Obesity and Its Influence on Mediators of Inflammation: Clinical Relevance of C-Reactive Protein in Obese Subjects

The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world has been described as a global pandemic, with marked variations across countries in the levels and trends in overweight and obesity with distinct regional patterns. Concern about the health risks associated with rising obesity has become nearly universal. In this chapter, a systematic review that was conducted in four databases (Web of Science, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL), using the MeSH terms [obesity, inflammation, disease management, C-reactive protein (CRP)] is presented. Based on the above, the aims of this work are to provide information on the relationship between obesity and circulating levels of CRP, to describe the basic chemical structure and functions, and to analyze its clinical usefulness in obese patients. The available scientific evidence justifies the need to include determining the values of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) among clinical screening tests on obese subjects to evaluate the cardiovascular risk, among other risks

Breastfeeding and Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer in Women: A Review of Scientific Evidence

Recent research shows that women who breastfed their children are at considerably less risk of developing breast cancer. Nonetheless, the results of other studies show that this greater protection only applies to pre-menopausal women. Based on the above results, there is still a certain controversy as to whether breastfeeding protects women against breast cancer. The main objective of this chapter is to provide a review of the scientific evidence regarding the relationship between breast cancer and certain aspects of pregnancy as breastfeeding period. For this purpose, it was conducted a systematic review in four databases (Web of Science, MEDLINE, Scopus and CINAHL), using the MeSH terms (Breast Feeding, Primary Prevention, Breast Neoplasms). The available scientific evidence justifies that breastfeeding for periods of over 6 months results in statistically significant reductions in the risk of developing breast cancer, the most common gynecological tumor in young women. However, it remains to be studied further whether the observed risk reduction applies to women with inherited susceptibility to develop breast cancer

Building the qualification and a skill development program within the ENEN-III European Project

The ENEN III project covers the structuring, organization, coordination and implementation of training schemes in cooperation with local, national and international training organizations, to provide training to professionals active in nuclear organizations or their contractors and sub-contractors. The training schemes provide a portfolio of courses, training sessions, seminars, and workshops for continuous learning for upgrading knowledge and developing skills. The training schemes allow individuals to acquire qualifications and skills, as required by the specific positions in the nuclear sector which will be documented in a training passport. The essence of such passport is to be recognized within the EU by the whole nuclear sector which provides mobility to the individual looking for employment and an EU wide recruitment field for the nuclear employers

Effects of Supervised Multimodal Exercise Interventions on Cancer-Related Fatigue: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most common and devastating problem in cancer patients even after successful treatment. This study aimed to determine the effects of supervised multimodal exercise interventions on cancer-related fatigue through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Design. A systematic review was conducted to determine the effectiveness of multimodal exercise interventions on CRF. Databases of PubMed, CENTRAL, EMBASE, and OVID were searched between January and March 2014 to retrieve randomized controlled trials. Risk of bias was evaluated using the PEDro scale. Results. Nine studies (n=772) were included in both systematic review and meta-analysis. Multimodal interventions including aerobic exercise, resistance training, and stretching improved CRF symptoms (SMD=-0,23; 95% CI: −0.37 to −0.09; P=0,001). These effects were also significant in patients undergoing chemotherapy (P<0,0001). Nonsignificant differences were found for resistance training interventions (P=0,30). Slight evidence of publication bias was observed (P=0,04). The studies had a low risk of bias (PEDro scale mean score of 6.4 (standard deviation (SD) ± 1.0)). Conclusion. Supervised multimodal exercise interventions including aerobic, resistance, and stretching exercises are effective in controlling CRF. These findings suggest that these exercise protocols should be included as a crucial part of the rehabilitation programs for cancer survivors and patients during anticancer treatments.This paper and own authors data described in this paper were supported by the grant from Vicerrectoría de Investigaciones, Universidad de Santo Tomás (Contract no. 617-3-2013)

Older adults and sport and physical activity professionals in Spain

Presence of monitors in physical activities and sports practiced by adults older than 64 years of age in Spain is analyzed in this research. The objective of this study is to determine the existence of monitors in relation to the sociodemographic features of older adults, the size of municipalities, the activities practiced, and the organizations where they are performed. The methodology used included a cross-sectional survey applied to a sample of older adults in Spain. The most relevant conclusions are that the presence of monitors in physical activities and sports practiced by older adults is dominant (63.8%), hence, their importance, and that the presence of monitors is higher for women (81.3%) than for men (37.5%). In addition, it is concluded that the bigger the municipality the higher the tendency to have more instructors. Regarding the type of activity, wide diversification is obtained; finally, there is a larger presence of monitors in sports entities (87.5%) and nursing homes (79.5%)

Maternidad, sociedad, cultura y religión: ¿conflicto de identidades?

La historia de la mujer ha estado ligada a su rol maternal, en todos los sectores de la sociedad. Tanto en el plano cultural, religioso como político, la identidad femenina se ha fusionado con la maternidad y el llamado “instinto materno”. En este trabajo, reflexionamos sobre el análisis de Simone de Beauvoir que hacen derivar las diferencias entre hombres y mujeres del hecho de que mientras ellas han sido relegadas tareas ligadas a la reproducción de la vida, ellos se han incluido en el campo del conocimiento la ciencia y la técnica, es en lo que ella designa como la condena a la inminencia femenina frente a la posibilidad de trascendencia masculina, condena inseparable de una representación dominante a lo largo de la historia, que identifica feminidad con maternidad (Exposito García, 2004). Analizamos los cambios producidos en sociedades avanzadas y la influencia de la ciencia, la tecnología y los medios de comunicación en un nuevo concepto de la maternidad. Es indiscutible que el análisis de este concepto, debe hacerse desde distintas perspectivas y con un un enfoque histórico-social, dinámico y transformable como cualquier elemento o concepto social

Liver Fat Content and Body Fat Distribution in Youths with Excess Adiposity

This study had two main objectives: To examine the association between body fat distribution and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fat content, and to determine whether the relationship between NAFLD and regional body fat distribution, with respect to liver fat content in youths with excess adiposity, is independent of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and a healthy diet. Liver fat content (controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)), body fat distribution (body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, fat mass/height, body fat percentage, total fat mass, android-to-gynoid fat mass ratio, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and lean mass index, determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)), CRF (20-m shuttle-run test), and healthy diet (adherence to the Mediterranean diet by KIDMED questionnaire) were measured in 126 adolescents (66% girls) aged between 11 and 17 years. Participants were assigned to two groups according to the presence or absence of hepatic steatosis (CAP values >225 dB/m or 30% by DXA), youths with NAFLD had higher fat distribution parameters than those without NAFLD, regardless of sex, age, puberty stage, lean mass index, CRF, and healthy diet (p 0.05), except for the case of VAT. Body fat distribution parameters were higher in youths with NAFLD compared to those without NAFLD. Additionally, body fat distribution showed a significant association with liver fat content as assessed by CAP in youths with NAFLD independent of CRF and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, supporting the notion that upper body fat distribution might play a pivotal role in the development of NAFLD in adolescents. These results may have implications for the clinical management of youths with excess adiposity given the high prevalence of NAFLD in children and young adults

Potential Molecular Targets of Oleanolic Acid in Insulin Resistance and Underlying Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a natural triterpene widely found in olive leaves that possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and insulin-sensitizing properties, among others. These OA characteristics could be of special interest in the treatment and prevention of insulin resistance (IR), but greater in-depth knowledge on the pathways involved in these properties is still needed. We aimed to systematically review the effects of OA on the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the development of IR and underlying oxidative stress in insulin-resistant animal models or cell lines. The bibliographic search was carried out on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and CINHAL databases between January 2001 and May 2022. The electronic search produced 5034 articles but, after applying the inclusion criteria, 13 animal studies and 3 cell experiments were identified, using SYRCLE’s Risk of Bias for assessing the risk of bias of the animal studies. OA was found to enhance insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, and was found to suppress the hepatic glucose production, probably by modulating the IRS/PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway and by mitigating oxidative stress through regulating MAPK pathways. Future randomized controlled clinical trials to assess the potential benefit of OA as new therapeutic and preventive strategies for IR are warranted.Andalusia 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operative Program B-AGR-287-UGR1

Laser machining of nickel oxide–yttria stabilized zirconia composite for surface modification in solid oxide fuel cells

Laser machining of the nickel oxide–yttria-stabilized zirconia (NiO–YSZ) composite in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) may be an effective approach to enlarge the electrode–electrolyte interface and improve the cell performance. However, laser energy can cause thermal damage to the composite surface during the machined operation. In this work, the microstructure changes and the collateral damage caused by pulsed laser machining on the sintered NiO–YSZ of the state-of-the-art SOFCs were evaluated using complementary analysis techniques. Laser patterns consisting of parallel tracks on sintered NiO–YSZ were processed, varying the laser parameters such as frequency and laser beam energy density. The analyses evidenced a heat-affected zone (HAZ) limited to around 2 µm with microcracking, porosity reduction, and recrystallization. The changes in chemical composition, phase transformation of YSZ and mechanical properties at the machined surface were quite limited.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version