Highlights d Cities possess a consistent ''core'' set of non-human microbes d Urban microbiomes echo important features of cities and city-life d Antimicrobial resistance genes are widespread in cities d Cities contain many novel bacterial and viral species

Although the functional and clinical alterations occurring in patients with obstructive uropathy are not well understood, it has been suggested that oxidative stress could contribute in the mechanism responsible for the impairment of sodium and water balance. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that red wine administration causes an amelioration of both the renal damage and impairment of renal Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity occurring after ureteral obstruction in the rat. Twenty-four male Wistar adult rats weighting 200-250 g were used. Half of them received a 10-week treatment with wine as the sole fluid source, while the other group received water. Both groups were subjected to 24-h unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Kidney tissue was collected following the relief of the ligature to perform the biochemical assessments. Urine and blood samples were taken at baseline and after the relief. Results show that the treatment with red wine significantly enhances the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and thus reduces renal lipid peroxidation secondary to UUO, which correlated negatively with Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity. Based on this and other previous data, it could be suggested that red wine administration may prevent renal damage secondary to UUO by inducing enhanced antioxidant potential.

Background: Although indicators of surgical and medical treatment have been applied to patients with typical dissection (AD) of the descending thoracic aorta, the natural history of descending aortic intramural hematoma (AIH) is not yet clearly known.Objective: The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that the absence of flow communication through the intimal tear in AIH involving the descending aorta has a different clinical course compared with AD.Methods: We prospectively evaluated clinical and echocardiographic data between AD (76 patients) and AIH (27 patients) of the descending thoracic aorta.Results: Patients had no differences In age, gender, or clinical presentation. The development of pleural effussion or periaortic hematoma was more frequent in patients with AIH than it was in patients with AD. AIH and AD had same predictors of complications at follow-up: aortic diameter (>5 cm) at diagnosis and persistent back pain. Although medical treatment was selected in the same proportion between groups, surgical treatment was more frequently selected in AD (39% vs. 22%, p < 0.01). AD patients who received surgical treatment had higher mortality than those with AIH (36% vs. 17%, p < 0.01). There was no difference in mortality between patients who received medical treatment (15% in AD vs 14% in AIH, p = 0.7). In follow-up imaging studies of 23 patients with AIH,6 patients (25%) showed complete resolution and 6 patients (25%) increased the descending aortic diameter. Typical AD developed in 3 patients (13%). A three-year survival rate did not show significant difference (82 ± 6% in AIH vs 75 ± 7% in AD, p = 0.37).Conclusion: AIH of the descending thoracic aorta have relatively frequent complications at follow-up including dissection and aneurysm formation. Medical treatment with very close imaging follow-up and timed elective surgery in cases with complications allow better management for patients with AIH of the descending thoracic aorta.

Supine and standing lnRMSSDavg were 4.4±0.4 and 3.5±0.5 ms in men, and 4.1±0.6 and 3.1±0.5 ms in women, respectively. Supine and standing lnRMSSDcv were 8.1±3.4 and 10.6±5.4% in men, and 9.8±5.2 and 13.0±4.4% in women, respectively. In men, supine lnRMSSDavg (r=-.62) and standing lnRMSSDcv (r=.55) were associated with cf-PWV (6.2±0.84 m/s; P<0.05), but no associations were observed between HRV indices and AIx75 (2.2±12.3%; P>0.05). In women, supine lnRMSSDavg (r=-.52) and lnRMSSDcv (r=.52), and standing lnRMSSDmean (r=-.51) were associated with cf-PWV (5.8±0.5 m/s; P<0.05), and supine lnRMSSDcv was associated with AIx75 (5.7±9.8%; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Multi-day, self-recorded, HRV measures were related to cf-PWV in young healthy men and women, and AIx75 in women. More numerous and stronger associations between HRV and cf-PWV vs. AIx75 portend a greater autonomic influence on proximal aortic vs. systemic arterial stiffness.

PURPOSE:Decreased flow-mediated dilation (FMD) increases cardiovascular disease risks. Aerobic exercise or stretching generally increases brachial artery FMD, but resistance exercise does not. FMD responses would also alter by the order of exercise in combined exercise, and did not improve by resistance exercise after aerobic exercise. However, the combined effects of aerobic exercise and stretching order on FMD remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise before and after stretching on FMD. METHODS:Fifteen healthy young males (21 ± 1 years) participated in three trials in random order on different days; 1) seated resting trial (REST); 2) aerobic exercise-stretching trial (AERO-ST); and 3) stretching-aerobic exercise trial (ST-AERO). A cycling ergometer exercise of 20 min at the intensity of 120 beats/min of heart rate levels was performed as an aerobic exercise, and four types of stretches of 20 min focusing on the lower limbs were performed. Before (Pre) and immediately (Post1) and 30 min (Post2) after trials, brachial artery FMD was measured by using ultrasound imaging system. RESULTS:No significant changes in all the parameters were observed in REST. In contrast, after AERO-ST and ST-AERO, FMD significantly increased at Post1 and Post2 compared to Pre, but the changes did not differ significantly between AERO-ST and ST-AERO (AERO-