Front Public Health
October 2024
Background: Mortality among people with dependency to perform basic activities of daily living (ADL) is higher than that of non-dependent people of the same age. Understanding the evolutionary course and factors involved in non-institutionalized ADL dependency, including the influence of the family structure that supports this population, would contribute to improved health planning.
Methods: A longitudinal study carried out in the ADL-dependent population of the Orcasitas neighborhood, Madrid (Spain), between June 2020, when the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown ended, and June 2023.
Front Public Health
July 2024
Background: Prolonged confinement can lead to personal deterioration at various levels. We studied this phenomenon during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in a functionally dependent population of the Orcasitas neighborhood of Madrid, Spain, by measuring their ability to perform basic activities of daily living and their mortality rate.
Methods: A total of 127 patients were included in the Orcasitas cohort.
Previous studies have shown that in addition to its role within the voltage-gated calcium channel complex in the plasma membrane, the neuronal Caβ subunit can translocate to the cell nucleus. However, little is known regarding the role this protein could play in the nucleus, nor the molecular mechanism used by Caβ to enter this cell compartment. This report shows evidence that Caβ has nuclear localization signals (NLS) that are not functional, suggesting that the protein does not use a classical nuclear import pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe overexpression of α2δ-1 is related to the development and degree of malignancy of diverse types of cancer. This protein is an auxiliary subunit of voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels, whose expression favors the trafficking of the main pore-forming subunit of the channel complex (α1) to the plasma membrane, thereby generating an increase in Ca2+ entry. Interestingly, TLR-4, a protein belonging to the family of toll-like receptors that participate in the inflammatory response and the transcription factor Sp1, have been linked to the progression of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVoltage-gated calcium (Ca) channels play an essential role in maintaining calcium homeostasis and regulating numerous physiological processes in neurons. Therefore, dysregulation of calcium signaling is relevant in many neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD). This review aims to introduce the role of Ca channels in PD and discuss some novel aspects of channel regulation and its impact on the molecular pathophysiology of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuropathic pain is one of the primary forms of chronic pain and is the consequence of the somatosensory system's direct injury or disease. It is a relevant public health problem that affects about 10% of the world's general population. In neuropathic pain, alteration in neurotransmission occurs at various levels, including the dorsal root ganglia, the spinal cord, and the brain, resulting from the malfunction of diverse molecules such as receptors, ion channels, and elements of specific intracellular signaling pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. With atherosclerosis as the underlying cause for many CVD events, prevention or reduction of subclinical atherosclerotic plaque burden (SAPB) through a healthier lifestyle may have substantial public health benefits.
Objective: The objective was to describe the protocol of a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of a 30-month worksite-based lifestyle program aimed to promote cardiovascular health in participants having a high or a low degree of SAPB compared with standard care.
Emerging evidence suggests that the adenosine (Ado) receptors may play crucial roles in tumor progression. Here, we show that Ado increases proliferation and migration in a triple negative breast cancer model, the MDA-MB 231 cell line. The use of specific agonists and antagonists evidenced that these effects depend on the activation of the A2B receptor, which then triggers an intracellular response mediated by the adenylate cyclase/PKA/cAMP signaling pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is promising for the local treatment of breast cancer, burns are a frequent complication. The safety and efficacy of a new technique with a bipolar RFA electrode was evaluated.
Methods: Dosimetry was assessed ex vivo in bovine mammary tissue, applying power settings of 5-15 W with 10-20 min exposure and 3.
Background: We evaluated whether performing contrast-enhanced breast MRI in addition to mammography and/or ultrasound in patients with nonpalpable suspicious breast lesions improves breast cancer management.
Methods: The MONET - study (MR mammography of nonpalpable breast tumours) is a randomised controlled trial in patients with a nonpalpable BIRADS 3-5 lesion. Patients were randomly assigned to receive routine medical care, including mammography, ultrasound and lesion sampling by large core needle biopsy or additional MRI preceding biopsy.
Clin Chem Lab Med
November 2005
Portable meters for blood glucose concentrations are used at the patients bedside, as well as by patients for self-monitoring of blood glucose. Even though most devices have important technological advances that decrease operator error, the analytical goals proposed for the performance of glucose meters have been recently changed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to reach <5% analytical error and <7.9% total error.
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