Loneliness and isolation in the ederly

Treball Final de Grau en Psicologia. Codi: PS1048. Curs: 2022/2023Introducción. Durante la etapa del envejecimiento pueden suceder una serie de cambios y pérdidas que facilitan la aparición del sentimiento de soledad. La soledad se ha conceptualizado como el aislamiento social percibido y se le ha descrito como una condición que puede llegar a ser grave (Cacioppo y Cacioppo, 2012; Weiss. 1973). Esta experiencia subjetiva de soledad es un predictor de las disminuciones en la salud mental (Russell et. al, (1997). Objetivo. Evaluar el bienestar mental, la soledad y el apoyo social en una muestra de personas mayores de 50 años en la ciudad de Castellón. Método. El estudio base del cuál se han extraído los datos, utilizó como metodología una encuesta transversal, dónde se recogió la información a través de una encuesta telefónica, a una muestra de 243 personas (132 mujeres, 108 hombres y 3 se definieron de otro género) con un rango de edad de 50 a 99 años. Se elaboró un cuestionario de 30 ítems. Para la medición de la variables bienestar mental se utilizó la escala WHO-5; para la evaluación de soledad la escala UCLA y para la percepción del apoyo social, la escala LSNS-6 de Lubben. El procedimiento utilizado para la selección de la muestra fue el de muestreo por cuotas de edad y género. Resultados. La correlación de Pearson realizada entre los constructos soledad, bienestar mental y apoyo social obtenida mediante los resultados en las escalas WHO-5, UCLA y LSNS-6, respectivamente, expuso lo siguiente: ➔ r= - 0.41** para la relación soledad-bienestar mental. ➔ r= 0.351** para la relación bienestar mental-apoyo social. Conclusión. En línea con estudios previos, los resultados muestran una correlación negativa entre soledad-bienestar mental, lo cuál indica, que la presencia de sentimientos de soledad supone un menor bienestar mental (López et al., 2022). Por otro lado, la correlación entre bienestar mental-apoyo social muestra que ambas variables mantienen una relación positiva. De manera que, la percepción de apoyo social supone la presencia de un correcto bienestar mental, tal y como afirma la OMS.Introduction. During the aging stage, a number of changes and losses can occur that facilitate the emergence of feelings of loneliness. Loneliness has been conceptualized as perceived social isolation and has been described as a condition that can become severe (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2012; Weiss. 1973). This subjective experience of loneliness is a predictor of declines in mental health (Russell et. al, (1997). Objectives. To evaluate mental well-being, loneliness and social support in a sample of people over 50 years of age in the city of Castellón. Method. The base study from which the data was extracted used a cross-sectional survey methodology, where information was collected through a telephonic survey of a sample of 243 people (132 women, 108 men and 3 were defined as other genders) with an age range of 50 to 99 years. A 30-item questionnaire was developed. The WHO-5 scale was used to measure mental well-being; the UCLA scale was used to measure loneliness and the LSNS-6 Lubben scale was used to measure social support. The procedure used for sample selection was age and gender quota sampling. Results. Pearson's correlation between the constructs loneliness, mental well-being and social support obtained by the results on the WHO-5, UCLA and LSNS-6 scales, respectively, showed the following: ➔ r= - 0.41** for the loneliness-mental well-being relationship. ➔ r= 0.351** for the mental well-being-social support relationship. Conclusion. In line with previous studies, the results show a negative correlation between loneliness-mental well-being, which indicates that the presence of feelings of loneliness leads to lower mental well-being (López et al., 2022). On the other hand, the correlation between mental well-being and social support shows that both variables have a positive relationship. Thus, the perception of social support implies the presence of a correct mental well-being, as stated by the WHO

Turbulent jet simulation using high-order DG methods for aeroacoustics analysis

In this work, a high-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is used to perform a large-eddy simulation (LES) of a subsonic isothermal jet at high Reynolds number Re D = 10^6 on a fully un-structured mesh. Its radiated acoustic field is computed using the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings formulation. In order to assess the accuracy of the DG method, the simulation results are compared to experimental measurements and a reference simulation based on a finite volume method. The comparisons are made on the flow quantities (mean, rms and spectra) and pressure far field (rms and spectra)

On the performance of a high-order multiscale DG approach to LES at increasing Reynolds number

The variational multiscale (VMS) approach based on a high-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is used to perform LES of the sub-critical flow past a circular cylinder at Reynolds 3 900, 20 000 and 140 000. The effect of the numerical flux function on the quality of the LES solutions is also studied in the context of very coarse discretizations of the TGV configuration at Re = 20 000. The potential of using p-adaption in combination with DG-VMS is illustrated for the cylinder flow at Re = 140 000 by considering a non-uniform distribution of the polynomial degree based on a recently developed error estimation strategy. The results from these tests demonstrate the robustness of the DG-VMS approach with increasing Reynolds number on a highly curved geometrical configuration

Natural Course of the Diffusing Capacity of the Lungs for Carbon Monoxide in COPD: Importance of Sex

[Background] The value of the single-breath diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (Dlco) relates to outcomes for patients with COPD. However, little is known about the natural course of Dlco over time, intersubject variability, and factors that may influence Dlco progression.[Research Question] What is the natural course of Dlco in patients with COPD over time, and which other factors, including sex differences, could influence this progression?[Study Design and Methods] We phenotyped 602 smokers (women, 33%), of whom 506 (84%) had COPD and 96 (16%) had no airflow limitation. Lung function, including Dlco, was monitored annually over 5 years. A random coefficients model was used to evaluate Dlco changes over time.[Results] The mean (± SE) yearly decline in Dlco % in patients with COPD was 1.34% ± 0.015%/y. This was steeper compared with non-COPD control subjects (0.04% ± 0.032%/y; P = .004). Sixteen percent of the patients with COPD, vs 4.3% of the control subjects, had a statistically significant Dlco % slope annual decline (4.14%/y). At baseline, women with COPD had lower Dlco values (11.37% ± 2.27%; P < .001) in spite of a higher FEV1 % than men. Compared with men, women with COPD had a steeper Dlco annual decline of 0.89% ± 0.42%/y (P = .039).[Interpretation] Patients with COPD have an accelerated decline in Dlco compared with smokers without the disease. However, the decline is slow, and a testing interval of 3 to 4 years may be clinically informative. The lower and more rapid decline in Dlco values in women, compared with men, suggests a differential impact of sex in gas exchange function.[Trial Registry] ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01122758; URL: www.clinicaltrials.govThis study was funded in part by an unrestricted grant from AstraZeneca, and also by the COPD Research Program of the Spanish Respiratory Society (PII de EPOC of SEPAR).Peer reviewe

Somatotypes trajectories during adulthood and their association with COPD phenotypes

Rationale: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) comprises distinct phenotypes, all characterised by airflow limitation. Objectives: We hypothesised that somatotype changes – as a surrogate of adiposity – from early adulthood follow different trajectories to reach distinct phenotypes. Methods: Using the validated Stunkard’s Pictogram, 356 COPD patients chose the somatotype that best reflects their current body build and those at ages 18, 30, 40 and 50 years. An unbiased group-based trajectory modelling was used to determine somatotype trajectories. We then compared the current COPD-related clinical and phenotypic characteristics of subjects belonging to each trajectory. Measurements and main results: At 18 years of age, 88% of the participants described having a lean or medium somatotype (estimated body mass index (BMI) between 19 and 23 kg·m−2 ) while the other 12% a heavier somatotype (estimated BMI between 25 and 27 kg·m−2 ). From age 18 onwards, five distinct trajectories were observed. Four of them demonstrating a continuous increase in adiposity throughout adulthood with the exception of one, where the initial increase was followed by loss of adiposity after age 40. Patients with this trajectory were primarily females with low BMI and DLCO (diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide). A persistently lean trajectory was seen in 14% of the cohort. This group had significantly lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), DLCO, more emphysema and a worse BODE (BMI, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea and exercise capacity) score thus resembling the multiple organ loss of tissue (MOLT) phenotype. Conclusions: COPD patients have distinct somatotype trajectories throughout adulthood. Those with the MOLT phenotype maintain a lean trajectory throughout life. Smoking subjects with this lean phenotype in early adulthood deserve particular attention as they seem to develop more severe COPD

Memòria de la Restauració del Llibre: Compendio de la historia de la España transfretana: dividido en dos tomos

Segarra i de Baldric, Josep de, 1724-1784. Compendio de la historia de la España transfretana : dividido en dos tomos. Barcelona : por los herederos de Bartholomé Giralt ..., [1766?]. 2 vols.Els dos volums estaven afectats per importants pèrdues de suport degut a l’atac d’insectes xilòfags, fet que feia perillar la integritat de les obres. Aquesta degradació era més significativa al volum I, per tant, s’ha dur a terme un tractament de restauració complert. Al volum II s’ha realitzat una restauració sense el desmuntatge del bloc. L’enquadernació dels dos volums es trobava molt debilitada, sent la part mes afectada la zona del llom, amb importants pèrdues i on s’ha fet una reintegració amb reforç de tela de lli i paper japó

Generation and integrated analysis of advanced patient-derived orthoxenograft models (PDOX) for the rational assessment of targeted therapies in endometrial cancer

Clinical management of endometrial cancer (EC) is handicapped by the limited availability of second line treatments and bona fide molecular biomarkers to predict recurrence. These limitations have hampered the treatment of these patients, whose survival rates have not improved over the last four decades. The advent of coordinated studies such as The Cancer Genome Atlas Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (TCGA_UCEC) has partially solved this issue, but the lack of proper experimental systems still represents a bottleneck that precludes translational studies from successful clinical testing in EC patients. Within this context, the first study reporting the generation of a collection of endometrioid-EC-patient-derived orthoxenograft (PDOX) mouse models is presented that is believed to overcome these experimental constraints and pave the way toward state-of-the-art precision medicine in EC. The collection of primary tumors and derived PDOXs is characterized through an integrative approach based on transcriptomics, mutational profiles, and morphological analysis; and it is demonstrated that EC tumors engrafted in the mouse uterus retain the main molecular and morphological features from analogous tumor donors. Finally, the molecular properties of these tumors are harnessed to assess the therapeutic potential of trastuzumab, a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitor with growing interest in EC, using patient-derived organotypic multicellular tumor spheroids and in vivo experiments