Smartphone-Based Tracking of Sleep in Depression, Anxiety, and Psychotic Disorders

Purpose of ReviewSleep is an important feature in mental illness. Smartphones can be used to assess and monitor sleep, yet there is little prior application of this approach in depressive, anxiety, or psychotic disorders. We review uses of smartphones and wearable devices for sleep research in patients with these conditions.Recent FindingsTo date, most studies consist of pilot evaluations demonstrating feasibility and acceptability of monitoring sleep using smartphones and wearable devices among individuals with psychiatric disorders. Promising findings show early associations between behaviors and sleep parameters and agreement between clinic-based assessments, active smartphone data capture, and passively collected data. Few studies report improvement in sleep or mental health outcomes.SummarySuccess of smartphone-based sleep assessments and interventions requires emphasis on promoting long-term adherence, exploring possibilities of adaptive and personalized systems to predict risk/relapse, and determining impact of sleep monitoring on improving patients' quality of life and clinically meaningful outcomes.Peer reviewe

Connectivity alterations of mesostriatal pathways in first episode psychosis

Background and hypothesisPathogenic understanding of the psychotic disorders converges on regulation of dopaminergic signaling in mesostriatocortical pathways. Functional connectivity of the mesostriatal pathways may inform us of the neuronal networks involved.Study designThis longitudinal study of first episode psychosis (FEP) (49 patients, 43 controls) employed seed-based functional connectivity analyses of fMRI data collected during a naturalistic movie stimulus.Study resultsWe identified hypoconnectivity of the dorsal striatum with the midbrain, associated with antipsychotic medication dose in FEP, in comparison with the healthy control group. The midbrain regions that showed hypoconnectivity with the dorsal striatum also showed hypoconnectivity with cerebellar regions suggested to be involved in regulation of the mesostriatocortical dopaminergic pathways. None of the baseline hypoconnectivity detected was seen at follow-up.ConclusionsThese findings extend earlier resting state findings on mesostriatal connectivity in psychotic disorders and highlight the potential for cerebellar regulation of the mesostriatocortical pathways as a target of treatment trials.Peer reviewe

Genotyping of Trypanosoma cruzi in a hyper-endemic area of Colombia reveals an overlap among domestic and sylvatic cycles of Chagas disease

ABSTARCT: Chagas disease is a neglected illness caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which widely affects American communities. This study attempted to identify T. cruzi genotypes circulating in four indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, Colombia, to investigate parasite transmission dynamics in these communities. In addition, some epidemiological variables to determine the risk factors for infection with this parasite, such as the prevalence of T. cruzi infection, the triatomine species, and the domestic and sylvatic mammals that act as vectors and reservoirs of the parasite in the domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic cycles, were examined. METHODS:We developed a prospective study to identify the main risk factors associated with T. cruzi infection in the region. The T. cruzi prevalence was determined by ELISA, IFA and PCR. Triatomines species and both domestic and sylvatic mammals from all communities were captured and sampled. To analyze parasite transmission dynamics in these four communities, eight DNA parasite probes were generated from insect and reservoir samples, and a DNA blot analysis were carried out. RESULTS:Serological studies revealed 37% prevalence in the four communities, and Kasakumake was the most endemic region, containing approximately 70% seropositives. Moreover, the molecular diagnosis showed a high correlation between the serological data and the T. cruzi circulating in the patients' blood. A total of 464 triatomine insects were collected in domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic environments, and these insects belonged to five different species; Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata were the two more important species transmitting the parasite. After studying the eco-epidemiological factors in these four communities, the most important risk factors for infection with the parasite were determined. These risk factors are a high infection rate of people and domestic animals, the construction materials of the houses, the presence of infected triatomines inside the human dwellings, the proximity between houses and a sylvatic environment with several triatomine species and wild animals. Finally, the molecular characterization of T. cruzi showed the presence of three haplotypes and complex T. cruzi mixed infections in all reservoirs. CONCLUSIONS:Active transmission of T. cruzi is present in four indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with overlap between the domestic and the sylvatic transmission cycles of Chagas disease

Special issue on: Learning Analytics (Editorial)

With the general technological advances of the recent years, current learning environments amass an abundance of data. Albeit such data offer the chance of better understand the learning process, stakeholders – learners, teachers and institutions – often need additional support to make sense of it (Dyckhoff et al., 2013; Macfadyen and Dawson, 2012). The acknowledgement of these needs is at the heart of the recent emergence of Learning Analytics (LA), a research area that draws from multiple disciplines such as educational science, information and computer science, sociology, psychology, statistics and educational data mining (Buckingham Shum and Ferguson, 2012). This multidisciplinarity in LA has motivated the work done by Ferguson (2012), which provides a first review of the drivers, development and challenges of this novel and young research area. Our understanding of learning analytics is based on the definition from the Society for Learning Analytics (SoLAR – Society for Learning Analytics1) which specifies that “Learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs”. Since 2011, the Horizon reports list Learning Analytics as a hot topic in higher education and indicate the importance of data for this field (Johnson et al., 2011). Learning analytics are able to provide a fresh view on understanding of teaching and learning by observing patterns of complex data (Johnson et al., 2012). Furthermore, it will influence the evolution of higher education in a great measure. Nowadays, learners have access to a huge amount of online information having themselves the possibility of being content creators and information sharers. Therefore the quantity of available information grows in an exponential way, once that each and every citizen can access and produce information. For these purposes, learners have at their disposal many online resources, including LMSs, VLEs, MOOCs and many other online tools that facilitate the learning process and the development of competences. Taking into account these online learning facilities and therefore the learners’ acquisition of knowledge, it is also easier to measure and analyse their experiences by using learning analytics tools. Different online courses and institutions provide dashboards with information about student experiences, flaws and successes. Although the investigation of behavioural specific data makes learning analytics complex, the time comes to utilise personalised learning environments adapted to students learning paths, skills, previous knowledge, competences and motivation

Benznidazole-Resistance in Trypanosoma cruzi Is a Readily Acquired Trait That Can Arise Independently in a Single Population

Benznidazole is the frontline drug used against Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. However, treatment failures are often reported. Here, we demonstrate that independently acquired mutations in the gene encoding a mitochondrial nitroreductase (TcNTR) can give rise to distinct drug-resistant clones within a single population. Following selection of benznidazole-resistant parasites, all clones examined had lost one of the chromosomes containing the TcNTR gene. Sequence analysis of the remaining TcNTR allele revealed 3 distinct mutant genes in different resistant clones. Expression studies showed that these mutant proteins were unable to activate benznidazole. This correlated with loss of flavin mononucleotide binding. The drug-resistant phenotype could be reversed by transfection with wild-type TcNTR. These results identify TcNTR as a central player in acquired resistance to benznidazole. They also demonstrate that T. cruzi has a propensity to undergo genetic changes that can lead to drug resistance, a finding that has implications for future therapeutic strategies

MKK6 controls T3-mediated browning of white adipose tissue

El aumento de la capacidad termogénica del tejido adiposo para mejorar el gasto de energía del organismo se considera una estrategia terapéutica prometedora para combatir la obesidad. Aquí nosotros informe que la expresión del activador MAPK p38 MKK6 está elevada en el tejido adiposo blanco de individuos obesos. Usando animales knockout y shRNA, mostramos que la eliminación de Mkk6 aumenta el gasto de energía y la capacidad termogénica del tejido adiposo blanco, protegiendo a los ratones contra la obesidad inducida por la dieta y el desarrollo de la diabetes. La eliminación de Mkk6 aumenta la expresión de UCP1 estimulada por T3 en los adipocitos, lo que aumenta su capacidad termogénica. De manera mecánica, demostramos que, en el tejido adiposo blanco, p38 se activa mediante una ruta alternativa que involucra AMPK, TAK y TAB. Nuestros resultados identifican MKK6 en los adipocitos como un posible objetivo terapéutico para reducir la obesidad.Increasing the thermogenic capacity of adipose tissue to enhance organismal energy expenditure is considered a promising therapeutic strategy to combat obesity. Here, we report that expression of the p38 MAPK activator MKK6 is elevated in white adipose tissue of obese individuals. Using knockout animals and shRNA, we show that Mkk6 deletion increases energy expenditure and thermogenic capacity of white adipose tissue, protecting mice against diet-induced obesity and the development of diabetes. Deletion of Mkk6 increases T3-stimulated UCP1 expression in adipocytes, thereby increasing their thermogenic capacity. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that, in white adipose tissue, p38 is activated by an alternative pathway involving AMPK, TAK, and TAB. Our results identify MKK6 in adipocytes as a potential therapeutic target to reduce obesity.• Guadalupe Sabio Buzo y Rebeca Acin Pérez pertenecen a Programa Ramón y Cajal • Elisa Manieri pertenece a Caixa • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Proyecto FPI BES-2014-069332, para Valle Montalvo Romeral • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Proyecto FPI BES-2011-043428, para Edgar Bernardo • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y FEDER SAF2016-79126-R y Comunidad de Madrid S2010 / BMD-2326, para Guadalupe Sabio Buzo • ISCIII y FEDER, PI10 / 01692 e I3SNS-INT12 / 049, para Miguel Marcos Martín • Junta de Castilla y León GRS 681 / A / 11, para Lourdes Hernández Cosido • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. BFU2015-70664-R, Xunta de Galicia 2015-CP080 y PIE13 / 00024, y ERC281408, para Rubén Nogueiras Pozo • Unión Europea. Becas europeas UE0 / MCA1108 y UE0 / MCA1201; y la Comunidad de Madrid CAM / API1009, para Rubén Nogueiras Pozo • Junta de Extremadura y FEDER BR15164, para Francisco Centeno Velázquez • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. . BFU2013-46109-R, para Clara V. Álvarez Villamarín • European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. ERC 260464peerReviewe

International study to evaluate PCR methods for detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in blood samples from Chagas disease patients

A century after its discovery, Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, still represents a major neglected tropical threat. Accurate diagnostics tools as well as surrogate markers of parasitological response to treatment are research priorities in the field. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been proposed as a sensitive laboratory tool for detection of T. cruzi infection and monitoring of parasitological treatment outcome. However, high variation in accuracy and lack of international quality controls has precluded reliable applications in the clinical practice and comparisons of data among cohorts and geographical regions. In an effort towards harmonization of PCR strategies, 26 expert laboratories from 16 countries evaluated their current PCR procedures against sets of control samples, composed by serial dilutions of T.cruzi DNA from culture stocks belonging to different lineages, human blood spiked with parasite cells and blood samples from Chagas disease patients. A high variability in sensitivities and specificities was found among the 48 reported PCR tests. Out of them, four tests with best performance were selected and further evaluated. This study represents a crucial first step towards device of a standardized operative procedure for T. cruzi PCR.Fil: Schijman, Alejandro G. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Bisio, Margarita. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Orellana, Liliana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Cálculo; Argentina.Fil: Sued, Mariela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Cálculo; Argentina.Fil: Duffy, Tomás. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Mejia Jaramillo, Ana M. Universidad de Antioquia. Grupo Chagas; Colombia.Fil: Cura, Carolina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Auter, Frederic. French Blood Services; Francia.Fil: Veron, Vincent. Universidad de Parasitología. Laboratorio Hospitalario; Guayana Francesa.Fil: Qvarnstrom, Yvonne. Centers for Disease Control. Department of Parasitic Diseases; Estados Unidos.Fil: Deborggraeve, Stijn. Institute of Tropical Medicine; Bélgica.Fil: Hijar, Gisely. Instituto Nacional de Salud; Perú.Fil: Zulantay, Inés. Facultad de Medicina; Chile.Fil: Lucero, Raúl Horacio. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste; Argentina.Fil: Velázquez, Elsa. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben; Argentina.Fil: Tellez, Tatiana. Universidad Mayor de San Simon. Centro Universitario de Medicina Tropical; Bolivia.Fil: Sanchez Leon, Zunilda. Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Paraguay.Fil: Galvão, Lucia. Faculdade de Farmácia; Brasil.Fil: Nolder, Debbie. Hospital for Tropical Diseases. London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Department of Clinical Parasitology; Reino Unido.Fil: Monje Rumi, María. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Laboratorio de Patología Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Levi, José E. Hospital Sirio Libanês. Blood Bank; Brasil.Fil: Ramirez, Juan D. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical; Colombia.Fil: Zorrilla, Pilar. Instituto Pasteur; Uruguay.Fil: Flores, María. Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Centro de Mahahonda; España.Fil: Jercic, Maria I. Instituto Nacional De Salud. Sección Parasitología; Chile.Fil: Crisante, Gladys. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones Parasitológicas J.F. Torrealba; Venezuela.Fil: Añez, Néstor. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones Parasitológicas J.F. Torrealba; Venezuela.Fil: De Castro, Ana M. Universidade Federal de Goiás. Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP); Brasil.Fil: Gonzalez, Clara I. Universidad Industrial de Santander. Grupo de Inmunología y Epidemiología Molecular (GIEM); Colombia.Fil: Acosta Viana, Karla. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Departamento de Biomedicina de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias Laboratorio de Biología Celular; México.Fil: Yachelini, Pedro. Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero. Instituto de Biomedicina; Argentina.Fil: Torrico, Faustino. Universidad Mayor de San Simon. Centro Universitario de Medicina Tropical; Bolivia.Fil: Robello, Carlos. Instituto Pasteur; Uruguay.Fil: Diosque, Patricio. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Laboratorio de Patología Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Triana Chavez, Omar. Universidad de Antioquia. Grupo Chagas; Colombia.Fil: Aznar, Christine. Universidad de Parasitología. Laboratorio Hospitalario; Guayana Francesa.Fil: Russomando, Graciela. Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Paraguay.Fil: Büscher, Philippe. Institute of Tropical Medicine; Bélgica.Fil: Assal, Azzedine. French Blood Services; Francia.Fil: Guhl, Felipe. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical; Colombia.Fil: Sosa Estani, Sergio. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico e Investigación en Endemo-Epidemias; Argentina.Fil: DaSilva, Alexandre. Centers for Disease Control. Department of Parasitic Diseases; Estados Unidos.Fil: Britto, Constança. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ. Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas; Brasil.Fil: Luquetti, Alejandro. Laboratório de Pesquisa de Doença de Chagas; Brasil.Fil: Ladzins, Janis. World Health Organization (WHO). Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR); Suiza

International Study to Evaluate PCR Methods for Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in Blood Samples from Chagas Disease Patients

A century after its discovery, Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, still represents a major neglected tropical threat. Accurate diagnostics tools as well as surrogate markers of parasitological response to treatment are research priorities in the field. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been proposed as a sensitive laboratory tool for detection of T. cruzi infection and monitoring of parasitological treatment outcome. However, high variation in accuracy and lack of international quality controls has precluded reliable applications in the clinical practice and comparisons of data among cohorts and geographical regions. In an effort towards harmonization of PCR strategies, 26 expert laboratories from 16 countries evaluated their current PCR procedures against sets of control samples, composed by serial dilutions of T.cruzi DNA from culture stocks belonging to different lineages, human blood spiked with parasite cells and blood samples from Chagas disease patients. A high variability in sensitivities and specificities was found among the 48 reported PCR tests. Out of them, four tests with best performance were selected and further evaluated. This study represents a crucial first step towards device of a standardized operative procedure for T. cruzi PCR

Dwellings, jabuticabas, and affections — trajectories with Sylvia Caiuby Novaes

Sylvia Caiuby Novaes é professora do Departamento de Antropologia da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) e dedica-se há cerca de 50 anos à pesquisa e ao ensino em antropologia. Entre outras realizações, ela é uma das pioneiras da antropologia visual no Brasil, é fundadora do Laboratório de Imagem e Som da Antropologia (LISA) e editora responsável pela revista Gesto, Imagem e Som. Revista de Antropologia (GIS). Nesta entrevista, realizada por mais de 30 orientandos de diferentes gerações, Sylvia fala sobre sua trajetória, projetos, visão de mundo, suas diversas viagens, o fascínio pelas pesquisas de campo e a universidade. Ao contar sobre sua trajetória acadêmica e pessoal, Sylvia traz reflexões sobre sua relação com a fotografia e a produção de imagens.  Sylvia Caiuby Novaes is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of São Paulo (USP) and has been dedicated to research and teaching in anthropology for nearly 50 years. Among other accomplishments, she is one of the pioneers of visual anthropology in Brazil, is the founder of the Laboratory of Image and Sound of Anthropology (LISA) and the editor in charge of the Gesture, Image and Sound.  Journal of Anthropology (GIS). In this interview, conducted by more than 30 advisees from different generations, Sylvia talks about her trajectory, projects, worldview, her various travels, her fascination with field research and the university. When telling about her academic and personal trajectory, Sylvia reflects on her relationship with photography and the production of images