The AGB bump: a calibrator for the core mixing

The efficiency of convection in stars affects many aspects of their evolution and remains one of the key-open questions in stellar modelling. In particular, the size of the mixed core in core-He-burning low-mass stars is still uncertain and impacts the lifetime of this evolutionary phase and, e.g., the C/O profile in white dwarfs. One of the known observables related to the Horizontal Branch (HB) and Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) evolution is the AGB bump. Its luminosity depends on the position in mass of the helium-burning shell at its first ignition, that is affected by the extension of the central mixed region. In this preliminary work we show how various assumptions on near-core mixing and on the thermal stratification in the overshooting region affect the luminosity of the AGB bump, as well as the period spacing of gravity modes in core-He-burning models.Comment: Submitted to EPJ Web of Conferences, to appear in the Proceedings of the 3rd CoRoT Symposium, Kepler KASC7 joint meeting; 2 pages, 2 figure

How accurate is triaxial RT3 TM (RT3) accelerometer for estimating energy expenditure?

The participants are instructed to remove the RT3 only for sleeping, bathing and swimming activities but some studies have shown the participants remove the accelerometer for longer times. The activities performed while the accelerometer is not being worn and, or energy that was not recorded during this time has never been estimated. This study aimed to assess compliance in using the accelerometer and quantify the energy expenditure (EE) not recorded by the accelerometer during the time it was not worn in free-living young males in a consecutive 4-day period. Eleven male participants 19 to 23 years of age, 54.7 to 85.5 kg with body mass index of 19.1 to 27.6 kg.m -2 completed the study. Resting metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry. Daily EE estimation was on average 23.6% higher using the Bouchard Physical Activity Records than the RT3. Accelerometers were worn for 67 to 98% of waking hours but up to 30% of the EE was not recorded due to the device not being worn by participants mainly during intense physical activity. Recording the physical activity when the accelerometer is not being worn would provide a more precise estimative of the EE

Triacylglycerols and body fat mass are possible independent predictors of C3 in apparently healthy young Brazilian adults

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the association between serum concentrations of complement factor-3 (C3) with anthropometric, biochemical, and lifestyle features in healthy young adults.MethodsFrom 157 young healthy adults 18 to 35 y old, anthropometric measurements and body composition, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and lifestyle data were collected and analyzed. Blood samples were collected after a 12-h fast for the determination of glucose, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, insulin, C3, ceruloplasmin, and uric acid.ResultsComplement factor-3 correlated directly with body mass index (r = 0.23417, P = 0.0032), body fat mass (bioelectrical impedance analysis; r = 0.33407, P < 0.0001), percentage of body fat (bioelectrical impedance analysis; r = 0.26873, P = 0.0007), waist circumference (r = 0.21266, P = 0.0075), insulin (r = 0.26152, P = 0.0009), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (r = 0.24831, P = 0.0017), total cholesterol (r = 0.23335, P = 0.0033), triacylglycerols (r = 0.38435, P < 0.0001), and other outcome measurements. In the multiple linear regression analysis, triacylglycerols (r2 = 0.1379, P < 0.0001) and body fat mass (bioelectrical impedance analysis; r2 = 0.0621, P = 0.0010) were independently associated with the C3 concentration after adjusting for age, gender, smoking status, and physical activity.ConclusionComplement factor-3 seems to be related to several anthropometric and biochemical measurements in healthy young adults. These results demonstrate an independent role of triacylglycerols, a component of the metabolic syndrome, and body fat mass as possible predictors of C3 concentrations. Thus, C3 can be used as an early marker for metabolic syndrome manifestations

Effects of protein quality on appetite and energy metabolism in normal weight subjects

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of consumption of different protein sources on food intake and energy expenditure in normal weight subjects. Breakfast preparations (casein, soy protein, whey protein or control) were ingested during seven consecutive days. Appetite, food intake, and energy expenditure were assessed. Casein consumption led to a lower energy intake than whey protein. There was lower energy intake on day 7 than on day 1 of the casein session. Soy protein preparations resulted in higher diet induced thermogenesis (DIT) than in control preparations. The respiratory quotient (RQ) obtained in the whey protein session was lower than the control and soy protein sessions. These results suggest that the consumption of different protein types leads to distinct effects on satiety (casein), DIT (soy protein), and/or RQ (whey protein).O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os efeitos do consumo de diferentes fontes proteicas na ingestão alimentar e gasto energético em indivíduos eutróficos. Preparações (caseína, proteína da soja, proteína do soro de leite ou controle) foram ingeridas no desjejum, durante sete dias consecutivos. A caseína resultou em menor ingestão calórica do que o soro de leite. Houve uma menor ingestão calórica no último dia da sessão da caseína em relação ao primeiro dia. Preparações contendo proteína da soja resultaram em maior termogênese induzida pela dieta (TID) em comparação às preparações controle. O cociente respiratório (CR) obtido na sessão do soro de leite foi menor que na sessão controle e da proteína da soja. Esses resultados sugerem que o consumo de diferentes tipos de proteínas resulta em efeitos distintos na saciedade (caseína), TID (proteína da soja) e/ou CR (proteína do soro)

Dieta na abordagem terapêutica da síndrome metabólica

O tratamento dietoterápico da síndrome metabólica (SM) tem como objetivo melhorar a sensibilidade à insulina e prevenir as alterações metabólicas e cardiovasculares associadas. A presente revisão teve como objetivo abordar o papel da dieta na terapêutica da SM, com enfoque principal nos padrões alimentares: dieta Mediterrânea, dieta Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) e novo Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira. Realizou-se levantamento bibliográfico nas bases científicas Scielo e PubMed. Utilizaram-se as seguintes palavras-chave: síndrome metabólica, dieta Mediterrânea, dieta DASH, guia alimentar, padrão alimentar e seus correspondentes em inglês. A adoção de um plano alimentar saudável é fundamental no tratamento da SM. Diversos padrões alimentares têm sido utilizados no tratamento nutricional da SM, destacando-se a dieta Mediterrânea e a dieta DASH. Estudos epidemiológicos e clínicos demonstraram que um padrão alimentar saudável caracterizado, principalmente, por elevada ingestão de hortaliças, frutas, frutos secos, azeite de oliva, leguminosas e peixe; e reduzida em carne vermelha, carboidratos refinados e produtos lácteos com elevado teor de gordura apresentam efeitos benéficos na redução da prevalência de SM. Além disso, as recomendações do Guia Alimentar para População Brasileira orientam a população a selecionar alimentos mais saudáveis, com intuito de reduzir a prevalência de obesidade e outras doenças crônicas relacionadas com a alimentação. Sugere-se a utilização dos padrões alimentares da dieta Mediterrânea e da dieta DASH como ferramentas clínicas no tratamento da SM.The dietary treatment of metabolic syndrome (MS) aims to improve the insulin sensitivity and prevent metabolic and cardiovascular alterations associated. This review aimed to evaluate the role of diet in the treatment of MS, with special emphasis on dietary patterns: the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the new Food Guide for the Brazilian Population. We conducted bibliographic research on the scientific databases Scielo and PUBMED. We used the following keywords: metabolic syndrome, Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, food guide, food pattern and their equivalents in Portuguese. Adopting a healthy eating plan is essential in the treatment of MS. Several dietary patterns have been used in the nutritional treatment of MS, highlighting the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. Epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated that a healthy dietary pattern characterized mainly by high intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, olive oil, legumes and fish; low in red meat, refined carbohydrates and whole-fat dairy products have beneficial effects in reducing the prevalence of MS. In addition, the recommendations of the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population direct people to select healthier foods, in order to reduce the prevalence of obesity and other chronic diseases related to nutrition. The use of dietary patterns of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet are suggested as a clinical tool in the treatment of the MS

The relationships between body composition and cardiovascular risk factors in young Australian men

IntroductionCardiovascular (CV) disease is a leading cause of global mortality. Despite clear evidence of the coexistence of several risk factors in young people as children and an understanding of the importance of the health behaviors in controlling CV disease, there are limited data on the relationships between risk factors and CV disease in young people. Therefore further study is required. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate associations among body composition, health behaviors and CV risk factors in young Australian men. MethodsThirty five healthy men aged 18&ndash;25 years had their blood pressure (BP), blood lipids, body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity, dietary intake and cardiorespiratory fitness assessed. ResultsParticipants were categorised according to the percentage of body fat into two groups: lean and overweight men. There were no between-group differences in the biochemical indicators except that overweight men had lower HDL-C compared to lean men. Both groups had similar mean energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and alcohol intake, RMR, physical activity level (PAL) and energy expenditure (EE). Most of the participants (65.7%) had LDL&ge;2.5 mmol/L. Other common individual risk factors were body fat&ge;20% (42.9%), waist circumference&ge;88 cm (28.6%), PAL&lt;1.8 (22.9%) and systolic BP&ge;130 mmHg (20%). The mean number of CV risk factors was lower among men having a high intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA, &gt;12% of the energy intake) regardless of whether they were overweight or lean and did not seem to differ according to the source of MUFA consumed. ConclusionsIt is a serious concern to observe such a high percentage of CV risk factors in a group of apparently healthy young men. The likelihood of multiple CV risk factors is greater among those with high body fatness and low MUFA intake. Intake of MUFA favorably affects CV risk factors regardless of the source

El polimorfismo del promotor del gen de la leptina en la posición -2549 disminuye la leptina plasmática y aumenta el apetito de los voluntarios con peso normal

Introduction: Investigate whether polymorphism in the promoter region encoding leptin and leptin receptor gene, in normal weight individuals, affects hormonal and appetite responses to peanuts.Materials and methods: Appetite, anthropometric indices, body composition, physical activity, dietary intake and leptin, ghrelin and insulin levels were monitored. Polymorphism analyses were also carried out.Results: None of the treatments led to statistical differences in the analyzed hormones. No polymorphism was found for leptin receptor gene, while for leptin gene, 50% of the volunteers presented one polymorphic allele and 13% presented both polymorphic alleles. These last ones presented lower body fat mass, leptin and ghrelin plasma concentrations, and fullness rates. They also presented higher hunger, desire to eat, and desire to eat sweet and salty foods.Conclusions: Peanut did not affect appetite and presented no different hormonal responses, compared to other foods studied. Polymorphic allele carriers in both alleles presented higher probability to develop obesity. However, the magnitude of this probability could not be measured.Introducción: Identificar polimorfismos en la región promotora del gen del receptor de la leptina en los individuos con peso normal e investigar si este polimorfi smo afecta a las respuestas hormonales y el apetito tras la ingesta de cacahuetes o una mezcla de ingredientes con un aporte de macronutrientes semejante.Material y método: Se controló el apetito, los índices antropométricos, la composición corporal, la actividad física, la ingesta dietética y las concentraciones de leptina, grelina e insulina de todos los sujetos. Además, se llevaron a cabo los análisis de polimorfi smo.Resultados: Ninguno de los tratamientos dio lugar a una diferencia estadísticamente signifi cativa en las hormonas analizadas. No se encontró polimorfi smo del gen del receptor de leptina, pero para el gen de la leptina, el 50% de los voluntarios tenían un alelo polimórfi co y el 13%, dos. Estos presentaron menores índices de masa grasa corporal, concentraciones plasmáticas de leptina y grelina y tasas de plenitud gástrica. Asimismo, tenían más hambre, deseo de comer y deseo de comer algo dulce y salado.Conclusiones: Ingerir cacahuetes no afecta al apetito y no produce respuestas hormonales diferentes que con otros alimentos estudiados. Los portadores de alelos polimórficos en los dos alelos tuvieron mayor probabilidad de sufrir obesidad, aunque no ha sido posible evaluar su magnitud