Limitaciones y oportunidades para la adopción de la dieta mediterránea en adultos chilenos con elementos diagnósticos del síndrome metabólico / Limitations and opportunities for the appropriation of the Mediterranean diet in Chilean adults with diagnostic elements of metabolic syndrome

Antecedentes: un estilo de alimentación saludable, específicamente la dieta mediterránea (DMed), es un factor asociado a bajo riesgo, menorprevalencia y mejor manejo de las enfermedades crónicas. Sin embargo, existe información limitada respecto a cómo los pacientes incorporanpropuestas de este patrón alimentario en su vida cotidiana.Objetivo: identificar factores y condiciones que pueden influir en la adherencia a la DMed en Chile.Métodos: estudio cualitativo exploratorio en 17 pacientes de ambos sexos de entre 35 y 65 años que presentaban algún criterio diagnósticode síndrome metabólico (SMet). Mediante entrevistas en profundidad y grupos focales se indagaron el conocimiento, la valoración, las actitudesy las prácticas asociadas a cambios y mantenimiento de alimentación con énfasis en la DMed. El análisis de la información se realizó bajo elenfoque de teoría fundada usando el softwar e ATLAS.ti.Resultados: los participantes reconocieron el valor de una alimentación saludable tipo DMed, pero declararon bajo conocimiento (identificaciónde algunos alimentos aislados) de ella, junto con facilitadores (variedad de ingredientes) y limitantes (sabor, disponibilidad/costo de algunosalimentos) para su adopción rutinaria. Además, el cambio de hábitos alimentarios genera alta carga cognitiva y emocional inicial que requiereesfuerzo no solo individual sino también relacional, pues implica modificaciones de prácticas familiares y colectivas.Conclusiones: la información obtenida sobre barreras y oportunidades para adherir a una alimentación saludable como la DMed resulta clavepara diseñar e implementar intervenciones nutricionales basadas en este patrón alimentario y que puedan ser sostenibles en el tiempo para elenfrentamiento de las enfermedades crónicas en Chile.(AU)

Background: a healthy food intake pattern, specifically the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), is a factor associated with reduced risk, lowerprevalence, and better management of chronic diseases. However, there is limited information regarding how patients integrate proposals foradherence to this food pattern in their daily lives.Objective: to identify factors and conditions that influence adherence to the MedDiet in Chile.Methods: an exploratory qualitative study was applied in 35 to 65-year-old patients of both sexes who presented at least one diagnostic criterionof metabolic syndrome (MetS). Through in-depth interviews and focal groups, knowledge, assessment, attitudes, and practices associated withchanges and maintenance of healthy eating habits, with emphasis on the MedDiet, were investigated. Information analysis was carried out underthe grounded theory approach using the ATLAS.ti software.Results: participants recognized the value of healthy eating, including the MedDiet, but declared low knowledge (identification of single foodsitems) together with facilitators (variety of ingredients) and limiting factors (taste, availability/cost of some items, family dynamics) for its routineadoption. In addition, change in eating habits generates a high initial cognitive and emotional load that requires not only individual but alsorelational effort as it implies modifications of family and collective practices.Conclusions: information obtained on barriers and opportunities to adhere to healthy eating such as the MedDiet is key to design and implementnutritional interventions based on this food pattern and that can be sustainable in time for chronic disease management in Chile.(AU)

[Limitations and opportunities for the appropriation of the Mediterranean diet in Chilean adults with diagnostic elements of metabolic syndrome]. / Limitaciones y oportunidades para la adopción de la dieta mediterránea en adultos chilenos con elementos diagnósticos del síndrome metabólico.

Introduction: Background: a healthy food intake pattern, specifically the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), is a factor associated with reduced risk, lower prevalence, and better management of chronic diseases. However, there is limited information regarding how patients integrate proposals for adherence to this food pattern in their daily lives. Objective: to identify factors and conditions that influence adherence to the MedDiet in Chile. Methods: an exploratory qualitative study was applied in 35 to 65-year-old patients of both sexes who presented at least one diagnostic criterion of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Through in-depth interviews and focal groups, knowledge, assessment, attitudes, and practices associated with changes and maintenance of healthy eating habits, with emphasis on the MedDiet, were investigated. Information analysis was carried out under the grounded theory approach using the ATLAS.ti software. Results: participants recognized the value of healthy eating, including the MedDiet, but declared low knowledge (identification of single foods items) together with facilitators (variety of ingredients) and limiting factors (taste, availability/cost of some items, family dynamics) for its routine adoption. In addition, change in eating habits generates a high initial cognitive and emotional load that requires not only individual but also relational effort as it implies modifications of family and collective practices. Conclusions: information obtained on barriers and opportunities to adhere to healthy eating such as the MedDiet is key to design and implement nutritional interventions based on this food pattern and that can be sustainable in time for chronic disease management in Chile.

Introducción: Antecedentes: un estilo de alimentación saludable, específicamente la dieta mediterránea (DMed), es un factor asociado a bajo riesgo, menor prevalencia y mejor manejo de las enfermedades crónicas. Sin embargo, existe información limitada respecto a cómo los pacientes incorporan propuestas de este patrón alimentario en su vida cotidiana. Objetivo: identificar factores y condiciones que pueden influir en la adherencia a la DMed en Chile. Métodos: estudio cualitativo exploratorio en 17 pacientes de ambos sexos de entre 35 y 65 años que presentaban algún criterio diagnóstico de síndrome metabólico (SMet). Mediante entrevistas en profundidad y grupos focales se indagaron el conocimiento, la valoración, las actitudes y las prácticas asociadas a cambios y mantenimiento de alimentación con énfasis en la DMed. El análisis de la información se realizó bajo el enfoque de teoría fundada usando el software ATLAS.ti. Resultados: los participantes reconocieron el valor de una alimentación saludable tipo DMed, pero declararon bajo conocimiento (identificación de algunos alimentos aislados, dinámica familiar) de ella, junto con facilitadores (variedad de ingredientes) y limitantes (sabor, disponibilidad/costo de algunos alimentos) para su adopción rutinaria. Además, el cambio de hábitos alimentarios genera alta carga cognitiva y emocional inicial que requiere esfuerzo no solo individual sino también relacional, pues implica modificaciones de prácticas familiares y colectivas. Conclusiones: la información obtenida sobre barreras y oportunidades para adherir a una alimentación saludable como la DMed resulta clave para diseñar e implementar intervenciones nutricionales basadas en este patrón alimentario y que puedan ser sostenibles en el tiempo para el enfrentamiento de las enfermedades crónicas en Chile.

MEANSP: How Many Channels are Needed to Predict the Performance of a SMR-Based BCI?

Predicting whether a particular individual would reach an adequate control of a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) has many practical advantages. On the one hand, participants with low predicted performance could be trained with specifically designed sessions and avoid frustrating experiments; on the other hand, planning time and resources would be more efficient; and finally, the variables related to an accurate prediction could be manipulated to improve the prospective BCI performance. To this end, several predictors have been proposed in the literature, most of them based on the power estimation of EEG signals at the specific frequency bands. Many of these studies evaluate their predictors in relatively small datasets and/or using a relatively high number of channels. In this manuscript, we propose a novel predictor called [Formula: see text] to predict the performance of participants using BCIs that are based on the modulation of sensorimotor rhythms. This novel predictor has been positively evaluated using only 2, 3, 4 or 5 channels. [Formula: see text] has shown to perform as well as or better than other state-of-the-art predictors. The best sets of different number of channels are also provided, which have been tested in two different settings to prove their robustness. The proposed predictor has been successfully evaluated using two large-scale datasets containing 150 and 80 participants, respectively. We also discuss predictor thresholds for users to expect good performance in feedback experiments and show the advantages in comparison to a competing algorithm.

Motor abnormalities and basal ganglia in first-episode psychosis (FEP).

BACKGROUND: Motor abnormalities (MAs) are the primary manifestations of schizophrenia. However, the extent to which MAs are related to alterations of subcortical structures remains understudied. METHODS: We aimed to investigate the associations of MAs and basal ganglia abnormalities in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy controls. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 48 right-handed FEP and 23 age-, gender-, handedness-, and educational attainment-matched controls, to obtain basal ganglia shape analysis, diffusion tensor imaging techniques (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity), and relaxometry (R2*) to estimate iron load. A comprehensive motor battery was applied including the assessment of parkinsonism, catatonic signs, and neurological soft signs (NSS). A fully automated model-based segmentation algorithm on 1.5T MRI anatomical images and accurate corregistration of diffusion and T2* volumes and R2* was used. RESULTS: FEP patients showed significant local atrophic changes in left globus pallidus nucleus regarding controls. Hypertrophic changes in left-side caudate were associated with higher scores in sensory integration, and in right accumbens with tremor subscale. FEP patients showed lower fractional anisotropy measures than controls but no significant differences regarding mean diffusivity and iron load of basal ganglia. However, iron load in left basal ganglia and right accumbens correlated significantly with higher extrapyramidal and motor coordination signs in FEP patients. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, iron load in left basal ganglia may have a role in the emergence of extrapyramidal signs and NSS of FEP patients and in consequence in the pathophysiology of psychosis.

High density muscle size and muscle power are associated with both gait and sit-to-stand kinematic parameters in frail nonagenarians.

Frailty is an important concept in clinical and demographic research in the elderly because of its incidence level and its relationship with adverse outcomes. Functional ability declines with advanced age, likely due to changes in muscle function. This study aimed to examine the relationship between muscle quality and muscle power with kinematics from functional tests in a population of 21 institutionalized frail nonagenarian (91.3 ± 3.1 years). Here, muscle quality was measured by segmenting areas of high- and low-density fibers with computerized tomography. In addition, muscle strength and muscle power were obtained through maximal strength and power tests using resistance exercises. Finally, functional capacity outcomes (i.e., balance, gait velocity and sit-to-stand ability), as well as kinematic parameters, were evaluated from a tri-axial sensor used during a battery of functional tests. Our results show that lower limb muscle quality, maximal strength and power output present statistically significant relationships with different kinematic parameters, especially during the sit-to-stand and gait tests (e.g. leg power and maximum power during sit-to-stand (r = 0.80) as well as quadriceps muscle mass and step asymmetry (r = -0,71). In particular, frail individuals with greater muscle quality needed less trunk range of motion to make the transition between sitting and standing, took less time to stand up, and exerted a major peak power of force. As a conclusion, a loss of muscle quality and power may lead to motor control impairments such as gait, sit-to-stand and balance that can be the cause of adverse events such as falls.

Effects of seasonal upwelling on hydrography and mesozooplankton communities in a Pacific tropical cove off Colombia

Introduction: The effects of seasonal upwelling on the conditions of the water column and mesozooplankton communities are poorly understood in the coastal zones of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), despite the important role of upwelling events in the modulation of productivity in these zones.Objective:To evaluate the influence of seasonal upwelling over the Panama Bight on the structure of the water column and mesozooplankton communities in a tropical cove of the ETP. Methods:Hydrographic data and mesozooplankton samples were collected during four field campaigns in Ensenada de Utría (December 2011, February 2012, October 2013, and February 2013), an estuary located in the Northern Pacific coast of Colombia. Non-parametric and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate seasonal differences in the environmental and biotic variables. Results:Surface waters were warm (> 25 °C) and presented low salinities ( 33), and presented low dissolved oxygen concentrations (< 2.0 ml l-1) during the dry season (January - March), whereas the water column was homogeneous during the rainy season (April - December). Despite the seasonal changes in the environmental conditions, the expected enhancement in the productivity of the system during the dry season (i.e., higher biomass and abundance of the mesozooplankton) only occurred in February 2012. Contrary to expectations, ichthyoplankton abundance was higher during the rainy season, when the assemblage was dominated by the larvae of anchovy (Cetengraulis mysticetus) and an unidentified Gobiidae.Conclusions: The entrance of upwelled waters into Ensenada de Utría is an important factor modulating the seasonal changes observed in the water column. However, there is high interannual variability in the response of mesozooplankton communities to the upwelling events. Because upwelled waters are oxygen-depleted and more acidic, the entrance of upwelled waters into Ensenada de Utría could be causing physiological stress to the benthic and pelagic organisms inhabiting the deepest zones of the cove. This condition may worsen in the future given the predicted increase of deoxygenation and ocean acidification due to climate change.

Introducción: Los efectos de surgencias estacionales sobre la estructura de la columna de agua y las comunidades del mesozooplancton son pobremente entendidos en zonas costeras del Pacífico Oriental Tropical (POT), a pesar de la importancia que tienen los eventos de surgencia en modular la productividad en estas zonas. Objetivo: Evaluar los efectos de la surgencia estacional que ocurre en la Ensenada de Panamá sobre la columna de agua y las comunidades del mesozooplancton en una ensenada tropical del POT. Métodos: Los datos hidrográficos y las muestras de mesozooplankton fueron recolectados durante cuatro campañas de muestreo en la Ensenada de Utría (diciembre 2011, febrero 2012, febrero 2013, octubre 2013), un estuario ubicado en la costa norte del Pacífico colombiano. Las diferencias estacionales en las variables ambientales y bióticas se evaluaron mediante análisis no paramétricos y multivariados. Resultados: Las aguas superficiales fueron cálidas (> 25 °C) y presentaron bajas salinidades ( 33) y presentaron menores concentraciones de oxígeno disuelto (< 2.0 ml l-1) durante la época seca (enero - marzo), mientras que la columna de agua fue homogénea durante la época de lluvias (abril - diciembre). A pesar de los cambios estacionales en las condiciones ambientales, el incremento esperado en la productividad del sistema durante la época seca (i.e., mayor biomasa y abundancia del mesozooplancton) sólo se observó durante febrero 2012. Contrario a lo esperado, la abundancia del ictioplancton fue mayor durante la época de lluvias, periodo en el que el ensamblaje estuvo dominado por un Gobiidae sin identificar y la carduma (Cetengraulis mysticetus). Conclusión: La entrada de aguas de surgencia a la Ensenada de Utría es un factor importante que modula los cambios estacionales observados en la columna de agua. Sin embargo, la respuesta de las comunidades del mesozooplancton ante los eventos de surgencia presentó alta variabilidad interanual. Considerando que las aguas de surgencia son reducidas en oxígeno y más acídicas, la entrada de aguas de surgencia a la Ensenada de Utría podría estar causando estrés fisiológico a los organismos bentónicos y pelágicos que habitan las zonas más profundas de la ensenada. Esta condición podría volverse más severa en el futuro considerando las predicciones que sugieren un incremento de la desoxigenación y acidificación del océano debido al cambio climático.

Spatial distribution of Euphausiids (Euphausiacea) off Malpelo Island, Colombian Tropical Pacific / Distribución espacial de Eufáusidos (Euphausiacea) en la Isla Malpelo, Pacífico Tropical de Colombia

Abstract Euphausiids migrate vertically in the water column as part of their diel cycle. These migrations make them a key element in the biological pump of the pelagic environment. In order to evaluate the vertical distribution of euphausiids around Malpelo Island (3.8 - 4.2 N & 81.4 - 81.8 W), we took stratified zooplankton samples (0-50, 50-100, and 100-150 m) during the Pacífico-ERFEN campaign in September 2012. A total of 10 species belonging to four genera were identified. Euphausia diomedeae was the most abundant species in the 0-50 and 100-150 m layers, whereas E. distinguenda was the most abundant species in the 50-100 m layer. Based on quasi-Poisson generalized linear distribution models we found that abundance in the 50-100 m layer was significantly higher than in the 100-150 m layer (t= 3.05, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences associated with sampling hour (diurnal/nocturnal) (t= 0.07, p = 0.94). We calculated a vertical distribution index (VDI) based on abundance, showed that euphausiid species were concentrated in the 50-100 m layer during day and night. Calyptopis larvae dominated in abundance at all depth layers, followed by furcilia larvae, juveniles, and adults. The abundance of the latter increased gradually from the most superficial layer to the deepest layer, whereas juveniles showed the opposite pattern. This is the first study to describe the taxonomic composition, and vertical and spatial distribution of euphausiids associated with Malpelo Island, Colombian Pacific.(AU)

Resumen Los eufáusidos son organismos que realizan migraciones verticales en la columna de agua como parte de un ciclo nictemeral, estas migraciones los convierten en un elemento clave del ambiente pelágico. Con el propósito de evaluar la distribución vertical de los eufáusidos alrededor de la isla Malpelo (3.8-4.2 N & 81.4-81.8 W), se tomaron muestras estratificadas (0-50, 50-100 y 100-150 m) de zooplancton durante la campaña Pacífico-ERFEN de septiembre 2012. Se identificaron un total de 10 especies pertenecientes a cuatro géneros, siendo Euphausia diomedeae la especie más abundante en los estratos 0-50 y 100-150 m, mientras que E. distinguenda fue la especie más abundante en el estrato de 50-100 m. Con base en modelos lineales generalizados con distribución quasipoisson se encontró que la abundancia del estrato de 50-100 m fue significativamente mayor que la del estrato de 100-150 m (t= 3.05, p < 0.05), sin embargo no se detectaron diferencias significativas asociadas con la hora del muestreo (diurna/nocturna) (t= 0.07, p= 0.94). Con base en la abundancia se construyó un índice de distribución vertical (IDV) encontrando que las especies de eufáusidos estuvieron concentradas en el estrato de 50-100 m durante el día y durante la noche. En los tres estratos de profundidad dominaron en abundancia las larvas calyptopis, seguido de las larvas furcilias, los juveniles y los adultos. Estos últimos incrementaron su abundancia gradualmente desde el estrato más superficial hasta el más profundo mientras que los juveniles tuvieron un patrón opuesto. Este es el primer trabajo que describe la composición taxonómica y distribución vertical y espacial de los eufáusidos asociados a la isla Malpelo, Pacífico colombiano.(AU)

Determination of Se(IV) concentration via cathodic stripping voltammetry in the presence of Cu(II) ions and ammonium diethyl dithiophosphate.

The development of a methodology for the determination of Se(IV) concentration via cathodic stripping voltammetry is described in this work. The methodology is based on the formation of copper selenide (Cu2Se), whose reduction signal at -0.60 V has been used as an analytical response to quantify the Se(IV) concentration in solution. The novelty of our methodology is the study of this system in the presence of a ligand such as ammonium diethyl dithiophosphate (ADTTP), which forms complexes with Cu(II) and Se(IV). The results showed that the presence of ADTTP plays an important role, increasing the sensitivity of the determination by almost a factor of two compared with the methodology in the absence of the ligand. The optimized conditions were pH 1.6 (phosphoric acid, 2.0 × 10-2 mol L-1), CCu(II) = 1.5 mg L-1, CADTTP = 2.0 µmol L-1, Eacc = -0.40 V and tacc = 45 s. The detection and the quantification limits obtained were 0.065 and 0.21 µg L-1, respectively, and linearity was maintained up to 4.0 µg L-1 of Se(IV). The sensitivity was 10.26 nA L µg-1. On the other hand, the relative standard deviation for 15 replicate measurements at 1.0 µg L-1 of Se(IV) was 1.6%. The usefulness of the method was evaluated by determining Se(IV) in two certified reference materials (TMDW and TM-28.4) with relative errors of less than 2.0%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of Se(IV) in spiked tap water and in a liquid pharmaceutical formulation with satisfactory results. The developed methodology presents a low detection limit, good repeatability, selectivity and linear range. Furthermore, the sensibility of the method was achieved by applying a short accumulation time (45 s).

Antimicrobial properties of a novel copper-based composite coating with potential for use in healthcare facilities.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have a major impact on public health worldwide. Particularly, hospital surfaces contaminated with bacterial pathogens are often the origin of both sporadic cases and outbreaks of HAIs. It has been demonstrated that copper surfaces reduce the microbial burden of high touch surfaces in the hospital environment. Here we report the antimicrobial characterization of a novel composite coating with embedded copper particles, named Copper Armour™. Methods: The Copper Armour™ bactericidal activity was evaluated in in vitro assays against several bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Additionally, its antimicrobial properties were also evaluated in a pilot study over a nine-week period at an adult intensive care unit. For this, four high touch surfaces, including bed rails, overbed table, bedside table and IV Pole, were coated with Cooper Armour™, and its microbial burden was determined over a nine-week period. Results: Copper Armour™ coated samples showed an in vitro reduction in bacterial burden of > 99.9% compared to control samples. Moreover, pilot study results indicate that Copper Armour™ significantly reduces the level of microbial contamination on high-touch surfaces in the hospital environment, as compared with standard surfaces. Conclusions: Based on its antimicrobial properties, Copper Armour™ is a novel self-sanitizing coating that exhibits bactericidal activity against important human pathogens and significantly reduces the microbial burden of hospital surfaces. This composite could be used as a self-sanitizing coating to complement infection control strategies in healthcare facilities.

Modeling of Noisy Acceleration Signals From Quasi-Periodic Movements for Drift-Free Position Estimation.

OBJECTIVE: We present a novel approach to drift-free position estimation from noisy acceleration signals, which often arise from quasi-periodic small-amplitude body movements. In contrast to the existing methods, this data-driven strategy is designed to properly describe time-variant harmonic structures in single-channel acceleration signals for low signal-to-noise ratios. METHODS: It comprises three processing steps: 1) short-time modeling of acceleration dynamics (instantaneous harmonic amplitudes and phases) in the analysis frame, 2) analytical integration that yields short-time position, and 3) overlap-add recombination for full-length position synthesis. RESULTS: The comparative results, obtained from the medio-lateral X-acceleration components from 30-s chair stand test recordings, suggest that the proposed method outperforms two state-of-the-art reference methods in terms of Euclidean error, root mean square error, correlation coefficient, and harmonic-to-noise ratio. CONCLUSION: A major benefit of the method is that acceleration signal components unrelated to movement are suppressed in the whole analysis bandwidth, which allows for position estimation completely free of low-frequency artifacts. SIGNIFICANCE: We believe that the method can be useful in frailty assessment in elderly population, as well as in clinical applications related to gait analysis in aging and rehabilitation.

Detection of SO2 derivatives using a new chalco-coumarin derivative in cationic micellar media: application to real samples.

A new probe (E)-7-(diethylamino)-3-(3-(thiophen-2-yl)acryloyl)-2H-chromen-2-one (ChC16) was synthesized and studied as a turn-on fluorescent probe, based on a Michael addition mechanism for sensing SO2 derivatives, which is favored in the presence of cationic micellar media such as cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB). The probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity toward bisulfite over other anions and biothiols, including cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH), with a detection limit of 240 nM. Moreover, the probe showed great potential for its practical application in the detection of bisulfite in real samples, such as dry white wine, and in bioimaging.

Basal ganglia and ventricle volume in first-episode psychosis. A family and clinical study.

Patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) exhibit considerable heterogeneity in subcortical brain volumes. We sought to compare ventricle and basal ganglia volumes in FEP patients (n = 50) with those in unaffected relatives (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 24). Participants were assessed with a semistructured interview and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients had significantly larger left lateral, right lateral and third ventricle volumes than their siblings and larger third ventricle volumes than controls. Additionally, they showed a trend toward significance by having larger right caudate nuclei than controls. Moreover, FEP patients showed lower caudate and putamen laterality indexes (leftward shifts) than healthy controls but not regarding their siblings. Besides, negative dimension was directly associated with lateral and third ventricle volumes and positive dimension with thalamus and ventral diencephalon nuclei. Our findings added evidence to the associations between early enlargement of brain ventricles and negative symptoms, and between early enlargement of thalamic and ventral-diencephalon nuclei and positive symptoms. Moreover, the cumulative exposition to antipsychotics in FEP patients might be related to enlargement of certain subcortical structures, such as the right nucleus accumbens and third ventricle.

Gait Velocity and Chair Sit-Stand-Sit Performance Improves Current Frailty-Status Identification.

Frailty is characterized by a loss of functionality and is expected to affect 9.9% of people aged 65 and over. Here, current frailty classification is compared with a collection of selected kinematic parameters. A total of 718 elderly subjects (319 males and 399 females; age: 75.4 ± 6.1 years), volunteered to participate in this study and were classified according to Fried's criteria. Both the 30-s chair stand test (CST) and the 3-m walking test were performed and a set of kinematic parameters were obtained from a single inertial unit. A decision tree analysis was used to: 1) identify the most relevant frailty-related parameters and 2) compare validity of this classification. We found that a selected set of parameters from the 30-s CST (i.e., range of movement, acceleration, and power) were better at identifying frailty status than both the actual outcome of the test (i.e., cycles' number) and the normally used criteria (i.e., gait speed). For the pre-frail status, AUC improves from 0.531 using the actual test outcome and 0.516 with gait speed to 0.938 with the kinematic parameters criteria. In practice, this could improve the presyndrome identification and perform the appropriate actions to postpone the progression into the frail status.

A low-rank matrix factorization approach for joint harmonic and baseline noise suppression in biopotential signals.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this paper we propose a novel single-channel harmonic and baseline noise removal approach based on the low-rank matrix factorization theory. It aims to enhance spectrogram sparsity in order to significantly reduce the dimensionality of the underlying sources in the input data. Such a low-rank non-negative representation approach admits efficient noise removal. METHODS: The sparsity is improved by a modification of the time-frequency basis through the following signal processing steps: (1) spectrograms segmentation, (2) non-negative rank estimation, and (3) source grouping. The source waveforms are retrieved by means of non-negative matrix factorization and the overlap-add method. The proposed method was tested on real electrocardiogram and electromyogram signals for different analysis scenarios, against two state-of-the-art reference methods. RESULTS: Performance evaluation was carried out by means of the output signal-to-interference ratio. In the electrocardiogram analysis scenarios, for the input signal-to-interference ratio as low as -15dB, the proposed method outperforms the reference methods by 8dB and 17dB respectively. Regarding electromyogram denoising, the performance improvement is about 3dB. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method was shown to be very efficient in harmonic and baseline simultaneous removing from electrocardiogram and electromyogram signals. Its structure allows for a straightforward extension to other biopotential signals e.g. electroencephalograms and multichannel processing.

Dual Task Gait Performance in Frail Individuals with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have stated that frailty is associated with cognitive impairment. Based on various studies, cognition impairment has been considered as a component of frailty. Other authors have shown that physical frailty is associated with low cognitive performance. Dual task gait tests are used as a strong predictor of falls in either dementia or frailty. Consequently, it is important to investigate dual task walking tests in elderly populations including control robust oldest old, frail oldest old with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and frail oldest old without MCI. METHODS: Dual task walking tests were carried out to examine the association between frailty and cognitive impairment in a population with advanced age. Forty-one elderly men and women participated in this study. The subjects from control, frail with MCI and frail without MCI groups, completed the 5-meter walk test at their own gait velocity. Arithmetic and verbal dual task walking performance was also assessed. Kinematic data were acquired from a unique tri-axial inertial sensor. RESULTS: The spatiotemporal and frequency parameters related to gait disorders did not show any significant differences between frail with and without MCI groups. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of these parameters extracted from the acceleration signals led us to conclude that these results expand the knowledge regarding the common conditions in frailty and MCI and may highlight the idea that the impairment in walking performance does not depend of frailty and cognitive status.

Determination of Sudan I in drinks containing Sunset yellow by adsorptive stripping voltammetry.

An efficient, fast and sensitive method for the determination of Sudan I (SI) in drinks containing Sunset yellow (Sy) is developed and validated using an adsorptive stripping voltammetric procedure. Sy is currently added to a large number of foods; however during their synthesis SI may be produced. The determination is based on adsorption of Sy and SI onto HMDE and later reduction of the azo group at -0.71 and -0.82V, respectively. Using the best set of the experimental conditions (pH 12.3; Eads: -0.40V) for the determination of SI in Sy, a linear response for SI in the concentration range 0.5-27.2µgL(-1) was found, with a detection limit of 1.5µgL(-1) in a tads of only 30s. The method was applied to the determination of SI in commercial drinks with satisfactory results. The presence of SI was confirmed by mass spectrometry.

Gait Variability Related to Muscle Quality and Muscle Power Output in Frail Nonagenarian Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Frailty has become the center of attention of basic, clinical, and demographic research because of its incidence level and the gravity of adverse outcomes with age. Moreover, with advanced age, motor variability increases, particularly in gait. Muscle quality and muscle power seem to be closely associated with performance on functional tests in frail populations. Insight into the relationships among muscle power, muscle quality, and functional capacity could improve the quality of life in this population. In this study, the relationship between the quality of the muscle mass and muscle strength with gait performance in a frail population was examined. METHODS: Twenty-two institutionalized frail elderly individuals (93.1 ± 3.6) participated in this study. Muscle quality was measured by segmenting areas of high- and low-density fibers as observed in computed tomography images. The assessed functional outcomes were leg strength and power, velocity of gait, and kinematic gait parameters obtained from a tri-axial inertial sensor. FINDINGS: Our results showed that a greater number of high-density fibers, specifically those of the quadriceps femoris muscle, were associated with better gait performance in terms of step time variability, regularity, and symmetry. Additionally, gait variability was associated with muscle power. In contrast, no significant relationship was observed between gait velocity and either muscle quality or muscle power. INTERPRETATION: Gait pattern disorders could be explained by a deterioration of the lower limb muscles. It is known that an impaired gait is an important predictor of falls in older populations; thus, the loss of muscle quality and power could underlie the impairments in motor control and balance that lead to falls and adverse outcomes.

Do frailty and cognitive impairment affect dual-task cost during walking in the oldest old institutionalized patients?

The objective of this study was to investigate dual-task costs in several elderly populations, including robust oldest old, frail oldest old with MCI, frail oldest old without MCI, and frail elderly with dementia. Sixty-four elderly men and women categorized into frail without MCI (age 93.4 ± 3.2 years, n = 20), frail with MCI (age 92.4 ± 4.2 years, n = 13), robust (age 88.2 ± 4.1 years, n = 10), and patients with dementia (age 88.1 ± 5.1 years, n = 21). Five-meter gait ability and timed-up-and-go (TUG) tests with single and dual-task performance were assessed in the groups. Dual-task cost in both 5-m habitual gait velocity test and TUG test was calculated by the time differences between single and dual-task performance. The robust group exhibited better 5-m gait and TUG test performances in the single and dual-task conditions compared with the other three groups (P < 0.001), and the frail and frail + MCI groups exhibited better performances than the dementia group (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between the frail and frail + MCI groups. However, all groups exhibited lower gait velocities in the verbal and arithmetic task conditions, but the dual-task cost of the groups were similar. Robust individuals exhibited superior single and dual-task walking performances than the other three groups, and the frail and frail + MCI individuals exhibited performances that were superior to those of the patients with dementia. However, the dual-task costs, i.e., the changes in gait performance when elderly participants switch from a single to a dual task, were similar among all four of the investigated groups. Therefore, these results demonstrated that the magnitude of the impairment in gait pattern is independent of frailty and cognitive impairment status.

Biomechanical jumping differences among elite female handball players with and without previous anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a novel inertial sensor unit study.

Persistent biomechanical and jumping capacity alterations have been observed among female athletes who have sustained anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine if biomechanical jumping differences persist among a cohort of elite female handball players with previous ACL reconstruction several years after return to top-level competition. In order to achieve this goal, a direct mechanics simplified analysis by using a single Inertial Sensor Unit (IU) was used. Twenty-one elite female (6 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed and 15 uninjured control players) handball players were recruited and evaluated 6.0 ± 3.5 years after surgical anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Bilateral and unilateral vertical jumps were performed to evaluate the functional performance and a single inertial sensor unit was employed in order to collect 3D acceleration and 3D orientation data. Previously ACL-reconstructed analysed athletes demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) alterations in relation to the three-dimensional axis (X-Y-Z) supported accelerations and differing jump phase durations, including jumping performance values, in both bilateral and unilateral jumping manoeuvres several years after ACL reconstruction. Identification of the encountered deficits through the use of an IU devise could provide clinicians with a new reliable tool for movement analysis in a clinical setting.

Frailty assessment based on trunk kinematic parameters during walking.

BACKGROUND: Physical frailty has become the center of attention of basic, clinical and demographic research due to its incidence level and gravity of adverse outcomes with age. Frailty syndrome is estimated to affect 20 % of the population older than 75 years. Thus, one of the greatest current challenges in this field is to identify parameters that can discriminate between vulnerable and robust subjects. Gait analysis has been widely used to predict frailty. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a collection of parameters extracted from the trunk acceleration signals could provide additional accurate information about frailty syndrome. METHODS: A total of 718 subjects from an elderly population (319 males, 399 females; age: 75.4 ± 6.1 years, mass: 71.8 ± 12.4 kg, height: 158 ± 6 cm) volunteered to participate in this study. The subjects completed a 3-m walk test at their own gait velocity. Kinematic data were acquired from a tri-axial inertial orientation tracker. FINDINGS: The spatio-temporal and frequency parameters measured in this study with an inertial sensor are related to gait disorders and showed significant differences among groups (frail, pre-frail and robust). A selection of those parameters improves frailty classification obtained to gait velocity, compared to classification model based on gait velocity solely. INTERPRETATION: Gait parameters simultaneously used with gait velocity are able to provide useful information for a more accurate frailty classification. Moreover, this technique could improve the early detection of pre-frail status, allowing clinicians to perform measurements outside of a laboratory environment with the potential to prescribe a treatment for reversing their physical decline.