Publications by authors named "Pena S"

Importance: Among older adults with ischemic heart disease, participation in traditional ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains low. While mobile health CR (mHealth-CR) provides a novel opportunity to deliver care, age-specific impairments to technology use may limit uptake, and efficacy data are currently lacking.

Objective: To test whether mHealth-CR improves functional capacity in older adults.

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High-harmonic generation (HHG) is a nonlinear process in which a material sample is irradiated by intense laser pulses, causing the emission of high harmonics of incident light. HHG has historically been explained by theories employing a classical electromagnetic field, successfully capturing its spectral and temporal characteristics. However, recent research indicates that quantum-optical effects naturally exist or can be artificially induced in HHG, such as entanglement between emitted harmonics.

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  • The study focuses on identifying genetic mutations in malaria parasites that confer drug resistance, essential for improving surveillance and target discovery in malaria treatment.
  • Researchers analyzed the genomes of 724 clones resistant to 118 different antimalarial compounds, uncovering 1,448 variants in 128 frequently mutated genes related to multidrug resistance.
  • The findings suggest that in vitro selected mutations are more diverse and significant than naturally occurring ones, providing insights into how these mutations can inform predictions of drug resistance in similar pathogens.
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  • Hypertension is a significant risk factor for ischemic heart disease in older adults, and effective home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is crucial for management, especially within mobile health cardiac rehabilitation (mHealth-CR).
  • A study analyzed the engagement patterns of 111 older adults participating in mHealth-CR, revealing three distinct patterns of HBPM adherence: high engagement, gradual decline, and sustained baseline engagement.
  • Results indicated that overall HBPM adherence was low, declining in two engagement groups, and only depression significantly influenced weekly monitoring adherence, suggesting a need to improve motivation and support for older adults in managing their blood pressure.
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Objective: This study examined the influence of nutrition literacy and neighborhood on diet quality within the Mexican-origin population residing in the United States, addressing a gap in existing literature that lacks focus on specific Latinx subgroups.

Design: This study used a descriptive, correlational design to examine the relationships between nutrition literacy, neighborhood ranking, and diet quality.

Sample: A total of 130 Mexican origin participants living in the United States completed all components of this study.

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Choroidal osteoma is a rare, benign, osseous choristoma presenting as an orange-yellow, well-defined fundus mass. It presents unilaterally in most cases, has a predilection for the female sex, and favor a juxtapapillary location, becoming clinically manifest when it involves the macula. Almost 60% of eyes with osteoma may suffer significant visual loss.

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The mouse digit tip regenerates following amputation, a process mediated by a cellularly heterogeneous blastema. We previously found the gene Mest to be highly expressed in mesenchymal cells of the blastema and a strong candidate pro-regenerative gene. We now show Mest digit expression is regeneration-specific and not upregulated in post-amputation fibrosing proximal digits.

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Previous research has suggested an unexpected negative association between smoking and susceptibility to COVID-19. This study, drawing on population-based data from three Nordic countries-Sweden, Norway, and Finland-aims to investigate this association further, capitalizing on diversity introduced by different containment measures. The objective of this research was to examine the association between cigarette smoking and snus (smokeless tobacco) use and the risk of confirmed COVID-19 infection.

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In Brazil, there is 13% of the world's bat diversity, is the second most diverse group of mammals, playing a crucial role in providing ecosystem services that benefit humans. However, anthropogenic disturbances exacerbate processes of species extinction, shifts in geographic distributions, and phenological changes, despite efforts to safeguard biodiversity through the creation of Conservation Units and Indigenous Lands. Moreover, gaps in taxonomic knowledge and challenges related to species distribution hinder the effective implementation of conservation strategies in protected areas.

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Anthranilic diamides (AD) are a modern class of insecticides used as alternatives to pyrethroids and neonicotinoids, particularly against lepidopteran pests. Despite their widespread use and presence in surface waters, little is known regarding their effects on amphibians. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of environmentally-relevant concentrations of AD insecticides chlorantraniliprole (CHLO) and cyantraniliprole (CYAN) on metamorphosis of the toad .

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  • The study presents a new PCR-based multiplex assay called icosaplex (20-plex) designed to detect 18 enteropathogens and 2 antimicrobial resistance genes with high sensitivity and specificity.
  • It utilizes advanced techniques such as self-avoiding molecular recognition system (SAMRS) and artificially expanded genetic information system (AEGIS) to enhance detection while preventing common issues like primer dimer formation.
  • The assay was tested on a portable sequencing platform, showing strong agreement in results and demonstrating potential for application in wastewater epidemiology, environmental monitoring, and diagnostics for humans and animals.
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  • The study aimed to create a patient decision aid (PDA) to help patients with chronic coronary disease (CCD) understand their options for invasive vs. conservative management, drawing on data from the ISCHEMIA trial.
  • Through focus groups with patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, researchers identified key patient priorities, emphasizing the importance of survival and quality of life in treatment decisions, as well as a preference for visual tools to illustrate outcomes.
  • Participants valued shared decision-making but often relied on clinicians for guidance, expressing a desire to use the PDA collaboratively during consultations to facilitate informed choices.
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Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a heterogeneous group of hereditary disorders that affect in number and/or function different components of the immune system, resulting in an increased risk and severity of infections, autoimmune diseases, allergic manifestations, autoinflammation and malignancy. Inactivated vaccines are generally safe in these patients, but may be ineffective in some cases, due to difference in immunogenicity. However, live viral and bacterial vaccines may lead to disease, with high morbidity and mortality, so it is essential a previous immunological work-out.

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The mouse digit tip regenerates following amputation, a process mediated by a cellularly heterogeneous blastema. We previously found the gene Mest to be highly expressed in mesenchymal cells of the blastema and a strong candidate pro-regenerative gene. We now show Mest digit expression is regeneration-specific and not upregulated in post-amputation fibrosing proximal digits.

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The Amazon rainforest has approximately 23% of its sampled area dedicated to bats, making it one of the least sampled and most diverse regions for bats in Brazil. The lack of sampling results in a lack of knowledge regarding the accurate geographical distribution of bat species. This lack is referred to as the Wallacean shortfall, which should be addressed with primary data obtained from in situ collections.

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Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social communication difficulties and restricted, repetitive, and/or sensory behaviors or interests. The prevalence of ASD is now 1 in 36 individuals. Parents of individuals with ASD face challenges that can affect their physical and psychological well-being.

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The creation of protected areas (PAs) is not always based on science; consequently, some aquatic species may not receive the same level of protection as terrestrial ones. The objective of this study was to identify priority areas for the conservation of chelonians in the Brazilian Amazon basin and assess the contribution of PAs, distinguishing between Full Protection Areas, Sustainable Use Areas, and Indigenous Lands for group protection. The entire species modeling procedure was carried out using Species Distribution Models.

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Background: An increased pertussis burden has been demonstrated among Hispanic or Latino and American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants. However, data on potential disparities among other age and racial groups are limited.

Methods: We analyzed pertussis cases reported through Enhanced Pertussis Surveillance from 2010 to 2017.

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Background: Policy changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted on alcohol control. This study describes the development and application of a classification scheme to map alcohol policy changes during the first three-months of the COVID-19 pandemic in five countries and/or subnational jurisdictions.

Method: A pre-registered systematic review of policy decisions from March to May 2020, in Australia/New South Wales, Canada/Ontario, Chile, Italy and the United Kingdom.

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Objective: Dysphagia is multifactorial in unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI). Severe dysphagia could indicate greater functional deficits in UVFI. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association of dysphagia with the need for surgical voice restoration in patients with UVFI.

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Superoxide, an anionic dioxygen molecule, plays a crucial role in redox regulation within the body but is implicated in various pathological conditions when produced excessively. Efforts to develop superoxide detection strategies have led to the exploration of organic-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study compares the effectiveness of two such agents, nTMV-TEMPO and kTMV-TEMPO, for detecting superoxide in a mouse liver model with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation.

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Purpose: Pyruvate, produced from either glucose, glycogen, or lactate, is the dominant precursor of cerebral oxidative metabolism. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) flux is a direct measure of cerebral mitochondrial function and metabolism. Detection of [ C]bicarbonate in the brain from hyperpolarized [1- C]pyruvate using carbon-13 ( C) MRI provides a unique opportunity for assessing PDH flux in vivo.

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  • Smoking significantly reduces the likelihood of individuals receiving COVID-19 vaccine doses, with those who smoke showing a 7% lower risk for two doses and 14% for three doses.
  • Smokers and snus users had a notable decrease in vaccine uptake, emphasizing a gap in vaccination efforts among tobacco users.
  • Targeting smokers and snus users in public health campaigns could effectively improve COVID-19 vaccination rates in these populations.
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We conducted a scoping review to map and critically examine the knowledge, perceptions and utilization of generics and biosimilars, among physicians, pharmacists, patients, the general population, and other stakeholders from LAC.

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