Background
Digital technologies can enhance benefits in healthcare. Its use is increasingly present in elderly people daily life. Being a proficient user maybe important for social communication and ...independent living, and additionally can bring benefits to researchers in testing patients outside the office. The Computer Proficiency (CPQ) and the Mobile Proficiency Questionnaires (MDPQ) proved to be useful in English (United States) and Spanish (Spain) speakers to quantify the degree of proficiency in electronic devices in adults. We lack instruments to measure this in Portuguese.
Method
Following established practices, an instrument translation from English to Portuguese was prepared by a Brazilian bilingual neurologist. Then, a back‐translation was performed by 2 other specialists for additional adjustments. Afterwards, a panel of 7 experts (4 Cognition and Behavioral neurologists, 1 geriatric psychiatrist, and 1 information technology PhD) categorized the questionnaires items to calculate the Face Validity Index (FVI) for language clarity, and the Content Validity Index (CVI) for practical and theoretical relevance for both individual items (i‐CVI) and whole scales (S‐CVI).
Result
The results of the translation are shown in the tables (final version in Portuguese included). The comparative back translations obtained good equivalences. The experts group proposed small changes in the use of idiom in a few questionnaires’ items. The expert consensus for the translation assertiveness was considered very good (S‐FVI/Average CPQ=0.96 and MDPQ=0.99), with high levels of unanimous agreement (S‐FVI/UA of 81% and 95%, respectively). The S‐CVI/Ave were considered good for practical (CPQ=0.86 and MDPQ=0.93) and theoretical relevance (CPQ=0.81 and MDPQ=0.85), although the experts’ unanimous agreement was considerably lower.
Conclusion
The CPQ and MDPQ questionnaires in their Brazilian Portuguese versions achieved satisfactory translated content quality and language clarity. They will need consequent validation and reliability studies in our population. Small changes to better improve the questionnaires in our language are discussed. We aim they can provide a useful tool for Brazilian research on digital devices. Correlation with demographic, cognitive, and functionality data may provide more information on how digital proficiency can be useful to track our patients.
O Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEM) foi aplicado em 530 indivíduos, classificados segundo suas idades e escolaridades, para avaliarmos o desempenho dessa população de nosso meio. Constatou-se que, ...para essa amostra, a idade não interferiu nos escores alcançados. Entretanto, ao comparar quatro níveis de escolaridade (analfabetos, baixa, média e alta) obtivemos diferença estatística significante (p<0,0001) entre os escores, exceto para os indivíduos de baixa e média escolaridade quando comparados entre si. Foram estipulados valores de corte para cada grupo, tomando-se como referência o percentil 5% da porção inferior da curva de distribuição dos valores dos escores. Estes foram: 13 para analfabetos, 18 para baixa e média e 26 para alta escolaridade. Comparando-se estes resultados aos obtidos com o MEM em 94 indivíduos com déficits cognitivos comprovados, utilizando os níveis de corte por nós determinados encontramos: sensibilidade de 82,4% para analfabetos, 75,6% para baixa e média e 80% para alta escolaridade; e especificidade de 97,5% para analfabetos, 96,6% para baixa e média e 95,6% para alta escolaridade. Acreditamos que devam ser utilizados níveis de corte diferenciados para cada escolaridade a fim de que erros diagnósticos possam ser minimizados.
The circadian clock represents a key timing system entrained by various periodic signals that ensure synchronization with the environment. Many investigations have pointed to the existence of two ...distinct circadian oscillators: one regulated by the light-dark cycle and the other set by feeding time. Blind cavefish have evolved under extreme conditions where they completely lack light exposure and experience food deprivation. Here, we have investigated feeding regulated clocks in two cavefish species, the Somalian cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii and the Mexican cavefish Astyanax mexicanus, in comparison with the surface-dwelling zebrafish Danio rerio. Our results reveal that feeding represents an extremely strong synchronizer for circadian locomotor rhythmicity in subterranean cavefish. Indeed, we showed that consuming just one meal every 4 days is sufficient to entrain circadian rhythmicity in both cavefish species, but not in zebrafish. These profound adaptations to an extreme environment provide insight into the connections between feeding and circadian clocks.
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•Feeding represents a strong circadian synchronizer for blind cavefish•One meal every 4 days is sufficient to entrain circadian rhythmicity in cavefish•Feeding entrainment in zebrafish occurs only when food is available daily
Ecology; Neuroscience; Evolutionary biology
This paper proposes the architecture of the hash accelerator, developed in the framework of the European Processor Initiative. The proposed circuit supports all the SHA2 and SHA-3 operative modes and ...is to be one of the hardware cryptographic accelerators within the crypto-tile of the European Processor Initiative. The accelerator has been verified on a Stratix IV FPGA and then synthesised on the Artisan 7 nanometres TSMC silicon technology, obtaining throughputs higher than 50 Gbps for the SHA2 and 230 Gbps for the SHA-3, with complexity ranging from 15 to about 30 kGE and estimated power dissipation of about 13 (SHA2) to 26 (SHA-3) mW (supply voltage 0.75 V). The proposed design demonstrates absolute performances beyond the state-of-the-art and efficiency aligned with it. One of the main contributions is that this is the first SHA-2 SHA-3 accelerator synthesised on such advanced technology.
Cognitive assessment in advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is limited by the imprecision of most instruments.
To determine objective cognitive responses in moderate and severe AD patients by ...way of the Severe Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE), and to correlate performances with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.
Consecutive outpatients in moderate and severe stages of AD (Clinical Dementia Rating 2.0 or 3.0) were evaluated and compared according to MMSE and SMMSE scores.
Overall 400 patients were included, 67.5% females, mean age 76.6±6.7 years-old. There was no significant impact of age or gender over MMSE or SMMSE scores. Mean schooling was 4.4±2.5 years, impacting SMMSE scores (p=0.008). Scores on MMSE and SMMSE were significantly correlated (F-ratio=690.6325, p<0.0001).
The SMMSE is influenced by schooling, but not by age or gender, and is an accurate test for assessment of moderate and severe AD.
The object of this article is to examine the reliability of the Brazilian version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI). The instrument is a 22-item scale assessing the extent to which ...caregivers view their responsibilities as having an adverse impact on their social life, health, emotional well-being, and finances. We assessed 50 primary informal caregivers of demented patients coming from 3 different health care centers, using the test-retest method. Analysis of the results showed an intraclass reliability coefficient of 0.88, while Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.77 for the test and 0.80 for the retest items. The Brazilian version of ZBI shows sufficient reliability, comparable to the original version.
ABSTRACT Lippia dulcis is a medicinal species used by communities in the Amazon region for the control of diabetes and as a tranquilizer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the plant biomass ...production, antioxidant defense, and chemical profiles of the phenolic compounds and essential oil of plants grown under different doses of cattle, quail, and chicken manure. Chicken and quail manure at a dose of 6 kg m-2 reached the highest values of dry weight and essential oil yield of the leaves and positively influenced bisabolol production. Cattle manure affected the content and yield of the essential oil of the inflorescences, the antioxidant defense performance, and the chemical composition of phenolic compounds and essential oil. Plants grown with cattle manure showed a linear increase in the amounts of these substances with increasing dose. Chicken and quail manure led to the highest values of these components at doses between 0 and 3 kg m-2. The evaluation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant defense showed the highest values at doses of 0, 1.5, and 3 kg m-2, regardless of the manure used. The essential oil concentration was higher in the inflorescences, and its total yield was higher in the leaves. The chemical composition varied between these vegetative organs.
Robotics and related technologies are realizing their promise to improve the delivery of rehabilitation therapy but the mechanism by which they enhance recovery is still unknown. The ...electromechanical-driven gait orthosis Lokomat has demonstrated its utility for gait rehabilitation after stroke.
To test the efficacy of Lokomat in gait retraining and to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the recovery process.
Case series study.
Unit of Neurorehabilitation of a University Hospital.
Fifteen patients with post-stroke hemiparesis.
Patients underwent a six weeks rehabilitative treatment provided by Lokomat. The outcome measures were: Fugl-Meyer Motor Scale (FMMS), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 10 metres Walking Test (10mWT), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 6 Minute Walking Test (6MWT). Strength and Motor Unit firing rate of vastus medialis (VM) were analyzed during isometric knee extension through an isokinetic dynamometer and surface EMG recording.
An increase of duration and covered distance, a decrease of body weight support and guidance force on the paretic side along the sessions were observed. The FMMS, the BBS, the TUG and the 6MWT demonstrated a significant improvement after the training. No increase of force was observed whereas a significant increase of firing rate of VM was recorded.
The evidence that the improvement of walking ability observed in our study determines a significant increase of firing rate of VM not accompanied by an increase of force could suggest an effect of training on motorneuronal firing rate that thus contributes to improve motor control.
Given the current wide use of robotics in gait retraining after stroke, our approach can contribute to clarify the mechanisms underlying its rehabilitative impact so as to incorporate the findings of evidence-based practice into appropriate treatment plans for persons poststroke.
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