Refractive Index Fiber Laser Sensor by Using a Fiber Ball Lens Interferometer with Adjustable Free Spectral Range.

In this work, a fiber laser refractometer based on a fiber ball lens (FBL) interferometer is proposed. The linear cavity erbium-doped fiber laser uses an FBL structure acting as a spectral filter and sensing element for determining the RI of a liquid medium surrounding the fiber. The optical interrogation of the sensor is the wavelength displacement of the generated laser line as a function of the RI variations. For the proposed FBL interferometric filter, the free spectral range of its wavelength-modulated reflection spectrum is adjusted to maximum in order to obtain RI measurements in a range of 1.3939 to 1.4237 RIU, from laser wavelength displacements in a range from 1532.72 to 1565.76 nm. The obtained results show that the wavelength of the generated laser line is a linear function of the RI variations on the medium surrounding the FBL with a sensitivity of 1130.28 nm/RIU. The reliability of the proposed fiber laser RI sensor is analytically and experimentally investigated.

Lack of association between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been associated in a bidirectional way. The objective of this study was to determine the association between clinical parameters of periodontitis and RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five (75) participants distributed in 3 groups (21 patients with periodontitis without RA, 33 patients with periodontitis with RA and 21 patients with reduced periodontium with RA) were included in this cross-sectional study. A full periodontal and medical examination was performed in each patient. Additionally, subgingival plaque samples for the detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and blood samples for biochemical markers of RA were also taken. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for confounding variables, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and a linear multivariate regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Patients with RA presented less severity of periodontal parameters. The highest levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies were detected in non-periodontitis patients with RA. Covariates such as age, P. gingivalis, diabetes, smoking, osteoporosis and use of medication were not associated with RA. All periodontal variables and P. gingivalis expressed a negative correlation with biochemical markers of RA (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Periodontitis was not associated with RA. Furthermore, there was no correlation between periodontal clinical parameters and biochemical markers of RA.

Lack of association between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis / Falta de asociación entre periodontitis y artritis reumatoide

Background and objective: Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been associated in a bidirectional way. The objective of this study was to determine the association between clinical parameters of periodontitis and RA. Materials and methods: Seventy-five (75) participants distributed in 3 groups (21 patients with periodontitis without RA, 33 patients with periodontitis with RA and 21 patients with reduced periodontium with RA) were included in this cross-sectional study. A full periodontal and medical examination was performed in each patient. Additionally, subgingival plaque samples for the detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and blood samples for biochemical markers of RA were also taken. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for confounding variables, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and a linear multivariate regression were used to analyze the data. Results: Patients with RA presented less severity of periodontal parameters. The highest levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies were detected in non-periodontitis patients with RA. Covariates such as age, P. gingivalis, diabetes, smoking, osteoporosis and use of medication were not associated with RA. All periodontal variables and P. gingivalis expressed a negative correlation with biochemical markers of RA (P<0.05). Conclusions: Periodontitis was not associated with RA. Furthermore, there was no correlation between periodontal clinical parameters and biochemical markers of RA.(AU)

Fundamento y objetivo: La periodontitis y la artritis reumatoide (AR) se han asociado de forma bidireccional. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la asociación entre parámetros clínicos de periodontitis y AR. Materiales y métodos: Setenta y cinco (75) participantes distribuidos en 3 grupos (21 pacientes con periodontitis sin AR, 33 pacientes con periodontitis con AR y 21 pacientes con periodonto reducido con AR) fueron incluidos en este estudio transversal. En cada paciente se realizó un examen médico y periodontal completo. Además, también se tomaron muestras de placa subgingival para la detección de Porphyromonas gingivalis(P. gingivalis) y muestras de sangre para marcadores bioquímicos de AR. Para analizar los datos se utilizó el análisis de regresión logística ajustado por variables de confusión, el coeficiente de correlación de rangos de Spearman y una regresión lineal multivariada. Resultados: Los pacientes con AR presentaron menor severidad de los parámetros periodontales. Los niveles más altos de anticuerpos antiproteína citrulinada se detectaron en pacientes con AR sin periodontitis. Las covariables como la edad, P. gingivalis, diabetes, tabaquismo, osteoporosis y uso de medicamentos no se asociaron con la AR. Todas las variables periodontales y P. gingivalis expresaron una correlación negativa con los marcadores bioquímicos de AR (p<0,05). Conclusiones: La periodontitis no se asoció con la AR. Además, no hubo correlación entre los parámetros clínicos periodontales y los marcadores bioquímicos de la AR.(AU)

Cross-sectional online survey of the impact of new tobacco health warnings in Colombia.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the impact of a new set of six pictorial warnings introduced in 2018. DESIGN AND SETTING: Using a cross-sectional design, we examined awareness of the new warnings among Colombian smokers across two time points of data collection. PARTICIPANTS: Adult smokers (≥18 years of age), defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoking at least one cigarette per week participated at time 1, prior to the introduction of the new health warnings in Colombia in 2018 (n=1985, 72% male), and at time 2, 12 months post introduction (n=1572, 69% male). PRIMARY OUTCOMES: At each time, we examined smokers' responses to warnings on packs (negative affect, thinking about warning messages and cognitive elaboration), attitudes toward smoking (perceived likelihood and severity of harm, self-efficacy, response efficacy and quit intentions), knowledge of the health risks of smoking and responses to the new warnings (negative affect, believability, thinking about the harms, reactance and perceived message effectiveness). RESULTS: Awareness of the warnings was low, with only 59% of smokers reporting having seen them at time 2. Between times, we observed a reduction in negative affect toward current warnings (p<0.001), reduced thinking about (p<0.001) and cognitive elaboration of the warning message (p<0.001), and an increase in perceived severity of warnings (p<0.001). When asked about the six new health warnings, we found a reduction in negative affect (p<0.07), cognitions related to harm (p<0.01), believability (p<0.03), reactance (p<0.01) and perceived message effectiveness (p<0.02) between times. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that effectiveness was low prior to the introduction of the new health warnings and at 12 months post introduction. Tobacco control policy should seek to improve exposure to and noticeability of tobacco health warnings in Colombia.

The Effect of Periodontal Treatment on Clinical and Biological Indicators, Quality of Life, and Oral Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) has been shown to have systemic effects. It has been suggested that, similar to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), periodontitis (PD) has an impact on general health, in terms of psychological, physical, and social aspects. This study determines the effect of periodontal treatment in RA activity, health-related quality of life, and oral health self-perception before and after periodontal treatment in RA patients. A quasi-experimental, prospective, non-randomized study was conducted, and 52 patients were included in the study. Periodontal parameters and the instruments disease activity score-28 (DAS-28), SF-36, and OHIP-14 were measured at baseline and at 3 months after NSPT. All differences were statistically assessed. The study protocol was registered in Clinical Trials (NCT04658615). No statistically significant differences were found in the scores of DAS-28 before and after the intervention in the group with PD and reduced periodontium. When the effect of periodontal treatment was analyzed in the group of 29 patients who were followed up, it was found that there were statistically significant differences before and after in variables such as psychological distress, emotional role, and mental health, which indicates an improvement in the scores of these variables. NSPT influenced the health-related quality of life measured with SF-36 and OHIP-14 in patients with RA. In conclusion, NSPT has an effect on self-reported quality of life and health indicators more than the RA activity as measured with DAS-28. However, the clinical effect of periodontal treatment in RA patients provides important data to support periodontal care in patients.

Standardised packs and larger health warnings: visual attention and perceptions among Colombian smokers and non-smokers.

AIMS: To measure how cigarette packaging (standardised packaging and branded packaging) and health warning size affect visual attention and pack preferences among Colombian smokers and non-smokers. DESIGN: To explore visual attention, we used an eye-tracking experiment where non-smokers, weekly smokers and daily smokers were shown cigarette packs varying in warning size (30%-pictorial on top of the text, 30%-pictorial and text side-by-side, 50%, 70%) and packaging (standardised packaging, branded packaging). We used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to examine the impact of warning size, packaging and brand name on preferences to try, taste perceptions and perceptions of harm. SETTING: Eye-tracking laboratory, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (n = 175) were 18 to 40 years old. MEASUREMENTS: For the eye-tracking experiment, our primary outcome measure was the number of fixations toward the health warning compared with the branding. For the DCE, outcome measures were preferences to try, taste perceptions and harm perceptions. FINDINGS: We observed greater visual attention to warning labels on standardised versus branded packages (F[3,167] = 22.87, P < 0.001) and when warnings were larger (F[9,161] = 147.17, P < 0.001); as warning size increased, the difference in visual attention to warnings between standardised and branded packaging decreased (F[9,161] = 4.44, P < 0.001). Non-smokers visually attended toward the warnings more than smokers, but as warning size increased these differences decreased (F[6,334] = 2.92, P = 0.009). For the DCE, conditional trials showed that increasing the warning size from 30% to 70% reduced preferences to try (odds ratio [OR] = 0.48, 95% CI = [0.42,0.54], P < 0.001), taste perceptions (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = [0.54,0.68], P < 0.001); and increased harm perceptions (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = [0.76,0.80], P < 0.001). Compared with branded packaging, standardised packaging reduced our DCE outcome measures with ORs ranging from OR = 0.25 (95% CI = [0.17,0.38], P < 0.001) to OR = 0.79 (95% CI = [0.67,0.93], P < 0.001) across two brands. These effects were more pronounced among non-smokers, males and younger participants. Unconditional trials showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Standardised cigarette packaging and larger health warnings appear to decrease positive pack perceptions and have the potential to reduce the demand for cigarette products in Colombia.

Effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective before and after study / Efectos de la terapia periodontal no quirúrgica en pacientes con artritis reumatoide: estudio prospectivo de antes y después

Abstract Background: periodontal therapy has been suggested to have systemic effects. However, studies of periodontal therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients have produced controversial results. Aim: To compare the effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on biochemical markers of rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal parameters in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: a prospective before-and-after study was conducted that included 21 participants without and 29 participants with rheumatoid arthritis. Periodontal parameters, Porphyromonas gingivalis detection, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies were measured at baseline and three months after nonsurgical periodontal therapy and the changes were statistically assessed. Results: In general, both groups presented statistically significant improvement in periodontal parameters (p<0.05). There was an increase in the counts of P. gingivalis in both groups at three months. In addition, there was a reduction in levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factor in participants with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, C-reactive protein levels increased in both groups but were higher in the rheumatoid arthritis group. Periodontal parameters in rheumatoid arthritis participants under disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs presented a slightly higher improvement (p <0.05). Conclusions: Nonsurgical periodontal therapy has similar improvements in periodontal parameters in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, nonsurgical periodontal therapy may benefit serum levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. NCT04658615.

Resumen Antecedentes: se ha sugerido que la terapia periodontal tiene efectos sistémicos. Sin embargo, los estudios de la terapia periodontal en pacientes con artritis reumatoide han producido resultados controvertidos. Objetivo: comparar los efectos de la terapia periodontal no quirúrgica sobre los marcadores bioquímicos de la artritis reumatoide y los parámetros periodontales en pacientes con y sin artritis reumatoide. Métodos: se realizó un estudio prospectivo de antes y después que incluyó a 21 participantes sin artritis reumatoide y 29 participantes con artritis reumatoide. Se midieron los parámetros periodontales, detección de Porphyromonas gingivalis, proteína C reactiva, factor reumatoide y anticuerpos anti-proteína citrulinada al inicio del estudio y tres meses después de la terapia periodontal no quirúrgica y los cambios se evaluaron estadísticamente. Resultados: En general, ambos grupos presentaron mejoría estadísticamente significativa en los parámetros periodontales (p <0.05). Hubo un aumento en los recuentos de P. gingivalis en ambos grupos a los tres meses. Además, hubo una reducción en los niveles de anticuerpos anti-proteína citrulinada y factor reumatoide en participantes con artritis reumatoide. Por el contrario, los niveles de proteína C reactiva aumentaron en ambos grupos, pero fueron más altos en el grupo de artritis reumatoide. Los parámetros periodontales en los participantes con artritis reumatoide bajo fármacos antirreumáticos modificadores de la enfermedad presentaron una mejoría ligeramente mayor (p <0.05). Conclusiones: La terapia periodontal no quirúrgica tiene mejoras similares en los parámetros periodontales en pacientes con y sin artritis reumatoide. Además, la terapia periodontal no quirúrgica puede beneficiar los niveles séricos de anticuerpos anti-proteína citrulinada y factor reumatoide en pacientes con artritis reumatoide. NCT04658615.

Síndrome antifosfolípido (SAF): diferencias clínicas e inmunoserológicas entre SAF primario y secundario en una cohorte colombiana / Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS): Clinical and immunoserological differences between primary and secondary APS in a Colombian cohort

RESUMEN Introducción: El síndrome antifosfolípido (SAF) es una enfermedad autoinmune sistémica, caracterizada por trombosis recurrente, que puede afectar la circulación arterial y venosa. Objetivo: Analizar las diferencias inmunológicas y farmacológicas, así como los desenlaces clínicos de una cohorte de pacientes con SAF primario y secundario. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de corte transversal que incluyó 352 pacientes con diagnóstico de SAF atendidos entre los arios 2014 y 2018. Se analizaron variables sociodemográficas, clínicas e inmunológicas y se realizó un análisis univariado y un análisis bivariado mediante la prueba chi-cuadrado para determinar diferencias entre los pacientes con SAF primario y SAF secundario. Finalmente, se hizo un análisis multivariado para buscar asociaciones con los desenlaces clínicos trombóticos en los pacientes con SAF. Resultados: La edad promedio de la población fue de 42,4 ± 14 años; el 84,6% correspondió a sexo femenino. El 67,6% de los pacientes tenía diagnóstico de SAF primario y un 32,4% de SAF secundario, siendo el lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) la enfermedad asociada en un 84%. Dentro de los eventos trombóticos, el más frecuente fue la trombosis venosa profunda (17,3%), seguida por el ataque cerebrovascular (9,9%). En los eventos obstétricos existió una prevalencia del 39,4% para abortos. No se encontraron diferencias en el perfil sociodemográfico ni en el perfil inmunoserológico entre los pacientes con diagnóstico de SAF primario y aquellos con SAF secundario. Los eventos trombóticos tuvieron mayor frecuencia en el grupo de SAF primario, pero solo la tromboembolia pulmonar alcanzó significación estadís tica. Eventos obstétricos como los abortos no fueron diferentes entre ambos grupos. Dentro de los factores asociados a los eventos trombóticos, se encontró que el sexo femenino tiene una probabilidad 5 veces mayor de accidente cerebrovascular y 3 veces mayor de trombosis venosa profunda. Los anti- β2GPI tipo IgM aumentaron alrededor de 3 veces la probabilidad de presentar abortos en mujeres con SAF. Conclusión: Se presenta una de las cohortes colombianas más grandes de pacientes con SAF reportadas hasta el momento en la literatura. La población es comparable clínica y sociodemográficamente con lo encontrado en otros estudios, aunque la prevalencia de SAF primario fue mayor y las complicaciones trombóticas fueron menores. La tromboembolia pulmonar fue significativamente mayor en el grupo de SAF primario.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease charac terized by recurrent thrombosis that can affect the arterial and venous circulation. Objective: To analyze the immunological and pharmacological differences, as well as the clinical outcomes of a cohort of patients with primary APS and secondary APS. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted that included 352 records of patients diagnosed with APS and treated between 2014 and 2018. A description is pre sented of the sociodemographic, clinical, and immunological profile of the population. A bivariate analysis performed using the chi-squared test to determine differences between groups with primary APS and secondary APS, and finally a multivariate analysis to search for associations with thrombotic clinical outcomes in patients with APS. Results: The mean age was 42.4 ± 14 years, and 84.6% were females. Two-thirds (67.6%) of the patients had a diagnosis of primary APS, and 32.4% of secondary APS, of which 84% were associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Among the thrombotic events, the most frequent were deep vein thrombosis (17.3%) and stroke (9.9%). Obstetric events were frequent, with a prevalence of 39.4% for miscarriages. No differences were found in the sociodemographic or immunoserological profile when comparing the group of primary vs. secondary APS. Thrombotic events were more frequent in the primary APS group, although only pulmonary embolism reached statistical significance. There were no differences bet ween the two groups as regards obstetric events, such as miscarriages. Women were found to be 5 times more likely to have a stroke and 3 times more to have deep vein thrombosis. The anti-β2GPI type IgM increased the probability of presenting miscarriages about 3 times in women with APS. Conclusion: The study contains one of the largest Colombian cohorts with APS reported so far, and although it is both clinically and sociodemographically similar to other cohorts, there is a higher prevalence of primary APS. There was a lower frequency of thrombotic complications compared to other cohorts. Patients with primary APS had a tendency to develop thrombosis, as has already been reported in the literature.

Identifying Resilience Factors of Distress and Paranoia During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Five Countries.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has affected all countries with more than 100 million confirmed cases and over 2.1 million casualties by the end of January 2021 worldwide. A prolonged pandemic can harm global levels of optimism, regularity, and sense of meaning and belonging, yielding adverse effects on individuals' mental health as represented by worry, paranoia, and distress. Here we studied resilience, a successful adaptation despite risk and adversity, in five countries: Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Israel, and Norway. In April 2020, over 2,500 participants were recruited for an observational study measuring protective and obstructive factors for distress and paranoia. More than 800 of these participants also completed a follow-up study in July. We found that thriving, keeping a regular schedule, engaging in physical exercise and less procrastination served as factors protecting against distress and paranoia. Risk factors were financial worries and a negative mindset, e.g., feeling a lack of control. Longitudinally, we found no increase in distress or paranoia despite an increase in expectation of how long the outbreak and the restrictions will last, suggesting respondents engaged in healthy coping and adapting their lives to the new circumstances. Altogether, our data suggest that humans adapt even to prolonged stressful events. Our data further highlight several protective factors that policymakers should leverage when considering stress-reducing policies.

Medidas Implícitas en Cognición: Una Aproximación al Estudio de la Automaticidad / Implicit Measures in Cognition: An Approach to the Study of Automaticity

Resumen La investigación en cognición implícita ha aumentado de manera vertiginosa durante las últimas décadas, principalmente por el uso generalizado de procedimientos experimentales conocidos como medidas implícitas. A diferencia de los cuestionarios de autoinforme, estas metodologías impiden que sesgos como la deseabilidad social afecten las respuestas de los participantes, lo que permite abordar temas sensibles. Sin embargo, las medidas implícitas difieren en aspectos como las instrucciones, los materiales o los indicadores conductuales analizados. Debido a esto, hay controversia sobre la naturaleza de los procesos que están siendo medidos, las características que se les atribuyen y, por ende, la posibilidad de hacer comparaciones entre los estudios que emplean diferentes medidas implícitas. Basándose en un modelo de procesamiento dual, este trabajo propone que las medidas implícitas pueden entenderse como indicadores de procesos automáticos. A partir de dicha propuesta, se discuten los requisitos que las medidas implícitas deben cumplir y algunos desafíos para la investigación en automaticidad.

Abstract The research on implicit cognition has increased dramatically over the past few decades, mainly because of the widespread use of experimental procedures known as implicit measurements. In contrast to self-report questionnaires, these methodologies prevent biases as social desirability from affecting participants' responses, allowing sensitive issues to be addressed. However, the implicit measures differ in central aspects as the instructions, materials, or behavioral indicators analyzed. For those reasons, there is controversy about the nature of the processes being measured, the characteristics attributed to them, and, therefore, the possibility of making comparisons between studies that use different implicit measures. Based on a dual processing model, this paper proposes that implicit measures can be understood as indicators of automatic processes. Finally, we will discuss the requirements that implicit measures must satisfy, and some challenges for research in automaticity.

Clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with lupus nephritis in Colombian patients: A cross-sectional study / Factores clínicos y sociodemográficos asociados a nefritis lúpica en pacientes colombianos: resultados de un estudio transversal

Introduction: Over the past decades, incidence of SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) has increased due to early case detection and improved survival of patients. SLE presents at an earlier age and has a more severe presentation in African-American, Native American, Asian, and Hispanic populations. Worldwide, lupus nephritis (LN) is observed in 29–60% of SLE patients, it has a negative impact in renal survival and patient mortality. Several cohorts have established potential risk factors associated with lupus nephritis, such as male sex, serological markers, and some extra-renal manifestations. Objectives: To describe sociodemographic, clinical, immunological, and environmental risk factors in Colombian SLE patients and to compare the population with and without nephritis, in order to establish risk factors and possible associations. Materials and methods: A total of 1175 SLE patients participated in this study. During medical care, an interview and structured survey was conducted and later registered in a database. Sociodemographic, clinical, immunological, and environmental exposure variables were analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using presence of LN as an outcome. Results: Prevalence of LN was 38.7%. Variables significantly associated with LN included being male (OR 1.98), a duration of SLE>10 years (OR 1.48), positive anti-DNA (OR 1.34), positive anti-Sm (OR 1.45), and smoking (OR 1.66). Being non-smoker was a protective factor (OR 0.52). Conclusion: This study describes potential factors associated with lupus nephritis in a Latin American population. Smoking status could be a target for intervention as it is a modifiable risk factor. The association between being male and LN is observed in Latin-American populations such as presented here. Further research in other large-scale population studies and more efforts are needed to gain better insights to explicate these relationships.(AU)

Introducción: En las últimas décadas la incidencia del Lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) se ha incrementado debido a la detección temprana y su mejoría en la supervivencia. La nefritis lúpica (NL) se observa en el 29% a 60% de los pacientes con LES, teniendo un impacto negativo en la supervivencia renal y la mortalidad. Varias cohortes han establecido factores de riesgo asociados con la NL, como el sexo masculino, marcadores serológicos y algunas manifestaciones extrarrenales. Objetivos: Describir los factores de riesgo sociodemográficos, clínicos, inmunológicos y ambientales en pacientes colombianos con LES y comparar la población con y sin NL para establecer posibles asociaciones. Materiales y métodos: Se incluyeron 1175 pacientes con LES, se analizaron variables sociodemográficas, clínicas, inmunológicas y ambientales, tomadas de bases de datos de registros cínicos. Los análisis bivariados y multivariados se realizaron utilizando la presencia de NL como desenlace. Resultados: La prevalencia de NL fue del 38,7%. Las variables significativamente asociadas con NL incluyeron sexo masculino (OR 1.98), una duración del LES>10 años (OR 1.48), anti-ADN positivo (OR 1.34), anti-Sm positivo (OR 1.45) y tabaquismo (OR 1.66), mientras que la ausencia de exposición al tabaco se comportó como factor protector (OR 0.52). Conclusión: Se describen los factores potenciales asociados con NL en una población latinoamericana. El tabaquismo se presenta como un factor de riesgo susceptible de intervención. El sexo masculino y su asociación con NL ya ha sido reportado en otras poblaciones latinoamericanas. Se requieren investigaciones a gran escala en otras poblaciones para explicar mejor estas asociaciones.(AU)

From incidental learning to explicit memory: The role of sleep after exposure to a serial reaction time task.

This laboratory study explores whether sleep has different effects on explicit (recognition-based) and implicit (priming-based) memory. Eighty-nine healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: sleep or wake. All participants were previously exposed to an incidental learning session involving a 12-element deterministic second-order conditional sequence embedded in a serial reaction time task. The participants' explicit and implicit knowledge was assessed both immediately after the learning session (pretest) and after 12 h (posttest). For the sleep group, participants had a night of normal sleep between pretest and posttest, whereas the wake group spent 12 h awake during the day. The measures involved an explicit recognition test and an implicit priming reaction-time test with old fragments from a previously learned sequence and new fragments of a different control sequence. The sleep group showed statistically significant improvement between the pretest and the posttest in the explicit memory measure, whereas the wake group did not. In the implicit task, both groups improved similarly after a 12-h retention interval. These results suggest that throughout sleep, implicitly acquired information is processed offline to yield an explicit representation of knowledge incidentally acquired the night before.

Effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective before and after study.

Background: periodontal therapy has been suggested to have systemic effects. However, studies of periodontal therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients have produced controversial results. Aim: To compare the effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on biochemical markers of rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal parameters in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: a prospective before-and-after study was conducted that included 21 participants without and 29 participants with rheumatoid arthritis. Periodontal parameters, Porphyromonas gingivalis detection, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies were measured at baseline and three months after nonsurgical periodontal therapy and the changes were statistically assessed. Results: In general, both groups presented statistically significant improvement in periodontal parameters (p<0.05). There was an increase in the counts of P. gingivalis in both groups at three months. In addition, there was a reduction in levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factor in participants with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, C-reactive protein levels increased in both groups but were higher in the rheumatoid arthritis group. Periodontal parameters in rheumatoid arthritis participants under disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs presented a slightly higher improvement (p <0.05). Conclusions: Nonsurgical periodontal therapy has similar improvements in periodontal parameters in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, nonsurgical periodontal therapy may benefit serum levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. NCT04658615.

Antecedentes: se ha sugerido que la terapia periodontal tiene efectos sistémicos. Sin embargo, los estudios de la terapia periodontal en pacientes con artritis reumatoide han producido resultados controvertidos. Objetivo: comparar los efectos de la terapia periodontal no quirúrgica sobre los marcadores bioquímicos de la artritis reumatoide y los parámetros periodontales en pacientes con y sin artritis reumatoide. Métodos: se realizó un estudio prospectivo de antes y después que incluyó a 21 participantes sin artritis reumatoide y 29 participantes con artritis reumatoide. Se midieron los parámetros periodontales, detección de Porphyromonas gingivalis, proteína C reactiva, factor reumatoide y anticuerpos anti-proteína citrulinada al inicio del estudio y tres meses después de la terapia periodontal no quirúrgica y los cambios se evaluaron estadísticamente. Resultados: En general, ambos grupos presentaron mejoría estadísticamente significativa en los parámetros periodontales (p <0.05). Hubo un aumento en los recuentos de P. gingivalis en ambos grupos a los tres meses. Además, hubo una reducción en los niveles de anticuerpos anti-proteína citrulinada y factor reumatoide en participantes con artritis reumatoide. Por el contrario, los niveles de proteína C reactiva aumentaron en ambos grupos, pero fueron más altos en el grupo de artritis reumatoide. Los parámetros periodontales en los participantes con artritis reumatoide bajo fármacos antirreumáticos modificadores de la enfermedad presentaron una mejoría ligeramente mayor (p <0.05). Conclusiones: La terapia periodontal no quirúrgica tiene mejoras similares en los parámetros periodontales en pacientes con y sin artritis reumatoide. Además, la terapia periodontal no quirúrgica puede beneficiar los niveles séricos de anticuerpos anti-proteína citrulinada y factor reumatoide en pacientes con artritis reumatoide. NCT04658615.

Clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with lupus nephritis in Colombian patients: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Over the past decades, incidence of SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) has increased due to early case detection and improved survival of patients. SLE presents at an earlier age and has a more severe presentation in African-American, Native American, Asian, and Hispanic populations. Worldwide, lupus nephritis (LN) is observed in 29-60% of SLE patients, it has a negative impact in renal survival and patient mortality. Several cohorts have established potential risk factors associated with lupus nephritis, such as male sex, serological markers, and some extra-renal manifestations. OBJECTIVES: To describe sociodemographic, clinical, immunological, and environmental risk factors in Colombian SLE patients and to compare the population with and without nephritis, in order to establish risk factors and possible associations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1175 SLE patients participated in this study. During medical care, an interview and structured survey was conducted and later registered in a database. Sociodemographic, clinical, immunological, and environmental exposure variables were analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using presence of LN as an outcome. RESULTS: Prevalence of LN was 38.7%. Variables significantly associated with LN included being male (OR 1.98), a duration of SLE>10 years (OR 1.48), positive anti-DNA (OR 1.34), positive anti-Sm (OR 1.45), and smoking (OR 1.66). Being non-smoker was a protective factor (OR 0.52). CONCLUSION: This study describes potential factors associated with lupus nephritis in a Latin American population. Smoking status could be a target for intervention as it is a modifiable risk factor. The association between being male and LN is observed in Latin-American populations such as presented here. Further research in other large-scale population studies and more efforts are needed to gain better insights to explicate these relationships.

Perceived efficacy of COVID-19 restrictions, reactions and their impact on mental health during the early phase of the outbreak in six countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to drastically change their social life habits as governments employed harsh restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. Although beneficial to physical health, the perception of physical distancing and related restrictions could impact mental health. In a pre-registered online survey, we assessed how effective a range of restrictions were perceived, how severely they affected daily life, general distress and paranoia during the early phase of the outbreak in Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Israel, Norway and USA. Most of our over 2000 respondents rated the restrictions as effective. School closings were perceived as having the strongest effect on daily life. Participants who believed their country reacted too mildly perceived the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 to be higher, were more worried and expressed reduced beliefs in the ability to control the outbreak. Relatedly, dissatisfaction with governmental reactions corresponded with increased distress levels. Together, we found that satisfaction with one's governmental reactions and fear appraisal play an important role in assessing the efficacy of restrictions during the pandemic and their related psychological outcomes. These findings inform policy-makers on the psychological factors that strengthen resilience and foster the well-being of citizens in times of global crisis.

TiOxNy Thin Film Sputtered on a Fiber Ball Lens as Saturable Absorber for Passive Q-Switched Generation of a Single-Tunable/Dual-Wavelength Er-Yb Double Clad Fiber Laser.

The use of titanium oxynitride (TiOxNy) thin films as a saturable absorber (SA) element for generation of passive Q-switched (PQS) laser pulses, from a linear cavity Er-Yb double-clad fiber (EYDCF) laser, is demonstrated. Additionally, the deposition of the material as a thin film covering a fiber micro-ball lens (MBL) structure is reported for the first time. The TiOxNy coating is deposited by a direct current (DC) magnetron-sputtering technique. The MBL is inserted within the laser cavity in a reflection configuration, alongside a reflecting mirror. As a result, the coated fiber MBL simultaneously acts as a SA element for PQS laser pulses generation and as an interference filter for wavelength selection and tuning of the generated laser line. Tunable single-laser emission in a wavelength range limited by dual-wavelength laser generation at 1541.96 and 1547.04 nm is obtained. PQS laser pulses with a repetition rate from 18.67 to 124.04 kHz, minimum pulse duration of 3.57 µs, maximum peak power of 0.359 W, and pulse energy of 1.28 µJ were obtained in a pump power range from 1 to 1.712 W.

How Do Induced Affective States Bias Emotional Contagion to Faces? A Three-Dimensional Model.

Affective states can propagate in a group of people and influence their ability to judge others' affective states. In the present paper, we present a simple mathematical model to describe this process in a three-dimensional affective space. We obtained data from 67 participants randomly assigned to two experimental groups. Participants watched either an upsetting or uplifting video previously calibrated for this goal. Immediately, participants reported their baseline subjective affect in three dimensions: (1) positivity, (2) negativity, and (3) arousal. In a second phase, participants rated the affect they subjectively judged from 10 target angry faces and ten target happy faces in the same three-dimensional scales. These judgments were used as an index of participant's affective state after observing the faces. Participants' affective responses were subsequently mapped onto a simple three-dimensional model of emotional contagion, in which the shortest distance between the baseline self-reported affect and the target judgment was calculated. The results display a double dissociation: negatively induced participants show more emotional contagion to angry than happy faces, while positively induced participants show more emotional contagion to happy than angry faces. In sum, emotional contagion exerted by the videos selectively affected judgments of the affective state of others' faces. We discuss the directionality of emotional contagion to faces, considering whether negative emotions are more easily propagated than positive ones. Additionally, we comment on the lack of significant correlations between our model and standardized tests of empathy and emotional contagion.

Lossy Mode Resonance Generation on Sputtered Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films Deposited on Multimode Optical Fiber Structures for Sensing Applications in the 1.55 µm Wavelength Range.

In this work, we demonstrated lossy mode resonance (LMR) generation in optical fiber structures based on multimode fibers coated with aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films. AZO thin films were deposited by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. In order to exhibit the usefulness of the LMR effect for sensing applications in optical fiber based systems, the deposition conditions of the AZO film coatings were set to obtain the second LMR order within the 1.55 µm wavelength range. An optical transmission configuration setup was used to investigate the LMR effect on fiber structures based on the use of no-core and cladding-removed multimode fibers coated with AZO films synthesized from metallic sputtering targets with different proportions of Zn:Al, 92:8% and 98:2%, at atomic concentrations. The optical and electrical/chemical features of the AZO films were characterized with UV-vis and XPS spectroscopy, respectively. The optical response of the proposed sensing configuration to refractive index (RI) variations was experimentally demonstrated. For the best approach, the sensitivity of wavelength displacement to RI variations on the liquid surrounding media was found to be 1214.7 nm/RIU.

Mental capacity in Colombia: a comparison with the UK.

Several international proclamations in the last decades have advocated for the dignity and autonomy of persons with mental disorders. Few discussions have been generated regarding the implication of this transition in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this publication is to review how the concept of mental capacity has been defined in Colombian law. We then briefly compare the Colombian and UK situations and propose a few points of discussion, addressing some difficulties and challenges of both countries. Finally, we propose that the first steps in the Colombian context would be to strengthen understanding about mental capacity in medical schools, postgraduate and other health related programmes, the adoption of standardized tools to improve its assessment in everyday clinical settings and the establishment of community care services from collaborative efforts between governmental and civil organizations.