Variations in Postmenopausal Body Composition: A Cross-Sectional Comparison between Physical Activity Practitioners and Sedentary Individuals.

Physical activity is broadly recognized for promoting weight reduction and bestowing numerous health benefits. Nonetheless, robust evidence concerning the impact of physical activity on postmenopausal women, undergoing physiological shifts, remains scant. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between physical activity and body composition among postmenopausal women. Employing a cross-sectional and retrospective design, 702 women were examined. Data on physical activity and body composition were amassed through anthropometric assessments and Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). A significant proportion of women exhibited anthropometric alterations indicative of overweight/obesity, alongside elevated values in Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-to-Hip Ratio, Waist-to-Height, and bone mass, signifying a heightened risk for disease onset. While a majority engaged in some form of physical activity, this did not yield notable reductions in the assessed metrics. Noteworthy changes were only discerned in BMI and bone mass among pre-menopausal women; whereas among postmenopausal women, in addition to disparities in bone mass, those inactive were 1.18 times more prone to a very high disease risk, as gauged by WC.

Ecogenomics and Adaptation Strategies of Southern Ocean Viral Communities.

The Southern Ocean (SO) represents up to one-fifth of the total carbon drawdown worldwide. Intense selective pressures (low temperature, high UV radiation, and strong seasonality) and physical isolation characterize the SO, serving as a "natural" laboratory for the study of ecogenomics and unique adaptations of endemic viral populations. Here, we report 2,416 novel viral genomes from the SO, obtained from newly sequenced viral metagenomes in combination with mining of publicly available data sets, which represents a 25% increase in the SO viral genomes reported to date. They comprised 567 viral clusters (defined as approximately genus-level groups), with 186 genera endemic to the SO, demonstrating that the SO viral community is predominantly constituted by a large pool of genetically divergent viral species from widespread viral families. The predicted proteome from SO viruses revealed that several protein clusters related to cold-shock-event responses and quorum-sensing mechanisms involved in the lysogenic-lytic cycle shift decision were under positive selection, which is ultimately important for fine adaptation of viral populations in response to the strong selective pressures of the SO. Finally, changes in the hydrophobicity patterns and amino acid frequencies suggested marked temperature-driven genetic selection of the SO viral proteome. Our data provide valuable insights into how viruses adapt and remain successful in this extreme polar marine environment. IMPORTANCE Viruses are the most abundant biologic entities in marine systems and strongly influence the microbial community composition and diversity. However, little is known about viral communities' adaptation and diversification in the ocean. In this work, we take advantage of the geographical isolation and the intense selective pressures of the SO, to which viruses are exposed, to identify potential viral adaptations due to positive environmental selection and dispersal limitation. To that end, we recovered more than two thousand novel viral genomes, revealing a high degree of divergence in these SO endemic communities. Furthermore, we describe remarkable viral adaptations in amino acid frequencies and accessory proteins related to cold shock response and quorum sensing that allow them to thrive at lower temperatures. Consequently, our work greatly expands the understanding of the diversification of the viral communities of the SO and their particular adaptations to low temperatures.

Models for human porphyrias: Have animals in the wild been overlooked?: Some birds and mammals accumulate significant amounts of porphyrins in the body without showing the injurious symptoms observed in human porphyrias.

Humans accumulate porphyrins in the body mostly during the course of porphyrias, diseases caused by defects in the enzymes of the heme biosynthesis pathway and that produce acute attacks, skin lesions and liver cancer. In contrast, some wild mammals and birds are adapted to accumulate porphyrins without injurious consequences. Here we propose viewing such physiological adaptations as potential solutions to human porphyrias, and suggest certain wild animals as models. Given the enzymatic activity and/or the patterns of porphyrin excretion and accumulation, the fox squirrel, the great bustard and the Eurasian eagle owl may constitute overlooked models for different porphyrias. The Harderian gland of rodents, where large amounts of porphyrins are synthesized, presents an underexplored potential for understanding the carcinogenic/toxic effect of porphyrin accumulation. Investigating how these animals avoid porphyrin pathogenicity may complement the use of laboratory models for porphyrias and provide new insights into the treatment of these disorders.

Noninvasive Ventilation as an Important Adjunct to an Exercise Training Program in Subjects With Moderate to Severe COPD.

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether noninvasive ventilation (NIV) can positively affect exercise capacity, maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O2 ), and symptoms after a 6-week physical training program for subjects with moderate to very severe COPD. METHODS: 47 subjects with COPD who were enrolled in a physical training program were randomized to either physical training alone or NIV + physical training (NIV-Physical training). Physical training consisted of dynamic aerobic exercises on a treadmill 3 times/week for 6 weeks, for a total of 18 sessions. NIV was titrated according to the subject's tolerance at rest and during exercise. Assessments included physiological responses and symptoms at the incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test peak and during submaximal exercise on a treadmill, 6-min walk distance, maximum inspiratory (PImax) and expiratory pressure (PEmax), BODE index, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: 43 subjects completed the 6-week physical training program. Both groups improved 6-min walk distance, PImax, BODE index, and quality of life, and no differences were found between groups. However, significant improvements were observed for subjects in the NIV-Physical training group with regard to PEmax, maximum V̇O2 , maximum metabolic equivalents, circulatory power, and maximum SpO2 . CONCLUSIONS: A 6-week physical training program alone can improve tolerance for exercise and quality of life, in addition to reducing the risk of mortality. However, NIV associated with a physical training program was shown to have an additive beneficial effect on powerful prognostic markers (maximum V̇O2 and circulatory power) and to reduce symptoms and improve oxygen saturation in subjects with moderate to very severe COPD.

Efeito de 16 semanas de treinamento com pesos sobre a força muscular de mulheres não treinadas / Effect of 16 weeks of weight training on the muscular strength in untrained women

O objetivo deste estudo é investigar o impacto de 16 semanas de treinamento com pesos (TP) sobre a força muscular de mulheres não treinadas (18-30 anos). As participantes foram separadas aleatoriamente em dois grupos: treinamento (GT= 15) e controle (GC= 16). O programa de TP foi progressivamente estruturado em duas etapas (oito semanas cada) e frequência de três sessões semanais. A força muscular foi avaliada antes (M1), após oito (M2) e 16 semanas (M3), utilizando o teste de 1-RM nos exercícios supino (SUP), agachamento (AGA) e rosca direta de bíceps (RDB). Interações grupo vs. tempo (P<0,001) foram identificadas em todos os exercícios analisados com ganhos de força muscular na ordem de 22,9% (SUP), 23,6% (AGA) e 22,8% (RDB) no GT, sendo que a maior parte ocorreu entre M1-M2 (SUP =18,4%; AGA=16,0%; RDB =14,7%). Os resultados sugerem que 16 semanas de TP acarretam ganhos generalizados de força muscular em mulheres não treinadas.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of 16 weeks of resistance training (RT) on muscular strength in previously untrained women (18-30 years). Participants were randomly divided in two groups: training (TG = 15) and control (CG= 16). The RT protocol was progressively structured in two phases (eight weeks each), with a frequency of three weekly sessions. Muscular strength was measured at baseline (M1), after eight (M2) and 16 weeks (M3), through the 1-RM in bench press (BP), squat (SQ) and arm curl (AC). Interaction between group and time (P<0.001) were identified in all exercises evaluated with strength gains in the order of 22.9% (BP), 23.6% (SQ) and 22.8% (AC) in the TG, and the most occurred between M1-M2 (BP=18.4%; SQ=16.0%; AC=14.7%). The results suggest that 16 weeks of RT cause generalized muscle strength gains in untrained women.