La investigación cualitativa y su relación con la comprensión de la subjetividad

Partiendo del riesgo de instrumentalización al que se ve abocada en la actualidad la investigación cualitativa, el presente artículo analiza la relación de la investigación cualitativa con la comprensión de la subjetividad. El artículo se realiza a partir de la reflexión de la memoria metodológica del trabajo de tesis denominado “Configuración de subjetividad juvenil en contextos de violencia”. Sus resultados destacan la importancia del lenguaje y las expresiones en las técnicas de generación de la información, como mecanismo de acceso a la subjetividad. Además, propone que la investigación cualitativa, por su naturaleza, se centra en el estudio de lo subjetivo, lo cual tiene como implicaciones la necesidad de estudiar interrelaciones complejas, que trascienden la aplicación instrumental y secuencial de un conjunto de procedimientos

Sobre la liquidez en los vínculos afectivos

El presente texto esta basado en las concepciones de Zygmunt Bauman acerca del amor; sus planteamientos hablan de la fragilidad en los vínculos humanos, de lo leve y de la angustia que esto supone para la experiencia humana. Al hablar en estos términos del amor, Bauman se remite al concepto de lo líquido, entendiendo este como lo que fluye, lo ligero, lo que es difícil de consolidar, lo liquido, esta en oposición a lo sólido y a lo denso

Jóvenes que construyen espacios sociales de paz

El artículo presenta una descripción conceptual de los espacios de paz, continúa indicando la historia y contexto de las prácticas de paz y finaliza con una propuesta sobre los tres pilares que debe contener los espacios de construcción de paz como apuestas desde los jóvenes. Uno de los principales hallazgos que se presenta, es que los espacios sociales de construcción de paz deben estar basados en la generación colectiva diálogos sobre los proyectos de vida personales y de las comunidades que posibiliten las acciones conjuntas y una proyección comunitaria

An immunoassay that distinguishes real neuromyelitis optica signals from a labeling detected in patients receiving natalizumab

BACKGROUND: Cell-based assays for neuromyelitis optica (NMO) diagnosis are the most sensitive and specific methods to detect anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibodies in serum, but some improvements in their quantitative and specificity capacities would be desirable. Thus the aim of the present work was to develop a sensitive quantitative method for detection of anti-AQP4 antibodies that allows clear diagnosis of NMO and distinction of false labeling produced by natalizumab treatment. METHODS: Sera from 167 individuals, patients diagnosed with NMO (16), multiple sclerosis (85), optic neuritis (24), idiopathic myelitis (21), or other neurological disorders (13) and healthy controls (8), were used as the primary antibody in an immunofluorescence assay on HEK cells transfected with the M23 isoform of human AQP4 fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein. Cells used were freshly transfected or stored frozen and then thawed just before adding the serum. RESULTS: Microscopic observation and fluorescence quantification produced similar results in fresh and frozen samples. Serum samples from patients diagnosed with NMO were 100% positive for anti-AQP4 antibodies, while all the other sera were negative. Using serum from patients treated with natalizumab, a small and unspecific fluorescent signal was produced from all HEK cells, regardless of AQP4 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our cell-based double-label fluorescence immunoassay protocol significantly increases the signal specificity and reduces false diagnosis of NMO patients, especially in those receiving natalizumab treatment. Frozen pretreated cells allow faster detection of anti-AQP4 antibodies

Valoracion de las diferencias diagnósticas radiográficas entre la posición natural de la cabeza y la posición inducida por los auriculares del cefalostato en la angulación craneocervical

ABSTRACT: For each patient there is a natural head position which responds to individual and environmental factors, like survival, independent from occlusion. The purpose of this study was to value the radiographic- diagnostic differences between lateral cephalometric radiographs taken in natural head position (NHP) and in a standard position with cephalostatic ear rods in the craneocervical angulation of each patient. Thirty patients were evaluated and two lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken for each subject, one in natural head position and the other in standard position with the cephalostatic ear rods. They were classified as biotype I, II, III according to their facial patterns and the ANB angle. The measurements were compared using both techniques and biotypes. The results showed statistical significant differences between both techniques on biotype III, but for biotype I and II the results were similar. It is suggested that the lateral cephalometric radiographs in the biotype III subjects be taken in natural head position.RESUMEN: Existe una posición natural para cada paciente respondiendo a muchos factores individuales y ambientales, como los de sobrevivencia, independiente de la oclusión. El propósito de este estudio fue valorar las diferencias diagnósticas radiográficas entre la posición natural de la cabeza (PNC) y la posición inducida por los auriculares del cefalostato en la angulación craneocervical. Se evaluaron treinta pacientes, a quienes se les tomó dos radiografías cefálicas laterales, en posición natural de la cabeza y con cefalostato. Se clasificaron en los biotipos I, II y III según sus características faciales y el ángulo ANB. Se compararon las mediciones angulares entre ambas técnicas y para cada biotipo. Los resultados mostraron diferencias estadísticas significativas entre ambas técnicas de toma radiográfica para el biotipo III, mientras que en los biotipos I y II ambas técnicas mostraron resultados similares. En los sujetos con biotipo III se sugiere tomar la radiografía cefálica lateral en PNC

Latitude dictates plant diversity effects on instream decomposition

Running waters contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes through decomposition of terrestrial plant litter by aquatic microorganisms and detritivores. Diversity of this litter may influence instream decomposition globally in ways that are not yet understood. We investigated latitudinal differences in decomposition of litter mixtures of low and high functional diversity in 40 streams on 6 continents and spanning 113 degrees of latitude. Despite important variability in our dataset, we found latitudinal differences in the effect of litter functional diversity on decomposition, which we explained as evolutionary adaptations of litter-consuming detritivores to resource availability. Specifically, a balanced diet effect appears to operate at lower latitudes versus a resource concentration effect at higher latitudes. The latitudinal pattern indicates that loss of plant functional diversity will have different consequences on carbon fluxes across the globe, with greater repercussions likely at low latitudes

Oral saliva swab reverse transcription PCR for Covid-19 in the paediatric population

8Pág. Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA)To evaluate the performance of oral saliva swab (OSS) reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) compared with RT-PCR and antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) for SARS-CoV-2 in children.The study was funded by: Project PI20/00095, from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness) and cofounded by the European Regional Development Fund, by Infanta Sofia University Hospital and Henares University Hospital Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation (FIIB HUIS HHEN), and by SERMAS-Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital 12 de Octubre. EC-C is supported by the Spanish Society of Paediatrics (Asociación Española de Pediatría); Grant COVID-19 EPICO-AEP 2020. JMM is funded by SERMAS-Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Infanta Sofía y del Henares and by Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain. MdlS is funded by Grant Cantera de Investigación Santander, Fundación Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain. ED is funded by the Juan de la Cierva–Incorporación granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. DB-G is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation—Instituto de Salud Carlos III and Fondos FEDER by ’Contratos para la intensificación de la actividad investigadora en el Sistema Nacional de Salud, 2020 (INT20/00086)’.Peer reviewe

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Largest HIV-1 CRF02_AG Outbreak in Spain: Evidence for Onward Transmissions

Background and Aim: The circulating recombinant form 02_AG (CRF02_AG) is the predominant clade among the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) non-Bs with a prevalence of 5.97% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.41–6.57%) across Spain. Our aim was to estimate the levels of regional clustering for CRF02_AG and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the largest CRF02_AG subepidemic in Spain.Methods: We studied 396 CRF02_AG sequences obtained from HIV-1 diagnosed patients during 2000–2014 from 10 autonomous communities of Spain. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 391 CRF02_AG sequences along with all globally sampled CRF02_AG sequences (N = 3,302) as references. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis was performed to the largest CRF02_AG monophyletic cluster by a Bayesian method in BEAST v1.8.0 and by reconstructing ancestral states using the criterion of parsimony in Mesquite v3.4, respectively.Results: The HIV-1 CRF02_AG prevalence differed across Spanish autonomous communities we sampled from (p < 0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 52.7% of the CRF02_AG sequences formed 56 monophyletic clusters, with a range of 2–79 sequences. The CRF02_AG regional dispersal differed across Spain (p = 0.003), as suggested by monophyletic clustering. For the largest monophyletic cluster (subepidemic) (N = 79), 49.4% of the clustered sequences originated from Madrid, while most sequences (51.9%) had been obtained from men having sex with men (MSM). Molecular clock analysis suggested that the origin (tMRCA) of the CRF02_AG subepidemic was in 2002 (median estimate; 95% Highest Posterior Density-HPD interval: 1999–2004). Additionally, we found significant clustering within the CRF02_AG subepidemic according to the ethnic origin.Conclusion: CRF02_AG has been introduced as a result of multiple introductions in Spain, following regional dispersal in several cases. We showed that CRF02_AG transmissions were mostly due to regional dispersal in Spain. The hot-spot for the largest CRF02_AG regional subepidemic in Spain was in Madrid associated with MSM transmission risk group. The existence of subepidemics suggest that several spillovers occurred from Madrid to other areas. CRF02_AG sequences from Hispanics were clustered in a separate subclade suggesting no linkage between the local and Hispanic subepidemics

All-cause mortality in the cohorts of the Spanish AIDS Research Network (RIS) compared with the general population: 1997Ł2010

Abstract Background: Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has produced significant changes in mortality of HIVinfected persons. Our objective was to estimate mortality rates, standardized mortality ratios and excess mortality rates of cohorts of the AIDS Research Network (RIS) (CoRIS-MD and CoRIS) compared to the general population. Methods: We analysed data of CoRIS-MD and CoRIS cohorts from 1997 to 2010. We calculated: (i) all-cause mortality rates, (ii) standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and (iii) excess mortality rates for both cohort for 100 personyears (py) of follow-up, comparing all-cause mortality with that of the general population of similar age and gender. Results: Between 1997 and 2010, 8,214 HIV positive subjects were included, 2,453 (29.9%) in CoRIS-MD and 5,761 (70.1%) in CoRIS and 294 deaths were registered. All-cause mortality rate was 1.02 (95% CI 0.91-1.15) per 100 py, SMR was 6.8 (95% CI 5.9-7.9) and excess mortality rate was 0.8 (95% CI 0.7-0.9) per 100 py. Mortality was higher in patients with AIDS, hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection, and those from CoRIS-MD cohort (1997. Conclusion: Mortality among HIV-positive persons remains higher than that of the general population of similar age and sex, with significant differences depending on the history of AIDS or HCV coinfection