Persona ética y organización: hacia un nuevo paradigma organizacional

In many corporations, the importance of ethics does not go further than just good intentions. Philosopher Josef Pieper warned about this situation when he wrote about prudence, a virtue that is at the basis of outstanding management and thus, also of company ethics and corporate social responsibility, an issue included in the problem as there are many ways to understand its significance. However, before any consideration on the importance of company–social relationships or on the values and moral actions of organizations, we must bear in mind that the type of corporation depends on the type of individual we represent in our minds. Without an anthropological vision it is not possible to ascertain the actions of people in the corporation or their attitudes towards its goals. Our work will try to contribute a proposal in which the corporation is explained and organized from the point of view of the people.La importancia de la ética en la empresa muchas veces no pasa de las buenas intenciones. El filósofo Josef Pieper alertó sobre esta situación al escribir acerca de la prudencia virtud que está en la base del trabajo directivo y por consiguiente de la ética en la empresa y la llamada responsabilidad social corporativa o empresarial que no está exenta del problema pues existen diferentes formas de entender su significado. Sin embargo antes de cualquier consideración sobre la importancia de la relación empresa-sociedad o los valores y la acción moral en las organizaciones conviene tener en cuenta que el tipo de organización depende de la idea de persona que se tenga. Sin una visión antropológica no es posible acercarse al cómo actúan las personas en las organizaciones y los fines de la misma. Nuestro trabajo intenta contribuir con una propuesta en la que la organización se explica desde la persona y se ordena a partir de ella

"La intersubjetividad a la luz de la apertura íntima personal"

En este artículo vamos a abordar la cuestión de la intersubjetividad. Para entender porqué la intersubjetividad es un problema moderno y cuál es la solución que cabe, hemos optado por seguir una vía descendenteque dé luz e ilumine lo que hoy día, en muchos ámbitos, se ve como problema. Comenzaremos, por consiguiente, por abordar que la persona no es idéntica sino dual. Dicha consideración nos lleva de la mano a la distinción entre el alguieny el algoque pone de manifiesto el carácter irrestricto de la persona. La distinción advertida señala que lo propio de la persona es coexistir, es decir, que no hay una única persona. De este modo, el monismoes incom-patible con el ser personal y, al alcanzar que la persona es coexistencia,se amplían los hallazgos sobre la intersubjetividad, propios de la antropología moderna

Nefroblastoma Extrarrenal: Presentación de caso

Tipo de Estudio: Observación directa de caso clínico. Objetivo: Es dar a conocer la poca frecuencia de la presentación del Tumor de Wilms en su variedad extrarrenal, ya que hasta el año 2002 sólo 56 casos han sido reportados en la Literatura mundial. Presentamos el caso de un niño con una tumoración retroperitoneal, diagnosticada al inicio como nefroblastoma renal, que luego de su investigación clínica y de varios exámenes complementarios, se determinó que se trataba de un caso de nefroblastoma extrarrenal, una presentación clínica pocas veces observada.Conclusión:El tumor de Wilms o Nefroblastoma es el tumor maligno de origen renal en pacientes pediátricos que se presenta con más frecuencia, existen pocos reportes en la literatura mundial de este tipo de tumor, cuando su localización es extrarrenal

Automating the decision making process of Todd’s age estimation method from the pubic symphysis with explainable machine learning

Age estimation is a fundamental task in forensic anthropology for both the living and the dead. The procedure consists of analyzing properties such as appearance, ossification patterns, and morphology in different skeletonized remains. The pubic symphysis is extensively used to assess adults’ age-at-death due to its reliability. Nevertheless, most methods currently used for skeleton-based age estimation are carried out manually, even though their automation has the potential to lead to a considerable improvement in terms of economic resources, effectiveness, and execution time. In particular, explainable machine learning emerges as a promising means of addressing this challenge by engaging forensic experts to refine and audit the extracted knowledge and discover unknown patterns hidden in the complex and uncertain available data. In this contribution we address the automation of the decision making process of Todd’s pioneering age assessment method to assist the forensic practitioner in its application. To do so, we make use of the pubic bone data base available at the Physical Anthropology lab of the University of Granada. The machine learning task is significantly complex as it becomes an imbalanced ordinal classification problem with a small sample size and a high dimension. We tackle it with the combination of an ordinal classification method and oversampling techniques through an extensive experimental setup. Two forensic anthropologists refine and validate the derived rule base according to their own expertise and the knowledge available in the area. The resulting automatic system, finally composed of 34 interpretable rules, outperforms the state-of-the-art accuracy. In addition, and more importantly, it allows the forensic experts to uncover novel and interesting insights about how Todd’s method works, in particular, and the guidelines to estimate age-at-death from pubic symphysis characteristics, generally.Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) Spanish GovernmentAgencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI) PID2021-122916NB-I00 Spanish Government PGC2018-101216-B-I00Junta de AndaluciaUniversity of Granada P18 -FR -4262 B-TIC-456-UGR20European CommissionUniversidad de Granada/CBU

Secondary CoQ10 deficiency, bioenergetics unbalance in disease and aging

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency is a rare disease characterized by a decreased accumulation of CoQ10 in cell membranes. Considering that CoQ10 synthesis and most of its functions are carried out in mitochondria, CoQ10 deficiency cases are usually considered a mitochondrial disease. A relevant feature of CoQ10 deficiency is that it is the only mitochondrial disease with a successful therapy available, the CoQ10 supplementation. Defects in components of the synthesis machinery caused by mutations in COQ genes generate the primary deficiency of CoQ10. Mutations in genes that are not directly related to the synthesis machinery cause secondary deficiency. Cases of CoQ10 deficiency without genetic origin are also considered a secondary deficiency. Both types of deficiency can lead to similar clinical manifestations, but the knowledge about primary deficiency is deeper than secondary. However, secondary deficiency cases may be underestimated since many of their clinical manifestations are shared with other pathologies. This review shows the current state of secondary CoQ10 deficiency, which could be even more relevant than primary deficiency for clinical activity. The analysis covers the fundamental features of CoQ10 deficiency, which are necessary to understand the biological and clinical differences between primary and secondary CoQ10 deficiencies. Further, a more in-depth analysis of CoQ10 secondary deficiency was undertaken to consider its origins, introduce a new way of classification, and include aging as a form of secondary deficiency.Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo, Junta de Andalucía, Grant/Award Numbers: UPO-1259581, UPO-126247, UPO-1265673; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Grant/Award Number: PI17/01286; Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Grant/Award Numbers: FPU14/04873, FPU16/0326

Iterative variable selection for high-dimensional data: prediction of pathological response in triple-negative breast cancer

In the last decade, regularized regression methods have offered alternatives forperforming multi-marker analysis and feature selection in a whole genome context.The process of defining a list of genes that will characterize an expressionprofile, remains unclear. This procedure oscillates between selecting the genes or transcripts of interest based on previous clinical evidence, or performing a whole transcriptome analys is that rests on advanced statistics. This paper introduces a methodology to deal with the variable selection and model estimation problems in the high-dimensional set-up, which can be particularly useful in the whole genome context. Results are validated using simulated data, and a real dataset from a triple negative breast cancer study

In vascular smooth muscle cells paricalcitol prevents phosphate-induced Wnt/β-catenin activation

The present study investigates the differential effect of two vitamin D receptor agonists, calcitriol and paricalcitol, on human aortic smooth muscle cells calcification in vitro. Human vascular smooth muscle cells were incubated in a high phosphate (HP) medium alone or supplemented with either calcitriol 10−8M (HP + CTR) or paricalcitol 3·10−8 M (HP + PC). HP medium induced calcification, which was associated with the upregulation of mRNA expression of osteogenic factors such as bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), Runx2/Cbfa1, Msx2, and osteocalcin. In these cells, activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling was evidenced by the translocation of β-catenin into the nucleus and the increase in the expression of direct target genes as cyclin D1, axin 2, and VCAN/versican. Addition of calcitriol to HP medium (HP + CTR) further increased calcification and also enhanced the expression of osteogenic factors together with a significant elevation of nuclear β-catenin levels and the expression of cyclin D1, axin 2, and VCAN. By contrast, the addition of paricalcitol (HP + PC) not only reduced calcification but also downregulated the expression of BMP2 and other osteoblastic phenotype markers as well as the levels of nuclear β-catenin and the expression of its target genes. The role of Wnt/β-catenin on phosphate- and calcitriol-induced calcification was further demonstrated by the inhibition of calcification after addition of Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1), a specific natural antagonist of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In conclusion, the differential effect of calcitriol and paricalcitol on vascular calcification appears to be mediated by a distinct regulation of the BMP and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways

Modelado del tiempo fisiológico de Ceratitis capitata mediante sensores remotos en territorios estratégicos de Centroamérica.

The Mediterranean fly is a quarantine pest that can directly affect the production and marketing of fruits and vegetables worldwide. It is a species with polyphagous behavior and has a high number of susceptible hosts, both wild and economically important. Currently, in Central America and Southern Mexico, there are strategic territories with permanent monitoring of the pest, which act as barriers in its advance towards North America. The use of remote sensors in the phytosanitary area has the potential to contribute to decision-making in the establishment of preventive strategies to mitigate the advance and phytosanitary risk of Ceratitis capitata. It can even be considered a geotechnological tool that contributes to the processes of monitoring and surveillance of health risks, through the analysis of environmental information, particularly the thermal component. Temperature is an essential factor for the immature and adult stages of the Medfly. The objective of this study was to design the physiological time of C. capitata through the calculation of accumulated heat units (UCAcum) in strategic territories. Specifically, the study aimed to model and calculate the physiological time of C. capitata through the accumulated heat units (UCAcum) in the potential containment, containment, and eradication zones using ERA5 data. A spatiotemporal pattern was obtained for the period from December 2020 to December 2021, showing the monthly thermal behavior that favors C. capitata on two scales: a regional scale that included the countries of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and southern Mexico, and the previously defined strategic zones. The study revealed a monthly thermal oscillation from 13,1 to 37,4°C, considering extreme temperatures. The surfaces with optimal thermal accumulation, determining the physiological time of the pest, were identified based on the fact that C. capitata requires 251,7 UCAcum to complete a life cycle. In the potential containment zone, 463,4 UCAcum were determined for portions of Honduras and El Salvador. In the containment zone in Guatemala, 418,8 UCAcum were identified, and finally, in the eradication zone, an accumulation of 401.3 units was observed in Guatemala and the Pacific coast in the Mexican southeast. This spatial analysis showed that the physiological time presented a uniform behavior in strategic territories. Modeling UCAcum from remote sensing strengthens strategic decision-making regarding health risks. The strength of this approach lies in the accessibility of freely available inputs and recent temporality, allowing the creation of risk scenarios under a preventive approach in almost real-time (with a three-week delay). Thermal comfort modeling should be considered a contributing input to effectively direct preventive strategies by the National and Regional Plant Protection Organizations. These organizations are responsible for implementing mitigation strategies before the arrival of pests or diseases that endanger the global agro alimentary heritage.La mosca del Mediterráneo es una plaga cuarentenaria que puede afectar de manera directa la producción y comercialización de frutas y hortalizas en el mundo, es una espacie con un comportamiento polífago y cuenta con un gran número de hospedantes susceptibles tanto silvestres como de importancia económica. Actualmente, en Centroamérica y Sur de México existen territorios estratégicos en los que se mantiene un monitoreo permanente de la plaga los cuales se consideran una barrera en su avance hacia el norte del continente. La utilización de sensores remotos en el área de la fitosanidad tiene el potencial de aportar a la toma de decisiones en el establecimiento de estrategias preventivas de mitigación de avance y riesgo fitosanitario de Ceratitis capitata, incluso, se puede considerar una herramienta geotecnológica que permite coadyuvar en los procesos de monitoreo y vigilancia de riesgos sanitarios, a través del análisis de información ambiental, en este caso, del componente térmico, puesto que la temperatura es un factor esencial para los estados inmaduros y adultos de la mosca del Mediterráneo. El objetivo del presente estudio fue diseñar el tiempo fisiológico de C. capitata a través del cálculo de las unidades calor acumuladas (UCAcum) en territorios estratégicos (zona de contención potencial, de contención y de erradicación), mediante el uso de imágenes satelitales climáticas ERA5. Se obtuvo un patrón espacio-temporal del periodo comprendido entre diciembre de 2020 a diciembre de 2021 del comportamiento térmico mensual que favorece a C. capitata en dos escalas: regional que abarcó los países de El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala y sur de México, así como en las zonas estratégicas antes definidas. Se evidenció que durante 2021 existió una oscilación térmica mensual de 13,1 a 37,4°C, consideradas las temperaturas extremas. De manera específica, se identificaron las superficies donde existió la acumulación térmica óptima que determina el tiempo fisiológico de la plaga, basados en que C. capitata requiere de 251,7 UCAcum para lograr un ciclo de vida. Se determinó que en la zona de contención potencial se acumularon 463,4 unidades en porciones de Honduras y El Salvador. En la zona de contención ubicada en Guatemala se determinó 418,8 UCAcum y finalmente en la zona de erradicación se logró una acumulación de 401,3 unidades en Guatemala y costa del Pacifico en el sureste mexicano, lo que permitió espacializar que el tiempo fisiológico presentó un comportamiento uniforme en los territorios estratégicos. Diseñar o modelar UCAcum a partir de sensores remotos posibilita fortalecer decisiones estratégicas ante riesgos sanitarios, y tiene como fortaleza que son insumos de libre acceso y de una temporalidad reciente, lo que permite crear escenarios de riesgo bajo un enfoque preventivo en tiempo casi real (con un retraso de unas semanas). La modelación del confort térmico debería ser considerada un insumo coadyuvante para direccionar de manera efectiva estrategias preventivas por parte de los Organismos Nacionales y Regionales de Protección Fitosanitaria que se encargan de recomendar acciones ante el arribo de plagas o enfermedades que ponen en riesgo el patrimonio agroalimentario mundial

Low aerobic capacity in McArdle disease: A role for mitochondrial network impairment?

[Background]: McArdle disease is caused by myophosphorylase deficiency and results in complete inability for muscle glycogen breakdown. A hallmark of this condition is muscle oxidation impairment (e.g., low peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak)), a phenomenon traditionally attributed to reduced glycolytic flux and Krebs cycle anaplerosis. Here we hypothesized an additional role for muscle mitochondrial network alterations associated with massive intracellular glycogen accumulation. [Methods]: We analyzed in depth mitochondrial characteristics-content, biogenesis, ultrastructure-and network integrity in skeletal-muscle from McArdle/control mice and two patients. We also determined VO2peak in patients (both sexes, N = 145) and healthy controls (N = 133). [Results]: Besides corroborating very poor VO2peak values in patients and impairment in muscle glycolytic flux, we found that, in McArdle muscle: (a) damaged fibers are likely those with a higher mitochondrial and glycogen content, which show major disruption of the three main cytoskeleton components-actin microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments-thereby contributing to mitochondrial network disruption in skeletal muscle fibers; (b) there was an altered subcellular localization of mitochondrial fission/fusion proteins and of the sarcoplasmic reticulum protein calsequestrin-with subsequent alteration in mitochondrial dynamics/function; impairment in mitochondrial content/biogenesis; and (c) several OXPHOS-related complex proteins/activities were also affected. [Conclusions]: In McArdle disease, severe muscle oxidative capacity impairment could also be explained by a disruption of the mitochondrial network, at least in those fibers with a higher capacity for glycogen accumulation. Our findings might pave the way for future research addressing the potential involvement of mitochondrial network alterations in the pathophysiology of other glycogenoses.The present study was funded by grants received from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS, PI17/02052, PI18/00139, PI19/01313, and PI20/00645) and cofunded by ‘Fondos FEDER’. Gisela Nogales-Gadea and Carmen Fiuza-Luces are supported by the Miguel Servet research contracts (ISCIII CD14/00032 and CP18/00034, respectively and cofounded by Fondos FEDER′). Research by Pedro L. Valenzuela is funded by a postdoctoral contract granted by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Sara Borrell, CD21/00138). Monica Villarreal Salazar is supported by the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT)