Search

Copyright of Cuestiones de Fisioterapia is the property of Cuestiones de Fisioterapia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Macrocyclic molecules play key roles in basic processes in living organisms. Free bases and the metal complexes of porphyrins exhibit a wide range of important optical properties. In these systems the position of the most intense absorption band depends on the peripheral substituents of the macrocycle. Sol-gel methods have generally allowed the successful trapping of porphyrins into inorganic networks. The materials obtained are strong and transparent monolithic gels, but in the majority of cases the red fluorescence of the porphyrins disappears with ageing. We have evaluated the effect of the type and spatial disposition of the substituents in the porphyrin macrocycle periphery on key optical properties, with particular emphasis on the conservation of red fluorescence when porphyrins are simply trapped or covalently bonded to the inorganic matrix. Here, we report the use of the sol-gel procedures to obtain monolithic gels with the hydroxyl- or amino-substituted α, β, γ, δ-tetraphenylporphyrins, (H2T(S)PP), simply trapped or covalently bonded to the SiO2 matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pulsed electrical field (PEF) ablation is an energy-based technique used to treat a range of cancers by irreversible electroporation (IRE). Our objective was to use computational and plant-based models to characterize the electric field distribution and ablation zones induced with a commercial 8-needle array-based applicator intended for treatment of skin cancer when high-frequency IRE (H-FIRE) pulses are applied. Electric field characterisation of this device was not previously assessed. Methods: Vegetable experimental were conducted using parallel plate electrodes to obtain the lethal threshold for H-FIRE pulses. Then a 3D computational model of the applicator was built mimicking the experimental conditions. The computational ablation zones were validated with the experiments for different voltage levels ranging from 220 to 525 V. Results: A threshold of 453 V/cm was estimated for H-FIRE pulses, which was used to predict computationally the ablation zones. It was found that the model showed a low prediction error, ranging from 2% for the minor diameter to 4.5% for the depth compared with experiments. Voltages higher than 370 V created an ablation volume with a rectangular prism shape determined by the positions of the needles, whereas lower voltages provoked the appearance of untreated areas (gaps). Conclusions: Our computer model predicts reasonably well the ablation zone induced by H-FIRE pulses, suggesting that a sufficiently large voltage must be applied to avoid the appearance of gaps. The validated model with vegetable experiments could serve as the basis for future computer studies to predict the behaviour of this device on heterogeneous tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When state armed forces engage in violence against civilians during civil wars, why do some citizens continue to support the government? I argue that individuals' support for the state in such contexts is shaped by the interplay between their perceptions of violence, governance and ideology. Drawing on research concerning motivated reasoning, I suggest that ideological similarity with and effective governance from the state can alleviate the negative effect of military violence against civilians on support for the state and, conversely, augment the positive effect of insurgent abuse on attitudes toward the government. Analysis of seven years of surveys fielded by the Latin American Public Opinion Project in Colombia between 2005 and 2011 suggests that individuals' responses to victimization by the state's armed forces depend on whether the individuals are ideologically aligned with the state. More specifically, among people who have an ideology similar to that of the president, military victimization has a less negative effect on support for the armed forces and for the national government. There is also mixed evidence that the quality of state governance, particularly the provision of security from crime, shapes the ways people respond to victimization. While existing studies primarily focus on the effects of either violence or governance on attitudes toward the state, these findings indicate that a more complete theory of why people support governments which engage in violence against civilians requires an understanding of not only violence but also of governance and ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fruits are vital for promoting human health, as well as providing nutrients and other compounds linked to protection against many different diseases. Loengo (Anisophyllea boehmii Engl.) produces an edible stone fruit, plum-shaped (drupe), dark blue and maroon or carmine in the ripening stage, which is generally, consumed fresh in the production areas. Characterization of this fruit will contribute to estimate its nutritional and pharmaceutical potential impact. The present work aimed at the physic-chemical, nutritional and antioxidant activity characterization of loengo fruit. Methods: Soluble solid contents (SSC) in the pulp were assessed in juice, at room temperature. Total protein was determined using the Dumas method. In what concerns the mineral composition were determined by ICP-OES. Organic acids identification and quantification was accomplished using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. The total polyphenol contents (TPC) were determined in 96-well microplate assays. Antioxidant activity were determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Results and discussion: Composition, in terms of fresh matter is as follows: pulp soluble sugar content (refractometer) is 19.5% ± 0.02%, and pulp titratable acidity 1.2% ± 0.1% expressed in citric acid; total protein content is 7.4% ± 0.02%, 8.0% ± 0.1%, 16.9% ± 0.2%, for the peel, pulp and seed, respectively. In what concerns the mineral composition, the results obtained show that it is a good source of minerals, mainly potassium and phosphorus, but also calcium, sulfur, and magnesium, with the pulp richer in potassium, the seed in phosphorus, and the peel in calcium. As expected, the pulp showed the highest total soluble sugar content, whereas the seed had the lowest. The main sugars found in the pulp were glucose and fructose. In the peel citric acid was the main organic acid found, together with malic, oxalic, and ascorbic acids. Most antioxidant activity was found in the seed. The results of this work provide important basic information to recommend the consumption of this fruit for its sweet taste, chemical and nutritional composition, and, most of all, for its richness in total phenolic compounds for it potential to formulate nutraceutical foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Long COVID (LC) is an ongoing public health crisis due to the persistent and debilitating symptoms that many individuals develop after surviving an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Neurocognitive impairments associated with LC are prevalent and difficult to treat. This study describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes from a cohort of patients with LC and examines how cognitive dysfunction is related to various other health domains such as function, neuropsychiatric issues, and quality of life. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional analyses were conducted using self-reported data collected by online survey: demographic information, questions about symptoms, perceived deficits, functional limitations, and other measures of well-being from various standardized instruments. The relationship between cognitive dysfunction and these variables was assessed by Spearman correlations and chi-square tests. Results: The sample included 427 subjects: 29.7% male, median 45 (14–89) years old. Based on normative cutoff, a large majority (72.4%) presented with cognitive dysfunction, which was significantly associated to fatigue (P <.001), disability (P <.001), reduced employment (P <.001), and difficulty in usual activities (P <.001). Conclusions: These findings align with and expand on previous studies investigating the negative impact of LC. Impaired cognition seems linked to adverse effects and daily functioning but causality cannot be determined without further research. Ongoing efforts are needed for identifying feasible and effective treatment options that may improve management of this complex condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of green scheduling, which deals with the environmental impact of the scheduling process, is becoming increasingly important due to growing environmental concerns. Most green scheduling problem variants focus on modelling the energy consumption during the execution of the schedule. However, the dynamic unrelated machines environment is rarely considered, mainly because it is difficult to manually design simple heuristics, called dispatching rules (DRs), which are suitable for solving dynamic, non-standard scheduling problems. Using hyperheuristics, especially genetic programming (GP), alleviates the problem since it enables the automatic design of new DRs. In this study, we apply GP to automatically design DRs for solving the green scheduling problem in the unrelated machines environment under dynamic conditions. The total energy consumed during the system execution is optimised along with two standard scheduling criteria. The three most commonly investigated green scheduling problem variants from the literature are selected, and GP is adapted to generate appropriate DRs for each. The experiments show that GP-generated DRs efficiently solve the problem under dynamic conditions, providing a trade-off between optimising standard and energy-related criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) is a new ablation method being rapidly adopted for treatment of atrial fibrillation, which shows advantages in safety and efficiency over radiofrequency and cryo-ablation. In this study, we used an in vivo swine model (10 healthy and 5 with chronic myocardial infarct) for ventricular PFA, collecting intracardiac electrograms, electro-anatomical maps, native T1-weighted and late gadolinium enhancement MRI, gross pathology, and histology. We used 1000–1500 V pulses, with 1–16 pulse trains to vary PFA dose. Lesions were assessed at 24 h, 7 days, and 6 weeks in healthy and at 48 h in infarcted ventricles. Comparisons of lesion sizes using a numerical model enabled us to determine lethal electric field thresholds for cardiac tissue and its dependence on the number of pulse trains. Similar thresholds were found in normal and infarcted hearts. Numerical modeling and temperature-sensitive MRI confirmed the nonthermal nature of PFA, with less than 2% of a lesion's volume at the highest dose used being attributed to thermal damage. Longitudinal cardiac MRI and histology provide a comprehensive description of lesion maturation. Lesions shrink between 24 h and 7 days post-ablation and then remain stable out to 6 weeks post-ablation. Periprocedural electrograms analysis yields good correlation with lesion durability and size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The increasing incidence and mortality rates of cerebrovascular disease impose a heavy burden on both patients and society. Retinal imaging techniques, such as fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, and optical coherence tomography angiography, can be used for rapid, non-invasive evaluation of cerebral microcirculation and brain function since the retina and the central nervous system share similar embryonic origin characteristics and physiological features. This article aimed to review retinal imaging biomarkers related to cerebrovascular diseases and their applications in cerebrovascular diseases (stroke, cerebral small vessel disease [CSVD], and vascular cognitive impairment [VCI]), thus providing reference for early diagnosis and prevention of cerebrovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pathological conditions often induce persistent systemic inflammation, contributing to neuroinflammatory diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is known for its autoimmune-mediated damage to myelin, axonal injury, and neuronal loss which drive disability accumulation and disease progression, often manifesting as cognitive impairments. Understanding the involvement of neural stem cells (NSCs) and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in the remediation of MS through adult neurogenesis (ANG) and gliogenesis—the generation of new neurons and glial cells, respectively is of great importance. Hence, these phenomena, respectively, termed ANG and gliogenesis, involve significant structural and functional changes in neural networks. Thus, the proper integration of these newly generated cells into existing circuits is not only key to understanding the CNS's development but also its remodeling in adulthood and recovery from diseases such as MS. Understanding how MS influences the fate of NSCs/NPCs and their possible neuroprotective role, provides insights into potential therapeutic interventions to alleviate the impact of MS on cognitive function and disease progression. This review explores MS, its pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and its association with ANG and gliogenesis. It highlights the impact of altered NSCs and NPCs' fate during MS and delves into the potential benefits of its modifications. It also evaluates treatment regimens that influence the fate of NSCS/NPCs to counteract the pathology subsequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution is a worldwide and stringent concern following many decades of industrialization and intensive mining without (in some cases) consideration for environmental protection. This review aims to identify the existing and emerging techniques for heavy metals (HM) removal/recycling from water and wastewater, with an emphasis on cobalt. Unlike many other heavy metals, cobalt has not been considered a detrimental element for the environment and human beings until recently. Thus, several methods and applicable techniques were evaluated to identify the best treatment approaches applicable to cobalt-polluted water and wastewater. The most feasible depollution methods adapted to the source, environment, and economic conditions were investigated and concluded. The operations and processes presented in this paper are conventional and innovative as well, including precipitation, membrane separation, with emphasis on ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF), but also reverse osmosis/forward osmosis (RO/FO), sorption/chemisorption processes, flotation/mechanical separation operations combined with coagulation/flocculation, photocatalysis, and electrochemical processes. For each one, depending on the frequency of use, physicochemical mechanisms and optimal operational conditions were identified to carry out successful cobalt removal and recovery from aqueous environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: to investigate the effectiveness of a 4-week combined progressive program on functional abilities, disability status and quality of life (QoL) in COVID-19 recovered patients. Materials & Methods: 18 COVID-19 recovered patients performed a combined rehabilitation treatment accounting for 12 sessions, including both respiratory and motor training sessions. A careful monitoring of exercise intensity, duration and progression to tailor complexity evolution on patients' competencies was carried out. Patients were monitored with different functional scales and self-reported questionnaires before (T0) and after (T1) rehabilitation. Results: 6-Minutes Walk Test, Timed Up and Go Test and Short Physical Performance Battery significantly improved, while Physiological Cost Index presented a significant reduction after rehabilitation. Moreover, Barthel Index significantly improved and patients presented significantly increased upper and lower limbs strength at T1. Furthermore, mMRC Dyspnoea Scale presented a significant reduction after training. Finally, physical and psychological well-being scales improved according to Short-Form 36; while, self-reported questionnaires related to mood and depression showed no significant modification after rehabilitation. Conclusions: results evidenced the efficacy of the combined progressive intervention in COVID-19 recovered patients. The specific customization on patients' needs and the careful exercise monitoring promoted improvements on functional abilities and disability status, with positive impact on QoL. IMPLICATION FOR REHABILITATION: Post-acute COVID-19 patients could require an adequate respiratory and neuromotor rehabilitation plan. Rehabilitative intervention should include a combined progressive training program. A 4-week progressive combined intervention seems effective in COVID-19 recovered patients. The specific customization on patients' needs and the careful exercise monitoring promotes improvements on functional abilities and disability status and patients' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the impact of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) on patients and public health is undeniably significant, its etiology remains largely unclear. Much research has been conducted on the pathophysiology, shedding light on various aspects; however, due to the multitude of symptoms and clinical conditions that directly or indirectly define PACS, it is challenging to establish definitive causations. In this exploration, through systematically reviewing the latest pathophysiological findings related to the neurological symptoms of the syndrome, we aim to examine how psychosocial and neuropsychological symptoms may overlap with neurological ones, and how they may not only serve as risk factors but also contribute to the persistence of some primary symptoms of the disorder. Findings from our synthesis suggest that psychological and psychosocial factors, such as anxiety, depression, and loneliness, may interact with neurological symptoms in a self-reinforcing feedback loop. This cycle seems to be affecting both physical and psychological distress, potentially increasing the persistence and severity of PACS symptoms. By pointing out this interaction, in this review study, we attempt to offer a new perspective on the interconnected nature of psychological, psychosocial, and neurological factors, emphasizing the importance of integrated treatment approaches to disrupt this cycle and improve outcomes when possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the significance of ESG performance is especially crucial in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) area, where economic and cultural environments differ. The study aims to empirically assess the relationship between firms' dividend policy and ESG performance in MENAT, along with the moderating effect of audit quality. The research is novel in exploring this link in the MENAT region. The study uses dividend yield (DY) as the dependent variable and yearly ESG combined score from the Eikon Refinitiv database, which range from 0 to 100 as the primary independent variable, with control variables as retained earnings, profitability, firm size, and financial leverage. The results indicate a significant negative relationship between ESG scores and dividend yields, suggesting a trade-off between prioritizing ESG factors and short-term returns. The moderating effect of audit quality on the ESG-dividend policy connection is insignificant. Additionally, retained earnings and corporate size have positive effects on dividend policy, while financial leverage has a negative impact. Profitability shows an insignificant effect on dividend yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between sustainability performance (which is proxied by ESG score) and a firm's financial resilience in crisis conditions. This study is triggered in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic as a global crisis setting. By focusing on five ASEAN countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, this study argues that companies with higher ESG performance will be more financially resilient during a crisis. This study uses several measurements of the company's financial resilience, both measures that utilize share prices and financial ratios from financial statements. The results show that ESG performance is negatively associated with financial resilience. ESG performance is considered less valuable during a crisis because ESG activities consume the company's financial resources. It implies that survival is more important than sustainability during times of crisis. ESG performance is considered to consume a company's financial resources in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroporation ablation, as an innovative cancer treatment, not only preserves the structure and function of affected organs but also significantly reduces surgical risks, offers patients a safer and more effective therapeutic option, and demonstrates immense potential in the field of oncology. This paper presents the innovative design of a high-voltage nanosecond pulse generator triggered by a silicon carbide (SiC) photoconductive switch. The generator is capable of stably outputting adjustable voltages ranging from 10 kV to 15 kV, with pulse widths precisely controlled between 10 and 15 nanoseconds, and an operating frequency adjustable from 1 Hz to 10 Hz. This device enables instant activation and deactivation of the pulse generator during ablation, enhancing the efficiency of strong electric field applications and preventing overtreatment due to delayed shutdown. This paper introduces the structure and basic principles of this novel SiC photoconductive switch-triggered pulse device and reports on the impact of device-related pulse parameters on the ablation effect of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through cell experiments. Under optimal ablation parameters, the CCK8 results show that the number of viable cells is only 0.7% of that in the untreated control group after 12 h of subculture following ablation. These findings hold significant importance for expanding the application areas of SiC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing scarcity of water and soil resources, combined with inefficient water and fertilizer management, poses significant challenges to agriculture in arid regions. This study aimed to determine an optimal water and nitrogen regulation model to alleviate water shortages and improve agricultural productivity and quality. In this study, a two-year experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of varying irrigation and nitrogen levels on the soil environment and crop growth in a Lycium barbarum||alfalfa system (LB||AS). The experiment involved four moisture gradients and four nitrogen application levels (using urea as the nitrogen source). The results indicated that soil moisture decreased during crop development, followed by a slow increase, with significant variation across soil depths. Soil temperature peaked during the fruiting stage of Lycium barbarum in July, decreasing significantly with soil depth. Higher temperatures were recorded in N0 under the same irrigation level and in W3 under the same nitrogen level. Soil organic carbon (SOC) levels increased by 16.24% in W3N0 and by 18.05% in W2N1, compared to W0N3. Easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC) and soluble organic carbon (DOC) levels exhibited significant variations depending on irrigation and nitrogen treatments. Irrigation and nitrogen had a stronger individual impact on alfalfa height and stem thickness than their combined effects. Water and nitrogen regulation significantly influenced Lycium barbarum yield, its 100-fruit weight, and economic efficiency (p < 0.05). The W0N2 treatment produced the highest yield (3238 kg·ha−1), exceeding other treatments by up to 29.52%. In conclusion, the optimal water–nitrogen regulation model for the LB||AS system is full irrigation (75–85% θfc) with a nitrogen application rate of 300 kg·ha−1. These findings offer critical insights for improving water and nitrogen management strategies in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a small microwave remote sensing satellite weighing 310 kg, operating in low earth orbit (LEO). It is equipped with an X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna, capable of a maximum imaging resolution of 0.6 m. To achieve the objectives of lower cost, reduced weight, minimized power consumption, and enhanced temperature stability, an optimized thermal design method tailored for satellites has been developed, with a particular focus on SAR antennas. The thermal control method of the antenna is closely integrated with structural design, simplifying the thermal design and its assembly process, reducing the resource consumption of thermal control systems. The distribution of thermal interface material (TIM) in the antenna assembly has been carefully calculated, achieving a zero-consumption thermal design for the SAR antenna. And the temperature difference of the entire antennas when powered on and powered off would not exceed 17 °C, meeting the specification requirements. In addition, to ensure the accuracy of antenna pointing, the support plate of antennas requires stable temperature. The layout of the heaters on the board has been optimized, reducing the use of heaters by 30% while ensuring that the temperature variation of the support board remains within 5 °C. Then, an on-orbit thermal simulation analysis of the satellite was conducted to refine the design and verification. Finally, the thermal test of the SAR satellite under vacuum conditions was conducted, involving operating the high-power antenna, verifying that the peak temperature of T/RM is below 29 °C, the temperature fluctuation amplitude during a single imaging task is 10 °C, and the lowest temperature point of the support plate is 16 °C. The results of the thermal simulation and test are highly consistent, verifying the correctness and effectiveness of the thermal design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Second-generation tau tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) show high affinity for paired helical filaments tau deposits characteristic of Alzheimer´s disease and low off-target binding. Differences in their chemical structure though may lead to variations in their regional tau uptake and off-target signal. In this work, we aimed to compare the in-vivo uptake of tau tracers [18F]PI-2620 and [18F]RO948 in the early stages of the AD continuum. Methods: Data from the TAU-PET FACEHBI clinical trial (EUDRA-CT 2021–000473-83) were analyzed. All participants were non-demented and underwent tau imaging with [18F]PI-2620 and [18F]RO948 PET within 3 months, amyloid imaging with [18F]Florbetaben and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Tau PET standardized uptake values ratios (SUVR) were calculated in Braak and typical off-target regions using the inferior cerebellar cortex as a reference region. Results: The cohort consisted of 18 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (n = 13) and mild cognitive impairment (n = 5), with centiloid values ranging from 17 to 159. Both tau tracers showed similar tau pathology distribution but presented a distinct off-target signal pattern on visual read. SUVR measurements for [18F]PI-2620 and [18F]RO948 were highly correlated in all Braak regions (R2 range [0.65–0.80]). Regarding off-target signal, [18F]PI-2620 had higher SUVRs in vascular structures, and [18F]RO948 had higher SUVRs in the skull/meninges. Conclusions: In a cohort of individuals at early stages of the AD continuum, tau PET tracers [18F]PI-2620 and [18F]RO948 showed similar in-vivo uptake in all Braak regions and distinct off-target signal. These preliminary results support the development of standardized quantification scales for tau deposition that are tracer-independent. Trial registration: AEMPS EudraCT 2021–000473-83. Registered 30 December 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim was to longitudinally explore changes in fatigue- and cognition-related symptoms during the first year after hospital treatment for COVID-19. Method: Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Gothenburg, Sweden, were consecutively included from 01-07-2020 to 28-02-2021. Patients were assessed at the hospital (acute) and at 3 and 12 months after hospital discharge. Cognition was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Trail Making Test B (TMTB), and the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ). Fatigue was assessed using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) and the Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS). Data was analyzed with demographics and changes over time calculated with univariable mixed-effects models. Result: In total, 122 participants were included. Analyzes of Z-scores for MoCA indicated improvement over the year, however the results were 1 SD below norm at all assessments. Alertness (TMTB scores) improved significantly from the acute assessment to the 12- month follow-up (p = <0.001, 95% CI 34.67–69.67). CFQ scores indicated cognitive impairment, and the sum scores for MFI reflected a relatively high degree of fatigue at follow-up. Conclusion: In the first year after hospitalization for COVID-19, most patients experienced fatigue and cognitive impairment. Alertness improved, but improvements in other domains were limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables high-resolution imaging of ocular structures in health and disease. Choroid thickness (CT) is a key vascular retinal parameter that can be assessed by OCT and might be relevant in the evaluation of the vascular component of cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate CT changes in a large cohort of individuals cognitive unimpaired (CU), with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's (MCI-AD), mild cognitive impairment due to cerebrovascular disease (MCI-Va), Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD), and vascular dementia (VaD). Methods: Clinical, demographical, ophthalmological and OCT data from the Neuro-ophthalmological Research at Fundació ACE (NORFACE) project were analyzed. CT was assessed in the macula across nine Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) quadrants, average thickness, total volume, and subfoveal choroidal thickness. Differences of CT among the five diagnostic groups were assessed in a multivariate regression model, adjusting for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors and OCT image quality. A comparison between manual and automatic CT measurements in a subset of participants was also performed. Results: The study cohort comprised 1,280 participants: 301 CU, 196 MCI-AD, 112 MCI-Va, 578 ADD, and 93 VaD. CT was significantly increased in individuals with cognitive impairment compared to those CU, particularly in the VaD and MCI-Va groups and in the peripheral ETDRS regions. No significant differences were found in inner superior, center and subfoveal choroidal thickness. The interaction of sex and diagnosis had no effect in differentiating CT. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were not correlated to CT. Manual and automated CT measurements showed good reliability. Discussion: Our findings indicated that peripheral choroidal thickening, especially in patients with cerebrovascular disease, may serve as a potential choroidal biomarker for cognitive decline and suggest different pathogenic pathways in AD and VaD. Further research is required to explore CT as a reliable ocular biomarker for cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both Magnetic Resonance Enterography (MRE) and Computed Tomography Enterography (CTE) are crucial imaging modalities in the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). CTE is often used in acute scenarios, such as when complications (such as abscesses, perforations, or bowel obstructions) are suspected. It can also help determine the degree and extent of pathological processes. Although CTE is rapid, generally accessible, and offers precise images that are useful in emergencies, it does expose patients to ionizing radiation. Nevertheless, MRE is very useful in assessing perianal illness and the small intestine, and it is frequently used in patients who need repeated follow-ups or are pregnant to minimize radiation exposure. Moreover, MRE can demonstrate oedema, fistulas, abscesses, and the thickening of the bowel wall. In addition, MRE offers superior soft tissue contrast resolution without ionizing radiation, which helps identify complications such as fistulas and abscesses. With their respective advantages and disadvantages, both approaches play essential roles in assessing IBD. The primary goal of this review is to provide an overview of the technical specifications, benefits, drawbacks, and imaging findings of CTE and MRE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with multifactorial and unclear pathogenesis. Its development is characterized by two key elements: epigenetic dysregulation of molecular pathways involved in AD pathogenesis and disrupted skin and gut microbiota (dysbiosis) that jointly trigger and maintain chronic inflammation, a core AD characteristic. Current data suggest that failed inflammation resolution is the main pathogenic mechanism underlying AD development. Inflammation resolution is provided by specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) derived from dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids acting through cognate receptors. SPM levels are reduced in AD patients. Administration of SPMs or their stable, small-molecule mimetics and receptor agonists, as well as supplementation with probiotics/prebiotics, demonstrate beneficial effects in AD animal models. Epidrugs, compounds capable of restoring disrupted epigenetic mechanisms associated with the disease, improve impaired skin barrier function in AD models. Based on these findings, we propose a novel, multilevel AD treatment strategy aimed at resolving chronic inflammation by application of SPM mimetics and receptor agonists, probiotics/prebiotics, and epi-drugs. This approach can be used in conjunction with current AD therapy, resulting in AD alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinity results in reduced productivity in field peas, making soil salinity tolerance a critical breeding objective. In this study, four pot experiments were carried out in semi-controlled environments over four consecutive years to assess the contribution of seedling vigour to salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. Split-plot designs were used to assess the effect of salt stress (sodium chloride solution at 16 dSm−1) and control conditions. Extensive sets of advanced breeding lines were used in 2018–2020 to assess growth differences in relation to the treatment, with elemental analysis used on a subset of 15 lines in 2021. A salt tolerance index (STI) was defined as a proportion of shoot biomass under salt stress (DWstress) relative to the shoot dry weight under control (DWctrl). Visual scores of salt stress were recorded on a 1–10 scale (1 = tolerant, 10 = susceptible) from salt stress treatments. The consistent positive and significant correlations (p < 0.01) between shoot DWctrl and DWstress indicated that vigorous genotypes maintained higher shoot DWstress. Both the shoot DWctrl and shoot DWstress had negative and significant (p < 0.01) correlations with visual scores of salt stress. Shoot DWstress showed strong positive correlations with STI (p < 0.01). Both the shoot DWctrl and Shoot DWstress had negative correlations (p < 0.01) with shoot Na+ whereas shoot DWstress had a positive correlation (p < 0.05) with root Na+ concentration. The results indicated that seedling vigour (measured as shoot DWctrl) contributed to salinity tolerance by maintaining improved shoot DWstress, limiting Na+ deposition in shoot and enduring less tissue damage in field pea seedlings. Additional field evaluations are required to establish the correlations of tolerance at seedling stage with yield under saline conditions. The insights obtained from this study may assist field pea breeders in identifying salt-tolerant parent plants, offspring, and breeding lines during the initial growth phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the Mapping Attitudes, Perceptions and Support (MAPS) dataset, which provides rich survey data from more than 12,000 respondents in Colombia. Our panel survey – carried out in two separate waves in 2019 and 2021 – is representative at the level of each 'Program for Development with a Territorial Focus' (PDET, for its acronym in Spanish), the most war-affected regions and those targeted for peace agreement implementation. We describe the sample and compare support for the peace agreement in MAPS to other recent surveys in Colombia, showing how MAPS reveals regional variation obscured in nationally representative surveys. Regression analyses illustrate how the panel data allow us to explore how and why people's perceptions of the agreement shift over time. The MAPS data will enable scholars to gain insights into the microfoundations of peacebuilding over time and across space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biostimulants include a wide array of microorganisms and substances that can exert beneficial effects on plant development and growth, often enhancing nutrient uptake and improving tolerance against abiotic and biotic stress. Depending on their composition and time of application, these products can influence plant physiology directly as growth regulators or indirectly through environmental condition changes in the rhizosphere, such as nutrient and water availability. This review evaluated 48 case studies from 39 papers to summarize the effects of biostimulant application on fruit and tuber yields and on the quality of processing tomato and potato in open field conditions. For potato, PGPR bacteria were the main studied biostimulant, whereas the low number of studies on processing tomato did not permit us to delineate a trend. The yield and quality were greatly influenced by cultivars and biostimulant composition, application method, period, and dose. For processing tomato, a positive effect of the biostimulant application on the marketable yield was reported in 79% of the case studies, whereas for potato, the effect was reported in only 47%. Few studies, on processing tomato and potato, also reported data for quality parameters with contrasting results. The variability of crop response to biostimulant application in open field conditions highlights the need for more comprehensive studies. Such studies should focus on diverse cultivars, deeply understand the interaction of biostimulant application with agronomic management (e.g., irrigation and fertilization), and evaluate yield and quality parameters. This approach is crucial to fully understand the potential and limitations of biostimulant applications in agriculture, particularly regarding their role in sustainable crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Profesorado: Revista de Currículum y Formación del Profesorado is the property of Profesorado: Revista de Curriculum y Formacion del Profesorado and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study evaluates the adaptation of language, messages and social media strategies of Iberdrola, Repsol, Endesa and Naturgy focused on CSR after the introduction of Threads in Europe in 2023. Objectives include investigating changes in CSR communication on Threads, examining content strategies in comparison to Instagram and X, analysing interaction with audiences, and assessing the impact of Threads on CSR communication. Through content analysis and analytical tools, aspects such as frequency, reach and interaction will be compared. The study seeks to identify successful tactics and provide recommendations to optimise CSR communication on social networks in the energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chagas disease is a prevalent health problem in Latin America which has received insufficient attention worldwide. Current treatments for this disease, benznidazole and nifurtimox, have limited efficacy and may cause side effects. A recent study proposed investigating a wide range of nitroindazole and indazolone derivatives as feasible treatments. Therefore, it is proposed that adding a nitro group at the 5-position of the indazole and indazolone structure could enhance trypanocidal activity by inducing oxidative stress through activation of the nitro group by NTRs (nitroreductases). The study results indicate that the nitro group advances free radical production, as confirmed by several analyses. Compound 5a (5-nitro-2-picolyl-indazolin-3-one) shows the most favorable trypanocidal activity (1.1 ± 0.3 µM in epimastigotes and 5.4 ± 1.0 µM in trypomastigotes), with a selectivity index superior to nifurtimox. Analysis of the mechanism of action indicated that the nitro group at the 5-position of the indazole ring induces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which causes apoptosis in the parasites. Computational docking studies reveal how the compounds interact with critical residues of the NTR and FMNH2 (flavin mononucleotide reduced) in the binding site, which is also present in active ligands. The lipophilicity of the studied series was shown to influence their activity, and the nitro group was found to play a crucial role in generating free radicals. Further investigations are needed of derivatives with comparable lipophilic characteristics and the location of the nitro group in different positions of the base structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence and mortality rates of cerebrovascular disease impose a heavy burden on both patients and society. Retinal imaging techniques, such as fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, and optical coherence tomography angiography, can be used for rapid, non-invasive evaluation of cerebral microcirculation and brain function since the retina and the central nervous system share similar embryonic origin characteristics and physiological features. This article aimed to review retinal imaging biomarkers related to cerebrovascular diseases and their applications in cerebrovascular diseases (stroke, cerebral small vessel disease [CSVD], and vascular cognitive impairment [VCI]), thus providing reference for early diagnosis and prevention of cerebrovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents data on the concentration of Alternaria spores in the atmosphere of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. A non-viable volumetric method was used to collect the samples, resulting in a database of 70 annual. When the annual averages for each locality are calculated, Ourense stands out with 2152 spores/m3, followed by Vigo and Lugo, while Santiago de Compostela recorded the lowest concentrations. Focusing on the total data for each locality, the main sporulation period started in May and ended in October in all localities, centered on a single phase, with an earlier onset and longer duration in Ourense and Vigo. The number of days with concentrations in excess of 100 spores/m3 was very low in Santiago de Compostela, Ourense, and Vigo and null in Lugo. Temperature was the meteorological parameter for which the highest statistical correlation was obtained in all locations, being favorable to the concentration of spores in the air. Temperature ranges favorable to the presence of airborne spores in the study area ranged from 25.5 to 31.2 °C. Based on the analysis of the data collected, it is concluded that Alternaria spore concentrations are low throughout most of the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

United States policymakers and education leaders continue to assess young children as if their learning contexts are neutral and harmless. This article draws upon examples from the multi-sited Civic Action and Young Children study to show why contexts that actively refuse deficit, racist thinking and support agency have the best chance of showing children's diverse ranges of skills and knowledge and so should be the focus of assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the stability of a magnetic skyrmion crystal with short-period magnetic modulations in a centrosymmetric body-centered tetragonal system. By performing the simulated annealing for the spin model, incorporating the effects of the biquadratic interaction and high-harmonic wave–vector interaction in momentum space, we find that the double-Q square skyrmion crystal consisting of two spin density waves is stabilized in an external magnetic field. We also show that double-Q states appear in both low- and high-field regions; the low-field spin configuration is characterized by an anisotropic double-Q modulation consisting of a superposition of the spiral wave and sinusoidal wave, while the high-field spin configuration is characterized by an isotropic double-Q modulation consisting of a superposition of two sinusoidal waves. Furthermore, we show that the obtained multiple-Q instabilities can be realized for various ordering wave vectors. The results provide the possibility of realizing the short-period skyrmion crystals under the body-centered tetragonal lattice structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given two numerical semigroups S and T we say that T is a multiple of S if there exists an integer d ∈ N \ {0} such that S = {x ∈ N | dx ∈ T}. In this paper we study the family of multiples of a (fixed) numerical semigroup. We also address the open problem of finding numerical semigroups of embedding dimension e without any quotient of embedding dimension less than e, and provide new families with this property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let C ⊂ N p be an integer polyhedral cone. An affine semigroup S ⊂ C is a C -semigroup if | C ∖ S | < + ∞ . This structure has always been studied using a monomial order. The main issue is that the choice of these orders is arbitrary. In the present work, we choose the order given by the semigroup itself, which is a more natural order. This allows us to generalise some of the definitions and results known from numerical semigroup theory to C -semigroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restrictions of COVID-19 considerably impacted SMBs and opened several challenges in their sustainable operations. The present research suggests an inclusive picture of sustainable efficiency through the interrelation of factors that show strong associations to produce this impact to achieve sustainable efficiency in SMBs by integrating the models of strategic resources and financial technological innovation organization environment (FTOE) to examine how sustainable operations can work the FTOE factors while impacting sustainable efficiency. This study focuses on small and medium-sized businesses with employees around the world and includes data collected from various employee groups at four different managerial stages. Structural equation modeling is used to test the proposed hypotheses by incorporating 669 questionnaires. The overall results suggest that FTOE factors show a piece of important information for practices such as performance evaluation and training implying key procedures that drive toward sustainable operations (outputs). In addition, results encourage SMBs to put more effort into internal organizational and financial technological innovation aspects and promote a green revolution that requires stakeholders to implement a more positive environmental attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct current (DC) motor is the core part of an electrical vehicle (EV). The unmatched perturbation of load torque is a challenging problem in the control of an EV system driven by a DC motor and hence a deep control concern is required. In this study, the proposed solution is to present two control approaches based on a backstepping control algorithm for speed trajectory tracking of EVs. The first control design is to develop the backstepping controller based on a quasi-sliding mode disturbance observer (BS-QSMDO), and the other controller is to combine the backstepping control with quasi-integral sliding mode control (BS-QISMC). In the sense of Lyapunov-based stability analysis, the ultimate boundedness of the proposed controllers has been detailedly analyzed, assessed, and evaluated in the presence of unmatched perturbation. A modified stability analysis has been presented to determine the ultimate bounds of disturbance estimation error for both controllers. The determination of ultimate bound and region-of-attraction for tracking and estimation errors is the contribution achieved by the proposed control design. The performances of the proposed controllers have been verified via computer simulations and the level of ultimate bounds for the estimation and tracking errors are the key measures for their evaluation. Compared to BS-QISMC, the results showed that a lower level of ultimate boundedness with a higher convergent rate can be reached based on BS-QSMO. However, a higher control effort can be exerted by the BS-QSMO controller as compared to BS-QISMC; and this is the price to be paid by the BS-QSMO controller to achieve lower ultimate boundedness with a faster convergence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil conflicts typically end with negotiated settlements, but many settlements fail, often during the implementation stage when average citizens have increasing influence. Citizens sometimes evaluate peace agreements by voting on referendums or the negotiating leaders, and, almost always, they decide whether to cooperate. Yet, despite their role, we do not know much about how citizens form attitudes toward peace agreements. In this article, we assess how citizens form attitudes toward settlements, specifically the policy provisions that emerge from them, which are central in shaping the post-conflict context. These are complex policy changes, involving deeply factionalized actors, and the citizens evaluating them are often focused on rebuilding their lives. We therefore theorize that citizens use stark cues from political elites with whom they have affinity to form their attitudes. We test our theory using survey experiments in Colombia. We find that citizens rely on political elites' cues to decide their stance on the settlement's provisions. These cues appear to supply easily-accessible information that respondents use over other information. In contrast to work positing that peace agreements are exceptional and weary citizens are stabilizing forces, our results suggest that even these decisions are politics as usual, where divisions among political elites drive the outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Traumatic spinal cord injury is a major cause of disability for which there are currently no fully effective treatments. Recent studies using epidural electrical stimulation have shown significant advances in motor rehabilitation, even when applied during chronic phases of the disease. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of epidural electric stimulation in the motor recovery of rats with spinal cord injury. Furthermore, we aimed to elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying motor recovery. First, we improved upon the impact spinal cord injury model to cause severe and permanent motor deficits lasting up to 2 months. Next, we developed and tested an implantable epidural spinal cord stimulator device for rats containing an electrode and an implantable generator. Finally, we evaluated the efficacy of epidural electrical stimulation on motor recovery after spinal cord injury in Wistar rats. A total of 60 animals were divided into the following groups: (i) severe injury with epidural electrical stimulation (injury + stim, n = 15), (ii) severe injury without stimulation (group injury, n = 15), (iii) sham implantation without battery (sham, n = 15), and (iv) a control group, without surgical intervention (control, n = 15). All animals underwent weekly evaluations using the Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale index, inclined plane, and OpenField test starting one week before the lesion and continuing for eight weeks. After this period, the animals were sacrificed and their spinal cords were explanted and prepared for histological analysis (hematoxylin–eosin) and immunohistochemistry for NeuN, β-III-tubulin, synaptophysin, and Caspase 3. Finally, NeuN-positive neuronal nuclei were quantified through stereology; fluorescence signal intensities for β-tubulin, synaptophyin, and Caspase 3 were quantified using an epifluorescence microscope. The injury + stim group showed significant improvement on the BBB scale compared with the injured group after the 5th week (p < 0.05). Stereological analysis showed a significantly higher average count of neural cells in the injury + stim group in relation to the injury group (1783 ± 2 vs. 897 ± 3, p < 0.001). Additionally, fluorescence signal intensity for synaptophysin was significantly higher in the injury + stim group in relation to the injury group (1294 ± 46 vs. 1198 ± 23, p < 0.01); no statistically significant difference was found in β-III-tubulin signal intensity. Finally, Caspase 3 signal intensity was significantly lower in the stim group (727 ± 123) compared with the injury group (1225 ± 87 p < 0.05), approaching levels observed in the sham and control groups. Our data suggest a regenerative and protective effect of epidural electrical stimulation in rats subjected to impact-induced traumatic spinal cord injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive difficulties are reported as lasting sequelae within post COVID-19 condition. However, the chronicity of these difficulties and related factors of fatigue, mood, and perceived health have yet to be fully determined. To address this, the current longitudinal study aimed to clarify the trends of cognitive test performance and cognitive domain impairment following COVID-19 onset, and whether hospitalization influences outcomes. 57 participants who reported subjective cognitive difficulties after confirmed COVID-19 infection were assessed at baseline (~6 months post COVID-19) and follow-up (~15 months later) visits. Assessments included measures across multiple cognitive domains and self-report questionnaires of fatigue, mood, and overall health. Analyses were conducted in three stages: at the test score level (raw and adjusted scores), at the cognitive domain level, and stratified by hospitalization status during infection. Results at the test-score level indicate that cognitive performance remains relatively stable across assessments at the group level, with no significant improvements in any adjusted test scores at follow-up. Cognitive domain analyses indicate significant reductions in attention and executive functioning impairment, while memory impairment is slower to resolve. On self-report measures, there was a significant improvement in overall health ratings at follow-up. Finally, those hospitalized during infection performed worse on timed cognitive measures across visits and accounted for a larger proportion of cases with short-term and working memory impairment at follow-up. Overall, our findings indicate that cognitive difficulties persist both at test score and cognitive domain levels in many cases of post COVID-19 condition, but evidence suggests some improvement in global measures of attention, executive functioning and overall self-rated health. Furthermore, an effect of hospitalization on cognitive symptoms post COVID-19 may be more discernible over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) has recently become the imaging technique of choice for patients with different types of intestinal inflammation. IUS has a high sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value when diagnosing Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Further, it is now the preferred imaging modality for routine IBD reevaluations because of its non-invasiveness, cost-effectiveness, availability (at least in Europe), and reproducibility in all age groups. However, the clinical success of IUS requires IUS training for doctors and technicians who perform IUS with a standardised description of ultrasound findings of the terminal ileum and entire colon. Complications such as abscess formation, fistulae, and stenosis can be detected by either conventional IUS or contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Lately, several disease activity scores have been proposed for Crohn's disease, postoperative Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis both in adults (including elderly) and in children. IUS was successfully used in randomised clinical trials in order to measure the treatment response. Therefore, IUS now plays a central role in clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are one of the main residents in the bone marrow (BM) and have an essential role in the regulation of haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) differentiation and proliferation. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are a group of myeloid disorders impacting haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSCPs) that are characterised by BM failure, ineffective haematopoiesis, cytopenia, and a high risk of transformation through the expansion of MDS clones together with additional genetic defects. It has been indicated that MSCs play anti-tumorigenic roles such as in cell cycle arrest and pro-tumorigenic roles including the induction of metastasis in MDS and leukaemia. Growing evidence has shown that MSCs have impaired functions in MDS, such as decreased proliferation capacity, differentiation ability, haematopoiesis support, and immunomodulation function and increased inflammatory alterations within the BM through some intracellular pathways such as Notch and Wnt and extracellular modulators abnormally secreted by MSCs, including increased expression of inflammatory factors and decreased expression of haematopoietic factors, contributing to the development and progression of MDSs. Therefore, MSCs can be targeted for the treatment of MDSs and leukaemia. However, it remains unclear what drives MSCs to behave abnormally. In this review, dysregulations in MSCs and their contributions to myeloid haematological malignancies will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]