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Introduction: Surfing is a discipline that has considerably increased the number of followers who practice this sport. Research has focused on describing the main variables associated with performance, but not the relationships that may exist between them. Objective: To establish the relationship of dynamic postural balance with respect to the anthropometric profile and physical aptitude in surfers. Material and method: This research is an observational and cross-sectional study of a descriptive-correlational type. The sample included 30 surfers (8 women and 22 men). The variables of the anthropometric profile studied were body mass, bipedal height, body mass index (BMI), sum of folds, body composition and somatotype. Furthermore, physical aptitude was assessed by indirect tests. The data of the anthropometric profile and physical aptitude were correlated with the results of the dynamic postural balance test (Y balance test). Results: For the anterior direction of the Y balance test, the variables that were significant were gender, body weight, bipedal height, sum of folds, adipose mass and Sargent’s jump height (R2 = 0.55). The posteromedial direction of the Y balance test yielded a significant model that indicates that gender, sum of folds and adipose mass are the variables that jointly predict dynamic postural balance (R2 = 0.30). For the posterolateral direction, the model indicates that the BMI, sum of folds, adipose mass, mesomorphism, ectomorphism and performance in the sit and reach test are the variables that influence the performance of the Y balance test (R2 = 0.55). Conclusion: Predictive models were established to determine anthropometric and physical condition variables that would be decisive for the performance of a surfer’s postural balance.

BACKGROUND: The quarantine and social distancing implemented during COVID 19 pandemic may hamper the quality of life of the population AIM: To determine the factors associated with a low quality of life during COVID 19 quarantine in Chilean adults MATERIAL AND METHODS: The SF-36 survey about quality of life was answered by 1,082 Chilean adults aged between 18 and 60 years, who were quarantined by the COVID-19 health alert Other variables studied were sociodemographic background, nutritional status, lifestyles, level of physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep hours Risk factors associated with low quality of life were identified by logistic regression analysis for each of the 8 dimensions evaluated in the SF-36 questionnaire RESULTS: The factors that increased the probability of having a lower general health perception were being female (Odds ratio (OR) = 1 29;p = 0 05), being physically inactive (OR = 2 76 p < 0 01), unhealthy hours of sleep (OR = 1 58, p < 0 01), smoking (OR = 1 59, p < 0 01) and eating junk food (OR = 2 26;p < 0 01) For the other dimensions of quality of life, the most frequently repeated factors were being female, junk food consumption, and being physically inactive and sedentary CONCLUSIONS: There are factors associated with a low quality of life during the quarantine of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Chilean population Their identification could reinforce remedial actions at the government level to benefit the health of the population during this health emergency

Nowadays, many RI 815 profiles were retrieved and validated with an accuracy of over 90% in profile detection. The main contribution of this work is Ogmios’s autonomous capacity to retrieve and combine all necessary information on scientific profiles and production from different data sources and, also, its adaptability to any university or research institution.

The aim of the present study was to establish the effects of three conditions of post-activation potentiation (PAP) exercises on kicking frequency, fatigue rate (FR) and jump performance in novice and advanced taekwondo athletes. Secondarily, to establish if the PAP strength plus plyometrics exercises produced a significantly higher increase with respect to exercises of isolated strength and plyometrics. Eight university taekwondo athletes ( n= 4 novices and n= 4 advanced) were randomized into four (one control and three experimental) intervention conditions. Kicking frequency and FR were evaluated with the Frequency Speed of Kicks Test (FSKT), and countermovement jump test (CMJ). Effect size (ES) was calculated and the significance level was stabilized at p

Meningitis is one of the pandemic diseases that many less developed countries suffer, primarily due to the lack of economic resources to face it. The more severe types of meningitis, Meningococcal Disease, MD, demand immediate medical attention since delays increase the risk of mortality. This paper presents an open and integrated Clinical Decision Support System to assist physicians in the different stages of meningitis diagnostics through observable symptoms. Our system integrates three intelligent components which try to give support to physicians in early diagnostics of meningitis. These components are based on interpretable tree-based machine learning models and knowledge-engineering techniques. A dataset of 26,228 records of patients with a meningitis diagnosis in Brazil was used to construct and evaluate the system. The performance indicators of the decision models exhibit an outstanding classification performance for MD meningitis with a classification accuracy of 94.3%. In order to test the correct diagnosis of the system, an evaluation study with real patients' data was performed. The experimental results concluded that excluding meningitis cases based only on observable symptoms is much more complicated than diagnosing it. However, the system properly diagnosed 88% of meningitis cases from the real database.

Thirty-two children with overweight or obesity were randomly divided into a neuromuscular training group (NTG) (n = 16) and a control group (CG) (n = 16). All individuals participated in the measurement of static postural control under two conditions: the double-leg stance with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). The center of pressure variables was obtained. mSEBT was used for dynamic postural control. Neuromuscular training was performed twice per week and lasted 4 weeks. The results of this study indicate that 4 weeks of neuromuscular training improve static and dynamic postural control in children with excess body weight.

Objective: To study the differences in cardiac autonomic modulation in response to muscle fatigue caused by high-intensity exercise during two consecutive competition periods in young swimmers.Methods: Twenty-six competitive swimmers, selected by their training volume, were separated in two groups, females (n = 12 [46%], age: 13.5 ± 1.4 years) and males (n = 14 [54%], age: 13.9 ± 1.7 years), aged between 10 and 16 years, were evaluated five times as follow: (i) 21 days before the first competition (t-0); (ii) two days before (t-1; t-3); and (iii) two days after (t-2; t-4) of the first and second competitions. Morphological measurements (body mass, percentage of total body fat and height), blood pressure, power, and resting heart rate variability (RR with Polar band) were recorded before and after Wingate test at each time.Results: Body fat was higher in females compared to males. However, no differences were found in other morphological parameters. An intra-subject analysis grouped by sex in cardiovascular parameters shows longitudinal variations in systolic pressure and mean pressure among females. Additionally, females depicted higher, very low frequency (VLF, which is intrinsically generated by the heart and strongly associated with emotional stress) after physical fatigue compared to males at t-1. Further, before the competition, the high frequency (HF) component of HRV (parasympathetic drive) was higher in males than females at t-0 and t-4.Conclusion: Our data revealed that males displayed greater parasympathetic reactivity after an anaerobic muscle fatigue test during their competition periods. Contrarily, females had a less cardiac autonomic modulation when comparing the pre-post Wingate test after two consecutive competition periods.

El avance de la tecnología digital ha permitido concebir Sistemas de Vigilancia Epidemiológicos (SVE) automatizados con un enfoque holístico-sistémico favoreciendo la planeación, operación, gestión y procesamiento de datos fitosanitarios de manera efectiva y oportuna para toma de decisiones en la prevención y manejo regional de plagas. Este tipo de sistemas se enfocan en la salud del cultivo superando la visión reduccionista de plaga en la vigilancia normativa convencional. Un SVE web implica la definición clara del marco regional, objetivos, plaga(s) en su amplia acepción, recursos humanos/financieros, contexto normativo, líneas de investigación de soporte, estructura operativa y modelos de innovación. Estos elementos determinan la precisión, frecuencia y tipo de muestreo y monitoreo, así como las variables de medición relativas a un novel sistema epidemiológico. A diferencia de la vigilancia normativa, un SVE web holístico-sistémico tiene capacidad descriptiva y de pronóstico de riesgos, incluyendo alertas tempranas a partir de análisis espaciales y temporales. La interfaz web SVE asegura la generación flexible y dinámica de reportes y/o análisis automatizados. Un SVE operado en plataformas web, con énfasis en lenguajes de programación y herramientas de uso libre puede ser alojado en servidores genéricos o dedicados para almacenamiento de metadatos configurados con tecnologías Linux/Apache y funcionalidad 24/7 (h día-1). Programas de uso libre incluyen MySQL/MariaDB y otros como gestores de bases de datos; PHP / Node.js, y JavaScript, Ajax, HTML5 y CSS, como tecnologías web de maquetado base ‘back-end’ y ‘front-end’, respectivamente. Esta revisión se enfoca en principios, atributos conceptuales, enfoques metodológicos generales y objetivos de SVE base web. Aplicaciones generales se ilustran con un SVE desarrollado en México para el cafeto (Coffea spp.), el cual permitió operar la vigilancia de 19 plagas, nueve con estatus cuarentenario, mediante la generación, gestión y análisis de 87.4 y 15.7 millones de registros climáticos y epidemiológicos, respectivamente, obtenidos entre 2013-2019.

Background: Upper limb (UL) function is compromised in university students due to prolonged academic activities and excessive use of electronic devices. However, it is unknown whether this relationship was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Aim: To determine the risk factors associated with reduced UL functionality in university students in a pandemic situation due to COVID-19. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 621 university students from the northern, central and southern areas of Chile. Physical variables, musculoskeletal, anthropometric and sociodemographic history were evaluated through self-reported questionnaires. Results: The factors with the higher association with a lower UL functionality were pain (Odds ratio (OR) = 17.6; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 5.2-60; p < 0.01) and injury (OR = 10.4; 95% CI = 3.9-28.3; p < .001). Also, a low weight (OR = 10.5; 95% CI = 2.2-49.6; p < 0.01) and a quarantine lasting for five or more weeks (OR = 9.1; 95% CI = 1,1-77.2; p = 0.043) were considered risk factors. The lower probability was observed in male participants (OR = 0.2; 95% CI = 0.1-0.51; p < 0.01) and in those with a moderate/high muscular condition (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = 0.1-0.9; p = 0.031. Conclusions: The identification of these modifiable risk factors can help to implement preventive or rehabilitative actions at home or universities.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue comparar los efectos de seis semanas de entrenamiento de resistencia muscular con el uso de bandas elasticas (BE) respecto al uso de equipos tradicionales de gimnasio (ETG) sobre la fuerza maxima, composicion corporal, prension manual, presion arterial, glicemia sanguinea, agilidad, equilibrio dinamico, flexibilidad y potencia aerobica maxima (VO 2pico ) en adultos mayores. Estudio experimental que evaluo dos grupos de adultos mayores, uno con BE (n=7) y otro con ETG (n=5). Se reporto en ambos grupos un aumento significativo de la fuerza maxima (BE: p =0,043 y ETG: p =0,018), VO 2pico (BE: p =0,008 y ETG: p =0,038) y flexibilidad del tren inferior (BE: p =0,021 y ETG: p =0,027), y una reduccion de la masa adiposa (BE: p =0,028 y ETG: p =0,021). En conclusion, ambos entrenamientos producen efectos similares sobre variables neuromusculares, antropometricas y metabolicas en adultos mayores. Por lo tanto, usar BE fue tan efectivo como los ETG para entrenar adultos mayores. Abstract. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of six weeks of resistance training with the use of elastic bands (EB) to the use of traditional gym equipment (TGE) on maximum strength, body composition, manual grip, blood pressure, glycemia blood, agility, dynamic balance, flexibility, and peak aerobic consumption in older adults. This is an experimental study that evaluated two groups of older adults, one with EB (n=7) and another with TGE (n=5). A significant increase in maximal strength (EB: p =0.043 and TGE: p =0.018), peak aerobic consumption (EB: p =0.008 and TGE: p =0.038) and lower train flexibility (EB: p =0.021 and TGE: p =0.027), and a decrease of fat mass (EB: p =0.028 and TGE: p =0.021) were found. In conclusion, both training produce similar effects on neuromuscular, anthropometric, and metabolic variables in older adults. Therefore, using EB showed as effective as ETG in the training of older adults.

Introduction The efficacy of long-acting bronchodilators for COPD associated with biomass (BE-COPD) has not been properly evaluated. Objective To determine the acute effect of indacaterol (IND) 150 μg q.d and tiotropium (TIO) 18 μg q.d. on lung hyperinflation, walking distance (WD) and dyspnea during the six-minute walking test (6MWT) in moderate BE-COPD at 30, 60 and 240 mins post-drug administration. Design Randomized, controlled, open-level, crossover noninferiority clinical trial. Forty-two women with BE-COPD were randomly assigned to a bronchodilator sequence: IND-TIO or vice versa. Results There were statistically significant changes over time in inspiratory capacity (IC) (p

Background: Aging causes an involution of anthropometric and health indices that can affect physical fitness. Aim: To determine the influence of anthropometric and health indices on the physical fitness of elderly women. Material and Methods: Anthropometric parameters, serum lipids, blood glucose and physical fitness evaluated using Senior Fitness Test, were assessed in 140 women aged 70 ± 5 years. The association between parameters was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression models. Results: In the regression models serum lipids and the suprailiac skinfold were significant predictors of the up and go test (R2= 0.48). HDL cholesterol and the level of physical activity were predictors of the two minutes step test (R2= 0.31). Serum lipids, suprailiac skinfold and age were predictors of the back-scratch test (R2= 0.41). Fasting blood glucose and HDL cholesterol were predictors of the chair sit and reach test (R2= 0.24). Serum lipids and body mass index were predictors of the arm curl test (R2= 0.37). Body mass index and serum lipids were predictors of the chair stand test (R2= 0.49). Conclusions: Anthropometric variables, serum lipid levels and blood glucose were predictors of different physical fitness parameters in these women.

[EN] In this article, a mixed integer linear program (MILP) model is proposed for the production, lot sizing, and scheduling of automotive plastic components to minimize the setup, inventory, stockout, and backorder costs, by taking into account injection molds as the main index to schedule on parallel flexible injection machines. The proposed MILP considers the minimum and maximum inventory capacities and penalizes stockout. A relevant characteristic of the modeled problem is the dependence between mold setups to produce plastic components. The lot sizing and scheduling problem solution results in the assignment of molds to machines during a specific time period and in the calculation of the number of components to be produced, which is often called lot size, following a sequence-dependent setup time. Depending on the machine on which the mold is setup, the number of units to be produced will be distinct because machines differ from one another. The stock coverage, defined in demand days, is also included in the MILP to avoid backorders, which is highly penalized in the automotive supply chain. Added to this, the proposed model is extended by considering setup common operators to respond to and fulfill the constraints that appear in automotive plastic enterprises. In this regard, the MILP presented solves a lot-sizing and scheduling problem, emerged in a second-tier supplier of a real automotive supply chain. Finally, this article validates the MILP by performing experiments with different sized instances, including small, medium, and large. The large-sized dataset is characterized by replicating the amount of data used in the real enterprise, which is the object of this study. The goodness of the model is evaluated with the computational time and the deviation of the obtained results as regards to the optimal solution., Thiis work was supported by the Conselleria de Educacion, Investigacion, Cultura y Deporte-Generalitat Valenciana for hiring predoctoral research staff with Grant no. ACIF/2018/170 and European Social Fund with Grant Operational Program of FSE 2014-2020, the Valencian Community, and the authors would like to acknowledge the support of the researchers participating in the collaborative projects 'Cloud Collaborative Manufacturing Networks' (C2NET) (http://c2net-project.eu/), which has received funding from the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme with grant agreement no. 63690, and "Zero Defects Manufacturing Platform" (ZDMP) (http://www.zdmp.eu), which has received funding from the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme with grant agreement no. 825631.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of a Fleet Management System (FMS) that plans and controls the execution of logistics tasks by a set of mobile robots in a real-world hospital environment. The FMS is developed upon an architecture that hosts a routing engine, a task scheduler, an Endorse Broker, a controller and a backend Application Programming Interface (API). The routing engine handles the geo-referenced data and the calculation of routes; the task scheduler implements algorithms to solve the task allocation problem and the trolley loading problem using Integer Linear Programming (ILP) model and a Genetic Algorithm (GA) depending on the problem size. The Endorse Broker provides a messaging system to exchange information with the robotic fleet, while the controller implements the control rules to ensure the execution of the work plan. Finally, the Backend API exposes some FMS to external systems. Design/methodology/approach: The first part of the paper, focuses on the dynamic path planning problem of a set of mobile robots in indoor spaces such as hospitals, laboratories, and shopping centres. A review of algorithms developed in the literature, to address dynamic path planning, is carried out; and an analysis of the applications of such algorithms in mobile robots that operate in real in-door spaces is performed. The second part of the paper focuses on the description of the FMS, which consists of five integrated tools to support the multi-robot dynamic path planning and the fleet management. Findings: The literature review, carried out in the context of path planning problem of multiple mobile robots in in-door spaces, has posed great challenges due to the environment characteristics in which robots move. The developed FMS for mobile robots in healthcare environments has resulted on a tool that enables to: (i) interpret of geo-referenced data; (ii) calculate and recalculate dynamic path plans and task execution plans, through the implementation of advanced algorithms that take into account dynamic events; (iii) track the tasks execution; (iv) fleet traffic control; and (v) to communicate with one another external systems. Practical implications: The proposed FMS has been developed under the scope of ENDORSE project that seeks to develop safe, efficient, and integrated indoor robotic fleets for logistic applications in healthcare and commercial spaces. Moreover, a computational analysis is performed using a virtual hospital floor-plant. Originality/value: This work proposes a novel FMS, which consists of integrated tools to support the mobile multi-robot dynamic path planning in a real-world hospital environment. These tools include: a routing engine that handles the geo-referenced data and the calculation of routes. A task scheduler that includes a mathematical model to solve the path planning problem, when a low number of robots isconsidered. In order to solve large size problems, a genetic algorithm is also implemented to compute the dynamic path planning with less computational effort. An Endorse broker to exchanges information between the robotic fleet and the FMS in a secure way. A backend API that provides interface to manage the master data of the FMS, to calculate an optimal assignment of a set of tasks to a group of robots to be executed on a specific date and time, and to add a new task to be executed in the current shift. Finally, a controller to ensures that the robots execute the tasks that have been assigned by the task scheduler.

Older adults constitute the most vulnerable population group to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Mexico, their biopsychosocial conditions might intensify their vulnerability.Affiliation to health systems, health conditions and gerontological evaluation of 3,218 older adults were analyzed following the methodology of the PAHO-Mexico Health, Well-being and Aging Survey.88.6 % of older adults referred being affiliated to health systems; 30.2 %, 52.4 %, 10.3 %, 4.1 % and 5.6 % referred suffering from diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, respectively; 15.6 % reported urinary incontinence, and 11.3%, fecal incontinence; 12.1 % of the women referred having suffered from breast cancer at some point, and 6.3 %, cervical cancer. The habit of smoking tobacco was observed in 11.1 %, risk of malnutrition in 32.8 %, established malnutrition in 4.1 %, functional dependence for basic and instrumental activities of daily life in 16.3 % and 17.6 %, respectively.Comprehensive gerontological evaluation is essential for efficient care of older adults who suffer from COVID-19, and for adequate care of the effects or health conditions at the conclusion of the confinement imposed by the pandemic.Los adultos mayores constituyen el grupo más vulnerable ante la pandemia por COVID-19; en México, sus condiciones biopsicosociales podrían potenciar su vulnerabilidad.Se analizó afiliación a sistemas de salud, condiciones de salud y evaluación gerontológica de 3218 adultos mayores conforme a la metodología de la Encuesta Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento OPS-México.88.6 % de los adultos mayores refirió afiliación a un sistema de salud; 30.2, 52.4, 10.3, 4.1 y 5.6 % indicaron padecer diabetes mellitus, hipertensión arterial, enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica, enfermedad cardiaca y evento vascular cerebral, respectivamente; 15.6 % reportó incontinencia urinaria y 11.3 %, fecal; 12.1 % de las mujeres indicó haber padecido en algún momento cáncer de mama y 6.3 %, cáncer cervicouterino. Se observó hábito de fumar tabaco en 11.1 %, riesgo de malnutrición en 32.8 %, malnutrición establecida en 4.1 %, dependencia funcional para las actividades básicas en 16.3 % e instrumentales de la vida diaria en 17.6 %.La evaluación gerontológica integral es fundamental para la atención eficiente de los adultos mayores que padecen COVID-19 y para la adecuada atención por los efectos o condiciones de salud al terminar el confinamiento por la pandemia.

Introduction: Physical activity is important for achieving healthy aging. Objective: To analyze changes in anthropometric parameters and physical fitness among Chilean older adults after participating in a 16-week physical activity program and to evaluate whether there were differences in relation to their baseline nutritional status or not. Materials and methods: Pre-experimental quantitative study. The study population consisted of 176 older adults (155 women and 21 men) distributed in three groups: normal weight (n = 56), overweight (n=67) and obese (n = 53). The following variables were evaluated: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHR) and physical fitness. Results: Significant decreases between pre- and post-measurements were found for WC (p

Context: Few reports have analyzed the effects of neuromuscular (NM) training programs on the injury incidence among youth female track-and-field athletes. Objective: To determine the effects of NM training on reducing lower limb injury incidence and to establish its effects on countermovement jump performance, balance, 30-m sprint, and joint position sense in youth female track-and-field athletes. Design: Single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Sports research laboratory. Participants: Twenty-two female athletes were allocated into 2 groups: Conventional (CONV) training (n = 11; age = 15.3 [2.1] y) and NM training (n = 11; age = 15.0 [2.7] y). Interventions: Interventions were performed during the preseason of 6 weeks. The CONV training included anaerobic, strength, and aerobic training. The NM training consisted of a multicomponent program that integrated jumps, landings, and running with strength, endurance, agility, balance, and CORE training. Main Outcome Measures: A follow-up of the cohorts was carried out through the evaluation of lower limb injuries (main outcome) during a regular season (weeks 7–18). Secondary outcomes were measured before and after the intervention: Y-balance test, active joint repositioning, ground reaction force, and countermovement jump height. Results: The injury incidence rate was 17.89 injuries per 1000 hours athlete-exposure in CONV training, and 6.58 in NM training (relative risk = 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.18 to 0.82; P = .044). Particularly, the medial tibial stress syndrome incidence rate was 5.96 injuries per 1000 hours athlete-exposure in CONV training and 0.82 in NM training (relative risk = 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.02 to 1.12; P = .012). In addition, a significant training × time interaction was noted, favoring improvements in 30-m sprint and countermovement jump height after NM. Conclusion: The NM training may improve youth female athlete’s physical fitness and reduce their injury relative risk of medial tibial stress syndrome injury.

Synthetic insecticides have been used for a long time as one of the most effective tools for insect pest control. However, the re-emergence of insect pests and their fast development of resistance, as has occurred for pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs Cimex lectularius L., make it necessary to develop new and safe strategies for effective pest control. This has fostered the research on new eco-sustainable formulations based on essential oils, which allows reducing the impact associated with the intensive use of synthetic insecticides on the environment and their effects on human health. This research explores the stability of water/eugenol/ethanol surfactantless emulsions loaded with imidacloprid (0.003 wt%), and their toxicity against a resistant bed bug strain. The results have shown that these emulsions enable the solubilization of a poorly water-soluble drug, such as the imidacloprid, without any significant modification of their stability. Furthermore, the application of the obtained formulations against the pyrethroid-resistant bed bug results in mortality in the 50–85% range upon topical and spray applications, with the increase of the eugenol content enhancing the effectiveness of the formulations. It may be expected that the ternary water/eugenol/ethanol mixtures could be further developed in the preparation of ready to use formulations, enabling the dispersion of insecticides for pest control., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales

El vértigo fóbico se constituye como una patología dentro de las alteracionessomatomorfas que cursan con trastornos del balance, relacionadas a un procesode desajuste sensorial aferente, con repercusiones eferentes especiales que noson evidentes al observador, identificadas, por ejemplo, por un aumento en lospatrones de propiocepción detectados por electroposturografía. Las características clínicas de estos pacientes están descritas como eventos vertiginosos no asociados a claros desencadenantes, sino más bien una respuesta muy personal a ambientes particulares normales para otras personas, quienes adicionalmente ofrecen personalidades obsesivas-compulsivas, perfeccionistas autodemandantes, incluso depresivas dentro de un contexto que culmina en inestabilidad. No se identifican alteraciones auditivas concomitantes, ni tampoco neurológicas centrales, por lo que su diagnóstico diferencial podría hacerse evidente denotando los diagnósticos más relevantes, tanto psicogénicos como orgánicos, aportados por Brandt y colaboradores.

El objetivo es analizar la cobertura y la eficiencia de atención a las enfermedades más prevalentes en adultos mayores (AM) del estado de Hidalgo por las instituciones de seguridad social del Estado. Se trata del estudio descriptivo transversal constituido por 2503 AM, participantes de la encuesta Salud Bienestar y Envejecimiento Hidalgo 2014. Aparte, se realizó un muestreo aleatorio en residencias particulares de áreas urbanas y rurales del estado. Los resultados son el 95.6% de los AM cuenta con cobertura en salud. Las enfermedades con mayor prevalencia son: hipertensión arterial, diabetes mellitus y enfermedad articular; sin embargo, el 17.09%, 13.29% y 48.38% respectivamente, no reciben tratamiento contra su enfermedad; además el 68% no percibe mejoría en su estado de salud después de ser tratados en el último año. Las conclusiones indican que, aunque existen avances importantes en cobertura de salud, aún se perciben deficiencias significativas en calidad de atención, abastecimiento y accesibilidad a las instituciones de salud, lo que se traduce en abandono terapéutico e insatisfacción de los usuarios

Background: University students are considered a vulnerable group due to their adoption of unhealthy diets and lifestyles. Aim: To determine the main risk factors associated with low level of physical activity and excess body weight in university students. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 358 university students from Talca, (53% female). Sociodemographic, academic, health, lifestyle, nutritional status, physical activity and sedentary behavior variables were analyzed by logistic regression. Results: Men were more likely to present excess body weight than women (Odds ratio (OR): 2.16 [95% CI: 1.17-4.01], p = 0.01). Similarly, those with low level of physical activity (OR: 2.13 [95% CI: 1.10-414], p = 0.03), musculoskeletal injuries (OR: 2.43 [95% CI: 1.09-6.34], p = 0.05) and smokers (OR: 2.09 [95% CI: 1.05-4.14], p = 0.04) were more likely to have excess body weight. Individuals with excess body weight (OR: 2.94 [95% CI: 1.31-6.61], p < 0.01), high sedentary behaviors (OR: 2.01 [95% CI: 1.04-4.55], p = 0.04), those who spent more than 7 hours per week studying (OR: 2.11 [95% CI: 1.06-4.66], p = 0.04), and those with presence of musculoskeletal injuries (OR: 1.49 [95% CI: 1.06- 3.66], p = 0.04) were more likely to be physically inactive. In addition, men were 73% less likely to have low physical activity levels compared to women (OR: 0.27 [95% CI: 0.11-0.56], p < 0.01). Conclusions: University students have several modifiable risk factors associated with low levels of physical activity and excess weight. Healthy lifestyles promotion should modify these risk behaviors.

To determine the influence of velocity and fatigue on scapular muscle activation latency and recruitment order during a voluntary arm raise task, in healthy individuals.Cross-sectional study.University laboratory.Twenty three male adults per group (high-velocity and low-velocity).Onset latency of scapular muscles [Anterior deltoid (AD), lower trapezius (LT), middle trapezius (MT), upper trapezius (UT), and serratus anterior (SA)] was assessed by surface electromyography. The participants were assigned to one of two groups: low-velocity or high-velocity. Both groups performed a voluntary arm raise task in the scapular plane under two conditions: no-fatigue and fatigue.The UT showed early activation (p 0.01) in the fatigue condition when performing the arm raise task at a high velocity. At a low velocity and with no muscular fatigue, the recruitment order was MT, LT, SA, AD, and UT. However, the recruitment order changed in the high-velocity with muscular fatigue condition, since the recruitment order was UT, AD, SA, LT, and MT.The simultaneous presence of fatigue and high-velocity in an arm raise task is associated with a decrease in the UT activation latency and a modification of the recruitment order of scapular muscles.

Context: Kinesio taping is commonly used in sports and rehabilitation settings with the aim of prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. However, limited evidence exists regarding the effects of 24 and 72 hours of kinesio taping on trunk and lower limb neuromuscular and kinetic performance during a vertical jump. Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the short-term effects of kinesio taping on height and ground reaction force during a vertical jump, in addition to trunk and lower limb muscle latency and recruitment order. Design: Single-group pretest–posttest. Setting: University laboratory. Participants: Twelve male athletes from different sports (track and field, basketball, and soccer). Interventions: They completed a single squat and countermovement jump at basal time (no kinesio taping), 24, and 72 hours of kinesio taping application on the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius medialis, and longissimus. Main Outcome Measures: Muscle onset latencies were assessed by electromyography during a squat and countermovement jump, in addition to measurements of the jump height and normalized ground reaction force. Results: The kinesio taping had no effect after 24 hours on either the countermovement or squat jump. However, at 72 hours, the kinesio taping increased the jump height (P = .02; d = 0.36) and normalized ground reaction force (P = .001; d = 0.45) during the countermovement jump. In addition, 72-hour kinesio taping reduced longissimus onset latency (P = .03; d = 1.34) and improved muscle recruitment order during a countermovement jump. Conclusions: These findings suggest that kinesio taping may improve neuromuscular and kinetic performance during a countermovement jump only after 72 hours of application on healthy and uninjured male athletes. However, no changes were observed on a squat jump. Future studies should incorporate a control group to verify kinesio taping’s effects and its influence on injured athletes.

Alejandra Ramírez-Venegas,1 Mónica Velázquez-Uncal,1 Rosaura Pérez-Hernández,2 Nicolás Eduardo Guzmán-Bouilloud,1 Ramcés Falfán-Valencia,3 María Eugenia Mayar-Maya,4 Adrian Aranda-Chávez,1 Raúl H Sansores5 1Tobacco Smoking and COPD Research Department, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosio Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico; 2Research Department of Tobacco Smoking, Centro de Investigacion de Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Mexico; 3HLA Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosio Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico; 4Medical Attention Department, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosio Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico; 5Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico Introduction: Biomass smoke exposure (BSE) is a recognized cause of COPD particularly in rural areas. However, little research has been focused on BSE in suburban areas. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of COPD, respiratory symptoms (RS) and BSE in women living in a suburban area of Mexico City exposed to BSE. Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey of a female population aged >35years was performed using a multistage cluster sampling strategy. The participants completed questionnaires on RS and COPD risk factors. The COPD prevalence was based on the postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio. Of the 1,333 women who completed the respiratory questionnaires, spirometry data were obtained from 1,190, and 969 of these were scored as A–C. Results: The prevalence of BSE was 47%, and the estimated prevalence of COPD was 2.5% for the total population (n=969) and 3.1% for those with BSE only. The spirometry and oximetry values were significantly lower in women with greater exposure levels. The prevalence of RS (cough, phlegm, wheezing and dyspnea) was significantly higher in the women with BSE compared to those without exposure. We concluded that the association of COPD with biomass exposure is not only a rural phenomenon but also may be observed in the suburban areas of the big cities. Keywords: risk factor, gender, airway obstruction

Introducción: El objetivo de la presente revisión sistemática fue analizar los estudios que evalúan las diferencias morfológicas y de condición física en futbolistas adolescentes según posición de juego.Material y métodos: Para su elaboración se siguió el protocolo PRISMA-P, se utilizó la base de datos PubMed/MEDLINE y se aplicó la evaluación de calidad metodológica de Downs & Black. Seis estudios cumplieron con todos los criterios de selección, sumando 784 futbolistas (229 defensas [DF]; 271 mediocampistas [MC], 168 delanteros [DL] y 69 porteros [PT]) con una edad media de 16,2 años. Resultados: Los estudios analizados indican que los PT y DF poseen una altura, peso corporal, componente endomórfico y grasa corporal mayor que MC y DL, excepto un estudio que reporta valores más altos para peso corporal en DL y DF respecto a MC. En relación a la condición física, la sentadilla máxima exhibió valores más elevados para DL respecto a MC; la capacidad cardiorrespiratoria fue superior en DF y MC al compararlos con PT y la resistencia muscular abdominal fue mayor en MC respecto a DF. Conclusión: Los PT y DF ostentan mayor altura, peso corporal y grasa corporal que los MC y DL. Mientras que la condición física, indica que los DL demuestran mayor fuerza del tren inferior, los MC y DF consiguen mayor capacidad cardiorrespiratoria y los MC presentan mayor resistencia muscular abdominal cuando se analizan futbolistas adolescentes según posición de juego.

Resumen Introduccion El control postural se considera la base del desarrollo de habilidades motoras en personas con sindrome de Down (SD). Por ello el analisis del control postural podria orientar su rehabilitacion. Objetivo Analizar el control postural en ninos, adolescentes y adultos con SD comparativamente con los que presentan un desarrollo tipico (DT). Material y metodo Estudio de casos y controles. La muestra fue compuesta por 22 ninos de 6 a 11 anos de edad (10 SD; 12 DT), 23 adolescentes entre 12 y 18 anos de edad (11 SD; 12 DT) y 24 adultos jovenes entre 19 y 25 anos de edad (12 SD; 12 DT). El control postural fue medido sobre una plataforma de fuerza en situacion de ojos abiertos y ojos cerrados calculandose las variables del centro de presion (COP). Resultados En ninos, no hubo diferencias estadisticamente significativas. En adolescentes y adultos las variables del variables del COP fueron significativamente mayores en los grupos con SD en ojos abiertos y ojos cerrados (p Conclusiones Las personas con SD presentan un deficit del control postural y un bajo desarrollo de esta habilidad a medida que van madurando en edad.

The aim is to determine the prevalence of active infection by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) among Mexican women with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) cervical infection, recruited from public gynecology and colposcopy services. In a cross-sectional study, HSV-2 antibodies, HSV-2 DNA, and HR-HPV DNA were quantified. Significant differences in HSV-2 seroprevalence and HSV-2 active infection rates were found between negative and positive HR-HPV cases. HSV-2 seroprevalence was 28.15% and 16.1% (P = .0001), while HSV-2 active infection rates were 6.83% and 0.62% (P = .001) for positive and negative HR-HPV groups, respectively. The risk of HSV-2 seropositivity was 1.7 times greater for HR-HPV-positive cases (P = .02). Similarly, HR-HPV-positive cases were nine times more likely to have an HSV-2 active infection than HR-HPV-negative cases (P = .03). High HSV-2/h-HPV coinfection rates were observed among women recruited from public gynecology and colposcopy services. The main factors related to an HSV-2 active infection are a history of risky sexual behavior and HR-HPV infection. The prevalence of HSV-2 active infection among positive HR-HPV subjects indicate that these infections constitute an important group of STIs in Mexico.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous entity that may result from different causative agents and risk factors and may follow diverse clinical courses, including COPD secondary to biomass smoke exposure. At present, this phenotype is becoming more important for two reasons: first, because at least almost half of the world's population is exposed to biomass smoke, and second, because the possibility of it being diagnosed is increasing. Biomass smoke exposure COPD affects primarily women and is related with insults to the airways occurred during early life. Although constituents of biomass smoke and tobacco smoke are similar, the physiopathological changes they induce differ depending not only on the chemical composition (related with the type of fuel used) but also on the particle size and the inhalation pattern. Evidence has shown that biomass smoke exposure affects the airway, predominantly the small airways causing anthracofibrosis and peribronchiolar fibrosis changes that will clinically translate into chronic bronchitis symptoms, with a high impact on the quality of life. In this review, we focus especially on the main epidemiological and clinical differences between COPD secondary to biomass exposure and COPD caused by tobacco exposure.

Background Several authors have indicated that excess body weight can modify the electromyographic (EMG) amplitude due to the accumulation of subcutaneous fat. This accumulation of adipose tissue around the muscle would affect the metabolic capacity during functional activities. On the other hand, some authors have not observed differences in the myoelectric manifestations of fatigue between normal weight and obese people. Furthermore, these manifestations have not been investigated regarding EMG onset latency, which indicates a pattern of muscle activation between different muscles. The objective of this study was to determine whether an increase in body weight, skinfolds, and muscle fatigue modify the trapezius and serratus anterior (SA) onset latencies and to determine the scapular muscle recruitment order in fatigue and excess body weight conditions. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in a university laboratory. The participants were randomly assigned to the no-fatigue group (17 participants) or the fatigue (17 participants) group. The body mass index, skinfold thickness (axillary, pectoral, and subscapular), and percentage of body fat were measured. In addition, the onset latency of the scapular muscles [lower trapezius (LT), middle trapezius (MT), upper trapezius (UT), and SA] was assessed by surface EMG during the performance of a voluntary arm raise task. A multiple linear regression model was adjusted and analyzed for the additive combination of the variables, percentage body fat, skinfold thickness, and fatigue. The differences in onset latency between the scapular muscles were analyzed using a three-way repeated measure analysis of variance. In all the tests, an alpha level Results For the MT, LT, and SA onset latencies, the body mass index was associated with a delayed onset latency when it was adjusted for the additive combination of percentage of body fat, skinfold thickness, and fatigue. Of these adjustment factors, the subscapular skinfold thickness (R2 = 0.51; β = 10.7; p = 0.001) and fatigue (R2 = 0.86; β = 95.4; p = 0.001) primarily contributed to the increase in SA onset latency. A significant muscle ×body mass index ×fatigue interaction (F = 4.182; p = 0.008) was observed. In the fatigue/excess body weight condition, the UT was activated significantly earlier than the other three scapular muscles (p p Discussion Excess body weight, adjusted for skinfold thickness (axillary and subscapular) and fatigue, increases the onset latency of the MT, LT, and SA muscles and modifies the recruitment order of scapular muscles. In fact, the scapular stabilizing muscles (MT, LT, and SA) increase their onset latency in comparison to the UT muscle. These results were not observed when excess body weight was considered as an individual variable or when adjusted by the percentage body fat.

Background: The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) is frequently used to assess physical fitness and functional independence in older people. Aim: To establish reference values for the SFT in Chilean physically active older women according to age ranges. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 1048 Chilean women aged between 60 and 85 years. Chair stand (CS), arm curl (AC), two-min walk (2 min), chair sit-and-reach (CSr), back scratch (BS), and timed up-and-go test (TUG) were evaluated. The reference values are presented in percentiles (p5, p10, p25, p50, p75, p90 and p95) and are distributed age intervals (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and ≥ 80 years). Results: There was a decrease in strength (CS and AC), aerobic resistance (2 min) and flexibility (CSr and BS) along with age, whereas the time required to perform the timed up and go increased along with age. Conclusions: Physically active older women show a deterioration in physical fitness along with age. These women have higher reference values in CS, AC, 2 min and CSr, and lower in BS and TUG, than those reported abroad for the SFT. © 2018, Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved.

Bioethanol is produced through fermentation processes at very low concentrations. In order to be used as fuel in gasoline mixtures, it is necessary to have a purity of at least 99 wt.%. Both, separation and purification processes used are highly energy demanding, due to the presence of the azeotrope in the bioethanol - water mixture. A novel proposal is reactive dehydration with epoxides; however, without control the operation of the process cannot be guaranteed. Given this fact, this research presents, via dynamic simulation in Aspen Dynamics ® V8.8, the control systems for four reactive dehydration processes of bioethanol with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, which support the operation of those technologies. It was found that it is possible to control the purity of bioethanol in reactive distillation by using temperature measures instead of compositions, thus reducing the dead times and allowing the control to be realizable.

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the effects of a Nintendo Wii Balance Board (NWBB) intervention on ankle spasticity and static standing balance in young people with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP). Methods: Ten children and adolescents (aged 72–204 months) with SCP participated in an exercise program with NWBB. The intervention lasted 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week, 25 minutes for each session. Ankle spasticity was assessed using the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS), and static standing balance was quantified using posturographic measures (center-of-pressure [CoP] measures). Pre- and post-intervention measures were compared. Results: Significant decreases of spasticity in the ankle plantar flexor muscles (p < 0.01). There was also a significant reduction in the CoP sway area (p = 0.04), CoP mediolateral velocity (p =0.03), and CoP anterior–posterior velocity (p = 0.03). Conclusion: A 6-session NWBB program reduces the spasticity at the ankle plantar flexors and improves the static stand...

Item Response Theory models for constraint-based intelligent tutoring systems.Data-driven assessment of problem solving tasks.Data filtering criteria for Item Response Theory parameters estimation.Best model fit selection criteria. Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) are one of a wide range of learning environments, where the main activity is problem solving. One of the most successful approaches for implementing ITSs is Constraint-Based Modeling (CBM). Constraint-based tutors have been successfully used as drill-and-practice environments for learning. More recently CBM tutors have been complemented with a model derived from the field of Psychometrics. The goal of this synergy is to provide CBM tutors with a data-driven and sound mechanism of assessment, which mainly consists in applying the principles of Item Response Theory (IRT). The result of this synergy is, therefore, a formal approach that allows carrying out assessments of performance on problem solving tasks. Several previous studies were conducted proving the validity and utility of this combined approach with small groups of students, in short periods of time and using systems designed specifically for assessment purposes. In this paper, the approach has been extended and adapted to deal with a large set of students who used an ITS over a long period of time. The main research questions addressed in this paper are: (1) Which IRT models are more suitable to be used in a constrained-based tutor? (2) Can data collected from the ITS be used as a source for calibrating the constraints characteristic curves? (3) Which is the best strategy to assemble data for calibration? To answer these questions, we have analyzed three years of data from SQL-Tutor.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with an unclear etiologic mechanism. Following suggestions in the literature of a close relation between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system development, neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems, new theories and strategies of the management of ASD in children focus on the brain-gut axis via microbiota transfer therapy. Despite the regular appearance in the news, the level of evidence supporting this intervention is unclear and to this date, no systematic review on this issue has been published. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of the efficacy and safety of microbiota transfer therapy for the management of ASD in children. MEDLINE via PubMed, LILACS IBECS via BVS, EMBASE via Ovid, Scopus and Cochrane Library were searched on 19th April 2018. Results: One single study published in 2017 was identified. The intervention group included 18 patients and showed significant clinical improvements in the gastrointestinal and ASD-related symptoms. The clinical procedure was reported as safe and well-tolerated with some transitory adverse effects. Conclusions: The causality and correlation of the intervention and the expected outcomes cannot be assumed with current evidence. In addition, recommendations about the effectiveness or safety of microbiota transfer therapy in children with ASD cannot be currently issued. Randomized controlled trials and clinical protocols for the intervention are needed.

Low back pain is defined as pain in the upper portion of T12 and below the crease of the buttocks and functional limitation. The prevalence of low back pain gradually increases 11.4% per year. In Mexico, the clinical practice guidelines are not followed in handling low back pain, so it is important to systematize medical care more efficient, since resources are scarce. The first level doctor must meet the benchmarks according to patient need, an incomplete anamnesis is performed, inadequate physical examination, misinterpretation of clinical studies, misdiagnosis, ineffective management, and reference to second or third level not justified.To provide recommendations for the implementation of syndromic diagnosis, management of adult carriers of low back pain, and correct reference. Implementation of clinical practice guidelines for low back pain syndrome consists of an assessment of the patient by way of "verification", which evaluates certain signs of symptoms, with a total of 37 items for rating, including the sections of clinical symptomatology, AP X-ray, lateral X-ray, sagittal (optional) and axial magnetic resonance imaging (optional), and pain type. Oriented data quickly and easily, from first contact to a syndromic diagnosis in patients with low back pain.La lumbalgia se define como el dolor en el área de la porción superior de T12 e inferior al pliegue de los glúteos, y además limitación funcional. La prevalencia de la lumbalgia va aumentando un 11.4% por año. En México no se siguen las guías de práctica clínica en el manejo de las lumbalgias, por lo que es importante sistematizar la atención médica para eficientizar, ya que cada vez los recursos son más escasos. El médico de primer nivel debe conocer los criterios de referencia según la necesidad del paciente. Se realizan una anamnesis incompleta, una exploración física inadecuada, una mala interpretación de los estudios de gabinete, un diagnóstico equivocado, un manejo ineficaz y la referencia a segundo o tercer nivel no justificada.Proporcionar recomendaciones para la realización del diagnóstico sindrómico, el manejo de los adultos portadores de lumbalgia y su correcta referencia. La aplicación de las guías de práctica clínica para el síndrome doloroso lumbar consta de una evaluación del paciente a manera de «verificación», en la que se evalúan determinados signos o síntomas, con un total de 37 ítems por calificar, incluyendo los apartados de sintomatología clínica, radiografía anteroposterior, radiografía lateral, resonancia magnética sagital (opcional) y axial (opcional), y tipo de dolor. Estos datos orientan de manera rápida y sencilla, desde el primer contacto, a un diagnóstico sindrómico en el paciente con lumbalgia.

Los profesionales de la salud desarrollan proyectos de investigación básica, clínica, educativa y epidemiológica en los diferentes ámbitos de las ciencias de la salud, los cuales generan información útil e imprescindible para la toma de decisiones dentro de esta área de conocimiento, por lo que se requiere establecer una metodología para la difusión de resúmenes informativos, ya que esta herramienta constituye el primer encuentro del investigador con los escenarios propios del quehacer clínico y científico. El presente artículo tiene como propósito contextualizar al lector y al profesional de la salud respecto a las estrategias para el diseño, elaboración y presentación de carteles como un medio para difundir resultados de investigaciones.

La investigación es uno de los componentes esenciales de los programas gubernamentales o institucionales, los cuales han tenido un impacto directo en la globalización tecnológica en materia de investigación científica en el área de la salud, haciendo de la difusión del conocimiento científico uno de los elementos imprescindibles para su desarrollo.La presentación de resultados debe realizarse en escenarios internacionales, nacionales, regionales y locales, por lo cual el investigador debería contar con los conocimientos básicos e indispensables requeridos para lograr un impacto significativo en aquellos a quienes presenta sus resultados. El propósito de este trabajo es fomentar el desarrollo de habilidades y destrezas para la presentación de trabajos de investigación científica en forma de cartel, dirigido a investigadores que inician en este campo.

Objective and methods Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health problem, which significantly affects older adults. . The prevalence and biopsychosocial conditions of DM in older adults in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico, are analyzed using the Health and Aging Survey 2014 (SABE-Hidalgo, Mexico). Results DM in older adults presents a prevalence of 28.22% in the State, predominating in women and becoming more common with increasing age. The highest frequency occurs in residents of urban areas (57.2%), those with less schooling (79.6%), and those who live with relatives (77%). In addition, 54.7% of older adults with DM had cognitive impairment, 67.9% had arterial hypertension and 45.28% presented joint disease. 41.2% suffered falls, 68.52% visual problems and 87.3% tooth loss. Finally, 85.8% receive care but only 29.2% perceive improvement in their health. Conclusions It is fundamental to develop integral programs and policies to care for older adults with DM.

This paper describes the methodology and software tool used to build a database on the careers and productivity of academics, using public information available on the Internet, and provides a first analysis of the data collected for a sample of 360 US scientists funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and 291 UK scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The tool’s structured outputs can be used for either econometric research or data representation for policy analysis. The methodology and software tool is validated for a sample of US and UK biomedical scientists, but can be applied to any countries where scientists’ CVs are available in English. We provide an overview of the motivations for constructing the database, and the data crawling and data mining techniques used to transform webpage-based information and CV information into a relational database. We describe the database and the effectiveness of our algorithms and provide suggestions for further improvements. The software developed is released under free software GNU General Public License; the aim is for it to be available to the community of social scientists and economists interested in analyzing scientific production and scientific careers, who it is hoped will develop this tool further.

Introduccion: El proposito de este estudio fue comparar los marcadores antropometricos de salud indice de masa corporal (IMC), circunferencia de cintura (CC) y porcentaje de grasa corporal (GC) entre mujeres mayores fisicamente activas (FA) y fisicamente inactivas (FI). Material y metodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal con 88 mujeres mayores entre 60 y 75 anos. Las evaluaciones fueron realizadas en el laboratorio de biomecanica de la Universidad Santo Tomas (Chile) e incluyeron las mediciones de peso corporal, estatura bipeda, CC y pliegues cutaneos. Se calculo IMC (kg/m 2 ) y porcentaje de GC a partir de los pliegues cutaneos. Resultados: Las comparaciones senalan que las mujeres mayores FA presentaron valores significativamente menores que las FI en los marcadores antropometricos de salud evaluados: porcentaje de GC (p= 0,01), IMC (p= 0,04) y CC (p= 0,03). Sin embargo, ambos grupos obtuvieron valores de CC y GC por encima de las recomendaciones saludables. En las FI se obtuvo un IMC de 29,7 kg/m 2 y en las FA de 26,8 kg/m 2 . De acuerdo a estos valores, las FI se clasifican en la categoria de sobrepeso, mientras que las FA en normopeso. Al comparar los pliegues cutaneos se observo que las FA presentaron valores significativamente menores que las FI en pliegues tricipital (p = 0,033), subescapular (p = 0,005) y suprailiaco (p = 0,001). Conclusiones: Las mujeres mayores FA presentan IMC, CC y porcentaje de GC favorables respecto a sus pares FI, lo cual podria indicar que la practica regular de actividad fisica seria un elemento beneficioso sobre la salud de los adultos mayores.

This paper describes the development of statistical classifiers to help diagnose meningococcal meningitis, i.e. the most sever, infectious and deadliest type of this disease. The goal is to find a mechanism able to determine whether a patient has this type of meningitis from a set of symptoms that can be directly observed in the earliest stages of this pathology. Currently, in Brazil, a country that is heavily affected by meningitis, all suspected cases require immediate hospitalization and the beginning of a treatment with invasive tests and medicines. This procedure, therefore, entails expensive treatments unaffordable in less developed regions. For this purpose, we have gathered together a dataset of 22,602 records of suspected meningitis cases from the Brazilian state of Bahia. Seven classification techniques have been applied from input data of nine symptoms and other information about the patient such as age, sex and the area they live in, and a 10 cross-fold validation has been performed. Results show that the techniques applied are suitable for diagnosing the meningococcal meningitis. Several indexes, such as precision, recall or ROC area, have been computed to show the accuracy of the models. All of them provide good results, but the best corresponds to the J48 classifier with a precision of 0.942 and a ROC area over 0.95. These results indicate that our model can indeed help lead to a non-invasive and early diagnosis of this pathology. This is especially useful in less developed areas, where the epidemiologic risk is usually high and medical expenses, sometimes, unaffordable.

[Purpose] To determine the effects of progressive neuromuscular training on postural balance and functionality in elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). [Subjects and Methods] Eleven participants between 60 and 75 years of age performed the progressive neuromuscular training for 8 weeks and 4 weeks of follow-up. The area and velocity of the center of pressure were measured on a force platform, and the functionality was measured with a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. [Results] The area and velocity (anteroposterior and mediolateral directions) of the center of pressure showed significant differences after 4 and 8 weeks of intervention. Additionally, the global score and some questionnaire dimensions (pain and physical function) showed significant differences after 4 and 8 weeks of intervention. These changes were maintained in all variables at week 4 of follow-up. [Conclusion] The intervention generated improvements in balance and functionality in elderly patients with knee OA. These changes were observed after 4 weeks of training and were maintained 4 weeks after the end of the intervention.

Background: Patients with cerebral palsy (CP) typically receive limited physical therapy services. However, the Nintendo Wii system offers a simple and affordable mode of virtual reality therapy. There are no clinical trials assessing the Nintendo Wii balance board for improving standing balance in CP. Methods: This randomised clinical trial will evaluate the effectiveness of an 18-session/six-week protocol using Wii therapy (W-t) compared with conventional therapy (C-t) in Chilean CP patients. The C-t group will perform the typical exercises prescribed by physical therapists for 40 min each session. W-t will consist of a virtual reality training session using the Nintendo Wii balance board console for 30 min each session. The primary outcome variable is the area of centre-of-pressure (CoP) sway (CoPSway). The secondary outcomes are the standard deviation (SDML; SDAP) and velocity (VML; VAP) of CoP in the ML and AP directions. For a mean difference of 21.5 cm2 (CoPSway) between the groups, we required a minimum of 16 participants in each group. Data will be collected at baseline (week 0), during the study (weeks 2 and 4), at the end of the study (week 6), and during the follow-up (weeks 8 and 10). Measurements of postural control during quiet standing for both groups will be assessed on a force platform AMTI OR67. Discussion: This is the first trial that measures and compares the effects of a Nintendo Wii Balance Board exercise programme on standing balance in children with cerebral palsy compared to conventional therapy.

Introducción: El aumento de masa corporal puede afectar la realización de tareas funcionales como el equilibrio y propiciar el riesgo de caídas y lesiones, sin embargo las pruebas en niños son limitadas. El propósito de este estudio fue determinar la influencia del estado nutricional sobre el equilibrio postural en niños entre 6 y 9 años de edad.Material y métodos: Estudio piloto descriptivo transversal. Se evaluaron 71 niños en cuanto a peso, talla y equilibrio medido con ojos abiertos (OA) y cerrados (OC) sobre una plataforma de fuerza. Se consideraron las variables del centro de presión (CP): área, velocidad media, velocidad mediolateral y velocidad anteroposterior. Se realizó una regresión lineal ajustando por sexo utilizando como variable respuesta las variables del CP y como variable explicativa el sobrepeso/obesidad frente a normopeso.Resultados: Los niños con sobrepeso/obesidad presentan mayores valores en las variables velocidad media OA (β = 0,018; p = 0,005), velocidad mediolateral OA (β = 0,122; p = 0,005), velocidad anteroposterior OA (β = 0,041; p < 0,001), velocidad media OC (β = 0,009; p < 0,001), velocidad mediolateral OC (β = 0,067; p < 0,001) y velocidad anteroposterior OC del CP (β = 0,409; p < 0,001). Además, se observaron correlaciones significativas entre el aumento del IMC y el deterioro del equilibrio postural (p < 0,05).Conclusión: Los niños con sobrepeso y obesidad situados entre 6 y 9 años presentan un equilibrio postural más bajo que los normopesos. Con los ojos cerrados, la variable sexo también influye en el control de la postura.

Most Adaptive and Intelligent Web-based Educational Systems (AIWBES) use tasks in order to collect evidence for inferring knowledge states and adapt the learning process appropriately. To this end, it is important to determine the difficulty of tasks posed to the student. In most situations, difficulty values are directly provided by one or more persons. In this paper we explore the relationship between task difficulty estimations made by two different types of individuals, teachers and students, and compare these values with those estimated from experimental data. We have performed three different experiments with three different real student samples. All these experiments have been done using the SIETTE web-based assessment system. We conclude that heuristic estimation is not always the best solution and claim that automatic estimation should improve the performance of AIWBES.