Impacto da utilização da plataforma de treino cognitivo online primerCOG no funcionamento cognitivo, nas atividades de vida diária e na qualidade de vida de idosos com DCL

Introdução: O envelhecimento da população verificado nos países desenvolvidos constitui, simultaneamente, uma oportunidade e uma ameaça para a sociedade, com as demências a representarem um elevado custo para o indivíduo e suas famílias. A primerCOG é uma plataforma online que pretende contribuir para um envelhecimento saudável através da estimulação, manutenção, monitorização e reabilitação cognitiva de adultos idosos saudáveis e com patologias neurodegenerativas. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar o impacto da utilização da plataforma de treino cognitivo online primerCOG no funcionamento cognitivo, nas atividades de vida diária e na qualidade de vida de idosos com DCL. Metodologia: O grupo experimental composto por 8 idosos (5 mulheres) com DCL realizou um programa de treino cognitivo com a plataforma primerCOG, de 16 sessões, bissemanais. Por sua vez, o grupo de controlo, composto também por 8 idosos (5 mulheres) e emparelhado por idade; sexo; nível de escolaridade; pontuação no MoCA e cotação na GDS, com o grupo experimental, realizou um programa, mais uma vez, bissemanal, mas cuja atividade foi a visualização e discussão de filmes. Resultados: Os resultados obtidos demonstraram: uma melhoria estatisticamente significativa da atenção seletiva, funcionamento executivo, memória verbal, capacidade de aprendizagem e do funcionamento cognitivo global, após o programa de treino, no grupo experimental. Relativamente à funcionalidade nas atividades de vida diária, não se verificaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas. Por fim, verificou-se uma melhoria da qualidade de vida global; funcionamento sensorial; autonomia; qualidade de vida nas atividades passadas, presentes e futuras; intimidade e componente família/ vida familiar. O grupo de controlo, por sua vez, apresentou um aumento da sintomatologia depressiva. Conclusão: A plataforma de treino cognitivo primerCOG parece demonstrar eficácia, promovendo uma melhoria do funcionamento cognitivo e da qualidade de vida dos idosos com DCL, bem como permitindo a manutenção da sua funcionalidade e sintomatologia depressiva

UK consensus guidelines for the delivery of unexpected news in obstetric ultrasound: The ASCKS framework

Background: Studies indicate there is a need to improve the delivery of unexpected news via obstetric ultrasound, but there have been few advances in this area. One factor preventing improvement has been a lack of consensus regarding the appropriate phrases and behaviours which sonographers and ultrasound practitioners should use in these situations. Aims: To develop consensus guidelines for unexpected news delivery in Early Pregnancy Unit and Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme NHS settings. Methods: A workshop was conducted to identify priorities and reach consensus on areas of contention. Contributors included interdisciplinary healthcare professionals, policy experts, representatives from third-sector organisations, lay experts and academic researchers (n = 28). Written and verbal feedback was used to draft initial guidance which was then circulated amongst the wider writing group (n = 39). Revisions were undertaken until consensus was reached. Results: Consensus guidelines were developed outlining the behaviours and phrases which should be used during scans where unexpected findings are identified. Specific recommendations included that: honest and clear communication should be prioritised, even with uncertain findings; technical terms should be used, but these should be written down together with their lay interpretations; unless expectant parents use other terminology (e.g. ‘foetus’), the term ‘baby’ should be used as a default, even in early pregnancy; at the initial news disclosure, communication should focus on information provision. Expectant parents should not be asked to make decisions during the scan. Conclusions: These recommendations can be used to develop and improve news delivery interventions in obstetric ultrasound settings. The full guidelines can be accessed online as supplemental material and at https://doi.org/10.5518/100/24

Solaris Service Management Facility: Modern System Startup and Administration

Application uptime is critical to every administrator. The factors which cause system downtime are often handled by the operating system, but causes for application faults (e.g., software bugs, hardware faults, or human errors) are not addressed by standard system software. Recovery is left to humans, who may often compound the problem due to misdiagnosis or simple error. While availability issues have traditionally been addressed by expensive high-availability clustering solutions, the increasing complexity of software stacks requires a solution for all systems. In addition to the challenges of managing availability of higher level software, the modern operating system itself is composed of many interdependent software entities. A failure in any one of these components often cascades, causing failures in other components. A complex software model with many interdependent elements makes diagnosing failures very challenging for system administrators. The traditional init.d script mechanisms for UNIX are only a weak reflection of the intricate dependency relationships which exist on every system. We introduce the Service Management Facility (SMF) as a comprehensive way to describe, execute, and manage software services. SMF promotes the service to a first-class operating system entity, without requiring modification of application binaries or changes to the UNIX process model. It relieves the administrator from duties of application failure detection and restart, and provides sophisticated diagnosis tools when automatic repair is impossible

Structural studies on the RNA-recognition motif of NELF E, a cellular negative transcription elongation factor involved in the regulation of HIV transcription

The elongation of transcription of HIV RNA at the TAR (transactivation-response element) is highly regulated by positive and negative factors. The cellular negative transcription elongation factor NELF (negative elongation factor) was suggested to be involved in transcriptional regulation of HIV-1 (HIV type 1) by binding to the stem of the viral TAR RNA which is synthesized by cellular RNA polymerase II at the viral long terminal repeat. NELF is a heterotetrameric protein consisting of NELF A, B, C or the splice variant D, and E. In the present study, we determined the solution structure of the RRM (RNA-recognition motif) of the RNA-binding subunit NELF E and studied its interaction with the viral TAR RNA. Our results show that the separately expressed recombinant NELF E RRM has α-helical and β-strand elements adopting a βαββαβ fold and is able to bind to TAR RNA. Fluorescence equilibrium titrations with fluorescently labelled double- and single-stranded oligoribonucleotides representing the TAR RNA stem imply that NELF E RRM binds to the single-stranded TAR RNAs with K(d) values in the low-micromolar range

Diversity Dimensions in Mathematics and Language Learning Perspectives on Culture, Education and Multilingualism

Extensive research is available on language acquisition and the acquisition of mathematical skills in early childhood. But more recently, research has turned to the question of the influence of specific language aspects on acquisition of mathematical skills. This anthology combines current findings and theories from various disciplines such as (neuro- )psychology, linguistics, didactics and anthropology. Wie hängen sprachliche und mathematische Entwicklung zusammen? Dieser Frage wird derzeit mit großem Interesse aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven nachgegangen.Dieser Sammelband vereint Erkenntnisse aus Psychologie, Neurowissenschaften, Mathematikdidaktik, (Psycho-)Linguistik und Mehrsprachigkeitsforschung. Der interdisziplinäre Ansatz bietet einen umfassenden Blick auf den aktuellen Forschungsstand, dargestellt von national und international renommierten Forschenden.Das Buch gliedert sich in drei Teile. Der erste Teil "Modelle und Theorien" fasst theoretische Überlegungen zusammen und stellt Strukturen für Forschung und Praxis bereit. Dieser Teil dient dazu, den Grundstein für die anderen Teile sowie für zukünftige Forschung zu legen. Der zweite Teil "Kindergartenalter" sowie der dritte Teil "Grundschulalter" decken empirische Befunde über die Korrelation zwischen Sprache und mathematischem Lernen in der jeweiligen Altersgruppe ab. Ein besonderer Fokus liegt hierbei auf dem Aspekt der Mehrsprachigkeit.Damit bietet dieser Sammelband eine große Bandbreite fachspezifischen Wissens für Bildungswissenschaftler*innen, Lehramtsstudierende, Psycholog*innen und Forschende zur Mehrsprachigkeit

COVID-19 due to the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant compared to B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant of SARS-CoV-2: a prospective observational cohort study

The Delta (B.1.617.2) variant was the predominant UK circulating SARS-CoV-2 strain between May and December 2021. How Delta infection compares with previous variants is unknown. This prospective observational cohort study assessed symptomatic adults participating in the app-based COVID Symptom Study who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 from May 26 to July 1, 2021 (Delta overwhelmingly the predominant circulating UK variant), compared (1:1, age- and sex-matched) with individuals presenting from December 28, 2020 to May 6, 2021 (Alpha (B.1.1.7) the predominant variant). We assessed illness (symptoms, duration, presentation to hospital) during Alpha- and Delta-predominant timeframes; and transmission, reinfection, and vaccine effectiveness during the Delta-predominant period. 3581 individuals (aged 18 to 100 years) from each timeframe were assessed. The seven most frequent symptoms were common to both variants. Within the first 28 days of illness, some symptoms were more common with Delta versus Alpha infection (including fever, sore throat, and headache) and some vice versa (dyspnoea). Symptom burden in the first week was higher with Delta versus Alpha infection; however, the odds of any given symptom lasting ≥ 7 days was either lower or unchanged. Illness duration ≥ 28 days was lower with Delta versus Alpha infection, though unchanged in unvaccinated individuals. Hospitalisation for COVID-19 was unchanged. The Delta variant appeared more (1.49) transmissible than Alpha. Re-infections were low in all UK regions. Vaccination markedly reduced the risk of Delta infection (by 69-84%). We conclude that COVID-19 from Delta or Alpha infections is similar. The Delta variant is more transmissible than Alpha; however, current vaccines showed good efficacy against disease. This research framework can be useful for future comparisons with new emerging variants