Contribution in the foot health status in elderly people based on the results of biomechanics gait analysis

Purpose: To examine the correlation between the gait biomechanic analysis, foot dynamometry movements and different variables about the foot health status in elderly people. Relevance: Exact knowledge of the biomechanics of foot-print using this tool, as well as the relationship with the function and health status of the foot are important for planning the rehabilitation of the musculo skeletal pathology of the foot. Participants: 22 participants over 60 years old were recruited for a physical activity program. Methods: The variables were about anthropometric characteristics, about general and foot health status by FHSQ questionnaire scores ( foot pain, foot function, participant shoes, general health, physical activity, social capacity and vigour), about biomechanic gait analysis ( maximum pressures retro, mid and front foot, pressures times, times to initiate and end supports, maximum average pressures) and about analogue dynamometry variables in differente foot movements. Analysis: We used Pearson’s linear correlation with 95% Zr and a multivariant correlation. We looked for simple and multiple regression models. Results: the Pearson´s linear correlation showed relationships between foot pain variable with ending support in mid right foot variable (r = 0.562), maximum average pressure in mid right foot (r = 0.424), maximum average time pressure in front right foot (r = 0.588) and first right foot finger flexion (r = 0.434). A multivariant correlation was performed using the foots physical components of the FHSQ questionnaire scores how to dependent variable (foot pain) and the most relevant independents variables; ending support in mid right foot, maximum average time pressure in front right foot, first right foot finger flexion (r2 = 0.484; p < 0.007). Conclusions: We determined a significant quantitative relationship between biomechanics gait analysis, right foot dynamometry movements and the foot health status.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 cases: mortality inequalities by socio-economic status, Barcelona, Spain, 24 February to 4 May 2020

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Epidemiologia; Situació socioeconòmicaCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Epidemiología; Estatus socioeconómicoCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Epidemiology; Socio-economic statusBackground: Population-based studies characterising outcomes of COVID-19 in European settings are limited, and effects of socio-economic status (SES) on outcomes have not been widely investigated. Aim: We describe the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases, highlighting incidence and mortality rate differences across SES during the first wave in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Methods: This population-based study reports individual-level data of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases diagnosed from 24 February to 4 May 2020, notified to the Public Health Agency of Barcelona and followed until 15 June 2020. We analysed end-of-study vital status and the effects of chronic conditions on mortality using logistic regression. Geocoded addresses were linked to basic health area SES data, estimated using the composed socio-economic index. We estimated age-standardised incidence, hospitalisation, and mortality rates by SES. Results: Of 15,554 COVID-19-confirmed cases, the majority were women (n =9,028; 58%), median age was 63 years (interquartile range: 46–83), 8,046 (54%) required hospitalisation, and 2,287 (15%) cases died. Prevalence of chronic conditions varied across SES, and multiple chronic conditions increased risk of death (≥3, adjusted odds ratio: 2.3). Age-standardised rates (incidence, hospitalisation, mortality) were highest in the most deprived SES quartile (incidence: 1,011 (95% confidence interval (CI): 975–1,047); hospitalisation: 619 (95% CI: 591–648); mortality: 150 (95% CI: 136–165)) and lowest in the most affluent (incidence: 784 (95% CI: 759–809); hospitalisation: 400 (95% CI: 382–418); mortality: 121 (95% CI: 112–131)). Conclusions: COVID-19 outcomes varied markedly across SES, underscoring the need to implement effective preventive strategies for vulnerable populations

Probabilistic Photonic Computing with Chaotic Light

Biological neural networks effortlessly tackle complex computational problems and excel at predicting outcomes from noisy, incomplete data, a task that poses significant challenges to traditional processors. Artificial neural networks (ANNs), inspired by these biological counterparts, have emerged as powerful tools for deciphering intricate data patterns and making predictions. However, conventional ANNs can be viewed as "point estimates" that do not capture the uncertainty of prediction, which is an inherently probabilistic process. In contrast, treating an ANN as a probabilistic model derived via Bayesian inference poses significant challenges for conventional deterministic computing architectures. Here, we use chaotic light in combination with incoherent photonic data processing to enable high-speed probabilistic computation and uncertainty quantification. Since both the chaotic light source and the photonic crossbar support multiple independent computational wavelength channels, we sample from the output distributions in parallel at a sampling rate of 70.4 GS/s, limited only by the electronic interface. We exploit the photonic probabilistic architecture to simultaneously perform image classification and uncertainty prediction via a Bayesian neural network. Our prototype demonstrates the seamless cointegration of a physical entropy source and a computational architecture that enables ultrafast probabilistic computation by parallel sampling

Spleen-Dependent Immune Protection Elicited by CpG Adjuvanted Reticulocyte-Derived Exosomes from Malaria Infection Is Associated with Changes in T cell Subsets' Distribution

Added corrigendum published in 2017-01-17 https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2016.00153Reticulocyte-derived exosomes (rex) are 30-100 nm membrane vesicles of endocytic origin released during the maturation of reticulocytes to erythrocytes upon fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membrane. Combination of CpG-ODN with rex obtained from BALB/c mice infected with the reticulocyte-prone non-lethal P. yoelii 17X malaria strain (rexPy), had been shown to induce survival and long lasting protection. Here, we show that splenectomized mice are not protected upon rexPy+CpG inmunizations and that protection is restored upon passive transfer of splenocytes obtained from animals immunized with rexPy+CpG. Notably, rexPy immunization of mice induced changes in PD1- memory T cells with effector phenotype. Proteomics analysis of rexPy confirmed their reticulocyte origin and demonstrated the presence of parasite antigens. Our studies thus prove, for what we believe is the first time, that rex from reticulocyte-prone malarial infections are associated with splenic long-lasting memory responses. To try extrapolating these data to human infections, in vitro experiments with spleen cells of human transplantation donors were performed. Plasma-derived exosomes from vivax malaria patients (exPv) were actively uptaken by human splenocytes and stimulated spleen cells leading to changes in T cell subsets

Microbial exposures in moisture-damaged schools and associations with respiratory symptoms in students : A multi-country environmental exposure study

Moisture-damaged buildings are associated with respiratory symptoms and underlying diseases among building occupants, but the causative agent(s) remain a mystery. We first identified specific fungal and bacterial taxa in classrooms with moisture damage in Finnish and Dutch primary schools. We then investigated associations of the identified moisture damage indicators with respiratory symptoms in more than 2700 students. Finally, we explored whether exposure to specific taxa within the indoor microbiota may explain the association between moisture damage and respiratory health. Schools were assessed for moisture damage through detailed inspections, and the microbial composition of settled dust in electrostatic dustfall collectors was determined using marker-gene analysis. In Finland, there were several positive associations between particular microbial indicators (diversity, richness, individual taxa) and a respiratory symptom score, while in the Netherlands, the associations tended to be mostly inverse and statistically non-significant. In Finland, abundance of the Sphingomonas bacterial genus and endotoxin levels partially explained the associations between moisture damage and symptom score. A few microbial taxa explained part of the associations with health, but overall, the observed associations between damage-associated individual taxa and respiratory health were limited.Peer reviewe

Measurement of neutral current e+/-p cross sections at high Bjorken x with the ZEUS detector

The neutral current e+/-p cross section has been measured up to values of Bjorken x of approximately 1 with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 187 inv. pb of e-p and 142 inv. pb of e+p collisions at sqrt(s) = 318GeV. Differential cross sections in x and Q2, the exchanged boson virtuality, are presented for Q2 geq 725GeV2. An improved reconstruction method and greatly increased amount of data allows a finer binning in the high-x region of the neutral current cross section and leads to a measurement with much improved precision compared to a similar earlier analysis. The measurements are compared to Standard Model expectations based on a variety of recent parton distribution functions.Comment: 39 pages, 9 figure

Fulvestrant and the sequential endocrine cascade for advanced breast cancer

Following relapse on endocrine therapy for advanced, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, it is common for patients to experience responses to alternative endocrine agents. Fulvestrant (‘Faslodex’) is a new type of endocrine treatment – an oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist with no agonist effects. Fulvestrant downregulates cellular levels of the ER resulting in decreased expression of the progesterone receptor. This unique mode of action means that it is important that fulvestrant is placed optimally within the sequence of endocrine therapies to ensure that patients gain maximum benefit. Fulvestrant has shown efficacy when used after progression on tamoxifen or anastrozole in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. After progression on fulvestrant, subsequent endocrine treatments can produce responses in many patients, demonstrating that fulvestrant does not lead to crossresistance with other endocrine therapies. Responses to fulvestrant have also been observed in patients heavily pretreated with prior endocrine therapy. Fulvestrant is a versatile endocrine agent that may be integrated into the therapeutic sequence prior to, or subsequent to, other hormonal therapies, and represents a valuable additional antioestrogen for the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer

Differential (2+1) Jet Event Rates and Determination of alpha_s in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

Events with a (2+1) jet topology in deep-inelastic scattering at HERA are studied in the kinematic range 200 < Q^2< 10,000 GeV^2. The rate of (2+1) jet events has been determined with the modified JADE jet algorithm as a function of the jet resolution parameter and is compared with the predictions of Monte Carlo models. In addition, the event rate is corrected for both hadronization and detector effects and is compared with next-to-leading order QCD calculations. A value of the strong coupling constant of alpha_s(M_Z^2)= 0.118+- 0.002 (stat.)^(+0.007)_(-0.008) (syst.)^(+0.007)_(-0.006) (theory) is extracted. The systematic error includes uncertainties in the calorimeter energy calibration, in the description of the data by current Monte Carlo models, and in the knowledge of the parton densities. The theoretical error is dominated by the renormalization scale ambiguity.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, submitted to Eur. Phys.

Hadron Production in Diffractive Deep-Inelastic Scattering

Characteristics of hadron production in diffractive deep-inelastic positron-proton scattering are studied using data collected in 1994 by the H1 experiment at HERA. The following distributions are measured in the centre-of-mass frame of the photon dissociation system: the hadronic energy flow, the Feynman-x (x_F) variable for charged particles, the squared transverse momentum of charged particles (p_T^{*2}), and the mean p_T^{*2} as a function of x_F. These distributions are compared with results in the gamma^* p centre-of-mass frame from inclusive deep-inelastic scattering in the fixed-target experiment EMC, and also with the predictions of several Monte Carlo calculations. The data are consistent with a picture in which the partonic structure of the diffractive exchange is dominated at low Q^2 by hard gluons.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.