The Global Matrix of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents in Latin America: trends, successes and challenges in practice and surveillance.

Objective: To synthesize the grades of physical activity (PA) indicators for children and adolescents (5-17 years) in Latin American countries; explore the social determinants of health (SDoH) for PA indicators; and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to improve PA levels.

Method: Participating Latin American countries graded a set of common PA indicators following the harmonized methodology established by the Global Matrix initiative. Cross-sectional (2014, 2016, 2018, 2022) and time trend (2018-2022) data were synthesized within and between countries for each PA indicator.

Do Physical Activity and Sport Contribute to Sustainable Development of Our Societies? Pilot Implementation of the Ibero-American Indicators for Sport and Sustainable Development in Bogota.

Background: Sports and physical activity are important contributors to the development of nations. International calls advocate for the creation of a system of indicators to measure the impact of physical activity and sports on the sustainable development of regions.

Methods: Twelve indicators of Sports and Development for the Ibero-American region were developed by a consortium comprised by the Ibero-American Sports Council, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the German Agency for International Cooperation.

Quality of life, mental health and social relationships among older adults participating in the Recreovía physical activity community program.

Background: By 2050, over 2 billion people will be aged 60 or older, with most living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Latin America, this demographic shift presents challenges for under-resourced health and social systems. Community-based physical activity programs, such as Bogotá's Recreovía, play a critical role in supporting older adults' health and well-being.

Computational Study on the Pd-Catalyzed Pathway for the Formation of ()-Methyl-(2-Hydroxy-1-Phenylethyl)Carbamate.

The formation of ()-methyl-(2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)carbamate through Pd(PPh)-catalyzed synthesis was investigated using computational methods to elucidate the reaction pathway and energetic feasibility. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the direct reaction between ()-(-)-2-phenylglycinol and methyl chloroformate is not spontaneous, requiring a catalyst to proceed efficiently. The study proposes a detailed mechanistic pathway involving ligand dissociation, intermediate formation, and hydrogenation.

Quality of life at peri- and postmenopause: analysis of the results from app "Mi Menopausia".

Objective: To assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Spanish peri- and postmenopausal women using the Cervantes Short Form (SF) scale, and the factors associated with its variations.

Study Design: A total of 7103 peri- and postmenopausal women were registered with the app "Mi Menopausia" from June 2021 to June 2024. This app is designed specifically for peri- and postmenopausal women.

Phylogenetic analysis and structural studies of heteromeric acetyl-CoA carboxylase from the oleaginous Amazonian microalgae Ankistrodesmus sp.: Insights into the BC and BCCP subunits.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is an essential enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis that catalyzes the formation of malonyl-CoA from acetyl-CoA. While structural studies on ACC components have largely focused on prokaryotes and higher plants, the assembly and molecular adaptations of ACC in microalgae remain underexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by providing the first structural and evolutionary characterization of both biotin carboxylase (BC) and biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) from a microalga (Ankistrodesmus sp.

Improving post-operative pain management after total hip and knee replacement in a special care unit: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Post-operative pain is often underestimated (70% of surgical patients experience some degree of pain) and is insufficiently treated. This increases morbidity and mortality, mainly due to respiratory and thromboembolic complications, longer hospital stays, deterioration in quality of life, and occurrence of chronic pain.

Objectives: This study aimed to improve post-operative pain management in the first 4 hours after total hip and knee replacement by promoting best practices.

Density Functional Theory Study of Methylene Blue Demethylation as a Key Step in Degradation Mediated by Reactive Oxygen Species.

Methylene blue (MB), a widely used organic dye, poses significant environmental challenges due to its stability and persistence in aquatic ecosystems. This study employs density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the demethylation mechanisms of MB mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), a critical initial step in its photocatalytic degradation. Computational analyses reveal that demethylation is energetically favorable, particularly when mediated by hydroxyl radicals (OH) and hydroxyl ions (OH) with reaction energies of -154 kcal/mol and -214 kcal/mol, respectively.

Radiotherapy department supported by an optimization algorithm for scheduling patient appointments.

Prompt administration of radiotherapy (RT) is one of the most effective treatments against cancer. Each day, the radiotherapy departments of large hospitals must plan numerous irradiation sessions, considering the availability of human and material resources, such as healthcare professionals and linear accelerators. With the increasing number of patients suffering from different types of cancers, manually establishing schedules following each patient's treatment protocols has become an extremely difficult and time-consuming task.

Clinical challenges and considerations in pharmacotherapy of osteoporosis due to menopause.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a chronic systemic skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength and an increased risk of fracture, with a high prevalence worldwide. It is associated with a negative quality of life and an increased morbidity and mortality. Postmenopausal women are more prone to develop osteoporosis, and many of them will suffer at least one fragility fracture along their lifetime.

The assembly-defective phenotype of an FIV Gag polyprotein containing the SIV nucleocapsid zinc finger motifs is reversed by including the SIV SP2 domain in the chimeric protein.

To gain insight into the functional relationship between the nucleocapsid (NC) domains of the Gag polyproteins of feline and simian immunodeficiency viruses, FIV and SIV, respectively, we generated two FIV Gag chimeric proteins containing different SIV NC and gag sequences. A chimeric FIV Gag protein (NC1) containing the SIV two zinc fingers motifs was incapable of assembling into virus-like particles. By contrast, another Gag chimera (NC2) differing from NC1 by the replacement of the C-terminal region of the FIV NC with SIV SP2 produced particles as efficiently as wild-type FIV Gag.

[COVID-19: Association of gasometric parameters at admission with in-hospital mortality].

Introduction: At the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, acute respiratory failure has been the most important cause of hospitalization in patients with COVID-19, being more severe in patients with comorbidities and risk factors. In these scenarios hypoxemia has been associated with increased mortality. Our objective was to identify parameters obtained from arterial blood gases (ABG) associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 at hospital admission.

Short-course combination treatment for experimental chronic Chagas disease.

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite , affects millions of people in the Americas and across the world, leading to considerable morbidity and mortality. Current treatment options, benznidazole (BNZ) and nifurtimox, offer limited efficacy and often lead to adverse side effects because of long treatment durations. Better treatment options are therefore urgently required.

Adaptation of the Recreovía During COVID-19 Lockdowns: Making Physical Activity Accessible to Older Adults in Bogotá, Colombia.

The community restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic adversely impacted older adults' physical activity levels. This convergent mixed-method study assessed the adaptation of the Recreovía, a community-based physical activity program in Bogotá, and characterized physical activity levels among older adult participants. Our results showed how the Recreovía adapted during the pandemic to continue promoting physical activity, through indoor and outdoor strategies, including virtual physical activity sessions and safety protocols.

Preservation of whole antibodies within ancient teeth.

Archaeological remains can preserve some proteins into deep time, offering remarkable opportunities for probing past events in human history. Recovering functional proteins from skeletal tissues could uncover a molecular memory related to the life-history of the associated remains. We demonstrate affinity purification of whole antibody molecules from medieval human teeth, dating to the 13-15 centuries, from skeletons with different putative pathologies.

Discovery of pyrazolopyrrolidinones as potent, broad-spectrum inhibitors of infection.

Introduction: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that affects more than 1 million people worldwide annually, predominantly in resource-limited settings. The challenge in compound development is to exhibit potent activity against the intracellular stage of the parasite (the stage present in the mammalian host) without harming the infected host cells. We have identified a compound series (pyrazolopyrrolidinones) active against the intracellular parasites of and ; the causative agents of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World, respectively.

Novel Diarylthioether Compounds as Agents for the Treatment of Chagas Disease.

Herein, we describe the hit optimization of a novel diarylthioether chemical class found to be active against ; the parasite responsible for Chagas disease. The hit compound was discovered through a whole-cell phenotypic screen and as such, the mechanism of action for this chemical class is unknown. Our investigations led to clear structure-activity relationships and the discovery of several analogues with high potency.

The impact of mutations affecting highly conserved amino acids in the simian immunodeficiency virus nucleocapsid protein on virion assembly, genomic RNA packaging and viral infectivity.

The nucleocapsid (NC) domain of the retroviral Gag polyproteins mediates the incorporation of the viral genomic RNA into virions. Although SIV is widely used as a model for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections, the SIV NC has been the subject of few studies which have provided discrepant data on the relative contribution of the two NC zinc finger motifs to genomic RNA encapsidation. Here, we demonstrate that mutations affecting the first cysteine in the distal zinc finger motif (C33S) or the N-terminal NC basic domain (R7A/K8A) drastically impair virion assembly and viral RNA binding.

Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Global Matrix 4.0-A Resource for Physical Activity Researchers.

Background: This brief report provides an overview of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA); an introduction to the Global Matrix 4.0; an explanation of the value and opportunities that the AHKGA efforts and assets provide to the physical activity research, policy, practice, and advocacy community; an outline of the series of papers related to the Global Matrix 4.0 in this issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health; and an invitation for future involvement.