Detecting order-disorder transitions in discourse : implications for schizophrenia

Abstract Several psychiatric and neurological conditions affect the semantic organization and content of a patient's speech. Specifically, the discourse of patients with schizophrenia is frequently characterized as lacking coherence. The evaluation of disturbances in discourse is often used in diagnosis and in assessing treatment efficacy, and is an important factor in prognosis. Measuring these deviations, such as “loss of meaning” and incoherence, is difficult and requires substantial human effort. Computational procedures can be employed to characterize the nature of the anomalies in discourse. We present a set of new tools derived from network theory and information science that may assist in empirical and clinical studies of communication patterns in patients, and provide the foundation for future automatic procedures. First we review information science and complex network approaches to measuring semantic coherence, and then we introduce a representation of discourse that allows for the computation of measures of disorganization. Finally we apply these tools to speech transcriptions from patients and a healthy participant, illustrating the implications and potential of this novel framework

Preoptic area activation and vasotocin involvement in the reproductive behavior of a weakly pulse-type electric fish, Brachyhypopomus gauderio

Social behavior exhibits a wide diversity among vertebrates though it is controlled by a conserved neural network, the social behavior network (SBN). The activity of the SBN is shaped by hypothalamic nonapeptides of the vasopressin-oxytocin family. The weakly electric fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio emits social electrical signals during courtship. Three types of vasotocin (AVT) cells occur in the preoptic area (POA), one of the SBN nodes. In this study, we aimed to test if POA neurons of the nucleus preopticus ventricularis anterior (PPa) and posterior (PPp), and in particular AVT+ cells, were activated by social stimuli using a 2-day behavioral protocol. During the first night, male-female dyads were recorded to identify courting males. During the second night, these males were divided in two experimental conditions: isolated and social (male with a female). Both AVT cells and the cellular activation of the POA neurons (measured by FOS) were identified. We found that the PPa of social males showed more FOS+ cells than the PPa of isolated males, and that the PPa had more AVT+ cells in social males than in isolated males. The double-immunolabeling for AVT and FOS indicated the activation of AVT+ neurons. No significant differences in the activation of AVT+ cells were found between conditions, but a clear association was observed between the number of AVT+ cells and certain behavioral traits. In addition, a different activation of AVT+ cell-types was observed for social vs. isolated males. We conclude that the POA of B. gauderio exhibits changes induced by social stimuli in reproductive context, involving an increase in AVT production and a different profile activation among AVT+ cell populations

A survey of gastroprotective drugs: prescription-indication in hospitalized patients

La prescripción de fármacos antiulcerosos en medio hospitalario, y su influencia posterior en atención primaria, se incrementó en los últimos años y con ello el gasto farmacéutico. El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar la prevalencia de prescripción de antiulcerosos en nuestro centro hospitalario y la adecuación a las indicaciones establecidas. Se realizó un estudio observacional de prescripción-indicación con 2 cortes transversales separados en 6 meses para evitar sesgos de selección. Se constata el uso elevado de gastroprotectores, principalmente inhibidores de bomba de protones, sobre todo en profilaxis de gastropatía por antiinflamatorios no esteroideos (AINE) (17,1%), con una tasa de prescripciones incorrectas del 77,6% a pesar de la existencia de un protocolo específico elaborado por el comité de farmacia y terapéutica de nuestro centro. Destaca el número elevado de prescripciones en pacientes con corticoterapia sin asociación con AINE (25,7%). Se requieren nuevas herramientas que impliquen al facultativo y a los gestores clínicos en el uso racional de medicamentosPrescription rates of antiulcer drugs in hospitals and their spill-over to general practice have risen over the last few years, increasing pharmaceutical expenses. The aim of this study was to analyze gastroprotective drug prescription habits in our hospital by assessing both prevalence and adherence to approved indications. An observational study of prescription-indication was performed with 2 cross sections separated by 6 months to avoid selection bias. We found overprescription of gastroprotective drugs, mainly proton pump inhibitors for the prevention of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug-induced ulcer (17.1%). Overall, 77.6% of prescriptions had no acceptable indication, despite the availability of a specific protocol produced by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee in our center. There was a high prevalence of prescriptions for non-approved indications such as prophylaxis in patients administered cor-ticosteroids without non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (25.7%). New programs to train clinicians and clinical mana-gers in rational drug use are requiredS

Voice pitch is negatively associated with sociosexual behavior in males but not in females

Acoustic cues play a major role in social interactions in many animal species. In addition to the semantic contents of human speech, voice attributes – e.g., voice pitch, formant position, formant dispersion, etc. – have been proposed to provide critical information for the assessment of potential rivals and mates. However, prior studies exploring the association of acoustic attributes with reproductive success, or some of its proxies, have produced mixed results. Here, we investigate whether the mean fundamental frequency (F0), formant position (Pf), and formant dispersion (Df) – dimorphic attributes of the human voice – are related to sociosexuality, as measured by the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R) – a trait also known to exhibit sex differences – in a sample of native Spanish-speaking students (101 males, 147 females). Analyses showed a significant negative correlation between F0 and sociosexual behavior, and between Pf and sociosexual desire in males but not in females. These correlations remained significant after correcting for false discovery rate (FDR) and controlling for age, a potential confounding variable. Our results are consistent with a role of F0 and Pf serving as cues in the mating domain in males but not in females. Alternatively, the association of voice attributes and sociosexual orientation might stem from the parallel effect of male sex hormones both on the male brain and the anatomical structures involved in voice production

Políticas de acceso de la población vulnerable a la educación superior, una visión desde la experiencia de la Universidad del Magdalena

AbstractThis document analyzes the politics implemented by university of Magdalena to guarantee the access of higher education to vulnerable groups. Vulnerable is defined as the displaced graduate, the indigenous communities, the afro-Colombian students, the female head of a household of a low stratum and the graduates who come from public schools. In theory, the study is associated with the contribution of the affirmative action, which includes the deliberate intention to eliminate any discrimination in the development of societies and institutions. During the study, it was found that more than 70% of this students group lives in a family nucleus with low incomes around six hundred pesos per month. Therefore, the main strategies of the university are focused to overcome the economic limitations of this vulnerable population, by exemptions and subsidies accompanied by a policy framework that facilitates the Access to the community of the university. Methodologically so it is a type of derivative research article.Keywords: En este documento se analizan las políticas implementadas por la Universidad del Magdalena para garantizar el acceso de los grupos vulnerables a la educación superior, definiendo como vulnerables a los bachilleres desplazados, las comunidades indígenas, los estudiantes afrocolombianos, la mujer cabeza de familia de estrato bajo, y a los bachilleres provenientes de colegios públicos. Teóricamente, el estudio está asociado a los aportes de la affirmative action, la cual contempla la intención deliberada de eliminar cualquier ápice de discriminación en el desarrollo de las sociedades y las instituciones. Durante el estudio, se encontró que más del 70% de este grupo de estudiantes, convive en un núcleo familiar con ingresos inferiores a los seiscientos mil pesos/mes. Por lo tanto, las principales estrategias de la Universidad, están enfocadas en allanar las limitaciones económicas de la población vulnerable, mediante las exoneraciones y subsidios acompañadas de un marco normativo que facilita el acceso de esta comunidad a la Universidad. Por otra parte, metodológicamente es un tipo de artículo derivado de una investigación. 

Efecto de la reducción de movilidad en la segunda ola de COVID-19.

Mientras en Uruguay estamos teniendo la primera ola de la pandemia Covid-19, en muchos países ya están sufriendo la segunda. Los riesgos de saturación del sistema sanitario llevan a muchos de estos países a tomar diferentes medidas, que incluyen desde el cierre de locales gastronómicos y suspensión de clases presenciales, a restricciones en la circulación nocturna. En este trabajo estudiamos el efecto de medidas de restricción de movilidad en la curva de contagios, para un grupo de países. Estos países fueron seleccionados de acuerdo a su similaridad con con Uruguay en diferentes parámetros: son países de entre uno y doce millones de habitantes, con un esfuerzo de testeo razonable, y que en algún momento tuvieron la epidemia controlada. Para estos países, se estudian los índices de movilidad proporcionados por Google, y un índice sobre las medidas gubernamentales recopilado por la Universidad de Oxford, además de los casos nuevos diarios por cada 100.000 habitantes. En primer lugar se observa que la movilidad reportada por Google se encuentra en relación directa con las medidas gubernamentales: a mayores niveles de medidas restrictivas la movilidad se encuentra más reducida. En segundo lugar, se analiza la influencia de la reducción de movilidad sobre la velocidad de crecimiento/decrecimiento del indicador P7 (promedio en 7 días de casos nuevos por cada 100.000 habitantes), y se muestra que niveles altos de reducción de movilidad dan lugar a un decrecimiento en el índice. Finalmente, se realizan algunas observaciones sobre la duración necesaria de las restricciones de movilidad en función del nivel del máximo del P7, así como el riesgo de levantar las medidas demasiado pronto

Who do I want in my team: social avoidance of high qualified partners in depression and social anxiety

Background: Social difficulties are inherent to social anxiety and are critical in depression. A key feature in both disorders is social avoidance, which leads to the loss of opportunities and precludes from improving social abilities. The need for studying social functioning using interactive tasks that immerse the subject in a social context has been highlighted. Methods: We developed an interactive task that allows measuring social avoidance. In each round, participants choose between two categories of co-players, with which kind of partner they would like to make a team. In material terms, it is always better to choose the high-category option. However, this maximizes chances for being the worst player in the team, which relates to upward social comparison and guilt. Participants with varied levels of depression and social anxiety symptoms performed this task. Results: The higher the depression and social anxiety symptoms, the more that participants avoided the highcategory partners, the lower the number of points earned and the higher the negative emotions (guilt, nervousness, shame) reported about having to play with a co-player, with this effect becoming more accentuated as the rank of the co-player increased. Limitations: The study sample was restricted to university students and included mostly women. Conclusions: This work provides a tool for studying social avoidance through an interactive set-up and contributes to the understanding of this behavior in mental health

Representación de la estructura del lenguaje escrito mediante grafos y espacios semánticos

Tribunal: Dr. Eduardo Mizraji, Dr. Ruben Budelli, Dr. Angel Caputi, Dr. Andrés Pomi, Dr. Leonel Gómez, Dr. Juan Carlos Valle Lisboa.Orientador: Dr. Eduardo Mizraji