Flavonoid intake and risk of Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Flavonoids have been proposed to reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, results from epidemiological studies have been inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively examine the association between the intake of flavonoids and their subclasses and the risk of PD and how pesticides may confound or modify that association. METHODS: The study population comprised 80 701 women (1984-2016) and 48 782 men (1986-2016) from two large US cohorts. Flavonoid intake was ascertained at baseline and every 4 years thereafter using a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. We conducted multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models to estimate HRs and 95% CIs of PD according to quintiles of baseline and cumulative average intakes of flavonoids and subclasses. We repeated the analyses, adjusting for intakes of high-pesticide-residue fruits and vegetables (FVs) and stratifying by servings/day of high-pesticide-residue FV intake. RESULTS: We identified 676 incident PD cases in women and 714 in men after 30-32 years of follow-up. Higher total flavonoid intake at baseline was not associated with a lower PD risk, neither in men (HR comparing highest to lowest quintile: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.69 to 1.14) nor in women (HR comparing highest to lowest quintile: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.64). Similar results were observed for cumulative average intakes and flavonoid subclasses. Results remained similar after adjustment for and stratification by high-pesticide-residue FV and when analyses were restricted to younger PD cases. CONCLUSION: These results do not support a protective effect of flavonoid intake on PD risk. Pesticide residues do not confound or modify the association.

Coronary-Artery Calcification progression in lupus patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the progression of coronary-artery calcification (CAC) and risk factors associated in a SLE cohort. METHODS: We reassessed the presence of coronary-artery calcification in lupus patients who were screened nine years before, using Multidetector CT. Clinical (cumulated disease activity and damage accrual), antiphospholipid and lupus serology, and cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, body mass index, modified Framingham risk score, lipid profile, menopausal status) were assessed longitudinally. RESULTS: We included 104 patients from the parent study. Most of them were women, mean age 41.0+8.3 years and mean disease duration of 14.8 years. We documented coronary calcification in 17 patients (16.3%). Seven cases were from the parent study, and 10 were incident cases. The cumulative incidence of CAC was 9.0% and the incidence density was 1/100 person-years. CAC occurred more frequently in the age groups 30-39 and 40-44 years. All patients with previous CAC had worsening of their calcium indexes, and none developed clinical cardiovascular events. When comparing prevalent CAC cases (n=17) vs patients without calcification, both groups were similar in traditional cardiovascular risk factors, disease duration, SLEDAI 2K AUC and SLICC score, but were more likely to be menopause and higher apoB levels. Patients with previous CAC had higher apoB levels, SLEDAI 2K AUC scores and aCL-IgG than incident cases. CONCLUSION: CAC in lupus patients progressed over time but was not associated with adverse cardiovascular events during the first nine years of followup. ApoB levels and postmenopausal status might be associated with this progression.

Subjective Cognitive Decline in Women with Features Suggestive of Prodromal Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits can be present in the prodromal phase of Parkinson's disease (PD). Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may contribute to identifying individuals with prodromal PD. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine whether SCD is more likely to be present in women with features suggestive of prodromal PD compared with women without these features. METHODS: The study population comprised 12,427 women from the Nurses' Health Study selected to investigate prodromal PD. Prodromal and risk markers of PD were assessed via self-administered questionnaires. We evaluated the association of hyposmia, constipation, and probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, three major features of prodromal PD, with SCD, adjusting for age, education, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, caffeine intake, and depression. We also explored whether SCD was associated with the probability of prodromal PD and conducted additional analyses using data from neurocognitive tests. RESULTS: Women experiencing the three examined nonmotor features had the worst mean SCD score and the highest odds of poor subjective cognition (odds ratio [OR] = 1.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-2.47). This association persisted when women with objective cognitive deficits were excluded from analyses. SCD was also more common in women with a probability of prodromal PD ≥0.80, particularly among those aged younger than 75 years (OR of poor subjective cognition = 6.57 [95% CI, 2.43-17.77]). These observations were consistent with the results from analyses using neurocognitive tests, where a worse global cognitive performance was observed among women with three features. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that self-perceived cognitive decline can be present during the prodromal phase of PD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Long-Term Intake of Folate, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12 and the Incidence of Parkinson's Disease in a Sample of U.S. Women and Men.

BACKGROUND: Folate and vitamins B6 and B12 have been proposed as protective against the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Two prior longitudinal studies were inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the association of long-term intake of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 with the incidence of PD. METHODS: The study population comprised 80,965 women (Nurses' Health Study, 1984-2016) and 48,837 men (Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1986-2016) followed prospectively for the development of PD. Intake of B vitamins was measured at baseline and every 4 years thereafter using food frequency questionnaires. We estimated the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of PD based on quintiles of cumulative average intake adjusting for potential confounders. Secondary analyses considered different lagged exposure periods as well as baseline and recent intakes. RESULTS: In separate analyses of cumulative average intake, total folate, B6, and B12 were not associated with the risk of PD. Results from 8-, 12-, and 16-year lag analyses were consistent with these findings. Results for baseline intake of folate and B6 also pointed toward a null association. In contrast, a lower PD risk was observed among individuals with higher baseline total intake of B12 (pooled HR top vs. bottom quintile: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.67-0.95; P-trend = 0.01); results from 20-year lag analyses were consistent with this finding. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support the hypothesis that a higher intake of folate or vitamin B6 would reduce PD risk in this population. Our results provide moderate support for a possible protective effect of vitamin B12 on the development of PD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Influence of LiTaO3 (0001) and KTaO3 (001) Perovskites Structures on the Molecular Adsorption of Styrene and Styrene oxide: A Theoretical Insight by Periodic DFT Calculations.

In this research, the adsorption of styrene and styrene oxide, both biomass derivatives, on KTaO3 (001) and LiTaO3 (0001) perovskite-like structures was studied from a theoretical point of view. The study was carried out using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The adsorption phenomenon was deeply studied by calculating the adsorption energies (Eads ), adsorbate-surface distances (Å) and evaluating the differences of charge density and charge transfer (ΔCT). For complexes adsorbed on KTaO3 (TaO2 , KO and K(OH)2 exposed layers), the highest Eads was found for styrene oxide, attributed to the oxygen reactivity of the epoxy group describing a strong interaction with the surface. However, when evaluating a K(O)2 model, a more favorable interaction of styrene with the surface is observed, resulting in a high Eads of -9.9 eV and a ΔCT of 3.1e. For LiTaO3 , more favorable interactions are found for both adsorbates compared to KTaO3 , evidenced by the higher adsorption energies and charge density differences, particularly for the styrene complex adsorbed on TaO2 exposed layer (Eads : -10.2 eV). For the LiO termination, the surface exposed oxygens are fundamental for the adsorption of styrene and styrene oxide, leading to a considerable structural distortion. The obtained results thus provide understanding of the structural features, surface reactivity and adsorption sites of LiTaO3 and KTaO3 perovskite in the context of a heterogeneous catalytic process, such as the oxidation of styrene.

Lifetime exposure to violence and other life stressors and hair cortisol concentration in women.

Women are exposed to a variety of life stressors, particularly violence, during their lifetime which increases the risk of developing various psychiatric and somatic diseases, with the dysregulated secretion of cortisol as one potential biological mechanism. We examined the association between violence and other life stressors and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in a population of urban women. We included 470 adult women (age = 21-86 years) attending the Cancer Detection Clinic in Iceland. The Life Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC-R; 30-items) was used to assess exposure. HCC was measured with liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We used linear regression models to assess the association between life stressors and log-transformed HCC. The median HCC (pg/mg) in the study population was 4.9 (range 0.6-616.6). HCC was not associated with background covariates, including age (p = 0.868), education level (p = 0.824), marital status (p = 0.545), income (p = 0.363), occupation (p = 0.192), but associated with current smoking (p = 0.013). We noted a 3.3% (95% CI: 0.17-6.6%) associated increase in HCC per endorsed life stressor after adjusting for age and smoking, while non-violent life stressors were not associated with HCC. Per endorsed violence item, we observed a 10.2% (95% CI: 1.4-19.7%) associated increase in HCC after age and smoking adjustment. Women with lifetime exposure to both physical and sexual violence presented with higher HCC than unexposed women (p = 0.010), after age and smoking adjustment. Lifetime exposure to violence was associated with higher levels of HCC in a community sample of women. These findings need confirmation with prospective studies.

mHealth: experiences and opportunities for cancer research in Mexico.

Not available.

Perceived Stress Scale, a tool to explore psychological stress in Mexican women.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the factor structure of the 4- and 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) among 1 310 Mexican women participating in a prospective cancer cohort study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in two sub-samples of the Mexican Teachers' Cohort. We evaluated internal consistency, estimated the correlation between PSS-4 and PSS-10, and assessed their correlation with a depressive symptoms scale. RESULTS: Two-factor models were the solutions with the best fit to the data for both PSS-4 and -10, exhibiting strong factor loadings (0.39 to 0.75) and high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.72 and 0.83). The correlation between PSS-4 and PSS-10 was r=0.91 and the correlations of these two scales with a depressive symptoms scale were r=0.41 and r=0.46, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PSS might be an adequate scale to assess perceived stress in this prospective cancer cohort study. PSS-4 may be advantageous due to its simplicity, low cost, and short application time in multicountry studies on stress and cancer.

A Meta-Omics Analysis Unveils the Shift in Microbial Community Structures and Metabolomics Profiles in Mangrove Sediments Treated with a Selective Actinobacterial Isolation Procedure.

Mangrove sediment ecosystems in the coastal areas of the Yucatan peninsula are unique environments, influenced by their karstic origin and connection with the world's largest underground river. The microbial communities residing in these sediments are influenced by the presence of mangrove roots and the trading chemistry for communication between sediment bacteria and plant roots can be targeted for secondary metabolite research. To explore the secondary metabolite production potential of microbial community members in mangrove sediments at the "El Palmar" natural reserve in Sisal, Yucatan, a combined meta-omics approach was applied. The effects of a cultivation medium reported to select for actinomycetes within mangrove sediments' microbial communities was also analyzed. The metabolome of the microbial communities was analyzed by high-resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and molecular networking analysis was used to investigate if known natural products and their variants were present. Metagenomic results suggest that the sediments from "El Palmar" harbor a stable bacterial community independently of their distance from mangrove tree roots. An unexpected decrease in the observed abundance of actinomycetes present in the communities occurred when an antibiotic-amended medium considered to be actinomycete-selective was applied for a 30-day period. However, the use of this antibiotic-amended medium also enhanced production of secondary metabolites within the microbial community present relative to the water control, suggesting the treatment selected for antibiotic-resistant bacteria capable of producing a higher number of secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolite mining of "El Palmar" microbial community metagenomes identified polyketide synthase and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases' biosynthetic genes in all analyzed metagenomes. The presence of these genes correlated with the annotation of several secondary metabolites from the Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking database. These results highlight the biotechnological potential of the microbial communities from "El Palmar", and show the impact selective media had on the composition of communities of actinobacteria.

Family Member Incarceration, Psychological Stress, and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in Mexican Women (2012-2016).

Objectives. To examine the association between family member incarceration, psychological stress, and subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods. Between 2012 and 2016, 1849 CVD-free women from the Mexican Teachers' Cohort responded to questions on family incarceration from the Life Stressor Checklist. Perceived stress and hair cortisol levels were measured in a subset of participants. Carotid intima-media thickness was measured, and carotid atherosclerosis was determined in all participants. We used multivariable quantile, linear, and logistic regression models to evaluate the association between family member incarceration, stress, and subclinical CVD.Results. Among women with a mean age of 49.7 years (SD ±5.2), 15.3% reported family member incarceration. We found that both perceived stress and hair cortisol levels were significantly higher in women with an incarcerated family member relative to women without one. After multivariable adjustment, women who reported family member incarceration had 41% (95% confidence interval = 1.04, 2.00) higher odds of carotid atherosclerosis compared with those who did not.Conclusions. Family member incarceration was associated with robust markers of stress and cardiovascular risk. Mass incarceration may have a long-lasting impact on physical health of affected families.

Exploring the relevance of thiophene rings as bridge unit in acceptor-bridge-donor dyes on self-aggregation and performance in DSSCs.

The possibility of dye charge recombination in DSSCs remains a challenge for the field. This consists of: (a) back-transfer from the TiO2 to the oxidized dye and (b) intermolecular electron transfer between dyes. The latter is attributed to dye aggregation due to dimeric conformations. This leads to poor electron injection which decreases the photocurrent conversion efficiency. Most organic sensitizers are characterized by an Acceptor-Bridge-Donor (A-Bridge-D) arrangement that is commonly employed to provide charge separation and, therefore, lowering the unwanted back-transfer. Here, we address the intermolecular electron transfer by studying the dimerization and photovoltaic performance of a group of A-Bridge-D structured dyes. Specifically, eight famous sulfur containing π-bridges were analyzed (A and D remained fixed). Through quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics approaches, it was found that the formation of weakly stabilized dimers is allowed. The dyes with covalently bonded and fused thiophene rings as Bridges, 6d and 7d as well as 8d with a fluorene, would present high aggregation and, therefore, high probability of recombination processes. Conversely, using TiO2 cluster and surface models, delineated the shortest bridges to improve the adsorption energy and the stability of the system. Finally, the elongation of the bridge up to 2 and 3 units and their photovoltaic parameters were studied. These results showed that all the sensitizers are able to provide similar photocurrent outcomes, regardless of whether the bridge is elongated. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tunable optical properties of isoreticular UiO-67 MOFs for photocatalysis: a theoretical study.

A theoretical study of the reported photocatalytic systems based on Zr-based MOF (UiO-67) with biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (bpdc) and 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid (bpydc) as linkers was performed. Quantum chemical calculations were carried out to understand the optical properties of the materials and to facilitate the rational design of new UiO-67 derivatives with potentially improved features as photocatalysts under ambient conditions. Hence, the effect of the structural modifications on the optical properties was studied considering different designs based on the nature of the linkers: in 1 only the bpdc linker was considered, or the mixture 1 : 1 between bpdc and bpydc linkers (labeled as 1A). Also, substituents R, -NH2, and -SH, were included in the 1A MOF only over the bpdc linker (labeled as 1A-bpdc-R) and on both bpdc and bpydc linkers (labeled as 1A-R). Thus a family of six isoreticular UiO-67 derivatives was theoretically characterized using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on the ground singlet (S0) and first excited states (singlet and triplet) using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT), multiconfigurational post-Hartree-Fock method via Complete Active Space Self-Consistent Field (CASSCF). In addition, the use of periodic DFT calculations suggest that the energy transfer (ET) channel between bpdc and bpydc linkers might generate more luminescence quenching of 1A when compare to 1. Besides, the results suggest that the 1A-R (R: -SH and NH2) can be used under ambient conditions; however, the ET exhibited by 1A, cannot take place in the same magnitude in these systems. These ET can favor the photocatalytic reduction of a potential metal ion, that can coordinate with the bpydc ligand, via LMCT transition. Consequently, the MOF might be photocatalytically active against molecules of interest (such as H2, N2, CO2, among others) with photo-reduced metal ions. These theoretical results serve as a useful tool to guide experimental efforts in the design of new photocatalytic MOF-based systems.

Hair color, family history of melanoma, and the risk of Parkinson's disease: An analysis update.

BACKGROUND: A shared biological component between melanoma and Parkinson's disease (PD) has been suggested. Yet, epidemiological evidence is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of hair color and family history of melanoma, two strong predictors of melanoma risk, with the occurrence of PD. METHODS: We followed 131,342 women and men for ∼30 years for the development of PD. We calculated the cumulative incidence of PD from ages 40 to 90 according to hair color, and estimated the hazard ratio of PD according to hair color and family history of melanoma. RESULTS: Hair color was not strongly associated with the risk of PD, especially at advanced ages. In contrast, individuals with a family history of melanoma had a 1.4-fold higher risk of PD compared to those without a history. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis of a shared biological component between PD and melanoma. Both pigmentary and non-pigmentary pathways may play a role.

BK ZERO isoform HEK293 stably transfected cell lines differing 3'UTRs to assess miR-9 regulation.

Research has identified the large conductance voltage- and calcium-activated potassium channel (BK) as a key regulator of neuronal excitability genetically associated to behavioral alcohol tolerance. Sensitivity to ethanol at the molecular level is characterized by acute potentiation of channel activity. BK isoforms show variations in alcohol sensitivity and are differentially distributed on the plasma membrane surface in response to prolonged exposure. MicroRNA (MiRNA) targeting of alcohol-sensitive isoforms coupled with active internalization of BK channels in response to ethanol are believed to be key in establishing homeostatic adaptations that produce persistent changes within the plasma membrane of neurons. In fact, microRNA 9 (miR-9) upregulated expression is a key event in persistent alcohol tolerance mediating acute EtOH desensitization of BK channels. The exact nature of these interactions remains a current topic of discussion. To further study the effects of miR-9 on the expression and distribution of BK channel isoforms we designed an experimental model by transfecting human BK channel isoforms ZERO heterologous constructs in human embryonic kidney cells 293 (HEK293) cells respectively expressing 2.1 (miR-9 responsive), 2.2 (unresponsive) and control (no sequence) 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) miRNA recognition sites. We used imaging techniques to characterize the stably transfected monoclonal cell lines, and electrophysiology to validate channel activity. Finally, we used immunocytochemistry to validate isoform responsiveness to miR-9. Our findings suggest the cell lines were successfully transfected to express either the 2.1 or 2.2 version of ZERO. Patch clamp recordings confirm that these channels retain their functionality and immunohistochemistry shows differential responses to miR-9, making these cells viable for use in future alcohol dependence studies.

Effectiveness of the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines against severe COVID-19 among adults 40 years or older in Brazil: a population-based cohort study.

Background: The emergence of COVID-19 variants with immune scape and the waning of primary vaccine schemes effectiveness have prompted many countries to indicate first and second booster COVID-19 vaccine doses to prevent severe COVID-19. However, current available evidence on second booster dose effectiveness are mostly limited to high-income countries, older adults, and mRNA-based vaccination schemes scenarios. We aimed to investigate the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of the fourth dose compared to three doses for severe COVID-19 outcomes in Brazil; and compare the rVE of a fourth dose with an mRNA vaccine compared to adenovirus-based product in the same settings. Methods: We performed a target emulated trial using a population-based cohort of individuals aged 40 years or older who have received a homologous primary scheme of CoronaVac, ChAdOx1, or BNT162b2, and any third dose product and were eligible for the fourth dose in Brazil. The primary outcome was COVID-19 associated hospitalization or death. We built Cohort A matching individuals vaccinated with a fourth dose to individuals who received three doses to estimate the rVE of the fourth dose. We built Cohort B, a subset of Cohort A, matching mRNA-based (mRNA) to adenovirus-based fourth dose vaccinated individuals to compare their relative hazards for severe COVID-19. Findings: 46,693,484 individuals were included in Cohort A and 6,763,016 in Cohort B. 45% of them were aged between 40 and 60 years old, and 48% between 60 and 79 years old. In Cohort A, the most common previous series was a ChAdOx1 two-dose followed by BNT162b2 (44%), and a CoronaVac two-dose followed by a BNT162b2 (36%). Among those fourth dose vaccinated, 36.9% received ChAdOx1, 32.7% Ad26.COV2.S, 25.8% BNT162b2, and 4.7% CoronaVac. In Cohort B, among those who received an adenovirus fourth dose, 53.7% received ChAdOx1 and 46.3% received Ad26.COV2.S. The estimated rVE for the primary outcome of four doses compared to three doses was 44.1% (95% CI 42.3-46.0), with some waning during follow-up (rVE 7-60 days 46.8% [95% CI 44.4-49.1], rVE after 120 days 33.8% [95% CI 18.0-46.6]). Among fourth dose vaccinated individuals, mRNA-based vaccinated individuals had lower hazards for hospitalization or death compared to adenovirus-vaccinated individuals (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.75-0.87). After 120 days, no difference in hazards between groups was observed (HR 1.35, 95% CI 0.93-1.97). Similar findings were observed for hospitalization and death separately, except no evidence for differences between fourth dose brands for death in Cohort B. Interpretation: In a heterogeneous scenario of primary and first booster vaccination combinations, a fourth dose provided meaningful and durable protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes. Compared to adenovirus-based booster, a fourth dose wild-type mRNA vaccine was associated with immediate lower hazards of hospitalization or death unsustained after 120 days. Funding: None.

Plastid DNA sequencing and nuclear SNP genotyping help resolve the puzzle of central American Platanus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recent research on the history of Platanus reveals that hybridization phenomena occurred in the central American species. This study has two goals: to help resolve the evolutive puzzle of central American Platanus, and to test the potential of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detecting ancient hybridization. METHODS: Sequencing of a uniparental plastid DNA marker [psbA-trnH((GUG)) intergenic spacer] and qualitative and quantitative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of biparental nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) markers [LEAFY intron 2 (LFY-i2) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2)] were used. KEY RESULTS: Based on the SNP genotyping results, several Platanus accessions show the presence of hybridization/introgression, including some accessions of P. rzedowskii and of P. mexicana var. interior and one of P. mexicana var. mexicana from Oaxaca (= P. oaxacana). Based on haplotype analyses of the psbA-trnH spacer, five haplotypes were detected. The most common of these is present in taxa belonging to P. orientalis, P. racemosa sensu lato, some accessions of P. occidentalis sensu stricto (s.s.) from Texas, P. occidentalis var. palmeri, P. mexicana s.s. and P. rzedowskii. This is highly relevant to genetic relationships with the haplotypes present in P. occidentalis s.s. and P. mexicana var. interior. CONCLUSIONS: Hybridization and introgression events between lineages ancestral to modern central and eastern North American Platanus species occurred. Plastid haplotypes and qualitative and quantitative SNP genotyping provide information critical for understanding the complex history of Mexican Platanus. Compared with the usual molecular techniques of sub-cloning, sequencing and genotyping, real-time PCR assay is a quick and sensitive technique for analysing complex evolutionary patterns.

Development of a new low-cost computer vision system for human gait analysis: A case study.

Today, human gait analysis is commonly used for clinical diagnosis, rehabilitation and performance improvement in sports. However, although previous research works in the literature address the use of motion capture systems by means of optoelectronic sensors, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and depth cameras, few of them discuss their conception, guidelines and algorithms for measuring and calculating gait metrics. Moreover, commercially available motion capture systems, although efficient, are cost restrictive for most of the low-income institutions. In this research work, a new computer vision-based system (CVS) for gait analysis is developed and proposed. The aim is to close the gap found in the literature about the design and development of such systems by providing the requirements, considerations, algorithms and methodologies used to develop a gait analysis system with acceptable precision and accuracy, and at low cost. For this purpose, a linear computer vision method based on the non-homogeneous solution of the calibration matrix was used. The spatio-temporal and angular gait parameters were implemented in the proposed system, and compared with those reported in the literature. The denoising of the spatial gait trajectories and the strategies to detect gait events, are also presented and discussed. The results have shown that the proposed system is satisfactory for human gait analysis in terms of precision, computational performance and low cost.

[Characteristics of patients with systemic sclerosis who develop interstitial lung disease]. / Características de los pacientes con esclerosis sistémica que desarrollan enfermedad pulmonar intersticial.

Background: Systemic sclerosis associated-interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) show a high mortality. The factors associated SSc-ILD have shown variability in different populations. There are few studies in Mexican mestizos. Objective: To analyze the epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical factors associated with SSc-ILD. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study, where patients > 18 years of age with a diagnosis of SSc according to EULAR/ACR 2013 criteria and diagnosis of ILD by forced vital capacity (FVC) < 70% and > 5% of affected lung area on tomography were included. The strength of association of the factors for ILD was measured by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The significant variables were analyzed by multiple logistic regression with adjustment. Results: Of the 80 patients with SSc, 38 (47.5%) had ILD. Risk factors such as smoking, higher activity index, lower FVC, anti-topoisomerase I antibodies, and protective factors such as a limited SSc, early capillaroscopic pattern, and anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) were associated with ILD. In the multivariate analysis, a higher activity index with OR 4.17, (95% CI 2.01-8.65) persisted as a risk factor, while ACA with OR 0.17, (95% CI 0.03-0.85) persisted as a protective factor associated with SSc-ILD. Conclusions: A higher index of activity and ACA persisted as factors associated with SSc-ILD.

Introducción: la enfermedad pulmonar intersticial (EPI) está relacionada a una mayor mortalidad en esclerosis sistémica (ES). Los factores asociados a su presentación han mostrado variabilidad en diferentes poblaciones. Pocos estudios se han realizado en mestizos mexicanos. Objetivo: analizar los factores clínicos y paraclínicos asociados a EPI en pacientes con ES. Material y métodos: estudio retrospectivo de casos y controles en el que se incluyeron pacientes > 18 años con diagnóstico de ES, según criterios EULAR/ACR 2013 y EPI por capacidad vital forzada (CVF) < 70% y > 5% de área pulmonar efectada en tomografía. La fuerza de asociación de los factores para EPI se midió por razón de momios (RM) con intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC95%). Las variables significativas se analizaron por regresión logística múltiple con ajuste. Resultados: de los 80 pacientes con ES, 38 (47.5%) tenían EPI. Factores de riesgo como tabaquismo, mayor índice de actividad, menor CVF, anticuerpos antitopoisomerasa I y factores protectores como variedad limitada de ES, patrón capilaroscópico temprano y anticuerpos anticentrómero estuvieron asociados a EPI. En el análisis multivariado un mayor índice de actividad con RM 4.17, (IC95%: 2.01-8.65) persistió como un factor de riesgo; en cambio, los anticuerpos anticentrómero con RM 0.17, (IC95%: 0.03-0.85) persistieron como un factor protector asociado a EPI. Conclusiones: un mayor índice de actividad y la presencia anticuerpos anticentrómero persistieron como factores asociados a la presencia de EPI en ES.

Sun Exposure and Intima-Media Thickness in the Mexican Teachers' Cohort Study.

Objective: To determine whether long-term sun exposure has a protective role in subclinical cardiovascular disease in adult Mexican women. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a sample of women from the Mexican Teachers' Cohort (MTC) study. Sun exposure was assessed in the MTC 2008 baseline questionnaire, in which women were asked about their sun-related behavior. Vascular neurologists measured carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) using standard techniques. Multivariate linear regression models were used to estimate the difference in mean IMT and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), according to categories of sun exposure and multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% CIs for carotid atherosclerosis. Results: The mean age of participants was 49.6 ± 5.5 years, the mean IMT was 0.678 ± 0.097 mm, and the mean accumulated hours of weekly sun exposure were 2.9 ± 1.9. Prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was 20.9%. Compared with women in the lowest quartile of sun exposure, women in the highest quartile had lower mean IMT, but this was not significant in the multivariable adjusted analysis. (Adjusted mean % difference: -0.8; 95% CI: -2.3 to 0.8). The multivariate adjusted ORs of carotid atherosclerosis were 0.54 (95% CI: 0.24-1.18) for women who were exposed 9 hours. For women who denied regular sunscreen use, those in the higher exposure category (9 hours) had lower mean IMT compared with those in the lower category (multivariable-adjusted mean % difference = -2.67; 95% CI: -6.9 to -1.5). Conclusions: We observed that cumulative sun exposure was inversely associated with IMT and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. If these findings are further replicated and seen for other cardiovascular outcomes, sun exposure could be an easy, affordable strategy to lower overall cardiovascular risk.

Serial Mediation Model of Social Capital Effects over Academic Stress in University Students.

Background: Although several studies have shown that social capital and social support decreases academic stress (AS), there has been lack of atheoretical model to explain how this occurs. This study aims to verify a model that explains the effect of bonding social capital (BSC) over academic stress psychological symptoms (PsyS), considering the multiple sequential mediation of socio-emotional support (SES), self-efficacy (sEffic) and self-esteem (sEstee). Methods: In a transversal study, 150 undergraduate volunteer students were recruited using non-probabilistic purposive sampling. Data were collected using psychological questionnaires and were processed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: Goodness of fit of the models (SRMR = 0.056, 0.057,