The potential bufering role of self‑efcacy and pain acceptance against invalidation in rheumatic diseases

A substantial amount of people with a rheumatic disease perceive invalidation consisting of lack of understanding and discounting (negative social responses). To get insight into the potential bufering role of self-efcacy and pain acceptance against invalidation, this crosssectional study examined associations between these variables. Spanish speaking people (N = 1153, 91% female, mean age 45 ± 11 years) with one or multiple rheumatic diseases completed online the Illness Invalidation Inventory, the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, and the Chronic Disease Self-Efcacy Scale. Higher self-efcacy (t = − 4.80, p = < 0.001) and pain acceptance (t = − 7.99, p = < 0.001) were additively associated with discounting. Higher self-efcacy (t = − 5.41, p = < 0.001) and pain acceptance (t = − 5.71, p = < 0.001) were also additively associated with lack of understanding. The combined occurrence of high self-efcacy and high acceptance was associated most clearly with lower lack of understanding (interaction: t = − 2.12, p = 0.034). The fndings suggest the usefulness of examining whether interventions aimed at increasing self-efcacy and pain acceptance can help people with rheumatic diseases for whom invalidation is a considerable burden.Psicologí

Sedentary Time Accumulated in Bouts is Positively Associated with Disease Severity in Fibromyalgia: The Al-andalus Project

To examine the associations of prolonged sedentary time (ST) with disease severity in women with fibromyalgia, and to analyse the combined association of total ST and prolonged ST with the disease severity in this population. Women (n = 451; 51.3 +/- 7.6 years old) with fibromyalgia participated. Sedentary time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured using triaxial accelerometry and ST was processed into 30- and 60-min bouts. Dimensions of fibromyalgia (function, overall, symptoms) and the overall disease impact were assessed with the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR). Body fat percentage was assessed using a bio-impedance analyser, and physical fitness was assessed with the Senior Fitness Tests Battery. Greater percentage of ST in 30-min bouts and 60-min bouts were associated with worse function, overall, symptoms and the overall impact of the disease (all, P 60-min bouts) presented lower overall impact compared to participants with high levels of total ST and prolonged ST (mean difference = 6.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.83 to 11.29, P = 0.002). Greater percentage of ST accumulated in 30- and 60-min bouts and a combination of high levels of total and prolonged ST are related to worse disease severity. Although unable to conclude on causality, results suggest it might be advisable to motivate women with fibromyalgia to break prolonged ST and reduce their total daily ST

Dataset bias exposed in face verification

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: López‐López, E., Pardo, X.M., Regueiro, C.V., Iglesias, R. and Casado, F.E. (2019), Dataset bias exposed in face verification. IET Biom., 8: 249-258, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-bmt.2018.5224. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived VersionsMost facial verification methods assume that training and testing sets contain independent and identically distributed samples, although, in many real applications, this assumption does not hold. Whenever gathering a representative dataset in the target domain is unfeasible, it is necessary to choose one of the already available (source domain) datasets. Here, a study was performed over the differences among six public datasets, and how this impacts on the performance of the learned methods. In the considered scenario of mobile devices, the individual of interest is enrolled using a few facial images taken in the operational domain, while training impostors are drawn from one of the public available datasets. This work tried to shed light on the inherent differences among the datasets, and potential harms that should be considered when they are combined for training and testing. Results indicate that a drop in performance occurs whenever training and testing are done on different datasets compared to the case of using the same dataset in both phases. However, the decay strongly depends on the kind of features. Besides, the representation of samples in the feature space reveals insights into what extent bias is an endogenous or an exogenous factorThis work has received financial support from the Xunta de Galicia, Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria (Accreditation 2016–2019, EDG431G/01 and ED431G/08, and reference competitive group 2014–2017, GRC2014/030), the European Union: European Social Fund (ESF), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and FEDER funds and (AEI/FEDER, UE) grant number TIN2017‐90135‐R. Eric López had received financial support from the Xunta de Galicia and the European Union (European Social Fund ‐ ESF)S

Effect of physical exercise cessation on strength, functional, metabolic and structural outcomes in older adults:a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: There is not a doubt that tailored exercise is an effective non-pharmacological approach for preventing, mitigating and even reversing ageing-related alterations. However, older adults are likely to experience prolonged periods of inactivity and training cessation periods as a consequence of falls or hospitalisation. Although recent evidence supports that exercise could have a protective effect and help in recovering, there is to date a lack of consensus about what kind of physical exercise prescription and training duration would produce better outcomes after training cessation periods. The current study will determine the effects that available exercise prescriptions produced in older adults in preserving physical conditioning following inactivity periods. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic search of the literature will be conducted in three databases, namely PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, from inception to 1 February 2021. Only randomised controlled trials written in English or Spanish will be eligible. No year of publication restriction will be applied. Eligible studies will contain information on population (older adults over 60 years old), intervention (inactivity period, exercise programme their duration), comparator (treatment as usual or waiting list) and outcomes (strength, functional capacity, metabolic health and skeletal muscle structure). Two independent reviewers will (1) search, screen and select studies, (2) extract data about their main characteristics and (3) evaluate their methodological and reporting quality. When disagreements emerge, the reviewers will discuss to reach a consensus. We plan to conduct meta-analysis to quantitatively synthesise the effects under study. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As systematic reviews use publicly available data, no formal ethical review and approval are needed. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal(s) and presented at conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021235092

A FPGA Spike-Based Robot Controlled with Neuro-inspired VITE

This paper presents a spike-based control system applied to a fixed robotic platform. Our aim is to take a step forward to a future complete spikes processing architecture, from vision to direct motor actuation. This paper covers the processing and actuation layer over an anthropomorphic robot. In this way, the processing layer uses the neuro-inspired VITE algorithm, for reaching a target, based on PFM taking advantage of spike system information: its frequency. Thus, all the blocks of the system are based on spikes. Each layer is implemented within a FPGA board and spikes communication is codified under the AER protocol. The results show an accurate behavior of the robotic platform with 6-bit resolution for a 130º range per joint, and an automatic speed control of the algorithm. Up to 96 motor controllers could be integrated in the same FPGA, allowing the positioning and object grasping by more complex anthropomorphic robots.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2009-10639-C04-02Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TEC2012-37868-C04-0

Characteristics of the dimensions and sub-dimensions of young basketball players' personalities

The aim of the present work is to assess the personality traits of young basketball players aged 16-18 years (n=186) through the description of the dimensions and sub-dimension from the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) regarding personality. This was a non-experimental study in which a descriptive transversal design was used. The results that were obtained indicate the players in the selected sample are characterized as people who are: a) moderately dynamic, extraverted and dominant; b) moderately altruistic, understanding and tolerant; c) moderately responsible, orderly, and diligent; d) moderately balanced, calm, patient, and able to manage their emotions moderately well; and e) rather uncreative, unimaginative, and not well informed

Towards AER VITE: building spike gate signal

Neuromorphic engineers aim to mimic the precise and efficient mechanisms of the nervous system to process information using spikes from sensors to actuators. There are many available works that sense and process information in a spike-based way. But there are still several gaps in the actuation and motor control field in a spike-based way. Spike-based Proportional-Integrative-Derivative controllers (PID) are present in the literature. On the other hand, neuro-inspired control models as VITE (Vector Integration To End point) and FLETE (Factorization of muscle Length and muscle Tension) are also present in the literature. This paper presents another step toward the spike implementation of those neuro-inspired models. We present a spike-based ramp multiplier. VITE algorithm generates the way to achieve a final position targeted by a mobile robotic arm. The block presented is used as a gate for the way involved and it also puts the incoming movement on speed with a variable slope profile. Only spikes for information representation were used and the process is in real time. The software simulation based on Simulink and Xilinx System Generator shows the accurate adjust to the traditional processing for short time periods and the hardware tests confirm and extend the previous simulated results for any time. We have implemented the spikes generator, the ramp multiplier and the low pass filter into the Virtex-5 FPGA and connected this with an USB-AER (Address Event Representation) board to monitor the spikes.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2009-10639-C04-0

Enhanced resonant current controller for grid-connected converters with LCL filter

Conventional resonant controllers (RCs) are commonly used in the current control of grid-tied converters with LCL filter due to their advantages, such as zero steady-state error at both fundamental sequences, easy design process, and straightforward implementation. Nevertheless, these traditional solutions do not permit to place the closed-loop poles of the system in convenient locations when dealing with a fourth-order plant model such as the LCL filter plus the computation delay. Therefore, the reference tracking and the disturbance rejection are deficient in terms of transient behavior and depend on the LCL filter. Furthermore, an additional active damping method usually has to be designed in order to ensure stability. This paper presents an enhanced current RC with stable and fast response, negligible overshoot, good disturbance rejection, and low controller effort for grid-tied converters with LCL filter. The developed solution uses a direct discrete-time pole-placement strategy from the classical control theory (using transfer functions), involving two extra filters, to enhance the performance of the RC. In this manner, the complexity of state-space methods from modern control theory is avoided. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. DPI2016-75832-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. BES-2013-06314

Generalized multifrequency current controller for grid-connected converters with LCL filter

This paper presents a grid-side current controller for grid-tied inverters with LCL filter, including harmonic current elimination. The proposed controller only measures the grid current and voltage and it combines excellent dynamic characteristics with good robustness. Contrarily to previously proposed harmonic-current controllers, the presented solution offers a generalized method that gives a consistent (with minimal variation in the reference-tracking dynamics) and stable performance irrespectively of the number of current harmonics to be canceled and of the resonant frequency of the LCL filter (provided that it is lower than the Nyquist frequency). The response to reference commands is completely damped and fast. The response speed is set in accordance with the low-pass characteristic of the LCL filter so as to limit the control effort. Concerning the disturbance rejection, the controller offers an infinite impedance to any disturbances (such as grid voltage harmonics) at a set of arbitrarily specified frequencies. This allows the designer to eliminate all the undesired current harmonics with a simple design process. In addition, the performance of the presented controller is evaluated in terms of a fundamental tradeoff that exists between robustness to variations in the grid impedance and the number of frequency components rejected. Finally, simulation and experimental results that validate the proposal are presented.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónEuropean CommissionAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. DPI2016-75832-RMinisterio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte | Ref. FPU14/0068

Influence of Food Matrices and the Population of Interfering Microorganisms on the Determination of Listeria monocytogenes by Conventional Methods and VIDAS

In this study, the possible influence of the food matrix and the interfering population of microorganisms on the detection and count of Listeria monocytogenes in three common foods of the Spanish diet (Spanish omelette, fresh cheese and vegetable salad) was determined. Four groups were assayed: one control, two groups with interfering microorganisms (Salmonella Enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis) with different levels of L. monocytogenes and a final group only contaminated with L. monocytogenes. The samples were analyzed with the normalized method (UNE-EN ISO 11290:2018) and with an alternative technique (VIDAS). The results show that the presence of interfering microorganisms did not seem to interfere with the determination of L. monocytogenes. Furthermore, the type of food did not seem to influence the determination of L. monocytogenes, but the culture media used showed differences. In fact, regardless of the type of food, the ALOA medium showed higher sensitivity than the other media, with higher recovery in 100% of samples (only for the Spanish omelette in Group B was the result the same as that for PALCAM, −8.11 log cfu/g). The results obtained using the VIDAS were not influenced by any of the factors or conditions used and show 100% efficiency