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NASH is becoming increasingly common worldwide because of the growing global prevalence of obesity and consequently NAFLD. Unfortunately, the mechanism of progression of NAFLD to NASH and then cirrhosis is not completely understood. Several factors, including insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipotoxicity, and bile acid (BA) toxicity, have been reported to be associated with NASH progression. The release of fatty acids from dysfunctional and insulin-resistant adipocytes results in lipotoxicity, which is caused by the ectopic accumulation of triglyceride-derived toxic metabolites and the subsequent activation of inflammatory pathways, cellular dysfunction, and lipoapoptosis. Adipose tissue (AT), especially visceral AT, comprises multiple cell populations that produce adipokines and insulin-like growth factor, plus macrophages and other immune cells that stimulate the development of lipotoxic liver disease. These biomolecules have been recently linked with many digestive diseases and gastrointestinal malignancies such as hepatocellular carcinoma. This made us question what role lipotoxicity has in the natural history of liver fibrosis. Therefore, this review focuses on the close relationship between AT and NASH. A good comprehension of the pathways that are related to dysregulated AT, metabolic dysfunction, and hepatic lipotoxicity will result in the development of prevention strategies and promising therapeutics for patients with NASH.

Recent studies have emphasized that regular exercise should be encouraged as a key part of care and support for people with Down syndrome (DS). However, muscle hypotonia has traditionally been considered a major barrier to resistance training (RT) in people with DS. The main objective of this study was to analyze the impact of circuit RT on markers of muscle damage. The secondary objective was to assess the influence of a RT program on body composition and work task performance. Thirty-six men with DS were recruited and randomly assigned to perform a circuit RT program with six stations 3 days/week for 12 weeks (n = 18) or to a control group (n = 18). Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Serum markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase, myoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase) were determined at baseline and at the end of training weeks 1, 6, and 12. Work task performance was assessed using the weighted pail-carry test. RT did not induce significant changes in markers of muscle damage during the intervention. Furthermore, muscle mass and work task performance were significantly improved in the exercise group. These findings suggest that circuit RT can be used safely to increase muscle mass and work task performance in young adults with DS. Muscle hypotonia should not be considered a major barrier to exercise in people with DS, provided that qualified staff design and supervise all training sessions.

The increasing prevalence of obesity among the institutionalised elderly population and its severe consequences on health requires an early and accurate diagnosis that can be easily achieved in any clinical setting. This study aimed to determine new cut-off values for anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance measures that are superior to body mass index criteria for overweight and obesity status in a sample of Spanish institutionalised elderly population. A total of 211 institutionalised older adults (132 women, aged 84.3±7.3 years; 79 men, aged 81.5±7.3 years) were enrolled in the current cross-sectional study. Anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance measures included the body mass index, waist circumference, gluteal circumference, waist-hip ratio, sagittal-abdominal diameter, trunk fat, and visceral-fat ratio. In women, the waist circumference, gluteal circumference, sagittal-abdominal diameter, trunk fat, and visceral-fat index presented strongly significant specificity and sensitivity (area under the curve [AUC], p<0.0001) and elevated discriminative values (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curves: 0.827 to 0.867) for overweight and obesity status. In men, the waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, gluteal circumference, sagittal-abdominal diameter, trunk fat, and visceral-fat ratio were strongly significant AUC (p<0.0001), with moderate-to-high values (ROC curves: 0.757–0.871). In conclusion, our findings suggest that gluteal circumference, waist circumference, and sagittal-abdominal diameter in women and trunk fat, visceral-fat ratio, and waist circumference in men may represent more suitable cut-off values superior to body mass index criteria for overweight and obesity in the Spanish institutionalised elderly population.

Estimating minute ventilation (V̇E) is essential for assessing the health impacts of environmental exposures during exercise field‐studies. Predictive equations using heart rate (HR) are commonly used, but overlook exercise intensity domains, and reduced accuracy is shown, particularly for females. Thus, we developed predictive equations for females' V̇E based on HR responses at different exercise intensity domains using a Bayesian approach. Nineteen physically active females performed an incremental running test with breath‐by‐breath measurements of V̇E, metabolic rate, and HR. The first and second ventilatory thresholds were identified by measurement of the ventilatory equivalent for oxygen and carbon dioxide, respectively. The Bayesian framework showed that the model fit for estimating V̇E by HR was improved when the incremental running test and its intensity domains were considered. An exponential model provided the best fit (V̇E = 2.86 × exp.(0.019 × HR)) for the full incremental running test (R2 = 0.957), whereas linear models yielded superior fits when analyzing individual moderate (V̇E = −32.92 + (HR × 0.19)), heavy (V̇E = −101.94 + (HR × 0.99)) and severe (V̇E = −268.81 + (HR × 1.98)) exercise intensity domains (R2 = 0.977). Accurate estimates of V̇E from HR measurements must consider the exercise intensity domain and the linear regression model for better biomonitoring of human exposures.

The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn and Fe were evaluated in leaves, stem and root of the Scirpus americanus and Typha latifolia aquatic macrophytes, which were collected from Tanque Tenorio, an artificial lagoon highly polluted by municipal and industrial wastewater. Some S. americanus and T. latifolia plants were collected from four different sites within Tanque Tenorio. The sites were chosen regarding their proximity with the main channel discharging wastewater into the lagoon. The results showed that S. americanus and T. latifolia have the ability to extract Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn and Fe from their water surroundings; on the whole, the roots presented higher concentrations of heavy metals than the stem and the leaves. The highest accumulation of heavy metals was observed in plants growing at the site near the channel entering the lagoon. S. americanus accumulated more Pb, Cr, Mn and Fe than T. latifolia ; Cd concentrations were comparably the same in both species. This study provides information in relation to aquatic plants growing in polluted waters, which accumulate heavy metals. These findings are of interest pertaining to the removal processes for treating aquatic systems with heavy metal content.

Exposure to air pollution has been a significant challenge in large cities as São Paulo, Brazil, particularly for individuals exercising outdoors. The increasing on ventilation (VE) during physical effort can lead to greater pollutant inhalation. Our goal in the present study evaluated whether air pollution exposure affects venous blood gases and if it has an impact on performance during a 50‐km cycling time trial (TT). Ten male cyclists performed the TT in an environmental chamber under TRAP and filtered air conditions. Venous blood samples collected pre‐ and post‐TT were analyzed for pH, PvCO2 (partial pressure of carbon dioxide in venous blood), PvO2 (partial pressure of oxygen in venous blood) hematocrit (Htc), hemoglobin (Hb), and oxygen saturation (SvO2). PM2.5 levels were significantly lower in filtered air (11.2 ± 4.7 μm/m3) than in TRAP (34.6 ± 10.8 μm/m3). There was no significant difference in mean power output between conditions (p = 0.907, d = 0.038). Blood gas parameters showed no condition effect or interaction, but time significantly affected PvO2 (p = 0.04), Hb (p < 0.01), Htc (p < 0.01), and PvCO2 (p = 0.02). These findings suggest recreationally trained cyclists experience no performance impairment under TRAP, with minimal changes in venous blood gas parameters. Changes in blood gas parameters following a 50‐km cycling time trial performed in a real‐world air‐polluted environment.

We investigated the effect of Cd and Pb on the growth of the aquatic macrophyte Typha latifolia; the removal from the solution and the accumulation of these elements by the plant were also studied. Thus, small plants of T. latifolia, collected from a noncontaminated site, were exposed for 10 days to Cd and Pb, in a single solution or in mixture solutions, at two concentrations of the metals (5 and 7.5 mg/L). Our results showed that T. latifolia removed effectively Cd and Pb from solutions and was able to accumulate these metals in the roots and, to a lesser extent, in the leaves. Our findings suggested a synergistic effect of Cd and Pb with respect to the toxicity to T. latifolia. Additionally, Cd diminished the Pb absorption by T. latifolia. Our results confirmed, using scanning electron microscopy, the internalization of Cd and Pb in T. latifolia.

We studied the phylogeny, population structure, and demographic history of Scolopsis taenioptera in the western Pacific Ocean. Using the 80 samples collected from four locations, we obtained the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b genes. We identified two distinct lineages showing a clear phylogeographic break that was possibly due to the Pleistocene sea-level change. One lineage was distributed in Iloilo (Philippines) and the other in Terengganu (Malaysia), Rayong (Thailand), and Ha Long Bay (Vietnam). The Terengganu and Rayong populations showed clear signs of demographic expansion; the Iloilo and Ha Long Bay populations were relatively stable or spatially expanded as geographically subdivided populations.

The emerging contaminants (ECs) are organic compounds including pharmaceuticals. These products are consumed in large quantities, favoring their continuous entrance to the environment and affecting the health of living beings. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic properties of prolonged release. It is the commonest postoperative analgesic, and it is highly consumed without prescription. In recent years, the capability of microalgae to remove pharmaceuticals in water has been tested as a promising tool. In this work, the removal efficiency of diclofenac (16 µg/mL) by the microalga Nannochloropsis oculata CCAP 186/7 was evaluated. The major nutrient concentrations in Bold’s Basal Medium were modified (nitrogen and carbon: 50 and 100% of their original concentration) to know their effect in the removal of diclofenac. Drug degradation by light was also evaluated. The maximum removal capacity of diclofenac in the medium was 68.8%. The percentage of diclofenac adsorbed on the cell wall was between 6 and 12.7%. Around 23.6% of diclofenac was degraded by light after 18 days. N. oculata did not show growth inhibition due to the presence of diclofenac. The results obtained point to the promissory application of N. oculata as a bioremediation system for diclofenac removal.

Gallium‐based liquid metal alloys (GaLMAs) have widespread applications ranging from soft electronics, energy devices, and catalysis. GaLMAs can be transformed into liquid metal emulsions (LMEs) to modify their rheology for facile patterning, processing, and material integration for GaLMA‐based device fabrication. One drawback of using LMEs is reduced electrical conductivity owing to the oxides that form on the surface of dispersed liquid metal droplets. LMEs thus need to be activated by coalescing liquid metal droplets into an electrically conductive network, which usually involves techniques that subject the LME to harsh conditions. This study presents a way to coalesce these droplets through a chemical reaction at mild temperatures (T ∼ 80 °C). Chemical activation is enabled by adding halide compounds into the emulsion that chemically etch the oxide skin on the surface of dispersed droplets of eutectic gallium indium (eGaIn). LMEs synthesized with halide activators can achieve electrical conductivities close to bulk liquid metal (2.4 × 104 S cm−1) after being heated. 3D printable chemically coalescing LME ink formulations are optimized by systematically exploring halide activator type and concentration, along with mixing conditions, while maximizing for electrical conductivity, shape retention, and compatibility with direct ink writing (DIW). The utility of this ink is demonstrated in a hybrid 3D printing process to create a battery‐integrated light emitting diode array, followed by a nondestructive low temperature heat activation that produces a functional device. A new type of liquid metal emulsion is developed that chemically activates and becomes electrically conductive under mild thermal stimulus. The activation mechanism occurs through a unique set of catalytic dehalogenation and chemical oxide etching reactions. These emulsions are 3D printable and exhibit high shape retention after being heated. This technology enables simple fabrication of liquid metal‐based applications and patterning of soft metal catalysts.