Preparation of percentile tables through anthropometric, performance, biochemical, hematological, hormonal and psychological parameters in professional soccer players

Introduction: The lack of reference values of anthropometric, performance, biochemical, hematological, hormonal and psychological parameters is an important limitation in the investigations with soccer players. Objective: To elaborate percentile tables to be used as comparison reference for further studies. Methods: 82 professional soccer players were evaluated approximately 30 days after the beginning of the main competition played by their teams. On the first day of evaluation, fast blood samples were collected for measurement of hematological parameters (i.e. erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume - MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin - MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration - MCHC, leukocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and platelets) and of concentrations of adrenaline, cortisol, creatine kinase, creatinine, norepinephrine, testosterone and urea. Subsequently, the soccer players had their anthropometric characteristics and psychological parameters assessed. In addition, the evaluation of the lactic anaerobic system efficiency was performed on a 400-m track. On the second day, both the alactic anaerobic and aerobic system efficiency was measured. Results: The percentile distribution (P-0, P-15, P-30, P-50, P-70, P-85 e P-100) was used to present the results. Conclusion: The elaboration of the percentile tables can be used as comparison reference for further studies.

Inflammatory and Immunological parameters in adults with Down syndrome

Abstract Background The increase in life expectancy within the general population has resulted in an increasing number of elderly adults, including patients with Down syndrome (DS), with a current life expectancy of about 50 years. We evaluate the parameters of humoral and cellular immune response, the quantitative expression of the regulator of calcineurin1 gene (RCAN1) and the production of cytokines. The study group consisted of adults DS (n = 24) and a control group with intellectual disability without Down syndrome (ID) (n = 21) and living in a similar environmental background. It was evaluated serology, immunophenotyping, the quantitative gene expression of RCAN1 and the production of cytokines. Results In the DS group, the results showed an increase in NK cells, CD8, decreased CD19 (p < 0.05) and an increase spontaneous production of IFNgamma, TNFalpha and IL-10 (p < 0.05). There was not any difference in RCAN1 gene expression between the groups. Conclusions These data suggest a similar humoral response in the two groups. The immunophenotyping suggests sign of premature aging of the immune system and the cytokine production show a proinflammatory profile.

The impact of urban air pollution exposure on the development of alterations on oxidative stress and behavioral parameters in adult mice

FAPESP, CEPID and AFIP.

Chemical and morphological characterization of sugarcane bagasse submitted to a delignification process for enhanced enzymatic digestibility

Abstract Background In recent years, biorefining of lignocellulosic biomass to produce multi-products such as ethanol and other biomaterials has become a dynamic research area. Pretreatment technologies that fractionate sugarcane bagasse are essential for the successful use of this feedstock in ethanol production. In this paper, we investigate modifications in the morphology and chemical composition of sugarcane bagasse submitted to a two-step treatment, using diluted acid followed by a delignification process with increasing sodium hydroxide concentrations. Detailed chemical and morphological characterization of the samples after each pretreatment condition, studied by high performance liquid chromatography, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, diffuse reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, is reported, together with sample crystallinity and enzymatic digestibility. Results Chemical composition analysis performed on samples obtained after different pretreatment conditions showed that up to 96% and 85% of hemicellulose and lignin fractions, respectively, were removed by this two-step method when sodium hydroxide concentrations of 1% (m/v) or higher were used. The efficient lignin removal resulted in an enhanced hydrolysis yield reaching values around 100%. Considering the cellulose loss due to the pretreatment (maximum of 30%, depending on the process), the total cellulose conversion increases significantly from 22.0% (value for the untreated bagasse) to 72.4%. The delignification process, with consequent increase in the cellulose to lignin ratio, is also clearly observed by nuclear magnetic resonance and diffuse reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy experiments. We also demonstrated that the morphological changes contributing to this remarkable improvement occur as a consequence of lignin removal from the sample. Bagasse unstructuring is favored by the loss of cohesion between neighboring cell walls, as well as by changes in the inner cell wall structure, such as damaging, hole formation and loss of mechanical resistance, facilitating liquid and enzyme access to crystalline cellulose. Conclusions The results presented herewith show the efficiency of the proposed method for improving the enzymatic digestibility of sugarcane bagasse and provide understanding of the pretreatment action mechanism. Combining the different techniques applied in this work warranted thorough information about the undergoing morphological and chemical changes and was an efficient approach to understand the morphological effects resulting from sample delignification and its influence on the enhanced hydrolysis results.

Genital morphology of the male South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) and biological implications

Male capacity for spreading genes to a great number of descendents and to determine population dynamics depend directly on the genital organs. Morphological studies in pinnipeds are scarce and the functional meaning of some characteristics has never been discussed. We hypothesized that Arctocephalus australis (A. australis) shows morphophysiological adaptations in order to guarantee the perpetuation of the species in the unique annual mating season. Seven males, dead from natural causes, had their genital organs collected and fixed for morphological description. Some features differ from other described mammalian males and are closely related to the biology and reproductive cycle of this species, as the scrotal epidermis, absence of glandular portion in the ductus deferens and spermatogenic epithelium suggest a recrudescent testis period. The corona glandis exhibits a singular arrangement: its erectile border looks like a formation of petals and its association with the os penis gives a "lily-flower" form to this region. We propose the name margo petaliformis to this particular erectile border of the corona glandis because of its similarity to a flower corola. The male genital organs of A. australis show morphological features compatible with adaptation to environment requirements and reproductive efficiency.

Density and rheological parameters of goat milk

The rheological behavior and density of goat milk was studied as a function of solids concentration (10.5 to 50.0%) and temperature (273 to 331 k). Newtonian behavior was observed for values of total solids (TS) between 10.5 and 22.0% and temperatures from 276 to 331 k changing to pseudoplastic behavior without yield stress for TS from 25.0 to 39.4% at the same range of temperature. Goat milk with TS between 44.3 to 50.0% and temperatures of 273 to 296 k showed yield stress in addition to pseudoplastic behavior. At 303 to 331 k the power law model was observed again, without yield stress. The density of goat milk ranged from 991.7 to 1232.4 kg.m-3.

Determination of dynamical and physical parameters of the system CoRoT 3

The two main tools to determine the dynamical and physical parameters of exoplanet systems are the radial velocity (RV) measurements and, when available, transit timings. The two techniques are complementary: The RV's allow us to know some of the orbital elements while the transit timings allow us to obtain the orbital inclination and planetary radius, impossible of obtain from the RV, and to resolve the indetermination in the determination of the planet mass from the RV's. The space observation of transiting planets is however not limited to transit times. They extend to long periods of time and are precise enough to provide information on variations along the orbit. Besides the effects of stellar rotation, deserve mention the Doppler shift in the radiation flux, as consequence of stellar movement around the center of mass, or Beaming Effect (BE); the Ellipsoidal Variability (EV) due to the tidal deformation of the star due to the gravitation of its close companion; and the Reflection (ER) of the stellar radiation incident on the planet and re-emitted to the observer. In the case of large hot Jupiters, these effects are enhanced by the strong gravitational interaction and the analysis of the light variation allows us independent estimates of the mass and radius of planet. The planetary system CoRoT 3 is favorable for such analysis. In this case, the secondary is a brown dwarf whose mass is of the order of 22Mj. We show results obtained from the analysis of 35 RV measurements, 236999 photometric observations and 11 additional RV observations made during a transit to determine the star rotation via the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. The results obtained from this determination are presented in this communication. The results are compared to those resulting from other determinations.

Metabolism of plasma cholesterol and lipoprotein parameters are related to a higher degree of insulin sensitivity in high HDL-C healthy normal weight subjects

Abstract Background We have searched if plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration interferes simultaneously with whole-body cholesterol metabolism and insulin sensitivity in normal weight healthy adult subjects. Methods We have measured the activities of several plasma components that are critically influenced by insulin and that control lipoprotein metabolism in subjects with low and high HDL-C concentrations. These parameters included cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP), lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT), post-heparin lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL), pre-beta-1HDL, and plasma sterol markers of cholesterol synthesis and intestinal absorption. Results In the high-HDL-C group, we found lower plasma concentrations of triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, insulin, HOMA-IR index, activities of LCAT and HL compared with the low HDL-C group; additionally, we found higher activity of LPL and pre-beta-1HDL concentration in the high-HDL-C group. There were no differences in the plasma CETP and PLTP activities. Conclusions These findings indicate that in healthy hyperalphalipoproteinemia subjects, several parameters that control the metabolism of plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins are related to a higher degree of insulin sensitivity.

Monte Carlo Semi-Empirical Model for Si(Li) X-Ray Detector: Differences between Nominal and Fitted Parameters.

A detailed characterization of a X-ray Si(Li) detector was performed to obtain the energy dependence of efficiency in the photon energy range of 6.4 - 59.5 keV. which was measured and reproduced by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Significant discrepancies between MC and experimental values were found when lhe manufacturer parameters of lhe detector were used in lhe simulation. A complete Computerized Tomagraphy (CT) detector scan allowed to find the correct crystal dimensions and position inside the capsule. The computed efficiencies with the resulting detector model differed with the measured values no more than 10% in most of the energy range.

Pharmacokinetic properties and in silico ADME modeling in drug discovery

The discovery and development of a new drug are time-consuming, difficult and expensive. This complex process has evolved from classical methods into an integration of modern technologies and innovative strategies addressed to the design of new chemical entities to treat a variety of diseases. The development of new drug candidates is often limited by initial compounds lacking reasonable chemical and biological properties for further lead optimization. Huge libraries of compounds are frequently selected for biological screening using a variety of techniques and standard models to assess potency, affinity and selectivity. In this context, it is very important to study the pharmacokinetic profile of the compounds under investigation. Recent advances have been made in the collection of data and the development of models to assess and predict pharmacokinetic properties (ADME - absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) of bioactive compounds in the early stages of drug discovery projects. This paper provides a brief perspective on the evolution of in silico ADME tools, addressing challenges, limitations, and opportunities in medicinal chemistry.