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This study highlights Adesmia pinifolia, a native high-Andean species, as a potential candidate for the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with Cd and Hg. In this work, a semi-hydronic assay with different doses of Cd (3, 4.5, and 6 mg L-1) and Hg (0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 mg L-1) was analysed to evaluate the establishment of plants, antioxidant defence systems, oxidative stress, and the ability to accumulate heavy metals. The results indicate high survival rates (>80%); however, Cd significantly reduced shoot and root biomass, while Hg increased root biomass with the 1.6 mg L-1 treatment. Cd and Hg tend to accumulate more in roots (2534.24 µg/g and 596.4 µg g-1, respectively) compared to shoots (398.53 µg g-1 and 140.8 µg g-1, respectively). A significant decrease in the bioconcentration factor of Cd and Hg in roots was observed as metal levels increased, reaching the maximum value at 3 mg L-1 (805.59 ± 54.38) and 0.8 mg L-1 (804.54 ± 38.09). The translocation factor, <1 for both metals, suggests that translocation from roots to shoots is limited. An overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed, causing lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage to plant membranes. Tolerance strategies against subsequent toxicity indicate that enhanced glutathione reductase (GR) activity and glutathione (GSH) accumulation modulate Cd and Hg accumulation, toxicity, and tolerance.

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Introducción: el estado nutricional de las personas mayores puede variar según los factores ambientales, psicosociales y fisiológicos. Objetivo: valorar el estado nutricional de las personas mayores institucionalizadas en una residencia geriátrica pública de Asunción, Paraguay. Metodología: estudio observacional, descriptivo, de corte transversal realizado en hombres y mujeres mayores de 60 años, institucionalizados en el Complejo Santo Domingo de la ciudad de Asunción en julio del 2023. El instrumento utilizado para valorar los niveles de desnutrición y riesgo de desnutrición fue el Full MNA® (Mini Nutritional Assessment versión completa). Para medir el sobrepeso y la obesidad se utilizó la tabla de percentiles de peso-edad en población adulta mayor. Resultados: se trabajó con 77 personas mayores con edad media 77 ± 9 años (rango 60 y 106 años), siendo el 54,6% (n 42) del sexo femenino. Se identificó dentro del nivel "desnutrido" al 16,9% de la muestra, mientras que el 27,3% se encontraba en el nivel "riesgo de desnutrición" y el 36,3% presentó un "estado normal de nutrición". A la par de los niveles de estado nutricional determinados, se halló que el 19,5% se encontraba con sobrepeso y obesidad. Conclusiones: los niveles hallados en el estudio fueron riesgo de desnutrición (27,3%), desnutrición (16,9%) y estado nutricional normal (36,3%). Las mujeres y personas mayores de 80 años presentan mayor proporción de desnutrición y riesgo de desnutrición. Esta información demuestra la importancia de incluir un instrumento de valoración nutricional en la consulta geriátrica para el diagnóstico y tratamiento oportunos.

Introduction: The nutritional status of older people can vary depending on environmental, psychosocial, and physiological factors. Objective: To assess the nutritional status of elderly people institutionalized in a public senior residence in Asunción, Paraguay. Methodology: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out in men and women over 60 years of age, institutionalized in the Santo Domingo Complex of the city of Asunción in July 2023. The instrument used to assess the levels of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition was the Full MNA® (Full-Mini Nutritional Assessment). To measure overweight and obesity, the table of weight-age percentiles in the older adult population was used. Results: We worked with 77 older people with a mean age of 77 ± 9 years (range 60 and 106 years), with 54.6% (n 42) being female. At the "malnourished" level, 16.9% of the sample was identified, while 27.3% were at the "risk of malnutrition" level and 36.3% had a "normal state of nutrition" Along with the determined nutritional status levels, it was found that 19.5% of this population was overweight and obese. Conclusions: The levels found in the study were risk of malnutrition (27.3%), malnutrition (16.9%), and normal nutritional status (36.3%). Women and people over 80 years of age have a higher proportion of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition. This information demonstrates the importance of including a nutritional assessment instrument in the geriatric consultation for timely diagnosis and treatment.

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This research provides new evidence regarding the different kinds of air quality episodes, and their underlying mechanisms, that frequently impact the urban area of Quintero Bay in Central Chile, which is located along complex coastal terrain and is surrounded by industries. The monitoring campaign was carried out in January 2022 and encompassed two distinctive meteorological regimes. The first part of the month was dominated by a coastal low centered to the south of Quintero, which resulted in prevailing northerly flow (or weak southerlies) and a deep cloud-topped marine boundary layer. After a 2-3-day transition, the latter collapsed, and a clear-sky regime ensued, which was characterized by a shallow boundary layer and strong southerly winds during the daytime that lasted until the end of the campaign. By using proton transfer reaction time of flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS) at a high temporal resolution (1 s), we measured high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during air quality episodes in real time. The episodes detected were associated with different prevailing meteorological regimes, suggesting that different point sources were involved. In the first episode, propene/cyclopropane, butenes, benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene/xylenes were associated with north and northwesterly weak winds. Complaints associated with hydrocarbon odor were reported. The pollution originated from industrial and petrochemical units located to the north of Quintero, which transport and store natural gas, liquified petroleum gas and oil. The second episode was linked to an oil refinery located south of our measurement site. In this case, high levels of phenol, furan and cresols occurred under strong southwesterly winds. During this event, headaches and dizziness were reported. By contrast, the levels of other aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene/xylenes) were lower than in the first air pollution episode.

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The current scientific literature has shown significant disparity in results when physical activity is linked to academic achievement among adolescents. Thus, the main objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the relationship among students' academic achievement, intention to be physically active, and physical activity levels depending on the country (Spain or Chile), as well as to analyze these relationships based on students' socio-economic status, type of school, school year, gender, and body mass index; and (2) to analyze the differences between all these variables depending on the students' country and gender. In total, 3052 adolescents participated in the research (14.58 ± 1.39 years): 734 Chilean students (336 males and 398 females) and 2318 Spanish students (1180 males and 1138 females). Various questionnaires were used to measure the study variables. The results revealed significant relationships between academic achievement and the rest of the variables in Spanish adolescents, but in the Chilean population, academic achievement was significantly related only to socio-economic status and the type of school. Moreover, Spanish students obtained higher scores, especially the males, except for academic achievement, which was higher in females. There were also significant differences in academic achievement, intention to be physically active, physical activity levels, and socio-economic status depending on the country, with all scores being higher in Spain. Given the results, the country seems to be an important factor when comparing academic achievement and physical activity levels, besides other demographic variables.

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The implementation of confinement and physical distancing measures to restrict people's activities and transit in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to study how these measures affect the air quality in urban areas with high pollution rates, such as Santiago, Chile. A comparative study between the concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NOx, CO, and O3 during the months of March to May 2020 and the corresponding concentrations during the same period in 2017-2019 is presented. A combination of surface measurements from the air quality monitoring network of the city, remote satellite measurements, and simulations of traffic activity and road transport emissions allowed us to quantify the change in the average concentrations of each pollutant. Average relative changes of traffic emissions (between 61% and 68%) implied statistically significant concentrations reductions of 54%, 13%, and 11% for NOx, CO, and PM2.5, respectively, during the pandemic period compared to historical period. In contrast, the average concentration of O3 increased by 63% during 2020 compared to 2017-2019. The nonlinear response observed in the pollution levels can be attributed to the changes in the vehicular emission patterns during the pandemic and to the role of other sources such as residential emissions or secondary PM.

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The purpose of the study is to comparatively test the expectancy-value model in Chilean and Spanish samples. The model proposes: a social world (composed of social support, physical activity teasing, and weight teasing), expectancy (composed of perceived competence and appearance), task values (composed of enjoyment and stress) to predict physical activity and intention to be physically active. Participants were 497 (Chilean) and 1365 (Spanish) adolescents. Structural equation models and multi-group modelling were used. All the models presented adequate fit to the data. The results show that physical activity teasing is a contextual and essential variable; perceived competence and enjoyment influenced physical activity and intentions to be physically active; some differences appeared in the prediction of physical activity and intentions to be physically active when the multi-group model was run. Culturally tailored interventions are key to improving physical activity (PA) behaviors.

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One of the most polluted areas in Chile is the Ventanas Industrial Area (VIA; 32.74°S / 71.48°W), which started in 1958 and today comprises around 16 industries in an area of ca. 4 km2. A lack of consistent long-term instrumental records precludes assessing the history of contamination in the area and also limits the evaluation of mitigation actions taken since the late 1980s. Here, we use dendrochemistry as an environmental proxy to analyze environmental changes over several decades at the VIA. We present chemical measurements of tree rings from planted, exotic Cupressus macrocarpa growing near the VIA with 4-year resolution over a period of 52 years (1960-2011). These data provide unprecedented information on regional anthropogenic pollution and are compared with a tree-ring elemental record of 48 years (1964-2011) from the Isla Negra (INE) control site not exposed to VIA emissions. For the 48 years of overlap between both sites, higher concentrations of Zn, V, Co, Cd, Ag, Fe, Cr, and Al were especially registered after the year 2000 at VIA compared to INE for the periods under study. Concentrations of Pb, Cu, As, Fe, Mo, Cr, and Zn increased through time, particularly over the period 1980-1990. Decontamination plans activated in 1992 appear to have had a positive effect on the amount of some elements, but the chemical concentration in the tree rings suggest continued accumulation of pollutants in the environment. Only after several years of implementation of the mitigation measures have some elements tended to decrease in concentration, especially at the end of the evaluated period. Dendrochemistry is a useful tool to provide a long-term perspective of the dynamics of trace metal pollution and represents a powerful approach to monitor air quality variability to extend the instrumental records back in time.

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RESUMEN Introducción: la diabetes mellitus es una enfermedad prevalente y con un alto costo para la salud pública. No obstante, la falta de cumplimiento terapéutico se relaciona con un aumento de la morbimortalidad. Objetivo: determinar los factores asociados a la falta de adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 que acuden al Hospital Nacional de Itauguá en 2018. Material y métodos: estudio observacional, descriptivo, prospectivo, de corte longitudinal, con componente analítico, realizado en hombres y mujeres mayores de 18 años con diagnóstico de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 que acudieron en forma ambulatoria a los consultorios del programa de diabetes del Hospital Nacional de Itauguá en 2018. La adherencia al tratamiento fue determinada con dos escalas validadas que midieron la adherencia farmacológica (Morisky-Green) y no farmacológica (IMEVID). Resultados: se estudiaron 338 pacientes, siendo 66% de sexo femenino. La edad media fue 56±7 años. La frecuencia de falta de adherencia al tratamiento fue 70% y los factores que se asociaron significativamente fueron la presencia de complicaciones crónicas (53%), la monoterapia farmacológica (35%), la presencia de efectos adversos medicamentosos (17%), el tiempo de evolución mayor a diez años (16%) y la mala relación médico-paciente (16%). Conclusiones: existe una alta frecuencia de falta de adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con diabetes mellitus (70%). La presencia de complicaciones crónicas y la monoterapia farmacológica fueron los factores más frecuentemente asociados. Esta información permitirá la toma de decisiones para ayudar a los pacientes a mejorar su cumplimiento terapéutico.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent disease with a high cost for public health. However, the lack of therapeutic compliance prevents that the morbidity and mortality associated with this pathology can be avoided. Objective: To determine the factors associated with the lack of adherence to treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who attend the National Hospital of Itauguá in 2018. Material and methods: Observational, descriptive, prospective, longitudinal study, with analytical component, carried out in men and women older than 18 years with diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus who attended the outpatient clinics of the National Hospital diabetes program in Itauguá in 2018. Adherence to treatment was determined with two validated scales that measured pharmacological (Morisky-Green) and non-pharmacological (IMEVID) adherence. Results: Three hundred and thirty eight patients were studied, 66% being female. The average age was 56 ± 7 years. The frequency of lack of adherence to treatment was 70% and the factors that were significantly associated were the presence of chronic complications (53%), pharmacological monotherapy (35%), presence of adverse drug effects (17%), time of evolution greater than ten years (16%) and poor doctor-patient relationship (16%). Conclusions: There is a high frequency of lack of adherence to treatment in patients with diabetes mellitus (70%). The presence of chronic complications and pharmacological monotherapy were the most frequently associated factors. This information will allow decision-making to help patients improve their therapeutic compliance.

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Introducción: El trastorno depresivo es una patología frecuente en pacientes geriátricos. Siendo la cuarta causa de discapacidad en el mundo, el tercer motivo de consulta en atención primaria y sabiendo que la complicación más frecuente en el suicidio, determinar los factores asociados es crucial para desarrollar estrategias y diagnóstico precoz. Objetivo: Analizar la prevalencia de depresión y los factores asociados en pacientes geriátricos que acuden al Hospital Regional de Coronel Oviedo en el año 2015. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, de corte longitudinal con componente analítico en 282 pacientes de edad o mayor a 60 años. Los datos fueron obtenidos a través de los cuestionarios de Charlson, Barthel, test de Gijon y Miniexamen Cognoscitivo con preguntas directas que identifican las variables independientes. La variable dependiente fue medida con el test de depresión de Hamilton. Resultados: El rango de edad de la población estudiada fue de 36 años con limite interior de 60 y superior de 96 años. El 50% se encontraba entre los 64 y 75 años de edad. La prevalencia de depresión fue del 67%, de los cuales el tipo severo resulto ser el más frecuente (37%). En relación a las características sociodemográficas la prevalencia fue mayor en el grupo de 75-89 años, sexo femenino y solteros. Conclusión: La prevalencia de depresión fue elevada en nuestro medio. Los factores de riesgo identificados fueron la edad entre 75-89 años, recibir medicación, presencia de comorbilidades, deterioro cognitivo, actividad física, falta de trabajo, riesgo social y dependencia para realizar actividades cotidianas

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