The Eyes Have It: Sex and Sexual Orientation Differences in Pupil Dilation Patterns

Recent research suggests profound sex and sexual orientation differences in sexual response. These results, however, are based on measures of genital arousal, which have potential limitations such as volunteer bias and differential measures for the sexes. The present study introduces a measure less affected by these limitations. We assessed the pupil dilation of 325 men and women of various sexual orientations to male and female erotic stimuli. Results supported hypotheses. In general, self-reported sexual orientation corresponded with pupil dilation to men and women. Among men, substantial dilation to both sexes was most common in bisexual-identified men. In contrast, among women, substantial dilation to both sexes was most common in heterosexual-identified women. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. Because the measure of pupil dilation is less invasive than previous measures of sexual response, it allows for studying diverse age and cultural populations, usually not included in sexuality research

A comparative study between olive oil and corn oil on oxidative metabolism

Fats are an important part of diet, but not all lipids have the same structure and chemical properties. Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds in their structure and can be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, respectively. Most vegetable oils, such as olive oil and corn oil, contain significant amounts of these fatty acids. The presence of double bonds in the molecule of a fatty acid constitutes vulnerable sites for oxidation reactions generating lipid peroxides, potentially toxic compounds that can cause cellular damage. In response to this oxidative damage, aerobic organisms have intracellular enzymatic antioxidant defense mechanisms. The aim of the present investigation was to study comparatively the effects of control liquid diets, of a defined composition, containing olive oil or corn oil as a lipid source respectively of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, on the oxidative metabolism of rats. Rats were divided into three groups which received a control animal feed diet (A.F.), olive oil liquid diet (O.O) and corn oil liquid diet (C.O) for 30 days. It was observed that the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), increased in the liver and white fat tissue of rats fed with olive oil when compared to the corn oil group. However, in brown fat tissue and blood cells, the enzyme activities showed a tendency to decrease in the olive oil group. In addition, the effect of olive oil and corn oil on several glucose metabolism parameters (pyruvate, lactate, LDH, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate) showed that corn oil impairs to a greater extent the cellular metabolism. All these results helped in concluding that some body tissues are more adversely affected than others by the administration of corn oil or olive oil, and their antioxidant defenses and cellular metabolism respond differently too.This work was supported by the Universidad Católica de Valencia “San Vicente Mártir” (grant number: UCV257-001)Nutrición humana y dietétic

Nutrition planning and hydration control during a six-stage Pirineos FIT Endurance trail-running race. A case report

Ultra-endurance competitions are highly demanding sport events for athletes and require a carefully controlled nutrition, hydration and supplementation before, during and after the physical effort. Scientific research has shown a positive relationship between dietetic (caloric and macronutrient ingestion) recommendations and sport performance. This study describes the nutritional and hydration planning applied to an athlete competing at the Pirineos FIT (a semi-self-sufficient trail-running multi-stage event). Diary caloric ingestion was around 4000 Kcal, 550 Kcal were consumed during the race. In general, the athlete maintained the minimal recommendable levels of hydration (2.5% Body Weight Loss) and Borg's Scale of Exertion (RPE) was used to report subjective perception of fatigue after each stage. Hematological and biochemical parameters showed a normal response to endurance physical exercise. Therefore, the nutrition and hydration planning were successfully applied.Nutrición humana y dietétic

Possible Reduction of Cardiac Risk after Supplementation with Epigallocatechin Gallate and Increase of Ketone Bodies in the Blood in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes anthropometric changes characterised by functional disability, increase in fat mass, and decrease in lean mass. All these variables are related to a greater cardiac risk. The polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and an increase in ketone bodies in the blood have been shown to have beneficial effects on anthropometric and biochemical variables related to cardiovascular activity. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of the intervention with EGCG and ketone bodies on cardiac risk in MS patients. A population of 51 MS patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an intervention group (daily dose of 800 mg of EGCG and 60 mL of coconut oil). Both groups followed an isocaloric diet for 4 months. Levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), albumin, paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in serum before and after the intervention, as well as determining functional ability, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), fat percentage and muscle percentage. After 4 months, in the intervention group there was a significant increase in BHB, PON1 and albumin, while CRP did not vary; a significant decrease in cardiac risk associated with a significant decline in WHR; as well as a significant increase in muscle percentage. By contrast, these changes were not observed in the control group. Finally, results from analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant time-condition interaction effect, observing that WHtR and fat mass decreased in the intervention group, while they increased in the control group.This work was supported by the Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir (grant number 2018-203-001).Medicin

Oxygenic metabolism in nutritional obesity induced by olive oil

Obesity is a medical and sociological problem of great importance due to the high percentage of people affected and the important health consequences that it involves. Most cases of obesity are related to an inadequate diet, rich in fats, which could lead to changes in the patient's oxygenic metabolism. That is why this study has been proposed to evaluate how some aspects of oxygenic metabolism are affected in a nutritional experimental model, with a controlled hyperlipidic liquid diet based on olive oil, and the effect of the antioxidant vitamin C on these conditions. Wistar rats were divided into four groups which received a control and hyperlipidic liquid diet for 30 days, with or without a vitamin C supplement (CO, COC, HO and HOC). First of all the body and fat tissue development was measured in the four groups. Our results showed that the excessive intake of nutritional and healthy fat such as olive oil did not prevent the appearance of obesity and the supplementation with vitamin C did not have a protective effect on body and fat development. The study of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in total liver, liver cytosol, abdominal white fat, brown fat and blood cells showed that vitamin C could have different selectivities and affinities for different enzymes and compartments/tissues of the body. Finally, the effect of vitamin C on various metabolic parameters (glucose, pyruvate, lactate, LDH, ATP, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate) provided positive protection against oxidative stress especially under hyperlipidic conditions. All things considered, the present study concludes that vitamin C treatment could protect Wistar rats from the oxidative stress impairment induced by obesity generated by an excessive intake of fats.This work was supported by the Universidad Católica de Valencia “San Vicente Mártir” (Grant Number: UCV257-001)Nutrición humana y dietétic

Multiwavelength Observations of the Gamma-Ray Blazar PKS 0528+134 in Quiescence

We present multiwavelength observations of the ultraluminous blazar-type radio loud quasar PKS 0528+134 in quiescence during the period July to December 2009. Significant flux variability on a time scale of several hours was found in the optical regime, accompanied by a weak trend of spectral softening with increasing flux. We suggest that this might be the signature of a contribution from the accretion disk at the blue end of the optical spectrum. The optical flux is weakly polarized with rapid variations of the degree and direction of polarization, while the polarization of the 43 GHz radio core remains steady. Optical spectropolarimetry suggests a trend of increasing degree of polarization with increasing wavelength, providing additional evidence for an accretion disc contribution towards the blue end of the optical spectrum. We constructed four SEDs indicating that even in the quiescent state, the bolometric luminosity of PKS 0528+134 is dominated by its gamma-ray emission. A leptonic single-zone jet model produced acceptable fits to the SEDs with contributions to the high-energy emission from synchrotron self-Compton radiation and Comptonization of direct accretion disk emission. Fit parameters close to equipartition were obtained. The moderate variability on long time scales implies the existence of on-going particle acceleration, while the observed optical polarization variability seems to point towards a turbulent acceleration process. Turbulent particle acceleration at stationary features along the jet therefore appears to be a viable possibility for the quiescent state of PKS 0528+134.Comment: Accepted for Publication in The Astrophysical Journal. - Acknowledgement adde

Vitamin b1 intake in multiple sclerosis patients and its impact on depression presence: a pilot study

Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is one of the most relevant vitamins in obtaining energy for the nervous system. Thiamine deficiency or lack of activity causes neurological manifestations, especially symptoms of depression, intrinsic to multiple sclerosis (MS) and related to its pathogenesis. On this basis, the aim of this study was to determine the possible relationship between the nutritional habits of patients with MS and the presence of depression. Therefore, a cross-sectional and observational descriptive study was conducted. An analysis of dietary habits and vitamin B1 consumption in a Spanish population of 51 MS patients was performed by recording the frequency of food consumption. Results showed a vitamin B1 intake within the established range, mainly provided by the consumption of ultra-processed products such as cold meats or pastries, and a total carbohydrate consumption lower than recommended, which stands out for its high content of simple carbohydrates deriving from processed foods such as dairy desserts, juice, snacks, pastries, chocolate bars, soft drinks and fermented alcohol. In addition, a significant negative correlation between depression and the intake of thiamine and total carbohydrates was observed. These findings could explain the influence of MS patients’ eating habits, and consequently vitamin B1 activity, on depression levels.This research was funded by the Catholic University Foundation San Vicente Mártir, for the research project “The Impact of Triglycerides on Multiple Sclerosis” (promotion code 2018-203-001)Nutrición humana y dietétic

HV/HR-CMOS sensors for the ATLAS upgrade—concepts and test chip results

In order to extend its discovery potential, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will have a major upgrade (Phase II Upgrade) scheduled for 2022. The LHC after the upgrade, called High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), will operate at a nominal leveled instantaneous luminosity of 5× 1034 cm−2 s−1, more than twice the expected Phase I . The new Inner Tracker needs to cope with this extremely high luminosity. Therefore it requires higher granularity, reduced material budget and increased radiation hardness of all components. A new pixel detector based on High Voltage CMOS (HVCMOS) technology targeting the upgraded ATLAS pixel detector is under study. The main advantages of the HVCMOS technology are its potential for low material budget, use of possible cheaper interconnection technologies, reduced pixel size and lower cost with respect to traditional hybrid pixel detector. Several first prototypes were produced and characterized within ATLAS upgrade R&D effort, to explore the performance and radiation hardness of this technology. In this paper, an overview of the HVCMOS sensor concepts is given. Laboratory tests and irradiation tests of two technologies, HVCMOS AMS and HVCMOS GF, are also given

Comparison between the effect of ketogenic diet and high-carbohydrate diet in the increase of muscle mass and strength

La evidencia científica muestra la importancia de la nutrición en la hipertrofia muscular, especialmente con el objetivo de lograr un balance energético positivo entre la ingesta alimentaria y el consumo de energía, siempre y cuando haya una buena ingesta de proteínas. Diversos estudios demuestran que la combinación de ejercicio contra resistencia con un sobreaporte energético produce ganancias en la masa corporal magra. Sin embargo, no está clara la cantidad exacta de todos los macronutrientes. 10 varones con más de 2 años de experiencia en entrenamiento sistemático de la fuerza, fueron divididos en 2 grupos de 5 sujetos, un grupo sometido a dieta cetogénica y el otro a una dieta con alto porcentaje de carbohidratos, y los dos durante 8 semanas. Ambas dietas produjeron un aumento significativo en el porcentaje de masa muscular y en el 1RM de press banca y sentadilla, siendo este aumento más destacado en la dieta rica en carbohidratos. Además, la dieta cetogénica destacó por la disminución significativa del porcentaje de grasa y de peso graso. Por tanto, ambas dietas estarían indicadas para personas que quieren mejorar su masa muscular y fuerza llevando a cabo entrenamiento de hipertrofia. Sin embargo, si se busca más fines estéticos, la dieta cetogénica podría aportar algo más de resultados, y si hay un objetivo más de mejora de la fuerza, sería más recomendable una dieta rica en hidratos de carbono.Scientific evidence shows the importance of nutrition in muscle hypertrophy, especially with the aim of achieving a positive energy balance between food intake and energy consumption, as long as there is always a suitable protein intake. Several studies show that the combination of exercise against resistance with excessive energy consumption produces gains in lean body mass. However, the exact amount of all macronutrients is not clear. 10 men with more than 2 years of experience in systematic strength training were divided into 2 groups of 5 subjects, one group submitted to a ketogenic diet and the other to a diet with a high percentage of carbohydrates, both groups for 8 weeks. Both diets produced a significant increase in muscle mass percentage and 1MR bench press and squat. This increase was more prominent in the carbohydrate-rich diet. In addition, the ketogenic diet stood out for the significant decrease in fat percentage and fat weight. Therefore, both diets would be indicated for people who want to improve their muscle mass and strength by performing hypertrophy training. However, if the aim is good physical appearance, the ketogenic diet could be more effective, as opposed to strength improvement, to which a diet rich in carbohydrates would be more suitable.Ciencias Experimentale