The fat body of termites: Functions and stored materials

The functions of the fat body in the different castes of termites, and accumulation of energy reserves, proteins and urates within this organ, are reviewed. The termite fat body is involved in multiple metabolic activities, including recycling of nitrogen. Termite fat body showed three different types of cells: adipocytes, urocytes and mycetocytes, the latter restricted to the species Mastotermes darwiniensis. Adipocytes synthesize and store lipids, glycogen and several proteins. These cells also elaborate important peptides, including some that act in immune processes. Urocytes are responsible for the storage of spherocrystals of urates, which vary quantitatively among the termite castes. The different metabolic functions of the fat body in the several castes and stages of termites are associated with specific adipocyte morphologies. The synthesis and storage of different compounds modify the structure of the fat body; this differentiation is coordinated by hormones involved with molting and reproductive cycles. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Reestructuración y revitalización de las Naciones Unidas en las esferas económica y social: papel y funciones de la CEPAL = Restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic and social fields: role and functions of ECLAC = Restructuration et revitalisation de l'Organisation des Nations Unies dans les domaines économique et social: rôle et fonctions de la CEPALC

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Descentralización de las actividades económicas y sociales de las NU: las nuevas funciones de las comisiones regionales en la cooperación regional e interregional = Decentralization of the economic and social activities of the UN: the new functions of the regional commissions in regional and interregional co-operation

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Does excess weight interfere with bone mass accumulation during adolescence?

Obesity and osteoporosis are important global health problems characterized by increasing prevalence with high impact on morbidity and mortality. The objective of this review was to determine whether excess weight during adolescence interferes with bone mass accumulation. If bone mineral gain can be optimized during puberty, adults are less likely to suffer from the devastating complications of osteoporosis. The increased fracture risk in obese children has also been attributed to a lower bone mass for weight compared to non-obese children. Thus, adiposity present in this age group may not result in the protection of bone mass, in contrast to what has been observed in adults. However, studies involving adolescents have reported both protective and detrimental effects of obesity on bone. The results and mechanisms of these interactions are controversial and have not been fully elucidated, a fact highlighting the extreme relevance of this topic and the need to monitor intervening and interactive variables. © 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Predictive formulas for food base excess and urine pH estimations of cats

Food base excess (BE, mEq/kg) can be calculated from the diet macroelements, together with either the sulfur amino acids methionine and cysteine (BEaa) or total sulfur (BEs) concentrations. The present study compared the use of sulfur or methionine and cysteine for calculating the food BE (experiment 1) and investigated the influence of food BE on blood gas analysis and the urine pH of cats, and proposes a prediction equation to estimate the urine pH of cats fed kibble diets based on the calculated food BE (experiments 2 and 3). In experiment 1, nine healthy, adult cats were used in a change-over design and fed with nine commercial dry cat foods. The cats were housed in metabolism cages over seven days for adaptation and three days for total urine collection. All of the urine produced over 24h was pooled by cat and diet. The cats' acid-base status was assessed through blood gas analysis after 10 days of diet consumption. A mean difference of -115mEq/kg between BEs and BEaa was observed, which could be explained by a greater concentration of sulfur in the whole diet than in methionine and cysteine. Urine pH presented a stronger correlation with food BEs (R2=0.95; P<0.001) than with food BEaa (R2=0.86; P<0.001). Experiment 2 included 30 kibble diets, and each diet was tested in six cats. The food BEs varied between -180 and +307mEq/kg, and the urine pH of the cats varied between 5.60 and 7.74. A significant correlation was found between the measured urine pH and the food BEs (urinary pH=6.269+[0.0036×BEs]+[0.000003×BEs2]; R2=0.91; P<0.001). In experiment 3, eight kibble diets were tested (food BEs between -187mEq/kg and +381mEq/kg) to validate the equation proposed in experiment 2 and to compare the obtained results with previously published formulae. The results of the proposed formula presented a high concordance correlation coefficient (0.942) and high accuracy (0.979) with the measured values, and the estimates of urine pH did not differ from the values obtained in cats (P>0.05). The cats' venous blood pH, bicarbonate, and blood BE were correlated with food BEs (P<0.001); the consumption of diets with low food BEs induced a reduction in these parameters. In conclusion, food macroelement composition has a strong influence on cats' acid-base equilibrium and food BEs calculation is a useful tool to formulate and balance kibble diets for felines. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Estructura intergubernamental y funciones de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe = Intergovernmental structure and functions of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean = Structure et fonctions du mécanisme intergouvernemental de la Commission Economique pour l'Amérique latine et les Caraïbes

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Excess androgen during perinatal life alters steroid receptor expression, apoptosis, and cell proliferation in the uteri of the offspring

Exposure to environmental chemicals may contribute to reproductive disorders, especially when it occurs in critical periods of development. The female reproductive system can be a target for androgens derived from environmental contaminants or pathological conditions. The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term effects of androgens on uterine tissue after maternal exposure limited to the time of gestation and lactation. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated with testosterone propionate (TP) at 0.05. mg/kg, 0.1. mg/kg, 0.2. mg/kg or corn oil (vehicle), s.c., from gestational day 12 until the end of lactation. The results show changes in the pattern of expression of receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and androgen at all doses tested, and decreases in both apoptosis and cell proliferation indices at 0.1 and 0.2. mg/kg. We conclude that early TP exposure, under these experimental conditions, causes changes in cellular and molecular parameters that are essential for normal uterine function in the adult. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Effects of square-stepping exercise on cognitive functions of older people

Aim: Cognitive functions can decline with age, and interventions focusing on stimulating them may have positive results. Previous studies have shown that square-stepping exercise (SSE) has a good influence on balance, but this exercise also seems to promote cognitive stimulation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to analyse the effect of 16 weeks of SSE on cognitive functions in non-demented community-dwelling older people. Methods: This was a longitudinal, non-randomized study. Forty-one older adults (60 years and older) were recruited, and 21 participated in the SSE group (practised only SSE sequences) and 20 were in the control group (continued with their activities of daily living). Both groups were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Digit Span test, the Toulouse-Pierón Attention Test and the Modified Card Sorting Test. Results: The SSE group showed a significant improvement in global cognitive status, concentrated attention and mental flexibility after 16 weeks of the SSE intervention. Conclusion: Evidence shows that SSE is a physical activity that positively influences cognitive functions in non-demented older people. © 2013 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Reducing the conservatism of LMI-based stabilisation conditions for TS fuzzy systems using fuzzy Lyapunov functions

In this article, the fuzzy Lyapunov function approach is considered for stabilising continuous-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems. Previous linear matrix inequality (LMI) stability conditions are relaxed by exploring further the properties of the time derivatives of premise membership functions and by introducing slack LMI variables into the problem formulation. The relaxation conditions given can also be used with a class of fuzzy Lyapunov functions which also depends on the membership function first-order time-derivative. The stability results are thus extended to systems with large number of rules under membership function order relations and used to design parallel-distributed compensation (PDC) fuzzy controllers which are also solved in terms of LMIs. Numerical examples illustrate the efficiency of the new stabilising conditions presented. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Effects of fasting and refeeding on the metabolic functions of the turtle kinosternon scorpioides (linnaeus, 1766) raised in captivity

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Electric power costs and the functions of electricity undertakings

Report submitted by the Energy Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe