Publications by authors named "Olivera S"

The Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM) has not previously made recommendations outlining the requirements for physics plan checks in Australia and New Zealand. A recent workforce modelling exercise, undertaken by the ACPSEM, revealed that the workload of a clinical radiation oncology medical physicist can comprise of up to 50% patient specific quality assurance activities. Therefore, in 2022 the ACPSEM Radiation Oncology Specialty Group (ROSG) set up a working group to address this issue.

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The protoscolex (PSC) is generated by asexual reproduction at the larval stage of taeniid that causes cystic echinococcosis or hydatidosis, a worldwide zoonosis. The PSC is enveloped by a complex cellular syncytial tegument responsible for ionic movements and the hydroelectrolytic balance of the parasite. We recently reported on two electrical potentials in bovine lung protoscoleces (PSCs) that reflect differences in ionic movements between the parasite's invaginated and evaginated developmental stages.

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Hypertension remains the primary contributor in the development of cardiovascular disease which is rapidly increasing worldwide. High blood pressure affects men and women differently and understanding these sex differences is the ultimate unmet need for researchers in this field. Due to the inherent differences in hypertension prevalence, control and outcomes between men and women, novel research needs to be carried out to tackle these disparities and improve targeted treatment.

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Larval stages of taeniid Echinococcus granulosus are the infective forms of cystic echinococcosis or hydatidosis, a worldwide zoonosis. The protoscolex that develops into the adult form in the definitive host is enveloped by a complex cellular syncytial tegument, where all metabolic interchange takes place. Little information is available as to the electrical activity of the parasite in this developmental stage.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study analyzed ocular abnormalities in 9 Spanish patients with Gaucher's disease type I and compared them to 40 healthy controls, focusing on various ophthalmological parameters but found no significant differences in visual acuity or eye measurements.
  • - A moderate correlation was found between lower retinal and choroidal thickness and more severe forms of the disease, as well as certain biological markers indicating disease severity.
  • - Overall, the research indicates that specific ocular measurements, particularly retinal thickness and pachymetry, may be linked to the severity of Gaucher's disease and genetic factors, even if visual acuity remains unaffected.
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The eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a public health priority. Despite the efficiency of treatment with direct-acting antivirals, the high cost of the therapy and the lack of accurate data about the HCV-infected population worldwide constitute important factors hampering this task. Hence, an affordable preventive vaccine is still necessary for reducing transmission and the future disease burden globally.

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  • The study investigates whether plasma Lyso-Gb3 levels can help differentiate between multiple sclerosis (MS) and Anderson-Fabry disease (FD) in patients already diagnosed with MS, particularly focusing on a Spanish cohort.
  • Researchers analyzed α-galactosidase A enzyme activity and GLA gene variants in 154 MS patients, with the aim of identifying any correlation with the presence of FD.
  • Findings show that all subjects had Lyso-Gb3 levels below the critical threshold of 3.5 ng/mL, suggesting that these patients do not have FD, thus supporting the use of Lyso-Gb3 concentration as a reliable diagnostic tool.
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  • Colonization in patients with COPD leads to inflammation that may affect heart failure, which is a common and serious condition associated with high morbidity.
  • The study aimed to explore the prevalence of colonization in heart failure patients and its link to heart function, specifically ejection fraction.
  • Results showed very low colonization rates, suggesting that it likely doesn’t significantly contribute to the development of heart failure symptoms.
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Primary Objective: The Post-Concussion Syndrome Scale (PCSS) is a self-report questionnaire that measures post-concussive symptom severity and has been primarily normed on young Caucasian samples. This study aims to explore the factor structure models of a Spanish translation of the PCSS at a chronic post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) time point.

Research Design: Descriptive and exploratory research designs were utilized.

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The Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, seeks to transform its health professions curricula in order to achieve equity in health outcomes. Integral to this are interprofessional education service-learning initiatives attendant to socially accountable objectives. We describe one such initiative, the Zanempilo Mobile Health Education Platform (MHEP), which engages interprofessional healthcare students and faculty members in delivering health services to underserved communities.

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Aim: To compare the uptake of C-deuterodeprenyl (C-DED) and C-methionine (C-MET) in three human glioma cell lines and study the relationship with glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) expression. C-DED is used in positron emission tomography imaging as a marker of astrocytosis in various central nervous system pathologies. It binds irreversibly to MAO B, a glial dimeric enzyme with increased activity in some neurological pathologies.

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Background: The red fluorescent dye Sulforhodamine 101 (SR101) has been used in neuroscience research as a useful tool for staining of astrocytes, since it has been reported as a marker of astroglia in the neocortex of rodents in vivo. The aim of this work is to label SR101 with positron emission radionuclides, in order to provide a radiotracer to study its biological behavior. This is the first attempt to label SR101 by [18F], using a chemical derivatization via a sulfonamidelinker and a commercially available platform.

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The persistence of hollow centre in the carbon obtained from milkweed floss provides exceptional sorption characteristics, not seen in common biomasses or their derivatives. A considerably high sorption of 320mg of lead per gram of milkweed carbon was achieved without any chemical modification to the biomass. In this research, we have carbonized milkweed floss and used the carbon as a sorbent for lead in waste water.

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Background: Research has begun to document the bivariate connections between pain in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and various aspects of health related quality of life (HRQOL), such as fatigue, social functioning, mental health, and physical functioning.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to construct and test a theoretical path model illuminating the stage-wise and sequential (cascading) HRQOL pathways through which pain increases physical disability in individuals with SCI in a sample from Colombia, South America. It was hypothesized that increased pain would lead to decreased energy, which would lead to decreased mental health and social functioning, which both would lead to emotional role limitations, which finally would lead to physical role limitations.

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This work concerns the investigation of potential candidature of cellulose and chitosan-based nano-sized materials for heavy metals and dyes removal. Cellulose and chitosan being the first two abundant biopolymers in nature offer wide opportunities to be utilized for high-end applications such as water purification. The nano-sized cellulose and nano-sized chitosan present superior adsorption behavior compared to their micro-sized counterparts.

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major worldwide problem. Chronic hepatitis C is recognized as one of the major causes of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. Although new, directly acting antiviral therapies are suggested to overcome the low efficacy and adverse effects observed for the current standard of treatment, an effective vaccine would be the only way to certainly eradicate HCV infection.

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Background: Gaucher disease (GD) is an autosomal recessive disorder produced by mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA), causing storage of glucosylceramide in reticuloendothelial cells in multiple organs. Traditionally, the prediction of the phenotype based on the genotype has been reported to be limited.

Subjects And Methods: We investigated the correlation between the enzymatic residual activity (ERA) and the phenotype at diagnosis of the disease in 45 GD Spanish patients (44 with type I and 1 with type III GD).

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Objective: This study examined the connections between family dynamics and the mental health of caregivers of youth with spinal cord injuries/disorders (SCI/D) caregivers from Colombia, South America. It was hypothesized that lower family functioning would be associated with poorer caregiver mental health.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of self-report data collected from caregivers through the Hospital Universatario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo in Neiva, Colombia.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can substantially alter many areas of a person's life and there has been little research published regarding sexual functioning in women with TBI. Methods. A total of 58 women (29 with TBI and 29 healthy controls) from Neiva, Colombia, participated.

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Background/objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of appraisal, belonging, and tangible social support on the mental health (depression, satisfaction with life, anxiety, and burden) of Colombian spinal cord injury (SCI) caregivers.

Methods: Forty SCI caregivers from Neiva, Colombia completed questionnaires assessing their perceived social support and mental health.

Results: Four multiple regressions found that the three social support variables explained 42.

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Article Synopsis
  • Previous research on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health in spinal cord injury (SCI) mostly comes from developed regions, highlighting a gap in studies from Latin America, particularly Colombia.
  • The study aimed to explore the correlation between HRQOL and mental health among 40 individuals with SCI in Neiva, Colombia, using self-report questionnaires administered by caregivers.
  • Results indicated a significant relationship where lower HRQOL was linked to poorer mental health, with factors like anxiety and fatigue being particularly impactful, emphasizing the need for improved mental health interventions in SCI rehabilitation services in Latin America.
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Although research has investigated the mental health of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), an overwhelming majority of this research has been conducted in the United States, Western Europe, and other developed countries. The purpose of this study was to compare the mental health of individuals with SCI with able-bodied controls in Neiva, Colombia, South America. Subjects included 40 Colombians with SCI and 42 age- and sex-matched controls (N = 82).

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Although considerable research has been carried out on family caregivers of individuals with various types of disabilities, spinal cord injury (SCI) caregivers have received considerably less attention in terms of research, especially in regions such as Latin America. This study examined the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with SCI and their family caregiver's mental health in Neiva, Colombia. Thirty-four individuals with SCI and their primary caregivers (34 dyads; n=68) from the Foundation for the Integral Development of People with Disabilities in Neiva, Colombia, were included in this study.

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Unlabelled: Process behavior is known through measurement. All measurements are discrete and transform a continuous process distribution into a discrete (multinomial) measurement distribution. In this article, properties of exponentially weighted moving average control charts (EWMA charts) of measurements are studied through Monte Carlo simulations.

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