Reliability of 4-m and 6-m walking speed tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment

[Abstract] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interrater and test–retest reliability of 4-m and 6-m walking speed tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment. 50 subjects aged 65 and over with cognitive impairment were selected from an adult day-care centre and a nursing home. To examine interrater reliability, 21 people were evaluated independently by two researchers who administered the 4-m and 6-m walking tests in each evaluation. For test–retest reliability, two observers administered the tests to the same 29 subjects, with a time interval of one week. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to examine interrater and test–retest reliability. The ICCs for interrater reliability reached values of 0.96 and 0.88 for the 4-m and 6-m walking tests, respectively. In the test–retest study, the time interval was 7.4 1.17 days. The ICCs were 0.91 for the 4-m test and 0.86 for the 6-m test. The results support the use of walking tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment

Development of FEM/BEM and SEA models from experimental results for structural elements with attached equipment

This work focuses on the analysis of a structural element of MetOP-A satellite. Given the special interest in the influence of equipment installed on structural elements, the paper studies one of the lateral faces on which the Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) is installed. The work is oriented towards the modal characterization of the specimen, describing the experimental set-up and the application of results to the development of a Finite Element Method (FEM) model to study the vibro-acoustic response. For the high frequency range, characterized by a high modal density, a Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) model is considered, and the FEM model is used when modal density is low. The methodology for developing the SEA model and a compound FEM and Boundary Element Method (BEM) model to provide continuity in the medium frequency range is presented, as well as the necessary updating, characterization and coupling between models required to achieve numerical models that match experimental results

DNA Hydroxymethylation in the Regulation of Gene Expression in Human Solid Cancer

Chromatin in cancer undergoes chemical and structural changes that alter gene expression patterns. One of the chemical modifications that impacts gene regulation is 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), also called DNA hydroxymethylation. 5hmC is a stable mark that is commonly associated with transcriptional activation. In cancer, the global loss of 5hmC is a hallmark. In addition, the deregulation of 5hmC in specific regions of the genome, such as enhancers, promoters, and body of the gene, alters the expression of genes in cancer. These alterations have been detected by the improvement in the mapping of 5hmC at genomic scale, which has allowed us to evaluate the sites where 5hmC alterations occur and the genes that are affected. In this chapter, the recent knowledge about the status of 5hmC in genome specific sites of human solid cancers, the relationship with enzymes ten-eleven translocation (TET) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) involved in the dynamic regulation of 5hmC levels, and the impact of the 5hmC aberrant changes on the genic expression in these malignances is reviewed

Glucocorticoid receptor dysregulation underlies 5-HT2AR-dependent synaptic and behavioral deficits in a mouse neurodevelopmental disorder model.

Prenatal environmental insults increase the risk of neurodevelopmental psychiatric conditions in the offspring. Structural modifications of dendritic spines are central to brain development and plasticity. Using maternal immune activation (MIA) as a rodent model of prenatal environmental insult, previous results have reported dendritic structural deficits in the frontal cortex. However, very little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying MIA-induced synaptic structural alterations in the offspring. Using prenatal (E12.5) injection with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid potassium salt as a mouse MIA model, we show here that upregulation of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is at least in part responsible for some of the effects of prenatal insults on frontal cortex dendritic spine structure and sensorimotor gating processes. Mechanistically, we report that this upregulation of frontal cortex 5-HT2AR expression is associated with MIA-induced reduction of nuclear translocation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and, consequently, a decrease in the enrichment of GR at the 5-HT2AR promoter. The translational significance of these preclinical findings is supported by data in postmortem human brain samples suggesting dysregulation of GR translocation in frontal cortex of schizophrenia subjects. We also found that repeated corticosterone administration augmented frontal cortex 5-HT2AR expression and reduced GR binding to the 5-HT2AR promoter. However, virally (adeno-associated virus) mediated augmentation of GR function reduced frontal cortex 5-HT2AR expression and improved sensorimotor gating processes via 5-HT2AR. Together, these data support a negative regulatory relationship between GR signaling and 5-HT2AR expression in the mouse frontal cortex that may carry implications for the pathophysiology underlying 5-HT2AR dysregulation in neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders.National Institutes of Health R01MH084894 (to J. G.-M.), R01MH111940 (to J. G.-M.), NIH-N01DA-17-8932 (to P. M. B.), NIH-N01DA-19-8949 (to P. M. B.), and F30MH116550 (to J. M. S.), and Basque Government IT1211-19 (to J. J. M.) participated in the funding of this study. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Catálogo de monumentos megalíticos en Navarra. Homenaje a Francisco Ondarra (1925-2005)

Este trabajo pretende llenar el vacío que existe actualmente en relación con el megalitismo de esta región. Se da a conocer un catálogo actualizado, de más de 1500 megalitos, resultado de una prospección y revisión de datos intensa llevada a cabo por los firmantes del mismo durante años. El listado que aquí se incluye es paso previo a la publicación individualizada de las fichas de todos estos monumentos, como contribución a la Carta Arqueológica de Navarra

Análisis bibliométrico de las revistas españolas de Prehistoria y Arqueología en los últimos diez años

The paper explains some issues concerning scientific activity in Prehistory and Archaeology through the citation analysis from Spanish periodicals and other factors. It states the difficulties caused by the journals' systematic non-observance of their periodicity and their noticeable lack of bibliographical citation stardardization. That situation harms the contribution of Spanish journals to the international networks of citation and leads to ostracism of Spanish scientific production. Some data concerning co-authorship, theme and language are offered. The analysis of the importance of territory in the cited journals shows that the number of citations diminishes when the distance to the place of publication increases. The relevance of citation analysis as a methodological criteria for periodicals evaluation is also considered. It is concluded that the localism provoked by the descriptive trend of archaeological research has two serious risks: 1) the division of the scientific community into disconnected groups, and 2) the use of very contemporary demarcation lines as a relevant tool for the study of the past.El artículo da cuenta de ciertos aspectos de la actividad científica en Prehistoria y Arqueología a través del análisis de citas desde revistas españolas entre otros factores. Plantea las dificultades derivadas del incumplimiento sistemático de la periodicidad y la notable falta de normalización en la recogida de referencias bibliográficas por parte de las revistas, lo que dificulta la participación de las publicaciones españolas en los circuitos internacionales de citas y contribuye al ostracismo de la producción científica española. Se ofrecen datos sobre coautoría, temática y lengua. Se analiza la importancia del territorio advirtiendo que entre las revistas citadas la intensidad de citas decrece con la distancia a la región de publicación. Asimismo, se valora el interés de los análisis de citas como criterio metodológico en la evaluación de las publicaciones periódicas. Se concluye que el localismo provocado por la orientación descriptiva de la investigación tiene dos graves riesgos: 1) la compartimentación de la comunidad científica en grupos desconectados y 2) una conceptualización actualista del pasado

Calibration and performance tests of detectors for laser-accelerated protons

We present the calibration and performance tests carried out with two detectors for intense proton pulses accelerated by lasers. Most of the procedures were realized with proton beams of 0.46-5.60 MeV from a tandem accelerator. One approach made use of radiochromic films, for which we calibrated the relation between optical density and energy deposition over more than three orders of magnitude. The validity of these results and of our analysis algorithms has been confirmed by controlled irradiation of film stacks and reconstruction of the total beam charge for strongly non-uniform beam profiles. For the spectral analysis of protons from repeated laser shots, we have designed an online monitor based on a plastic scintillator. The resulting signal from a photomultiplier directly measured on a fast oscilloscope is especially useful for time-of-flight applications. Variable optical filters allow for suppression of saturation and an extension of the dynamic range. With pulsed proton beams we have tested the detector response to a wide range of beam intensities from single particles to 3 ×105 protons per 100 ns time interval.Project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and co-funded with FEDER's funds within the INNPACTO 2011 program under Grant No. IPT-2011-0862-900000. This work was supported by the Spanish Plan Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica, Desarrollo e Innovacion Tecnologica (I+D+i) under Grant No. TEC 2013-48036-C3-1-R and the Valencian Local Government under Grants PROMETEOII/2013/010 and ISIC 2011/013. The work of A. J. Gonzalez is financed by CSIC with a JAE-Doc contract under Junta de Ampliacion de Estudios program, cofinanced by the European Social Fund.Peer Reviewe

¿Nos pasamos de la raya?: la frontera hispano-portuguesa a través de las publicaciones de prehistoria y protohistoria

Using a sample of specialist publications from the Iberian Peninsula, we define the research patterns of Spanish and Portuguese archaeologists and the communication they maintain among themselves and with colleagues from other countries. Combining analyses of sources and citations, we evaluate how and where research is carried out. Our results help define bibliometric indicators responsive to the specific needs of Archaeology. We note the absence of important differences between Iberian archaeologists. They share a localism that causes a near absence of international collaboration and discourages cooperation between regions. Co-authored works are rare, and in each country national authors are favored in the source and the national language in the citations. Most international communication occurs between Spain and Portugal, followed by links to French and German archaeologies, both long-established in the Peninsula. The similarity of pre-Roman archaeology in both sides of the «line» is the result of their shared dependency on traditional culture history. We note the risks of nationalist manipulation implicit in a scientific practice that tailors the problems studied and the publications and authors cited to modern administrative boundaries.Definimos las pautas de estudio de los arqueólogos españoles y portugueses y la comunicación entre ellos -y con colegas de otros países- a partir de una muestra de publicaciones especializadas ibéricas. Combinando el análisis de fuentes y citas, evaluamos cómo se investiga y sobre que territorio. Los resultados obtenidos facilitan indicadores bibliométricos sensibles a la especificidad de la Arqueología. No se advierten diferencias relevantes entre los arqueólogos ibéricos. El localismo determina la práctica ausencia de colaboración internacional y desanima la interregional. Favorece una escasa coautoría y el predominio de autores nacionales en las fuentes y del idioma nacional en la cita. La principal comunicación internacional es la transfronteriza, seguida de la mantenida con la arqueología francesa y alemana de larga implantación en España y Portugal. La similaridad de la arqueología prerromana a uno y otro lado de «la raya» procede de su dependencia tradicional de la historia-cultural. Se denuncian los riesgos de manipulación nacionalista implícitos en una práctica científica que ajusta el ámbito de estudio y la cita a autores y publicaciones a los límites administrativos actuales

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from immune tissues of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) challenged with pathogens

Background: The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus; Scophthalmidae; Pleuronectiformes) is a flatfish species of great relevance for marine aquaculture in Europe. In contrast to other cultured flatfish, very few genomic resources are available in this species. Aeromonas salmonicida and Philasterides dicentrarchi are two pathogens that affect turbot culture causing serious economic losses to the turbot industry. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms for disease resistance and hostpathogen interactions in this species. In this work, thousands of ESTs for functional genomic studies and potential markers linked to ESTs for mapping (microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)) are provided. This information enabled us to obtain a preliminary view of regulated genes in response to these pathogens and it constitutes the basis for subsequent and more accurate microarray analysis. Results: A total of 12584 cDNAs partially sequenced from three different cDNA libraries of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) infected with Aeromonas salmonicida, Philasterides dicentrarchi and from healthy fish were analyzed. Three immune-relevant tissues (liver, spleen and head kidney) were sampled at several time points in the infection process for library construction. The sequences were processed into 9256 high-quality sequences, which constituted the source for the turbot EST database. Clustering and assembly of these sequences, revealed 3482 different putative transcripts, 1073 contigs and 2409 singletons. BLAST searches with public databases detected significant similarity (e-value ≤ 1e-5) in 1766 (50.7%) sequences and 816 of them (23.4%) could be functionally annotated. Two hundred three of these genes (24.9%), encoding for defence/immunerelated proteins, were mostly identified for the first time in turbot. Some ESTs showed significant differences in the number of transcripts when comparing the three libraries, suggesting regulation in response to these pathogens. A total of 191 microsatellites, with 104 having sufficient flanking sequences for primer design, and 1158 putative SNPs were identified from these EST resources in turbot. Conclusion: A collection of 9256 high-quality ESTs was generated representing 3482 unique turbot sequences. A large proportion of defence/immune-related genes were identified, many of them regulated in response to specific pathogens. Putative microsatellites and SNPs were identified. These genome resources constitute the basis to develop a microarray for functional genomics studies and marker validation for genetic linkage and QTL analysis in turbot.This study was supported by a Consellería de Pesca e Asuntos Marítimos and the Dirección Xeral de I+D – Xunta de Galicia project (2004/CP480)S