Publications by authors named "Alcantara J"

This study aimed to investigate the effects 24 weeks of supervised exercise training at different intensities on S-Klotho and 25-hydroxyvitamin D plasma levels in young adults. This report was based on a secondary analysis from the ACTIBATE single-center unblinded randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02365129).

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: Body image dissatisfaction is elevated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as other chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to determine if the higher rate of body image dissatisfaction in IBD is specific to IBD or characteristic of chronic disease in general by comparing body image dissatisfaction in IBD patients with age- and gender-matched healthy individuals and those with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). : In this New Zealand-based case-control study conducted in a secondary care hospital, consecutive IBD patients aged 16 years and older were matched 1:1 with healthy individuals and T1DM patients based on age and gender.

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The optimal eating window for time-restricted eating (TRE) remains unclear, particularly its impact on visceral adipose tissue (VAT), which is associated with cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality. We investigated the effects of three TRE schedules (8 h windows in the early day, late day and participant-chosen times) combined with usual care (UC, based on education about the Mediterranean diet) versus UC alone over 12 weeks in adults with overweight or obesity. The primary outcome was VAT changes measured by magnetic resonance imaging.

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Functional analysis of non-coding variants associated with congenital disorders remains challenging due to the lack of efficient in vivo models. Here we introduce dual-enSERT, a robust Cas9-based two-color fluorescent reporter system which enables rapid, quantitative comparison of enhancer allele activities in live mice in less than two weeks. We use this technology to examine and measure the gain- and loss-of-function effects of enhancer variants previously linked to limb polydactyly, autism spectrum disorder, and craniofacial malformation.

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Plant-plant interactions are major determinants of the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. There is a long tradition in the study of these interactions, their mechanisms and their consequences using experimental, observational and theoretical approaches. Empirical studies overwhelmingly focus at the level of species pairs or small sets of species.

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Background: Mammalian cells possess molecular clocks, the adequate functioning of which is decisive for metabolic health. Exercise is known to modulate these clocks, potentially having distinct effects on metabolism depending on the time of day. This study aimed to investigate the impact of morning vs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Citrulline (CIT) and beetroot extract (BR) supplements were studied for their effects on exercise performance and metabolic outcomes in elite rowers, focusing on oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, energy expenditure, and efficiency.
  • A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial with 20 elite rowers was conducted, comparing effects after a week of supplementation with placebo, BR, and combined BR-CIT.
  • The results indicated no significant differences in metabolic measurements like energy expenditure and substrate utilization between the groups, suggesting that longer durations or higher doses of supplementation may be needed to see any benefits in metabolic outcomes.
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Predictive equations are widely employed for estimating the volume of oxygen consumption (VO) while walking, which is ultimately employed to determine energy expenditure and tailor exercise prescription. This study aimed to test the agreement between the measured VO and estimated VO during a walking protocol on a treadmill at 3.5, 4.

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Background: This study aims to examine the relationship between resting vagal-related heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and heart rate (HR) with resting metabolic rate (RMR) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) in young adults.

Methods: A total of 74 young adults (22 ± 2 years old, 51 women) were included in this cross-sectional study. HRV was assessed using a HR monitor, whereas RMR and RER were determined by indirect calorimetry.

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Article Synopsis
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae is a harmful bacterium that causes over one million deaths each year and often infects people, especially young kids, without showing symptoms at first.
  • It can become dangerous when conditions change, like during a viral infection, allowing it to cause serious illness.
  • The study focused on understanding how a special transporter, PotABCD, helps the bacteria form biofilms, which are protective layers that keep them alive; more polyamines (a type of chemical) in their environment made it easier for the bacteria to form these biofilms, especially in complex settings.
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Context: Exercise reduces adiposity, but its influence on bone marrow fat fraction (BMFF) is unknown; nor is it known whether a reduction in liver fat content mediates this reduction.

Objectives: (i) To determine whether incorporating exercise into a lifestyle program reduces the lumbar spine (LS)-BMFF, and (ii), to investigate whether changes in liver fat mediate any such effect.

Design: Ancillary analysis of a two-arm, parallel, non-randomized clinical trial.

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This article presents the development of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility (EDIA) Cross-Cutting Theme Project within the Team Primary Care (TPC) initiative, aimed at addressing systemic inequities through innovative educational strategies. Grounded in the social accountability of health professions framework, this project aims to equip primary care teams with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to promote health equity. The EDIA Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) model includes a self-assessment tool, digital learning space, and national mentorship network, providing a comprehensive approach for primary care teams to promote health equity.

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Background: Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). A recent case report identified a rare variant in APOE, APOE3-R136S (Christchurch), proposed to confer resistance to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's Disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether and how this variant exerts its protective effects.

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Background: Children with overweight/obesity often exhibit alterations in their plasma protein profiles and reduced heart rate variability (HRV). Plasma proteomics is at the forefront of identifying biomarkers for various clinical conditions. We aimed to examine the association between plasma-targeted proteomics involved in cardiovascular health and resting vagal-related HRV parameters in children with overweight/obesity.

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Background: Genetic factors and microbial imbalances play crucial roles in colorectal cancers (CRCs), yet the impact of infections on cancer initiation remains poorly understood. While bioinformatic approaches offer valuable insights, the rising incidence of CRCs creates a pressing need to precisely identify early CRC events. We constructed a network model to identify continuum states during CRC initiation spanning normal colonic tissue to pre-cancer lesions (adenomatous polyps) and examined the influence of microbes and host genetics.

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Objective: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) improves glucose levels; however, whether its timing affects daily glycemic control remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of lifestyle MVPA timing on daily glycemic control in sedentary adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic impairments.

Methods: A total of 186 adults (50% women; age, 46.

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Perennial plants create productive and biodiverse hotspots, known as fertile islands, beneath their canopies. These hotspots largely determine the structure and functioning of drylands worldwide. Despite their ubiquity, the factors controlling fertile islands under conditions of contrasting grazing by livestock, the most prevalent land use in drylands, remain virtually unknown.

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Objective: Tracheal intubation in cardiac surgery patients has a higher incidence of difficult laryngoscopic views compared with patients undergoing other types of surgery. The authors hypothesized that using the McGrath Mac videolaryngoscope as the first intubation option for cardiac surgery patients improves the percentage of patients with "easy intubation" compared with using a direct Macintosh laryngoscope.

Design: A prospective, observational, before-after study.

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Although plant-soil feedback (PSF) is being recognized as an important driver of plant recruitment, our understanding of its role in species coexistence in natural communities remains limited by the scarcity of experimental studies on multispecies assemblages. Here, we experimentally estimated PSFs affecting seedling recruitment in 10 co-occurring Mediterranean woody species. We estimated weak but significant species-specific feedback.

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Current rates of climate change are exceeding the capacity of many plant species to track climate, thus leading communities to be in disequilibrium with climatic conditions. Plant canopies can contribute to this disequilibrium by buffering macro-climatic conditions and sheltering poorly adapted species to the oncoming climate, particularly in their recruitment stages. Here we analyse differences in climatic disequilibrium between understorey and open ground woody plant recruits in 28 localities, covering more than 100,000 m , across an elevation range embedding temperature and aridity gradients in the southern Iberian Peninsula.

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Purpose: Citrulline (CIT) and beetroot extract (BR) have separately shown benefits in rowing performance-related outcomes. However, effects of combined supplementation remain to be elucidated. The main purpose of this research was to study the effects of 1 week of daily co-supplementation of 3.

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Background: Toxoplasmosis is induced by , which affects 30 percent of the global population and is responsible for deaths related to foodborne pathogens. This study aimed to describe the seroprevalence of in patients attending referral hospitals in the northwestern region of Saudi Arabia.

Materials And Methods: The serology test results for antibodies of 797 patients were retrospectively analyzed using the hospitals' database.

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Objective: To determine differences in resting heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR) between young adults with normal-weight obesity (NWO) and normal-weight lean (NWL).

Methods: A total of 65 normal-weight individuals (18-25 years old, 50 women, body mass index 18.5 to 24.

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Objective: To examine the impact of the RMR ratio cutoff point selected on the categorization of prevalence/absence of low energy availability among predictive equations in high-level athletes ( = 241 [99 women]; 52% competed at the World Championship and Olympic Games), and whether this categorization is influenced by sex and the predictive equation used.

Methods: We assessed RMR using indirect calorimetry, predicted the RMR using the equations proposed by Harris-Benedict, FAO/WHO/UNU, de Lorenzo, ten Haaf and Wejis, Wong, Jagim, Cunningham, and Freire, and computed the RMR ratio for each equation.

Results: We observed that the cumulative percentage of RMR ratio values increased at a faster rate using Jagim, ten Haaf and Wejis, and Cunningham equations compared to the other equations.

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