Quien tiene un hermano, tiene un tesoro: Análisis de las relaciones fraternales cuando un hermano tiene trastorno del espectro autista

Treball Final de Grau en Psicologia. Codi: PS1048. Curs acadèmic: 2016/2017Las relaciones entre hermanos suponen el primer contacto con el mundo social y varían en función de distintas características, como el orden de nacimiento, la edad, y la existencia de una diversidad funcional en la fratría. Por esto, el presente estudio busca analizar estas influencias cuando uno de los hermanos tiene Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA). La muestra estuvo formada por 20 madres (11 en el grupo TEA y 9 en el grupo control), y 4 padres (2 en cada grupo), y las edades de sus hijos estaban comprendidas entre los 2 y 21 años. Se utilizó el cuestionario Sibling Inventory of Behaviour (SIB) para medir la relación, además de una subescala añadida que concretaba aspectos del TEA. En el estudio cuantitativo, los datos señalaron que los hermanos del grupo TEA puntuaron más alto en Agresividad que el grupo control. Además, en función de la edad, los hermanos del grupo TEA presentaron niveles más altos de Evitación con respecto al grupo control cuando el hermano con TEA era el mayor. En el análisis cualitativo de dos pares de gemelos del grupo TEA, se observó una peor relación a nivel general de la pareja de gemelos pequeños. Estos resultados ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de comprensión del TEA por parte del hermano neurotípico.Sibling relationships serve as a first contact with the social world and they change depending on some characteristics as bith order, age, and the existence of functional diversity in one of the children. Due to this reason, the main objective of this study is to analyse that influences when one of the siblings has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 20 mothers (11 from ASD group and 9 from control group) and 4 parents (2 for both groups) participated in the study, and their children ages ranged between 2 and 21 years. Sibling Inventory of Behaviour (SIB) was used to measure the sibling relationship, and it was also added a subscale with ASD characteristics. Quantitative analysis showed that siblings of ASD children had greater Aggression scores than control group. Furthermore, regarding the age, ASD siblings had greater Avoidance scores compared to control group when ASD child was the older sibling. Qualitative analysis between twin siblings of ASD group showed that younger twins had a worse relationship compared to other groups. The results of this researchemnt reveal that neurotypical child need to understand ASD characteristics

Factors influencing participation in colorectal cancer screening programs in Spain

To analyze the sociodemographic and organizational factors influencing participation in population-based colorectal cancer screening programs (CRCSP) in Spain, a retrospective study was conducted in a cohort of people invited to participate in the first 3 screening rounds of 6 CRCSP from 2000 to 2012. Mixed logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic and organizational factors, such as the type of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) used and the FOBT delivery type. The analysis was performed separately in groups (Initial screening-first invitation, Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders, Subsequent invitation-regular, Subsequent invitation-irregular intervals). The results showed that, in the Initial screening-first invitation group, participation was higher in women than in men in all age groups (OR 1.05 in persons aged 50–59 years and OR 1.12 in those aged 60–69 years). Participation was also higher when no action was required to receive the FOBT kit, independently of the type of screening (Initial screening-first invitation [OR 2.24], Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders [OR 2.14], Subsequent invitation-regular [OR 2.03], Subsequent invitation-irregular intervals [OR 9.38]) and when quantitative rather than qualitative immunological FOBT (FIT) was offered (Initial screening-first invitation [OR 0.70], Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders [OR 0.12], Subsequent invitation-regular [OR 0.20]) or guaiac testing (Initial screening-first invitation [OR 0.81], Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders [OR 0.88], Subsequent invitation-regular [OR 0.73]). In conclusion, the results of this study show that screening participation could be enhanced by inclusion of the FOBT kit with the screening invitation and the use of the quantitative FIT.This Project was funded by the Fondo de Investigación Sanitario with cofunding from FEDER [PI12/00944

Ikaros-1 couples cell cycle arrest of late striatal precursors with neurogenesis of enkephalinergic neurons.

During central nervous system development, several transcription factors regulate the differentiation of progenitor cells to postmitotic neurons. Here we describe a novel role for Ikaros-1 in the generation of late-born striatal neurons. Our results show that Ikaros-1 is expressed in the boundary of the striatal germinal zone (GZ)/mantle zone (MZ), where it induces cell cycle arrest of neural progenitors by up-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKi) p21(Cip1/Waf1). This effect is coupled with the neuronal differentiation of late precursors, which in turn is critical for the second wave of striatal neurogenesis that gives rise to matrix neurons. Consistently, Ikaros(-/-) mice had fewer striatal projecting neurons and, in particular, enkephalin (ENK)-positive neurons. In addition, overexpression of Ikaros-1 in primary striatal cultures increases the number of calbindin- and ENK-positive neurons. Our results also show that Ikaros-1 acts downstream of the Dlx family of transcription factors, insofar as its expression is lost in Dlx1/2 double knockout mice. However, we demonstrate that Ikaros-1 and Ebf-1 independently regulate the final determination of the two populations of striatal projection neurons of the matrix compartment, ENK- and substance P-positive neurons. In conclusion, our findings identify Ikaros-1 as a modulator of cell cycle exit of neural progenitors that gives rise to the neurogenesis of ENK-positive striatal neurons.We thank M.T. Mun ̃oz, A. Lo ́pez, T. Gil, and M. Bonete for technical support and Dr. Maria Calvo and Anna Bosch from the confocal microscopy unit at the Serveis Cientı ́fico-Te`cnics (Universitat de Barcelona) for their sup-port and advice on confocal techniques. We also thank Dr.K. Campbell for providing Dlx5/6Cre-IRES-EGFP trans-genic mice, Dr. Rudolf Grosschedl for Ebf1–/– mice, and Dr.Susan Winandy for Ikaros constructs. We are also very grateful to Robin Rycroft for the English language revisionS

Molecular characterization of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and medical treatment related-genes in non-functioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumors

Different medical therapies have been developed for pituitary adenomas. However, Non-Functioning Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors (NF-PitNET) have shown little response to them. Furthermore, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been linked to resistance to medical treatment in a significant number of tumors, including pituitary adenomas. We aimed to evaluate the expression of EMT-related markers in 72 NF-PitNET and 16 non-tumoral pituitaries. To further explore the potential usefulness of medical treatment for NF-PitNET we assessed the expression of somatostatin receptors and dopamine-associated genes. We found that SNAI1, SNAI2, Vimentin, KLK10, PEBP1, Ki-67 and SSTR2 were associated with invasive NF-PitNET. Furthermore, we found that the EMT phenomenon was more common in NF-PitNET than in GH-secreting pituitary tumors. Interestingly, PEBP1 was overexpressed in recurrent NF-PitNET, and could predict growth recurrence with 100% sensitivity but only 43% specificity. In parallel with previously reported studies, SSTR3 is highly expressed in our NF-PitNET cohort. However, SSTR3 expression is highly heterogeneous among the different histological variants of NF-PitNET with very low levels in silent corticotroph adenomas. NF-PitNET showed an enhanced EMT phenomenon. SSTR3 targeting could be a good therapeutic candidate in NF-PitNET except for silent corticotroph adenomas, which express very low levels of this receptor. In addition, PEBP1 could be an informative biomarker of tumor regrowth, useful for predictive medicine in NF-PitNET

How does neighbourhood socio-economic status affect the interrelationships between functioning dimensions in first episode of psychosis? A network analysis approach

The links between psychosis and socio-economic disadvantage have been widely studied. No previous study has analysed the interrelationships and mutual influences between functioning dimensions in first episode of psychosis (FEP) according to their neighbourhood household income, using a multidimensional and transdiagnostic perspective. 170 patients and 129 controls, participants in an observational study (AGES-CM), comprised the study sample. The WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) was used to assess functioning, whereas participants' postcodes were used to obtain the average household income for each neighbourhood, collected by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). Network analyses were conducted with the aim of defining the interrelationships between the different dimensions of functioning according to the neighbourhood household income. Our results show that lower neighbourhood socioeconomic level is associated with lower functioning in patients with FEP. Moreover, our findings suggest that “household responsibilities” plays a central role in the disability of patients who live in low-income neighbourhoods, whereas “dealing with strangers” is the most important node in the network of patients who live in high-income neighbourhoods. These results could help to personalize treatments, by allowing the identification of potential functioning areas to be prioritized in the treatment of FEP according to the patient's neighbourhood characteristic

COVID-19 outbreaks in a transmission control scenario: challenges posed by social and leisure activities, and for workers in vulnerable conditions, Spain, early summer 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 community-wide transmission declined in Spain by early May 2020, being replaced by outbreaks and sporadic cases. From mid-June to 2 August, excluding single household outbreaks, 673 outbreaks were notified nationally, 551 active (>6,200 cases) at the time. More than half of these outbreaks and cases coincided with: (i) social (family/friends’ gatherings or leisure venues) and (ii) occupational (mainly involving workers in vulnerable conditions) settings. Control measures were accordingly applied

Pasados y presente. Estudios para el profesor Ricardo García Cárcel

Ricardo García Cárcel (Requena, 1948) estudió Historia en Valencia bajo el magisterio de Joan Reglà, con quien formó parte del primer profesorado de historia moderna en la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. En esta universidad, desde hace prácticamente cincuenta años, ha desarrollado una extraordinaria labor docente y de investigación marcada por un sagaz instinto histórico, que le ha convertido en pionero de casi todo lo que ha estudiado: las Germanías, la historia de la Cataluña moderna, la Inquisición, las culturas del Siglo de Oro, la Leyenda Negra, Felipe II, Felipe V, Austrias y Borbones, la guerra de la Independencia, la historia cultural, los mitos de la historia de España... Muy pocos tienen su capacidad para reflexionar, ordenar, analizar, conceptualizar y proponer una visión amplia y llena de matices sobre el pasado y las interpretaciones historiográficas. A su laboriosidad inimitable se añade una dedicación sin límites en el asesoramiento de alumnos e investigadores e impulsando revistas, dosieres, seminarios o publicaciones colectivas. Una mínima correspondencia a su generosidad lo constituye este volumen a manera de ineludible agradecimiento

Optimal cut-off value for detecting colorectal cancer with fecal immunochemical tests according to age and sex

In the fecal immunological test, a suitable cut-off value may be selected to classify results as either positive or negative. Our aim is to estimate the optimal cut-off value for detecting colorectal cancer in different age and sex groups. This is a multicentric retrospective cohort study of participants in CRC screening programs with FIT between 2006 and 2012. A total of 545,505 participations were analyzed. Cancers diagnosed outside of the program were identified after a negative test result (IC_test) up until 2014. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare fecal hemoglobin levels. ROC curves were used to identify the optimal cut-off value for each age and sex group. Screening program results were estimated for different cut-off values. The results show that the Hb concentration was higher in colorectal cancer (average = 179.6μg/g) vs. false positives (average = 55.2μg/g), in IC_test (average = 3.1μg/g) vs. true negatives (average = 0μg/g), and in men (average = 166.2μg/g) vs. women (average = 140.2μg/g) with colorectal cancer. The optimal cut-off values for women were 18.3μg/g (50-59y) and 14.6μg/g (60-69y), and 16.8μg/g (50-59y) and 19.9μg/g (60-69y) for men. Using different cut-off values for each age and sex group lead to a decrease in the IC_test rate compared to the 20μg/g cut-off value (from 0.40‰ to 0.37‰) and an increase in the false positive rate (from 6.45% to 6.99%). Moreover, test sensitivity improved (90.7%), especially in men and women aged 50-59y (89.4%; 90%) and women aged 60-69y (90.2%). In conclusion, the optimal cut-off value varies for different sex and age groups and the use of an optimal cut-off value for each group improves sensitivity and leads to a small decrease in IC_tests, but also to a larger increase in false positives.This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, co-founded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) [PI15/02108]. https://www.isciii.es

Acciones destinadas a la adquisición de competencias en modalidad online. Las asignaturas de materiales de construcción aplicadas a la ingeniería civil

Ante la situación sanitaria provocada por la COVID-19, gran parte de las asignaturas se han tenido que adaptar, de forma urgente y sin el tiempo necesario para analizar rigurosamente la metodología, a la modalidad online o modalidad dual. Esto ha planteado nuevos retos a la hora de la adquisición de competencias del estudiantado, ya que los actuales planes de estudios están diseñados para que cada una de las actividades, ayuden en la adquisición tanto de las competencias transversales como de las específicas. Este problema es más acusado en aquellas asignaturas que plantean un elevado número de horas de la actividad “Prácticas de laboratorio” por ello el interés de plantear un diseño diferente e innovador a la hora de realizar esta actividad en caso de tratarse de modalidad online o dual

Diagnóstico y mejora de las asignaturas de prácticas externas del Grado en Ingeniería Civil

Las asignaturas “Prácticas externas” (I y II) del Grado en Ingeniería Civil presentan una gran demanda dentro de las asignaturas optativas ofertadas en este grado. Estas asignaturas se ofertan como optativas fuera del itinerario durante el cuarto curso y tienen como principal objetivo el realizar un periodo práctico en una empresa siempre en relación directa con los contenidos impartidos en la titulación. Sin embargo, y a pesar de intentar que los alumnos acaben obteniendo las competencias requeridas tanto por las asignaturas como por la titulación, la diversidad de las empresas que ofrecen estancias prácticas a los alumnos tienen un gran abanico de perfiles con lo que muchas veces es difícil evaluar si el alumno ha adquirido las competencias una vez superadas las asignaturas. De todo ello, conociendo las competencias adquiridas y el perfil de las empresas, se puede evaluar y mejorar tanto el perfil de las empresas como los trabajos que en ellas deberían desarrollar los alumnos para el correcto proceso de aprendizaje ofertado en las guías docentes