512 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Testosterone, Dominance, and Depression in Recently Married Couples
Dominance refers to the wide set of behaviors individuals engage in with the intention of achieving or maintaining social status. Considering the relevance of these behaviors in the dynamics of close relationships, this study examined relations among testosterone, dominance, and the emotional health of a total of 225 opposite sex newlywed couples. An original measure of dominance was developed that accounted for both positive and negative manifestations, as well as situational and dispositional qualities of these status-promoting behaviors. Structural equation analyses revealed that dominance behaviors predict depression for both wives and husbands, and that positive and negative aspects of dominance contribute differently to spouses’ depression. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were related to reports of more dispositional hostility for both husbands and wives, as well as to greater submission during a conflict situation. In turn, greater assertiveness was related to fewer depressive symptoms for both husbands and wives. A subset of dominance behaviors reflecting spouses’ appraisals of having had more power, influence, and control relative to their partners during the conflict interaction, exclusively predicted more depressive symptoms for wives. Finally, lower levels of testosterone were indirectly associated with more depressive symptoms for husbands, and this relation was partially mediated by dominance behaviors. Implications of our findings, as well as limitations, are discussed in light of the existent literature and directions for future research on the interpersonal and biological aspects of marital well-being are considered
Neuromodulation in eating disorders and obesity: A promising way of treatment?
Neuromodulation can affect the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS), and emotional/eating behavior is an exciting facet of that functioning. Therefore, it would be possible to offer an alternative (or complement) treatment to psychotropic medications and different psychological and nutritional approaches to both eating disorders (EDs) and obesity. Although there are a number of publications in these areas, a systematic review has not been conducted to date. Abstracts, letters, conference reports, dissertations, and reviews were excluded. Clinical trials and controlled human clinical trials were filtered and included in this study. Articles included were based on the population suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge ED, overweight, and obesity. No restrictions were placed on the sample size. Only trials investigating the effect of neuromodulation by means of deep brain stimulation (DBS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were included. The following databases were used to conduct the search: MEDLINE/ PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, and Cochrane (Search Trials, CENTRAL). Study selection was performed following the PRISMA process (PRISMA 2009 Checklist). The total number of participants in all the trials was 562 (DBS, 25; tDCS, 138; TMS, 399; range, 3–90; median, 23.5). As a result, 50% of the studies had samples of between 14 and 38 participants. Neuromodulation in ED seems to have certain clinical potential, and therefore, this is a promising area for further research. Developments in ED neuromodulation will be linked to neuroimaging to identify potential stimulation targets and possible biomarkers of treatment response. To date, TMS and/or direct current stimulation (DCS) is not the first-line treatment yet, but it could become a preferred option of treatment in the future. Further studies should avoid small sample sizes and the use of different methodologies. Currently, neuromodulation techniques are in the experimental phase, and they are not an evidence-based treatment for ED
Disseny i construcció d'un robot de tall tèxtil
En aquesta memòria s’exposa el procés i estudi per a dissenyar i construir una màquina CNC
per al tall de patrons de confecció sobre tela. El projecte s’emmarca dins la filosofia maker, i
pretén contribuir a fer accessible el món de l’enginyeria, especialment els aparells electrònics, a l’usuari. En aquest sentit, i per a dur-lo a terme, s’han prioritzat programes i fonts de lliure accés. Per altra banda i donat que l’àmbit de la confecció de roba no s’acostuma a entrellaçar amb el món maker, també ha representat un estímul afegit aportar un projecte com aquest a plataformes destinades a compartir projectes DIY, i d’aquesta manera, contribuir en la mesura del possible ampliar l’abast d’aquest tipus de propostes. Per al disseny de l’aparell i s’han adaptat i configurat per a la tasca definida altres projectes creats i compartits en línia en format lliure. Al llarg de la memòria queden definits i justificats els canvis i adaptacions que s’hi han realitzat. Per tal de facilitar la rèplica de la màquina CNC per a tall de tela, i facilitar-ne l’abast del seu ús, s’adjunta al document una guía on s’indiquen els passos a seguir per tal de replicar-la. Es conclou el projecte amb un aparell en versió inicial i òbviament, s’obren les portes a segurs i desitjables propostes de milloraObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructura::9.b - Donar suport al desenvolupament de tecnologies, investigació i innovació nacionals als països en desenvolupament, garantint també un entorn normatiu propici a la diversificació industrial i l’addició de valor als productes bàsics, entre d’altre
Neural correlates of phonological, orthographic and semantic reading processing in dyslexia
Developmental dyslexia is one of the most prevalent learning disabilities, thought to be associated with dysfunction in the neural systems underlying typical reading acquisition. Neuroimaging research has shown that readers with dyslexia exhibit regional hypoactivation in left hemisphere reading nodes, relative to control counterparts. This evidence, however, comes from studies that have focused only on isolated aspects of reading. The present study aims to characterize left hemisphere regional hypoactivation in readers with dyslexia for the main processes involved in successful reading: phonological, orthographic and semantic. Forty-one participants performed a demanding reading task during MRI scanning. Results showed that readers with dyslexia exhibited hypoactivation associated with phonological processing in parietal regions; with orthographic processing in parietal regions, Broca's area, ventral occipitotemporal cortex and thalamus; and with semantic processing in angular gyrus and hippocampus. Stronger functional connectivity was observed for readers with dyslexia than for control readers 1) between the thalamus and the inferior parietal cortex/ventral occipitotemporal cortex during pseudoword reading; and, 2) between the hippocampus and the pars opercularis during word reading. These findings constitute the strongest evidence to date for the interplay between regional hypoactivation and functional connectivity in the main processes supporting reading in dyslexia. Keywords: Dyslexia, Reading, Hypoactivation, Functional connectivity, Thalamus, Hippocampu
The Semen Microbiome and Semen Parameters in Healthy Stallions
Despite the advances in reproductive technology, there is still a considerable number of low sperm quality cases in stallions. Recent studies in humans have detected several seminal microflora–spermatozoa associations behind some idiopathic infertility cases. However, no studies are available on horses, and there is limited information on the microflora present in stallion ejaculates. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to examine associations to the presence of bacteria families with five sperm quality parameters: concentration, total number of spermatozoa, total and progressive motility, and DNA fragmentation. Samples were cryopreserved after their extraction. High-speed homogenization using grinding media was performed for cell disruption. Family identification was performed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Bacterial families were only considered if the relative abundance was higher than 1%. Only two families appeared to have a correlation with two sperm quality parameters. Peptoniphilaceae correlated positively with total sperm motility, whereas Clostridiales Incertae Sedis XI correlated negatively with progressive motility. No significant differences were found for the rest of the parameters. In conclusion, the seminal microbiome may affect spermatozoa activity. Our findings are based on statistical associations; thus, further studies are needed to understand the internal interactions between seminal flora and cells
Characterization of the seminal bacterial microbiome of healthy, fertile stallions using next-generation sequencing
High-throughput sequencing studies have shown the important role microbial communities play in the male reproductive tract, indicating differences in the semen microbial composition between fertile and infertile males. Most of these studies were made on human beings but little is known regarding domestic animals. Seminal bacteria studies made in stallions mostly focus on pathogenic bacteria and on their impact on reproductive technology. However, little is known about stallion commensal seminal microflora. That ultimately hinders our capacity to associate specific bacteria to conditions or seminal quality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the seminal microbial composition of 12 healthy, fertile stallion using next-generation sequencing. Hypervariable region V3 was chosen for bacterial identification. A total of nine phyla was detected. The most abundant ones were Bacteroidetes (46.50%), Firmicutes (29.92%) and Actinobacteria (13.58%). At family level, we found 69 bacterial families, but only nine are common in all samples. Porphyromonadaceae (33.18%), Peptoniphilaceae (14.09%), Corynebacteriaceae (11.32%) and Prevotellaceae (9.05%) were the most representative ones, while the Firmicutes phylum displayed the highest number of families (23, a third of the total). Samples showed high inter-subject variability. Findings previously described in other species notably differ from our findings. Families found in human such as Lactobacillaceae, Staphylococcaceae and Streptococcaceae only represented a 0.00%, 0.17% and 0.22% abundance in our samples, respectively. In conclusion, Porphyromonadaceae, Prevotellaceae, Peptoniphilaceae and Corynebacteriaceae families are highly represented in the seminal microbiome of healthy, fertile stallions. A high variation among individuals is also observed
RECONSTRUCTING THE LATE MIOCENE PALEOENVIRONMENT OF NORTHWESTERN ARGENTINA: NEW SEDIMENTOLOGICAL AND FAUNISTIC EVIDENCE FROM THE PALO PINTADO FORMATION
The sedimentological characteristics and fossil vertebrates studies are notoriously increasing in the earth sciences field, as a way to infer reliable information about the biota and the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic context. In this framework, we establish relationships among the flora, fauna and the depositional environment during the Late Miocene in Northwestern Argentina. The sedimentology features are described in detail from sediments collected in the Quebrada Salta section, and the Xenarthra Cingulata Kraglievichia paranensis (Pampatheriidae) and Cranithlastus xibiensis (Glyptodontidae) are recorded for the first time in the Palo Pintado Formation (Salta Province, Argentina). The sedimentary observations support the presence of a sinuous sandy-gravel fluvial system with swamps and lacustrine, under a wet tropical climate. In this environment, the vertebrates here described would have inhabited open zones close to these freshwater bodies, predominated by xeric vegetation, mainly represented by grasses and sedges with scarce arboreous elements
Recommended from our members
Coupling between annual and ENSO timescales in the malaria-climate association in Colombia.
We present evidence that the El Niño phenomenon intensifies the annual cycle of malaria cases for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in endemic areas of Colombia as a consequence of concomitant anomalies in the normal annual cycle of temperature and precipitation. We used simultaneous analyses of both variables at both timescales, as well as correlation and power spectral analyses of detailed spatial (municipal) and temporal (monthly) records. During "normal years," endemic malaria in rural Colombia exhibits a clear-cut "normal" annual cycle, which is tightly associated with prevalent climatic conditions, mainly mean temperature, precipitation, dew point, and river discharges. During historical El Niño events (interannual time scale), the timing of malaria outbreaks does not change from the annual cycle, but the number of cases intensifies. Such anomalies are associated with a consistent pattern of hydrological and climatic anomalies: increase in mean temperature, decrease in precipitation, increase in dew point, and decrease in river discharges, all of which favor malaria transmission. Such coupling explains why the effect appears stronger and more persistent during the second half of El Niño's year (0), and during the first half of the year (+1). We illustrate this finding with data for diverse localities in Buenaventura (on the Pacific coast) and Caucasia (along the Cauca river floodplain), but conclusions have been found valid for multiple localities throughout endemic regions of Colombia. The identified coupling between annual and interannual timescales in the climate-malaria system shed new light toward understanding the exact linkages between environmental, entomological, and epidemiological factors conductive to malaria outbreaks, and also imposes the coupling of those timescales in public health intervention programs
Formación en energías renovables: Resultados obtenidos de experiencias con docentes técnicos de nivel medio
El trabajo presenta algunos de los resultados obtenidos de la experiencia de formación sobre el tema de las energías renovables de un grupo de docentes de escuelas técnicas de la provincia de Tucumán, en el marco del programa de formación “Profesorado en Educación Secundaria en Modalidad Técnico-profesional en Concurrencia con Título de Base“, que coordina el Instituto Nacional de Educación Técnica. El plan de estudio implementado tiene como principal objetivo la formación pedagógico-didáctica, y la actualización científico-tecnológica de los docentes que desarrollan sus actividades en escuelas técnicas de nivel secundario. El módulo Energías Renovables intenta que ellos cuenten con herramientas que le permitan insertar en la escuela la práctica del uso de estas energías no convencionales, y la propuesta de proyectos interdisciplinarios que conduzcan a acciones concretas de mejora en el propio entorno. El análisis y valoración de las posibles acciones arrojó como resultado un listado de planteos cuyas temáticas resultan muy variadas en función de las necesidades, objetivos y recursos de cada comunidad
- …