We identified that low lymphocytes ( less then 900/μL) in DM patients was significantly associated with developing CMV reactivation. The use of immunosuppressants, including tacrolimus, cyclosporin and/or i.v. cyclophosphamide, was significantly associated with CMV reactivation in DM patients. Using a multivariate analysis, low lymphocytes at the time of DM diagnosis was found to be a risk factor for CMV reactivation. In addition, there was a tendency for diabetes mellitus to be a risk factor for CMV reactivation in DM patients. There was no difference in the prognosis for those with or without CMV reactivation in this study. These results suggest that in the DM patients with risk factors such as low lymphocytes and diabetes mellitus complications, regularly monitoring CMV reactivation and adequate treatment with antiviral agents may be necessary to prevent a poor prognosis.Because telomere length and dynamics relate to individual growth, reproductive investment and survival, telomeres have emerged as possible markers of individual quality. Here, we tested the hypothesis that, in species with parental care, parental telomere length can be a marker of parental quality that predicts offspring phenotype and survival. In king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), we experimentally swapped the single egg of 66 breeding pairs just after egg laying to disentangle the contribution of prelaying parental quality (e.g., genetics, investment in the egg) and/or postlaying parental quality (e.g., incubation, postnatal feeding rate) on offspring growth, telomere length and survival. Parental quality was estimated through the joint effects of biological and foster parent telomere length on offspring traits, both soon after hatching (day 10) and at the end of the prewinter growth period (day 105). We expected that offspring traits would be mostly related to the telomere lengths (i.e., quality) of biological parents at day 10 and to the telomere lengths of foster parents at day 105. Results show that chick survival up to 10 days was negatively related to biological fathers’ telomere length, whereas survival up to 105 days was positively related to foster fathers’ telomere lengths. Chick growth was not related to either biological or foster parents’ telomere length. Chick telomere length was positively related to foster mothers’ telomere length at both 10 and 105 days. Overall, our study shows that, in a species with biparental care, parents’ telomere length is foremost a proxy of postlaying parental care quality, supporting the “telomere – parental quality hypothesis.”Biomarkers of cartilage metabolism are sensitive to changes in the biological and mechanical environment and can indicate early changes in cartilage homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to determine if a daily locomotion replacement program can serve as a countermeasure for changes in cartilage biomarker serum concentration caused by immobilization. read more Ten healthy male subjects (mean ± 1 standard deviation, age 29.4±5.9 years; body mass 77.7±4.1 kg) participated in the cross-over 5 days bed rest study with three interventions control (CON), standing (STA) and locomotion replacement training (LRT). Serum samples were taken before, during, and after bed rest. Biomarker concentrations were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) levels after 24hrs of bed rest decreased independently of the intervention (-16.8 to -9.8%) and continued to decreased until 72hrs of bed rest (minimum, -23.2 to -20.6%). LRT and STA did not affect COMP during bed rests (p=0.056) but there was a strong tendency for a slower decrease with LRT (-9.4%) and STA (-11.7%) compared to CON (-16.8%). MMP-3 levels decreased within the first 24hrs of bed rest (CON -22.3%; STA -14.7%; LRT -17%) without intervention effect. Both COMP and MMP-3 levels recovered to baseline levels during the 6 days recovery period. MMP-1, MMP-9 and TNF-alpha levels were not affected by immobilization or intervention. COMP and MMP-3 are mechanosensitive cartilage biomarkers affected by immobilization, and simple interventions such as standing upright or LRT during bed rest cannot prevent these changes. Clinical significance Simple locomotion interventions cannot prevent cartilage biomarker change during bed rest. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.We used ultrasound-microwave comodification and enzyme modification (cellulase and hemicellulase) methods to extract soluble dietary fibers (SDFs) from black soybean hulls. Moreover, the structure, physical, and chemical properties, as well as the cholesterol-binding capacity of SDFs before and after modification were analyzed. The average molecular weight of SDFs extracted from raw black soybean hulls was 2.815 × 105 Da. By comparison, the average molecular weight of SDFs from ultrasound-microwave comodified hulls and enzyme-modified hulls decreased by 33.21% and 45.29%, respectively. The water-holding capacity (WHC), water-swelling capacity (WSC), and oil-holding capacity (OHC) of the extracted SDFs modified by the ultrasound-microwave method were 3.79 g/g, 1.39 mL/g, and 1.14 g/g, respectively, a 9.54%, 23.01%, and 17.53% increase from the values of raw SDF. The WHC, WSC, and OHC of SDFs modified via the enzyme method were 3.59 g/g, 1.25 mL/g, and 1.03 g/g, respectively, with a 3.76%, 10.62%, and 6.19% incducts.Three hulless barley varieties were grown under normal conditions during 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, to improve their agronomic yield, and to assess how the genotype influences β-glucan contents, and its structural, thermal, rheological, and functional properties, as intended to be used in food applications. The extracted gums with hot water at 55 °C and pH 8.0, showed contents from 5.75% to 6.41% (w/w), and concentrations from 68.55% to 79.29% of β-glucan, with some starch and protein impurities. The results of the agronomic trail indicated the highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) influence of the genotype on all studied characteristics, and on the β-glucan contents (0.28** and 0.33** ) at both seasons. The morphology of the three gums was significantly different in the distribution and structure of networks. Peak intensities of the -OH and -CH groups and CH2 stretching were higher and wider in Giza129 and Giza131. β-Glucan networks melt from 71.5 to 87.18 °C, and Giza131 exhibited the highest thermal stability. The aqueous dispersions (1%) of β-glucan gums exhibited a non-Newtonian behavior, and Giza130 presented the highest significant (P ≤ 0.