Distance decay 2.0 - A global synthesis of taxonomic and functional turnover in ecological communities.

Aim: Understanding the variation in community composition and species abundances (i.e., β-diversity) is at the heart of community ecology.

HMGA1 induces EZH2 overexpression in human B-cell lymphomas.

EZH2 is an enzymatic subunit of PRC2, an epigenetic regulator that triggers the methylation of the histone H3 lysine 27 silencing the transcription of several genes. EZH2 has a critical role in cancer progression, since its overexpression has been associated with increased cancer cell invasiveness, drug resistance and poor patient survival. However, the mechanisms accounting for EZH2 overexpression in cancer remain still unclear.

Dysphonia in Performers: Prevalence of Vocal Lesions and Voice Emergencies in a Private Otorhinolaryngology Practice.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of abnormal laryngeal findings during videostroboscopy in performers presenting to clinic or when having an acute vocal emergency.

Study Design: Retrospective study of professional singers and actors who presented for a vocal evaluation.

Subjects And Methods: A chart review of singers or professional actors who presented in a private otorhinolaryngology clinic between 2014 and 2016.

Is Health-related Quality of Life Decreased in Adolescents With Back Pain?

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Objective: To evaluate the association between back pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adolescents.

Summary Of Background Data: The prevalence of back pain has been increasing not only in the adult population but also among children and adolescents.

Portuguese crypto-Jews: the genetic heritage of a complex history.

The first documents mentioning Jewish people in Iberia are from the Visigothic period. It was also in this period that the first documented anti-Judaic persecution took place. Other episodes of persecution would happen again and again during the long troubled history of the Jewish people in Iberia and culminated with the Decrees of Expulsion and the establishment of the Inquisition: some Jews converted to Catholicism while others resisted and were forcedly baptized, becoming the first Iberian Crypto-Jews.

Remodeling of the thoracic aorta after bone marrow cell transplantation.

Stem cells are characterized by their ability to differentiate into multiple cell lineages and display the paracrine effect. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of therapy with bone marrow cells (BMCs) on blood glucose, lipid metabolism and aortic wall remodeling in mice through the administration of a high fat diet and subsequent BMCs transplantation. C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet (CO group) or an atherogenic diet (AT group).

Short term low-calorie diet improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic parameters in obese women.

Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with an increase of cardiovascular risk factors, including adipocytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of low-calorie diet on serum lipids, adipokines, insulin resistance and body composition in obese women. It was a clinical trial with class I obese women aged 30-45 years submitted to hypocaloric diet for 90 days.

Chronic aerobic exercise associated to dietary modification improve endothelial function and eNOS expression in high fat fed hamsters.

Obesity is epidemic in the western world and central adipose tissue deposition points to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independently of any association between obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors. Physical exercise has been used as non-pharmacological treatment to significantly reverse/attenuate obesity comorbidities. In this study we have investigated effects of exercise and/or dietary modification on microcirculatory function, body composition, serum glucose, iNOS and eNOS expression on 120 male hamsters treated for 12 weeks with high fat chow (HF, n = 30) starting on the 21st day of birth.

Hypocaloric diet associated with the consumption of jam enriched with microencapsulated fish oil decreases insulin resistance.

Background: The metabolic syndrome is related to the increase in cardiovascular diseases. Polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish oil help in reducing cardiovascular risk factors and are natural bindings of PPAR2.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of hypocaloric diet associated with microencapsulated fish oil supplementation in women with metabolic syndrome.

Significant decrease of extracellular matrix in prostatic urethra of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) nodules increase urethral resistance, resulting in "pressure" of tissue expansion to the urethra and leads to an increase in outflow resistance, accompanied by characteristic lengthening of the prostatic urethra. The goal of this investigation was to analyze and quantify changes of the histological components in the prostatic urethra of patients with BPH and compare with a control group.

Methods: Prostatic urethra tissue samples were obtained from ten patients (age range 63 to 79 years, mean 66) with clinical symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction who had undergone open prostatectomy.

Obesity and endocrine dysfunction programmed by maternal smoking in pregnancy and lactation.

Obesity is a global epidemic, and maternal smoking has been shown to be associated with the development of childhood obesity. Overall, approximately 40% of children worldwide are exposed to tobacco smoke at home. It is well known that environmental changes within a critical window of development, such as gestation or lactation, can initiate permanent alterations in metabolism that lead to diseases in adulthood, a phenomenon called programming.

Quantitative assessment of elastic fibers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To quantify elastic fibers (EFs) and smooth muscle (SM) cells, as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Surgical specimens were obtained from 15 COPD patients, 18 smokers without airflow limitation, and 14 nonsmokers. Histological and immunohistochemical methods were employed in order to quantify EFs, SM cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells.