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Spatial light modulators (SLMs) are widely used to coherently control quantum states of light. When carrying out these experiments, some assumptions are made. For instance, it is supposed that the position-momentum correlations between twin photon pairs are not affected by the use of a liquid crystal display (LCD) as a SLM. Furthermore, it is assumed that the characterization of such devices performed with an intense laser source, is still valid in the single photon regime. In this work, we show that such assumptions are acceptable, within the experimental uncertainties, for a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) display. This is especially important when considering the use of this kind of displays for the coherent control of quantum states based on twin photon sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions in 2014, focusing on their impact on the Eastern Pacific. Topics covered include the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) activity linked to the ENSO cycle, the Kelvin waves triggered by three westerly wind bursts, and the atmospheric response to positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies.

The aim of the present study was twofold: first, to determine the meeting all three 24-h movement guidelines in Colombian preschool-aged children, and second, to explore the associations between different socio-ecological correlates and the meeting of these guidelines. This was a cross-sectional study with data from the Encuesta Nacional de Situación Nutricional (ENSIN-2015) in Colombia, 2015-2016. The sample comprised 3002 low-income preschoolers (3-4 years old, 50.7% boys). Data on physical activity, screen time, and sleep time were collected using the Cuestionario para la Medición de Actividad Física y Comportamiento Sedentario, reported by their parents. In total, 18 potential correlates (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community level) were analyzed. Backward binary logistic regression analysis was performed with the potential correlates as independent variables and meeting all three 24-h movement guidelines as dependent variables. The prevalence of preschoolers meeting all three 24-h movement guidelines or none was 4.8% and 16.6%, respectively. In the final model, boys (odds ratio [OR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-3.50) and those who do not have television in their bedroom (OR = 2.09, 95%CI 1.05-4.14) were more likely to meet all three 24-h movement guidelines compared to with girls and those who have television, respectively. In conclusion, strategies to promote adherence to all 24-h movement guidelines among low-income preschoolers are warranted, and should focus on actions considering the importance of sex and home environment changes to support these movement behaviors., (© 2023 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In the absence of medical contraindications, physical activity (PA) can offer health maternal and fetal health outcomes during pregnancy. However, most pregnant women may not consider PA to be feasible, suitable and safe. Hence, it is essential to determine the prevalence of pregnant women who meet the PA recommendations and the possible factors associated with that meeting, since it might be important from the perspective of pregnant women's health. The aim of the present study was to establish the prevalence of meeting the World Health Organization PA recommendations for Colombian pregnant women, as well as possible factors that may be associated with meeting that recommendations. A cross-sectional study including representative data from the National Nutritional Situation Survey (2015) in Colombia was performed. Data were collected in 2015-2016. From an initial sample of 1140 Colombian pregnant women, 702 participants with complete data were included in the final analysis. PA was assessed by self-reported information through the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Several potential factors were analysed according to four levels of the socioecological model: the individual, interpersonal, organizational and community levels. The prevalence of Colombian pregnant women who met with the PA recommendations was 7.5%. Indigenous and Mestizo pregnant women showed lower probabilities of meeting the PA recommendations [Indigenous: OR 0.05, 95% CI (0.01-0.18); Mestizo: OR 0.12, 95% CI (0.06-0.22)] than Afro-Colombian participants. Additionally, participants who lived near green and safe spaces for PA were more likely to meet the PA recommendations [OR 2.30, 95% CI (1.06-4.79)] than those who did not live near green areas. In conclusion, a low percentage of Colombian pregnant women met the new PA recommendations. The associations found according to race/ethnicity and living near green and safe areas underline the presence of fundamental disparities associated with meeting PA recommendations., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is an indicator of overall strength; therefore, individual HGS measurements should be interpreted using geographic region and ethnic group references., Aims: The aim of this study was to develop new normative values for absolute and relative HGS in the Colombian population after stratification by sex, age, and body mass using the large National Representative Nutrition Survey 2015., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 3803 subjects aged 6-64 years. Absolute HGS was measured using a hand dynamometer with an adjustable grip, and normalized HGS was calculated by dividing the HGS by body mass. Smoothed centile tables for the P3, P10, P25, P50, P75, P90, and P97 centiles were calculated using Cole's lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method. This study used a cutoff at 2 standard deviations (SDs) below the sex-specific peak mean value across the life course to define weak, absolute and relative HGS., Results: In men, HGS peaked at 26-33 years of age (~43.0 kg in P50), especially in the upper centiles, and fell away quickly. The pattern was different in females, where this value peaked at ages 25-33 (~26.0 kg in P50). We found a curvilinear pattern for HGS that declined with age in both sexes. There was significant variation in the slope for HGS in men and women around the age of 25 and 35 years, respectively., Conclusion: The normative values presented here are a valuable source of information for the clinical assessment of HGS and for comparison with studies from other countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2021 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The adverse effects of fat mass on functional dependence might be attenuated or worsened, depending on the level of muscular strength. The aim of this study was to determine (i) the detrimental effect of excess adiposity on dependence in activities of daily living (ADL), and (ii) whether relative handgrip strength (HGS) moderates the adverse effect of excess adiposity on dependence, and to provide the threshold of relative HGS from which the adverse effect could be improved or worsened. A total of 4169 participants (69.3 ± 7.0 years old) from 244 municipalities were selected following a multistage area probability sampling design. Measurements included anthropometric/adiposity markers (weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)), HGS, sarcopenia "proxy" (calf circumference), and ADL (Barthel Index scale). Moderation analyses were performed to identify associations between the independent variable (relative HGS) and outcomes (dependence), as well as to determine whether relative HGS moderates the relationship between excess adiposity and dependence. The present study demonstrated that (i) the adverse effect of having a higher WHtR level on dependence in ADL was moderated by relative HGS, and (ii) two moderation thresholds of relative HGS were estimated: 0.35, below which the adverse effect of WHtR levels on dependency is aggravated, and 0.62, above which the adverse effect of fat on dependency could be improved. Because muscular strength represents a critically important and modifiable predictor of ADL, and the increase in adiposity is inherent in aging, our results underscore the importance of an optimal level of relative HGS in the older adult population., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Normal-weight obesity (NWO) has been shown to be associated with cardiometabolic dysfunction. However, little is known regarding this potential relationship in early adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between NWO and cardiometabolic risk factors in a large population of Colombian young adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1354 subjects (61% women), aged from 18 to 30. Anthropometric data, including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), were estimated, and the percentage of fat mass was measured through bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Muscular fitness was determined by using a handgrip strength test and normalized grip strength (NGS = handgrip (kg)/body mass (kg)). A cardiometabolic risk Z-score was derived by assessing WC, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) cholesterol, fasting glucose, and systolic blood pressure. NWO was defined by the combination of excess %BF (over 25.5% for men and 38.9% for women) and a BMI < 25 kg/m 2 . The overall prevalence of NWO was 29.1%. Subjects with NWO have an increased risk of cardiometabolic risk compared to the normal-weight lean group (OR = 3.10). Moreover, NWO was associated with an increased risk of presenting low HDL-C (OR = 2.34), high abdominal obesity (OR = 7.27), and low NGS (OR = 3.30), p < 0.001. There is a high prevalence of NWO in American Latin young adults and this condition is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk, high blood pressure, low HDL-C, high abdominal obesity, and low muscular strength early in life. Screening for adiposity in subjects with a normal BMI could help to identify young adults at a high risk of cardiometabolic abnormalities.

Background: The short physical performance battery (SPPB) is a physical performance test of lower extremity function designed for non-disabled older adults. We aimed to establish reference values for community-dwelling Colombian adults aged 60 years or older in terms of (1) the total score; (2) the three subtest scores (walking speed, standing balance performance, and five times sit-to-stand test); and (3) the time to complete the five times sit-to-stand test, s and the walking speed test. Additionally, we sought to explore how much of the variance in the SPPB subtest scores could be explained by anthropometric variables (age, body mass, height, body mass index, and calf circumference). Methods: Participants were men and women aged 60 years or older who participated in the Health and Well-being and Aging Survey in Colombia, 2015. A sample of 4,211 participants (57.3% women) completed the SPPB test, and their anthropometric variables were evaluated. Age-specific percentiles were calculated using the LMS method (3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentiles). Results: The mean SPPB total score for the entire sample was 8.73 (2.0) points. On average, the total SPPB score was 0.85 points greater in men than in women ( p < 0.001). Significant sex differences were observed in all three age groups tested (60-69, 70-79, and 80+ years). In the full sample, our findings suggested that age, body mass, height, body mass index, and calf circumference are significant contributors to walking speed ( p < 0.001) after controlling for confounding factors, including ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and urbanicity. Conclusions: Percentile values are of interest to identify target populations for primary prevention and to estimate the proportion of high or low values for SPPB measures in community-dwelling Colombians aged at least 60 years., (Copyright © 2020 Ramírez-Vélez, Pérez-Sousa, Venegas-Sanabria, Cano-Gutierrez, Hernández-Quiñonez, Rincón-Pabón, García-Hermoso, Zambom-Ferraresi, Sáez de Asteasu and Izquierdo.)

Objective: To determine the association between the time spent watching television and the sociodemographic characteristics with the presence of overweight and obesity in Colombian adolescents., Materials and Methods: Secondary analysis of the information obtained in the National Survey of the Nutritional Situation 2010 of Colombia, in a probabilistic sample of 18177 adolescents with an age range between 13 and 17 years. The time spent watching television and / or videogames and sociodemographic factors was determined. Anthropometric markers and body composition were recorded. Associations were established through logistic regression models., Results: The prevalence of overweight was 13.0% (95% CI 12.4-13.8) and obesity was 3.0% (95% CI 2.8-3.3). The prevalences of overweight and obesity were higher in adolescent women [16.6% (95% CI 15.8-17.5) and 3.4% (95% CI 3.1-3.7), respectively]. Overweight and obesity were associated with being female [OR 1.94 (95%CI 1.77-2.12) and OR 1.29 (95%CI 1.09-1.53), respectively], high socioeconomic level [OR 1.22 (95%CI 1.10-1.36) and OR 1.47 (95%CI 1.19-1.81), respectively], reside in urban area [OR 1.13 (95%CI 1.03-1.24) and OR 1.47 (95%CI 1.21-1.79), respectively]. Being indigenous was associated with being overweight [OR 1.25 (95%CI 1.10-1.42)], while being Afro-Colombian was associated with obesity [OR 1.33 (95%CI 1.05-1.69)]. Watching television and / or video games for two or more hours a day [OR1.17 (95%CI 1.06-1.30)] was associated with being overweight; whereas watching television every day of the week was associated with obesity [OR 1.66 (95%CI 1.13-2.43)]., Conclusions: The population studied has a significant prevalence of overweight and obesity, being overweight is associated with being a woman, a high socioeconomic status, residing in an urban area, having an indigenous ethnicity, watching television for three days during the week and looking at more than two hours of television in a day; Obesity is associated with being a woman, a medium-high and high socioeconomic status, residing in an urban area, Afro-Colombian ethnicity, watching television at least once in the last week and watching television every day during the last week., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: Objective: iron deficiency anemia is associated with adverse results for health and it is highly prevalent worldwide. The current study evaluated the prevalence and the sociodemographic factors associated with iron deficiency anemia in a sample of Colombian pregnant women. Materials and methods: the secondary analysis for the obtained information at the National Nutrition Survey (ENSIN) 2010 of Colombia in a probabilistic sample of 1,385 pregnant women between 13 and 49 years old. Hemoglobin concentration, ferritin plasmatic levels, sociodemographic levels and factors (age, escolarity, socioeconomic level, geographic area, region, ethnic group, tobacco habits), and body mass index according on the weeks of gestation were determined. There were made normality tests, measure comparisons, and association between logistic regression models. Results: the prevalence of Iron deficiency anemia (hemoglobin < 11 g/dL and ferritin < 12 μg/L) was 11.0% (CI95% = 9.7-12.6). The highest prevalence was found in pregnant women without any escolarity (19.4%; CI95% = 8.0-33.3), women in a socioeconomic level I (12.7%; CI95% = 10.3-14.9), that live in the Atlantic or Pacific regions (16.0%; CI95% = 12.0-20.4 and 12.7%; CI95% = 8,3-17,1 respectively), and Afro-Colombian women (18.6%; IC95% = 12.1-23.9). Iron deficiency anemia was associated with living in the Atlantic region OR 7.21 (CI95% 1.71-30.33), Oriental OR 4.50 (CI95% 1.01-20.04), Pacific OR 5.51 (CI95% 1.27-23.88), national territory OR 4.37 (CI95% 1.03-18.57) and belonging to an Afro-Colombian ethnic group OR 2.19 (CI95% 1.40-3.42). Conclusions: the studied population presents a high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia and it is associated with the residency region and ethnic group.

Background: Cochlear implant surgery has a low morbidity and mortality. Postoperative complications can be minor and major. Minor complications require conservative management; major complications require reoperation or implant removal. The aim is to determine our complications and compare them with international and Latin American series., Methods: 275 operated cases were retrospectively analyzed from December 2005 to December 2013. Children and adults between 11 months to 82 years old are included. Demographic data, unilateral or bilateral placement, type of surgery and postoperative complications were evaluated. The follow-up was made for 20 months., Results: The 57.46 % are children and adolescents, youth and adults are 33.81 %; and 8.73 % are seniors. The complication rate is 12 % (n = 33), 6.91 % for women and 5.09 % for men. There are more complications among 19 to 60 years old. Minor complications account for 7.6 %: local infection (n = 9), delayed transient facial palsy (n = 7), vertigo (n = 3) and tinnitus (n = 2). These are prevalent in children and adults. Major complications are 4.36 %: postoperative hematoma (n = 8), extrusions (n = 2) and inadequate electrode placement (n = 2). These predominate in adults among 19 to 60 years. No deaths or cases of meningitis occurred., Conclusions: Cochlear implantation has a low incidence of complications. Our results, the only reported at the national level, are comparable with those mentioned in literature.

Objective: Examining the prevalence of self-reported postpartum depression (PD) in a representative sample of Colombian women., Methods: A secondary analysis was made of the Colombian Demographic and Health Survey 2010; the survey included 53 521 women aged 13 to 49 years-old. A clinical diagnosis of depression by self-report, during the first six months’ postpartum as a perinatal complication, was defined as the dependent variable by interview. Logistic regression was used, taking into account the multistage study design and adjusting for potential confounders. The results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI)., Results: Overall PD prevalence was 12.9 %, being higher in urban areas (15.1 %) than in rural areas (6.8 %) and in women aged 20-34 years-old (13.4 %). The Amazonas and Guainía departments had lower PD prevalence (3.1 % and 3.5 % respectively), while the city of Bogotá and the Quindío department had higher prevalence (18.1 % and 22.1 % PD, respectively). After adjustment, women aged 20 to 34 years-old (OR=1.15: 1.03 to 1.28 95 % CI), primigravidae (OR=1.42: 1.28-1.57 95 % CI), residing in urban areas (OR=2.43: 2.06 to 2.87 95 % CI) and having had university level education (OR=2.22: 1.98 to 2.48 95 % CI) were associated with PD., Conclusions: A high prevalence of postpartum depression was found in the study population. Socio-demographic and geographic factors contributed towards depression according to self-report. More research is needed to enable early identification of and intervention in women suffering from depression.

Megakaryocytic differentiation of myelogenous leukemia cell lines induced by a number of chemical compounds mimics, in part, the physiological process that takes place in the bone marrow in response to a variety of stimuli. We have investigated the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) [extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) and p38] and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways in the differentiated phenotypes of K562 cells promoted by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, staurosporine (STA), and the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB202190. In our experimental conditions, only STA-treated cells showed the phenotype of mature megakaryocytes (MKs) including GPIbalpha expression, DNA endoreduplication, and formation of platelet-like structures. We provide evidence supporting that basal activity, but not sustained activation, of ERK1/2 is required for expression of MK surface markers. Moreover, ERK1/2 signaling is not involved in cell endomitosis. The PI3K pathway exerts dual regulatory effects on K562 cell differentiation: it is intimately connected with ERK1/2 cascade to stimulate expression of surface markers and it is also necessary, but not sufficient, for polyploidization. Finally, apoptosis and megakaryocytic differentiation exhibit different sensitivity to p38 down-regulation: it is required for expression of early specific markers but is not involved in cell apoptosis. The present work with K562 cells provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating MK differentiation. The results indicate that a precise orchestration of signals, including ERK1/2 and p38 MAPKs as well as PI3K pathway, is necessary for acquisition of features of mature MKs.

Background and Objectives: Glanzmann thrombasthenia is an autosomal recessive bleeding disorder characterized by a life-long hemorrhagic tendency and absent or severely reduced platelet aggregation in response to agonists, caused by quantitative or qualitative abnormalities in the platelet fibrinogen receptor, integrin alphaIIb beta3. The aim of this study was to identify the molecular genetic defect and determine its functional consequences in a patient with type II Glanzmann thrombasthenia., Design and Methods: The expression of platelet alphaIIb beta3 was determined by flow cytometry and western blotting. Mutations were identified by sequencing both cDNA and genomic DNA. Functional characterization was assessed by exontrap and transient transfection analysis., Results: Flow cytometry and western blot analysis revealed markedly reduced levels of platelet alphaIIb beta3, which may account for the residual fibrinogen binding detected upon platelet activation. Sequencing of genomic DNA revealed the presence of two mutations in the alphaIIb gene: a C1750T transition in the last codon of exon 17 changing Arg553 to STOP, and a C2829T transition in exon 27 that changes Pro912 to Leu. Sequence analysis of reversely transcribed alphaIIb mRNA did not detect cDNA from the C1750T mutant allele, and revealed a significant increase of the physiological splicing out of exon 28 in the cDNA carrying the C2829T mutation. Transient expression of [912Leu]alphaIIb in CHO-b3 cells showed a marked reduction in the rate of surface expression of alphaIIb beta3., Interpretation and Conclusions: The results suggest that the thrombasthenic phenotype is the result of reduced availability of alphaIIb-mRNA, enhanced expression of exon 28-deleted transcripts, and defective processing of [912Leu]alphaIIb.

We report a novel genetic defect in a patient with type I Glanzmann thrombasthenia. Flow cytometry analysis revealed undetectable levels of platelet glycoproteins alphaIIb and beta3, although residual amounts of both proteins were detectable in immunoblotting analysis. Sequence analysis of reversely transcribed platelet beta3 mRNA showed a 100-base pair deletion in the 3'-boundary of exon 11, that results in a frame shift and appearance of a premature STOP codon. Analysis of the corresponding genomic DNA fragment revealed the presence of a homozygous C1815T transition in exon 11. The mutation does not change the amino acid residue but it creates an ectopic consensus splice donor site that is used preferentially, causing splicing out of part of exon 11. The parents of the proband, heterozygous for this mutation, were asymptomatic and had reduced platelet content of alphaIIbbeta3. PCR-based relative quantification of beta3 mRNA failed to detect the mutant transcript in the parents and showed a marked reduction in the patient. The results suggest that the thrombasthenic phenotype is, mainly, the result of the reduced availability of beta3-mRNA, most probably due to activation of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay mechanism. They also show the convenience of analyzing both genomic DNA and mRNA, in order to ascertain the functional consequences of single nucleotide substitutions.