Seropositivity for CMV and IL-6 levels are associated with grip strength and muscle size in the elderly

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults, with immunosenescence and inflammation being possible underlying mechanisms. We investigated the relationship between latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, Interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, muscle size and strength in a group of healthy older community-dwelling people. METHODS: Participants were healthy volunteers from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study. Participants had IL-6 level and CMV antibody titre measured at age 70 years and grip strength and a volumetric T1-weighted MRI brain scan (allowing measurement of neck muscle cross-sectional area (CSA)) at age 73. Markers of childhood deprivation were adjusted for in the analysis due to correlations between childhood deprivation and latent CMV infection. RESULTS: 866 participants were studied; 448 men (mean age 72.48 years, sd 0.70) and 418 women (mean age 72.51 years, sd 0.72). In men, CMV seropositivity was associated with smaller neck muscle CSA (p = 0.03, partial eta squared = 0.01), even after adjustment for IL-6 levels. Neck muscle CSA was not associated with CMV seropositivity in women, or CMV antibody titre or IL-6 level in either sex. Grip strength associated negatively with IL-6 level (right grip strength p<0.00001, partial eta squared 0.032 and left grip strength p<0.00001, partial eta squared 0.027) with or without adjustment for CMV serostatus or antibody titre. CMV status and antibody titre were not significantly associated with grip strength in either hand. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that there is a relationship between markers of immunosenescence (i.e. CMV serostatus and IL6 level) and low muscle mass and strength and longitudinal studies in older cohorts are now required to investigate these relationships further

Two Extracellular Matrices From Oocytes of the Marine Shrimp Sicyonia ingentis that Independently Mediate Only Primary or Secondary Sperm Binding. (sperm/fertilization/shrimp/gamete binding/extracellular matrix)

During spawning, female Sicyonia ingentis simultaneously release ova and stored nonmotile sperm and mix them externally to initiate gamete interaction. Sperm bind to a thin vitelline envelope (VE) via their anterior appendage and within seconds are induced to undergo acrosomal exocytosis. The sperm penetrate the VE and become secondarily bound to the surface coat (SC), a glycocalyx on the oocyte surface. In this study, both extracellular matrices were isolated from S. ingentis oocytes. Isolated VEs mediated only primary sperm binding (i.e., before the acrosome reaction), while the isolated SCs mediated only secondary sperm binding (i.e., after acrosomal exocytosis). Isolated S. ingentis VEs were used to characterize primary sperm binding activity. The two extracellular matrices differ morphologically and possess different polypeptide profiles. Soluble fractions of isolated VEs inhibited primary sperm binding in a concentration dependent manner, and immunolocalization of VE components demonstrated highly localized VE binding sites at the tip of the sperm anterior appendage by which sperm bind eggs. Extensive Pronase digestion of VE components did not affect sperm binding activity of solubilized VE components, while complete deglycosylation with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid destroyed sperm binding activity. However, neither alkaline treatment nor enzyme digestion using glycosidases specific for asparagine and serine/ threonine linked oligosaccharides affected sperm binding activity

A contabilidade e o hipertexto: um estudo sobre o uso de websites como meio de disseminação científica contábil por instituições de ensino superior brasileiras Accounting and hypertext: a study on the websites use as a means of disseminating scientific accounting by Brazilian Postsecondary Education Institutions

Este estudo buscou investigar como as Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) brasileiras utilizam os Websites institucionais para disseminar a produção acadêmico-científica da área contábil. Foi realizado um estudo com IES que oferecem o curso de graduação em Ciências Contábeis e que se submeteram ao Exame Nacional de Cursos (ENC) 2003. O universo de pesquisa compreendeu 461 cursos que se submeteram ao ENC. A amostra foi composta pelos cursos que obtiveram conceitos A, B ou C (médios ou superiores à média) no referido exame, totalizando 303 cursos. A metodologia utilizada foi o estudo empírico-exploratório. Foram efetuados 5.711 registros referentes à produção científica. Concluiu-se que a maneira como as IES pesquisadas utilizam os Websites pode ser considerada tímida, uma vez que um elevado número de Instituições não utiliza os sites como meio de disseminação do conhecimento e as evidências apresentaram forte concentração sob os diversos parâmetros analisados: região geográfica, unidade federativa e conceito no ENC 2003.<br>The present study investigated how the institutional Websites are being used by the Brazilian schools (heretofore "IES") for disseminating accounting academic-scientific knowledge. A research was carried out with those IESs, which offer the undergraduate program in Accounting and were submitted to the National Exam of Educational Programs (ENC) 2003, coordinated by the Ministry of Education. The total research - includes 461 programs in Accounting offered in Brazil that were submitted to the ENC. The sample was composed of the 303 programs graded A, B or C (medium or superior to the average) in the above mentioned Exam. The methodology used was an empiric-exploratory study. - There were 5.711 entries referring to scientific knowledge. The use of Websites by the analyzed IESs can be considered incipient given the high number of institutions that - do not have sites as a way of disseminating - knowledge and the evidences showed strong concentration - according to a few parameters, such as geographical area, States of the Brazilian federation and grades obtained at ENC 2003