Elevated plasma succinate levels are linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults

Background: Succinate is produced by both host and microbiota, with a key role in the interplay of immunity and metabolism and an emerging role as a biomarker for infammatory and metabolic disorders in middle-aged adults. The relationship between plasma succinate levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in young adults is unknown. Methods: Cross-sectional study in 100 (65% women) individuals aged 18–25 years from the ACTIvating Brown Adipose Tissue through Exercise (ACTIBATE) study cohort. CVD risk factors, body composition, dietary intake, basal metabolic rate, and cardiorespiratory ftness were assessed by routine methods. Plasma succinate was measured with an enzyme-based assay. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) was evaluated by positron emission tomography, and circulating oxylipins were assessed by targeted metabolomics. Fecal microbiota composition was analyzed in a sub-sample. Results: Individuals with higher succinate levels had higher levels of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass (+42.5%), tri‑ glycerides (+63.9%), C-reactive protein (+124.2%), diastolic blood pressure (+5.5%), and pro-infammatory omega-6 oxylipins than individuals with lower succinate levels. Succinate levels were also higher in metabolically unhealthy individuals than in healthy overweight/obese peers. Succinate levels were not associated with BAT volume or activity or with fecal microbiota composition and diversity. Conclusions: Plasma succinate levels are linked to a specifc pro-infammatory omega-6 signature pattern and higher VAT levels, and seem to refect the cardiovascular status of young adults.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness via Retos de la Sociedad (DEP2016-79512-R to JRR and RTI2018-093919-B to SFV)European Regional Development Funds (ERDF)Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU16/02828, FPU16/05159, FPU17/01523 and FPU19/01609)University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigación 2016-Excellence actions–Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES)Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades (ERDF: ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR)The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PI20/00095 to VCM and PI20/00338 to JV) co-fnanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)Ramón y Cajal program (RYC2019026490-I) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, co-fnanced by the ERDFy Fundación Bancaria Caixa d’Estalvis i Pensions de Barcelona (HR20-00051 to S.F.-V.)The Netherlands CardioVascular Research Initiative: ‘the Dutch Heart Foundation, Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers, The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences’ (CVON2017-20 GENIUS-2) to PCNRChinese Scholarship Council (CSC, No. 201707060012) to XDMiguel Servet tenure-track program (CP10/00438 and CPII16/00008) from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria, co-fnanced by the ERDFFundación Alfonso Martin Escuder

Marine Biodiversity in the Caribbean: Regional Estimates and Distribution Patterns

This paper provides an analysis of the distribution patterns of marine biodiversity and summarizes the major activities of the Census of Marine Life program in the Caribbean region. The coastal Caribbean region is a large marine ecosystem (LME) characterized by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, but including other environments, such as sandy beaches and rocky shores. These tropical ecosystems incorporate a high diversity of associated flora and fauna, and the nations that border the Caribbean collectively encompass a major global marine biodiversity hot spot. We analyze the state of knowledge of marine biodiversity based on the geographic distribution of georeferenced species records and regional taxonomic lists. A total of 12,046 marine species are reported in this paper for the Caribbean region. These include representatives from 31 animal phyla, two plant phyla, one group of Chromista, and three groups of Protoctista. Sampling effort has been greatest in shallow, nearshore waters, where there is relatively good coverage of species records; offshore and deep environments have been less studied. Additionally, we found that the currently accepted classification of marine ecoregions of the Caribbean did not apply for the benthic distributions of five relatively well known taxonomic groups. Coastal species richness tends to concentrate along the Antillean arc (Cuba to the southernmost Antilles) and the northern coast of South America (Venezuela – Colombia), while no pattern can be observed in the deep sea with the available data. Several factors make it impossible to determine the extent to which these distribution patterns accurately reflect the true situation for marine biodiversity in general: (1) highly localized concentrations of collecting effort and a lack of collecting in many areas and ecosystems, (2) high variability among collecting methods, (3) limited taxonomic expertise for many groups, and (4) differing levels of activity in the study of different taxa

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Gestión del conocimiento. Perspectiva multidisciplinaria. Volumen 10

El libro “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria”, Volumen 10, de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro, son resultados de investigaciones desarrolladas por sus autores. El libro es una publicación internacional, seriada, continua, arbitrada de acceso abierto a todas las áreas del conocimiento, que cuenta con el esfuerzo de investigadores de varios países del mundo, orientada a contribuir con procesos de gestión del conocimiento científico, tecnológico y humanístico que consoliden la transformación del conocimiento en diferentes escenarios, tanto organizacionales como universitarios, para el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas del quehacer diario. La gestión del conocimiento es un camino para consolidar una plataforma en las empresas públicas o privadas, entidades educativas, organizaciones no gubernamentales, ya sea generando políticas para todas las jerarquías o un modelo de gestión para la administración, donde es fundamental articular el conocimiento, los trabajadores, directivos, el espacio de trabajo, hacia la creación de ambientes propicios para el desarrollo integral de las instituciones

La relación del adulto mayor con los animales de compañía en una comuna de santiago

In the last years, life expectancy of human population has increased, at the same time, natality rates have decreased, this situation brings an increment in old adult population in underdeveloped countries and specially in those more developed. This people confront several changes in their way of life, that brings to them a strong feeling of loneliness and disprotection.An opinion poli had been done with the objective of know the relationship between older adults and companion animals and the factors that take pan in it. 382 old adults from La Reina County with or without pets took pan, chosen at random.The results conclude that the presence of pets was in the same proportion in men and women, but different between age groups, being the presence of pets greater in the younger group. The group with pets presented feelings of fullness, happiness or satisfaction more frequently than the other group. Also it could be a connection between pet possession and activity rate, better health conditions and sociability. Dogs were the most adopted pets, being company their principal role.En los últimos años, la esperanza de vida de las po­blaciones humanas ha aumentado, junto con dismi­nuir las tasas de natalidad, lo que lleva a un incremento en la población de adultos mayores en los países en desarrollo y en particular en aquellos más desarrollados, quienes se enfrentan a diversos cambios en su estilo de vida que llevan a un fuerte sentimiento de soledad y desprotección.Con el objetivo de conocer la relación del adul­to mayor con los animales de compañía y los facto-res que intervienen se realizó una encuesta a 382 adultos mayores con o sin mascotas, pertenecien­tes a la comuna de La Reina, seleccionados a tra­vés de un muestreo aleatorio.Se concluyó que la presencia de mascotas se presentó en igual proporción en hombres y mu­jeres, la que difiere entre grupos de edad, sien-do mayor la tenencia en el grupo más joven. El grupo con mascota presentó sentimientos de plenitud, alegría o satisfacción más frecuentes en comparación al grupo sin mascota. Además existiría relación entre tenencia de mascotas y el grado de actividad, mejor estado de salud y so­ciabilidad. Los perros fueron las mascotas más adoptadas, siendo la compañía el rol más asig­nado para ellas

Organización y funcionamiento de las unidades municipales de medio ambiente de la región metropolitana, chile

Opinion polis had been done with the purpose of determine the organization, administration and functional reality of the environment units (UMMA) from the 52 counties in Metropolitan Region, Chile. These polis were directed to the managers of each unit responsible to solve the county's environmental problems. It's achieved to determine that the 52 counties from Metropolitan Region have at least one person in charge of any kind of activity related to these problems, but only 46 of them has a recognize organic unit. Even though, environmental problems have increased their importance, it's necesaariy to create more ecient management, decision power and control that allow.s the optimization of sustainable development.Con el propósito de determinar cuál es la realidad organizacional, administrativa y funcional de las Unidades Municipales de Medio Ambiente (uMMA) existentes en el total de las 52 municipalidades de la Región Metropolitana, se realizaron encuestas de opinión, dirigidas a los encargados de cada una de las unidades responsables de solucionar los proble­mas ambientales inherentes a cada municipalidad.Se logró determinar que los 52 municipios de la Región Metropolitana cuentan, a lo menos, con una persona encargada de algún tipo de actividad des-tinada al control de estos problemas, pero sólo 46 de ellos cuentan con una unidad orgánica recono­cida. Aun cuando la problemática medioambiental está tomando cada vez mayor importancia, es nece­sario crear una gestión más eficiente con un mayor poder de decisión y fiscalización que permita la optimización del desarrollo sustentable

La relación del adulto mayor con los animales de compañía en una comuna de santiago

In the last years, life expectancy of human population has increased, at the same time, natality rates have decreased, this situation brings an increment in old adult population in underdeveloped countries and specially in those more developed. This people confront several changes in their way of life, that brings to them a strong feeling of loneliness and disprotection.An opinion poli had been done with the objective of know the relationship between older adults and companion animals and the factors that take pan in it. 382 old adults from La Reina County with or without pets took pan, chosen at random.The results conclude that the presence of pets was in the same proportion in men and women, but different between age groups, being the presence of pets greater in the younger group. The group with pets presented feelings of fullness, happiness or satisfaction more frequently than the other group. Also it could be a connection between pet possession and activity rate, better health conditions and sociability. Dogs were the most adopted pets, being company their principal role.En los últimos años, la esperanza de vida de las po­blaciones humanas ha aumentado, junto con dismi­nuir las tasas de natalidad, lo que lleva a un incremento en la población de adultos mayores en los países en desarrollo y en particular en aquellos más desarrollados, quienes se enfrentan a diversos cambios en su estilo de vida que llevan a un fuerte sentimiento de soledad y desprotección.Con el objetivo de conocer la relación del adul­to mayor con los animales de compañía y los facto-res que intervienen se realizó una encuesta a 382 adultos mayores con o sin mascotas, pertenecien­tes a la comuna de La Reina, seleccionados a tra­vés de un muestreo aleatorio.Se concluyó que la presencia de mascotas se presentó en igual proporción en hombres y mu­jeres, la que difiere entre grupos de edad, sien-do mayor la tenencia en el grupo más joven. El grupo con mascota presentó sentimientos de plenitud, alegría o satisfacción más frecuentes en comparación al grupo sin mascota. Además existiría relación entre tenencia de mascotas y el grado de actividad, mejor estado de salud y so­ciabilidad. Los perros fueron las mascotas más adoptadas, siendo la compañía el rol más asig­nado para ellas

Adipose tissue mitochondrial dysfunction in human obesity is linked to a specific DNA methylation signature in adipose-derived stem cells

Background: A functional population of adipocyte precursors, termed adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs), is crucial for proper adipose tissue (AT) expansion, lipid handling, and prevention of lipotoxicity in response to chronic positive energy balance. We previously showed that obese human subjects contain a dysfunctional pool of ASCs. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying abnormal ASC function might lead to therapeutic interventions for prevention of lipotoxicity by improving the adipogenic capacity of ASCs. Methods: Using epigenome-wide association studies, we explored the impact of obesity on the methylation signature of human ASCs and their differentiated counterparts. Mitochondrial phenotyping of lean and obese ASCs was performed. TBX15 loss- and gain-of-function experiments were carried out and western blotting and electron microscopy studies of mitochondria were performed in white AT biopsies from lean and obese individuals. Results: We found that DNA methylation in adipocyte precursors is significantly modified by the obese environment, and adipogenesis, inflammation, and immunosuppression were the most affected pathways. Also, we identified TBX15 as one of the most differentially hypomethylated genes in obese ASCs, and genetic experiments revealed that TBX15 is a regulator of mitochondrial mass in obese adipocytes. Accordingly, morphological analysis of AT from obese subjects showed an alteration of the mitochondrial network, with changes in mitochondrial shape and number. Conclusions: We identified a DNA methylation signature in adipocyte precursors associated with obesity, which has a significant impact on the metabolic phenotype of mature adipocytes