Body position and cuff size influence lower limb arterial occlusion pressure and its predictors: implications for standardizing the pressure applied in training with blood flow restriction.

Arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) is a relevant measurement for individualized prescription of exercise with blood flow restriction (BFRE). Therefore, it is important to consider factors that may influence this measure. This study aimed to compare lower limb AOP (LL-AOP) measured with 11 cm (medium) and 18 cm (large) cuffs, in different body positions, and explore the predictors for each of the LL-AOP measurements performed.

Comparative Genomics Supports Ecologically Induced Selection as a Putative Driver of Banded Penguin Diversification.

The relative importance of genetic drift and local adaptation in facilitating speciation remains unclear. This is particularly true for seabirds, which can disperse over large geographic distances, providing opportunities for intermittent gene flow among distant colonies that span the temperature and salinity gradients of the oceans. Here, we delve into the genomic basis of adaptation and speciation of banded penguins, Galápagos (Spheniscus mendiculus), Humboldt (Spheniscus humboldti), Magellanic (Spheniscus magellanicus), and African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), by analyzing 114 genomes from the main 16 breeding colonies.

Associations among MHC genes, latitude, and avian malaria infections in the rufous-collared sparrow ().

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a genetic region in jawed vertebrates that contains key genes involved in the immune response. Associations between the MHC and avian malaria infections in wild birds have been observed and mainly explored in the Northern Hemisphere, while a general lack of information remains in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we investigated the associations between the MHC genes and infections with and blood parasites along a latitudinal gradient in South America.

Climate change and population persistence in a hibernating marsupial.

Climate change has physiological consequences on organisms, ecosystems and human societies, surpassing the pace of organismal adaptation. Hibernating mammals are particularly vulnerable as winter survival is determined by short-term physiological changes triggered by temperature. In these animals, winter temperatures cannot surpass a certain threshold, above which hibernators arouse from torpor, increasing several fold their energy needs when food is unavailable.

History of Diversification and Adaptation from North to South Revealed by Genomic Data: Guanacos from the Desert to Sub-Antarctica.

The increased availability of quality genomic data has greatly improved the scope and resolution of our understanding of the recent evolutionary history of wild species adapted to extreme environments and their susceptibility to anthropogenic impacts. The guanaco (Lama guanicoe), the largest wild ungulate in South America, is a good example. The guanaco is well adapted to a wide range of habitats, including the Sechura Desert, the high Andes Mountains to the north, and the extreme temperatures and conditions of Navarino Island to the south.