Executive functions and selective attention are favored in middle-aged healthy women carriers of the Val/Val genotype of the catechol-o-methyltransferase gene: a behavioral genetic study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cognitive deficits such as poor memory, the inability to concentrate, deficits in abstract reasoning, attention and set-shifting flexibility have been reported in middle-aged women. It has been suggested that cognitive decline may be due to several factors which include hormonal changes, individual differences, normal processes of aging and age-related changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), a common functional polymorphism, has been related to executive performance in young healthy volunteers, old subjects and schizophrenia patients. The effect of this polymorphism on cognitive function in middle-aged healthy women is not well known. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether measures of executive function, sustained attention, selective attention and verbal fluency would be different depending on the COMT genotype and task demand.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>We genotyped 74 middle-aged healthy women (48 to 65 years old) for the COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism. We analyzed the effects of this polymorphism on executive functions (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test), selective attention (Stroop test), sustained attention (Continuous Performance Test) and word generation (Verbal Fluency test), which are cognitive functions that involve the frontal lobe.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 27 women with the Val/Val COMT genotype, 15 with the Met/Met genotype, and 32 with the Val/Met genotype. Women carriers of the Val/Val genotype performed better in executive functions, as indicated by a lower number of errors committed in comparison with the Met/Met or Val/Met groups. The correct responses on selective attention were higher in the Val/Val group, and the number of errors committed was higher in the Met/Met group during the incongruence trial in comparison with the Val/Val group. Performance on sustained attention and the number of words generated did not show significant differences between the three genotypes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings indicate that middle-aged women carriers of the Val¹⁵⁸allele, associated with high-activity COMT, showed significant advantage over Met allele in executive processes and cognitive flexibility. These results may help to explain, at least in part, individual differences in cognitive decline in middle-aged women with dopamine-related genes.</p

Evaluation of green walls as passive acoustic insulation system for buildings

Greenery on buildings is being consolidated as an interesting way to improve the quality of life in urban environments. Among the benefits that are associated with greenery systems for buildings, such as energy savings, biodiversity support, and storm-water control, there is also noise attenuation. Despite the fact that green walls are one of the most promising building greenery systems, few studies of their sound insulation potential have been conducted. In addition, there are different types of green walls; therefore, available data for this purpose are not only sparse but also scattered. To gather knowledge about the contribution of vertical greenery systems to noise reduction, especially a modular-based green wall, two different standardised laboratory tests were conducted. The main results were a weighted sound reduction index (Rw) of 15 dB and a weighted sound absorption coefficient (a) of 0.40. It could be concluded that green walls have significant potential as a sound insulation tool for buildings but that some design adjustments should be performed, such as improving the efficiency of sealing the joints between the modular pieces.The authors would like to thank the FEDER of the European Union for financial support via the project ‘‘G-GI3000/IDIX SILENTVEG: Barreras vegetales autónomas y sostenibles para la mitigación acústica y compensación del CO2 en vías de transporte, con seguimiento telemático’’ of the ‘‘Programa Operativo FEDER de Andalucía 2007-2013’’

Emotional Competence among Future Teachers: A Study on Emotional Intelligence and Empathy Levels

La formación inicial y permanente del profesorado constituye una herramienta clave para lograr una enseñanza de calidad. Es necesario incluir en la formación de docentes el desarrollo de competencias socioemocionales para su futura práctica docente. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar cómo percibe sus niveles de Inteligencia Emocional (IE) y Empatía el estudiantado universitario de primer y cuarto año en carreras de Educación y explorar si existen diferencias con otras titulaciones. La muestra estuvo constituida por 569 estudiantes de primer y último año de las carreras de Educación Infantil, Educación Primaria, Medicina y Química, quienes cumplimentaron la escala TMMS-24 para evaluar la IE y la escala IRI para evaluar la Empatía. Se elaboraron análisis de correlación y de covarianza. Los principales resultados en relación con los niveles de IE percibida muestran que el estudiantado de las carreras de Educación presenta mayores niveles de Atención Emocional a su ingreso y que el alumnado de cuarto año de Educación y Medicina presenta mayores niveles de Reparación y Claridad Emocional en comparación con los de primer año. Respecto a la Empatía, el estudiantado de Educación y Medicina denota mayores niveles percibidos de Preocupación Empática tanto en el momento de su ingreso como al finalizar la carrera. Los estudiantes de Educación, a diferencia de los de Medicina, no tuvieron mayores niveles de Toma de Perspectiva ni preocupación empática al finalizar sus estudios en comparación con los que ingresaron el primer año. Además, los niveles de Malestar Personal fueron mayores en las titulaciones de Educación y Química. Estos resultados reflejan la importancia de cambiar el currículo de las carreras de Educación para fomentar habilidades empáticas. Palabras clave: Inteligencia Emocional, Empatía, Estudiantes Universitarios, Competencias Socioemocionales.Initial and continuing education for teachers is an essential means for achieving quality teaching. Teacher training must include development of social-emotional competences that can be applied throughout their future teaching career. is study aims to assess how first and fourth year Education Majors perceive their own level of Emotional Intelligence (EI) ad Empathy and explore if there are any differences among other college majors. e sample used included 569 first- and fourth-year college students majoring in Preschool Education, Primary School Education, Medicine and Chemistry, who completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 TMMS-24) Scale for IE assessment and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to assess empathy. A correlation and covariance analysis were undertaken. e main results regarding perceived levels of EI, reveal that Education Majors had higher levels of emotional attention upon entering college and that fourth year Education and Medical students had higher levels of emotional clarity and repair compared to first-year students. Education and Medical students showed higher levels of perceived empathic concern both upon entering college as well as at the end of their college careers. Yet, students majoring in Education, unlike students majoring in Medicine, did not show a higher level of perspective taking or empathic concern upon finishing their studies compared to first year students. In addition, personal distress levels were higher among Education and Chemistry majors. ese results reflect the importance of changing Education Major curriculums to foster the development of empathic skills

Structural basis of a histidine-DNA nicking/joining mechanism for gene transfer and promiscuous spread of antibiotic resistance

Relaxases are metal-dependent nucleases that break and join DNA for the initiation and completion of conjugative bacterial gene transfer. Conjugation is the main process through which antibiotic resistance spreads among bacteria, with multidrug-resistant staphylococci and streptococci infections posing major threats to human health. The MOBV family of relaxases accounts for approximately 85% of all relaxases found in Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Here, we present six structures of the MOBV relaxase MobM from the promiscuous plasmid pMV158 in complex with several origin of transfer DNA fragments. A combined structural, biochemical, and computational approach reveals that MobM follows a previously uncharacterized histidine/metal-dependent DNA processing mechanism, which involves the formation of a covalent phosphoramidate histidine-DNA adduct for cell-to-cell transfer. We discuss how the chemical features of the high-energy phosphorus-nitrogen bond shape the dominant position of MOBV histidine relaxases among small promiscuous plasmids and their preference toward Gram-positive bacteria

SMARTeaching: Uso de dispositivos móviles en el aula y eficacia de las clases presenciales

Sección Deptal. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (Biológicas)Fac. de Ciencias BiológicasFALSEsubmitte

Enantioselective Synthesis of Spiro[indolizidine-1,3 '-oxindoles]

A three-step procedure for the enantioselective synthesis of spiro[indolizidine-1,3'-oxindoles], consisting of a stereoselective cyclocondensation reaction between (S)-tryptophanol and a prochiral or racemic 5-oxoester, bromination of the resulting oxazolopiperidone lactam, and a final stereoselective spirocyclization, is reported

Beta cell functionality and hepatic insulin resistance are major contributors to type 2 diabetes remission and starting pharmacological therapy: from CORDIOPREV randomized controlled trial

In order to assess whether previous hepatic IR (Hepatic-IR fasting) and beta-cell functionality could modulate type 2 diabetes remission and the need for starting glucose- lowering treatment, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes participants who had never received glucose-lowering treatment (190 out of 1002) from the CORonary Diet Intervention with Olive oil and cardiovascular PREVention study (a prospective, randomized and controlled clinical trial), were randomized to consume a Mediterranean or a low-fat diet. Type 2 diabetes remission was defined according to the American Diabetes Association recommendation for levels of HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose and 2h plasma glucose after oral glucose tolerance test, and having maintained them for at least 2 consecutive years. Patients were classified according to the median of Hepatic-IR fasting and beta-cell functionality, measured as the disposition index (DI) at baseline. Cox proportional hazards regression determined the potential for Hepatic-IR fasting and DI indexes as predictors of diabetes remission and the probability of starting pharmacological treatment after a 5-year follow-up. Low-Hepatic-IR fasting or high-DI patients had a higher probability of diabetes remission than high-Hepatic-IR fasting or low-DI subjects (HR:1.79; 95% CI 1.06_3.05; and HR:2.66; 95% CI 1.60_4.43, respectively) after a dietary intervention with no pharmacological treatment and no weight loss. The combination of low- Hepatic-IR fasting and high-DI presented the highest probability of remission (HR:4.63; 95% CI 2.00_10.70). Among patients maintaining diabetes, those with high- Hepatic-IR fasting and low-DI showed the highest risk of starting glucose-lowerin

Herpesvirus Antibodies, Vitamin D and Short-Chain Fatty Acids: Their Correlation with Cell Subsets in Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Healthy Controls

Although the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is still unknown, it is commonly accepted that environmental factors could contribute to the disease. The objective of this study was to analyze the humoral response to Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6A/B and cytomegalovirus, and the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and the three main short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), propionate (PA), butyrate (BA) and acetate (AA), in MS patients and healthy controls (HC) to understand how they could contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. With this purpose, we analyzed the correlations among them and with different clinical variables and a wide panel of cell subsets. We found statistically significant differences for most of the environmental factors analyzed when we compared MS patients and HC, supporting their possible involvement in the disease. The strongest correlations with the clinical variables and the cell subsets analyzed were found for 25(OH)D and SCFAs levels. A correlation was also found between 25(OH)D and PA/AA ratio, and the interaction between these factors negatively correlated with interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in untreated MS patients. Therapies that simultaneously increase vitamin D levels and modify the proportion of SCFA could be evaluated in the future