Programming Skeletal Muscle Metabolic Flexibility in Offspring of Male Rats in Response to Maternal Consumption of Slow Digesting Carbohydrates during Pregnancy

Skeletal muscle plays a relevant role in metabolic flexibility and fuel usage and the associated muscle metabolic inflexibility due to high-fat diets contributing to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Previous research from our group indicates that a high-fat and rapid-digesting carbohydrate diet during pregnancy promotes an excessive adipogenesis and also increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the offspring. This effect can be counteracted by diets containing carbohydrates with similar glycemic load but lower digestion rates. To address the role of the skeletal muscle in these experimental settings, pregnant rats were fed high-fat diets containing carbohydrates with similar glycemic load but different digestion rates, a high fat containing rapid-digesting carbohydrates diet (HF/RD diet) or a high fat containing slow-digesting carbohydrates diet (HF/SD diet). After weaning, male offspring were fed a standard diet for 3 weeks (weaning) or 10 weeks (adolescence) and the impact of the maternal HF/RD and HF/SD diets on the metabolism, signaling pathways and muscle transcriptome was analyzed. The HF/SD offspring displayed better muscle features compared with the HF/RD group, showing a higher muscle mass, myosin content and differentiation markers that translated into a greater grip strength. In the HF/SD group, metabolic changes such as a higher expression of fatty acids (FAT/CD36) and glucose (GLUT4) transporters, an enhanced glycogen content, as well as changes in regulatory enzymes such as muscle pyruvate kinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 were found, supporting an increased muscle metabolic flexibility and improved muscle performance. The analysis of signaling pathways was consistent with a better insulin sensitivity in the muscle of the HF/SD group. Furthermore, increased expression of genes involved in pathways leading to muscle differentiation, muscle mass regulation, extracellular matrix content and insulin sensitivity were detected in the HF/SD group when compared with HF/RD animals. In the HF/SD group, the upregulation of the ElaV1/HuR gene could be one of the main regulators in the positive effects of the diet in early programming on the offspring. The long-lasting programming effects of the HF/SD diet during pregnancy may depend on a coordinated gene regulation, modulation of signaling pathways and metabolic flexibility that lead to an improved muscle functionality. The dietary early programming associated to HF/SD diet has synergic and positive crosstalk effects in several tissues, mainly muscle, liver and adipose tissue, contributing to maintain the whole body homeostasis in the offspring.European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013

Controllable soliton emission from a Bose-Einstein condensate

We demonstrate, through numerical simulations, the controllable emission of matter-wave bursts from a Bose-Einstein Condensate in a shallow optical dipole trap. The process is triggered by spatial variations of the scattering length along the trapping axis. In our approach, the outcoupling mechanism are atom-atom interactions and thus, the trap remains unaltered. Once emitted, the matter wave forms a robust soliton. We calculate analytically the parameters for the experimental implementation of this atomic soliton machine gun.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Actual treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

El tratamiento del trastorno por défi cit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH) incluye intervenciones farmacológicas, psicosociales y educativas, y en él se aconseja un diseño personalizado teniendo en cuenta las características del paciente, el tipo de trastorno y la comorbilidad que lo acompaña. Los fármacos de primera línea son el psicoestimulante metilfenidato (MTF) y atomoxetina (ATX), un simpaticomimético de acción central no estimulante. Ambos reducen las manifestaciones clínicas de inquietud, inatención e impulsividad, mejorando la calidad de las relaciones sociales y el rendimiento académico. Metilfenidato bloquea el transportador presináptico de dopamina (DA) y noradrenalina (NA), aumentando la concentración de estos neurotransmisores en el espacio presináptico neuronal. Se presenta en formas de liberación inmediata (LI) (Rubifen® y Medicebran® en preparados de acción prolongada con tecnología OROS® [osmotic controlled-release oral delivery system], Concerta® y Metilfenidato Sandoz®) y en pellets (Medikinet®), que permiten seleccionar adecuadamente la dosis y la pauta posológica. Las formas de LI pueden inducir efecto rebote al provocar un pico plasmático elevado que decae en poco tiempo. Atomoxetina (Strattera®) es un inhibidor muy selectivo y potente del transportador presináptico de NA; aumenta los niveles de NA y DA en la corteza prefrontal, pero no en las regiones corticales relacionadas con el desarrollo de tics o riesgo de abusos de sustancias. Puede ser la alternativa a MTF cuando éste pierde efi cacia o está contraindicado. La efectividad de ambos fármacos debe considerarse a partir de las 2-4 semanas. Sus reacciones adversas son numerosas y con frecuencia causan malestar, lo que difi culta la adherencia. Por ello es necesario el seguimiento de estos pacientes, y el farmacéutico puede ejercer un papel destacado para mejorar el cumplimiento y los efectos de la farmacoterapiaTreatment of attention defi cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) includes pharmacological, psychosocial and educational interventions. A custom designed treatment taking into account patient characteristics, type of disorder and comorbidity must be advisable. First election drugs are the psychostimulant methylphenidate (MTF) and the sympathomimetic not stimulant atomoxetine (ATX). These drugs reduce the clinical manifestations of restlessness, inattention and impulsivity, improving the quality of social relationships and academic performance. MTF blocks the presynaptic dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NA) transporters increasing the concentration of these neurotransmitters in the presynaptic neuron. Both of them are available in the pharmaceutical forms of immediate release (IR) (Rubifen ® and Medicebran®, prolonged acting preparations with OROS® [osmotic controlled-release oral delivery system] technology, Con certa® and Metilfenidato Sandoz®) and pellets (Medikinet®), allowing a proper selection of dosage pattern. IR pharmaceutical forms can induce rebounding effect by causing high plasma peak that decays quickly. ATX is a highly selective and a potent inhibitor of presynaptic NA transporter, increasing levels of NA and DA in the prefrontal cortex, but not in cortical regions related to the development of tics or risk of substance abuse. It can be an alternative to MTF when this loses effectiveness or is contraindicated. The effectiveness of both drugs must be considered after 2 to 4 weeks of treatment. Their side effects are numerous and often cause discomfort making diffi cult adherence. Therefore it is necessary to monitor these patients playing pharmacist a leading role in improving the performance and the effects of pharmacotherap

Combining oxidative stress markers and expression of surfactant Protein A in lungs in the diagnosis of deawater drowning

© 2023 by the authors. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This document is the Published version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Life. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.3390/life13010159Background and Objectives. The diagnosis of seawater drowning (SWD) remains one of the most complex and contentious. It is one of the leading causes of unintentional death around the world. In most cases, the forensic pathologist must reach an accurate diagnosis from the autopsy findings and a series of complementary tests such as histopathological, biological, and chemical studies. Despite the lung being the most affected organ in death by submersion, there are few studies on this type of death’s impact on this organ. The aim was to investigate human lung cadavers of forensic cases due to different causes of death, the concentration of the oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde (MDA) and γ-glutamyl-l-cysteinyl glycine (GSH), and the relationship with the expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) to try to discriminate SWD from other types of causes of death. Materials and Methods. A total of 93 forensic autopsy cases were analyzed. Deaths were classified into three major groups based on the scene, cause of death, and autopsy findings (external foam, frothy fluid in airways, overlapping medial edges of the lungs): (a) drowning in seawater (n = 35), (b) other asphyxia (n = 33), such as hangings (n = 23), suffocations (n = 6), and strangulation (n = 4), and (c) other causes (n = 25), such as multiple suffocations. Oxidative stress markers (MDA and GSH) and the immunohistochemical expression of SP-A were determined in both lungs. Results. MDA levels were statistically higher in both lungs in cases of SWD than in other causes of death (p = 0.023). Similarly, significantly higher levels of GSH were observed in SWD compared to the rest of the deaths (p = 0.002), which was more significant in the right lung. Higher immunohistochemical expression of SP-A was obtained in the cases of SWD than in the other causes of death, with higher levels in both lungs. The correlation analysis between the levels of oxidative stress (MDA and GSH) in the lung tissue and the expression level of SP-A showed positive and significant results in SWD, both in the alveolar membrane and the alveolar space. Conclusions. Determining the levels of MDA and GSH in lung tissue and the expression level of SP-A can be of great importance in diagnosing SWD and the circumstances of death. A better understanding of the physiology of submersion is essential for its possible repercussions in adopting measures in the approach to patients who have survived a submersion process. It is also necessary for forensic pathology to correctly interpret the events that lead to submersion

Texture Evolution of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Sheet at High Strain Rates

In the current contribution the mechanical behaviour at high strain rates of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet is studied. Uniaxial deformation properties were studied by means of tensile split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) at different temperatures. The influence of the strain rate and temperature on the deformation mechanisms was investigated by means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and neutron diffraction. It is shown that twinning plays an important role on high strain rate deformation of this alloy, even at elevated temperatures. Significant evidence of prismatic slip as a deformation mechanism is observed, also at warm temperatures, leading to the alignment of directions with the tensile axis and to a spread of the intensities of the basal pole figure towards the in-plane direction perpendicular to the tensile axis. The rate of decrease of the CRSS of non-basal systems is observed to be slower than at quasi-static rates. Secondary twinning and pyramidal slip were also outlined for some conditions. At warm temperatures, in contrast to quasi-static range, a generalized dynamic recrystallization is not observed. Moreover, the activation of rotational recrystallization mechanisms is reporte

Twinning and grain subdivision during dynamic deformation of a Mg AZ31 sheet alloy at room temperature

The microstructural evolution of an AZ31 rolled sheet during dynamic deformation at strain rates of ∼103 s−1 has been investigated by electron backscatter diffraction, X-ray and neutron diffraction. The influence of orientation on the predominant deformation mechanisms and on the recovery processes taking place during deformation has been systematically examined. The results have been compared with those corresponding to the same alloy tested quasi-statically under equivalent conditions. It has been found that strain rate enhances the activation of extension twinning dramatically, while contraction and secondary twinning are not significantly influenced. The polarity of extension twinning is even reversed in some grains under selected testing conditions. Significant grain subdivision by the formation of geometrically necessary boundaries (GNBs) takes place during both quasi-static and dynamic deformation of this AZ31 alloy. It is remarkable that GNBs of high misorientations form even at the highest strain rates. The phenomenon of recovery has been found to be orientation dependen

Automated semantic annotation of rare disease cases: a case study

MOTIVATION: As the number of clinical reports in the peer-reviewed medical literature keeps growing, there is an increasing need for online search tools to find and analyze publications on patients with similar clinical characteristics. This problem is especially critical and challenging for rare diseases, where publications of large series are scarce. Through an applied example, we illustrate how to automatically identify new relevant cases and semantically annotate the relevant literature about patient case reports to capture the phenotype of a rare disease named cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. RESULTS: Our results confirm that it is possible to automatically identify new relevant case reports with a high precision and to annotate them with a satisfactory quality (74% F-measure). Automated annotation with an emphasis to entirely describe all phenotypic abnormalities found in a disease may facilitate curation efforts by supplying phenotype retrieval and assessment of their frequency. Availability and Supplementary information: http://www.usc.es/keam/Phenotype Annotation/. Database URL: http://www.usc.es/keam/PhenotypeAnnotation

Do users have the ability to self-repair non-complex electrical appliances? Design and development of a self-guided workshop with repair documentation in different formats

In the context of the circular economy, repair is one of the main strategies to extend the lifespan of products. However, when it comes to non-complex and inexpensive small household electric and electronic equipment (EEE), consumers tend to not repair or self-repair these items but purchase new ones instead. The aim of this study is to analyse the self-repair experience of consumers in a three-stage self-guided workshop designed and carried out using an electric water kettle as a case study. Sixty people with different profiles participated in the self-guided workshop. An initial interview was conducted to ascertain previous repair experience, and there was also a final interview in which future willingness to repair was studied, as well as the motivations and barriers. The main stage of the self-guided workshop consisted of repairing a kettle in which two faults had been induced. Disassembly and repair guidelines were provided in three different formats (a video, step-by-step instructions and a guide). Regarding their preferences for the resource used to carry out the repair, 61.4 % preferred the video, 24.6 % the step-by-step instructions and 14.0 % the guide. The participants who successfully repaired the kettle amounted to 63.2 %, and 24.6 % of the total number of participants did not use the repair instructions. An analysis of the variable “repair success” against participants’ socioeconomic characteristics showed that having previous experience of self-repair or not was the only statistically significant variable; therefore, self-reported repair experience does influence the disassembly process. Thus, the repair success rate is 40.4 % for those with previous self-repair experience against a rate of 22.8 % for those without experience. In conclusion, con- sumers will attempt self-repair if the information to do so is provided and it is more affordable to repair the product than to purchase a new one

The conserved transmembrane proteoglycan Perdido/Kon-tiki is essential for myofibrillogenesis and sarcomeric structure in Drosophila

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.Muscle differentiation requires the assembly of high-order structures called myofibrils, composed of sarcomeres. Even though themolecular organization of sarcomeres is well known, the mechanisms underlying myofibrillogenesis are poorly understood. It has been proposed that integrin-dependent adhesion nucleates myofibrils at the periphery of the muscle cell to sustain sarcomere assembly. Here, we report a role for the gene perdido (perd, also known as kon-tiki, a transmembrane chondroitin proteoglycan) in myofibrillogenesis. Expression of perd RNAi in muscles, prior to adult myogenesis, can induce misorientation and detachment of Drosophila adult abdominal muscles. In comparison to controls, perd-depleted muscles contain fewer myofibrils, which are localized at the cell periphery. These myofibrils are detached from each other and display a defective sarcomeric structure. Our results demonstrate that the extracellular matrix receptor Perd has a specific role in the assembly of myofibrils and in sarcomeric organization. We suggest that Perd acts downstream or in parallel to integrins to enable the connection of nascent myofibrils to the Z-bands. Our work identifies the Drosophila adult abdominalmuscles as amodel to investigate in vivo the mechanisms behind myofibrillogenesis.Research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [grant number BFU2011-26745]. B.E. was funded in part by the Ramon y Cajal program by the Universidad Pablo de Olavide; J.J.P.-M. was funded by the Proyecto de Excelencia of Junta de Andalucía; M.B. was funded by a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award to Peter Lawrence [grant number WT096645MA]. M.D.M.-B. is funded by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.Peer Reviewe

Early Postoperative Monitoring of the Liver Graft

Liver transplantation (LT) is a common current technique for end-stage liver disease. Complications after the surgical procedure, though uncommon, can be of very different origin and can also be severe enough to lead to liver and multiorgan failure and finally graft loss and/or recipient’s death. Intensivists and the surgical team must be familiarized with these early complications to detect them as soon as possible in order to use the best diagnostic tools and take the best therapeutic measures to restore anatomical integrity and organ function to optimize the liver graft. In this chapter, we present an updated state of the art for efficiently tackling with all different, most usual complications that an LT patient can present during early postoperative period