Estudis epidemiològics a la Comunitat Valenciana: el projecte ESCARVAL (2008-2019)

En aquest article es justifica l’Estudi Cardiometabòlic Valencià (ESCARVAL) a partir del fet que les malalties cardiovasculars són la primera causa de malaltia i mort en la població valenciana i espanyola, de l’alta prevalença de factors de risc cardiovascular al nostre país, de la falta d’escales de risc amb dades pròpies per a identificar la població que més es pot beneficiar dels tractaments i de la importància que ha tingut a la Comunitat Valenciana la implementació de la història clínica electrònica, tant per a la investigació com per a la millora de la pràctica clínica. S’enuncia tant la hipòtesi com l’objectiu d’investigació del projecte ESCARVAL i es realitza un resum de la situació de l’estudi en el moment actual. Aquest projecte inclou millores en formació continuada d’aspectes cardiovasculars per als equips d’atenció primària, millores de pràctica clínica en el seguiment de la història clínica electrònica cardiovascular i investigació transversal i longitudinal no sols per a conèixer els indicadors epidemiològics, sinó també per a generar escales amb dades pròpies.En este artículo se justifica el Estudio Cardiometabólico Valenciano (ESCARVAL) partiendo de las siguientes premisas: que las enfermedades cardiovasculares son la primera causa de enfermedad y muerte en la población valenciana y española, la alta prevalencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular en nuestro país, la falta de escalas de riesgo con datos propios para identificar a la población que más se puede beneficiar de los tratamientos y de la importancia que ha tenido en la Comunidad Valenciana la implementación de la historia clínica electrónica, tanto por la investigación como por la mejora de la práctica clínica. Se enuncian la hipótesis y el objetivo de investigación del proyecto ESCARVAL y se realiza un resumen de la situación actual del estudio. Este proyecto incluye mejoras en la formación continua de aspectos cardiovasculares para los equipos de atención primaria, mejoras de práctica clínica en el seguimiento de la historia clínica electrónica cardiovascular y la investigación transversal y longitudinal; no solo para conocer los indicadores epidemiológicos, sino también para generar escalas con datos propios.Cet article justifie l’Estudi Cardiometabòlic Valencià (ESCARVAL : Étude Cardiométabolique Valencien) à partir du fait que les maladies cardiovasculaires sont la première cause de maladie et de mort chez la population valencienne et espagnole, ainsi que de la grande prévalence des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire en Espagne, du manque d’échelles de risque de données propres pour identifier la population pouvant bénéficier le plus des traitements et de l’importance que l’implémentation de l’histoire clinique électronique a eu à la Communauté Valencienne, soit pour la recherche, soit pour l’amélioration de la pratique clinique. L’hypothèse et le but de la recherche du projet ESCARVALsont annoncés ici, ainsi qu’un résumé de sa situation au moment actuel. Ce projet comprend des améliorations en formation continue sur des aspects cardiovasculaires pour les équipes de soin primaire, des améliorations de pratique cliniques pour le suivi de l’histoire clinique électronique cardiovasculaire ainsi que des progrès pour la recherche transversale et longitudinale en vue de connaître des indicateurs épidémiologiques et générer des échelles de données propres.This article describes the motivation for the Valencian Cardiometabolic Study (ESCARVALRISK), based on the following premises: the fact that cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of illness and death in Spain and in the Valencian Community, the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Spain, the absence of data-based risk assessment scales to identify the population that could most benefit from treatment, and the importance that the implementation of electronic medical records has had for the population of the Valencian Community, both for research and for the improvement of clinical practice. Furthermore, the hypothesis and the objective of the ESCARVAL-RISK study are formulated and a summary of the current state of the project is presented. The project includes improvements to lifelong training for primary-care teams dealing with cardiovascular problems, improvements to clinical practice regarding the monitoring of cardiovascular medical records, as well as cross-sectional and long-term research, not only to identify clinical indicators, but also to create scales based on the project’s own data

Pooled Time Series Modeling Reveals Smoking Habit Memory Pattern

Smoking is a habit that is hard to break because nicotine is highly addictive and smoking behavior is strongly linked to multiple daily activities and routines. Here, we explored the effect of gender, age, day of the week, and previous smoking on the number of cigarettes smoked on any given day. Data consisted of daily records of the number of cigarettes participants smoked over an average period of 84 days. The sample included smokers (36 men and 26 women), aged between 18 and 26 years, who smoked at least five cigarettes a day and had smoked for at least 2 years. A panel data analysis was performed by way of multilevel pooled time series modeling. Smoking on any given day was a function of the number of cigarettes smoked on the previous day, and 2, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 days previously, and the day of the week. Neither gender nor age influenced this pattern, with no multilevel effects being detected, thus the behavior of all participants fitted the same smoking model. These novel findings show empirically that smoking behavior is governed by firmly established temporal dependence patterns and inform temporal parameters for the rational design of smoking cessation programs

Fabrication of self-ordered nanoporous alumina for optical and structural characterization

Presentem la fabricació, caracterització estructural i òptica de membranes d'alúmina nanoporosa autoordenada. Les mostres han estat fabricades per el procés de doble anodització. La morfologia de les membranes obtinguda mitjançant les diferents condicions d'anodització ha estat examinada amb un microscopi electrònic d'escombrat per tal d'estimar les seves propietats geomètriques. Les propietats estructurals estudiades mitjançant difracció de raigs X mostren que durant el procés de recuit termic, des de 600 ºC fins a 1200 ºC, l'alúmina nanoporosa ha cristal·litzat des de la fase amorfa fins a les formes gamma i alfa (cristal·lines). L'espectre de la transmissió òptica de les membranes d'alúmina porosa autoordenada va ser mesurat mitjançant un espectròmetre UV-VIS en el rang 300 - 1000 nmWe present the fabrication and optical and structural characterization of self-ordered nanoporous alumina membranes. The samples were fabricated using a two-step anodization process. The morphology of the membranes produced using different anodizing conditions was examined with a scanning electron microscope in order to estimate their geometrical properties. The structural properties studied by X-ray diffraction showed that nanoporous alumina is crystallized from amorphous phase to gamma and alpha (crystalline) forms during annealing at 600 ºC to 1200 ºC. The optical transmission spectra of the membranes were measured using a UV-VIS spectrometer in the range of 300 - 1000 nm

Neural mechanisms underlying adaptive actions after slips

An increase in cognitive control has been systematically observed in responses produced immediately after the commission of an error. Such responses show a delay in reaction time (post-error slowing) and an increase in accuracy. To characterize the neurophysiological mechanism involved in the adaptation of cognitive control, we examined oscillatory electrical brain activity by electroencephalogram and its corresponding neural network by event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging in three experiments. We identified a new oscillatory thetabeta component related to the degree of post-error slowing in the correct responses following an erroneous trial. Additionally, we found that the activity of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the right inferior frontal cortex, and the right superior frontal cortex was correlated with the degree of caution shown in the trial following the commission of an error. Given the overlap between this brain network and the regions activated by the need to inhibit motor responses in a stop-signal manipulation, we conclude that the increase in cognitive control observed after the commission of an error is implemented through the participation of an inhibitory mechanism

Evolution of lipid classes and fatty acid digestibility along the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens fed different fat sources at different ages

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of the dietary fat saturation degree and age on the lipid class (TAG, DAG, MAG, and FFA) composition and fatty acid digestibility along the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and excreta in broiler chickens. A total of 120 one-day-old female broiler chickens were randomly distributed in 2 dietary treatments (6 cages/treatment), which resulted from the supplementation of a basal diet with 6% of soybean oil or palm oil. Two digestibility balances were carried out at 14 and 35 d and fatty acid digestibility and lipid class composition were determined in the gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and excreta. Along de GIT, both fatty acid digestibility and lipid class composition were influenced by the dietary fat source and the age of the chickens. The absorption of the unsaturated fat was more efficient and faster than it was for the saturated fat. The ability of adult chickens to absorb fat was higher than for young chickens. The results show that the duodenum is the main place of fat digestion (hydrolysis), and the jejunum the main place of fat absorption. The role of the ileum on fat absorption is very important, as it is the last segment of the GIT where the absorption of fatty acids has been described. Thus, it was the contribution of the ileum that was responsible for the higher fat utilization observed for animals fed the unsaturated diet than for those fed the saturated diet at 14 d, and it was also responsible for the improvement on the utilization of the saturated diet between 14 and 35 d. All the results suggest that the absorption of fatty acids is more limiting than is hydrolysis, because the main differences were observed in the jejunum and ileum, where the absorption of fatty acids takes place

When decisions of others matter to me: an electrophysiological analysis

Background: Actions of others may have immediate consequences for oneself. We probed the neural responses associated with the observation of another person"s action using event-related potentials in a modified gambling task. In this task a"performer" bet either a higher or lower number and could win or lose this amount. Three different groups of"observers" were also studied. The first (neutral) group simply observed the performer"s action, which had no consequences for the observers. In the second (parallel) group, wins/losses of the performer were paralleled by similar wins and losses by the observer. In the third (reverse) group, wins of the performer led to a loss of the observer and vice versa. Results: ERPs of the performers showed a mediofrontal feedback related negativity (FRN) to losses. The neutral and parallel observer groups did similarly show an FRN response to the performer"s losses with a topography indistinguishable from that seen in the performers. In the reverse group, however, the FRN occurred for wins of the performer which translated to losses for the observer. Conclusions: Taking into account previous experiments, we suggest that the FRN response in observers is driven by two evaluative processes (a) related to the benefit/loss for oneself and (b) related to the benefit/loss of another perso

Linking motor-related brain potentials and velocity profiles in multi-joint arm reaching movements

The study of the movement related brain potentials (MRPBs) needs accurate technical approaches to disentangle the specific patterns of bran activity during the preparation and execution of movements. During the last forty years, synchronizing the electromyographic activation (EMG) of the muscle with electrophysiological recordings (EEG) has been commonly ussed for these purposes. However, new clinical approaches in the study of motor diseases and rehabilitation suggest the demand of new paradigms that might go further into the study of the brain activity associated with the kinematics of movements. As a response to this call, we have used a 3-D hand-tracking system with the aim to record continuously the position of an ultrasonic sender attached to the hand during the performance of multi-joint self-paced movements. We synchronized time-series of position and velocity of the sender with the EEG recordings, obtaining specific patterns of brain activity as a function of the fluctuations of the kinematics during natural movement performance. Additionally, the distribution of the brain activity during the preparation and execution phases of movements was similar that reported previously using the EMG, suggesting the validity of our technique. We claim that this paradigm could be usable in patients because of its simplicity and the potential knowledge that can be extracted from clinical protocols

Human oscillatory activity associated to reward processing in a gambling task

Previous event-related brain potential (ERP) studies have identified a medial frontal negativity (MFN) in response to negative feedback or monetary losses. In contrast, no EEG correlates have been identified related to the processing of monetary gains or positive feedback. This result is puzzling considering the large number of brain regions involved in the processing of rewards. In the present study we used a gambling task to investigate this issue with trial-by-trial wavelet-based time-frequency analysis of the electroencephalographic signal recorded non-invasively in healthy humans. Using this analysis a mediofrontal oscillatory component in the beta range was identified which was associated to monetary gains. In addition, standard time-domain ERP analysis showed an MFN for losses that was associated with an increase in theta power in the time-frequency analysis. We propose that the reward-related beta oscillatory activity signifies the functional coupling of distributed brain regions involved in reward processing

Uso de suplementos nutricionales y ayudas ergogénicas en jugadores profesionales de tenis.

Introduction: Nutritional supplements and ergogenic aids (NS&EA) are used between training/matches with the goal of enhancing tennis performance. Scientific literature about prevalence and use of NS&EA in professional tennis players is scarce. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the NS&EA used by professional tennis players during a season. Methods: Using a validated self-administered questionnaire, 62 professional male and 9 professional female tennis players (11% in their gender specific top 100 tennis world ranking (i.e., ATP/WTA)) registered all the used NS&EA. Results: Eighty-one percent of the participants declared taking at least one NS&EA. Strength and conditioning trainers (S&C) and tennis coaches were the professionals who recommended most of the NS&EA in the players outside the TOP-100 (OT100; 50.7% and 39.1%, respectively). However, sports nutritionist were the principal advisors in the top-100 tennis players (T100; 62.5%). Sports drinks were the NS&EA most commonly used by all participants (81.7%). T100 participants used caffeine (p = 0.042), creatine (p = 0.001), iron (p = 0.013) and CHO-protein mix (p = 0.033) significantly more frequently that OT100 players. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of NS&EA use among professional tennis players independently of their tennis ranking position. However, T100 tennis player have an increased use of certain substances such us caffeine, creatine, iron and CHO-Protein mix. For the rest of the studied NS&EA the use was similar between T100 and OT100 players. It is possible that the differences in NS&EA use between groups could be related to the different professionals on charge of nutritional advice in T100 vs OT100.Introducción: los suplementos nutricionales/ayudas ergogénicas (NS&EA) son utilizados en los entrenamientos/partidos de tenis con el objetivo de mejorar el rendimiento. Sin embargo, la literatura científica se encuentras escasos documentos científicos sobre el uso de estas sustancias en tenistas profesionales. Objetivo: describir el uso de NS&EA utilizados por tenistas profesionales durante una temporada. Métodos: se utilizó un cuestionario validado y se evaluó a 62 tenistas profesionales hombres y 9 mujeres (11% entre los 100 mejores del mundo). Resultados: el 81% de los participantes toman al menos un NS&EA. Los preparadores físicos (S&C) y entrenadores de tenis fueron los profesionales preferidos para recomendar NS&EA entre los jugadores fuera del TOP-100 (OT100, 50,7% y 39,1%, respectivamente). Sin embargo, los nutricionistas deportivos fueron los principales asesores de los jugadores entre los 100 mejores del mundo (T100, 62,5%). Las bebidas deportivas fueron los NS&EA más utilizados entre todos los participantes (81,7%). Los tenistas T100 utilizaron cafeína (p = 0,042), creatina (p = 0,001), hierro (p = 0.013) y mezcla de CHO-proteína (p = 0,033) significativamente más frecuentemente que los jugadores OT100. Conclusiones: existe una gran prevalencia de uso de NS&EA entre los tenistas profesionales. Además, los T100 presentan un mayor uso de ciertas sustancias tales como cafeína, creatina, hierro y CHO-proteína. Para el resto de los NS&EA estudiados, el uso fue similar entre los jugadores T100 y OT100. Finalmente, las diferencias en el uso de NS&EA entre grupos pudieran estar relacionadas con los diferentes profesionales escogidos para el asesoramiento nutricional en T100 vs. OT100.post-print691 K