Fatigue Increases in Resting Muscle Oxygen Consumption after a Women's Soccer Match.

Currently, near infrared spectroscopy has a clear potential to explain the mechanisms of fatigue by assessing muscle oxygenation. The objective of the study was to observe the changes in muscle oxygen consumption after an official women's soccer match. The sample was 14 players who competing in the second division of Spain of women's soccer. They were evaluated before, immediately after and 24 h after the official match. Biochemical parameters were measured in blood plasma (BUN, GOT, LDH, CPK). The jumping in countermovement, perceived exertion and perceived muscle pain were also assessed. The muscle oxygen consumption and muscle oxygen saturation were evaluated in the gastrocnemius muscle with an arterial occlusion test. ANOVA of repeated measures, Pearson's correlation and Hopkins' statistics were applied to measure the magnitudes of change and effect size. There was observed an increase in kinetics of SmO2 at 24 h after the official match, using arterial occlusion. In addition, it was found that the increase in muscle oxygenation correlated with fatigue indicators, such as the increases in LDH, perceived muscle pain and the decrease in countermovement. It is confirmed that a women's soccer match produced an increase of resting muscle oxygenation in 24 h after the official match.

Synthesis of 6ß-hydroxy androgens from a 3,5-diene steroid precursor to test for cytochrome P450 3A4-catalyzed hydroxylation of androstenedione.

6ß-Hydroxytestosterone is a biomarker for the activity of human cytochrome P450 3A4 (P450 3A4), the major drug metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzyme. Despite its significance, efficient routes for the chemical synthesis of 6ß-hydroxytestosterone are rare. In this study, 6ß-hydroxytestosterone was synthesized through the oxidation of a 3,5-diene precursor under the Uemura-Doyle reaction conditions using a dirhodium catalyst in the presence of tert-butylhydroperoxide. Mechanistic studies showed that some oxygen is incorporated from molecular oxygen and CH abstraction is partially rate-limiting. This reaction was used to synthesize 6ß-hydroxyandrostenedione, which was used as a standard to test the hypothesis of whether P450 3A4 catalyzes the hydroxylation of androstenedione. Upon incubation of P450 3A4 with androstenedione, a hydroxylated product was formed, which matched the retention time of synthetic 6ß-hydroxyandrostenedione. This reaction can be exploited to study other biochemical processes involving compounds with a 6 ß -hydroxy-3-keto-Δ4 steroid backbone.

Hydrological and topographic determinants of biomass and species richness in a Mediterranean-climate shrubland.

BACKGROUND: In arid and semiarid shrublands, water availability directly influences ecosystem properties. However, few empirical tests have determined the association between particular soil and hydrology traits with biodiversity and ecosystem biomass at the local scale. METHODS: We tested if plant species richness (S) and aboveground biomass (AGB) were associated with soil and topographic properties on 36 plots (ca. 12.5 m2) in 17 hectares of chaparral in the Mediterranean-climate of Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, México. We used close-to-the-ground aerial photography to quantify sky-view cover per species, including all growth forms. We derived an elevation model (5 cm) from other aerial imagery. We estimated six soil properties (soil water potential, organic matter content, water content, pH, total dissolved solids concentration, and texture) and four landscape metrics (slope, aspect, elevation, and topographic index) for the 36 plots. We quantified the biomass of stems, leaves, and reproductive structures, per species. RESULTS: 86% of AGB was in stems, while non-woody species represented 0.7% of AGB but comprised 38% of S (29 species). Aboveground biomass and species richness were unrelated across the landscape. S was correlated with aspect and elevation (R = 0.53, aspect P = 0.035, elevation P = 0.05), while AGB (0.006-9.17 Kg m-2) increased with soil water potential and clay content (R = 0.51, P = 0.02, and P = 0.04). Only three species (11% of total S) occupied 65% of the total plant cover, and the remaining 26 represented only 35%. Cover was negatively correlated with S (R = -0.38, P = 0.02). 75% of AGB was concentrated in 30% of the 36 plots, and 96% of AGB corresponded to only 20% of 29 species. DISCUSSION: At the scale of small plots in our studied Mediterranean-climate shrubland in Baja California, AGB was most affected by soil water storage. AGB and cover were dominated by a few species, and only cover was negatively related to S. S was comprised mostly by uncommon species and tended to increase as plant cover decreased.

Whole-Exome Sequencing, Proteome Landscape, and Immune Cell Migration Patterns in a Clinical Context of Menkes Disease.

Menkes disease (MD) is a rare and often lethal X-linked recessive syndrome, characterized by generalized alterations in copper transport and metabolism, linked to mutations in the ATPase copper transporting α (ATP7A) gene. Our objective was to identify genomic alterations and circulating proteomic profiles related to MD assessing their potential roles in the clinical features of the disease. We describe the case of a male patient of 8 months of age with silvery hair, tan skin color, hypotonia, alterations in neurodevelopment, presence of seizures, and low values of plasma ceruloplasmin. Trio-whole-exome sequencing (Trio-WES) analysis, plasma proteome screening, and blood cell migration assays were carried out. Trio-WES revealed a hemizygous change c.4190C > T (p.S1397F) in exon 22 of the ATP7A gene. Compared with his parents and with child controls, 11 plasma proteins were upregulated and 59 downregulated in the patient. According to their biological processes, 42 (71.2%) of downregulated proteins had a participation in cellular transport. The immune system process was represented by 35 (59.3%) downregulated proteins (p = 9.44 × 10-11). Additional studies are necessary to validate these findings as hallmarks of MD.

Analytical validation and reference intervals for freezing point depression osmometer measurements of urine osmolality in dogs.

Urine osmolality (UOsm) is considered the most accurate measure of urine concentration and is used to assess body fluid homeostasis and renal function. We performed analytical validation of freezing point depression measurement of canine UOsm, to establish reference intervals (RIs) and to determine the effect of age, sex, and reproductive status on UOsm in dogs. Clinically healthy dogs ( n = 1,991) were retrospectively selected and stratified in groups by age (young [0-12 mo], adults [13-84 mo], and seniors [>84 mo]), sex (females and males), and reproductive status (intact and neutered). RIs were calculated for each age group. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were <1% in all cases. Good linearity ( r2 = 1, p < 0.001) and recovery (89-98%) were observed. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were zero. Urine specific gravity and UOsm had a highly significant positive correlation ( r = 0.96, p < 0.001) but had inconsistent agreement. The 95% RI for canine UOsm was 369-2,416 mOsm/kg in young and adult dogs, and 366-2,178 mOsm/kg in seniors. Senior dogs had a significantly lower UOsm than young and adult dogs ( p < 0.000). Neutered females had a significantly lower UOsm than intact female dogs ( p < 0.002). These results indicate that the method evaluated is adequate for UOsm measurement and that RIs based on age and reproductive status should be used in dogs.