ACTIVIDAD FÍSICA Y ORIENTACIÓN NUTRICIONAL PARA NIÑOS CON SOBREPESO Y OBESIDAD

La actividad física realizada de forma regular y sistemática ha demostrado ser una práctica sumamente beneficiosa en la prevención, desarrollo y rehabilitación de la salud. Este artículo ofrece el resultado de un trabajo de investigación enmarcado dentro de un diseño experimental con mediciones pre y post intervención en un solo grupo. El objetivo del trabajo, fue evaluar un programa piloto, denominado taller balón con orientación nutricional, que promueve beneficios para niños con obesidad y sobrepeso, con la práctica de la actividad física. De una población de 234 escolares, a quienes se les midió talla, peso y nivel de actividad física, se encontraron 60 niños con diagnóstico de sobrepeso u obesidad. De este grupo, sólo 24 aceptaron participar en el taller y lo terminaron. A estos sujetos de estudio se les midió su perfil lipídico (triglicéridos, colesterol total, colesterol de HDL, colesterol de LDL). Los resultados mostraron que un porcentaje importante de la muestra tuvo al inicio valores elevados de alguno de sus lípidos sanguíneos y 85 % mantenían niveles de actividad física inferior a lo recomendado. Tras doce semanas de intervención se encontró una diferencia estadísticamente significativa para los valores de Col-LDL y ZIMC/edad

Control por variables de estado difusas para un helicóptero 2GdL

En este documento se presenta una introducción a la teoría y aplicación de lógica difusa en sistemas de control automático, tomando como referencia un modelo de planta no lineal. En esencia lo que se muestra es el diseño y la aplicación de un control lineal clásico y un control por lógica difusa para el modelo en 2 grados de libertad de un helicóptero; el desarrollo de los sistemas de control y el modelo del helicóptero 2GdL están simulados de manera discreta utilizando el software Matlab

Control por variables de estado difusas para un helicóptero 2GdL

En este documento se presenta una introducción a la teoría y aplicación de lógica difusa en sistemas de control automático, tomando como referencia un modelo de planta no lineal. En esencia lo que se muestra es el diseño y la aplicación de un control lineal clásico y un control por lógica difusa para el modelo en 2 grados de libertad de un helicóptero; el desarrollo de los sistemas de control y el modelo del helicóptero 2GdL están simulados de manera discreta utilizando el software Matlab

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

The effect of excess weight on circulating inflammatory cytokines in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis individuals

Background: Low-grade inflammation has been repeatedly associated with both excess weight and psychosis. However, no previous studies have addressed the direct effect of body mass index (BMI) on basal serum cytokines in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of BMI on basal serum cytokine levels in FEP patients and control subjects, separating the total sample into two groups: normal-weight and overweight individuals. Methods: This is a prospective and open-label study. We selected 75 FEP patients and 75 healthy controls with similar characteristics to patients according to the following variables: sex, age, and cannabis and tobacco consumption. Both controls and patients were separated into two groups according to their BMI: subjects with a BMI under 25 were considered as normal weight and those with a BMI equal to or more than 25 were considered as overweight. Serum levels of 21 cytokines/chemokines were measured at baseline using the Human High Sensitivity T Cell Magnetic Bead Panel protocol from the Milliplex® Map Kit. We compared the basal serum levels of the 21 cytokines between control and patient groups according to their BMI. Results: In the normal-weight group, IL-8 was the only cytokine that was higher in patients than in the control group (p = 0.001), whereas in the overweight group, serum levels of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, p = 0.000; IL-1?, p = 0.003), two chemokines (IL-8, p = 0.001; MIP-1?, p = 0.001), four Th-1 and Th-2 cytokines (IL-13, p = 0.009; IL-2, p = 0.001; IL-7, p = 0.001; IL-12p70, p = 0.010), and one Type-3 cytokine (IL-23, p = 0.010) were higher in patients than in controls. Conclusions: Most differences in the basal serum cytokine levels between patients and healthy volunteers were found in the overweight group. These findings suggest that excess weight can alter the homeostasis of the immune system and therefore may have an additive pro-inflammatory effect on the one produced by psychosis in the central nervous system.Funding: The present study was carried out at the Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain, under the following grant support from MINECO SAF2013-46292-R, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla. No pharmaceutical company has participated in the study concept and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the results, and drafting of the manuscript. We thank the Valdecilla Biobank for blood sampling handling and storage. We also wish to thank the participants and their families for enrolling in this study. The study, designed and directed by B C-F, conformed to international standards for research ethics and was approved by the local institutional review board

Simulating the performance of the Southern Wide-view Gamma-ray Observatory

The Southern Wide-view Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) will be a next-generation gamma-ray observatory using a large array of particle detectors at a high elevation site in South America. This project is currently in a three years R&D phase in which the design will be optimised for cost and performance. Therefore it is crucial to efficiently evaluate the impact of different design options on the scientific objectives of the observatory. In this contribution, we will introduce the strategy and the simulation framework in which this evaluation takes place

Study of water Cherenkov detector designs for the SWGO experiment

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is a next-generation ground-based gamma-ray detector under development to reach a full sky coverage together with the current HAWC and LHAASO experiments in the northern hemisphere. It will complement the observation of transient and variable multi-wavelength and multi-messenger phenomena, offering moreover the possibility to access the Galactic Centre. One of the possible SWGO configurations consists of an array of water Cherenkov tanks, with a high fill-factor inner array and a low-density outer array, covering an overall area of one order of magnitude larger than HAWC. To reach a high detection efficiency and discrimination capability between gamma-ray and hadronic air showers, various tank designs were studied. Double-layer tanks with several sizes, shapes and number of photomultiplier tubes have been considered. Single-particle simulations have been performed to study the tank response, using muons, electrons, and gamma-rays with energies typical of extensive air showers particles, entering the tanks with zenith angles from 0 to 60 degrees. The tank response was evaluated considering the particle detection efficiency, the number of photoelectrons produced by the photomultiplier tubes, and the time resolution of the measurement of the first photon. The study allowed to compare the performance of tanks with circular and square base, to understand which design optimizes the performance of the array. The method used in the study and the results will be discussed in this paper

Double-layered Water Cherenkov Detector for SWGO

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) will use the well-established and cost-effective technique of detecting Cherenkov light produced in water-filled detection units for TeV gamma-ray astronomy. Leveraging detector material reflectivity together with an optimised aspect ratio is an option to improve the performance of an array of such detector units. The double-layered Water Cherenkov Detector units comprise chambers with single photosensors in each. A reflective upper compartment enhances sensitivity to impinging secondary particles. A shallow lower compartment enables muon tagging and consequently improves the gamma hadron separation power of the observatory. Here we present detailed studies on the double-layered unit design