Validation of Educational Materials for a Mobile Application for Patients with Kidney Disease on Hemodialysis.

Worldwide, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. For CKD patients, mobile health applications have functioned as a strategy that promotes patient care through valid and reliable educational materials. This is a prospective and descriptive three-stage study using content experts. Results created three visual and three audiovisual materials with acceptable evaluations. The design and validation of educational materials are a valid and reliable method for patient health education through mobile health applications.

Mobile Apps to Promote and Motivate Exercise in Adolescents in Mexico: A Systematic Review.

Worldwide, more than 5.4 billion people have a smartphone. Based on this, thousands of Apps are being developed, each one with different functions such as: education, communication, organization, home automatization and exercising. The aim of this study was to analyze the scientific evidence available worldwide on mobile applications to promote and motivate exercise in adolescents. It was carried out following the PRISMA. A total of 483 articles were identified, of which 300 were eliminated. For title 247, for abstract 33 and 20 for other reasons, giving a total of 183 articles to assess their eligibility, 158 were eliminated. Remaining 25 articles, 12 for abstract and 26 for other reasons, giving a total of 6 articles included for the study. The use of Apps aimed at adolescents are tools that can help with personal care and health issues in this group.

Health Informatics: A Challenge for Nurses in Public Health in Rural Mexico.

Health informatics has significantly advanced global technology, yet challenges persist in public health and rural nursing in Mexico due to social inequalities, limited technology access, and suboptimal infrastructure, compounded by the absence of nurse informaticians as viable career options. Overcoming these barriers necessitates international collaboration, empowering Mexican nurses to contribute to universal health access and advocate for health equity. Interventions must extend beyond nursing curricula to existing workforces, ensuring they can address the needs of vulnerable populations in Mexico. Long-term international support is crucial to bridge these gaps and unleash the full potential of Mexican nurses in influencing global health.

Mobile Applications in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review.

JUSTIFICATION: Worldwide, 850 million people suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), and in Mexico it is the tenth cause of mortality with 13,167 deaths per year. CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis present challenges in following the prescribed treatment and managing care; Therefore, different health strategies have been proposed to address those challenges, including mobile health applications. OBJECTIVE: Analyze the scientific evidence available worldwide on mobile health applications for patients with CKD on hemodialysis that have been validated, evaluated, implemented or in the process of development. METHODS: Systematic review of the literature following the PRISMA statement and search question with the PICOT-D format. Databases with keywords in 12 languages were consulted. RESULTS: Of 474 manuscripts, seven met the inclusion criteria. Mobile health applications were designed using different methodologies. Mobile health applications were found mainly aimed at self-monitoring and/or self-management, including health literacy, of patients with CKD.

Fragments derived from non-coding RNAs: how complex is genome regulation?

The human genome is highly dynamic and only a small fraction of it codes for proteins, but most of the genome is transcribed, highlighting the importance of non-coding RNAs on cellular functions. In addition, it is now known the generation of non-coding RNA fragments under particular cellular conditions and their functions have revealed unexpected mechanisms of action, converging, in some cases, with the biogenic pathways and action machineries of microRNAs or Piwi-interacting RNAs. This led us to the question why the cell produces so many apparently redundant molecules to exert similar functions and regulate apparently convergent processes? However, non-coding RNAs fragments can also function similarly to aptamers, with secondary and tertiary conformations determining their functions. In the present work, it was reviewed and analyzed the current information about the non-coding RNAs fragments, describing their structure and biogenic pathways, with special emphasis on their cellular functions.

Overweight, Obesity, and Age Are the Main Determinants of Cardiovascular Risk Aggregation in the Current Mexican Population: The FRIMEX III Study.

Background: The Mexican population exhibits several cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) including high blood pressure (HBP), dysglycemia, dyslipidemia, overweight, and obesity. This study is an extensive observation of the most important CVFRs in six of the most populated cities in Mexico. Methods: In a cohort of 297,370 participants (54% female, mean age 43 ± 12.6 years), anthropometric (body mass index (BMI)), metabolic (glycemia and total cholesterol (TC)), and blood pressure (BP) data were obtained. Results: From age 40, 40% and 30% of the cohort's participants were overweight or obese, respectively. HBP was found in 27% of participants. However, only 8% of all hypertensive patients were controlled. Fifty percent of the subjects 50 years and older were hypercholesterolemic. Glycemia had a constant linear relation with age. BMI had a linear correlation with SBP, glycemia, and TC, with elevated coefficients in all cases and genders. The ß1 coefficient for BMI was more significant in all equations than the other ß, indicating that it greatly influences the other CVRFs. Conclusions: TC, glycemia, and SBP, the most critical atherogenic factors, are directly related to BMI.

Effectiveness of a natural coagulant based on common mallow (Malva sylvestris) in urban wastewater treatment.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a natural coagulant based on common mallow (Malva sylvestris) to remove turbidity in urban wastewater. A 22 factorial design was selected to determine the optimal dose and the working pH of the natural coagulant. Its potential was studied in 50.0-450 mg/L and 4.00-10.0 ranges of doses and pH, respectively. A simplex lattice mixture evaluated its effectiveness as a coagulant aid combined with aluminum sulfate (conventional coagulant). Mixture proportions 0.000-1.00 were studied for each component, finding the proportion more effective. Results showed that the coagulation treatment could be feasible since a turbidity removal efficiency of 73.7% can be achieved under optimal conditions (50.0 mg/L and pH of 10.0). Likewise, a turbidity removal of 58.9% is obtained using 250 mg/L and maintaining wastewater pH (7.45). This efficiency can be increased using 31.0% natural coagulant mixed with 69.0% aluminum sulfate at 250 mg/L without modifying the wastewater pH. This improvement was associated with the natural coagulant's high molecular weight and long-chained structure since these properties enhance settling time, floc size and strength, and low sludge production. These results support using common mallow as a natural coagulant, making its use more feasible in alkaline water pH or as a coagulant aid combined with aluminum sulfate for urban wastewater treatment. A cost of USD 370/Kg of natural coagulant was estimated, which is higher than conventional coagulants. However, a cost-effectiveness analysis of its implementation should be performed since process scaling costs could significantly reduce its price.

Efficient removal of triclosan from water through activated carbon adsorption and photodegradation processes.

This study investigated the application of adsorption with activated carbons (ACs) and photodegradation to reduce the concentration of triclosan (TCS) in aqueous solutions. Concerning adsorption, ACs (Darco, Norit, and F400) were characterised and batch experiments were performed to elucidate the effect of pH on equilibrium. The results showed that at pH = 7, the maximum adsorption capacity of TCS onto the ACs was 18.5 mg g-1 for Darco, 16.0 mg g-1 for Norit, and 15.5 mg g-1 for F400. The diffusional kinetic model allowed an adequate interpretation of the experimental data. The effective diffusivity varied and increased with the amount of TCS adsorbed, from 1.06 to 1.68 × 10-8 cm2 s-1. In the case of photodegradation, it was possible to ensure that the triclosan molecule was sensitive to UV light of 254 nm because the removal was over 80 % using UV light. The removal of TCS increased in the presence of sulfate radicals. It was possible to identify 2,4-dichlorophenol as one of the photolytic degradation products of triclosan, which does not represent an environmental hazard at low concentrations of triclosan in water. These results confirm that the use of AC Darco, Norit, and F400 and that photodegradation processes with UV light and persulfate radicals are effective in removing TCS from water, reaching concentration levels that do not constitute a risk to human health or environmental hazard. Both methods effectively eliminate pollutants with relatively easy techniques to implement.

Phytochemical Extract from Carica papaya Leaves and Punica granatum Seeds as Therapy Against Cognitive Impairment in a Murine Model.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined as inter-stage between normal cognitive aging and major neurocognitive disorder (MND). This state of decay is a crucial factor in treatment to prevent the progression to MND. In this study, our group developed a virtual screening process to evaluate 2568 phytochemical compounds against 5 key proteins associated with MCI and MND. As a result, two potential candidates were identified: carpaine, found in Carica papaya leaves, and punicalagin, present in Punica granatum. A model of cognitive impairment (CI) was developed in 10-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats by administering aluminum chloride (AlCl3) at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 30 days. After AlCl3 administration period, one of the groups received carpaine and punicalagin in a phytochemical extract (PE) by oral gavage for 30 days. Novel object recognition test (NOR) was assessed at three different time points (T1 - before CI, T2 - after CI, and T3 - after PE treatment). Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were identified in the hippocampus of rats at the end of the study period. After administration of AlCl3, a reduction in discrimination index vs control rats (CI = 0.012 ± 0.08 vs Control = 0.076 ± 0.03), was observed. After phytochemical extract treatment, a significant increase in discrimination index values was observed in the PE group 0.4643 ± 0.13 vs CI group 0.012 ± 0.08. Additionally, the evaluation of immunohistochemistry showed an increase in GFAP positivity in the hippocampus of the CI groups, while a slight decrease was observed in the PE group. This work addressed a comprehensive methodology that utilized in silico tools to identify phytochemical compounds (carpaine and punicalagin) as potential candidates for affecting key proteins in CI. The phytochemical extract containing carpaine and punicalagin resulted in a trend in the decrease of GFAP expression in the hippocampus and improved recognition memory in rats with CI induced by age and AlCl3 administration.

Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats Showed a Differential Glycine Receptor Expression in the Spinal Cord: A GlyR Role in Diabetic Neuropathy.

In the spinal cord, attenuation of the inhibitory action of glycine is related to an increase in both inflammatory and diabetic neuropathic pain; however, the glycine receptor involvement in diabetic neuropathy has not been reported. We determined the expression of the glycine receptor subunits (α1-α3 and ß) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Long-Evans rats by qPCR and Western blot. The total mRNA and protein expression (whole spinal cord homogenate) of the α1, α3, and ß subunits did not change during diabetes; however, the α2 subunit mRNA, but not the protein, was overexpressed 45 days after diabetes induction. By contrast, the synaptic expression of the α1 and α2 subunits decreased in all the studied stages of diabetes, but that of the α3 subunit increased on day 45 after diabetes induction. Intradermal capsaicin produced higher paw-licking behavior in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats than in the control animals. In addition, the nocifensive response was higher at 45 days than at 20 days. During diabetes, the expression of the glycine receptor was altered in the spinal cord, which strongly suggests its involvement in diabetic neuropathy.

Actitudes de los psicólogos costarricenses hacia la aplicación de la psicología en la consulta odontológica / Attitudes of Costa Rican Psychologists Towards the Application of Psychology During the Dentistry Consultation

Resumen Estudio exploratorio-descriptivo sobre un grupo de profesionales costarricenses en psicología acerca de sus actitudes hacia la aplicación de los principios psicológicos en la práctica odontológica. La muestra fue de 377 psicólogos (activos en el Colegio de Profesionales en Psicología de Costa Rica). A partir del cuestionario original diseñado por Gómez y Gómez (2007), el cual fue construido para estimar la necesidad de conformar programas universitarios que integren la psicología y la odontología, se aplicó una adaptación consistente en una encuesta de 10 preguntas autoadministradas de selección simple, la cual se efectuó en línea a través del sistema QuestionPro®. Se pudo evidenciar que existe una actitud positiva ante el enfoque interdisciplinario entre la Odontología y la Psicología; se demostró que un 74% de la muestra sostiene que los aspectos psicosociales son "Bastante importantes" en el marco de la atención odontológica. A pesar de ello, la mayoría (57%) de las personas consultadas indicó que no ha tenido ocasión de aplicar sus conocimientos y experiencia en psicología al contexto odontológico. Asimismo, un 72% de los participantes considera "Bastante importante" que los profesionales en Odontología reciban capacitación básica en el área psicológica para la prevención o contención de ciertos síntomas que puedan incidir en la salud mental. Por otra parte, el 80% de quienes respondieron la encuesta indicaron que las iniciativas interdisciplinarias de colaboración científica (investigación) y aplicada (ejercicio profesional) son "Bastante importantes" para producir beneficios tangibles en la prestación de servicios integrales a los pacientes y el bienestar del personal sanitario.

Abstract Exploratory-descriptive study on a group of Costa Rican professionals in psychology about their attitudes towards the application of psychological principles in dental practice. The sample consisted of 377 psychologists (active in the Association of Psychology Professionals of Costa Rica). From the original questionnaire designed by Gómez and Gómez (2007), which was built to estimate the need to create university programs that integrate psychology and dentistry, an adaptation consisting of a survey of 10 self-administered questions of simple selection was applied, which was carried out online through the QuestionPro® system. It was possible to show that there is a positive attitude towards the interdisciplinary approach between Dentistry and Psychology; it was shown that 74% of the sample maintains that psychosocial aspects are "Quite important" in the context of dental care. Despite this, the majority (57%) of the people consulted indicated that they had not had the opportunity to apply their knowledge and experience as psychologists to the dental context. Likewise, 72% of the participants consider it "Quite important" that dental professionals receive basic training in the psychological area for the prevention or containment of certain symptoms that may affect mental health. On the other hand, 80% of the survey respondents indicated that interdisciplinary initiatives of professional scientific (research) and applied (practice) collaboration are "Quite important" to produce tangible benefits in the provision of comprehensive services to patients and wellbeing of health personnel.

Circular RNAs: the next level of gene regulation.

Gene regulation is a highly complex process involving the presence and participation of many molecules and complexes that regulate gene expression in the genome, which occurs in a precise and coordinated way. Among all these regulatory molecules, the circular RNAs (circRNAs) are the most novel and peculiar family of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) as they have a circular structure, are very specific on their expression, highly conserved, and highly resistant to degradation. These molecules have been described in recent years as excellent disease markers and as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we focused on general characteristics and on the evolution of the circRNAs, as well as on their biological functions, emphasizing on their participation in the formation of brain tumors.

Saline-Tolerant Pathogenic Acanthamoeba spp. Isolated from a Geothermal Power Plant.

Few studies have been conducted in the cooling systems of power plants; they have focused on Naegleria fowleri, leaving a gap in the knowledge of other pathogenic free-living amoebae in this environment. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of saline-tolerant pathogenic Acanthamoeba in a geothermal power plant. The identification of isolated amoebae at genus level was carried out, observing their morphological characteristics; the determination of genotype and species of Acanthamoeba was performed via molecular biology (PCR). Water temperature ranged from 18 to 43 °C and conductivity from 4.0 × 104 to 8.7 × 104 µS/cm; this last value was greater than the seawater value. Only five amoeba genera were found. Acanthamoeba was in all the sampling sites, showing high saline tolerance. The high temperature, but mainly high conductivity, were the environmental conditions that determined the presence of pathogenic free-living amoebae in the hot water. All the strains of Acanthamoeba culbertsoni killed the mice, having a mortality of 40 to 100%. Acanthamoeba genotypes T10 and T5 were identified, T10 is rarely isolated from the environment, while T5 is more frequent. This is the first time that genotypes T5 and T10 have been reported in the environment in Mexico.

A Survey on the Role of Industrial IoT in Manufacturing for Implementation of Smart Industry.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an innovative technology that presents effective and attractive solutions to revolutionize various domains. Numerous solutions based on the IoT have been designed to automate industries, manufacturing units, and production houses to mitigate human involvement in hazardous operations. Owing to the large number of publications in the IoT paradigm, in particular those focusing on industrial IoT (IIoT), a comprehensive survey is significantly important to provide insights into recent developments. This survey presents the workings of the IoT-based smart industry and its major components and proposes the state-of-the-art network infrastructure, including structured layers of IIoT architecture, IIoT network topologies, protocols, and devices. Furthermore, the relationship between IoT-based industries and key technologies is analyzed, including big data storage, cloud computing, and data analytics. A detailed discussion of IIoT-based application domains, smartphone application solutions, and sensor- and device-based IIoT applications developed for the management of the smart industry is also presented. Consequently, IIoT-based security attacks and their relevant countermeasures are highlighted. By analyzing the essential components, their security risks, and available solutions, future research directions regarding the implementation of IIoT are outlined. Finally, a comprehensive discussion of open research challenges and issues related to the smart industry is also presented.

Molecular epidemiology, transmission and clinical features of 2022-mpox outbreak: A systematic review.

Background and Aims: The 2022-mpox outbreak has spread worldwide in a short time. Integrated knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and transmission of mpox are limited. This systematic review of peer-reviewed articles and gray literature was conducted to shed light on the epidemiology, clinical features, and transmission of 2022-mpox outbreak. Methods: We identified 45 peer-reviewed manuscripts for data analysis. The standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Statement and Cochrane Collaboration were followed for conducting the study. Results: The case number of mpox has increased about 100 times worldwide. About 99% of the cases in 2022 outbreak was from non-endemic regions. Men (70%-98% cases) were mostly infected with homosexual and bisexual behavior (30%-60%). The ages of the infected people ranged between 30 and 40 years. The presence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among 30%-60% of cases were reported. Human-to-human transmission via direct contact and different body fluids were involved in the majority of the cases (90%-100%). Lesions in genitals, perianal, and anogenital areas were more prevalent. Unusually, pharyngitis (15%-40%) and proctitis (20%-40%) were more common during 2022 outbreak than pre-2022 outbreaks. Brincidofovir is approved for the treatment of smallpox by FDA (USA). Two vaccines, including JYNNEOSTM and ACAM2000®, are approved and used for pre- and post-prophylaxis in cases. About 100% of the cases in non-endemic regions were associated with isolates of IIb clade with a divergence of 0.0018-0.0035. Isolates from B.1 lineage were the most predominant followed by B.1.2 and B.1.10. Conclusion: This study will add integrated knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical features, and transmission of mpox.

(-)-Epicatechin Inhibits Metastatic-Associated Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Murine Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro.

Breast cancer, due to its high incidence and mortality, is a public health problem worldwide. Current chemotherapy uses non-specific cytotoxic drugs, which inhibit tumor growth but cause significant adverse effects. (-)-Epicatechin (EC) is part of a large family of biomolecules called flavonoids. It is widely distributed in the plant kingdom; it can be found in green tea, grapes, and cocoa. Several studies in animals and humans have shown that EC induces beneficial effects in the skeletal muscle and the cardiovascular system, reducing risk factors such as arterial hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, damage to skeletal muscle structure, and mitochondrial malfunction by promoting mitochondrial biogenesis, with no adverse effects reported. Recently, we reported that EC had an antitumor effect in a murine triple-negative mammary gland tumor model, decreasing tumoral size and volume and increasing survival by 44%. This work aimed to characterize the effects of flavanol EC on proliferation, migration, and metastasis markers of triple-negative murine breast (4T1) cancer cells in culture. We found proliferation diminished and Bax/Bcl2 ratio increased. When the migration of culture cells was evaluated, we observed a significant reduction in migration. Also, the relative expression of the genes associated with metastasis, Cdh1, Mtss1, Pten, Bmrs, Fat1, and Smad4, was increased. In conclusion, these results contribute to understanding molecular mechanisms activated by EC that can inhibit metastatic-associated proliferation, migration, and invasion of murine breast cancer cells.

Adaptive Filtering: Issues, Challenges, and Best-Fit Solutions Using Particle Swarm Optimization Variants.

Adaptive equalization is crucial in mitigating distortions and compensating for frequency response variations in communication systems. It aims to enhance signal quality by adjusting the characteristics of the received signal. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms have shown promise in optimizing the tap weights of the equalizer. However, there is a need to enhance the optimization capabilities of PSO further to improve the equalization performance. This paper provides a comprehensive study of the issues and challenges of adaptive filtering by comparing different variants of PSO and analyzing the performance by combining PSO with other optimization algorithms to achieve better convergence, accuracy, and adaptability. Traditional PSO algorithms often suffer from high computational complexity and slow convergence rates, limiting their effectiveness in solving complex optimization problems. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a set of techniques aimed at reducing the complexity and accelerating the convergence of PSO.

Bioremediation of Automotive Residual Oil-Contaminated Soils by Biostimulation with Enzymes, Surfactant, and Vermicompost.

Contamination of soils by automotive residual oil represents a global environmental problem. Bioremediation is the technology most suitable to remove this contaminant from the medium. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bioremediation of automotive residual oil-contaminated soils by biostimulation with enzymes, surfactant, and vermicompost. The bioremediation efficiency was examined using a factorial design of 24 to determine the effect of the time, pH and temperature conditions, biostimulation with enzyme-vermicompost, and biostimulation with enzyme-surfactant. Enzymes obtained from Ricinus communis L. seeds, commercial vermicompost, and Triton X-100 were used. Results showed that the highest removal efficiency (99.9%) was achieved at 49 days, with a pH of 4.5, temperature of 37 °C, and using biostimulation with enzyme-vermicompost (3% w/v-5% w/w). The addition of surfactant was not significant in increasing the removal efficiency. Therefore, the results provide adequate conditions to bioremediate automotive residual oil-contaminated soils by biostimulation using enzymes supported with vermicompost.

Predicting rainfall and irrigation requirements of corn in Ecuador.

This work is a case study whose objective is prediction of irrigation needs of corn crops in different regions of Ecuador; being this a fundamental basic food for the country's economy, as in the remaining countries of the Andean area. The proposed methodology seeks to help improving the quality of corn crop. Specifically, we propose the application of regression models, within the framework of Functional Data Analysis (FDA), to predict the amount of rainfall (scalar response variable) in the places with the highest production of corn in Ecuador, as a function of functional covariates such as temperature and wind speed. From the estimation of the amount of rainfall, effective precipitation is calculated. This is the fraction of water used by the crops, from which the value of real evapotranspiration or ETc is obtained and, more importantly, the irrigation requirements at each stage of the corn crop, for its adequate physiological development. Application of regression models based on functional basis, Functional Principal Components (FPC) or Functional Partial Least Squares (FPLS) for scalar response variable, allows us to use the information of variables such as wind speed and temperature (of functional nature) in a better way than using multivariate models, for predicting the amount of rainfall, obtaining, as a result, very explicative models, defined by a high goodness of fit (R2=0.97, with 6 significant parameters and an error of 0.14) and practical utility. The model has been also applied to North Peru regions, obtaining rainfall prediction errors between 9% and 22%. Thus, the geographical limitations of the model could be the Andean regions with similar climate. In addition, this study proposes the application of FDA exploratory analysis and FDA outlier detection techniques as a common and useful practice in the specific domain of rainfall prediction studies, prior to applying the regression models.

Blockchain-Modeled Edge-Computing-Based Smart Home Monitoring System with Energy Usage Prediction.

Internet of Things (IoT) has made significant strides in energy management systems recently. Due to the continually increasing cost of energy, supply-demand disparities, and rising carbon footprints, the need for smart homes for monitoring, managing, and conserving energy has increased. In IoT-based systems, device data are delivered to the network edge before being stored in the fog or cloud for further transactions. This raises worries about the data's security, privacy, and veracity. It is vital to monitor who accesses and updates this information to protect IoT end-users linked to IoT devices. Smart meters are installed in smart homes and are susceptible to numerous cyber attacks. Access to IoT devices and related data must be secured to prevent misuse and protect IoT users' privacy. The purpose of this research was to design a blockchain-based edge computing method for securing the smart home system, in conjunction with machine learning techniques, in order to construct a secure smart home system with energy usage prediction and user profiling. The research proposes a blockchain-based smart home system that can continuously monitor IoT-enabled smart home appliances such as smart microwaves, dishwashers, furnaces, and refrigerators, among others. An approach based on machine learning was utilized to train the auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model for energy usage prediction, which is provided in the user's wallet, to estimate energy consumption and maintain user profiles. The model was tested using the moving average statistical model, the ARIMA model, and the deep-learning-based long short-term memory (LSTM) model on a dataset of smart-home-based energy usage under changing weather conditions. The findings of the analysis reveal that the LSTM model accurately forecasts the energy usage of smart homes.