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Extreme genetic heterogeneity along with remarkable variation in the distribution of causative variants across in different ethnicities makes single gene testing inefficient for hearing loss. We developed a custom capture/next-generation sequencing gene panel of 146 known deafness genes with a total target size of approximately 1 MB. The genes were identified by searching databases including Hereditary Hearing Loss Homepage, the Human Genome Mutation Database (HGMD), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) and most recent peer-reviewed publications related to the genetics of deafness. The design covered all coding exons, UTRs and 25 bases of intronic flanking sequences for each exon. To validate our panel, we used 6 positive controls with variants in known deafness genes and 8 unsolved samples from individuals with hearing loss. Mean coverage of the targeted exons was 697X. On average, each sample had 99.8%, 96.2% and 92.7% of the targeted region coverage of 1X, 50X and 100X reads, respectively. Analysis detected all known variants in nuclear genes. These results prove the accuracy and reliability of the custom capture experiment.

The pivotal role of platelets in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases prompted considerable interest on the effect of physical exercise on platelets. The results about the platelet response to exercise are conflicting. The discrepancies may be attributed to the differences in the intensity and the duration of the exercise protocols and in the methodologies employed [1–3]. The exact mechanisms concerned in exercise-induced platelet responses are not completely understood. On the other hand, physical exercise is characterized by an increase in metabolic activity and oxygen consumption. This increase in oxygen uptake is associated with a substantial rise in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The high production of ROS may be responsible for serious physiological and biochemical changes that occur during exercise [4–7]. To minimize free radical damage, there is a complex antioxidant defense system, which includes antioxidants within cells, cell membranes and extracellular fluids [5,8–10]. Within the strategy to maintain redox balance against oxidant conditions, blood has a central role because it transports and redistributes antioxidants to every part of the body. Measurement of total