The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is the most widely and frequently used scale to assess positive and negative affect. The PANAS has been validated in several languages, and it has ...shown excellent psychometric properties in the general population and some clinical samples, such as forensic samples, substance users, and adult women with fibromyalgia. Nevertheless, the psychometric properties of the scale have not yet been examined in clinical samples with anxiety, depressive, and adjustment disorders. In addition, the proliferation of Internet-based treatments has led to the development of a wide range of assessments conducted online with digital versions of pen and paper self-report questionnaires. However, no validations have been carried out to analyze the psychometric properties of the online version of the PANAS. The present study investigates the psychometric properties of the online Spanish version of the PANAS in a clinical sample of individuals with emotional disorders.
The sample was composed of 595 Spanish adult volunteers with a diagnosis of depressive disorder (n = 237), anxiety disorder (n = 284), or adjustment disorder (n = 74). Factor structure, construct validity, internal consistency, and sensitivity to change were analyzed.
Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a latent structure of two independent factors, consistent with previous validations of the instrument. The analyses showed adequate convergent and discriminant validity, good internal consistency as well as sensitivity to change.
Overall, the results obtained in this study show that the online version of the PANAS has adequate psychometric properties for the assessment of positive and negative affect in a Spanish clinical population.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (CIP) remain in aquatic environments, causing environmental and public health disturbances. Furthermore, in traditional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), those ...compounds are not removed efficiently; owing to the effluent complexity and the ions present in it. The CIP degradation was assessed in real (RWW) and simulated (SWW) effluents of a WWTP, using the activated persulfate mechanism with the magnetic fraction (MF) of a low-grade titanium ore and simulated sunlight (SSL). All tests were performed in a 1000 mL raceway reactor under SSL. CIP and persulfate concentrations were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography and UV spectroscopy, respectively. A 100% removal of CIP was achieved for RWW and SWW in 15 and 60 min, respectively without residual persulfate. These results may indicate that the contents of nitrate, chloride and total solids present in these samples of wastewater, did not have a significant negative effect on the CIP degradation efficiency. The final pH average value (~ 8.5) of real and simulated wastewater tests may indicate the presence of both hydroxyl and sulfate radicals without pH modification needed. However, only the sulfate radical was identified in the tests. An increase in toxicity was observed in the CIP degradation test with SWW (11%) and RWW (0.8%), which might be associated with the presence of CIP transformation products. The biodegradability also increased after the treatment. Both data showed that the MF-PS-SSL system produced an effluent that can be discharged or eventually treated using biological processes for indirect potable water reuse. These results highlight the use of the magnetic fraction as a strong alternative Fe
2+
source instead of costly commercial compounds, for wastewater treatment, which allows the valorization of a raw material generally rejected in conventional TiO
2
production.
Aims
Scarce data are available on the effect of the traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) on heart failure biomarkers. We assessed the effect of TMD on biomarkers related to heart failure in a high ...cardiovascular disease risk population.
Methods and Results
A total of 930 subjects at high cardiovascular risk (420 men and 510 women) were recruited in the framework of a multicentre, randomized, controlled, parallel‐group clinical trial directed at testing the efficacy of the TMD on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (The PREDIMED Study). Participants were assigned to a low‐fat diet (control, n = 310) or one of two TMDs TMD + virgin olive oil (VOO) or TMD + nuts. Depending on group assignment, participants received free provision of extra‐virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small non‐food gifts. After 1 year of intervention, both TMDs decreased plasma N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide, with changes reaching significance vs. control group (P < 0.05). Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein decreased in both TMD groups (P < 0.05), the decrease in TMD + VOO group reaching significance vs. changes in control group (P = 0.003). Changes in lipoprotein(a) after TMD + VOO were less than those in the control group (P = 0.046) in which an increase (P = 0.035) was observed. No changes were observed in urinary albumin or albumin/creatinine ratio.
Conclusions
Individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) who improved their diet toward a TMD pattern reduced their N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide compared with those assigned to a low‐fat diet. The same was found for in vivo oxidized low‐density lipoprotein and lipoprotein(a) plasma concentrations after the TMD + VOO diet. From our results TMD could be a useful tool to mitigate against risk factors for heart failure. From our results TMD could modify markers of heart failure towards a more protective mode.
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•The risk of HCC in patients with HCV cirrhosis treated with DAAs persists despite viral cure.•The presence of indeterminate nodules before starting DAA is associated with a 3 times ...greater risk of HCC.•A time association between DAA therapy and developing HCC reflects increased short-term HCC risk.•DAA therapy elicits a mechanism that primes the emergence of HCC early during follow-up.
Despite direct-acting antivirals being highly effective at eradicating hepatitis C virus infection, their impact on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. We analyzed the clinical and radiological outcome of cirrhotic patients treated with interferon-free regimens to estimate the risk of developing HCC.
This was a retrospective multicenter study focusing on cirrhotic patients treated with direct-acting antivirals until December 2016. Clinical and radiologic characteristics were collected before the start of antiviral therapy, at follow-up and at HCC development. Diagnosis of HCC was centrally validated and its incidence was expressed as HCC/100 person-years.
A total of 1,123 patients were included (60.6% males, 83.8% Child-Pugh A) and 95.2% achieved a sustained virologic response. Median time of follow-up was 19.6 months. Seventy-two patients developed HCC within a median of 10.3 months after starting antiviral treatment. HCC incidence was 3.73 HCC/100 person-years (95% CI 2.96–4.70). Baseline liver function, alcohol intake and hepatic decompensation were associated with a higher risk of HCC. The relative risk was significantly increased in patients with non-characterized nodules at baseline 2.83 (95% CI 1.55–5.16) vs. absence of non-characterized nodules. When excluding these patients, the risk remained increased.
These data expose a clear-cut time association between interferon-free treatment and HCC. The mechanisms involved in the increased risk of HCC emergence in the short term require further investigation.
In this cohort of cirrhotic patients, interferon-free therapies achieved a high rate of sustained virologic response (>95%); however, we reported a risk of de novo hepatocellular carcinoma of 3.73 per 100 person-years and a clear-cut time association with antiviral therapy. The time association between starting direct-acting antivirals and developing hepatocellular carcinoma, together with the association with the presence of non-characterized nodules at baseline ultrasound, suggests that antiviral therapy elicits a mechanism (probably immune-related) that primes the growth and clinical recognition of hepatocellular carcinoma early during follow-up. As a result, short-term liver cancer risk is significantly increased.
The treatment of textile industrial wastewater was assessed by applying for the first time a metallurgical copper slag (CS) as a non-conventional Fenton-type catalyst in the heterogeneous ...photo-Fenton process (HPF) under solar irradiation. The effect of pH, CS and H
2
O
2
doses, as well as liquid depth, on color and COD removal was evaluated using a central composite design. The best results were obtained using 80 g CS (133.3 g/L), 6290 mg/L H
2
O
2
, pH 7 and a liquid depth of 0.5 cm. Under these conditions, the process achieved a total discoloration and a depletion of the organic matter content (measured as COD) of 85.7% at 240 min of treatment. In addition, when evaluating the individual components of the system, color and COD removals of 25% and 20% were obtained with CS and 49% and 32% with H
2
O
2
, respectively. The pH adjustment and the exposure to sunlight did not have a significant effect on the response variables. It was found that CS can be used up to six consecutive cycles without altering its removal efficiency without any pretreatment, or up to nine cycles with an intermediate washing. It was determined that raw and treated water are harmful to aquatic organisms mainly due to the presence of residual H
2
O
2
and dissolved salts. CS and exposure to sunlight do not contribute to water toxicity. This water can be reused in the textile industry process if the sun exposure time is increased to eliminate residual H
2
O
2
. Finally, a total treatment cost of 8.7 USD/m
3
of treated water was calculated, which was competitive with respect data reported for photo-Fenton and solar photo-Fenton processes.
Work-related stress is a major cause of health problems worldwide. Faculty in educational institutions, including universities, also face high levels of stress, which undoubtedly affects their ...performance, level of personal satisfaction and wellbeing, and the relationship with students. Training interventions based on embodied learning can promote self-knowledge, emotional regulation and stress reduction, thereby increasing levels of psychological well-being. The present pilot study analyzed the impact of body awareness training in 31 university teachers using a controlled, randomized pre-post experimental design, with two experimental groups and a control group (n = 10). The two interventions were: Hatha Yoga (n = 11) and Dance Movement Therapy/Body Mind Centering (n = 10), which we have termed Body Movement Awareness. Variables related to body awareness, mindfulness, wellbeing, life satisfaction and stress were measured using self-perception tests. Cortisol levels, heart rate variability and sleep quality were also analyzed. Finally, participants' reflections were analyzed according to a qualitative approach. The results showed significant differences between the control group and the Hatha Yoga group in terms of stress reduction and wellbeing. The Body Movement Awareness group exhibited evidence of contributions on self-knowledge, communication and kinesthetic empathy, key elements in the educational field. Despite the inherent limitations of the study, the conclusions are encouraging and open new lines of research from embodied approaches that introduce creative movement and group experience as part of the process of emotional regulation and self-knowledge.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are a group of osteoinductive proteins obtained from nonmineralized bone matrix; they are capable of stimulating the differentiation of pluripotent mesenchymal cells ...to osteoprogenitor cells. They have become a likely treatment option, given their action on regeneration and remodeling of bone lesions and increasing the bone response around alloplastic materials. It may be feasible in the near future for BMPs to replace autologous and allogenic bone grafts. The application of specific growth factors for osteoinduction without using a bone graft constitutes a real impact on bone regeneration. The use of BMP is not only focused on osteogenic regeneration: There are a variety of studies investigating other properties, such as periodontal or dental regeneration from the conservative viewpoint. In this review, we will highlight the role of the BMP in bone, periodontal and dental regeneration.
The way in which diversity is conveyed through the media can reflect the attitude of the communicators themselves and contribute to shaping society’s attitudes towards diversity. The aim of the study ...was to identify how diversity is conveyed by the University to the Society. A content analysis of diversity-related news items in the University’s Institutional Newspaper Journal of the Pablo de Olavide University (DUPO) (626 news items out of 3,186 published between 2016 and 2019, a full rector’s term) was conducted. Heterogeneity in diversity was identified: gender, functional, cultural, sexual, religious and age, with gender and functional or disability diversity being predominant. Dissemination of diversity was linked to the fields of social sciences, humanities and sport. Communicators were government teams, with a slightly larger role for women. In conclusion, the institutional communication of diversity carried out from the most common official communication channel of the university analysed is the majority compared to the actions of professors and researchers, and a heterogeneous conception of diversity was found, linking it to issues of gender, inequalities and violence.
Low back pain (LBP) is a significant global health challenge due to its high prevalence, and chronicity and recurrence rates, with projections suggesting an increase in the next years due to ...population growth and aging. The chronic and recurrent nature of LBP, responsible for a significant percentage of years lived with disability, underscores the need for effective management strategies, including self-management strategies advocated by current guidelines, to empower patients and potentially improve healthcare efficiency and clinical outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the added value of face-to-face visits in patients with chronic LBP undergoing a self-management program based on therapeutic exercises on pain intensity, disability, quality of life and treatment adherence and satisfaction. A randomized clinical trial was conducted, allocating 49 patients into a experimental group with a mobile health (mHealth) app usage and face-to-face sessions and 49 patients into an active control group without face-to-face sessions. Pain intensity, disability and quality of life were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks postintervention and 12 weeks postintervention. Patients' satisfaction and adherence were assessed at the end of the study. The multivariate general model revealed no statistically significant time × group interaction for any outcome (
> 0.0068) but mental quality of life (
= 0.006). Within-group differences revealed significant improvements for all the clinical indicators (all,
< 0.001). Patients allocated to the experimental group reported greater satisfaction and adherence (both,
< 0.001) compared to the control group. The use of mHealth apps such as Healthy Back
as part of digital health initiatives may serve as a beneficial approach to enhance the management of LBP.
The
gene is pro-virulent in avian pathogenic
and in
, where it encodes a periplasmic protein named CpdB. It is structurally related to cell wall-anchored proteins, CdnP and SntA, encoded by the also ...pro-virulent
and
genes of
and
, respectively. CdnP and SntA effects are due to extrabacterial hydrolysis of cyclic-di-AMP, and to complement action interference. The mechanism of CpdB pro-virulence is unknown, although the protein from non-pathogenic
hydrolyzes cyclic dinucleotides. Considering that the pro-virulence of streptococcal CpdB-like proteins is mediated by c-di-AMP hydrolysis,
CpdB activity was tested as a phosphohydrolase of 3'-nucleotides, 2',3'-cyclic mononucleotides, linear and cyclic dinucleotides, and cyclic tetra- and hexanucleotides. The results help to understand
pro-virulence in
and are compared with
CpdB and
SntA, including the activity of the latter on cyclic-tetra- and hexanucleotides reported here for the first time. On the other hand, since CpdB-like proteins are relevant to host-pathogen interactions, the presence of
-like genes was probed in eubacterial taxa by TblastN analysis. The non-homogeneous genomic distribution revealed taxa with
-like genes present or absent, identifying eubacteria and plasmids where they can be relevant.
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