Transcriptomic analysis of the hepatic response to stress in the red cusk-eel (Genypterus chilensis): Insights into lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and liver steatosis

Indexación: Scopus.Teleosts exhibit a broad divergence in their adaptive response to stress, depending on the magnitude, duration, and frequency of stressors and the species receiving the stimulus. We have previously reported that the red cusk-eel (Genypterus chilensis), an important marine farmed fish, shows a physiological response to stress that results in increased skeletal muscle atrophy mediated by over-expression of components of the ubiquitin proteasome and autophagy-lysosomal systems. To better understand the systemic effects of stress on the red cusk-eel metabolism, the present study assessed the transcriptomic hepatic response to repetitive handling-stress. Using high-Throughput RNA-seq, 259 up-regulated transcripts were found, mostly associated with angiogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and triacylglyceride catabolism. Conversely, 293 transcripts were down-regulated, associated to cholesterol biosynthesis, PPARα signaling, fatty acid biosynthesis, and glycolysis. This gene signature was concordant with hepatic metabolite levels and hepatic oxidative damage. Moreover, the increased plasmatic levels of AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AP (alkaline phosphatase), as well as liver histology suggest stress-induced liver steatosis. This study offers an integrative molecular and biochemical analysis of the hepatic response to handling-stress, and reveals unknown aspects of lipid metabolism in a non-model teleost.http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.017644

Modificações no perfil bioenergético e biomecânico de nadadores entre dois períodos "pré-taper"

O estudo teve como objectivo analisar as alterações ao nível do perfil bioenergético e biomecânico de nadadores de elite entre dois períodos “pré-taper”. Foram analisados 7 nadadores portugueses masculinos de elevado nível competitivo. Os parâmetros bioenergéticos e biomecânicos foram obtidos em dois momentos “pré-taper” (T1 e T2) antecedentes a competições importantes (Novembro e Março da época desportiva de 2009-2010). Foram obtidos: (i) velocidade do equilíbrio máximo de lactato estimada às 4 mmol (V4), como indicador bioenergético; (ii) distância de ciclo à V4 (DC@V4), frequência gestual à V4 (FG@V4), índice de nado à V4 (IN@V4) e a eficiência propulsiva à V4 (hp@V4) como indicadores biomecânicos. A comparação entre os dois momentos de avaliação foi efectuada com recurso à estatística não paramétrica Teste de Wilcoxon. Foram verificados aumentos com significado estatístico na V4 e na FG@V4 de T1 para T2. A DC@V4e o IN@V4 apresentaram-se estáveis sem variações significativas. Do ponto de vista da análise individual 4 dos 7 nadadores aumentaram o seu IN@V4. A hp@V4 revelou uma diminuição, contudo sem diferenças estatisticamente significativas. Em síntese, existe uma tendência para o aumento da V4 ao longo da época desportiva. As alterações na V4 parecem ser decorrentes de modificações nos pressupostos biomecânicos, mais precisamente no aumento da FG@V4

Análise longitudinal das modificações no perfil biomecânico de nadadores de elite e o seu impacto na performance ao longo da época desportiva

Diversos estudos têm sido realizados no sentido de determinar os factores que mais e melhor predizem a performance em natação pura desportiva. A área da Biomecânica tem vindo a ser apontada como determinante para alcançar elevados níveis de rendimento neste desporto. Contudo, a maioria dos estudos neste âmbito são desenhos transversais, não tendo em vista as variações no perfil dos nadadores tomando em consideração o factor temporal

Establishing the changes in elite swimmers’ energetic and biomechanical profile during a winter season

Researchers are constantly trying to identify the factors that can predict with higher accuracy the swimming performance. This massive research has given special emphasis to the energetic and biomechanical assessments as the major determinants to enhance swimming performance (e.g. Barbosa et al., 2008)

Tracking the performance, energetics and biomechanics of international versus national level swimmers during a competitive season

The purpose of this study was to track and compare the changes of performance, energetic and biomechanical profiles of international (Int) and national (Nat) level swimmers during a season. Ten Portuguese male swimmers (four Int and six Nat level subjects) were evaluated on three different time periods (TP1, TP2, TP3) of the 2009–2010 season. Swimming performance was assessed based on official time’s lists of the 200-m freestyle event. An incremental set of 7 9 200 m swims was applied to assess the energetic and biomechanical data. Measurements were made of: (1) velocity at the 4 mmol of lactate levels (V4), stroke index at V4 (SI@V4) and propelling efficiency at V4 (gp@V4), as energetic estimators; (2) stroke length at V4 (SL@V4) and stroke frequency at V4 (SF@V4), as biomechanical variables. The results demonstrated no significant variations in all variables throughout the season. The inter-group comparison pointed out higher values for Int swimmers, with statistical differences for the 200 m performance in all time periods. Near values of the statistical significance were demonstrated for the SI@V4 in TP1 and TP3. The tracking based on K values was high only for the SI@V4. It is concluded that a high stability can be observed for elite swimmers performance, energetic and biomechanical profiles throughout a single season. Int swimmers are able to maintain a higher energetic and biomechanical capacity than Nat ones at all times. The SI@V4 may be used as an indicator of performance variation

P28 85. Análisis de la supervivencia a corto y medio plazo de la cirugía de aorta ascendente

ObjetivosEvaluar la mortalidad hospitalaria y la supervivencia a medio plazo de los pacientes sometidos a una cirugía de aorta ascendente y determinar cuáles son sus factores de riesgo.Material y métodosSe analizó de forma retrospectiva toda la población de pacientes sometidos a un procedimiento quirúrgico de aorta ascendente (sustitución con o sin cirugía valvular o de raíz asociada) entre enero de 2003 y diciembre de 2008. Se evaluó la mortalidad hospitalaria y la supervivencia absoluta en el seguimiento, y mediante análisis uni y multivariante se determinaron las correspondientes variables predictoras.ResultadosTrescientos sesenta y cinco pacientes fueron sometidos de forma consecutiva a algún procedimiento quirúrgico de la aorta ascendente. Edad media: 63,1 años (desviación estándar [DE] 13); n = 99 (27,1%) fueron mujeres; n = 58 (15,9%) habían sido sometidos a una cirugía previa. En 32 pacientes se sustituyó total o parcialmente el arco aórtico. EuroSCORE mediano de 11,72% (interquartile range [IQR]: 6,78-20,43). La mortalidad hospitalaria fue 7,7% (n = 28). Los predictores de mortalidad en análisis multivariante fueron: cirugía cardíaca previa (odds ratio [OR]: 3,18; p = 0,045), tabaquismo activo (OR: 5,7; p = 0,021), insuficiencia renal (OR: 3,03; p = 0,043), estado crítico preoperatorio (OR: 5,63; p = 0,005), edad (OR: 1,06; p = 0,018) y cirugía coronaria asociada (OR: 3,17; p = 0,35). La supervivencia a 1, 3 y 5 años fue 96, 94 y 92%. Sólo edad (hazard ratio [HR]: 1,08; p = 0,022) e hipertensión pulmonar grave (HR: 3,5; p = 0,026) fueron predictores independientes de mortalidad en el seguimiento.ConclusionesEn nuestra experiencia, la sustitución de la aorta ascendente demuestra una baja mortalidad hospitalaria y una adecuada supervivencia a medio plazo

Energetics and stability of vacancies in carbon nanotubes

In this work we present ab initio calculations of the formation energies and stability of different types of multi-vacancies in carbon nanotubes. We demonstrate that, as in the case of graphene, the reconstruction of the defects has drastic effects on the energetics of the tubes. In particular, the formation of pentagons eliminates the dangling bonds thus lowering the formation energy. This competition leads to vacancies having an even number of carbon atoms removed to be more stable. Finally the appearance of magic numbers indicating more stable defects can be represented by a model for the formation energies that is based on the number of dangling bonds of the unreconstructed system, the pentagons and the relaxation of the final form of the defect formed after the relaxation

The wool proteome and fibre characteristics of three distinct genetic ovine breeds from Portugal

Wool properties and commodity value vary considerably between breeds. In Portugal, three major ovine groups exist: Churros, Bordaleiros and Merinos. This work studies the effect of the ovine genotype on the wool proteome of such groups. Wool was collected from 15 ewes/breed and genetic groups: Churra da Terra Quente (CTQ) or Churro, Serra da Estrela (SE) or Bordaleiro and Merino Branco (MB) or Merino. Proteins were extracted and subjected to label-free proteomics analysis. A total of 50 keratinous protein groups were identified in all the samples, divided into type I and II keratins and the keratin associated proteins: high-glycine-tyrosine proteins, ultra-high sulphur proteins and high-sulphur proteins. Major differences were found between MB and CTQ with respect to K75 and K38, both medullar proteins and to a lesser extent between SE and CTQ suggesting that these might be good markers for this trait in wool. Partial least squares discriminatory analysis proved MB to be readily distinguishable from the other two breeds. Further differences were noted in keratin associated protein levels between the three breeds, normally an indicator of higher levels of orthocortex and also their relationship to high curvature, high crimp fibres like Merinoinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Bradyrhizobium ingae sp. nov., isolated from effective nodules of Inga laurina grown in Cerrado soil

Root-nodule bacteria were isolated from lnga laurina (Sw.) Willd. growing in the Cerrado Amazon region, State of Roraima, Brazil. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of six strains (BR 10250(T), BR 10248, BR 10249, BR 10251, BR 10252 and BR 10253) showed low similarities with currently described species of the genus Bradyrhizobium. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences of five housekeeping genes (dnaK, gyrB, recA and rpoB) revealed Bradyrhizobium iriomotense EKO5(T) to be the closest type strain (97.4% sequence similarity or less). Chemotaxonomic data, including fatty acid profiles [with the major components C-16:0 and summed feature 8 (C-18:1 omega 6c/C-18:1 omega 7c)], the slow growth rate and carbon compound utilization patterns supported the assignment of our strains to the genus Bradyrhizobium. Results from DNA DNA hybridizations and physiological traits differentiated our strains from the closest related species of the genus Bradyrhizobium with validly published names. Sequences of symbiosis-related genes for nodulation (nodC) and nitrogen fixation (nifH) grouped together with those of B. iriomotense EKO5(T) and Bradyrhizobium sp. strains BR 6610 (used as a commercial inoculant for Inga marginata in Brazil) and TUXTLAS-10 (previously observed in Central America). Based on these data, the six strains represent a novel species, for which the name Bradyrhizobium ingae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BR 10250(T) (=HAMBI 3600(T))