Autonomous University of Barcelona

The multicomponent intervention FIBROWALK integrates pain science education (PSE), therapeutic exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness training for treating fibromyalgia (FM). This study investigated the effects of the FIBROWALK in online (FIBRO-On) and outdoor (FIBRO-Out) formats compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU) on core clinical variables along with serum immune-inflammatory biomarkers and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Furthermore, the predictive value of these biomarkers on clinical response to FIBROWALK was also evaluated. 120 participants were randomly divided into three groups: TAU, TAU + FIBRO-On or TAU + FIBRO-Out. Clinical and blood assessments were conducted pre-post treatment. Both FIBRO-Out and FIBRO-On showed effectiveness (vs TAU) by improving functional impairment and kinesiophobia. Individuals allocated to FIBRO-Out (vs TAU) additionally showed decreases in pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms, and serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels along with IL-6/IL-4 ratio; patients allocated to FIBRO-On only showed a less stepped increase in IL-6 compared to TAU. An exaggerated pro-inflammatory profile along with higher levels of BDNF at baseline predicted greater clinical improvements in both active treatment arms. Our results suggest that FIBROWALK −in online and outdoor formats- is effective in individuals with FM and has significant immune regulatory effects in FM patients, while immune-inflammatory pathways and BDNF levels may in part predict its clinical effectiveness. Trial registration number NCT05377567

tion of mHealth technology emerged as a critical response. However, the permanent implementation and use ofsuch technology faces several barriers, which vary by each country’s innovation level and specific health policies.This study provides a detailed analysis of the transformations in mHealth service implementation within thecontext of the COVID-19 pandemic.Objectives: The study analyses the changes to mHealth service implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Itseeks to identify the main uses of technology in mHealth, to assess their level of adoption, and to address anybarriers found. It also aims to compare different countries to understand how factors such as geographicallocation and public health policies affect mHealth status worldwide.Methods: The survey tool was a revised version of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2015 Global Survey oneHealth, which had been updated to reflect the latest advances and policy priorities. The 2022 Survey on DigitalHealth in the WHO European Region was conducted by the WHO between April and October 2022 to gatherinformation from the Member States of that region.Results: This study shows that across the countries analysed, significant variations occurred in mHealth serviceadoption during the pandemic. Teleconsultation, access to patient information, and appointment reminders werethe most implemented services, highlighting the importance of remote care during health crises. Regional dif-ferences were identified regarding barriers such as privacy and security and patient digital literacy, underscoringthe need to address such shortcomings. These conclusions have important implications for stakeholders in thedigital health sector and emphasise the need for collaboration to address the identified challenges. (PDF) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mHealth adoption: Identification of the main barriers through an international comparative analysis. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387769679_Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_mHealth_adoption_Identification_of_the_main_barriers_through_an_international_comparative_analysis [accessed Jan 17 2025].

This study investigated the importance of comprehensive genetic diagnosis in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). We analyzed 175 B-ALL employing karyotyping, FISH, MLPA, targeted next-generation sequencing (t-NGS), and Optical Genome Mapping (OGM). This approach achieved an 83% classification rate, identifying 17 distinct genetic subtypes. Specifically, within B-other subtype, seven different subgroups were identified (ZNF384, IGH, DUX4, NUTM1 rearrangements, PAX5 alterations, PAX5 P80R, and IKZF1 N159Y). Secondary genetic alterations were observed, with copy number alterations (CNA) present in 60% of cases and mutations detected in 70.6%. While these alterations exhibited specific associations with certain genetic subtypes, CNAs did not appear to significantly impact the prognosis within these genetic groups. HeH, ETV6::RUNX1, ZNF384-r, and PAX5 P80R exhibited excellent outcomes, contrasting with the poor prognoses observed in KMT2A-r, hypodiploidy, and CRLF2-r (5-year overall OS were 50%, 50%, and 52%, respectively). These findings underscore the value of integrated genetic diagnostics for accurate subtyping, risk stratification, and guiding personalized treatment in pediatric B-ALL. Therefore, optimizing diagnostic workflows for routine clinical practice is crucial. Our study confirms the utility of conventional techniques (karyotyping and FISH), combined with t-NGS and OGM, for comprehensive genetic diagnosis.

The present study examines the disagreement between parents and teachers on the Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptomatology (ODS) in children and how sociodemographic factors like gender and socio-economic status (SES); and emotional characteristics such as aggressiveness, temperament, callousness; anxious and depressive symptoms, and irritability may be predictors of this incongruence. A community sample of 614 3-year-old, followed up until age 14 (N = 287) was obtained from a longitudinal study that began in 2009. Parents and teachers completed an ODS scale and multiple questionnaires about child´s emotional difficulties. Analyses indicated that parent-teacher ratings were discrepant, and this disagreement diminished with age (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = 0.12 to 0.69) with parents consistently reporting higher ODS scores compared to teachers across various ages. Predictors of parent-teacher disagreement on ODS were analyzed using polynomial regression with second and third order interactions. Results revealed that disagreement was higher when rating females, and for children belonging to low + low/medium or high SES groups. Lower ratings of aggressiveness, callousness and irritability, while higher scores of effortful control were significant predictors of higher parent-teacher ODS discrepancies. Research on how child affective variables influence multi-informant disagreement could lead to better clinical practice in addition to more accurate assessment and diagnosis in the infant-juvenile population.

Purpose of Review Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by skin induration. Although some guidelines from scientific societies exist, standard recommendations on monitoring and therapy are lacking. Recent Findings Current therapy for patients diagnosed with EF includes glucocorticoids plus at least one immunosuppressive drug in cases of relapse or refractory disease. Methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil are the most recommended, although recently a myriad of case reports or small series reporting the effectivity of biological agents or JAK inhibitors for treating relapses or refractory disease have been published. Anti-IL5 may have a role in those rare refractory cases with persistent eosinophilia. Intravenous immunoglobulins and photopheresis (in those centers with experience) may act as adjuvant therapies. Monitoring the disease activity is a cornerstone to ascertain if the treatment is useful or not. MRI, PET/TC, and more specifically POCUS have recently demonstrated their value for assessing therapy response. Summary High-quality data focused on therapy and monitoring is lacking in EF. Strategies for improving scientific quality of observational studies and consensus about “activity”, “sequela”, “relapse” or “refractoriness” terms in EF patients are necessary to implement prospective clinical trials and generate evidence-based medicine. Meanwhile we have to deal with the available information.

To systematically review qualitative studies on outcomes, needs, experiences, preferences, concerns and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people surviving cancer in Europe in the last decade. Protocol registered (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, ID575065). Inclusion criteria: studies with qualitative methods, constructs related to HRQoL, and adults surviving cancer in Europe. The search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus since 2013. Abstracts and full text were revised, data extracted and study risk of bias assessed independently by two researchers. The primary outcomes were the themes arising from each study. A thematic analysis stratified according to the study objective was undertaken by grouping themes into categories. Of 18,256 articles identified, 43 fulfilled the inclusion criteria: 16 studies with a generic objective and 27 with specific objectives. Seven categories (57 themes) emerged from the studies with a generic focus: Clinical Management (n = 16), Symptoms and Physical Function (n = 5), Psychological Function (n = 21), Social Function (n = 18), HRQoL (n = 3), Life Disruption (n = 6), and Individual Factors (n = 1). The 12 studies focused on treatment and care experiences stand out among those with specific objectives, with most themes fitting into the same seven categories. Results clearly showed the predominance of the social and psychological function domains over physical domains among people surviving cancer, additionally identifying specific needs in clinical management, such as information and communication, and relationship with and support from professionals. Therefore, these aspects should be incorporated into the evaluation of patient-centred initiatives for people surviving cancer. Limitations: only two databases were searched, and most European countries were not represented.

A substantial number of patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) undergo a nephrectomy, especially in work-up for a kidney transplantation. Currently, there is no evidence-based algorithm to guide clinicians which patients should undergo nephrectomy, the optimal timing of this procedure, or the preferred surgical technique. This systematic review-based consensus statement aimed to answer important questions regarding nephrectomy in ADPKD. A literature review was performed and extended to a meta-analysis when possible. For this purpose, PubMed and EMBASE were searched up to May 2024. Fifty-four publications, describing a total of 2391 procedures, were included. In addition, an exploratory questionnaire was sent to urologists, nephrologists, and transplant-surgeons. These sources were used to develop practice points about indications, complications, mortality, timing, and technique of nephrectomy. In addition, data on renal embolization as a potential alternative to nephrectomy was explored and summarized. To reach consensus, practice points were defined and improved in three Delphi survey rounds by experts of the European Renal Association Working Group Genes & Kidney and the European Association of Urology Section of Transplantation Urology. A total of 23 practice points/statements were developed, all of which reached consensus. Among others, it was deemed that nephrectomy can be performed successfully for various indications and is an intermediate risk procedure with acceptable mortality and minimal impact on kidney graft function when performed before, in the same session or after transplantation. The complication rate seems to increase when the procedure is performed as an emergency. During the work-up for transplantation, patient complaints should be assessed routinely by questionnaires to indicate symptom burden. Deciding on the need for nephrectomy and exploring potential alternatives such as kidney embolization should be a process of shared decision making, preferably after multidisciplinary consultation.

Women music photojournalists in the 1980s escaped gender discrimination in the workforce because their work took place outside the newsroom. This finding merits an in-depth examination of women’s perspectives as photojournalists during this time. Based on the testimonies of five self-identified women born between 1953 and 1963 who worked as music photographers in the 1970s and 1980s, this paper analyzes the participants’ gender perceptions regarding their professional experiences in the photojournalism field. An analysis of the sample reveals that the public spaces where male and female photographers worked had no significant impact on gender discrimination, as editors operated with an economy of means compared to the work environments where men and women are forced to interact and socialize, such as newsrooms. The findings of this study contribute to ethnographic research on subcultures, increasing public interest in gender studies, particularly about education, professional performance, and perceptions of gender roles.

This article compares the responses of the governments and social partners in Italy and Spain to the inflation crisis of 2021–2023. Faced with a common exogenous shock and sharing a comparable institutional setting in the labour market, the two countries’ responses to the inflation crisis differed substantially with regard to the policy mode of crisis response and the types of policy intervention. First, social partners’ involvement was far more significant in Spain, where peak-level agreements were signed setting a three-year trajectory for negotiated wage increases. In contrast, Italian governments proceeded unilaterally, with no attempts at collective bargaining coordination. Secondly, while the Italian government disbursed more fiscal resources through targeted compensatory measures, the Spanish government relied primarily on energy price controls and minimum wage revaluation, with lower overall fiscal expenditure. Finally, the distribution of inflation costs across population groups differed, with inflation in Spain being lower and having less regressive distributional effects than in Italy. We attribute the differing policy responses to the different partisan compositions and ideological orientations of the two governments.

Parties to the Paris Agreement submit their climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which outline mitigation targets and strategies to achieve them. While existing research has focused on assessing the mitigation targets, there is a wealth of broader textual content within the documents that has received little attention. Using natural language processing to systematically analyse the full textual content of all NDCs, we identify 21 topics that form seven thematic groups: development, implementation and planning, mitigation targets, policies and technologies, climate change impacts, agriculture and ecosystems, and stakeholders. We also examine how attention to specific topics has evolved over time and across parties. We find that high-income countries, typically shouldering greater historical responsibility for emissions, tend to focus on mitigation targets but provide limited detail on concrete policies being implemented. In contrast, developing countries often frame their NDCs within broader visions of sustainable development, balancing mitigation with adaptation and competing development goals. Establishing a standardized, transparent NDC format could enhance comparability of the plans of parties and assessment of how mitigation targets will be achieved while balancing trade-offs and co-benefits with other sustainable development goals.

The concept of animal welfare is evolving due to progress in our scientific understanding of animal biology and changing societal expectations. Animal welfare science has been primarily concerned with minimizing suffering, but there is growing interest in also promoting positive experiences, grouped under the term positive animal welfare (PAW). However, there are discrepancies in the use of the term PAW. An interdisciplinary group arrived at a consensus that ‘PAW can be defined as the animal flourishing through the experience of predominantly positive mental states and the development of competence and resilience. PAW goes beyond ensuring good physical health and the prevention and alleviation of suffering. It encompasses animals experiencing positive mental states resulting from rewarding experiences, including having choices and opportunities to actively pursue goals and achieve desired outcomes’. The definition also considers individual and species-specific differences. It provides a framework for researchers to investigate PAW and thereby generate innovative, informative and reproducible science. Studies of PAW can contribute to a richer picture of an animal’s life and may elucidate the biological foundations of happiness. The definition creates opportunities to inspire scientific progress in animal biology and to align animal care practices, legislation and markets with societal expectations.

Different studies have pointed out how many PRR parties display anti-genderism and anti-feminism. Very few studies, however, have tackled the discursive tactic implemented by these parties to other feminists as women who do not adhere to traditional values. This article aims at disclosing how the Spanish PRR party VOX others feminists by portraying them as a threat to people’s ontological security. Our analysis, grounded on the ontological security approach, focuses on a sample of statements by different VOX members and, using critical discourse analysis, discloses that the party targets feminists re-proposing the traditional trope of the “witch”, the folk devil or the “monster”, to frame them, and the entire women’s right movement, as an imminent threat for the survival of society.

Vitamins are essential micronutrients obtained from the diet, required by the body in small amounts daily for proper metabolism. Monitoring their levels is necessary for detecting deficiencies and guiding supplementation in certain clinical conditions. This study aimed to update the reference values for vitamins A, B1, B6 and E, and some related ratios, adjusted to the adult population of our health reference area using liquid chromatography in a direct approach calculation (n=146, age: 21–64 years, 64% females). No significant differences in vitamin levels or ratios were observed based on age and sex. We obtained reliable and updated reference values: 1.1–2.8 µmol/L and 18.9–42.2 µmol/L for vitamins A and E respectively, 85.9–181.6 nmol/L and 57.0–165.7 nmol/L for vitamins B1 and B6 respectively; and related ratios of 246.2–561.1 ng/g for vitamin B1 corrected by hemoglobin; 5.2–8.9 µmol/mmol and 4.5–7.4 µmol/mmol for vitamin E corrected by cholesterol and total lipids, respectively. These reference values significantly differ from those provided by the reagent manufacturer currently in use. While correcting vitamin E for lipids and vitamin B1 for hemoglobin is not recommended for the general population, these adjustments may be useful in interpreting results in certain pathological conditions.

During the outbreak of Covid-19, populist extreme right-wing political party Vox has spread misinformation on China and its role in the origin and spread of the sars-coronavirus-2. This chapter addresses how Vox has expressed it on Facebook, which can be considered hate speech and Sinophobia. The performed critical discourse analysis of all posts made by Vox that mention China and Covid-19, from January 2020 to January 2022, including cross-platform content such as tweets, Instagram posts, and YouTube videos posted on Vox's Facebook page, revealed how platforms failed to contain hate speech and disinformation. Consequently, we suggest that the circulation of harmful and fake discourse can amplify racism against migrants and damage the foundations of democracy and a culture of peace.

Background Considerable epidemiological studies have examined the correlation between polymorphic single‐nucleotide variants (SNPs) in miRNA genes and colorectal carcinoma (CRC) risk, yielding inconsistent results. Herein, we sought to systematically investigate the association between miRNA‐SNPs and CRC susceptibility by combined evaluation using pairwise and network meta‐analysis, the FPRP analysis (false positive report probability), and the Thakkinstian's algorithm. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE, WOS, and Cochrane Library databases were searched through May 2024 to find relevant association literatures. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed by the pairwise meta‐analysis. Network meta‐analysis and the Thakkinstian's method were applied for determining the potentially optimal genetic models; additionally, the FPRP was used to identify noteworthy associations. Results Totally, 39 case–control trials involving 18,028 CRC cases, and 21,816 normal participants were included in the study. Eleven SNPs within nine genes were examined for their predisposition to CRC. miR‐27a (rs895819) was found to significantly increase CRC risk among overall population (OR 1.58, 95% CI: 1.32–1.89) and Asians (OR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.31–2.01), with the recessive models identified as the optimal models. Furthermore, miR‐196a2 (rs11614913), miR‐143/145 (rs41291957), and miR‐34b/c (rs4938723) were significantly related to reduced CRC risk among Asian descendants under the optimal dominant (OR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65–0.86), recessive (OR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60–0.85), and recessive models (OR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.56–0.85), respectively. The results were also proposed by the network meta‐analysis or the Thakkinstian's method and confirmed by the FPRP criterion. Conclusion The miR‐27a (rs895819) is correlated with elevated CRC risk among overall population and Asians, and the recessive model is found to be optimal for predicting CRC risk. Additionally, the miR‐196a2 (rs11614913), miR‐143/145 (rs41291957), and miR‐34b/c (rs4938723), with the dominant, recessive, and recessive models identified as the optimal, might confer protective effects against CRC among Asians.

Accurate sensing of intracellular temperature is crucial for understanding and monitoring cell metabolism, serving as an initial step toward diagnosing conditions such as mitochondria‐related diseases. However, thermal monitoring of cell metabolism is challenging due to the minimal temperature variations caused by intracellular metabolic activity (typically ≈1 °C) and by the risk of crosstalk in intracellular sensors. A novel type of intracellular thermal sensor is presented, based on silica nanocapsules filled with a thermo‐responsive fluorescent medium. This medium undergoes a reversible phase transition from solid to liquid at temperatures ≈37 °C, inducing a chromatic switch that facilitates remote thermal sensing. The chromatic switchers exhibit a thermal sensitivity of ≈13% °C⁻¹ at 37 °C, one of the highest reported for intracellular thermal sensing. Notably, the thermal response is unaffected by external factors such as pH, ionic strength, and viscosity. Moreover, it is confirmed that the response of the sensors is not affected by the cellular activity, underscoring their reliability for cytoplasmic temperature measurements. The potential of these sensors is demonstrated by measuring intracellular heating during the metabolic switch from mitochondrial to glycolytic activity, showcasing their potential for real‐time, precise thermal monitoring (<1 °C) of cell metabolism.