MicroVi: A Cost-Effective Microscopy Solution for Yeast Cell Detection and Count in Wine Value Chain.

In recent years, the wine industry has been researching how to improve wine quality along the production value chain. In this scenario, we present here a new tool, MicroVi, a cost-effective chip-sized microscopy solution to detect and count yeast cells in wine samples. We demonstrate that this novel microscopy setup is able to measure the same type of samples as an optical microscopy system, but with smaller size equipment and with automated cell count configuration.

Prevalence and severity of anxiety, stress, and depression in long COVID among adults in Barcelona.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic's long-term mental health implications are increasingly concerning, especially among patients suffering post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection: Long COVID (LC) patients.

Aim: This study explores the presence and distribution of anxiety, depression, and stress in LC individuals with cognitive complaints in northern Barcelona (Spain).

Design & Settings: This cross-sectional study involved 155 diagnosed LC individuals from the "Aliança ProHEpiC-19 Cognitiu (APC)" project.

Clinician's perceptions and experiences with tobacco treatment in people who use cannabis: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Global demand for the treatment of cannabis use disorder has increased significantly, prompting a need to understand effective strategies for addressing concurrent cannabis and tobacco use. This study focuses on clinicians' experiences and perceptions in delivering tobacco cessation services to people who use cannabis.

Methods: Fifteen participants (12 females, 3 males) participated in three homogenous focus groups, including two groups with extensive experience in providing tobacco cessation among the substance use population in Catalonia, Spain, and one group of clinicians without such experience.

Introduction to behavioral science and its practical applications in public health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the importance of improving the design of public health interventions and policies by applying principles from the behavioral sciences. These sciences play a crucial role in modifying behaviors and addressing a wide range of health challenges, from pandemics and chronic diseases to the climate crisis. This article examines the transformative impact of behavioral sciences on public health promotion, focusing on the factors that influence decision-making and intervention strategies based on the six principles developed by the WHO Technical Advisory Group.

Air pollution and systemic immune biomarkers in early life: a systematic review.

Introduction: Children's rapid development and immature immune systems place them at a higher risk of adverse health outcomes associated with air pollution exposure. However, the specific mechanisms in which air pollution mediates immune dysregulation in youth are poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to systematically review the available epidemiological evidence surrounding the effects of indoor and ambient air pollution exposure on systemic immune biomarkers in early life (from birth to 18 years old).

Digital dietary interventions for healthy adolescents: A systematic review of behavior change techniques, engagement strategies, and adherence.

Background: Adolescence is a crucial phase for developing healthy eating habits with lifelong health implications. Digital interventions, such as smartphone apps and web platforms, have emerged as promising strategies to promote healthy eating habits among adolescents by using behavior change techniques (BCTs). This study aims to systematically review internet-based dietary interventions targeting adolescents, focusing on the analysis of BCTs employed, their delivery modes, and their impact on adolescents' adherence and engagement.

Exploring the impact of sentential negation on inhibitory motor networks: Insights from paired-pulse TMS.

The embodied approach to language meaning suggests that negation with action verbs decreases activation of the negated concept, reflected in reduced motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This study aims to explore how action negation influences inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms within the primary motor cortex (M1) using paired-pulse TMS (ppTMS). We evaluated corticospinal excitability (CSE), short intracortical inhibition (SICI), indexing GABAA activity, and intracortical facilitation (ICF), related to glutamatergic activity.

Feasibility and potential effect of a pilot blended digital behavior change intervention promoting sustainable diets over a year.

Well-designed effective interventions promoting sustainable diets are urgently needed to benefit both human and planetary health. This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of a pilot blended digital intervention aimed at promoting sustainable diets. We conducted a series of ABA n-of-1 trials with baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases over the course of a year, involving twelve participants.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mHealth adoption: Identification of the main barriers through an international comparative analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic greatly challenged health systems worldwide. The adoption and application of mHealth technology emerged as a critical response. However, the permanent implementation and use of such technology faces several barriers, which vary by each country's innovation level and specific health policies.

Explaining cognitive function in multiple sclerosis through networks of grey and white matter features: a joint independent component analysis.

Cognitive impairment (CI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is only partially explained by whole-brain volume measures, but independent component analysis (ICA) can extract regional patterns of damage in grey matter (GM) or white matter (WM) that have proven more closely associated with CI. Pathology in GM and WM occurs in parallel, and so patterns can span both. This study assessed whether joint-ICA of GM and WM features better explained cognitive function compared to single-tissue ICA.

On the Readiness of Scientific Data Papers for a Fair and Transparent Use in Machine Learning.

To ensure the fairness and trustworthiness of machine learning (ML) systems, recent legislative initiatives and relevant research in the ML community have pointed out the need to document the data used to train ML models. Besides, data-sharing practices in many scientific domains have evolved in recent years for reproducibility purposes. In this sense, academic institutions' adoption of these practices has encouraged researchers to publish their data and technical documentation in peer-reviewed publications such as data papers.

Dissociating language switching from executive control in bilinguals with MCI.

Bilingual language control is a dynamic cognitive system that enables individuals to effectively manage language use and prevent interference when switching between languages. Research indicates that certain neurodegenerative conditions may influence language-switching abilities or hinder the suppression of cross-language interference. However, it remains uncertain whether neurodegeneration primarily affecting mesial temporal structures, such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), impacts lexical retrieval in dual-language naming conditions.

The study protocol of a double-blind randomized controlled trial of EMDR and multifocal transcranial current stimulation (MtCS) as augmentation strategy in patients with fibromyalgia.

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a generalized, widespread chronic pain disorder affecting 2.7% of the general population. In recent years, different studies have observed a strong association between FM and psychological trauma.

More Than the Sum of Its Parts: Disrupted Core Periphery of Multiplex Brain Networks in Multiple Sclerosis.

Disruptions to brain networks, measured using structural (sMRI), diffusion (dMRI), or functional (fMRI) MRI, have been shown in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), highlighting the relevance of regions in the core of the connectome but yielding mixed results depending on the studied connectivity domain. Using a multilayer network approach, we integrated these three modalities to portray an enriched representation of the brain's core-periphery organization and explore its alterations in PwMS. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we selected PwMS and healthy controls with complete multimodal brain MRI acquisitions from 13 European centers within the MAGNIMS network.

Proposals for integrated public management of the menopausal transition and postmenopause through Spanish women's experiences: a qualitative study.

Introduction: In Spain, legislation protecting women during the menopausal transition and postmenopause is still in its early stages. For public policies to be effective, it is essential that their design, implementation, and evaluation actively involve women going through this stage. Only from their experience and perspective can the impact of measures be maximized and ensure that they truly respond to their needs and realities.

Empowerment among breast cancer survivors using an online peer support community.

Objectives: Breast cancer (BC) impacts the patients' quality of life. Peer support can provide emotional understanding and enhances access to information, social support, coping strategies, and empowerment. Comunitats is an online peer support community app for BC survivors that involves healthcare professionals.

International prevalence patterns of low eGFR in adults aged 18-60 without traditional risk factors from a population-based cross-sectional disadvantaged populations eGFR epidemiology (DEGREE) study.

The disadvantaged populations eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) epidemiology (DEGREE) study was designed to gain insight into the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of undetermined cause (CKDu) using standard protocols to estimate the general-population prevalence of low eGFR internationally. Therefore, we estimated the age-standardized prevalence of eGFR under 60 ml/min per 1.73m in adults aged 18-60, excluding participants with commonly known causes of CKD; an ACR (albumin/creatinine ratio) over 300 mg/g or equivalent, or self-reported or measured (HT) hypertension or (DM) diabetes mellitus, stratified by sex and location.

Association of critically short telomeres with brain and blood markers of ageing and Alzheimer's disease in older adults.

Background: Accumulation of critically short telomeres (CST) is implicated in decreased tissular regenerative capacity and increased susceptibility to degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Telomere shortening has also been associated with age-related brain changes. However, it remains unclear whether CST accumulation is directly associated with AD markers or instead amplifies age-related effects, potentially increasing susceptibility of developing AD in cognitively healthy older adults.

The Mediating Role of Sexual Boredom in Women's Sexual Desire and Satisfaction.

Sexual boredom in women is associated with various levels and dimensions of sexual desire, as well as lower sexual and relationship satisfaction. However, the directionality of these relationships remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether sexual boredom mediates the relationship between partner and attractive-other sexual desire and sexual and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 1155 Portuguese women in long-term monogamous relationships.

Vascular risk factors are associated with grey matter atrophy in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background: Comorbidities including vascular risk factors can be associated with whole and regional brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS). This has been examined in mixed MS cohorts in prospective or observational studies; however, the association between vascular comorbidities (VCM) in secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and brain atrophy has been less well studied. The aim was to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between VCM, comorbidity burden and brain atrophy in SPMS.

Evaluating the Feasibility and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Multi-Tiered Multimodal Narrative Intervention Program for Preschool Children.

Purpose: The present study aims to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a novel multi-tiered narrative intervention program-the multimodal narrative (MMN) program-in Catalan that was co-created to boost preschool children's narrative and pragmatic skills.

Method: First, we describe here in detail the novel program, which consisted of a set of interventions oriented around the retelling of a narrative in a multimodal fashion, that is, with an abundant use of appropriate gesture and facial expression and careful attention to the pragmatic aspects of communication. We then describe the results of a self-reported feasibility study (Study 1) after this program was trial-implemented by 31 preschool teachers and speech-language therapists in their respective professional contexts.

Evaluating multiple sclerosis severity loci 30 years after a clinically isolated syndrome.

The first genome-wide significant multiple sclerosis severity locus, rs10191329, has been pathologically linked to cortical lesion load and brain atrophy. However, observational cohorts such as MSBase have not replicated associations with disability outcomes, instead finding other loci. We evaluated rs10191329 and MSBase loci in a unique cohort of 53 people followed for 30 years after a clinically isolated syndrome, with deep clinical phenotyping and MRI measures of inflammation and neurodegeneration.

Polygenic risk and subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic middle-aged individuals. The ILERVAS study.

Introduction And Objectives: More than 50% of first cardiovascular events (CVE) occur in populations identified as at low or intermediate risk by the risk equations, so the inclusion of additional variables, such as polygenic risk scores (PRS), has been proposed to improve the predictive capacity of these equations. The aim of this study was to assess whether a PRS, independently or with clinical risk equations, is associated with the presence, severity and extent of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Methods: 109 subjects with atherosclerosis were selected from the ILERVAS cohort (primary prevention) and matched with 109 participants without atherosclerosis of the same age, sex and SCORE2 risk level.