Effect of physical exercise on lipid metabolism in the elderly

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of regular physical exercise on plasma lipids and apoproteins in an elderly group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-three old people of both sexes, aged between 65 and 94, were randomly distributed between a test group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 32). The test group followed a program of physical exercise for eight months, with intensity of 60% to 80% of heart rate reserve, consisting of three weekly sessions, on alternate days, of 60 minutes each. Before the beginning of the program and eight months afterwards, blood samples were collected to assess total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, HDL2-C. HDL3-C, apo A1, apo B-100 and apo (a). The ratios total cholesterol/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, HDL2-C/HDL3-C and apo A1/apo B-100 were also calculated. RESULTS: In the test group total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, apo B-100, total cholesterol/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C decreased significantly; HDL-C, HDL2-C, apo A1, HDL2-C/HDL3-C and apo A1/apo B-100 increased significantly; HDL3-C and apo (a) did not change. The control group did not present any significant alterations in any of the parameters assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical exercise decreases vascular risk and may help to reduce cardiovascular events in the elderly

Complementary feeding methods: Associations with feeding and emotional responsiveness

Learning to eat complementary foods is a crucial milestone for infants, having implications across development. The most used method for introducing complementary foods is Traditional Spoon-Feeding (TSF). However, the alternative method Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is increasingly becoming used as it has been associated with positive outcomes. Research analyzing associations between complementary feeding methods and responsive parenting is practically non-existent. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze differences in emotional and feeding responsiveness between caregivers who previously implemented traditional vs. non-traditional feeding approaches. Caregivers (mostly mothers) of 179 children between 3 and 5 years were asked about the complementary feeding method that they had followed previously (70.4% reported using the TSF, 16.8% said they used the BLW and 12.8% used both methods simultaneously). In addition, they reported on their feeding practices using the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire and on their responses to children’s distress using the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale. The results showed that parents who reported using a non-traditional (BLW or both) complementary feeding method reported less pressure to eat and minimization of reactions to children’s negative emotions, compared to parents who used a traditional method (although these reported using more problem-focused reactions). The findings suggest that complementary feeding methods and responsive parenting may be linked, leaving the question of which one sets the stage for the other.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of Aspergillus species-complexes detected in different environmental settings

Purpose: Samples from different environmental sources were screened for the presence of Aspergillus, and the distribution of the different species-complexes was determined in order to understand differences among that distribution in the several environmental sources and which of these species complexes are present in specific environmental settings. Methods: Four distinct environments (beaches, poultries, swineries and hospital) were studied and analyzed for which Aspergillus complexes were present in each setting. After plate incubation and colony isolation, morphological identification was done using macro- and microscopic characteristics. The universal fungal primers ITS1 and ITS4 were used to amplify DNA from all Aspergillus isolates, which was sequenced for identification to species complex level. SPSS v15.0 for Windows was used to perform the statistical analysis. Results: Thirty-nine isolates of Aspergillus were recovered from both the sand beach and poultries, 31 isolates from swineries, and 80 isolates from hospital environments, for a total 189 isolates. Eleven species complexes were found total. Isolates belonging to the Aspergillus Versicolores species-complex were the most frequently found (23.8%), followed by Flavi (18.0%), Fumigati (15.3%) and Nigri (13.2%) complexes. A significant association was found between the different environmental sources and the distribution of the several species-complexes (p<0.001); the hospital environment had a greater variability of species-complexes than other environmental locations (10 in hospital environment, against nine in swine, eight in poultries and seven in sand beach). Isolates belonging to Nidulantes complex were detected only in the hospital environment, whereas the other complexes were identified in more than one setting. Conclusion: Because different Aspergillus complexes have different susceptibilities to antifungal drugs, and different abilities in producing mycotoxins, knowledge of the species-complex epidemiology for each setting may allow preventive or corrective measures to be taken toward decreasing professional workers or patient exposure to those agents

Um novo olhar sobre as crianças de Serpa. Nova Abordagem metodológica aplicada em 25 crianças de Serpa Medieval

Dissertação de Mestrado em Evolução e Biologia Humanas, apresentada ao Departamento de Ciências da Vida da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra.A estimativa do sexo, em conjunto com a idade são essenciais para o estudo populações ancestrais, quer sejam de natureza biológica, demográfica ou paleopatológica. Contudo, grande parte das investigações de integram não adultos de contextos arqueológicos, não contempla a determinação sexual. A sua falta é fundamentada pela ausência do desenvolvimento dos caracteres sexuais secundários mas também pela fraca representatividade óssea, pela fraca preservação dos esqueletos juvenis ou pela pouca consistência metodológica. Esta lacuna no diagnóstico, para além de limitar o potencial informativo da amostra, poderá deturpar os resultados obtidos em outros parâmetros biológicos, como a idade à morte. O trabalho que se apresenta de seguida tem como objectivos perceber até que ponto o conhecimento do sexo influencia os resultados de outros parâmetros biológicos e perceber como a sua ausência pode restringir a reconstituição de aspectos da vida de populações passadas. Como em qualquer análise bioarqueológica, pretende-se igualmente que este trabalho contribua para traçar o perfil biológico de um conjunto de crianças de habitaram Serpa Medieval. Para dar cumprimento aos objectivos, focámos a nossa análise em 25 crianças recolhidas em contexto arqueológico, na sequência de uma intervenção de emergência. Esta amostra corresponde a uma população que terá vivido na região da actual Serpa durante os séculos XIII e XVI. Através da uma metodologia métrica aplicada à dentição foi possível determinar o sexo em 23 esqueletos que se distribuem quase equitativamente (10 rapazes e 13 raparigas). Conseguimos igualmente perceber que a ausência do conhecimento do sexo pode realmente perturbar os resultados de outros parâmetros, nomeadamente na estimativa da idade esquelética, e por conseguinte, a reconstrução de padrões de crescimento. A nível do perfil biológico não foram registadas grandes diferenças entre rapazes e raparigas, no entanto em alguns parâmetros analisados, como o desgaste dentário e marcadores de stresse fisiológico, notaram-se algumas distinções que, no seu conjunto, sugerem algum tipo diferenciação entre sexos.The sexual and age estimation, are essential in the reconstruction of profiles of ancient lives, whether they are biological, demographic or paleopathological. However, a large portion of juveniles studies, from archaeological samples, don’t analyze this specific biological parameter, usually arguing the absence of the absence of secondary sexual characteristics, the poor representation of non-adults, the weak skeletal preservation or weak methodological consistency. This gap on diagnosis restricts, not only the informative potential of the samples, but also can pervert the results obtained in other biological parameters, like the estimation of age at dead. The present work aims to understand how the knowledge of sex influences other biological indicators and understand how its absence restrains the reconstitution of lives of ancient populations. Like in any bioarchaeological analysis, we also want to contribute to reconstitute the biological and cultural features of the children that lived in Medieval Serpa. To accomplish these tasks we focus on 25 children collected in an archaeological context, during an emergency intervention. This sample belongs to a population that lived in the region of actual Serpa during the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. Through a metrical methodology, applied to the dentition, we were able to determine the sex in 23 skeletons (10 boys and 13 girls). We were also able to understand that the absence of sexual knowledge can really disturb the results of others indicators, namely the skeletal age and consequently, the reconstruction of growing patterns. Within the biological profile weren’t recorded substantial differences between boys and girls, however in few parameters we notice some differences, which together, suggest a kind of differentiation among sexes

Accessing occupational exposure to fungi in a cork industry

In this study we aimed to access fungal exposure in workers from one cork industry through the mycological analysis of their nasal exudate and the environmental fungal contamination of their surroundings as well. Nasal mucous samples from 127 workers were taken with sterilized cotton swabs.The fungal species identified in the collected nose swabs were shown to be correlated with the results obtained in the environment. Eighty workers (63.0%) presented contamination of their nose nostril with Chrysonilia sitophila, which number of colonies was countless. Within the Aspergillus genus, the complexes Fumigati, Circumdati, Versicolores and Candidi were isolated. No azole-resistant Aspergillus isolates grew in the selective media used (screened itraconazole and voriconazole resistance).This approach allowed us to estimate the risk associated with these tasks performance. Moreover, the cork industry is related to high dust contamination and this can promote exposure to fungi since dust particles can act as carriers of fungi to the worker’s nose. Assessment by molecular tools will ensure the specific targeting of DNA from P. glabrum complex in workers nose

Associations between emotion regulation, feeding practices, and preschoolers’ food consumption

: Previous research identified emotion dysregulation, non-responsive feeding practices, and unhealthy food consumption as risk factors for childhood obesity. However, little is known about the relationships between these factors. This study examined associations between children’s emotion regulation, parental feeding practices, and children’s food consumption. The sample consisted of 163 mothers of children aged 3–5 years. Mothers completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist, the Child Feeding Questionnaire, and the Child Health Section from the Parent Interview of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-B to assess model variables. Results showed that healthy food consumption was associated with higher emotion regulation abilities, higher monitoring, and lower pressure to eat. For unhealthy food consumption, the associations were in opposite directions. Higher emotion regulation abilities were also associated with higher monitoring, lower pressure to eat, and lower restriction. For lability, the associations were in opposite directions. Regression analyses revealed that children’s lability, pressure to eat, and monitoring were significant predictors of children’s food consumption. These findings suggest that children’s emotion regulation and feeding practices are important determinants of children’s food consumption. Future longitudinal studies that examine bidirectional associations between children’s emotion regulation, parental feeding practices, children’s food consumption, and potential mechanisms accounting for these associations are needed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Concordância entre o ?California Mastitis Test? e a contagem de células somáticas no diagnóstico da mastite subclínica em ovino.

A mastite é a inflamação da glândula mamária e pode ser provocada por diferentes microrganismos. Quando um agente patogênico invade a glândula mamária, o organismo do animal reage com o recrutamento de células de defesa para o local da infecção, principalmente leucócitos. Portanto, microrganismos patogênicos elevam a contagem de células somáticas (CCS). Um dos métodos de detecção prévia da mastite e amplamente utilizado a campo é o ?California Mastitis Test? (CMT), teste de fácil interpretação que indica indiretamente a quantidade de células somáticas presentes no leite e a resposta inflamatória da glândula mamaria à infecção. Outra maneira de indicar a resposta da glândula à infecção é a contagem eletrônica das células, por meio de equipamentos de citometria de fluxo. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a concordância entre o CMT e a CCS realizados em amostras de leite ovino