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Adherence and intensity in multimodal lifestyle-based interventions for cognitive decline prevention: state-of-the-art and future directions
No full textPreventing dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a global priority. Multimodal interventions targeting several risk factors and disease mechanisms simultaneously are currently being tested worldwide under the World-Wide FINGERS (WW-FINGERS) network of clinical trials. Adherence to these interventions is crucial for their success, yet there is significant heterogeneity in adherence reporting across studies, hindering the understanding of adherence barriers and facilitators. This article is a narrative review of available evidence from multimodal dementia prevention trials. A literature search was conducted using medical databases (MEDLINE via PubMed and SCOPUS) to select relevant studies: nonpharmacological multimodal interventions (i.e., combining three or more intervention domains), targeting individuals without dementia, and using changes in cognitive performance and/or incident mild cognitive impairment or dementia as primary outcomes. Based on the findings, we propose future adherence reporting to encompass both participation (average attendance to each intervention component) and lifestyle change using dementia risk scores (e.g., the LIBRA index). Moreover, we provide an estimation of the expected intensity of multimodal interventions, defined as the ratio of the expected dose (i.e., the overall amount of the intervention offered specified in the trial protocol) to duration (in months). Adjusting the expected dose by average adherence enables estimation of the observed dose and intensity, which could be informative for identifying optimal dosage thresholds that maximize cognitive benefits across different populations. Finally, this article provides an overview of the determinants of adherence to multimodal interventions, emphasizing the need for improved adherence reporting to inform the design and implementation of precision prevention interventions.EU Joint Program—Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) Multi-MeMo grant (National Institute of Health Carlos III, Spain [Grant AC22/00004]; Research Council of Finland, Finland; The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, Netherlands). RTF led the Consolidated Research Group “Clinical Research Group in Pharmacology and Development of Biomarkers and New Drugs”, a Research Group supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (2021 SGR 00253). This research was also supported by CIBER -Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red- (CB06/03/0028), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Unión Europea – European Regional Development Fund. FINGER-NL was supported by a Crossover grant (MOCIA 17611) from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The MOCIA program is a public-private partnership (see https://mocia.nl/scientific/). MK received funding from the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (ADDI), Region Stockholm (ALF, Sweden); Center for Innovative Medicine (CIMED) at Karolinska Institute (Sweden); Stiftelsen Stockholms Sjukhem (Sweden); Swedish research council for health, working life and welfare (FORTE). AS was also supported by the European Research Council grant 804371, Alzheimerfonden (Sweden). Grant AC22/00004 funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), and by the European Union NextGenerationEU, Mecanismo para la Recuperación y la Resiliencia (MRR). The funders of the study had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report
Validity of the MED4CHILD tool for assessing adherence to the Mediterranean diet in preschool children
No full textMost of the available tools to assess adherence to Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) were constructed for adults, having limited applicability to children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to validate a specific questionnaire to assess adherence to MedDiet in children aged 3 to 6 years (MED4CHILD questionnaire). The validation was performed in a baseline examination of a cohort of children who were recruited in schools in seven cities. Of the total sample of 1509 children, we included 858 children aged 3 to 6 years with complete information on adherence to the MedDiet, food consumption, anthropometry and cardiometabolic characteristics. Adherence to the MedDiet was assessed using an 18-item questionnaire, adapted from validated questionnaire for adults using the Delphi method. Food and beverage consumption was assessed using a validated COME-Kids Food and Beverage Frequency Questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements and cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed using standard methods. Statistical analyses included kappa agreement, ANOVA and linear regression models. Higher MED4CHILD scores were associated with higher intakes of food characteristic of the MedDiet. The MED4CHILD questionnaire showed moderate validity, especially for key items of the Mediterranean diet (kappa ranging from 0.333 to 0.665). Direct significant associations were found between MED4CHILD scores and cardiometabolic profile, including waist circumference (p), triglycerides and HOMA-IR (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The 18-item MED4CHILD questionnaire showed moderate validity for assessing adherence to the MedDiet in children aged 3 to 6 years, in terms of agreement with food and beverage consumption and favourable cardiometabolic profile
Accesibilidad y usos positivos aplicados de la realidad extendida (virtual, aumentada y mixta) para personas con movilidad reducida: hacia un Metaverso inclusivo
No full textLas tecnologías de la Realidad Extendida (XR) presentan retos de accesibilidad para las personas con movilidad reducida (PCMR), aunque también oportunidades que pueden beneficiar su bienestar. Para abordar ambos aspectos, la presente tesis, siguiendo una metodología de investigación mixta, se ha dividido en cuatro fases: 1) la creación, a partir de una investigación documental inicial, de una base de datos de dispositivos XR y sus características técnicas que; 2) mediante un estudio exploratorio complementario de entrevistas a expertos y cuestionarios Delphi, ha permitido detectar limitaciones, soluciones de accesibilidad y posibles usos positivos aplicados para; 3) desarrollar, en base a los resultados obtenidos, un prototipo XR adaptado; y, 4) evaluarlo experimentalmente. Los resultados de esta investigación contribuyen al estado del arte, en torno a posibles avances en la accesibilidad XR y desarrollo de usos positivos aplicados orientados a mejorar el bienestar de las PCMR.Extended Reality (XR) technologies present accessibility challenges for persons with reduced mobility (PRM), but also opportunities that can benefit their well-being. To address both aspects, this thesis, following a mixed research methodology, has been divided into four phases: 1) the creation, from initial documentary research, of a database of XR devices and their technical characteristics; 2) a complimentary exploratory study with interviews to experts and Delphi questionnaires, that has allowed to detect limitations, accessibility solutions and potential positive applied uses, for; 3) develop, based on the results obtained, an adapted XR prototype; and 4) evaluate it experimentally. The results of this research contribute to the state of the art, regarding possible advances in XR accessibility and the development of positive applied uses aimed at improving the well-being of PRM.Programa de doctorat en Comunicaci
Discurs científic divulgatiu en llengua de signes catalana (LSC): preparació i anàlisi de la interpretació Glossari terminològic català-llengua de signes catalana (LSC): elaboració i anàlisi de la creació terminològica
No full textTutora: Gemma Barberà
Treball de fi de grau en Doble grau en Traducció i Interpretació i Llengües aplicadesLa interpretació de textos científics divulgatius a la llengua de signes catalana (LSC) és una necessitat per garantir la igualtat d’accés al coneixement, però malgrat els esforços per normalitzar la terminologia, els intèrprets encara es troben molts buits lèxics que han d’omplir al moment. Aquest treball documenta el procés de preparació d’una interpretació de caràcter especialitzat, però divulgatiu, tenint en compte les particularitats d’aquest gènere discursiu i parant especial atenció a la caracterització de la situació d’interpretació. Es tracta de la interpretació d’una conferència sobre el canvi climàtic i la transició energètica que, a més, presenta uns trets dialectals, un to col·loquial i un ús freqüent de metàfores i exemples didàctics. Per això, aquest treball analitza i argumenta les solucions als problemes de traducció identificats i com contribueixen a mantenir les característiques textuals d’un discurs divulgatiu. En particular s’analitzen les tècniques d’interpretació, el trasllat de les metàfores, el registre i el to, l’ús de l’espai i els mecanismes de cohesió i coherència. A més, una de les característiques principals d’aquest gènere és la terminologia. Altres treballs previs sobre creació terminològica en LSC no parteixen del punt de vista aplicat de la interpretació, raó per la qual aquest s’ocupa de documentar el procés de creació d’un glossari bilingüe català-llengua de signes catalana utilitzant com punt de partida el discurs escollit en català. Els
equivalents s’extreuen d’una selecció de vídeos i obres lexicogràfiques en LSC, que constitueixen el corpus de buidatge. A partir dels processos de creació lèxica observats i de les tècniques habituals d’interpretació, aquest treball proposa signes per als termes per als quals no s’han trobat solucions existents en LSC. Finalment, conclou que els mecanismes de creació terminològica més freqüents són la composició i la terminologització (l’especialització del significat). Més enllà de la terminologia, la transmissió del missatge s’aconsegueix gràcies, sobretot, a tècniques com la transposició i la modulació, l’adaptació de les metàfores i l’ús de l’espai per estructurar el discurs.La interpretación de textos científicos divulgativos a la lengua de signos catalana (LSC) es imprescindible para garantizar la igualdad de acceso al conocimiento, pero a pesar de los esfuerzos para normalizar la terminología, los intérpretes todavía se encuentran muchos vacíos que deben llenar en el momento. Este trabajo documenta el proceso de preparación de una interpretación de carácter especializado y divulgativo, teniendo en cuenta las particularidades de este género discursivo y prestando atención a las particularidades de la situación de interpretación. Se trata de la interpretación de una conferencia sobre el cambio climático y la transición energética que, además, presenta rasgos dialectales, un tono marcadamente coloquial y un uso frecuente de metáforas y ejemplos didácticos. Por eso, este trabajo analiza y argumenta las soluciones a dichos problemas de traducción y su contribución para mantener las características textuales de un discurso divulgativo. En concreto, se
analizan las técnicas de interpretación, el traslado de las metáforas, el registro y el tono, el uso del espacio y los mecanismos de cohesión y coherencia. Además, una de las características principales de este género es la terminología. Otros trabajos previos sobre creación terminológica no parten del punto de vista aplicado de la interpretación, razón por la que este trabajo que también se ocupa de documentar el proceso de creación de un glosario bilingüe catalán-lengua de signos catalana utilizando como punto de partida el discurso escogido en catalán. Los equivalentes se extraen de una selección de vídeos y obras lexicográficas en LSC, que constituyen el corpus de extracción. A partir de los procesos de creación léxica observados y de las técnicas habituales de interpretación, propone signos para los términos que no se han encontrado en el corpus. Finalmente, se concluye que los mecanismos de creación terminológica más frecuentes son la composición y la terminologización (la especialización del significado). Más allá de las unidades terminológicas, la transmisión del mensaje se consigue gracias, sobre todo, a técnicas como la transposición y la modulación, a la adaptación de las metáforas y al uso del espacio para estructurar el discurso.Interpreting scientific texts aimed at the general public into Catalan Sign Language (LSC) is essential for unlocking access to knowledge for all, but despite efforts towards terminology standardization, interpreters still encounter many lexical gaps in their practice. This paper documents the preparation process for a specialized informative interpretation, taking into account the particularities of this genre and interpretation setting. It takes as a starting point a conference on climate change and energy transition that features dialectal traits, colloquial register, and frequent use of metaphors and didactic examples. Therefore, this paper analyzes and discusses solutions to these translation problems and their contribution to maintaining the speech register and communicative aim. Specifically, it examines interpreting techniques, the transfer of metaphors, register and tone, the use of space, and mechanisms for cohesion and coherence. Furthermore, one of the main characteristics of this genre is its terminology. Previous papers on term creation and standardization do not address the problem from the practical point of view of the interpreter, which is why this paper also documents the process
of creating a bilingual Catalan-Catalan Sign Language glossary using the chosen Catalan speech as a starting point. Sign language equivalents are drawn from a selection of videos and glossaries in LSC, which form the extraction corpus. Drawing on the lexical processes for term creation detected and combining them with common interpretation techniques, this paper suggests signs for terms not found in the corpus. Finally, it concludes that the most common mechanisms of term creation are composition and terminologization (specialization of meaning). Beyond terminological units, transmission of the message is achieved primarily through techniques such as transposition and modulation, the adaptation of metaphors, and the use of space to structure the discourse
Localised hypersensitivity reaction to polysorbate 80 during secukinumab treatment: a case of injection-site contact urticaria
No full textA straightforward preparation of aminoglycoside-dinucleotide and -diPNA conjugates via click ligation assisted by microwaves
No full textAn alternative and straightforward method to prepare aminoglycoside-dinucleotide and -diPNA conjugates is reported, which is based on copper-catalyzed Huisgen azide-alkyne cycloaddition ("click chemistry" ligation) assisted by microwave irradiation. This method permitted conjugations to be performed in aqueous solution, in very short times and with readily prepared precursors.This work was supported by funds from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CTQ2007-68014-C02-01/BQU) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2005SGR00693). J. A. and A. C. acknowledge predoctoral fellowships from the University of Barcelona (BRD and IBUB programs). The authors also wish to acknowledge the Mass Spectrometry (Dr. Irene Fernández and and Laura Ortiz) and NMR facilities (Drs. Ma. Antònia Molins
and Francisco Cárdenas) of the Scientific-Technical Services of the University of Barcelona for technical support, and Ana Soriano for his help with the preparation of di(p-nitrophenyl) carbonate and its use in the synthesis of alkynyl-diPNAs
Universal and ecological design in media accessibility: finding common ground
No full textThis article cross-checks universal design and ecological design in the context of media accessibility (with an emphasis on audio description, captions, audio subtitling, sign language interpreting, touch tours), aiming to identify practices that adhere to both design approaches. Following a literature review, a theoretical commentary is presented. Therein, each of the seven universal design principles (Connell et al. in The principles of universal design, 1997. https://projects.ncsu.edu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm) is assessed in the light of ecological design. Three different outcomes are found when connecting universal design and ecological design principles: (1) certain universal design principles overlap with ecological design principles; (2) others are divergent with ecological design principles and (3) some are complementary, that is, they are unrelated but may be reconcilable. Universal design principles one and two (equitable use and flexibility in use) are harmonious with principles of ecological design in several ways. Principles three (simple and intuitive use), four (perceptible information) and seven (appropriate size and space) remain seemingly unrelated to ecological design principles, though they could be reconciled if certain changes were undertaken. Principles five (low physical effort) and six (appropriate size and space for approach and use) of universal design could be antagonistic with ecological design in some regards
Association between long-term exposure to air pollutants with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections and antibody responses among COVID-19 vaccinated older adults in Northern Italy
No full textAims: To investigate the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and O3 with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections and COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody responses in a northern Italian population-based sample of older adults. Methods: Within an ongoing prospective population-based study, we followed-up 1326 vaccinated individuals aged 65-83 years, with no prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, for their first positive SARS-CoV-2 swab until December 31st, 2022. We assessed spike IgG antibody levels in most participants (n = 1206). The 2019 annual mean levels of air pollutants derived from combined use of chemical-transport and random-Forest models (spatial resolution: 1Kmq) were individually assigned based on the latest residence address. We estimated multivariable-adjusted associations (per 1 interquartile range increase, IQR) of air pollutants with breakthrough infections using Cox models with time-dependent vaccine exposure; and with percent change in the IgG geometric mean using generalized additive models. Results: The mean (SD) age was 74.9 ± 4.1 years, and 50% were women. An IQR (1.2 μg/m3) increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with a 52% increase in breakthrough infection risk following a second vaccine and a 26% increase following a third vaccine. The effect vanished with the further increment of vaccination doses. Associations for NO2 were inconsistent. Ozone was negatively associated with breakthrough infection risk, but this association reversed in bi-pollutant models adjusting for PM2.5. PM2.5 was associated with a -7.3% (-13.9% to -0.2%) reduction in vaccine-induced IgG levels. The reduction became more pronounced as the time delay from vaccination increased, and with adjustment for NO2 co-exposure. Conclusion: In our population of vaccinated older adults, fine particulate matter exposure was independently associated with a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection and a lower antibody response, both effects being influenced by timely and repeated vaccination schedule
Essays Behavioral Environmental Economics and Statistics
No full textThe first two chapters of this thesis focus on behavioral environmental economics.
In Chapter 1, I develop and estimate a new measure of the effect of
marginal emission reductions on tangible climate change outcomes. I show
that people have fundamental misperceptions about their impact and that
providing my estimates increases mitigation behavior. In Chapter 2, we develop
a theoretical framework for optimal green retailing and use it to evaluate
a nationwide environmental pricing campaign by a retailer, as well as
counterfactual policies. We find that the campaign resulted in environmental
gains and an increase in total surplus, but cross-subsidies and national
taxation would yield even better outcomes. In Chapter 3, we document and
address problems with a methodology to aggregate results from multiple
statistical analyses. Our estimator has improved statistical properties and
leads to more nuanced results.Los dos primeros capítulos de esta tesis se centran en la economía ambiental
del comportamiento. En el Capítulo 1, desarrollo y estimo un nuevo
indicador del impacto de las reducciones marginales de emisiones en efectos
tangibles del cambio climático. Demuestro que las personas tienen percepciones
erróneas fundamentales sobre su impacto y que proporcionarles
mis estimaciones incrementa la mitigación de sus emisiones. En el Capítulo
2, desarrollamos un marco teórico para el comercio verde óptimo y lo
usamos para evaluar una campaña de precios mediambientales realizada
por un minorista a escala nacional, así como políticas contrafactuales. Encontramos
que la campaña resultó en mejoras ambientales y en un aumento
del excedente total, pero subvenciones cruzadas y una tributación nacional
podrían producir resultados aún mejores. En el Capítulo 3, documentamos
y abordamos problemas con una metodología que agrega resultados
de múltiples análisis estadísticos. Nuestro estimador tiene propiedades estadísticas
mejoradas y proporciona resultados más matizados.Els dos primers capítols d’aquesta tesi se centren en l’economia ambiental
del comportament. Al Capítol 1, desenvolupo i estimo un nou indicador
de l’impacte de les reduccions marginals d’emissions en efectes tangibles
del canvi climàtic. Demostro que les persones tenen percepcions errònies
fonamentals sobre el seu impacte i que proporcionar les meves estimacions
incrementa la mitigació de les seves emissions. Al Capítol 2, desenvolupem
un marc teòric per al comerç verd òptim i l’utilitzem per avaluar una
campanya de preus mediambientals realitzada per un minorista a escala
nacional, així com polítiques contrafactuals. Trobem que la campanya va
resultar en millores ambientals i en un augment de l’excedent total, però
les subvencions creuades i una tributació nacional podrien produir resultats
encara millors. Al Capítol 3, documentem i abordem problemes amb
una metodologia que agrega resultats de múltiples anàlisis estadístiques.
El nostre estimador té propietats estadístiques millorades i proporciona resultats
més matisats.Programa de Doctorat en Economia, Finances i Empres
Leaf stripping on uniform attachment trees
No full textIn this note, we analyze the performance of a simple root-finding algorithm in uniform attachment trees. The leaf-stripping algorithm recursively removes all leaves of the tree for a carefully chosen number of rounds. We show that, with probability 1 − , the set of remaining vertices contains the root and has a size only depending on but not on the size of the tree