased use of zebrafish as a model organism to study pathological processes related to human bone disorders, and the development of zebrafish high-throughput screening assays to identify bone anabolic compounds. In this review, we provided a comprehensive overview of the literature on zebrafish bone-related assays and evaluated their performance towards an integration into screening pipelines for the discovery of mineralogenic/osteogenic compounds. Tools available to standardize fish housing and feeding procedures, synchronize embryo production, and automatize specimen sorting and image acquisition/analysis toward faster and more accurate screening outputs were also presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tecnología de sensores inalámbricos para el manejo del fertiriego en el viñedo en Galicia

Actualmente, la gestión eficiente del uso del agua en el viñedo, es una tendencia ya implantada en el mundo vitivinícola, que cada día avanza ligada a las nuevas tecnologías, de cara a mejorar la eficiencia del riego de la vid. En los últimos años, la tecnología inalámbrica ha revolucionado la forma de ver y comprender el manejo del viñedo, eliminando restricciones y dando más flexibilidad a la hora de implantar tecnologías sobre la viña. Gracias a esta evolución tecnológica, se han desarrollado sensores inalámbricos (WSN), que posibilitan la obtención de datos en cualquier localización a tiempo real. En el presente estudio, se analiza la gestión del riego de un viñedo situado en Vedra (A Coruña), en las campañas 2019 y 2020. En la parcela a estudio, se encuentran instalados sensores WatermarkTM, que miden el potencial de agua en el suelo cada hora, a 30 y 60 cm de profundidad. Con los datos disponibles de lluvia y evapotranspiración del viñedo, se ha realizado un análisis de la evolución del potencial foliar a lo largo de las campañas en estudio. El potencial hídrico foliar de tallo a mediodía solar, se utilizó como estimador del estado hídrico del viñedo, buscando correlaciones entre ambos potenciales: suelo y hoja. En las condiciones del ensayo, las medidas tensiométricas a 30 cm, pueden ser una herramienta útil para la monitorización del riego. Si bien, se plantean distintas alternativas y mejoras del sistema que permiten el manejo del riego de la vid dentro de la eficiencia en el uso del agua, que engloba la aplicación de una viticultura de precisión

Towards discard quantification of Data Limited Stocks based in on-board observers data: the case of Spanish fresh trawlers targeting black hake in NW Africa

Quantification of discard per unit effort rates (DPUE) has been proposed by the European Commission as a measure to manage the discarding of commercially fished organisms. In the Spanish fresh trawling fleet operating in North West Africa, both target species of black hakes, Merluccius polli and Merluccius senegalensis are data limited stocks (DLS). Hence, discards of these fleets are even more unknown but not unimportant part of the total catch (retained and discarded). Onboard observer data from commercial surveys from 2016 to 2018 provide a detailed source of scientific information about catches, discards, effort and technical factors in this fleet. This is the first quantitative analysis to model DPUE through generalised linear mixed models (GLMM), based on the explicit distinction between abundance and technical factors coming from information of observer surveys. We describe the relationship between discards and environment, catches of target and other species, effort of the fleet, spatial and temporal variation in discard accessibility, vessel characteristics, strategy of the skippers and market decisions. Unlike hake catches, discards were higher and more dispersed in shallower than in deeper waters. We identified two separate métiers for the Spanish fresh trawling fleet determined by depth and treated total discards as a stock unit susceptible of being monitored, managed and assessed. The strategy of the skipper appears to have a more important effect on discards than vessel characteristics. This study shows the importance of observer data for this fishery and identifies recommendations for the improvement in the scientific usefulness of logbook information.En prens