What if gastrointestinal complications in endurance athletes were gut injuries in response to a high consumption of ultra-processed foods? Please take care of your bugs if you want to improve endurance performance: a narrative review.

To improve performance and recovery faster, athletes are advised to eat more often than usual and consume higher doses of simple carbohydrates, during and after exercise. Sports energetic supplements contain food additives, such as artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, acidity regulators, preservatives, and salts, which could be harmful to the gut microbiota and impair the intestinal barrier function. The intestinal barrier plays a critical function in bidirectionally regulation of the selective transfer of nutrients, water, and electrolytes, while preventing at the same time, the entrance of harmful substances (selective permeability). The gut microbiota helps to the host to regulate intestinal homeostasis through metabolic, protective, and immune functions. Globally, the gut health is essential to maintain systemic homeostasis in athletes, and to ensure proper digestion, metabolization, and substrate absorption. Gastrointestinal complaints are an important cause of underperformance and dropout during endurance events. These complications are directly related to the loss of gut equilibrium, mainly linked to microbiota dysbiosis and leaky gut. In summary, athletes must be cautious with the elevated intake of ultra-processed foods and specifically those contained on sports nutrition supplements. This review points out the specific nutritional interventions that should be implemented and/or discontinued depending on individual gut functionality.

Characterization of 58 STRs and 94 SNPs with the ForenSeq™ DNA signature prep kit in Mexican-Mestizos from the Monterrey city (Northeast, Mexico).

BACKGROUND: STR allele frequency databases from populations are necessary to take full advantage of the increased power of discrimination offered by massively parallel sequencing (MPS) platforms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this reason, we sequenced 58 STRs (aSTRs, X-STRs, and Y-STRs) and 94 identity informative SNPs (iiSNPs) on 105 Mestizo (admixed) individuals from Monterrey City (Northeast, Mexico), with the Primer Set-A of the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit. RESULTS: Most of the STR markers were in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium, with a few exceptions. We found 346 different length-based alleles for these 58 STRs; nevertheless, they became 528 alleles when the sequence was assessed. The combined power of discrimination from autosomal STRs (aSTRs) was -virtually- 100% in both length and sequence-based alleles, while the power of exclusion was 99.9999999976065 and 99.9999999999494%, respectively. Haplotypes based on X-STRs and Y-STRs showed 100% of discriminatory capacity. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide -for the first time- forensic genomic population data from Mexico necessary for interpretation in kinship and criminal analyses.

Long-Range Wireless System for U-Value Assessment Using a Low-Cost Heat Flux Sensor.

The present study exposes an economical and easy-to-use system to assess the heat transfer in building envelopes by determining the U-value. Nowadays these systems require long wires and a host to collect and process the data. In this work, a multi-point system for simultaneous heat flux measurement has been proposed. The aim is to reduce the long measurement time and the cost of thermal isolation evaluations in large buildings. The system proposed consists of a low-cost 3D-printed heat flux sensor integrated with a LoRa transceiver and two temperature sensors. The heat flux (HF) sensor was compared and calibrated with a commercial HF sensor from the Fluxteq brand.

Family-School Cooperation: An Online Survey of Parents and Teachers of Young Children in Spain.

Given the closure of schools due to the global confinement resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, family-school cooperation has become a priority in most educational stages, but especially in Early Childhood Education and Care. This research analysed how parents dealt with this new situation, as well as the way in which family-school cooperation was established. Two online questionnaires were developed by the researchers. Respondents included 1266 families with children between the ages of infancy and six years, as well as 1235 early childhood education teachers from all regions of Spain. Results show that family-school cooperation is associated with several family and school characteristics and that families have neither the tools to face this new situation, nor the time to educate their children at home. This, together with the fact that some households do not have Internet access, makes family-school cooperation a challenging matter, especially in times of pandemic.

Application of the MSAP Technique to Evaluate Epigenetic Changes in Plant Conservation.

Epigenetic variation, and particularly DNA methylation, is involved in plasticity and responses to changes in the environment. Conservation biology studies have focused on the measurement of this variation to establish demographic parameters, diversity levels and population structure to design the appropriate conservation strategies. However, in ex situ conservation approaches, the main objective is to guarantee the characteristics of the conserved material (phenotype and epi-genetic). We review the use of the Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) technique to detect changes in the DNA methylation patterns of plant material conserved by the main ex situ plant conservation methods: seed banks, in vitro slow growth and cryopreservation. Comparison of DNA methylation patterns before and after conservation is a useful tool to check the fidelity of the regenerated plants, and, at the same time, may be related with other genetic variations that might appear during the conservation process (i.e., somaclonal variation). Analyses of MSAP profiles can be useful in the management of ex situ plant conservation but differs in the approach used in the in situ conservation. Likewise, an easy-to-use methodology is necessary for a rapid interpretation of data, in order to be readily implemented by conservation managers.

Magnetically Induced CO2 Methanation Using Exchange-Coupled Spinel Ferrites in Cuboctahedron-Shaped Nanocrystals.

Magnetically induced catalysis can be promoted taking advantage of optimal heating properties from the magnetic nanoparticles to be employed. However, when unprotected, these heating agents that are usually air-sensitive, get sintered under the harsh catalytic conditions. In this context, we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first example of air-stable magnetic nanoparticles that: 1) show excellent performance as heating agents in the CO2 methanation catalyzed by Ni/SiRAlOx, with CH4 yields above 95 %, and 2) do not sinter under reaction conditions. To attain both characteristics we demonstrate, first the exchange-coupled magnetic approach as an alternative and effective way to tune the magnetic response and heating efficiency, and second, the chemical stability of cuboctahedron-shaped core-shell hard CoFe2 O4 -soft Fe3 O4 nanoparticles.

Environmental management and labour productivity: The moderating role of capital intensity.

Recent years have seen firms improve their environmental practices, although the question still remains as to whether or not investing in such practices is or is not beneficial or simply a matter of image. This study focuses on labour productivity as a measure of performance, and we argue that the impact of greater environmental performance on that productivity is moderated by capital intensity. A sample of 2823 plants provides empirical evidence to support our approach. Specifically, the analyses, making use of estimates based on multiple regression models, reveal that environmental management has a positive impact on labour productivity in organisations with low capital intensity, although that impact becomes negative in cases of high capital intensity.

Impact of Smoking Cessation on the Clinical Course of Crohn's Disease Under Current Therapeutic Algorithms: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: Given the importance of tobacco smoking (TS) as the only environmental factor repeatedly linked to the development of the Crohn's disease (CD), it is surprising that very few prospective studies have assessed whether TS is associated with an increased frequency of clinical relapse. Our aim was to evaluate the current impact of TS on disease relapse and the clinical benefit of quitting smoking in the present era of widespread use of anti-TNF drugs and immunosuppressants. METHODS: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study, which included 573 CD patients in clinical remission with various smoking habits. All smokers were advised to quit. Patients not exposed to tobacco before inclusion (non- and former smokers), continuing smokers, and quitters were compared regarding differences in disease outcomes during a follow-up of 4 years. RESULTS: A total of 148 continuing smokers, 190 nonsmokers, 160 former smokers, and 75 quitters were included. In comparison with nonsmokers, continuing smokers relapsed more frequently with an incidence rate ratio of 1.53 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-2.17). Former smokers and quitters had similar relapse incidences compared with nonsmokers. Smoking was an independent predictor for disease relapse in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio: 1.58 (95% CI 1.20-2.09). In the time-dependent analysis, continuing smokers had earlier relapse, regardless of anti-TNF or immunosuppressant use. CONCLUSIONS: Continuing smokers have more disease relapses, and patients who quit smoking have a similar relapse incidence compared with nonsmokers.

Volatile emission in dry seeds as a way to probe chemical reactions during initial asymptomatic deterioration.

The nature and kinetics of reactions in dry seeds determines how long the seeds survive. We used gas chromatography to assay volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from seeds of three unrelated species as a means to non-invasively probe chemical changes during very dry, dry, and humid storage (seeds were dried to 5.5, 33, and 75% relative humidity at room temperature). VOCs emitted from seeds stored in humid conditions reflected fermentation-type reactions, with methanol and ethanol being predominant in Lactuca sativa and Carum carvi, and acetaldehyde and acetone being predominant in Eruca vesicaria. Dried C. carvi seeds continued to emit fermentation-type products, although at slower rates than the seeds stored in humid conditions. In contrast, drying caused a switch in VOC emission in L. sativa and E. vesicaria seeds towards higher emission of pentane and hexanal, molecules considered to be byproducts from the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Longevity correlated best with the rate of fermentation-type reactions and appeared unrelated to the rate of lipid peroxidation. Emission of VOCs decreased when seed species were mixed together, indicating that seeds adsorbed VOCs. Adsorption of VOCs did not appear to damage seeds, as longevity was not affected in seed mixtures. Collectively, the study shows similarity among species in the types of reactions that occur in dry seeds, but high diversity in the substrates, and hence the byproducts, of the reactions. Moreover, the study suggests that the most abundant VOCs arise from degradation of storage reserves within seed cells, and that these reactions and their byproducts are not, in themselves, damaging.

Structure and Rheology of Poloxamine T1107 and Its Nanocomposite Hydrogels with Cyclodextrin-Modified Barium Titanate Nanoparticles.

We report the preparation of a nanocomposite hydrogel based on a poloxamine gel matrix (Tetronic T1107) and cyclodextrin (CD)-modified barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles. The micellization and sol-gel behavior of pH-responsive block copolymer T1107 were fully characterized by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy as a function of concentration, pH and temperature. SANS results reveal that spherical micelles in the low concentration regime present a dehydrated core and highly hydrated shell, with a small aggregation number and size, highly dependent on the degree of protonation of the central amine spacer. At high concentration, T1107 undergoes a sol-gel transition, which is inhibited at acidic pH. Nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating CD-modified BT of two different sizes (50 and 200 nm) in concentrated polymer solutions. Rheological measurements show a broadening of the gel region, as well as an improvement of the mechanical properties, as assessed by the shear elastic modulus, G' (up to 200% increase). Initial cytocompatibility studies of the nanocomposites show that the materials are nontoxic with viabilities over 70% for NIH3T3 fibroblast cell lines. Overall, the combination of Tetronics and modified BaTiO3 provides easily customizable systems with promising applications as soft piezoelectric materials.

Isothermal solid-phase amplification system for detection of Yersinia pestis.

DNA amplification is required for most molecular diagnostic applications, but conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has disadvantages for field testing. Isothermal amplification techniques are being developed to respond to this problem. One of them is the recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) that operates at isothermal conditions without sacrificing specificity and sensitivity in easy-to-use formats. In this work, RPA was used for the optical detection of solid-phase amplification of the potential biowarfare agent Yersinia pestis. Thiolated forward primers were immobilized on the surface of maleimide-activated microtitre plates for the quantitative detection of synthetic and genomic DNA, with elongation occurring only in the presence of the specific template DNA and solution phase reverse primers. Quantitative detection was achieved via the use of biotinylated reverse primers and post-amplification addition of streptavidin-HRP conjugate. The overall time of amplification and detection was less than 1 h at a constant temperature of 37 °C. Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sequences were detected, achieving detection limits of 4.04*10(-13) and 3.14*10(-16) M, respectively. The system demonstrated high specificity with negligible responses to non-specific targets.

Unveiling nanometer scale extinction and scattering phenomena through combined electron energy loss spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence measurements.

Plasmon modes of the exact same individual gold nanoprisms are investigated through combined nanometer-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements. We show that CL only probes the radiative modes, in contrast to EELS, which additionally reveals dark modes. The combination of both techniques on the same particles thus provides complementary information and also demonstrates that although the radiative modes give rise to very similar spatial distributions when probed by EELS or CL, their resonant energies appear to be different. We trace this phenomenon back to plasmon dissipation, which affects in different ways the plasmon signatures probed by these techniques. Our experiments are in agreement with electromagnetic numerical simulations and can be further interpreted within the framework of a quasistatic analytical model. We therefore demonstrate that CL and EELS are closely related to optical scattering and extinction, respectively, with the addition of nanometer spatial resolution.

Determination of the linear coefficient of thermal expansion in polymer films at the nanoscale: influence of the composition of EVA copolymers and the molecular weight of PMMA.

Nanothermal-expansion of poly(ethylene-co-vinylacetate), EVA, and poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, in the form of films was measured to finally obtain linear coefficients of thermal expansion, CTEs. The simple deflection of a cantilever in an atomic force microscope, AFM, was used to monitor thermal expansions at the nanoscale. The influences of: (a) the structure of EVA in terms of its composition (vinylacetate content) and (b) the size of PMMA chains in terms of the molecular weight were studied. To carry out this, several polymer samples were used, EVA copolymers with different weight percents of the vinylacetate comonomer (12, 18, 25 and 40%) and PMMA polymers with different weight average molecular weights (33.9, 64.8, 75.600 and 360.0 kg mol(-1)). The dependencies of the vinyl acetate weight fraction of EVA and the molecular weight of PMMA on their corresponding CTEs were analyzed to finally explain them using new, intuitive and very simple models based on the rule of mixtures. In the case of EVA copolymers a simple equation considering the weighted contributions of each comonomer was enough to estimate the final CTE above the glass transition temperature. On the other hand, when the molecular weight dependence is considered the free volume concept was used as novelty. The expansion of PMMA, at least at the nanoscale, was well and easily described by the sum of the weighted contributions of the occupied and free volumes, respectively.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in antiferromagnetic cobalt oxide nanooctahedra.

Cobalt oxide octahedra were synthesized by thermal decomposition. Each octahedron-shaped nanoparticle consists of an antiferromagnetic CoO core enclosed by eight {111} facets interfaced to a thin (∼ 4 nm) surface layer of strained Co3O4. The nearly perfectly octahedral shaped particles with 20, 40, and 85 nm edge length show a weak room-temperature ferromagnetism that can be attributed to ferromagnetic correlations appearing due to strained lattice configurations at the CoO/Co3O4 interface.

Time compression diseconomies in environmental management: the effect of assimilation on environmental performance.

This research addresses the relationship between an organisation's assimilation of its environmental management system (EMS), the experience it gains through it, and its environmental performance. Assimilation here refers to the degree to which the requirements of the management standard are integrated within a plant's daily operations. Basing ourselves on the heterogeneity of organisations, we argue that assimilation and experience will inform environmental performance. Furthermore, we posit that the relationship between assimilation and environmental performance depends on experience. The attempt to obtain greater assimilation in a shorter time leads an organisation to record a poorer environmental outcome, which we shall refer to as time compression diseconomies in environmental management. We provide empirical evidence based on 154 plants pertaining to firms in Spain subject to the European Union's CO2 Emissions Trading System.

New molecular-scale information on polystyrene dynamics in PS and PS-BaTiO3 composites from FTIR spectroscopy.

A new idea to understand the macromolecular motion occurring along the thermal relaxations of polystyrene (PS) and PS-barium titanate composites is proposed. Detailed analysis of PS infrared bands provides a better knowledge of the factors affecting polymer dynamics. Average spectral positions and integrated absorbance of bands in the region of C-H out-of-plane vibrations showed a continuous decrease with temperature, whereas those in the region of aliphatic and aromatic C-H stretching vibrations showed the sharpest changes with temperature. Relaxation temperatures were determined from the changes observed in the band wavenumber or area with temperature. These results were attributed to changes in the distribution of the phenyl π-electron cloud, causing important dipole moment variations in the different vibration modes when the thermal transitions are taking place. Finally, although the presence of BaTiO3 particles does not seem to exert any specific effect on the PS dynamics in the glassy state, the Curie transition of these particles might induce a kind of confinement effect observable by FTIR.

Approaches for the cryopreservation of Plantago algarbiensis, a rare endemic species of the Algarve.

BACKGROUND: Plantago algarbiensis is an endangered endemic species from the Algarve, Portugal. OBJECTIVE: The main goal of this study was to investigate the viability of cryopreservation procedures in the conservation of seeds and nodal explants from this species. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seeds were directly immersed in liquid nitrogen (LN) for 30 days. Two methods were tested for the cryopreservation of nodal explants, namely droplet-vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration. For both methods, nodal segments were precultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and recovered on MS supplemented with 0.2 mg l(-1) 6-benzyladenine (BA), after freezing. RESULTS: After 30 days in LN, the germination capacity of seeds was not affected. The regrowth percentages of cryopreserved nodal segments were approximately 60%. With the droplet-vitrification method, a regrowth percentage of 60.0+/-15.2% was obtained after 120 min exposure to PVS2 (plant vitrification solution 2) and with encapsulation-dehydration method the highest percentage, 63.3+/-9.6%, was achieved after 3 h desiccation. CONCLUSION: Seed cryopreservation and cryopreservation of nodal segments by droplet-vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration are therefore effective approaches for the conservation of P. algarbiensis.

Cryopreservation of Thymus lotocephalus shoot tips and assessment of genetic stability.

BACKGROUND: Thymus lotocephalus is a rare endemic species from the Algarve, Portugal, and is legally protected by Portuguese and European legislation. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to develop a cryopreservation protocol for T. lotocephalus shoot tips, as an alternative approach for the long-term conservation of this species. METHODS: Several methods (droplet-vitrification, vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration) were tested. Conditions regarding the subculture period, cold-hardening and preculture were optimized. Cryopreserved shoot tips were also assessed for their genetic stability using RAPD markers. RESULTS: Droplet-vitrification presented the best results. The best regrowth of cryopreserved shoot tips obtained eight weeks after rewarming was 67%. This was accomplished with four weeks subculture period of in vitro-donor plants at 25 degree C, preculture of excised shoot tips for one day on MS medium containing 0.3 M sucrose, treatment in PVS2 for 60 min, and MS supplemented with 0.2 mg per L zeatin as recovery medium. The assessment using RAPD markers observed variation at a low frequency and shoots regenerated from cryopreserved apices showed normal development compared to the regular in vitro-grown shoots. CONCLUSION: Droplet-vitrification is thus a viable method for the cryopreservation of T. lotocephalus shoot tips.

Preliminary Report on Diet Estimation of Taruka (Hippocamelus antisensis d'Orbigny, 1834) in an Agricultural Area of the Andean Foothills of the Tarapacá Region, Chile.

The success of conservation programs for the taruka (Hippocamelus antisensis d'Orbigny), an endemic and endangered deer, depends on many factors, highlighting anthropogenic and ecological effects. Among the latter, how this herbivore interacts with forage resources is important. The objective of the study was to describe the main attributes of the diet of this deer in rangelands adjacent to agricultural areas of the foothills of the Tarapacá Region, Chile. The botanical composition of the diet (BCD) was determined by microhistology of feces and fecal nitrogen (NF, %) was measured in two contrasting seasons (rainy summer and dry winter). From the BCD and FN, their relative diversity (J) and crude protein percentage were estimated. In the BCD, Medicago sativa dominated (27.6 ± 8.2% vs. 53.9 ± 9.2%, in rainy summer and dry end winter, respectively), followed by herbaceous dicots (46.2 ± 9.4% vs. 19.4 ± 8.7%) and shrubby species (21.5 ± 7.8% vs. 23.4 ± 7.0%), from rangelands. The contribution of grasses and graminoid species was low, not exceeding 3% and 0.4% of the diet, respectively, with no differences between seasons of the year. Intake of horticultural crop species was marginal (1.3 ± 1.3%), being detected only in the wet season. Diet relative diversity was higher during the wet period (0.75 ± 0.07) compared to the dry period (0.58 ± 0.06), since in the first period it was possible to find a greater number of palatable species. There were no significant differences in the FN attributed to the time of the year (average of 1.8 ± 0.19%), which indicates that the diet of this deer would be stable in terms of its protein quality. These FN levels estimate sufficient dietary protein content to satisfy maintenance and early pregnancy, but these could be limiting during late gestation and lactation.

Effect of Collector Rotational Speed on the Morphology and Structure of Solution Blow Spun Polylactic Acid (PLA).

Apart from structure and composition, morphology plays a significant role in influencing the performance of materials in terms of both bulk and surface behavior. In this work, polylactic acid (PLA) constituted by submicrometric fibers is prepared. Using a modified electrospinning (ES) device to carry out solution blow spinning (SBS), the fibrillar morphology is modified, with the aim to induce variations in the properties of the material. The modification of the ES device consists of the incorporation of a source of pressurized gas (air) and a 3D-printed nozzle of our own design. For this work, the morphology of the PLA submicrometric fibers is modified by varying the rotational speed of the collector in order to understand its influence on different properties and, consequently, on the performance of the material. The rotational speed of a cylindrical collector (250, 500, 1000 and 2000 rpm) is considered as variable for changing the morphology. Morphological study of the materials was performed using scanning electron microscopy and image analysis carried out with ImageJ 1.54f software. Besides a morphology study, structural characterization by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy using attenuated total reflectance of prepared materials is carried out. Finally, the morphology and structure of produced PLA fibrous mats were correlated with the analysis of mechanical properties, wettability behavior and adhesion of DH5-α E. coli bacteria. It is of interest to highlight how small morphological and chemical structure variations can lead to important changes in materials' performance. These changes include, for example, those above 30% in some mechanical parameters and clear variations in bacterial adhesion capacity.