Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: pain intensity and distribution

Purpose Papers regarding adhesive capsulitis (AC) of the shoulder focused on etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment; until now, information on shoulder pain characteristics is still scarce. Our aim was to analyze pain intensity and distribution in patients with AC. Methods The study group was composed of 278 (133M–145F) consecutive patients with AC. After diagnosis, shoulder pain distribution was assessed through an upper limb pain map and pain intensity through a visual analog scale. Patients were distinguished on the basis of gender, age, time elapsed from onset of symptoms, and severity of functional limitation. Data were submitted to statistical analysis. Results Intensity of shoulder pain caused by AC was higher in females (p 0.05). Conclusion Shoulder pain due to AC may be influenced by gender and severity of functional limitation. AC pain distribution principally involves anterior aspect of the shoulder with downward extension of the arm until its distal third

Influencia de la temperatura y el porcentaje de sólidos en la producción de biogás a partir de efluentes de una granja porcina

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la influencia de la temperatura y el porcentaje de sólidos totales, en la generación de biogás. Para ello se realizaron distintas experiencias a escala laboratorio en condiciones batch. Se instalaron, en baños termostatizados con temperaturas de 30 y 40°C, 6 reactores de diferentes capacidades: 0.5 y 5 L. La biodigestión se llevó a cabo durante 35 días. Se observó una mayor producción en el reactor de mayor temperatura y porcentaje de sólidos totales. Los resultados mostraron que la concentración de metano en el biogás generado fue entre un 60-80% en los reactores 4, 5 y 6 tomados como referencia por ser los de producciones máxima, intermedia y mínima; la reducción de sólidos totales, sólidos volátiles y cenizas fue mayor a menores temperaturas; los contenidos de carbono orgánico total, nitrógeno total y demanda química de oxígeno tuvieron comportamientos similares; y la concentración de fósforo se duplicó

Computational memory capacity predicts aging and cognitive decline

Memory is a crucial cognitive function that deteriorates with age. However, this ability is normally assessed using cognitive tests instead of the architecture of brain networks. Here, we use reservoir computing, a recurrent neural network computing paradigm, to assess the linear memory capacities of neural-network reservoirs extracted from brain anatomical connectivity data in a lifespan cohort of 636 individuals. The computational memory capacity emerges as a robust marker of aging, being associated with resting-state functional activity, white matter integrity, locus coeruleus signal intensity, and cognitive performance. We replicate our findings in an independent cohort of 154 young and 72 old individuals. By linking the computational memory capacity of the brain network with cognition, brain function and integrity, our findings open new pathways to employ reservoir computing to investigate aging and age-related disorders. © The Author(s) 2025

Bisphenol-A plasma levels are related to inflammatory markers, visceral obesity and insulin-resistance: a cross-sectional study on adult male population

Background: The current increase of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) focuses attention on bisphenol-A (BPA), "obesogen" endocrine disruptor, main plastic component. Aim was to verify the role of BPA in metabolic alterations, insulin resistance, low grade inflammation and visceral obesity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 76 out of 139 environmentally exposed adult males, unselected Caucasian subjects, enrolled by routine health survey at the "Federico II" University of Naples outpatient facilities. BPA plasma levels (ELISA), metabolic risk factors, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index, plasma monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were performed. Clinical and biochemical parameters have been compared with BPA and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels. Results: In total 24 subjects out of 76 (32%) presented with waist circumference (WC) >102 cm, 36 (47%) had impaired fasting glucose and 24 (32%) subjects had insulin resistance [11 out 52 (21%) with WC ≤102 cm and 13 out of 24 with WC >102 cm (54%), χ(2) 6.825, p = 0.009]. BPA and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were significantly higher in subjects with visceral adiposity (WC > 102 cm). BPA correlated with WC, triglycerides, glucose homeostasis and inflammatory markers. At the multivariate analysis WC and IL-6 remained the main predictors of BPA. Conclusions: Detectable BPA plasma levels have been found also in our population. The strictly association between BPA and WC, components of MS, and inflammatory markers, further supports the BPA role in visceral obesity-related low grade chronic inflammation

Precision restoration: a necessary approach to foster forest recovery in the 21st century

We thank S. Tabik, E. Guirado, and Garnata Drone SL for fruitful debates about the application of remote sensing and artificial intelligence in restoration. E. McKeown looked over the English version of the manuscript. Original drawings were made by J. D. Guerrero. This work was supported by projects RESISTE (P18-RT-1927) from the Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento, y Universidad from the Junta de Andalucia, and AVA201601.19 (NUTERA-DE I), DETECTOR (A-RNM-256-UGR18), and AVA2019.004 (NUTERA-DE II), cofinanced (80%) by the FEDER Program. F.M.-R. acknowledges the support of the Agreement 4580 between OTRI-UGR and the city council of La Zubia. We thank an anonymous reviewer for helpful comments that improved the manuscript.Forest restoration is currently a primary objective in environmental management policies at a global scale, to the extent that impressive initiatives and commitments have been launched to plant billions of trees. However, resources are limited and the success of any restoration effort should be maximized. Thus, restoration programs should seek to guarantee that what is planted today will become an adult tree in the future, a simple fact that, however, usually receives little attention. Here, we advocate for the need to focus restoration efforts on an individual plant level to increase establishment success while reducing negative side effects by using an approach that we term “precision forest restoration” (PFR). The objective of PFR will be to ensure that planted seedlings or sowed seeds will become adult trees with the appropriate landscape configuration to create functional and self-regulating forest ecosystems while reducing the negative impacts of traditional massive reforestation actions. PFR can take advantage of ecological knowledge together with technologies and methodologies from the landscape scale to the individual- plant scale, and from the more traditional, low-tech approaches to the latest high-tech ones. PFR may be more expensive at the level of individual plants, but will be more cost-effective in the long term if it allows for the creation of resilient forests able to providemultiple ecosystemservices. PFR was not feasible a few years ago due to the high cost and low precision of the available technologies, but it is currently an alternative that might reformulate a wide spectrum of ecosystem restoration activities.Junta de Andalucia P18-RT-1927European Commission AVA201601.19 A-RNM-256-UGR18 AVA2019.004OTRI-UGR 4580city council of La Zubia 458

Shoulder pain intensity and distribution

Rotator cuff has always attracted great interest because it may be responsible for shoulder pain, loss of strength, simple or complex disabilities, partial or total inability to work, thus reducing quality of life. Several studies have been performed with the aim to understand the etiology and natural history of the lesion and how to treat it. In addition, countless studies have been conducted regarding clinical maneuvers that may help the physician to better understand if the cuff is healthy or torn; if the lesion has involved the anterior or postero-superior cuff; if it is probably a small-large or massive (repairable or unrepairable) tear; if the pain originates from the shoulder; or is caused by a cervical spine diseases

The association between alcohol consumption and rotator cuff tear

Many studies [1-7] on human and animals have proved that habitual high dose intake of ethanol is responsible for various toxic effects on capillary microcirculation and tissue perfusion, depending on the total dose consumed per day and on the duration of the habit. Furthermore, these negative effects are different in males and females. In fact, the same amount of alcohol consumed leads to a greater blood level of ethanol and has more toxic effects in females rather than in males [8]