Anthropometric Characteristics, Body Composition and Somatotype in Elite Junior ITF Tennis Players from South America

Indexación: Scopus; Scielo.El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar las características antropométricas, composición corporal y somatotipo en tenistas varones elite juniors sudamericanos de la Federación Internacional de Tenis. Participaron 25 jugadores de 17,04 ± 1,05 años. La composición corporal se evaluó con el perfil restringido de 25 variables propuesto por Kerr en base al método pentacompartimental, el cual fracciona el cuerpo en 5 componentes (tejidos: muscular, adiposo, óseo, residual, y piel). El somatotipo se identificó con el método de Heath y Carter. Para la evaluación se utilizaron las normas propuestas por La Sociedad Internacional para el Avance de la Cineantropometría (ISAK) y el Grupo Español de Cineantropometría (GREC). El porcentaje de tejido muscular fue de 47,65 ± 2,83 %, tejido adiposo de 23,23 ± 3,56 %, y tejido óseo de 11,79 ± 1,56 % con un índice músculoóseo(IMO) de 4,09 ± 0,50. En cuanto al somatotipo se apreció una clasificación de tipo mesomorfo balanceado con valores de 2,5 ± 0,81 de endomorfia, 4,9 ± 0,66 de mesomorfia, y 2,7 ± 0,96 de ectomorfia. El grupo de tenistas presentó un predominio del componente mesomorfia con un equilibrio entre los componentes endomorfia y ectomorfia con características de composición corporal similares a las encontradas en la literatura. El presente estudio entrega datos referenciales sobre las características antropométricas en tenistas sudamericanos nivel elite categoría junior.The objective of the study was to determine the anthropometric characteristics, body composition and somatotype in male elite junior tennis players from the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Twenty five players of 17.04 ± 1.05 years participated. The body composition was evaluated with the restricted profile of 25 variables proposed by Kerr based on the pent compartmental method, which divided the body into 5 components (tissues: muscle, adipose, bone, residual, and skin). The somatotype was identified with the Heath and Carter method. For the evaluation, the norms proposed by the International Society for the Advancement of Cineanthropometry (ISAK) and the Spanish Group of Cineanthropometry (GREC) were used. The percentage of muscle tissue was 47.65 ± 2.83 %, adipose tissue of 23.23 ± 3.56 %, and bone tissue of 11.79 ± 1.56 % with a muscle-osseous index (IMO) of 4.09 ± 0.50. Regarding somatotype, a balanced mesomorphic classification was observed with values of 2.5 ± 0.81 of endomorphy, 4.9 ± 0.66 of mesomorphy, and 2.7 ± 0.96 of ectomorphy. The group of tennis players presented a predominance of the mesomorphy component with a balance between the components endomorphy and ectomorphy with characteristics of body composition similar to those found in the literature. The present study provides referential data on the anthropometric characteristics in South American tennis players elite junior category.https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-95022018000301095&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=e

Assessment of DNA Damage by Comet Assay in Buccal Epithelial Cells: Problems, Achievement, Perspectives

DNA damage risk assessment in comet assay by the use of buccal mucosa cells has great advantages in comparison with other cell type sample due to more safely, easier, cheaper, and non-invasive method for in vivo studies. According to the OECD Guidelines, the in vivo mammalian alkaline comet assay is well-established and validated method for measuring DNA strand breaks in single eukaryotic cells. Considering exposure to xenobiotics and endogenous damage inductors, buccal mucosa cells are the first to be in direct contact after exposure and this makes them an ideal biomatrices in evaluation of the level of individual genotoxicity to several compounds already mentioned. Their clinical diagnostic applicability confers a potential use in patients across time. However, the number of publications referring to the human buccal comet assay is low in the last two decades. This low growing interest may be explained by several factors, including its relative technical problems. Different procedures have been used in collecting and processing the samples. In order to have widespread acceptance and credibility in human population studies, the comet assay in buccal cells requires standardization of the protocol, of parameters analyzed, and a better knowledge of critical features affecting the assay outcomes, including the definition of the values of spontaneous DNA damage. There is a need for further collaborative work as in the HUMN (micronucleus assay on lymphocytes) and HUMNxL (micronucleus assay on buccal cells) collaborative projects. The creation of a network of laboratories will allow more focused validation studies, including the design of a classic, historic, prospective cohort study in order to explore the link between measures of genetic instability in the buccal mucosa and the risk of cancer and other chronic-degenerative diseases. One such network connection will start in 2016 as a COST project under the name “hCOMET—The comet assay as a human biomonitoring tool” launched by Prof. Andrew Collins

DD04107-Derived neuronal exocytosis inhibitor peptides: Evidences for synaptotagmin-1 as a putative target

The analgesic peptide DD04107 (Pal-EEMQRR-NH2) and its acetylated analogue inhibit a-calcitonin gene-related peptide (a-CGRP) exocytotic release from primary sensory neurons. Examining the crystal structure of the SNARE-Synaptotagmin-1(Syt1) complex, we hypothesized that these peptides could inhibit neuronal exocytosis by binding to Syt1, hampering at least partially its interaction with the SNARE complex. To address this hypothesis, we first interrogate the role of individual side-chains on the inhibition of a-CGRP release, finding that E1, M3, Q4 and R6 residues were crucial for activity. CD and NMR conformational analysis showed that linear peptides have tendency to adopt a-helical conformations, but the results with cyclic analogues indicated that this secondary structure is not needed for activity. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements demonstrate a direct interaction of some of these peptides with Syt1-C2B domain, but not with Syt7-C2B region, indicating selectivity. As expected for a compound able to inhibit a-CGRP release, cyclic peptide derivative Pal-E-cyclo[EMQK]R-NH2 showed potent in vivo analgesic activity, in a model of inflammatory pain. Molecular dynamics simulations provided a model consistent with KD values for the interaction of peptides with Syt1-C2B domain, and with their biological activity. Altogether, these results identify Syt1 as a potential new analgesic target. © 202

Neonate Human Remains: A Window of Opportunity to the Molecular Study of Ancient Syphilis

Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis can be a useful tool in bacterial disease diagnosis in human remains. However, while the recovery of Mycobacterium spp. has been widely successful, several authors report unsuccessful results regarding ancient treponemal DNA, casting doubts on the usefulness of this technique for the diagnosis of ancient syphilis. Here, we present results from an analysis of four newborn specimens recovered from the crypt of “La Ermita de la Soledad” (XVI–XVII centuries), located in the province of Huelva in the southwest of Spain. We extracted and analyzed aDNA in three independent laboratories, following specific procedures generally practiced in the aDNA field, including cloning of the amplified DNA fragments and sequencing of several clones. This is the most ancient case, reported to date, from which detection of DNA from T. pallidum subspecies pallidum has been successful in more than one individual, and we put forward a hypothesis to explain this result, taking into account the course of the disease in neonate individuals

Spanish ATLAS tier-2: Facing up to LHC Run 2

The goal of this work is to describe the way of addressing the main challenges of Run 2 by the Spanish ATLAS Tier-2. The considerable increase of energy and luminosity for the upcoming Run 2 with respect to Run 1 has led to a revision of the ATLAS computing model as well as some of the main ATLAS computing tools. In this paper, the adaptation to these changes will be described. The Spanish ATLAS Tier-2 is a R&D project which consists of a distributed infrastructure composed of three sites and its members are involved in ATLAS computing progress, namely the work in different tasks and the development of new tools (e.g. Event Index)This work has been supported by MINECO, Spain (Proj. Ref. FPA2010-21919-C03-01,02,03 & FPA2013-47424-C3,01,02,03), which include FEDER funds from the European Unio

Functional upgrading in China’s export processing sector

Functional upgrading occurs when a firm acquires more sophisticated functions within an existing value chain. In this paper, we analyze if there is evidence of this type of upgrading in China’s export processing regime by investigating dynamics in the relative prevalence of Import & Assembly (IA) versus Pure Assembly (PA) processing trade over the period 2000-2013. Firms in both regimes provide similar manufacturing services to foreign companies, but IA firms also conduct the sophisticated tasks of quality control, searching, financing and storing imported materials. Consistent with a trend of functional upgrading, we show that the share of IA trade in total processing trade has increased rapidly during the period 2000-2006, both overall and within product categories. Furthermore, we find that this trend has gone hand in hand with improvements in a sector’s labor productivity and unit values. Against expectations, we find that this process has slowed down notably during the period 2006-2013.status: publishe

MtMTP2-Facilitated Zinc Transport Into Intracellular Compartments Is Essential for Nodule Development in Medicago truncatula

Zinc (Zn) is an essential nutrient for plants that is involved in almost every biological process. This includes symbiotic nitrogen fixation, a process carried out by endosymbiotic bacteria (rhizobia) living within differentiated plant cells of legume root nodules. Zn transport in nodules involves delivery from the root, via the vasculature, release into the apoplast and uptake into nodule cells. Once in the cytosol, Zn can be used directly by cytosolic proteins or delivered into organelles, including symbiosomes of infected cells, by Zn efflux transporters. Medicago truncatula MtMTP2 (Medtr4g064893) is a nodule-induced Zn-efflux protein that was localized to an intracellular compartment in root epidermal and endodermal cells, as well as in nodule cells. Although the MtMTP2 gene is expressed in roots, shoots, and nodules, mtp2 mutants exhibited growth defects only under symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing conditions. Loss of MtMTP2 function resulted in altered nodule development, defects in bacteroid differentiation, and severe reduction of nitrogenase activity. The results presented here support a role of MtMTP2 in intracellular compartmentation of Zn, which is required for effective symbiotic nitrogen fixation in M. truncatula

Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma: report of two cases

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneal cystadenocarcinomas are rare lesions, the majority of cases presented as one-patient reports. METHODS: We present two cases of retroperitoneal cystadenocarcinoma, both in women of reproductive age: one with aggressive behavior, and the remaining case, with a more indolent clinical evolution. RESULTS: One case presented as pelvic tumor, was treated with surgical resection of the disease, but manifested with recurrent disease a few months later despite use of chemotherapy. The second case involved a patient with diagnosis of abdominal tumor; during laparotomy, a retroperitoneal tumor was found and was totally removed. At follow-up, the patient is disease-free with no other treatment. CONCLUSION: The behavior and treatment of retroperitoneal cystadenocarcinoma are controversial. We suggest aggressive surgery including radical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoopherectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy in these cases

Comparative serology techniques for the diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a rural population from the state of Querétaro, Mexico

Immunological diagnostic methods for Trypanosoma cruzi depend specifically on the presence of antibodies and parasitological methods lack sensitivity during the chronic and “indeterminate” stages of the disease. This study performed a serological survey of 1,033 subjects from 52 rural communities in 12 of the 18 municipalities in the state of Querétaro, Mexico. We detected anti-T. cruzi antibodies using the following tests: indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA), indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), ELISA and recombinant ELISA (rELISA). We also performed Western blot (WB) analysis using iron superoxide dismutase (FeSOD), a detoxifying enzyme excreted by the parasite, as the antigen. Positive test results were distributed as follows: ELISA 8%, rELISA 6.2%, IFA and IHA 5.4% in both cases and FeSOD 8%. A comparative study of the five tests was undertaken. Sensitivity levels, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, concordance percentage and kappa index were considered. Living with animals, trips to other communities, gender, age, type of housing and symptomatology at the time of the survey were statistically analysed using SPSS software v.11.5. Detection of the FeSOD enzyme that was secreted by the parasite and used as an antigenic fraction in WBs showed a 100% correlation with traditional ELISA tests

A strategy to obtain axenic cultures of Arthrospira spp. cyanobacteria

A strategy to obtain axenic cultures of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira sp. (‘platensis’) Lefevre 1963/M-132-1 strain, consisting of a series of physical and chemical procedures, and the application of an optimized pool of antibiotics, is described in this paper. This strategy, which is an inexpensive and fast way to obtain axenic cultures, can be applied to Arthrospira spp. from culture collections or samples from their natural habitats to eliminate a wide spectrum of contaminants. A high alkaline treatment (pH 12, using KOH) of 72 h is a determinant initial procedure applied to eliminate protozoa and Microcystis sp. Bacteria were eliminated by an optimal antibiotic pool treatment, and Chroococcus sp. residuals were discarded by serial dilution. Optimal concentrations of the antibiotics composing the pool were obtained by a 24 factorial central composite rotatable design (CCRD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM), resulting in: ampicillin 61.6 μg/ml, penicillin 85.8 μg/ml, cefoxitin 76.9 μg/ml, and meropenem 38.9 μg/ml. The results also indicate that cefoxitin was the most effective antibiotic of this pool. After obtaining the axenic culture, identification of Lefevre 1963/M-132-1 strain was performed using amplification and sequencing of the ITS region (including part of 16S rRNA, tRNA Ile, ITS, tRNA Ala and part of 23S rRNA region) and fatty acid composition data. Data base comparison revealed that Lefevre strain is closely related to A. platensis species (99% identity), while fatty acid composition data suggested A. maxima. These seemingly contradictory results are discussed