Air Quality Prediction Based on Singular Spectrum Analysis and Artificial Neural Networks.

Singular spectrum analysis is a powerful nonparametric technique used to decompose the original time series into a set of components that can be interpreted as trend, seasonal, and noise. For their part, neural networks are a family of information-processing techniques capable of approximating highly nonlinear functions. This study proposes to improve the precision in the prediction of air quality.

Adaptive Compensatory Neurophysiological Biomarkers of Motor Recovery Post-Stroke: Electroencephalography and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Insights from the DEFINE Cohort Study.

Objective: This study aimed to explore longitudinal relationships between neurophysiological biomarkers and upper limb motor function recovery in stroke patients, focusing on electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) metrics.

Methods: This longitudinal cohort study analyzed neurophysiological, clinical, and demographic data from 102 stroke patients enrolled in the DEFINE cohort. We investigated the associations between baseline and post-intervention changes in the EEG theta/alpha ratio (TAR) and TMS metrics with upper limb motor functionality, assessed using the outcomes of five tests: the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Handgrip Strength Test (HST), Pinch Strength Test (PST), Finger Tapping Test (FTT), and Nine-Hole Peg Test (9HPT).

Psychometric Assessment of the Communication Skills Scale Among Peruvian Nurses and Factors Associated with Job Insecurity.

Background/objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Communication Skills Scale (CSS) among Peruvian nurses, as well as the factors associated with job insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We explored five models of confirmatory factor analysis for the CSS and its four subscales and assessed the convergent validity and criterion validity of the scale by analyzing its connection with job insecurity through stepwise multiple regression. We used insights from a focus group for the cultural adaptation of the scale.

Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Extraction Methods and Green Solvents for Olive Leaf Extracts with Antioxidant and Antihyperglycemic Activities.

Olive leaves are agro-industrial waste that pose an environmental management problem. However, they contain polyphenolic compounds with important bioactive properties beneficial to human. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two extraction technologies (pressurized liquid extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction) combined with green solvents (pure water, 15% ethanol, and 15% glycerol) at 50 °C and 70 °C.

Changes in Carotenoids and Quality Parameters of Sweet Paprika () After an Accelerated Heat Treatment.

Paprika, obtained from dried red pepper (), is valued for its characteristic colour and flavour. Its carotenoid content, which is important for both sensory and nutritional quality, varies depending on several factors (agronomic conditions and technological treatment with special attention to the drying methods) that influence the colour and antioxidant capacity of the samples. This study investigated the effect of an accelerated thermal treatment (80 °C for 8 h) applied to evaluate the oxidative stability of the carotenoids and the colour of ground paprika depending on its origin (Peru or China).

Biological Implications of the Intrinsic Deformability of Human Acetylcholinesterase Induced by Diverse Compounds: A Computational Study.

The enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays a crucial role in the termination of nerve impulses by hydrolyzing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). The inhibition of AChE has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for the management of neurological disorders such as Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The potential of various compounds as AChE inhibitors was investigated.

Drivers of Seasonal Change of Avian Communities in Urban Parks and Cemeteries of Latin America.

Urban parks and cemeteries constitute hot spots of bird diversity in urban areas. However, the seasonal dynamics of their bird communities have been scarcely explored at large scales. This study aims to analyze the drivers of urban bird assemblage seasonality in urban parks and cemeteries comparing assemblages during breeding and non-breeding seasons in the Neotropical Region.

Tiled Amplicon Sequencing Enables Culture-free Whole-Genome Sequencing of Pathogenic Bacteria From Clinical Specimens.

Pathogen sequencing is an important tool for disease surveillance and demonstrated its high value during the COVID-19 pandemic. Viral sequencing during the pandemic allowed us to track disease spread, quickly identify new variants, and guide the development of vaccines. Tiled amplicon sequencing, in which a panel of primers is used for multiplex amplification of fragments across an entire genome, was the cornerstone of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing.

Climate change, migration, and health: perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean.

This article delves into the complex relationship between climate change, migration patterns, and health outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). While the severe impact of climate change on health in LAC is widely acknowledged, the article sheds light on the often-overlooked multiple effects on migration and the well-being of migrants. These impacts encompass poverty, food and water insecurity, and adverse physical and mental health outcomes.

The response of health systems to the needs of migrants and refugees in the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative case study between Mexico, Colombia and Peru.

Background: Protecting the health of migrants and refugees during the pandemic was a significant challenge in the Latin American region. We aimed to describe and contrast the response of the health systems of Mexico, Colombia and Perú to migrants' and refugees' health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to situate the response in the context of the migration and health policies of each country.

Methods: We conducted case studies of the three countries.

Mapping resilience and co-occurring theoretical constructs in nurses: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The aim of this scoping review is to map the concept of resilience and its measurement along with co-occurring theoretical constructs within nursing research using the COVID-19 pandemic as a critical date range for the current evidence.

Introduction: Resilience has a wide variety of definitions in research literature and is often measured through its co-occurring theoretical constructs. Nurse resilience is a key element in interventions targeting nurse well-being and has been tied to burnout and mental health.

The Linear Retrograde Infiltration (LiRi) Technique for Buttock Fat Infiltration: A Cohort Evolution.

Background: Autologous fat grafting in the buttocks has gained great popularity However, one of the main risks is infiltration of fat into the systemic venous system, leading to potential complications such as macroscopic fatty embolism (MAFE), which can be fatal.

Objectives: This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the LiRi (Linear Retrograde infiltration) for autologous fat grafting in the buttocks, and its evolution over a six-month follow-up period.

Methods: The procedure was performed in 114 patients.

Human mobility and malaria risk in peri-urban and rural communities in the Peruvian Amazon.

Background: While the global burden of malaria cases has decreased over the last two decades, the disease remains a major international threat, even on the rise in many regions. More than 85% of Peruvian malaria cases are in the Amazonian region of Loreto. Internal mobility primarily related to occupation is thought to be primarily responsible for maintaining endemicity and introducing and reintroducing malaria parasites into areas of anophelism, a challenge for malaria eradication.

Validation and adaptation of the diffusion of intimate images among adolescents (EDIMA) scale in adolescents from Peru.

Background: The use of technologies through social networks is a common practice among adolescents who use it to communicate. However, the lack of control and supervision of these media means that they disseminate any type of information, including sexual content.

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Intimate Images Diffusion Scale (EDIMA) in Peruvian adolescents.

Genetic diversity of and field isolates from Honduras in the malaria elimination phase.

Malaria continues to be a major threat to public health in tropical regions, primarily affecting sub-Saharan Africa but also Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Malaria cases in Honduras have seen a significant decline and the country aims to eliminate the disease by 2030. This study examines the genetic diversity of and in Honduras using four molecular markers (, , , and ), and the chloroquine resistance marker in the context of the elimination phase.

10 years of BiTE immunotherapy: an overview with a focus on pancreatic cancer.

Various therapeutic strategies have been developed to treat Pancreatic Cancer (PaCa). Unfortunately, most efforts have proved unfruitful, as the poor prognosis observed in this disease has only attained little improvement in the past 40 years. Recently, deeper understanding of the immune system and its interaction with malignant tumors have allowed significant advances in immunotherapy.

The earliest large carpenter bee () and its adhering pollen (Araliaceae, Theaceae).

The association of pollinators with their host plants is a critical element of ecosystem functioning and one that is usually determined indirectly in the fossil record from specific morphological traits of flowers or putative pollinating animals. The exceptionally fine preservation at Messel, Germany, offers an excellent source of data on pollen from fossil flowers as well as preserved adhering to insects as direct evidence of their association with specific floral lineages. Here, we report on pollen recovered from the body and legs of a large carpenter bee (Apidae: Xylocopinae: Xylocopini) from the Eocene of Messel.

Paraneoplastic endocrine syndromes: a contemporary overview.

Introduction: Endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes (ePNS) are caused by malignant cells that induce hormonal alterations unrelated to the tissue of origin of the neoplasm. The aim of this manuscript is to review the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes (ePNS).

Areas Covered: We searched the PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Scielo databases, including 96 articles.

The display and advertising of roll-your-own tobacco at points-of-sale in Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru.

Introduction: While roll-your-own tobacco consumption is highest in Europe, increased sales are reported in Latin America. We are unaware of any research that explores the display and advertising of roll-your-own tobacco in this region.

Methods: An observational study was conducted at tobacco-selling points-of-sale (N=2,081) near schools in cities in Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru between April and July 2023.

What is the influence of psychosocial factors on artificial intelligence appropriation in college students?

Background: In recent years, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly relevant in various sectors, including higher education. This study investigates the psychosocial factors influencing AI adoption among Peruvian university students and uses an extended UTAUT2 model to examine various constructs that may impact AI acceptance and use.

Method: This study employed a quantitative approach with a survey-based design.

Prognostic value of CHA2DS2-VASc score for in-hospital outcomes in patients with Takotsubo syndrome.

Background: There is uncertainty about the use of the CHA2DS2-VASc score to predict clinical events in patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). This study aimed to assess the short-term prognostic role of CHA2DS2-VASc score in this population.

Methods: All admissions with a primary diagnosis of TTS were included using data from the National Inpatient Sample database during 2016-2019.