Maternal low-dose caffeine intake during the perinatal period promotes short- and long-term sex-dependent hormonal and behavior changes in the offspring.

AIM: Maternal caffeine crosses the placenta and mammary barriers, reaching the baby and, because his/her caffeine metabolism is immature, our hypothesis is that even a low caffeine intake (250 mg/day), lower than the dose limit recommended by the World Health Organization, can promote caffeine overexposure in the offspring, leading to short- and long-term changes. MAIN METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats received intragastric caffeine (CAF) (25 mg/Kg/day) or vehicle during the gestation and lactation periods. We evaluated morphometrical, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioral parameters of male and female offspring at different ages. KEY FINDINGS: Even a low caffeine intake promoted lower maternal body mass and adiposity, higher plasma cholesterol and lower plasma T3, without changes in plasma corticosterone. Female CAF offspring exhibited lower birth weight, body mass gain and food intake throughout life, and hyperinsulinemia at weaning, while male CAF offspring showed reduced food intake and lower plasma T3 at weaning. At puberty and adulthood, male CAF showed higher preference for palatable food, aversion to caffeine intake and higher locomotor activity, while female CAF only showed lower preference for high fat diet (HFD) and lower anxiety-like behavior. At adulthood, both male and female offspring showed higher plasma T3. Male CAF showed hypertestosteronemia, while female CAF showed hypoinsulinemia without effect on glucose tolerance. SIGNIFICANCE: A low caffeine intake during the perinatal period affects rat's offspring development, promoting sex-dependent hormonal and behavior changes. Current data suggest the need to review caffeine recommendations during the perinatal period.

Etomidate as an anesthetic in Colossoma macropomum: Behavioral and electrophysiological data complement each other as a tool to assess anesthetic safety.

The use of anesthetic agents in the management of fish in fish farming or ornamental fish breeding aims to minimize stress and promote animal welfare. Therefore, this study aims to investigate behavioral, electrocardiographic, and ventilatory characteristics of tambaquis exposed to anesthetic baths with etomidate. The study was conducted with juvenile tambaquis (27.38 ± 3.5g) n = 99, at etomidate concentrations of 2-4 mg.L -1, analyzing induction and anesthetic recovery behavior (experiment I), electrocardiogram (experiment II), and opercular movement (experiment III). Fish exposed to high concentrations of etomidate reached the stage of general anesthesia faster, however, the recovery time was longer, characterizing a dose-dependent relationship. Cardiorespiratory analyzes demonstrated a reduction in heart rate (69.19%) and respiratory rate (40.70%) depending on the concentration of etomidate used during anesthetic induction. During the recovery period, there was cardiorespiratory reversibility to normality. Therefore, etomidate proved to be safe as an anesthetic agent for this species at concentrations of 2 to 3 mg.L -1 for short-term anesthesia, but at higher doses the animals showed slow reversibility of anesthesia in a gradual manner and without excitability. The hemodynamic effect due to the rapid decrease in heart rate includes a negative factor of using higher concentrations of etomidate for Colossome macropomum anesthesia.

Heritability estimates and genome-wide association study of methane emission traits in Nellore cattle.

The objectives of the present study were to estimate the heritability for daily methane emission (CH4) and residual daily methane emission (CH4res) in Nellore cattle, as well as to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the genetic variation of CH4 and CH4res. Methane emission phenotypes of 743 Nellore animals belonging to 3 breeding programs were evaluated. CH4 was measured using the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique (which involves an SF6 permeation tube introduced into the rumen, and an appropriate apparatus on each animal), and CH4res was obtained as the difference between observed CH4 and CH4 adjusted for dry matter intake. A total of 6,252 genotyped individuals were used for genomic analyses. Data were analyzed with a univariate animal model by the single-step GBLUP method using the average information restricted maximum likelihood (AIREML) algorithm. The effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained using a single-step GWAS approach. Candidate genes were identified based on genomic windows associated with quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to the 2 traits. Annotation of QTLs and identification of candidate genes were based on the initial and final coordinates of each genomic window considering the bovine genome ARS-UCD1.2 assembly. Heritability estimates were of moderate to high magnitude, being 0.42 ±â€…0.09 for CH4 and 0.21 ±â€…0.09 for CH4res, indicating that these traits will respond rapidly to genetic selection. GWAS revealed 11 and 15 SNPs that were significantly associated (P < 10-6) with genetic variation of CH4 and CH4res, respectively. QTLs associated with feed efficiency, residual feed intake, body weight, and height overlapped with significant markers for the traits evaluated. Ten candidate genes were present in the regions of significant SNPs; 3 were associated with CH4 and 7 with CH4res. The identified genes are related to different functions such as modulation of the rumen microbiota, fatty acid production, and lipid metabolism. CH4 and CH4res presented sufficient genetic variation and may respond rapidly to selection. Therefore, these traits can be included in animal breeding programs aimed at reducing enteric methane emissions across generations.

Genetic selection designed to reduce the amount of enteric methane emission from livestock is a mitigation strategy to ensure more sustainable production over generations since genetic gains are cumulative. Brazil is a large producer of beef, and the Nellore breed (Bos taurus indicus) plays a very important role in this production. There are a few studies evaluating genetic and genomic aspects of enteric methane emission in Nellore cattle. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the heritability of daily methane emission (CH4) and residual daily methane emission (CH4res) in Nellore cattle, as well as to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with genetic variation of these traits. The heritability estimates for CH4 and CH4res were of moderate to high magnitude (0.42 ±â€…0.09 and 0.21 ±â€…0.09, respectively). Genome-wide association analyses revealed new loci associated with methane emission in Nellore cattle on chromosomes 5, 11, 17, and 20, where 10 candidate genes were identified, 3 for CH4 and 7 for CH4res. The 2 traits possess sufficient genetic variability to be included as selection criteria in breeding programs.

Maternal exposure to tributyltin alters the breast milk, hormonal profile, and thyroid morphology of dams and induces sex-specific changes in neonate rat offspring.

Tributyltin (TBT) is the chemical substance commonly used worldwide to prevent biofouling of vessels. Due to its ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify, even after being banned, significant concentrations of TBT can be detected in sediment, affecting marine and human life. Although studies have shown that direct exposure to TBT alters physiological parameters in mammals, the relationship between exposure to TBT during pregnancy and lactation, considered critical windows for metabolic programming, has not been fully elucidated. Our hypothesis is that offspring whose mothers were exposed to TBT during critical stages of development may exhibit dysfunctions in endocrine-metabolic parameters. We used pregnant Wistar rats that were divided into groups and received the following treatments from gestational day 7 until the end of lactation by intragastric gavage: vehicle (ethanol 0.01%; Control), low TBT dose (100 ng/kg of body weight (bw)/day; TBT100ng) and high TBT dose (1000 ng/kg bw/day; TBT1000ng). Dams and offspring at birth and weaning (21 days old) were studied. Maternal exposure to TBT promoted dose-dependent changes in dams. The findings for adiposity, milk composition and lipid profile were more pronounced in TBT100 ng dam; however, thyroid morphology was altered in TBT1000 ng dam. Female offspring were differentially affected by the dose of exposure. At birth, females in the TBT100ng group had low body weight, lower naso-anal length (NAL), and higher plasma T4, and at weaning, females in the TBT100ng group had lower insulin and leptin levels. Females in the TBT1000ng group had lower NAL at birth and lower leptinemia and weight of white adipose tissue at weaning. Male offspring from TBT groups showed high T3 at birth, without biometric alterations at birth or weaning. Despite these findings, both sexes exhibited dose-dependent morphological changes in the thyroid gland. Thus, maternal exposure to TBT constitutes an important route of contamination for both dams and offspring.

Synthesis and evaluation of hybrid sulfonamide-chalcones with potential antileishmanial activity.

Leishmaniasis is an emerging tropical infectious disease caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. In this work, the molecular hybridization between a trimethoxy chalcone and a sulfonamide group was used to generate a series of sulfonamide-chalcones. A series of eight sulfonamide-chalcone hybrids were made with good yields (up to 95%). These sulfonamide-chalcones were tested against promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and cytotoxicity against mouse macrophages, which showed good antileishmanial activity with IC50 = 1.72-3.19 µM. Three of them (10c, 10g, and 10h) were also highly active against intracellular amastigotes and had a good selectivity index (SI > 9). Thus, those three compounds were docked in the cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase (cTXNPx) enzyme of the parasite, and molecular dynamics simulations were carried out. This enzyme was selected as a target protein for the sulfonamide-chalcones due to the fact of the anterior report, which identified a strong and stable interaction between the chalcone NAT22 (6) and the cTXNPx. In addition, a prediction of the drug-likeness, and the pharmacokinetic profile of all compounds were made, demonstrating a good profile of those chalcones.

Effect of water exercise on the respiratory function and functional capacity of patients with COPD: a randomized controlled trial / Efeito do exercício aquático na função respiratória e capacidade funcional de pacientes com DPOC: um ensaio clínico randomizado

Abstract Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) not only restricts airflow but also induces sys-temic manifestations in individuals with the disease. Objective To evaluate the effect of a water-based aero-bic exercise program on respiratory muscle strength, thoracic mobility, dyspnea, and functional capacity in patients with COPD. Methods We conducted a blind randomized controlled trial with 22 patients with COPD, dividing them into a control group (CG) and a training group (TG). The TG participated in 24 sessions of a water aerobic exercise program, while the CG only partici-pated in the evaluations. Maximal respiratory pressure (MRP), dyspnea, and functional capacity were measured. Results When comparing the MRP values (cmH2O) in the pre- and post-training conditions, the results revealed a significant improvement in the TG [maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP): 74.8 ± 15.3 vs. 83.9 ± 17.2; maximal expi-ratory pressure (MEP): 141.5 ± 30.7 vs. 157.6 ± 32.9], whereas no difference was observed for the CG (MIP: 55.5 ± 21.8 vs. 54.4 ± 18.4; MEP: 116.2 ± 40.3 vs. 109.3 ± 38.9). Regarding thoracic mobility in the pre- and post-training conditions, no significant difference was found for the CG, whilst for the TG there was a significant in-crease at the axillary level (cm) (5.9 ± 1.8 vs. 7.7 ± 1.1). With respect to functional capacity, there was a signifi-cant increase in walking distance during the six-minute walking test only in the TG when comparing pre- and post-training conditions (462.1 ± 62.9 vs. 538.5 ± 63.7). Lastly, the dyspnea results demonstrated that after the training period there was a major reduction in the scores of Medical Research Council (3.1 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 0.7) and Borg CR-10 scales (5.2 ± 0.8 vs. 3.7 ± 0.3) only for the TG. Conclusion The water aerobic exercise training promoted beneficial changes in respiratory mus-cle strength, thoracic mobility, functional capacity and dyspnea among patients with COPD.

Resumo Introdução A doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) não apenas restringe o fluxo aéreo, mas também induz mani-festações sistêmicas em indivíduos com a doença. Objetivo Avaliar o efeito de um programa de exercícios aeróbicos aquáticos na força muscular respiratória (FMR), mobilidade torácica, dispneia e capacidade funcional em pacientes com DPOC. Métodos Realizou-se um ensaio clínico randomizado cego com 22 pacientes com DPOC, divi-dindo-os em grupo controle (GC) e grupo treinamento (GT). O GT participou de 24 sessões de um programa de exercícios aeróbicos aquáticos, enquanto o GC participou somente das avaliações. Foram me-didas a pressão respiratória máxima, (PRM) dispneia e capa-cidade funcional. Resultados Ao comparar os valores da PRM (cmH2O) nas condições pré e pós-treinamento, os resultados revelaram melhora significativa no GT [pressão inspiratória má-xima (PImáx): 74,8 ± 15,3 vs. 83,9 ± 17,2; pressão expiratória máxima (PEmáx): 141,5 ± 30,7 vs. 157,6 ± 32,9], enquanto não observou-se diferença para o GC (PImáx: 55,5 ± 21,8; vs. 54,4 ± 18,4; PEmáx: 116,2 ± 40,3 vs. 109,3 ± 38,9). Em relação à mobilidade torácica nas condições pré e pós-treinamento, não foi encontrada diferença significativa para o GC, enquanto para o GT houve um aumento significante no nível axilar (cm) (5,9 ± 1,8 vs. 7,7 ± 1,1). Com relação à capacidade funcional, houve aumento significativo da distância percorrida durante o teste de caminhada de 6 minutos apenas no GT quando comparadas as condições pré e pós-treinamento (462,1 ± 62,9 vs. 538,5 ± 63,7). Por fim, os resultados da dispneia demonstraram que após o período de treinamento houve uma redução importante nas pontuações do Medical Research Council (3,1 ± 0,8 vs. 1,9 ± 0,7) e nas escalas Borg CR-10 (5,2 ± 0,8 vs. 3,7 ± 0,3) apenas para o GT. Conclusão O trei-namento físico aquático promoveu alterações benéficas na força muscular respiratória, mobilidade torácica, capacidade funcional e dispneia em pacientes com DPOC.

Street Harassment: A Conceptual Analysis Through Social Psychology / Assédio de Rua: Uma Análise Conceitual a partir da Psicologia Social

Abstract This work aimed to carry out a literature review on Street Harassment, to defend the use of this term and propose its definition, while considering its limits, possibilities, and understanding through Social Psychology. A narrative review of the literature was performed, with non-systematic searches of national and international scientific productions that addressed street harassment. It was noted that there was no consensus in the literature regarding a universal term to name it. We emphasize that it is crucial to define a term and propose an inclusive definition for a phenomenon that is violent towards women, to properly frame the concept, and to promote scientific analyses and public policies that can confront this violence.

Resumo Este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão de literatura sobre o Assédio de Rua, defender o uso deste termo e propor sua definição, sem deixar de considerar seus limites, possibilidades e compreensão por meio da Psicologia Social. Foi realizada uma revisão narrativa da literatura, com buscas não sistemáticas em produções científicas nacionais e internacionais que abordavam o assédio de rua. Observou-se que não houve consenso na literatura quanto a um termo universal para nomeá-lo. Ressaltamos que é fundamental definir um termo e propor uma definição inclusiva para um fenômeno que é violento contra as mulheres, para enquadrar adequadamente o conceito e promover análises científicas e políticas públicas que possam enfrentar essa violência.

Só uma cantada?: análise da percepção do assédio de rua a partir do sexismo ambivalente / Only a catcalling?: analysis of the perception of street harassment from the ambivalent sexism / ¿Es solo un canto?: análisis de la percepción del acoso en la callejero desde el sexismo ambivalente

Este estudo objetivou analisar a percepção do assédio de rua no contexto brasileiro. Participaram 323 pessoas da população geral, com idades variando entre 18 e 65 anos (M=27,5; DP=8,10), as quais responderam a um questionário online com situações fictícias de assédio de rua, medidas de percepção do assédio, uma questão aberta e perguntas sociodemográficas. Os resultados quantitativos mostraram que os participantes percebem o assédio como um comportamento sexista; contudo, mulheres percebem mais do que homens. Essa percepção varia de acordo com o contexto em que o assédio ocorre, ou seja, o assédio que acontece na rua é visto como mais sexista do que quando ocorre em uma festa. Ademais, os resultados mostram que o sexismo hostil influencia significativamente de forma negativa a percepção do assédio de rua. Além disso, os resultados qualitativos convergem com o que foi encontrado nos dados quantitativos, de modo que as pessoas percebem e justificam a situação ocorrida como assédio

This study aimed to analyze the perception of street harassment in the Brazilian context. A total of 323 people from the general population, aged between 18 and 65 years old (M=27.5; SD=8.10), who answered an online questionnaire with fictitious situations of street harassment, measures of harassment perception, a study participated, open question and sociodemographic questions. Quantitative results showed that participants perceive harassment as sexist behavior; howe-ver, women perceive more than men do. This perception varies according to the context in which the harassment occurs, that is, harassment that takes place in the street is seen as more sexist than when it occurs at a party. Furthermore, the results show that hostile sexism significantly negatively influences the perception of street harassment. Furthermore, the qualitative results converge with what was found in the quantitative data, so that people perceive and justify the situation that occurred as harassment

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la percepción del acoso callejero en el contexto brasileño. Participaron en este estudio un total de 323 personas de la población general, con edades comprendidas entre 18 y 65 años (M = 27,5; DT = 8,10), que respondieron un cuestionario online con situaciones ficticias de acoso callejero, medidas de percepción del acoso, participaron en este estudio. Pregunta abierta y cuestiones sociodemográficas. Los resultados cuantitativos mostraron que los participantes perciben el acoso como un comportamiento sexista; sin embargo, las mujeres perciben más que los hombres. Esta percepción varía según el contexto en el que se produce el acoso, es decir, el acoso que se da en la calle se percibe más sexista que cuando se da en una fiesta. Además, los resultados muestran que el sexismo hostil influye significa- tivamente de forma negativa en la percepción del acoso callejero. Además, los resultados cualitativos convergen con lo encontrado en los datos cuantitativos, de manera que las personas perciben y justifican la situación ocurrida como acoso

Neonatal nicotine exposure affects adult rat hepatic pathways involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress and macroautophagy in a sex-dependent manner.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) involves changes in hepatic pathways, as lipogenesis, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and macroautophagy. Maternal nicotine exposure exclusively during lactation leads to fatty liver (steatosis) only in the adult male offspring, not in females. Therefore, our hypothesis is that neonatal exposure to nicotine sex-dependently affects the signaling pathways involved in hepatic homeostasis of the offspring, explaining the hepatic lipid accumulation phenotype only in males. For this, between postnatal days 2 and 16, Wistar rat dams were implanted with osmotic minipumps, which released nicotine (NIC; 6 mg/Kg/day) or vehicle. The livers of offspring were evaluated at postnatal day 180. Only the male offspring that had been exposed to nicotine neonatally showed increased protein expression of markers of unfolded protein response (UPR), highlighting the presence of ER stress, as well as disruption of the activation of the macroautophagy repair pathway. These animals also had increased expression of diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 and 4-hydroxynonenal, suggesting increased triglyceride esterification and oxidative stress. These parameters were not altered in the female offspring that had been neonatally exposed to nicotine, however they exhibited increased phospho adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase pAMPK expression, possibly as a protective mechanism. Thus, the disturbance in the hepatic homeostasis by UPR, macroautophagy, and oxidative stress modifications seem to be the molecular mechanisms underlying the liver steatosis in the adult male offspring of the nicotine-programming model. This highlights the importance of maternal smoking cessation during breastfeeding to decrease the risk of NAFLD development, especially in males.

Quality and sensory milk traits of goats grazing Caatinga or confined receiving either corn or spineless cactus-based diets in the Brazilian semiarid environment.

This study aimed to evaluate the yield, physical-chemical properties, fatty acid (FA) profile, and sensory traits of goat milk under different nutritional strategies in a Brazilian semiarid environment. Eighteen lactating crossbred dairy goats were distributed in a completely randomized design with three nutritional strategies: Caatinga strategy (1.5% of body weight with a concentrate supplementation), Corn-based confined strategy, and Spineless Cactus confined strategy. Daily milk yield was recorded, and milk samples were collected from all animals. Goats fed the spineless cactus-based diet presented a higher milk yield than goats feed the other strategies. Moreover, milk from goats fed with a spineless Cactus confined strategy presented higher saturated FA (SFA), and a lower proportion of cis- monounsaturated FA, trans-monounsaturated FA, and c9,t11-18:2 than milk from goats feed the other strategies. Milk from goats in the pasture system presented the highest proportions of 18:2n-6, 18:3n-3, and thus of polyunsaturated FA, when compared with milk from confined goats. We assume that milk from goats grazing in Caatinga pastures presents more benefits to human health due to the positive effects of this diet on the milk's fat content and FA profile, and this feeding strategy also results in a better sensory evaluation that may increase the acceptability of goat milk by consumers. All nutritional strategies evaluated herein and adopted in the semiarid region of Brazil are recommended for maintaining the yield, physical-chemical properties, and acceptability of milk goats.

Effect of Thermal Stress on Thermoregulation, Hematological and Hormonal Characteristics of Caracu Beef Cattle.

This study evaluated the influence of environmental temperature on thermoregulation, hormonal, and hematological characteristics in Caracu cattle. Blood samples, hair length, coat and muzzle colors, rectal (RT), and surface temperatures were collected from 48 males and 43 females before (morning) and after sun exposure for eight hours (afternoon). Infrared thermography (IRT) was used to identify superficial temperature that exhibits a high correlation with RT. Hematological parameters, hormone concentrations, RT, and the superficial temperature obtained by IRT that exhibited the highest correlation with RT were evaluated by variance analysis. Regarding IRT, the lower left side of the body (LS) showed the highest correlation with the RT. Interaction between period and sex was observed for LS, cortisol, and eosinophils. Cortisone, progesterone, and RT were influenced by period and sex. Neutrophils and segmented neutrophils were influenced by the period, which showed the highest concentrations after sun exposure. Platelets, leukocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes were influenced by sex. Heat stress changes several physiological characteristics where males and females exhibited differences in their responses to heat stress. Furthermore, most characteristics evaluated remained within the regular values observed for taurine Creole breeds, showing that Caracu is adapted to tropical climates.

Effects of Feeding and Drinking Behavior on Performance and Carcass Traits in Beef Cattle.

Feed and water efficiency are important traits to improve beef cattle production's economic and environmental sustainability. This study evaluated residual feed intake (RFI) and residual water intake (RWI) and their relationship with performance, ingestive behavior, and carcass traits in Caracu beef cattle. The data were analyzed using a generalized linear model with least squares means. The ingestive behavior, performance, and carcass traits were influenced by sex (p < 0.05). Males showed higher dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), mid-test metabolic weight (BW0.75), rib eye area, and rump fat thickness than females, besides spending more time drinking and eating. Low RFI animals exhibited higher DMI than high RFI animals. Low RWI animals ingested 3.89 L/d of water further than high RWI animals. The interaction between sex and RWI influenced the DMI, BW0.75, and backfat thickness. The ingestive behavior of low and high RFI animals was similar, although high RWI animals visited a smaller number of drinkers than low RWI animals. Water intake positively affects productive efficiency, and the combined use of RWI and RFI may help improve the selection of more efficient animals contributing to reducing the costs of beef cattle production and improving environmental sustainability.

Mechanisms by which exercise training benefits patients with copd mecanismos pelo qual o treinamento de exercício beneficia pacientes com dpoc running title: exercise training / Mecanismos pelos quais o treinamento de exercício beneficia pacientes com o título dpoc running: treinamento de exercício / Mecanismos por los que el entrenamiento de ejercicio beneficia a los pacientes con epoc mecanismos por los que el entrenamiento de ejercicio beneficia a los pacientes con epoc running title: exercise training

The clinical consequences of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include fatigue, dyspnea and progressive impairment of exercise capacity. It also produces significant systemic consequences such as nutritional depletion, physical deconditioning, systemic inflammation, and structural and functional changes in the respiratory and locomotor muscles. Regular exercise provides improvements in the health of patients with stable COPD and can relieve the symptoms, increasing the exercise capacity and improving the quality of life, while also reducing hospitalization and, to some extent, the risk of morbidity and mortality. Training with progressive exercises is associated with metabolic and neurohumoral adaptations, heart rate variability, with adaptations in the pulmonary and skeletal muscles, as well as the inflammatory, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This review will focus on current knowledge of the mechanisms by which physical training can provide beneficial effects in COPD patients. Results: After analyzing the titles, abstracts and content, out of 500 articles found, 489 were excluded, leaving 11 articles. Studies have shown the beneficial effect of aerobic training on COPD. Conclusion: Physical training should be considered a therapeutic option in patients with COPD, regardless of being terrestrial or aquatic, as it can have beneficial effects on the systems.

As consequências clínicas da doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) são: fadiga, dispnéia e comprometimento progressivo da capacidade do exercício, além disso, também produz consequências sistêmicas significativas como depleção nutricional, descondicionamento físico, inflamação sistêmica, mudanças estruturais e funcionais de músculos respiratórios e locomotores. O treinamento físico regular traz como beneficíos efeitos da melhoria da saúde em pacientes com DPOC estável e pode aliviar os sintomas, melhorar a capacidade de exercício e a qualidade de vida, reduzir a hospitalização e, em certa medida, o risco de morbi-mortalidade. Já o treinamento com exercícios progressivos está associado a adaptações metabólicas, neurohumorais, variabilidade da frequência cardíaca, inflamatórias, dos músculos pulmonares e esqueléticos, cardiovasculares e respiratórias. Esta revisão enfocará o conhecimento atual dos mecanismos pelos quais o treinamento físico pode ter efeitos benéficos em pacientes com DPOC. Resultados: Após análise dos títulos, resumos e conteúdo, dos 500 artigos encontrados, 489 foram excluídos, restando 11 artigos. Estudos têm demonstrado o efeito benéfico do treinamento aeróbico na DPOC. Conclusão: O treinamento físico deve ser considerado uma opção terapêutica em pacientes com DPOC, independente de ser terrestre ou aquático, pois pode ter efeitos benéficos nos sistemas.

Las consecuencias clínicas de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) incluyen fatiga, disnea y deterioro progresivo de la capacidad de ejercicio. También produce importantes consecuencias sistémicas como el agotamiento nutricional, el desacondicionamiento físico, la inflamación sistémica y los cambios estructurales y funcionales en los músculos respiratorios y locomotores. El ejercicio regular proporciona mejoras en la salud de los pacientes con EPOC estable y puede aliviar los síntomas, aumentando la capacidad de ejercicio y mejorando la calidad de vida, al tiempo que reduce la hospitalización y, en cierta medida, el riesgo de morbilidad y mortalidad. El entrenamiento con ejercicios progresivos se asocia a adaptaciones metabólicas y neurohumorales, a la variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca, con adaptaciones en los músculos pulmonares y esqueléticos, así como en los sistemas inflamatorio, cardiovascular y respiratorio. Esta revisión se centrará en el conocimiento actual de los mecanismos por los que el entrenamiento físico puede proporcionar efectos beneficiosos en los pacientes con EPOC. Resultados: Tras analizar los títulos, resúmenes y contenido, de los 500 artículos encontrados se excluyeron 489, quedando 11 artículos. Los estudios han demostrado el efecto beneficioso del entrenamiento aeróbico en la EPOC. Conclusiones: El entrenamiento físico debe considerarse una opción terapéutica en pacientes con EPOC, independientemente de que sea terrestre o acuático, ya que puede tener efectos beneficiosos sobre los sistemas.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics in blood donors and COVID-19 epidemiology in eight Brazilian state capitals: A serial cross-sectional study.

Background: The COVID-19 situation in Brazil is complex due to large differences in the shape and size of regional epidemics. Understanding these patterns is crucial to understand future outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 or other respiratory pathogens in the country. Methods: We tested 97,950 blood donation samples for IgG antibodies from March 2020 to March 2021 in 8 of Brazil's most populous cities. Residential postal codes were used to obtain representative samples. Weekly age- and sex-specific seroprevalence were estimated by correcting the crude seroprevalence by test sensitivity, specificity, and antibody waning. Results: The inferred attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2020, before the Gamma variant of concern (VOC) was dominant, ranged from 19.3% (95% credible interval [CrI] 17.5-21.2%) in Curitiba to 75.0% (95% CrI 70.8-80.3%) in Manaus. Seroprevalence was consistently smaller in women and donors older than 55 years. The age-specific infection fatality rate (IFR) differed between cities and consistently increased with age. The infection hospitalisation rate increased significantly during the Gamma-dominated second wave in Manaus, suggesting increased morbidity of the Gamma VOC compared to previous variants circulating in Manaus. The higher disease penetrance associated with the health system's collapse increased the overall IFR by a minimum factor of 2.91 (95% CrI 2.43-3.53). Conclusions: These results highlight the utility of blood donor serosurveillance to track epidemic maturity and demonstrate demographic and spatial heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 spread. Funding: This work was supported by Itaú Unibanco 'Todos pela Saude' program; FAPESP (grants 18/14389-0, 2019/21585-0); Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship 204311/Z/16/Z; the Gates Foundation (INV- 034540 and INV-034652); REDS-IV-P (grant HHSN268201100007I); the UK Medical Research Council (MR/S0195/1, MR/V038109/1); CAPES; CNPq (304714/2018-6); Fundação Faculdade de Medicina; Programa Inova Fiocruz-CE/Funcap - Edital 01/2020 Number: FIO-0167-00065.01.00/20 SPU N°06531047/2020; JBS - Fazer o bem faz bem.

Perinatal exposure to isocaloric diet with moderate-fat promotes pancreatic islets insulin hypersecretion and susceptibility to islets exhaustion in response to fructose intake in adult male rat offspring.

AIMS: Perinatal maternal hypercaloric diets increase the susceptibility to metabolic disorders in the offspring. We hypothesized that maternal intake of an isocaloric moderate-fat diet (mMFD) would disturb the glucose homeostasis and favor the ß-cell failure in response to fructose overload in adult male offspring. METHODS: Female Wistar rats received an isocaloric diet (3.9 kcal/g) containing 29 % (mMFD) or 9 % as fat (mSTD) prior mating and throughout gestation and lactation. After weaning, male offspring received standard chow and fructose-drinking water (15 %) between 120 and 150 days old. KEY FINDINGS: mMFD offspring had higher body weight, visceral adiposity and, fasting glycemia, with normal insulinemia. Fructose increased glycemia at 15 min from oral glucose administration, but only mMFD had returned to basal glucose levels at 120 min. Fructose increased HOMA-IR index regardless diet, but only mMFD exhibited hyperinsulinemia and a higher HOMA-ß index. mMFD pancreatic islets showed increased area and insulin immunostaining density, suggesting ß-cell hypertrophy. Fructose induced the expected compensatory hypertrophy in mSTD islets, while the opposite occurred in mMFD islets, associated with reduced insulin immunostaining, suggesting lower insulin storage. Pancreatic islets isolated from mMFD offspring exhibited higher glucose-stimulated insulin release at physiological concentrations. However, at higher glucose concentrations, the islets from fructose-treated mMFD reduced dramatically their insulin release, suggesting exhaustion. SIGNIFICANCE: Isocaloric mMFD induced adaptive mechanism in the offspring allowing insulin hypersecretion, but under metabolic challenge with fructose, ß-cell compensation shifts to exhaustion, favoring dysfunction. Therefore, a maternal MFD may contribute to developing diabetes under fructose overload in the adult offspring.

Vestibular System Eletrophysiology: An Analysis of the Relationship between Hearing and Movement

Abstract Introduction Knowledge about the positive effects that music and dance bring, in its various forms, to the healthy human brain, is important not only in the context of basic neuroscience but may also strongly affect practices in neurorehabilitation. Objective To verify the relationship between hearing and movement and, specifically, to analyze the interference of professional dance practice and formal musical training in the magnitude of the vestibule-cervical and vestibular reflexes. Method The sample consisted of 92 subjects, aged between 18 and 35 years old, 31 professional musicians, 31 ballet dancers, and 30 control subjects. Only subjects with normal hearing sensitivity were included. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) was recorded in the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) was recorded in the lower oblique muscle of the eye, using tone-bursts (500Hz). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskall-Wallis tests were performed. Results The cVEMP presented earlier and higher amplitude waves when recorded in the group of dancers, with a significant difference between all tested groups for latency and amplitude of the N23 wave; the comparison was restricted between dancers and control groups, with no difference between ballet dancers and musicians. The N1 wave of the oVEMP presented lower latencies in dancers than in musicians and controls (p= 0.001). No significant differences were found between the groups for the P1 wave. Conclusion Greater magnitudes of vestibule-cervical reflex responses and faster vestibule-ocular reflex responses were observed in dancers. Dance practice provides greater development of the vestibular system, but musical training also contributes to the magnitude of these responses.

Litter Size Reduction as a Model of Overfeeding during Lactation and Its Consequences for the Development of Metabolic Diseases in the Offspring.

Overfeeding during lactation has a deleterious impact on the baby's health throughout life. In humans, early overnutrition has been associated with higher susceptibility to obesity and metabolic disorders in childhood and adulthood. In rodents, using a rodent litter size reduction model (small litter) to mimic early overfeeding, the same metabolic profile has been described. Therefore, the rodent small litter model is an efficient tool to investigate the adaptive mechanisms involved in obesogenesis. Besides central and metabolic dysfunctions, studies have pointed to the contribution of the endocrine system to the small litter phenotype. Hormones, especially leptin, insulin, and adrenal hormones, have been associated with satiety, glucose homeostasis, and adipogenesis, while hypothyroidism impairs energy metabolism, favoring obesity. Behavioral modifications, hepatic metabolism changes, and reproductive dysfunctions have also been reported. In this review, we update these findings, highlighting the interaction of early nutrition and the adaptive features of the endocrine system. We also report the sex-related differences and epigenetic mechanisms. This model highlights the intense plasticity during lactation triggering many adaptive responses, which are the basis of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) concept. Our review demonstrates the complexity of the adaptive mechanisms involved in the obesity phenotype promoted by early overnutrition, reinforcing the necessity of adequate nutritional habits during lactation.

Vestibular System Eletrophysiology: An Analysis of the Relationship between Hearing and Movement.

Introduction Knowledge about the positive effects that music and dance bring, in its various forms, to the healthy human brain, is important not only in the context of basic neuroscience but may also strongly affect practices in neurorehabilitation. Objective To verify the relationship between hearing and movement and, specifically, to analyze the interference of professional dance practice and formal musical training in the magnitude of the vestibule-cervical and vestibular reflexes. Method The sample consisted of 92 subjects, aged between 18 and 35 years old, 31 professional musicians, 31 ballet dancers, and 30 control subjects. Only subjects with normal hearing sensitivity were included. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) was recorded in the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) was recorded in the lower oblique muscle of the eye, using tone-bursts (500Hz). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskall-Wallis tests were performed. Results The cVEMP presented earlier and higher amplitude waves when recorded in the group of dancers, with a significant difference between all tested groups for latency and amplitude of the N23 wave; the comparison was restricted between dancers and control groups, with no difference between ballet dancers and musicians. The N1 wave of the oVEMP presented lower latencies in dancers than in musicians and controls ( p = 0.001). No significant differences were found between the groups for the P1 wave. Conclusion Greater magnitudes of vestibule-cervical reflex responses and faster vestibule-ocular reflex responses were observed in dancers. Dance practice provides greater development of the vestibular system, but musical training also contributes to the magnitude of these responses.

Factors Associated With the Illness of Nursing Professionals Caused by COVID-19 in Three University Hospitals in Brazil.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated the importance of implementing strategic management that prioritizes the safety of frontline nurse professionals. In this sense, this research was aimed at identifying factors associated with the illness of nursing professionals caused by COVID-19 according to socio-demographic, clinical, and labor variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three Brazilian university hospitals with 859 nursing professionals, which include nurses, technicians, and nursing assistants, between November 2020 and February 2021. We present data using absolute and relative frequency. We used Chi-square test for hypothesis testing and multiple logistic regression for predictive analysis and chances of occurrence. Results: The rate of nursing professionals affected by COVID-19 was 41.8%, and the factors associated with contamination were the number of people in the same household with COVID-19 and obesity. Being a nurse was a protective factor when the entire nursing team was considered. The model is significant, and its variables represent 56.61% of the occurrence of COVID-19 in nursing professionals. Conclusion: Obesity and living in the same household as other people affected by COVID-19 increases the risk of contamination by this new coronavirus.

Maternal high-fat diet aggravates fructose-induced mitochondrial damage in skeletal muscles and causes differentiated adaptive responses on lipid metabolism in adult male offspring.

Maternal high-fat diet (HFD) is associated with metabolic disturbances in the offspring. Fructose is a highly consumed lipogenic sugar; however, it is unknown whether skeletal muscle of maternal HFD offspring respond differentially to a fructose overload. Female Wistar rats received standard diet (STD: 9% fat) or isocaloric high-fat diet (HFD: 29% fat) during 8 weeks before mating until weaning. After weaning, male offspring received STD and, from 120 to 150 days-old, they drank water or 15% fructose in water (STD-F and HFD-F). At 150th day, we collected the oxidative soleus and glycolytic extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Fructose-treated groups exhibited hypertriglyceridemia, regardless of maternal diet. Soleus of maternal HFD offspring showed increased triglycerides and monounsaturated fatty acid content, independent of fructose, with increased fatty acid transporters and lipogenesis markers. The EDL exhibited unaltered triglycerides content, with an apparent equilibrium between lipogenesis and lipid oxidation markers in HFD, and higher lipid uptake (fatty acid-binding protein 4) accompanied by enhanced monounsaturated fatty acid in fructose-treated groups. Mitochondrial complexes proteins and Tfam mRNA were increased in the soleus of HFD, while uncoupling protein 3 was decreased markedly in HFD-F. In EDL, maternal HFD increased ATP synthase, while fructose decreased Tfam predominantly in STD offspring. Maternal HFD and fructose induced mitochondria ultrastructural damage, intensified in HFD-F in both muscles. Thus, alterations in molecular markers of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function in response to fructose are modified by an isocaloric and moderate maternal HFD and are fiber-type specific, representing adaptation/maladaptation mechanisms associated with higher skeletal muscle fructose-induced mitochondria injury in adult offspring.