Associations between sedentary time, physical activity and bone health among older people using compositional data analysis

Introduction : Aging is associated with a progressive decrease in bone mass (BM), and being physical active is one of the main strategies to combat this continuous loss. Nonetheless, because daily time is limited, time spent on each movement behavior is co-dependent. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between BM and movement behaviors in elderly people using compositional data analysis. Methods : We analyzed 871 older people [395 men (76.9 +/- 5.3y) and 476 women (76.7 +/- 4.7y)]. Time spent in sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), was assessed using accelerometry. BM was determined by bone densitometry (DXA). The sample was divided according to sex and bone health indicators. Results : The combined effect of all movement behaviors (PA and SB) was significantly associated with whole body, leg and femoral region BM in the whole sample (p<0.05), with leg and pelvic BM (p<0.05) in men and, with whole body, arm and leg BM (p<0.05) in women. In men, arm and pelvic BM were negatively associated with SB and whole body, pelvic and leg BM were positively associated with MVPA (p<0.05). In women, whole body and leg BM were positively associated with SB. Arm and whole body BM were positively associated and leg BM was negatively associated with LPA and arm BM was negatively associated with MVPA (p<0.05). Women without bone fractures spent less time in SB and more in LPA and MVPA than the subgroup with bone fractures. Conclusion : We identified that the positive effect of MVPA relative to the other behaviors on bone mass is the strongest overall effect in men. Furthermore, women might decrease bone fracture risk through PA increase and SB reduction, despite the fact that no clear benefits of PA for bone mass were found

Cross-sectional and prospective associations of sleep, sedentary and active behaviors with mental health in older people: a compositional data analysis from the Seniors-ENRICA-2 study

Abstract Background Most studies on the effects of sleep, sedentary behavior (SB), and physical activity (PA) on mental health did not account for the intrinsically compositional nature of the time spent in several behaviors. Thus, we examined the cross-sectional and prospective associations of device-measured compositional time in sleep, SB, light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) with depression symptoms, loneliness, happiness, and global mental health in older people (≥ 65 years). Methods Data were taken from the Seniors-ENRICA-2 study, with assessments in 2015–2017 (wave 0) and 2018–2019 (wave 1). Time spent in sleep, SB, LPA and MVPA was assessed by wrist-worn accelerometers. Depression symptoms, loneliness, happiness, and global mental health were self-reported using validated questionnaires. Analyses were performed using a compositional data analysis (CoDA) paradigm and adjusted for potential confounders. Results In cross-sectional analyses at wave 0 (n = 2489), time-use composition as a whole was associated with depression and happiness (all p < 0.01). The time spent in MVPA relative to other behaviors was beneficially associated with depression (γ = -0.397, p < 0.001), loneliness (γ = -0.124, p = 0.017) and happiness (γ = 0.243, p < 0.001). Hypothetically, replacing 30-min of Sleep, SB or LPA with MVPA was beneficially cross-sectionally related with depression (effect size [ES] ranged -0.326 to -0.246), loneliness (ES ranged -0.118 to -0.073), and happiness (ES ranged 0.152 to 0.172). In prospective analyses (n = 1679), MVPA relative to other behaviors at baseline, was associated with favorable changes in global mental health (γ = 0.892, p = 0.049). We observed a beneficial prospective effect on global mental health when 30-min of sleep (ES = 0.521), SB (ES = 0.479) or LPA (ES = 0.755) were theoretically replaced for MVPA. Conclusions MVPA was cross-sectionally related with reduced depression symptoms and loneliness and elevated level of happiness, and prospectively related with enhanced global mental health. Compositional isotemporal analyses showed that hypothetically replacing sleep, SB or LPA with MVPA could result in modest but significantly improvements on mental health indicators. Our findings add evidence to the emerging body of research on 24-h time-use and health using CoDA and suggest an integrated role of daily behaviors on mental health in older people

Functional correlates of response inhibition in impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease

Available online 11 September 2021.Impulse control disorder is a prevalent side-effect of Parkinson’s disease (PD) medication, with a strong negative impact on the quality of life of those affected. Although impulsivity has classically been associated with response inhibition deficits, previous evidence from PD patients with impulse control disorder (ICD) has not revealed behavioral dysfunction in response inhibition. In this study, 18 PD patients with ICD, 17 PD patients without this complication, and 15 healthy controls performed a version of the conditional Stop Signal Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain contrasts, regions of interest, and functional connectivity analyses were conducted. Our aim was to investigate the neural underpinnings of two aspects of response inhibition: proactive inhibition, inhibition that has been prepared beforehand, and restrained inhibition, inhibition of an invalid inhibitory tendency. We observed that, in respect to the other two groups, PD patients with ICD exhibited hyperactivation of the stopping network bilaterally while performing proactive inhibition. When engaged in restrained inhibition, they showed hyperactivation of the left inferior frontal gyrus, an area linked to action monitoring. Restrained inhibition also resulted in changes to the functional co-activation between inhibitory regions and left inferior parietal cortex and right supramarginal gyrus. Our findings indicate that PD patients with ICD completed the inhibition task correctly, showing altered engagement of inhibitory and attentional areas. During proactive inhibition they showed bilateral hyperactivation of two inhibitory regions, while during restrained inhibition they showed additional involvement of attentional areas responsible for alerting and orienting.This work was supported by grants from the Carlos III Institute of Health (PI11/02109) and the ERA-Neuron program (PIM2010ERN- 0033). Additionally, the authors received the following grants and honoraria: T.E.-P. received a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2016-079489). P.M.P.-A. was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2014-15440), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PGC2018-093408-B-I00), and the Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno. I.N.-G. was the recipient of a Rio Hortega grant (CM16/00033) from the Carlos III Institute of Health. I.N.-G. received honoraria from Zambon and TEVA for travel and accommodation to attend scientific meetings. M.C.R.-O. received financial support for her research from national and local government institutions in Spain (Carlos III Institute of Health, Basque Country Government, Diputacion Foral Guipuzcoa, and CIBERNED). M.C.R.-O. received honoraria from Zambon, Bial, and Boston Scientific for lectures, travel, and accommodation to attend scientific meetings. BCBL acknowledges support from the Basque Government through the BERC 2018-2021 program

Functional correlates of response inhibition in impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease

Available online 11 September 2021.Impulse control disorder is a prevalent side-effect of Parkinson’s disease (PD) medication, with a strong negative impact on the quality of life of those affected. Although impulsivity has classically been associated with response inhibition deficits, previous evidence from PD patients with impulse control disorder (ICD) has not revealed behavioral dysfunction in response inhibition. In this study, 18 PD patients with ICD, 17 PD patients without this complication, and 15 healthy controls performed a version of the conditional Stop Signal Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain contrasts, regions of interest, and functional connectivity analyses were conducted. Our aim was to investigate the neural underpinnings of two aspects of response inhibition: proactive inhibition, inhibition that has been prepared beforehand, and restrained inhibition, inhibition of an invalid inhibitory tendency. We observed that, in respect to the other two groups, PD patients with ICD exhibited hyperactivation of the stopping network bilaterally while performing proactive inhibition. When engaged in restrained inhibition, they showed hyperactivation of the left inferior frontal gyrus, an area linked to action monitoring. Restrained inhibition also resulted in changes to the functional co-activation between inhibitory regions and left inferior parietal cortex and right supramarginal gyrus. Our findings indicate that PD patients with ICD completed the inhibition task correctly, showing altered engagement of inhibitory and attentional areas. During proactive inhibition they showed bilateral hyperactivation of two inhibitory regions, while during restrained inhibition they showed additional involvement of attentional areas responsible for alerting and orienting.This work was supported by grants from the Carlos III Institute of Health (PI11/02109) and the ERA-Neuron program (PIM2010ERN- 0033). Additionally, the authors received the following grants and honoraria: T.E.-P. received a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2016-079489). P.M.P.-A. was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2014-15440), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PGC2018-093408-B-I00), and the Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno. I.N.-G. was the recipient of a Rio Hortega grant (CM16/00033) from the Carlos III Institute of Health. I.N.-G. received honoraria from Zambon and TEVA for travel and accommodation to attend scientific meetings. M.C.R.-O. received financial support for her research from national and local government institutions in Spain (Carlos III Institute of Health, Basque Country Government, Diputacion Foral Guipuzcoa, and CIBERNED). M.C.R.-O. received honoraria from Zambon, Bial, and Boston Scientific for lectures, travel, and accommodation to attend scientific meetings. BCBL acknowledges support from the Basque Government through the BERC 2018-2021 program

Impacto de la docencia online en el rendimiento académico de estudiantes españoles de medicina

Introducción: El confinamiento derivado de la situación sanitaria a finales del primer trimestre de 2020 en España obligó a que la segunda parte del curso 2019- 2020 de todos los niveles educativos pasara a formato online de una manera forzada e imprevista. Objetivo: Identificar el impacto de la docencia online en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de medicina en el curso 2019-2020. Métodos: El estudio fue de tipo transversal y utilizó datos públicos anonimizados sobre rendimiento académico de estudiantes de medicina en universidades españolas. A partir de la información pública de los sistemas de garantía interna de calidad de estas universidades, se analizaron los valores medios de las tasas de rendimiento y éxito de los cuatro cursos comprendidos entre 2015 y 2019 en 17 universidades españolas. Estos se compararon mediante una prueba t de Student con los obtenidos en el curso 2019-2020. Resultados: Las tasas de rendimiento y éxito fueron superiores en el curso 2019-2020 en comparación con la media de los cuatro cursos anteriores. Conclusiones: La situación de confinamiento y de cambio forzado a docencia online parece haber producido una mejora en el ya de por sí elevado rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de medicina, lo que sugiere niveles elevados de resiliencia y una buena capacidad de adaptación a una situación adversa como la experimentada en la segunda parte del curso 2019-2020

Las cajas de ahorro del sur de Galicia: la relevancia del capital humano en el proceso de fusión

Texto dispoñible en galego e españolAs variables financeiras asumen, con certa exclusividade, o principal papel na análise dos procesos de fusión entre empresas, cuestión que se agudiza no caso do sector bancario. Por iso, neste traballo preténdese identifica-los problemas, dende un punto de vista cualitativo, da integración que afectan ó capital humano involucrado. Convencidos de que o capital humano é un factor criticamente determinante do éxito ou do fracaso dunha integración, este traballo analiza diversas facetas da materialización práctica do proceso, a partir dunha investigación empírica que toma como referencia as percepcións e as expectativas do persoal que participou nunha recente fusión de tres caixas de aforros españolas de ámbito rexional, acometida no sur de GaliciaFinancial variables play, with a certain degree of exclusivity, the principal role in the analysis of merger processes among enterprises, consideration that becomes more relevant in the banking sector. That is why this article sets out the problems, from a qualitative viewpoint, caused by integration affecting the human capital involved. As we are sure that this aspect is a critically determining factor to guarantee the successful conclusions of the process, this paper analyse several items of the real materialisation of a integration, conducted from an empirical study taking as a reference point the considerations and opinions of the people involved in the recent merger of three medium sized savings banks, in the south of GaliciaLas variables financieras asumen, con cierta exclusividad, el principal papel en el análisis de los procesos de fusión entre empresas, cuestión que se agudiza en el caso del sector bancario. Por ello, en este trabajo se pretende identificar los problemas, desde un punto de vista cualitativo, de la integración que afectan al capital humano involucrado. Convencidos de que el capital humano es un factor críticamente determinante del éxito o del fracaso de una integración, este trabajo analiza diversas facetas de la materialización práctica del proceso, a partir de una investigación empírica que toma como referencia las percepciones y expectativas del personal que participó en una reciente fusión de tres cajas de ahorros españolas de ámbito regional, acometida en el sur de GaliciaS

Motivation, optimism and self-concept in sports

Tres constructos psicológicos como son autoconcepto físico, optimismo y motivación podrían estar más relacionados en el ámbito del deporte de lo que parece a priori. El objeto de este estudio es analizar cómo se relacionan estas variables. Se espera que se revelen algunas correlaciones positivas entre los distintos constructos y su relación con ambos géneros. Para ver la relación entre las tres variables se contó con una muestra de 113 participantes (51 mujeres y 62 hombres), de edades comprendidas entre 18 y 60 años. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron la relación entre autoconcepto físico y optimismo, y optimismo y motivación sin diferencias entre hombres y mujeres. Sin embargo también se ha encontrado una relación negativa entre autoconcepto y motivación, contraria a lo que cabría esperar. Tres constructos psicológicos como son autoconcepto físico, optimismo y motivación podrían estar más relacionados en el ámbito del deporte de lo que parece a priori.Three psychological constructs such as the physical self, optimism and motivation may be more related to the field of sport than it seems a priori. The purpose of this study is to analyze how these variables are related. It is expected that some positive correlations between constructs and their relationship with both genders are revealed. To see the relationship between the three variables had a sample of 113 participants (51 women and 62 men), aged between 18 and 60. The results showed the relationship between physical self and optimism, and optimism and motivation no difference between men and women. However it has also found a negative relationship between self -concept and motivation, contrary to what one would expect.ReiDoCrea. Departamento de Psicología Social. Universidad de Granada

Two-dimensional carbon-based conductive materials with dynamically controlled asymmetric Dirac cones

The design of two dimensional graphene-type materials with an anisotropic electron flow direction in the X- and Y-axes opens the door for the development of novel electronic materials with multiple functions in nanoelectronics. In the present work, we have studied the electronic transport properties of a new family of 2D graphene-graphyne hybrids presenting conformationally free phenylethylene subunits. This system ensures two different conductive pathways that are perpendicular to each other: an acene nanoribbon subunit, in the X-axis, with graphene-type conduction, and a free to rotate phenylethylene subunit, in the Y-axis, in which the magnitude of the conduction depends dynamically on the corresponding torsion angle. Our calculations have confirmed that this system presents two different conduction pathways, which are related to the presence of asymmetric Dirac-type cones. Moreover, the Dirac cones can be dynamically modified in the presence of an external gate electrode, which is unprecedented in the literatureWe thank the MICINN (project CTQ-2011.22455) and the Regional Government of Andalucía (project P09-FQM-04571) for financial support and the ‘Centro de Supercomputación de la Universidad de Granada (UGRGRID-CSIRC)’ for computation time. NF and DM thank MICINN for their research contract

Morphosedimentary characterization of the Capbreton submarine canyon system, Bay of Biscay (Cantabrian Sea)

Various studies have been carried out to the declaration of new marine protected areas for their importance for habitats, according to the Natura 2000 Network. One of these sites is a sector of the Capbreton Submarine Canyon System, located in front of the Basque Country coast, in the Bay of Biscay (North Atlantic). During the Intemares_CapBreton 0619 and 0620 surveys; bathymetric, backscatter, high-resolution parametric data and samples of sediments, rocks and benthic communities from the seabed were acquired. The study was completed by recording video transects with the underwater vehicle ROTV Politolana from the IEO. The processing and analysis of the geophysical information has allowed obtaining a detailed bathymetry grid of 10 × 10 m, from which the first morphosedimentary characterization of the system of tributary canyons to the E-W trending main canyon and its interfluves has been made. One of the main features of this canyon system is the presence of a large pockmark field on adjacent platforms between canyons, located between 500 and 1000 m water depth. Within this field, pockmarks are shown as circular to elliptical depressions, most likely related to gas rich-fluid emissions to the subsurface.Versión del edito

Relationship between physical performance and frailty syndrome in older adults: the mediating role of physical activity, sedentary time and body composition

The objectives were to clarify whether the relationship between physical performance and frailty was independently and jointly mediated by movement behaviors and body composition. We analyzed 871 older adults (476 women) from The Toledo Study for Healthy Aging. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) and fat index (FI) were determined using bone densitometry. Sedentary time (ST) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were assessed using accelerometry. The Frailty Trait Scale and The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were used to evaluate frailty and physical performance, respectively. Simple and multiple mediation analyses were carried out to determine the role of movement behaviors and body composition, adjusted for potential confounders. ST and MVPA acted independently as mediators in the relationship between SPPB and frailty (0.06% for ST and 16.89% for MVPA). FI also acted as an independent mediator in the same relationship (36.47%), while the mediation role of SMI was not significant. MVPA and FI both acted jointly as mediators in this previous relationship explaining 58.15% of the model. Our data support the fact that interventions should simultaneously encourage the promotion of MVPA and strategies to decrease the FI in order to prevent or treat frailty through physical performance improvement