The Respiratory Exchange Ratio is Associated with Fitness Indicators Both in Trained and Untrained Men: A Possible Application for People with Reduced Exercise Tolerance

Background The respiratory exchange ratio (RER) indirectly shows the muscle's oxidative capacity to get energy. Sedentarism, exercise and physically active lifestyles modify it. For that reason, this study evaluates the associations between RER during sub-maximum exercise and other well established fitness indicators (body fat, maximum heart rate, maximum O 2 uptake, workload, and lactate threshold), in physically active trained and untrained men. Methods The RER, O 2 uptake and blood lactate were measured in eight endurance trained and eight untrained men (age, 22.9 ± 4.5 vs. 21.9 ± 2.8 years; body mass, 67.1 ± 5.4 vs. 72.2 ± 7.7 kg; body fat, 10.6 ± 2.4% vs. 16.6 ± 3.8% and maximum O2 uptake, 68.9 ± 6.3 vs. 51.6 ± 5.8 ml · kg −1 · min −1 ), during maximum exercise test and during three different sub-maximum exercises at fixed workload: below, within or above the lactate threshold. Results Endurance trained men presented higher O 2 uptake, lower blood lactate concentrations and lower RER values than those in untrained men at the three similar relative workloads. Even though with these differences in RER, a strong association (p < 0.05) of RER during sub-maximum exercise with the other well established fitness indicators was observed, and both maximum O 2 uptake and lactate threshold determined more than 57% of its variance (p < 0.05). Conclusions These data demonstrate that RER measurement under sub-maximum exercise conditions was well correlated with other established physical fitness indicators, despite training condition. Furthermore, the results suggest that RER could help obtain an easy approach of fitness status under low exercise intensity and could be utilized in subjects with reduced exercise tolerance

Species pool structure determines the level of generalism of island parasitoid faunas

Copyright © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.AIM To examine whether island parasitoid faunas are biased towards generalists when compared with the mainland and their species pool, and to evaluate the effects of climate, island characteristics and regional factors on the relative proportions of idiobionts (i.e. generalists) and koinobionts (i.e. specialists) of two parasitic wasp families, Braconidae and Ichneumonidae. LOCATION Seventy-three archipelagos distributed world-wide. METHODS We used data on the distribution and biology obtained from a digital catalogue and several literature sources. We related level of generalism, measured as the ratio between the number of idiobiont and koinobiont species, to climatic, physiographic and regional factors using generalized linear models. We compared models by means of Akaike weighting, and evaluated the spatial structure of their residuals. We used partial regressions to determine whether the final models account for all latitudinal structure in the level of generalism. RESULTS Islands host comparatively more idiobionts than continental areas. Although there is a latitudinal gradient in the level of generalism of island faunas correlating with both environmental factors and island characteristics, the most important determinant of island community structure is their source pool. This effect is stronger for ichneumonids, where generalism is higher in the Indomalayan region, arguably due to the higher diversity of endophytic hosts in its large rain forests. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The level of generalism of island parasitoid faunas is largely constrained by regional factors, namely by the structure of the species pool, which emphasizes the importance of including regional processes in our understanding of the functioning of ecological communities. The fact that generalist species are more predominant in islands with a large cover of rain forests pinpoints the importance of the indirect effects of ecological requirements on community structure, highlighting the complex nature of geographical gradients of diversity

High Levels of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in CCM3-Deficient Cells Increase Their Susceptibility to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular malformations that can be the result of the deficiency of one of the CCM genes. Their only present treatment is surgical removal, which is not always possible, and an alternative pharmacological strategy to eliminate them is actively sought. We have studied the effect of the lack of one of the CCM genes, CCM3, in endothelial and non-endothelial cells. By comparing protein expression in control and CCM3-silenced cells, we found that the levels of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) are higher in CCM3-deficient cells, which adds to the known upregulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in these cells. Whereas VEGFR2 is upregulated at the mRNA level, EGFR has a prolonged half-life. Inhibition of EGFR family members in CCM3-deficient cells does not revert the known cellular effects of lack of CCM genes, but it induces significantly more apoptosis in CCM3-deficient cells than in control cells. We propose that the susceptibility to tyrosine kinase inhibitors of CCM3-deficient cells can be harnessed to kill the abnormal cells of these lesions and thus treat CCMs pharmacologically

Seasonal and Long-Term Variability of the Mixed Layer Depth and its Influence on Ocean Productivity in the Spanish Gulf of Cádiz and Mediterranean Sea

The warming of the surface ocean is expected to increase the stratification of the upper water column. This would decrease the efficiency of the wind-induced mixing, reducing the nutrient supply to the euphotic layer and the productivity of the oceans. Climatic projections show that the Mediterranean Sea will experience a strong warming and salting along the twenty first century. Nevertheless, very few works have found and quantified changes in the water column stratification of the Western Mediterranean. In this work, we obtain time series of Mixed Layer Depth (MLD) along the Spanish Mediterranean waters and the Gulf of Cádiz, using periodic CTD profiles collected under the umbrella of the Ocean Observing system of the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC). The length of the time series analyzed is variable, depending on the geographical area, but in some cases these time series extend from the beginning of the 1990s decade. Our results show that at present, no statistically significant changes can be detected. These results are confirmed by the analysis of MLD time series obtained from Argo profilers. Some of the meteorological factors that could affect the water column stratification (wind intensity and precipitation rates) did not experience significant changes for the 1990-2021 period, neither were observed long-term changes in the chlorophyll concentration. The hypothesis proposed to explain this lack of trends, is that the salinity increase of the surface waters has compensated for the warming, and consequently, the density of the upper layer of the Western Mediterranean (WMED) has remained constant. As the wind intensity has not experienced significant trends, the stratification of the Spanish Mediterranean waters and those of the Gulf of Cádiz would have not been affected. Nevertheless, we do not discard that our results are a consequence of the short length of the available time series and the large variance of the variables analyzed, evidencing the importance of the maintenance of the ocean monitoring programs.En prens

Biometric differences between several populations of Cordulegaster boltonii (Odonata: Cordulegastridae) in Ibero-Maghrebian area

Biometric data of the exuviae of female larvae of the dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii collected in Portugal, Spain and Morocco were analysed to determine whether the size of three exuvial structures measured differed depending on the geographic localities of the populations. Based on the results recorded for the 16 populations studied, head width was negatively correlated with latitude and the greatest length of the gonapophysis was recorded for the Iberian populations at the centre of this peninsula. Multivariate cluster analysis revealed a clear separation of the Moroccan population. A second cluster separated the southernmost population (Sierra Nevada) from the remaining Iberian populations. Four population groups were distinguished: those located in watercourses in the north and central area of the Iberian Peninsula, those in Iberian watercourses in the East and Middle South, the Sierra Nevada and North Morocco. Some of these results coincide with the results of genetic studies of other authors

The evolution of the zooplankton community in the gulf of Cadiz, SW Iberian Peninsula

The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) has been conducting a multidisciplinary study of the marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Cadiz (GoC; SW Iberian Peninsula) since 2009 within the frame of the program Time Series of Oceanographic data in the Gulf of Cadiz (STOCA, in Spanish). The program maintains repeated observations along five across-shelf transects: three times a year from 2009 to 2012 and quarterly on hereafter. In this paper we present the temporal evolution of the zooplankton community in the GoC. In particular, we focused on samples from three stations located off the Guadalquivir river mouth: GD1 (20 m depth), GD3 (80 m) and GD6 (450 m). Samples were taken with bongo-40 cm paired zooplankton nets (mesh size 200 mm). Double oblique hauls were conducted from top to bottom or to a maximum depth of 200 m) while the ship was steaming at 2.5 kn. A total of 43 samples per station were included in the analysis. Samples were imaged with ZooScan. Full images were processed with ZooProcess which generated set of associated features measured on each identified object (Gorsky et al, 2010). These objects were sorted following a common taxonomic guide using the web application EcoTaxa (http://ecotaxa.obs-vlfr.fr). As a sanity check, a variable number of aliquots were directly identified by light microscopy. These results permitted the description of the mean and variable components of the plankton community, their seasonal in the context of the thermohaline and transport variability in the 2010s

Challenges to adaptation: a fundamental concept for the shared socio-economic pathways and beyond

The framework for the new scenarios being developed for climate research calls for the development of a set of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), which are meant to differ in terms of their challenges to mitigation and challenges to adaptation. In order for the scenario process to fulfill its goals, the research and policy communities need to develop a shared understanding of these concepts. This paper focuses on challenges to adaptation. We begin by situating this new concept in the context of the rich literatures related to inter alia adaptation, vulnerability, and resilience. We argue that a proper characterization of challenges to adaptation requires a rich, exploration of the concept, which goes beyond mere description. This has a number of implications for the operationalization of the concept in the basic and extended versions of the SSPs. First, the elements comprising challenges to adaptation must include a wide range of socioeconomic and even some (non-climatic) biophysical factors. Second, careful consideration must be given to differences in these factors across scales, as well as cross-scale interactions. Third, any representation of the concept will require both quantitative and qualitative elements. The scenario framework offers the opportunity for the SSPs and full scenarios to be of greater value than has been the case in past exercises to both Integrated Assessment Modeling (IAM) and Impacts,Adaptation, and Vulnerability (IAV) researchers, but this will require a renegotiation of the traditional, primarily unidirectional relationship between the two communities

The Spanish biology/disease initiative within the human proteome project: Application to rheumatic diseases

The Spanish Chromosome 16 consortium is integrated in the global initiative Human Proteome Project, which aims to develop an entire map of the proteins encoded following a gene-centric strategy (C-HPP) in order to make progress in the understanding of human biology in health and disease (B/D-HPP). Chromosome 16 contains many genes encoding proteins involved in the development of a broad range of diseases, which have a significant impact on the health care system. The Spanish HPP consortium has developed a B/D platform with five programs focused on selected medical areas: cancer, obesity, cardiovascular, infectious and rheumatic diseases. Each of these areas has a clinical leader associated to a proteomic investigator with the responsibility to get a comprehensive understanding of the proteins encoded by Chromosome 16 genes. Proteomics strategies have enabled great advances in the area of rheumatic diseases, particularly in osteoarthritis, with studies performed on joint cells, tissues and fluids. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In this manuscript we describe how the Spanish HPP-16 consortium has developed a B/D platform with five programs focused on selected medical areas: cancer, obesity, cardiovascular, infectious and rheumatic diseases. Each of these areas has a clinical leader associated to a proteomic investigator with the responsibility to get a comprehensive understanding of the proteins encoded by Chromosome 16 genes. We show how the Proteomic strategy has enabled great advances in the area of rheumatic diseases, particularly in osteoarthritis, with studies performed on joint cells, tissues and fluids. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: HUPO 2014

Diabetes Is an Independent Risk Factor for Severe Nocturnal Hypoxemia in Obese Patients. A Case-Control Study

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity have become two of the main threats to public health in the Western world. In addition, obesity is the most important determinant of the sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS), a condition that adversely affects glucose metabolism. However, it is unknown whether patients with diabetes have more severe SAHS than non-diabetic subjects. The aim of this cross-sectional case-control study was to evaluate whether obese patients with T2DM are more prone to severe SAHS than obese non-diabetic subjects.Thirty obese T2DM and 60 non-diabetic women closely matched by age, body mass index, waist circumference, and smoking status were recruited from the outpatient Obesity Unit of a university hospital. The exclusion criteria included chronic respiratory disease, smoking habit, neuromuscular and cerebrovascular disease, alcohol abuse, use of sedatives, and pregnancy. Examinations included a non-attended respiratory polygraphy, pulmonary function testing, and an awake arterial gasometry. Oxygen saturation measures included the percentage of time spent at saturations below 90% (CT90). A high prevalence of SAHS was found in both groups (T2DM:80%, nondiabetic:78.3%). No differences in the number of sleep apnea-hypopnea events between diabetic and non-diabetic patients were observed. However, in diabetic patients, a significantly increase in the CT90 was detected (20.2+/-30.2% vs. 6.8+/-13,5%; p = 0.027). In addition, residual volume (RV) was significantly higher in T2DM (percentage of predicted: 79.7+/-18.1 vs. 100.1+/-22.8; p<0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that T2DM but not RV was independently associated with CT90.T2DM adversely affects breathing during sleep, becoming an independent risk factor for severe nocturnal hypoxemia in obese patients. Given that SAHS is a risk factor of cardiovascular disease, the screening for SAHS in T2DM patients seems mandatory