Search

This systematic review aimed to analyze the effects of exercise, physical activity, and sports on physical fitness in adults with Down syndrome (DS). A literature search was conducted across four databases EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. The PEDro scale and the Cochrane risk of bias tool were used to assess the quality and risk of the studies, respectively. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42023449627). Of the 423 records initially found, 13 were finally included in the systematic review, in which 349 adults with DS participated. 92% of the articles declared at least one significant difference post-intervention. The available evidence indicates that exercise, physical activity, and sports have a positive effect on some variables of physical fitness, especially strength, balance, body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, and functional capacity. Furthermore, it should be considered as an additional treatment or complementary therapy to improve the functionality and quality of life of adults with DS.

This study aimed to establish the relationship between the appendicular muscle mass index (AMMI), assessed from anthropometric variables, and the physical function of older people. Seventy-six older people participated in this study (72.03 ± 7.03 years). The participants underwent evaluations to determine their AMMI using anthropometry (weight, calf circumference, hip circumference, and knee height) and manual grip strength. Additionally, their physical function was evaluated using the 5-chair stand test, the 3-meter walk test, and the timed up and go test (TUG) to determine the strength of the lower limbs, the gait speed, and the dynamic balance, respectively. The results show that the AMMI did not present a significant relationship with the 5-chair stand test in both women (r = -0.135; p = 0.204) and men (r = -0.067; p = 0.349). The AMMI was moderately correlated with the gait speed in both women (r = 0.542; p < 0.001) and men (r = 0.556; p < 0.001). Finally, a statistical significance was observed in the relationship between the AMMI and the TUG test in women (r = -0.273; p = 0.047) and older men evaluated in this study (r = -0.284; p = 0.042). In conclusion, there is a relationship between the AMMI and both the dynamic balance and the gait speed. Therefore, the AMMI emerges as a potential public health assessment by enabling the clinical quantification of muscle mass and an estimation of physical function in the elderly population.

This work investigated the gelation kinetics and mechanical properties of agarose hydrogels studied at different concentrations (in the range 1–5 g/L) and temperatures. Rheological measurements were performed by diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) using polystyrene and titanium dioxide particles as probes. The study emphasized the influence of gelation kinetics on the mechanical behavior of the hydrogels. The results showed that the gel properties were closely related to the thermal history and aging time of the samples. The insights gained from this study are critical for optimizing the performance of agarose hydrogels in specific applications and highlight the importance of controlling the concentration and thermal conditions during hydrogel preparation.

This study examines the potential of fungal chitosan derived from Aspergillus niger as a sustainable alternative to traditional petrochemical-based ingredients in cosmetic products. Specifically, the research examines the solubility of fungal chitosan in aqueous solutions of varying ionic strength and its adsorption onto negatively charged surfaces that mimic human hair keratin. The adsorption behavior, water content, and frictional properties of chitosan films were evaluated using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and a surface force apparatus (SFA). The findings indicated that fungal chitosan exhibits good solubility at a pH of 4.5. Conversely, the adsorption of chitosan is subject to the influence of both polymer concentration and ionic strength. At the lowest ionic strengths, a screening-enhanced adsorption process occurs as a consequence of the reduction in chitosan solubility in the presence of salt. This results in the depletion of polymer chains from the solution and their subsequent deposition. An increase in ionic strength above 15–20 mM results in a worsening of the chitosan–surface interaction, due to the simultaneous screening of both the chitosan and the surface charges. This results in a hindrance to the adsorption process. The deposited films are highly hydrated, and this hydration increases with both polymer concentration and ionic strength. Furthermore, the films exhibit a predominantly elastic behavior, and the response of the films under shear deformations shows a strong dependence on the polymer concentration. These findings contribute to the development of environmentally friendly cosmetic formulations that meet consumer demands for sustainability.

Se presentan los resultados de una investigación cuyo objetivo fue analizar la relación que poseen ciertos rasgos de la personalidad (como la responsabilidad y la apertura a la experiencia), la autoeficacia y la motivación de logro, como factores psicológicos asociados a la continuidad de 279 estudiantes universitarios que participan en el Programa de Acceso y Acompañamiento Efectivo a la Educación Superior (PACE). Utilizando una metodología cuantitativa se propuso un modelo de regresión logística que permitió concluir que la responsabilidad, la apertura a la experiencia, la autoeficacia y la motivación de logro actúan como predictores de la continuidad de estudios de los estudiantes. Los resultados profundizan en el ámbito personal de este tipo de estudiantes, aportando antecedentes para la orientación psicológica que reciben como parte del programa en su etapa de acompañamiento y preparación en la enseñanza secundaria.

Abstract Background Sarcopenia is a syndrome associated with aging that causes progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle function. In this pilot study, we compared the effectiveness of elastic band training regarding group-based dance on fat mass, fat-free mass, handgrip strength (HGS; dominant and non-dominant hand), leg strength, timed up-and-go (TUG) and walking speed in older women with sarcopenia. Methods This is a randomized controlled trial, single-blind, repeated measures of parallel groups (elastic band group: EBG, n = 21; group-based dance: GBD, n = 19), and a quantitative methodology. Three 60-minute sessions per week for 12 weeks were dedicated to the interventions with pre- and post-assessments. A two-factor mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) model with repeated measures was performed to measure the group×time effect. Results A significant interaction revealed for fat-free mass (F1,16= 18.91; p

This study aimed to determine the influence of obesity, according to body mass index (BMI) and fat mass percentage, on quadriceps muscle reaction times. The study utilized a cross-sectional design. The sample size consisted of 42 schoolchildren (54.5% girls) aged 11 to 12 years old. Participant measurements included weight and height, which were used to categorize individuals based on BMI. Additionally, the electrical bioimpedance technique was employed to categorize participants based on their body fat percentage. A sudden destabilization test of the lower limb was performed to assess the reaction time of the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis muscles. The results show that overweight/obese children have a longer muscle reaction time for both the rectus femoris (β = 18.13; p = 0.048) and the vastus lateralis (β = 14.51; p = 0.042). Likewise, when the children were classified by percentage of body fat the results showed that overfat/obese children have a longer muscle reaction time for both the rectus femoris (β = 18.13; p = 0.048) and the vastus lateralis (β = 14.51; p = 0.042). Our results indicate that BMI and fat mass classification negativity alter the muscle reaction time in children. Overweight/obese or overfat/obese children showed longer reaction times in the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis muscles compared to children with normal weight. Based on these findings, it is suggested that in overweight and obese children, efforts not only focus on reducing body weight but that be complemented with training and/or rehabilitation programs that focus on preserving the normal physiological function of the musculoskeletal system.

Se presenta una investigación cualitativa cuyo objetivo fue conocer los significados acerca del profesorado y la escuela secundaria en una muestra intencionada de veinte estudiantes universitarios pertenecientes al Programa de Acceso y Acompañamiento a la Educación Superior (PACE), quienes participaron a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas y un grupo de discusión. Como resultado se apreció una diferenciación entre la escuela –como institución y comunidad– y el profesorado, valorando a sus profesores/profesoras según su función y sus prácticas. Se consideran positivas cuando articulan las exigencias académicas con el reconocimiento de la confianza, el incentivo y la motivación estudiantil. Por el contrario, se consideran negativas cuando se asocian a la institución/escuela producto de su deslegitimación y excesiva consideración académica por sobre aspectos personales estudiantiles.

This study investigates the effect of an inert salt (NaCl) on the equilibrium interfacial tension and dilatational modulus of Pluronic F-68 copolymer, a triblock copolymer consisting of two terminal blocks of poly(ethylene oxide) and a less hydrophilic central block of poly(propylene oxide). Interfacial tension measurements were carried out using a surface force balance and a drop shape tensiometer, while rheological measurements were carried out in two different frequency ranges. This involved the use of the oscillatory barrier/droplet method and electrocapillary wave measurements, complemented by an appropriate theoretical framework. This work aimed to elucidate the influence of NaCl on the interfacial behavior of Gibbs monolayers of Pluronic F-68. In addition, this study highlights some of the technical and theoretical limitations associated with obtaining reliable dilatational rheological data at high frequencies (

This study, called the TKD and Aging Project, aimed to analyze and compare the effects of an adapted taekwondo program concerning multicomponent training on blood pressure, morphological variables, food consumption frequency, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical fitness, handgrip strength, and postural balance in independent older women. A randomized controlled trial study was conducted with parallel groups for 8 weeks (24 sessions of 60 min each), employing a double-blind design and incorporating repeated measures. Twenty-eight older women initially participated in the intervention. Three participants were excluded because they did not participate in the re-assessments. Thus, 14 older women from the adapted taekwondo group (TKD; age: 62.86 ± 2.38 years) and 11 from the multicomponent training group (MCT; age: 63.18 ± 1.94 years) participated in the final analysis. A two-factor mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) model with repeated measures was performed to measure the time × group effect. The TKD showed significant improvements in the mental health (p = 0.024; ES = 0.91) and general health (p < 0.001; ES = 0.75) dimensions of the HRQoL, as well as in the chair stand (p = 0.001; ES = 1.18), arm curl (p < 0.001; ES = 2.10), 2-min step (p < 0.001; ES = 1.73), and chair sit-and-reach (p = 0.001; ES = 0.91) tests. Additionally, it showed a significant reduction in postural balance for the eyes-closed condition in the center of the pressure area (p = 0.021; ES = 0.89), mean velocity (p = 0.004; ES = 0.79), and mediolateral velocity (p < 0.001; ES = 1.26). However, the MCT showed significant increases in the general health (p = 0.013; ES = 0.95) dimension of the HRQoL and a significant reduction (p = 0.039; ES = 0.28) in the mediolateral velocity of postural balance for the eyes-closed condition. Multiple comparisons showed that the TKD scored significantly higher in the chair stand (p = 0.017; ES = 1.79), arm curl (p = 0.003; ES = 1.77), and 2-min step (p = 0.018; ES = 0.91) tests than the MCT. Compared to multicomponent training, taekwondo improves postural balance and provides better benefits in terms of physical fitness and HRQoL for older women. Therefore, it is possible to recommend it as a safe physical activity strategy, as long as it is well-dosed, since it showed high adherence to intervention in older women.

La inesperada irrupción del covid-19 tuvo profundas consecuencias para los/las estudiantes universitarios, quienes se vieron forzados/as a desarrollar sus carreras remotamente. Particularmente en Chile, las cohortes de ingreso 2019, 2020 y 2021 conformaron un caso único debido a las diferentes condiciones bajo las cuales se produjo su incorporación. Esta investigación tuvo por fin determinar las diferencias y la relación entre las variables personales y las vivencias académicas en una muestra de 331 estudiantes ad-hoc. Los resultados obtenidos estadísticamente mediante una estrategia asociativa e inferencial permiten concluir que no existen diferencias entre cohortes respecto a su salud mental, salvo en la vivencia con la carrera entre 2020 y 2021. Se presentan sugerencias para su abordaje personal y académico, así como para el desarrollo de estrategias focalizadas en la salud mental universitaria.

This study aimed to describe and compare the body composition (SMM and body fat), handgrip strength, and countermovement jump (CMJ) between young and older females. A descriptive-comparative study, which evaluated 101 females distributed in: older physically active females (Old-PA; n = 26); older physically inactive females (Old-PI; n = 25); young physically active females (You-PA; n = 25) and; young physically inactive females (You-PI; n = 25). Anthropometry, body composition, handgrip strength, relative strength, and CMJ were assessed following previous recommendations. The main results indicate that the Old-PA have greater SMM and body fat compared to Old-PI (p

Abstract Background Jubaea chilensis (Molina) Baillon, is a uniquely large palm species endemic to Chile. It is under threatened status despite its use as an ornamental species throughout the world. This research seeks to identify the phyllotaxis of the species based on an original combination of non-destructive data acquisition technologies, namely Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in saplings and young individuals and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) in standing specimens, and a novel analysis methodology. Results Two phyllotaxis parameters, parastichy pairs and divergence angle, were determined by analyzing specimens at different developmental stages. Spiral phyllotaxis patterns of J. chilensis progressed in complexity from parastichy pairs (3,2) and (3,5) in juvenile specimens and (5,3), (8,5) and (8,13) for adult specimens. Divergence angle was invariable and averaged 136.9°, close to the golden angle. Phyllotactic pattern changes associated with establishment phase, the adult vegetative and the adult reproductive phases were observed. Both technologies, MRI and TLS proved to be adequate for the proposed analysis. Conclusions Understanding phyllotactic transitions may assist identification of developmental stages of wild J. chilensis specimens. The proposed methodology may also be useful for the study of other palm species.

La formación cívica en Chile posee una historia que se ha visto expuesta a diversos cambios, donde los estudiantes han sido protagonistas permanentes de cambio y transformación social, quedando de manifiesto a través de su marcado protagonismo en el Estallido Social de 2019. Las nuevas generaciones traen consigo nuevos significados respecto a la ciudadanía, junto con los derechos y obligaciones que esto conlleva y que actualmente son valorados profundamente por la sociedad. Esta investigación abordó los significados que los/las estudiantes secundarios/as pertenecientes a un movimiento estudiantil tienen acerca de la ciudadanía, la formación cívica/ciudadana y la participación ciudadana en tiempos de crisis democrática en Chile. A través de un diseño cualitativo, se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad a 14 estudiantes secundarios pertenecientes a colectivos escolares movilizados políticamente. Utilizando las técnicas de codificación abierta y axial de la Teoría Fundamentada, se concluyó que la noción actual de ciudadanía, educación cívica y participación están entrelazadas en la experiencia de todos/todas las estudiantes. Se destacó una carencia en materia de formación ciudadana en virtud de una educación cívica marcada por el aprendizaje de aspectos constitucionales y reproductivos de un modelo que coarta sus posibilidades de participación política en un contexto de transformaciones democráticas nacionales.

It is now well-known that the assembly of particles at fluid/fluid interfaces, and the resulting dynamical properties of such particle-laden interfaces can provide high stabilization of dispersed systems such as emulsions and foams. Here, we focus on the emerging case of “protein particles,” a novel family of bio particles. We provide an updated perspective about their definition, production, bulk and interface properties, highlighting the most recent results of the obtained bioparticle-laden interfaces, and how such protein particles can stabilize liquid dispersions. The ability of protein particles for undergoing a fast adsorption to fluid/fluid interfaces and for forming viscoelastic layers play a key role on the prevention of drainage, coalescence, or coarsening/ripening, which results in the formation of very stable particle-stabilized foams and emulsions. Therefore, protein particles are an excellent bio-based alternative to synthetic surfactants and other conventional stabilizers for ensuring the stabilization of a broad range of dispersed systems, opening new avenues for the design of new products with interest for cosmetic, food and biomedical industries.

Introducción: El aumento del uso de teléfono celular y la baja actividad física en universitarios se han asociado a un bajo rendimiento académico. Objetivo: Analizar la relación entre tiempo de uso del teléfono celular, el nivel de actividad física y rendimiento académico en estudiantes universitarios. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de alcance correlacional y temporalidad longitudinal. Participaron 36 estudiantes universitarios, a quienes se evaluó durante un semestre, el tiempo que destinaron al uso de teléfono celular, a través de la aplicación “Moment” y la actividad física mediante la aplicación “Pacer”. Se registró el rendimiento académico con el promedio de notas. Resultados: Durante el semestre, los hombres realizaron mayor actividad física y utilizaron por mayor tiempo el teléfono. En periodos de evaluación, las mujeres tuvieron mayor actividad física y menor uso del teléfono celular (p=0,019 y p=0,033, respectivamente). Además, los hombres que tuvieron mejores notas promedio hacían un menor número de pickups diarios (p=0,032). Conclusiones: Los hombres universitarios son físicamente más activos y usan más el celular durante el semestre, aunque en periodo de evaluaciones las mujeres tienden a ser más activas y usar menos tiempo su celular. Los universitarios que usan menos el teléfono celular tienen mejor rendimiento académico.

This study investigates the surface modification of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles by non-chemical adsorption of an amphiphilic triblock copolymer, Pluronic F-127, and elucidates its influence on the interfacial dispersion properties. The interaction between Pluronic F-127 and silica nanoparticles drives the formation of copolymer-decorated particles with increased hydrodynamic diameter and reduced effective charge as the copolymer concentration increases, while the opposite effect occurs as the particle concentration increases at a fixed polymer concentration. This indicates that increasing the copolymer concentration leads to an increase in the coating density, whereas increasing the particle concentration leads to a decrease. This is of paramount importance for modulating the reorganization of the Pluronic F-127 shell upon adsorption at fluid–fluid interfaces and, thus, the adsorption of the decorated nanoparticles at the interface and the rheological properties of the obtained layers. In fact, the relationship between copolymer concentration and interfacial tension, as well as the mechanical response of the interface, mirrors the patterns observed in Pluronic F-127 solutions, and only a shift mediated by the Pluronic F-127 concentration is found. This suggests that the presence of particles limits the space available for Pluronic F-127 molecules to reorganize at the interface but does not significantly affect the interfacial behavior of the particle-laden interface.

Introducción: El trabajo por turnos tiene el potencial de perturbar la vida familiar y social, y puede provocar fatiga crónica, somnolencia y síntomas somáticos asociados a trastornos del ritmo circadiano. Objetivo: Comparar la calidad de vida, estrés laboral e indicadores de salud en profesionales de enfermería que trabajan con turnos rotativos y diurnos. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo de diseño observacional y de corte transversal con 24 participantes divididos en 2 grupos de acuerdo con el tipo de sistema de trabajo que desempeñaban: diurno y turnos rotativos. Se aplicaron los cuestionarios SF-36 y Burnout, y se midieron algunos indicadores de salud. Resultados: Las/os enfermeras/os que trabajan en turnos rotativos presentaron una calidad de vida más baja en la dimensión rol emocional (p=0,039), mayor cansancio emocional (p=0,046), menor sentimiento de realización personal en el trabajo (p=0,022), menores niveles de insulina basal (p=0,005), menor valor en el índice de HOMA-IR (p=0,007) y mayor cantidad de METs (Metabolic-energy-equivalents) gastados semanalmente (p=0,041) en comparación con sus pares que se desempeñan en jornadas diurnas. Conclusiones: Las/os enfermeras/os que trabajan en turnos rotativos presentan una disminución de la calidad de vida, mayores niveles de actividad física y estrés laboral que quienes trabajan de forma diurna.

The non-responders (NRs) after exercise training have been poorly studied in populations with morbid obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine the NR prevalence after 20 weeks of concurrent training of morbidly obese women with a high or low number of metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. Twenty-eight women with morbid obesity participated in an exercise training intervention and were allocated into two groups distributed based on a high (≥3, n = 11) or low number (

This work investigates the effect of dilution on the phase separation process of binary charged polysaccharide–surfactant mixtures formed by two cationic polysaccharides and up to four surfactants of different nature (anionic, zwitterionic, and neutral), as well as the potential impact of dilution-induced phase separation on the formation of conditioning deposits on charged surfaces, mimicking the negative charge and wettability of damaged hair fibers. The results obtained showed that the dilution behavior of model washing formulations (concentrated polysaccharide–surfactant mixtures) cannot be described in terms of a classical complex precipitation framework, as phase separation phenomena occur even when the aggregates are far from the equilibrium phase separation composition. Therefore, dilution-enhanced deposition cannot be predicted in terms of the worsening of colloidal stability due to the charge neutralization phenomena, as common phase separation and, hence, enhanced deposition occurs even for highly charged complexes.

Introducción: Los escolares que practican actividad física regularmente poseen mayor autoestima y autoconcepto académico respecto a quienes no lo practican; se desconoce si esta condición se mantiene en contexto de pandemia por la COVID-19. Objetivo: Comparar la autoestima con el autoconcepto académico en escolares chilenos según sexo y hábito de actividad física. Secundariamente, asociar la autoestima con el autoconcepto académico de los escolares. Métodos: Estudio transversal que evaluó a 108 escolares (50,9 % mujeres) con una edad media de 13,96 + 2,85 años. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron la escala de Rosenberg, la escala de autoconcepto académico y una pregunta dicotómica relativa al hábito de actividad física. Se realizaron comparaciones con t de Student, U de Mann Whitney y asociaciones con ji cuadrado de Pearson. Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias significativas a favor de los hombres en autoestima (p= 0,007), sin diferencias en el resto de las variables, ni entre escolares físicamente activos vs. escolares físicamente inactivos. Además, se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa entre la autoestima con la autoeficacia académica (p< 0,05), rendimiento percibido (p< 0,001) y puntaje total de la escala de autoconcepto académico ( p< 0,001), en hombres, mujeres, escolares físicamente activos, escolares físicamente inactivos y en la muestra total. Conclusión: Existe asociación entre la autoestima con la autoeficacia académica, el rendimiento percibido y el puntaje total de la escala de autoconcepto académico en escolares chilenos, independiente del sexo y hábito de actividad física. Adicionalmente, existen diferencias de medias estadísticamente significativas en favor de los hombres para la autoestima.

In recent years, the availability of effective vaccines has become a public health challenge due to the proliferation of different pandemic outbreaks which are a risk for the world population health. Therefore, the manufacturing of new formulations providing a robust immune response against specific diseases is of paramount importance. This can be partially faced by introducing vaccination systems based on nanostructured materials, and in particular, nanoassemblies obtained by the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method. This has emerged, in recent years, as a very promising alternative for the design and optimization of effective vaccination platforms. In particular, the versatility and modularity of the LbL method provide very powerful tools for fabricating functional materials, opening new avenues on the design of different biomedical tools, including very specific vaccination platforms. Moreover, the possibility to control the shape, size, and chemical composition of the supramolecular nanoassemblies obtained by the LbL method offers new opportunities for manufacturing materials which can be administered following specific routes and present very specific targeting. Thus, it will be possible to increase the patient convenience and the efficacy of the vaccination programs. This review presents a general overview on the state of the art of the fabrication of vaccination platforms based on LbL materials, trying to highlight some important advantages offered by these systems.

This systematic review aimed to assess the available evidence on the effects of neuromuscular training on physical performance in older adults. A literature search was conducted across four databases (Psychology and Behavioral (EBSCO), Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed). The PRISMA guidelines were followed. The PEDro scale and Cochrane risk of bias tool were used to assess the quality of and risk of bias in the studies, respectively. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42022319239). The outcomes were muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, postural balance and gait speed. From 610 records initially found, 10 were finally included in the systematic review, involving 354 older people with a mean age of 67.3 years. Nine of them reported significant changes in at least one variable related to physical performance in the intervention compared to the control groups. The neuromuscular training caused significant improvements in postural balance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength power of the upper and lower limbs and autonomy. The available evidence indicates that neuromuscular training has a positive effect on some variables of physical performance, especially in postural balance; however, the methodological quality and certainty of the evidence in the available literature are limited. Therefore, a greater number of high-quality studies are required to draw definitive conclusions.

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 is considered. 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.

In this paper, we present a software tool entitled E-aplan Express (version 2018), with free access for educational and commercial use, to the modelling and resolution of aggregate production plans generating medium-long term production planning, based on a forecasted demand in that period. E-aplan tool models the aggregate production plan though a mixed integer linear programming model (MILP). The LP solver optimization engine generates the planning by adjusting all the optimization variables with the least possible error. Finally, it is presented an illustrative example that considers a collaborative aggregate production planning, in a two-echelon supply chain. Different scenarios are modelled in order to simultaneously consider the planning objectives of both enterprises of the network.

Introduction: Pathological aging causes anatomophysiological changes responsible for generating deterioration in the physical condition and quality of life of the elderly. Thus, an increase in the presence of geriatric syndromes such as physical frailty has also been observed. Objective: To determine if there is an association between physical condition and quality of life with the frailty in older adults. Methods: Correlational study. 84 people over 60 years of age (62 women and 22 men) were included. Physical fitness, quality of life and frailty were measured. Physical fitness was assessed with the Senior Fitness Test battery and quality of life was measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Old (WHOQOL-OLD) questionnaire. Frailty was determined with the Fried phenotype. Contingency tables were used to associate the study variables with frailty through the Chi-square test. Results: Frailty was associated with some components of physical fitness such as upper body strength (p= 0.038), lower body strength (p= 0.018), lower body flexibility (p= 0.004), aerobic endurance (p= 0.038), agility and dynamic balance (p= 0.002). Also, significant associations were observed with quality of life dimensions such as autonomy (p= 0.007), past, present and future activities (p= 0.018), social participation (p= 0.006) and intimacy (p= 0.038). Conclusion: There is an association between frailty with dimensions of quality of life and with variables of physical fitness.

La depresión en adultos mayores y su tratamiento es un importante problema de salud pública global que debe ser atendido urgentemente. Objetivo: determinar la frecuencia de sintomatología depresiva y su tratamiento en personas adultas mayores afiliadas a las instituciones de seguridad social de salud en México. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal con 3,114 participantes de 7 estados del país, los cuales fueron evaluados psicológicamente empleando la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica {GDS} de Yesavage, también se analizó su afiliación a seguridad social, funcionalidad (índices Barthel y Lawton) y estado cognoscitivo (Minimental de Folstein). El análisis de la información se realizó empleando el paquete estadístico SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) asi como los datos sociodemográficos de los participantes. Resultados: Se observó cobertura en el 88.5% de la población. La prevalencia de depresión es del 27.4% y el 96.8% de ellos no recibe tratamiento, además el 18.9% presenta dependencia funcional, el 16.2% deterioro cognoscitivo y el 7.4% ha sufrido al menos una caída con lesiones. Únicamente el 11.2% del total de enfermos fue diagnosticado en su clínica. Conclusión: La prevalencia de depresión no tratada en adultos mayores con acceso a servicios de salud es altamente significativa, es urgente la generación de protocolos, programas y capacitación de profesionales de salud permitan identificar la patología y atender de manera integral a dicho grupo etario.

El sobrepeso y obesidad infantil se han convertido en un problema de salud a nivel mundial. A medida que la incidencia y la gravedad del sobrepeso y la obesidad siguen aumentando en niños y niñas, la determinación de los efectos fisiológicos y consecuencias funcionales se hacen cada vez más importantes. Estas últimas han sido las menos estudiadas, subestimándose su impacto sobre el desempeño motor. El control postural juega un papel importante en el desarrollo motor del niño, ya que es necesario para lograr nuevas posturas en etapas tempranas de la vida y para la adquisición de habilidades motoras más complejas. Esta revisión revela que los niños y niñas con sobrepeso y obesidad presentan un déficit del control postural evidenciado principalmente a partir de evaluaciones estáticas en una plataforma de fuerza y el análisis de la excursión del centro de presión. Entre las causas de la alteración del equilibrio en los niños y niñas con exceso de peso destaca la interacción de factores mecánicos, sensoriales y neuromusculares. Un pobre control postural provocaría un aumento del riesgo de caídas y lesiones, retraso en el desarrollo motor, limitaciones de la movilidad, alteración de la marcha y dificultad para la adquisición de otras habilidades motoras.

Olympic combat sports are unconventional physical activity strategies to train middle-aged and older people with and without health problems. This systematic review aimed to assess the available body of published peer-reviewed articles related to the effects of Olympic combat sports interventions (boxing, fencing, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling) on health-related quality of life in adults aged 45 and older. The search was carried out in five generic databases until July 2021 and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42021244161). The PRISMA guidelines were followed and the Downs and Black checklist was used to assessed the methodological quality of the studies. After reviewing 1,151 records, only seven studies met the inclusion criteria, adding 212 participants (43.4% female) with a mean age of 63.7 years. Six studies (two with middle-aged participants and four with older people) provided data to calculate the effect size (ES) in the Olympic combat sports groups (No research that used taekwondo or wrestling as an intervention modality was found). Three studies reported beneficial changes with a small ES for the total score (d < 0.40) of the health-related quality of life. Two studies reported a beneficial change with a small ES (d = 0.49) and strong ES (d = 4.45) for physical health. One study reported improvements with a small ES for emotional (d = 0.23) and functional (d = 0.26) well-being. In conclusion, interventions based on Olympic combat sports produce beneficial effects with a small and moderate ES on health-related quality of life in male and female aged 45 and older who are healthy participants, participants with Parkinson's disease, and participants with breast cancer.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, PROSPERO: CRD42021244161.

The concentration dependence of the surface tension of several binary mixtures of non-electrolytes has been measured at 298.15 K. The mixtures have been chosen since they presented a so-called “W-shape” concentration dependence of the excess constant pressure heat capacity and high values of the concentration-concentration correlation function. This behavior was interpreted in terms of the existence of anomalously high concentration fluctuations that resemble those existing in the proximities of critical points. However, no liquid-liquid phase separation has been found in any of these mixtures over a wide temperature range. In this work, we have extended these studies to the liquid-air interfacial properties. The results show that the concentration dependence of the surface tension shows a plateau and the mixing surface tension presents a “W-shape” behavior. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that this behavior is reported. The weak anomalies of the surface tension near a liquid-liquid critical point suggest that the results obtained cannot be considered far-from-critical effects. The usual approach of substituting the activity by the concentration in the Gibbs equation for the relative surface concentration has been found to lead to large errors and the mixtures to have a fuzzy and thick liquid/vapor interface.

Overweightness and obesity can negatively influence many activities, including postural balance and locomotion, increasing predisposition to injury and risk of falls due to limitations on the biomechanics of daily living. The present study aimed to determine the influence of the anthropometric profile and physical activity level (PAL) on the postural balance of overweight and obese children. The sample included 387 schoolchildren (216 boys and 171 girls). The variables of the anthropometric profile studied were body mass, biped height, BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), summation of folds, body composition, and somatotype. PAL was measured using the PAQ-C questionnaire. Static and dynamic postural balance were measured through an open-eye (OE) and closed-eye (CE) posturographic test and the SEBTm, respectively. For static balance, the significant models were for mediolateral velocity (R2 = 0.42 in OA; R2 = 0.24 in OC), anteroposterior velocity (R2 = 0.21 in OA; R2 = 0.27 in OC), and mean velocity (R2 = 0.27 in OA; R2 = 0.46 in OC), where the predictors of low performance were younger age, male sex, overweight/obese nutritional status, greater thickness of skin folds, less tendency to mesomorphy, and greater fat mass. On the other hand, for dynamic postural balance, the significant models were observed in the previous direction (R2 = 0.39), posteromedial (R2 = 0.57), and posterolateral (R2 = 0.56), where the variables that predict a low performance were low PAL, overweight/obese nutritional status, and high WHR. Overweight and obese children presented a deficit in static and dynamic postural balance, enhanced by variables such as gender, age, PAL, and anthropometric characteristics related to adiposity.

Introducción: Introducción: Los universitarios son susceptibles a estilos de vida poco saludables, los que podrían deterior su calidad de vida (CV). Objetivo: Comparar la CV en estudiantes universitarios según su nivel de actividad física (AF). Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Participaron 126 estudiantes universitarios de ambos sexos de las facultades de salud, educación e ingeniería de tres universidades de Talca (Chile). La CV fue evaluada mediante el cuestionario WHOQOL-BREF. Se aplicó la T de student para muestras independientes para comparar los dominios de la CV y las características basales entre los grupos. El tamaño del efecto se calculó con la d de Cohen. Resultados: Los universitarios inactivos presentaron mayor índice de masa corporal (IMC) (p=0,041), en contraste, los universitarios activos mostraron una puntuación significativamente mayor que los inactivos en CV global (p=0,002; d=0,67), CV en salud (p=0,013; d=0,50), dominio físico (p=0,038; d=0,43), psicológico (p=0,003; d = 0,63) y medio ambiente (p = 0,001; d = 0,80). Conclusiones: Los estudiantes universitarios activos (moderado/alto nivel de AF) presentan mejor CV global y en salud, además presentan mejor puntuación en CV en los dominios físico, psicológico medio ambiente al compararlos con estudiantes inactivos.

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.

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.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has generated social distancing, causing a decrease in the practice of physical activity and a lower health-related quality of life. Objective: To relate the level of physical activity with health-related quality of life in youth, during COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: Cross-sectional study that evaluated 184 students (61,4 % female) with a mean age of 13,97 + 1,69 years, residing in the Maule region, Chile. Two self-application surveys were applied, with the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the valid version in the Chilean population of the KIDDO-KINDL. Results: There was a direct and significant correlation between the total time of mild physical activity with self-esteem (p= 0,043) and, between the total sitting time with emotional well-being (p= 0,025), self-esteem (p= 0,014), school (p= 0,031), and total quality of life score (p= 0,006) for the total sample. Only females showed a correlation (p< 0,05) between total time sitting with family, school, and total quality of life score. In addition, significant differences (p< 0,05) were found in the total time of moderate physical activity, school, and total quality of life score in favor of males. Conclusion: There is a relationship between the total time of physical activity with self-esteem and between the total sitting time with emotional well-being, self-esteem, school, and total quality of life score in youth during COVID-19 lockdown.

Fluid/fluid interfaces are ubiquitous in science and technology, and hence, the understanding of their properties presents a paramount importance for developing a broad range of soft interface dominated materials, but also for the elucidation of different problems with biological and medical relevance. However, the highly dynamic character of fluid/fluid interfaces makes shedding light on fundamental features guiding the performance of the interfaces very complicated. Therefore, the study of fluid/fluid interfaces cannot be limited to an equilibrium perspective, as there exists an undeniable necessity to face the study of the deformation and flow of these systems under the application of mechanical stresses, i.e., their interfacial rheology. This is a multidisciplinary challenge that has been evolving fast in recent years, and there is currently available a broad range of experimental and theoretical methodologies providing accurate information of the response of fluid/fluid interfaces under the application of mechanical stresses, mainly dilational and shear. This review focused on providing an updated perspective on the study of the response of fluid/fluid interfaces to dilational stresses; to open up new avenues that enable the exploitation of interfacial dilational rheology and to shed light on different problems in the interest of science and technology.

The cosmetic industry has an undeniable need to design and develop new ecosustainable products to respond to the demands of consumers and international regulations. This requires substituting some traditional ingredients derived from petrochemical sources with new ones with more ecofriendly profiles. However, this transition towards the use of green ingredients in the cosmetic industry cannot compromise the effectiveness of the obtained products. Emerging ingredients in this new direction of the cosmetic industry are chitosan and its derivatives, which combine many interesting physicochemical and biological properties for the fabrication of cosmetic products. Thus, the use of chitosan opens a promising future path to the design of cosmetic formulations. In particular, chitosan’s ability for interacting electrostatically with negatively charged substrates (e.g., skin or damaged hair), resulting in the formation of polymeric films which contribute to the conditioning and moisturizing of cosmetic substrates, makes this polymer an excellent candidate for the design of skin and hair care formulations. This review tries to provide an updated perspective on the potential interest of chitosan and its derivatives as ingredients of cosmetics for skin and hair care.

Introduction: University life is a stage that imposes a series of changes that can lead to the acquisition of unhealthy lifestyles with a negative impact on the quality of life. Objective: To compare the self-perception of physical fitness, functionality and quality of life, level of physical activity and sedentary behavior in university students. Methods: The study is descriptive, cross-sectional and observational in design. 566 university students were selected through stratified random sampling. The level of physical activity was measured through the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, physical fitness was determined through the self-report International Fitness Scale, the functionality of upper limbs was measured through the Self-Assessment Questionnaire. -Report Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand, the functionality of the lower limbs was used with the Lower Extremity Functional Scale Questionnaire and the perception of quality of life with the SF-36 health questionnaire. Results: the physically active participants perceived a better general physical condition (p = 0.001), cardiorespiratory condition (p = 0.001), muscular strength (p = 0.001), speed / agility (p = 0.001) and greater functionality of lower limbs (p = 0.001) than the group of physically inactive participants. Similar results were obtained when comparing the perception of physical condition and functionality according to sedentary behavior. In relation to the perception of quality of life according to the level of physical activity and sedentary behavior, they agreed that both the physically active and the non-sedentary had better indicators of general and mental health. Conclusion: The physically active and non-sedentary individuals present a better self-perception of physical condition, functionality and quality of life compared to their physically inactive and sedentary peers.

Synthetic micro/nanomotors (MNMs) are human-made machines characterized by their capacity for undergoing self-propelled motion as a result of the consumption of chemical energy obtained from specific chemical or biochemical reactions, or as a response to an external actuation driven by a physical stimulus. This has fostered the exploitation of MNMs for facing different biomedical challenges, including drug delivery. In fact, MNMs are superior systems for an efficient delivery of drugs, offering several advantages in relation to conventional carriers. For instance, the self-propulsion ability of micro/nanomotors makes possible an easier transport of drugs to specific targets in comparison to the conventional distribution by passive carriers circulating within the blood, which enhances the drug bioavailability in tissues. Despite the promising avenues opened by the use of synthetic micro/nanomotors in drug delivery applications, the development of systems for in vivo uses requires further studies to ensure a suitable biocompatibility and biodegradability of the fabricated engines. This is essential for guaranteeing the safety of synthetic MNMs and patient convenience. This review provides an updated perspective to the potential applications of synthetic micro/nanomotors in drug delivery. Moreover, the most fundamental aspects related to the performance of synthetic MNMs and their biosafety are also discussed.

The manufacturing of stable emulsion is a very important challenge for the cosmetic industry, which has motivated intense research activity for replacing conventional molecular stabilizers with colloidal particles. These allow minimizing the hazards and risks associated with the use of conventional molecular stabilizers, providing enhanced stability to the obtained dispersions. Therefore, particle-stabilized emulsions (Pickering emulsions) present many advantages with respect to conventional ones, and hence, their commercialization may open new avenues for cosmetic formulators. This makes further efforts to optimize the fabrication procedures of Pickering emulsions, as well as the development of their applicability in the fabrication of different cosmetic formulations, necessary. This review tries to provide an updated perspective that can help the cosmetic industry in the exploitation of Pickering emulsions as a tool for designing new cosmetic products, especially creams for topical applications.

Introducción: La cuarentena y el aislamiento social son las medidas más recomendadas por las autoridades de salud con el objetivo de reducir la interacción social entre las personas y disminuir el riesgo de contagio por la COVID-19 en la comunidad. Sin embargo, estas restricciones y limitaciones pueden traer consecuencias en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud de adultos jóvenes. Objetivo: Comparar la calidad de vida autorreportada entre un entorno sin pandemia vs. un contexto bajo alerta sanitaria por la COVID-19, en adultos jóvenes. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo; 157 adultos jóvenes (63 mujeres y 94 hombres), de entre 18 y 28 años, respondieron el cuestionario de salud SF-36 en 2 situaciones: contexto sin pandemia (septiembre de 2019) y contexto de pandemia (abril de 2020). El SF-36 incluye 36 preguntas agrupadas en 8 ítems: función física, rol físico, dolor corporal, salud general, vitalidad, función social, rol emocional y salud mental. Resultados: Al comparar las evaluaciones entre los contextos con y sin pandemia, se observó una disminución de la calidad de vida en las dimensiones vitalidad (p = 0,004), función social (p = 0,001), rol emocional (p = 0,001), salud mental (p = 0,003) y salud general (p = 0,001). Las dimensiones más alteradas fueron el rol emocional y la salud general, las cuales disminuyeron un 39,5 % y 21,0 %, respectivamente. Conclusión: La calidad de vida relacionada con la salud de adultos jóvenes se ve disminuida en un contexto de cuarentena por la COVID-19, principalmente, en las dimensiones psicológicas y sociales.

Background: Growth and development reflect the child’s health condition. Currently, child care is supported in daycare centers. In this context, this article aimed to identify the differences in growth and psychomotor development in children according to their attendance at daycare centers. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study in children aged 25 to 48 months. Two groups were identified: 68 children attended daycare, and 68 children did not attend daycare. Growth was assessed with weight-for-height curves, and psychomotor development was evaluated with the child developmental assessment instrument (psychosocial, language, psychomotor, and cognitive area). The X2 test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The percentage of daycare children with ideal weight was higher than those not attending in daycare (p = 0.035). Psychomotor development was significantly higher in daycare children: in the psychosocial (p = 0.000), language (p = 0.000), motor (p = 0.000), and cognitive development (p = 0.000) areas. Conclusions: The psychomotor development of children attending daycare centers is superior to that of children not in daycare centers.

This study protocol aims to analyze and compare the effects of an adapted taekwondo program with respect to multi-component training and walking exercise on health status in independent older women. Secondarily, we analyze the variability of the inter-individual response and compare it according to the designated training system. The sample will consist of 64 women between 60 and 65 years, randomly assigned to experimental group 1 (n = 16; adapted taekwondo), experimental group 2 (n = 16; multi-component training), experimental group 3 (n = 16, walking exercise) or control group (n = 16; no intervention). The experimental groups will perform the designated training for three sessions (60 min per session) per week over 16-weeks, while the control group will not receive any treatment. The main outcome will provide information about (i) blood pressure, (ii) lipid profile, (iii) frequency of food consumption, (iv) body composition, (v) cognitive status, (vi) brain activity, (vii) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and (viii) physical-functional fitness. Our hypothesis indicates that adapted taekwondo produces more significant effects and greater inter-individual responses in cognitive status, brain activity, HRQoL, and postural balance than the others training methods. If this intervention proves effective, it could be an alternative for older women.

The construction of nanostructured materials for their application in electrochemical processes, e.g., energy storage and conversion, or sensing, has undergone a spectacular development over the last decades as a consequence of their unique properties in comparison to those of their bulk counterparts, e.g., large surface area and facilitated charge/mass transport pathways. This has driven strong research on the optimization of nanostructured materials for the fabrication of electrochemical devices, which demands techniques allowing the assembly of hybrid materials with well-controlled structures and properties. The Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method is well suited for fulfilling the requirements associated with the fabrication of devices for electrochemical applications, enabling the fabrication of nanomaterials with tunable properties that can be exploited as candidates for their application in fuel cells, batteries, electrochromic devices, solar cells, and sensors. This review provides an updated discussion of some of the most recent advances on the application of the LbL method for the fabrication of nanomaterials that can be exploited in the design of novel electrochemical devices.

Pickering emulsions stabilized by the interaction of palmitic acid (PA) and silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) at the water/oil interface have been studied using different alkane oil phases. The interaction of palmitic acid and SiNPs has a strong synergistic character in relation to the emulsion stabilization, leading to an enhanced emulsion stability in relation to that stabilized only by the fatty acid. This results from the formation of fatty acid-nanoparticle complexes driven by hydrogen bond interactions, which favor particle attachment at the fluid interface, creating a rigid armor that minimizes droplet coalescence. The comparison of emulsions obtained using different alkanes as the oil phase has shown that the hydrophobic mismatch between the length of the alkane chain and the C16 hydrophobic chain of PA determines the nature of the emulsions, with the solubility of the fatty acid in the oil phase being a very important driving force governing the appearance of phase inversion.

The assembly of soft colloidal particles at fluid interfaces is reviewed in the present paper, with emphasis on the particular case of microgels formed by cross-linked polymer networks. The dual polymer/colloid character as well as the stimulus responsiveness of microgel particles pose a challenge in their experimental characterization and theoretical description when adsorbed to fluid interfaces. This has led to a controversial and, in some cases, contradictory picture that cannot be rationalized by considering microgels as simple colloids. Therefore, it is necessary to take into consideration the microgel polymer/colloid duality for a physically reliable description of the behavior of the microgel-laden interface. In fact, different aspects related to the above-mentioned duality control the organization of microgels at the fluid interface, and the properties and responsiveness of the obtained microgel-laden interfaces. This works present a critical revision of different physicochemical aspects involving the behavior of individual microgels confined at fluid interfaces, as well as the collective behaviors emerging in dense microgel assemblies.

Mixtures of polyelectrolytes and surfactants are commonly used in many technological applications where the challenge is to provide well-defined modifications of the surface properties, as is the case of washing formulations in cosmetics. However, if contemporary experimental and theoretical methods can provide insights on their behavior in concentrated formulations, less is known on their behavior under practical use conditions, e.g., under dilution and vectorization of deposits. This makes it difficult to make predictions for specific performance, as, for example, good hair manageability after a shampoo or a comfortable sensorial appreciation after a skin cleanser. This is especially important when considering the formulation of new, more eco-friendly formulations. In this work, a detailed study of the phase separation process induced by dilution is described, as well as the impact on the deposition of conditioning material on negatively charged surfaces. In order to gain a more detailed physical insight, several polyelectrolyte–surfactant pairs, formed by two different polymers and five surfactants that, although non-natural or eco-friendly, can be considered as models of classical formulations, have been studied. The results evidenced that upon dilution the behavior, and hence its deposition onto the surface, cannot be predicted in terms of the behavior of simpler pseudo-binary (mixtures of a polymer and a surfactant) or pseudo-ternary mixtures (two polymers and a surfactant). In many cases, phase separation was observed for concentrations similar to those corresponding to the components in some technological formulations, whereas the latter appeared as monophasic systems. Therefore, it may be assumed that the behavior in multicomponent formulations is the result of a complex interplay of synergistic interactions between the different components that will require revisiting when new, more eco-sustainable ingredients are considered.

Introduction: Aging is related to a higher prevalence of frailty and deterioration in quality of life. There is also a loss of autonomy, which increases institutionalization. Methodology: Pre-experimental, longitudinal study that evaluated 28 institutionalized older adults (17 women and 11 men). The sample was selected using an intentional non-probabilistic criterion. A multicomponent training program (aerobic resistance, muscular strength, balance and flexibility) was carried out for 6 weeks, before and after the fragility was evaluated based on the phenotype scale proposed by Fried and the quality of life with the World Health Organization questionnaire Quality of Life - Older Adults (WHOQoL-OLD). The Student's t-test was applied to make the comparisons and the effect size was calculated. An alpha level of 0.05 was used. Results: After participating in the multicomponent exercise program, older adults showed significant improvements in the frailty index (p = 0.007; d = 0.36). The quality of life showed statistically significant changes in the dimensions Past, present and future activities (p = 0.018; d = 0.53), Social Participation (p = 0.003; d = 0.53) and Intimacy (p = 0.005; d = 0.36) after completing a multi-component exercise program. The overall quality of life of the participants also showed significant changes (p = 0.007; d = 0.65). Conclusion: A 6-week multi-component physical training program improved the frailty and quality of life of institutionalized older adults.