3,398 research outputs found

    Live lecture screencast recording: a proposal to simplify the tasks associated with content production for video-teaching

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    Se trata de un resumen (Abstract) de la contribución. El acuerdo de transferencia de copyright del trabajo completo es incompatible con el depósito del mismo en RIUMA.Se describe la implementación inicial de un método simplificado de grabación en directo de sesiones de clase en asignaturas de las Escuelas de Ingeniería de la Universidad de Málaga. La simplificación se logra al incorporar en la actividad diaria del aula ciertas características típicas de la grabación en diferido de mini videos docentes. En una configuración mínima se graba únicamente el audio y el video en pantalla de la clase, evitando los desafíos técnicos y las dificultades que implica la grabación de otros elementos como la pizarra. Esto implica el uso de anotaciones en pantalla en tiempo real para reemplazar completamente las anotaciones en la pizarra.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. I Plan Propio Integral de Docencia. Universidad de Málaga. Universidad de Málaga. Vicerectorado de Personal Docente e Investigador, Proyectos de Innovación Educativa (PIE 17-018

    Clinical and Ambulatory Gait Speed in Older Adults: Associations With Several Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Health Outcomes

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    Background: Although clinical gait speed may indicate health and well-being in older adults, there is a lack of studies comparing clinical tests with ambulatory gait speed with regard to several health outcomes. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the associations of clinical gait speed, measured by the 2.44-m walk test and the ambulatory gait speed with several physical, mental, and cognitive health outcomes in older adults. Design: A cross-sectional design was used. Methods: The study population comprised 432 high-functioning, community-dwelling older adults (287 women) aged between 65 and 92 years. Clinical and ambulatory gait speeds were measured using the 2.44-m walk test and a portable gait analysis device, respectively. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the association of clinical and ambulatory gait speeds with several health outcomes (body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, chronic conditions, self-rated health, exhaustion, upper- and lower-body strength, physical and mental health status, cognitive status, and self-rated cognitive status). Results: The results showed that the average gait speed for clinical and ambulatory measures cannot be directly compared. Clinical gait speed was associated with 7 health outcomes, and the ambulatory gait speed was associated with 6 health outcomes. The significant associations between measures of gait speed and the health outcomes converged in 5 of the 13 health outcomes studied; however, the strength of associations was singly different between measures. Limitations: The short monitoring time, the inability to distinguish between the ambulatory gait speed inside the home and outdoor gait speed, and the under-representative sample are limitations of the study. Conclusion: The results indicated differences in the number and strength of associations between clinical and ambulatory gait speed. Both measures have construct validity because they have been associated with physical and health outcomes; however, they may have different predictive validity. Further research should be conducted to compare their predictive validity in longitudinal design

    High-resolution melting assay for genotyping variants of the CYP2C19 enzyme and predicting voriconazole effectiveness

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    Voriconazole is a triazole antifungal agent recommended as primary treatment for invasive aspergillosis, as well as some other mold infections. However, it presents some pharmacokinetic singularities that lead to a great variability intra- and interindividually, nonlinear pharmacokinetics, and a narrow therapeutic range. Most experts have recommended tracing the levels of voriconazole in patients when receiving treatment. This azole is metabolized through the hepatic enzyme complex cytochrome P450 (CYPP450), with the isoenzyme CYP2C19 being principally involved. Allelic variations (polymorphisms) of the gene that encodes this enzyme are known to contribute to variability in voriconazole exposure. Three different allelic variants, CYP2C19*17, CYP2C19*2, and CYP2C19*3, could explain most of the phenotypes related to the voriconazole metabolism and some of its pharmacokinetic singularities. We designed a rapid molecular method based on high-resolution melting to characterize these polymorphisms in a total of 142 samples, avoiding sequencing. Three PCRs were designed with similar cycling conditions to run simultaneously. The results showed that our method represents a fast, accurate, and inexpensive means to study these variants related to voriconazole metabolism. In clinical practice, this could offer a useful tool to individually optimize therapy and reduce expenses in patients with fungal infections.National Institute of Health Carlos III (AES13PI13/01817Research Project MPY 1367/13). L.B.-M. has a contract supported by theMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, cofinanced by the EuropeanDevelopment Regional Fund (EDRF) “A Way to Achieve Europe” and the SpanishNetwork for the Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI; RD12/0015/0015). B.M.-R. is astudent in the Master’s Program entitled “Microbiología Aplicada a la Salud Pública eInvestigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas,” Alcalá de Henares University, Madrid,Spain. A.C. and C.C. were supported by the Northern Portugal Regional OperationalProgram (NORTE 2020) under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement through theEuropean Regional Development Fund (FEDER; NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013) and theFundação Para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT; IF/00735/2014 [A.C.] and SFRH/BPD/96176/2013 [C.C.])

    Therapeutic Exercise and Pain Neurophysiology Education in Female Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Feasibility Study

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    Background: We compared the effects of therapeutic exercise (TE) combined with pain neurophysiology education (PNE) to those of TE in isolation on pain intensity, general fibromyalgia impact, mechanical pain sensitivity, pain catastrophizing, psychological distress and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Methods: A feasibility study with a 3 month follow-up was designed. Thirty-two patients with FMS were randomly assigned to PNE + TE group (n = 16) or to TE group (n = 16). Both groups received 30 sessions of TE (3 per week), and the PNE + TE group received eight face-to-face educational sessions. The measuring instruments used were the visual analogue scale, a standard pressure algometer, the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Health Assessment Questionnaire. Results: The PNE + TE group showed a statistically significant decrease on pain intensity compared to TE group at short term (p = 0.015). No between-groups differences were found for mechanical pain sensitivity, general fibromyalgia impact, pain catastrophizing, psychological distress or quality of life (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of PNE and TE was more effective than TE for reducing pain intensity in the short-term. No differences were found for psychological distress, pain catastrophizing and quality of life after the intervention or at 3 months of follow-up

    Real Space Renormalization Group Methods and Quantum Groups

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    We apply real-space RG methods to study two quantum group invariant Hamiltonians, that of the XXZ model and the Ising model in a transverse field defined in an open chain with appropiate boundary terms. The quantum group symmetry is preserved under the RG transformation except for the appearence of a quantum group anomalous term which vanishes in the classical case. We obtain correctly the line of critical XXZ models. In the ITF model the RG-flow coincides with the tensor product decomposition of cyclic irreps. of SUq(2)SU_q(2) with q4=1q^4=1.Comment: 7 pages, LATEX, no figure

    Deciphering the role of histone modifications in uterine leiomyoma: acetylation of H3K27 regulates the expression of genes involved in proliferation, cell signaling, cell transport, angiogenesis and extracellular matrix formation

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    Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is a benign tumor arising from myometrium (MM) with a high prevalence and unclear pathology. Histone modifications are altered in tumors, particularly via histone acetylation which is correlated with gene activation. To identify if the acetylation of H3K27 is involved in UL pathogenesis and if its reversion may be a therapeutic option, we performed a prospective study integrating RNA-seq (n = 48) and CHIP-seq for H3K27ac (n = 19) in UL vs MM tissue, together with qRT-PCR of SAHA-treated UL cells (n = 10). CHIP-seq showed lower levels of H3K27ac in UL versus MM (p-value < 2.2 × 10−16). From 922 DEGs found in UL vs. MM (FDR < 0.01), 482 presented H3K27ac. A differential acetylation (FDR < 0.05) was discovered in 82 of these genes (29 hyperacetylated/upregulated, 53 hypoacetylated/downregulated). Hyperacetylation/upregulation of oncogenes (NDP,HOXA13,COL24A1,IGFL3) and hypoacetylation/downregulation of tumor suppressor genes (CD40,GIMAP8,IL15,GPX3,DPT) altered the immune system, the metabolism, TGFβ3 and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Functional enrichment analysis revealed deregulation of proliferation, cell signaling, transport, angiogenesis and extracellular matrix. Inhibition of histone deacetylases by SAHA increased expression of hypoacetylated/downregulated genes in UL cells (p < 0.05). Conclusively, H3K27ac regulates genes involved in UL onset and maintenance. Histone deacetylation reversion upregulates the expression of tumor suppressor genes in UL cells, suggesting targeting histone modifications as a therapeutic approach for UL

    L'effet du climat viticole sur la typicité des vins blancs: caractérisation au niveau des régions viticoles ibéro-américaines.

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    There are many studies in the world that characterize the effect of the climate on grape composition and wine characteristics and typicity concerning different viticultural regions. However, the same is not true concerning studies in a worldwide scale to characterize this effect considering different climate types. This study is part of a CYTED (Ibero-American Program for Science, Technology and Development) project in vitivinicultural zoning. The objective was to characterize the effect of the viticultural climate on white wine typicity on the macro Ibero-American viticultural region. The methodology used 46 grape-growing regions in 6 Ibero-American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Portugal and Spain. The viticultural climate of each region was characterized by the 3 viticultural climate index of the Geoviticulture MCC System (1): HI (Heliothermal index), CI (Cool night index) and DI (Dryness index). The main sensory characteristics observed frequently in representative white wines produced with grapes of each of these 46 grape-growing regions were described by enologists in the respective countries, using the methodology of Zanus & Tonietto (2). The sensory description concerned the intensity of perception of Color (Cou), Aroma - Intensity (Ar), Aroma - Ripe Fruit (Ar-Fm), Body ? Palate Concentration (Con), Alcohol (Al) and Acidity (Ac). The Persistence in Mouth (Per) was also evaluated. The data were submitted to a correlation analysis of the variables and to a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed that the typicity of the white wines was correlated with the viticultural climate indexes HI, CI and DI from MCC System. The main wine sensory variables affected by viticultural climate are identified

    The read-across hypothesis and environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals

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    This article is made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright © 2013 American Chemical Society.Pharmaceuticals in the environment have received increased attention over the past decade, as they are ubiquitous in rivers and waterways. Concentrations are in sub-ng to low μg/L, well below acute toxic levels, but there are uncertainties regarding the effects of chronic exposures and there is a need to prioritise which pharmaceuticals may be of concern. The read-across hypothesis stipulates that a drug will have an effect in non-target organisms only if the molecular targets such as receptors and enzymes have been conserved, resulting in a (specific) pharmacological effect only if plasma concentrations are similar to human therapeutic concentrations. If this holds true for different classes of pharmaceuticals, it should be possible to predict the potential environmental impact from information obtained during the drug development process. This paper critically reviews the evidence for read-across, and finds that few studies include plasma concentrations and mode of action based effects. Thus, despite a large number of apparently relevant papers and a general acceptance of the hypothesis, there is an absence of documented evidence. There is a need for large-scale studies to generate robust data for testing the read-across hypothesis and developing predictive models, the only feasible approach to protecting the environment.BBSRC Industrial Partnership Award BB/ I00646X/1 and BBSRC Industrial CASE Partnership Studentship BB/I53257X/1 with AstraZeneca Safety Health and Environment Research Programme

    Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae. II: The Second Year (2009-2010)

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    As an extension of the project in Kato et al. (2009, arXiv:0905.1757), we collected times of superhump maxima for 61 SU UMa-type dwarf novae mainly observed during the 2009-2010 season. The newly obtained data confirmed the basic findings reported in Kato et al. (2009): the presence of stages A-C, as well as the predominance of positive period derivatives during stage B in systems with superhump periods shorter than 0.07 d. There was a systematic difference in period derivatives for systems with superhump periods longer than 0.075 d between this study and Kato et al. (2009). We suggest that this difference is possibly caused by the relative lack of frequently outbursting SU UMa-type dwarf novae in this period regime in the present study. We recorded a strong beat phenomenon during the 2009 superoutburst of IY UMa. The close correlation between the beat period and superhump period suggests that the changing angular velocity of the apsidal motion of the elliptical disk is responsible for the variation of superhump periods. We also described three new WZ Sge-type objects with established early superhumps and one with likely early superhumps. We also suggest that two systems, VX For and EL UMa, are WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with multiple rebrightenings. The O-C variation in OT J213806.6+261957 suggests that the frequent absence of rebrightenings in very short-Porb objects can be a result of sustained superoutburst plateau at the epoch when usual SU UMa-type dwarf novae return to quiescence preceding a rebrightening. We also present a formulation for a variety of Bayesian extension to traditional period analyses.Comment: 63 pages, 77 figures, 1 appendix, Accepted for publication in PASJ, data correctio

    ENE-COVID nationwide serosurvey served to characterize asymptomatic infections and to develop a symptom-based risk score to predict COVID-19

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    Objectives: To characterize asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections and develop a symptom-based risk score useful in primary healthcare. Study design and setting: Sixty-one thousand ninty-two community-dwelling participants in a nationwide population-based serosurvey completed a questionnaire on COVID-19 symptoms and received an immunoassay for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies between April 27 and June 22, 2020. Standardized prevalence ratios for asymptomatic infection were estimated across participant characteristics. We constructed a symptom-based risk score and evaluated its ability to predict SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Of all, 28.7% of infections were asymptomatic (95% CI 26.1-31.4%). Standardized asymptomatic prevalence ratios were 1.19 (1.02-1.40) for men vs. women, 1.82 (1.33-2.50) and 1.45 (0.96-2.18) for individuals <20 and ≥80 years vs. those aged 40-59, 1.27 (1.03-1.55) for smokers vs. nonsmokers, and 1.91 (1.59-2.29) for individuals without vs. with case contact. In symptomatic population, a symptom-based score (weights: severe tiredness = 1; absence of sore throat = 1; fever = 2; anosmia/ageusia = 5) reached standardized seroprevalence ratio of 8.71 (7.37-10.3), discrimination index of 0.79 (0.77-0.81), and sensitivity and specificity of 71.4% (68.1-74.4%) and 74.2% (73.1-75.2%) for a score ≥3. Conclusion: The presence of anosmia/ageusia, fever with severe tiredness, or fever without sore throat should serve to suspect COVID-19 in areas with active viral circulation. The proportion of asymptomatics in children and adolescents challenges infection control.The ENE-COVID study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health, the Institute of Health Carlos III, and the Spanish National Health System. The funders were in- volved in the study logistics, but they had no role in study design or in the collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or the decision to submit the article for publicationS
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