Boccia as a Rehabilitation Intervention for Adults With Severe Mobility Limitations Due to Neuromuscular and Other Neurological Disorders: Feasibility and Effects on Upper Limb Impairments.

Purpose Scant research exists regarding the effects of playing Boccia as a rehabilitation strategy for people with severe mobility limitations due to neuromuscular and other neurological disorders. This study is aimed at identifying the feasibility and effects of playing Boccia on the upper limb impairments of people with severe mobility limitations due to neuromuscular and other neurological disorders. Materials and Methods Seven people played Boccia three times per week for 20 weeks as part of the rehabilitation process, while other seven kept up with their usual rehabilitation schedule. Attrition, adherence, adverse effects, participation and completion rate were registered to assess feasibility. The effects of the program on grip, pinch strength and upper-limb active range of motion were assessed by means of a dynamometer and a goniometer. Results and Conclusions The program was feasible, although no effects were observed after its completion on variables assessed, except for hand flexion and ulnar deviation active range of motion. In a group of people with severe disability due to neuromuscular and other neurological disorders, playing Boccia as part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program was shown to be a feasible therapy. However, practicing this game did not lead to significant improvements in upper limb impairments, except for wrist flexion and ulnar deviation active range of motion.post-print268 K

Boccia as a Rehabilitation Intervention for Adults With Severe Mobility Limitations Due to Neuromuscular and Other Neurological Disorders: Feasibility and Effects on Upper Limb Impairments

[EN] Purpose: Scant research exists regarding the effects of playing Boccia as a rehabilitation strategy for people with severe mobility limitations due to neuromuscular and other neurological disorders. This study is aimed at identifying the feasibility and effects of playing Boccia on the upper limb impairments of people with severe mobility limitations due to neuromuscular and other neurological disorders. Materials and Methods: Seven people played Boccia three times per week for 20 weeks as part of the rehabilitation process, while other seven kept up with their usual rehabilitation schedule. Attrition, adherence, adverse effects, participation and completion rate were registered to assess feasibility. The effects of the program on grip, pinch strength and upper-limb active range of motion were assessed by means of a dynamometer and a goniometer. Results and Conclusions: The program was feasible, although no effects were observed after its completion on variables assessed, except for hand flexion and ulnar deviation active range of motion. In a group of people with severe disability due to neuromuscular and other neurological disorders, playing Boccia as part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program was shown to be a feasible therapy. However, practicing this game did not lead to significant improvements in upper limb impairments, except for wrist flexion and ulnar deviation active range of motion.SIMinistry of Education, Culture and Sports, Government of Spain (FPU12/05828

Análisis preliminar de la diversidad y estructura arbórea-arbustiva del bosque mesófilo en el Sistema Volcánico Transversal de Michoacán, México

ResumenEl objetivo del presente análisis es determinar la biodiversidad y estructura del bosque mesófilo de montaña (BMM) ubicado en el Sistema Volcánico Transversal de Michoacán (SVTM), actualmente amenazado por los intensos cambios de uso de suelo. A través de muestreos en transectos de 50×2m en un número variable de acuerdo con la superficie de los 11 fragmentos muestreados. Se encontraron 2 083 individuos que representaron a 57 especies arbóreas y arbustivas. Los resultados obtenidos con el índice de Shannon, los de similitud (Jaccard con 45% y Sorensen con 31% máximos), el diámetro normalizado, la estructura vertical y de copa demuestran una importante heterogeneidad en los fragmentos, pero con elementos florísticos de BMM. El 50% de las especies reportadas presentan un diámetro normalizado promedio entre 2.5–9.49cm y el 13% tienen <38cm. El área basal estimada va de 7.59 (fragmento 3) a 114.4m2 ha−1 (fragmento 6). Considerando el valor de importancia relativa sobresalen Styrax argenteus, Pinus pseudostrobus y Ternstroemia lineata como las especies dominantes en todo el BMM. En cada fragmento se observó que el BMM en el SVTM se encuentra confinado a barrancas y que la superficie de los fragmentos reportados por el Inegi están sobrestimados en su área. La comparación de las especies que se presentaron en los BMM analizados contra sitios cercanos y regionales del mismo ecosistema, resultó en una baja similitud, encontrándose que a mayor distancia mayor es la disimilitud de especies.AbstractThe objective of this study was to analyze the biodiversity and structure of Cloud Mountain Forest (CMF) located in the Trans Volcanic System in Michoacán (TVSM), Mexico, which is threatened by current land use changes. We sampled a variable number of 50×2m transects depending on the total area in each of 11 CMF fragments. We found a total of 2 083 individuals representing 57 tree and shrub species. Results obtained with species abundance, Shannon Index, Similitude (Jaccard with 45% and Sorensen with 31%, as maxim values for both), normalized diameter, vertical structure and cover showed an important heterogeneity in the fragments but with floristic elements from CMF. Fifty percent of reported species had normalized diameters between 2.5–9.49cm, and 13% had normalized diameters <38cm. Estimated Basal area ranged from 7.59 (fragment 3) to 114.4m2 ha−1 (fragment 6). Styrax argenteus, Pinus pseudostrobus and Ternstroemia lineata were dominant in terms of the relative importance value in all CMF fragments sampled. We observed that CMF in the TVSM is confined to ravines, and that area of fragments reported by Inegi was overestimated. Comparisons between the occurrence of species in the CMF analyzed and in nearby and regional sites with the same ecosystem, showed a low similitude, with a higher dissimilitude the distance to the CMF we studied was larger

Proteomic Analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi Epimastigotes Subjected to Heat Shock

Trypanosoma cruzi is exposed to sudden temperature changes during its life cycle. Adaptation to these variations is crucial for parasite survival, reproduction, and transmission. Some of these conditions may change the pattern of genetic expression of proteins involved in homeostasis in the course of stress treatment. In the present study, the proteome of T. cruzi epimastigotes subjected to heat shock and epimastigotes grow normally was compared by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry for protein identification. Twenty-four spots differing in abundance were identified. Of the twenty-four changed spots, nineteen showed a greater intensity and five a lower intensity relative to the control. Several functional categories of the identified proteins were determined: metabolism, cell defense, hypothetical proteins, protein fate, protein synthesis, cellular transport, and cell cycle. Proteins involved in the interaction with the cellular environment were also identified, and the implications of these changes are discussed

Geographical origin identification of mandarin fruits by analyzing fingerprint signatures based on multielemental composition

Given rising traders and consumers concerns, the global food industry is increasingly demanding authentic and traceable products. Consequently, there is a heightened focus on verifying geographical authenticity as food quality assurance. In this work, we assessed pattern recognition approaches based on elemental predictors to discern the provenance of mandarin juices from three distinct citrus-producing zones located in the Northeast region of Argentina. A total of 202 samples originating from two cultivars were prepared through microwave-assisted acid digestion and analyzed by microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES). Later, we applied linear discriminant analysis (LDA), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) to the element data obtained. SVM accomplished the best classification performance with a 95.1% success rate, for which it was selected for citrus samples authentication. The proposed method highlights the capability of mineral profiles in accurately identifying the genuine origin of mandarin juices. By implementing this model in the food supply chain, it can prevent mislabeling fraud, thereby contributing to consumer protection.Fil: Hidalgo, Melisa Jazmin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Gaiad, José Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Goicoechea, Hector Casimiro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Laboratorio de Desarrollo Analítico y Quimiometría; ArgentinaFil: Mendoza, Alberto. Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey.; MéxicoFil: Pérez Rodríguez, Michael. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; Argentina. Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey.; MéxicoFil: Pellerano, Roberto Gerardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; Argentin

Measuring trace element fingerprinting for cereal bar authentication based on type and principal ingredient

This paper introduces a method for determining the authenticity of commercial cereal bars based on trace element fingerprints. In this regard, 120 cereal bars were prepared using microwave-assisted acid digestion and the concentrations of Al, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sn, Sr, V, and Zn were later measured by ICP-MS. Results confirmed the suitability of the analyzed samples for human consumption. Multielemental data underwent autoscaling preprocessing for then applying PCA, CART, and LDA to input data set. LDA model accomplished the highest classification modeling performance with a success rate of 92%, making it the suitable model for reliable cereal bar prediction. The proposed method demonstrates the potential of trace element fingerprints in distinguishing cereal bar samples according to their type (conventional and gluten-free) and principal ingredient (fruit, yogurt, chocolate), thereby contributing to global efforts for food authentication.Fil: Pérez Rodríguez, Michael. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; Argentina. Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey. Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias.; MéxicoFil: Hidalgo, Melisa Jazmin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Mendoza, Alberto. Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey. Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias.; MéxicoFil: González, Lucy T.. Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey. Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias.; MéxicoFil: Longoria Rodríguez, Francisco. Centro de Investigacion En Materiales Avanzados; MéxicoFil: Goicoechea, Hector Casimiro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Laboratorio de Desarrollo Analítico y Quimiometría; ArgentinaFil: Pellerano, Roberto Gerardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; Argentin

Malocclusion and TMJ disorders in teenagers from private and public schools in Mexico City

Objective: To identify, among Mexican teenagers from public and private schools, the frequency, severity of maloc - clusion and orthodontic treatment needs, and their possible association with temporomandibular joint disorders. Material and Methods: Fifteen-year-old students were recruited from public and private schools. Clinical findings were registered as follows: oral hygiene status with the Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified, malocclusion using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), and TMJ disorders following WHO criteria. Negative binomial and logistic regres - sion models were constructed for data analysis. Results: A total of 249 fifteen-year old students were included in the study . Conclusions: TMJ disorders and DAI scores were significantly associated. Screening/Diagnostic programs for ortho- dontic and TMJ-disorders are needed, to identify and offer treatment to teenagers with major malocclusion and TMJ/ muscle pain

Optimization of the heating system by electrical resistances in a rapid thermal response mold based on MSR-PSO-FEM

En el presente trabajo se presenta la optimización del sistema de calentamiento por resistencias eléctricas para un molde de respuesta térmica rápida (MRTR), usando la metodología de superficie de respuesta (MSR) así como una técnica de optimización. Aplicando la técnica de diseño de experimentos Box-Behnken, se diseñó una matriz de experimentos con cuatro factores y tres niveles. Las variables de diseño que se emplean para describir el diseño y la forma del sistema de calentamiento, son el flujo de calor por unidad de área de la resistencia eléctrica, las distancias desde el centro de los calentadores a la superficie de la cavidad, la distancia entre las resistencias eléctricas adyacentes y el espesor de la placa de calentamiento. El tiempo de calentamiento, la variación de la temperatura en la cavidad y los esfuerzos de Von-Mises fueron considerados como las variables del modelo. Se realizan análisis térmicos y de resistencia térmico-estructural del modelo basado en método de elemento finito (FEM por sus siglas en inglés) para adquirir las variables objetivas. Además, se desarrollan modelos matemáticos de superficie de respuesta mediante el modelo de regresión mixta y el modelo de superficie de respuesta y se emplea el método de análisis de varianza (ANOVA por sus siglas en inglés), para comprobar la exactitud de dichos modelos matemáticos. Con los modelos obtenidos, se optimiza la posición de las resistencias eléctricas y se reduce la relación entre masa y el volumen del inserto de la cavidad para minimizar el tiempo de calentamiento dentro de una distribución de temperatura y resistencia estructural razonables, acoplando los modelos de superficie de respuesta desarrollados con el método de optimización de enjambre de partículas (PSO por sus siglas en inglés). Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el tiempo de calentamiento requerido en la superficie de la cavidad se puede reducir significativamente en el ciclo de moldeo, demostrando con estos la efectividad del sistema de calentamiento.The aim of this work to optimization of the heating system by electrical resistances for a rapid thermal response mold (MRTR), using the response surface methodology (MSR). Applying the design technique of the Box-Behnken experiments, a matrix of experiments with four factors and three levels was designed. The design variables that are used to describe the design and shape of the heating system are the heat flux per unit area of the electrical resistance, the distances from the center of the heaters to the surface of the cavity, the distance between the adjacent electrical resistors and the thickness of the heating plate. The heating time, the variation of the temperature in the cavity and the Von-Mises stress were considered as the variables of the model. Thermal and thermal-structural resistance analyzes of the model based on finite element method (FEM) are performed to acquire the objective variables. Mathematical response surface models are developed using the mixed regression model and the response surface model and the variance analysis method (ANOVA) is used to verify the accuracy of these mathematical models. With the obtained models, the position of the electric resistances is optimized and the ratio between mass and volume of the cavity insert is reduced to minimize the heating time within a reasonable temperature distribution and structural strength, coupling the surface models of response developed with the method of particle swarm optimization (PSO). The results obtained indicate that the required heating time on the surface of the cavity can be significantly reduced in the molding cycle, demonstrating with these the effectiveness of the heating system.Peer Reviewe

A DNA Microarray-Based Assay to Detect Dual Infection with Two Dengue Virus Serotypes

Here; we have described and tested a microarray based-method for the screening of dengue virus (DENV) serotypes. This DNA microarray assay is specific and sensitive and can detect dual infections with two dengue virus serotypes and single-serotype infections. Other methodologies may underestimate samples containing more than one serotype. This technology can be used to discriminate between the four DENV serotypes. Single-stranded DNA targets were covalently attached to glass slides and hybridised with specific labelled probes. DENV isolates and dengue samples were used to evaluate microarray performance. Our results demonstrate that the probes hybridized specifically to DENV serotypes; with no detection of unspecific signals. This finding provides evidence that specific probes can effectively identify single and double infections in DENV samples