1,574 results match your criteria: "Pompeu Fabra University[Affiliation]"

Elevated Extracellular Free Water in the Brain Predicts Clinical Improvement in First-Episode Psychosis.

Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging

January 2025

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California.

Article Synopsis
  • Elevated levels of extracellular free water (FW) in gray matter can predict clinical improvement in individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis, suggesting a possible link to neuroinflammatory processes.
  • A study involving 47 participants identified two groups: "Improvers," who showed significant reduction in psychiatric symptoms after 12 months, and non-improvers, using diffusion imaging to assess FW and fractional anisotropy in brain tissue.
  • Findings indicated that Improvers exhibited higher FW in temporal regions and greater fractional anisotropy in specific white matter tracts, highlighting distinct neurobiological markers associated with better clinical outcomes in early psychosis.
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Excess potential years of working life lost in six countries from Latin America and Europe in 2020 and 2021.

Occup Environ Med

October 2024

The Ibero-American Observatory of Safety and Health at Work, Madrid, Spain.

Objective: This descriptive study aimed to measure the excess all-cause mortality potential years of working life lost (PYWLL) in the working-age population of six Ibero-American countries in 2020 and 2021.

Methods: This study was based on all-cause deaths for the age group 15-69 years for men and women in six countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, México, Peru, Portugal and Spain. The expected PYWLL was the average value determined from the previous 5 years (2015-2019).

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Article Synopsis
  • A large-scale, cross-national study examined the impact of removing the "excessiveness" requirement for diagnosing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among individuals living in challenging circumstances.
  • Data from over 133,000 adults across various income countries revealed that eliminating this criterion raises the global prevalence of GAD from 2.6% to 4.0%, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
  • Non-excessive worriers, while less severe, exhibit similar socio-demographic traits and impairment levels as excessive worriers, indicating they are significant cases deserving diagnosis and treatment.
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Enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) are increasingly recognized as an MRI detectable feature of neuroinflammatory processes and age-related neurodegenerative changes. Understanding perivascular characteristics in healthy individuals is crucial for their applicability as a reference for pathological changes. Limited data exists on the EPVS load and interhemispheric asymmetry in distribution among young healthy subjects.

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Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex rheumatic disorder characterized by chronic nociplastic pain and central sensitization. Psychopathological conditions can influence FM symptoms, which worsen their condition. However, not all patients with FM have psychopathological disorders, indicating a heterogeneous population.

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Loss of normal facial asymmetry in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: Implications for development of brain asymmetry in psychotic illness.

Psychiatry Res

December 2024

School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research and Therapy for Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China. Electronic address:

Development of the craniofacies occurs in embryological intimacy with development of the brain and both show normal left-right asymmetries. While facial dysmorphology occurs to excess in psychotic illness, facial asymmetry has yet to be investigated as a putative index of brain asymmetry. Ninety-three subjects (49 controls, 22 schizophrenia, 22 bipolar disorder) received 3D laser surface imaging of the face.

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Introduction: Dalbavancin is an antibiotic characterized by an extended half-life and efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococci. Currently, there are only narrative reviews summarizing the evidence about the use of dalbavancin for infective endocarditis (IE), many of which are focused primarily on its use as consolidation therapy. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review to describe the clinical efficacy and the safety of dalbavancin in IE treatment.

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Schizophrenia is associated with higher cancer-related mortality, perhaps due to delayed diagnosis and limited access to treatment. The study aimed to compare patients diagnosed with cancer with and without schizophrenia to determine whether these groups differ in terms of oncological variables and survival outcomes. This was a retrospective, observational cohort study that included 30.

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Comparative study of trans* healthcare models in Catalonia.

Heliyon

September 2024

Department of Physiological Sciences, Physiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, Universitat de Barcelona, IDIBELL, 08907, L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.

Stigma and discrimination against the trans* community have been shown to exacerbate mental health issues among its members. In Catalonia, the Gender Identity Unit at the Clinic's Hospital traditionally adhered to a biomedical model (BMM) of health for trans* individuals. However, a few years ago, the Transit Service introduced a biopsychosocial model (BPSM).

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Background: Approximately 1 in 6 cannabis users develop a cannabis use disorder (CUD) and the odds increase to 1 in 2 for daily users.

Objective: The Dual use of Cannabis and Tobacco Monitoreing through a Gamified Web app (DuCATA_GAM-CaT) project aims to identify cannabis-tobacco patterns of use and withdrawal symptoms among individuals with CUD who are attending substance abuse programs.

Methods: The project uses a mixed methods approach consisting of 3 studies.

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Article Synopsis
  • Minimally invasive laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common abdominal surgery, but there is a risk of bile duct injuries occurring in a small percentage of cases, especially during severe cholecystitis.
  • To manage complex situations, techniques like subtotal cholecystectomy—removing part of the gallbladder—should be part of a surgeon's toolkit to minimize injury.
  • This article offers a detailed guide on five techniques for performing subtotal cholecystectomy, including tips for using minimally invasive methods and tools like preoperative indocyanine green for better identification of anatomy.
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Background: Recent studies suggest that low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) may play a role in mitigating the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesise existing evidence on the effectiveness and safety of LMWH in the treatment of moderately-severe and severe AP.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the 2020 update of the PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

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The impact of sex in the effectiveness of functional remediation in bipolar disorder.

Acta Psychiatr Scand

December 2024

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Functional recovery remains a core clinical objective for patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Sociodemographic, clinical, and neurocognitive variables are associated with long-term functional impairment, yet the impact of sex differences is unclear. Functional remediation (FR) is a validated intervention aimed at achieving functional recovery in BD.

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G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a crucial role in cell function by transducing signals from the extracellular environment to the inside of the cell. They mediate the effects of various stimuli, including hormones, neurotransmitters, ions, photons, food tastants and odorants, and are renowned drug targets. Advancements in structural biology techniques, including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), have driven the elucidation of an increasing number of GPCR structures.

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Article Synopsis
  • Liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) is a key treatment for severe fungal infections, but it may pose risks for kidney damage in critically ill patients.
  • A study analyzed 67 patients treated with L-AmB for over 48 hours to determine the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), revealing that 26.8% of patients developed AKI, with lower rates in those at higher initial risk.
  • Key factors contributing to AKI included norepinephrine use, SOFA scores, and certain laboratory results, indicating that while L-AmB appears safe, AKI development is influenced by multiple factors.
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Background: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 and 2 (PARP1/2) inhibitors (PARPi) are targeted therapies approved for homologous recombination repair (HRR)-deficient breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. Since inhibition of PARP1 is sufficient to cause synthetic lethality in tumors with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), PARP1 selective inhibitors such as saruparib (AZD5305) are being developed. It is expected that selective PARP1 inhibition leads to a safer profile that facilitates its combination with other DNA damage repair inhibitors.

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Background: Our aim was to determine the association between diet quality and depression incidence in the population-based REGICOR cohort study, Catalonia, Spain.

Methods: Prospective observational study using participants' baseline (2003-2006), follow-up (2007-2013) and clinical records data. Five diet quality scores were derived from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at baseline: the relative Mediterranean Diet Score (rMED), the Modified Mediterranean Diet Score (ModMDS), a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score, a Healthful Plant-based Diet Index (HPDI) and the World Health Organization Healthy Diet Indicator (WHO-HDI).

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Objectives: To (i) ascertain stakeholders' perceptions of the contextual factors and resources necessary to successfully implement the AMORE platform, a tool that provides accessibility assessments for health care services, considering factors such travel time and traffic conditions, and (ii) identify potential barriers to and facilitators for enhancing spatial accessibility to health care services within the Colombian urban context.

Methods: In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of seven key stakeholders. The sample was drawn from individuals involved in development of policies in Colombia, service providers, and users, among others, who had expertise in the field.

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Changes in social inequalities in excess body weight and body dissatisfaction among adolescents in Barcelona, Spain, 2016-2021.

Public Health

November 2024

Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona (ASPB), Pl. de Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Sant Quintí 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), C/Monforte de Lemos 3 Pabellón 11, 28029 Madrid, Spain.

Article Synopsis
  • Adolescence is a critical period where issues like excess weight and body dissatisfaction can increase, potentially worsening due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The study analyzed data from the FRESC survey conducted in 2016 and 2021 in Barcelona, revealing that excess weight among adolescents rose from 25.3% to 29.8% and body dissatisfaction jumped from 44.2% to 60.4%.
  • Significant socioeconomic inequalities concerning excess weight increased specifically in girls, indicating a troubling trend in adolescent health that calls for targeted public policies to address these disparities.
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Introduction: Although several studies report that the robotic approach is more costly than laparoscopy, the cost-effectiveness of robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP) over laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) is still an issue. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the RDP and LDP approaches across several Spanish centres.

Methods: This study is an observational, multicenter, national prospective study (ROBOCOSTES).

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Different ligands stabilize specific conformations of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) that direct distinct signaling cascades mediated by heterotrimeric G proteins or β-arrestin. These different active conformations are thought to engage distinct intracellular transducers because of differential phosphorylation patterns in the receptor C-terminal tail (the "barcode" hypothesis). Here, we identified the AT1R barcodes for the endogenous agonist AngII, which stimulates both G protein activation and β-arrestin recruitment, and for a synthetic biased agonist that only stimulates β-arrestin recruitment.

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Objective: COVID-19 vaccination has been related to menstrual irregularities; however, the effect on postmenopausal women is unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) after COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Gynecology in Hospital del Mar.

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