Availability analysis of GMPLS connections based on physical network topology

This paper presents a study of connection availability in GMPLS over optical transport networks (OTN) taking into account different network topologies. Two basic path protection schemes are considered and compared with the no protection case. The selected topologies are heterogeneous in geographic coverage, network diameter, link lengths, and average node degree. Connection availability is also computed considering the reliability data of physical components and a well-known network availability model. Results show several correspondences between suitable path protection algorithms and several network topology characteristics

Studies about the atomic capabilities concept for linear control systems in physical multi-agent environments

This paper shows the impact of the atomic capabilities concept to include control-oriented knowledge of linear control systems in the decisions making structure of physical agents. These agents operate in a real environment managing physical objects (e.g. their physical bodies) in coordinated tasks. This approach is presented using an introspective reasoning approach and control theory based on the specific tasks of passing a ball and executing the offside manoeuvre between physical agents in the robotic soccer testbed. Experimental results and conclusions are presented, emphasising the advantages of our approach that improve the multi-agent performance in cooperative systems

Effect of a general school-based physical activity intervention on bone mineral content and density: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Specific physical loading leads to enhanced bone development during childhood. A general physical activity program mimicking a real-life situation was successful at increasing general physical health in children. Yet, it is not clear whether it can equally increase bone mineral mass. We performed a cluster-randomized controlled trial in children of both gender and different pubertal stages to determine whether a school-based physical activity (PA) program during one school-year influences bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD), irrespective of gender.Methods: Twenty-eight 1st and 5th grade (6-7 and 11-12 year-old) classes were cluster randomized to an intervention (INT, 16 classes, n = 297) and control (CON; 12 classes, n = 205) group. The intervention consisted of a multi-component PA intervention including daily physical education with at least 10 min of jumping or strength training exercises of various intensities. Measurements included anthropometry, and BMC and BMD of total body, femoral neck, total hip and lumbar spine using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). PA was assessed by accelerometers and Tanner stages by questionnaires. Analyses were performed by a regression model adjusted for gender, baseline height and weight, baseline PA, post-intervention pubertal stage, baseline BMC, and cluster.Results: 275 (72%) of 380 children who initially agreed to have DXA measurements had also post-intervention DXA and PA data. Mean age of prepubertal and pubertal children at baseline was 8.7 +/- 2.1 and 11.1 +/- 0.6 years, respectively. Compared to CON, children in INT showed statistically significant increases in BMC of total body, femoral neck, and lumbar spine by 5.5%, 5.4% and 4.7% (all p < 0.05), respectively, and BMD of total body and lumbar spine by 8.4% and 7.3% (both p < 0.01), respectively. There was no gender*group, but a pubertal stage*group interaction consistently favoring prepubertal children.Conclusion: A general school-based PA intervention can increase bone health in elementary school children of both genders, particularly before puberty. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BMI group-related differences in physical fitness and physical activity in preschool-age children: a cross-sectional analysis.

In the Ballabeina study, we investigated age- and BMI-group-related differences in aerobic fitness (20 m shuttle run), agility (obstacle course), dynamic (balance beam) and static balance (balance platform), and physical activity (PA, accelerometers) in 613 children (M age = 5.1 years, SD = 0.6). Normal weight (NW) children performed better than overweight (OW) children in aerobic fitness, agility, and dynamic balance (all p <.001), while OWchildren had a better static balance (p < .001). BMI-group-related differences in aerobic fitness and agility were larger in older children (p for interaction with age = .01) in favor of the NW children. PA did not differ between NW and OW (p > or = .1), but did differ between NW and obese children (p < .05). BMI-group-related differences in physical fitness can already be present in preschool-age children.

Remorin, a uronide binding protein with physical properties similar to the tobacco mosaic virus movement protein

The extracellular pectic matrix is a rich source of oligogalacturonic acid (OGA), one of the most abundant polymeric regulatory molecules on the earth's surface. OGAs regulate the expression of a variety of defense genes and have also been implicated in developmental processes. Little is known about how cells perceive OGAs and we have been attempting to characterise proteins capable of interacting with these molecules. We recently succeeded in cloning a cDNA encoding a small OGA-binding protein, remorin. OGA-binding to remorin is not highly specific, the protein binds homogalacturonides, complex pectic polymers and the animal polyuronide heparin. This lack of specificity contrasts with that often observed with classical receptors and the function of remorin remains to be discovered. Remorin copurifies with the plasma membrane but is a very hydrophilic polypeptide. Its behavior during cell fractionation, as well as a number of properties including the OGA-stimulated in vitro phosphorylation and preliminary localization studies, all suggest parallels with some viral movement proteins. Some of these comparisons will be presented. Experiments to directly test for the possible role of this protein in cell-to-cell signalling are in progress. EEF is supported by FNRS grant 31-3672-92.

Influence of physical activity and dietary habits on lipid profile, blood pressure and BMI in subjects with metabolic syndrome

BACKGROUND The present study was determined the influence of physical activity and dietary habits on lipid profile, blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI) in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS). AIMS Identify the relationship between physical activity and proper nutrition and the probability of suffering from myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS Hundred chronically ill with MS who were active and followed a healthy diet were classified as compliant, while the remaining subjects were classified as non-compliant. RESULTS The compliant subjects show lower BMI values (30.8±4.9 vs 32.5±4.6), as well as lower levels of triacylglycerol (130.4±48.2 vs 242.1±90.1), total cholesterol (193.5±39 vs 220.2±52.3) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (105.2±38.3 vs 139.2±45). They show higher values in terms of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (62.2±20.1 vs 36.6±15.3), with statistically significant differences. In terms of both systolic and diastolic pressure, no differences were revealed between the groups; however, those who maintain proper dietary habits show lower systolic blood pressure levels than the inactive subjects. The probability of suffering from MI greatly increases among the group of non-compliant subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate how performing aerobic physical activity and following an individualized, Mediterranean diet significantly reduces MS indicators and the chances of suffering from MI.

Contribution of physical education to overall physical activity.

For many children, physical activity (PA) during physical education (PE) lessons provides an important opportunity for being physically active. Although PA during PE has been shown to be low, little is known about the contribution of PA during PE to overall PA. The aim was therefore to assess children's PA during PE and to determine the contribution of PE to overall PA with special focus on overweight children. Accelerometer measurements were done in 676 children (9.3 ± 2.1 years) over 4-7 days in 59 randomly selected classes. Moderate-and-vigorous PA (MVPA; ≥ 2000 counts/min) during PE (MVPA(PE) ), overall MVPA per day (MVPA(DAY) ), and a comparison of days with and without PE were calculated by a regression model with gender, grade, and weight status (normal vs overweight) as fixed factors and class as a random factor. Children spent 32.8 ± 15.1% of PE time in MVPA. Weight status was not associated to MVPA(PE) . MVPA(PE) accounted for 16.8 ± 8.5% of MVPA(DAY) , and 17.5 ± 8.2% in overweight children. All children were more active on days with PE than on days without PE (differences: 16.1 ± 29.0 min of MVPA(DAY) ; P ≤ 0.001; 13.7 ± 28.0 min for overweight children). Although MVPA(PE) was low, PE played a considerable role in providing PA and was not compensated by reducing extracurricular MVPA.

Efectos de los factores dietéticos sobre la conducta agresiva y otras patologías del comportamiento del perro

Studies show that feeding patterns, environmental conditions, and pet management mainly affect animal health, behavior and welfare. However, little epidemiologic data exist about pet dog feeding habits and management and canine behavior, especially aggression. Moreover, it is well known that serotonin is involved in aggression: a diet low in tryptophan (serotonin precursor) with high levels of neutral amino-acids could decrease the central levels of serotonin and increase the expression of aggression and impulsiveness in several domestic animals. oreover, brain levels of serotonin in humans and other species can be increased by physical activity. In this study we alysed the effects of diet management, supplementation and regular physical activity on oncentration of serotonin in a population of non aggressive dogs. The general aim of the study is to determine the effect of environmental factors on the dogs’ feeding habits as well as the relationship between the type of food provided and management and behavioral problems in dogs. The specific objectives were: characterization and comparison of different physiological and blood parameters between dogs with and without behavior pathologies. Observation of the impact of the diet and managment factors (exercise, education) on those parameters and on dog’s behavior, with particular attention to aggression. This study is divided into three phases, according with the objectives. Firstly, characterization of the dogs’ characteristics and serics profiles on the basis of the blood tests. Comparison between the values noticed on animals without any behavior pathology and animals with behavior disorder to point out the difference between the biochemical parameters of the two groups. Secondly, the purpose of the second phase is to verify whether a type of food is able to affect the biochemical paramenters of a population of non-aggressive dogs. Thirdly, the goal is to evaluate the effects of different diet factors, management and physical exercise on the canine aggression.

Gut Microbiota Composition in Male Rat Models under Different Nutritional Status and Physical Activity and Its Association with Serum Leptin and Ghrelin Levels.

BACKGROUND Several evidences indicate that gut microbiota is involved in the control of host energy metabolism. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the differences in the composition of gut microbiota in rat models under different nutritional status and physical activity and to identify their associations with serum leptin and ghrelin levels. METHODS IN A CASE CONTROL STUDY, FORTY MALE RATS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THESE FOUR EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS: ABA group with food restriction and free access to exercise; control ABA group with food restriction and no access to exercise; exercise group with free access to exercise and feed ad libitum and ad libitum group without access to exercise and feed ad libitum. The fecal bacteria composition was investigated by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and real-time qPCR. RESULTS In restricted eaters, we have found a significant increase in the number of Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Prevotella and M. smithii and a significant decrease in the quantities of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, B. coccoides-E. rectale group, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium with respect to unrestricted eaters. Moreover, a significant increase in the number of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and B. coccoides-E. rectale group was observed in exercise group with respect to the rest of groups. We also found a significant positive correlation between the quantity of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and serum leptin levels, and a significant and negative correlation among the number of Clostridium, Bacteroides and Prevotella and serum leptin levels in all experimental groups. Furthermore, serum ghrelin levels were negatively correlated with the quantity of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and B. coccoides-Eubacterium rectale group and positively correlated with the number of Bacteroides and Prevotella. CONCLUSIONS Nutritional status and physical activity alter gut microbiota composition affecting the diversity and similarity. This study highlights the associations between gut microbiota and appetite-regulating hormones that may be important in terms of satiety and host metabolism.

Interaction between dietary lipids an physical inactivity on insulin sensitivity and on intramyocellular lipids in healthy men

Résumé Interaction entre les lipides alimentaires et l'inactivité physique sur la sensibilité à l'insuline et les lipides intramyocellulaires chez le sujet masculin en bonne santé Ces deux dernières décennies, l'incidence de la résistance à l'insuline n'a cessé de progresser dans les pays industrialisés. Un grand nombre de travaux suggèrent que ce trouble métabolique joue un rôle important dans la pathogenèse de maladies propres au monde industrialisé, telles que le diabète, l'hypertension et les maladies cardiovasculaires. Malgré de nombreuses études, les mécanismes à l'origine de la résistance à l'insuline restent encore incomplètement élucidés. En plus d'une composante génétique, de nombreux facteurs environnementaux semblent impliqués parmi ces derniers, nous nous sommes intéressés à l'effet d'une alimentation riche en graisses associée à une période d'inactivité physique de courte durée. Nous nous sommes également penchés sur la corrélation décrite entre la résistance à l'insuline et la concentration de graisses présentes à l'intérieur des cellules musculaires squelettiques, appelées lipides intramyocellulaires. Pour ce faire, 8 volontaires masculins ont été étudiés à deux occasions. Après deux jours de diète équilibrée associée à une activité physique, les participants étaient confinés au lit strict pour 60 heures et devaient manger une alimentation soit riche en graisses saturées soit riche en hydrates de carbones. Pour évaluer l'effet de l'alimentation seule, 6 des 8 volontaires ont été réétudiés après deux jours de diète équilibrée suivie par 60 heures d'alimentation riche en graisses saturées associées à une activité physique contrôlée. Nous avons estimé la sensibilité à l'insuline par la technique du clamp hyperinsulinémique euglycémique alors que la concentration de lipides intramyocellulaires a été déterminée par spectroscopie par résonance magnétique. Après 60 heures d'inactivité physique associée à une alimentation riche en lipides, nous avons observé une diminution de l'utilisation de glucose dépendante de l'insuline (-24±6%; p<0.05), alors qu'aucune modification significative de ce même paramètre n'a été constatée lorsque l'inactivité physique était associée à une alimentation riche en hydrates de carbones (+19±10%). Ces deux conditions se sont accompagnées d'une augmentation des lipides intramyocellulaires (+32±7% et +17±8% respectivement). Bien que l'augmentation des lipides intramyocellulaires observée après 60 heures d'une alimentation riche en graisses saturées associée à une activité physique modérée fût d'une ampleur similaire à celle de la condition associant une alimentation riche en graisses et inactivité physique, l'utilisation de glucose induite par l'insuline n'a pas été modifiée de manière significative (-7±9%) Ces résultats indiquent que l'inactivité physique et une alimentation riche en graisses saturées semblent interagir, induisant une diminution de la sensibilité à l'insuline globale. La concentration de lipides intramyocellulaires a été influencée par les lipides issus de l'alimentation et l'inactivité physique, sans être toutefois corrélée à la résistance à l'insuline. Abstract OBJECTIVE - To assess the effect of a possible interaction between dietary fat and physical inactivity on whole-body insulin sensitivity and intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Eight healthy male volunteers were studied on two occasions. After 2 days of an equilibrated diet and moderate physical activity, participants remained inactive (bed rest) for 60 h and consumed either a high-saturated fat (45% fat, of which ~60% was saturated fat [BR-HF]) or a high-carbohydrate (70% carbohydrate [BR-HCHO]) diet. To evaluate the effect of a high-fat diet alone, six of the eight volunteers were restudied after a 2-day equilibrated diet followed by 60 h on a high-saturated fat diet and controlled physical activity (PA-HF). Insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp and IMCL concentrations by H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS - Insulin-mediated glucose disposal was decreased by BR-HF condition (-24 ± 6%, P < 0.05) but did not change with BR-HCHO ( + 19 ± 10%, NS). BR-HF and BR-HCHO increased IMCL levels (+32 ± 7%, P < 0.05 and +17 ± 8%, P < 0.0011, respectively). Although the increase in IMCL levels with PA-HF (+31 ± 19%, P = 0.12) was similar to that during BR-HF, insulin-mediated glucose disposal ( -7 ± 9%, NS) was not decreased. CONCLUSIONS - These data indicate that physical inactivity and a high-saturated fat diet may interact to reduce whole-body insulin sensitivity. IMCL content was influenced by dietary lipid and physical inactivity but was not directly associated with insulin resistance.