Towards to personal profiles of online video game players: application of POS-PLS on UTAUT model

There are diverse segmentations of online players in the literature. Most of them are proposed a priori, and there are no segmentations based on the acceptance of technology and the personal values of the players. The foremost purpose of this study is to obtain a clustering of online video games players, founded on UTAUT model, and to describe the subsequent segments consistent with the personal values of Schwartz. The measurement model and the structural model was analyzed with partial least squares (PLS). Subsequently, the POS-PLS technique has been devoted to inspect unobserved heterogeneity and to find players’ segments. Four segments are obtained from the statistical tools

The Dietary Inflammatory Index and hepatic health in the US adult population

This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving research study participants were approved by the National Center for Health Statistics Research Ethics Review Board (CDC, 2016). Written informed consent was obtained from all subjectspatients.Robinson Ramírez‐Vélez researched data and contributed to the discussion. Mikel Izquierdo and María Correa‐Rodríguez reviewed/edited the manuscript. Robinson Ramírez‐Vélez and María Correa‐Rodríguez wrote the manuscript. Robinson Ramírez‐Vélez and Antonio García‐Hermoso are the guarantors of this work and, as such, had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.The lead author affirms that this manuscript is an honest, accurate and transparent account of the study being reported. The reporting of this work is compliant with STROBE guidelines. The lead author affirms that no important aspects of the study have been omitted and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained.Background: There is limited evidence on the role of an anti-/pro-inflammatory diet in the prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed (i) to assess the anti-inflammatory diet profile and its association with transient elastography parameters, including liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and (ii) to analyse the relationship between the anti-inflammatory diet and surrogate markers of liver disease in a multiethnic US population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a nationally representative population of 4189 US adults aged 20–80 years. A FibroScan® 502 V2 device (Echosens) was used to estimate the CAP and LSM. Liver markers, including the aspartate transaminase (AST) to alanine transaminase (ALT) ratio, fatty liver index (FLI) and fibrosis-4 score, were also calculated. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) was calculated using a 24-h diet recall. Results: Lower DII scores (anti-inflammatory diet) were associated with a lower AST:ALT ratio (p < 0.001) and FLI (p < 0.036) after adjusting for covariates. Linear regression analysis revealed that gamma-glutamyl transferase levels (β = 1.702, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.325–3.080, p = 0.015), ALT levels (β = −0.616, 95% CI = −1.097 to −0.135, p = 0.012), AST:ALT ratio (β = 0.025, 95% CI = 0.014–0.036, p < 0.001) and FLI (β = 1.168, 95% CI = 0.224–2.112, p = 0.015) were significantly associated with the DII in the multivariable-adjusted model. Participants in the highest anti-inflammatory tertile had the lowest odds ratio (OR) for NAFLD assessed by FLI in both unadjusted (OR = 0.652, 95% CI = 0.539–0.788, p ≤ 0.001) and adjusted models (OR = 0.722, 95% CI = 0.537–0.972, p = 0.032). For the transient elastography parameters (LSM and CAP), no significant associations were identified. Conclusions: There was no relationship between the transient elastography parameters and the anti-inflammatory diet profile, although our study showed an association between higher pro-inflammatory properties of diet and poorer hepatic health assessed by surrogate markers of liver disease. Therefore, strategies to promote an anti-inflammatory diet should be considered to prevent NAFLD in adults.Funding for open access charge, Universidad de Granada/CBU

Identificación de nuevos mercados para la madera teca rolliza de la empresa Tecfor Constructores

En Colombia actualmente el gobierno esta incentivando una cultura exportadora, con muchas facilidades para los nuevos empresarios. Es importante para TECFOR CONSTRUCTORES como empresa, que se exporte cada vez mas cantidades de teca a distintos países, ya que en estos momentos las plantaciones sembradas 22 años atrás están por ser aprovechadas y comercializadas, además, cuenta con la capacidad de producción requerida y un posicionamiento que tiene a nivel nacional, así el siguiente paso será orientarse hacia la identificación de nuevos mercados a nivel internacional. Puesto que la teca, una de las maderas más valiosas del mundo, se ha venido constituyendo en uno de los negocios más interesantes del sector reforestador en Colombia1 . Es importante resaltar que la capacidad instalada de la empresa, no esta siendo utilizada en su totalidad, por esta razón la búsqueda de nuevos mercados entra a formar parte importante, ya que con la conquista de ellos vamos a aprovechar lo que se esta subutilizando en la empresa y elevar los niveles de productividad. La empresa TECFOR Constructores en este momento exporta la madera Teca rolliza sin ningún valor agregado, hacia la India, que es el único país que importa la madera de esa forma, aquí se identifica el problema mediante el cual, con este proyecto permitirá a la empresa identificar nuevas opciones de mercados o nuevas oportunidades de exportación para la madera teca rollizaIncluye bibliografí

Disputas por la centralización/descentralización administrativa en el viejo caldas, 1905-1966: los casos de manizales y pereira

El presente artículo analiza las disputas entre los grupos de élite de las ciudades de Manizales y Pereira por el poder político regional en el antiguo Departamento de Caldas, creado en 1905, y que desembocaron en la división departamental de 1966 con la creación del Departamento de Risaralda. Dicho proceso se manifestó en las discusiones por la centralización o descentralización administrativa, las cuales reconstruimos en tres momentos: primero, a partir de la reforma administrativa de Rafael Reyes que creó el Departamento de Caldas; segundo, en el periodo de mayor auge de la economía del café y las demandas por mejor distribución fiscal; finalmente, en la coyuntura de los años sesenta, que permitió una movilización continua de las élites y culminó con la división departamental. Concluimos que las disputas por la descentralización y centralización administrativa manifestaban un proceso histórico de división del poder regional en el cual se contrapusieron dos formas de proyección de orden e interés local

Role of sleep duration and sleep-related problems in the metabolic syndrome among children and adolescents

Background: There is increasing recognition that sleep is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between self-reported sleep duration, sleep-related problems and the presence of MetS in children and adolescents from Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis from the FUPRECOL study (2014-15). Participants included 2779 (54.2% girls) youth from Bogota (Colombia). MetS was defined as the presence of ≥3 of the metabolic abnormalities (hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c], hypertension, and increased waist circumference) according to the criteria of de Ferranti/Magge and colleges. Self-reported sleep duration and sleep-related problems were assessed with the BEARS questionnaire. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that boys who meet recommended duration of sleep had a decreased risk of elevated blood glucose levels (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95%CI [0.40-0.94]; p = 0.031) compared to boys who have short-long sleep duration. Also, compared to young without sleep problems, excessive sleepiness during the day was related to low HDL-c levels in boys (OR = 1.36, 95%CI [1.02-1.83]; p = 0.036) and high triglyceride levels in girls (OR = 1.28, 95%CI [1.01-1.63]; p = 0.045). Girls with irregular sleep patterns had decreased HDL-c levels (OR = 0.71, 95%CI [0.55-0.91]; p = 0.009). Conclusions: Recommended sleep duration was associated with a decreased risk of elevated fasting glucose levels in boys, and sleep problems was related to lower HDL-c in girls and higher triglyceride levels in boys. These findings suggested the clinical importance of improving sleep hygiene to reduce metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents. © 2018 The Author(s)

Fat-to-Muscle Ratio: A New Anthropometric Indicator as a Screening Tool for Metabolic Syndrome in Young Colombian People

Fat-to-muscle ratio has been proposed as an alternative approach for assessing body fat. The objective of this study was to explore fat-to-muscle ratio thresholds in metabolic syndrome (MetS) diagnosis; it was hypothesised that the fat-to-muscle ratio is a good predictive indicator of MetS in a large population of young Colombian adults. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 1416 subjects (66.6% female), aged from 18.1 to 25.1. As part of the study, measurements of the subjects’ anthropometric indicators, serum lipid indices, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose were taken. Body composition was measured through bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). A new variable (ratio of fat mass to muscle mass, in kg) was calculated. Following the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition, MetS includes three or more metabolic abnormalities. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression determined the discriminatory ability of the fat-to-muscle ratio to predict MetS. According to the IDF, the best fat-to-muscle ratio cut-off point for detecting MetS in men was 0.225 kg, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83, sensitivity of 80%, and specificity of 70%. For women, the fat-to-muscle ratio cut-off point was 0.495 kg, the AUC was 0.88, and the sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 80%, respectively. In conclusion, our results showed that the fat-to-muscle ratio cut-off points from ROC analyses demonstrate good discriminatory power for detecting MetS in young Colombian adults.This research was funded by the Centre for Studies on Measurement of Physical Activity, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario grant number [Code N FIUR DN-BG001]

Relationship between handgrip strength and muscle mass in female survivors of breast cancer: A mediation analysis

This study explored the mediating factors of sarcopenia in a group of women survivors of breast cancer in Bogotá, Colombia. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with 98 women survivors of breast cancer, who were registered with the SIMMON (Integrated Synergies to Improve Oncological Management in Colombia) Foundation. Body weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Body composition (percentage of fat and muscle mass) was evaluated via four-pole bioelectrical impedance analysis. Sarcopenia was defined as low muscle mass plus low grip strength or low gait speed (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria). A “causal” mediation analysis with the Baron and amp; Kenny procedure (PROCESS® macro, Columbus, OH, USA) was used to explore variables related to sarcopenia. Analyses were performed with the IBM SPSS 21 statistical package (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The significance level of the results obtained in the hypothesis contrast was p and lt; 0.05. The mean age of the sample was 65.5 ± 5.9 years, with a BMI of 27.8 ± 4.7 kg/m2. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 22.4%. Linear regression models suggest a partial mediation of anthropometric parameters (body mass, body mass index and waist circumference) in the association between handgrip strength and muscle mass. In conclusion, one in every five women survivors of breast cancer had sarcopenia. The findings seem to emphasize the importance of obesity prevention in women survivors of breast cancer, suggesting that high handgrip strength may not relate closely to greater muscle mass and therefore would not exclude the risk of sarcopenia. © 2017 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Estimation of pubertal growth-spurt parameters in children and adolescents in Colombia: comparison between low and moderate altitudes

Context-specific information, including differences in geographical areas, such as distinct altitudes, can be important to explain variations in physical growth. We aimed to compare the estimation of maximum growth velocity and pubertal growth-spurt parameters of children and adolescents living at low and moderate altitudes in Colombia. A cross-sectional study, including a representative cohort of 30.305 (51% boys) children and adolescents aged 1–18 years from Colombia, was performed. The heights were measured with standardized techniques. The Preece–Baines growth model was used to estimate the mathematical and biological parameters of the height-growth velocities and growth spurts for both sexes. The altitudes were categorized as low (18 to 564 m above sea level) or moderate (2420 to 2640 m above sea level). There were no differences in final height (h1 ), peak height velocity size (hθ ), age at peak height velocity (APHV), or peak height velocity PHV (cm/y) between the subjects living in both altitudes (p > 0.05). The APHV was estimated at 12.75 ± 0.75 years in the boys and at 10.05 ± 0.65 years in the girls. The girls reached the APVH 2.70 years earlier than the boys. Regarding the PHV, the boys reached higher growth velocity, which was 6.85 ± 0.55 cm/y. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in final height, peak height, APHV, or PHV between the children and adolescents living at distinct altitudes in Colombia. The PHV occurred approximately 3 years earlier in the girls than in the boys. Furthermore, the girls’ estimated PHV, APHV, and final height were lower than those of the boys. This study allows additional insight into pubertal growth-spurt parameters and also provides a valuable reference database for the assessment of Colombian children and adolescents.This investigation did not receive any specific subsidy from any funding agency, commercial sector, or non-profit organization. The APC was supported by the Directorate General of Research (Dirección General de Investigaciones) of the Universidad Santiago de Cali under call (No. 01-2021)

Predictive validity of the body adiposity index in overweight and obese adults using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

The body adiposity index (BAI) is a recent anthropometric measure proven to be valid in predicting body fat percentage (BF%) in some populations. However, the results have been inconsistent across populations. This study was designed to verify the validity of BAI in predicting BF% in a sample of overweight/obese adults, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as the reference method. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 48 participants (54% women, mean age 41.0 ± 7.3 years old). DEXA was used as the “gold standard” to determine BF%. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the association between BAI and BF%, as assessed by DEXA. A paired sample t-test was used to test differences in mean BF% obtained with BAI and DEXA methods. To evaluate the concordance between BF% as measured by DEXA and as estimated by BAI, we used Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman agreement analysis. The correlation between BF% obtained by DEXA and that estimated by BAI was r = 0.844, p < 0.001. Paired t-test showed a significant mean difference in BF% between methods (BAI = 33.3 ± 6.2 vs. DEXA 39.0 ± 6.1; p < 0.001). The bias of the BAI was −6.0 ± 3.0 BF% (95% CI = −12.0 to 1.0), indicating that the BAI method significantly underestimated the BF% compared to the reference method. Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient was considered stronger (ρc = 0.923, 95% CI = 0.862 to 0.957). In obese adults, BAI presented low agreement with BF% measured by DEXA; therefore, BAI is not recommended for BF% prediction in this overweight/obese sample studied

Mammogram frequency and clinical breast exam in women under the subsidized health regime- Manizales (Caldas)

Objetivo: Determinar la cobertura del examen clínico y mamografía de tamización para cáncer de mama en&amp;nbsp; un grupo de mujeres del régimen subsidiado en el municipio de Manizales. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio&amp;nbsp; observacional de tipo transversal. Se efectuó una encuesta telefónica a 352 mujeres con edades&amp;nbsp; comprendidas entre 50 y 69 años, residentes en el área urbana y rural del municipio de Manizales durante el&amp;nbsp; cuarto trimestre de 2010. La cobertura de tamización se valoró como la proporción de mujeres con&amp;nbsp; antecedente de mamografía y examen clínico de la mama, fueron excluidas las mujeres con antecedente&amp;nbsp; personal de cáncer de mama. Se estimó frecuencia de vida, frecuencia en los últimos dos años y en el último&amp;nbsp; año. Se analizaron factores asociados a la práctica de tamización mediante el cálculo de OR ajustados.&amp;nbsp; Resultados: La frecuencia de vida de uso de examen clínico fue de 56% y de mamografía 42,3%, de los cuales el 3 y el 7% fueron diagnósticos respectivamente (mujeres sintomáticas), el resto lo hizo con fines de cribado. Por tamización 53,1% tenían examen clínico en el último año y 24,7% mamografías en los últimos dos años.&amp;nbsp; No se halló relación de las diferentes variables con la no realización de la mamografía. Conclusiones: Existe&amp;nbsp; una baja cobertura de la mamografía y el examen clínico de mama por tamización en las mujeres del&amp;nbsp; régimen subsidiado, a pesar de las recomendaciones generadas por el Ministerio de la Protección Social y el&amp;nbsp; Instituto Nacional de Cancerología.Objective: To determine the scope of breast clinical exam and screening for cancer mammogram in a group&amp;nbsp; of women under the subsidized health regime in the municipality of Manizales. Materials and Methods:&amp;nbsp; Observational, transversal type study. Telephone interviews were carried out with 352 women in ages&amp;nbsp; between 50 and 69 years old, resident in the urban and rural areas of the municipality of Manizales during&amp;nbsp; the fourth trimester in 2010. The scope of screening was assessed as the proportion of women with&amp;nbsp; mammogram and clinical breast exam history and women with personal record of breast cancer were&amp;nbsp; excluded. Life frequency, frequency in the last two years and in the previous year was estimated. Factors&amp;nbsp; associated with the screening practice were analyzed using the adjusted OR calculation. Results: Frequency&amp;nbsp; of useful life of the clinical exam was 56% and mammogram was 42.3% from which 3 and 7% were diagnoses&amp;nbsp; respectively (asymptomatic women); the rest were done for screening purposes. Through screening, 53.1%&amp;nbsp; had had clinical exam during the previous year and 24.7% had had mammograms during the last two years.&amp;nbsp; Relationship of the different variables with the carrying out of mammograms was not found. Conclusions:&amp;nbsp; There is low coverage of mammogram and clinical breast exam through screening in women under the&amp;nbsp; subsidized health regime in spite of the recommendations generated by Social Protection Ministry and the&amp;nbsp; National Study of Cancer Institute