Publications by authors named "Manuel Garcia"

Background: Computerized cognitive training conducted in a home setting has shown beneficial effects on cognitive functions in people with mild cognitive impairment. Similar effects in people suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) have not yet been found. We aimed to examine the effect of a six-month tablet-based multimodal training in community-dwelling people with mild to moderate AD on cognitive functions and on the volume of (sub)cortical structures.

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Geriatric patients present characteristics specific to this stage of life, that require targeted care. Health information technologies have the potential to improve the quality of healthcare. The objective of this study is to describe the design of a mobile and web application for the comprehensive care of older adults.

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The Allurion gastric balloon (AGB) is an innovative option for treating overweight individuals and those with grade I obesity, or as a bridging treatment for bariatric surgery, or for patients who do not desire surgical intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the AGB in a multicentric cohort. A retrospective analysis of consecutive cases treated with AGB (≥18 years old with body mass index [BMI] ≥27) was performed in eight centers in three countries in Latin America (Argentina, Chile, and Perú), between September 2021 and September 2022, with a 12-month follow-up.

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Purpose: Previous cohort studies suggest that intraoperative hypotension is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) in noncardiac surgical patients. We sought to ascertain that intraoperative hypotension is independently associated with AKI within the first 3 days after surgery in a contemporary cohort of noncardiac surgery patients in whom clinicians strove to avoid profound intraoperative hypotension.

Methods: This was a post hoc secondary analysis of the multicentre EU HYPROTECT registry, which includes patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery who underwent predictive blood pressure monitoring.

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Brugada phenocopy (BrP) is an electrocardiographic (ECG) alteration that mimics Brugada syndrome (BrS) but lacks the associated genetic predisposition. It manifests as a transient pattern induced by reversible factors such as electrolyte imbalances, internal environment disturbances, and the use of certain drugs. In critically ill patients, hyperkalemia and acidosis are common triggers of this phenomenon, affecting ventricular repolarization and generating an ECG pattern identical to BrS.

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Background: Despite the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in reducing mortality and severe cases of COVID-19, a proportion of survivors experience long-term symptoms, known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). This study investigates the long-term immunological and neurodegenerative effects associated with extracellular vesicles (EVs) in COVID-19 survivors, 15 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: 13 Controls and 20 COVID-19 survivors, 15 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, were recruited.

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Background: Obesity is associated with deleterious metabolic and hemodynamic changes resulting in cardiac remodeling. Bariatric surgery is highly effective for both weight reduction and reverse cardiac remodeling. However, whether these changes depend on the magnitude of weight loss is unknown.

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Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV disproportionately affect young people; gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQMSM); transgender women; and persons of color. Our community-based participatory research partnership developed and implemented Impact Triad, a bilingual multilevel intervention harnessing peer navigation and mHealth to increase STI/HIV preventive behaviors and address 4 community-prioritized social determinants of health-education, employment, social support, and discrimination-among young African American/Black and Latine GBQMSM and transgender women.

Methods: Fifteen community-based peer navigators were trained to work within their social networks for 12 months.

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Background: The impact of COVID-19 on specific populations, including gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), varies based on a range of factors such as access to health care, underlying health behaviors and conditions, and social determinants of health. Our community-based participatory research partnership sought to better understand perspectives about and experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination, and related health care among GBMSM.

Methods: We collected, analyzed, and interpreted qualitative in-depth interview data from a diverse sample of GBMSM (N = 30) in North Carolina, USA.

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HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are recommended in Germany for individuals at increased HIV risk. However, data on HIV testing, PrEP use, and PrEP knowledge among trans and non-binary people are limited. We analysed data from the 'Sexuelle Gesundheit in trans und nicht-binären Communitys' (TASG) study, a participatory study on HIV/STI and sexual health among trans and non-binary people in Germany.

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Background: Obesity is a chronic disease constituting a public health issue, and its prevalence is alarmingly on the rise worldwide. This disease represents a chronic and multifactorial condition, one of the factors being related to the psychological aspect of the patients. Bariatric is an effective tool for obesity control, with weight regain observed more frequently between the third and sixth postoperative years.

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There is a dearth of HIV prevention behavioral interventions for transgender Latinas, despite this population's HIV risk. ChiCAS (Chicas Creando Acceso a la Salud) is an intervention to increase PrEP, condom, and gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) use among transgender Latinas. To inform future work, semistructured interviews were conducted postintervention with 28 ChiCAS participants.

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Clams, razor clams and cockle are intertidal bivalve species collected on foot in the shellfish grounds of the Rías Altas (NW Spain). Spatio-temporal distribution of these bivalves are typically at the expenses of the environmental conditions of the region; however, the responses to the abiotic conditions are poorly understood. Using data from 6 species (Ruditapes decussatus, Venerupis corrugata, Ruditapes philippinarum, Cerastoderam edule, Donax trunculus and Solen marginatus) sampled in 51 intertidal shellfish grounds during 2007 and 2008, we characterized the influence of the environment (temperature, salinity, nutrient salts, suspended organic matter, or sediment granulometry and composition) on the distribution and size of these species through a comparative statistical analysis.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Obesity is a major global health concern, with a significant rise in deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) linked to high body mass index (BMI) from 1990 to 2021, notably increasing by over 2.5 times for both genders.
  • - The main health issues associated with high BMI in 2021 included diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, with low-middle socio-demographic index (SDI) countries experiencing the largest increase in disease burden.
  • - The findings call for urgent monitoring and intervention efforts to address the growing health impact of high BMI from 1990 to 2021, especially given the stable death rates for women and rising rates for men.
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Article Synopsis
  • Access to healthcare data for research is limited due to privacy and business issues, which affects the ability to analyze patient pathways effectively.
  • The Smart FOX project aims to create methods and tools that allow patients to donate their health data voluntarily for research, building on Austria's Electronic Health Record system (ELGA).
  • Funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, Smart FOX involves various stakeholders to develop governance frameworks and infrastructure, ultimately enhancing clinical research and preparing Austria for the European Health Data Space.
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Research demonstrates that stigma and resilience influence transgender peoples' healthcare use. Less is known about transgender Latinas in the U.S.

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This letter highlights an escalating concern regarding predatory conference speaker invitations that are currently plaguing academia. Such invitations are frequently issued to individuals outside their areas of expertise, for instance, non-healthcare professionals being invited to health-related conferences. This issue poses a substantial threat as it compromises the integrity of legitimate academic discourse and carries the risk of propagating unchecked and potentially detrimental information.

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Background: Latine communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. It is critical to gain a better understanding of the sociocultural determinants that challenge and facilitate COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and booster uptake within these vulnerable communities to inform culturally congruent strategies and interventions.

Methods: In summer 2022, our community-based participatory research partnership conducted 30 key informant interviews and 7 focus groups with 64 Spanish-speaking Latine participants in North Carolina.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study combines new methods to analyze fibrillatory waves from preoperative ECGs, aiming to enhance predictions of CA outcomes by looking at both frequency- and time-domain features.
  • * Results indicate that using a mix of power rate index and amplitude features can improve predictive accuracy significantly, suggesting that analyzing these wave characteristics before CA could better inform patient selection and treatment expectations.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia often treated concomitantly with other cardiac interventions through the Cox-Maze procedure. This highly invasive intervention is still linked to a long-term recurrence rate of approximately 35% in permanent AF patients. The aim of this study is to preoperatively predict long-term AF recurrence post-surgery through the analysis of atrial activity (AA) organization from non-invasive electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings.

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Background: Gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQMSM) and transgender persons in Appalachia are at an increased risk for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), hepatitis C virus (HCV), mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) and are less likely to use prevention and care services.

Objectives: Our community-based participatory research partnership sought to develop an intervention to increase use of HIV, STI, HCV, and mpox prevention and care services among diverse GBQMSM and transgender and nonbinary persons living in rural Appalachia.

Methods: We used ENGAGED for CHANGE, a novel community-engaged participatory intervention development process, to integrate two evidence-based strategies-community-based peer navigation and mHealth-into a multi-cultural intervention.

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Gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQMSM) and transgender and nonbinary persons are at elevated risk for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and hepatitis C (HCV); in Appalachia, these communities experience more disease burden. However, little is known about the factors influencing risk. Sixteen semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted examining factors influencing prevention and care.

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Article Synopsis
  • ChiCAS is a Spanish-language intervention program aimed at improving PrEP use, condom use, and hormone therapy among HIV-negative Spanish-speaking transgender Latinas in North and South Carolina.
  • The study involved 144 participants who were randomly assigned to either the ChiCAS intervention or a waitlist control, with high follow-up retention of 94.4%.
  • Results showed that while ChiCAS participants significantly increased their PrEP use, they did not show a rise in condom use or hormone therapy, but they did improve their knowledge around HIV, STIs, and related health topics.
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