Social comparisons are associated with poorer and riskier financial decision making, no matter whether encounters are sporadic or repeated

Previous research suggests that social comparisons affect decision making under uncertainty. However, the role of the length of the social interaction for this relationship remains unknown. This experiment tests the effect of social comparisons on financial risk taking and how this effect is modulated by whether social encounters are sporadic or repeated. Participants carried out a computer task consisting of a series of binary choices between lotteries of varying profitability and risk, with real monetary stakes. After each decision, participants could compare their own payoff to that of a counterpart who made the same decision at the same time and whose choices/earnings did not affect the participants’ earnings. The design comprised three between-subjects treatments which differed in the nature of the social interaction: participants were informed that they would be matched with either (a) a different participant in each trial, (b) the same participant across all trials, or (c) a "virtual participant", i.e. a computer algorithm. Compared to the non-social condition (c), subjects in both social conditions (a and b) chose lotteries with lower expected value (z=-3.10, p<0.01) and higher outcome variance (z=2.13, p=0.03). However, no differences were found between the two social conditions (z=1.15, p=0.25 and z=0.35, p=0.73, respectively). These results indicate that social comparison information per se leads to poorer and riskier financial decisions, irrespective of whether or not the referent other is encountered repeatedly

Pulsating emission of droplets from an electrified meniscus.

A numerical description is given for the pulsating emission of droplets from an electrified meniscus of an inviscid liquid of infinite electrical conductivity which is injected at a constant flow rate into a region of uniform, continuous or time periodic, electric field. Under a continuous field, the meniscus attains a periodic regime in which bursts of tiny droplets are emitted from its tip. At low electric fields this regime consists of sequences of emission bursts interspersed with sequences of meniscus oscillations without droplet emission, while at higher fields the bursts occur periodically. These results are in qualitative agreement with experimental results in the literature. Under a time periodic electric field with square waveform, the electric stress that acts on the surface of the liquid while the field is on may generate a tip that emits tiny droplets or may accelerate part of the meniscus and lead to a second emission mode in which a few large droplets are emitted after the electric field is turned off. Conditions under which each emission mode or a combination of the two are realized are discussed for low frequency oscillatory fields. A simplified model is proposed for high electric field frequencies, of the order of the capillary frequency of the meniscus. This model allows computing the average emission rate as a function of the amplitude, duration and bias of the electric field square wave, and shows that droplet emission fails to follow the applied field above a certain frequenc

Endovascular treatment for acute basilar artery occlusion: Descriptive analysis of the experience in a comprehensive stroke centre

Objectives: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in Aragón, and to compare its anaesthetic management, technical effectivity, security, and prognosis with those of anterior circulation. Methods: 322 patients from the prospective registry of mechanical thrombectomies from Aragon were assessed: 29 with BAO and 293 with an anterior circulation large vessel occlusion. Baseline characteristics, procedural, clinical and safety outcomes variables were compared. Results: Out of 29 patients with BAO that underwent endovascular therapy (62.1% men; average age 69.8 ± 14.05 years) 18 (62.1%) received endovascular therapy (EVT) alone and 11 (37.9%) EVT plus intravenous thrombolysis. Atherothrombotic stroke was the most common etiology (41%). The BAO group had longer Door-to-groin (160 vs 141 min; P = 0.043) and Onset-to-reperfusion times (340 vs 297 min; P = 0.005), and higher use of general anaesthesia (60.7% vs 14.7%; P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was found for Procedure time (60 vs 50 min; P = 0.231) nor the rate of successful recanalization (72.4% vs 82.7%; P = 0.171). Functional independence at 90 days was significantly worse in the BAO group (17.9% vs 38.2%; P < 0.01). Conclusions: Patients with basilar artery occlusion had higher morbimortality despite similar angiographic results. Mechanical thrombectomy for BAOs is a safe and effective procedure in selected patients. A consensus about the effect of anaesthesia has yet to be reached, for BAO general anaesthesia remains the most frequently used technique

Neuroimagen y neurobiología de la adicción:un estudio sobre los cambios funcionales cerebrales en personas adictas a las cocaína

Decenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació de la FCHS (Any 2004-2005)El consumo crónica de cocaína produce una reducción de la dopamina en ciertas áreas cerebrales, provocando una alteración en este sistema. (Volkow y cols., 1999; Wu y cols., 1997). El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar mediante Resonancia Magnética Funcional, los efectos que el consumo crónico de cocaína provoca sobre el procesamiento emocional. Los participantes (10 pacientes adictos a la cocaína y 10 personas no adictas) realizaron una tarea de procesamiento emocional en la que visualizaban fotografías con contenido emocional positivo, negativo y neutro (Adaptación española del International Affective Pictures System, IAPS, moltó y cols. 2001) como fondo en un tarea de discriminación de letras. Los resultados muestran una menor activación en el núcleo accumbens, giro cingulado anterior y cortex orbitofrontal en personas adictas a la cocaína en comparación al grupo control, ante la visión de imágenes positivas. Mientras que, se observa una menor activación del giro cingulado anterior en pacientes en comparación a los controles, para la visión de imágenes negativas. Estos resultados sugieren que la tarea del IAPS es una buena tarea para activar áreas específicas de recompensa (N.acc y giro orbitofrontal). Y que los pacientes presentan una disfunción en el sistema de recompensa, lugar donde actúa la cocaína tras su administración, liberando dopamina. Esto podría tener como consecuencia una menor sensibilidad de estas personas para los reforzadores naturales

The incidence and clinical burden of respiratory syncytial virus disease identified through hospital outpatient presentations in Kenyan children

There is little information that describe the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated disease in the tropical African outpatient setting. Methods We studied a systematic sample of children aged <5 years presenting to a rural district hospital in Kenya with acute respiratory infection (ARI) between May 2002 and April 2004. We collected clinical data and screened nasal wash samples for RSV antigen by immunofluorescence. We used a linked demographic surveillance system to estimate disease incidence. Results Among 2143 children tested, 166 (8%) were RSV positive (6% among children with upper respiratory tract infection and 12% among children with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). RSV was more likely in LRTI than URTI (p<0.001). 51% of RSV cases were aged 1 year or over. RSV cases represented 3.4% of hospital outpatient presentations. Relative to RSV negative cases, RSV positive cases were more likely to have crackles (RR = 1.63; 95% CI 1.34–1.97), nasal flaring (RR = 2.66; 95% CI 1.40–5.04), in-drawing (RR = 2.24; 95% CI 1.47–3.40), fast breathing for age (RR = 1.34; 95% CI 1.03–1.75) and fever (RR = 1.54; 95% CI 1.33–1.80). The estimated incidence of RSV-ARI and RSV-LRTI, per 100,000 child years, among those aged <5 years was 767 and 283, respectively. Conclusion The burden of childhood RSV-associated URTI and LRTI presenting to outpatients in this setting is considerable. The clinical features of cases associated with an RSV infection were more severe than cases without an RSV diagnosis

ABO blood group phenotypes influence parity specific immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Malawian women

Background: Blood group O has been significantly associated with increased placental malaria infection in primiparae and reduced risk of infection in multiparae in the Gambia, an area with markedly seasonal malaria transmission. This study analyses the association between ABO blood group phenotypes in relation to placental malaria pathology and birth outcomes in southern Malawi, an area with perennial malaria transmission. Methods: A cross- sectional study of 647 mother/ child pairs delivering in Montfort Hospital, Chikwawa District between February- June 2004 and January- July 2005 was undertaken. Maternal peripheral and cord blood samples were obtained at delivery. Placental tissue was obtained and malaria histology classified as active, past or no malaria infection. Birth anthropometry was recorded. ABO blood group was measured by agglutination. Results: In primiparae, blood group O was significantly associated with increased risk of active placental infection ( OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.15 - 4.6, p = 0.02) and an increased foetal- placental weight ratio compared to non- O phenotypes ( 5.68 versus 5.45, p = 0.03) In multiparae blood group O was significantly associated with less frequent active placental infection ( OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.36 - 0.98, p = 0.04), and a higher newborn ponderal index compared to non- O phenotypes ( 2.65 versus 2.55, p = 0.007). In multivariate regression parity was independently associated with increased risk of placental malaria ( active andpast infection) in primiparae with blood group O ( p = 0.034) and reduced risk in multiparae with the same phenotype ( p = 0.015). Conclusion: Parity related susceptibility to placental malaria is associated with the mothers ABO phenotype. This interaction influences foetal and placental growth and could be an important modifying factor for pregnancy outcomes. The biological explanation could relate to sialic acid dependent placental membrane differences which vary with ABO blood group

Degree of hermeticity of a multicompartment compliance aid: Implications for the quality of professional pharmaceutical services

Podeu consultar el llibre complet a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/63704A multicompartment compliance aid (MCA) is a blister-type repackaging system that aims to facilitate drug administration and thereby increase patient adherence. One of the characteristics of the MCA that should be taken into account is the moisture permeability, since this atmospheric condition is one of the most important factors that can modify the stability of medicines. In the current paper we report the moisture permeability tests performed on a MCA according to the US Pharmacopeia. This information on the suitability of the device will help pharmacists implement a high-quality professional service

Unitat de Farmàcia Clínica i Farmacoteràpia (GIDCUB-11FCF)

Podeu consultar la Setena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/4335

Distance disintegration characterizes node-level topological dysfunctions in cocaine addiction

Previous investigations have used global graph theory measures in order to disentangle the complexity of the neural reorganizations occurring in cocaine use disorder (CUD). However, how these global topological alterations map into individual brain network areas remains unknown. In this study, we used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to investigate node-level topological dysfunctions in CUD. The sample was composed of 32 individuals with CUD and 32 healthy controls, matched in age, years of education and intellectual functioning. Graph theory measures of optimal connectivity distance, node strength, nodal efficiency and clustering coefficient were estimated in each participant using voxel-wise functional connectivity connectomes. CUD individuals as compared with healthy controls showed higher optimal connectivity distances in ventral striatum, insula, cerebellum, temporal cortex, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, middle frontal cortex and left hippocampus. Furthermore, clinical measures quantifying severity of dependence were positively related with optimal connectivity distances in the right rolandic operculum and the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex, whereas length of abstinence was negatively associated with optimal connectivity distances in the right temporal pole and the left insula. Our results reveal a topological distancing of cognitive and affective related areas in addiction, suggesting an overall reduction in the communication capacity of these regions. © 2021 The Authors. Addiction Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction

Trabajo colaborativo en la docencia práctica de la asignatura troncal Farmacia Clínica y Atención Farmacéutica

Se ha introducido la metodología del trabajo colaborativo en grupo en larealización de la docencia práctica de la asignatura troncal Farmacia Clínica y AtenciónFarmacéutica, que se imparte en el cuarto curso del Grado en Farmacia. La evaluaciónde los objetivos propuestos se realizó mediante la elaboración de una rúbrica quecontempla diferentes aspectos sobre el funcionamiento del grupo. Los principalesresultados se recogen en el apartado correspondiente