Modelling Polyphenol Extraction through Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction by Machine Learning in Olea europaea Leaves.

The study of the phenolic compounds present in olive leaves (Olea europaea) is of great interest due to their health benefits. In this research, different machine learning algorithms such as RF, SVM, and ANN, with temperature, time, and volume as input variables, were developed to model the extract yield and the total phenolic content (TPC) from experimental data reported in the literature. In terms of extract yield, the neural network-based ANNZ-L model presents the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) value in the validation phase (9.44 mg/g DL), which corresponds with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 3.7%. On the other hand, the best model to determine the TPC value was the neural network-based model ANNR, with an RMSE of 0.89 mg GAE/g DL in the validation phase (MAPE of 2.9%). Both models obtain, for the test phase, MAPE values of 4.9 and 3.5%, respectively. This affirms that ANN models would be good modelling tools to determine the extract yield and TPC value of the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) process of olive leaves under different temperatures, times, and solvents.

Effectiveness of child sexual abuse prevention programs on knowledge acquisition: A meta-analytical study.

BACKGROUND: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a type of maltreatment considered a global health problem. CSA is a traumatic experience with important consequences for the victim's health. It is essential to report the effectiveness of CSA prevention programs to offer society useful tools to combat this abuse. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the effectiveness of CSA prevention programs on the knowledge acquisition based on comparing pre- and post-treatment changes, and also if their effectiveness is related to program-related and methodological variables. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS: Standardised mean change (with studies that report pre-post program measures) of the effectiveness of CSA prevention programs published between 2014 and 2021 was carried out. METHODS: The general effectiveness of these programs and whether the results were influenced by program-related variables (the duration, the target population, participants' age, or the type of intervention) or by methodology-related factors (the agent who taught them, the geographical area where they were carried out or the way the programs were evaluated) were analysed. A total of 43 samples analysing knowledge about CSA as a dependent variable were included. RESULTS: The results reported a combined effect size considered large (dMR = -0.96, 95 % CI [-1.10, -0.82], p < .001). High inter-study heterogeneity was observed in the meta-analysis, although only the geographic area where the studies were conducted appears as a significant moderator. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the prevention programs included in this analysis significantly improved the participants' knowledge acquisition.

Sex-related differences in the associations between diurnal cortisol pattern and social and emotional loneliness in older adults.

Introduction: Loneliness is a distressful feeling that can affect mental and physical health, particularly among older adults. Cortisol, the primary hormone of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA-axis), may act as a biological transducer through which loneliness affects health. While most previous studies have evaluated the association between loneliness, as a unidimensional construct, and diurnal cortisol pattern, no research has examined this relationship discriminating between social and emotional loneliness in older adults. As sex differences in the negative mental health outcomes of loneliness have been reported, we also investigated whether diurnal cortisol indices and loneliness associations occur in a sex-specific manner. Methods: We analyzed the diurnal cortisol- pattern in 142 community-dwelling, non-depressed, Caucasian older adults (55,6% female) aged 60-90. Social and emotional (family and romantic) loneliness scores were assessed using the Spanish version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA). Five salivary cortisol samples were used to capture key features of the diurnal cortisol pattern, including: awakening and bedtime cortisol levels, awakening response (CAR), post-awakening cortisol output (post-awakening cortisol [i.e., the area under the curve with reference to the ground: AUCG]), total diurnal cortisol release (AUCG), and diurnal cortisol slope (DCS). Results: After controlling for sociodemographic variables, the hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses revealed that in male older adults, higher scores on social and family loneliness were associated with elevated awakening cortisol levels, total diurnal cortisol output, and a steeper diurnal cortisol slope (DCS). However, these associations were not observed in female older adults. In addition, feelings of romantic loneliness were positively associated with bedtime cortisol levels and AUCG in older males. Multilevel growth curve modeling showed that experiencing more social and emotional loneliness predicted higher diurnal cortisol output throughout the day in older male adults. Discussion: The presence of sex differences in the relationship between cortisol indices and loneliness among older adults holds particular significance for diagnostic and screening procedures. Combining loneliness scales as screening tools with diurnal cortisol measures has the potential to be an effective and cost-efficient approach in identifying higher-risk individuals at early stages.

Validation of the Spanish version of the Memory Failures of Everyday questionnaire in older adults using Rasch analysis.

AIM: The Memory Failures of Everyday (MFE) is a widely used instrument for assessing memory failure. The aim of the study was to analyze the MFE items using the Rasch model in a sample of cognitively older adults in Spain. METHODS: A cross-sectional validation study in a sample of 214 healthy people aged ≥60 years who used centers for older people in Madrid (Spain). The MFE for the assessment of memory complaints was used. The following properties of the Rasch model were assessed: data fit, reliability, unidimensionality, local dependence and lack of differential item functioning by gender, age and marital status. RESULTS: The MFE showed a good fit to the Rasch model (χ2 (140) = 160.2; P = 0.116) and high reliability (person separation index = 0.808). The questionnaire was unidimensional (6.54% t-test; IC binomial = 0.036-0.095). The items showed lack of local dependence between them and differential item functioning. The MFE scores were transformed into linear interval scores with a median of 44.31 and an observed range of 17.9-89.2 (theoretical range: 0-100). CONCLUSIONS: The MFE is a unidimensional, reliable instrument to assess memory complaints in cognitively healthy older adults in Spain, with usefulness in clinical research and practice. The construct validity of the MFE linear score could not be fully confirmed and this deserves further investigation. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 332-337.

Normative Data for Verbal Fluency, Trail Making, and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Tests on Monolingual Spanish-Speaking Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to generate updated normative data for commonly used tests in neuropsychological assessment applied to older monolingual Spanish-speaking adults: Verbal fluency tests, the Trail Making Test (TMT), and the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test (ROCF). METHOD: To obtain normative data, 382 cognitively healthy 60- to 90-year-old Spanish monolingual participants from the Autonomous Community of Madrid (Spain) with 0-22 years education were assessed using an overlapping interval strategy that involved cell and midpoint techniques, and that assessed the influence of age, education, and sex. RESULTS: Age and education were associated with the scores in the verbal fluency tests, TMT, and ROCF, whereas sex only significantly affected the TMT results. Age-adjusted scaled scores (SSA) based on percentile ranks were also converted into age-education scaled scores (SSAE) using a linear regression model. In addition, tables with the relevant adjustments for sex are provided for TMT-A and TMT-B. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, this study provides updated, uniform normative data for widely used neuropsychological tests on older Spanish adults. The normative procedure followed helps to make consistent comparisons when using these neuropsychological tests, which will improve the interpretation of the data obtained when these tools are employed, reducing the risk of misdiagnosing cognitive impairment in older adults.

Normative data for the Spanish version of the California Verbal Learning Test (TAVEC) from older adults.

The aim of this study was to establish normative data for the Spanish version of the California Verbal Learning Test, the Test de Aprendizaje Verbal España-Complutense (TAVEC). Through different subtests, the TAVEC allows verbal learning and episodic memory to be evaluated, an assessment that was carried out on a sample of 382 cognitive healthy Spanish individuals aged 60-90 years old. Unlike the participant's educational level, their age and sex significantly influenced performance in the TAVEC. We provide tables that allow the scaled scores obtained with this test to be adjusted for age and other tables with the relevant adjustments for sex. The normative data obtained in this study will help more precisely interpret the performance of older Spanish adults in the TAVEC, enhancing the utility of this neuropsychological test to evaluate verbal learning and episodic memory in clinical settings and in relation to healthy aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A Meta-Analytical Review of Gender-Based School Bullying in Spain.

School bullying continues to be one of the main challenges for the education community. Current research indicates that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, and other LGBT+ people suffer the highest rates of bullying, while other studies suggest that this bullying does not occur based on the victim's actual sexual orientation or gender identity, but because they do not fit into the traditional gender roles. The aim of the present study was to carry out a meta-analytical study on the prevalence of gender-based bullying against LGBT+ schoolchildren and adolescents in Spain. METHODS: The review was carried out following the recommendations of the PRISMA group and allowing us to identify a total of 24 studies. All of these studies were published since 2008, and most of them conducted cross-sectional survey-type research. It was also found that the instrument used to assess bullying varied greatly among studies, resulting in an enormous heterogeneity of research on this topic. Different meta-analyses were carried out according to the profile of involvement in bullying: victimisation, perpetration, and observation. In addition, three target populations were detected in the victimisation research: the general population, pre-identified bullying victims reporting the reasons behind the victimisation, and LGBT+ people. RESULTS: The meta-analyses conducted with R have estimated the prevalence of observation of gender-based school bullying in Spain at 77.3%, perpetration at 13.3%, and victimisation at 8.6% among the general population. When the research focuses on previously identified victims, the rate was 3.6%, while if LGBT+ people are approached directly, the percentage increases to 51%. CONCLUSIONS: These rates reveal the need to develop specific preventive strategies in schools. Greater awareness of affective-sexual diversity and respect for those who do not conform to traditional gender roles should be promoted.

Salivary Leucocytes as In Vitro Model to Evaluate Nanoparticle-Induced DNA Damage.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have a wide variety of applications in many consumer products and biomedical practices. As a result, human exposure to these nanomaterials is highly frequent, becoming an issue of concern to public health. Recently, human salivary leucocytes have been proposed as an adequate non-invasive alternative to peripheral blood leucocytes to evaluate genotoxicity in vitro. The present study focused on proving the suitability of salivary leucocytes as a biomatrix in the comet assay for in vitro nanogenotoxicity studies, by testing some of the metal oxide NPs most frequently present in consumer products, namely, titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and cerium dioxide (CeO2) NPs. Primary and oxidative DNA damage were evaluated by alkaline and hOGG1-modified comet assay, respectively. Any possible interference of the NPs with the methodological procedure or the hOGG1 activity was addressed before performing genotoxicity evaluation. Results obtained showed an increase of both primary and oxidative damage after NPs treatments. These data support the use of salivary leucocytes as a proper and sensitive biological sample for in vitro nanogenotoxicity studies, and contribute to increase the knowledge on the impact of metal oxide NPs on human health, reinforcing the need for a specific regulation of the nanomaterials use.

Effect of Sleep Quality on the Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Older Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition. However, the prevalence of sarcopenia may increase due to a range of other factors, such as sleep quality/duration. Therefore, the aim of the study is to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in older adults based on their self-reported sleep duration. Methods: Three electronic databases were used-PubMed-Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. We included studies that measured the prevalence of sarcopenia, divided according to sleep quality and excluded studies (a) involving populations with neuromuscular pathologies, (b) not showing prevalence values (cases/control) on sarcopenia, and (c) not including classificatory models to determine sleep quality. Results: high prevalence values in older adults with both long and short sleep duration were shown. However, prevalence values were higher in those with inadequate sleep (<6-8 h or low efficiency) (OR 0.76; 95% CI (0.70-0.83); Q = 1.446; p = 0.695; test for overall effect, Z = 6.01, p < 0.00001). Likewise, higher prevalence levels were shown in men (OR 1.61; 95% CI (0.82-3.16); Q = 11.80; p = 0.0189) compared to women (OR 0.77; 95% CI (0.29-2.03); Q = 21.35; p = 0.0003). Therefore, the prevalence of sarcopenia appears to be associated with sleep quality, with higher prevalence values in older adults who have inadequate sleep.

Systemic administration of a fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 agonist rescues the cognitive deficit in aged socially isolated rats.

Social isolation predominantly occurs in elderly people and it is strongly associated with cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms that produce isolation-related cognitive dysfunction during aging remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the cognitive, electrophysiological, and morphological effects of short- (4 weeks) and long-term (12 weeks) social isolation in aged male Wistar rats. Long-term but not short-term social isolation increased the plasma corticosterone levels and impaired spatial memory in the Morris water maze. Moreover, isolated animals displayed dampened hippocampal long-term potentiation in vivo, both in the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1, as well as a specific reduction in the volume of the stratum oriens and spine density in CA1. Interestingly, social isolation induced a transient increase in hippocampal basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2), whereas fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) levels only increased after long-term isolation. Importantly, subchronic systemic administration of FGL, a synthetic peptide that activates FGFR1, rescued spatial memory in long-term isolated rats. These findings provide new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects on memory of chronic social isolation in the aged.

Problems in Classifying Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): One or Multiple Syndromes?

As the conceptual, methodological, and technological advances applied to dementias have evolved the construct of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), one problem encountered has been its classification into subtypes. Here, we aim to revise the concept of MCI and its subtypes, addressing the problems of classification not only from the psychometric point of view or by using alternative methods, such as latent class analysis, but also considering the absence of normative data. In addition to the well-known influence of certain factors on cognitive function, such as educational level and cultural traits, recent studies highlight the relevance of other factors that may significantly affect the genesis and evolution of MCI: subjective memory complaints, loneliness, social isolation, etc. The present work will contemplate the most relevant attempts to clarify the issue of MCI categorization and classification, combining our own data with that from recent studies which suggest the role of relevant psychosocial factors in MCI.