Sleep Quality among Older Adults in Brazil during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: The Role of Physical Activity.

 To assess sleep quality and sleepiness among older adults after social distancing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its association with physical activity.  The present cross-sectional study included a sample of 290 Brazilians aged ≥ 60 years. Subjective sleep quality and sleepiness were assessed using the Mini-Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

Infliximab monitoring in Crohn's disease: a neural network approach for evaluating disease activity and immunogenicity.

Background: The treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) has increasingly required the use of biological agents. Safe and affordable tests have led to the active implementation of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in clinical practice, which, although not yet widely available across all health services, has been proven effective.

Objective: To analyze serum infliximab (IFX) and antidrug antibody (ADA) levels in CD patients, compare two tests, as well as construct a prediction of neural network using a combination of clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory variables.

Human adult neurogenesis loss corresponds with cognitive decline during epilepsy progression.

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is a syndromic disorder presenting with seizures and cognitive comorbidities. Although seizure etiology is increasingly understood, the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to cognitive decline and epilepsy progression remain less recognized. We have previously shown that adult hippocampal neurogenesis dramatically declines in MTLE patients with increased disease duration.

Relationship Between Vitamin D Insufficiency and Anemia in Older Adults: An Approach Considering Clinical Aspects and Food Insecurity.

Background/objectives: Studies have shown a high prevalence of anemia and vitamin D insufficiency in older adults, and the literature suggests a relationship between these two conditions, as vitamin D insufficiency may impair erythrocyte synthesis. Food insecurity refers to the lack of regular access to sufficient and nutritious food, which can directly affect health by worsening conditions such as anemia and vitamin D insufficiency. This study evaluated the association between vitamin D insufficiency and anemia in older adults.

Exposing telomere length's impact on malnutrition risk among older adults residing in the community: Insights from cross-sectional data analysis.

Background: Successful aging is associated with an increase in life expectancy. For a better understanding of the aging process, recognize the relationship between telomere length and nutritional status is a novel approach in geriatric science. Telomers shortening coincides with a decrease in life expectancy, and an increased risk of malnutrition-related diseases.

Effect of Long-Term Supplementation of AZOMITE (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate) in Finishing Diets on Growth Performance, Dietary Energy, and Carcass Yield of Hairy Lambs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate growth performance, dietary energy utilization, and carcass characteristics (carcass weight, dressing percentage, and visceral organ mass) of feedlot lambs fed different levels of AZOMITE (AZO), a source of volcanic clay composed of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, the same as that included in a finishing diet. For this reason, 36 Pelibuey × Katahdin crossbred intact male lambs (18.81 ± 3.

The use of portable A-mode ultrasound in appendicular lean mass measurements among older adults: a comparison study with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and handgrip strength.

Background/objectives: Strength and muscle mass are key factors for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. The EWGSOP2 recommended using ultrasound (US) as a reliable device to measure muscle mass (MM), but A-mode US still needs to be validated for older adults. This study aimed to evaluate the association between measurements of muscle thickness (MT) by portable A-mode US and, muscle quantity by Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in older adults.

Shorter Telomere Length is Associated with Food Insecurity in Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Telomere length has been investigated as a biomarker of biological aging and is associated with several diseases, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors.

Objective: This study aimed to verify whether food insecurity is associated with shorter telomere length in older people.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a municipality in the interior of Brazil, with a sample of 440 older people from the community.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey in Brazilian Older People Psychometric Evaluation of MOS-SSS.

Objectives: To evaluate the psychometric properties of different factorial models of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) and screen the frequency of social support in older Brazilians.

Method: Methodological study. Five factorial models of the MOS-SSS were tested for their validity and reliability using three Brazilian samples from different locations in the country.

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

For children with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), seizure freedom relies on the delineation and resection (or ablation/disconnection) of the epileptogenic zone (EZ) while preserving the eloquent brain areas. The development of a reliable and noninvasive localization method that provides clinically useful information for the localization of the EZ is, therefore, crucial to achieving successful surgical outcomes. Electric and magnetic source imaging (ESI and MSI) have been increasingly utilized in the presurgical evaluation of these patients showing promising findings in the delineation of epileptogenic as well as eloquent brain areas.

Search for Rare b→dℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Transitions at Belle.

We present the results of a search for the b→dℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} flavor-changing neutral-current rare decays B^{+,0}→(η,ω,π^{+,0},ρ^{+,0})e^{+}e^{-} and B^{+,0}→(η,ω,π^{0},ρ^{+})μ^{+}μ^{-} using a 711  fb^{-1} data sample that contains 772×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] events. The data were collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. We find no evidence for signal and set upper limits on branching fractions at the 90% confidence level in the range (3.

Mixed Gonadal Dysgenesis: A Narrative Literature Review and Clinical Primer for the Urologist.

Purpose: Mixed gonadal dysgenesis is a difference of sex development that is often confused with other conditions. Individuals have a 45,X/46,XY karyotype. Gonads are characterized by a streak gonad and a dysgenetic testis at varying levels of descent.

Association between telomere length and anorexia of ageing: a cross-sectional study conducted with community-dwelling older people.

Background: To verify whether shorter telomere length is associated with anorexia of ageing in community-dwelling older people.

Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional investigation, the study enrolled 448 participants residing in an urban area of a municipality in Brazil. Relative telomere length in blood samples was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), whereas the presence of anorexia of ageing was determined using the Simplified Appetite Nutritional Questionnaire.

First Measurement of R(X_{τ/ℓ}) as an Inclusive Test of the b→cτν Anomaly.

We measure the tau-to-light-lepton ratio of inclusive B-meson branching fractions R(X_{τ/ℓ})≡B(B→Xτν)/B(B→Xℓν), where ℓ indicates an electron or muon, and thereby test the universality of charged-current weak interactions. We select events that have one fully reconstructed B meson and a charged lepton candidate from 189  fb^{-1} of electron-positron collision data collected with the Belle II detector. We find R(X_{τ/ℓ})=0.

Low grip strength and gait speed as markers of dependence regarding basic activities of daily living: the FIBRA study.

Objective: Marincolo et al. showed that older adults without limitations in basic activities of daily living at baseline presented with an 11.7% concomitant presence of functional dependence, slow gait speed, and low muscle strength at follow-up.

Measuring Developmental Delays: Comparison of Parent Report and Direct Testing.

Purpose: Developmental assessment is part of a comprehensive autism evaluation. During in-person evaluations, developmental assessment is completed via direct testing by an examiner. In telehealth evaluations, developmental assessment relies on caregiver-report instruments.

Do Primary Health Professionals in Brazil Have a Misperception about Food? The Role of Food Literacy as a Positive Predictor.

Risk perception is socially constructed; psychological elements control people's reactions to a hazard, and even health professionals may have difficulty determining what healthy food is. This work aimed to measure food literacy and food risk perceptions among primary healthcare professionals in a Brazilian city. In the first phase, 280 health professionals working in primary care in Rio Claro, Brazil, were studied.

Development of a Novel Telemedicine Tool to Reduce Disparities Related to the Identification of Preschool Children with Autism.

The wait for ASD evaluation dramatically increases with age, with wait times of a year or more common as children reach preschool. Even when appointments become available, families from traditionally underserved groups struggle to access care. Addressing care disparities requires designing identification tools and processes specifically for and with individuals most at-risk for health inequities.

Association of Food Consumption According to the Degree of Processing and Sociodemographic Conditions in Older Adults.

Several factors can impact food consumption in older adults, including those of sociodemographic, physiological, and chronic non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association of food consumption according to its degree of processing with sociodemographic conditions in community-dwelling older adults. Food intake was evaluated from 24-h recall data.

Tests of Light-Lepton Universality in Angular Asymmetries of B^{0}→D^{*-}ℓν Decays.

We present the first comprehensive tests of the universality of the light leptons in the angular distributions of semileptonic B^{0}-meson decays to charged spin-1 charmed mesons. We measure five angular-asymmetry observables as functions of the decay recoil that are sensitive to lepton-universality-violating contributions. We use events where one neutral B is fully reconstructed in ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] decays in data corresponding to 189  fb^{-1} integrated luminosity from electron-positron collisions collected with the Belle II detector.

Precise Measurement of the D_{s}^{+} Lifetime at Belle II.

We measure the lifetime of the D_{s}^{+} meson using a data sample of 207  fb^{-1} collected by the Belle II experiment running at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The lifetime is determined by fitting the decay-time distribution of a sample of 116×10^{3} D_{s}^{+}→ϕπ^{+} decays. Our result is τ_{D_{s}^{+}}=(499.

The effect of interspecific and intraspecific diversity on microplastic ingestion in two co-occurring mussel species in South Africa.

Interspecific and intraspecific diversity are essential components of biodiversity with far-reaching implications for ecosystem function and service provision. Importantly, genotypic and phenotypic variation within a species can affect responses to anthropogenic pressures more than interspecific diversity. We investigated the effects of interspecific and intraspecific diversity on microplastic ingestion by two coexisting mussel species in South Africa, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Perna perna, the latter occurring as two genetic lineages.