[Telerehabilitación: evolución de la capacidad funcional, calidad de vida y salud mental en pacientes con covid-19 tras un programa de rehabilitación respiratoria.] / Telerehabilitation: Evolution of functional capacity, quality of life and mental health in COVID-19 patients after a Respiratory Rehabilitation program.

OBJECTIVE: The healthcare approach to rehabilitation has undergone important changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the study was to assess the role of a home respiratory telerehabilitation program based on exercises and education in patients admitted to COVID-19. METHODS: An observational cohort study of COVID-19 patients admitted to General Hospital La Mancha Centro from March to June 2020 was carried out, who were assessed and treated by the rehabilitation, physiotherapy and occupational therapy service. After hospital discharge, the functional capacity, quality of life, mental health and happiness of the patients were assessed by telephone consultation at two, fifteen and thirty days. A descriptive analysis was carried out and for follow-up the McNemar test was used for qualitative variables and Student's t or Wilcoxon paired samples test for quantitative variables. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included in the study. The mean age was 60.9 years, with 50% male and 50% female. 80% of the patients were admitted to the ICU, with a mean of thirty four days. 73.3% of the patients developed ICU-acquired weakness. There are statistically significant changes in functional capacity (Barthel from 57.5 to 90), quality of life (EQ-VAS from 60 to 70), mental health (MHI-5 from 23 to 27) and happiness (Lyubomirsky from 4 to 4.5) of patients at thirty days after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted for COVID-19 and included in the home respiratory rehabilitation program through telerehabilitation significantly improve their functional capacity, quality of life, mental health, and happiness during follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: El abordaje asistencial de la rehabilitación ha sufrido cambios importantes con motivo de la pandemia de la COVID-19. El objetivo del estudio fue valorar el papel de un programa de telerehabilitación respiratoria domiciliaria basada en ejercicios y educación en pacientes ingresados con COVID-19. METHODS: Se realizó un estudio observacional de una cohorte de pacientes con COVID-19 ingresados en el Hospital General La Mancha Centro desde marzo a junio de 2020, que fueron valorados y tratados por el servicio de rehabilitación, fisioterapia y terapia ocupacional. Tras el alta hospitalaria, se valoró mediante consulta telefónica a los dos, quince y treinta días, la capacidad funcional, la calidad de vida, la salud mental y la felicidad de los pacientes. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y para el seguimiento se utilizó los test de McNemar para variables cualitativas y t de student o Wilcoxon de muestras apareados para las cuantitativas. RESULTS: Treinta pacientes fueron incluidos en el estudio. La edad media fue de 60,9 años, siendo un 50% hombres y un 50% mujeres. El 80% de los pacientes ingresaron en UCI, con una media de treinta y cuatro días. El 73,3% de los pacientes desarrollaron debilidad adquirida en UCI. Existen cambios estadísticamente significativos sobre capacidad funcional (Barthel de 57,5 a 90), calidad de vida (EVA de 60 a 70), salud mental (MHI5 de 23 a 27) y felicidad (Lyubomirsky de 4 a 4,5) de los pacientes a los treinta días tras el alta hospitalaria. CONCLUSIONS: Los pacientes ingresados por COVID-19 e incluidos en el programa de rehabilitación respiratoria domiciliaria mediante telerehabilitación mejoran de forma significativa su capacidad funcional, calidad de vida, salud mental y felicidad durante su seguimiento.

Telerehabilitación: evolución de la capacidad funcional, calidad de vida y salud mental en pacientes con COVID-19 tras un programa de rehabilitación respiratoria / Telerehabilitation: Evolution of functional capacity, quality of life and mental health in COVID-19 patients after a Respiratory Rehabilitation program

Fundamentos: El abordaje asistencial de la rehabilitación ha sufrido cambios importantes con motivo de la pandemia de la COVID-19. El objetivo del estudio fue valorar el papel de un programa de telerehabilitación respiratoria domiciliaria basada en ejercicios y educación en pacientes ingresados con COVID-19. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional de una cohorte de pacientes con COVID-19 ingresados en el Hospital General La Mancha Centro desde marzo a junio de 2020, que fueron valorados y tratados por el servicio de rehabilitación, fisioterapia y terapia ocupacional. Tras el alta hospitalaria, se valoró mediante consulta telefónica a los dos, quince y treinta días, la capacidad funcional, la calidad de vida, la salud mental y la felicidad de los pacientes. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y para el seguimiento se utilizó los test de McNemar para variables cualitativas y t de student o Wilcoxon de muestras apareados para las cuantitativas. Resultados: Treinta pacientes fueron incluidos en el estudio. La edad media fue de 60,9 años, siendo un 50% hombres y un 50% mujeres. El 80% de los pacientes ingresaron en UCI, con una media de treinta y cuatro días. El 73,3% de los pacientes desarrollaron debilidad adquirida en UCI. Existen cambios estadísticamente significativos sobre capacidad funcional (Barthel de 57,5 a 90), calidad de vida (EVA de 60 a 70), salud mental (MHI5 de 23 a 27) y felicidad (Lyubomirsky de 4 a 4,5) de los pacientes a los treinta días tras el alta hospitalaria. Conclusiones: Los pacientes ingresados por COVID-19 e incluidos en el programa de rehabilitación respiratoria domiciliaria mediante telerehabilitación mejoran de forma significativa su capacidad funcional, calidad de vida, salud mental y felicidad durante su seguimiento.(AU)

Background: The healthcare approach to rehabilitation has undergone important changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the study was to assess the role of a home respiratory telerehabilitation program based on exercises and education in patients admitted to COVID-19. Methods: An observational cohort study of COVID-19 patients admitted to General Hospital La Mancha Centro from March to June 2020 was carried out, who were assessed and treated by the rehabilitation, physiotherapy and occupational therapy service. After hospital discharge, the functional capacity, quality of life, mental health and happiness of the patients were assessed by telephone consultation at two, fifteen and thirty days. A descriptive analysis was carried out and for follow-up the McNemar test was used for qualitative variables and Student’s t or Wilcoxon paired samples test for quantitative variables.Results: Thirty patients were included in the study. The mean age was 60.9 years, with 50% male and 50% female. 80% of the patients were admitted to the ICU, with a mean of thirty four days. 73.3% of the patients developed ICU-acquired weakness. There are statistically significant changes in functional capacity (Barthel from 57.5 to 90), quality of life (EQ-VAS from 60 to 70), mental health (MHI-5 from 23 to 27) and happiness (Lyubomirsky from 4 to 4.5) of patients at thirty days after discharge. Conclusions: Patients admitted for COVID-19 and included in the home respiratory rehabilitation program through telerehabilitation significantly improve their functional capacity, quality of life, mental health, and happiness during follow-up.(AU)

How Self-Objectification Impacts Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls in Costa Rica.

BACKGROUND: In Latin America, more than 80% of adolescent girls are physically inactive. Inactivity may be reinforced by female stereotypes and objectification in the Latin American sociocultural context. METHODS: We examined the influence of objectification on the adoption of an active lifestyle among 192 adolescents (14 and 17 years old) from urban and rural areas in Costa Rica. Analyses of 48 focus-groups sessions were grounded in Objectification Theory. RESULTS: Vigorous exercises were gender-typed as masculine while girls had to maintain an aesthetic appearance at all times. Adolescents described how girls were anxious around the prospect of being shamed and sexually objectified during exercises. This contributed to a decrease in girls' desire to engage in physical activities. Among males, there is also a budding tolerance of female participation in vigorous sports, as long as girls maintained a feminine stereotype outside their participation. CONCLUSION: Self-objectification influenced Costa Rican adolescent girls' decisions to participate in physical activities. Interventions may include: procuring safe environments for physical activity where girls are protected from fear of ridicule and objectification; sensitizing boys about girl objectification and fostering the adoption of a modern positive masculine and female identities to encourage girls' participation in sports.

DNA aptamers selectively target Leishmania infantum H2A protein.

Parasites of the genus Leishmania produce leishmaniasis which affects millions people around the world. Understanding the molecular characteristics of the parasite can increase the knowledge about the mechanisms underlying disease development and progression. Thus, the study of the molecular features of histones has been considered of particular interest because Leishmania does not condense the chromatin during mitosis and, consequently, a different role for these proteins in the biology of the parasite can be expected. Furthermore, the sequence divergences in the amino and in the carboxy-terminal domains of the kinetoplastid core histones convert them in potential diagnostic and/or therapeutics targets. Aptamers are oligonucleotide ligands that are selected in vitro by their affinity and specificity for the target as a consequence of the particular tertiary structure that they are able to acquire depending on their sequence. Development of high-affinity molecules with the ability to recognize specifically Leishmania histones is essential for the progress of this kind of study. Two aptamers which specifically recognize Leishmania infantum H2A histone were cloned from a previously obtained ssDNA enriched population. These aptamers were sequenced and subjected to an in silico analysis. ELONA, slot blot and Western blot were performed to establish aptamer affinity and specificity for LiH2A histone and ELONA assays using peptides corresponding to overlapped sequences of LiH2A were made mapping the aptamers:LiH2A interaction. As "proofs of concept", aptamers were used to determine the number of parasites in an ELONA platform and to purify LiH2A from complex mixtures. The aptamers showed different secondary structures among them; however, both of them were able to recognize the same peptides located in a side of the protein. In addition, we demonstrate that these aptamers are useful for LiH2A identification and also may be of potential application as diagnostic system and as a laboratory tool with purification purpose.

Parental feeding styles and adolescents' healthy eating habits. Structure and correlates of a Costa Rican questionnaire.

This study designed and validated a questionnaire aimed at examining parental feeding styles to encourage healthy eating habits among Costa Rican adolescents. Adolescents (n=133; mean age 15.4 years), and their parents, participated in the study. The parents completed a parental feeding style questionnaire, and the adolescents completed 3-day food records. Confirmatory factor analyses suggest four distinct parental feeding styles, (a) verbal encouragement of healthy eating behaviors; (b) use of verbal sanctions to indirectly control the intake of healthy food; (c) direct control of access to and intake of food; and (d) use of food to regulate emotions and behavior. There were no correlations between dietary intake and the verbal encouragement of healthy eating behaviors, but there were significant negative correlations between (1) "the use of verbal sanctions to indirectly control the intake of healthy food", and the consumption of fruit and vegetable, of calcium, iron, vitamin B6 and folic acid intake, and (2) between the "direct control of access to and intake of food" and fast food consumption and total carbohydrates intake. The use of food to regulate emotions and behavior was positively correlated with high energy-dense food consumption. Stratification of the data shows significant differences by gender in the correlations between parental feeding style and dietary intake. Understanding parental feeding styles in a Latin American context is a first step in helping researchers develops culturally-appropriate parenting intervention/prevention strategies to encourage healthy eating behaviors during adolescence.

Barriers to and suggestions for a healthful, active lifestyle as perceived by rural and urban Costa Rican adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perceptions of rural and urban Costa Rican adolescents regarding which barriers and motivators affect their adoption of an active lifestyle. DESIGN: Data were collected in focus group discussions. PARTICIPANTS: 108 male and female adolescents aged 12 to 18 from the 7th to 11th grades. SETTING: Two urban and 1 rural high school in San José, Costa Rica. PHENOMENA OF INTEREST: Active lifestyle; barriers and motivators for active life. ANALYSIS: Data were reviewed for emerging themes, and themes were coded using content analysis procedures. RESULTS: Major barriers: (a) physical education curriculum was focused on competitive sports; (b) lack of facilities in the school and community environments; (c) family did not provide good role models and reinforced the socially expected gender roles. Key motivators: (a) changed the physical education curriculum to focus on leisure and recreational activities; (b) increased the availability of facilities both in the school and in the community; and (c) provided a strong social support network. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The school, community, and family environments are potential targets for physical activity interventions for adolescents. Future studies should explore in depth the influence of adolescent socialization patterns (particularly for females) in the establishment of an active lifestyle.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene: influence on rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility.

The macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) is a cytokine that has been implicated in several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, glomerulonephritis, and multiple sclerosis. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), results ranging from lack of association of MIF polymorphisms with RA, to involvement in either severity or susceptibility to the disease have been reported in the past. We aimed at investigating the role of this gene in RA in the Spanish population. Two well-known MIF promoter polymorphisms were tested in 606 adult RA patients and 886 healthy controls: a single nucleotide polymorphism at -173G/C and a tetranucleotide repeat (CATT)(5-8) located at -794. We found a significant association of the allele -173C with RA (p = 0.01; odds ratio [OR] = 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-1.62). The -173C risk allele, previously reported to be transmitted in excess in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, was significantly more frequent in early-onset adult RA patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.003; OR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.14-2.15), whereas late-onset patients were not significantly different to controls (p = 0.6; OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 0.77-1.55). In conclusion, the -173C allele in the MIF promoter region is associated with increased RA predisposition, mainly in early-onset patients.

Role of the MHC2TA gene in autoimmune diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes is almost exclusively regulated by the class II transactivator. A promoter polymorphism (-168A/G, rs3087456) in the MHC2TA gene was associated with increased susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and myocardial infarction in a northern European population. However, no evidence of association of this MHC2TA variant with the two autoimmune diseases could be subsequently detected in independent cohorts. AIM: To test the aforementioned single nucleotide polymorphism and another G-->C change (nt1614 from coding sequence, rs4774) to analyse the haplotype pattern in this MHC2TA gene. METHODS: A case-control study was performed with 350 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 396 patients with multiple sclerosis, 663 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 519 healthy controls from Madrid. Genotyping was ascertained by using TaqMan assays-on-demand on a 7900HT analyser, following the manufacturer's suggestions (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, California, USA). Haplotypes were inferred with the expectation-maximisation algorithm implemented by the Arlequin software. RESULTS: No independent association with these autoimmune diseases was found for either polymorphism in the Spanish cohorts tested. However, when haplotypes were compared between patients with rheumatoid arthritis and controls, a significant difference in their overall frequency distribution was observed, evidencing a protective haplotype (-168A/1614C, p = 0.006; odds ratio (OR) 0.7) and a risk haplotype (-168G/1614C, p = 0.019; OR 1.6). Patients with multiple sclerosis mirrored these results, but no effect on IBD was identified. CONCLUSIONS: The MHC2TA gene influences predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, but not to IBD. The -168G allele is not an aetiological variant in itself, but a genetic marker of susceptibility/protection haplotypes.