La evidencia social del sufrimiento. Salud mental, políticas globales y narrativas locales

El propósito de este artículo es explorar las posibilidades de la mirada etnográfica en el campo de la llamada “rehabilitación psicosocial de los trastornos mentales severos”. Partiendo de una crítica al individualismo metodológico y epistemológico de algunas aproximaciones “psi” (psiquiatría biológica o neokraepelinismo, terapia cognitivo-conductual, psicoanálisis, etc.) y de las políticas estandarizadas de reinserción, se defiende una orientación teórico-práctica centrada en lo que aquí denominamos la “evidencia social del sufrimiento”. Para ilustrar esta aproximación se comparan dos experiencias de intervención-acción-participación diversas y deslocalizadas geográficamente: la primera en el Área Metropolitana de Porto Alegre (el Taller de Expresión de Novo Hamburgo) y la segunda en Barcelona (Radio Nikosia). A pesar de las diferencias locales, ambas experiencias confluyen en varios aspectos, como la creación de nuevos territorios de escucha e interacción social no asociados al campo terapéutico y nosológico, la aplicación de una metodología dialógica desarrollada desde la mirada etnográfica, el rescate del mundo narrativo de los afectados y la habilitación de nuevas identidades sociales. Finalmente, el texto indica algunas orientaciones para repensar las intervenciones en salud mental desde la “evidencia social del sufrimiento”

Extraordinarily transparent compact metallic metamaterials

The design of achromatic optical components requires materials with high transparency and low dispersion. We show that although metals are highly opaque, densely packed arrays of metallic nanoparticles can be more transparent to infrared radiation than dielectrics such as germanium, even when the arrays are over 75% metal by volume. Such arrays form effective dielectrics that are virtually dispersion-free over ultra-broadband ranges of wavelengths from microns up to millimeters or more. Furthermore, the local refractive indices may be tuned by altering the size, shape, and spacing of the nanoparticles, allowing the design of gradient-index lenses that guide and focus light on the microscale. The electric field is also strongly concentrated in the gaps between the metallic nanoparticles, and the simultaneous focusing and squeezing of the electric field produces strong ‘doubly-enhanced’ hotspots which could boost measurements made using infrared spectroscopy and other non-linear processes over a broad range of frequencies.Imperial College London | Ref. EP/L015579/1Ministerio de Economía | Ref. CTM2014-58481RMinisterio de Economía | Ref. CTM2017-84050RMinisterio de Economía | Ref. CTQ2017-88648RMinisterio de Economía | Ref. RYC-2015-19107Ministerio de Economía | Ref. RYC2016-20331Xunta de Galicia | Ref. EM2014/035Generalitat de Cataluña | Ref. 2017SGR883URV y Banco Santander | Ref. 2017EXIT-08URV | Ref. 2017PFR-URV_B2-02FEDER | Ref. EP/L024926/1US Air Force Office of Scientific Research | Ref. FA9550-17-1-0300Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas | Ref. INTRAMURALES 201750I03

VirtualEar: Diseño y construcción de un audiómetro virtual

Se desarrolló un audiómetro virtual en la plataforma de instrumentación virtual Labview 7.1. VirtualEar es un sistema que permite evaluar la capacidad auditiva mediante la realización de una prueba de audiometría aérea con posibilidad de enmascaramiento para detectar la audición cruzada. La audiometría se realiza reproduciendo tonos puros en el intervalo de frecuencias audibles (125Hz-8000Hz) con intensidad de presión sonora (SPL) variable en un rango de 0dB a 110dB. El enmascaramiento consiste en enviar una señal de ruido blanco al oído opuesto del que se está evaluando la capacidad auditiva. Ambas señales se emiten por dos canales separados y conforme se hace la prueba se van detectando los umbrales de mínima presión sonora audible. El audiómetro virtual VirtualEar permite generar y guardar la información en tablas, gráficos y reportes. Además permite manejar archivos de cada paciente e imprimir resultados.A virtual audiometer was developed using the virtual instrumentation platform Labview7.1. VirtualEar is a system that permits the evaluation of the audible capacity of a person, through an audiometric prove by air, with masking, to detect the crossed audition. The audiometry is done producing pure tones in the audible frequency’s range (125Hz-8000Hz) with pressure intensity that varies in a range from 0dB to 100dB. Masking consists on sending a white noise signal to the opposite ear of the one that is being tested. Both signals are emitted through two separate channels, and in that way, the threshold of minimum audible pressure is detected. VirtualEar also permits to generate and save the information in tables, graphics and reports. Furthermore, it’s possible to control each patient’s files and print the results

Magnetostriction reveals orthorhombic distortion in tetragonal Gd compounds

We report detailed thermal expansion and magnetostriction experiments on GdCoIn5 and GdRh(In1-xCdx)5 (x=0 and 0.025) single-crystal samples that show a sudden change in the dilation at a field Bâ for temperatures below the Néel transition temperature TN. We present a first-principles model including crystal-field effects, dipolar and exchange interactions, and the dependence of the latter with lattice distortions in order to fully account for the magnetostriction and magnetic susceptibility data. The mean-field solution of the model shows that a transition between metastable states occurs at the field Bâ. It also indicates that two degenerate phases should coexist at temperatures below TN, which may explain the lack of observation, in high-resolution x-ray experiments, of an orthorhombic distortion at the Néel transition, even though the experimentally determined magnetic structure breaks the tetragonal symmetry and the magnetoelastic coupling from our model is significant. These conclusions could be extended to other tetragonal Gd-based compounds that present the same phenomenology.Fil: Betancourth Giraldo, Diana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Correa, Víctor Félix. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Facio, Jorge Ismael. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, J.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; ArgentinaFil: Vildosola, Veronica Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; ArgentinaFil: Lora Serrano, R.. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; Brasil. University of New South Wales; AustraliaFil: Cadogan, J.M.. University of New South Wales; AustraliaFil: Aligia, Armando Ángel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Cornaglia de la Cruz, Pablo Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Daniel Julio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentin

Quantitative uptake of colloidal particles by cell cultures

The use of nanotechnologies involving nano- and microparticles has increased tremendously in the recent past. There are various beneficial characteristics that make particles attractive for a wide range of technologies. However, colloidal particles on the other hand can potentially be harmful for humans and environment. Today, complete understanding of the interaction of colloidal particles with biological systems still remains a challenge. Indeed, their uptake, effects, and final cell cycle including their life span fate and degradation in biological systems are not fully understood. This is mainly due to the complexity of multiple parameters which need to be taken in consideration to perform the nanosafety research. Therefore, we will provide an overview of the common denominators and ideas to achieve universal metrics to assess their safety. The review discusses aspects including how biological media could change the physicochemical properties of colloids, how colloids are endocytosed by cells, how to distinguish between internalized versus membrane-attached colloids, possible correlation of cellular uptake of colloids with their physicochemical properties, and how the colloidal stability of colloids may vary upon cell internalization. In conclusion three main statements are given. First, in typically exposure scenarios only part of the colloids associated with cells are internalized while a significant part remain outside cells attached to their membrane. For quantitative uptake studies false positive counts in the form of only adherent but not internalized colloids have to be avoided. pH sensitive fluorophores attached to the colloids, which can discriminate between acidic endosomal/lysosomal and neutral extracellular environment around colloids offer a possible solution. Second, the metrics selected for uptake studies is of utmost importance. Counting the internalized colloids by number or by volume may lead to significantly different results. Third, colloids may change their physicochemical properties along their life cycle, and appropriate characterization is required during the different stages.This work was supported by the European Commission (grant FutureNanoNeeds) grant agreement no. 604602 to WJP. NF acknowledges funding from the Lars Hiertas Minne Fundation (Sweden), SA, BP and IC acknowledge a fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Fundation (Germany). AE acknowledges Junta de Andalucía (Spain) for a Talentia Postdoc Fellowship, co-financed by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme, grant agreement no 267226. AHS acknowledges the Egyptian government (Ministry of Higher Education, Mission). The project was also supported by the Dr. Dorka-Stiftung (Germany) to PJ

Future foods: Morphological scenarios to explore changes in the UK food system with implications for food safety across the food chain

Scenarios are used to examine systemic change in food systems so policy makers can craft opportunities to improve the management of uncertainty and shape food policy. We present a number of alternative scenarios of the food system for 2035, developed with the Food Standards Agency, the independent government department working to protect public health and consumers’ interest in relation to food for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. To build scenarios we employed morphological analysis; a non-quantified method for modelling multiple scenario variables (food system drivers, projections), simulating their interactions and all possible scenario combinations. A cross-consistency analysis compared all possible scenario combinations to identify which set of driver projections formed a logical (internally consistent) scenario. Recently, we augmented the scenarios to consider the potential impacts and consequences of Brexit and the pandemic on consumer food safety. Outputs illustrate the consequences of extreme impacts emerging from an optimistic (Global Trading) and pessimistic (Resource Tensions) future for the food system. The scenarios establish a context for foresight in decision-making and a framework for evaluating the robustness of policies considering the opportunities and challenges arising from Brexit and a global pandemic

Impaired proteasome activity and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation in FBXO7 defect

Altres ajuts: This work was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Spanish Foundation per Amor a l'Art (FPAA) grant ; Fundació la Marató de TV3 grants 20143130; and 20143131; Generalitat Valenciana grants OP ERDF of Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020; and PROMETEO/2018/135.FBXO7 is implicated in the ubiquitin-proteasome system and parkin-mediated mitophagy. FBXO7defects cause a levodopa-responsive parkinsonian-pyramidal syndrome(PPS). Methods: We investigated the disease molecular bases in a child with PPS and brain iron accumulation. Results: A novel homozygous c.368C>G (p.S123*) FBXO7 mutation was identified in a child with spastic paraplegia, epilepsy, cerebellar degeneration, levodopa nonresponsive parkinsonism, and brain iron deposition. Patient's fibroblasts assays demonstrated an absence of FBXO7 RNA expression leading to impaired proteasome degradation and accumulation of poly-ubiquitinated proteins. Conclusion: This novel FBXO7 phenotype associated with impaired proteasome activity overlaps with neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation disorders

The Vigilance Decrement in Executive Function Is Attenuated When Individual Chronotypes Perform at Their Optimal Time of Day

Time of day modulates our cognitive functions, especially those related to executive control, such as the ability to inhibit inappropriate responses. However, the impact of individual differences in time of day preferences (i.e. morning vs. evening chronotype) had not been considered by most studies. It was also unclear whether the vigilance decrement (impaired performance with time on task) depends on both time of day and chronotype. In this study, morning-type and evening-type participants performed a task measuring vigilance and response inhibition (the Sustained Attention to Response Task, SART) in morning and evening sessions. The results showed that the vigilance decrement in inhibitory performance was accentuated at non-optimal as compared to optimal times of day. In the morning-type group, inhibition performance decreased linearly with time on task only in the evening session, whereas in the morning session it remained more accurate and stable over time. In contrast, inhibition performance in the evening-type group showed a linear vigilance decrement in the morning session, whereas in the evening session the vigilance decrement was attenuated, following a quadratic trend. Our findings imply that the negative effects of time on task in executive control can be prevented by scheduling cognitive tasks at the optimal time of day according to specific circadian profiles of individuals. Therefore, time of day and chronotype influences should be considered in research and clinical studies as well as real-word situations demanding executive control for response inhibition.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Ramón y Cajal programme: RYC-2007-00296 and PLAN NACIONAL de I+D+i: PSI2010-15399) and Junta de Andalucía (SEJ-3054)

Molecular, microbiological and clinical characterization of Clostridium difficile isolates from tertiary care hospitals in Colombia

In Colombia, the epidemiology and circulating genotypes of Clostridium difficile have not yet been described. Therefore, we molecularly characterized clinical isolates of C.difficile from patients with suspicion of C.difficile infection (CDI) in three tertiary care hospitals. C.difficile was isolated from stool samples by culture, the presence of A/B toxins were detected by enzyme immunoassay, cytotoxicity was tested by cell culture and the antimicrobial susceptibility determined. After DNA extraction, tcdA, tcdB and binary toxin (CDTa/CDTb) genes were detected by PCR, and PCR-ribotyping performed. From a total of 913 stool samples collected during 2013–2014, 775 were included in the study. The frequency of A/B toxins-positive samples was 9.7% (75/775). A total of 143 isolates of C.difficile were recovered from culture, 110 (76.9%) produced cytotoxic effect in cell culture, 100 (69.9%) were tcdA+/tcdB+, 11 (7.7%) tcdA-/tcdB+, 32 (22.4%) tcdA-/tcdB- and 25 (17.5%) CDTa+/CDTb+. From 37 ribotypes identified, ribotypes 591 (20%), 106 (9%) and 002 (7.9%) were the most prevalent; only one isolate corresponded to ribotype 027, four to ribotype 078 and four were new ribotypes (794,795, 804,805). All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole, while 85% and 7.7% were resistant to clindamycin and moxifloxacin, respectively. By multivariate analysis, significant risk factors associated to CDI were, staying in orthopedic service, exposure to third-generation cephalosporins and staying in an ICU before CDI symptoms; moreover, steroids showed to be a protector factor. These results revealed new C. difficile ribotypes and a high diversity profile circulating in Colombia different from those reported in America and European countries