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What Is Known from the Existing Literature about Hypopressive Exercise? A PAGER-Compliant Scoping Review.

Introduction: Hypopressive exercise (HE) can be viewed as a mind-body activity, characterized by the integration of breath control and stretching postures. Proponents of HE claim that this type of training can offer potential therapeutic or health benefits. To date, there is no existing comprehensive published overview on HE. This scoping review aims to map and summarize the current literature reporting data on HE and identify key knowledge gaps and future research directions. Methods: This review considered studies that report on the immediate, short-, or long-term practice of HE regardless of condition, sex, age, and/or level of practice or physical condition. Any context or setting was considered for inclusion. This review was performed in accordance with the methodological framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and by Arksey and O'Malley. MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception up to July 2023. Literature was mapped following the Patterns-Advances-Gaps-Evidence for Practice Recommendations framework to identify patterns and inform practice. Results: In total, 87 studies were identified that reported on the following themes: (1) therapeutic application of a short- or long-term HE programs (n = 56); (2) physiologic and physical responsiveness to a short- or long-term HE programs (n = 22); (3) psychologic and behavioral response to a short-term HE program (n = 14); and (4) acute or immediate physiological responses (n = 21). Literature gaps included poor methodological design, incomplete reporting of intervention, lack of male participants, and exploration of muscle groups distinct from the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Discussion: There is a need for high-quality randomized controlled trials, adherence to reporting guidelines on exercise, and the use of active control groups to verify clinical significance, the dose response, and health applications of HE.

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Challenges faced by migrant seasonal agricultural farmworkers for food accessibility in Spain: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT Migrants who work seasonally in agriculture face living and working conditions that significantly impact their health. Some of these conditions are related to inadequate food access or food preservation and preparation hygiene. This study aimed to explore how migrant and seasonal agricultural farmworkers access food in Spain from the perspective of professionals supporting this population. We conducted a qualitative study in 2021 based on semistructured interviews with 92 social and health service professionals involved in the care of seasonal migrant workers in 4 Spanish provinces. We identified three themes through reflective thematic analysis: (1) Access to food depends on NGOs and institutions, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) Relevant cultural differences in diet depending on North African or sub-Saharan origin; (3) Seasonal migrant workers frequently suffer from nutritional and other health problems related to food security. The professionals interviewed described the diet of seasonal migrant workers as based on food with little variety, insufficient protein content, and obesogenic products. They also reported a generalized lack of hygiene in food storage and preparation. This study calls for encouraging dietary support strategies to reduce challenges in food accessibility, which would prevent health problems in this population and bring them social justice.

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Open Access
Microbiological quality and safety of non‐treated fresh and squeezed juices from supermarkets in Lleida, Spain

SummaryThe growing consumption of untreated juices has increased the outbreaks related to Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Although these pathogens are not in favourable conditions in fruit juices, cases of survival in acidic environments have been reported in fruit and vegetable juices. Thus, this study has evaluated the microbiological quality (total aerobic mesophilic microorganisms (TAM), moulds and yeasts, total coliforms (TC) and E. coli populations) and investigated the occurrence of foodborne pathogens (Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes) in 100 fresh (blended) and self‐service (monovarietal) untreated juices. Concerning the obtained results, pH was higher for fresh juices than for self‐service juices. The results showed great variability in TAM, moulds and yeasts and TC populations. For TAM, the results ranged from 1.7 to 7.4 log cfu mL−1. Values for moulds and yeasts, ranged from below detection limit (<10 cfu mL−1) to 5.9 log cfu mL−1. And for TC, results went from below detection limit (<1 cfu mL−1) to 4.4 log cfu mL−1. However, significant differences were only observed between the two types of samples in TC, being higher in fresh juices than in self‐service juices. For E. coli enumeration, all the samples were below the detection limit (1 cfu mL−1). Finally, no Salmonella spp. or L. monocytogenes were detected in 25 mL of sample. All analysed samples complied the requirements from European regulation.

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Open Access
Nursing Student Perception of Different Simulation Methodologies Applied to Help First-Year Students Integrate Knowledge Acquired: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundStandardized patient simulations are an effective method for acquiring skills and knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' perceptions of the learning methods used in clinical simulation. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted evaluating two different clinical simulations: 1) basic simulations, where the actor/patient was the teacher, the simulations were performed in pairs, and the rest of the students were present in the same classroom; and 2) simulation-based peer-assisted learning, where the actors/patients were third-year students, the simulations were performed individually, and the rest of the students watched them from another classroom via a video recording system. ResultsIn terms of their perceptions, both types of simulation scored 4.4 out of 5 on the Student Perception of Clinical Simulation tool (SD ±0.7 and ±0.8, respectively). In addition, the results of the characteristics of each simulation are presented. ConclusionsBasic simulations helped students to internalize theoretical knowledge and gain confidence. Peer-assisted learning based on simulations increased their self-confidence and ability to predict clinical changes in patients. As a result, they felt better prepared to care for real patients. The use of both simulation modalities is a flexible method that can be adapted to educational needs.

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Open Access
Outcomes and clinical characteristics of the compassionate use of plitidepsin in COVID-19 patients with solid tumours, haematological malignancies or anti-CD20 antibody treatment

Objective To study the effect of plitidepsin antiviral treatment in immunocompromised COVID-19 patients with underlying haematological malignancies or solid tumours, particularly those who have undergone anti-CD20 therapies. Design We conducted a retrospective observational study, involving 54 adults treated with plitidepsin on compassionate use as an antiviral drug. Our analysis compared outcomes between patients with solid tumours and those with haematological malignancies, and a cohort of cases treated or not with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. Results Patients with a history of anti-CD20 therapies showed a prolonged time-to-negative RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to non-treated patients (33 d (28;75) vs 15 (11;25); p = .002). Similar results were observed in patients with solid tumours in comparison to those with haematological malignancies (13 (10;16) vs 26 (17;50); p < .001). No serious adverse events were documented. Conclusions Patients with haematological malignancies appear to be at a heightened risk for delayed SARS-CoV-2 clearance and subsequent clinical complications. These findings support plitidepsin as a well-tolerated treatment in this high-risk group. A phase II clinical trial (NCT05705167) is ongoing to evaluate plitidepsin as an antiviral drug in this population. KEY POINTS Haematological patients face an increased risk for severe COVID-19. Anti-CD20 therapies could increase fatal outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Persistent viral replication is increased in immunocompromised patients. Plitidepsin does not lead to new serious adverse events in immunocompromised patients.

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Open Access
Estimating sensible heat flux over bare soils using surface renewal and similarity theories for unstable cases

Abstract A model to estimate the sensible heat flux half-hourly (H) for bare soils was derived based on surface renewal (SR) and similarity (MOST) theories, involving the land surface temperature (LST) and low-frequency measurements (wind speed and the air temperature in half an hour), HSR-LST. The dataset included semi-arid and arid climates, where the optimal surface roughness length for momentum (zom), determined from the actual friction velocity (u*) and the measurement height, ranged between 0.68 and 6.1 mm. Fixing the parameter kB-1 (=ln⁡(zom/zoh ) , where z0h is the roughness length for heat) to 2 (traditional value under neutral conditions), a non-dimensional relationship for the SR parameters was proposed. The sensible heat flux estimates were evaluated using the root mean square difference (RMSD) over the mean actual sensible heat flux (HEC), (E =RMSD/(HEC) 100%) considering (as a rule of thumb) excellent, good and moderate for E values up to 25%, 30% and 35%, respectively. For different measurement heights (ranging from 0.5 m up to 20 m), HSR-LST was in excellent, good, and moderate agreement in 6, 3 and 13 cases, respectively. Three cases had E value ranging between 37% and 39%. The sensible heat flux estimates using MOST required calibration of zom and kB-1. It is concluded that HSR-LST method is more direct requiring the wind speed, the air temperature and the land surface temperature as input.

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Open Access
Sub-daily live fuel moisture content estimation from Himawari-8 data

Live fuel moisture content (LFMC) is a crucial variable affecting fire ignition and spread. Satellite remote sensing has been effective in estimating LFMC over large spatial scales, but continuous sub-daily (e.g., every 10 mins to hourly during daylight) LFMC monitoring from space is yet to be accomplished. Using the geostationary satellite Himawari-8 temporally dense observations every 10 mins, this study designed a generalized reduced gradient (GRG) numerical optimization method coupled with PROSAILH_5B radiative transfer model (RTM) to track the sub-daily LFMC dynamics. This method simultaneously accounted for the changing sun-target-sensor geometry bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) effect on Himawari-8 AHI reflectance. LFMC field measurements from Australia and China validated the LFMC estimation from Himawari-8 AHI. In addition, they were also compared to estimates from two broadly used polar-orbiting satellites, the Landsat-8 OLI and Terra+Aqua MODIS. At the sub-daily scale, the LFMC estimated using the GRG method from Himawari-8 AHI yielded reasonable accuracy (R2 = 0.61, rRMSE = 20.78%). When averaged to a daily scale, the accuracy of LFMC estimation based on the Himawari-8 AHI was lower (R2: 0.60–0.61, rRMSE = 25.38%–26.58%) than that based on the Landsat-8 OLI (R2: 0.68–0.79, rRMSE = 18.11%–25.89%) and Terra+Aqua MODIS (R2: 0.63–0.76, rRMSE = 19.73%–25.84%). However, after removing some heterogeneous measurements, the difference in the accuracy of LFMC estimates among these three data sources got smaller and improved (R2: 0.72–0.82, rRMSE = 17.96%–23.84%). Furthermore, the method proved its feasibility and applicability to identify fire danger conditions through two wildfire case studies: one in Queensland (Australia, 2019) and another in Xichang (China, 2020). These studies showed that the wildfires started when the Himawari-8 AHI-based sub-daily LFMC reached its daily minimum. Therefore, this study serves as a foundational step toward estimating sub-daily LFMC dynamics, an important yet overlooked factor in assessing sub-daily fire danger and behavior.

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