Autoeficacia y percepción de control en la prevención de la enfermedad cardiovascular

From the Theory of Planed Behaviour (TPB), the aim of this study is to analyse the effect of self-efficacy and perceived control on intention and preventive behaviors of cardiovascular disease. To this end, 359 participants were evaluated in an empirical study. Data were analysed using the statistical package EQS 6.1. The results indicate that self-efficacy has a positive and significant influence on behaviour intentions and on behaviour, while perception of control has a negative and significant influence on intention but not on behaviour. This work has shown the utility to distinguish between self-efficacy and perceived control in the TPB to prevent cardiovascular diseases

The choice of screening instrument matters: the case of problematic cannabis use screening in spanish population of adolescents

The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of problem cannabis use screening instruments administration within wide school surveys, their psychometric properties, overlaps, and relationships with other variables. Students from 7 Spanish regions, aged 14-18, who attended secondary schools were sampled by two-stage cluster sampling (net sample 14,589). Standardized, anonymous questionnaire including DSM-IV cannabis abuse criteria, Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST), and Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) was self-completed with paper and pencil in the selected classrooms. Data was analysed using classical psychometric theory, bivariate tests, and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Not responding to instruments' items (10.5-12.3%) was associated with reporting less frequent cannabis use. The instruments overlapped partially, with 16.1% of positives being positive on all three. SDS was more likely to identify younger users with lower frequency of use who thought habitual cannabis use posed a considerable problem. CAST positivity was associated with frequent cannabis use and related problems. It is feasible to use short psychometric scales in wide school surveys, but one must carefully choose the screening instrument, as different instruments identify different groups of users. These may correspond to different types of problematic cannabis use; however, measurement bias seems to play a role too.This study was conducted with financial support of Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (DGPNSD), Madrid, Spain, and European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Lisbon, Portugal.The authors would like to acknowledge Colin Taylor for providing useful advice and comments throughout the paper preparation.S

Glypican-3 induces a mesenchymal to epithelial transition in human breast cancer cells

Breast cancer is the disease with the highest impact on global health, beingmetastasis the main cause of death. To metastasize, carcinoma cells must reactivate a latent program called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), through which epithelial cancer cells acquire mesenchymal-like traits.Glypican-3 (GPC3), a proteoglycan involved in the regulation of proliferationand survival, has been associated with cancer. In this study we observed thatthe expression of GPC3 is opposite to the invasive/metastatic ability of Hs578T,MDA-MB231, ZR-75-1 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines. GPC3 silencingactivated growth, cell death resistance, migration, and invasive/metastatic capacity of MCF-7 cancer cells, while GPC3 overexpression inhibited these properties in MDA-MB231 tumor cell line. Moreover, silencing of GPC3 deepened the MCF-7 breast cancer cells mesenchymal characteristics, decreasing the expression of the epithelial marker E-Cadherin. On the other side, GPC3 overexpression induced the mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) of MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells, which re-expressed E-Cadherin and reduced the expression of vimentin and N-Cadherin.While GPC3 inhibited the canonical Wnt/β-Catenin pathway in the breast cancer cells, this inhibition did not have effect on E-Cadherin expression. We demonstrated that the transcriptional repressor of E-Cadherin - ZEB1 - is upregulated in GPC3 silenced MCF-7 cells, while it is downregulated when GPC3 was overexpressed in MDA-MB231 cells.We presented experimental evidences showing that GPC3 induces the E-Cadherinre-expression in MDA-MB231 cells through the downregulation of ZEB1.Our data indicate that GPC3 is an important regulator of EMT in breast cancer,and a potential target for procedures against breast cancer metastasisFil: Castillo, Lilian Fedra. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Tascón, Rocío Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; ArgentinaFil: Lago Huvelle, María Amparo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Novack, Gisela Vanina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; ArgentinaFil: Llorens de Los Ríos, María Candelaria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; ArgentinaFil: Ferreira Dos Santos, Ancély. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Shortrede, Jorge Eduardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; ArgentinaFil: Cabanillas, Ana Maria de Los A.. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Bal, Elisa Dora. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Labriola, Leticia. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Peters, María Giselle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; Argentin

Rac1 modulates TGF-beta 1-mediated epithelial cell plasticity and MMP9 production in transformed keratinocytes

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) activates Rac1 GTPase in mouse transformed keratinocytes. Expression of a constitutively active Q61LRac1 mutant induced an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) linked to stimulation of cell migration and invasion. On the contrary, expression of a dominant-negative N17TRac1 abolished TGF-beta 1-induced cell scattering, migration and invasion. Moreover, Q61LRac1 enhanced metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) production to levels comparable to those induced by TGF-beta 1, while N17TRac1 was inhibitory. TGF-beta 1-mediated EMT involves the expression of the E-cadherin repressor Snail1, regulated by the Rac1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Furthermore, MMP9 production was MAPK-dependent, as the MEK inhibitor PD98059 decreased TGF-beta 1-induced MMP9 expression and secretion in Q61LRac1 expressing cells. We propose that regulation of TGF-beta 1-mediated plasticity of transformed keratinocytes requires the cooperation between the Rac1 and MAPK signalling pathways

esTOCma, an app developed to dismiss self-stigma and increase mental health literacy about obsessive-compulsive disorder: how does it perform in a clinical sample?

Introduction. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling condition that can be treated successfully. However, individuals with OCD often fail to seek or delay seeking treatment. In order to overcome this gap and increase the intention to seek for help, a gamified mental health mobile application (app) called esTOCma has been developed with a focus on offering information about OCD and on discussing stigmatizing attitudes toward the disease. The general aim of this study is to analyze the impact of the intervention through esTOCma in a clinical OCD sample. The objective of the study was two-fold. First, to analyze if the intervention changes the following variables in a clinical OCD sample: (1) knowledge about OCD; (2) internalized stigma, guilt, empowerment; and (3) obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Second, to explore satisfaction with the app. Method. Participants were extracted from a total of 330 people who downloaded the app for free and identified themselves as being diagnosed with OCD. From the initial sample, only participants who played till the game was finished and completed a pre- and post-intervention assessment were selected. The final sample comprised 126 (37.4%) participants diagnosed with OCD (mean duration of the disorder 11.56 years; SD=9.73; range 1-45 years). Their mean age was 39.31 years (SD= 39.31; range 18-66), and half of them were women (51.6%). 98.3% had previously asked for help for a mental health problem, and 35.3% belonged to an OCD association. Pre- and post-intervention measures included: (1) mental health literacy about OCD (MHL); (2) the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI); (3) guilt about having OCD (1 item); (4) feeling of empowerment (1 item); (5) Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R); (6) satisfaction with the app (2 items). Results showed that the intervention produced significant but small effect size changes on the measured variables. After using the app, patients showed higher mental health literacy (t(125)= -3.998, p < .0001; Cohen’s d= .398); lower internalized stigma (t (125)= 3.517, p≤0.001, Cohen’s d=0.312); less guilt associated with OCD (t(125)= 3.592, p< .0001; Cohen’s d=0.265); greater empowerment (t(125)= 3,261, p= .001; Cohen’s d=0.429); and less distress associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (t(125)= 3.110, p=.002, Cohen’s d=0.122). Finally, 91.3% (n=115) found the app helpful, and 84.9% (n=107) would recommend it to a friend. Discussion. Results show that the intervention produced significant changes on the variables of interest and that most patients were satisfied with the app. Effect sizes were small, probably due to the fact that patients had already asked for help and had been or were undergoing treatment. Furthermore, a high percentage belonged to OCD associations. Thus, it is expected that participants with these characteristics had prior basic knowledge of OCD and lower stigma than people who have had no prior contact with mental health services.RTI2018-098349-B-I0

Pérdida de suelo en laderas bajo cambio climático. procesos físicos, modelación predictiva y posibles estrategias de mitigación : el proyecto de investigación “Smucphy”

RESUMEN: Este proyecto de investigación estudia los mecanismos de la pérdida de suelos en zonas montañosas mediante un método multidisciplinar y el trabajo a diferentes escalas. Uno de los objetivos principales es analizar el efecto del cambio climático sobre estos mecanismos y buscar métodos de mitigación para afrontarlo correctamente. Se utilizan datos obtenidos mediante la auscultación de un experimento físico a gran escala y cuatro laderas y cuencas naturales situadas en el Pirineo Catalán, para alimentar y validar un modelo numérico innovador que implementa un módulo de interacciones suelo-vegetación-atmósfera. Finalmente, los resultados de la auscultación y de la modelización numérica se usarán para realizar una correlación de factores condicionantes de la inestabilidad con la ocurrencia espacio-temporal de deslizamientos superficiales utilizando técnicas SIG a escala regional. 1200Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Anesthesic and surgical guidelines for the treatment of the ascending aorta andaortic arch. Consensus document of the Spanish Societies of Anesthesia and Cardiovascular Surgerya

La patología de la aorta supone un reto para la medicina. Tanto a nivel diagnóstico, como terapéutico,el volumen de variables implicado ha hecho que dicha patología sea abordada por una ingente cantidad de especialistas. El manejo quirúrgico de dichas patologías implica un esfuerzo extraordinario por parte de muchos profesionales, dada la complejidad técnica y tecnológica empleada. A lo largo de estos a˜nos,dichos esfuerzos están dando sus frutos en forma de mejoras de resultados, gracias a un abordaje sis-temático y protocolizado en el seno de un grupo de expertos (Comités de aorta o “Aortic team”) en el que se han de implicar cardiólogos, cirujanos cardíacos, cirujanos vasculares, anestesiólogos y radiólogos, principalmente. En este documento, consensuado entre los grupos de trabajo de Aorta de las sociedades españolas de Anestesiología (SEDAR) y Cirugía Torácica-cardiovascular (SECTCV) se busca difundir los modos de trabajo más consensuados entre los centros de mayor actividad del país por parte de ambas especialidades, en lo que al tratamiento quirúrgico se refiere de la patología de aorta ascendente y arco aórtico se refiere, así como del tratamiento de la disección aguda de aorta. Somos conscientes de la evolución constante de la terapéutica, lo cual sin duda puede hacer cuestionables algunas opiniones aquí expresadas y que sin duda irán modificándose en futuras edicionestThe pathology of the aorta is a challenge for medicine. Diagnostic and therapeutica move a huge volumeof variables. This has let this pathology to be addressed by a big number of specialists. The surgicalmanagement of these pathologies implies an extraordinary effort on the part of many professionals,given the technical and technological complexity employed. Throughout these years, these efforts arepaying off in the form of improved results, thanks to a systematic and protocolized approach within agroup of experts (Aortic Committees or “Aortic team”) in which they have to involve cardiologists, cardiacsurgeons, vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists and radiologists, mainly.In this document, agreed between the Aorta working groups of the Spanish societies of Anesthesiology(SEDAR) and Thoracic-Cardiovascular Surgery (SECCE), it is sought to disseminate the most agreed work-ing modes among the centers of greatest activity in the country by both specialties, as far as surgicaltreatment is concerned with ascending aortic and aortic arch pathology, as well as the treatment of acuteaortic dissection.We are aware of the constant evolution of therapeutics, which can undoubtedly make some of the opinionsexpressed here questionable and that will undoubtedly be modified in future editions.This document aims to be a working tool for the different professionals involved in the treatment of aorticpathology

Micromón València (Universitat de València)

En Julio de 2017 se creó la red SWI@Spain, auspiciada por el grupo de Docencia y Difusión de la Microbiología (DDM) de la Sociedad Española de Microbiología (SEM), para desarrollar la iniciativa internacional Small World Initiative (SWI) en la península ibérica. En la Universitat de València (UV) se constituyó entonces el grupo de Innovación Docente en Microbiología (IDM) para implementar el proyecto a nivel local. Avalados por el Servei de Formació Permanent i Innovació Educativa (SFPIE) de la UV, el grupo ha llevado a cabo diferentes iniciativas relacionadas con el objetivo fundamental del proyecto: divulgar la problemática actual relacionada con el uso inadecuado de antibióticos, el incremento de bacterias resistentes a éstos y la necesidad de encontrar nuevas moléculas con actividad antibacteriana para combatir las infecciones que provocan