Survival following vertebral compression fractures in population over 65 years old

Lower mortality has been demonstrated when vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are treated surgically (vertebral augmentation) vs. conservatively. To analyze the overall survival in patients over 65 who sufer a VCF, to review the principal causes of death, and to detect which factors are associated with a greater risk of mortality. Patients over 65 years old diagnosed with acute, non-pathologic thoracic or lumbar VCF, treated consecutively from January 2017 to December 2020, were retrospectively selected. Those patients with follow-ups under 2 years or who required arthrodesis were excluded. Overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Diferences in survival were tested through the log-rank test. Multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the association of covariates and time to death. A total of 492 cases were included. Overall mortality was 36.2%. Survival rate at 1-, 12-, 24-, 48-, and 60-month follow-up was 97.4%, 86.6%, 78.0%, 64.4%, and 59.4%, respectively. Infection was the leading cause of death. The independent factors associated with a higher mortality risk were age, male, oncologic history, non-traumatic mechanism, and comorbidity during hospitalization. No statistical diference was found when comparing the two survival curves by treatment (vertebral augmentation vs. conservative) over time. Overall mortality rate was 36.2% after a median follow-up of 50.5 months (95% CI 48.2; 54.2). Age, male sex, history of oncological disease, non-traumatic mechanism of the fracture, and any comorbidity during hospitalization were identifed as variables independently associated with a higher risk of mortality following a VCF in the elderl

The relationship between the three models of emotional intelligence and psychopathy: a systematic review

Psychopaths are usually characterized as having numerous troubles with social and emotional facets in their daily. In addition, these individuals generate a series of harmful situations to society, such as violence and crime. Due to this, it is very important to find those variables that can reduce these behaviors. In this regard, Emotional Intelligence (EI) or the ability to perceive, use, understand and regulate emotions is a potentially useful variable. EI has been categorized according to three main approaches: performance-based ability, self-report ability and self-report mixed models. Several studies have analyzed the relationship between EI and psychopathy, however inconsistent results have been found. These inconsistencies may be due to the EI model employed to measure it. The objective of our study is to systematically review the previous literature about the relationship between the three models of EI and psychopathy, both in the clinical and total population.Scopus and Medline were searched for finding relevant articles. 29 eligible studies were identified. The results were divided according to the EI model and the population used.The results for both the total and clinical population differ according to the measure of EI employed. Specifically, through performance-based ability models, the majority of studies find a negative relationship between EI and psychopathy, and when EI is measured using self-reports, the results are inconsistent. In conclusion, the results suggest that higher EI abilities measured through performance-based ability models - but not through self-reports - are related to lower psychopathy deficits. Limitations and clinical implications are discussed.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Influence of emotional intelligence on performance in an emotionally Laden Cognitive Task: an ERP Study.

A higher level of emotional intelligence (EI), understood as a greater ability to perceive, use, understand, and manage emotions, is associated with an increase in performance on emotionally laden cognitive tasks. The main objective of this research was to study the neural basis underlying the execution of an emotional cognitive control task (GoNogo) as a function of ability EI. Forty-four participants were divided into two groups depending on EI level (High EI vs. Low EI). The participants’ task consisted of an emotional face GoNogo task, in which happy, fear and neutral facial expressions were the go and no go stimulus. Results showed a larger N170 and smaller N2 amplitude for the low EI group than for the high EI one. Greater levels of cognitive control were associated to participants with high EI. Our findings show the importance of studying emotion and cognition interaction to explain our behavior and performance. This work was partially supported by the project Innovation and Development Agency of Andalusia, Spain (SEJ-07325) to Pablo Fernández-Berrocal. Alberto Megías is supported by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship from the Spanish MINECO (FJCI-2015-25600).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Pedro de Lucuce y Ponce y las instituciones matemático-militares españolas del siglo XVIII

Dos años después, vuelve a la sección de Historia de La Gaceta de la RSME el tema matemático-militar durante el siglo XVIII español, tema y periodo dominados por la figura del marino Jorge Juan y Santacilia (1713-1773), nacido hace justo doscientos años. El artículo que sigue nos acerca a otra figura relevante, el militar Pedro de Lucuce y Ponce (1692-1779), cuya vida exponen con acierto los autores. Se refieren también a su obra, escrita o inédita, en la que la matemática tiene un papel importante, como corresponde a un ingeniero militar con una larga experiencia en la formación científica y técnica de los oficiales. Se invita al lector a contrastar esta dedicación a la matemática en el seno de la vida activa, productiva y ordenada del militar con la no menos activa, pero radicalmente desordenada, de su coetáneo Diego Torres de Villarroel (1694-1770), el singular catedrático de matemáticas de la Universidad de Salamanca, cuya autobiografía, fácil de localizar, es una lectura recomendable

Emotional intelligence and hot and cool working memory capacity

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to perceive, use, understand and manage our emotions and the emotions of others. EI, measured through performance-based ability models, seems to favour performance on hot tasks. The aim of the present study is to analyse the relationship between EI, measured through its three main models, and performance on a hot (emotional) and cool (non-emotional) working memory task. 203 undergraduate students of psychology took part in the experiment. They completed an EI test for each of its three main models (performance-based ability model, self-report ability model and self-report mixed model) and a hot and cool working memory task. We found a better performance for higher EI participants, measured through the performance-based ability model instrument (but not with self-report instruments), in the hot working memory task. This result was obtained for the managing branch of the EI instrument. Similar evidence was not found when using the cool working memory task. Our study takes a step forward in the conceptualization of the EI construct within the domain of cognitive processes. They show that, at least when using hot stimuli, the managing branch of the performance-based ability model of EI is a better determinant measure for the working memory capacity than the self-report models.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Microalgae recycling improves biomass recovery from wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds

Microalgal biomass harvesting by inducing spontaneous flocculation (bioflocculation) sets an attractive approach, since neither chemicals nor energy are needed. Indeed, bioflocculation may be promoted by recycling part of the harvested microalgal biomass to the photobioreactor in order to increase the predominance of rapidly settling microalgae species. The aim of the present study was to improve the recovery of microalgal biomass produced in wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds (HRAPs) by recycling part of the harvested microalgal biomass. The recirculation of 2% and 10% (dry weight) of the HRAPs microalgal biomass was tested over one year in an experimental HRAP treating real urban wastewater. Results indicated that biomass recycling had a positive effect on the harvesting efficiency, obtaining higher biomass recovery in the HRAP with recycling (R-HRAP) (92–94%) than in the control HRAP without recycling (C-HRAP) (75–89%). Microalgal biomass production was similar in both systems, ranging between 3.3 and 25.8 g TSS/m2d, depending on the weather conditions. Concerning the microalgae species, Chlorella sp. was dominant overall the experimental period in both HRAPs (abundance >60%). However, when the recycling rate was increased to 10%, Chlorella sp. dominance decreased from 97.6 to 88.1%; while increasing the abundance of rapidly settling species such as Stigeoclonium sp. (16.8%, only present in the HRAP with biomass recycling) and diatoms (from 0.7 to 7.3%). Concerning the secondary treatment of the HRAPs, high removals of COD (80%) and N-NH4+ (97%) were found in both HRAPs. Moreover, by increasing the biomass recovery in the R-HRAP the effluent total suspended solids (TSS) concentration was decreased to less than 35 mg/L, meeting effluent quality requirements for discharge. This study shows that microalgal biomass recycling (10% dry weight) increases biomass recovery up to 94% by selecting the most rapidly settling microalgae species without compromising the biomass production and improving the wastewater treatment in terms of TSS removal.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Vertebral compression fractures managed with brace: risk factors for progression

The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for vertebral compression fracture (VCF) progression in patients treated conservatively with a brace. Then, a case–control study was designed. All patients over 50 years old with diagnosis of thoracic or lumbar VCF (T5 to L5) in absence of underlying oncological process, treated conservatively with brace, and consecutively attended at our department from January 2017 to June 2021 were retrospectively selected for analysis. Patients missed for follow-up or dead during the frst 3 months of follow-up were excluded. Five hundred and eighty-two consecutive patients were recorded. Incomplete follow-up excluded 74 patients and other 19 died in the frst three months after diagnosis, so 489 cases were fnally analyzed. Median follow-up was 21 (IQR 13;30) weeks. Increased collapse of the vertebral body was found in 29.9% of VCFs with a median time to progression of 9 (IQR 7;13) weeks. Male gender (OR 1.6), type A3 fracture of the AOSpine classifcation (OR 2.7), thoracolumbar junction location (OR 1.7), and incorrect use of the brace (OR 3.5) were identifed as independent risk factors for progression after multivariable analysis. Male gender, type A3 fracture of the AOSpine classifcation, thoracolumbar junction location, and incorrect use of the brace were identifed as independent risk factors for VCF progression, which resulted in worse pain control, when treated with brace. Thus, other treatments such as percutaneous vertebral augmentation could be considered to avoid progression in selected cases, since collapse rate has been demonstrated lower with these procedure

Long-term quality of life after decompressive craniectomy

n: This study aims to assess the quality of life (QoL) in patients who have undergone decompressive craniectomy (DC) for any pathology that has caused life-threatening intracranial hypertension. Similarly, it aims to evaluate QoL perceived by caregivers or external informants. In addition to that, the last purpose is to determine which clinical or therapeutic factors could correlate with a better. s: A single-center cross-sectional study was designed. All patients over 18 years old who underwent a supratentorial DC at our department due to intracranial hypertension of any etiology, from January 2015 to December 2021, were retrospectively selected. Patients with incomplete follow-up (under 1 year from the event or those who died) or who declined to participate in the study were excluded. QoL was assessed with SF-36 and CAVIDACE scales. The correlation between clinical and therapeutic variables and SF-36 subscales was studied with Spearman’s correlation and the Mann–Whitney U-t . s: A total of 55 consecutive patients were recruited: 22 patients had died, three were missed for follow-up, and 15 declined to participate, thus 15 subjects were finally included. The mean follow-up was 47 months (IQR 21.5–67.5). A significant reduction in the “role physical” and “role emotional” subscales of SF-36 was observed compared with the general population. According to caregivers, a significant reduction was assigned to the “physical wellbeing” and “rights” domains. The “physical functioning” score was poorer in women, older patients, those with dominant hemisphere disease, those who required tracheostomy, and those with poor outcomes in the modified Rankin scale. A strong correlation was found between the QoL index at the CAVIDACE scale and the SF-36 subscales “physical functioning” and “role physic. n: Most patients and caregivers reported acceptable QoL after DC due to a life-threatening disease. A significant reduction in SF- 36 subscales scores “role limitation due to physical problems” and “role limitation due to emotional problems” was referred by patients. According to caregivers’ QoL perception, only 25% of the survey’s participants showed low scores in the QoL index of the CAVIDACE scale. Only 26.7% of the patients showed mood disor

Are psychopaths emotionally intelligent?

Psychopathy is a serious personality disorder, characterized by proneness to low anxiety, egocentricity, failure to form close emotional bonds, superficial charm and dishonesty, that has very negative consequences for society as aggression, delinquency and even crime. Therefore, its control and treatment are of great importance. Psychopathy has been related to important emotional deficits as such as a lack of impulse, low empathy and deficits in moral expressions. These findings have led to a growing interest in exploring if psychopathic traits are associated with emotional intelligence (EI) or to the ability to perceive, use, understand, and regulate emotions in one’s self and others. However, the literature exploring this association has revealed conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to provide a reliable estimate of the relationship between psychopathy traits and EI (measured as performance-based ability) through meta-analysis. A quantitative and systematic review of the literature using Scopus, Medline, Pubmed, and PsicINFO and for both Spanish and English studies that included measures of EI and psychopathy, showed a total of 13 studies meeting inclusion criteria with a combined sample of 2401 participants. The meta-analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between both constructs, showing that higher psychopathic trait scores are related to lower EI levels. We propose several future research lines to clarify possible gaps and ambiguities in the current literature and a set of interesting clinical implications for the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of psychopathy by including EI factors in traditional models of psychopathy.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech