Lifelong training improves anti-inflammatory environment and maintains the number of regulatory T cells in masters athletes

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to quantify and characterize peripheral blood regulatory T cells (Tregs), as well as the IL-10 plasma concentration, in Masters athletes at rest and after an acute exhaustive exercise test. METHODS: Eighteen Masters athletes (self-reported training: 24.6 ± 1.83 years; 10.27 ± 0.24 months and 5.45 ± 0.42 h/week per each month trained) and an age-matched control group of ten subjects (that never took part in regular physical training) volunteered for this study. All subjects performed an incremental test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer. Blood samples were obtained before (Pre), 10 min into recovery (Post), and 1 h after the test (1 h). RESULTS: Absolute numbers of Tregs were similar in both groups at rest. Acute exercise induced a significant increase in absolute numbers of Tregs at Post (0.049 ± 0.021 to 0.056 ± 0.024 × 109/L, P = 0.029 for Masters; 0.048 ± 0.017 to 0.058 ± 0.020 × 109/L, P = 0.037 for control) in both groups. Treg mRNA expression for FoxP3, IL-10, and TGF-β in sorted Tregs was similar throughout the trials in both groups. Masters athletes showed a higher percentage of subjects expressing the FoxP3 (100% for Masters vs. 78% for Controls, P = 0.038) and TGF-β (89% for Masters vs. 56% for Controls, P = 0.002) after exercise and a higher plasma IL-10 concentration (15.390 ± 7.032 for Masters vs. 2.411 ± 1.117 for control P = 0.001, ES = 2.57) at all timepoints. KLRG1 expression in Tregs was unchanged. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that Masters athletes have elevated anti-inflammatory markers and maintain the number of Tregs, and may be an adaptive response to lifelong training.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Volumetric MRI Analysis of a Case of Severe Ventriculomegaly

We present a case of a 60-year-old male referred to a tertiary psychiatric facility for diagnostic assessment due to low mood and behavioral changes. Neurological examination of the patient was unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated overt ventriculomegaly with gross dilatation of lateral and third ventricles. Manual segmentation of gray matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid demonstrated that the patient had a ventricular volume almost 46 times greater than that of healthy volunteers in the same age range. Despite his striking degree of ventriculomegaly and cortical thinning, he presented primarily with psychiatric and cognitive complaints. These represented a major neurocognitive disorder. His behavior improved with a structured environment and routine instituted by the treating team. This is a dramatic example of the brain’s response to extreme structural remodeling. Elements of pluripotentiality may counteract degeneracy to preserve functions in cases of serious structural stress in the brain. Changes in the neural circuitry of emotional processing, and/or disruption in signaling pathways important for synaptogenesis may influence depression pathophysiology. How this circuitry is modified in cases of extreme structural stress such as long-standing overt ventriculomegaly, is unclear. This case demonstrates the ability of the brain to generate a normal phenotype despite structural changes that seem incompatible with advanced cognitive function, illustrating the substantial potential for adaptability and plasticity in the brain

Qualidade de sementes de quatro cultivares se soja, colhidas em dois locais no Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul

O trabalho foi realizado com objetivo de avaliar a qualidade das sementes de quatro cultivares de soja (BRS 133, BRS 206, BRS 239 e CD 202), colhidas em quatro épocas (Estádio R7 e 7, 14 e 21 dias após a primeira época) e produzidas em dois locais do Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul (Sidrolândia e Dourados), nos anos agrícolas de 2004/05 e 2005/06. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados com três repetições e tratamentos arranjados no esquema de parcelas subdivididas. As parcelas foram constituídas pelas cultivares de soja e as subparcelas pelas épocas de colheita. A germinação foi avaliada pelo teste de germinação; teste de envelhecimento acelerado e o vigor pelo teste de frio sem solo, teste de emergência das plântulas em substrato de areia e teste de sanidade. Os dados coletados nos diferentes locais foram submetidos à análise de variância conjunta de parcelas subdivididas e, na presença de interação significativa, foram realizados os desdobramentos necessários para os dois anos agrícolas, separadamente. No ano agrícola 2004/05, as cultivares BRS 239 e CD 202 apresentaram-se com elevada porcentagem de germinação para a produção de sementes na região de Dourados. No ano agrícola 2005/06, a cultivar BRS 239 foi a que apresentou melhor germinação e vigor. A cultivar BRS 239 apresenta menor índice de infecção de microrganismos em relação a cultivar BRS 206. Melhor qualidade de sementes é obtida das sementes colhidas aos sete dias após o estádio R7. Em relação à qualidade sanitária das sementes, à medida que se retarda a época de colheita, a porcentagem total de microrganismos aumenta linearmente para todas as cultivares.Disponivel em:.Acesso em : 11 nov. 2010

Teratoma felino como modelo de enseñanza de embriología

Se propone la enseñanza de embriología veterinaria en el aula con la presentación de un caso de teratoma en un felino. El alumno puede identificar el origen de los distintos tejidos en cada capa germinal. El teratoma es una neoplasia poco común que se origina a partir de más de una capa de células germinales. Se producen con mayor frecuencia en ovarios y testículos por la presencia de células germinales. El caso corresponde a un felino hembra de 2 años castrada que se presenta en la veterinaria por distensión abdominal y letargia. La paciente había sido castrada un año atrás en un centro de castraciones municipal. Dos meses después de la cirugía el propietario nota un agrandamiento exponencial del abdomen sin dolor. La radiografía abdominal revela una masa con múltiples opacidades radiolúcidas, mineralizadas e irregulares. Se extirpa la masa, la cual no se encuentra adherida y se envía para histopatología. La masa mide 18x12x8 cm, es irregular, multilobulada con sobreelevaciones con contenido grumoso amarillo claro en su interior y estructuras cavitadas con contenido filante traslúcido. Presenta zonas firmes, con otras duras y blandas. Histológicamente, la masa es heterogénea con quistes tapizados por un epitelio estratificado escamoso queratinizado asociadas a folículos pilosos y glándulas anexas. Hay quistes tapizados por un epitelio cúbico a cilíndrico simple. Se observaron bronquios tapizados por epitelio respiratorio rodeados por anillos de cartílago hialino. Hay desarrollo de tejido adiposo, nervioso y cartilaginosos maduros. El diagnóstico es de teratoma con tejidos maduros derivados de las tres hojas embrionarias posiblemente de ovario. La presentación de un caso clínico real de una neoplasia relacionada al desarrollo puede estimular el interés del alumno en la embriología veterinari

Micrometeorological conditions of the soloteca of Embrapa Solos - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Soloteca is the term used in Brazil to refer to the place where reference soil samples are stored. The Soloteca of Embrapa Solos-RJ, for example, stores soil samples from different regions of Brazil, and these samples need to be stored in conditions that preserve their intrinsic characteristics. In this context, the objective of this work was to determine the air temperature and relative humidity conditions in the Soloteca of Embrapa Solos-RJ. The data were collected by three Thermo hygrometers, installed inside and outside the place where the samples are stored, in the period from December 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017, corresponding to summer 2016/17. The difference between the mean and variance of the data for each environment/height was evaluated at the 5% level, respectively, by the t-Student and Snedecor's F tests. The other statistical analyses were presented by boxplots. It was observed that the air temperature, on average, did not differ between the indoor and outdoor environments at a height of 1.6 meters, but there was a difference with the sensor installed near the surface (0.5 meters). On the other hand, the dispersion of the data attested by the variance and the coefficient of variation in the external environment was greater than those recorded internally

Condições micrometeorológicas da Soloteca da Embrapa Solos-RJ.

Soloteca é o termo utilizado no Brasil para se referir ao local onde são guardadas as amostras de solos de referência. A Soloteca da Embrapa Solos-RJ, por exemplo, armazena amostras de solos provenientes das diferentes regiões do Brasil e essas amostras precisam estar armazenadas em condições que preservem as suas características intrínsecas. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desse trabalho foi determinar as condições da temperatura do ar e umidade relativa na Soloteca da Embrapa Solos-RJ. Os dados foram coletados por três termohigrômetros, instalados no interior e no exterior do local onde as amostras são armazenadas, no período de 1° de dezembro de 2016 a 31 de março de 2017, correspondendo ao verão 2016/17. A diferença entre a média e a variância dos dados de cada ambiente/altura foi avaliada ao nível de 5%, respectivamente, pelos testes t-Student e F de Snedecor. As demais análises estatísticas foram apresentadas por meio de gráficos de caixa (boxplot). Observou-se que a temperatura do ar, em média, não diferiu entre os ambientes interno e externo na altura de 1,6 metros, porém houve diferença destes com o sensor instalado próximo a superfície (0,5 metro). Em contrapartida, a dispersão dos dados atestada pela variância e pelo coeficiente de variação no ambiente externo foi maior que as registradas internamente

Mesolimbic fMRI activations during reward anticipation correlate with reward-related ventral striatal dopamine release

The dopaminergic mechanisms that control reward-motivated behavior are the subject of intense study, but it is yet unclear how, in humans, neural activity in mesolimbic reward-circuitry and its functional neuroimaging correlates are related to dopamine release. To address this question, we obtained functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures of reward-related neural activity and [11C] raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) measures of dopamine release in the same human participants, while they performed a delayed monetary incentive task. Across the cohort, a positive correlation emerged between neural activity of the substantia nigra / ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA), the main origin of dopaminergic neurotransmission, during reward anticipation and reward-related [11C] raclopride displacement as an index of dopamine release in the ventral striatum, major target of SN/VTA dopamine neurons. Neural activity in the ventral striatum / nucleus accumbens itself also correlated with ventral striatal dopamine release.Additionally, high reward-related dopamine release was associated with increased activation of limbic structures, such as the amygdala and the hippocampus. The observed correlations of reward-related mesolimbic fMRI activation and dopamine release provide evidence that dopaminergic neurotransmission plays a quantitative role in human mesolimbic reward processing. Moreover, the combined neurochemical and hemodynamic imaging approach used here opens up new perspectives for the investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying human cognition

Brain structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a graph analysis from the ENIGMA Consortium.

Brain structural covariance networks reflect covariation in morphology of different brain areas and are thought to reflect common trajectories in brain development and maturation. Large-scale investigation of structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may provide clues to the pathophysiology of this neurodevelopmental disorder. Using T1-weighted MRI scans acquired from 1616 individuals with OCD and 1463 healthy controls across 37 datasets participating in the ENIGMA-OCD Working Group, we calculated intra-individual brain structural covariance networks (using the bilaterally-averaged values of 33 cortical surface areas, 33 cortical thickness values, and six subcortical volumes), in which edge weights were proportional to the similarity between two brain morphological features in terms of deviation from healthy controls (i.e. z-score transformed). Global networks were characterized using measures of network segregation (clustering and modularity), network integration (global efficiency), and their balance (small-worldness), and their community membership was assessed. Hub profiling of regional networks was undertaken using measures of betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality. Individually calculated network measures were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. These network measures were summated across the network density range of K = 0.10-0.25 per participant, and were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. Compared with healthy controls, at a global level, the structural covariance networks of OCD showed lower clustering (P < 0.0001), lower modularity (P < 0.0001), and lower small-worldness (P = 0.017). Detection of community membership emphasized lower network segregation in OCD compared to healthy controls. At the regional level, there were lower (rank-transformed) centrality values in OCD for volume of caudate nucleus and thalamus, and surface area of paracentral cortex, indicative of altered distribution of brain hubs. Centrality of cingulate and orbito-frontal as well as other brain areas was associated with OCD illness duration, suggesting greater involvement of these brain areas with illness chronicity. In summary, the findings of this study, the largest brain structural covariance study of OCD to date, point to a less segregated organization of structural covariance networks in OCD, and reorganization of brain hubs. The segregation findings suggest a possible signature of altered brain morphometry in OCD, while the hub findings point to OCD-related alterations in trajectories of brain development and maturation, particularly in cingulate and orbitofrontal regions

Machine learning and big data analytics in bipolar disorder:A position paper from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Big Data Task Force

Objectives The International Society for Bipolar Disorders Big Data Task Force assembled leading researchers in the field of bipolar disorder (BD), machine learning, and big data with extensive experience to evaluate the rationale of machine learning and big data analytics strategies for BD. Method A task force was convened to examine and integrate findings from the scientific literature related to machine learning and big data based studies to clarify terminology and to describe challenges and potential applications in the field of BD. We also systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for articles published up to January 2019 that used machine learning in BD. Results The results suggested that big data analytics has the potential to provide risk calculators to aid in treatment decisions and predict clinical prognosis, including suicidality, for individual patients. This approach can advance diagnosis by enabling discovery of more relevant data-driven phenotypes, as well as by predicting transition to the disorder in high-risk unaffected subjects. We also discuss the most frequent challenges that big data analytics applications can face, such as heterogeneity, lack of external validation and replication of some studies, cost and non-stationary distribution of the data, and lack of appropriate funding. Conclusion Machine learning-based studies, including atheoretical data-driven big data approaches, provide an opportunity to more accurately detect those who are at risk, parse-relevant phenotypes as well as inform treatment selection and prognosis. However, several methodological challenges need to be addressed in order to translate research findings to clinical settings.Peer reviewe