Manganese Overexposure Alters Neurogranin Expression and Causes Behavioral Deficits in Larval Zebrafish.

Manganese (Mn), a cofactor for various enzyme classes, is an essential trace metal for all organisms. However, overexposure to Mn causes neurotoxicity. Here, we evaluated the effects of exposure to Mn chloride (MnCl2) on viability, morphology, synapse function (based on neurogranin expression) and behavior of zebrafish larvae. MnCl2 exposure from 2.5 h post fertilization led to reduced survival (60%) at 5 days post fertilization. Phenotypical changes affected body length, eye and olfactory organ size, and visual background adaptation. This was accompanied by a decrease in both the fluorescence intensity of neurogranin immunostaining and expression levels of the neurogranin-encoding genes nrgna and nrgnb, suggesting the presence of synaptic alterations. Furthermore, overexposure to MnCl2 resulted in larvae exhibiting postural defects, reduction in motor activity and impaired preference for light environments. Following the removal of MnCl2 from the fish water, zebrafish larvae recovered their pigmentation pattern and normalized their locomotor behavior, indicating that some aspects of Mn neurotoxicity are reversible. In summary, our results demonstrate that Mn overexposure leads to pronounced morphological alterations, changes in neurogranin expression and behavioral impairments in zebrafish larvae.

Chagas parasite classification in blood sample images using different machine learning architectures.

Chagas disease is a life-threatening illness mainly found in Latin America. Early identification and diagnosis of Chagas disease are critical for reducing the death rate of individuals since cures and treatments are available at the acute stage. In this work, we test and compare several deep learning classification models on smear blood sample images for the task of Chagas parasite classification. Our experiments showed that the best classification model is a deep learning architecture based on a residual network together with separable convolution blocks as feature extractors and using a support vector machine algorithm as the classifier in the final layer. This optimized model, we named Res2_SVM, with a reduced number of parameters, achieved an accuracy of [Formula: see text], precision of [Formula: see text], recall of [Formula: see text], and F1-score of [Formula: see text] on our test dataset, overcoming other machine learning models.

Wavefront reconstruction of discontinuous phase objects from optical deflectometry.

One of the challenges of phase measuring deflectometry is to retrieve the wavefront from objects that present discontinuities or non-differentiable gradient fields. Here, we propose the integration of such gradient fields based on an L p-norm minimization problem. The solution of this problem results in a nonlinear partial differential equation, which can be solved with a fast and well-known numerical method and does not depend on external parameters. Numerical reconstructions on both synthetic and experimental data are presented that demonstrate the capability of the proposed method.

Effects of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Exposure on Human Glial Cells and Zebrafish Embryos.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are among the most widely used nanomaterials. They have multiple applications in cosmetics, textiles, paints, electronics and, recently, also in biomedicine. This extensive use of ZnO NPs notably increases the probability that both humans and wildlife are subjected to undesirable effects. Despite being among the most studied NPs from a toxicological point of view, much remains unknown about their ecotoxicological effects or how they may affect specific cell types, such as cells of the central nervous system. The main objective of this work was to investigate the effects of ZnO NPs on human glial cells and zebrafish embryo development and to explore the role of the released Zn2+ ions in these effects. The effects on cell viability on human A172 glial cells were assessed with an MTT assay and morphological analysis. The potential acute and developmental toxicity was assessed employing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. To determine the role of Zn2+ ions in the in vitro and in vivo observed effects, we measured their release from ZnO NPs with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Then, cells and zebrafish embryos were treated with a water-soluble salt (zinc sulfate) at concentrations that equal the number of Zn2+ ions released by the tested concentrations of ZnO NPs. Exposure to ZnO NPs induced morphological alterations and a significant decrease in cell viability depending on the concentration and duration of treatment, even after removing the overestimation due to NP interference. Although there were no signs of acute toxicity in zebrafish embryos, a decrease in hatching was detected after exposure to the highest ZnO NP concentrations tested. The ability of ZnO NPs to release Zn2+ ions into the medium in a concentration-dependent manner was confirmed. Zn2+ ions did not seem entirely responsible for the effects observed in the glial cells, but they were likely responsible for the decrease in zebrafish hatching rate. The results obtained in this work contribute to the knowledge of the toxicological potential of ZnO NPs.

Neurogranin-like immunoreactivity in the zebrafish brain during development.

Neurogranin (Nrgn) is a neural protein that is enriched in the cerebral cortex and is involved in synaptic plasticity via its interaction with calmodulin. Recently we reported its expression in the brain of the adult zebrafish (Alba-González et al. J Comp Neurol 530:1569-1587, 2022). In this study we analyze the development of Nrgn-like immunoreactivity (Nrgn-like-ir) in the brain and sensory structures of zebrafish embryos and larvae, using whole mounts and sections. First Nrgn-like positive neurons appeared by 2 day post-fertilization (dpf) in restricted areas of the brain, mostly in the pallium, epiphysis and hindbrain. Nrgn-like populations increased noticeably by 3 dpf, reaching an adult-like pattern in 6 dpf. Most Nrgn-like positive neurons were observed in the olfactory organ, retina (most ganglion cells, some amacrine and bipolar cells), pallium, lateral hypothalamus, thalamus, optic tectum, torus semicircularis, octavolateralis area, and viscerosensory column. Immunoreactivity was also observed in axonal tracts originating in Nrgn-like neuronal populations, namely, the projection of Nrgn-like immunopositive primary olfactory fibers to olfactory glomeruli, that of Nrgn-like positive pallial cells to the hypothalamus, the Nrgn-like-ir optic nerve to the pretectum and optic tectum, the Nrgn-like immunolabeled lateral hypothalamus to the contralateral region via the horizontal commissure, the octavolateralis area to the midbrain via the lateral lemniscus, and the viscerosensory column to the dorsal isthmus via the secondary gustatory tract. The late expression of Nrgn in zebrafish neurons is probably related to functional maturation of higher brain centers, as reported in the mammalian telencephalon. The analysis of Nrgn expression in the zebrafish brain suggests that it may be a useful marker for specific neuronal circuitries.

A nop56 Zebrafish Loss-of-Function Model Exhibits a Severe Neurodegenerative Phenotype.

NOP56 belongs to a C/D box small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein complex that is in charge of cleavage and modification of precursor ribosomal RNAs and assembly of the 60S ribosomal subunit. An intronic expansion in NOP56 gene causes Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 36, a typical late-onset autosomal dominant ataxia. Although vertebrate animal models were created for the intronic expansion, none was studied for the loss of function of NOP56. We studied a zebrafish loss-of-function model of the nop56 gene which shows 70% homology with the human gene. We observed a severe neurodegenerative phenotype in nop56 mutants, characterized mainly by absence of cerebellum, reduced numbers of spinal cord neurons, high levels of apoptosis in the central nervous system (CNS) and impaired movement, resulting in death before 7 days post-fertilization. Gene expression of genes related to C/D box complex, balance and CNS development was impaired in nop56 mutants. In our study, we characterized the first NOP56 loss-of-function vertebrate model, which is important to further understand the role of NOP56 in CNS function and development.

Effective residual convolutional neural network for Chagas disease parasite segmentation.

Considered a neglected tropical pathology, Chagas disease is responsible for thousands of deaths per year and it is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Since many infected people can remain asymptomatic, a fast diagnosis is necessary for proper intervention. Parasite microscopic observation in blood samples is the gold standard method to diagnose Chagas disease in its initial phase; however, this is a time-consuming procedure, requires expert intervention, and there is currently no efficient method to automatically perform this task. Therefore, we propose an efficient residual convolutional neural network, named Res2Unet, to perform a semantic segmentation of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites, with an active contour loss and improved residual connections, whose design is based on Heun's method for solving ordinary differential equations. The model was trained on a dataset of 626 blood sample images and tested on a dataset of 207 images. Validation experiments report that our model achieved a Dice coefficient score of 0.84, a precision value of 0.85, and a recall value of 0.82, outperforming current state-of-the-art methods. Since Chagas disease is a severe and silent illness, our computational model may benefit health care providers to give a prompt diagnose for this worldwide affection.

Distribution of neurogranin-like immunoreactivity in the brain and sensory organs of the adult zebrafish.

We studied the expression of neurogranin in the brain and some sensory organs (barbel taste buds, olfactory organs, and retina) of adult zebrafish. Database analysis shows zebrafish has two paralog neurogranin genes (nrgna and nrgnb) that translate into three peptides with a conserved IQ domain, as in mammals. Western blots of zebrafish brain extracts using an anti-neurogranin antiserum revealed three separate bands, confirming the presence of three neurogranin peptides. Immunohistochemistry shows neurogranin-like expression in the brain and sensory organs (taste buds, neuromasts and olfactory epithelium), not being able to discern its three different peptides. In the retina, the most conspicuous positive cells were bipolar neurons. In the brain, immunopositive neurons were observed in all major regions (pallium, subpallium, preoptic area, hypothalamus, diencephalon, mesencephalon and rhombencephalon, including the cerebellum), a more extended distribution than in mammals. Interestingly, dendrites, cell bodies and axon terminals of some neurons were immunopositive, thus zebrafish neurogranins may play presynaptic and postsynaptic roles. Most positive neurons were found in primary sensory centers (viscerosensory column and medial octavolateral nucleus) and integrative centers (pallium, subpallium, optic tectum and cerebellum), which have complex synaptic circuitry. However, we also observed expression in areas not related to sensory or integrative functions, such as in cerebrospinal fluid-contacting cells associated with the hypothalamic recesses, which exhibited high neurogranin-like immunoreactivity. Together, these results reveal important differences with the patterns reported in mammals, suggesting divergent evolution from the common ancestor.

Group Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Psychotherapy and Recurrent Interpersonal Traumatic Episodes: A Pilot Follow-Up Study.

Objective: To explore the acceptability and the effectiveness of an Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Integrative Group Treatment Protocol (EMDR-IGTP) for patients with a history of recurrent traumatic episodes of interpersonal nature. Method: Seven women were recruited from a Trauma Centre and were offered EMDR-IGTP, consisting of 10 semi-structured group sessions. Participants were assessed through a set of standardised clinical measures before the treatment, at the end of it, and after 1 and 3 months since its conclusion. Results: EMDR-IGTP was well accepted by all participants. After the intervention and at 1 and 3 months follow-up, patients showed a significant reduction of dissociative symptoms, traumatic symptoms and improved emotional regulation. Conclusions: This study suggests that GITM-EMDR therapy can be a helpful treatment for people who experienced traumatic episodes of interpersonal nature and supports more extensive research in this direction.

Half-Sandwich Ru(p-cymene) Compounds with Diphosphanes: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation As Potential Anticancer Metallodrugs.

Ruthenium(II) complexes are currently considered attractive alternatives to the widely used platinum-based drugs. We present herein the synthesis and characterization of half-sandwich ruthenium compounds formulated as [Ru(p-cymene)(L)Cl][CF3SO3] (L = 1,1-bis(methylenediphenylphosphano)ethylene, 1; L = 1,1-bis(diphenylphosphano)ethylene, 2), which were characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, 1H and 31P{1H} NMR, UV-vis and IR spectroscopy, conductivity measurements and cyclic voltammetry. The molecular structures for both complexes were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Their cytotoxic activity was evaluated using the MTT assay against human tumor cells, namely ovarian (A2780) and breast (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231). Both complexes were active against breast adenocarcinoma cells, with complex 1 exhibiting a quite remarkable cytotoxicity in the submicromolar range. Interestingly, at concentrations equivalent to the IC50 values in the MCF7 cancer cells, complexes 1 and 2 presented lower cytotoxicity in normal human primary fibroblasts. The antiproliferative effects of 1 and 2 in MCF7 cells might be associated with the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to a combined cell death mechanism via apoptosis and autophagy. Despite the fact that in vitro a partial intercalation between complexes and DNA was observed, no MCF7 cell cycle delay or arrest was observed, indicating that DNA might not be a direct target. Complexes 1 and 2 both exhibited a moderate to strong interaction with human serum albumin, suggesting that protein targets may be involved in their mode of action. Their acute toxicity was evaluated in the zebrafish model. Complex 1 (the most toxic of the two) exhibited a lethal toxicity LC50 value about 1 order of magnitude higher than any IC50 concentrations found for the cancer cell models used, highlighting its therapeutic relevance as a drug candidate in cancer chemotherapy.

Childhhood Trauma in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Dissociative, Psychotic Symptoms, and Suicide Behavior.

Current evidence suggests a high prevalence of childhood trauma (CT) among adult patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Exposure to CT might lead to clinical differences eventually observed in these patients. We present a cross-sectional study with 54 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder). We obtained sociodemographic data, as well as data on CT, dissociation, suicide history, and intensity of positive and negative psychotic symptoms. More than 75% of the patients reported a history of CT. We observed a link between CT and suicidal behavior. Patients showed high rates of dissociation. Dissociative experiences were related to CT, both in terms of intensity of trauma and number of traumas experienced. All CT forms except emotional neglect showed direct correlations with dissociative experiences. We found no correlation between intensity of CT and intensity of positive psychotic symptoms, yet we observed a moderate inverse correlation with negative psychotic symptoms.

Evaluación de higiene oral y características periodontales en pacientes con obesidad: estudio de casos y controles / Evaluation of oral hygiene and periodontal characteristics in patients with obesity: case-control study

Introducción: La obesidad sigue siendo considerada un serio problema de salud pública en el mundo. Aunque es bien sabido que esta condición puede aumentar el riesgo para desarrollar o agravar otras condiciones sistémicas; hoy en día, sigue siendo escasa la información que determine los niveles de asociación entre esta enfermedad sistémica con enfermedades orales como la periodontitis. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue medir la asociación de pacientes obesos con el desarrollo de periodontitis, así como hábitos de higiene oral. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles en 24 pacientes obesos y 24 pacientes sin obesidad. Las variables evaluadas fueron hábitos de higiene bucal, profundidad al sondeo, nivel de inserción clínica y nivel de inflamación gingival. Resultados: Los pacientes obesos tuvieron mayor riesgo para desarrollar bajas frecuencias de cepillado bucal diario (70.8%) y un incremento en la presencia de enfermedad periodontal (70.8%) comparado con los sujetos no obesos (25.0 y 58.3%, respectivamente), lo cual determinó asociaciones estadísticamente significativas (baja frecuencia de cepillado RM = 7.2, IC 95% = 2.0-26.1) y presencia de enfermedad periodontal (RM = 1.7, IC 95% = 0.5-5.7). Conclusiones: Es posible que la obesidad actúe como un factor que facilite la aparición de periodontitis por deficiencias en el cepillado dental diario (AU)

Introduction: Obesity is still considered a serious public health problem in the world. Although it is well known that this condition may increase the risk of developing or aggravating other systemic conditions; nowadays, the information that determines the levels of association between this systemic disease with oral diseases such as periodontitis still scarce. Objective: The objective of this study was to measure the association of obese patients with the development of periodontitis as well as oral hygiene habits. Material and methods: A case-control study was conducted in 24 obese patients and 24 patients without obesity. The variables evaluated were oral hygiene habits, depth of probing, clinical attachment level and gingival inflammation. Results: Obese patients had a higher risk of developing low frequencies of daily oral brushing (70.8%) and an increase in the presence of periodontal disease (70.8%) compared to non-obese subjects (25.0 and 58.3%, respectively) determining statistically significant associations (low frequency of brushing RM = 7.2, 95% CI = 2.0-26.1) and presence of periodontal disease (RM = 1.7, 95% CI = 0.5-5.7). Conclusions: It is possible that obesity acts as a factor that facilitates the presence of periodontitis due to deficiencies in daily toothbrushing (AU)

Caracterización de la gestión del talento humano en el Centro Nacional Coordinador de Ensayos Clínicos de Cuba / Human talent management characterization in the National Center for Clinical Trials Coordination in Cuba / Caracterização da gestão de talentos humanos no Centro Nacional de Coordenação de Ensaios Clínicos / Caractérisation de la gestion des talents humains au Centre national de coordination des essais cliniques

Resumen Objetivo: Caracterizar la gestión del talento humano en el Centro Nacional Coordinador de Ensayos Clínicos. Materiales y métodos: Investigación descriptiva y transversal realizada en marzo del 2015. Se aplicó un cuestionario auto administrado, que explora aspectos relacionados con la gestión del talento. Participaron los trabajadores con más de 1 año de antigüedad que accedieron a responder. Los datos se concentraron en un paquete de datos estadístico SPSS haciendo análisis con frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Resultados: Se obtuvo la información correspondiente a 33 trabajadores, el 72.7% femenino y 23.7% masculino; 66.7% en rango de edades 30 y 49 años. El 72.7% refirió que siempre recibían evaluaciones sobre sus competencias y resultados de trabajo y el 60.6% reconoció que se evalúo su adecuación al puesto. Una motivación para permanecer es la posibilidad de alcanzar un desarrollo técnico y profesional (81.8%). La organización se caracteriza por una buena dirección (66.7%) y existencia de problemas laborales desafiantes (45.5%). El 66.7% señala que no siempre los recursos materiales son suficientes y el 48.5% que solo en ocasiones sentían tener libertad y control no excesivo del trabajo. Conclusiones: La percepción sobre la gestión del talento humano en la institución es positiva aunque existen reservas de mejora identificables, en especial aquellas relacionadas con la escasez de recursos materiales, y el pobre estímulo por las nuevas ideas lo que genera ambientes laborales y situaciones no deseables para una adecuada gestión del talento.

Abstract Objective: To characterize the management of human talent in the National Center for Clinical Trials Coordination. Materials and methods: Descriptive and transversal research carried out in March 2015. A self-administered questionnaire was applied, which explores aspects related to talent management. It participated more than 1 year workers, whom agreed to respond. The data was concentrated in a database in the SPPS software making analysis with absolute and relative frequencies. Results: The information corresponding to 33 workers was obtained, 72.7% female and 66.7% between 30 and 49 years old. 72.7% reported that they always received evaluations on their skills and work results and 60.6% acknowledged that their suitability for the position was evaluated. A motivation to remain is the possibility of achieving technical and professional development (81.8%). The organization is characterized by a good direction (66.7%) and existence of challenging problems (45.5%). 66.7% say that material resources are not always enough and 48.5% that only sometimes felt free and non-asphyxiating control of work. Conclusions: The perception about the management of human talent in the institution is positive although there are identifiable improvement reserves, especially those related to the scarcity of material resources, and the poor stimulation by new ideas, which generates work environments and undesirable situations. for an adequate management of talent.

Resumo Objetivo: Caracterizar a gestão do talento humano no Centro Nacional de Coordenação de Ensaios Clínicos. Materiais e métodos: Pesquisa descritiva e transversal realizada em março de 2015. Foi aplicado um questionário auto-administrado, que explora aspectos relacionados a gestao de talentos. Trabalhadores com mais de 1 ano de experiencia participaram, eles concordaram em responde-lo. Os dados foram concentrados em um banco de dados na análise de software SPPS com freqüencias absolutas e relativas. Resultados: Foram obtidas informações correspondentes a 33 trabalhadores, 72,7% do sexo feminino e 66,7% com idade entre 30 e 49 anos. 72,7% relataram que sempre receberam avahares sobre suas habilidades e resultados de trabalho e 60,6% reconheceram que sua adequação para o cargo foi avaliada. Uma motivação para permanecer é a possibilidade de alcafar o desenvolvimento técnico e profissional (81,8%). A organização é caracterizada por uma boa direção (66,7%) e existencia de problemas desafiantes (45,5%). 66,7% dizem que os recursos materiais nem sempre são suficientes e 48,5% que só as vezes sentiram controle livre e nao-asfixiante do trabalho. Conclusões: A percepção sobre a gestao do talento humano na institutoção é positiva, embora existam reservas de melhoria identificáveis, especialmente aquelas relacionadas a escassez de recursos materiais e a estimulação pobre por novas idéias, que gera ambientes de trabalho e situações indesejáveis para uma gestão adequada do talento.

Résumé Objectif: Caractériser la gestion du talent humain au Centre National de Coordination des Essais Cliniques. Matériels et méthodes: Recherche transversale descriptive, réalisée en mars 2015. Pour explorer les aspects liés a la gestion des talents, un questionnaire auto-administré a été appliqué aux travailleurs de plus d'un an d'ancienneté qui ont accepté de participer. L'analyse statistique des données a été réalisée avec le logiciel SPPS, au moyen des fréquences absolues et relatives. Résultats: L'information recueillie concerne 33 travailleurs, 72,7% de sexe féminin et 23.7% masculin. 66,7% de personnes étaient agées de 30 a 49 ans. 72,7% des participants ont déclaré que leurs compétences et les résultats de leur travail étaient constamment évalués. 60,6% ont reconnu que leur adéquation au poste avait été évaluée. 81,8% ont signalé que la possibilité de progression au niveau technique et professionnel les a motivé a rester dans le Centre. 66,7% estiment que l'organisation se caractérise par une bonne direction. 45,5% référent l'existence de problemes difficiles. 66,7% indiquent que les ressources matérielles ne sont pas toujours suffisantes et 48,5% ne se sentent qu'occasionnellement libres et sans control excessif de leur travail. Conclusions: La perception de la gestion du talent humain dans l'institution est positive bien qu'il soit possible d'identifier des opportunités d'amélioration, en particulier en ce qui concerne l'insuffisance des ressources matérielles et le faible encouragement des idées nouvelles. Cela génere des environnements de travail et des situations indésirables pour une gestion adéquate des talents.

Schizophrenia and dissociation: Its relation with severity, self-esteem and awareness of illness.

This article describes the conclusions of an investigation done with 120 Spanish patients: the finding of a new psychopathological profile within a subgroup of patients suffering from schizophrenia. The patients were evaluated through different questionnaires about sociodemographic data, traumatic events, the severity index (both clinical and psychopathological), self-esteem and consciousness of the illness. From the scores obtained on a scale of dissociative experiences, they were classified into two groups: high dissociative symptomatology or HD, and low dissociative symptomatology or LD. The HD group contained 44 patients (36.7% of the total population). The groups LD and HD show meaningful differences with respect to dissociative symptomatology levels, general psychopathology and level of traumatic events suffered. The percentage of patients with low self-esteem was higher in group HD than in group LD (M=25.52 front 28.76 of group LD; t (118)=2.94, p=.00). In addition, the group HD was more conscious of having a mental disorder, of the beneficial effects of medication and of the social consequences of their illness: F (1)=10.929, p=.001; ƞ2pt=0.083; 1-ß=0.907. The results show the existence of a subgroup of schizophrenic patients with higher levels of dissociation and trauma that were related with higher levels of symptomatology, lower self-esteem and higher consciousness of the illness, building a population of higher severity in which it would make sense to implement coadjutant treatments specifically oriented to these variables and, in addition, opening a therapeutic possibility for the patients with refractory schizophrenia.

Integrating neurobiology of emotion regulation and trauma therapy: reflections on EMDR therapy.

Emotion dysregulation is a frequent feature in trauma-related disorders. Different kinds of emotion dysregulation seem to be linked to particular psychiatric conditions, and there is growing evidence of the association between neurobiological correlates and those dysregulation patterns. Nevertheless, many of the recent findings from the field of the neurobiology have not been translated into clinical practice and are insufficiently contemplated in trauma-oriented therapies. The aim of this article is to review recent developments in the field of emotion regulation connecting these issue with the practical implementation of psychotherapeutic procedures. The evaluation of emotion dysregulation patterns can guide decision making during the therapy independently to the approach, but there are some findings that can be especially useful for some concrete modalities of therapy. In this article we will focus our discussion on how emotion dysregulation may influence eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment in trauma-related disorders. EMDR is a well-defined and protocol-based intervention, with a strong empirical support for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We describe how different patterns of emotion dysregulation may influence EMDR treatment and procedures, and also how the application of EMDR beyond non-dissociative PTSD should take into account the predominant emotion-regulation strategies in specific posttraumatic disorders.

Emotion regulation strategies in trauma-related disorders: pathways linking neurobiology and clinical manifestations.

Emotion regulation impairments with traumatic origins have mainly been studied from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) models by studying cases of adult onset and single-incident trauma exposure. The effects of adverse traumatic experiences, however, go beyond the PTSD. Different authors have proposed that PTSD, borderline personality, dissociative, conversive and somatoform disorders constitute a full spectrum of trauma-related conditions. Therefore, a comprehensive review of the neurobiological findings covering this posttraumatic spectrum is needed in order to develop an all-encompassing model for trauma-related disorders with emotion regulation at its center. The present review has sought to link neurobiology findings concerning cortico-limbic function to the field of emotion regulation. In so doing, trauma-related disorders have been placed in a continuum between under- and over-regulation of affect strategies. Under-regulation of affect was predominant in borderline personality disorder, PTSD with re-experiencing symptoms and positive psychoform and somatoform dissociative symptoms. Over-regulation of affect was more prevalent in somatoform disorders and pathologies characterized by negative psychoform and somatoform symptoms. Throughout this continuum, different combinations between under- and over-regulation of affect strategies were also found.

Excitatory and inhibitory conversive experiences: neurobiological features involving positive and negative conversion symptoms.

Previous reviews have focused on neurobiological and physiological mechanisms underlying conversion disorder, but they do not usually distinguish between negative and positive conversion symptoms. Some authors have proposed that different phenomena should underlie both situations and that diverse emotion regulation strategies (under- vs. overregulation of affect) should be related to different internal experiences (excitatory experiences with hyperarousal manifestations vs. inhibitory experiences coexisting with hypoarousal states, respectively). After a careful review of the literature, we conclude that there is not a unique theory comprising all findings. Nevertheless, we have also collected some replicated findings that should be salient. Patients manifesting positive conversion symptoms tended to present with limbic hyperfunction, not sufficiently counteracted by prefrontal control. This leads to underregulation of affect mechanisms, increased emotional reactivity and autonomic hyperarousal. The opposite pattern (with a prefrontal overfunction working as a cognitive brake over the limbic system) has been described during negative conversion manifestations. We also highlight the influence of fronto-limbic circuits over cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits' regulation, whose horizontal and vertical synchronization has been at the spotlight of the genesis of conversion and dissociative disorders.

Early experience, structural dissociation, and emotional dysregulation in borderline personality disorder: the role of insecure and disorganized attachment.

Persistent problems in emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships in borderline patients can be understood as developing from difficulties in early dyadic regulation with primary caregivers. Early attachment patterns are a relevant causal factor in the development of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Links between attachment issues, early history of neglect, and traumatic experiences, and symptoms observed in patients with BPD as per the DSM-5 classification (American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (Fifth ed.). Washington, D.C; (2013)) are described in this article, while delineating possible pathways from attachment disruptions to the specific symptomatology of these patients. The theory of structural dissociation of the personality (TSDP) provides an essential framework for understanding the processes that may lead from insecure early attachment to the development and maintenance of BPD symptoms. Dyadic parent-child interactions and subsequent modulation of emotion in the child and future adult are considered closely related, but other factors in the development of BPD, such as genetic predisposition and traumatic experiences, should also be considered in conceptualizing and organizing clinical approaches based on a view of BPD as a heterogeneous disorder.

Logros en la competencia comunicativa a través de la utilización de la música en las clases de Inglés / Achievements in the communicative competence through the use of music in the English classes

Se realizó un estudio pre-experimental con la cantidad de 50 estudiantes de 2do año de la carrera de Medicina a los que se le aplicó un instrumento evaluativo para conocer los logros en la competencia comunicativa a través de la utilización de la música en las clases de Inglés. Ese instrumento fue aplicado antes y después de introducir las canciones y se obtuvo como resultado una elevación del nivel de asimilación y comprensión de conocimientos y habilidades que necesitan los estudiantes en el estudio de la Lengua Inglesa.

A pre-experimental study was conducted with 50 students from the second year of the Medicine career. We applied and evaluated an instrument to know the level of knowledge acquired by them when introducing the music in the English lessons. That instrument was applied before and after introducing the different exercises, obtaining as results an elevation of the level of assimilation and comprehension of knowledge that the students need in the study of the English language.