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Hypoxic peripheral chemoreflex stimulation-dependent cardiorespiratory coupling is decreased in swimmer athletes
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.Swimmer athletes showed a decreased ventilatory response and reduced sympathetic activation during peripheral hypoxic chemoreflex stimulation. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that swimmers develop a diminished cardiorespiratory coupling due to their decreased hypoxic peripheral response. To resolve this hypothesis, we conducted a study using coherence time-varying analysis to assess the cardiorespiratory coupling in swimmer athletes. We recruited 12 trained swimmers and 12 control subjects for our research. We employed wavelet time-varying spectral coherence analysis to examine the relationship between the respiratory frequency (Rf) and the heart rate (HR) time series during normoxia and acute chemoreflex activation induced by five consecutive inhalations of 100% N2. Comparing swimmers to control subjects, we observed a significant reduction in the hypoxic ventilatory responses to N2 in swimmers (0.012 ± 0.001 vs. 0.015 ± 0.001 ΔVE/ΔVO2, and 0.365 ± 0.266 vs. 1.430 ± 0.961 ΔVE/ΔVCO2/ΔSpO2, both p < 0.001, swimmers vs. control, respectively). Furthermore, the coherence at the LF cutoff during hypoxia was significantly lower in swimmers compared to control subjects (20.118 ± 3.502 vs. 24.935 ± 3.832 area under curve [AUC], p < 0.012, respectively). Our findings strongly indicate that due to their diminished chemoreflex control, swimmers exhibited a substantial decrease in cardiorespiratory coupling during hypoxic stimulation
Identification of musk compounds as inhibitors of the main SARS-CoV-2 protease by molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2024 Serbian Chemical Society. All rights reserved.As new drug development is a long process, reuse of bioactives may be the answer to new epidemics; thus, screening existing bioactive compounds against a new SARS-CoV-2 infection is an important task. With this in mind, we have systematically screened potential odorant molecules in the treatment of this infection based on the affinity of the selected odorant compounds on the studied enzyme and the sequence identity of their target proteins (olfactory receptors) to the same enzyme (the main protease of SARS-CoV-2). A total of 12 musk odorant compounds were subjected to a molecular docking and molecular dynamics study to predict their impact against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we have identified two musk-scented compounds (androstenol and vulcanolide) that have good binding energy at the major protease binding site of SARS-CoV-2. However, the RMSD values recorded during dynamic simulation show that vulcanolide exhibits high stability of the protein–ligand complex compared to androstenol. The perspectives of this work are as follows: in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials to verify the computational findings
Dual-Task Performance in Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease : A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2024 Joselyn González Pasten et al.Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by important extrapulmonary alterations that could affect the performance in dual task (DT) (motor and cognitive tasks executed simultaneously), which is defined as DT interference (DTI).Objective: To compare the performance of DT between individuals with COPD and healthy control subjects (HCSs).Methods: The literature search was conducted in seven databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, PEDro, SciELO, LILACS, and Google Scholar) up to December 2023, including studies published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Studies with individuals diagnosed with COPD older than 60 years, who were evaluated with any DT assessment, and compared with HCS were included. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I). The meta-analysis was performed with JAMOVI software 5.4. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023435212).Results: From a total of 128 articles, 5 observational studies were selected in this review, involving 252 individuals aged between 60 and 80 years, from France, Italy, Canada, Turkey, and Belgium. Notable DTI was observed in individuals with COPD compared to HCS (standard mean difference SMD=0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06-1.75, p=0.04). Individuals with COPD had impaired gait speed, balance control, muscle strength, and cognitive interference during DT compared to HCS. DT assessment protocols included different combination of motor and cognitive tasks, using functional test, gait analysis, and muscle strength paired with countdown and verbal fluency tasks. Studies presented low (n=2), moderate (n=1), and serious (n=2) overall risk of bias.Conclusion: Older adults diagnosed with COPD exhibited a significant DTI compared to HCSs, which is characterized by poorer physical and cognitive performance during DT execution. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating DT assessments into clinical practice for individuals with COPD
Impact of Matrix Gel Variations on Primary Culture of Microvascular Endothelial Cell Function
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Microcirculation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Objective: The endothelium regulates crucial aspects of vascular function, including hemostasis, vasomotor tone, proliferation, immune cell adhesion, and microvascular permeability. Endothelial cells (ECs), especially in arterioles, are pivotal for flow distribution and peripheral resistance regulation. Investigating vascular endothelium physiology, particularly in microvascular ECs, demands precise isolation and culturing techniques. Methods: Freshly isolated ECs are vital for examining protein expression, ion channel behavior, and calcium dynamics. Establishing primary endothelial cell cultures is crucial for unraveling vascular functions and understanding intact microvessel endothelium roles. Despite the significance, detailed protocols and comparisons with intact vessels are scarce in microvascular research. We developed a reproducible method to isolate microvascular ECs, assessing substrate influence by cultivating cells on fibronectin and gelatin matrix gels. This comparative approach enhances our understanding of microvascular endothelial cell biology. Results: Microvascular mesenteric ECs expressed key markers (VE-cadherin and eNOS) in both matrix gels, confirming cell culture purity. Under uncoated conditions, ECs were undetected, whereas proteins linked to smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts were evident. Examining endothelial cell (EC) physiological dynamics on distinct matrix substrates revealed comparable cell length, shape, and Ca2+ elevations in both male and female ECs on gelatin and fibronectin matrix gels. Gelatin-cultured ECs exhibited analogous membrane potential responses to acetylcholine (ACh) or adenosine triphosphate (ATP), contrasting with their fibronectin-cultured counterparts. In the absence of stimulation, fibronectin-cultured ECs displayed a more depolarized resting membrane potential than gelatin-cultured ECs. Conclusions: Gelatin-cultured ECs demonstrated electrical behaviors akin to intact endothelium from mouse mesenteric arteries, thus advancing our understanding of endothelial cell behavior within diverse microenvironments
Life Satisfaction and the Relationship Experience at Family, School, and Neighborhood Levels for Chilean Children
No full textPublisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.The differential contributions that interpersonal relationships at family, peer, and school levels provide to overall life satisfaction are studied. These are examined in conjunction with the safety and infrastructure conditions in the neighborhoods and schools of 10- to 12-year-old Chilean children. The sample consists of 1065 youths from 10 to 12 years of age, who were selected through a representative and random strategy. This sample is part of a larger study (International Survey of Children’s Well-Being, ISCWeB), sponsored by the International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI). The structural equation model analysis (SEM) was utilized to examine the contribution of the variable of satisfaction with interpersonal relationships and satisfaction with the environment to children’s subjective well-being. The results show that the latent dimension of satisfaction with interpersonal relationships held a significant and positive relationship with children’s life satisfaction. The latent dimension of satisfaction with the environment functions equally as an independent variable, as it also sustains a significant and positive relationship with the life satisfaction of the students. Both latent variables individually serve as unique and differentiated factors. This study aims to provide evidence of the differentiating effect on overall satisfaction at distinct contextual levels. In particular, it provides information on the effects of environmental dimensions such as the experience and sense of safety in the school and neighborhood, as well as, the conditions of urban spaces
Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm to Optimize the Safety Distance of Workers in Construction Projects
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.This paper presents the results of a simulation model regarding the productivity and safety working space for construction workers through the floors of a building using swarm intelligence (SI), a field of artificial intelligence (AI), and specifically using artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization. After designing the algorithm used to build the simulation model, the simulation was used in an actual building project by comparing the travel times of workers conventionally transporting material with another group working on routes optimized by the algorithm. Thus, the proposed algorithm provides routes combining shorter travel times and correct distances between workers when transporting materials in a construction site, handling the interference between crews. After validating the algorithm on-site, no statistically significant differences were found between the travel times of workers and the times delivered by the algorithm. Additionally, the travel times using the routes obtained through the algorithm were significantly lower than those made by workers who moved freely without a predefined route. In summary, the algorithm proposed may help construction practitioners maintain safe movements that respond to hazard contexts imposed by any restriction that demands a safety distance
Brain energy metabolism : A roadmap for future research
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society for Neurochemistry.Although we have learned much about how the brain fuels its functions over the last decades, there remains much still to discover in an organ that is so complex. This article lays out major gaps in our knowledge of interrelationships between brain metabolism and brain function, including biochemical, cellular, and subcellular aspects of functional metabolism and its imaging in adult brain, as well as during development, aging, and disease. The focus is on unknowns in metabolism of major brain substrates and associated transporters, the roles of insulin and of lipid droplets, the emerging role of metabolism in microglia, mysteries about the major brain cofactor and signaling molecule NAD+, as well as unsolved problems underlying brain metabolism in pathologies such as traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and metabolic downregulation during hibernation. It describes our current level of understanding of these facets of brain energy metabolism as well as a roadmap for future research. (Figure presented.)
Relación entre agencia de autocuidado y sentido de la vida en pacientes diabéticos
Get PDFEnfermería, Licenciado en EnfermeríaLa Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 es una enfermedad crónica cuya incidencia y prevalencia van en aumento a nivel mundial, en base a esto examinamos la relación entre la agencia del autocuidado y sentido de la vida en pacientes que padecen dicha enfermedad teniendo como objetivo analizar la relación entre la agencia de autocuidado y el sentido de la vida en los pacientes diabéticos del CESFAM Mario Salcedo de la comuna El bosque en el año 2024. Para lograr esto se basó en la teoría de Orem para el Autocuidado y Frankl para el Sentido de vida. La investigación fue cuantitativa, descriptiva, correlacional, de corte transversal con un plan de análisis descriptivo e inferencial. Se utilizaron como instrumentos la Escala para valorar la capacidad de Agencia de Autocuidado (ASA) y Test sentido en la vida. La razón de la investigación fue que no se hallaron estudios en Chile que abordaran la relación entre la Agencia de autocuidado y el Sentido de la Vida en pacientes diabéticos.Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease whose incidence and prevalence are increasing worldwide, based on this we examine the relationship between the agency of self-care and the meaning of life in patients suffering from this disease with the objective of analyzing the relationship between the agency of self-care and the meaning of life in the diabetic patients of CESFAM Mario Salcedo of the commune El Bosque in the year 2024. To achieve this, he based himself on Orem's theory for Self-Care and Frankl for the Meaning of Life. The research was quantitative, descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional with a descriptive and inferential analysis plan. The Self-Care Agency (ASA) Scale and the Life Sense Test were used as instruments. The reason for the research was that no studies were found in Chile that addressed the relationship between self-care agency and the Meaning of Life in diabetic patients
ESG performance on the value of family firms: international evidence during Covid-19
No full textThe link between the financial success of family companies during COVID-19 and their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is examined for the first time in this research. We have a natural setting in the COVID-19 era to see if the market rewards family-run firms that integrate social and environmental concerns into their goals during uncertain times. Since they can enhance their image and reputation, which the market values, these companies are likely to pursue broader social objectives, such as environmental improvement (socioemotional wealth perspective); alternatively, managers can act as stewards of the family’s interests by using these initiatives to increase the company’s value (stewardship perspective). However, it is also possible that in this type of companies economic interests prevail over social wellness (“amoral familism”). Therefore, family-owned firms could be reluctant to implement ESG practices unless they yield certain socioemotional benefits, including enhancing or maintaining their reputation in the public eye. In light of the above, we use an international display of the 500 biggest family firms in the world from 2015 to 2021. Taking into account an endogenous relationship between ESG performance and family business value, the study uses generalized moments to construct a dynamic panel (GMM). The primary conclusion is that there is a positive correlation between corporate valuation and ESG performance. Nonetheless, it has been noted that the performance of the companies is negatively impacted during the COVID-19 period. However, for firms with superior ESG performance, this negative impact did not exist over this period, supporting the idea that investors view better ESG performance as a prediction of future good stock performance. The results have a variety of implications. To begin with, this study adds to the body of knowledge on the environmentally friendly and sustainable expansion of family companies by providing recommendations for investors and businesses to better understand the influence of ESG on the profitability of family businesses. Furthermore, managers have to concentrate on enhancing the ESG performance of their organizations as it has the potential to increase value, draw in investments, encourage sustainability, control risks, affect earnings, and interact with the ownership structure. Additionally, managers need to consider how important it is to have a strong ESG performance in order to mitigate the negative effects of external crises like the COVID-19 epidemic. It’s crucial to remember that the precise impact might change based on the sector and other aspects unique to each company
Groove of the Iliopsoas Muscle and its Clinical Relationship with the Hip. A Review
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2024, Universidad de la Frontera. All rights reserved.The iliopsoas muscle is the main hip flexor being an accessory lateral rotator of this, its fibers run posterior to the inguinal ligament, crossing anterior to the pelvis. This course occurs in a groove located between the iliopubic eminence medially and the anterior inferior iliac spine laterally. Although there are antecedents of this groove, no relevant comments are found in international anatomical terminology (IAT) as a groove within the pelvic bone reliefs. This groove is associated with the tendon in different hip dysfunctions, such as the hip snap (coxa saltans). The objective of the research is to expand the clinical and anatomical knowledge of this groove and its inclusion in international anatomical terminology. Within the inclusion criteria, articles published in Spanish and English were selected that referred to the groove and/or keywords such as "iliopsoas muscle", "iliopsoas muscle", "iliopsoas groove", "coxal groove", "iliopsoas groove". and “iliopsoas muscle” “coxal groove”. The search engines used were Pubmed, Google Scholar and Springer Link. The relevance of the iliopsoas muscle groove gives way to discussions regarding its shape and depth, as well as a point of reference associated with different clinical situations related to this groove and probable predispositions to injuries or snaps that occur in the hip. Finally, knowledge of the groove for the iliopsoas muscle is important to consider in research that addresses this region, as well as its anatomical terminology, anatomical, clinical, and surgical relationships.The iliopsoas muscle is the main hip flexor being an accessory lateral rotator of this, its fibers run posterior to the inguinal ligament, crossing anterior to the pelvis. This course occurs in a groove located between the iliopubic eminence medially and the anterior inferior iliac spine laterally. Although there are antecedents of this groove, no relevant comments are found in international anatomical terminology (IAT) as a groove within the pelvic bone reliefs. This groove is associated with the tendon in different hip dysfunctions, such as the hip snap (coxa saltans). The objective of the research is to expand the clinical and anatomical knowledge of this groove and its inclusion in international anatomical terminology. Within the inclusion criteria, articles published in Spanish and English were selected that referred to the groove and/or keywords such as "iliopsoas muscle", "iliopsoas muscle", "iliopsoas groove", "coxal groove", "iliopsoas groove". and “iliopsoas muscle” “coxal groove”. The search engines used were Pubmed, Google Scholar and Springer Link. The relevance of the iliopsoas muscle groove gives way to discussions regarding its shape and depth, as well as a point of reference associated with different clinical situations related to this groove and probable predispositions to injuries or snaps that occur in the hip. Finally, knowledge of the groove for the iliopsoas muscle is important to consider in research that addresses this region, as well as its anatomical terminology, anatomical, clinical, and surgical relationships