Effect of different exercise modalities plus a hypocaloric diet on inflammation markers in overweight patients

Summary Background & aims Inflammation markers (IM) have been associated with the development of chronic diseases. This study compares the effects on IM of three exercise programs combined with a hypocaloric diet. Methods 119 overweight participants (73 women, 46 men) aged 18–50 years were randomised into four treatment groups: strength training (S; n = 30), endurance training (E; n = 30), combined S + E (SE; n = 30), and a diet and physical activity recommendations group (D; n = 29). Energy intake, anthropometric variables (AV), training variables (VO2peak, strength index, dynamometric strength index [DSI]) and plasma IM were recorded at baseline and after 22 weeks of treatment. Results 84 participants completed the study. At 22 weeks, all groups showed a significantly reduced energy intake (P < 0.001) and improved AV (P < 0.001). VO2peak significantly increased in all groups (P < 0.01). DSI increased in the exercise groups only (P < 0.05). Plasma leptin fell significantly (P < 0.001) in the S and E groups, but not significantly in the SE group (P = 0.029) (no significant differences between these groups). Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations decreased in all groups when examined together, but not when examined separately. No significant differences were seen in interleukin-6 (IL-6). Conclusions Combining strength or endurance training with a hypocaloric diet improved AV and reduced plasma leptin concentrations. No differences were seen between groups in terms of TNF-α, IL-6 or CRP reduction. This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT01116856. http://clinicaltrials.gov/

Evolution of invertase activity in honey from Castanea sativa and Rosmarinus officinalis collected in Granada

Se estudia el contenido de α-glucoxidase en dos variedades de miel cubiertos por la Denominación Protegida Miel de Granada Consejo Regulador de Origen. La evolución de la actividad de la invertasa fue seguido durante 10 meses, en 12 muestras de miel monofloral de castaño recogidos en la zona de la Alpujarra de Granada y 9 muestras de miel monofloral de romero recogidos en La Resinera, Valle de Lecrín y en la Sierra de Baza durante 10 meses. La invertasa se midió en los meses de junio de 2005, septiembre de 2005, enero de 2006 y, finalmente, en el mes de abril de 2006. Se obtuvo una actividad invertasa en la miel castaña fresca de 194,6 ± 3,6 U / kg, con un rango entre 188,7 U / kg y 199,5 U / kg. Después de 10 meses a temperatura ambiente, la miel de castaño pierde entre 28,3% y 39,8% de los valores iniciales de α-glucosidasa, con un promedio de 33,4% ± 3,3%. En la miel de romero se obtuvieron valores medios de invertasa de 69,4 ± 14,9 U / kg, con un rango entre 56,9 U / kg y 91,9 U / kg. Después de 10 meses a temperatura ambiente, la miel de romero pierde entre 19,3% y 32,3% de los valores iniciales α-glucosidasa, con un promedio de 28,1% ± 4,4%.The content of α-glucoxidase in two varieties of honey covered by the Granada Honey Protected Denomination of Origin Regulatory Board is studied. The evolution of invertase activity was followed for 10 months, in 12 monofloral chestnut honey samples collected in the Alpujarra area of Granada and 9 monofloral rosemary honey samples collected in la Resinera, Valle de Lecrin and in the Sierra de Baza for 10 months. The invertase was measured in the months of June 2005, September 2005, January 2006 and finally in the month of April 2006. We obtained an invertase activity in fresh chestnut honey of 194.6±3.6 U/kg, with a range between 188.7 U/kg and 199.5 U/kg. After 10 months at ambient temperature, the chestnut honey lost between 28.3% and 39.8% of the initial values of α-glucosidase, with an average of 33.4%±3.3%. In the rosemary honey we obtained average invertase values of 69.4±14.9 U/kg, with a range between 56.9 U/kg and 91.9 U/kg. After 10 months at ambient temperature, the rosemary honey lost between 19.3% and 32.3% of the initial α-glucosidase values, with an average of 28.1%±4.4%

Crystallization of para-Hydrogen: a quantum phase transition at finite temperature?

4 págs.; 3 figs.; Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 3.0; 7th Meeting of the Spanish Neutron Scattering Association (SETN)Recent neutron scattering measurements have revealed that para-Hydrogen prepared in its fundamental state solidifies in a crystal that do not show temperature response (temperature independent molecular displacement and first rotational level linewidth as well as negligible thermal expansion). Here, it is argued that such unique behaviour in the crystal phase can be understood if the crystallization is driven by pure quantum fluctuations.Work supported in part by grants MAT2007-65711-C04-01 and MAT2012-33633 from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad.Peer Reviewe

Procedimiento para el diseño y aplicación del perfil estratégico de la capacitación y desarrollo basado en competencias laborales

Se desarrolló de un procedimiento para diseñar y aplicar el perfil estratégico de la capacitación y desarrollo basado en competencias laborales, en el puesto especialista para renta de autos de la sucursal Transtur de Santiago de Cuba. Los métodos y técnicas empleados fueron: histórico-lógico, inductivo-deductivo, análisis y síntesis, el método Delphy, enfoque holístico, diagrama de Ishikawa, encuestas y entrevistas, entre otros. El procedimiento permite diseñar el perfil desde dos momentos fundamentales: el nivel de competencias y el propio proceso de capacitación y desarrollo, ambos asociados al puesto de trabajo. Una vez identificado y evaluado el nivel de competencias, se puede establecer el estado actual y deseado de los elementos que integran el proceso de capacitación y desarrollo; posteriormente detectar las posibles brechas y sobre esta base proponer un programa de acciones que posibiliten erradicar o atenuar los problemas

Increased tropospheric ozone levels enhance pathogen infection levels of amphibians

As a result of anthropogenic activities, changes to the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere pose a threat to ecosystem health and biodiversity. One such change is the increase in tropospheric ozone (O3), which is particularly severe in the Mediterranean basin area, where the levels of this pollutant are chronically high during spring and summer time. Within this region, Mediterranean mountain ecosystems are hot spots for biodiversity which may be especially vulnerable to changes in O3 levels. Declines in montane amphibian populations have been recorded worldwide, including the Mediterranean basin. A significant driver of these declines is the emerging infection disease, chytridiomycosis, caused by the aquatic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Chytridiomycosis has negatively affected populations of several amphibian species in the Spanish Central Range, including in the Sierra Guadarrama, and interactions with other biotic and abiotic factors are an important part of these declines. However, there is little evidence or knowledge of whether tropospheric O3 levels may be another factor in the outbreaks of this disease. To test the hypothesis that O3 levels are another interactive driver of Bd infection dynamics, two different approaches were followed: 1) an experimental study in open top chambers was used to quantify the aspects of how Bd infection progressed throughout the metamorphic process under four different O3 levels; and 2) a field epidemiological study was used to analyse the relationship between the Bd infection load in the Sierra de Guadarrama and tropospheric O3 levels during a 9 year period. Our results suggest that high O3 levels significantly delayed the rate of development of tadpoles and increased Bd infection, providing empirical evidence of two new separate ways that may explain population declines of montane amphibians

Rotational dynamics in the plastic-crystal phase of ethanol: Relevance for understanding the dynamics during the structural glass transition

The reorientational dynamics within the rotationally disordered cubic plastic phase of solid ethanol is investigated by means of the concurrent use of computer molecular dynamics and quasielastic neutron scattering. Motions involving widely different time scales are shown to take place above the calorimetric "glass transition" which is centered at Tg≈97 K. These correspond to well-defined reorientations belonging to the cubic point group. The dynamics of this solid exhibits features remarkably close to those of the supercooled liquid that can exist at the same temperature. Such similitude of dynamic behavior serves to provide some clues for the understanding of the nature of molecular motions at temperatures close to the canonical liquid→glass transitio

Anharmonic dynamics in crystalline, glassy, and supercooled-liquid glycerol: A case study on the onset of relaxational behavior

10 págs.; 8 figs.The temperature dependence of the spectral distributions of the glass, crystalline, and supercooled-liquid phases of glycerol is investigated by means of neutron inelastic scattering. The importance of anharmonic effects is quantified by the temperature dependence of reduced spectral frequency moments. The onset of relaxational (i.e., stochastic, zero-frequency) motions in the supercooled liquid state is monitored by neutron quasielastic scattering. A substantial deviation of the observed linewidths from the hydrodynaimc prescription is observed and is interpreted at a microscopic level, by comparison with the crystalline phase. ©1998 American Physical SocietyWork supported in part by DGICYT ~Spain! Grant No. PB95-0075-c03-01. Dr. O. Randl of the Institute Laue Langevin is acknowledged for the help given during the measurements at the IN10 spectrometer. The work at ANL was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, BESMaterials Sciences, under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38.Peer Reviewe