[Information overload syndrome: a bibliographic review]. / Síndrome de la sobrecarga informativa: una revisión bibliográfica.

INTRODUCTION: We are living in the time of greatest dissemination of information in the history of the human race, and this excess of information has resulted in considering human attention as a scarce resource. Information overload is the situation in which the amount or intensity of information exceeds the individual's limited capacity for cognitive processing. OBJECTIVE: To describe the concept of information overload, its possible neurocognitive substrates, associated symptoms, causes, measures to avoid it, as well as its possible relationship with the internet and electronic devices. DEVELOPMENT: People respond differently to information overload, and this depends on individual factors as well as on the amount and characteristics of the informative stimulation. Some symptoms of information overload are: inefficient work, confusion, delay in making decisions, lack of critical evaluation of information, loss of control over information, refusal to receive communication, lack of general perspective, greater tolerance for error, anxiety, stress, etc. The limits of information processing capacity are probably conditioned by the limited metabolic energy that is distributed in the brain and remains constant regardless of the difficulty of the tasks. CONCLUSION: Attention is a limited cognitive function. In order to reduce the adverse effects of information overload, it is necessary to improve the personal management of our own cognitive resources and to understand their relationship with technology. Likewise, it is necessary to improve the handling of information through the organization, filtering and application of cognitive ergonomics design guidelines.

TITLE: Síndrome de la sobrecarga informativa: una revisión bibliográfica.Introducción. Vivimos la época de mayor difusión de información en la historia de la humanidad, y este exceso de información ha dado como consecuencia considerar la atención humana como un bien escaso. La sobrecarga informativa es la situación en la cual la cantidad o la intensidad de información exceden la capacidad limitada de procesamiento cognitivo del individuo. Objetivo. Describir el concepto de sobrecarga informativa, sus posibles sustratos neurocognitivos, síntomas asociados, causas, medidas para evitarla, así como su posible relación con internet y los dispositivos electrónicos. Desarrollo. Las personas responden de forma diferente a la sobrecarga informativa, y esto depende tanto de factores individuales como de la cantidad y características de la estimulación informativa. Algunos síntomas de la sobrecarga informativa son: trabajo ineficiente, confusión, retraso al tomar decisiones, falta de evaluación crítica de la información, pérdida de control sobre la información, rechazo de la recepción en la comunicación, falta de perspectiva general, mayor tolerancia al error, ansiedad, estrés, etc. Probablemente, los límites de la capacidad de procesamiento de información estén condicionados por la energía metabólica limitada que se distribuye en el cerebro y que permanece constante independientemente de la dificultad de las tareas. Conclusión. La atención es una función cognitiva limitada. Para que los efectos adversos de la sobrecarga informativa puedan disminuirse, se requiere mejorar la gestión personal de nuestros propios recursos cognitivos y comprender su relación con la tecnología. Es necesario mejorar el manejo de información mediante la organización, el filtrado y la aplicación de pautas de diseño de ergonomía cognitiva.

Síndrome de la sobrecarga informativa: una revisión bibliográfica / Information overload syndrome: a bibliographic review

Introducción: Vivimos la época de mayor difusión de información en la historia de la humanidad, y este exceso de información ha dado como consecuencia considerar la atención humana como un bien escaso. La sobrecarga informativa es la situación en la cual la cantidad o la intensidad de información exceden la capacidad limitada de procesamiento cognitivo del individuo. Objetivo: Describir el concepto de sobrecarga informativa, sus posibles sustratos neurocognitivos, síntomas asociados, causas, medidas para evitarla, así como su posible relación con internet y los dispositivos electrónicos. Desarrollo: Las personas responden de forma diferente a la sobrecarga informativa, y esto depende tanto de factores individuales como de la cantidad y características de la estimulación informativa. Algunos síntomas de la sobrecarga informativa son: trabajo ineficiente, confusión, retraso al tomar decisiones, falta de evaluación crítica de la información, pérdida de control sobre la información, rechazo de la recepción en la comunicación, falta de perspectiva general, mayor tolerancia al error, ansiedad, estrés, etc. Probablemente, los límites de la capacidad de procesamiento de información estén condicionados por la energía metabólica limitada que se distribuye en el cerebro y que permanece constante independientemente de la dificultad de las tareas. Conclusión: La atención es una función cognitiva limitada. Para que los efectos adversos de la sobrecarga informativa puedan disminuirse, se requiere mejorar la gestión personal de nuestros propios recursos cognitivos y comprender su relación con la tecnología. Es necesario mejorar el manejo de información mediante la organización, el filtrado y la aplicación de pautas de diseño de ergonomía cognitiva.(AU)

Introduction: We are living in the time of greatest dissemination of information in the history of the human race, and this excess of information has resulted in considering human attention as a scarce resource. Information overload is the situation in which the amount or intensity of information exceeds the individual’s limited capacity for cognitive processing. Objective: To describe the concept of information overload, its possible neurocognitive substrates, associated symptoms, causes, measures to avoid it, as well as its possible relationship with the internet and electronic devices. Development: People respond differently to information overload, and this depends on individual factors as well as on the amount and characteristics of the informative stimulation. Some symptoms of information overload are: inefficient work, confusion, delay in making decisions, lack of critical evaluation of information, loss of control over information, refusal to receive communication, lack of general perspective, greater tolerance for error, anxiety, stress, etc. The limits of information processing capacity are probably conditioned by the limited metabolic energy that is distributed in the brain and remains constant regardless of the difficulty of the tasks. Conclusion: Attention is a limited cognitive function. In order to reduce the adverse effects of information overload, it is necessary to improve the personal management of our own cognitive resources and to understand their relationship with technology. Likewise, it is necessary to improve the handling of information through the organization, filtering and application of cognitive ergonomics design guidelines.(AU)

Immunohistochemical mapping of pro-opiomelanocortin- and pro-dynorphin-derived peptides in the alpaca (Lama pacos) diencephalon.

Using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique, we studied the distribution of cell bodies and fibres containing non-opioid peptides (adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone) and opioid peptides (beta-endorphin (1-27), alpha-neo-endorphin, leucine-enkephalin) in the alpaca diencephalon. No immunoreactive cell bodies containing ACTH were found. Perikarya containing the other four peptides were observed exclusively in the hypothalamus and their distribution was restricted. Perikarya containing alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone or alpha-neo-endorphin showed a more widespread distribution than those containing leucine-enkephalin or beta-endorphin (1-27). Cell bodies containing pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides were observed in the arcuate nucleus, anterior and lateral hypothalamic areas and in the ventromedial and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei, whereas perikarya containing alpha-neo-endorphin (a pro-dynorphin-derived peptide) were found in the arcuate nucleus, dorsal and lateral hypothalamic areas, and in the paraventricular, ventromedial and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei. Immunoreactive cell bodies containing leucine-enkephalin were found in the lateral hypothalamic area and in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. Immunoreactive fibres expressing pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides were more numerous than those expressing pro-dynorphin-derived peptides. A close anatomical relationship was observed: in all the diencephalic nuclei in which beta-endorphin (1-27)-immunoreactive fibres were found, fibres containing alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone or alpha-neo-endorphin were also observed. Fibres containing beta-endorphin (1-27), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone or alpha-neo-endorphin were widely distributed throughout the diencephalon, but fibres containing ACTH or leucine-enkephalin showed a moderate distribution. The distribution of the five peptides studied here is also compared with that reported previously in other mammalian species. The widespread distribution observed indicates that both the pro-dynorphin and the pro-opiomelanocortin systems are involved in multiple physiological actions (e.g., food intake, thermoregulation, neuroendocrine and reproductive mechanisms) in the alpaca diencephalon.

Mapping of CGRP in the alpaca diencephalon.

We report the distribution of immunoreactive cell bodies and fibers containing calcitonin gene-related peptide in the alpaca diencephalon. This study was carried out in alpacas that lived from birth to death at 0 m above sea level. Immunoreactive fibers were widely distributed throughout the thalamus and hypothalamus. A moderate density of these fibers was found in the zona incerta, the central medial, subparafascicular, reuniens and rhomboid thalamic nuclei, in the preoptic, anterior, lateral and dorsal hypothalamic areas, around the fornix, in the posterior, ventromedial and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei and in the lateral mammillary nucleus. Cell bodies were only found in the hypothalamus: a high density in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei and a low density in the anterior, lateral and dorsal hypothalamic areas, around the fornix, and in the posterior and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei. The widespread distribution of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the alpaca diencephalon suggests that it is involved in many physiological actions that must be investigated in-depth in the future, since alpacas lives from 0 m above sea level to altitudes of up to 5000 m altitude and hence the involvement of neuropeptides in special and unique regulatory physiological mechanisms could be suggested.

Mapping of somatostatin-28 (1-12) in the alpaca diencephalon.

Using an immunocytochemical technique, we report for the first time the distribution of immunoreactive cell bodies and fibers containing somatostatin-28 (1-12) in the alpaca diencephalon. Somatostatin-28 (1-12)-immunoreactive cell bodies were only observed in the hypothalamus (lateral hypothalamic area, arcuate nucleus and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus). However, immunoreactive fibers were widely distributed throughout the thalamus and hypothalamus. A high density of such fibers was observed in the central medial thalamic nucleus, laterodorsal thalamic nucleus, lateral habenular nucleus, mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, paraventricular thalamic nucleus, reuniens thalamic nucleus, rhomboid thalamic nucleus, subparafascicular thalamic nucleus, anterior hypothalamic area, arcuate nucleus, dorsal hypothalamic area, around the fornix, lateral hypothalamic area, lateral mammilary nucleus, posterior hypothalamic nucleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, supraoptic hypothalamic nucleus, and in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus. The widespread distribution of somatostatin-28 (1-12) in the thalamus and hypothalamus of the alpaca suggests that the neuropeptide could be involved in many physiological actions.

[Controversy and reforms about the health system in Chile]. / Reformas y controversias sobre salud en Chile.

A worrying stabilization of infant mortality (19/1000) and maternal mortality (0.5/1000) rates has been observed in the last few years in Chile. The well known decrease in mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer observed in developed countries has not taken place in Chile. An unacceptable 40% of people coming electively to peripheral clinics cannot get medical care and must seek attention in the emergency services. This deterioration of medical care to the Chilean population can be related to a cutback in national funds allocated to the public health system. The development of a private insurance system (ISAPRES) and the turnover of peripheral clinics to local government authorities has not been able to compensate for this. As a consequence an increasing discrimination of the quality of health care between the poor and rich sectors of the population has emerged. The wealthiest 10% of the population is consuming over 1/3 of the health resources. Poor districts are not able to provide the minimum to cover for medicines, vaccines and wage replacements during illness. The private sector spends 20% in administration and has not contributed to build new hospitals or to increase the number of beds available in the country. A significant modification of the current situation is urgently needed.