Search

Langerin is a C-type Lectin expressed at the surface of Langerhans cells, which play a pivotal role protecting organisms against pathogen infections. To address this aim, Langerin presents at least two recognition sites, one Ca2+-dependent and another one independent, which are capable to recognize a variety of carbohydrate ligands. In contrast to other lectins, Langerin recognizes sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a family of complex and heterogeneous polysaccharides present in the cell membrane and the extracellular matrix, at the interphase generated in the trimeric form of Langerin but absent in the monomeric form. The complexity of these oligosaccharides has impeded the development of well-defined monodisperse structures to study these interaction processes. However, in the last few decades, an improvement of synthetic developments to achieve the preparation of carbohydrate multivalent systems mimicking the GAGs has been described. Despite all these contributions, very few examples are reported where the GAG multivalent structures are used to evaluate the interaction with Langerin. These molecules should pave the way to explore these GAG-Langerin interactions.

The nutritional diagnosis of crops is carried out through costly elemental analyses of different plant organs, particularly leaves, in the laboratory. However, visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy of unprocessed plant samples has a high potential as a faster, non-destructive, environmental-friendly alternative to elemental analyses. In this work, the potential of this technique to estimate the concentrations of macronutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), and micronutrients such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and boron (B), in persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) ‘Rojo Brillante’ leaves, has been investigated. Throughout the crop cycle variable rates of N and K were applied to obtain six nutritional status levels in persimmon trees in an experimental orchard. Then, leaves were systematically sampled throughout the cropping season from the different nutritional levels and spectral reflectance measurements were acquired in the 430–1040 nm wavelength range. The concentrations of nutrients were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and B after microwave digestion, while the Kjeldahl method was used for N. Then, partial least squares regression (PLS-R) was used to model the concentrations of these nutrients from the reflectance measurements of the leaves. The model was calibrated using 75% of the samples while the remaining 25% were left as the independent test set for external validation. The results of the test set indicated an acceptable validation for most of the nutrients, with determination coefficients (R2) of 0.74 for N and P, 0.54 for K, 0.77 for Ca, 0.60 for Mg, 0.39 for Fe, 0.69 for Mn and 0.83 for B. These findings support the potential use of Vis-NIR spectrometric techniques as an alternative to conventional laboratory methods for the persimmon nutritional status diagnosis although more research is needed to know how the models developed one year perform in ensuing years.

Mulching of agricultural soils has been identified as a viable solution to sequester carbon into the soil, increase soil health and fight desertification; as such, it is an interesting option for carbon farming in Mediterranean areas. Models are used to project the effects of agricultural practices on soil organic carbon in the future for various soil and climatic conditions, and to help policy makers and farmers assess the best way to implement carbon farming strategies. Here, we modify the widely used RothC model to include mulching practices and their direct and indirect effects on soil organic matter input, soil temperature changes, and soil hydraulic balance. We then calibrated and validated our modified RothC (RothC_MM) using the dataset collected in a field mulching experiment described in detail in a companying article, and used the validated RothC_MM to estimate the expected soil carbon sequestration by year 2050 due to mulching for the Valencian community (Spain). Our results show that RothC_MM improved the fit with experimental data with respect to basic RothC, and was able to predict SOC and CO2 observations taken in the field, and to model the effects of mulch on soil temperature and soil water content.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer diagnosis with the highest mortality rate worldwide. The aim of this study was to identify factors related to depression and anxiety in mastectomized women BC survivors. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 198 women diagnosed with BC aged 30–80 years in Mexico. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the 14-item Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The results showed that 94.44% and 69.18% of the women scored more than eight points on HADS in the anxiety and depression subscales, respectively; 70.20% and 10.60% were identified as pathological. The following variables were analyzed: age, time elapsed since the start of treatment, received treatment at the time of the evaluation, type of surgery, family history, marital status and employment status. Time elapsed since surgery, having a partner, and employment showed significant results as factors associated to levels of depression and anxiety in these patients. In conclusion, it has been shown that BCSs under 50 years of age receiving some kind of treatment, without family history, without a partner, with a job, with more than secondary education and with more than 5 years since diagnosis could have higher rates of clinical depression. On the other hand, BCSs older than 50 years receiving some kind of treatment, without family history, without a partner, with a job, with more than secondary education and with more than 5 years since diagnosis, could have higher rates of clinical anxiety. In conclusion, the variables studied provide valuable information for the implementation of psychotherapy plans in healthcare systems to reduce the risk of depression and/or anxiety in women with BC who have undergone mastectomy.

La prevalencia de la obesidad infantil ha aumentado a nivel global de forma preocupante, especialmente por las consecuencias que se pueden manifestar en la edad adulta. Se ha demostrado que esta afección aumenta el estrés de retículo endoplásmico(ERE) y, por lo tanto, activa la respuesta a proteínas mal plegadas (UPR). El ejercicio físico es una de las principales propuestas para atajar este reto de salud pública y, específicamente, para resolver el ERE. Por consiguiente, el objetivo de este estudio fue la evaluación del efecto de un programa de entrenamiento combinado de fuerza y resistencia de 12 semanas sobre la UPR en células mononucleares de la sangre periférica (PBMC) de pacientes pediátricos obesos. Para ello, se distribuyeron aleatoriamente 12 niños obesos (9 – 11 años) en un grupo entrenado (GE, n =8), que se sometió al protocolo de entrenamiento, y un grupo control (GC, n = 4), que mantuvo sus rutinas habituales. Se analizaron proteínas de la UPR (ATF4, ATF6 p50, BiP, CHOP, p-eIF2α, p-IRE1 y XBP1s) por Western Blot antes y después del periodo de entrenamiento. Los resultados demostraron que el entrenamiento atenuó el aumento en la fosforilación de eIF2α e IRE1 en comparación con el GC. Además, se observó un efecto tiempo x grupo en la expresión de CHOP tras el entrenamiento. Sin embargo, no se encontraron diferencias en la expresión de ATF4, ATF6 p50, BiPo XBP1 tras el periodo de entrenamiento. En conclusión, los resultados sugieren que el programa de entrenamiento promueve un alivio en el ERE de los pacientes pediátricos obesos. No obstante, se necesitan nuevas investigaciones para determinar la eficacia de programas de entrenamiento alternativos

El cuidador familiar (CF) facilita la extensión al hogar de los servicios de salud para el creciente número de adultos mayores (AM). El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar los efectos de una intervención de masaje terapéutico (MT) aplicado recíprocamente entre AM y CF, para medir cambios en la limitación del movimiento cervical y la percepción de apoyo recibido de parte de cada integrante de la pareja. Al término de la intervención se identificó un aumento significativo en el arco de movimiento del raquis cervical en el AM y CF al comparar las puntuaciones pre-post, sugiriéndose que el MT puede revertir la limitación de movilidad cervical en proveedor y receptor de cuidados, así como favorecer la percepción de apoyo mutuo.

Observed variations in the ground electrical conductivity (σb*) measurements obtained with EMI instruments depend on several soil proxies that infuence crop growth and development such as salinity (σe), contents of water (θw), clay (wc) and organic matter (wom) and bulk density (ρb). However, the relative contributions of all these to σb* are unknown. This knowledge is needed to improve the planning and interpretation of σb* data for precision agriculture applications. Recently, a semi-empirical model has been developed to relate σb* measurements taken with an EM38 device to σe, θw, wc, wom and ρb and also soil temperature (t). In this work this model was subjected to a global sensitivity analysis (GSA) based on the soil data obtained during two surveys carried out, one in summer and the other in autumn, in an ample irrigated area in SE Spain. On the basis of the multiple linear regression meta-models developed for the σb* measurements, these were found to linearly respond to the soil properties (R2 between 0.92 and 0.96) and thus, the GSA could be based on their standardised regression coefcients. According to these, the soil characteristics explain the following percentages of variance in σb* (PV): 30–34 (σe), 8–20 (θw), 32–47 (wc), 0.6–2.6 (wom), 5.7–7.5 (ρb) and 0.3–0.4 (t) with changes from the summer to the autumn season of − 4, − 12 and+15 in the PV explained by the most infuential properties, respectively, σe, θw and wc. The results of the GSA will help the planning and interpretation of σb* measurements for improving crop management.

Introduction: Large randomized trials testing the effect of a multifactorial weight-loss lifestyle intervention including Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on renal function are lacking. Here, we evaluated the 1-year efficacy of an intensive weight-loss intervention with an energy-reduced MedDiet (erMedDiet) plus increased physical activity (PA) on renal function. Methods: Randomized controlled "PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea-Plus"(PREDIMED-Plus) trial is conducted in 23 Spanish centers comprising 208 primary care clinics. Overweight/obese (n = 6,719) adults aged 55-75 years with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned (1:1) to an intensive weight-loss lifestyle intervention with an erMedDiet, PA promotion, and behavioral support (intervention) or usual-care advice to adhere to an energy-unrestricted MedDiet (control) between September 2013 and December 2016. The primary outcome was 1-year change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR). Secondary outcomes were changes in urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), incidence of moderately/severely impaired EGFR (, This work was supported by the official Spanish Institutions for funding scientific biomedical research, CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS), which is cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (5 coordinated FIS projects leaded by J.S.-S and J.V., including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI14/00972, PI14/00728, PI14/01471, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926; PI19/00957, PI19/00386, PI19/00309, PI19/01032, PI19/00576, PI19/00017, PI19/01226, PI19/00781, PI19/01560, and PI19/01332); the Especial Action Project entitled Implementación y evaluación de una intervención intensiva sobre la actividad física Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grant to J.S.-S.; the European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2014–2019; agreement #340918) granted to M.Á.M.-G.; the Recercaixa (No. 2013ACUP00194) grant to J.S.-S.; grants from the Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0458/2013, PS0358/2016, and PI0137/2018); the PROMETEO/2017/017 grant from the Generalitat Valenciana; the SEMERGEN grant; funds from the European Regional Development Fund (CB06/03); International Nut & Dried Fruit Council – FESNAD (Long-term effects of an energyrestricted Mediterranean diet on mortality and cardiovascular disease 2014–2015, No. 201302) (PI: M.Á.M.-G.); the AstraZeneca Young Investigators Award in Category of Obesity and T2D 2017 (PI: D.R.); grant of support to research groups No. 35/2011 (Balearic Islands Gov.; FEDER funds) (J.A.T. and C.B.); the JR17/00022 (ISCIII) grant to O.C.; the Boosting young talent call grant program for the development of IISPV research projects 2019–2021 (Ref.: 2019/IISPV/03 grant to A.D.-L.); the Societat Catalana d’Endocrinologia i Nutrició (SCEN) Clinical-Research Grant 2019 (IPs: J.S.-S. and A.D.-L.). Collaborative Nutrition and/or Obesity Project for Young Researchers 2019 supported by CIBEROBN entitled Lifestyle Interventions and Chronic Kidney Disease: Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Metabolomic Profile (LIKIDI study) grant to A.D.-L.

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) E is the natural ligand for pleiotrophin (PTN) in the central nervous system (CNS) of the embryo. Some structures of PTN in solution have been solved, but no precise location of the binding site has been reported yet. Using 15N-labelled PTN and HSQC NMR experiments, we studied the interactions with a synthetic CS-E tetrasaccharide corresponding to the minimum binding sequence. The results agree with the data for larger GAG (glycosaminoglycans) sequences and confirm our hypothesis that a synthetic tetrasaccharide is long enough to fully interact with PTN. We hypothesize that the central region of PTN is an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) and could modify its properties upon binding. The second tetrasaccharide has two benzyl groups and shows similar effects on PTN. Finally, the last measured compound aggregated but beforehand, showed a behavior compatible with a slow exchange in the NMR time scale. We propose the same binding site and mode for the tetrasaccharides with and without benzyl groups.

Visible and near-infrared (Vis/NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was used for rapid and non-destructive determination of macro- and micronutrient contents in persimmon leaves. Hyperspectral images of 687 leaves were acquired in the 500–980 nm range over 6 months, covering a complete vegetative cycle. The average reflectance spectrum of each leaf was extracted, and foliar ionomic analysis was used as a reference method to determine the actual concentration of the nutrients in the leaves. Analyses were performed via emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for macro- and micronutrients after microwave digestion and using the Kjeldahl method to quantify nitrogen. Partial least square regression (PLS-R) was used to predict the nutrient concentration based on spectral data from the leaf using actual values of each element as predictor variables. Several methods were used to pre-process the spectra, including Savitzky–Golay (SG) smoothing, standard normal variate (SNV) and first (1D) and second derivatives (2D). Seventy-five percent of the samples were used to calibrate and validate the model by cross-validation, whereas the remaining twenty-five % were used as an independent test set. The best performance of the models for the test set achieved an R2 = 0.80 for nitrogen. Results were also satisfactory for phosphorous, calcium, magnesium and boron, with determination coefficient R2 values of 0.63, 0.66, 0.58 and 0.69, respectively. For the other nutrients, lower prediction rates were attained (R2 = 0.48 for potassium, R2 = 0.38 for iron, R2 = 0.24 for copper, R2 = 0.23 for zinc and R2 = 0.22 for manganese). The variable importance in projection (VIP) was used to extract the most influential bands for the best-predicted nutrients, which were N, K and B.

Body image (BI) and self-esteem (SE) are two fundamental aspects in the evolution of breast cancer (BC), mainly due to surgery, treatment, and the patient’s conception of BI. A dissatisfaction with BI and low SE decreases the subject’s quality of life and increases the risk of recurrence and mortality by BC. The aim of this study is to find out if there is any degree of association between the sociodemographic data of the sample and their BI and SE. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 198 women diagnosed with BC, aged 30–80 years, in Mexico. Women’s BI and SE were assessed using two questionnaires, Hopwood Body Image Scale (S-BIS) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The results show significant differences in several items when the variable sense of humor is taken into account, indicating that women with a sense of humor report higher satisfaction with their BI and higher SE. The age also indicates a significantly better BI in women over 50 years of age, as well as the education level variable, where those women who had studied up to secondary reported higher satisfaction with their BI; the family history shows that those women without a family history report better SE. All these data are supported by stepwise regression, which shows that educational level and sense of humor are predictors of BI, and family history along with breast reconstruction and sense of humor are predictors as of SE. In conclusion, it is important to take into account the characteristics of women with BC, particularly age and sense of humor, in order to reduce the impact of the disease on their BI and SE with the help of a multidisciplinary team.

The inter-row soils in conventionally run citrus orchards in Eastern Spain lose fertility, either physically, chemically, or biologically, as a consequence of machinery traffic and the use of herbicides. In order to regain inter-row soil fertility, two grass-cover management alternatives to the commonly used herbicide-kept bare management, namely, spontaneous plants and fescue, were established and left for four years until their effects on several physical, chemical, and biological parameters were monitored for two years more. The fescue ground cover exhibited lower average and maximum soil temperatures due to higher evapotranspiration rates but also higher annual soil water content on average and, additionally, higher rhizodeposition. Despite the fact that these new beneficial conditions helped enhance the soil’s biological fertility under fescue, the physical or chemical fertilities did not improve and neither did the organic carbon (SOC). The spontaneous plants also enhanced the biological fertility, but in this case, beneficial conditions were reflected by improvements in the chemical fertility, particularly the exchangeable potassium, and in the physical fertility by increasing the surface hydraulic conductivity and decreasing the bulk density. In the inter-rows of this citrus orchard, a seeded grass cover does not seem able to provide any soil fertility enhancement in comparison to a spontaneous one; rather the opposite. However, a lack of natural or man-driven nitrogen inputs poses a constraint to SOC gains. For this aim, the annual surface application of organic nitrogen-rich materials or even better, the fostering of N-fixing organisms would be recommended., This research was funded by the European Rural Development Fund (EAFRD), grant numbers AG_COOP_A/2018/036 and AG_COOP_A/2021/015. The participation of Enrique Peiró was funded by the Operative Program of the European Social Fund of the Valencian Community 2014–2020 and the IVIA through a specialization scholarship.

Purpose Inflammation could play a key role in tissue damage and bone metabolism. The modified dietary inflammatory score (M-DIS) is a validated tool to estimate the inflammatory potential of the diet. In the present study, we evaluate the associations between the M-DIS and bone mineral density (BMD) in a senior Mediterranean population with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome. Methods Baseline cross-sectional association between the M-DIS and bone mineral density was assessed in 1134 participants of the multicenter PREDIMED-Plus trial (aged 55–75 with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome). BMD was measured using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry scans and participants answered a food frequency questionnaire to determine the M-DIS. BMD was categorized as low BMD when T score was equal or lower than -1 and normal BMD in another case. Associations between BMD and M-DIS were evaluated by using linear and logistic regressions adjusted by other co-variates. Results Participants in the top tertile of the M-DIS had a lower BMD at total femur [β (95% CI) − 0.02 (− 0.04, − 0.01)], trochanter areas [β (95% CI) − 0.03 (− 0.05, − 0.01)] and lumbar spine area [β (95% CI) − 0.03 (− 0.07, 0.01)] (but in the last case, measures were less precise and hence not statistically significant) compared to those in the lower M-DIS tertile. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the odds of the total femur and femoral trochanter osteopenia/osteoporosis were higher in participants in the top tertile compared to those in the lowest tertile of M-DIS [OR (95% CI) 1.71 (1.12, 2.64), P for trend 0.015; 2.02 (1.29, 3.21), P for trend 0.002, respectively]. Conclusion A high pro-inflammatory diet, measured by the M-DIS, is associated with lower BMD in a senior Mediterranean population with metabolic syndrome.

Background & aims: the quality of dietary carbohydrates rather than total carbohydrate intake may determine the accumulation of visceral fat; however, to date, few studies have examined the impact of diet on adiposity using specific imaging techniques. Thus, the aim of this prospective study was to investigate the association between concurrent changes in carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and objectively-quantified adiposity distribution over a year. Methods: we analyzed a cohort of 1476 participants aged 55-75 years with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) from the PREDIMED-Plus randomized controlled trial. Dietary intake information was obtained at baseline, 6- and 12-months from a validated 143-item semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire, and CQI (range: 4 to 20) was calculated based on four dietary criteria: total dietary fibre, glycemic index, wholegrain/total grain carbohydrate ratio, and solid/total carbohydrate ratio. Overall and regional adiposity (total body fat, visceral fat and android-to-gynoid fat ratio) was quantified using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at all three time points. Multiple adjusted linear mixed-effects models were used to assess associations between concurrent changes in repeatedly measured CQI and adiposity over time. Results: after controlling for potential confounding factors, a 3-point increment in CQI over 12-month follow-up was associated with a decrease in visceral fat (β -0.067 z-score, 95% CI -0.088; -0.046, p < 0.001), android-to-gynoid fat ratio (-0.038, -0.059; -0.017, p < 0.001), and total fat (-0.064, -0.080; -0.047, p < 0.001). Fibre intake and the ratio of wholegrain/total grain showed the strongest inverse associations with all adiposity indicators. Conclusions: in this prospective cohort of older adults with overweight/obesity and MetS, we found that improvements in dietary carbohydrate quality over a year were associated with concurrent favorable changes in visceral and overall fat deposition. These associations were mostly driven by dietary fibre and the wholegrain/total grain ratio. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH 1R01DK127601) granted to FBH, MR-C and JS-S; the European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2014–2019; agreement #340918) granted to MÁM-G and the Spanish National Health Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), through CIBEROBN and “Fondo de Investigación para la Salud” (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (six coordinated FIS projects led by JS-S and JVi, including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI14/00972, PI14/00728, PI14/01471, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926, PI19/00957, PI19/00386, PI19/00309, PI19/01032, PI19/00576, PI19/00017, PI19/01226, PI19/00781, PI19/01560, PI19/01332, PI20/01802, PI20/00138, PI20/01532, PI20/00456, PI20/00339, PI20/00557,PI20/00886, PI20/01158); the Especial Action Project entitled: Implementación y evaluación de una intervención intensive sobre la actividad física Cohorte PREDIMEDPlus grant to JS-S; the Recercaixa (number 2013ACUP00194) grant to JS-S; grants from the Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0458/2013, PS0358/2016,PI0137/2018); the PROMETEO/2017/017 grant from the Generalitat Valenciana; the SEMERGEN grant. Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación research grant (IJC2019-042420-I) of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and European Social Funds to JK. This work was also partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia program. None of the funding sources took part in the design, collection, analysis, interpretation of the data, or writing the report, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Inadequate nitrogen fertilizing practices lead to low nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUE), which increases water NO3− pollution, as well as N2O emissions to the atmosphere. In order to increase the NUE and decrease the N losses as NO3− and N2O from the soil-plant system, accurate data about optimum crop N concentrations and dry matter production throughout the growing season are still needed for many vegetables typically grown under Mediterranean climate. For this reason, several N fertilization trials were set up for globe artichoke, carrot, cauliflower, chard, chinese cabbage, early potato, leek, lettuce, onion, red cabbage, romanesco, and spinach, under the semiarid Mediterranean conditions of the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain) during several years. The fresh and dry matter weight (W), as well as the nitrogen concentration in the dry matter (%N) in both the marketable and non-marketable crop parts, was measured between 3 and 7 times throughout their respective growing seasons. The a and b coefficients of the average N dilution curve (%N = a W − b), for which all %N and W data were used, and the critical N dilution curve (%Nc = a Wc−b), for which only the minimun %N for maximum W data were used if available, in addition to the dry/fresh yield matter ratio (DM) and the harvest index (HI), were calculated for all these crops. No significant differences were observed between the average and critical N dilution curve coefficients in this work. Interestingly, the coefficients of both N dilution curves differed from the ones found in the literature with the exception of those obtained for similar cultivars, e.g., early potatoes, and under similar climatic conditions, i.e., Mediterranean. Besides, there were neither differences of DM and HI among the several N fertilization treatments. Therefore, due to the absence of changes in the N dilution curve and dry matter production coefficients for the different N supplies, all these parameters were estimated on the basis of the whole dataset, i.e., regardless of the N input. The use of the critical nitrogen dilution curve coefficients and dry matter production parameters presented in this work should contribute to better fit the N fertilizer additions to N demands of these vegetables under Mediterranean conditions, mainly, by their use through simulation models. Therefore, the NUE in horticulture should increase and the N losses as NO3− to inland and sea waters in these environments, and as N2O to the atmosphere should decrease.

PURPOSE We investigated the effects of three different unilateral isoinertial resistance training protocols with eccentric-overload on changes in lean mass and muscle function of trained (TL) and contralateral non-trained (NTL) legs. METHODS Physically-active university students were randomly assigned to one of three training groups or a control group (n=10/group). Participants in the training groups performed dominant-leg isoinertial squat training twice a week for 6 weeks (4 sets of 7 repetitions) using either an electric-motor device with an eccentric phase velocity of 100% (EM100) or 150% (EM150) of concentric phase velocity or a conventional flywheel device (FW) with the same relative inertial load. Changes in thigh lean mass, unilateral leg-press one-repetition maximum (1-RM), muscle power at 40-80% 1-RM, and unilateral vertical jump height before and after training were compared between the groups and between TL and NTL. RESULTS No changes in any variable were found for the control group. In TL, all training groups showed similar increases (P

BACKGROUND The study aimed to determine the proportion of the body segments in relation to the total body mass in healthy people, as well as analyze the composition of each segment and compare these results between sexes. METHODS A total of 60 young adults (30 men and 30 women) were subjected to a full-body scan by dual energy X-rays absorptiometry (DXA) under standardized conditions. The regions of interest (ROI) were determined by a single trained evaluator. The body was divided into 16 segments to obtain values of total mass, lean mass (LM), fat mass, bone mineral content (BMC), lean mass percentage (%LM) and fat mass percentage (%FM) of each body segment represented by the 16 ROI. RESULTS Men presented higher absolute mass in the upper limbs (Δ=32.87%; P

(1) Background: Quality of life assessment is a critical aspect of breast cancer patient outcomes, as diagnosis, prognosis and treatment can have a major impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the sample and to verify the relationship between quality of life (QOL) in women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) and their age, type or surgery and time since treatment; (2) Methods: a cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 183 women diagnosed with BC, aged 30–80 years in Mexico. Women’s QOL was assessed using two questionnaires, The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and The Breast Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-BR23). (3) Results: the results show significant differences in several items when the variable age is taken into account, indicating that younger women have poorer social and sexual function, as well as poorer sexual enjoyment and lower expectations of the future. The type of surgery also indicates a significantly better QOL in those women who receive conservative treatment versus a mastectomy; the time elapsed since surgery does not show any significant results, except for sexual functioning and breast-related symptoms where >5 years implies better scores on the items. (4) Conclusions: in conclusion, it is important to take into account the characteristics of women with BC, particularly at the time of treatment, in order to mitigate the impact of the disease on their QOL with the help of a multidisciplinary team.

The classic, solution-phase synthesis of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) oligosaccharides is hampered by the numerous, time-consuming chromatographic purifications required for the isolation of the glycosylation products after each coupling step between sugar building blocks. Here, we present a detailed experimental procedure for a glycosylation reaction involving a glycosyl acceptor unit that is equipped with a perfluorinated tag. The presence of this fluorous tail allows the quick purification of the desired glycosylation product by performing a simple fluorous solid-phase extraction (F-SPE). The described fluorous-tag-assisted glycosylation strategy greatly facilitates the assembly of building blocks, speeding up the preparation of biologically relevant GAG-like oligomers.

The classic, solution-phase synthesis of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) oligosaccharides is hampered by the numerous, time-consuming chromatographic purifications required for the isolation of the glycosylation products after each coupling step between sugar building blocks. Here, we present a detailed experimental procedure for a glycosylation reaction involving a glycosyl acceptor unit that is equipped with a perfluorinated tag. The presence of this fluorous tail allows the quick purification of the desired glycosylation product by performing a simple fluorous solid-phase extraction (F-SPE). The described fluorous-tag-assisted glycosylation strategy greatly facilitates the assembly of building blocks, speeding up the preparation of biologically relevant GAG-like oligomers.

Inflammation could play a key role in tissue damage and bone metabolism. The modified dietary inflammatory score (M-DIS) is a validated tool to estimate the inflammatory potential of the diet. In the present study, we evaluate the associations between the M-DIS and bone mineral density (BMD) in a senior Mediterranean population with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome.Baseline cross-sectional association between the M-DIS and bone mineral density was assessed in 1134 participants of the multicenter PREDIMED-Plus trial (aged 55-75 with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome). BMD was measured using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry scans and participants answered a food frequency questionnaire to determine the M-DIS. BMD was categorized as low BMD when T score was equal or lower than -1 and normal BMD in another case. Associations between BMD and M-DIS were evaluated by using linear and logistic regressions adjusted by other co-variates.Participants in the top tertile of the M-DIS had a lower BMD at total femur [β (95% CI) - 0.02 (- 0.04, - 0.01)], trochanter areas [β (95% CI) - 0.03 (- 0.05, - 0.01)] and lumbar spine area [β (95% CI) - 0.03 (- 0.07, 0.01)] (but in the last case, measures were less precise and hence not statistically significant) compared to those in the lower M-DIS tertile. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the odds of the total femur and femoral trochanter osteopenia/osteoporosis were higher in participants in the top tertile compared to those in the lowest tertile of M-DIS [OR (95% CI) 1.71 (1.12, 2.64), P for trend 0.015; 2.02 (1.29, 3.21), P for trend 0.002, respectively].A high pro-inflammatory diet, measured by the M-DIS, is associated with lower BMD in a senior Mediterranean population with metabolic syndrome.

Background and Objectives: To investigate the effects of unilateral accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) on changes in lean mass and function of leg trained (TL) and ipsilateral non-trained arm (NTA) in young men and women. Materials and Methods: In a prospective trial, 69 Physically active university students (20.2 ± 2.2 years) were randomly placed into a training group (n = 46, 27 men, 19 women) or a control group without training (n = 23, 13 men, 10 women). Participants in the training group performed unilateral AEL in the leg press exercise of the dominant leg twice a week for 10 weeks. An electric motor device-generated isotonic resistance at different intensities for both concentric (30% of 1-RM) and eccentric contractions (105% of 1-RM). Changes in thigh and arm lean tissue mass, unilateral leg press and unilateral elbow flexion maximal concentric (1-RM) and isometric strength (MVIC), and unilateral muscle power at 40, 60, and 80% 1-RM for both leg press and elbow flexion exercises before and after intervention were compared between groups, between sexes and between TL and NTA. Results: Both men and women in the training group showed increases (p &lt, 0.05) in lean tissue mass, 1-RM, MVIC, and muscle power for TL. In NTA, 1-RM, MVIC, and muscle power increased without significant differences between sexes, but neither in men nor women changes in lean tissue mass were observed. In addition, men showed greater changes in TL, but changes in NTA were similar between sexes. No gains in any variable were found for the control group. Conclusions: AEL protocol produced similar neuromuscular changes in TL and ipsilateral NTA, which suggests that strong ipsilateral lower-to-upper limb cross-transfer effects were induced by the eccentric-overload training. However, early ipsilateral increases in muscle force and power were not associated with lean mass gains. Both men and women experienced similar changes in NTA, however, men showed greater changes in TL.

The prescription of maximal dynamic strength training in both adults and children is based on the evaluation of maximum strength, usually by one-repetition maximum tests (1RM). This study examined the test-retest reliability and the minimal detectable change (MDC) of the maximal force test and muscle power test. Forty-eight children (9–14 years old) completed two test–retest sessions that involved a one-repetition maximum (1RM) test and a muscle power test for leg extension (LE) and seated bench press (SBP). The MDC values of the 1RM test in the LE and SBP tests ranged from 7.35 to 11.34 kg and 6.84 to 7.92 kg, respectively. The MDC values of the muscle power test in the LE and SBP ranged from 30.32 to 63.20 Watt and 22.65 to 29.53 Watt, respectively. In children 9 to 14 years old, the increase of maximum strength along the growth curve was different in each muscle group studied. The repeatability of the 1RM test of the SBP was excellent (ICC 0.974) and was better than that of the LE (ICC, 0.954). The MDC of the 1RM test evaluation was 19.56% in the LE and 12.93% in the SBP. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Aging-associated inflammation is characterized by senescent cell-mediated secretion of high levels of inflammatory mediators, such as microRNA (miR)-146a. Moreover, a rise of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is also related to systemic inflammation and frailty in the elderly. Exosome-mediated cell-to-cell communication is fundamental in cellular senescence and aging. The plasma changes in exercise-promoted miR-146a-5p, cfDNA, and exosome release could be the key to facilitate intercellular communication and systemic adaptations to exercise in aging. Thirty-eight elderly subjects (28 trained and 10 controls) volunteered in an 8-week resistance training protocol. The levels of plasma miR-146a-5p, cfDNA, and exosome markers (CD9, CD14, CD63, CD81, Flotillin [Flot]-1, and VDAC1) were measured prior to and following training. Results showed no changes in plasma miR-146a-5p and cfDNA levels with training. The levels of exosome markers (Flot-1, CD9, and CD81) as well as exosome-carried proteins (CD14 and VDAC1) remained unchanged, whereas an attenuated CD63 response was found in the trained group compared to the controls. These findings might partially support the anti-inflammatory effect of resistance training in the elderly as evidenced by the diminishment of exosome CD63 protein expression, without modification of plasma miR-146a-5p and cfDNA.

Background and Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that manifests with varied neurological symptoms, including muscle weakness, especially in the lower extremities. Strength exercises play an important role in the rehabilitation and functional maintenance of these patients. The individualized prescription of strength exercises is recommended to be based on the maximum force determined by the one-repetition maximum (1RM), although to save time and because it requires less equipment, it is often determined by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). The purpose of this work was to study, in patients with MS (pwMS), the reliability of MVIC and the correlation between the MVIC and 1RM of the knee extensors and to predict the MVIC-based 1RM. Materials and Methods: A total of 328 pwMS participated. The study of the reliability of MVIC included all pwMS, for which MVIC was determined twice in one session. Their 1RM was also evaluated. The sample was randomized by MS type, sex, and neurological disability score into a training group and a testing group for the analysis of the correlation and prediction of MVIC-based 1RM. Results: MVIC repeatability (ICC, 2.1 = 0.973) was determined, along with a minimum detectable change of 13.2 kg. The correlation between MVIC and 1RM was R2 = 0.804, with a standard error estimate of 12.2 kg. The absolute percentage error of 1RM prediction based on MVIC in the test group was 12.7%, independent of MS type and with no correlation with neurological disability score. Conclusions: In patients with MS, MVIC presents very good intrasubject repeatability, and the difference between two measurements of the same subject must differ by 17% to be considered a true change in MVIC. There is a high correlation between MVIC and 1RM, which allows estimation of 1RM once MVIC is known, with an estimation error of about 12%, regardless of sex or type of MS, and regardless of the degree of neurological disability.

The preparation of chondroitin sulfate (CS) oligosaccharide mimetics, more easily synthesized than natural sequences, is a highly interesting task because these compounds pave the way for modulation of the biological processes in which CS is involved. Herein, we report the synthesis of CS type E analogues which present easily accessible glucose units instead of glucuronic acid (GlcA) moieties. NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations showed that the 3D structure of these compounds is similar to the structure of the natural CS-E oligosaccharides. In addition, fluorescence polarization (FP) and saturation transfer difference NMR (STD-NMR) experiments revealed that the synthesized CS-like derivatives were able to interact with midkine, a model heparin-binding growth factor, suggesting that the presence of the GlcA carboxylate groups is not essential for the binding. Overall, our results indicate that the synthesized glucose-containing oligosaccharides can be considered as functional and structural CS mimetics

Salinity and water deficit are two major issues for agricultural development in Algeria. The Lower Cheliff plain, northwestern Algeria, is, furthermore, characterised by semi-arid Mediterranean climate, and soils with high clay content. Our study area was a 4 ha farm located in Oued Rhiou and another 1 ha farm located in Ouarizane, both upstream in the Lower Cheliff plain, and irrigated with waters of different salinities: 1.8 and 5.5 dS m-1, respectively. The plots were equipped with drip irrigation and subsurface drainage systems. Farmer’s irrigation management of artichoke and melon were observed during the respective cropping seasons from September 2010 till June 2011, and from April till July 2011. The total irrigation amounts were, respectively, 364 mm and 240 mm, while the precipitations were 367 mm and 67 mm. The soil properties were determined in the entire rooting depths down to 80 cm for artichoke and 60 cm for melon. In addition to these, irrigation water composition, and crop development parameters were used to simulate soil salinity using the SALTIRSOIL_M model. Simulations and observations of soil pH, main ion concentrations and ECe showed reasonable agreements for June 2011. Next, the irrigation schedules that would have met the water needs of both crops, while simultaneously keeping soil salinity below harmful levels were estimated using the model. For the artichoke plot, a lower irrigation rate (290 mm yr-1) could have kept water deficit and soil salinity below their respective harmful thresholds. For the melon plot, on the contrary, a higher irrigation rate (480 mm yr-1) is able to neutralise the water deficit, though not completely the salinity stress would have been adequate. Farmers’ irrigation practices in the context of the climate, water quality and soil properties of the Lower Cheliff plain can be analysed and improved with the aid of soil salinity modelling.

Background: The optimal distribution between physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) for the greatest benefits for body composition among older adults with overweight/obesity and chronic health conditions remains unclear. We aimed to determine the prospective association between changes in PA and in SB with concurrent changes in body composition and to examine whether reallocating inactive time into different physical activity levels was associated with 12-month change to body composition in older adults. Methods: Longitudinal assessment nested in the PREDIMED-Plus trial. A subsample (n = 1564) of men and women (age 55-75 years) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome from both arms of the PREDIMED-Plus trial was included in the present analysis. Participants were followed up at 6 and 12 months. Physical activity and SB were assessed using validated questionnaires. Out of 1564 participants, 388 wore an accelerometer to objectively measure inactive time and PA over a 7-day period. At each time point, participants' body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Standard covariate-adjusted and isotemporal substitution modelling were applied to linear mixed-effects models. Results: Increasing 30 min of total PA and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was associated with significant reductions in body fat (beta - 0.07% and - 0.08%) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (- 13.9 g, and - 15.6 g) at 12 months (all p values < 0.001). Reallocating 30 min of inactive time to MVPA was associated with reductions in body fat and VAT and with an increase in muscle mass and muscle-to-fat mass ratio (all p values < 0.001). Conclusions: At 12 months, increasing total PA and MVPA and reducing total SB and TV-viewing SB were associated with improved body composition in participants with overweight or obesity, and metabolic syndrome. This was also observed when substituting 30 min of inactive time with total PA, LPA and MVPA, with the greatest benefits observed with MVPA., The PREDIMED-Plus trial was supported by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish government, ISCIII through the Fondo de Investigacion para la Salud (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (four coordinated FIS projects led by Jordi SalasSalvado and Josep Vidal, including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926); the Especial Action Project entitled Implementacion y evaluacion de una intervencion intensiva sobre la actividad fisica Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grant to Jordi Salas-Salvado; the Recercaixa grant to Jordi Salas-Salvado (2013ACUP00194); grants from the Consejeria de Salud de la Junta de Andalucia (PI0458/2013; PS0358/2016; PI0137/2018); the PROMETEO/2017/017 grant from the Generalitat Valenciana; the Astra Zeneca Young Investigators Award in Category of Obesity and Diabetes 2017 to Dora Romaguera; the `FOLIUM' programme within the FUTURMed project from the Fundacion Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Illes Balears (financed by 2017annual plan of the sustainable tourism tax and at 50% with charge to the ESF Operational Program 2014-2020 of the Balearic Islands) to Jadwiga Konieczna. JR17/00022 contract to Olga Castaner from ISCIII. CIBERobn (Centros de Investigacion Biomedica en Red: Obesidad y Nutricion), CIBEResp (Centros de Investigacion Biomedica en Red: Epidemiologia y Salud Publica) and CIBERdem (Centros de Investigacion Biomedica en Red: Diabetes y Enfermedades). J. Salas-Salvado author gratefully acknowledges the financial support by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme. None of the funding sources took part in the design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data and in writing the manuscript or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

The creation of flexible and high strength hydrogel materials from natural polymers as low cost and safe solid electrolytes is an area of intense research nowadays. We present a novel approach for the preparation of gelatin and chondroitin sulfate hydrogel complexes by using a simple centrifugation process. The innovative dual-bio-gel-network is able to swell and shrink upon changes on the pH and NaCl concentration. The solid bio-gels sandwiched between two macroporous carbon electrode materials are assembled in symmetric cells and their electrochemical properties are evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic, and impedance spectroscopy measurements. The cells exhibit areal capacitance values up to 2.74 mF cm¿2 (3.1 F g¿1) and a low resistance value of 12 Ohm cm2 for graphene electrode materials. These properties are the consequence of the successful infiltration of the solid gel inside the porous structure of the carbon electrode that boosts the charge transfer at the biopolymer/carbon electrode interphase. The results obtained may provide additional inspiration in the emerging field of bioelectronics, where biocompatible and powered systems are of the utmost importance., The authors would like to thank David Go´mez for assistance regarding scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Rebeca Herna´ndez is a member of the SusPlast platform from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). This study was supported by CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council), ANPCyT (National Agency of Scientific and Technology Promotion, PICT 2016-1905), UNMdP (National University of Mar del Plata) and Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) (grants: MAT2017-83014-C2-2-P and MAT2017-88232-P). Javier Carretero-Gonza´lez acknowledges the Ramon y Cajal Fellow (RYC-2015-17722) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO)

High-mannose (Man

Background:The optimal distribution between physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) for the greatest benefits for body composition among older adults with overweight/obesity and chronic health conditions remains unclear. We aimed to determine the prospective association between changes in PA and in SB with concurrent changes in body composition. To examine whether reallocating inactive time into different physical activity levels was associated with 12-month change to body composition in older adults.Methods: A subsample (n=1564) of men and women (age: 55-75 years) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome from the PREDIMED-Plus trial was included in the present analysis. Participant’s were followed-up at 6- and 12-months. Physical Activity and SB were assessed using validated questionnaires. Out of 1564 participants, 388 wore an accelerometer to objectively measure inactive time and PA over a 7-day period. At each time point, participants body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Standard covariate-adjusted and isotemporal substitution modelling were applied to linear mixed-effects models.Results:Increasing 30 minute of total PA and MVPA were associated with significant reductions in body fat (β -0.07% and -0.08%) and VAT (-13.9g, and -15.6g) at 12-months (all p-values p-values Conclusions:At 12 months, increasing total PA and MVPA and reducing total and TV-viewing SB were associated with improved body composition in participants with overweight or obesity, and metabolic syndrome. This was also observed when reallocating 30 minute of inactive time by total PA, LPA and MVPA, with the greatest benefits observed for MVPA.Trial registration: The trial was registered at the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial (ISRCTN: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN89898870) with number 89898870 and registration date of 24 July 2014, retrospectively registered.

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the importance of implementing physical activity programs such as physical education (PE) classes in schools. This study identifies the attitudes of obese children toward PE, before and after participation in a vigorous-intensity physical exercise program without the participation of normal-weight peers using a questionnaire on Attitudes toward Physical Education (CAEF). 98 children between 8&ndash, 11 years of age were randomized in an Experimental Group (GE) (n = 48) and a Control Group (CG) (n = 47). They were assessed using a questionnaire on Attitudes toward Physical Education (CAEF). All the study participants exhibited a BMI Z-score &ge, 2. Before the intervention, the only difference between boys and girls was &ldquo, empathy to teacher and physical education subject&rdquo, (p = 0.001, d de Cohen = 0.72, r = 0.34). The interaction between gender and training was only present in empathy for the teacher, with a medium effect size (&eta, 2 = 0.055). The implementation of PE with two hours per week elicits only a few effects over the attitude of obese children, even though with a certain engagement of gender through training in the adjustment of empathy for teachers and the PE class.

Purpose: The mechanical properties of resistance-training machines are a variable that may help to optimize sports performance and injury prevention protocols. The purpose of this study was to exam...

(1) Background: The high prevalence of childhood obesity and its multicausal etiology make it necessary to approach it through different strategies, whose objective is to promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of children. Regular physical activity, in addition to having positive effects on the physical environment of those who practice it, influences positively in psychological aspects such as anxiety and depression, which are very frequent in children with obesity and overweight. (2) Objective: To analyze the changes produced by a program of physical exercise based on anthropometric indicators and levels of anxiety and depression in a population of Mexican children with obesity. (3) Methods: A longitudinal study with experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). The analysis population consisted of 105 children with a body mass index (BMI) for their gender and age group above the 95th percentile, of which 60 were girls and 45 were boys, with a mean age of 10.02 years (SD &plusmn, 0.79). By randomizing the participants, 54 were part of the EG and 51 of the, CG The EG participated in a physical exercise program, distributed in two weekly sessions, each lasting 50 minutes, for 20 consecutive weeks. The CG group continued its usual activities during the intervention period. An inferential analysis was performed between the socio-demographic, anthropometric and psychological variables. (4) Results: The implementation of a physical exercise program in children with obesity favors the appearance of positive thoughts, with improvements in their emotional well-being, self-perception and self-concept, although it does not produce significant changes in weight, height, Z-Score, level of anxiety or depressive thoughts. (5) Discussion: Regular physical exercise practice has positive effects on mental health, although new studies are required to analyze specifically its influence on anxiety and depression in children with obesity.

Here, we present an exploratory study on the fluorous-assisted synthesis of chondroitin sulfate (CS) oligosaccharides. Following this approach, a CS tetrasaccharide was prepared. However, in contrast to our previous results, a significant loss of β-selectivity was observed in [2 + 2] glycosylations involving N-trifluoroacetyl-protected D-galactosamine donors and D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) acceptors. These results, together with those obtained from experiments employing model monosaccharide building blocks, highlight the impact of the glycosyl acceptor structure on the stereoselectivity of glycosylation reactions. Our study provides useful data about the substitution pattern of GlcA units for the efficient synthesis of CS oligomers

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels and is a serious health concern associated with metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and gut microbiota alterations. Physical exercise is known to counteract obesity progression and modulate the gut microbiota composition. This study aims to determine the effect of a 12-week strength and endurance combined training program on gut microbiota and inflammation in obese pediatric patients. Thirty-nine obese children were assigned randomly to the control or training group. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters, muscular strength, and inflammatory signaling pathways in mononuclear cells were evaluated. Bacterial composition and functionality were determined by massive sequencing and metabolomic analysis. Exercise reduced plasma glucose levels and increased dynamic strength in the upper and lower extremities compared with the obese control group. Metagenomic analysis revealed a bacterial composition associated with obesity, showing changes at the phylum, class, and genus levels. Exercise counteracted this profile, significantly reducing the Proteobacteria phylum and Gammaproteobacteria class. Moreover, physical activity tended to increase some genera, such as Blautia, Dialister, and Roseburia, leading to a microbiota profile similar to that of healthy children. Metabolomic analysis revealed changes in short-chain fatty acids, branched-chain amino acids, and several sugars in response to exercise, in correlation with a specific microbiota profile. Finally, the training protocol significantly inhibited the activation of the obesity-associated NLRP3 signaling pathway. Our data suggest the existence of an obesity-related deleterious microbiota profile that is positively modified by physical activity intervention. Exercise training could be considered an efficient nonpharmacological therapy, reducing inflammatory signaling pathways induced by obesity in children via microbiota modulation., Childhood obesity: working out for a healthier microbiome Physical fitness regimens could stimulate shifts in gut microbiome composition and metabolism that counteract health risks associated with childhood obesity. This condition can increase the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease later in life. Several studies have indicated that disturbances in the microbial populations in the digestive tract may contribute to these diseases. Researchers led by Sonia Sánchez-Campos of the Institute of Biomedicine, León,Spain, recently assessed the impact of exercise and endurance training on microbiome composition in obese children. They determined that these regimens can produce measurable shifts in the gut microbe population, yielding bacterial communities that are more similar to those seen in non-obese children. These shifts were accompanied by alterations in metabolic activity that may help mitigate inflammatory signaling and other processes that fuel obesity-related disease.