ABSTRACTObjective:To compare the accuracy of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in tracking mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease ...(AD).
A Systematic review of the PubMed, Bireme, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and PsycInfo databases was conducted. Using inclusion and exclusion criteria and staring with 1,629 articles, 34 articles were selected. The quality of the selected research was evaluated through the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool (QUADAS-2).
More than 80% of the articles showed MoCA to be superior to MMSE in discriminating between individuals with mild cognitive impairment and no cognitive impairment. The area under the curve varied from 0.71 to 0.99 for MoCA, and 0.43 to 0.94 for MMSE, when evaluating the ability to discriminate MCI in the cognitively healthy elderly individuals, and 0.87 to 0.99 and 0.67 to 0.99, respectively, when evaluating the detection of AD. The AUC mean value for MoCA was significantly larger compared to the MMSE in discriminating MCI from control 0.883 (CI 95% 0.855-0.912) vs MMSE 0.780 (CI 95% 0.740-0.820) p < 0.001.
The screening tool MoCA is superior to MMSE in the identification of MCI, and both tests were found to be accurate in the detection of AD.
Stereotypies are frequently reported in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but remain one of the less explained phenomena. We aimed to describe, through a systematic review and a ...meta-analysis, the prevalence of motor stereotypies in ASD and study the factors that influence this prevalence. Our literature search included MEDLINE, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases. Quality and risk of bias were assessed. Thirty-seven studies were included and the median prevalence of motor stereotypies in ASD was 51.8%, ranging from 21.9% to 97.5%. The most frequent determinants associated with a higher number of stereotypies in ASD were a younger age, lower intelligence quotient, and a greater severity of ASD. Moreover, gender did not seem to influence the prevalence of stereotypies. Meta-analytic analysis showed that lower IQ and autism diagnosis (independent of IQ) are associated with a higher prevalence of motor stereotypies (odds ratio = 2.5 and 4.7, respectively). Limitations of the reviewed literature include the use of convenience samples, with small sizes and heterogeneous inclusion criteria, and the predominance of high-functioning autism individuals.
Oleogels are semi-solid materials containing a large fraction of liquid oil entrapped in a network of structuring molecules. In the food industry, these formulations can be used to mimic fats and to ...deliver bioactive compounds. In the last decade, there has been increasing interest in these structures, not only from a scientific point of view, i.e., studying new molecules, methodologies for gelification, and new structures, but also from a technological point of view, with researchers and companies exploring these structures as a way to overcome certain challenges and/or create new and innovative products. One of the exciting applications of oleogels is the delivery of functional molecules, where the incorporation of oil-soluble functional compounds can be explored not only at the macroscale but also at micro- and nanoscales, resulting in different release behaviors and also different applications. This review presents and discusses the most recent works on the development, production, characterization, and applications of oleogels and other oleogel-based systems to deliver functional molecules in foods.
Background: Exposure to intermittent hypoxia has been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for hypoxic preconditioning, preventing damage to cells and demonstrating therapeutic benefits. We aimed to ...evaluate the effects of respiratory intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) to avoid brain injury caused by exposure to acute severe hypoxia (ASH). Methods: biomarkers of oxidative damage, mitochondrial apoptosis, and transcriptional factors in response to hypoxia were assessed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry in brain tissue. Four groups of rats were used: (1) normoxic (NOR), (2) exposed to ASH (FiO2 7% for 6 h), (3) exposed to IHH for 3 h per day over 8 days at 460 mmHg, and (4) ASH preconditioned after IHH. Results: ASH animals underwent increased oxidative-stress-related parameters, an upregulation in apoptotic proteins and had astrocytes with phenotype forms compatible with severe diffuse reactive astrogliosis. These effects were attenuated and even prevented when the animals were preconditioned with IHH. These changes paralleled the inhibition of NF-κB expression and the increase of erythropoietin (EPO) levels in the brain. Conclusions: IHH exerted neuroprotection against ASH-induced oxidative injury by preventing oxidative stress and inhibiting the apoptotic cascade, which was associated with NF-κB downregulation and EPO upregulation.
The higher share of renewable energy sources in the electrical grid and the electrification of significant sectors, such as transport and heating, are imposing a tremendous challenge on the operation ...of the energy system due to the increase in the complexity, variability and uncertainties associated with these changes. The recent advances of computational technologies and the ever-growing data availability allowed the development of sophisticated and efficient algorithms that can process information at a very fast pace. In this sense, the use of machine learning models has been gaining increased attention from the electricity sector as it can provide accurate forecasts of system behaviour from energy generation to consumption, helping all the stakeholders to optimize their activities. This work develops and proposes a methodology to enhance load demand forecasts using a machine learning model, namely a feed-forward neural network (FFNN), by incorporating an error correction step that involves the prediction of the initial forecast errors by another FFNN. The results showed that the proposed methodology was able to significantly improve the quality of load demand forecasts, demonstrating a better performance than the benchmark models.
Over the last years, a profusion of new versions of arc welding processes has overwhelmed the international welding scenario in the industry and academia. Innovations have been made possible not only ...by means of electronics and software developments but also through new concepts in mechanical design and mechanisms. With respect to the tungsten inert gas (TIG) process, low productivity is often a disadvantage, when compared to other arc welding processes. In order to manage this drawback, as well as to better deal with hard wetting materials (Ni-Cr alloys for example), a forward and backward wire oscillation movement has been implemented in TIG systems and finds good acceptability in the industry. However, dedicated wire feed measuring systems for this new operating regime are not available, which limits the process monitoring as a whole and hinders phenomena understanding and parametrization stage. The present paper thus addresses the development of a measuring methodology combined with a transducer, based on an optical encoder, for acquisition of instantaneous angular speed (IAS). The study covers analysis of the performance of previous instrumentation (found unsuitable), description of the dedicated system, and verification methodologies. Results lead to the validation of the system. Therefore, valuable information can now be extracted to provide feedback for this welding process version and avoid instabilities.
From the middle of the 20th century, the rise of anthropocentric beliefs partly inherited from the Abrahamic religions led to a change in mentality about ecosystems. The measurable signs of ...environmental exploitation and destruction and their consequences for human health, the shift to post-materialist values, and the growth of ethical philosophies (Land ethics, the Gaia Hypothesis, and Deep Ecology) were predictors of global ecological awareness. Progressively, human cultures (which are inseparable from religion) have become a priority for understanding relationships with the natural world. Alongside beliefs, individual subjectivities, influenced by the New Age, also positively affect sustainable values and practices. One of the community manifestations that demonstrate this is the ecovillage phenomenon. The sociological study of these new social realities influenced by the New Age is a relevant field of research in the frame of secularization or the criticism of this paradigm.
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