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Stroke is a neurological condition that usually results in the loss of voluntary control of body movements, making it difficult for individuals to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) integrated into robotic systems, such as motorized mini exercise bikes (MMEBs), have been demonstrated to be suitable for restoring gait-related functions. However, kinematic estimation of continuous motion in BCI systems based on electroencephalography (EEG) remains a challenge for the scientific community. This study proposes a comparative analysis to evaluate two artificial neural network (ANN)-based decoders to estimate three lower-limb kinematic parameters: x- and y-axis position of the ankle and knee joint angle during pedaling tasks. Long short-term memory (LSTM) was used as a recurrent neural network (RNN), which reached Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) scores close to 0.58 by reconstructing kinematic parameters from the EEG features on the delta band using a time window of 250 ms. These estimates were evaluated through kinematic variance analysis, where our proposed algorithm showed promising results for identifying pedaling and rest periods, which could increase the usability of classification tasks. Additionally, negative linear correlations were found between pedaling speed and decoder performance, thereby indicating that kinematic parameters between slower speeds may be easier to estimate. The results allow concluding that the use of deep learning (DL)-based methods is feasible for the estimation of lower-limb kinematic parameters during pedaling tasks using EEG signals. This study opens new possibilities for implementing controllers most robust for MMEBs and BCIs based on continuous decoding, which may allow for maximizing the degrees of freedom and personalized rehabilitation.

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Zeolite type 5A combined with the magnetic properties of maghemite nanoparticles facilitate the rapid absorption of heavy metals, which makes them an interesting proposal for the remediation of water contaminated with lead and arsenic. However, the physicochemical analysis related to concentration and size for the use of this magnetic zeolite composite (MZ0) in water bodies and the possible toxicological effects on aquatic fauna has not yet been carried out. The main objective of the research work is to determine lethal concentrations that cause damage to Daphnia magna based on LC50 tests, morphology, reproductive rate, and quantification of the expression of three genes closely involved in the morphological development of vital structures (Glass, NinaE, Pph13). To achieve this objective, populations of neonates and young individuals were used, and results showed that the LC50 for neonates was 11,314 mg L-1, while for young individuals, it was 0.0310 mg L-1. Damage to morphological development was evidenced by a decrease in eye size in neonates, an increase in eye size in young individuals, variations in the size of the caudal spine for both age groups, and slight increases in the heart size, body, and antenna for both age groups. The reproductive rate of neonates was not affected by the lower concentrations of MZ0, while in young individuals, the reproductive rate decreased by more than 50% from the minimum exposure concentration of MZ0. And for both ages, Glass gene expression levels decreased as the MZ0 concentration increased. Also, the MZ0 evidenced its affinity for the exoskeleton of D. magna, which was observed using both light microscopy and electron microscopy. It is concluded that MZ0 did not generate significant damage in the mortality, morphology, reproductive rate, or gene expression in D. magna at lower concentrations, demonstrating the importance of evaluating the possible impacts on different life stages of the cladoceran.

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Levels of 237 pesticides were assessed in 1063 fruit and vegetable samples from 12 São Paulo markets spanning the period May 2015 to December 2022. The QuEChERS method was employed for extraction, followed by GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS analysis. Findings indicated that 30% of the samples contained residues below the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), while 6% exceeded these. Additionally, 23% exhibited excessive residues for their respective crops and 40% had no detectable residues. Health risk evaluation focused on tomatoes, cabbage and oranges, revealing exposure within 0.002-0.9% of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), indicating no chronic risks. However, pyraclostrobin in orange presented a potential acute risk for adults (112%). These results underscore the necessity for continuous monitoring of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables to safeguard consumer health, especially considering the significant levels of consumption.

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Exposure to ambient ozone (O3) is linked to increased mortality risks from various diseases, but epidemiological investigations delving into its potential implications for cancer mortality are limited. We aimed to examine the association between short-term O3 exposure and site-specific cancer mortality and investigate vulnerable subgroups in Brazil. In total 3,459,826 cancer death records from 5570 Brazilian municipalities between 2000 and 2019, were included. Municipal average daily O3 concentration was calculated from a global estimation at 0.25°×0.25° spatial resolution. The time-stratified case-crossover design was applied to assess the O3-cancer mortality association. Subgroup analyses by age, sex, season, time-period, region, urban hierarchy, climate classification, quantiles of GDP per capita and illiteracy rates were performed. A linear and non-threshold exposure-response relationship was observed for short-term exposure to O3 with cancer mortality, with a 1.00% (95% CI: 0.79%-1.20%) increase in all-cancer mortality risks for each 10-µg/m3 increment of three-day average O3. Kidney cancer was most strongly with O3 exposure, followed by cancers of the prostate, stomach, breast, lymphoma, brain and lung. The associated cancer risks were relatively higher in the warm season and in southern Brazil, with a decreasing trend over time. When restricting O3 concentration to the national minimum value during 2000-2019, a total of 147,074 (116,690-177,451) cancer deaths could be avoided in Brazil, which included 17,836 (7014-28,653) lung cancer deaths. Notably, these associations persisted despite observed adaptation within the Brazilian population, highlighting the need for a focus on incorporating specific measures to mitigate O3 exposure into cancer care recommendations.

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Using a modified co-precipitation method, 11(2) nm γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles functionalized with PSSNa [Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)] saloplastic polymer were successfully synthesized, and their structural, vibrational, electronic, thermal, colloidal, hyperfine, and magnetic properties were systematically studied using various analytic techniques. The results showed that the functionalized γ-Fe2O3/PSSNa nanohybrid has physicochemical properties that allow it to be applied in the magnetic remediation process of water. Before being applied as a nanoadsorbent in real water treatment, a short-term acute assay was developed and standardized using a Daphnia magna biomarker. The ecotoxicological tests indicated that the different concentrations of the functionalized nanohybrid may affect the mortality of the Daphnia magna population during the first 24 h of exposure. A lethal concentration of 533(5) mg L-1 was found. At high concentrations, morphological changes were also seen in the body, heart, and antenna. Therefore, these results suggested the presence of alterations in normal growth and swimming skills. The main changes observed in the D. magna features were basically caused by the PSSNa polymer due to its highly stable colloidal properties (zeta potential > -30 mV) that permit a direct and constant interaction with the Daphnia magna neonates.

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This work addresses the challenge of classifying multiclass visual EEG signals into 40 classes for brain-computer interface applications using deep learning architectures. The visual multiclass classification approach offers BCI applications a significant advantage since it allows the supervision of more than one BCI interaction, considering that each class label supervises a BCI task. However, because of the nonlinearity and nonstationarity of EEG signals, using multiclass classification based on EEG features remains a significant challenge for BCI systems. In the present work, mutual information-based discriminant channel selection and minimum-norm estimate algorithms were implemented to select discriminant channels and enhance the EEG data. Hence, deep EEGNet and convolutional recurrent neural networks were separately implemented to classify the EEG data for image visualization into 40 labels. Using the k-fold cross-validation approach, average classification accuracies of 94.8% and 89.8% were obtained by implementing the aforementioned network architectures. The satisfactory results obtained with this method offer a new implementation opportunity for multitask embedded BCI applications utilizing a reduced number of both channels (<50%) and network parameters (<110 K).

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Different tests measure text comprehension, including the cloze gap-filling test, often used for language learning. Different studies hypothesized cognitive strategies in this type of test and their relationship with working memory and performance. However, no study investigated the cloze test, working memory, and possible cognitive strategies, while performing the test. Therefore, this study aimed to identify cognitive visual strategies in the cloze test by applying an unsupervised algorithm and to analyze the relationship between these strategies with working memory and performance in the cloze test. Our sample consisted of 51 university students, the largest sample in studies of cognitive strategies with cloze tests. Participants answered an 11-item cloze test in a computer with eye-tracking, a verbal working memory test, and a visuospatial working memory test. Our analysis of participants' scanpath identified two main strategies: one with fewer toggles between text and word bank and fewer fixations than the other one, indicating the existence of a global strategy. Furthermore, a model predicting the efficiency of participants in the cloze test found that item complexity, using a global strategy, and higher scores of working memory were the most significant predictors. These results confirm the hypothesis of a global strategy being related to successfully achieving higher-order reading processes.

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Objective: The Visual Short-Term Memory Binding (VSTMB) Test is a useful tool in the assessment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Research has suggested that short-term memory binding is insensitive to the sociocultural characteristics of the assessed individuals. Such earlier studies addressed this influence by considering years of education. The current study aims to determine the influence of sociocultural factors via a measure of Socioeconomic Status (SES) which provides a more holistic approach to these common confounders. Methods: A sample of 126 older adults, both with (n = 59) and without (n = 67) amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), underwent assessment using a neuropsychological protocol including VSTMB test. All participants were classified as either high SES or low SES, employing the Standard Demographic Classification from the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research. Results: ANOVA/ANCOVA models confirmed that performance of healthy and aMCI participants on traditional neuropsychological tests were sensitive to SES whereas the VSTMB Test was not. The results add to the growing array of evidence suggesting that there are cognitive abilities which are unaffected by socioeconomic factors, regardless of clinical condition. Conclusions: The lack of sensitivity to sociocultural factors previously reported for the VSTMB test is accompanied by a lack of sensitivity to socioeconomic factors thus broadening the scope of this test to aid in the detection of dementia across populations with different backgrounds. Future studies should take these findings forward and explore the potential influences of AD biomarkers (A/T/N) on the association between cognitive functions and demographic variables.

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INTRODUCTION: Recent guidelines on depressive disorders suggest a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy in case of moderate to severe symptomatology. While cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy are the most investigated interventions, psychodynamic psychotherapies have been less explored. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to systematically review literature data on the efficacy of shortterm psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) in combination with antidepressants in the treatment of depressive disorders, focusing both on short and on long-term results and on potential moderators that could influence its effectiveness. METHODS: The systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched were PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, from inception to August 2023. RESULTS: Adding STPP to medications in the first six months of treatment didn't influence remission rates, but improved acceptability, work adjustment, interpersonal relationships, social role functioning, hospitalization rates and cost-effectiveness. After 12 months, a significant difference in remission rates arised, favouring combined therapy. In a long-term perspective, adding STPP to pharmacotherapy reduced the recurrence rate by almost 50%. STPP has proven to be more effective in longer depressive episodes, in more severe depressions and in patients with a childhood abuse history. Instead, STPP had no impact on major depressive disorder with comorbid Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). CONCLUSIONS: Combining STPP with antidepressants appeared to be helpful both in a short-term and in a long-term perspective. Still, there are few rigorous studies with large samples and further research is needed to identify which subgroups of patients may benefit more from STPP.

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Testosterone plays an important role as a social hormone. Current evidence suggests that testosterone is positively related to sociosexuality increasing the psychological attitudes toward investing in short-term versus long-term mating and promotes status-seeking behaviors both by dominance and prestige. In addition, the social environment may play an important role in the expression of mating effort through changes in sociosexuality and status-seeking behaviors. However, the causal relationships among the mentioned variables are still debated. We employed a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-individual design, in order to test and integrate the proposed causal relationships between testosterone and social environment over short-term and long-term mating orientation and dominant and prestigious status-seeking behaviors in a sample of 95 young Chilean men. We did not find evidence that the administration of exogenous testosterone increased short-term or decreased long-term mating orientation as expected. Moreover, exogenous testosterone did not affect either aggressive or cooperative behavior failing to support the social status hypothesis. We also did not find any relationship between short or long-term mating orientation with status-seeking behaviors. Finally, we found support for the effect of social environment on sociosexual attitudes but not over status-seeking behaviors. Thus, men reported higher levels of short-term mating orientation in the presence of a woman compared to a man and no differences were found for long-term mating orientation. We argue that sociosexuality may be expressed flexibly, but contextual factors such as the presence of women seem more important than changes in testosterone levels.

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Abstract Introduction: Short-term gametes storage is an inexpensive and simple technique that allows the use of the same batch of eggs or sperm at different times, maximizing the application of research protocols and the use of gametes in production. Arbacia dufresnii is a sea urchin species with proven aquaculture potential and already used in the nutraceutical industry. Aging of its gametes is unknown and is a needed information to scale up the production. Objective: Determine the effect of male and female gamete aging on the fertilization success of Arbacia dufresnii. This will allow optimizing the use of gametes after collection decoupling spawning from fertilization. Methods: A. dufresnii individuals were induced to spawn and gametes were kept at 12 ± 1 °C throughout each bioassay. Sperm was separated into two treatments: activated sperm in seawater (AS), and dry sperm (DS). Two bioassays were made: Bioassay 1 evaluated the effect of time on fertility by performing fertilization tests at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h after spawning. Bioassay 2 evaluated the contribution of each type of aged gamete on fertility, combining aged gametes (96 h) with fresh gametes (0 h). Results: Bioassay 1: the fertilization success obtained by combining eggs (E) with AS or DS presented important differences. While the fertilization success remained acceptable (greater than 50 %) for up to 72 h using ExDS, it only remained acceptable for up to 48 h using ExAS. Bioassay 2: acceptable fertilization success was found by combining aged E (96 h) with fresh sperm, or aged DS (96 h) with fresh E, but not using aged AS with fresh E. Conclusions: The findings of this work show that fertilization success in A. dufresnii gametes remains relatively unchanged for up to 48 h after spawning when combining ExAS, and for up to 72 h when combining ExDS. However, when combining aged E or aged DS with a fresh gamete, post-collection fertilization can be extended up to 96 h. In this work, the first steps have been taken to understand the conservation time of A. dufresnii gametes with minimum intervention.

Resumen Introducción: El almacenamiento de gametos a corto plazo es una técnica económica y sencilla que permite utilizar el mismo lote de óvulos o espermatozoides en diferentes momentos, maximizando la aplicación de protocolos de investigación y el uso de gametos en la producción. Arbacia dufresnii es una especie con probado potencial acuícola como fuente de gametos para la industria nutracéutica. Sin embargo, se desconoce el envejecimiento de sus gametos y es una información necesaria para escalar la producción. Objetivo: Determinar el efecto del envejecimiento de los gametos masculinos y femeninos en el éxito de la fecundación de Arbacia dufresnii con el fin de optimizar el aprovechamiento de los gametos después de la recolecta desincronizando el desove de la fecundación. Métodos: Se indujo el desove de individuos de A. dufresnii y los gametos se mantuvieron a 12 ± 1 °C durante cada bioensayo. El esperma se separó en dos tratamientos: esperma activado en agua de mar (AS) y esperma seco (DS). Se realizaron dos bioensayos: El Bioensayo 1 evaluó el efecto del tiempo sobre la fertilidad realizando pruebas de fecundación a las 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h y 96 h después del desove. El bioensayo 2 evaluó la contribución de cada tipo de gameta envejecida (96 h) sobre la fertilidad, combinando gametos envejecidas (96 h) con gametos frescas (0 h). Resultados: Bioensayo 1: el éxito de fecundación obtenido combinando huevos (E) con AS o DS presentó diferencias importantes. Si bien el éxito de la fecundación se mantuvo aceptable (más del 50 %) durante un máximo de 72 h con ExDS, solo permaneció aceptable hasta 48 h con ExAS. Bioensayo 2: se encontró un éxito de fecundación aceptable combinando E envejecidos (96 h) con esperma fresco, o DS envejecido (96 h) con E fresco (0 h), pero no usando AS envejecido con E fresco (0 h). Conclusiones: Los hallazgos de este trabajo muestran que el éxito de la fecundación en los gametos de A. dufresnii permanece relativamente sin cambios hasta 48 h después del desove cuando se combina ExAS, y hasta 72 h cuando se combina ExDS. Sin embargo, cuando se combina E envejecido o DS envejecido con un gameto fresco, el tiempo entre la recolección y la fecundación puede extenderse hasta 96 h. En este trabajo se han dado los primeros pasos para entender el tiempo de conservación de los gametos de A. dufresnii con mínima intervención.

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India's commercial advancement and development depend heavily on agriculture. A common fruit grown in tropical settings is citrus. A professional judgment is required while analyzing an illness because different diseases have slight variati ons in their symptoms. In order to recognize and classify diseases in citrus fruits and leaves, a customized CNN - based approach that links CNN with LSTM was developed in this research. By using a CNN - based method, it is possible to automatically differenti ate from healthier fruits and leaves and those that have diseases such fruit blight, fruit greening, fruit scab, and melanoses. In terms of performance, the proposed approach achieves 96% accuracy, 98% sensitivity, 96% Recall, and an F1 - score of 92% for ci trus fruit and leave identification and classification and the proposed method was compared with KNN, SVM, and CNN and concluded that the proposed CNN - based model is more accurate and effective at identifying illnesses in citrus fruits and leaves.

El avance y desarrollo comercial de India dependen en gran medida de la agricultura. Un tipo de fruta comunmente cultivada en en tornos tropicales es el cítrico. Se requiere un juicio profesional al analizar una enfermedad porque diferentes enfermedades tienen ligeras variaciones en sus síntomas. Para reconocer y clasificar enfermedades en frutas y hojas de cítricos, se desarrolló e n esta investigación un enfoque personalizado basado en CNN que vincula CNN con LSTM. Al utilizar un método basado en CNN, es posible diferenciar automáticamente entre frutas y hojas más saludables y aquellas que tienen enfermedades como la plaga de frutas , el verdor de frutas, la sarna de frutas y las melanosis. En términos de desempeño, el enfoque propuesto alcanza una precisión del 96%, una sensibilidad del 98%, una recuperación del 96% y una puntuación F1 del 92% para la identificación y clasificación d e frutas y hojas de cítricos, y el método propuesto se comparó con KNN, SVM y CNN y se concluyó que el modelo basado en CNN propuesto es más preciso y efectivo para identificar enfermedades en frutas y hojas de cítricos.

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Oxidative stress is one of the main causes of loss of sperm function during chilled storage. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a fructose-based extender, which was supplemented with catalase or uric acid, on the motility, viability, morphological integrity, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) of Colossoma macropomum spermatozoa. Sperm was diluted in extenders containing catalase (0; 0.1; 0.8; and 1.5 kU/L) or uric acid (0; 0.25; 0.5; and 1.0 mmol/L) and then stored at 4.3 ± 0.6°C for 96 hours. The chilling storage time had more significant and pronounced effects on practically all the measured sperm quality parameters than the different concentrations of both antioxidants added to the extenders. This was true for sperm motility, motility duration, sperm viability, and the percentage of normal spermatozoa. In fact, for all these parameters, values were higher in the extenders supplemented with catalase or uric acid, than those not supplemented with these antioxidants, especially after 96 hours. The LPO process showed an antioxidant-dependent response. In catalase-supplemented extenders thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels increased gradually and significantly with time, but remained stable during the 96 hours of chilled storage in all samples in which uric acid was added. Despite this, TBARS levels were lower in the extenders supplemented with both catalase and uric acid than in those not having these antioxidants. Inverse correlations were found between sperm motility and the damage in sperm flagella. Our findings suggest that the supplementation of an extender with catalase or uric acid is beneficial and protects fish sperm membranes from damage caused by oxidative stress during low-temperature storage. The extenders containing 0.1 kU/L of catalase and 0.25 mmol/L of uric acid provided effective antioxidant protection for the spermatozoa of this important Amazonian fish.

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Photovoltaic (PV) power prediction plays a critical role amid the accelerating adoption of renewable energy sources. This paper introduces a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) deep learning (DL) model designed for forecasting photovoltaic power one hour ahead. The dataset under examination originates from a small PV installation located at the Polytechnic School of the University of Alcala. To improve the quality of historical data and optimize model performance, a robust data preprocessing algorithm is implemented. The BiLSTM model is synergistically combined with a Bayesian optimization algorithm (BOA) to fine-tune its primary hyperparameters, thereby enhancing its predictive efficacy. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated across diverse meteorological and seasonal conditions. In deterministic forecasting, the findings indicate its superiority over alternative models employed in this research domain, specifically a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network model and a random forest (RF) ensemble model. Compared with the MLP and RF reference models, the proposed model achieves reductions in the normalized mean absolute error (nMAE) of 75.03% and 77.01%, respectively, demonstrating its effectiveness in this type of prediction. Moreover, interval prediction utilizing the bootstrap resampling method is conducted, with the acquired prediction intervals carefully adjusted to meet the desired confidence levels, thereby enhancing the robustness and flexibility of the predictions.

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The first synapses of the afferents of peripheral chemoreceptors are located in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius (NTS) and there is evidence that short-term sustained hypoxia (SH - 24 h, FiO2 0.1) facilitates glutamatergic transmission in NTS neurons of rats. Adenosine is an important neuromodulator of synaptic transmission and hypoxia contributes to increase its extracellular concentration. The A2A receptors mediate the excitatory actions of adenosine and are active players in the modulation of neuronal networks in the NTS. Herein, we used knockout mice for A2A receptors (A2AKO) and electrophysiological recordings of NTS neurons were performed to evaluate the contribution of these receptors in the changes in synaptic transmission in NTS neurons of mice submitted to SH. The membrane passive properties and excitability of NTS neurons were not affected by SH and were similar between A2AKO and wild-type mice. The overall amplitude of spontaneous glutamatergic currents in NTS neurons of A2AKO mice was lower than in Balb/c WT mice. SH increased the amplitude of evoked glutamatergic currents of NTS neurons from WT mice by a non-presynaptic mechanism, but this enhancement was not observed in NTS neurons of A2AKO mice. Under normoxia, the amplitude of evoked glutamatergic currents was similar between WT and A2AKO mice. The data indicate that A2A receptors (a) modulate spontaneous glutamatergic currents, (b) do not modulate the evoked glutamatergic transmission in the NTS neurons under control conditions, and (c) are required for the enhancement of glutamatergic transmission observed in the NTS neurons of mice submitted to SH.

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CONTEXT: Melatonin is an ancient molecule with a wide range of functions in mammals, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypothermic effects among others. However, the influence of acute melatonin administration on human physical performance is debatable. OBJECTIVE: To summarize available data from controlled trials about the effects of acute melatonin administration on human physical performance, especially with respect to strength, power, speed, and short- and long-term continuous exercise. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases up to December 10, 2021, was conducted using specified keywords and Boolean operators ("melatonin" AND "exercise OR circuit-based exercise OR plyometric exercise OR exercise tolerance OR exercise test"). STUDY SELECTION: Only controlled studies in the English language and with humans were accepted. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 1. DATA EXTRACTION: Participants' characteristics (sex, age, body mass, height and fat percentage), melatonin dose and administration time, and outcomes from the performance trial were extracted. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were identified after the screening process. Overall, melatonin did not change speed or short-term continuous exercise performances. However, in relation to strength and power, the results are debatable since 5 articles showed no difference, while another 2 pointed to a decrease in performance. In terms of performance improvement, only 1 study reported an increase in balance and another in long-term continuous exercise performance in nonathletes, with no advantage found for athletes. CONCLUSION: Melatonin did not cause any significant change in strength, speed, power, and short-term continuous exercise performances. In fact, it led to reduced strength and power performances in specific tests. On the other hand, melatonin seems to have improved balance and long-term continuous exercise performance, at least in nonathletes. More investigations are required to corroborate these findings.

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Objective The present study sought to investigate changes in mood, inhibitory control, and working memory associated with T. gondii infection in a sample of Brazilian women. Method Twenty-eight female participants were equally distributed into two groups, according to the serology for chronic infection by T. gondii. The participants answered a Sociodemographic questionnaire, the CES-D, and performed Simon and N-Back tasks. Results Infected participants presented less accuracy and longer response time in N-Back tasks. No significant differences were found in the Simon task performance or in the depression levels. Conclusion Our findings suggest that chronic infection by T. gondii may result in impaired working memory and point out the importance of public policies aiming at preventing this infection.

Objetivo O presente estudo investigou alterações de humor, controle inibitório e memória de trabalho associadas à infecção por T. gondii em uma amostra de mulheres brasileiras. Método Vinte e oito participantes foram distribuídas igualmente em dois grupos de acordo com a sorologia para infecção crônica por T. gondii. As participantes responderam a um questionário sociodemográfico, à CES-D e realizaram as tarefas Simon e N-Back. Resultados As participantes infectadas apresentaram menor acurácia e maior tempo de resposta na tarefa N-Back. Nenhuma diferença significativa foi encontrada na tarefa Simon ou na escala de depressão. Conclusão Nossos achados sugerem que a infecção crônica por T. gondii pode resultar em comprometimento da memória de trabalho, e apontam para a importância de políticas públicas de prevenção dessa infecção.

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ABSTRACT Purpose To address the need for a standardized assessment tool for assessing cognitive-communication abilities among Indian preschoolers, the current study aimed at describing a Delphi based development and validation process for developing one such tool. The objectives of the research were to conceptualize and construct the tool, validate its content, and assess its feasibility through pilot testing. Methods The study followed a Delphi approach to develop and validate the tool across four phases i.e. conceptualization; construction; content validation; and pilot testing. The first three phases were performed with a panel of six experts including speech-language pathologists and preschool teachers while the pilot testing was done with 20 typically developing preschoolers. A literature review was also conducted with the Delphi rounds to support the developmental process. Results The first two rounds of the Delphi aided in the construction of a culturally and linguistically suitable story-based cognitive-communication assessment tool with the memory (free recall, recognition, and literary recall) and executive function (reasoning, inhibition, and switching) related tasks relevant for preschoolers. The content validation of the tool was continued with the experts till the revisions were satisfactory and yielded an optimum Content Validity Index. The pilot test of the finalized version confirmed its feasibility and appropriateness to assess developmental changes in the cognitive-communication abilities of preschoolers. Conclusion The study describes the Delphi-based conceptualization, construction, content validation, and feasibility check of a tool to assess cognitive-communication skills in preschool children.

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Abstract Background Research has shown that a fundamental frequency of 40 Hz in continuous neural oscillation is indicative of normal brain activity; in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients, these oscillations either disappear or are significantly interrupted. Research has also indicated that the degenerative impacts of AD in mice were mitigated by the synchronization of 40-Hz acousto-optic stimulation (AOS). Objective To examine the impact of employing a 40-Hz AOS intervention on the induction of a substantial 40-Hz frequency entrainment and improvement in working memory performance among a sample of young individuals in good health. We conduct an analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs) derived from electroencephalogram (EEG) data following the presentation of AOS. Methods We recruited 20 healthy volunteers (median age: 25 years; 8 female subjects). Following the administration of various stimuli, including no stimuli, 40-Hz AOS, pink noise, and 40Hz acoustic stimuli (AS), the participants were required to complete a working memory task. A total of 62 electrodes were used to record EEG data, which was subsequently analyzed to investigate the impact of AOS on the activity of working memory. We also aimed to determine if AOS lead to a more pronounced 40-Hz frequency entrainment. Results Following the administration of AOS, a notable enhancement in the 40-Hz power of pertinent cerebral areas was observed, accompanied by a substantial improvement in the performance of the subjects on working memory tests subsequent to the stimulation. Conclusion The findings unequivocally establish the efficacy of using AOS to enhance the 40-Hz power and working memory.

Resumo Antecedentes A pesquisa mostrou que uma frequência fundamental de 40 Hz em oscilação neural contínua é indicativa de atividade cerebral normal. Em pacientes com doença de Alzheimer (DA), essas oscilações desaparecem ou são significativamente interrompidas. A pesquisa também indicou que os impactos degenerativos da DA em camundongos foram mitigados pela sincronização da estimulação acústico-óptica (EAO) de 40 Hz. Objetivo Examinar o impacto do emprego de uma intervenção EAO de 40 Hz na indução de um arrastamento substancial de frequência de 40 Hz e na melhoria do desempenho da memória de trabalho entre uma amostra de jovens com boa saúde. Conduzimos uma análise de potenciais relacionados a eventos (PREs) derivados de dados de eletroencefalograma (EEG) após a apresentação de EAO. Métodos Recrutamos 20 voluntários saudáveis (idade média: 25 anos; 8 mulheres). Após a administração de vários estímulos, incluindo nenhum estímulo, EAO de 40 Hz, ruído rosa e estímulos acústicos (EA) de 40 Hz, os participantes foram obrigados a completar uma tarefa de memória de trabalho. Um total de 62 eletrodos foram utilizados para registrar dados de EEG, que foram posteriormente analisados. para investigar o impacto do AOS na atividade da memória de trabalho. Também pretendemos determinar se o AOS leva a um arrastamento de frequência de 40 Hz mais pronunciado. Resultados Após a administração de AOS, foi observado um aumento notável na potência de 40 Hz de áreas cerebrais pertinentes, acompanhado por uma melhoria substancial no desempenho dos sujeitos em testes de memória de trabalho subsequentes à estimulação. Conclusão Os resultados estabelecem inequivocamente a eficácia do uso do AOS para melhorar a potência de 40 Hz e a memória de trabalho.

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BACKGROUND: Satellite-based PM2.5 predictions are being used to advance exposure science and air-pollution epidemiology in developed countries; including emerging evidence about the impacts of PM2.5 on acute health outcomes beyond the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and the potential modifying effects from individual-level factors in these associations. Research on these topics is lacking in low and middle income countries. We aimed to explore the association between short-term exposure to PM2.5 with broad-category and cause-specific mortality outcomes in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), and potential effect modification by age, sex, and SES characteristics in such associations. METHODS: We used a time-stratified case-crossover study design with 1,479,950 non-accidental deaths from the MCMA for the period of 2004-2019. Daily 1 × 1 km PM2.5 (median = 23.4 µg/m3; IQR = 13.6 µg/m3) estimates from our satellite-based regional model were employed for exposure assessment at the sub-municipality level. Associations between PM2.5 with broad-category (organ-system) and cause-specific mortality outcomes were estimated with distributed lag conditional logistic models. We also fit models stratifying by potential individual-level effect modifiers including; age, sex, and individual SES-related characteristics namely: education, health insurance coverage, and job categories. Odds ratios were converted into percent increase for ease of interpretation. RESULTS: PM2.5 exposure was associated with broad-category mortality outcomes, including all non-accidental, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, respiratory, and digestive mortality. A 10-µg/m3 PM2.5 higher cumulative exposure over one week (lag06) was associated with higher cause-specific mortality outcomes including hypertensive disease [2.28% (95%CI: 0.26%-4.33%)], acute ischemic heart disease [1.61% (95%CI: 0.59%-2.64%)], other forms of heart disease [2.39% (95%CI: -0.35%-5.20%)], hemorrhagic stroke [3.63% (95%CI: 0.79%-6.55%)], influenza and pneumonia [4.91% (95%CI: 2.84%-7.02%)], chronic respiratory disease [2.49% (95%CI: 0.71%-4.31%)], diseases of the liver [1.85% (95%CI: 0.31%-3.41%)], and renal failure [3.48% (95%CI: 0.79%-6.24%)]. No differences in effect size of associations were observed between age, sex and SES strata. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to PM2.5 was associated with non-accidental, broad-category and cause-specific mortality outcomes beyond the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, including specific death-causes from the digestive and genitourinary systems, with no indication of effect modification by individual-level characteristics.

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