SALIVARY HORMONE AND IMMUNE RESPONSES TO THREE RESISTANCE EXERCISE SCHEMES IN ELITE FEMALE ATHLETES

Nunes, JA, Crewther, BT, Ugrinowitsch, C, Tricoli, V, Viveiros, L, de Rose Jr, D, and Aoki, MS. Salivary hormone and immune responses to three resistance exercise schemes in elite female athletes J Strength Cond Res 25(8): 2322-2327, 2011-This study examined the salivary hormone and immune responses of elite female athletes to 3 different resistance exercise schemes. Fourteen female basketball players each performed an endurance scheme (ES-4 sets of 12 reps, 60% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) load, 1-minute rest periods), a strength-hypertrophy scheme (SHS-1 set of 5RM, 1 set of 4RM, 1 set of 3RM, 1 set of 2RM, and 1set of 1RM with 3-minute rest periods, followed by 3 sets of 10RM with 2-minute rest periods) and a power scheme (PS-3 sets of 10 reps, 50% 1RM load, 3-minute rest periods) using the same exercises (bench press, squat, and biceps curl). Saliva samples were collected at 07:30 hours, pre-exercise (Pre) at 09:30 hours, postexercise (Post), and at 17:30 hours. Matching samples were also taken on a nonexercising control day. The samples were analyzed for testosterone, cortisol (C), and immunoglobulin A concentrations. The total volume of load lifted differed among the 3 schemes (SHS > ES > PS, p < 0.05). Postexercise C concentrations increased after all schemes, compared to control values (p < 0.05). In the SHS, the postexercise C response was also greater than pre-exercise data (p < 0.05). The current findings confirm that high-volume resistance exercise schemes can stimulate greater C secretion because of higher metabolic demand. In terms of practical applications, acute changes in C may be used to evaluate the metabolic demands of different resistance exercise schemes, or as a tool for monitoring training strain.

Female soccer in the Beijing olympic games

Gender relations put men and women in different areas of the hierarchy, for instance in the case of soccer. This work analyzed the news articles from the Beijing 2008 section of the Newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo to identify the space attributed to news articles about female and male soccer, and to qualitatively evaluate what is said to its readers. The result shows that the percentage of words addressing women was higher compared to other surveys and the area for pictures was similar for both genders, however this only happened on account of the influence of the event. The news allowed for an analysis of women in soccer: the entities that perpetuate the hierarchical difference between the genders when they don`t support them; the raising of issues regarding aesthetics which explains why these athletes are not erotized by the media as is the case in other modalities; as soccer is considered to be a male area the media demanded better results from the men.

Hypothermia during endotoxemic shock in female mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase

The present study was undertaken to evaluate: (1) whether lipopolysaccharide LPS-incluced hypothermic responses may be altered during two estrous cycle phases, proestrus and diestrus, and after ovariectomy, followed by hormonal supplementation and (2) whether nitric oxide (NO) plays a role on LPS-induced hypothermia responses in female mice. Experiments were performed on adult female wild-type (WT) C57BL and inducible NO synthase knockout (KO) mice weighing 18 to 30 g. Endotoxemia was induced by intraperitoneal LIPS administration from Escherichia coli at a nonlethal dose of 10 mg/kg, and body temperature was measured by biotelemetry. Hormonal replacement was performed in ovariectomized mice through 17 beta-estradiol Silastic capsules (100 mu g) and s.c. injection of progesterone (0.5 mg per animal). We observed that during the diestrus phase, mice presented more intensive hypothermia than during proestrus phase, and hormonal supplementation with 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone attenuated hypothermia in ovariectomized mice. During diestrus and ovariectomy, KO mice had higher hypothermic response when compared with the WT group. During proestrus, the lack of statistical difference between KO and WT mice could be consequent of lower ovarian hormones plasma levels. After hormonal replacement, hypothermia was reverted in KO groups probably because of higher ovarian hormonal levels. In summary, the results demonstrated that NO release by inducible NO synthase has an important thermoregulatory role in LPS-incluced hypothermia in female mice. Besides, this involvement is directly dependent on the presence of ovarian hormones and their respective levels.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND THE BRAZILIAN REAL ESTATE MARKET

This article discusses the main aspects of the Brazilian real estate market in order to illustrate if it would be attractive for a typical American real estate investor to buy office-building portfolios in Brazil. The article emphasizes: [i] - the regulatory frontiers, comparing investment securitization, using a typical American REIT structure, with the Brazilian solution, using the Fundo de Investimento Imobiliario - FII; [ii] - the investment quality attributes in the Brazilian market, using an office building prototype, and [iii] - the comparison of [risk vs. yield] generated by an investment in the Brazilian market, using a FII, benchmarked against an existing REIT (OFFICE SUB-SECTOR) in the USA market. We conclude that investing dollars exchanged for Reais [the Brazilian currency] in a FII with a triple A office-building portfolio in the Sao Paulo marketplace will yield an annual income and a premium return above an American REIT investment. The highly aggressive scenario, along with the strong persistent exchange rate detachment to the IGP-M variations, plus instabilities affecting the generation of income, and even if we adopt a 300-point margin for the Brazil-Risk level, demonstrates that an investment opportunity in the Brazilian market, in the segment we have analyzed, outperforms an equivalent investment in the American market.

Are there costs in the repeated mating activities of female Southern stink bugs Nezara viridula?

Mating is an energy demanding process, imposing risks to physical injuries, pathogen infection and predation. Nevertheless, repeated and multiple mating are widespread even in insect species where nuptial gifts are not involved. The effects of repeated mating, by the same male, are examined on the reproductive performance of female Southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (L.). Fecundity is reduced in females mated three or four times, although there is increased longevity. Females mated once or twice produce more egg clusters and concentrate egg-laying activity in the early part of adult life, whereas those mating more often lay eggs throughout the life span, with fewer egg clusters. Although fecundity is negatively affected by the number of matings, egg fertility remains unaffected.

Differential patterns of Male and Female mtDNA exchange across the Atlantic Ocean in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis

Comparisons among loci with differing modes of inheritance can reveal unexpected aspects of population history. We employ a multilocus approach to ask whether two types of independently assorting mitochondrial DNAs (maternally and paternally inherited: F- and M-mtDNA) and a nuclear locus (ITS) yield concordant estimates of gene flow and population divergence. The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is distributed on both North American and European coastlines and these populations are separated by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Gene flow across the Atlantic Ocean differs among loci, with F-mtDNA and ITS showing an imprint of some genetic interchange and M-mtDNA showing no evidence for gene flow. Gene flow of F-mtDNA and ITS causes trans-Atlantic population divergence times to be greatly underestimated for these loci, although a single trans-Atlantic population divergence time (1.2 MYA) can be accommodated by considering all three loci in combination in a coalescent framework. The apparent lack of gene flow for M-mtDNA is not readily explained by different dispersal capacities of male and female mussels. A genetic barrier to M-mtDNA exchange between North American and European mussel populations is likely to explain the observed pattern, perhaps associated with the double uniparental system of mitochondrial DNA inheritance.

Girls and tea ladies: involvement of Australian female athletes and administrators in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games

This article focuses on the 1956 Olympic Games in order to consider and ascertain the role and place of women in Australian society, generally, and, more specifically, in Australian 'sport' as both athletes and sporting administrators.

Psychological distress among female sex workers

The prevalence and correlates of psychological distress were examined in a sample of 171 female sex workers in Queensland. It was found that 28 per cent were above the GHQ-28 threshold for mild psychiatric morbidity, a rate that is not appreciably different from that of women in the general community. The sample included only eight street sex workers, all of whom reported significant distress. Logistic regression analyses showed that a history of injecting drug use, an early age at leaving home and wanting to leave the sex industry were independent predictors of poor mental health. Distressed sex workers reported fewer sexual health examinations and less consistent condom use with their clients than those who were not distressed.

A protein with protective properties against the cellular defense reactions in insects

The molecular mechanism of how insects recognize intruding microorganisms and parasites and distinguish them from own body structures is not well known. We explored evolutionary adaptations in an insect parasitoid host interaction to identify components that interfere with the recognition of foreign objects and cellular encapsulation. Because some parasitoids provide protection for the developing wasp in the absence of an overt suppression of the insect host defense, we analyzed the surface of eggs and symbiotic viruses for protective properties. Here we report on the molecular cloning of a 32-kDa protein (Crp32) that is one of the major protective components. It is produced in the calyx cells of the female wasp ovaries and attached to the surface of the egg and other particles including polydnaviruses. The recombinant protein confers protection to coated objects in a cellular encapsulation assay suggesting that a layer of Crp32 may prevent cellular encapsulation reactions by a local inactivation of the host defense system.

Biogenesis of sex pheromones in the female olive fruit-fly

A likely pathway to the sex pheromones of Bactrocera oleae (olive fruit-fly) is presented, based mainly on feeding experiments with deuterium labelled precursors.

Hypothalamic dopamine D1 receptors are involved in the stimulation of prolactin secretion by high environmental temperature in the female sheep

Recent evidence suggests that dopamine, acting via its D1 receptors, may function as a neurotransmitter in intrahypothalamic pathways involved in the stimulation of prolactin secretion. Functional dopamine D1 receptors are present in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and we hypothesized that they might be part of a prolactin-stimulatory pathway activated by stress. We tested this hypothesis in a series of experiments on sheep involving two different forms of stressors, audiovisual (barking dog) and high environmental temperature. We attempted to block the stimulation of prolactin secretion by infusion into the VMH of an antagonist specific for the D1 receptor. Ovariectomised, oestradiol-implanted merino ewes were surgically implanted with bilateral guide tubes directed at the VMH. After a 180 min pretreatment period, the ewes either were or were not exposed to a stressor (30 min of barking dog or 120 min at 35 degrees C, 65% relative humidity). D1 receptor antagonist, SCH23390 or vehicle (0.9% saline) was infused into the VMH (1.7 mu l/h, 120 nmol/h) for 60 min prior to and during the stressor period. Blood was sampled every 15 min via jugular cannulae and the plasma was assayed for prolactin, cortisol and growth hormone (GH). Both stressors significantly increased prolactin concentrations over control levels. SCH23390 infusion significantly attenuated the prolactin response to high environmental temperature, but had no effect on the prolactin response to audiovisual stress. Cortisol concentrations were significantly increased by audiovisual stress only and were not affected by SCH23390, GH concentrations were not changed by either stressor or infusion. Drug infusion alone did not affect the concentration of the hormones. The data suggest that the VMH D1 receptors are involved in a prolactin stimulatory pathway in response to high environmental temperature. The inability of the D1 antagonist to affect the response to the barking dog indicates that this pathway is stress-specific, implying that there is more than one mechanism or pathway involved in the prolactin response to different stressors.

Evolution of the genetic covariance between male and female components of mate recognition: An experimental test

The evolution of a positive genetic correlation between male and female components of mate recognition systems will result as a consequence of assortative mating and, in particular, is central to a number of theories of sexual selection. Although the existence of such genetic correlations has been investigated in a number of taxa, it has yet to be shown that such correlations evolve and whether they may evolve as rapidly as suggested by sexual selection models. In this study, I used a hybridization experiment to disrupt natural mate recognition systems and then observed the subsequent evolutionary dynamics of the genetic correlation between male and female components for 56 generations in hybrids between Drosophila serrata and Drosophila birchii. The genetic correlation between male and female components evolved from 0.388 at generation 5 to 1.017 at generation 37 and then declined to -0.040 after a further 19 generations. These results indicated that the genetic basis of the mate recognition system in the hybrid populations evolved rapidly. The initial rapid increase in the genetic correlation was consistent with the classic assumption that male and female components will coevolve under sexual selection. The subsequent decline in genetic correlation may be attributable to the fixation of major genes or, alternatively, may be a result of a cyclic evolutionary change in mate recognition.

Effects of mate availability on female longevity, fecundity and egg development of Homichloda barkeri (Jacoby) (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae)

This study examined the effect of the number of maternal matings on egg production, embryonic development and female longevity in Homichloda barkeri (Jacoby) (Cole optera: Chrysomelidae). Single-mated females lived longer than multiple-mated and unmated females. The number of eggs produced per day and the proportion of eggs that developed between single- and multiple-mated females was not affected by mating frequency.

Malevolence, stigma, and social distance: Maximizing intergroup differences in HIV/AIDS discourse

This study examined the intergroup language used by young heterosexual Australians in conversations about HIV/AIDS and safe sex. Sixty male and 72 female heterosexuals participated in four-person facilitated conversations (same-sex or mixed-sex) about HIV/AIDS and safe sex, which were recorded and transcribed. We focused on extracts concerning strangers or malevolent individuals who appear to be group members, along with extracts involving foreign national groups. Discourse analysis showed that groups at lower levels of social distance were constructed mainly in terms of individual responsibility. At moderate social distance, stereotypes were more negative, but sub-typing was common, whereas at the highest levels, people were constructed entirely in intergroup terms. The findings of this study suggest that HN prevention programs should make reference to all salient outgroups, so as to neutralize communicative strategies that strengthen intergroup boundaries as a means of reducing perceived personal threat of HIV infection.