Change of leadership in the social organization: Change of consciousness in the individual

This pandemic has been the starting signal to implement the paradigm shift necessary for social organization in the information age. As everything is very recent we are not yet able to see ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’. The triad ‘Science, Technology, Market’, which has been the driving force in the industrial era, seems, in these times of pandemic, to have ceded leadership to the Departments of Defense, Pharmaceuticals and Psychopolitics. Diferent levels of technologies reach society in diferent ways. Those that enhance the capabilities of the individual are provided by the market and regulated by politics. When the impact can be very strong, they are controlled by the Defense departments. Humanity’s level of awareness must be raised in order to be able to apply the technologies developed in the deep sea

Birth and decline of Hercules Control; HCTech

A brief overview of Hercules Control’s ten years of existence as a marine technology developer. HCTech, with high impact developed products, is not able to bring them to the market. The people involved (research professor and biologist-entrepreneur), their motivations, knowledge and ways of doing things are analyzed. The environment for this initiative is also analyzed from CIS (the mother company from which HCTech arises), from the Uvigo (as an institution and as support to the researcher), from the Administration (as institutional support to ebt’s) and from the bank (as mandatory fnancial support due to the small size of CIS and the need for advances of project funds with the Administration). A refection on the collective aspect of any creation is made. In this case, a lack of entrepreneurial culture in the whole Galician society (administration, fnanciers, businessmen, workers, and even clients) is to be noted.Peer Reviewe

Ética y prevención del consumo de drogas

En este artículo se discuten algunas controversias éticas en torno a la prevención del consumo de drogas. Las posiciones favorables al consumo de drogas plantean objeciones éticas a la prevención, especialmente a la prevención mediante la implantación de normas legales que restringen el acceso y el uso de las sustancias. Se apela al control personal o al autocontrol como sustitución de los mecanismos coercitivos o limitadores de las leyes actuales. Sin embargo, no existe ninguna posibilidad de desligar las conductas de autocontrol de las condiciones que las controlan, que, en su mayor parte, son sociales y que, en el último término, vienen ejercidas por las instancias de control tradicionales. Según esto, la existencia de esos controles sociales (normas, leyes, regulaciones, dificultades físicas de acceso, condena moral, etc.) facilita la implantación y el funcionamiento del autocontrol frente a las drogas. La existencia de normas legales que regulan (restringen) el consumo de drogas no ha de enfrentarse al necesario impulso de programas que eduquen a los individuos para no usar drogas o usarlas de forma moderada o responsable. Antes bien, ambos tipos de medidas se complementan para alcanzar ese fin

Feasibility analysis of energy harvesting with piezoelectric devices in oceano graphic buoys

This document shows the study carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of using piezoelectric devices in oceanographic buoys, as generators of electric power for feeding the buoy system. One of the basic problems in an application of this type is to supply electrical power to the systems of the buoy. But the realisation of prototypes and especially their test in real conditions, for their validation, are extremely expensive. Therefore, a good solution is to demonstrate, previously, the viability of the system. This requires real data on movements, accelerations, etc., but in this particular case, these data are available for carrying out previous R & D projects that have given rise to developments that are currently located on operational oceanographic buoys. . With all this we have been able to carry out a study that demonstrates the interest of this technology.Peer Reviewe

El grano y la criba de los tratamientos psicológicos

Se presentan las conclusiones de revisar la eficacia (así como la efectividad) terapéutica para los catorce trastornos psicológicos siguientes: Esquizofrenia, Drogadicción, Anorexia y Bulimia, Trastornos de Personalidad, Hipocondría, Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo, Disfunciones Sexuales, Ansiedad Generalizada, Fobias Específicas, Agorafobia, Trastorno de Pánico, Trastorno por Estrés Post-traumático, Depresión unipolar y Depresión bipolar. De cada uno de ellos, se ha podido decir qué tratamientos están bien establecidos, cuáles son probablemente eficaces y los que están en fase experimental. Ello ha supuesto, por tanto, un proceso de separación y clasificación (criba). Es de notar que, en la mayor parte de los trastornos revisados, se cuenta con algún tratamiento psicológico bien establecido, aún cuando también puede haberlo de tipo farmacológico. Conviene resaltar igualmente que se echan en falta numerosos tratamientos psicológicos ampliamente difundidos pero que no se han sometido a estudios de este tipo. Aun cuando el panorama reflejado invita al optimismo, los autores se muestran críticos, cuestionando tanto la concepción psicopatológica de los trastornos como la sobresimplificación y limitación del carácter de los tratamientos que se deriva de establecer correspondencias específicas entre un cuadro clínico pre-establecido y un procedimiento terapéutico específico

Attachment and substance use in adolescence: A review of conceptual and methodological aspects

Attachment is currently considered one of the major risk and/ or protective factors for substance use in adolescence. This paper reviews the most important studies published in the last 30 years in this field, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues that may be making it more difficult to draw conclusions about the impact of attachment – especially attachment to parents – on substance use among youths. In general, the results indicate that secure attachment or stronger attachment between parents and children acts as a protective factor against drug use, even though there is a great variability in relation to the concept of addiction and its assessment. Secondly, most of the research reviewed also covers other factors that may be conditioning the influence of attachment to parents on children’s drug use and which would explain, at least in part, the disparity of the results from different studies. Notable among such factors would be individual characteristics (such as sex, age or self-esteem) and the influence of other sources of attachment, including peers and their circumstances (such as their drug use). Finally, we discuss the importance of taking into account the mentioned conceptual and methodological considerations aspects in research on attachment as a risk and/or protective factor for drug use in adolescence. El apego se considera actualmente uno de los mayores factores de riesgo y/o protección para el consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia. El presente trabajo revisa los estudios más importantes que se han publicado en los últimos 30 años al respecto, centrándose en aquellas cuestiones conceptuales y metodológicas que pueden estar dificultando concluir qué impacto ejerce el apego, sobre todo el apego a los padres, en el consumo de sustancias de los jóvenes. Los resultados indican, en general, que el apego seguro o un mayor apego entre padres e hijos actúa como factor de protección frente al consumo de drogas, si bien existe una gran variabilidad en torno al concepto de apego y su evaluación. En segundo lugar, la mayor parte de los estudios revisados incluyen además otros factores que pueden estar condicionando la influencia del apego a los padres en el consumo de drogas de los hijos y que explicarían, al menos en parte, la disparidad de los resultados en los distintos estudios. Entre estos factores destacarían las características individuales (como el sexo, la edad o la autoestima de los individuos), y la influencia de otras fuentes de apego, como los iguales y sus circunstancias, como por ejemplo el consumo de drogas por parte de éstos. Finalmente, se discute la importancia de tener en cuenta dichas consideraciones conceptuales y metodológicas en la investigación del apego como factor de riesgo y/o protección frente al consumo de drogas en la adolescencia

Development of a new method for D-xylose detection and quantification in urine, based on the use of recombinant xylose dehydrogenase from Caulobacter crescentus.

The gene xylB from Caulobacter crescentus has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli providing a high yield of xylose dehydrogenase (XylB) production and excellent purity (97%). Purified recombinant XylB showed an absolute dependence on the cofactor NAD+ and a strong preference for d-xylose against other assayed mono and disaccharides. Additionally, XylB showed strong stability when stored as freeze-dried powder at least 250 days both at 4 °C and room temperature. In addition, more than 80% of the initial activity of rehydrated freeze-dried enzyme remained after 150 days of incubation at 4 °C. Based on these characteristics, the capability of XylB in d-xylose detection and quantification was studied. The linearity of the method was maintained up to concentrations of d-xylose of 10 mg/dL and the calculated limits of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ) of xylose in buffer were 0.568 mg/dL and 1.89 mg/dL respectively. Thus, enzymatic detection was found to be an excellent method for quantification of d-xylose in both buffer and urine samples. This method can easily be incorporated in a new test for the diagnosis of hypolactasia through the measurement of intestinal lactase activity.This work was supported by a grant from Venter Pharma SL (Spain) and partially supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grant MAT2015-65184-C2-2-R, MINECO/FEDER).Peer reviewe

Trayectorias de policonsumo y diferencias en impulsividad entre adolescentes

Background/Objective: Although alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are the most widely consumed drugs, sparse data exist regarding polydrug use in adolescents and its relationship with impulsivity. This study aims to identify trajectories of polydrug use and analyze differences in impulsivity between them. Method: A total of 1,565 adolescents (54.4% males; mean age = 13.02, SD = 0.57) were annually assessed over three years using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Zuckerman Impulsive Sensation Seeking Scale, a Stroop Test and a Delay Discounting Task. Frequency of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use, intoxication episodes and problem drinking were also assessed. Polydrug trajectories were identified using latent class mixed modelling. To examine differences in self-reported and behavioral impulsivity two mixed multivariate analyses of covariance were used. Results: Three trajectories of substance use were found. The ‘Experimental use’ and the ‘Early use’ trajectories presented the lowest and highest impulsivity, respectively. Substance use increases in the ‘Telescoped used’ trajectory were associated with parallel increases in impulsivity. Conclusions: individuals with divergent patterns of substance use during adolescence differ in their impulsiveness, primarily in general impulsivity and sensation seeking. Present findings suggest the relevance of these facets as possible targets for interventions preventing the onset and escalation of substance use.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality [grant number MSSSI-12-2012/131] and by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [grant number BES-2015-073327

Decreasing Sleep-Time Blood Pressure Determined by Ambulatory Monitoring Reduces Cardiovascular Risk

ObjectivesWe investigated whether reduced cardiovascular risk is more related to the progressive decrease of asleep or awake blood pressure.BackgroundIndependent studies have concluded that elevated sleep-time blood pressure is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than awake or 24-h blood pressure means. However, the impact on cardiovascular risk of changes in these ambulatory blood pressure characteristics has not been properly investigated.MethodsWe prospectively studied 3,344 subjects (1,718 men and 1,626 women), 52.6 ± 14.5 years of age, during a median follow-up of 5.6 years. Those with hypertension at baseline were randomized to ingest all their prescribed hypertension medications upon awakening or ≥1 of them at bedtime. Blood pressure was measured for 48 h at baseline and again annually or more frequently (quarterly) if treatment adjustment was required.ResultsWith data collected at baseline, when asleep blood pressure was adjusted by awake mean, only the former was a significant predictor of outcome in a Cox proportional hazards model also adjusted for sex, age, and diabetes. Analyses of changes in ambulatory blood pressure during follow-up revealed a 17% reduction in cardiovascular risk for each 5-mm Hg decrease in asleep systolic blood pressure mean (p < 0.001), independently of changes in any other ambulatory blood pressure parameter.ConclusionsThe sleep-time blood pressure mean is the most significant prognostic marker of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Most importantly, the progressive decrease in asleep blood pressure, a novel therapeutic target that requires proper patient evaluation by ambulatory monitoring, was the most significant predictor of event-free survival. (Prognostic Value of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in the Prediction of Cardiovascular Events and Effects of Chronotherapy in Relation to Risk [the MAPEC Study]; NCT00295542