Facial disability index (FDI): adaptation to Spanish, reliability and validity

Objectives: To adapt to Spanish the facial disability index (FDI) described by VanSwearingen and Brach in 1995 and to assess its reliability and validity in patients with facial nerve paresis after parotidectomy. Study Design: The present study was conducted in two different stages: a) cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire and b) cross-sectional study of a control group of 79 Spanish-speaking patients who suffered facial paresis after superficial parotidectomy with facial nerve preservation. The cross-cultural adaptation process comprised the following stages: (I) initial translation, (II) synthesis of the translated document, (III) retro-translation, (IV) review by a board of experts, (V) pilot study of the pre-final draft and (VI) analysis of the pilot study and final draft. Results: The reliability and internal consistency of every one of the rating scales included in the FDI (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) was 0.83 for the complete scale and 0.77 and 0.82 for the physical and the social well-being subscales. The analysis of the factorial validity of the main components of the adapted FDI yielded similar results to the original questionnaire. Bivariate correlations between FDI and House-Brackmann scale were positive. The variance percentage was calculated for all FDI components. Conclusions: The FDI questionnaire is a specific instrument for assessing facial neuromuscular dysfunction which becomes a useful tool in order to determine quality of life in patients with facial nerve paralysis. Spanish adapted FDI is equivalent to the original questionnaire and shows similar reliability and validity. The proven reproducibi- lity, reliability and validity of this questionnaire make it a useful additional tool for evaluating the impact of facial nerve paralysis in Spanish-speaking patients

La adaptación de los rituales y las ceremonias matrimoniales hindúes en Tenerife.

El trabajo ha tratado de acercarnos a una de las minorías de Canarias más caracterizadas: la colonia hindú, muy en particular la comunidad sindhi, predominante en Tenerife y en las islas Canarias. Los testimonios orales, recopilados en este trabajo nos sumergen en historias cargadas de aspiraciones, relativas a los símbolos y los rituales que llevan a cabo los hindúes en sus ceremonias matrimoniales. Para esta comunidad, el matrimonio es el rito de paso que marca el ciclo de vida, momento en el que el hombre acceder a ser cabeza de familia y la mujer alcanza la autorrealización. Con este fin, el estudio se enmarca en el análisis de la estructura y la función de los ritos en las ceremonias matrimoniales hindúes en Tenerife. A través de un trabajo de campo de carácter cualitativo, en el que se emplean técnicas como la observación, la fotografía y entrevistas, se describen las adaptaciones ceremoniales hindúes y los rituales, marcadas por la modernidad, la localización y la globalización de esta comunidad residente en la isla.The work is about the Hindu religious minorities in the Canary Islands. The Hindu colony, very particularly the Sindhi community predominant in Tenerife, and in the Canary Islands. The oral testimonies, compiled in this work, immerse us in stories of aspirations, relating to the symbols and rituals carried out by the Hindus in their marriage ceremonies. The marriage is the rite of passage that marks the cycle of life, the moment when man agrees to become the head of the family and the fulfillment. The study is part of the analysis of the structure and function of the rites in Hindu marriage ceremonies on the island of Tenerife. Through qualitative field work, using techniques such as observation, photography and interviews, the Hindu ceremonial adaptations and rituals are described, marked by the modernity, location and globalization of the Hindus living on the island

Manual de procedimientos del sistema de gestión de la calidad por procesos en una universidad

The quality management systems in higher education based on the ISO 9001:2015 standard, integrated with the requirements of Internal Control and the National Accreditation Board constitutes a Strategy adopted by Higher School of State and Government Cadres (ESCEG) for the fulfillment of its mission. The article aims to present the design of the Procedures Manual of the ESCEG Quality Management System, based on four stages, referring to the theoretical referential framework, the integral diagnosis with a focus on processes and risks, the design of the Manual, aligned to the strategic objectives, compliance with regulations and requirements, as well as the control and improvement of the procedures for the fulfillment of the goals of the indicators outlined in the strategic projection of the university.Los sistemas de gestión de la calidad en la educación superior basados en la norma ISO 9001:2015, integrados a los requerimientos del Control Interno y de la Junta de Acreditación Nacional constituye una Estrategia adoptada por la Escuela Superior de Cuadros del Estado y del Gobierno (ESCEG) para el cumplimiento de su misión. El artículo tiene como objetivo exponer el diseño del Manual de Procedimientos del Sistema de Gestión de la Calidad de la ESCEG, basado en cuatro etapas, referidas al marco teórico referencial, el diagnóstico integral con enfoque a procesos y a riesgos, el diseño del Manual, alineado a los objetivos estratégicos, el cumplimiento de las normativas y requerimientos, así como el control y la mejora de los procedimientos para el cumplimiento de las metas de los indicadores trazados en la proyección estratégica de la universidad

Elastic and break-up of the 1n-halo 11Be nucleus

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0.-- Trabajo presentado a la: "International Nuclear Physics Conference" (INPC), celebrada en Firenze (Italia) del 2 al 7 de junio de 2013.-- et al.The elastic and break-up angular distributions of the 10,11Be+64Zn reactions measured at Ec.m. ≈1.4 VC have been analysed within the CCDC and O.M. frameworks. The suppression of the Coulomb-nuclear interference, observed in the 11Be scattering case with respect to the 10Be, has been interpreted as due to a long range absorption owing to the coupling with the break-up (Coulomb and nuclear) channels. The presence of 10Be events on the 11Be experiment data have been explained as due mainly to break-up processes. C Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2014Peer Reviewe

Combined Genome, Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis in the Diagnosis of Childhood Cerebellar Ataxia

Supplementary Materials: Supplementary Materials can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/1422 -0067/22/6/2990/s1.The project was approved by the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of the Andalusian Public Health System in Granada, Spain on Oct. 29, 2015, (project identification code AP163052016). Data recording, sample collection and all in vitro experiments were conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines following the Nuremberg Code, Belmont Report, and the Declaration of Helsinki.Acknowledgments: We are grateful for the support and cooperation of the subjects, as well as their families.Ataxia in children is a common clinical sign of numerous neurological disorders consisting of impaired coordination of voluntary muscle movement. Its most common form, cerebellar ataxia, describes a heterogeneous array of neurologic conditions with uncountable causes broadly divided as acquired or genetic. Numerous genetic disorders are associated with chronic progressive ataxia, which complicates clinical management, particularly on the diagnostic stage. Advances in omics technologies enable improvements in clinical practice and research, so we proposed a multi-omics approach to aid in the genetic diagnosis and molecular elucidation of an undiagnosed infantile condition of chronic progressive cerebellar ataxia. Using whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, and untargeted metabolomics, we identified three clinically relevant mutations (rs141471029, rs191582628 and rs398124292) and an altered metabolic profile in our patient. Two POLR1C diagnostic variants already classified as pathogenic were found, and a diagnosis of hypomyelinating leukodystrophy was achieved. A mutation on the MMACHC gene, known to be associated with methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria cblC type, was also found. Additionally, preliminary metabolome analysis revealed alterations in our patient’s amino acid, fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Our findings provided a definitive genetic diagnosis reinforcing the association between POLR1C mutations and hypomyelinating leukodystrophy and highlighted the relevance of multi-omics approaches to the disease.Fundación Mutua Madrileña, Spain XIII Call on Research Grants 2016, reference number AP16305201

Cooperative and Escaping Mechanisms between Circulating Tumor Cells and Blood Constituents

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and despite measurable progress in the field, underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) disseminate within the bloodstream, where most of them die due to the attack of the immune system. On the other hand, recent evidence shows active interactions between CTCs and platelets, myeloid cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and other hematopoietic cells that secrete immunosuppressive cytokines, which aid CTCs to evade the immune system and enable metastasis. Platelets, for instance, regulate inflammation, recruit neutrophils, and cause fibrin clots, which may protect CTCs from the attack of Natural Killer cells or macrophages and facilitate extravasation. Recently, a correlation between the commensal microbiota and the inflammatory/immune tone of the organism has been stablished. Thus, the microbiota may affect the development of cancer-promoting conditions. Furthermore, CTCs may suffer phenotypic changes, as those caused by the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, that also contribute to the immune escape and resistance to immunotherapy. In this review,we discuss the findings regarding the collaborative biological events among CTCs, immune cells, and microbiome associated to immune escape and metastatic progression

Protective effects of epoxypukalide on pancreatic b-cells and glucose metabolism in STZ-induced diabetic mice

Producción CientíficaDiabetes is a consequence of a decrease on functional β-cell mass. We have recently demonstrated that epoxypukalide (Epoxy) is a natural compound with beneficial effects on primary cultures of rat islets. In this study, we extend our previous investigations to test the hypothesis that Epoxy protects β-cells and improves glucose metabolism in STZ-induced diabetic mice. We used 3-months old male mice that were treated with Epoxy at 200 μg/kg body weight. Glucose intolerance was induced by multiple intraperitoneal low-doses of streptozotocin (STZ) on 5 consecutive days. Glucose homeostasis was evaluated measuring plasma insulin levels and glucose tolerance. Histomorphometry was used to quantify the number of pancreatic β-cells per islet. β-cell proliferation was assessed by BrdU incorporation, and apoptosis by TUNEL staining. Epoxy treatment significantly improved glucose tolerance and plasma insulin levels. These metabolic changes were associated with increased β-cell numbers, as a result of a two-fold increase in β-cell proliferation and a 50% decrease in β-cell death. Our results demonstrate that Epoxy improves whole-body glucose homeostasis by preventing pancreatic β-cell death due to STZ-induced toxicity in STZ-treated mic

Mecanismos de acción hormonal a través de receptores ubicados en la membrana celular

Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica con el objetivo de exponer y analizar los mecanismos de acción hormonal a través de los receptores hormonales ubicados en la membrana celular, su estructura, la interacción Hormona – Receptor (H-R), los eventos que ocurren a partir de este momento, la participación de segundos mensajero, regulación de las transcripciones de la señal H-R dentro de la célula, su internalización y eventos finales del mecanismo de acción hormonal

LABORATORIO REMOTO PARA SISTEMAS DE CONTROL DISCRETOS MEDIANTE INTERNET DE LAS COSAS (REMOTE LABORATORY FOR DISCRETE CONTROL SYSTEMS THROUGH INTERNET OF THINGS)

Resumen En este trabajo se presenta el desarrollado de un laboratorio remoto de sistemas de control discreto empleando la técnica de Hardware in the Loop (HIL). El laboratorio consta de dos partes principales, la primera es una plataforma HIL integrada por tres elementos, los cuales son un emulador en tiempo real, un controlador PID discreto y una tarjeta de adquisición de datos. El emulador se embebió sobre una tarjeta de desarrollo NI myRIO-1900 empleando el lenguaje de programación grafico de la compañía National Instruments LabVIEW. La principal función del emulador es reproducir el comportamiento de sistemas de primer y segundo orden que representan el proceso en un sistema de control. La plataforma cuenta con una biblioteca de los siguientes procesos preestablecidos: primer orden general, segundo orden general, mecánico de traslación y rotación de masa-resorte-amortiguador, circuito eléctrico RC y RLC, tanque de agitación continua y de motor CD; esta plataforma permite a los usuarios seleccionar y configurar los parámetros de cada uno de los procesos. El controlador PID también es configurable, en este elemento el usuario puede seleccionar el periodo de ejecución y las ganancias proporcional, integral y derivativa de una estructura PID en paralelo. La tarjeta de adquisición de datos empleada fue una NI myDAQ, la cual trabaja sobre la misma plataforma de programación de LabVIEW, esta tarjeta permite monitorear las variables del proceso, recolectando y almacenando los datos que describen la respuesta del sistema de control con una resolución y durante un tiempo definidos por el usuario. La segunda parte del laboratorio remoto es una aplicación web implementada en Android Studio, la cual esta vinculada al igual que LabVIEW a una base de datos en tiempo real desarrollada mediante el software Firebase, esta permite enviar y recibir información entre ambos sistemas. El usuario de esta aplicación tiene acceso mediante su dispositivo móvil con conexión a internet. La aplicación contiene una interfaz que guía al usuario en la configuración de la planta, el controlador y la tarjeta de adquisición de datos. Palabras clave: Emulador, Hardware in the Loop, Laboratorio Remoto, Controlador PID, Sistemas de Control. Abstract This paper presents the development of a remote laboratory for discrete control systems using the Hardware in the Loop (HIL) technique. The laboratory consists of two main parts, the first is a HIL platform made up of three elements, which are a real-time emulator, a discrete PID controller and a data acquisition board. The emulator was embedded on a NI myRIO-1900 development board using the National Instruments LabVIEW graphical programming language. The main function of the emulator is to reproduce the behavior of first and second order systems that represent the process in a control system. The platform has a library of the following pre-established processes: first general order, second general order, mechanical translation and rotation of mass-spring-damper, RC and RLC electrical circuit, continuous stirring tank and DC motor; This platform allows users to select and configure the parameters of each of the processes. The PID controller is also configurable, in this element the user can select the execution period and the proportional, integral and derivative gains of a PID structure in parallel. The data acquisition board used was a NI myDAQ, which works on the same LabVIEW programming platform, this card allows monitoring the process variables, collecting and storing the data that describes the response of the control system with a resolution and for a user-defined time. The second part of the remote laboratory is a web application implemented in Android Studio, which, like LabVIEW, is linked to a real-time database developed using the Firebase software, which allows information to be sent and received between both systems. The user of this application has access through their mobile device with an internet connection. The application contains an interface that guides the user in the configuration of the plant, the controller and the data acquisition board. Keywords: Emulator, Hardware in the Loop, Remote Laboratory, PID Controller, Control Systems

Scattering of 11 Be around the Coulomb barrier

Preliminary results on the 11Be+120Sn quasielastic scattering as well as the 11Be → 10Be + n breakup channel are presented in this work. The angular distributions of these channels were measured at REX-ISOLDE-CERN. The accuracy and angular range of the presented results provide stronger constrains to the theoretical interpretation than existing published results. We compare these new data with coupled-channel (CC) and continuum-discretized coupled-channel (CDCC) calculations. The role played by transfer and breakup channels in the elastic scattering is discussed.CICYT FPA2007- 62170MEC FINURA (FPA2007-63074) CPAN (CSD 2007-00042)DGICYT FPA2006-13807-c02-01 CSD-2007-0004