Technological Perception with Rural and Urban Differentiation and Its Influence on the Quality of Life of Older People with Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

The past decade has seen a global increase in population age, especially in developed countries, where aging involves visual diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which severely affect quality of life (QoL) and mental health, as well as increase isolation and care costs. This study investigated how persons with AMD perceive the impact of technology use on their QoL, focusing on potential disparities between urban and rural contexts in Spain. Using a cross-sectional observational design, data from the 2020 National Statistics Institute's Disability, Personal Autonomy, and Dependency Situations Survey were analyzed, focusing on QoL aspects based on the WHO items of the WHOQOL-100 scale. The results revealed a generally positive perception of technology among participants, with urban residents perceiving technology's positive impact more favorably. Sex discrepancies in technology perception were also observed, as women exhibited a more positive outlook on technology's influence on QoL. The analysis of QoL aspects, such as 'Visibility', 'Learning', 'Mobility', and 'Domestic life', highlighted distinct challenges faced by rural and urban populations, underscoring the importance of context-specific approaches in technology interventions. However, these perceptions were intertwined with comorbidities, which can exacerbate AMD-related issues. Furthermore, this study explored the role of technology in enhancing QoL among older adults with AMD, examining how it influences daily activities and independence, particularly in the context of AMD management. This study concluded that developing more-inclusive policies tailored to the specific needs of persons with AMD, with special attention to environmental and sex differences, is imperative to enhance the positive impact of technology on their QoL.

Comparative Analysis of CRISPR-Cas Systems in Pseudomonas Genomes.

Pseudomonas is a bacterial genus with some saprophytic species from land and others associated with opportunistic infections in humans and animals. Factors such as pathogenicity or metabolic aspects have been related to CRISPR-Cas, and in silico studies into it have focused more on the clinical and non-environmental setting. This work aimed to perform an in silico analysis of the CRISPR-Cas systems present in Pseudomonas genomes. It analyzed 275 complete genomic sequences of Pseudomonas taken from the NCBI database. CRISPR loci were obtained from CRISPRdb. The genes associated with CRISPR (cas) and CAS proteins, and the origin and diversity of spacer sequences, were identified and compared by BLAST. The presence of self-targeting sequences, PAMs, and the conservation of DRs were visualized using WebLogo 3.6. The CRISPR-like RNA secondary structure prediction was analyzed using RNAFold and MFold. CRISPR structures were identified in 19.6% of Pseudomonas species. In all, 113 typical CRISPR arrays with 18 putative cas were found, as were 2050 spacers, of which 52% showed homology to bacteriophages, 26% to chromosomes, and 22% to plasmids. No potential self-targeting was detected within the CRISPR array. All the found DRs can form thermodynamically stable secondary RNA structures. The comparison of the CRISPR/Cas system can help understand the environmental adaptability of each evolutionary lineage of clinically and environmentally relevant species, providing data support for bacterial typing, traceability, analysis, and exploration of unconventional CRISPR.

Influence of Active and Healthy Ageing on Quality of Life Changes: Insights from the Comparison of Three European Countries.

This study aimed to analyze the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in older people in three European countries (Portugal, Spain and Sweden). A sample of 7589 participants in waves 4 (2011) and 6 (2015) of the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project, aged 50 and over and living in Portugal, Spain and Sweden, was included. The CASP-12 scale was used to measure QoL. A principal component analysis was performed to group preselected variables related to active and healthy ageing into the dimensions of health, social participation, and lifelong learning. A linear regression model was built using the change in CASP-12 scores over the 4-year follow-up as the dependent variable, including the interactions between country and each independent variable in the model. After four years, the average QoL increased in Portugal (difference = 0.8, p < 0.001), decreased in Spain (-0.8, p < 0.001), and remained constant in Sweden (0.1, p = 0.408). A significant country-participation component interaction (p = 0.039) was found. In Spain, a higher participation (ß = 0.031, p = 0.002) was related to a higher QoL improvement at 4 years, but not in Sweden or Portugal. Physical health and emotional components (ß = 0.099, p < 0.001), functional ability (ß = 0.044, p = 0.023), and cognitive and sensory ability (ß = 0.021, p = 0.026) were associated with QoL changes over time in all countries. The country-specific associations between health, social participation and QoL should be taken into account when developing public health policies to promote QoL among European older people.

Enfoque epidemiológico sobre los factores de riesgo biomecánico por instalaciones mecánicas en edificios / Epidemiological approach about biomechanical risk factors for mechanical installations in buildings

El objetivo de este estudio es definir las causas biomecánicas de los trastornos músculo-esqueléticos de instalaciones mecánicas en edificios con el fin de conseguir objetivos como la validación y la información de precisión para el beneficio de las prevenciones de accidentes, y proporcionar información para los tratamientos de los trastornos músculo-esqueléticos. Por estos medios, esta investigación analiza los trastornos, lesiones y daños músculo-esqueléticos aplicando métodos epidemiológicos descriptivos y analíticos. La estrategia consiste en los siguientes pasos: 1) Análisis de los accidentes de trabajo como método descriptivo. 2) Las preguntas de la entrevista marco como un método descriptivo, con el fin de obtener la recopilación de datos sobre los equipos de trabajo. 3) Informes en la literatura científica como método analítico con la influencias de la revisión de análisis clínico epidemiológico. 4) Estudio de caso-control, como método de análisis para los casos atípicos.

The aim of this study is to define biomechanical causes of musculo-skeletal disorders for mechanical installations in buildings in order to pursue goals such as the validation and precision information for the benefit in accident preventions, and provide information for the musculoskeletal disorders treatments. By these means, this research analyzes the musculoskeletal disorders, injuries, and damages by applying descriptive and analytical epidemiological methods. The strategy consists in the following steps: 1) Analysis of occupational accidents as descriptive method. 2) The framework interview questions as a descriptive method in order to obtain data collection about work teams. 3) Reports in the scientific literature as analytical method with the influences of epidemiological clinical analysis review 4) Case-control study as analytical method for the untypical cases.