Combined Effects of Optimism Level and Caffeine Intake on QEEG Alpha Wave Power: A Pilot Study

Caffeine has a general effect on alpha brain waves (Diukova, 2010). Heavy caffeine users experienced increased neural activity compared to vasoconstriction (Gilbert et al., 2000). Purpose of the pilot study is to assess the effects of caffeine intake and optimism levels on alpha wave activity in heavy caffeine users

Visual Perception in Traumatic Brain Injury: Effects of Severity and Effort

Previous studies have found that poor effort can significantly impact psychometric performance by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients. So far, this impact has been relatively well studied in attention and memory. However, this is not the case for visual perception functions. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine to what extent TBI severity affect visual perception after controlling for effort. Results showed that mild TBI good effort group did not differ from a demographically matched control group. In contrast, a mild TBI poor effort group, a moderate-severe TBI group and a right hemisphere cerebro-vascular (CVA) group performed worse than the mild TBI good effort group and the control group. The results suggest a dose response relationship between injury severity and visual perception performance. After controlling for effort, results indicated that moderate-severe TBI, but not mild TBI, has long lasting effects on visual perception. Clinical implications are discussed

Multivariate Cluster Analysis of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF Scales in Spine Pain Patients with Financial Compensation: Characterization and Validation of Chronic Pain Subgroups

Different psychosocial factors influence the experience and adaptation to pain. Previous cluster analytic studies using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2nd edition described psychologically different subgroups of pain patients that had been shown valuable in determining outcome. However, these studies had limited applicability to medico-legal pain populations because they did not use newly developed scales or describe important medico-legal factors that have large effects on symptom endorsement. Using three methods of clustering, the current investigation explored the subgroups that resulted when using all the MMPI-2 and the newly developed MMPI-2-RF (Restructured Form) scales on a large and well-described population of medico-legal spine pain patients. Result demonstrated that the best solution for the current sample was the two-cluster solution when a traditional method was used. However, the best solution was the three-cluster solution when all MMPI-2 scales and a method that used all MMPI-2-RF scales were used. Thus, the three-cluster solution was considered the most adequate solution to differentiate patients in medico-legal settings. Moreover, results demonstrated that subgroup membership was not conditioned to spine related organic factors. Instead, malingering, education, ethnic background and legal status differentiated pain subgroups. Lastly, results demonstrated a dose-response relationship between perceived outcome and subgroup profile elevation. The current results are relevant for understanding the circumstances that can influence spine pain recovery and for informing decisions regarding possible interventions

Visual Perception in Traumatic Brain Injury: Effects of Severity and Effort

Previous studies have found that poor effort can significantly impact psychometric performance by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients. So far, this impact has been relatively well studied in attention and memory. However, this is not the case for visual perception functions. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine to what extent TBI severity affect visual perception after controlling for effort. Results showed that mild TBI good effort group did not differ from a demographically matched control group. In contrast, a mild TBI poor effort group, a moderate-severe TBI group and a right hemisphere cerebro-vascular (CVA) group performed worse than the mild TBI good effort group and the control group. The results suggest a dose response relationship between injury severity and visual perception performance. After controlling for effort, results indicated that moderate-severe TBI, but not mild TBI, has long lasting effects on visual perception. Clinical implications are discussed

Evaluating the Validity of Texas 2 STEPS

The Texas 2 STEPS Evaluation Tool was assessed for face validity. Thirty Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) piloted the tool while evaluating children under the age of five years. Each participant was asked to evaluate their comfort level working with this population and report the number of years’ experience they have working as a COMS. The majority of participants found the tool useful for assessing orientation and mobility (O&M) skills in children. The Texas 2 STEPS was also found to be user friendly regardless of the COMS years of experience. Together these findings indicate that the Texas 2 STEPS has the potential to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing O&M skills in children with vision impairment

The Relationship between Pain Sensitivity and Eye Tracking

The purpose of the study was to determine if laboratory-induced pain has possible effects on attention as captured by eye tracking technology

Foro “Presente y futuro de nuestras sociedades civiles”

Agenda: 9:30 a 10:00 Registro de asistentes. 10:00 a 10:15. Palabras de bienvenida. Roberto Ruiz-Casas. Presidente del Foro de Promoción Democrática Continental, Director de Democracia Participativa, y Director de Cultivamos una Rosa Blanca. Moderador: Gonzalo Aguerrevere, Director de la Familia Ignaciana, Director del Foro de Promocion Democratica Continental, y Director de VenAmérica. 10:15 a 10:35 Padre Luis Ugalde SJ. Caso Venezuela. Sacerdote Jesuita vasco-venezolano. Licenciado en Filosofía y Letras, en Sociología y en Teología. Maestría en Historia Económica y Social de Venezuela. Doctorado en Historia. En universidades de Venezuela, Colombia y Alemania. Superior Provincial SJ de Venezuela (1979-85). Presidente de la CLAR (Confederación Latinoamericana de Religiosos (1985-88). Rector de la UCAB (1990-2010). Presidente de AUSJAL (Asociación de Universidades SJ de América Latina 1998-2008). Secretario de Educación de los jesuitas para América Latina (2010-2016) Individuo de número de la Academia Venezolana de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales. Coordinador de Educación de los Jesuitas de Venezuela y Director de CERPE (Centro de Reflexión y de Planificación Educativa). 10:35 a 10:55 Carlos Alberto Montaner. Caso Cuba Escritor y periodista. Analista político para CNN en español. Ha sido profesor universitario en diversas instituciones de América Latina y Estados Unidos. Montaner ha escrito más de 25 libros, incluyendo novelas, miles de artículos. Ha recibido los premios de Periodismo de Nueva York (1975), el ABC de Sevilla (España (1981) y el de la Fundación Independiente de Periodismo (1999). El 12 de mayo de 2006 recibió de manos del presidente de Nicaragua Enrique Bolaños la Orden Rubén Darío en Grado de Gran Oficial, la más alta condecoración del país. Ha sido calificado por la Revista Poder como uno de los columnistas más leídos e influyentes de lengua española. Es vicepresidente de la Internacional Liberal y actual Presidente del Interamerican Institute for Democracy. 10:55 a 11:15 Carlos Sanchez Berzaín. Caso regional latinoamericano. Abogado experto en Derecho Constitucional, Master en Ciencia Política y Master en Sociología, Politólogo. Miembro fundador del Ateneo Jurídico Boliviano. Catedrático de Derecho Constitucional y de Derecho Internacional. Catedrático de análisis político Maicop, Universidad de Salamanca. Catedrático y miembro del claustro académico de la Maestría MAICOP de la Universidad Camilo José Cela, España. Director del Interamerican Institute for Democracy. Ministro de Estado de la República de Bolivia cinco veces. Diputado Nacional Jefe de la oposición parlamentaria. Pre candidato presidencial. Ha escrito ,entre otras obras, “La dictadura del siglo XXI en Bolivia”, “Lucha por la democracia”, “las dos Americas” democracia y dictadura. Vive exiliado, como asilado político en EEUU. 11:15 a 11:45 Ronda de preguntas y respuestas. Máximo 2 minutos por pregunta. 11:45 a 12:00 Palabras de cierre. Luis Corona. Presidente de VenAmérica.https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cri_events/1342/thumbnail.jp

Adipocitocinas, inflamación y resistencia insulínica en la insuficiencia renal crónica

: La insuficiencia renal crónica (IRC) condiciona disfunción del tejido adiposo y desequilibrio de las adipocitocinas relacionadas con la inflamación y metabolismo de la glicemia. Objetivo: describir la relación entre los marcadores de inflamación (IL6, TNFα, PCR, RIL2), las adipocitocinas (adiponectina, leptina) y las alteraciones de la glicemia en 336 pacientes con IRC en diferentes grupos de IRC (sin terapia renal sustitutiva, hemodiálisis, diálisis peritoneal). Conclusiones: Pacientes con IRC sin terapia renal sustitutiva, presentan menor estado inflamatorio y adipocitocinas que los pacientes en diálisis. Existe una relación inversa entre adiponectina, inflamación y filtrado glomerular. Las adipocitocinas son un factor de riesgo independiente de hiperglicemiaLa insuficiència renal crònica (IRC) condiciona disfunció del teixit adipós i desequilibri de les adipocitocines relacionades amb la inflamació i metabolisme de la glucosa. Objectiu: descriure la relació entre els marcadors d'inflamació (IL6, TNFα, PCR, RIL2), les adipocitocines (adiponectina, leptina), i les alteracions de la glucèmia en 336 pacients amb IRC en diferents grups (sense teràpia renal substitutiva, hemodiàlisi, diàlisi peritoneal). Conclusions: Pacients amb IRC sense teràpia renal substitutiva presenten menor estat inflamatori i adipocitocines que els pacients en diàlisi. Existeix una relació inversa entre adiponectina, inflamació i filtrat glomerular. Les adipocitocines són un factor de risc independent d'hiperglucèmia

Developing real option game models

By mixing concepts from both game theoretic analysis and real options theory, an investment decision in a competitive market can be seen as a ‘‘game’’ between firms, as firms implicitly take into account other firms’ reactions to their own investment actions. We review two decades of real option game models, suggesting which critical problems have been ‘‘solved’’ by considering game theory, and which significant problems have not been yet adequately addressed. We provide some insights on the plausible empirical applications, or shortfalls in applications to date, and suggest some promising avenues for future research