Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) promotes chemoresistance and aggressive phenotype of A549 lung cancer cells.

Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies with a high mortality rate. In large cities, particulate matter (PM) is a common air pollutant. High PM levels with aerodynamic size ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) associates with lung cancer incidence and mortality. In this work, we explored PM2.5 effects on the behavior of lung cancer cells. To this, we chronically exposed A549 cells to increasing PM2.5 concentrations collected in México City, then evaluating cell proliferation, chemoresponse, migration, invasion, spheroid formation, and P-glycoprotein and N-cadherin expression. Chronic PM2.5 exposure from 1 µg/cm2 stimulated A549 cell proliferation, migration, and chemoresistance and upregulated P-glycoprotein and N-cadherin expression. PM2.5 also induced larger multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) and less disintegration compared with control cells. Therefore, these results indicate lung cancer patients exposed to airborne PM2.5 as urban pollutant could develop more aggressive tumor phenotypes, with increased cell proliferation, migration, and chemoresistance.

Effects of a home care community-dwelling intervention on cognition, mental health, loneliness and quality of life in elder people: The VERA study.

BACKGROUND: New technologies can provide practical solutions that respond to the needs of the elderly, improving their quality of life and well-being. The aim of this research was to validate a multimodal approach based on a video call system, by comparing the scores of different clinically validated tests at baseline and at the end of the intervention. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted with 7 healthy participants aged 61 to 92 years over a 6-month period. To measure the effectiveness of the intervention, five variables were assessed: cognitive impairment, quality of life, general health, perceived loneliness, and depression. The following inventories were used as instruments to measure the aforementioned variables at baseline, mid intervention and after intervention: MEC-35 scale, Fototest, FUMAT scale, WHOQOL-BREF scale, Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale, the Spanish adaptation of the Hamilton Scale, the revised ESTE scale and the Goldberg's GHQ28 Mental Health scale. RESULT: The obtained results confirmed our hypothesis and the participants showed significant improvements after intervention in all the assessed domains except the cognitive domain, as expected. Results in FUMAT, WHOQOL-BREF, Yesavage Geriatric Depression, revised ESTE and the Goldberg's GHQ28 Mental Health scales were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and the effect sizes were large after intervention compare to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that the intervention has been effective in providing the participants with psychological and social benefits in the variables of quality of life, general health, perceived loneliness and depression. The high clinical relevance achieved from the results obtained makes the system a very suitable tool to promote the independence and well-being of people who receive community-dwelling home care.

Internet of things (IoT)-based assistive system for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA): a case report.

PURPOSE: Assistive technologies based on IoT can contribute to improve quality of living of patients with severe motor difficulties by providing partial or total independence. The aim of this work was to analyse the usability and performance of an assistive system based on the IoT when is evaluated by a child patient with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA-I). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved a child with SMA-I and his caregiver. The materials used include an M5Stack Core2 kit, a mobile app, and a smart switch based on the ESP-01S card. The patient sends requests to the caregiver from the app installed on the M5Stack Core2 to a mobile app, and controls smart switches located in the rooms. The system was tested by the participants for a period of 30 days to later evaluate its usability and performance. RESULTS: The results show that the control function of smart switches is the most used and there is no decrease in interactions over the days for the system in general. In addition, the scores obtained from both usability tests (patient and caregiver) were 87.5% and 90%, respectively. The average performance of the entire system was 93.33%. CONCLUSION: The application of assistive technologies based on the IoT allows obtaining a practical solution that improves the development of daily activities in a patient with SMA-I.

A low-cost device can contribute to improve the quality of living of spinal muscular atrophy patients by favouring partial or total independence.IoT-based assistive technologies allow obtaining practical solutions that improve the development of daily activities.

Virtual reality applications based on instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs) for cognitive intervention in older adults: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the use of virtual reality (VR) as a complementary intervention in treating cognitive impairment has significantly increased. VR applications based on instrumental activities of daily living (iADL-VR) could offer a promising approach with greater ecological validity for intervention in groups with cognitive impairments. However, the effectiveness of this approach is still debated. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to synthesize the effects of iADL-VR interventions to rehabilitate, train, or stimulate cognitive functions in healthy adults and people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and different types of dementia. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in the Scopus, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, and APA PsycNet databases until September 2022 and repeated in April 2023. The selected studies met the search terms, were peer-reviewed, included an iADL-VR intervention, and were written in English. Descriptive, qualitative studies, reviews, cognitive assessment, non-intervention studies, those unrelated to VR or iADL, those focused on motor aspects, and non-degenerative disorders were excluded. The PEDro scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the controlled studies. To present and synthesize the results, we organized the extracted data into three tables, including PEDro scores, participant characteristics, and study characteristics. RESULTS: Nineteen studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. The total sample reached 590 participants, mostly women (72.67%). Approximately 30% were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, and 20% had mild cognitive impairment. Variables such as authors and year of publication, study design, type of intervention and VR applied, duration of the intervention, main findings, and conclusions were extracted. Regarding demographic characteristics, the sample size, age, sex, years of education, neurological diagnosis, dropouts, and the city and country where the intervention took place were recorded. Almost all studies showed improvements in some or all the outcomes after the intervention, generally greater in the iADL-VR group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: iADL-VR interventions could be beneficial in improving the performance of cognitive functions in older adults and people with MCI and different types of dementia. The ecological component of these tasks makes them very suitable for transferring what has been learned to the real world. However, such transfer needs to be confirmed by further studies with larger and more homogeneous samples and longer follow-up periods. This review had no primary funding source and was registered with PROSPERO under registration ID: 375166.

Memory rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Loss of cognitive and executive functions is a problem that affects people of all ages. That is why it is important to perform exercises for memory training and prevent early cognitive deterioration. The aim of this work was to compare the cognitive performance of the participants after an intervention by using two mnemonic techniques to exercise memory functions (paired-associate learning and method of loci). METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted with 21 healthy participants aged 18 to 55 years over a 2-month period. To assess the impact of this proposal, the NEUROPSI brief battery cognitive assessment test was applied before and after the intervention. In each session, a previous cognitive training was carried out using the paired-associate learning technique, to later perform a task based on the loci method, all from a smart device-based application. The accuracy response and reaction times were automatically collected in the app. RESULTS: After the intervention, a statistically significant improvement was obtained in the neuropsychological assessment (NEUROPSI neuropsychological battery) reflected by the Wilcoxon paired signed-rank test (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The task based on the method of loci also reflected the well-known age-related effects common to memory assessment tasks. Episodic memory training using the method of loci can be successfully implemented using a smart device app. A stage-based methodological design allows to acquire mnemic skills gradually, obtaining a significant cognitive improvement in a short period of time.

Cognitive-motor interventions based on virtual reality and instrumental activities of daily living (iADL): an overview.

Non-invasive, non-pharmacological interventions utilizing virtual reality (VR) represent a promising approach to enhancing cognitive function in patients with degenerative cognitive disorders. Traditional "pen and paper" therapies often lack the practical engagement in everyday activities that older individuals encounter in their environment. These activities pose both cognitive and motor challenges, underscoring the necessity of understanding the outcomes of such combined interventions. This review aimed to assess the advantages of VR applications that integrate cognitive-motor tasks, simulating instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs). We systematically searched five databases-Scopus, Web of Science, Springer Link, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed, from their inception until January 31, 2023. Our review revealed that motor movements, coupled with VR-based cognitive-motor interventions, activate specific brain areas and foster improvements in general cognition, executive function, attention, and memory. VR applications that meld cognitive-motor tasks and simulate iADLs can offer significant benefits to older adults. Enhanced cognitive and motor performance can promote increased independence in daily activities, thereby contributing to improved quality of life.

Results of treatment with alemtuzumab in a Spanish cohort of patients with multiple sclerosis in the real world: The RealMS study.

Background: Alemtuzumab (ALZ) is a humanized monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of patients with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) administered in two annual courses. The objective of this study was to describe the effectiveness and safety data of ALZ and to report the health resource utilization in patients receiving this treatment. Methods: In this retrospective, non-interventional study, information was retrieved from patients' medical charts at one center in Spain. Included patients were ≥18 years old, and ALZ treatment was initiated between 1 March 2015 and 31 March 2019, according to routine clinical practice and local labeling. Results: Of 123 patients, 78% were women. The mean (standard deviation, SD) age of patients at diagnosis was 40.3 (9.1) years, and the mean time since diagnosis was 13.8 (7.3) years. Patients were previously treated with a median (interquartile range; IQR) number of two (2.0-3.0) disease-modifying treatments (DMTs). Patients were treated with ALZ for a mean (SD) of 29.7 (13.8) months. ALZ reduced the annualized relapse rate (ARR) (1.5 before vs. 0.05 after; p < 0.001) and improved the median EDSS (4.63 before vs. 4.00 after; p < 0.001). Most (90.2%) patients were relapse-free while receiving ALZ. The mean number of gadolinium-enhancing [Gd+] T1 lesions was reduced (1.7 before vs. 0.1 after; p < 0.001), and the mean number of T2 hyperintense lesions was maintained (35.7 before vs. 35.4 after; p = 0.392). A total of 27 (21.9%) patients reported 29 autoimmune diseases: hyperthyroidism (12), hypothyroidism (11), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) (3), alopecia areata (1), chronic urticaria (1), and vitiligo (1). The mean number of health resources (outpatient visits, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and tests performed in the hospital) used while patients were treated with ALZ progressively decreased from year 1 to year 4, except for a slight increase at year 2 of outpatient visits. Conclusion: The ReaLMS study provides real-world evidence that ALZ can promote clinical and magnetic resonance imaging disease remission, as well as disability improvement in patients with MS, despite several prior DMT failures. The ALZ safety profile was consistent with data available from clinical trials and other real-world studies. Healthcare resource use was reduced throughout the treatment period.

Influence of Hand Tracking in Immersive Virtual Reality for Memory Assessment.

Few works analyze the parameters inherent to immersive virtual reality (IVR) in applications for memory evaluation. Specifically, hand tracking adds to the immersion of the system, placing the user in the first person with full awareness of the position of their hands. Thus, this work addresses the influence of hand tracking in memory assessment with IVR systems. For this, an application based on activities of daily living was developed, where the user must remember the location of the elements. The data collected by the application are the accuracy of the answers and the response time; the participants are 20 healthy subjects who pass the MoCA test with an age range between 18 to 60 years of age; the application was evaluated with classic controllers and with the hand tracking of the Oculus Quest 2. After the experimentation, the participants carried out presence (PQ), usability (UMUX), and satisfaction (USEQ) tests. The results indicate no difference with statistical significance between both experiments; controller experiments have 7.08% higher accuracy and 0.27 ys. faster response time. Contrary to expectations, presence was 1.3% lower for hand tracking, and usability (0.18%) and satisfaction (1.43%) had similar results. The findings indicate no evidence to determine better conditions in the evaluation of memory in this case of IVR with hand tracking.

Study for the validation of the FeetMe® integrated sensor insole system compared to GAITRite® system to assess gait characteristics in patients with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the concordance and statistical precision in gait velocity in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), measured with FeetMe® (insoles with pressure and motion sensors) compared with GAITRite® (classic reference system of gait analysis) in the timed 25-Feet Walk test (T25WT). METHODS: This observational, cross-sectional, prospective, single center study was conducted between September-2018 and April-2019 in pwMS aged 18-55 years, with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0-6.5 and relapse free ≥30 days at baseline. Primary endpoint was gait velocity. Secondary endpoints were ambulation time, cadence, and stride length assessment, while the correlation between gait variables and the clinical parameters of MS subjects was assessed as an exploratory endpoint. RESULTS: A total of 207 MS subjects were enrolled, of whom, 205 were considered in primary analysis. Most subjects were women (66.8%) and had relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (82.9%), with overall mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 41.5 (8.0) year and EDSS 3.1 (2.0). There was a statistically significant (p<0.0001) and strong agreement (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) >0.830) in gait velocity, ambulation time and cadence assessment between FeetMe® and GAITRite®. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement between devices was strong (ICC≥0.800). FeetMe® is the first validated wearable medical device that allows gait monitoring in MS subjects, being potentially able to assess disease activity, progression, and treatment response.

Airway Management of Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19: Survey Results from Physicians from 19 Countries in Latin America.

Airway management during the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most challenging aspects of care that anesthesiologists and intensivists face. This study was conducted to evaluate the management of tracheal intubation in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. This is a cross-sectional and international multicenter study based on a 37-item questionnaire. The survey was available to physicians who had performed intubations and tracheostomies in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and had provided informed consent to participate. The primary outcome is the preference to use a specific device for tracheal intubation. Secondary outcomes are clinical practice variables, use of video laryngoscopes, difficult airway management, and safety features to prevent cross-infection. This study included 2411 physicians who performed an average of 11.90 and 20.67 tracheal intubations in patients diagnosed or suspected of having COVID-19 disease, respectively. Physicians were mainly from the specialties of Anesthesiology (61.2%) and Intensive Care (7.4%). COVID-19 infection diagnosed by positive PCR or serology in physicians participating in intubation in this study was 15.1%. Respondents considered preoxygenation for more than three minutes very useful (75.7%). The preferred device for tracheal intubation was the video laryngoscope (64.8%). However, the direct laryngoscope (57.9%) was the most commonly used, followed by the video laryngoscope (37.5%). The preferred device to facilitate intubation was the Eschmann guide (34.2%). Percutaneous tracheostomy was the preferred technique (39.5%) over the open tracheostomy (22%). The predicted or unpredicted difficult airway management in these patients was preferably performed with a video laryngoscope (61.7% or 63.7, respectively). Intubation was mostly performed by two or more expert airway physicians (61.6%). The use of personal protective equipment increased the practitioners' discomfort during intubation maneuvers. The video laryngoscope is the preferred device for intubating patients with COVID-19, combined with the Eschmann guide, flexible stylet within the endotracheal tube, or Frova guide to facilitate intubation. The sub-analysis of the two groups of physicians by the level of intubation experience showed a higher use of the video laryngoscope (63.4%) in the experts group and no significant differences between the two groups in terms of cross-infection rates in physicians, in their preference for the use of the video laryngoscope or in the number of intubations performed in confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients.

Salivary Biomarkers Associated with Psychological Alterations in Patients with Diabetes: A Systematic Review.

The care of individuals with diabetes needs a holistic perspective, taking into account both the physical disease and the mental health problems that may be associated. Different studies show a higher prevalence of depression or anxiety issues in diabetes patients than in the general population, which is why diabetes can be considered one of the chronic diseases in which psychological care is crucial to maintain quality of life. The objective of this review is to examine the published articles that relate the bidirectional associations between objective and subjective measures of anxiety, depressive symptomatology, stress, sleep quality, and salivary biomarkers in patients with diabetes. For this, a search was carried out in the electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane, and SCOPUS using the keywords "diabetes", "saliva", "sleep", "anxiety", "depression", and "stress" for works published up until May 2022 and limited to the English and Spanish languages. The sample comprised 14 articles, 5 of which analysed the associations between depressive symptomatology and salivary biomarkers in people with diabetes. Among the salivary biomarkers most frequently used to evaluate psychological alterations in persons with diabetes are cortisol and melatonin. Thus, significant changes in the levels of these biomarkers were observed in most studies. Four out of five studies reported a statistically significant relationship between increased salivary cortisol in the evening/midnight or the cortisol awakening response and depressive symptoms. In contrast, lower cortisol levels upon waking in the morning were observed when there was no depression or anxiety. Regarding the association between salivary cortisol values and sleep quality in patients with diabetes, lower morning cortisol values related to prolonged nighttime sleep were common in the analysed studies. Low melatonin concentrations showed a negative correlation with sleep quality. As it is an easy-to-apply and non-invasive method, the measurement of salivary biomarkers can be very useful for predicting psychological alterations in patients with diabetes. Further scientific studies are required to determine the sensitivity of these biological substances acting as biomarkers for detecting sleep disorders and psychological alterations.

Social environment influences termination of nomadic migration.

The final stage of migration, when animals terminate migratory movements and transition to a more sedentary state, remains the least understood phase of migration. Whereas migrants that return to the same locations each year may use mechanisms associated with locating a specific destination, migrants with low site fidelity, such as nomadic migrants, may rely on local environmental cues to determine when to cease migratory movements. Using an experiment with captive birds, we tested whether the presence of a conspecific influences the termination of migration, indicated by changes in behaviour and physiology, in a nomadic migrant (the pine siskin, Spinus pinus). We paired migratory birds with a non-migratory individual or left migratory and non-migratory individuals unpaired. Migratory paired birds had a significant decline in nocturnal activity immediately after pairing and activity levels remained lower two weeks later, with significant declines in energetic reserves and flight muscle size also observed. By contrast, migratory unpaired birds maintained high levels of activity and energetic reserves. These results provide evidence for a role of the social environment in migratory termination decisions. Social cues may be particularly useful in nomadic migrants, such as pine siskins, to facilitate settling in high quality, but unfamiliar, habitats.

Use of red mud activated at different temperatures as a low cost adsorbent of reactive dye / Uso de lama vermelha ativada em diferentes temperaturas como um adsorvente de baixo custo de corante reativo

ABSTRACT Red mud, a waste product generated during alumina extraction from bauxite, could be used as a low-cost adsorbent. Here, the effect of thermal treatment on the adsorption of Reactive Blue 19 (RB19) dye by red mud was compared with the adsorption capacity of untreated red mud. Thermal treatment of red mud at 500°C results in an increase in adsorption capacity from 357 mg g-1 (untreated red mud) to 416 mg g-1, under acidic conditions. Red mud samples thermally treated at 600°C and 800°C show a reduction in adsorption capacity, however, falling to 337 mg g-1, in acid medium. The change in the maximum adsorption capacity of red mud to RB19 following thermal treatment is associated with specific surface area. Red mud subjected to 500°C can be used for the treatment of water and wastewaters with a higher efficiency than untreated red mud, thus finding possible application in the textile industry.

RESUMO O resíduo de refino de bauxita (lama vermelha) é um resíduo importante gerado na produção de alumínio, podendo ser utilizado como adsorvente de baixo custo. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a influência do tratamento térmico na adsorção do corante azul reativo (RB19) por lama vermelha, comparando com a capacidade de adsorção de lama vermelha não tratada termicamente. O tratamento térmico da lama vermelha até 500°C resultou em aumento da capacidade de adsorção, variando seu valor de 357 mg g-1 (lama vermelha não tratada) a 416 mg g-1, em condições ácidas. No entanto, amostras de lama vermelha tratadas termicamente a 600 e 800°C mostraram uma redução na capacidade de adsorção, chegando a 337 mg g-1 em meio ácido. A mudança na capacidade máxima de adsorção de RB 19 na lama vermelha tratada termicamente está associada a valores de área superficial específica. Assim, é possível concluir que a lama vermelha tratada termicamente em 500°C pode ser utilizada para o tratamento de água e águas residuárias com maior eficiência do que a lama vermelha natural nas indústrias têxteis, contribuindo para novos insights sobre possíveis aplicações na indústria têxtil.

Virtual Reality-Based Framework to Simulate Control Algorithms for Robotic Assistance and Rehabilitation Tasks through a Standing Wheelchair.

The implementation of control algorithms oriented to robotic assistance and rehabilitation tasks for people with motor disabilities has been of increasing interest in recent years. However, practical implementation cannot be carried out unless one has the real robotic system availability. To overcome this drawback, this article presents the development of an interactive virtual reality (VR)-based framework that allows one to simulate the execution of rehabilitation tasks and robotic assistance through a robotic standing wheelchair. The virtual environment developed considers the kinematic and dynamic model of the standing human-wheelchair system with a displaced center of mass, since it can be displaced for different reasons, e.g.,: bad posture, limb amputations, obesity, etc. The standing wheelchair autonomous control scheme has been implemented through the Full Simulation (FS) and Hardware in the Loop (HIL) techniques. Finally, the performance of the virtual control schemes has been shown by means of several experiments based on robotic assistance and rehabilitation for people with motor disabilities.

Compensation Techniques Aimed at Mitigating Vibrations in Optical Ground-Based Telescopes: A Systematic Review.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the different systems and techniques aimed at suppressing vibrations on optical ground-based telescopes. We identified the studies by searching three electronic databases (Science Direct, IEEE library and Web of Science) from the year 2000 to December 2020. The studies were eligible if they proposed systems focused on mitigating the effects of vibrations in optical telescopes and brought performance data. A total of nine studies met our eligibility criteria. Current evidence confirms the feasibility of adaptative optics (AO) systems based on closed-loop control to mitigate vibrations, although variations and additions should be made depending on their nature and characteristics in order to improve the performance of the proposed techniques. This systematic review was conducted to provide a state-of-the-art of the methods and techniques that have been developed over the past two decades. The review also points out some issues that demand future research.

Three-Dimensional Unified Motion Control of a Robotic Standing Wheelchair for Rehabilitation Purposes.

Technological advances in recent years have shown interest in the development of robots in the medical field. The integration of robotic systems in areas of assistance and rehabilitation improves the user's quality of life. In this context, this article presents a proposal for the unified control of a robotic standing wheelchair. Considering primary and secondary tasks as control objectives, the system performs tasks autonomously and the change of position and orientation can be performed at any time. The development of the control scheme was divided in two parts: (i) kinematic controller to solve the desired motion problem; and (ii) dynamic compensation of the standing wheelchair-human system. The design of the two controllers considers the theory of linear algebra, proposing a low computational cost and an asymptotically stable algorithm, without disturbances. The stability and robustness analysis of the system is performed by analyzing the evolution of the control errors in each sampling period. Finally, real experiments of the performance of the developed controller are performed using a built and instrumented standing wheelchair.

Emergency Airway Management in Patients with COVID-19: A Prospective International Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal intubation for patients with COVID-19 is required for invasive mechanical ventilation. The authors sought to describe practice for emergency intubation, estimate success rates and complications, and determine variation in practice and outcomes between high-income and low- and middle-income countries. The authors hypothesized that successful emergency airway management in patients with COVID-19 is associated with geographical and procedural factors. METHODS: The authors performed a prospective observational cohort study between March 23, 2020, and October 24, 2020, which included 4,476 episodes of emergency tracheal intubation performed by 1,722 clinicians from 607 institutions across 32 countries in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation. The authors investigated associations between intubation and operator characteristics, and the primary outcome of first-attempt success. RESULTS: Successful first-attempt tracheal intubation was achieved in 4,017/4,476 (89.7%) episodes, while 23 of 4,476 (0.5%) episodes required four or more attempts. Ten emergency surgical airways were reported-an approximate incidence of 1 in 450 (10 of 4,476). Failed intubation (defined as emergency surgical airway, four or more attempts, or a supraglottic airway as the final device) occurred in approximately 1 of 120 episodes (36 of 4,476). Successful first attempt was more likely during rapid sequence induction versus non-rapid sequence induction (adjusted odds ratio, 1.89 [95% CI, 1.49 to 2.39]; P < 0.001), when operators used powered air-purifying respirators versus nonpowered respirators (adjusted odds ratio, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.16 to 2.20]; P = 0.006), and when performed by operators with more COVID-19 intubations recorded (adjusted odds ratio, 1.03 for each additional previous intubation [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.06]; P = 0.015). Intubations performed in low- or middle-income countries were less likely to be successful at first attempt than in high-income countries (adjusted odds ratio, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.41 to 0.79]; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The authors report rates of failed tracheal intubation and emergency surgical airway in patients with COVID-19 requiring emergency airway management, and identified factors associated with increased success. Risks of tracheal intubation failure and success should be considered when managing COVID-19.

Head-Mounted Display-Based Therapies for Adults Post-Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Immersive virtual reality techniques have been applied to the rehabilitation of patients after stroke, but evidence of its clinical effectiveness is scarce. The present review aims to find studies that evaluate the effects of immersive virtual reality (VR) therapies intended for motor function rehabilitation compared to conventional rehabilitation in people after stroke and make recommendations for future studies. Data from different databases were searched from inception until October 2020. Studies that investigated the effects of immersive VR interventions on post-stroke adult subjects via a head-mounted display (HMD) were included. These studies included a control group that received conventional therapy or another non-immersive VR intervention. The studies reported statistical data for the groups involved in at least the posttest as well as relevant outcomes measuring functional or motor recovery of either lower or upper limbs. Most of the studies found significant improvements in some outcomes after the intervention in favor of the virtual rehabilitation group. Although evidence is limited, immersive VR therapies constitute an interesting tool to improve motor learning when used in conjunction with traditional rehabilitation therapies, providing a non-pharmacological therapeutic pathway for people after stroke.

Head-Mounted Display-Based Application for Cognitive Training.

Virtual Reality (VR) has had significant advances in rehabilitation, due to the gamification of cognitive activities that facilitate treatment. On the other hand, Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) produces outstanding results due to the interactive features with the user. This work introduces a VR application for memory rehabilitation by walking through a maze and using the Oculus Go head-mounted display (HMD) technology. The mechanics of the game require memorizing geometric shapes while the player progresses in two modes, autonomous or manual, with two levels of difficulty depending on the number of elements to remember. The application is developed in the Unity 3D video game engine considering the optimization of computational resources to improve the performance in the processing and maintaining adequate benefits for the user, while the generated data is stored and sent to a remote server. The maze task was assessed with 29 subjects in a controlled environment. The obtained results show a significant correlation between participants' response accuracy in both the maze task and a face-pair test. Thus, the proposed task is able to perform memory assessments.

Study on the Vibration Characteristics of the Telescope T80 in the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory (JAO) Aimed at Detecting Invalid Images.

The location of large telescopes, generally far from the data processing centers, represents a logistical problem for the supervision of the capture of images. In this work, we carried out a preliminary study of the vibration signature of the T80 telescope at the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory (JAO). The study analyzed the process of calculating the displacement that occurs because of the vibration in each of the frequencies in the range of interest. We analyzed the problems associated with very low frequencies by means of simulation, finding the most critical vibrations below 20 Hz, since they are the ones that generate greater displacements. The work also relates previous studies based on simulation with the real measurements of the vibration of the telescope taken remotely when it is subjected to different positioning movements (right ascension and/or declination) or when it performs movement actions such as those related to filter trays or mirror cover. The obtained results allow us to design a remote alarm system to detect invalid images (taken with excess vibration).