In vivo human molecular neuroimaging of dopaminergic vulnerability along the Alzheimer’s disease phases

peer reviewe

De la deconstrucción de la identidad de género a la deconstrucción de la identidad sexual

A través de esta comunicación queremos poner de manifiesto las similitudes entre las definiciones de identidad de género y de identidad sexual en tanto que construcciones altamente normativas que nacen en el contexto socio-histórico-cultural. Las críticas feministas y constructivistas al concepto de identidad de género nos resultan útiles a la hora de analizar y deconstruir el de identidad sexual que en este trabajo de investigación se presenta no como expresión de un self esencial (y por lo tanto ahistórico e inmutable) sino como construcción que se da en el contexto histórico-cultural. En nuestro trabajo de investigación proponemos un acercamiento narrativo al fenómeno de la asunción de la identidad lésbica y de su incorporación en la más general identidad personal a través del estudio de las historias de vida de 8 mujeres lesbianas. Las narraciones autobiográficas recogidas se han analizado utilizando una versión adaptada de los indicadores del self de Bruner (1997). El análisis narrativo así realizado nos ha ofrecido la posibilidad de apreciar los cambios cognitivos, emocionales y conductuales que nuestras entrevistadas han experimentado a lo largo del proceso y que se reflejan en sus narraciones, así como el proceso activo de deconstrucción de los significados estigmatizados asociados a la identidad homosexual

Delirium in hip fractured patients

The current clinical case concerns the mixed delirium in a 70-year-old man with hip fracture, following a fall at home. In his medical history, the patient reported several comorbidities, among which also sarcopenia. Delirium was already diagnosed by the geriatrician on hospital admission. The patient underwent hip endoprosthesis surgery after 24 hours without any intra-operative complications. However, in the post-operative period delirium persisted, causing a prolonged hospital stay, a delayed physio-therapy rehabilitation with poor functional recovery, and subsequent insti-tutionalization. The prevalence of delirium in older people with hip fracture is extremely high and it is associated with several negative outcomes. Delirium is considered a multifactorial disorder, and, in particular, sarcopenia appears directly linked to the development of delirium. The systematic assessment of sarcopenia should be performed in hospitalized older patients with hip fracture, together with the other predisposing risk factors for delirium, to timely identify people at higher risk for both delirium and disability

Formación inicial del profesorado sobre género y coeducación: impactos metacognitivos de la inclusión curricular transversal sobre sexismo y homofobia

Investigamos una innovación educativa para incorporar transversalmente la perspectiva de género en la formación inicial de profesionales de la educación. Se experimenta en las asignaturas de Diagnóstico en Educación (1º Psicopedagogía) y Técnicas e Instrumentos de Diagnóstico (2º Pedagogía), con muy similares planteamientos, profesorado y materiales didácticos compartidos. La incorporación transversal de la perspectiva de género se facilita por la necesidad de contar con ejemplos y casos para el estudio de los contenidos metodológicos, vinculándolos a los trabajos prácticos de las asignaturas. Se aplica la lógica comparativo-causal en un estudio pre-experimental, ex post facto, aplicando pos-test con grupos naturales (experimentales y de control). La muestra incidental implica a 348 participantes, alumnos y alumnas de la Universidad de Sevilla. Se aplican test metacognitivos tipo CERT (conocimiento y seguridad) que permiten valorar el ajuste metacognitivo a través de variables como la propia seguridad, la coherencia y el realismo en el manejo de los conceptos. Los resultados demuestran el impacto metacognitivo causado en el pensamiento sobre género y coeducación que maneja el alumnado universitario participante en estas iniciativas, concluyendo con un llamamiento a la mejora de los títulos que aportan formación inicial para los futuros profesores y profesoras del sistema educativo

Psychosocial health of family caregivers and professionals: Association with sociodemographic and psychological factors

Actualmente, el cuidado de personas dependientes es asumido principalmente por mujeres en el ámbito familiar. Esta actividad puede representar un impacto negativo sobre la salud. Así, nos planteamos evaluar la salud de cuidadoras, familiares y profesionales, frente a no cuidadoras, la asociación entre diferentes variables sociodemográficas y salud, así como la correlación entre pensamientos disfuncionales sobre cuidados y salud. Participaron 204 mujeres, asistentes a talleres psicoeducativos en Sevilla y provincia (España), a quienes se aplicaron los cuestionarios GHQ28 (Cuestionario General de Salud) y CPD (Pensamientos Disfuncionales sobre Cuidados). Los resultados mostraron que ser cuidadora familiar tiene repercusiones negativas para la salud, especialmente ansiedad, que a mayor nivel educativo mejor salud y que, en general, existe escasa correlación entre pensamientos disfuncionales y salud, siendo inexistente en las cuidadoras. Así, los pensamientos disfuncionales no siempre generan efectos patológicos. Finalmente se ofrecen algunas consideraciones de carácter sociocultural que otorgan sentido a las prácticas de cuidado así como posibles derivaciones y mejoras del estudio.Currently, the care of dependent people is provided mainly by women in the family context. This activity may involve a negative impact on health. Therefore, we decided to assess the health of family caregivers, professional caregivers and non-caregivers, the association between sociodemographic variables and health, and the correlation between dysfunctional thoughts about care and health. Participants were 204 women attending psychoeducational workshops in Seville and province (Spain), and GHQ28 (General Health Questionnaire) and CPD (Care Dysfunctional Thoughts) were applied. The results showed that being familiar caregiver has negative effects on health, especially anxiety, that the higher education level is associated with better health, and that, in general, there is slight correlation between dysfunctional thoughts and health, being non-existent in caregivers. Therefore, dysfunctional thoughts are not always is associated to pathological effects. Finally, some sociocultural considerations in order to discuss care practices and possible therapeutic involvements of the study are showed

Hallazgos fundamentales sobre las renuncias al procedimiento judicial por violencia de género

En primer lugar se expondrán los resultados del análisis exploratorio realizado con el objetivo de recoger la información necesaria para el diseño de la herramienta a utilizar durante la fase de recogida de datos. Seguidamente se expondrán los resultados obtenidos en esta segunda fase de administración de los cuestionarios a las mujeres inmersas en el procedimiento judicial

Longitudinal pathways of cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography biomarkers of amyloid-β positivity.

peer reviewedMismatch between CSF and PET amyloid-β biomarkers occurs in up to ≈20% of preclinical/prodromal Alzheimer's disease individuals. Factors underlying mismatching results remain unclear. In this study we hypothesized that CSF/PET discordance provides unique biological/clinical information. To test this hypothesis, we investigated non-demented and demented participants with CSF amyloid-β(42) and [18F]Florbetapir PET assessments at baseline (n = 867) and at 2-year follow-up (n = 289). Longitudinal trajectories of amyloid-β positivity were tracked simultaneously for CSF and PET biomarkers. In the longitudinal cohort (n = 289), we found that participants with normal CSF/PET amyloid-β biomarkers progressed more frequently toward CSF/PET discordance than to full CSF/PET positivity (χ(2)((1)) = 5.40; p < 0.05). Progression to CSF+/PET+ status was ten times more frequent in cases with discordant biomarkers, as compared to csf-/pet- cases (χ(2)((1)) = 18.86; p < 0.001). Compared to the CSF+/pet- group, the csf-/PET+ group had lower APOE-ε4ε4 prevalence (χ(2)((6)) = 197; p < 0.001; n = 867) and slower rate of brain amyloid-β accumulation (F((3,600)) = 12.76; p < 0.001; n = 608). These results demonstrate that biomarker discordance is a typical stage in the natural history of amyloid-β accumulation, with CSF or PET becoming abnormal first and not concurrently. Therefore, biomarker discordance allows for identification of individuals with elevated risk of progression toward fully abnormal amyloid-β biomarkers, with subsequent risk of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Our results also suggest that there are two alternative pathways ("CSF-first" vs. "PET-first") toward established amyloid-β pathology, characterized by different genetic profiles and rates of amyloid-β accumulation. In conclusion, CSF and PET amyloid-β biomarkers provide distinct information, with potential implications for their use as biomarkers in clinical trials

Sexualidade no interior conservador brasileiro: uma experiência de educação para a diversidade sexual e de gênero em Foz do Iguaçu

Assistimos em nível internacional ao auge de políticas e movimentos conservadores com ênfase na exaltação dos papéis dos gêneros tradicionais e no combate à assim chamada “ideologia de gênero” ao mesmo tempo em que parece ganhar força o chamado à defesa das identidades nacionais e das fronteiras, das famílias tradicionais, e da vida do nascituro em contra do aborto. Este artigo trata da experiência de extensão, pesquisa e educação sobre gênero e sexualidade, desenvolvida por uma universidade federal brasileira em uma cidade do interior do Paraná, localizada na tríplice fronteira do Brasil com Argentina e Paraguai. É importante notar que o Paraná é um estado considerado como extremamente conservador. Consideramos que iniciativas que incidem diretamente nas comunidades escolares, como as descritas neste artigo, se configuram como espaços pedagógicos de resistência, onde são trilhados caminhos possíveis para contribuir na criação de  espaços educativos onde preconceito e discriminações por razões de gênero e sexualidade sejam problematizados e eliminados. Consideramos, além disso, que especialmente nesses tempos atuais de ataques globais aos direitos das mulheres, lésbicas, gays, pessoas trans e aos direitos humanos, é fundamental que, em nível local, continuem existindo e resistindo espaços de promoção a reflexão e à desconstrução de estruturas opressoras

Compounds released from Lactobacillus (L.) acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus and L. reuteri inhibit Candida parapsilosis pathogenic potential after infection of vaginal epithelial cells in vitro.

INTRODUCTION. Lactobacillus spp. are the most represented microorganisms in the vaginal microbiota of healthy women, where they provide a shelter against infections from several pathogens, such as the yeasts belonging to the genus Candida. The latter are responsible for the vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), a condition affecting up to 75% of women during their child-bearing age at least once in their lifetime. Moreover, 5-8% of such women develop the recurrent form of the disease (RVVC), consisting of at least 5 VVC episodes per year. Notwithstanding C. albicans is the main responsible of VVC cases, in the last decades, the incidence of VVC cases by non-albicans Candida (NAC) species has become prevalent, especially in some geographical areas. C. parapsilosis, in particular, has been reported to be second species most commonly isolated from women affected by VVC. However, little is known on this species, and on its role in the pathogenesis of VVC. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Cell-free supernatants (CFS) were obtained following an overnight culture of 4 different Lactobacilli species (L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. reuteri). Lactobacilli-released compounds, contained in CFS, were assessed for their effect on several virulence factors of C. parapsilosis (strain CLIB214), such as growth rate, capacity to form pseudohyphae, capacity to adhere to a vaginal epithelium in vitro (A-431 cells monolayer) and to induce cell damage. The latter was evaluated by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from A431 cells. RESULTS. C. parapsilosis growth inhibition by L. acidophilus, L. plantarum and L. reuteri CFS was 47%, 55% and 52% respectively, whereas L. rhamnosus CFS effect was weaker (33% inhibition growth). All the Lactobacilli significantly inhibited C. parapsilosis adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells: upon incubation with CFS, only 5-7% of fungal cells adhered to epithelial cells, after 90 minutes incubation; differently, the adhesion of the control reached 19%. Interestingly, no effect on pseudohyphae formation by any of the CSF was ever observed. Finally, the C. parapsilosis-induced damage on A-431 cells was significantly reduced by the addition of the CSF. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. Our results show that the investigated species of Lactobacilli release compounds capable to impair several C. parapsilosis virulence factors, such as growth rate and adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells; interestingly, while not affecting fungal capacity to form pseudohyphae, such compounds significantly reduce Candida-mediated epithelial damage.. These data suggest that, in the context of vaginal microbiota, these Lactobacilli species may play an important role in counteracting the onset of mucosal Candida infections