Search

El artículo realiza un análisis de los documentos de memoria producidos durante el 2008 hasta el 2019, para caracterizar sus aspectos centrales y compararlos con relación al uso de las categorías de dolor, daño e imaginación en las víctimas. Metodología: es una investigación hermenéutica de tipo cualitativo con análisis de contenido, aplicada a una muestra de 45 documentos. Resultados: la investigación permitió establecer que el mayor porcentaje de relaciones temáticas se relaciona con 11% masacre paramilitar, 6% verdad y memoria, 2% Duelo, memoria y reparación. Conclusiones: Los trabajos de elaboración de memoria traumática y del conflicto en Colombia, han desconocido aspectos fundamentales con relación al daño, el dolor y la imaginación, siendo estos partes constitutivos de la memoria de las víctimas.

Pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) outcome has improved in the last decades, but leukemic relapses are still one of the main problems of this disease. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) was investigated as a new candidate biomarker with potential prognostic relevance, and its pathogenic role was assessed in the development of disease. A retrospective study was performed with 115 pediatric patients with BCP-ALL, and BMP4 expression was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in leukemic blasts at the time of diagnosis. BMP4 mRNA expression levels in the third (upper) quartile were associated with a higher cumulative incidence of relapse as well as a worse 5-year event-free survival and central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Importantly, this association was also evident among children classified as having a nonhigh risk of relapse. A validation cohort of 236 patients with BCP-ALL supported these data. Furthermore, high BMP4 expression promoted engraftment and rapid disease progression in an NSG mouse xenograft model with CNS involvement. Pharmacological blockade of the canonical BMP signaling pathway significantly decreased CNS infiltration and consistently resulted in amelioration of clinical parameters, including neurological score. Mechanistically, BMP4 favored chemoresistance, enhanced adhesion and migration through brain vascular endothelial cells, and promoted a proinflammatory microenvironment and CNS angiogenesis. These data provide evidence that BMP4 expression levels in leukemic cells could be a useful biomarker to identify children with poor outcomes in the low-/intermediate-risk groups of BCP-ALL and that BMP4 could be a new therapeutic target to blockade leukemic CNS disease.

Whether the deleterious effects of APOE4 are restricted to the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) spectrum or cause cognitive impairment irrespectively of the development of AD is still a matter of debate, and the focus of this study. Our analyses included APOE4 genotype, neuropsychological variables, amyloid-βeta (Aβ) and Tau markers, FDG-PET values, and hippocampal volumetry data derived from the healthy controls sample of the ADNI database. We formed 4 groups of equal size (n = 30) based on APOE4 carriage and amyloid-PET status. Baseline and follow-up (i.e., 48 months post-baseline) results indicated that Aβ-positivity was the most important factor to explain poorer cognitive performance, while APOE4 only exerted a significant effect in Aβ-positive subjects. Additionally, multiple regression analyses evidenced that, within the Aβ-positive sample, hippocampal volumetry explained most of the variability in cognitive performance for APOE4 carriers. These findings represent a strong support for the so-called preclinical/prodromal hypothesis, which states that the reported differences in cognitive performance between healthy carriers and non-carriers are mainly due to the APOE4’s capability to increase the risk of AD. Moreover, our results reinforce the notion that a synergistic interaction of Aβ and APOE4 elicits a neurodegenerative process in the hippocampus that might be the main cause of impaired cognitive performance.

El presente estudio se desarrolló en el municipio de San Carlos, Antioquia; está ubicado en la subregión Embalses conformada también por El Peñol, Guatapé, San Rafael, Granada, Concepción y Alejandría. En dicha subregión se encuentran los embalses y parte de las centrales hidroeléctricas, de donde se genera gran parte de la energía del país. Además de ser el polo turístico del Oriente antioqueño, por su variedad de climas y suelos, también es productora de frutas, plantas medicinales, flores y ganado, entre otros productos que abastecen la región (Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo [PNUD], 2011, p. 25). La riqueza hídrica del lugar, los diferentes climas y la ubicación estratégica sirvieron, desde los años 80, como «corredores de movilidad que facilitaron la expansión de los grupos guerrilleros, permitiéndoles controlar recursos naturales, dejando un largo camino de desplazamientos, masacres y desapariciones» (Asociación de Personeros del Oriente Antioqueño, 2011-2012, pp. 28-29).

Strokes are a leading cause of disability in developed countries. Patients with disabilities need rehabilitation to improve their physical functioning, mental status, and quality of life. Currently, no high-quality evidence can be found attesting the benefits of any of the interventions that are nowadays used. Water-based exercise may improve the physical conditions and quality of life of people in the post-stroke phase. The objective of this study is to test whether aquatic therapy in an enriched environment at the seaside (a thalassotherapy center) could play a role in this condition. A quasi-experimental prospective study consisting of a specific program assessed 62 patients with a mild&ndash, moderate disability pre- and post-2 weeks of intensive treatment. They followed a thalassotherapy regimen including aquatic therapy in a sea water pool at 32&ndash, 34 &deg, C for 45 min daily five times a week. The outcomes measured were the Berg Balance scale, the Timed Up and Go test, the 10-meter walking test, the 6-min walking test, the Pain Visual Analogue Scale, the WHO Well-being index, EuroQoL VAS and EuroQoL 5D. We observed a significant improvement in all outcomes measured (p &lt, 0.001, except mobility EuroQoL p &lt, 0.05), except in the other four dimensions of the EuroQoL 5D and 10-metre walking test (NS). Conclusion: A two-week intensive course of aquatic therapy and thalassotherapy may be beneficial in the short term by reducing pain and improving the functional status and overall well-being of post-stroke patients.

Background Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus affecting approximately 90% of the world population. HCMV causes disease in immunologically naive and immunosuppressed patients. The prevention, diagnosis and therapy of HCMV infection are thus crucial to public health. The availability of effective prophylactic and therapeutic treatments remain a significant challenge and no vaccine is currently available. Here, we sought to define an epitope-based vaccine against HCMV, eliciting B and T cell responses, from experimentally defined HCMV-specific epitopes. Results We selected 398 and 790 experimentally validated HCMV-specific B and T cell epitopes, respectively, from available epitope resources and apply a knowledge-based approach in combination with immunoinformatic predictions to ensemble a universal vaccine against HCMV. The T cell component consists of 6 CD8 and 6 CD4 T cell epitopes that are conserved among HCMV strains. All CD8 T cell epitopes were reported to induce cytotoxic activity, are derived from early expressed genes and are predicted to provide population protection coverage over 97%. The CD4 T cell epitopes are derived from HCMV structural proteins and provide a population protection coverage over 92%. The B cell component consists of just 3 B cell epitopes from the ectodomain of glycoproteins L and H that are highly flexible and exposed to the solvent. Conclusions We have defined a multiantigenic epitope vaccine ensemble against the HCMV that should elicit T and B cell responses in the entire population. Importantly, although we arrived to this epitope ensemble with the help of computational predictions, the actual epitopes are not predicted but are known to be immunogenic.

Resumen El objetivo de esta investigación retrospectiva de tipo cualitativo, fue develar los efectos percibidos por los productores de arveja del municipio de Puerres, ubicado en el departamento de Nariño (Colombia), tras la adopción de las variedades de arveja (Pisum sativum) Obonuco Andina y Obonuco San Isidro. Para esto, se adelantó un proceso de construcción participativa con población rural campesina e indígena, con quienes fueron analizadas las dinámicas productivas, socioculturales y ambientales del territorio. El estudio abarcó el período comprendido entre 1980 y 2017, determinando la percepción de los dos grupos focales, frente a las dimensiones mencionadas y sus efectos en el territorio. Los resultados indican que, además de los atributos agronómicos de las dos variedades objeto de estudio y de su aceptación en el mercado, se presentaron aspectos que presionaron el territorio y que actuaron como catalizadores para su adopción. Igualmente, se determinó que, además de la reconversión productiva de cultivos de cereales, estas variedades se establecieron como la opción productiva tanto económica como socialmente sostenible, ante la necesidad de la sustitución de cultivos ilícitos en el sur de Colombia. Abstract The objective of this retrospective qualitative research was to reveal the effects perceived by peas producers in the municipality of Puerres located in the Department of Nariño (Colombia), after the adoption of varieties of pea (Pisum sativum) Obonuco Andina and Obonuco San Isidro. For this reason, a process of participatory construction was carried out with rural and indigenous population, with whom the productive, sociocultural and environmental dynamics of the territory were analyzed. The study covered the period between 1980 and 2017 which allowed us to determine the perception of the two focus groups against the mentioned dimensions and their effects on the territory. The results indicate that, in addition to the agronomic attributes of the two varieties under study and their acceptance in the market, aspects were presented that pressed the territory and acted as catalysts for its adoption. Likewise, it was determined that, in addition to the productive reconversion of cereal crops, these varieties were established as the productive option both economically and socially sustainable, given the need for the substitution of illegal crops in southern Colombia.

Objective: ADHD adults exhibit deficits in emotion recognition, regulation, and expression. Emotional intelligence (EI) correlates with better life performance and is considered a skill that can be learned and developed. The aim of this study was to assess EI development as ability in ADHD adults, considering the effect of comorbid psychiatric disorders and previous diagnosis of ADHD. Method: Participants ( n = 116) were distributed in four groups attending to current comorbidities and previous ADHD diagnosis, and administered the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test version 2.0 to assess their EI level. Results: ADHD adults with comorbidity with no previous diagnosis had lower EI development than healthy controls and the rest of ADHD groups. In addition, ADHD severity in childhood or in adulthood did not influence the current EI level. Conclusion: EI development as a therapeutic approach could be of use in ADHD patients with comorbidities.

A peloid&rsquo, s liquid phase can be mineral, sea or salt-lake water. This study examines the interactions among three materials, two special clays (bentonite and sepiolite) and one common clay, and three chemically different mineral-medicinal waters. In all clay&ndash, water mixtures, the hardness and adhesiveness decreased with the amount of water in the mixture. For a given hardness or adhesiveness, sepiolite retained more water than the other clays, especially in the presence of sulphate-rich mineral-medicinal water (73%). In contrast, the common clay retained the least amount of water (26%), and the bentonite samples returned an intermediate value for the amount of retained water (52&ndash, 53%). These differences had a strong influence on the thermal behaviour of the mixtures and, hence, should be taken into account for their use in thermotherapy applications. There were no significant differences in the instrumental texture of the clay pastes according to the predominant anion in the mineral-medicinal waters.

La evaluación de la ganancia funcional en campo libre, en pacientes con implantes cocleares, constituye un elemento fundamental en la audiología clínica. Una herramienta objetiva son los Potenciales Evocados Auditivos de estado estable a múltiples frecuencias (PEAee MF) que permiten esta evaluación de la ganancia funcional. Este trabajo pretende demostrar el valor clínico de los PEAee MF en la caracterización objetiva de los umbrales auditivos en pacientes con implante coclear. Este estudio clínico-electrofisiológico se ha llevado a cabo en 14 pacientes, todos ellos portadores de implantes cocleares, y de edades comprendidas entre 2 y 14 años, para los que se tiene 44 registros. Para cada registro se tienen 8 medidas (2 para cada una de las frecuencias 500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz y 4000Hz) de la ganancia funcional en campo libre medidas mediante dos métodos: umbrales conductuales (UC) y umbrales obtenidos con los PEAee MF (UE). Los PEAee MF se han realizado en campo libre, en condiciones de sueño natural y en una cabina sonoamortiguada. Así mismo, a cada paciente se le ha realizado un estudio conductual en campo libre que nos ha permitido comparar los umbrales conductuales (UC) con los umbrales obtenidos con los PEAee MF (UE). Los valores medios de los potenciales evocados (UE) quedan por debajo que los UC, para las frecuencias de 500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz y 4000 Hz y además el comportamiento según las frecuencias es el mismo. Los valores de las diferencias de las medias (UC-UE) se representa en la figura 4, siendo las mayores diferencias a los 500Hz (1.50 dBHL) y 4000Hz (1.49 dBHL) respectivamente. La diferencia entre ambos tipos de umbrales UC y UE varía de 1 dBHL a 1.5 dBHL, no siendo estas diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Estos resultados concluyen que la audiometría obtenida con PEAee a MF constituye una metodología objetiva que permite aportar una información valiosa y muy útil para la caracterización de los umbrales auditivos en campo libre en pacientes con implantes cocleares.

Objective Since a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is yet to be discovered, attention has shifted towards prevention. Physical activity (PA) emerged as a notorious lifestyle factor that could influence brain structure and function. The individual alpha peak frequency (IAPF) is a measure that summarizes the spectral content of brain signals and has been proven to be sensitive to both AD pathology and PA interventions. Therefore, our goal was to unravel whether chronic PA modulates IAPF and if APOE ɛ4 carriage moderates this relationship. Methods We analyzed 4-minutes of resting-state magnetoencephalographic recordings from 100 healthy elders that provided self-reported measures of PA, and the IAPF was calculated. Results We found that IAPF was negatively influenced by age and APOE and positively influenced by PA. The effect of PA on IAPF only remained significant for the ɛ4 non-carriers group. Conclusions PA is positively associated to higher IAPF in healthy older adults and could potentially act as a protective factor against cognitive decline. Nevertheless, such effect is non-significant among elders who are more vulnerable to developing AD due to their genetic carriage. Significance This investigation offers the first neurophysiological evidences on the combined effects of APOE genotype and PA in healthy elders.

In this multicenter, cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the quality of life (QoL) and the neuropsychological and clinical characteristics of adults with ADHD with different developmental pathways.Our study sample included 25 control (healthy) participants, 31 patients with newly diagnosed ADHD without comorbidities (ADHD-C-D), 31 with newly diagnosed ADHD with comorbidities (ADHD+C-D), and 29 with previously diagnosed ADHD with comorbidities (ADHD+C+D).Compared with controls, ADHDs had little differences in the attentional performance but showed higher impulsivity, more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, and lower QoL. The ADHD+C-D group showed more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety than the ADHD+C+D group ( p = .037 and p = .008, respectively), and poorer QoL in the psychological health sphere ( p = .003).Differences between ADHD and control subjects were particularly remarkable in mood symptoms and QoL. Previous diagnosis might have a positive impact on mood symptoms and QoL in ADHD adults.

Adolescent fertility displays a trend that does not follow-and even runs contrary to-the general temporal fertility pattern. Multiple factors determine this trend, including socioeconomic conditions and cultural patterns at both immigrants place of origin of and their destination. This article analyzes adolescent fertility in Spain with regard to country of maternal origin using records of deliveries (1980-2008) and information from countries with high immigration rates to Spain. After 1980, deliveries to adolescents diminished; after 1996, only Spanish-born adolescents continued this downward trend, but not immigrants. The factors responsible for these differences are diverse and related to the characteristics of the immigrants themselves, in addition to the situation of immigrants in the Spanish context. Fil: Colantonio, Sonia Edith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad; Argentina Fil: Roman Busto, Jorge. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Fuster, Vicente. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Zuluaga, Pilar. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España

Background: This analysis focuses on determining differences in the risk of stillbirth in Spain by comparing native and foreign mothers with regard to bio-demographic factors. Methods: The study is based on micro-data, one record per delivery for 2,869,329 births occurring from 2007 to 2012. Results: For a total of 2,287,819 single deliveries the average stillbirth rate for Spanish mothers (S) was 2.51 per 1000; for non-Spanish mothers (NS) it was 3.99 per 1000. Two multivariate Poisson regression models were applied to obtain adjusted stillbirth risk ratios (RR), one for S and another for NS mothers. For both groups the following variables were included in the model: Caesarean, mother's age, birth weight, duration of gestation, and maternal education. Parity, however, was incorporated only for Spanish mothers, while for the non-Spanish the relationship status and the father's nationality were included. The increase in RR is similar for certain variables, such as in cases where no Caesarean was performed (S: 3.356; NS: 3.439); while for other variables differences are observed with regard to maternal origin, for example weight at birth Conclusions: Immigration, together with differential reproductive maternal characteristics, had an influence on RR. Maternal education, as an indicator of socioeconomic conditions, is one of the most important socio-cultural variables in this respect. Certain reproductive and socio-cultural maternal variables affected RR differently in Spanish and foreign women, suggesting the benefit of implementing policies to achieve a decrease in the risk of stillbirths in the NS group.

Background: Low weight and premature deliveries arouse clinical interest concerning the survival of newborns. The determinants of birth weight among Spanish natives and immigrants may differ. Research which considers maternal origin and associated factors such as age and parity is important. Aim: This study analyses and models the influence of the rapid and intense arrival of immigrants in Spain on birth weight variation. Method: Data on deliveries from the Spanish National Institute for Statistics (n = 9 443 882) are analysed regarding low birth weight, premature births and other variables. The inter-relation among these variables was interpreted by means of logistic regression models. Results and conclusions: The birth weight has decreased since 1980 in Spain, but has slightly recovered in recent years. Meanwhile the percentage of foreign maternities increased to 17.3% in 2010. Logistic regression models assess the different influence of variables known to determine low birth weight (weeks of gestation, sex, etc.) and other maternal characteristics (age at delivery, professional activity, etc.). The progressively greater contribution of foreign women to total births in Spain and their differential numerical input to the various risk groups have slowed the pattern of reduction in the mean weight of newborns in this country. Fil: Fuster, V.. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Zuluaga, P.. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Colantonio, Sonia Edith. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudio sobre Cultura y Sociedad; Argentina Fil: Román Busto, J.. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) allows the real-time recording of neural activity and oscillatory activity in distributed neural networks. We applied a non-linear complexity analysis to resting-state neural activity as measured using whole-head MEG. Recordings were obtained from 20 unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder and 19 matched healthy controls. Subsequently, after 6 months of pharmacological treatment with the antidepressant mirtazapine 30 mg/day, patients received a second MEG scan. A measure of the complexity of neural signals, the Lempel–Ziv Complexity (LZC), was derived from the MEG time series. We found that depressed patients showed higher pre-treatment complexity values compared with controls, and that complexity values decreased after 6 months of effective pharmacological treatment, although this effect was statistically significant only in younger patients. The main treatment effect was to recover the tendency observed in controls of a positive correlation between age and complexity values. Importantly, the reduction of complexity with treatment correlated with the degree of clinical symptom remission. We suggest that LZC, a formal measure of neural activity complexity, is sensitive to the dynamic physiological changes observed in depression and may potentially offer an objective marker of depression and its remission after treatment.

Temporal variations in the frequency of multiple maternities in many Western European countries have been described. However, within a single country, regional differences are observed. Urban industrialized regions and rural agricultural areas have experienced in recent decades a distinct decline in multiple deliveries, which in cases have been related to maternal age and parity changes. Research on multiple deliveries in Spain is scarce and none of the studies go back to the beginning of the 20th century or consider regional variation over an extended period of time. The present paper is a yearly study on multiple deliveries in Spain since 1900 including a geographical analysis. Rather than dealing with recent changes in multi-parity, this paper is concerned with Spain's long-term national variation (between 1900 and 2006). The changing pattern of double and triple deliveries was analyzed using data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). Twinning rates in Spain are low in comparison to those of equivalent periods in other countries, and the minimum rates correspond to the 1980s decade. Results were interpreted by taking into account the influence of age at maternity and reproductive variation up to 1990. A good fit between observed and predicted rates was obtained after the application of models, which besides maternal age and parity, include their interaction. Regarding territorial variability, the values corresponding to southern, northern and insular Spanish provinces are consistent with an earlier reduction of the crude birth rate in the north-east regions and latter in the southern regions and the Canary Islands.

The mating pattern in a population determines the next generation gene pool and therefore its genetic structure. Besides socio-cultural and geographic factors, political barriers may influence the formation of couples. The present paper studies how the change of national border affected the mating pattern of Olivenza in Badajoz Province (Spain), which experienced a change of domain from Portugal to Spain in 1801. For the period analysed (1750–1850), 954 Catholic marriage records were transcribed. Data were sorted by decades in order to make a temporal study possible and analysed by means of diversity and repeated-pairs of surnames. Following the change of border the mating pattern modified. Coinciding with a larger number of mixed marriages with Spaniards, there was a progressive rise in the diversity of surnames. From 1811 to 1820 the analysis of repeated-pairs of surnames indicates the existence of preferential matings within Spanish and Portuguese lineages. After 1821 the above pattern became less clear due to the disappearance of the Spanish–Portuguese restrictions on choice of mate Fil: Román-Busto, Jorge. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Fuster, Vicente. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Colantonio, Sonia Edith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad; Argentina Fil: Zuluaga, Pilar. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Guardado-Moreira, María Joao. Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco; Portugal

The increased incidence of multiple deliveries in Spain, in addition to changes in age at maternity and parity, is attributed to assisted reproductive treatments, but the relative contribution of the latter to this rise remains uncertain, due to the scarce information provided by clinics practicing those treatments. Population based data (1984-2004), including information on mother's age, nationality, marital status, date of delivery, and the characteristics of each (parity, single or multiple), and sex of newborns were provided by the Spanish Institute of Statistics. Twinning and triplet deliveries relate to maternal age, parity, and nationality. For younger ages (≤ 19, 20-24, 25-29) rates remained constant over time, but for older women (30-34, 35-39, ≥ 40) rates increased after 1994. From 1984 to 2004 the percentage of twins of opposite sex increased from 24.31 to 36.58 per cent. Since 1997, Spanish and non-Spanish mothers differentiate with respect to multiple maternity at ages over 30. In addition to unmarried Spanish women, immigrants constitute a reliable reference group that determines the convenience of segregating information on multiple deliveries respecting origin. The proportion of twins and triplets of opposite sex, maternal age, and parity patterns observed are concordant with a differential access to reproductive treatments depending on the woman's age. The present norm regulating the maximum number of fertilizations per cycle and the demand for these treatments explain the high incidence of multiple deliveries in Spain. A modified logistic curve predicts a stabilization of multiple deliveries, which will probably continue to be high in Spain. Fil: Fuster Siebert, Vicente. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Zuluaga, Pilar. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Colantonio, Sonia Edith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad; Argentina Fil: De Blas, Clemente. National Institute of Statistics; España

Recently, some papers have been appearing that have noticed some mistakes in the calculations in the statistical software in simple and classical tests (Wilcoxon–Mann-Whitney and Log-Rank). This article examines the variance formulas for the Kendall test, the Jonckheere test, and the Terpstra test. We show in this article that these variances (in spite of what is said in the literature and in the statistical software), in the presence of ties and r ≥ 3 groups, are only equal approximately and are exactly equal for two groups and ties as we prove in the Appendix.

Brief Counseling Intervention (BCI) and Medical advice (MA) are psychotherapeutic approaches used for the treatment of binge drinkers in Primary Care. Although binge drinking is a common pattern of alcohol misuse in Europe and in the US, no studies have evaluated those subjects who do not respond to Brief Counseling Interventions or Medical Advice.To determine the clinical and demographic characteristics of binge drinkers in whom BCI or MA are not effective in reducing harmful alcohol use.This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized alcohol brief intervention trial with a 12-month follow-up period. A total of 674 subjects (89%) participated right through to the end of the study. The primary outcome measure was change in harmful alcohol use from baseline to 12 months.The strongest baseline predictors of harmful alcohol use during follow-up were educational status, young adults, and high number of cigarettes smoked, present family history of alcoholism, treatment condition and number of drinks per episode of binge drinking.Binge drinkers are a heterogeneous group that responds to brief intervention or MA but in a subgroup of them these interventions fail to prevent harmful alcohol use. Other interventions should be implemented for these subjects.La Intervención Breve (IB) y el Consejo Médico simple (CM) son intervenciones psicoterapéuticas usadas para el tratamiento del consumo de alcohol por atracones en Atención Primaria. A pesar de la frecuencia de este patrón de abuso en Europa y en los Estados Unidos, ningún estudio ha evaluado las características de los sujetos que no responden a esas dos técnicas. Objetivo. Determinar las características demográficas y clínicas de los bebedores por atracones en los que la IB y el CM no son efectivos para la reducción del consumo perjudicial de alcohol. Métodos. Se trata de un análisis secundario de los datos obtenidos en un ensayo aleatorizado de intervención breve en alcohol con un período de seguimiento de 12 meses. Un total de 674 sujetos (89%) participaron durante todo el estudio hasta el final. La variable principal fue el cambio en el uso perjudicial de alcohol tras 12 meses de seguimiento. Resultados. Para ambos grupos de tratamiento las variables que predecían la continuidad en el consumo perjudicial tras el seguimiento eran: bajo nivel educativo, ser jóvenes, el número de cigarrillos fumados, la historia familiar de alcoholismo y la gravedad del consumo de alcohol basalmente. Conclusiones. Las características clínicas y sociodemográficas de los sujetos con un patrón de consumo de alcohol por atracones atendidos en Atención primaria influyen en el pronóstico de las Intervenciones breves y del Consejo Médico.

The geographic and demographic dimensions of Spain, in terms of surface and number of inhabitants, and its heterogeneous socioeconomic development offer an adequate opportunity to study the provincial differences in birth weight from 1996 to 2010, focusing on possible factors determining the relative frequency of low birth weight. The study analysed geographic differences with regard to biological, demographic and socioeconomic factors that interfere with the female reproductive pattern. The variables considered here were: birth order, proportion of premature deliveries, mother's age, multiparity, mother's country of origin and professional qualifications. Two periods (1996-2000 and 2006-2010) were compared by means of principal components analysis. An increase in the relative frequency of deliveries weighing less than 2500 g occurred in most of the 52 geographic units studied, differences being significant in 42. Only in five cases was there a non-significant reduction in the proportion of low weight births. The first component after principal component analysis indicated that low birth weight was positively related to maternal age and to multiple deliveries, and negatively to the mother's low professional qualification. The second component related positively to the incidence of premature deliveries and to non-Spanish status and negatively in the case of primiparous mothers. The progressive increase in low birth weight incidence observed in Spain from 1996 onwards has occurred with considerable variation in each province. In part, this diversity can be attributed to the unequal reproductive patterns of immigrant mothers. Fil: Fuster, Vicente. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Zuluaga, Pilar. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España Fil: Colantonio, Sonia Edith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad; Argentina Fil: Román Busto, J.. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España

In this paper we give the generalization of the score tests covering the case of ties and we give examples where the expressions in matrix form are completely specified for the weighted tests and the score tests for the case of r groups. It is worth mentioning that although the score tests are not generally included in the commercial software, these tests should be used if it can be assumed that the censoring mechanism is equal in the r groups or if there is no censoring (Lawless, 1982). We establish the equivalence between "numerators" of these families of tests. As result of this equivalence we define four new tests that complete the classification of score and weighted tests. The Kruskal-Wallis test (1952) appears as a particular case of the score tests for the case of non-censoring. A simulation study has been done in order to compare the performance of the tests described in this paper. An example is included to make the understanding of the paper easier.

In this paper we describe 10 expressions of score and weighted tests, in such a way that the numerators and the denominators are completely specified, including always the possibility of tied observations. We establish the equivalence between score and weighted tests in the general setting of ties. Based upon this equivalence we enunciate two new tests, which complete the jigsaw of the classification of these non-parametric tests in Survival Analysis.

New diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) stress the role of in vivo biomarkers. Neurophysiological markers are usually not considered as such criteria, although theoretical and practical reasons would justify them. In order to assess the value of neurophysiology as an AD biomarker, whole-head magnetoencephalographic (MEG) resting state recordings were obtained from 35 AD patients, 23 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and 24 healthy controls. The AD group was further split into two groups differing in severity according to the GDS/FAST criteria. A Minimum Norm Estimation procedure was utilized to estimate the cortical origin of slow brain oscillatory activity in the delta band (2–4 Hz). Eight regions of interest (ROIs) discriminated between AD patients and controls. Delta current density (DCD) in all ROIs showed a significant negative correlation with cognitive status (p < 0.001). DCD values in posterior parietal, occipital, prerolandic, and precuneus cortices distinguished reliably between MCI patients, AD patients with different severity scores, and controls. Importantly, an increase of DCD in right parietal cortex and precuneus indexed the transition from MCI to mild dementia and from mild to more severe dementia. MEG delta mapping might be a serious candidate for a “neural degeneration” marker of AD reflecting dysfunctional synaptic transmission. More importantly, the localization of DCD values is in line with functional imaging markers of AD. However, MEG delta mapping is a totally non-invasive technique that directly measures neural activity. We propose that individuals with enhanced DCD in posterior parietal and precuneus cortices are at risk of progression to full dementia.

Introduccion. El ictus es la principal causa de discapacidad adquirida. Su planificacion y gestion (sanitaria y social) varia y, aunque la prevencion resulta crucial, no es menos importante disponer de mejores tratamientos y estrategias para reducir la discapacidad. Objetivo. Analizar la eficacia de un programa intensivo de talasoterapia y terapia acuatica en pacientes con ictus, valorando parametros clinicos y escalas funcionales validadas. Pacientes y metodos. Se realizo un estudio prospectivo cuasi experimental con 26 pacientes con discapacidad leve-moderada postictus. Los pacientes fueron evaluados con las siguientes escalas: equilibrio de Berg, equilibrio dinamico/Timed Up & Go, marcha de 10 metros, seis minutos de marcha y escala visual analogica del dolor, antes y despues de realizar tres semanas de tratamiento. Resultados. Finalizado el tratamiento programado, se obtuvieron diferencias significativas para todas las variables estudiadas. Conclusion. Un programa intensivo de talasoterapia y terapia acuatica contribuye a mejorar el equilibrio, la marcha y la percepcion del dolor en estos pacientes.

Objective Considering the increasing use of complexity estimates in neuropsychiatric populations, a normative study is critical to define the ‘normal’ behaviour of brain oscillatory complexity across the life span. Method This study examines changes in resting-state magnetoencephalogram (MEG) complexity – quantified with the Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZC) algorithm – due to age and gender in a large sample of 222 (100 males/122 females) healthy participants with ages ranging from 7 to 84 years. Results A significant quadratic (curvilinear) relationship (p < 0.05) between age and complexity was found, with LZC maxima being reached by the sixth decade of life. Once that peak was crossed, complexity values slowly decreased until late senescence. Females exhibited higher LZC values than males, with significant differences in the anterior, central and posterior regions (p < 0.05). Conclusions These results suggest that the evolution of brain oscillatory complexity across the life span might be considered a new illustration of a ‘normal’ physiological rhythm. Significance Previous and forthcoming clinical studies using complexity estimates might be interpreted from a more complete and dynamical perspective. Pathologies not only cause an ‘abnormal’ increase or decrease of complexity values but they actually ‘break’ the ‘normal’ pattern of oscillatory complexity evolution as a function of age.

SummaryThe present analysis compares the distribution of surnames by means of spatial autocorrelation analysis in the Spain–Portugal border region. The Spanish National Institute of Statistics provides a database of surnames of residents in the western Spanish provinces of Zamora, Salamanca, Cáceres, Badajoz and Huelva. The Spanish and Portuguese patterns of surname distribution were established according to various geographic axes. The results obtained show a low diversity of surnames in this region – especially in the centre – which can be explained by the absence of any major geographic barriers, with the exception of the mountain ranges between hydrographic basins, and by the presence of traditional roads that have existed since Roman times. The latter have resulted in a constant migratory flow over short–median distances, which, as can be deduced from the surnames, fits two north/south territorial axes running parallel to the border between Spain and Portugal. The distribution patterns of Portuguese and Spanish surnames differ with regard to their frequencies in the five provinces studied, which can be attributed to their respective historical, economic and social conditions. It is concluded that the border delimiting these two countries has affected the migratory flow, thereby conditioning the demographic and genetic structure of the western Spanish regions.

et al., The effect of adiponectin and leptin on the proliferation of the human microvascular endothelial cell line (HMEC-1) was studied in the absence or presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS). The participation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI-3K/Akt) pathways in this effect were evaluated. We studied the effect of both adipokines on the motility, mitosis, proliferation and cell death processes of HMEC-1 cells using live-cell imaging techniques. Adiponectin but not leptin further increased the proliferative effect induced by FBS on HMEC-1. This effect seems to be the consequence of an increase in the mitotic index in adiponectin-treated cells when compared to untreated ones. The presence of either the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor (PD98059), or PI-3K inhibitor (LY294002), reduced the effect of adiponectin in a dose-dependent manner. Neither adipokine was able to affect HMEC-1 proliferation in FBS-free conditions. Duration of mitosis, cell motility and the cell death process were similar in all conditions. These data suggest that adiponectin and leptin exert different effects on endothelial cell function. Adiponectin was able to potentiate proliferation of HMEC-1. This effect involves the activation of both PI3-K/Akt and ERK/MAPK pathways. However, it seems to exert minimal effects on HMEC-1 function in the case of leptin. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG., This work was supported by grants from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI09/0871) and Mutua Madrileña (6012-2009). M.M. and R.J. were paid with a grant from Red Cardiovascular del FIS (RD06/0014/0007). L.A.A.-S., J.M., M.V.B., R.M., M.L.N., V.L. and V.C. are members of the Red Cardiovascular del FIS (RD06/0014/000, RD06/0014/0007 and RD06/0014/0010).

The transport of peptides to the endoplasmic reticulum by the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) is a necessary step towards determining CD8 T cell epitopes. In this work, we have studied the predictive performance of support vector machine models trained on single residue positions and residue combinations drawn from a large dataset consisting of 613 nonamer peptides of known affinity to TAP. Predictive performance of these TAP affinity models was evaluated under 10-fold cross-validation experiments and measured using Pearson's correlation coefficients (R(p)). Our results show that every peptide position (P1-P9) contributes to TAP binding (minimum R(p) of 0.26 +/- 0.11 was achieved by a model trained on the P6 residue), although the largest contributions to binding correspond to the C-terminal end (R(p) = 0.68 +/- 0.06) and the P1 (R(p) = 0.51 +/- 0.09) and P2 (0.57 +/- 0.08) residues of the peptide. Training the models on additional peptide residues generally improved their predictive performance and a maximum correlation (R(p) = 0.89 +/- 0.03) was achieved by a model trained on the full-length sequences or a residue selection consisting of the first 5 N- and last 3 C-terminal residues of the peptides included in the training set. A system for predicting the binding affinity of peptides to TAP using the methods described here is readily available for free public use at http://imed.med.ucm.es/Tools/tapreg/.

Aged mammals frequently exhibit a bilateral, progressive, and symmetric deafness related to the degeneration of auditory receptor. However, little is still known about aging effects on synapses in this receptor. Synaptophysin (Syp) is a 38 kDa Ca2+ binding glycoprotein widely found in presynaptic membrane and vesicles. The Syp has been found in presynaptic buttons of efferent auditory fibers, within the developing and adult auditory receptor. The detection of Syp in aged cochleae could provide relevant information about synaptic changes and receptor degeneration process observed in old animals. This paper focuses on aging linked changes related to the presence of Syp in cochleae of C57BL/6J mice (from 1 to 24 months old). Results showed that during the first months of age, no significant changes were observed in the Syp distribution under the basal pole of inner (IHCs) neither the outer (OHCs) hair cells. At six months of age, a significant decrease of Syp immunocytochemical detection appeared in fibers under the most external row of OHCs, but restricted to the cochlear basal coil. Only a very scarce reduction of Syp was noted under the IHC and the other OHC rows, also at the basal coil. From mice 9 months old on, a progressive decrease of the presence of Syp was found under IHC and all OHC rows starting at the basal coil and reaching the apical coil in the oldest mice. All these data could indicate that the cochlea aging process early affects to presynaptic membrane proteins of efferent endings fibers. This early alteration of cochleae efferent synapses could be involved in the whole degeneration of the Corti's organ.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is defined as the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood, but an objective diagnostic test is not available yet to date. Neurophychological, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological research offer ample evidence of brain and behavioral dysfunctions in ADHD, but these findings have not been useful as a diagnostic test.Methods: Whole-head magnetoencephalographic recordings were obtained from 14 diagnosed ADHD patients and 14 healthy children during resting conditions. Lempel-Ziv complexity(LZC) values were obtained for each channel and child and averaged in five sensor groups: anterior, central, left lateral, right lateral, and posterior.Results: Lempel-Ziv complexity scores were significantly higher in control subjects, with the maximum value in anterior region. Combining age and anterior complexity values allowed the correct classification of ADHD patients and control subjects with a 93% sensitivity and 79% specificity. Control subjects showed an age-related monotonic increase of LZC scores in all sensor groups, while children with ADHD exhibited a nonsignificant tendency toward decreased LZC scores. The age-related divergence resulted in a 100% specificity in children older than 9 years.Conclusions: Results support the role of a frontal hypoactivity in the diagnosis of ADHD. Moreover, the age-related divergence of complexity scores between ADHD patients and control subjects might reflect distinctive developmental trajectories. This interpretation of our results is in agreement with recent investigations reporting a delay of cortical maturation in the prefrontal cortex.

Brief Counseling Intervention (BCI) and Medical advice (MA) are psychotherapeutic approaches used for the treatment of binge drinkers in Primary Care. Although binge drinking is a common pattern of alcohol misuse in Europe and in the US, no studies have evaluated those subjects who do not respond to Brief Counseling Interventions or Medical Advice. Objective . To determine the clinical and demographic characteristics of binge drinkers in whom BCI or MA are not effective in reducing harmful alcohol use. Methods . This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized alcohol brief intervention trial with a 12-month follow-up period. A total of 674 subjects (89%) participated right through to the end of the study. The primary outcome measure was change in harmful alcohol use from baseline to 12 months. Results . The strongest baseline predictors of harmful alcohol use during follow-up were educational status, young adults, and high number of cigarettes smoked, present family history of alcoholism, treatment condition and number of drinks per episode of binge drinking. Conclusions . Binge drinkers are a heterogeneous group that responds to brief intervention or MA but in a subgroup of them these interventions fail to prevent harmful alcohol use. Other interventions should be implemented for these subjects.

Background Subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at a higher risk of experiencing Alzheimer disease (AD). Magnetoencephalographic temporoparietal dipole densities of low-frequency activity are good predictors of individuals' cognitive status, and might be a useful tool to investigate the conversion from MCI to AD. Objective To investigate the role of low-frequency dipole densities as predictors of the risk of developing AD. Design Whole-head magnetoencephalographic recordings were obtained from 19 probable AD patients, 17 MCI patients, and 17 healthy control subjects. The generators of focal magnetic slow waves were located using a single moving dipole model. Results Left parietal δ dipole density permitted a reliable classification of AD and MCI patients. The MCI patients were divided into 2 groups based on the median left parietal δ dipole density, and were followed up for 2 years. The estimated relative risk of conversion to AD was increased by 350% in those MCI patients with high left parietal δ dipole density scores. Conclusions Results confirmed the important role of parietal δ dipole density in the evaluation of AD and MCI. A magnetoencephalographic-based assessment of AD and MCI patients might be considered a useful clinical test in the near future.

In this paper we will give the relationships of several Score tests and Weighted tests for right censoring data with other classical tests. Special care will be taken with the case of ties and with the kind of estimation of the variance used. After the description of ten tests, a comparative study will be made among them. Finally, an application with a real example will be included.