Non-perturbative scalar gauge-invariant metric fluctuations from the Ponce de Leon metric in the STM theory of gravity

We study our non-perturbative formalism to describe scalar gauge-invariant metric fluctuations by extending the Ponce de Leon metric.Comment: accepted in Eur. Phys. J.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Anthropometric Markers of Obesity for Prediabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Prediabetes is a significant public health concern due to its high risk of progressing to diabetes. Anthropometric measures of obesity, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) have been demonstrated as key risk factors in the development of prediabetes. However, there is a lack of clarity on the diagnostic accuracy and cut-off points of these measures. Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of these anthropometric measures for their most effective use in identifying prediabetes. Methodology: A systematic review (SR) with metanalysis of observational studies was carried out. The search was conducted in four databases: Pubmed/Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and EMBASE. For the meta-analysis, sensitivity and specificity, together with their 95% confidence intervals (CI 95%) were calculated. Results: Among all the manuscripts chosen for review, we had four cross-sectional studies, and three were classified as cohort studies. The forest plots showed the combined sensitivity and specificity for both cross-sectional and cohort studies. For cross-sectional studies, the values were as follows: BMI had a sensitivity of 0.63 and specificity of 0.56, WC had a sensitivity of 0.59 and specificity of 0.58, and WHtR had a sensitivity of 0.63 and specificity of 0.73. In the cohort studies, the combined sensitivity and specificity were: BMI at 0.70 and 0.45, WC at 0.68 and 0.56, and WHtR at 0.68 and 0.56, respectively. All values are provided with 95% confidence intervals. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of BMI, WC, and WHtR in identifying prediabetes. The results showed variations in sensitivity and specificity, with WHtR having the highest specificity in cross-sectional studies and BMI having improved sensitivity in cohort studies

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Associated with Atrial Fibrillation in Adult Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a common disease. However, its diagnosis and treatment are underestimated. The main reason is that the upper airway completely or partially collapses, leading to repeated sleep apnea episodes. In addition, atrial fibrillation(AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia in the world, these two entities may be related and are important public health problems. Objective: To determine the association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and atrial fibrillation in adult patients. Materials and Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that associate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and atrial fibrillation was carried out. The search was carried out in 4 databases: PUBMED, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus. Results: Eight studies were included (n=562241). A significant association was found between obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation (OR: 1.38; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.54). In addition, low heterogeneity was found between studies I2: 13%. Conclusions: It was found that obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation are significantly associated

Asociación entre enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico e intensidad de la actividad física en una muestra de pobladores peruanos

Introducción: la nutrición adecuada, dejar de fumar y de beber alcohol son medidas preventivas y de tratamiento, ayudan a prevenir complicaciones de la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico. Sin embargo, aún existen dudas sobre la intensidad de la actividad física y sus beneficios en el desarrollo de esta enfermedad. Objetivo: determinar la asociación entre la actividad física y la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico en una muestra de peruanos. Metodología: estudio transversal analítico que utilizo una base de datos secundarias del estudio COHORT CRONICAS. La variable principal fue la presencia o no de enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico, lo cual se determinó a través de un autoinforme por diagnóstico médico. La variable independiente fue la actividad física, cuyos niveles fueron definidos de acuerdo con el protocolo del cuestionario internacional de actividad física, la que se dicotomizó en “bajo” y “medio/alto”. Resultados: se trabajó con un total de 3211 sujetos. La prevalencia de reflujo gastroesofágico fue 4,48% y el 5,36% practicaba actividad física moderada/alta. En la regresión múltiple, se observó que los pacientes con actividad física baja tenían 391% mayor frecuencia de presentar reflujo gastroesofágico, respecto a quienes realizaban actividad física moderado/alta. Luego del ajuste de las covariables: sexo, edad,estatus socioeconómico, estado de fumador, bebedor de alcohol, actividad física e índice de masa corporal; se obtuvo un RP=4,91; IC95%: 1,19 –20,23. Conclusiones: el estudio mostró que la actividad física de intensidad moderada/alta se asocia con una menor prevalencia de enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico. Si los resultados actuales se confirman en investigaciones futuras, los hallazgos de este estudio podrían ser importantes para la prevención y el tratamiento del reflujo gastroesofágico, a través dela intensidad de la actividad física.Campus Lima Nort

Metastatic gallbladder adenocarcinoma with signet-ring cells: A case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Signet-ring cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive variant of mucinous adenocarcinoma. Only a few cases of gallbladder adenocarcinoma with signet-ring cells have been reported and because of this there is a lack of knowledge about the behavior and biology of this pathology.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present the case of a 63-year-old Arab man with gallbladder signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma. He had an elective cholecystectomy and refused chemotherapy. Two months later, a small hepatic metastatic nodule was found, and nine months later he presented with multiple metastases in the liver, lymphatic nodes, both pleuras, peritoneum and subcutaneous tissue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proliferation of signet-ring cells in a gallbladder adenocarcinoma worsens the prognosis of an already adverse neoplasm. New lines of treatment in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, or new biological therapy, such as monoclonal antibody c-myc oncogene, should be encouraged to improve the survival and life quality of these oncologic patients.</p

Etnozoología del pueblo mayo-yoreme en el norte de Sinaloa: uso de vertebrados silvestres

An ethnozoological study was performed in 11 indigenous communities of the municipality of El Fuerte, Sinaloa, México, to describe the use of wild vertebrates. Of the people who used this resource, 53 % belonged to the Mayo-Yoreme people, but only one third still speaks their native tongue. Hunting is carried out only by men, primarily day laborers, who took advantage of 34 wild species, distributed in 21 families and 12 orders, with mammals being the most widely used. Hunting is carried out during most of the year, on weekends and during the first hours of the morning, although also during the night, both on foot and with the help of a vehicle. The main uses were for food, handcrafts and medicinal. The hunt was done primarily in shrubs and agricultural areas. The most frequently used hunting means were sling-shot (fork with a handle with a rubber tied to its ends, to be stretched out and used to shoot small stones), and rifle caliber 022. Of the people, 43.2 % considered the species as regularly abundant, while 18.7 % perceived them as scarce as the result from furtive hunting, deforestation and people’s needs. More than 90 % recognized as actions necessary for conservation the following: vigilance, not hunting in abundance and respecting the closed season.Se realizó un estudio etnozoológico en 11 comunidades indígenas del municipio de El Fuerte, Sinaloa, México, para describir el aprovechamiento de vertebrados silvestres. El 53 % de los que hicieron uso de este recurso pertenecieron al pueblo Mayo-Yoreme, pero solo una tercera parte aún habla su lengua materna. La caza es realizada solo por hombres, repartidos en 21 familias y 12 órdenes, principalmente jornaleros, quienes aprovecharon 34 especies silvestres, siendo los mamíferos los más aprovechado. La caza se realiza la mayor parte del año durante los fines de semana y en las primeras horas de la mañana, aunque también durante la noche; tanto a pie como con apoyo de un vehículo. Los principales usos fueron el alimentario, artesanal y medicinal. La caza se realizó principalmente en matorrales y áreas agrícolas. La resortera (horquilla con mango a cuyos extremos se unen los de una goma para estirarla y disparar piedras pequeñas) y el rifle calibre 022 fueron los medios de caza más utilizados. El 43.2 % consideró las especies como regularmente abundantes, mientras que 18.7 % las percibió escasas como consecuencia de la caza furtiva, la deforestación y las necesidades de las personas. Más de 90 % reconoció como acciones necesarias para la conservación, la vigilancia, no cazar en abundancia, y respeto a la veda

Rickettsia typhi IN RODENTS AND R. felis IN FLEAS IN YUCATÁN AS A POSSIBLE CAUSAL AGENT OF UNDEFINED FEBRILE CASES

Rickettsia typhi is the causal agent of murine typhus; a worldwide zoonotic and vector-borne infectious disease, commonly associated with the presence of domestic and wild rodents. Human cases of murine typhus in the state of Yucatán are frequent. However, there is no evidence of the presence of Rickettsia typhi in mammals or vectors in Yucatán. The presence of Rickettsia in rodents and their ectoparasites was evaluated in a small municipality of Yucatán using the conventional polymerase chain reaction technique and sequencing. The study only identified the presence of Rickettsia typhi in blood samples obtained from Rattus rattus and it reported, for the first time, the presence of R. felis in the flea Polygenis odiosus collected from Ototylomys phyllotis rodent. Additionally, Rickettsia felis was detected in the ectoparasite Ctenocephalides felis fleas parasitizing the wild rodent Peromyscus yucatanicus. This study’s results contributed to a better knowledge of Rickettsia epidemiology in Yucatán

Beware of scientific scams! Hints to avoid predatory publishing in biological journals

Our motivation for writing this editorial is to alert the academic community about the risks of predatory publishing in Biology. By piggy-backing on the open access (OA) movement and taking advantage of the “publish or perish” culture in a system that prioritises quantity over quality, predatory publishing has grown exponentially in recent years and spread across all areas of knowledge. Thousands of predatory journals and books have emerged and (provided a fee is paid) they publish scientific papers and chapters without submitting them to rigorous peer review. Now there are even predatory meetings, which promise to accept talks and publish complete works for a fee, also without reviewing them properly. These profit-making machines can damage both academia and society, putting at risk the quality of science and public trust in it, the well-being of the population, the conservation of biodiversity and the mitigation of climate change. We show the modus operandi behind invitations to contribute to predatory journals, books and meetings and suggest ways to separate the wheat from the chaff. Finally, we discuss the need to create regulatory agencies that perform a careful and systematic evaluation of the activities carried out by publishers

Association of nutritional status and serum albumin levels with development of toxicity in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with paclitaxel-cisplatin chemotherapy: a prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A frequent manifestation of advanced NSCLC is malnutrition, even though there are many studies which relate it with a poor survival, its relation with toxicity has not yet been consistently reported. The aim of this study was to associate malnutrition and albumin serum levels with the occurrence of chemotherapy-induced toxicity in cisplatin plus paclitaxel chemotherapy-treated NSCLC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We prospectively evaluated 100 stage IV NSCLC patients treated with paclitaxel (175 mg/m²) and cisplatin (80 mg/m²). Malnutrition was assessed using SGA prior treatment. Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and the Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) were used to determine the presence of systemic inflammatory response (SIR) and were related to the development of toxicity. Toxicity was graded according to NCI CTCAE version 3.0 after two chemotherapy cycles.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median age was 58 ± 10 years, 51% of patients were malnourished, 50% had albumin ≤3.0 mg/mL. NLR ≥ 5 was associated with basal hypoalbuminemia (mean ranks, 55.7 vs. 39 p = 0.006), ECOG = 2 (47.2 vs. 55.4 p = 0.026) and PLR ≥ 150 were significantly related with a basal body mass index ≤20 (56.6 vs. 43.5; p = 0.02) and hypoalbuminemia (58.9 vs. 41.3; p = 0.02). Main toxicities observed after 2 cycles of chemotherapy were alopecia (84%), nausea (49%), neuropathy (46%), anemia (33%), lymphopenia (31%), and leukopenia (30%). Patients malnourished and with hypoalbuminemia developed more chemotherapy-induced toxicity overall when compared with those without malnutrition (31 vs 22; <it>p </it>= 0.02) and normal albumin (mean ranks, 62 vs 43; <it>p </it>= 0.002), respectively. Hypoalbuminemia was associated with anemia (56 vs 47; <it>p </it>= 0.05), fatigue (58 vs 46; <it>p </it>= 0.01), and appetite loss (57.1 vs 46.7; <it>p </it>= 0.004) compared with normal albumin. PLR ≥ 150 was related with the development of toxicity grade III/IV (59.27 vs. 47.03 p = 0.008) and anemia (37.9 vs 53.8 p = 0.004).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>SIR parameters were associated with malnutrition, weight loss and hypoalbuminemia. Chemotherapy-induced toxicity in NSCLC patients treated with paclitaxel and cisplatin was associated with malnutrition and hypoalbuminemia. Early nutritional assessment and support might confer beneficial effects.</p

Cognitive testing of physical activity and acculturation questions in recent and long-term Latino immigrants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We ascertained the degree to which language (English versus Spanish), and residence time in the US influence responses to survey questions concerning two topics: self-reported acculturation status, and recent physical activity (PA). This topic is likely to be of general interest because of growing numbers of immigrants in countries worldwide.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We carried out qualitative (cognitive) interviews of survey items on acculturation and physical activity on 27 Latino subjects from three groups: (a) In Spanish, of those of low residence time (less than five years living in the U.S.) (n = 9); (b) In Spanish, of those of high residence time (15 or more years in the U.S) (n = 9); and (c) in English, of those of high residence time (n = 9).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were very few language translation problems; general question design defects and socio-cultural challenges to survey responses were more common. Problems were found for both acculturation and PA questions, with distinct problem types for the two question areas. Residence time/language group was weakly associated with overall frequency of problems observed: low residence time/Spanish (86%), high residence time/Spanish (67%), and English speaking groups (62%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Standardized survey questions related to acculturation and physical activity present somewhat different cognitive challenges. For PA related questions, problems with such questions were similar regardless of subject residence time or language preference. For acculturation related questions, residence time/language or education level influenced responses to such questions. These observations should help in the interpretation of survey results for culturally diverse populations.</p