Criterion-related validity of perceived exertion scales in healthy children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction. Physiological parameters used to measure exercise intensity are oxygen uptake and heart rate. However, perceived exertion (PE) is a scale that has also been frequently applied. The objective of this study is to establish the criterion-related validity of PE scales in children during an incremental exercise test. Methods. Seven electronic databases were used. Studies aimed at assessing criterion-related validity of PE scales in healthy children during an incremental exercise test were included. Correlation coefficients were transformed into z-values and assessed in a meta-analysis by means of a fixed effects model if I-2 was below 50% or a random effects model, if it was above 50%. Results. Twenty-five articles that studied 1418 children (boys: 49.2%) met the inclusion criteria. Children's average age was 10.5 years old. Exercise modalities included bike, running and stepping exercises. The weighted correlation coefficient was 0.835 (95% confidence interval: 0.762-0.887) and 0.874 (95% confidence interval: 0.794-0.924) for heart rate and oxygen uptake as reference criteria. The production paradigm and scales that had not been adapted to children showed the lowest measurement performance (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Measuring PE could be valid in healthy children during an incremental exercise test. Child-specific rating scales showed a better performance than those that had not been adapted to this population. Further studies with better methodological quality should be conducted in order to confirm these results.San Sebastian Univ, Fac Hlth Sci, Sch Kinesiol, Concepcion, ChileSanto Tomas Univ, Fac Hlth, Sch Kinesiol, Concepcion, ChileUniv La Frontera, Doctoral Program Med Sci, Temuco, ChileUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Physiol, Doctoral Program Pharmacol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUNAH, Sch Med Sci, Dept Morphol, Tegucigalpa, HondurasUniv La Frontera, Dept Surg, Santiago, ChileUniv Autonoma Chile, Biomed Sci Res Ctr, Santiago, ChileUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Physiol, Doctoral Program Pharmacol, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Impact of Collaboration on Research Quality: A Case Analysis of Dental Research

Collaboration is a central aspect of research, with variable impact on research output and quality. Its assessment is commonly based on citation count, but this is an inadequate measure in biomedical research. The aim of this preliminary study is to determine the impact of collaboration at three levels on the quality of dental therapy research using a valid and reliable instrument. Ninety-nine papers published in four ISI dental journals were analyzed using the MINCIR scale for methodological quality (MQ). Correlations and a linear regression model were used to determine the impact of collaboration on MQ. There was a positive and significant correlation between MQ and number of authors (r=0.2991; p=0.0026) and countries (r=0.2253; p=0.0249), but not institutions (r=0.1750; p=0.0832). The linear regression model for MQ explains 20.32% of the variance; only the number of authors and journal quartile were significant. Collaboration has little impact on MQ in this area

Validación inicial de la escala de medición de esfuerzo percibido infantil (EPInfant) en niños chilenos

Introduction: Perceived exertion scales quantify the sensation caused by metabolic changes during exercise. Children need tailored tools due to their cognitive immaturity such as the EPInfant scale recently developed in Chile. Objective: To determine the validity and reliability of the EPInfant scale in children during a graded exercise test. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study for which we selected healthy children younger than 18 years and grouped them according to Piaget’s stages of cognitive maturity: Concrete operations (8-12 years) and formal intelligence (13-15 years). The Chester step test was used and heart rate, workload and perceived exertion were recorded during the test. Pearson r and intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess validity and reliability, respectively. Results: 75 children were admitted, 35 (18 male) from the concrete operations group and 40 (20 male) from the formal intelligence group. In the four groups, heart rate and perceived exertion increased significantly with exercise intensity (p&lt;0.0001). Perceived exertion was correlated with heart rate in both the concrete operation and the formal intelligence groups and in males and females (r=0.73, r=0.58,r=0.43, r=0.62, respectively; p&lt;0.0001). Regression models were significant in all groups (p&lt;0.0001). In the concrete operations group the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.88 (0.82-0.92) in men and 0.94 (0.91-0.96) in women. Conclusion: EPInfant scale was a reliable and valid instrument to measure perceived exertion during exercise in children with different levels of cognitive maturity, and it was reliable in the concrete operations group of children.Introducción. Las escalas de esfuerzo percibido cuantifican la sensación causada por los cambios metabólicos durante el ejercicio. Debido a su inmadurez cognitiva, los niños necesitan instrumentos adaptados, motivo por el cual se desarrolló la escala de medición de esfuerzo percibido infantil, EPInfant.Objetivo. Determinar la validez y confiabilidad de la escala EPInfant durante una prueba de ejercicio de intensidad gradualmente creciente.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio de corte transversal. Se seleccionaron niños de dos grupos de edad por categoría de desarrollo cognitivo: de 8 a 12 años (operaciones concretas) y de 13 a 15 años (inteligencia formal). Todos respondieron el test de Chester y se registraron su frecuencia cardiaca, la carga de trabajo y el esfuerzo percibido durante la prueba. Los coeficientes r de Pearson y de correlación intraclase se emplearon para determinar la validez y la confiabilidad.Resultados. De 75 niños participantes, 35 (18 hombres) se clasificaron en el grupo de operaciones concretas y 40 (20 hombres) en el de inteligencia formal. En los cuatro grupos la frecuencia cardiaca y el esfuerzo percibido se incrementaron durante la prueba (p&lt;0,0001). El esfuerzo percibido se correlacionó con la frecuencia cardiaca en los grupos de operaciones concretas e inteligencia formal en hombres y mujeres: r=0,73, r=0,58, r=0,43 y r=0,62, respectivamente (p&lt;0,0001). Los modelos de regresión fueron significativos en los cuatro grupos. En el subgrupo perteneciente a la etapa de operaciones concretas, el coeficiente de correlación intraclase fue de 0,88 (0,82-0,92) en hombres y de 0,94 (0,91-0,96) en mujeres.Conclusión. La escala EPInfant resultó válida para medir el esfuerzo percibido durante el ejercicio en niños y niñas con distintos niveles de madurez cognitiva, y fue confiable en los niños del grupo de operaciones concretas

High Tech

"High Tech" is an architectural movement that emphasizes the technological dimension of the building as expression means. Its research includes the diverse structures composing the building: resistance, closing, services, distribution and communications. Its results are unequal since not all the buildings rising from this movement are high technology and already are other buildings not enrolled in this movement. Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster are its main representatives."High Tech" es un movimiento arquitectónico que enfatiza la dimensión tecnológica del edificio como medio de expresión. Su investigación se fija en las diversas estructuras que configuran el edificio, la resistente, la de cerramiento, la de servicios, la de distribución y comunicaciones. Sus resultados son desiguales pues no todos los edificios que surgen de este movimiento son alta tecnología y muchos otros no inscritos en dicho movimiento sí lo son. Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers y Norman Foster son sus representantes más destacados

Endocannabinoid signaling in brain diseases: Emerging relevance of glial cells

The discovery of cannabinoid receptors as the primary molecular targets of psychotropic cannabinoid Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) in late 1980s paved the way for investigations on the effects of cannabis-based therapeutics in brain pathology. Ever since, a wealth of results obtained from studies on human tissue samples and animal models have highlighted a promising therapeutic potential of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in a variety of neurological disorders. However, clinical success has been limited and major questions concerning endocannabinoid signaling need to be satisfactorily addressed, particularly with regard to their role as modulators of glial cells in neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, recent studies have brought into the limelight diverse, often unexpected functions of astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in brain injury and disease, thus providing scientific basis for targeting glial cells to treat brain disorders. This Review summarizes the current knowledge on the molecular and cellular hallmarks of endocannabinoid signaling in glial cells and its clinical relevance in neurodegenerative and chronic inflammatory disorders.CIBERNED, Grant/Award Number: CB06/05/0076; ARSEP Foundation; European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Grant/Award Number: PI18/00513; Basque Government, Grant/Award Numbers: PIBA19-0059, IT1203-19; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Grant/Award Number: SAF2016-75292-

Evidence-based clinical practice, levels of evidence

Univ La Frontera, Dept Cirugia, Temuco, ChileUniv La Frontera, Fac Med, CIGES Capacitac Invest & Gest Salud Basada Eviden, Temuco, ChileUniv La Frontera, Programa Magister Ciencias Med, Temuco, ChileUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Programa Posgrad Morfol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Programa Posgrad Morfol, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Electricity production, capacity factor, and plant efficiency index at the Mutriku wave farm (2014–2016)

Mutriku has recently become the first commercial wave farm to release its operating data. The plant has 14 OWC operating turbines, and this study has conducted an analysis of hourly data corresponding to the 2014–2016 period. The plant's capacity factor has been calculated for this period, and its seasonal evolution characterized. Additionally, a plant efficiency index has been defined as the ratio between the wave energy flux at a reference buoy and the average power generation across the active turbines. The Mutriku wave farm's annual output in the period analysed has been 246,468.7 kW-h, with an average of around ten working turbines. The results indicate that Mutriku's average capacity factor is around 0.11, with higher values in winter than in summer. These values are below the capacity factors reported for other renewable energy sources. The plant efficiency index is 0.26, and further advances in regulation and control may also raise this parameter's values, as may lower rated power alternators. This will also help to improve the Mutriku wave plant's capacity factor, and OWC technology in general.MINECO CGL2016-76561-R (MINECO/EU ERDF), University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (GIU14/03 and PES17/23