The Oxidative Potential of Airborne Particulate Matter Research Trends, Challenges, and Future Perspectives-Insights from a Bibliometric Analysis and Scoping Review.

This study is a comprehensive analysis of the oxidative potential (OP) of particulate matter (PM) and its environmental and health impacts. The researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis and scoping review, screening 569 articles and selecting 368 for further analysis. The study found that OP is an emerging field of study, with a notable increase in the number of publications in the 2010s compared to the early 2000s. The research is primarily published in eight journals and is concentrated in a few academic and university-based institutions. The study identified key research hotspots for OP-PM, emphasizing the importance of capacity building, interdisciplinary collaboration, understanding emission sources and atmospheric processes, and the impacts of PM and its OP. The study highlighted the need to consider the effects of climate change on OP-PM and the regulatory framework for PM research. The findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of PM and its consequences, including human exposure and its effects. It will also inform strategies for managing air quality and protecting public health. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the field of OP-PM research and highlights the need for continued research and collaboration to address the environmental and health impacts of PM.

Progress in the environmental risk assessment of plant protection products in Brazil: An overview of aquatic organism proposals.

Since 2019, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) has actively developed pesticide environmental risk assessment (ERA) frameworks adapted to Brazil's specific ecological contexts. This endeavor, supported by funding from the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and in partnership with academic institutions, has led to a concerted effort to establish ERA protocols for various taxa, including birds and mammals, soil organisms, aquatic organisms, and reptiles and amphibians. The outcomes of this initiative were conveyed in two workshops held in February and November 2023, during which the agency communicated its findings to the technical-regulatory community. This article represents one of three articles that provide more detailed insights into the ERA propositions for all taxa. In this article, we summarize the proposals for aquatic organisms presented and discussed during the workshops, which can be used as an informational source by the technical-regulatory community. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-6. © 2024 The Author(s). Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Automatic detection of facial expressions during the Cyberball paradigm in Borderline Personality Disorder: a pilot study.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) symptoms include inappropriate control of anger and severe emotional dysregulation after rejection in daily life. Nevertheless, when using the Cyberball paradigm, a tossing game to simulate social exclusion, the seven basic emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust, and contempt) have not been exhaustively tracked out. It was hypothesized that these patients would show anger, contempt, and disgust during the condition of exclusion versus the condition of inclusion. When facial emotions are automatically detected by Artificial Intelligence, "blending", -or a mixture of at least two emotions- and "masking", -or showing happiness while expressing negative emotions- may be most easily traced expecting higher percentages during exclusion rather than inclusion. Therefore, face videos of fourteen patients diagnosed with BPD (26 ± 6 years old), recorded while playing the tossing game, were analyzed by the FaceReader software. The comparison of conditions highlighted an interaction for anger: it increased during inclusion and decreased during exclusion. During exclusion, the masking of surprise; i.e., displaying happiness while feeling surprised, was significantly more expressed. Furthermore, disgust and contempt were inversely correlated with greater difficulties in emotion regulation and symptomatology, respectively. Therefore, the automatic detection of emotional expressions during both conditions could be useful in rendering diagnostic guidelines in clinical scenarios.

Shedding light on the Ophel biome: the trans-Tethyan phylogeography of the sulfide shrimp Tethysbaena (Peracarida: Thermosbaenacea) in the Levant.

Background: Tethysbaena are small peracarid crustaceans inhabiting extreme environments such as subterranean lakes and thermal springs, represented by endemic species found around the ancient Tethys, including the Mediterranean, Arabian Sea, Mid-East Atlantic, and the Caribbean Sea. Two Tethysbaena species are known from the Levant: T. relicta, found along the Dead Sea-Jordan Rift Valley, and T. ophelicola, found in the Ayyalon cave complex in the Israeli coastal plain, both belonging to the same species-group based on morphological cladistics. Along the biospeleological research of the Levantine subterranean fauna, three biogeographic hypotheses determining their origins were proposed: (1) Pliocenic transgression, (2) Mid-late Miocenic transgression, and (3) The Ophel Paradigm, according to which these are inhabitants of a chemosynthetic biome as old as the Cambrian. Methods: Tethysbaena specimens of the two Levantine species were collected from subterranean groundwaters. We used the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and the nuclear ribosomal 28S (28S rRNA) gene to establish the phylogeny of the Levantine Tethysbaena species, and applied a molecular clock approach for inferring their divergence times. Results: Contrary to the morphological cladistic-based classification, we found that T. relicta shares an ancestor with Tethysbaena species from Oman and the Dominican Republic, whereas the circum-Mediterranean species (including T. ophelicola) share another ancestor. The mean age of the node linking T. relicta from the Dead Sea-Jordan Rift Valley and Tethysbaena from Oman was 20.13 MYA. The mean estimate for the divergence of T. ophelicola from the Mediterranean Tethysbaena clade dated to 9.46 MYA. Conclusions: Our results indicate a two-stage colonization of Tethysbaena in the Levant: a late Oligocene transgression, through a marine gulf extending from the Arabian Sea, leading to the colonization of T. relicta in the Dead Sea-Jordan Rift Valley, whereas T. ophelicola, originating from the Mesogean ancestor, inhabited anchialine caves in the coastal plain of Israel during the Mid-Miocene.

Anthropological perspectives on CKDnt in Mexico: time for a paradigm shift on the social determinants of health.

In Mexico, the kidneys of individuals in poor and marginalized communities are failing with little warning and no explanation. Commonly referred to as chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt), this new variant of kidney disease cannot be accounted for by conventional or discrete etiological explanations, but is instead understood to be a consequence of economic development, environmental degradation and precarious working and living conditions. Drawing on two interconnected ethnographic studies, and the intertwining problems of causation and care, this paper will (1) document the social conditions of disease emergence around Lake Chapala, Central Mexico, and (2) follow the haphazard routes kidney patients take to access resource-intensive biotechnical treatments. Its aim is to both challenge and reconceptualize social determinants as social relations in order to fully account for the profoundly contextual, temporal, and dynamic character of this condition, and to rethink opportunities for care and intervention.

Binaural Beat Effects on Attention: A Study Based on the Oddball Paradigm.

The impact of binaural beats (BBs) on human cognition and behavior remains and various methods have been used to measure their effect, including neurophysiological, psychometric, and human performance evaluations. The few approaches where the level of neural synchronicity and connectivity were measured by neuroimaging techniques have only been undertaken in spontaneous mode. The present research proposes an approach based on the oddball paradigm to study BB effect by estimating the level of attention induced by BBs. Evoked activity of 25 young adults between 19 and 24 years old with no hearing impairments nor clinical neurological history were analyzed. The experiment was conducted in two different sessions of 24.5 min. The first part consisted of 20-min BB stimulation in either theta (BBθ) or beta (BBß). After the BB stimulation, an oddball paradigm was applied in each BB condition to assess the attentional effect induced by BBs. Attention enhancement is expected for BBß with respect to BBθ. Target event related potentials (ERPs) were mainly analyzed in the time and time-frequency domains. The frequency analysis was based on continuous wavelet transform (CWT), event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP), and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC). The study revealed that the P300 component was not significantly different between conditions (BBθ vs. BBß). However, the target grand average ERP in BBθ condition was mainly composed of 8 Hz-frequency components, appearing before 400 ms post-stimulus, and mainly on the centro-parietal regions. In contrast, the target grand average ERP in BBß condition was mainly composed of frequency components below 6 Hz, mainly appearing at 400 ms post-stimulus on the parieto-occipital regions. Furthermore, ERPs in the BBθ condition were more phase locked than the BBß condition.

SSVEP detection assessment by combining visual stimuli paradigms and no-training detection methods.

Introduction: Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEP) have great potential for use in communication applications because of their relatively simple assembly and in some cases the possibility of bypassing the time-consuming training stage. However, among multiple factors, the efficient performance of this technology is highly dependent on the stimulation paradigm applied in combination with the SSVEP detection algorithm employed. This paper proposes the performance assessment of the classification of target events with respect to non-target events by applying four types of visual paradigms, rectangular modulated On-Off (OOR), sinusoidal modulated On-Off (OOS), rectangular modulated Checkerboard (CBR), and sinusoidal modulated Checkerboard (CBS), with three types of SSVEP detection methods, Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA), Filter-Bank CCA (FBCCA), and Minimum Energy Combination (MEC). Methods: We set up an experimental protocol in which the four types of visual stimuli were presented randomly to twenty-seven participants and after acquiring their electroencephalographic responses to five stimulation frequencies (8.57, 10.909, 15, 20, and 24 Hz), the three detection methods were applied to the collected data. Results: The results are conclusive, obtaining the best performance with the combination of either OOR or OOS visual stimulus and the FBCCA as a detection method, however, this finding contrasts with the opinion of almost half of the participants in terms of visual comfort, where the 51.9% of the subjects felt more comfortable and focused with CBR or CBS stimulation. Discussion: Finally, the EEG recordings correspond to the SSVEP response of 27 subjects to four visual paradigms when selecting five items on a screen, which is useful in BCI navigation applications. The dataset is available to anyone interested in studying and evaluating signal processing and machine-learning algorithms for SSVEP-BCI systems.

Paradigmas que Influyeron en los Procesos Educativos de la Humanidad

El presente artículo se plantea como objetivo el de viabilizar el análisis de la relación existente entre las emergencias, auges y decadencias paradigmáticas en la historia de la humanidad y los procesos de búsqueda del conocimiento. Con este fin se apeló al método de investigación bibliográfica que permite la exploración de la producción de la comunidad académica sobre el fenómeno en cuestión, para alcanzar como resultados la definición de los paradigmas, las flexibilidades y parálisis paradigmáticas, el efecto paradigma y las características de los paradigmas que marcaron la forma de percibir la realidad de grandes masas poblacionales y se sostuvieron en grandes lapsos de tiempo, como son los paradigmas inmanente, trascendente, mecánico y sinérgico. Comprender los paradigmas desde los que las comunidades de la edad antigua, media y moderna se estructuraron y distribuyeron el poder, permite que se configuren aproximaciones sobre lo que está sucediendo en plena edad contemporánea.

The objective of this article is to make viable the analysis of the relationship between paradigmatic emergencies, booms and declines in the history of humanity and the processes of searching for knowledge. To this end, the bibliographical research method was used, which allows the exploration of the production of the academic community on the phenomenon in question, to achieve as results the definition of paradigms, flexibilities and paradigmatic paralysis, the paradigm effect and the characteristics of the paradigms that marked the way of perceiving the reality of large population masses and were sustained over long periods of time, such as the immanent, transcendent, mechanical and synergistic paradigms. Understanding the paradigms from which the communities of the ancient, middle and modern ages were structured and distributed power, allows us to configure approaches about what is happening in the contemporary age.

O objetivo deste artigo é viabilizar a análise da relação entre emergências paradigmáticas, booms e declínios na história da humanidade e os processos de busca do conhecimento. Para tanto, utilizou-se o método de pesquisa bibliográfica, que permite explorar a produção da comunidade acadêmica sobre o fenômeno em questão, para alcançar como resultados a definição de paradigmas, flexibilidades e paralisia paradigmática, o efeito do paradigma e as características do paradigmas que marcaram a forma de perceber a realidade de grandes massas populacionais e se mantiveram por longos períodos de tempo, como os paradigmas imanente, transcendente, mecânico e sinérgico. Compreender os paradigmas a partir dos quais as comunidades da Idade Antiga, Média e Moderna se estruturaram e distribuíram o poder, permite-nos configurar abordagens sobre o que se passa na contemporaneidade.

Ética, ecología y ecosofía: perspectivas divergentes para refundamentar la bioética global

el texto busca ampliar las fronteras del concepto de "bioética global", centro de la propuesta teórica de Van Rensselaer Potter sobre la "bioética ecológica" en su obra Global Bioethics, de cara a la "ética de la tierra" desarrollada por el ecólogo y ambientalista Aldo Leopold y el análisis de la "ecosofía" planteado por el filósofo y psicoanalista Félix Guattari en Las tres ecologías. Dicha caracterización se plantea con el fin de establecer presupuestos teóricos en torno a las nociones de bioética ecológica y ecosofía en la perspectiva de la bioética global en un renovado intento de ampliación de sus horizontes disciplinares. Se establecen tres momentos para el análisis: inicialmente se caracteriza la ética de la tierra propuesta por Arnold Leopold en su obra A Sand County Almanach. Posteriormente, se analizan los principales aspectos de la "ética ecológica" en la obra Global Bioethics. Finalmente, se destacan varios aspectos de la ecosofía de Félix Guattari que ponen en perspectiva el acento ecológico de la bioética global de Potter y que podrían considerarse como presupuestos divergentes útiles para enriquecer la bioética global en la actualidad.

the text seeks to expand the boundaries of the concept of "global bioethics," the core of Van Rensselaer Potter's theoretical proposal on "ecological bioethics" in his work Global Bioethics, in the face of the "ethics of the Earth" developed by the ecologist and environmentalist Aldo Leopold and the analysis of "ecosophy" raised by the philosopher and psychoanalyst Félix Guattari in The Three Ecologies. This characterization is proposed to establish theoretical assumptions around the notions of ecological bioethics and ecosophy from the perspective of global bioethics in a renewed attempt to broaden its disciplinary horizons. Three moments are established for the analysis: initially, the land ethics proposed by Arnold Leopold in his work A Sand County Almanach is characterized. Subsequently, the main aspects of "ecological ethics" in Global Bioethics are analyzed. Finally, several aspects of Félix Guattari's ecosophy are highlighted that put into perspective the ecological accent of Potter's global bioethics, which could be considered valid divergent presuppositions to enrich global bioethics today.

o texto busca ampliar as fronteiras do conceito de "bioética global", cerne da proposta teórica de Van Rensselaer Potter sobre a "bioética ecológica" em sua obra Global bioethics, diante da "ética da terra" desenvolvida pelo ecologista e ambientalista Aldo Leopold e da análise da "ecosofia" proposta pelo filósofo e psicanalista Félix Guattari em As três ecologias. O objetivo dessa caracterização é estabelecer pressupostos teóricos em torno das noções de bioética ecológica e ecosofia na perspectiva da bioética global, em uma tentativa renovada de ampliar seus horizontes disciplinares. Três momentos são estabelecidos para a análise: inicialmente, caracteriza-se a ética da terra proposta por Arnold Leopold em sua obra A sand county almanach. Posteriormente, são analisados os principais aspectos da "ética ecológica" na Bioética Global. Por fim, são destacados vários aspectos da ecosofia de Félix Guattari que colocam em perspectiva o acento ecológico da bioética global de Potter e que podem ser considerados como pressupostos divergentes úteis para enriquecer a bioética global atual.

Devouring and Asphyxia: Paradigm Crisis, the Depletion of the Hero and Complex Thought1.

This article deals with the profound paradigm crisis that affects modernity and threatens the destiny of humanity. This crisis results from the lack of perspective offered by the paradigm of modernity with its emphasis on unilateral rationality, scientific objectivity, and exploitation of natural resources by a hyper development of an inflated Hero archetype. The emergence of a new paradigm of complexity, C. G. Jung's complex psychology, and Ameridian perspectivism, may offer new paths to approach these serious problems lived by modern man. A clinical vignette illustrates how complex psychology may also help with individual patients suffering from psychosomatic complaints.

Cet article traite de la profonde crise de paradigme qui affecte la modernité et qui menace le destin de l'humanité. Cette crise est le résultat du manque de perspective offert par le paradigme de la modernité, qui met l'accent sur la rationalité unilatérale, l'objectivité scientifique, et l'exploitation des ressources naturelles dans un hyper-développement de l'archétype du Héros, affecté par l'inflation. L'émergence d'un nouveau paradigme de la complexité, la psychologie complexe de C.G. Jung, et le perspectivisme Amérindien peuvent offrir de nouvelles ouvertures pour aborder ces problèmes sérieux que vit l'homme moderne. Une vignette clinique illustre comment la psychologie complexe peut aussi aider en ce qui concerne les patients individuels souffrants de problèmes psychosomatiques.

Este artículo aborda la profunda crisis de paradigma que afecta a la modernidad y amenaza el destino de la humanidad. Esta crisis es el resultado de la falta de perspectiva que ofrece el paradigma de la modernidad con su énfasis en la racionalidad unilateral, la objetividad científica y la explotación de los recursos naturales mediante el hiperdesarrollo de un arquetipo de Héroe inflado. La emergencia de un nuevo paradigma de la complejidad, la psicología compleja de C.G. Jung y el perspectivismo Amerindio pueden ofrecer nuevas vías para abordar estos graves problemas que vive el hombre moderno. Una viñeta clínica ilustra cómo la psicología compleja también puede ayudar con pacientes individuales que sufren dolencias psicosomáticas.

Improving the quality of publications in and advancing the paradigms of clinical and social pharmacy practice research: The Granada Statements.

Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences embrace a series of different disciplines. Pharmacy practice has been defined as "the scientific discipline that studies the different aspects of the practice of pharmacy and its impact on health care systems, medicine use, and patient care". Thus, pharmacy practice studies embrace both clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy elements. Like any other scientific discipline, clinical and social pharmacy practice disseminates research findings using scientific journals. Clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy journal editors have a role in promoting the discipline by enhancing the quality of the articles published. As has occurred in other health care areas (i.e., medicine and nursing), a group of clinical and social pharmacy practice journal editors gathered in Granada, Spain to discuss how journals could contribute to strengthening pharmacy practice as a discipline. The result of that meeting was compiled in these Granada Statements, which comprise 18 recommendations gathered into six topics: the appropriate use of terminology, impactful abstracts, the required peer reviews, journal scattering, more effective and wiser use of journal and article performance metrics, and authors' selection of the most appropriate pharmacy practice journal to submit their work.

Temporal and contextual binding in episodic memory in younger and older adults.

Episodic memory (EM) is a subsystem responsible for storing and recalling information about the basic elements of an event in a binding manner. Some approaches consider the temporal element to be one of the basic components of EM (WWWhen paradigm), while others consider that the contextual component is able in practice to better represent this cognitive ability (WWWhich paradigm). The relationship of both paradigms simultaneously with other instruments for measuring EM has not been investigated in healthy older adults. Thus, the present study examined the performance of young and older adults on questions based on the WWWhen and WWWhich paradigms, investigating the relationship of these questions with episodic (Remember) and non-episodic (Know) strategies. The results showed that for the younger adults both the questions demonstrated to only be significantly related with the "remember" strategy. On the other hand, older adults presented a response pattern in which the "WWWhich" questions used only episodic strategies for their correct resolution. Aging appears to promote a substantial reduction in both "Remember" and "Know" strategies, mainly those associated with solving tasks based on the temporal element of EM.

Sociodrama dialógico: um estudo preliminar? um ensaio teórico? / Dialogical sociodrama: a preliminary study? a theoretical essay? / Sociodrama dialógico: un estudio preliminar? ¿un ensayo teórico?

RESUMO Este estudo objetiva definir o sociodrama dialógico e apresentá-lo como uma nova modalidade de intervenção com grupos e famílias. Ou seja, recuperar, correlacionar os marcos históricos e conceituais importantes da socionomia, usualmente conhecida como psicodrama, e as práticas pós-modernas, como o construcionismo social. Essas práticas fazem parte do paradigma sistêmico, e podem-se evidenciar as convergências epistemológicas entre os campos, bem como a fundamentação teórica. Concluíram-se com este estudo ganhos como o compromisso em produzir mudança nos e com os grupos e famílias e a ampla interface de aplicação dessa metodologia emergente.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to define dialogical sociodrama and present it as a new modality of intervention with groups and families, that is, recover and correlate the important historical and conceptual landmarks of socionomy, usually known as psychodrama, and postmodern practices, such as social constructionism. These practices are part of the systemic paradigm, and the epistemological convergences between the fields can be highlighted, as well as the theoretical foundation. This study concluded with gains such as the commitment to producing change in and with groups and families and the broad application interface of this emerging methodology.

RESUMEN Este estudio pretende definir el Sociodrama Dialógico y presentarlo como una nueva modalidad de intervención con grupos y familias. Recuperar y correlacionar los importantes hitos históricos y conceptuales de la Socionomía, habitualmente conocida como Psicodrama, y prácticas posmodernas, como el Construccionismo Social. Estas prácticas forman parte del Paradigma Sistémico y se pueden destacar las convergencias epistemológicas entre los campos, así como la fundamentación teórica. Este estudio concluyó con logros como el compromiso de producir cambios en y con grupos y familias y la amplia interfaz de aplicación de esta metodología emergente.

Modelo explicativo de não adesão ao paradigma psicossocial da saúde mental / Explanatory model of non-adhesion to the psychosocial mental health paradigm / Modelo explicativo de la no adhesión al paradigma psicosocial de la salud mental

Este estudo teve como objetivo propor um modelo explicativo de não adesão ao paradigma psicossocial da saúde mental a partir dos estereótipos, das crenças sobre a etiologia da doença mental, da percepção de ameaça e do preconceito. Para tanto, contou-se com a participação de 400 universitários, com média de idade de 24,64 anos (DP = 6, 64), sendo a maioria do sexo feminino (75,6%). Para a proposição do modelo, foi realizada uma path analysis. O modelo proposto demonstrou que quanto maior a percepção de ameaça e a concordância com o estereótipo de incapacidade, menor o apoio ao paradigma psicossocial. Ademais, verificou-se que as crenças acerca da etiologia da doença mental e os estereótipos estão na base da percepção de ameaça e todas essas variáveis juntas predizem maior preconceito. Os achados desta pesquisa fornecem subsídios científicos para a realização de intervenções eficazes e consistentes que fortaleçam o paradigma psicossocial no cenário nacional. (AU)

This study aimed to propose an explanatory model of non-adherence to the psychosocial paradigm of mental health based on stereotypes, beliefs about the etiology of mental illness, perception of threat, and prejudice. Participants included a total of 400 university students, with a mean age of 24.64 years (SD = 6, 64), mostly women (75.6%). A path analysis was performed to propose the model, which showed that the greater the perception of threat and the agreement with the disability stereotype, the lower the support for the psychosocial paradigm. Furthermore, it was found that beliefs about the etiology of mental illness and stereotypes are at the basis of the perception of threat and all these variables together predict greater prejudice. The findings of this research provide scientific support for effective and consistent interventions that strengthen the psychosocial paradigm on the national scene. (AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo proponer un modelo explicativo de la no adherencia al paradigma psicosocial de la salud mental basado en estereotipos, creencias sobre la etiología de la enfermedad mental, percepción de amenaza y prejuicio. Para ello participaron 400 estudiantes universitarios, con una edad media de 24,64 años (DS = 6,64), siendo la mayoría mujeres (75,6 %). Para la proposición del modelo, se realizó un path análisis. El modelo sugerido demostró que, a mayor percepción de amenaza y concordancia con el estereotipo de discapacidad, menor apoyo al paradigma psicosocial. Además, se encontró que las creencias sobre la etiología de la enfermedad mental y los estereotipos están en la base de la percepción de amenaza y todas estas variables en conjunto predicen un mayor prejuicio. Los hallazgos de esta investigación brindan soporte científico para ejecutar intervenciones efectivas y consistentes que fortalezcan el paradigma psicosocial en el escenario nacional. (AU)

Dissecting the brain's fear systems responding to snake threats.

We examined the behavioural responses and Fos expression pattern of rats that were exposed to snake threats from shed snakeskin and a live snake. We differentiated the behavioural responses and the pattern of Fos expression in response to the odour cues and mild threat from a live snake. Animals exposed to the snake odour alone or to the confined snake showed a great deal of risk assessment. Conversely, the intensification of odour during exposure to the live snake decreased the threat ambiguity, and the animals froze for a significantly longer period. Our Fos analysis showed that a pathway formed by the posteroventral part of the medial amygdalar nucleus to the central part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus appeared to be solely responsive to odour cues. In addition, we showed increased Fos expression in a parallel circuit comprising the lateral amygdalar nucleus, ventral subiculum, lateral septum, and juxtadorsomedial region of the lateral hypothalamic area that is responsive to both the odour and mild threat from a live snake. This path is likely to process the environmental boundaries of the threat to be avoided. Both paths merge into the dorsal premammillary nucleus and periaqueductal grey sites, which all increase Fos expression in response to the snake threats and are likely to organize the defensive responses. Moreover, we found that the snake threat mobilized the Edinger-Westphal and supraoculomotor nuclei, which are involved in stress adaptation and attentional mechanisms.

Dr. Netptali Taquechel Tusiente, paradigma de la historia y la medicina cubana / Dr. Netptali Taquechel Tusiente, a paradigm of Cuban history and medicine

La vida y obra de algunos hombres y mujeres de la historia de la Medicina, transita a veces, sin artilugios, acompañadas tan solo de la humildad y la sabiduría de estos. Es por ello, que al resumir en breves líneas el tiempo de enseñanzas y heroicidades de estos paradigmas, solo se cumple con el noble objetivo de exponer a las nuevas generaciones la labor realizada por maestros, como lo fue, el Dr. Netptali Taquechel Tusiente. A través de la realización de una revisión histórica de su vida y aportes y con la obtención de los datos por medio de la entrevista, el expediente laboral y académico como fuente primaria, se procesó la información. Los aportes de este internista estuvieron centrados en la especialidad de Medicina interna y en su actividad como líder del Ministerio de Salud Pública en diversos escenarios, pero el mayor de todos fue ser considerado una figura paradigmática de la salud pública. Se concluye que este médico cubano transitó de joven revolucionario y destacado estudiante a profesor de alto reconocimiento en la educación médica y figura inolvidable para todo el que lo conoció, con un merecido puesto entre los grandes de la historia de la Medicina cubana.

The life and work of some men and women in the history of medicine sometimes pass through without any gadgets, accompanied only by their humility and wisdom. That is why, when summarizing in few lines the time of teachings and heroisms of these paradigms, the noble objective of exposing to the new generations the work carried out by teachers such as Dr. Netptali Taquechel Tusiente is fulfilled. A historical review of the life and contributions of the aforementioned doctor was carried out, and the information was processed by obtaining data from interviews as well as from his employment and academic records as a primary source. The contributions of this internist were focused on the specialty of internal medicine as well as on his activity as a leader of the Ministry of Public Health in various settings, but the greatest of all was to be considered as a paradigmatic figure of public health. It is concluded that this Cuban doctor went from being a revolutionary young man and an outstanding student to a highly recognized professor in medical education and an unforgettable figure for all who knew him, with a deserved position among the greats in the history of Cuban medicine.

Chronotropic Response and Heart Rate Variability before and after a 160 m Walking Test in Young, Middle-Aged, Frail, and Non-Frail Older Adults.

The frailty syndrome is characterized by a decreased capacity to adequately respond to stressors. One of the most impaired physiological systems is the autonomous nervous system, which can be assessed through heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) analysis. In this article, we studied the chronotropic response (HR and HRV) to a walking test. We also analyzed HRV indices in rest as potential biomarkers of frailty. For this, a 160 m-walking test and two standing rest tests (before and after the walking) were performed by young (19−29 years old, n = 21, 57% women), middle-aged (30−59 years old, n = 16, 62% women), and frail older adults (>60 years old, n = 28, 40% women) and non-frail older adults (>60 years old, n = 15, 71% women), classified with the FRAIL scale and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Frequency domain parameters better allowed to distinguish between frail and non-frail older adults (low-frequency power LF, high-frequency power HF (nu), LF/HF ratio, and ECG-derived respiration rate EDR). Frail older adults showed an increased HF (nu) and EDR and a reduced LF (nu) and LF/HF compared to non-frail older adults. The increase in HF (nu) could be due to a higher breathing effort. Our results showed that a walk of 160 m is a sufficient cardiovascular stressor to exhibit an attenuated autonomic response in frail older adults. Several HRV indices showed to be potential biomarkers of frailty, being LF (nu) and the time required to reach the maximum HR the best candidates.

Augmented anandamide signalling in the substantia nigra pars reticulata mediates panicolytic-like effects in mice confronted by Crotalus durissus terrificus pit vipers.

RATIONALE: The endocannabinoid modulation of fear and anxiety due to the on-demand synthesis and degradation is supported by a large body of research. Although it has been proposed that anandamide (AEA) in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) seems to be important for the organisation of innate fear-related behaviours, a role for endogenous AEA has yet to be clarified. METHODS: Mice were treated with the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) selective inhibitor URB597 at different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1 nmol/0.1 µL) in the SNpr and confronted by rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus terrificus). The most effective dose of URB597 (1 nmol) was also preceded by microinjections of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (0.1 nmol) into the SNpr, and mice were then confronted by the venomous snake. RESULTS: URB597 (0.1 and 1 nmol) in the SNpr decreased the expression of defensive behaviours such as defensive attention, escape, and time spent inside the burrow of mice confronted by rattlesnakes. Moreover, pretreatment of SNpr with AM251 suppressed these antiaversive effects of URB597 in this midbrain structure. CONCLUSION: Overall, these data clearly indicate that the panicolytic consequences of endogenous AEA enhancement in the SNpr are mediated by CB1 receptor signalling.

A Poisson-multinomial spatial model for simultaneous outbreaks with application to arboviral diseases.

Dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are arboviral diseases (AVD) transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti. Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, has been endemic for dengue for over 30 years, and experienced the first joint epidemic of the three diseases between 2015-2016. They present similar symptoms and only a small proportion of cases are laboratory-confirmed. These facts lead to potential misdiagnosis and, consequently, uncertainty in the registration of the cases. We have available the number of cases of each disease for the n=160 neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. We propose a Poisson model for the total number of cases of Aedes-borne diseases and, conditioned on the total, we assume a multinomial model for the allocation of the number of cases of each of the diseases across the neighborhoods. This provides simultaneously the estimation of the associations of the relative risk of the total cases of AVD with environmental and socioeconomic variables; and the estimation of the probability of presence of each disease as a function of available covariates. Our findings suggest that a one standard deviation increase in the social development index decreases the relative risk of the total cases of AVD by 28%. Neighborhoods with smaller proportion of green area had greater odds of having chikungunya in comparison to dengue and Zika. A one standard deviation increase in population density decreases the odds of a neighborhood having Zika instead of dengue by 18% but increases the odds of chikungunya in comparison to dengue by 18% and by 43% in comparison to Zika.