Maternal and Neonatal Hair Cortisol Levels Are Associated with Infant Neurodevelopment at Six Months of Age

Background: Maternal stress during pregnancy can affect fetal development during certain sensitive periods. Objective: To longitudinally assess maternal hair cortisol levels during pregnancy, and the postpartum along with neonatal hair cortisol levels that could be associated with infant neurodevelopment at six months of age. Methods: A sample of 41 pregnant women longitudinally assessed during the first, second, and third trimester and the postpartum, along with their 41 full-term neonates participated in this study. Hair cortisol levels were assessed from participants. Infant neurodevelopment was assessed by means of the Bayley Scale of Infants Development, Third Edition at age six months. Results: Maternal hair cortisol levels in the first and second trimester accounted for 24% and 23%, respectively, of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Maternal hair cortisol levels during the postpartum accounted for 31% of variance of infant cognitive development (p < 0.05), and 25% of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Neonatal hair cortisol levels accounted for 28% of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The preconception and prenatal time are sensitive periods related to infant neurodevelopment along with the cortisol levels surrounding the fetus while in the womb. Pregnant women could be assessed for hair cortisol levels while attending a prenatal appointment.This work was supported by the I+D Project “PSI2015-63494-P” of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; co-supported by funds/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) a way to build Europe (MIPR). In addition, B.R.-G. has been awarded with an individual research grant (Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, FPI Program (research professional training Program), reference number BES-2016-077619)

El uso de la estimulación transcraneal de corriente directa (tDCS) en el tratamiento del dolor crónico: una revisión sistemática

Traballo de Fin de Grao en Psicoloxía. Modalidade 1 Traballos de revisión bibliográfica. Curso 2016-2017[ES] El dolor crónico actualmente es un problema a nivel mundial debido al gran número de personas que se ven afectadas por él. La principal problemática que afecta a los pacientes de dolor crónico es que en muchas ocasiones los tratamientos farmacológicos no son todo lo eficaces que se espera en la reducción del dolor. El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática es investigar la literatura existente sobre el tratamiento del dolor crónico mediante la estimulación transcraneal por corriente directa (tDCS) anódica o catódica para comprobar sus niveles de eficacia. Para ello, se realizó una búsqueda de bibliografía sistemática a partir de la cual se sleccionaron un total de 9 ensayos clínicos que utilizan este tratamiento en distintos tipos de dolor crónico. Tras la revisión de los artículos se observó que el tratamiento mediante tDCS anódica lleva a reducciones significativas de los niveles de dolor de los participantes, mientras que el tratamiento de tDCS catódica, si bien también ha conllevado resultados significativos, necesita ser más ampliamente estudiado. Por lo tanto, y gracias a los pocos efectos secundarios observados, se concluye que el tratamiento mediante estimulación transcraneal por corriente directa puede ser una alternativa eficaz y segura a los tratamientos farmacológicos, aunque son necesarios futuros estudios para profundizar en sus mecanismos de acción y analizar sus resultados a largo plazo.[EN] Chronic pain is nowadays a worldwide problem due to the huge amount of people that are affected by it. The main problem that affects chronic pain patients is that pharmacological treatments are not effective enough in reducing pain levels. The objective of the present systematic review is to investigate the existing literature about the use of anodal or cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain to prove its efficacy levels. A total of 9 clinical trials where this treatment was used to treat different kinds of chronic pain are reviewed. After performing the review, it is shown that anodal tDCS leads to significative reductions of participants’ levels of pain, while cathodal tDCS, even though has also lead to significative reductions of pain, needs to be more studied. Therefore, and thanks to the few side effects that were observed, the conclusion of this systematic review is that tDCS can be a good and safe alternative to pharmacological treatments, although future researches are needed to deepen in its action mechanisms and long-term results

Therapeutic Applications and Effects of Lupinus angustifolius (Blue Lupin) and Its Components: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Lupinus angustifolius has a unique nutrient profile among legumes and may have beneficial health effects when included in the diet. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological properties of blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius), its chemical components, and their relevance for monitoring biological and anthropometric health markers, including triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), BMI, weight, and glycemia, compared with control groups with other kinds of diets. PubMed,Web of Science, and Scopus databases, updated to December 2023, were searched. Out of the 194 studies identified, a total of 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comprising 302 participants met the eligibility criteria. The results of our study indicated that the blue lupin diet has a direct relationship with parameters such as blood glucose, weight, and LDL-C but not with TGs or BMI. In conclusion, the research described in this review clearly indicates that L. angustifolius may play an important role in the dietary prevention of hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Therefore, it would be highly advisable to increase its consumption in diets. However, further studies, ideally in humans, are required to truly establish L. angustifolius’s health-promoting properties

On the Internationalization of CAD Learning Through an English Glossary

Comunicació presentada al XXIX Congreso International INGEGRAF 2019 "La transformación Digital en la Ingeniería Gráfica” (20-21 Junio 2019, Logroño - La Rioja)The internationalization of higher education is an essential factor to improve the quality and efficiency of Spanish universities, providing students with the main skills, and knowledge to interact effectively in an international and multicultural work context as professionals. The internationalization of universities must be a transversal process, not exclusive of its territorial dimension, aimed at advancing towards a society and a knowledge economy that propitiate a solid and stable model of development and growth. To this end, professors in the area of Graphic Expression for Engineering at the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) have developed an online glossary of specific terms in English related to the 3D modelling CAD tools used in Graphic Engineering subjects. This new online tool seeks to train students to increase their technical vocabulary in English and improve their learning and communication skills to face possible collaborations in future European projects. The glossary is introduced weekly to the students during the course. Subsequently, a survey is conducted to the students to verify the effectiveness of the training. This work collects the results and conclusions of this analysis

Small companies facing the mobility policy in Spain: Is it profitable to remain in the market?

The parking sector in Spain has experienced a growing trend in recent years. At the same time, the level of market concentration has increased. One of the main reasons behind this phenomenon is due to the mobility policy established both at the national (Spain) and supranational (European Union) levels, which is based on environmental sustainability criteria. Increasingly, the possession of environmental certificates, widespread among large companies but not among small ones, is increasingly decisive to obtain a public parking tender. The objective of this work is to analyze whether small companies, which are a large number in the sector, have possibilities of continuing their activity in the market in the face of an increase in the degree of sustainability in mobility policies. For this purpose, the Real Options methodology will be used, applying an abandonment option for a period of 10 years. The results provide a high NPV value (€598,491.2) and a Real Options value, together with the exit option, of €630,341.9. The exit option contributes a growth of only 5.32% with respect to the NPV. Therefore, the option to stay in the market is an appropriate choice for decision-makers.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481A-2018/341Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B2018/095Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C2018/48Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431E2018/07Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RTI2018-099225-B-10

Training Engineers in the Use of Constraints to Create Quality 2D Pro les for 3D Models

Historically, different strategies utilized in engineering and technical graphics reflect growing concern about improvement in CAD instruction and the introduction of product quality data in curricular activities. Our vision was that early introduction of quality criteria through "good practices" is feasible and increases the quality, robustness, and reliability of CAD models. This paper describes a strategy applied to improve the knowledge of novice CAD users on the use of geometric constraints in 2D parametric profiles. This approach consists of supplementing student training with activities in order to provide rapid and effective feedback. A Chi-Squared Test was performed to assess the effectiveness of this strategy, indicating that trainees need continuous and additional autonomous learning to create quality 2D parametric pro les. Future work will include developments to promote student awareness of the need for quality in 3D models using an online checker that acts as a filter of semantic quality errors while providing feedback

Clinical and psychosocial assessment of older adults in a health care area

Introducción: el envejecimiento de la población mundial avanza a ritmo acelerado.Objetivo: de caracterizar aspectos clínico-epidemiológicos y psicosociales presentes en la tercera edad.Métodos: se realizó una investigación epidemiológica, descriptiva, exploratoria y de corte transversal, a la población de adultos mayores de dos consultorios del médico de la familia, que pertenecen al Policlínico Universitario Raúl Sánchez de Pinar del Río, en el periodo comprendido de enero 2020 a enero 2021. El universo estuvo conformado por 252 pacientes, que constituyen la totalidad de adultos mayores, de ambos sexos, que pertenecen a los consultorios del médico de la familia. La muestra estuvo constituida por 232 adultos mayores utilizándose un muestreo intencional por criterios. En la investigación se utilizó una encuesta que sirvió para obtener la información, aplicado a cada anciano.Resultados: en el estudio se obtuvo predominio del sexo femenino, en las edades comprendidas de65 a69 años; la escolaridad fue la primaria, y el estado civil casado de convivencia con familiares y buen funcionamiento familiar. Sobre los hábitos tóxicos predominó el hábito de fumar, y las enfermedades más frecuentes fueronla Hipertensiónyla CardiopatíaIsquémica, sobre los cuales hubo gran uso de medicamentos.Conclusiones: el envejecimiento de la población es un hecho palpable y nos acercamos a la mayor oleada de ancianos. Se comprobó el elevado índice de ancianos con la presencia de factores epidemiológicos relacionados a la vejez, y muy asociado a estos factores la presencia de aspectos psicosociales que deterioran la vida del adulto mayor.Introduction: the aging of the world population is advancing at an accelerated pace.Objective: to characterize clinical-epidemiological and psychosocial aspects present in the elderly.Methods: an epidemiological, descriptive and cross-sectional research was carried out on the elderly population of two family doctor's offices (CMF), belonging to the Raúl Sánchez University Polyclinic of Pinar del Río, during the period January 2020 to January 2021. The universe was made up of 252 patients, who constitute the totality of older adults who belong to the CMF. The sample consisted of 232 older adults using a purposive sampling by criteria. A survey was used to obtain the information.Results: the study showed a predominance of the female sex, between 65 and 69 years of age; schooling was primary school, and the marital status was married, living with family members and good family functioning. In terms of toxic habits, smoking predominated, and the most frequent diseases were hypertension and ischemic heart disease, for which there was a high use of medication.Conclusions: the aging of the population is a palpable fact and we are approaching the greatest wave of elderly people. The high rate of elderly people with the presence of epidemiological factors related to old age was proved, and closely associated to these factors the presence of psychosocial aspects that deteriorate the life of the elderly

Perceived Video Quality Estimation from Spatial and Temporal Information Contents and Network Performance Parameters in IPTV

The paper proposes a model for estimation of perceived video quality in IPTV, taking as input both video coding and network Quality of Service parameters. It includes some fitting parameters that depend mainly on the information contents of the video sequences. A method to derive them from the Spatial and Temporal Information contents of the sequences is proposed. The model may be used for near real-time monitoring of IPTV video quality

How prenatal cortisol levels may differentially affect the neurodevelopment of boys and girls

Producción CientíficaBackground: Prenatal stress could have serious consequences on maternal and fetal health. In this sense, some studies have stated that maternal HCC during pregnancy could contribute to sex-specific effects on infant neurodevelopment, following the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis. Aim: This study aimed to determine whether maternal hair cortisol concentration (HCC) during each trimester of pregnancy and postpartum could predict the neurodevelopmental outcomes of their 12-month-old offspring, with sex-specific differences considered. Study design: longitudinal. Subjects: The study involved 93 pregnant women and their babies. Outcome measure: Hair samples collected during each trimester and postpartum and The Bayley Scales for Infant Development III was used to assess the infants' abilities. Results: The results showed that maternal HCC during the first and second trimesters could predict language and motor abilities. However, when discriminated by sex, only females' cognitive, expressive language, and fine and gross motor skills were predicted by cortisol, not males. Conclusions: These findings support the idea that non-toxic levels of cortisol can positively influence infants' neurodevelopment

Metrizable ordinal proximity measures and their aggregation

Producción CientíficaOrdered qualitative scales formed by linguistic terms are frequently used for evaluating sets of alternatives in different decision-making problems. These scales are usually implicitly considered as uniform in the sense that the psychological proximity between consecutive terms is perceived as identical. However, sometimes agents can perceive different proximities between the linguistic terms of the scale, and an appropriate method is required for aggregating these perceptions. In this paper we introduce the notion of metrizable ordinal proximity measure, discuss some aggregation procedures and propose a method based on metrics for aggregating experts’ opinions on proximities between linguistic terms on ordered qualitative scales.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project ECO2016-77900-P