Estudio de Psicología Criminal sobre La Violencia en Panamá: Percepción entre peritos forenses del Instituto de Medicina Legal y los estudiantes de la Universidad de Panamá

Criminal behavior in Panama has rendered a feeling of national insecurity due to a widespread crime scare. This has become a worrisome problem of public health and legal issues which is a component of today`s national reality. Based upon the evidence from previous researches, a descriptive study was designed using a group of students chosen randomly at the University of Panama “El Observatorio de la Nación”, which is part of the University of Panamá provided a background for this study based upon their attitudes and beliefs related to violence according to the scale of Likert. The controlled group was chosen among experts on crime who are present working for the “Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses” which is part of the General Attorney´s Office. According to the results of this research, crime has increased in Panama due to the absence of proper public policies, limited access to education among poor people, family desintegration, drug trafficking, crime apology provided by the mass means of communication, cultural elements of empowering males over females as part of an unfair couple relationship which them produces female crimes and deficiencies in the re-socialization process of innates. As a conclusion, we believe that criminal policy should concentrate its efforts on lowering the rate of violence through family counseling and value-enhancing programs.La conducta criminal en Panamá con el consecuente sentimiento de inseguridad ciudadana ante el temor al delito se ha convertido en uno de los problemas de salud pública y socio jurídicos de gran preocupación desde el punto de vista de nuestra realidad nacional. Basado en las evidencias por resultados de investigaciones previas, se diseñó un estudio descriptivo exploratorio, el cual utiliza un grupo de estudiantes escogidos al azar de la Universidad de Panamá, considerada el Observatorio de la Nación; quienes emitieron sus opiniones basados en sus actitudes y creencias relacionadas con la 52 violencia, según la Escala de Likert. El grupo de comparación se seleccionó entre los peritos en criminalística en ejercicio del Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses adscritos al Ministerio Público. Se desprende de este estudio que se ha dado un aumento de la violencia en Panamá, debido a que no existen adecuadas políticas públicas, lo cual genera un condicionamiento social con nuevas necesidades que solo se pueden solucionar en un poder de control político y económico. Según la percepción de los estudiantes es probable que el aumento de la violencia se deba a factores tales como la agudización de la pobreza, falta de acceso a la educación en grupos vulnerables, desintegración familiar, narcotráfico, la contribución a la apología del delito a través de los medios de comunicación social, factores culturales de poder en las relaciones de pareja vinculadas al femicidio y la deficiencia en la resocialización de los privados de libertad. De esta investigación se desprende que las políticas criminológicas deberían estar orientadas a la reducción del flagelo de la violencia con programas de orientación familiar y educación en valores

Insertion of isocyanides into zirconium-alkyl bonds of di-ansa-zirconocene complexes. X-ray molecular structure of [Zr{(SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3))Cl(η2-C(i-Pr)N(2,6-Me2C6H3)}]

New dicyclopentadienyl iminoacyl zirconium complexes have been prepared and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The reaction of [Zr{SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3)2)Me2] with CNR (R  2,6-Me2C6H3, t-Bu) yields [Zr((SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3)2Me(η2-CMeNR)] (R = 2,6-Me2C6H3, t-Bu), which reacts with a stoichiometric amount of water to give the μ-oxo dimers [Zr{(SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3)2}(η2-CMeNR)]2(μ-O) (R = 2,6-Me2C6H3, t-Bu). The chloro neophyl complex [Zr{(SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3)2}Cl(CH2CMe2Ph)] and other β-hydrogen containing zirconium chloro alkyls [Zr{(SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3)2}CIR] (R  Et, n-Pr, i-Pr)_ with CN(2,6-Me2C6H3) to yield the related chloro iminoacyl complexes [Zr{(SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3)2)Cl}η2-CRN(2,6-Me2C6H3)}] (R  Et, n-Pr, i-Pr), whereas no reaction was observed when CN(t-Bu) was used. All the new iminoacyl complexes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and the X-ray molecular structure of [Zr{(SiMe2)2(η5-C5H3)2)Cl{η2-C(i-Pr)N(2,6-Me2C6H3)}] studied by diffraction methods to prove the expected ‘inside’ coordination of the iminoacyl nitrogen atom.BID-CONICIT (Venezuela)Comunidad Autónoma de Madri

Antiaging effect of coffee silver-skin extract

Resumen del póster presentado al 11th International Symposium on the Maillard Reaction celebrado en Nancy (Francia) del 16 al 20 de septiembre de 2012.Peer Reviewe

A replication study confirms the association of TNFSF4 (OX40L) polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis in a large European cohort

<p><b>Objectives</b> The aim of this study was to confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms on systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility and phenotypic features.</p> <p><b>Methods</b> A total of 8 European populations of Caucasian ancestry were included, comprising 3014 patients with SSc and 3125 healthy controls. Four genetic variants of TNFSF4 gene promoter (rs1234314, rs844644, rs844648 and rs12039904) were selected as genetic markers.</p> <p><b>Results</b> A pooled analysis revealed the association of rs1234314 and rs12039904 polymorphisms with SSc (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31; OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29, respectively). Significant association of the four tested variants with patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) was revealed (rs1234314 OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38; rs844644 OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.99; rs844648 OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20 and rs12039904 OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.33). Association of rs1234314, rs844648 and rs12039904 minor alleles with patients positive for anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) remained significant (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.37; OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25; OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38, respectively). Haplotype analysis confirmed a protective haplotype associated with SSc, lcSSc and ACA positive subgroups (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.96; OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.96; OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97, respectively) and revealed a new risk haplotype associated with the same groups of patients (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.26; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.35; OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.42, respectively).</p> <p><b>Conclusions</b> The data confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms in SSc genetic susceptibility, especially in subsets of patients positive for lcSSc and ACA.</p&gt

Y los estudiantes, ¿qué opinan?

Los estudiantes aprenden de y con nosotros, pero nosotros también podemos aprender de y con ellos. Como docentes preocupados por el aprendizaje de nuestros alumnos en ocasiones nos hacemos preguntas que, o no nos atrevemos a hacerles, o no se atreven a contestarnos, o no encontramos el momento de plantearles. En este artículo recogemos la opinión que tienen los estudiantes sobre diferentes aspectos relacionados con la organización y la impartición de nuestra docencia. Las preguntas se centran básicamente en las metodologías docentes, el sistema de evaluación, la utilización del material de estudio, los horarios, las salidas profesionales y las razones de la asistencia y no asistencia a clase. La información proporcionada por los estudiantes nos ha permitido reflexionar con ellos y puede ayudarnos, sin lugar a dudas, a mejorar la organización de nuestras asignaturas, los contenidos abordados en ellas, la motivación del alumno y, en definitiva, el proceso de aprendizaje.Trabajo financiado por la Unidad de Soporte Educativo de la Universidad Jaume I de Castellón

Incidence Rate for Hantavirus Infections without Pulmonary Syndrome, Panama

During 2001–2007, to determine incidence of all hantavirus infections, including those without pulmonary syndrome, in western Panama, we conducted 11 communitywide surveys. Among 1,129 persons, antibody prevalence was 16.5%–60.4%. Repeat surveys of 476 found that patients who seroconverted outnumbered patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome by 14 to 1

A genome-wide association study follow-up suggests a possible role for PPARG in systemic sclerosis susceptibility

Introduction: A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) comprising a French cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) reported several non-HLA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showing a nominal association in the discovery phase. We aimed to identify previously overlooked susceptibility variants by using a follow-up strategy.<p></p> Methods: Sixty-six non-HLA SNPs showing a P value <10-4 in the discovery phase of the French SSc GWAS were analyzed in the first step of this study, performing a meta-analysis that combined data from the two published SSc GWASs. A total of 2,921 SSc patients and 6,963 healthy controls were included in this first phase. Two SNPs, PPARG rs310746 and CHRNA9 rs6832151, were selected for genotyping in the replication cohort (1,068 SSc patients and 6,762 healthy controls) based on the results of the first step. Genotyping was performed by using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. Results: We observed nominal associations for both PPARG rs310746 (PMH = 1.90 × 10-6, OR, 1.28) and CHRNA9 rs6832151 (PMH = 4.30 × 10-6, OR, 1.17) genetic variants with SSc in the first step of our study. In the replication phase, we observed a trend of association for PPARG rs310746 (P value = 0.066; OR, 1.17). The combined overall Mantel-Haenszel meta-analysis of all the cohorts included in the present study revealed that PPARG rs310746 remained associated with SSc with a nominal non-genome-wide significant P value (PMH = 5.00 × 10-7; OR, 1.25). No evidence of association was observed for CHRNA9 rs6832151 either in the replication phase or in the overall pooled analysis.<p></p> Conclusion: Our results suggest a role of PPARG gene in the development of SSc

Prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health in European adolescents: The HELENA Study

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Background: The ideal cardiovascular health (iCVH) construct consists of 4 health behaviours and 3 health factors and is strongly related to later cardiovascular disease. However, the prevalence of iCVH in European adolescents is currently unknown. Methods: The Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study is a cross-sectional, multicentre study conducted in 9 European countries during 2006-2007 and included 3528 adolescents (1683 boys and 1845 girls) between 12.5 and 17.5 years of age. Status (ideal vs. non-ideal) for the health behaviours (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity and diet) and health factors (total cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting glucose) were determined. Results: Overall, the prevalence of ideal health behaviours was low; non-smoking (60.9% ideal), body mass index (76.8%), physical activity (62.1%), and diet (1.7%). The prevalence of ideal health factors was; total cholesterol (65.8%), blood pressure (62.0%) and plasma glucose (88.8%). Conclusions: The low prevalence of iCVH behaviours, especially diet and physical activity, identified in European adolescents is likely to influence later cardiovascular health which strongly motivates efforts to increase ideal health behaviours in this population.The HELENA project was supported by the European Community Sixth RTD Framework Programme (contract FOOD-CT-2005-007034). The data for this study was gathered under the aegis of the HELENA project, and further analysis was additionally supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grants RYC-2010-05957 and RYC-2011-09011), the Spanish Ministry of Health: Maternal, Child Health and Development Network (grant RD16/0022), the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (MICINN-FEDER) and by the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES). Pontus Henriksson was supported by a grant from Henning and Johan Throne-Holst Foundation. Hanna Henriksson was supported by grants from the Swedish Society of Medicine and the County Council of Östergötland, Sweden

Costs and benefits of automation for astronomical facilities

The Observatorio Astrof\'isico de Javalambre (OAJ{\dag}1) in Spain is a young astronomical facility, conceived and developed from the beginning as a fully automated observatory with the main goal of optimizing the processes in the scientific and general operation of the Observatory. The OAJ has been particularly conceived for carrying out large sky surveys with two unprecedented telescopes of unusually large fields of view (FoV): the JST/T250, a 2.55m telescope of 3deg field of view, and the JAST/T80, an 83cm telescope of 2deg field of view. The most immediate objective of the two telescopes for the next years is carrying out two unique photometric surveys of several thousands square degrees, J-PAS{\dag}2 and J-PLUS{\dag}3, each of them with a wide range of scientific applications, like e.g. large structure cosmology and Dark Energy, galaxy evolution, supernovae, Milky Way structure, exoplanets, among many others. To do that, JST and JAST are equipped with panoramic cameras under development within the J-PAS collaboration, JPCam and T80Cam respectively, which make use of large format (~ 10k x 10k) CCDs covering the entire focal plane. This paper describes in detail, from operations point of view, a comparison between the detailed cost of the global automation of the Observatory and the standard automation cost for astronomical facilities, in reference to the total investment and highlighting all benefits obtained from this approach and difficulties encountered. The paper also describes the engineering development of the overall facilities and infrastructures for the fully automated observatory and a global overview of current status, pinpointing lessons learned in order to boost observatory operations performance, achieving scientific targets, maintaining quality requirements, but also minimizing operation cost and human resources.Comment: Global Observatory Control System GOC