Gender, psychological distress, and subjective well-being two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.

This study aimed to examine gender differences in distress and well-being two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing risk and protective factors for psychological distress and subjective well-being. It is a repeated cross-sectional study with a sample of 1,588 women (50%) and men (50%) from the general Spanish population aged 18-74 years who were assessed online by seven questionnaires and scales. Descriptive, variance, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed.

Oxidative damage associated with exposure to heavy metals present in topsoils in central Chile.

Exposure to heavy metals may cause the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, generating oxidative stress and consequently, various harms to human health. The soil surrounding the Ventanas Industrial Complex, in Puchuncaví and Quintero municipal districts on the central Chilean coast, contains heavy metal concentrations (As, Cu, Pb, Zn, among others) that far exceed the maximum permissible levels established by Italian soil standards (used as a reference). This study aimed to investigate the potential association between heavy metal exposure in humans and the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in inhabitants of these locations.

Study of the biological activity of photoactive bipyridyl-Ru(II) complexes containing 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA).

The water-soluble ruthenium complex cis-[Ru(dcbpyH)(PTAH)]Cl·3HO (1) (dcbpy = 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine; PTA = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) has been synthesized and characterised by NMR, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The optical properties of 1 were studied, including photoactivation under visible light, as well as its biological properties, together with those of the previously published Ru complexes cis-[Ru(bpy)(PTA)]Cl (2), trans-[Ru(bpy)(PTA)](CFSO) (3) and cis-[Ru(bpy)(HO)(PTA)](CFSO) (4) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine). Anticancer activities of the complexes against human lung (A549), cervical (HeLa) and prostate (PC3) carcinoma cells were evaluated under dark conditions and upon photoactivation with visible light.

Modulation of Postprandial Plasma Concentrations of Digestive Hormones and Gut Microbiota by Foods Containing Oat ß-Glucans in Healthy Volunteers.

Cereal β-glucans are beneficial health ingredients that reduce cholesterolemia and postprandial glycaemia. However, their impact on digestive hormones and gut microbiota is not yet fully established. Two randomized, double-blind, controlled studies were conducted.

Stressful Events, Psychological Distress and Well-Being during the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Gender Analysis.

The present study investigates gender differences in stressful events, psychological distress and well-being during the second wave of COVID-19 in Spain, analyzing women's and men's risk and resilience factors for psychological distress and for well-being. Participants were 1758 individuals from the general population, 50.8% women, aged between 18 and 79 years.

Betel quid: New insights into an ancient addiction.

The use of areca nuts (areca) in the form of betel quids constitutes the fourth most common addiction in the world, associated with high risk for oral disease and cancer. Areca is a complex natural product, making it difficult to identify specific components associated with the addictive and carcinogenic properties. It is commonly believed that the muscarinic agonist arecoline is at the core of the addiction.

Gender differences in mental distress and affect balance during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major threat to the health and well-being of people around the world that has impacted freedom of movement, social interaction and the economy. The aim of the present work was twofold: first, to study the presence of mental distress, positive and negative experiences and affect balance in women and men in Spain in two different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial "first state of alarm" phase, characterized by maximum restrictions, and in the "new normal" phase with minimal restrictions, and second, to study the protective role of age, educational level, self-esteem, marital status and social support against mental distress, and as factors that increase the affect balance of women and men in the above mentioned phases of the first wave of the COVID- 19 pandemic in Spain. The study sample consisted of 652 women and 652 men from the general population, aged between 18 and 88 years, who were evaluated through self-reports.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a questionnaire on eating habits and physical activity of university students in confinement due to coronavirus disease.

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate an online questionnaire to assess eating habits and physical activity of university students under confinement due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Design: Generation of a cross-sectional online survey to university students conducted during confinement due to COVID-19. The study was divided into two phases.

A Plate-Based Assay for the Measurement of Endogenous Monoamine Release in Acute Brain Slices.

Monoamine neurotransmitters are associated with numerous neurologic and psychiatric ailments. Animal models of such conditions have shown alterations in monoamine neurotransmitter release and uptake dynamics. Technically complex methods such as electrophysiology, Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry (FSCV), imaging, in vivo microdialysis, optogenetics, or use of radioactivity are required to study monoamine function.

Identification of Critical Residues in the Carboxy Terminus of the Dopamine Transporter Involved in the G Protein βγ-Induced Dopamine Efflux.

The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a crucial role in the regulation of brain dopamine (DA) homeostasis through the re-uptake of DA back into the presynaptic terminal. In addition to re-uptake, DAT is also able to release DA through a process referred to as DAT-mediated DA efflux. This is the mechanism by which potent and highly addictive psychostimulants, such as amphetamine (AMPH) and its analogues, increase extracellular DA levels in motivational and reward areas of the brain.

Forecasting Key Retail Performance Indicators Using Interpretable Regression.

Foot traffic, conversion rate, and total sales during a period of time may be considered to be important indicators of store performance. Forecasting them may allow for business managers plan stores operation in the near future in an efficient way. This work presents a regression method that is able to predict these three indicators based on previous data.

Feature Selection for Health Care Costs Prediction Using Weighted Evidential Regression.

Although many authors have highlighted the importance of predicting people's health costs to improve healthcare budget management, most of them do not address the frequent need to know the reasons behind this prediction, i.e., knowing the factors that influence this prediction.

Validity and Reliability of the WIMU Inertial Device for the Assessment of Joint Angulations.

Range of motion measurement is fundamental in the physical examination and functional evaluation of different joints. WIMU is an inertial device that allows the analysis of joint motion easily in real time. This study had a two-fold goal: (i) to evaluate the validity of WIMU on the measurement of different angle positions, compared with a standard goniometer and 2D video-based motion analysis software; and (ii) to evaluate the use of WIMU in the assessment of angulations in a joint, specifically assessing the validity and reliability of WIMU on the measurement of ankle dorsiflexion, compared to a standard goniometer and Kinovea.

Alterations of the gut microbiota with antibiotics protects dopamine neuron loss and improve motor deficits in a pharmacological rodent model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating condition resulting in motor and non-motor symptoms affecting approximately 10 million people worldwide. Currently, there are no pharmacological treatments that can cure the condition or effectively halt its progression. The focus of PD research has been primarily on the neurobiological basis and consequences of dopamine (DA) neuron degeneration given that the loss of DA neurons projecting from the substantia nigra to the dorsal striatum results in the development of cardinal PD motor symptoms.

Technology Support for Collaborative Preparation of Emergency Plans.

Preparing a plan for reaction to a grave emergency is a significant first stage in disaster management. A group of experts can do such preparation. Best results are obtained with group members having diverse backgrounds and access to different relevant data.

Clustered Kv2.1 decreases dopamine transporter activity and internalization.

The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates dopamine neurotransmission via reuptake of dopamine released into the extracellular space. Interactions with partner proteins alter DAT function and thereby dynamically shape dopaminergic tone important for normal brain function. However, the extent and nature of these interactions are incompletely understood.

Functional connectivity, behavioral and dopaminergic alterations 24 hours following acute exposure to synthetic bath salt drug methylenedioxypyrovalerone.

Among cathinone drugs known as bath salts, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) exerts its potent actions via the dopamine (DA) system, and at intoxicating doses may produce adverse behavioral effects. Previous work by our group suggests that prolonged alterations in correlated neural activity between cortical and striatal areas could underlie, at least in part, the adverse reactions to this bath salt drug. In the present study, we assessed the effect of acute MDPV administration on brain functional connectivity at 1 and 24 h in rats.

[Effect of the Industrial Nanoparticles TiO 2 , SiO 2 and ZnO on Cell Viability and Gene Expression in Red Bone Marrow of Mus Musculus].

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of ZnO, TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles on cell viability and expression of the interleukin 7, interleukin 3, and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) genes in Mus musculus.

Material And Methods: Red bone marrow was extracted from five Balb/c mice for the analysis of cell viability using the MTT test. The mice were divided into two groups of five each: one group was inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.

Effects of Fatty Acids on Intracellular [Ca2+], Mitochondrial Uncoupling and Apoptosis in Rat Pachytene Spermatocytes and Round Spermatids.

The aim of this work was to explore the ability of free arachidonic acid, palmitic acid and the unsaturated fatty acids oleic acid and docosahexaenoic acid to modify calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial function in rat pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. In contrast to palmitic acid, unsaturated fatty acids produced significant increases in intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in both cell types. Increases were fatty acid specific, dose-dependent and different for each cell type.

The Molecular Chaperone Hsc70 Interacts with Tyrosine Hydroxylase to Regulate Enzyme Activity and Synaptic Vesicle Localization.

We previously reported that the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is physically and functionally coupled with Hsc70 as well as with the dopamine synthesis enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, providing a novel mechanism for dopamine homeostasis regulation. Here we expand those findings to demonstrate that Hsc70 physically and functionally interacts with TH to regulate the enzyme activity and synaptic vesicle targeting. Co-immunoprecipitation assays performed in brain tissue and heterologous cells demonstrated that Hsc70 interacts with TH and aromatic amino acid decarboxylase.

Reconstruction after pancreatic trauma by pancreaticogastrostomy.

Introduction: Pancreatic lesions are very infrequent after closed abdominal trauma (5% of cases) with a complication rate that affects 30-40% of patients, and a mortality rate that can reach 39%. In our experience, closed abdominal traumatisms occurring at typical popular horse-riding festivals in our region constitute a high risk of pancreatic trauma. The purpose of the present paper is to raise awareness about our experience in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic lesions secondary to closed abdominal traumatism.

Adrenalectomy for solid tumor metastases: results of a multicenter European study.

Background: We assessed the results of adrenalectomy for solid tumor metastases in 317 patients recruited from 30 European centers.

Methods: Patients with histologically proven adrenal metastatic disease and undergoing complete removal(s) of the affected gland(s) were eligible.

Results: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was the most frequent tumor type followed by colorectal and renal cell carcinoma.

Differential effects of temperature on reactive oxygen/nitrogen species production in rat pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) like superoxide and nitric oxide are produced by testis and spermatogenic cells in response to heat stress. However, the magnitude and mechanisms of this production in spermatogenic cells have not been described. In this work, we evaluated ROS/RNS production, its pharmacology, mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, membrane potential and antioxidant capacity at different temperatures in isolated rat pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids.

Differential dynamic and structural behavior of lipid-cholesterol domains in model membranes.

Changes in the cholesterol (Chol) content of biological membranes are known to alter the physicochemical properties of the lipid lamella and consequently the function of membrane-associated enzymes. To characterize these changes, we used steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and two photon-excitation microscopy techniques. The membrane systems were chosen according to the techniques that were used: large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) for cuvette and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) for microscopy measurements; they were prepared from dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dioctadecyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) in mixtures that are well known to form lipid domains.