Microstructural Correlates of Resilience against Major Depressive Disorder: Epigenetic Mechanisms?

Mental disorders are a major cause of long-term disability and are a direct cause of mortality, with approximately 800.000 individuals dying from suicide every year worldwide - a high proportion of them related to major depressive disorder (MDD)^1^. Healthy relatives of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are at risk to develop the disease. This higher vulnerability is associated with structural^2-4^ and functional brain changes^5^. However, we found using high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) with 61 diffusion directions that neuron tracts between frontal cortices and limbic as well as temporal and parietal brain regions are characterized by better diffusion coefficients in unaffected relatives (UHR), who managed to stay healthy, compared to healthy volunteers without any family history for a psychiatric disease (HC). Moreover, those UHR with stronger fibre connections better managed incidences of adversity in early life without later developing depression, while in HC axonal connections were found to be decreased when they had early-life adversity. Altogether these findings indicate the presence of stronger neural fibre connections in UHR, which seem to be associated with resilience against environmental stressors, which we suggest occur through epigenetic mechanisms

An improved discrete bat algorithm for symmetric and asymmetric traveling salesman problems

Bat algorithm is a population metaheuristic proposed in 2010 which is based on the echolocation or bio-sonar characteristics of microbats. Since its first implementation, the bat algorithm has been used in a wide range of fields. In this paper, we present a discrete version of the bat algorithm to solve the well-known symmetric and asymmetric traveling salesman problems. In addition, we propose an improvement in the basic structure of the classic bat algorithm. To prove that our proposal is a promising approximation method, we have compared its performance in 37 instances with the results obtained by five different techniques: evolutionary simulated annealing, genetic algorithm, an island based distributed genetic algorithm, a discrete firefly algorithm and an imperialist competitive algorithm. In order to obtain fair and rigorous comparisons, we have conducted three different statistical tests along the paper: the Student's $t$-test, the Holm's test, and the Friedman test. We have also compared the convergence behaviour shown by our proposal with the ones shown by the evolutionary simulated annealing, and the discrete firefly algorithm. The experimentation carried out in this study has shown that the presented improved bat algorithm outperforms significantly all the other alternatives in most of the cases

Eficiencia del ordeño mecánico en vacuno de leche

Analizamos 23 parámetros de control, en 632 máquinas de ordeño y su relación con la calidad de la leche. Tomando la pezonera como punto de unión entre máquina - vaca se realizaron ensayos sobre dos juegos de pezoneras, se tomaron mediciones del touch point pressure difference (TPPD), pulsación, vacíos de ordeño, muestras bacteriológicas en el interior de las pezoneras así como análisis de microscopía de escáner electrónico. Finalmente tomando como referencia una ganadería “tipo” con 60 vacas en ordeño se estudiaron entre las diferentes posibilidades que nos podemos encontrar en el mercado (sala o robot de ordeño) los principales condicionantes a la hora de decidir; inversión inicial, mano de obra, producción, consumo energético, alimentación o calidad de vida. Los resultados del estudio muestran que la calidad de la leche guarda relación con el tipo de instalación, coincidiendo la mejor calidad con las instalaciones con mejor puesta a punto, 88% en salas de ordeño, 86% en circuitos y 82% en las cántaras. El deterioro de las pezoneras en sistemas de ordeño robotizado (SOR) y la necesidad de reemplazo están más condicionados por la carga bacteriana que por los desfases o retardos en la respuesta mecánica. Desde el punto de vista de la selección entre diferentes alternativas en explotaciones de carácter familiar y tamaño medio (60 vacas en ordeño) podemos concluir que la inversión inicial más económica es poner una sala de ordeño (2 x 6) equiparable en tecnificación y rendimiento a un SOR. Si imputamos la mano de obra, en SOR se ordeñan 13 y 5,8 veces más de kg/h que en sala con 3 y 2 ordeños respectivamente. El índice de calidad de vida calculado en función de 10 variables fue en SOR 2,5 y 4 veces mayor que ordeñando 2 y 3 veces al día. El coste energético es mayor en SOR con respecto a dos ordeños y la mejor eficiencia de alimentación se consigue en el caso de 2 ordeños, seguido de SOR y de 3 ordeños en sala. La producción anual se maximiza con 3 ordeños en sala pero el beneficio neto máximo se consigue en SOR

Violencia de xénero: impacto das ordes de protección e do proceso xudicial no benestar psicolóxico das vítimas

Traballo de Fin de Grao en Psicoloxía. Curso 2022-2023A violencia de xénero é definida como todo acto de violencia contra ás mulleres que teña ou poda ter como resultado dano ou sufrimento por motivo de xénero. Trátase dun fenómeno altamente prevalente e universal, cuxas consecuencias sobre as vítimas obsérvanse tanto a nivel físico como psicolóxico, sendo frecuente a sintomatoloxía postraumática, depresiva ou ansiosa. Cando as vítimas interpoñen unha denuncia, encaran xudicialmente ao agresor e, en aras de protexer os seus dereitos e garantir a súa seguridade e a do seu entorno, poden solicitar ordes de protección (OP) que engloban medidas penais, civís e asistenciais. Así, as OP son un instrumento legal que concentra nunha resolución un estatuto integral de protección á vítima. Este estudo explora o efecto das OP e do afrontamento xudicial (avaliado co Cuestionario de Implementación da Xustiza Terapéutica) sobre o benestar psicolóxico (medido co Syntom Checklist 90 R) nunha mostra de 117 mulleres denunciantes de violencia de xénero que finalizaran ou que permanecían no proceso xudicial. Os resultados acadados apoian que, se ben o afrontamento xudicial ten un impacto significativo sobre todas as escalas do benestar psicolóxico das vítimas, non se atopa dita relación no tocante ás OP, que poderían, non obstante, facilitar a súa seguridade, a permanencia no proceso, o apoderamento psicolóxico e o afrontamento xudicial. Discútense as limitacións deste estudo e as implicacións en termos de Xustiza Terapéutica de cara á humanización do sistema coa finalidade de minimizar os efectos revitimizadores ou antiterapéuticos do proceso xudicialIntimate partner violence is defined as any act of violence against women that results or is likely to result in gender-based harm or suffering. It is a highly prevalent and universal phenomenon, whose consequences on victims are observed both physically and psychologically, with post-traumatic, depressive or anxious symptoms being common. When victims file a judicial complaint, they take the aggressor to court and, in order to protect their rights and guarantee their safety and its inner circle´s, they can request protection orders (POs) which include criminal, civil and support measures. Thus, POs are a legal instrument that concentrates in a resolution a comprehensive statute of protection for the victim. This study explores the effect of POs and judicial coping (assessed with the Cuestionario de Implementación de la Justicia Terapéutica) on psychological well-being (measured with the Syntom Checklist 90 R) in a sample of 117 women complainants of intimate partner violence who had completed or were still in the judicial process. The results support that, while judicial coping has a significant impact on all dimensions of the psychological well-being of victims, no such relationship was found for POs, which could, however, facilitate their safety, staying in the process, psychological empowerment and judicial coping. The limitations of this study and the implications in terms of Therapeutic Jurisprudence for the humanisation of the system are discussed with the aim of minimising the revictimizer or antitherapeutic effects of the judicial proces

An improved discrete bat algorithm for symmetric and asymmetric traveling salesman problems

Bat algorithm is a population metaheuristic proposed in 2010 which is based on the echolocation or bio-sonar characteristics of microbats. Since its first implementation, the bat algorithm has been used in a wide range of fields. In this paper, we present a discrete version of the bat algorithm to solve the well-known symmetric and asymmetric traveling salesman problems. In addition, we propose an improvement in the basic structure of the classic bat algorithm. To prove that our proposal is a promising approximation method, we have compared its performance in 37 instances with the results obtained by five different techniques: evolutionary simulated annealing, genetic algorithm, an island based distributed genetic algorithm, a discrete firefly algorithm and an imperialist competitive algorithm. In order to obtain fair and rigorous comparisons, we have conducted three different statistical tests along the paper: the Student's $t$-test, the Holm's test, and the Friedman test. We have also compared the convergence behaviour shown by our proposal with the ones shown by the evolutionary simulated annealing, and the discrete firefly algorithm. The experimentation carried out in this study has shown that the presented improved bat algorithm outperforms significantly all the other alternatives in most of the cases

La auditoría interna como herramienta para el control en la gestión de proyectos universitarios

La auditoría interna surge con posterioridad a la auditoría externa por la necesidad de mantener un control permanente y más eficaz de los recursos de la organización. La auditoría interna clásica se ha venido ocupando fundamentalmente del sistema de control interno, es decir, del conjunto de medidas, políticas y procedimientos establecidos en las organizaciones para proteger el activo, minimizar las posibilidades de fraude, incrementar la eficiencia operativa y optimizar la calidad de la información económico-financiera. La necesidad de la auditoría interna se pone de manifiesto en una organización a medida que ésta aumenta en volumen, extensión geográfica y complejidad y hace imposible el control directo de las operaciones por parte de la dirección. Las instituciones de educación superior manejan un presupuesto que en ocasiones rebasan el presupuesto de muchos municipios del país, por lo que el control sobre los recursos tiene que incrementarse y fusionarse con el propio funcionamiento de la organización. Los proyectos de ciencia y técnica representan la cúspide de la misión de las universidades, por lo que anualmente se destina un financiamiento exclusivamente para esta actividad, y la universidad tiene el encargo de gestionarlo. Se hace necesario, por tanto, la aplicación de auditorías de proyectos para evaluar la gestión cualitativa y cuantitativamente, intencionado el control sobre los recursos y la prevención de hechos que puedan obstaculizar el cumplimiento del objetivo del proyecto

BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in patterns of neural activation in individuals with MDD and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: Rs6265 single nucleotide polymorphism, which influences brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the cortical and subcortical brain structures, may result in distinguished patterns of neural activation during a major depressive disorder (MDD) episode. Valine homozygotes with high levels of BDNF and methionine carriers with lower levels of BDNF may present specific neural correlates of MDD. In our study we have tested differences in blood oxygen level dependant (BOLD) signal between individuals with MDD and healthy controls for both allelic variants. METHODS: Individuals with MDD (N = 37) and healthy controls (N = 39) were genotyped for rs6265 and compared separately in each allelic variant for BOLD response in a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment examining appraisal of emotional scenes. The two allelic variants were also compared separately for both individuals with MDD and healthy controls. RESULTS: In the homozygous valine group MDD was associated with decreased neural activation in areas responsible for cognitive appraisal of emotional scenes. In the methionine group MDD was related to increased activation in subcortical regions responsible for visceral reaction to emotional stimuli. During an MDD episode methionine carriers showed more activation in areas associated with cognitive appraisal of emotional information in comparison to valine homozygotes. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size of healthy controls carrying methionine (N=8). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that allelic variations in the rs6265 gene lead to specific neural correlates of MDD which may be associated with different mechanisms of MDD in the two allelic groups. This may have potential importance for screening and treatment of patients.Funding for this study was provided by the Science Foundation Ireland (Grant Number: SFI/07SK/B1214C). Health Research Board (HRB) Ireland provided funding for magnetic resonance imaging infrastructure at the Centre of Advanced Medical Imaging (CAMI) at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier at http://www.jad-journal.com/article/S0165-0327%2815%2900383-3/abstract

Good practice proposal for the implementation, presentation, and comparison of metaheuristics for solving routing problems

Researchers who investigate in any area related to computational algorithms (both dening new algorithms or improving existing ones) usually nd large diculties to test their work. Comparisons among dierent researches in this eld are often a hard task, due to the ambiguity or lack of detail in the presentation of the work and its results. On many occasions, the replication of the work conducted by other researchers is required, which leads to a waste of time and a delay in the research advances. The authors of this study propose a procedure to introduce new techniques and their results in the eld of routing problems. In this paper this procedure is detailed, and a set of good practices to follow are deeply described. It is noteworthy that this procedure can be applied to any combinatorial optimization problem. Anyway, the literature of this study is focused on routing problems. This eld has been chosen because of its importance in real world, and its relevance in the actual literature

Development a new mutation operator to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem by aid of Genetic Algorithms.

Osoba E. et al have discussed our method to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem pointing that we use our developed new algorithm to compare different versions of a classical genetic algorithm, each of one with a different mutation operator and they write that this can generate some controversy. Here we shortly analyze the comment of Osaba E. et al. to show that our comparing method has a chance of existence. Keywords: Genetic algorithms, Traveling Salesman Problem, algorithm Greedy Sub Tour Mutation (GSTM). Analysis: We can classify the proposals Osaba E. and others four class: (1) Comparison and evaluation of the Greedy and Normal mutation methods together are not correct (it is wrong). As stated in our article "Development a new mutation operator to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem by aid of Genetic Algorithms" [1] our new mutation algorithm Greedy Sub Tour Mutation (GSTM) has a hybrid structure. GSTM operator acts as a greedy, at the same time include the operators of Simple Inversion Mutation (SIM) and Scramble Mutation (SCM). Also if you look at the values of PRC = 0.5, PCP = 0.8, as used in our analysis it can be seen that the probability of using GSTM classical operators is larger. In this case we can say that the comparison of operators GSTM greedy and classic is applied properly. (2) Compare with Non-Sequential 4-Change that is described in literature Therefore, to compare our method with the mutation method developed in this article is not proper. (3) It is confirmed that all greedy methods are used together (NN + DPX). So which of these methods have a success is not clear. All of Genetic Algorithms in the analysi