Relación entre estrés y depresión. Análisis de sus bases neurobiológicas

Trabajo Fin de Grado, curso 2014-2015[ES]Contextualización: el estrés, un tema central en Psicobiología, constituye un conjunto de respuestas fisiológicas, emocionales y conductuales ante situaciones que amenazan la homeostasis del organismo. La depresión es un trastorno del estado de ánimo altamente incapacitante y caracterizado principalmente por afectos negativos y pérdida de la capacidad para sentir interés o placer. Ambos fenómenos han sido ampliamente estudiados, pero los mecanismos neurobiológicos implicados no están claros. Objetivo: el propósito de este trabajo es clarificar las relaciones entre estrés y depresión, prestando especial atención a sus mecanismos neurobiológicos. Metodología: se revisaron a texto completo 67 artículos científicos publicados entre 2000 y 2015. Resultados: el estrés crónico provoca cambios neurobiológicos consistentes en la reducción de la actividad del córtex prefrontal y el incremento de la actividad de estructuras límbicas como la amígdala y el hipocampo como consecuencia del incremento en los niveles de glucocorticoides. La depresión también implica cambios en dichas estructuras: hipoactivación prefrontal y del hipocampo e hiperactivación amigdalina, que suponen a su vez un factor de riesgo de mayor vulnerabilidad a estresores, afectando incluso al funcionamiento del sistema inmunitario. Conclusiones: la evidencia disponible define mecanismos neurobiológicos consistentes con una relación bidireccional entre estrés y depresión. Discusión: se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas y se propone la conceptualización de la depresión como una sobreactivación de la respuesta de estrés asociada a mayores niveles de glucocorticoides

Evaluating mountain goat dairy systems for conversion to the organic model, using a multicriteria method

Organic farming conserves natural resources, promotes biodiversity, guarantees animal welfare and obtains healthy products from raw materials through natural processes. In order to evaluate possibilities of increasing organic animal production, this study proposes a farm-scale multicriteria method for assessing the conversion of dairy goat systems to the organic model. In addition, a case study in the Northern Sierra of Seville, southern Spain, is analysed. A consensus of expert opinions and a field survey are used to validate a list of potential indicators and issues for assessing the conversion, which consider not only the European Community regulations for organic livestock farming, but also agroecological principles. As a result, the method includes 56 variables integrated in nine indicators: Nutritional management, Sustainable pasture management, Soil fertility and contamination, Weed and pest control, Disease prevention, Breeds and reproduction, Animal welfare, Food safety and Marketing and management. The nine indicators are finally integrated in a global index named OLPI (Organic Livestock Proximity Index). Application of the method to a case study with 24 goat farms reveals an OLPI value of 46.5% for dairy goat farms located in mountain areas of southern Spain. The aspects that differ most from the agroecological model include soil management, animal nutrition and product marketing. Results of the case study indicate that the proposed method is easy to implement and is useful for quantifying the approximation of conventional farms to an organic model

Mercado Mundial de Competencias Laborales

Las competencias laborales han tomado mayor relevancia en las últimas décadas donde las organizaciones modernas bajo el paradigma de la economía del conocimiento han incrementado la demanda de personal con habilidades que les garanticen niveles significativos de diferenciación y competitividad. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar las competencias laborales más solicitadas a nivel mundial mediante el Análisis de Redes Sociales (ARS), con la finalidad de identificar tanto a las regiones con mayor grado de co-ocurrencias como a los países con mayor concentración de competencias para determinar si se encuentran dentro del grupo de ingresos altos. También se presenta una red de co-ocurrencias entre países que permite valorar las sinergias regionales y las posibilidades de diversificación de las competencias laborales para el caso de México. Los hallazgos indican que Europa es la región de ingresos altos con mayor grado de co-ocurrencias regionales con Norteamérica y Asia Pacífico, mientras que la región de Latinoamérica y el Caribe se encuentra desvinculada de la red. Se detectan países del grupo de ingresos altos y de Europa dentro del top diez con una mayor concentración de competencias laborales, a excepción de Singapur, perteneciente a la región Asia Pacífico, con quien México presenta una sinergia regional

Use of the fractal dimension to differentiate epithelium and connective tissue in oral leukoplakias

Background: Oral leukoplakia (OL) is considered one of the most common potentially malignant oral disorders (OPMD), with a verified increased risk of developing oral cancer. The identification of the dysplasia grade (low–high) is the only consolidated factor used to evaluate this risk. The objective of this study was to verify the role of the fractal dimension (FD) in assessing this dysplasia. Methods: To begin, 29 OL and 10 normal oral mucosa (NOM) biopsies were retrieved for FD analysis of the epithelial (dime) and the connective (dimc) tissue. Results: In the OL group, the median value of dime is higher (1.67, IQR = 0.12) than for the NOM group (1.56, IQR = 0.08), with statistically significant differences (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.0031). There were no differences in relation to dimc. Significant differences were observed between the non-dysplasia vs. high-grade (p = 0.0156) and low-grade vs. high-grade (p = 0.0049) groups. No significant differences were identified in relation to dimc for the different degrees of dysplasia. For a cut-off point of 1.44 of dime, a specificity of 96.6% was obtained, a sensitivity of 100%, and an AUC = 0.819 (p = 0.003). Conclusions: FD at the level of the epithelium may be used as a diagnostic tool in OLThis research was funded by Santiago de Compostela UniversityS

Perfil de compuestos fenólicos y actividad antioxidante de Rhynchostele rossii (Orchidaceae) silvestre y cultivada in vitro

Background and Aims: Rhynchostele rossii is an orchid native to Mexico known as gallinitas (little chickens) that is threatened due to overexploitation for ornamental purposes, as a consequence of which it is necessary to realize efforts for its conservation. To date there are no reports of phytochemical studies of this orchid, although it is well known that species of the Orchidaceae family are a good source of bioactive and nutraceutical compounds (e. g. vanillin). Therefore, the main objective of this research was to establish a R. rossii in vitro germination protocol for propagation and determination of phenolic compounds that contribute to its phytochemical knowledge.Methods: A specimen of a wild plant and some seedlings obtained by in vitro culture were dried, milled and their components extracted with MeOH; anti-free radical activity (DPPH), total phenols and flavonoids were determined by spectrophotometric methods, and individual phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS).Key results: The root of the wild plant showed the highest content of total phenols and flavonoids with 121.60 mg GAE g-1 and 108.73 mg CE g-1, respectively, and the best anti-free radical activity with an IC50 53.63 μg ml-1. Extracts from seedlings obtained by in vitro culture also produced phenolic compounds, showing a total phenolic and flavonoid content of 37.35 mg GAE g-1 and 0.16 mg CE g-1, respectively. One coumarin (scopoletin) , three cinnamic acids (4-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and trans-cinnamic acid), three benzoic acids (vanillic acid, vanillin and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid) and three flavonoids (quercetin-3-D-galactoside, quercetin-3-glucoside and kaempferide) were identified and quantified by LC-MS.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that R. rossii is a potential source of antioxidant metabolites that can be obtained by in vitro culture, without harming the wild specimens.Antecedentes y Objetivos: Rhynchostele rossii es una orquídea nativa de México conocida como gallinitas, que está amenazada debido a su sobreexplotación con fines ornamentales, lo que hace necesario realizar esfuerzos para su conservación. A la fecha, no hay estudios fitoquímicos de esta orquídea, aunque se sabe que las especies de la familia Orchidaceae son una buena fuente de compuestos bioactivos y nutracéuticos (p. ej. vainillina). Por lo anterior, el objetivo principal de esta investigación fue establecer el protocolo de geminación in vitro de R. rossii para la propagación de la especie y la determinación de compuestos fenólicos que contribuyan al conocimiento fitoquímico de esta planta.Métodos: Un ejemplar silvestre y algunas plántulas obtenidas por cultivo in vitro se secaron, molieron y extrajeron con MeOH; se determinó la actividad de anti-radicales libres (DPPH), fenoles y flavonoides totales por métodos espectrofotométricos y algunos fenoles se identificaron y cuantificaron por cromatografía de líquidos acoplada a espectrometría de masas (LC-MS).Resultados clave: La raíz de la planta silvestre mostró el mayor contenido de fenoles y flavonoides totales con 121.60 mg GAE g-1, y 108.73 mg CE g-1, respectivamente, y la mejor actividad anti-radicales libres con una IC50 de 53.63 μg ml-1. Los extractos de las plántulas obtenidas in vitro también produjeron compuestos fenólicos, mostrando un contenido de fenoles y flavonoides totales de 37.35 mg GAE g-1 y 0.16 mg CE g-1, respectivamente, mientras que por LC-MS se identificaron y cuantificaron una cumarina (escopoletina), tres ácidos cinámicos (ácido 4-cumárico, ácido ferúlico y ácido trans-cinamico), tres ácidos benzoicos (ácido vainillico, vainillina y acido 4-hidroxibenzoico) y tres flavonoides (quercetina-3-D-galactósido, quercetina-3-glucósido y kaempferide).Conclusiones: Este estudio muestra que R. rossii es una fuente potencial de metabolitos antioxidantes que pueden obtenerse mediante cultivo in vitro, sin perjudicar a los ejemplares silvestres

Prospective plan for the agricultural development in the Colombian regions starting from the post-conflict up to the year 2025

The current text, which was derived from research, introduces t he results of the prospective analysis for the agricultural development in the Colombian regions, with a view of a possible agreement, as a result of the current (2014) peace negotiations between the FARC-EP guerrilla forces and the Colombian government, an agreement which, in the event of its being signed, would let the Colombian society enter into what by now has been called post-conflict. In this text, some possible scenarios are projected to the year 2025; four possible scenarios, two alternate ones, which are identified as: Average Welfare and Surviving, a catastrophic scenario known as Absolute Poverty, and our bet stage: Peace and Prosperity.El presente texto derivado de investigación, presenta los resultados del análisis prospectivo para el desarrollo agrario de las regiones colombianas, de cara a un posible acuerdo fruto de las actuales (2014) negociaciones de Paz entre la guerrilla de las Farc-EP y el Gobierno Colombiano, acuerdo que de firmarse permitiría a la sociedad Colombiana entrar en lo que por ahora se ha denominado posconflicto. En este texto se proyectan posibles escenarios al año 2025; nos planteamos 4 posibles escenarios, dos alternos identificados como: Bienestar a Media y Sobreviviendo, un escenario catastrófico denominado Pobreza Absoluta y nuestro escenario apuesta: Paz y Prosperidad

Capillary electrophoresis as a tool for genotyping SH3 mediated coffee leaf rust resistance

Coffee is an important agricultural commodity in the world. However, it is susceptible to Hemileia vastatrix (Hv), an obligatory biotrophic fungus that causes coffee leaf rust (CLR). Natural resistance to rust has been identified in the wild species Coffea canephora and Coffea liberica. These species have been used in breeding programs where interspecific resistant hybrids have been generated. The SH3 gene, derived from C. liberica, has been shown to confer extreme and long-lasting resistance to Hv. A total of 167 accessions of the INIA’s Coffee Germplasm Collection of Peru (INIA-CGC) were screened with 4 markers linked to the SH3 gene. As positive controls, EA67 (C. liberica) and the hybrid S.288 (C. arabica x C. liberica) were used. Separation of PCR products was done by capillary electrophoresis, which allow to discriminate the alleles of each marker. For three markers, specific alleles for either C. arabica or C. liberica species were found. In all cases, S.288 exhibited specific alleles for both species; whereas the INIA-CGC accessions had exclusively C. arabica alleles and EA67 had C. liberica alleles. The BA-48-21O-f marker did not produce PCR fragments for any of the positive controls, suggesting that this marker is not as predictive as the other three to determine the presence of SH3. This work reports the existence of multiple alleles for the Sat244 marker; however, the collection does not have the SH3 mediated-resistance gene. Finally, the utility of capillary electrophoresis as a tool to identify alleles linked to SH3 was demonstrated

Physics-Informed Neural Networks for an optimal counterdiabatic quantum computation

We introduce a novel methodology that leverages the strength of Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) to address the counterdiabatic (CD) protocol in the optimization of quantum circuits comprised of systems with $N_{Q}$ qubits. The primary objective is to utilize physics-inspired deep learning techniques to accurately solve the time evolution of the different physical observables within the quantum system. To accomplish this objective, we embed the necessary physical information into an underlying neural network to effectively tackle the problem. In particular, we impose the hermiticity condition on all physical observables and make use of the principle of least action, guaranteeing the acquisition of the most appropriate counterdiabatic terms based on the underlying physics. The proposed approach offers a dependable alternative to address the CD driving problem, free from the constraints typically encountered in previous methodologies relying on classical numerical approximations. Our method provides a general framework to obtain optimal results from the physical observables relevant to the problem, including the external parameterization in time known as scheduling function, the gauge potential or operator involving the non-adiabatic terms, as well as the temporal evolution of the energy levels of the system, among others. The main applications of this methodology have been the $\mathrm{H_{2}}$ and $\mathrm{LiH}$ molecules, represented by a 2-qubit and 4-qubit systems employing the STO-3G basis. The presented results demonstrate the successful derivation of a desirable decomposition for the non-adiabatic terms, achieved through a linear combination utilizing Pauli operators. This attribute confers significant advantages to its practical implementation within quantum computing algorithms.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, 1 algorithm, 1 tabl

Mobiliario para el hogar fabricado con madera peruana sostenible

Viwood, es una marca dedicada al diseño y comercialización de mobiliarios para el hogar, fabricados con madera peruana sostenible, es decir, madera con certificación internacional FSC, la cual acredita el origen legal de la madera, conforme a la tipología de la materia prima. Asimismo, los mobiliarios Viwood son diseñados por profesionales de la industria y conceptualizados bajo un criterio de colección, seguido por un estricto control que asegura la calidad de nuestros mobiliarios. A su vez, el canal utilizado para la comercialización de los productos es a través de la tienda virtual de la marca. En tal sentido, el presente modelo de negocio fue concebido por la necesidad de los consumidores en adquirir mobiliarios de diseño, calidad y fabricados de manera sostenible, ya que nuestro target, hombres y mujeres de 28 a 39 años del nivel socioeconómico A/B que viven en la ciudad de Lima Metropolitana, mantienen una visión más responsable de los aspectos medioambientales y sociales, al estar plenamente conscientes del impacto que tienen sus hábitos de consumo en la sociedad y conforme a ello están más comprometidos con el entorno que los rodea. Por ello, Viwood se propone como una marca que no sólo responde a los gustos de nuestros clientes, sino también a sus preocupaciones e intereses, al unificar el diseño, la funcionalidad y el cuidado al medio ambiente, los cuales son los tres pilares de la marca para lograr una producción de mobiliarios en concordancia a las preferencias de los consumidores.Viwood is a brand dedicated to the design and marketing of home furnishings, which are manufactured with sustainable Peruvian wood, that is, wood with international FSC certification, which certifies the legal origin of the wood, according to the typology of the raw material. Likewise, Viwood furniture is designed by industry professionals and conceptualized under a collection criterion, followed by a strict control that ensures the quality of our furniture. In turn, the channel used to market the products is through the brand’s virtual store. In this sense, the present business model was conceived by the need of consumers to acquire designer, quality furniture manufactured in a sustainable manner, since our target, men and women between 28 and 39 years of socioeconomic level A/B who live in the city of Lima, maintain a more responsible vision of environmental and social aspects, being fully aware of the impact that their consumption habits have on society and, accordingly, they are more committed to the environment that surrounds them. For this reason, Viwood proposes itself as a brand that not only responds to the tastes of our customers, but also to their concerns and interests, by unifying design, functionality and care for the environment, which are the three pillars of the brand to achieve furniture production in accordance with consumer preferences.Trabajo de investigació

Predictors of vision impairment in Multiple Sclerosis.

Visual impairment significantly alters the quality of life of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The objective of this study was to identify predictors (independent variables) of visual outcomes, and to define their relationship with neurological disability and retinal atrophy when assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 119 consecutive patients with MS, assessing vision using high contrast visual acuity (LogMar), 2.5% and 1.25% low contrast visual acuity (Sloan charts), and color vision (Hardy-Rand-Rittler plates). Quality of vision is a patient reported outcome based on an individual's unique perception of his or her vision and was assessed with the Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25) with the 10 neuro-ophthalmologic items. MS disability was assessed using the expanded disability status scale (EDSS), the MS functional composite (MSFC) and the brief repetitive battery-neuropsychology (BRB-N). Retinal atrophy was assessed using spectral domain OCT, measuring the thickness of the peripapillar retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and the volume of the ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer (GCIPL). The vision of patients with MS was impaired, particularly in eyes with prior optic neuritis. Retinal atrophy (pRNFL and GCIPL) was closely associated with impaired low contrast vision and color vision, whereas the volume of the GCIPL showed a trend (p = 0.092) to be associated with quality of vision. Multiple regression analysis revealed that EDSS was an explanatory variable for high contrast vision after stepwise analysis, GCIPL volume for low contrast vision, and GCIPL volume and EDSS for color vision. The explanatory variables for quality of vision were high contrast vision and color vision. In summary, quality of vision in MS depends on the impairment of high contrast visual acuity and color vision due to the disease