Physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors in university students in the city of Leon, Mexico

Objectives: Recent changes in life style have increased obesity, smoking and sedentary habits in the entire population. Obesity and overweight frequency have trebled in Mexico in the last few decades. The presence and frequency of cardiovascular risk factors were determined in students at the Universidad DeLa Salle Bajío, both newly admitted and in advanced years. Material and methods: Anthropometric variables, serum glucose, total cholesterol levels, blood hemoglobin and hematocrit were obtained and assessed in 4814 students, 1507 recently admitted and 1507 advanced students. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 15.3%, sedentariness 33.8%, hypercholesterolemia 8.16%, smoking habits 15.8%, and alcohol consumption 12.1%. Body mass index (BMI) (23.5 ± 4 vs. 22.7 ± 4), waist/ abdomen index (0.84 ± 0.06 vs. 0.83 ± 0.06) and serum cholesterol (3.54 mmol/L ± 0.79 vs. 3.98 mmol/L ± 0.77) were greater in the advanced students

Ageism: Millennial Persistence

This work develops the idea that is possible to affirm that beyond its nuances. Ageism has shown a surprising force of prevalence in western society. Nourished by mythical, empirical, ideological and health elements, it has been enormously successful in imposing an image of vulnerability, decrepitude and illness on older adults. Since 1969, when the first academic article on the subject was published, much has been written on the subject, but little progress has been made in terms of social and state policies and community awareness. When an attempt has been made to propose an alternative to decrepit (Aristotelian as we suggest in this paper) ageism, nothing has emerged but a new kind of ageism that has imposed the supposed need that the older adult “must” be “productive”, “young”, “vigorous”, posing the impossibility, in short, once again, of the older adult living spontaneously as an older adult.

Effect of psychological stress on gastric motility assessed by electrical bio-impedance

AIM:To evaluate gastric motility using electrical bioimpedance(EBI) and gastric changes as a result of stress induced by psychological tests.METHODS:A group of 57 healthy women,aged 40-60 years,was recruited,and a clinical history and physical examination were performed.The women were free from severe anxiety,chronic or acute stress,severe depression,mental diseases and conditions that affect gastric activity.The women were evaluated under fasting conditions,and using a four-electrode configuration,the gastric signals were obtained through a BIOPAC MP-150 system.The volunteers were evaluated using the following paradigm:basal state,recording during the Stroop Test,intermediate resting period,recording during the Raven Test,and a final resting period.We analyzed the relative areas of the frequency spectrum:A1(1-2 cpm),A2(2-4 cpm),A3(4-8 cpm),and A4(8-12 cpm),as well as the median of area A2 + A3.The data were analyzed by an autoregressive method using a Butterworth filter with MatLab and Origin.Analysis of variance(ANOVA) and Friedman ANOVA(for nonparametric variables) were performed;in addition,pairs of groups were compared using the T dependent and Wilcoxon T tests.RESULTS:The results of the main values of area A2 were not significantly different comparing the five steps of the experimental paradigm.Nevertheless,there was a tendency of this A2 region to decrease during the stress tests,with recuperation at the final resting step.When an extended gastric region was considered(1-4 cpm),significant differences with the psychological stress tests were present(F = 3.85,P = 0.005).The A3 region also showed significant changes when the stress psychological tests were administered(F = 7.25,P < 0.001).These differences were influenced by the changes in the adjacent gastric region of A2.The parameter that we proposed in previous studies for the evaluation of gastric motility by electrical bio-impedance(EBI) was the median of the area under the region from 2 to 8 cpm(A2 + A3).The mean values of these frequencies(median of the A2 + A3 area) with the stress test showed significant changes(F = 5.5,P < 0.001).The results of the WilcoxonT test for the A4 area parameter,which is influenced by the breathing response,changed significantly during the Raven stress test(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:We confirm that the gastric response to acute psychological stress can be evaluated by short-term EBI.

Effects of occupational stress on the gastrointestinal tract

The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of the relationship between occupational stress and gastrointestinal alterations. The International Labour Organization suggests occupational health includes psychological aspects to achieve mental well-being. However, the definition of health risks for an occupation includes biological, chemical, physical and ergonomic factors but does not address psychological stress or other affective disorders. Nevertheless, multiple investigations have studied occupational stress and its physiological consequences, focusing on specific risk groups and occupations considered stressful. Among the physiological effects of stress, gastrointestinal tract(GIT) alterations are highly prevalent. The relationship between occupational stress and GIT diseases is evident in everyday clinical practice; however, the usual strategy is to attack the effects but not the root of the problem. That is, in clinics, occupational stress is recognized as a source of GIT problems, but employers do not ascribe it enough importance as a risk factor, in general, and for gastrointestinal health, in particular. The identification, stratification, measurement and evaluation of stress and its associated corrective strategies, particularly for occupational stress, are important topics to address in the near future to establish the basis for considering stress as an important risk factor in occupational health.

Effects of metoclopramide on gastric motility measured by short-term bio-impedance

AIM:To analyze the accuracy of short-term bio-impedance as a means of measuring gastric motility.METHODS: We evaluated differences in the short-term electrical bio-impedance signal from the gastric region in the following conditions: (1) fasting state, (2) after the administration of metoclopramide (a drug that induces an increase in gastric motility) and (3) after food ingestion in 23 healthy volunteers. We record-ed the real component of the electrical impedance signal from the gastric region for 1000 s. We performed a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on this data and then compared the signal among the fasting, medicated, and postprandial conditions using the median of the area under the curve, the relative area under the curve and the main peak activity.RESULTS: The median of the area under the curve of the frequency range in the region between 2-8 cycles per minute (cpm) decreased from 4.7 cpm in the fasting condition to 4.0 cpm in the medicated state (t=3.32, P=0.004). This concurred with the decrease seen in the relative area under the FFT curve in the region from 4 to 8 cpm from 38.3% to 26.6% (t=2.81, P=0.012) and the increase in area in the region from 2 to 4 cpm from 22.4% to 27.7%, respectively (t=-2.5, P=0.022). Finally the main peak position also decreased in the region from 2 to 8 cpm. Main peak activity in the fasting state was 4.72 cpm and declined to 3.45 cpm in the medicated state (t=2.47, P=0.025). There was a decrease from the fasting state to the postprandial state at 3.02 cpm (t=4.0, P=0.0013). CONCLUSION: Short-term electrical bio-impedance can assess gastric motility changes in individuals experiencing gastric stress by analyzing the area medians and relative areas under the FFT curve.

Diagnosis of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip Using Sound Transmission in Neonates

The developmental dysplasia of the hip disease is in 1% of newborns, and it is a risk factor for dislocation of the hip;only 1 from 7000 newborns develops dislocation of the hip. Newborns were selected from public and private hospitals in Celaya, Guanajuato. Parents were asked to sign informed consent. Clinical maneuvers were applied for diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip, on three consecutive occasions, two by the same investigator and the third by a different observer: Ortolani, Barlow, Piston, Galeazzi, Peter Baden, the comparative sound transmission test, and comparative sound transmission with extension/flexion test were applied. The diagnosis was confirmed with ultrasound of hip, technique Graf, I healthy hip, II functionally immature, III subluxation, and IV dislocation. Sample size was 8 affected hips and 56 healthy hips. Kappa for intra observer and inter observer reliability were measured;the validity was measured by sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, using the ultrasound diagnosis as the gold standard. The sample consisted of 78 neonates hips with female’s predominance. With comparative sound transmission test was obtained Kappa intra observer 0.80, Kappa inter observer 0.93, sensitivity 45.45%, specificity 96.27%, positive predictive value 66.67% and negative predictive value 91.49%;with comparative sound transmission with extension/flexion, was 0.83, 0.92, 72.73%, 95.52%, 72.73%, and 95.52%, respectively. The tests compared the sound transmission help better diagnose developmental dysplasia disease of the hip.

Recyclable Fe_(3)O_(4)@Polydopamine(PDA) nanofluids for highly efficient solar evaporation

Volumetric solar evaporations by using light-absorbing nanoparticles suspended in liquids(nanofluids)as solar absorbers have been widely regarded as one of the promising solutions for clean water production because of its high efficiency and low capital cost compared to traditional solar distillation systems.Nevertheless,previous solar evaporation systems usually required highly concentrated solar irradiation and high capital cost,limiting the practical application on a large scale.Herein,for the first time in this work,polydopamine(PDA)-capped nano Fe_(3)O_(4)(Fe_(3)O_(4)@PDA)nanofluids were used as solar absorbers in a volumetric system for solar evaporation.The introduction of organic PDA to nano Fe_(3)O_(4)highly contributed to the high light-absorbing capacity of over 85%in wide ranges of 200–2400 nm because of the existence of numerous carbon bonds and pi(π)bonds in PDA.As a result,high evaporation efficiency of 69.93%under low irradiation of 1.0 kW m^(-2)was achieved.Compared to other nanofluids,Fe_(3)O_(4)@PDA nanofluids also provided an advantage in high unit evaporation rates.Moreover,Fe_(3)O_(4)@PDA nanofluids showed excellent reusability and recyclability owing to the preassembled nano Fe_(3)O_(4),which significantly reduced the material consumptions.These results demonstrated that the Fe_(3)O_(4)@PDA nanofluids held great promising application in highly efficient solar evaporation.

Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Aluminosilicates for Copper Removal from Aqueous Medium

In this study the characterization of an aluminosilicate synthesized from commercial Al2(SO4)3 and colloidal SiO2 is presented, as well as its capacity for the removal of copper from aqueous solution. Characterization of the synthesized material was performed using X-ray diffraction, BET nitrogen adsorption-desorption, mass titration and the Boehm method. In order to obtain stable agglomeration and enhance its surface area (165 - 243 m2/g) and solid adsorbing capabilities, the molar ratio SiO2:Al2O3 (1:3, 1:1 and 3:1) was studied, the solubility of the preparation material, synthesis-procedure time and solution pH function were also examined. The maximum capacity to remove copper ions from an aqueous solution by synthesized aluminosilicate was 16 mg/g at pH 4 and 25℃. The Langmuir model fitted better to the copper adsorption experimental data.

Numerical Simulation of the Blood Flow through a Brain Vascular Aneurysm with an Artificial Stent Using the SPH Method

We present numerical simulations of blood flow through a brain vascular aneurysm with an artificial stent using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). The aim of this work is to analyze how the flow into an aneurysm changes using different stent configurations. The initial conditions for the simulations were constructed from angiographic images of a real patient with an aneurysm. The wall shear stresses, pressure and highest velocity within the artery, and other particular quantities are calculated which are of medical specific interest. The numerical simulations of the cerebral circulation help doctors to determine if the patient’s own vascular anatomy has the conditions to allow arterial stenting by endovascular method before the surgery or even evaluate the effect of different stent structure and materials. The results show that the flow downstream the aneurysm is highly modified by the stent configuration and that the best choice for reducing the flow in the aneurysm is to use a completely extended Endeavor stent.

The role of viruses in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a neurological degenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra(SN)and intracellular inclusions called Lewy bodies and Lewy tangles,composed mainly by aggregates of α-synuclein.Braak et al.(2003)proposed that the olfactory epithelium and intestines are the anatomical sites where PD initiates;as pathological aggregates ofα-synuclein are detected in these tissues in very early or prodromal PD.In this scenario,α-synuclein seems to reach the central nervous system(CNS)by axonal transport through the sympathetic nervous system,the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves as well as the olfactory pathways(Braak et al.,2003).

Relationship of Food Craving Behavior with Body Mass Index and Body Composition in Reproductive Age Females

Objective: To estimate the relationship of Food Craving (FC) behavior with females’ Body Mass Index (BMI), and body-composition. Design, setting and participants: A cross-sectional study of 302 reproductive-age women from middle-socioeconomic class was conducted at the Health & Occupational-Environmental Laboratory. Variable Measures: A FC behavior questionnaire (FCQ) was designed and validated in 151 female subjects. This questionnaire evaluated five dimensions: FC-leisure, FC-psychological reactance, FC-depression, FC-anxiety/stress, and FC-anger. Dependent variables were Body Mass Index (BMI, kg/m2) and the body fat mass. Interventions: A second group of 151 women completed the FCQ. Anthropometrical variables were recorded using the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry procedure. Analysis: A multiple regression-analysis using STAT- ISTICS version 7 was performed to determine the relationship of FC behavior with anthropometrical variables described. Results: We demonstrated that 98.7% of women had FC behavior. Women with higher BMI had higher scores of FC-depressions (p = 0.02) and FC-anger (p = 0.007). Food craving behavior (p < 0.0008), and food psychological-reactance (p = 0.006), were positive predictors of BMI;food psychological reactance was also a positive predictor of upper and lower-body fat mass (p = 0.005) and (p = 0.008), respectively. Conclusion and Implications: The food craving behavior is a common problem in the female population. Food psychological reactance, in addition to another affective alteration that present the population of women are predictor variables for the increase in BMI and in body-fat mass. It is important that health professionals are aware of the affective states of their patients.

Synchronization of Robot Manipulators Actuated By Induction Motors with Velocity Estimator

A complete modeling(including the actuator dynamics)of a robot manipulator that uses three-phase induction motors is presented in this paper.A control scheme is designed to synchronize robot manipulators actuated by induction motors under a masterslave scheme in the case where the joint velocity of the slave robots is estimated.All of the research on the synchronization of robot manipulators assumes the use of ideal actuators to drive the joints;for that reason,in this work,a three-phase induction motor is considered to be a direct-drive actuator for each joint.An entire model of the mated system is obtained by a combination of the dynamics of the induction motor and robot manipulator.Thus,the synchronization control algorithm for a master-slave scheme in both the joint space and workspace of robot manipulators driven by induction motors is developed.An observer based on the entire model is proposed to estimate the joint velocity of the slave robot manipulators.Through the Lyapunov criterion,a stability analysis of the synchronization control with a velocity estimator is detailed.The analytical results show the synchronization and estimation errors are globally,uniformly,and ultimately bounded.Simulations with multiple robots demonstrate the performance of the proposed control algorithm.

Differential Expression of Leptin and Leptin Receptor mRNA in Obese and Non-Obese Women across the Menstrual Cycle Title

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the messenger ribonucleic acid expression of leptin (L-mRNA) and the leptin receptor (OB-RmRNA) in subcutaneous fat tissue and to determine their relationship with leptin and testosterone and steroid serum levels over the course of the menstrual cycle (MC), in obese (OBW) and non-obese women (NOW). DESIGN: Observational study investigating mRNA transcript expression of leptin and the leptin receptor from human subcutaneous fat specimens, as well as leptin serum levels, both in relation to the testosterone and sex hormones during the MC in obese and non-obese women. METHODS: Nineteen women, thirteen with a body mass index (BMI) > 25 Kg/m2 and 6 with BMI 2 were included. RT-PCR was used to detect L-mRNA transcripts of leptin and its receptor in samples from 28 fat biopsies taken from seven volunteers (20 from OW and 8 from NOW). The serum concentrations of leptin and steroid hormones were measured throughout the MC using radioinmuno analysis. RESULTS: The percentages of women expressing leptin L-mRNA during the phases of the MC were: early follicular (EF), 14.3%;late follicular (LF), 28.6%;early luteal (EL), 14.3%;and late luteal (LL), 42.9%. The percentages of OB-RmRNA were: EF, 71.4%;LF, 14.3%;EL, 28.6%;and LL, 71.4%. Leptin serum levels were directly related to BMI (p < 0.001), and testosterone (p < 0.001) and indirectly to SHBG (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The L-mRNA expression and its receptor in subcutaneous human tissue are regulated throughout the MC in a periodic manner. The physiological role of testosterone in regulation of expression L-mRNA and OB-RmRNA during the secretory phase of the MC in obese women requires further investigation.

The Secular Tendency of the Age at Menarche in a Representative Sample of Mexican Girls from an Urban Zone in Central Mexico

Objective: To investigate the age at menarche, pubarche and telarche in a representative sample of residents of an urban zone of Leon, Guanajuato, Central Mexico and to evaluate the secular change of the age at menarche between 1985 and 2000. Methods: Using status quo and retrospective methods, menarcheal, pubarcheal and telarcheal status of girls 8 - 17 years of age (n = 1093) were determined. Multiple regression analysis and logistic regression were used to determine factors that were related to or predictive of age at menarche. Results: Median ages for menarche, pubarche and telarche in our studied sample were: 11.9 ± 0.04;11.13 ± 1.25 and 10.84 ± 1.34 years, respectively. A direct correlation was found between the age of menarche of adolescents and that of their mother (p p p = 0.001), but an indirect correlation was found with the girls’ hip circumference (p = 0.004). We demonstrated a clear secular tendency towards an earlier onset of menarche by comparing our results (11.9 ± 0.04) with data from 1985 (12.8 ± 1.3) for adolescents from the same city. Conclusion: We demonstrated a clear reduction in age at menarche of approximately 0.75 year/decade, higher than Tanner’s finding in 1962, but similar than that of Malina et al. in 2004.

Learning in Times of Crisis： Rural Grassroots Movement in Mexico

This paper discusses transformative learning in relation to environmental crisis in rural communities in Guanajuato （Mexico）. Environmental pollution and resource depletion have triggered reflection and perspective transformation across groups of rural communities. The study is qualitative and results are based on lengthy interviews, within a well-known context for the researcher. This article is the reflection on how transformative learning took place looking fol; lessons to be learnt for communities facing environmental challenges.

Apparatus Prototype for Purposes of Teaching in Bio-digesters

A mathematical model is developed based on a simplified mechanism of anaerobic digestion. The main objective is to quantitatively analyze the digestion process to optimize operating conditions and maintenance of this equipment, which could be used to test different materials and be able to apply these results to the possible scaling to bio-digesters installed in the field. The experiments were carried out in a hybrid system bio-digester photovoltaic cells. The bio-digester is made of stainless steel with dimensions to treat an average of 10 kg of raw material and produce biogas from different organic materials. The reactor has been conditioned with temperature sensors, pressure and methane gas that allow monitoring the concentration of the gas and the conditions of operation during the time of digestion. The system has a photovoltaic array to provide the energy required to keep the temperature constant, The experiment was conducted using materials such as goat manure mixed with household waste, and various formulations of these materials were prepared. The experimental results were used to test the mathematical model.

Validity and Reliability of a Measuring Device Based on Sound Transmission for Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia in Newborns

Sound transmission has been used for diagnosis of hip dysplasia in newborns and infants with tunning fork and sthetoscope. The study aims to identify the validity of a device based on sound transmission. Male and female newborns from Celaya, Gto, ranging from 4 to 28-day-old were selected for the study. The sound transmission device was used both, in bilateral assessment (compared sound transmission) and on each hip separately (sound transmission with extension/flexion). In the first application if the sound is lower by a digit, there is a hip unhealthy. In the second application if the sound is increased by a digit, there is also an alteration of the hip. A hip ultrasound was applied using the Graf technique as a gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated to identify validity. The intra-observer and inter-observer Kappa Test was applied to identify reliability. The hips of 103 newborns were assessed, obtaining a sensitivity of 60.9%, and a specificity of 92%;it should be a positive predictive value of 51.9% and a negative predictive value of 95% for the compared sound transmission test. In the sound transmission test with extension/flexion, the values were 82.6%, 96.2%, 73.1% and 97.8% for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, respectively. The result of the intra-observer kappa was 0.80 and the inter-observer was 0.70 for the compared sound transmission. The intra-observer Kappa was 0.88 and the inter-observer was 0.78 for the compared sound transmission test with extension/flexion. The device for sound transmission is valid and reliable for the diagnosis of dysplastic development hip disease in newborns.

Value Chain of the Festival Internacional Cervantino

The purpose of the research was to investigate the value chain of the Festival Internacional Cervantino (VC-FIC) as a cultural and tourist industry, and to identify the key links of the chain. The value chain concerns the business activities that generate wealth and offer services to customers. This qualitative case study focuses on formal and informal documents regarding FIC that determined that the FIC tourist and cultural industries are disarticulated. A qualitative perspective allowed us to identify the links existing between formal and informal instances regarding social and economic aspects, as well as its processes and unofficial activities. It can be shown that the value chain of the festival is in the link of the patrimony in the tangible and intangible cultural field and it is formed by seven links that should unite both industries including the following elements: cultural market, government and services, pre-production, lodging, production, events, food, and souvenirs.

Intense exercise increases HDL level in children regardless of body weight

Childhood obesity seems to be increasing at a disturbing rate. Exercise and diet are recommended to combat this epidemic. Light and moderate physical activity is associated with health benefits, whereas intense physical activity is associated with normal BMI and low cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to assess the metabolic response to a graded exercise test (GXT) in children with different body weight. Eight boys and nine girls underwent a GXT on a treadmill according to Blake protocol. These children were 7-9 years old. The participants were divided into three groups according to their body weight: normal-weight, overweight, and obese. After GXT, lactate and HDL levels increased significantly in all three groups

The New Social and Identitary Models of Old People—Deepening the Concept of Successful Ageing

The concept of ageing society includes the quantitative factor that there will be more and more older people according to population transitions. But, at the same time, qualitative factors such as quality of life, identity changes and the experience of high changes in the subjectivity need to be included alongside these quantitative factors. So, the purpose and significance of the paper indicate that is necessary to ensure structures that can tolerate the new scenarios of this current generation of older people, who seek new life options, renewed emotional perspectives and transgenerational confrontation with traditional models of ageing and grandparenthood.