Percepción sobre los medios de comunicación de la Universidad de Antioquia 2009

ABSTRACT: The objective of the research on mass media of the University of Antioch is to investigate about the receptivity, acceptability, motivation and expectations of the users of the communicational products that take place in the University, in three fields: it presses, television and radio.RESUMEN: El Estudio de Percepción de Medios de Comunicación de la Universidad de Antioquia representa una inversión de carácter social, para descubrir las percepciones de los ciudadanos en forma sistemática y representativa con el ánimo de que los agentes vinculados al Sistema de Comunicaciones de la Universidad de Antioquia se planteen otras perspectivas y proyecten nuevas acciones para satisfacer las necesidades comunicacionales que surgen en la cultura del presente siglo. Para ello, en los primeros planteamientos de este Estudio se reconoce el apoyo que puede prestar la labor histórica realizada hasta el presente y que habrá de cruzarse con el conocimiento del grado de favorabilidad que cada uno de los Medios de Comunicación de la Universidad de Antioquia ha logrado entre su público. Por la misma razón, se contempla una etapa prospectiva que va más allá de la vivencia ordinaria, para indagar sobre lo ideal; es decir, sobre lo que se nos plantea como el devenir en el uso de los medios de comunicación para una la sociedad contemporánea; de tal manera que mire hacia el futuro, desde la realidad del presente; esto es, que ausculta las expectativas que tienen los usuarios en torno al Sistema de Comunicacione

Biopercular syndrome caused by unilateral ischemia. Report of one case

Biopercular syndrome is a labio-facio-pharyngeal-laryngeal-gloso-masticatory diplegia, with automatic dissociation of movements. Ischemia is the most common etiology when it occurs bilaterally in the opercular area, but it has been also described in patients with bilateral subcortical lesions. There are few cases described with unilateral lesions. We report a 76-year-old woman who developed a biopercular syndrome caused by unilateral ischemic lesion of the right middle cerebral artery confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral SPECT

Iniciativa para fortalecer la atención materna e infantil en un grupo de municipios en Colombia

Objective: To present the results of a joint initiative to improve the quality of maternal and infant healthcare in 36 Colombian townships. Methodology: The main results of a Public Health Care initiative implemented in 36 townships from 2012 to 2015 are included. The focus was systemic and included four components: 1) elaboration and continuous monitoring of health care quality improvement plans for maternal and child health services based on local needs, including municipal and provincial actors, 2) indirect evaluation of service quality reviewing clinical records, 3) training, technical assistance and monitoring, and 4) a regular feedback of results to Healthcare System institutions. Results: This initiative motivated the improvement of the mother-child binomial healthcare in the townships that participated in the study, and possibly had an effect on decreasing maternal mortality ratios in various territories. Successful events and problems are documented regarding participating institutions’ healthcare service management. Discussion: Despite the territorial differences and the multiple internal and external factors that affect service quality, the proposed approach can be implemented in territories with different settings. Changes, positive in most territories, evidence that the success and sustainability of actions are possible even in complex settings. However, it is necessary to implement judiciously the methodology proposed in the study and be creative to formulate local solutions.Objetivo: Presentar os resultados duma iniciativa conjunta para melhorar a qualidade da atenção em saúde materna e infantil em 36 municípios colombianos. Metodologia: Se incluem os principais resultados duma iniciativa em saúde pública implementada entre 2012 e 2015 nesses 36 municípios. O seu foco foi sistémico e incluiu quatro componentes: 1) Elaboração e seguimento de planos de melhoramento continuo da qualidade dos serviços de saúde materno infantil baseados nas necessidades locais, envolvendo atores chave municipais/ departamentais, 2) avaliação indireta da qualidade dos serviços com revisão de historias clínicas, 3) capacitação, assistência técnica e acompanhamento, e 4) retroalimentação periódica de resultados ás instituições do sistema de saúde. Resultados: Esta iniciativa estimulou o melhoramento da qualidade de atenção em saúde do binômio mãe e filho nestes municípios participantes e possivelmente incidiu na redução da razão de mortalidade materna em vários territórios. Se documentam sucessos e também tropeços na gestão dos serviços de saúde das instituições envolvidas. Discussão: Embora as diferenças territoriais e múltiplos fatores internos ou externos que incidem na qualidade dos serviços, o enfoque proposto pode implementar-se em territórios com contextos diversos. Os câmbios, positivos na maioria de territórios, evidenciaram que o sucesso e a sustentabilidade das ações são possíveis, ainda em entornos complexos, porem se requer aplicar com bom juízo a metodologia proposta e criatividade para formular soluciones locais.Objetivo: presentar los resultados de una iniciativa conjunta para mejorar la calidad de la atención en salud materna e infantil en 36 municipios colombianos. Metodología: se incluyen los principales resultados de una iniciativa en salud pública implementada entre 2012 y 2015 en 36 municipios. Su enfoque fue sistémico e incluyó cuatro componentes: 1) Elaboración y seguimiento de planes de mejoramiento continuo de la calidad de los servicios de salud materno-infantil basados en necesidades locales, involucrando actores clave municipales/departamentales, 2) evaluación indirecta de la calidad de los servicios con revisión de historias clínicas, 3) capacitación, asistencia técnica y acompañamiento, y 4) retroalimentación periódica de resultados a las instituciones del sistema de salud. Los resultados, cuantitativos y cualitativos, se derivan de la información recolectada durante el proceso. Resultados: esta iniciativa estimuló el mejoramiento de la calidad de atención en salud del binomio madre-hijo en los municipios participantes y posiblemente incidió en la reducción de la razón de mortalidad materna en varios territorios. Se documentan aciertos y problemas en la gestión de los servicios de salud de las instituciones participantes. Discusión: a pesar de las diferencias territoriales y múltiples factores internos y externos que inciden en la calidad de los servicios, el enfoque propuesto puede implementarse en territorios con contextos diversos. Los cambios, positivos en la mayoría de territorios, evidenciaron que el éxito y la sostenibilidad de las acciones son posibles, aún en entornos complejos, pero se requiere aplicar juiciosamente la metodología propuesta y creatividad para formular soluciones locales

Resting-State fMRI Metrics in Acute Sport-Related Concussion and Their Association with Clinical Recovery: A Study from the NCAA-DOD CARE Consortium

There has been a recent call for longitudinal cohort studies to track the physiological recovery of sport-related concussion (SRC) and its relationship with clinical recovery. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has shown potential for detecting subtle changes in brain function after SRC. We investigated the effects of SRC on rs-fMRI metrics assessing local connectivity (regional homogeneity; REHO), global connectivity (average nodal strength), and the relative amplitude of slow oscillations of rs-fMRI (fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations; fALFF). Athletes diagnosed with SRC (n = 92) completed visits with neuroimaging at 24-48 h post-injury (24 h), after clearance to begin the return-to-play (RTP) progression (asymptomatic), and 7 days following unrestricted RTP (post-RTP). Non-injured athletes (n = 82) completed visits yoked to the schedule of matched injured athletes and served as controls. Concussed athletes had elevated symptoms, worse neurocognitive performance, greater balance deficits, and elevated psychological symptoms at the 24-h visit relative to controls. These deficits were largely recovered by the asymptomatic visit. Concussed athletes still reported elevated psychological symptoms at the asymptomatic visit relative to controls. Concussed athletes also had elevated REHO in the right middle and superior frontal gyri at the 24-h visit that returned to normal levels by the asymptomatic visit. Additionally, REHO in these regions at 24 h predicted psychological symptoms at the asymptomatic visit in concussed athletes. Current results suggest that SRC is associated with an acute alteration in local connectivity that follows a similar time course as clinical recovery. Our results do not indicate strong evidence that concussion-related alterations in rs-fMRI persist beyond clinical recovery

Sex differences in blood biomarkers and cognitive performance in individuals with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION: Plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (P-tau217) and neurofilament light (NfL) have emerged as markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Few studies have examined the role of sex in plasma biomarkers in sporadic AD, yielding mixed findings, and none in autosomal dominant AD. METHODS: We examined the effects of sex and age on plasma P-tau217 and NfL, and their association with cognitive performance in a cross-sectional study of 621 Presenilin-1 E280A mutation carriers (PSEN1) and non-carriers. RESULTS: As plasma P-tau217 levels increase, cognitively unimpaired female carriers showed better cognitive performance than cognitively unimpaired male carriers. Yet, as disease progresses, female carriers had a greater plasma NfL increase than male carriers. There were no sex differences in the association between age and plasma biomarkers among non-carriers. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that, among PSEN1 mutation carriers, females had a greater rate of neurodegeneration than males, yet it did not predict cognitive performance. HIGHLIGHTS: We examined sex differences in plasma P-tau217 and NfL in Presenilin-1 E280A (PSEN1) mutation carriers and non-carriers. Female carriers had a greater plasma NfL increase, but not P-tau217, than male carriers. As plasma P-tau217 levels increase, cognitively unimpaired female carriers showed better cognitive performance than cognitively unimpaired male carriers. The interaction effect of sex by plasma NfL levels did not predict cognition among carriers

Sex differences in blood biomarkers and cognitive performance in individuals with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION: Plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (P-tau217) and neurofilament light (NfL) have emerged as markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Few studies have examined the role of sex in plasma biomarkers in sporadic AD, yielding mixed findings, and none in autosomal dominant AD. METHODS: We examined the effects of sex and age on plasma P-tau217 and NfL, and their association with cognitive performance in a cross-sectional study of 621 Presenilin-1 E280A mutation carriers (PSEN1) and non-carriers. RESULTS: As plasma P-tau217 levels increase, cognitively unimpaired female carriers showed better cognitive performance than cognitively unimpaired male carriers. Yet, as disease progresses, female carriers had a greater plasma NfL increase than male carriers. There were no sex differences in the association between age and plasma biomarkers among non-carriers. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that, among PSEN1 mutation carriers, females had a greater rate of neurodegeneration than males, yet it did not predict cognitive performance. HIGHLIGHTS: We examined sex differences in plasma P-tau217 and NfL in Presenilin-1 E280A (PSEN1) mutation carriers and non-carriers. Female carriers had a greater plasma NfL increase, but not P-tau217, than male carriers. As plasma P-tau217 levels increase, cognitively unimpaired female carriers showed better cognitive performance than cognitively unimpaired male carriers. The interaction effect of sex by plasma NfL levels did not predict cognition among carriers

Effect of apolipoprotein genotype and educational attainment on cognitive function in autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease (ADAD) is genetically determined, but variability in age of symptom onset suggests additional factors may influence cognitive trajectories. Although apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and educational attainment both influence dementia onset in sporadic AD, evidence for these effects in ADAD is limited. To investigate the effects of APOE and educational attainment on age-related cognitive trajectories in ADAD, we analyzed data from 675 Presenilin-1 E280A mutation carriers and 594 non-carriers. Here we show that age-related cognitive decline is accelerated in ADAD mutation carriers who also have an APOE e4 allele compared to those who do not and delayed in mutation carriers who also have an APOE e2 allele compared to those who do not. Educational attainment is protective and moderates the effect of APOE on cognition. Despite ADAD mutation carriers being genetically determined to develop dementia, age-related cognitive decline may be influenced by other genetic and environmental factors

Advanced age increases chromosome structural abnormalities in human spermatozoa

This study explores the relationship between sperm structural aberrations and age by using a multicolor multichromosome FISH strategy that provides information on the incidence of duplications and deletions on all the autosomes. ToTelvysion kit (Abbott Molecular, Abbott Park, IL, USA) with telomere-specific probes was used. We investigated the sperm of 10 male donors aged from 23 to 74 years old. The donors were divided into two groups according to age, a cohort of five individuals younger than 40 and a cohort of five individuals older than 60 years. The goal of this study was to determine (1) the relationship between donor age and frequency and type of chromosome structural abnormalities and (2) chromosomes more frequently involved in sperm structural aberrations. We found that the older patients had a higher rate of structural abnormalities (6.6%) compared with the younger cohort (4.9%). Although both duplications and deletions were seen more frequently in older men, our findings demonstrate the presence of an excess of duplications versus deletions in both groups at a ratio of 2 to 1. We demonstrate that the distribution of duplications and deletions was not linear along the chromosomes, although a trend toward a higher rate of abnormalities in larger chromosomes was observed. This work is the first study addressing the frequencies of sperm chromosome structural aberrations of all autosomes in a single assay thus making a contribution to the clarification of the amount and origin of damage present in human spermatozoa and in relation to age