Thymic stroma is required for the development of human T cell lineages in vitro

Development of the T cell lineage is characterized by the homing of hematopoietic precursors to thymus, followed by their acquisition of receptors for antigen. T cell receptors are αβ or γδ heterodimers associated with CD3 (TCR-CD3). Very early T cell precursors in humans have been characterized as CD7+45+ cells which lack the T cell differentiation antigens CD1, CD2, CD3, CD4, and CD8. A phenotypically equivalent early thymocyte population also occurs in postnatal life, and we have previously shown that interleukin 2 (IL2) promotes the development in vitro of both the αβ and the γδ T cells from these early thymocytes. Here we have analyzed the requirements of the induction of the IL2 pathway in early thymocytes, and their developmental potential. We show that: (I) thymic stromal cells, which are present in thymocyte suspensions, are necessary to induce the IL2 pathway and the development of αβ or γδ T cell lineages from early thymocytes in vitro; and (II) when removed from the in vivo environment, early thymocytes can develop in vitro into TCR-CD3− cells of the natural killer (NK) lineage. We conclude that CD7+45+, CD1-2-3-4-8- early thymocytes are multipotential progenitors that, at least, have the capacity to develop into αβ or γδ T cell and NK lineages. The analysis of the mechanisms of generation and selection of human T and NK cell diversity, not feasible in bone marrow cultures, is now possibl

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in behavioral and food addiction: a systematic review of efficacy, technical, and methodological issues

Objectives: Behavioral addictions (BA) are complex disorders for which pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments have shown their limits. Non-invasive brain stimulation, among which transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has opened up new perspectives in addiction treatment. The purpose of this work is to conduct a critical and systematic review of tDCS efficacy, and of technical and methodological considerations in the field of BA. Methods: A bibliographic search has been conducted on the Medline and ScienceDirect databases until December 2014, based on the following selection criteria: clinical studies on tDCS and BA (namely eating disorders, compulsive buying, Internet addiction, pathological gambling, sexual addiction, sports addiction, video games addiction). Study selection, data analysis, and reporting were conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Results: Out of 402 potential articles, seven studies were selected. So far focusing essentially on abnormal eating, these studies suggest that tDCS (right prefrontal anode/left prefrontal cathode) reduces food craving induced by visual stimuli. Conclusions: Despite methodological and technical differences between studies, the results are promising. So far, only few studies of tDCS in BA have been conducted. New research is recommended on the use of tDCS in BA, other than eating disorders

A comparison of treatment-seeking behavioral addiction patients with and without parkinson's disease

The administration of dopaminergic medication to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with addictive behaviors and impulse control disorders. Little is known, however, on how PD patients differ from other patients seeking treatments for behavioral addictions. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of behavioral addiction patients with and without PD. N = 2,460 treatment-seeking men diagnosed with a behavioral addiction were recruited from a university hospital. Sociodemographic, impulsivity [Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11)], and personality [Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R)] measures were taken upon admission to outpatient treatment. Patients in the PD group were older and had a higher prevalence of mood disorders than patients without PD. In terms of personality characteristics and impulsivity traits, PD patients appeared to present a more functional profile than PD-free patients with a behavioral addiction. Our results suggest that PD patients with a behavioral addiction could be more difficult to detect than their PD-free counterparts in behavioral addiction clinical setting due to their reduced levels of impulsivity and more standard personality traits. As a whole, this suggests that PD patients with a behavioral addiction may have different needs from PD-free behavioral addiction patients and that they could potentially benefit from targeted interventions

Mobile phone based mini-spectrometer for rapid screening of skin cancer

We demonstrate a highly sensitive mobile phone based spectrometer that has potential to detect cancerous skin lesions in a rapid, non-invasive manner. Earlier reports of low cost spectrometers utilize the camera of the mobile phone to image the field after moving through a diffraction grating. These approaches are inherently limited by the closed nature of mobile phone image sensors and built in optical elements. The system presented uses a novel integrated grating and sensor that is compact, accurate and calibrated. Resolutions of about 10 nm can be achieved. Additionally, UV and visible LED excitation sources are built into the device. Data collection and analysis is simplified using the wireless interfaces and logical control on the smart phone. Furthermore, by utilizing an external sensor, the mobile phone camera can be used in conjunction with spectral measurements. We are exploring ways to use this device to measure endogenous fluorescence of skin in order to distinguish cancerous from non-cancerous lesions with a mobile phone based dermatoscope

Planeamiento estratégico de New Transport S.A.

New Transport S.A. (NT) es un operador logístico mediano con especialización en la coordinación de la exportación de perecibles del Perú hacia el mundo, con un nivel de ventas de 28.9 millones de USD y una planilla de 104 empleados en el periodo 2015. Actualmente posee una buena reputación en el mercado peruano debido a sus más de 20 años brindando apoyo en especial a los agroexportadores. El objetivo del presente documento es proporcionar a NT un planeamiento estratégico que sea soporte y guía de sus operaciones para lograr la visión propuesta para el 2021 que se puede dividir en dos partes: (a) un mayor crecimiento, y (b) una mejora de eficiencia operativa. Luego de recolectar información de la situación actual de NT se realizó un análisis de los factores externos e internos de la organización permitiendo la identificación de las oportunidades, amenazas, fortalezas y debilidades. Producto del análisis se observó que el Perú y el mundo muestran escenarios favorables para el crecimiento del sector agroexportador tanto en la disponibilidad de recursos para soportarlo como una mayor demanda de productos agrícolas, lo que impacta de manera directa en oportunidades para el crecimiento de las operaciones de NT. Por otro lado, el servicio ofrecido en la industria en la que opera NT, es poco diferenciado generando en sus clientes una alta sensibilidad a los precios; asimismo la especialización de su negocio, relacionado al transporte de perecibles, genera una exposición a los riesgos asociados a estos productos, como los cambios climáticos. Con el objetivo de alcanzar la visión propuesta y lograr un cumplimiento gradual de la misma se plantearon seis objetivos de largo plazo y 42 de corto plazo; y como resultado del análisis externo e interno, se emparejaron las oportunidades y amenazas con las fortalezas y debilidades para determinar las estrategias propuestas para NT, las cuales fueron 17 y luego de ser evaluadas en una serie de matrices se determinaron siete estrategias retenidas y 10 estrategia externa defensiva y cuatro estrategias internas; las cuales se pueden asociar al deseo de NT de seguir creciendo tanto en Perú como a nivel internacional, donde su primera opción de expansión propuesta de sus operaciones sea Chile, y a mejorar su eficiencia operativa. Posteriormente, se planteó el tablero de control balanceado como herramienta para monitorear periódicamente la realización de los objetivos de corto plazo, que permitirán el alcance de los objetivos de largo plazo. El tablero de control balanceado servirá como guía para NT para tomar acciones correctivas de manera oportuna a fin de asegurar el logro de sus objetivos y su visión para el año 2021. Asimismo, se identificaron los puntos más importantes del planeamiento estratégico, a fin de mantener especial atención en ellos durante el desarrollo de dicho plan, y finalmente se brindaron recomendaciones que apoyen su implementación.New Transport S.A. (NT) is a medium-sized logistics provider with a specialization in the coordination of the export of agricultural perishables from Peru to the world, with sales of 28.9 million USD and a staff of 104 employees in 2015. Currently they have a good reputation in the Peruvian market due to their more than 20 years of experience offering support, especially to agricultural exporters. The objective of this document is to provide NT with a strategic plan that will support and guide their operations to achieve the proposed vision for 2021, that can be divided in two parts: (a) a greater growth, and (b) an improvement in operational efficiency. After understanding the current situation of NT, an analysis was developed of the external and internal factors of the organization, allowing the identification of the opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses. As a product of this analysis, it can be seen that Peru and the world show favorable scenarios for the growth of agricultural exporters in both the availability of resources to support them as well as a greater demand of agricultural products, which impacts directly NT’s growth opportunities. On the other hand, the offered service in the industry in which NT is operating is not greatly differentiated, generating a high price sensibility in their clients. At the same time, the specialization of their business, related to the transport of perishables generates exposure to the risks associated to these products, such as climate changes. With the goal of achieving the proposed vision, six long-term and 42 short-term objectives were proposed; as a result of the internal and external analysis, the opportunities and the threats were matched with NT's strengths and weaknesses to determine the proposed strategies, of which there were 17. After being evaluated by a series of matrices, it was determined that seven strategies would be retained and 10 strategies would remain as contingencies. The group of retained strategies contained two intensive external strategies, one defensive external strategy and four internal strategies, all of which are related to NT's desire to continue growing in both Peru as well as at an international level, with Chile as the top proposed option for their operational expansion, and to improve their operational efficiency. A Balanced Scorecard was proposed as a tool to periodically monitor the development of the short-term objectives, which will ultimately allow for the achievement of the long-term objectives. The Balanced Scorecard will serve as a guide for NT to take corrective actions in the opportune moments to ensure the achievement of their objectives and vision for 2021. The most important points of the strategic planning were identified to ensure that special attention is placed on them during the realization of the plan. As the final step, recommendations were offered which will also assist with the implementation of the plan.Tesi

A Comparison of Treatment-Seeking Behavioral Addiction Patients with and without Parkinson's Disease

The administration of dopaminergic medication to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with addictive behaviors and impulse control disorders. Little is known, however, on how PD patients differ from other patients seeking treatments for behavioral addictions. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of behavioral addiction patients with and without PD. N = 2,460 treatment-seeking men diagnosed with a behavioral addiction were recruited from a university hospital. Sociodemographic, impulsivity [Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11)], and personality [Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R)] measures were taken upon admission to outpatient treatment. Patients in the PD group were older and had a higher prevalence of mood disorders than patients without PD. In terms of personality characteristics and impulsivity traits, PD patients appeared to present a more functional profile than PD-free patients with a behavioral addiction. Our results suggest that PD patients with a behavioral addiction could be more difficult to detect than their PD-free counterparts in behavioral addiction clinical setting due to their reduced levels of impulsivity and more standard personality traits. As a whole, this suggests that PD patients with a behavioral addiction may have different needs from PD-free behavioral addiction patients and that they could potentially benefit from targeted interventions

Helical peptides from VEGF and Vammin hotspots for modulating the VEGF-VEGFR interaction

The design, synthesis, conformational studies and binding affinity for VEGF receptors of a collection of linear and cyclic peptide analogues of the N-terminal α-helix fragments 13-25 of VEGF and 1-13 of Vammin are described. Linear 13(14)-mer peptides were designed with the help of an AGADIR algorithm and prepared following peptide solid-phase synthetic protocols. Cyclic peptide derivatives were prepared on-resin from linear precursors with conveniently located Glu and Lys residues, by the formation of amide linkages. Conformational analysis, CD and NMR, showed that most synthesized peptides have a clear tendency to be structured as α-helices in solution. Some of the peptides were able to bind a VEGFR-1 receptor with moderate affinity. In addition to the described key residues (Phe17, Tyr21 and Tyr25), Val14 and Val20 seem to be relevant for affinity.Peer Reviewe

Unexpected online gambling disorder in late-life : a case report

Background: The lifetime prevalence of problem or Gambling disorder (GD) in the elderly (i.e., those over 60 years old) is reported to range from 0.01 to 10.9%. Research has identified several specific risk factors and vulnerabilities in the elderly. Since the late 1990s, an increase in online GD has been observed in the youth population, whereas casinos, slot machines, and bingo seem to be the activities of choice among the elderly. Interestingly, online GD has not been described in the elderly to date. Case Description: We report an 83-year-old man who started online casino gambling from the age of 80 years, leading to debts that exceeded €30,000. He underwent a full clinical and neuropsychological assessment, without any evidence of cognitive impairment or any associated neurodegenerative disease. However, he had risk factors for GD, including adjustment disorder, stressful life events, previous offline casino GD when 50 years old, and dysfunctional personality traits. The change to online GD may have been due to his isolation, movement difficulties, and his high level of education, which facilitated his access to the Internet. Care management focused on individual cognitive-behavioral therapy. Conclusion: The prevalence of online GD may be underestimated among the elderly, and may increase among isolated old people with movement difficulties and ready access to the Internet. However, late-life GD should be considered a diagnosis of elimination, requiring a full medical, psychiatric (including suicide risk), and cognitive assessment. Specific therapeutic approaches need to be proposed and developed

Clinical, psychopathological, and personality characteristics associated with ADHD among individuals seeking treatment for gambling disorder

Objectives: (1) To assess the current presence of ADHD symptoms among patients seeking treatment for gambling disorder; (2) to explore clinical and sociodemographic differences between patients who score high and low on the measure of ADHD symptoms; (3) to analyze whether the presence of ADHD symptoms is associated with more severe psychopathology and with specific personality traits; (4) to analyze the mediating role of ADHD symptoms in the relationship between novelty seeking and gambling severity. Method: A total of 354 consecutive patients were administered an extensive battery assessing gambling behavior, psychopathology, and personality traits. Results: Male and female gamblers did not differ significantly in their mean scores on the ADHD measure. However, younger participants aged 18-35 scored higher. Higher ADHD scores were also associated with greater severity of gambling disorder and more general psychopathology. Regarding personality traits, high persistence and self-directedness were negatively related to ADHD scores, while in women alone a positive correlation was found between ADHD scores and scores on harm avoidance and self-transcendence. Conclusion: The presence of ADHD symptoms in both male and female gambling disorder patients may act as an indicator of the severity of gambling, general psychopathology, and dysfunctional personality traits

Unexpected online gambling disorder in late-life: a case report

Background: The lifetime prevalence of problem or Gambling disorder (GD) in the elderly (i.e., those over 60 years old) is reported to range from 0.01 to 10.9%. Research has identified several specific risk factors and vulnerabilities in the elderly. Since the late 1990s, an increase in online GD has been observed in the youth population, whereas casinos, slot machines, and bingo seem to be the activities of choice among the elderly. Interestingly, online GD has not been described in the elderly to date. Case Description: We report an 83-year-old man who started online casino gambling from the age of 80 years, leading to debts that exceeded 30,000. He underwent a full clinical and neuropsychological assessment, without any evidence of cognitive impairment or any associated neurodegenerative disease. However, he had risk factors for GD, including adjustment disorder, stressful life events, previous of line casino GD when 50 years old, and dysfunctional personality traits. The change to online GD may have been due to his isolation, movement difficulties, and his high level of education, which facilitated his access to the Internet. Care management focused on individual cognitive-behavioral therapy. Conclusion: The prevalence of online GD may be underestimated among the elderly, and may increase among isolated old people with movement difficulties and ready access to the Internet. However, late-life GD should be considered a diagnosis of elimination, requiring a full medical, psychiatric (including suicide risk), and cognitive assessment. Specific therapeutic approaches need to be proposed and developed