Legacy effects of anthropogenic disturbances modulate dynamics in the world's coral reefs.

Rapidly changing conditions alter disturbance patterns, highlighting the need to better understand how the transition from pulse disturbances to more persistent stress will impact ecosystem dynamics. We conducted a global analysis of the impacts of 11 types of disturbances on reef integrity using the rate of change of coral cover as a measure of damage. Then, we evaluated how the magnitude of the damage due to thermal stress, cyclones, and diseases varied among tropical Atlantic and Indo-Pacific reefs and whether the cumulative impact of thermal stress and cyclones was able to modulate the responses of reefs to future events. We found that reef damage largely depends on the condition of a reef before a disturbance, disturbance intensity, and biogeographic region, regardless of the type of disturbance. Changes in coral cover after thermal stress events were largely influenced by the cumulative stress of past disturbances and did not depend on disturbance intensity or initial coral cover, which suggests that an ecological memory is present within coral communities. In contrast, the effect of cyclones (and likely other physical impacts) was primarily modulated by the initial reef condition and did not appear to be influenced by previous impacts. Our findings also underscore that coral reefs can recover if stressful conditions decrease, yet the lack of action to reduce anthropogenic impacts and greenhouse gas emissions continues to trigger reef degradation. We uphold that evidence-based strategies can guide managers to make better decisions to prepare for future disturbances.

Stony coral tissue loss disease decimated Caribbean coral populations and reshaped reef functionality.

Diseases are major drivers of the deterioration of coral reefs and are linked to major declines in coral abundance, reef functionality, and reef-related ecosystems services. An outbreak of a new disease is currently rampaging through the populations of the remaining reef-building corals across the Caribbean region. The outbreak was first reported in Florida in 2014 and reached the northern Mesoamerican Reef by summer 2018, where it spread across the ~450-km reef system in only a few months. Rapid spread was generalized across all sites and mortality rates ranged from 94% to <10% among the 21 afflicted coral species. Most species of the family Meandrinadae (maze corals) and subfamily Faviinae (brain corals) sustained losses >50%. This single event further modified the coral communities across the region by increasing the relative dominance of weedy corals and reducing reef functionality, both in terms of functional diversity and calcium carbonate production. This emergent disease is likely to become the most lethal disturbance ever recorded in the Caribbean, and it will likely result in the onset of a new functional regime where key reef-building and complex branching acroporids, an apparently unaffected genus that underwent severe population declines decades ago and retained low population levels, will once again become conspicuous structural features in reef systems with yet even lower levels of physical functionality.

Recovery disparity between coral cover and the physical functionality of reefs with impaired coral assemblages.

The ecology and structure of many tropical coral reefs have been markedly altered over the past few decades. Although long-term recovery has been observed in terms of coral cover, it is not clear how novel species configurations shape reef functionality in impaired reefs. The identities and life-history strategies of the corals species that recover are essential for understanding reef functional dynamics. We used a species identity approach to quantify the physical functionality outcomes over a 13 year period across 56 sites in the Mexican Caribbean. This region was affected by multiple stressors that converged and drastically damaged reefs in the early 2000s. Since then, the reefs have shown evidence of a modest recovery of coral cover. We used Bayesian linear models and annual rates of change to estimate temporal changes in physical functionality and coral cover. Moreover, a functional diversity framework was used to explore changes in coral composition and the traits of those assemblages. Between 2005 and 2018, physical functionality increased at a markedly lower rate compared to that of coral cover. The disparity between recovery rates depended on the identity of the species that increased (mainly non-framework and foliose-digitate corals). No changes in species dominance or functional trait composition were observed, whereas non-framework building corals consistently dominated most reefs. Although the observed recovery of coral cover and functional potential may provide some ecological benefits, the long-term effects on reef frameworks remain unclear, as changes in the cover of key reef-building species were not observed. Our findings are likely to be representative of many reefs across the wider Caribbean basin, as declines in coral cover and rapid increases in the relative abundance of weedy corals have been reported regionally. A coral identity approach to assess species turnover is needed to understand and quantify changes in the functionality of coral reefs.

Two decades of carbonate budget change on shifted coral reef assemblages: are these reefs being locked into low net budget states?

The ecology of coral reefs is rapidly shifting from historical baselines. One key-question is whether under these new, less favourable ecological conditions, coral reefs will be able to sustain key geo-ecological processes such as the capacity to accumulate carbonate structure. Here, we use data from 34 Caribbean reef sites to examine how the carbonate production, net erosion and net carbonate budgets, as well as the organisms underlying these processes, have changed over the past 15 years in the absence of further severe acute disturbances. We find that despite fundamental benthic ecological changes, these ecologically shifted coral assemblages have exhibited a modest but significant increase in their net carbonate budgets over the past 15 years. However, contrary to expectations this trend was driven by a decrease in erosion pressure, largely resulting from changes in the abundance and size-frequency distribution of parrotfishes, and not by an increase in rates of coral carbonate production. Although in the short term, the carbonate budgets seem to have benefitted marginally from reduced parrotfish erosion, the absence of these key substrate grazers, particularly of larger individuals, is unlikely to be conducive to reef recovery and will thus probably lock these reefs into low budget states.

From State-to-Trait Meditation: Reconfiguration of Central Executive and Default Mode Networks.

While brain default mode network (DMN) activation in human subjects has been associated with mind wandering, meditation practice has been found to suppress it and to increase psychological well-being. In addition to DMN activity reduction, experienced meditators (EMs) during meditation practice show an increased connectivity between the DMN and the central executive network (CEN). However, the gradual change between DMN and CEN configuration from pre-meditation, during meditation, and post-meditation is unknown. Here, we investigated the change in DMN and CEN configuration by means of brain activity and functional connectivity (FC) analyses in EMs across three back-to-back functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans: pre-meditation baseline (trait), meditation (state), and post-meditation (state-to-trait). Pre-meditation baseline group comparison was also performed between EMs and healthy controls (HCs). Meditation trait was characterized by a significant reduction in activity and FC within DMN and increased anticorrelations between DMN and CEN. Conversely, meditation state and meditation state-to-trait periods showed increased activity and FC within the DMN and between DMN and CEN. However, the latter anticorrelations were only present in EMs with limited practice. The interactions between networks during these states by means of positive diametric activity (PDA) of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFFs) defined as [Formula: see text] revealed no trait differences but significant increases during meditation state that persisted in meditation state-to-trait. The gradual reconfiguration in DMN and CEN suggest a neural mechanism by which the CEN negatively regulates the DMN and is probably responsible for the long-term trait changes seen in meditators and reported psychological well-being.

Predictores del comportamiento de automanejo en personas con enfermedades crónicas de Tamaulipas / Self-management behavior predictors among persons with chronic diseases in Tamaulipas / Preditores do comportamento de automanejo em pessoas com doenças crônicas de Tamaulipas

Resumen Introducción: Dado el carácter prioritario de atención a las enfermedades no transmisibles, la Organización Mundial de la Salud propuso el Modelo de Cuidados Crónicos. En este modelo incluye el automanejo como un elemento principal en el combate de dichas enfermedades. Objetivo: Identificar las variables predictoras del comportamiento de automanejo en usuarios con Diabetes Mellitus, Hipertensión Arterial y Obesidad. Métodos: La muestra no probabilística e intencional fue de 386 usuarios de la Secretaría de Salud de Tamaulipas (Ciudad Victoria y Tampico). El diseño de estudio fue no experimental, transversal. Resultados: casi la mitad (42.2%) de los participantes con ECNT refieren síntomas de trastorno depresivo en el continuo de leve a grave, la categoría que obtuvo mayor porcentaje de IMC fue sobrepeso con 33.2% y más de un tercio de la población (36.8%) percibe algún grado de disfunción familiar. Así también se aplicó un análisis de Regresión Lineal Múltiple con el método de pasos, el modelo indica que fueron siete predictores del comportamiento de Automanejo (varianza explicada R2=.325); la variable autoeficacia fue el más importante (β=38) y el apoyo social percibido el predictor con carga más baja (β=.10). Conclusiones: estos predictores representan elementos importantes para ampliar el conocimiento y entender el comportamiento del automanejo, área que es promovida en el modelo de atención a crónicos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud y en la actualidad es liderada por el área de enfermería.

Abstract Introduction: Considering the priority regarding the attention of non transmissible diseases, the World Health Organization proposed the Chronic Care Model which, by encompassing self-management as one main element, is intended to address these diseases. Objective: To identify predictor variables related to behavior on self-management among patients with Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, and Obesity. Methods: The intentional and non probabilistic simple included 386 patients from the Health Secretariat in Tamaulipas, Mexico (Ciudad Victoria and Tampico). The study design was non experimental and transversal. Results: About half (42.2%) of the participants with Chronic Non Transmissible diseases referred having depressive disorder ranging from mild to severe. Regarding the BMI, 33.2% showed overweight. Moreover, 36.8% perceived some degree of family dysfunction. A Multiple Linear Regression was calculated. The model indicated that there were seven predictors of the behavior on self-management (explained variance R2 =.325); being self-efficacy the most important (β=38), and perceived social support the lowest in load (β=.10). Conclusions: These predictors represent important elements to consider when building on the knowledge and understanding the behavior related to self-management, an area which is highlighted in the Chronic Care Model of the World Health Organization, particularly within nursing.

Resumo Introdução: Dado o caráter prioritário de atenção às doenças não transferíveis, a Organização Mundial da Saúde propôs o Modelo de Cuidados Crônicos. Neste modelo inclui-se o automanejo como um elemento principal no combate de tais doenças. Objetivo: identificar as variáveis preditoras do comportamento de automanejo em usuários com Diabetes Mellitus, Hipertensão Arterial e Obesidade. Métodos: A amostra não probabilística e intencional foi de 386 usuários da Secretaría de Salud de Tamaulipas (Ciudad Victoria e Tampico). O desenho de estudo foi não experimental, transversal. Resultados: quase a metade (42.2%) dos participantes com ECNT referem sintomas de transtorno depressivo no continuo de leve a grave, a categoria que obteve maior porcentagem de IMC foi sobrepeso com 33.2% e mais de um terço da população (36.8%) percebe algum grau de disfunção familiar. Assim também se aplicou uma análise de Regressão Linear Múltipla com o método de passos, o modelo indica que foram sete preditores do comportamento de Automanejo (variância explicada R 2 =.325); a variável autoeficácia foi a mais importante (β=38) no apoio social percebido e o preditor com carga mais baixa (β=.10). Conclusões: estes preditores representam elementos importantes para ampliar o conhecimento e entender o comportamento de automanejo, área que é promovida no modelo de atenção a crônicos da Organização Mundial da Saúde e na atualidade é liderada pela área de enfermagem.

Metodología geométrica para la evaluación de la saturación arterial de oxígeno en pacientes de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos / Geometric methodology for the saturation evaluation arterial oxygen in patients of the Care Unit Intensive

Introducción: En cardiología, la aplicación de teorías, como la de los sistemas dinámicos y la geometría fractal, han generado nuevos diagnósticos matemáticos que diferencian, de manera geométrica y cuantitativa, el comportamiento normal del enfermo a partir de la ocupación del atractor caótico cardíaco. El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar, en el contexto de la teoría de los sistemas dinámicos, una metodología de evaluación de la saturación arterial de oxígeno para pacientes en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. Materiales y Métodos: Se seleccionaron 10 pacientes con diferentes enfermedades, provenientes de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, a los cuales se les registró la saturación arterial de oxígeno durante su estancia en la Unidad, y se construyeron atractores caóticos en el mapa de retardo. Posteriormente, se establecieron cuantificaciones de los valores mínimos y máximos del atractor. Resultados: Los valores máximos y mínimos de los atractores de la saturación de oxígeno variaron entre el 100% y el 70%, para los pacientes que fallecieron, mientras que para aquellos que vivieron, se mantuvo entre el 99% y el 85%. Conclusiones: Se observó un comportamiento caótico asociado a la saturación arterial de oxígeno, cuantificable a partir de los valores máximos y mínimos hallados de la totalidad del atractor, estableciendo una nueva medida matemática y física del paciente crítico en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivo (AU)

Introduction: In cardiology, the application of theories, such as dynamical systems and fractal geometry, has generated new mathematical diagnoses that differentiate geometrically and quantitatively the normal from the diseased behavior through the occupation of the cardiac chaotic attractor. The objective of this study was to develop, in the context of the dynamical systems theory, a methodology for the evaluation of arterial oxygen saturation in patients of the Intensive Care Unit. Materials and Methods: Ten patients with different pathologies from the Intensive Care Unit were selected. The arterial oxygen saturation was recorded during their stay in the Intensive Care Unit and chaotic attractors were built in the delay map. Subsequently, quantifications of the minimum and maximum values of the attractor were established. Results: The maximum and minimum values of the oxygen saturation attractors varied between 100% and 70% for patients who died, whereas for those who lived, saturation values between 99% and 85% were maintained. Conclusions: A chaotic behavior associated with arterial oxygen saturation, quantifiable through the maximum and minimum values found in the entire attractor, was observed, establishing a new mathematical and physical measurement of the critical patient in the Intensive Care Unit.(AU)

Ataxia Severity Correlates with White Matter Degeneration in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a scarcity of information on the effect of white matter degeneration in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 7. Therefore, we investigated the WM integrity in a large group of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 by using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients with a molecular diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 and their age- and sex-matched healthy controls participated in this study. The patients' ataxia severity was evaluated with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. Voxelwise analyses of diffusion metrics, including fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, were performed with Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. The correlation between WM abnormalities and ataxia severity was then calculated. RESULTS: Tract-Based Spatial Statistics analysis revealed WM abnormalities in the cerebellum and the cerebellar peduncles, as well as in other major cortical and subcortical pathways. Further analysis between the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia score and WM mean diffusivity showed significant associations only in key areas related to motor control and visuospatial processing, including the cerebellar WM, the middle occipital WM, the superior cerebellar peduncle, and bilateral anterior thalamic radiation. No significant associations between fractional anisotropy and the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia were found. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a significant contribution of local cerebellar and cerebellar-midbrain connections to ataxic impairment in spinocerebellar ataxia type 7. The results also suggest an involvement of cortical WM abnormalities including tracts within the occipital and frontal cortices. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive view of the clinical impact of the white matter degeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 7.

Child overweight and obesity are associated with reduced executive cognitive performance and brain alterations: a magnetic resonance imaging study in Mexican children.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity in childhood is associated with negative physical and psychological effects. It has been proposed that obesity increase the risk for developing cognitive deficits, dementia and Alzheimer's disease and that it may be associated with marked differences in specific brain structure volumes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was a neurobiopsychological approach to examine the association between overweight and obesity, brain structure and a paediatric neuropsychological assessment in Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age. METHODS: We investigated the relation between the body mass index (BMI), brain volumetric segmentation of subcortical gray and white matter regions obtained with magnetic resonance imaging and the Neuropsychological Assessment of Children standardized for Latin America. Thirty-three healthy Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age, divided into normal weight (18 children) and overweight/obese (15 children) groups. RESULTS: Overweight/obese children showed reduced executive cognitive performance on neuropsychological evaluations (i.e. verbal fluidity, P = 0.03) and presented differences in brain structures related to learning and memory (reduced left hippocampal volumes, P = 0.04) and executive functions (larger white matter volumes in the left cerebellum, P = 0.04 and mid-posterior corpus callosum, P = 0.03). Additionally, we found a positive correlation between BMI and left globulus pallidus (P = 0.012, ρ = 0.43) volume and a negative correlation between BMI and neuropsychological evaluation scores (P = 0.033, ρ = -0.37). CONCLUSIONS: The findings contribute to the idea that there is a relationship between BMI, executive cognitive performance and brain structure that may underlie the causal chain that leads to obesity in adulthood.

Maduración dentaria en jovenes venezolanos estimada mediante el método de demirjian y colaboradores / Dental maturation in venezuelan young estimated though demirjian et al method

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la maduración dentaria en jóvenes venezolanos estimada mediante el método de Demirjian y cols. Se analizaron 284 radiografías panorámicas de pacientes de ambos sexos con edades cronológicas entre 8- 20 años. Se estudio la maduración dentaria de los 7 dientes inferiores izquierdos de acuerdo a los estadios del método de Demirjian y cols. y se calculó la edad dentaria. Se obtuvieron la media y la desviación estándar de la edad cronológica (EC) y la ED, la media de la EC a la cual se observaron los diferentes estadios de maduración y diferencias de medias entre la EC y la ED calculada. Al comparar las medias de las edades cronológicas en las que se observaron los estadios de maduración dentaria, las hembras tuvieron un desarrollo más avanzado que los varones. Se evidencio que el 100% de madurez dentaria, comienza a alcanzase alrededor de lo 13-14 años en la muestra estudiada. Contrastando la media de la EC con la ED, pudo verificarse que en ambos sexos, existe una consistente subestimación de la edad a partir de los 16 años, por ello en una submuestra de los grupos 8-16 se obtuvieron las diferencias de media entre la EC y ED, y se encontró una sobrestimación de la edad, estadísticamente significativa (-0,66 ±1,14 varones; -0,40± 1,38 hembras). Los datos del presente trabajo podrían ser utilizados como referencia de la maduración dentaria de los individuos de la muestra...

The aim of the present investigation was to study the dentaria maturation of Venezuelan young estimated though Demirjian´s et al. method. Two hundred and eighty four dentaria panoramic radiographs from patients of both sexes, with chronological ages between 8-20 years, were analyzed. Dentaria maturation of the 7 left lower teeth was calculated, according to the stages proposed by Demirjian et al. and dentaria age was calculated (DA) following the method of the author. Mean values and standard deviation of the chronological age (CA) and DA, by age group, mean of the CA to which different stages of maturation were observed and mean differences between the CA and the DA, were calculated. When comparing the mean chronological ages witch the dentaria maturation stages were observed; females had more advanced development than males. It was noticed that 100% of dentaria maturity, was reached out around 13-14 years in the studied sample. Contrasting mean CA with DA, it could be confirmed that in both sexes, there is a consistent underestimation of age from 16 years, so in a subsample of 8-16 groups mean differences between the EC and ED were obtained, and found an statistically significant overestimation of age (males -0.66 ± 1.14, females -0.40 ± 1.38). The data presented here could be used as a reference for dentaria maturation of the individuals in the sample...

Osteorradionecrosis como secuela de la radioterapia / Osteoradionecrosis like radiotherapy's sequel

La osteorradionecrosis es una de las más graves complicaciones derivadas de cabeza y cuello por la terapia de radiación, se describe como una alteración ósea en la que hay desvitalización del hueso, con hipovascularización, hipocelularidad (fibroblastos, osteoclastos, células indiferenciadas osteogénicas), e hipoxia tisular local. Ocurre espontáneamente o en respuesta a una herida, cuando se somete al paciente a dosis de irradiación por encima de 60 G y, sobre todo, con quimioterapia concomitante. El hueso no puede responder adecuadamente después de traumas locales como extracciones dentales, biopsias para descartar recidivas, enfermedades periodontales, como una serie de condiciones que predisponen a su aparición. Dentro de los factores predisponentes se incluye la dosis de radiación absorbida, el fraccionamiento del tratamiento, modalidad de aplicación y el estado mental. Luego puede aparecer la sintomatología aunque a veces los síntomas aparecen sin desencadenante previo. Esta sintomatología puede reducirse mediante la pronta evaluación, tratamiento y ambientación intraoral, antes de comenzar la regeneración tisular. Para el tratamiento se toman en cuenta los antibióticos, la oxigenoterapia hiperbárica y técnicas quirúrgicas, incluidas hemimandibulectomía y colocación del injerto dependiendo de cada caso (AU)

The osteoradionecrosis is one of the most serious complications of head and neck radiation therapy, is described as a disturbance in which bone is bone desvitalización with hypovascularity, hypocellularity (fibroblasts, osteoclasts, osteogenic cells undifferentiated), and hypoxia local tissue. Occurs spontaneously or in response of a wound when the patient is subjected to irradiation doses above 60 G and especially with concomitant chemotherapy. The bone cannot respond properly after local trauma such as dental extractions, biopsies to rule out recurrence, periodontal diseases. Predisposing factors include the radiation absorbed dose, fractionation, delivery modality, or mental state. After symptoms appear but sometimes trigger symptoms appear without prior approval. This can be reduced through early assessment, treatment and cure intraoral, before the start of tissue regeneration. For the treatment are taken into account antibiotics, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and surgical techniques, including hemimandibulectomy and placement of the graft in each case (AU)

[Ultrasound-guided infraclavicular axillary vein cannulation]. / Canalización de la vena axilar infraclavicular guiada por ecografía.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous central venous cannulation is a challenging procedure. Traditionally, an external landmark technique has been used to identify puncture site. We wanted to evaluate an ultrasound-guided technique for the axillary vein cannulation, looking specifically at the ease of use, success rate and decreased complications. METHODS: Sixty consecutive surgical patients scheduled for central venous catheter placement were registered. An ultrasound scanner made for guiding an in plane puncture of axillary vein was used. After locating the vessels, an echo-guided sterile procedure was performed to cannulate the vein. RESULTS: Cannulation was successful in all patients, and there were no complications during insertion of the catheters. Both axillary veins were cannulated, and the vein was punctured successfully at first attempt in 95% of the patients. The median time from the start of the first puncture (of the skin) until the aspiration of blood was 15 (7- 135) seconds. CONCLUSION: This ultrasound-guided technique for inserting central venous catheters in axillary vein was easy to apply. This procedure could increase precision and safety in patients undergoing axillary vein cannulation.

Canalización de la vena axilar infraclavicular guiada por ecografía / Ultrasound-guided infraclavicular axillary vein cannulation

Introducción y objetivos. La canalización venosa central percutánea es un procedimiento que puede ser difícil. Tradicionalmente se han utilizado técnicas basadas en referencias anatómicas externas para identificar los sitios de punción. Hemos evaluado una técnica guiada por ultrasonidos para la canalización de la vena axilar infraclavicular. Método. Se incluyeron pacientes quirúrgicos programados para la colocación de un catéter venoso central. Utilizamos una sonda lineal de ultrasonidos, 12MHz, para guiar la punción en plano de la vena axilar infraclavicular. El miembro superior ipsilateral fue colocado en abducción a 90° del eje cráneo-caudal. Se analizó el número de intentos, el tiempo empleado en la técnica (desde punción de la piel hasta aspiración de sangre) y la incidencia de complicaciones. Resultados. Fueron incluidos 60 pacientes. Fueron escaneadas ambas venas axilares infraclaviculares y el catéter se pudo colocar en un primer intento en el 95% de los pacientes. No hubo fallos de canalización. La mediana de tiempo de la técnica fue de 15 (rango 7-135) segundos. No hubo complicaciones mayores durante el procedimiento de inserción del catéter. Conclusión. La visualización por ultrasonidos de la vena axilar infraclavicular permitió su canalización con un mínimo cambio de posición del paciente, incluso durante la cirugía, en un tiempo clínicamente adecuado y sin complicaciones inmediatas(AU)

Background and objective. Percutaneous central venous cannulation is a challenging procedure. Traditionally, an external landmark technique has been used to identify puncture site. We wanted to evaluate an ultrasound-guided technique for the axillary vein cannulation, looking specifically at the ease of use, success rate and decreased complications. Methods. Sixty consecutive surgical patients scheduled for central venous catheter placement were registered. An ultrasound scanner made for guiding an in plane puncture of axillary vein was used. After locating the vessels, an echo-guided sterile procedure was performed to cannulate the vein. Results. Cannulation was successful in all patients, and there were no complications during insertion of the catheters. Both axillary veins were cannulated, and the vein was punctured successfully at first attempt in 95% of the patients. The median time from the start of the first puncture (of the skin) until the aspiration of blood was 15 (7 - 135) seconds. Conclusion. This ultrasound-guided technique for inserting central venous catheters in axillary vein was easy to apply. This procedure could increase precision and safety in patients undergoing axillary vein cannulation(AU)

Perfiles de personalidad de estudiantes de psicología de universidad privada comparados em similitud y congruencia / Personality profiles of psychology students from a privateuniversity compared by similarity and congruence

En continuidad con los estudios del área de Perfiles de la Cátedra de Psicología Experimental I y II, se llevó a cabo un análisis comparativo de Perfiles de Personalidad en estudiantes de psicología. La muestra fue intencional y autoseleccionada, quedó conformada por 153 estudiantes de Psicología. Se ha utilizado un diseño Descriptivo y Comparado. El instrumento utilizado fue el Inventario Multifásico de la Personalidad Minnesota-2 (MMPI-2). Los resultados reportan que existe un patrón de personalidad con similitudes muy acentuadas en los estudiantes de la carrera de psicología, independiente del curso al que pertenecen, y en comparación a los perfiles de años anteriores (n = 152, muestra 2001: n=168, muestra 2007: y n= 101 muestra 2008).

In continuity with the studies of the area of Profiles of the Professorship of Experimental Psychology I and II, a comparative analysis of Profiles of Personality in students of psychology was carried out. The sample was intentional and autoseleccionada, remained conformed by 153 (166) students of Psychology. A Descriptive design has been utilized and Compared. The instrument utilized was the Polyphase Inventory of the Personality Minnesota-2 (MMPI-2). The results report that a boss of personality with similarities exists very accentuated in the students of the career of psychology, independent of the course to which they belong, and in comparison to the profiles of previous years (n = 152 sample 2001; n = 168, sample 2007 and n = 101 sample 2008).

Flexicorticotomía. Una técnica quirúrgica para tratamiento de ortodoncia.Reporte de un caso / Ridge split. A surgical technique for orthodontic treatment. A case report

El tratamiento ortodóncico es un procedimiento que se utiliza para la mejoría de las anomalías de forma, posición, relación y función de las estructuras dentomaxilofaciales, mediante el uso y control de diferentes tipos de fuerzas, observándose principalmente en niños menores de 12 años. La flexicorticotomía es un procedimiento quirúrgico que se utiliza principalmente para la colocación de implantes en aquellas personas que presentan disminución de la cortical, pero también se puede tomar como una buena técnica coadyuvante para facilitar el tratamiento ortodóncico en pacientes mayores en el cual el movimiento dentario es más lento y hay una mayor condensación ósea impidiendo que se puedan posicionar. Es decir, cuando no se produce movimiento por la reducción en la eficacia de los tejidos. El objetivo del presente artículo es mostrar el excelente uso de la técnica de flexicorticotomía como ayuda clínica en los tratamientos ortodónticos en adultos, por medio de un caso clínico que tuvo un adecuado resultado, sin ninguna complicación (AU)

Orthodontic treatment is a procedure that is used for the improvement of abnormal shape, position, relation and function of structures dentomaxilofaciales, using and controlling different types of forces, mainly observed in children younger than 12 years. The ridge split is a surgical procedure that is used primarily for the placement of dental implants in those people who fall in cortical, but also can be taken as a good adjunct technique to facilitate orthodontic treatment in patients with older age at which the tooth movement is slower and there is less bone preventing condensation which teeth can be positioned. When no movement is produced by the reduction in the effectiveness of the tissues. The aim of this paper is to propose a technique to help ridge split as and adjunct in clinical orthodontic treatment in adults, through a case presentation that had a good result without any complication (AU)

Event-Related Functional Magnetic Resonance Images during the Perception of Phantom Limb. A Brushing Task.

The phantom limb phenomenon has been used in amputee patients as a paradigm to study plasticity, mainly of the sensorimotor cortex. Nevertheless, most functional studies have been done in upper limb amputee patients using magnetoencephalography and functional magnetic resonance image imaging (fMRI). In addition, the actual experience of phantom limb sensation has not been widely used to study the neural mechanism of the human brain as a conscious knowledge of the phantom limb perception like the integration of the body image in amputee patients. fMRI studies of patients with lower limb amputation have recently been published, but none of these used an event-related design to try to observe only the stimulus application, correlating images with the subject's indication of phantom perception and discarding images with no phantom perception. In this work, we used the event-related fMRI design in two right-handed patients with identical right, transfemoral amputations, performing the same sensitive stimulation in a 3.0 T MR scanner. For comparison, we applied the same paradigm to six control subjects to compare the resulting functional maps. We found areas with statistical significance in the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the site of stimulation, in the parietal lobe in Brodmann areas 3 in both cases (Patients and Control Subjects), but we also found activation in the Brodmann areas 6, 40, and 5 with stimulation of the stump. We observed a specific activation of the frontoparietal circuit during phantom limb perception in both amputee patients.

Abnormal functioning of the thalamocortical system underlies the conscious awareness of the phantom limb phenomenon.

Phantom limb (PL), a phenomenon experienced by most patients after amputation, has mostly served as a paradigm to study experiences that appear to be associated with neural plasticity within the CNS. However, the subjective nature of PL experiences has had no definitive means of reliable assessment other than using patients' direct reports, nor was there a way to study the neural mechanisms involved in the conscious awareness of this mental phenomenon. Here we obtained patients' indirect responses to PL experiences for an objective evaluation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Six control subjects and six lower limb (LL) amputees participated in a motor imagery task for both the intact and the particular phantom toes. While all subjects shared neural processing of distinctive regional cerebral activations during motor imagery of the intact toes (prefrontal (PF), supplementary motor area (SMA), primary motor cortex (M1), superior temporal gyrus (STG)), it was only during motor imagery of the amputated toes in amputees that we observed an increased blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the contralateral basal ganglia at the medial globus pallidus (MGP), substantia nigra (SN), and thalamus. This increased BOLD signal in the basal ganglia-thalamus-cortex pathway during imaginary movement of the phantom toes may reflect an abnormal open loop functioning of the thalamocortical system underlying the conscious awareness of the phantom phenomenon. We suggest that the reduction in afferent information contributes to and coalesces with the higher-level reorganization resulting in the subjective conscious awareness of the phantom limb.

[Methylphenidate and short-term memory in young females with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A study using functional magnetic resonance imaging]. / Metilfenidato y memoria a corto plazo en mujeres jovenes con trastorno por deficit de atencion/hiperactividad. Estudio de resonancia magnetica funcional.

INTRODUCTION: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common behavioral disorder found mainly in males, thus current knowledge on its clinical expression in female adults is extremely limited. AIM. To evaluate the behavioral and neural substrates associated with the performance of a short-term memory task in female ADHD adults, with and without methylphenidate exposure, with respect to a control group. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Two groups of eight young right-handed, female, university students with ADHD and healthy controls matched by age, gender, handedness and academic level, voluntarily participated. All subjects performed twice an easy auditory short-term memory task (ADHD group without, and 90 minutes post-intake of methylphenidate 0.4 mg/kg in a counterbalanced order). The BOLD-fMRI response was used as a measure of neural activity during task performance. RESULTS: ADHD subjects showed a tendency to improve their performances under medication, showing an increased widespread functional activation, especially relevant over left frontal and cerebellar areas, in comparison with control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Methylphenidate slightly improves short-term memory task performance in adult female ADHD subjects by modifying underlying neural functioning patterns.

Metilfenidato y memoria a corto plazo en mujeres jóvenes con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad. Estudio de resonancia magnética funcional / Methylphenidate and short-term memory in young females with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A study using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Introducción. El trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad (TDAH) afecta predominantemente al sexo masculino, por lo que el conocimiento acerca de su expresión clínica y los efectos del tratamiento en el sexo femenino es muy limitado. Objetivo. Evaluar la respuesta funcional asociada a la ejecución de una tarea sencilla de memoria a corto plazo en mujeres con TDAH sin y bajo la exposición a metilfenidato respecto a un grupo control sano. Sujetos y métodos. Ocho mujeres universitarias, diestras, con diagnóstico de TDAH subtipo inatento y un grupo de controles sanos ejecutaron una tarea auditiva de memoria a corto plazo en dos ocasiones (sin y con ingestión de una dosis terapéutica de metilfenidato en el grupo con TDAH) mientras se registraba la respuesta funcional cerebral con la técnica BOLD de resonancia magnética funcional. Resultados. El grupo con TDAH mostró una tendencia a mejorar la ejecución basal de la tarea con la administración del medicamento. El grupo con TDAH medicado incrementó su actividad funcional en lóbulos frontales, temporal bilateral, parietal derecho y cerebelo izquierdo respecto a los niveles obtenidos durante la ejecución sin metilfenidato. En contraste, los controles sanos mostraron menor activación en el lóbulo frontal bilateral y parietal derecho durante la segunda ejecución de la tarea. Conclusión. El metilfenidato genera una activación funcional más amplia en mujeres adultas con TDAH que coincide con una tendencia a la mejoría en la ejecución conductual de una tarea sencilla de memoria a corto plazo (AU)

Introduction. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common behavioral disorder found mainly in males, thus current knowledge on its clinical expression in female adults is extremely limited. Aim. To evaluate the behavioral and neural substrates associated with the performance of a short-term memory task in female ADHD adults, with and without methylphenidate exposure, with respect to a control group. Subjects and methods. Two groups of eight young right-handed, female, university students with ADHD and healthy controls matched by age, gender, handedness and academic level, voluntarily participated. All subjects performed twice an easy auditory short-term memory task (ADHD group without, and 90 minutes post-intake of methylphenidate 0.4 mg/kg in a counterbalanced order). The BOLD-fMRI response was used as a measure of neural activity during task performance. Results. ADHD subjects showed a tendency to improve their performances under medication, showing an increased widespread functional activation, especially relevant over left frontal and cerebellar areas, in comparison with control subjects. Conclusions. Methylphenidate slightly improves short-term memory task performance in adult female ADHD subjects by modifying underlying neural functioning patterns (AU)

Comparison of different statistical analyses in visual stimulus fMRI.

The present study evaluated four different clinically relevant statistical approaches with respect to a response to a visual stimulus paradigm. Healthy volunteers were subjected to a visual stimulus consisting of a checkerboard black-and-white box car pattern with on-off blocks of 10s. Simultaneously, sensitivity encoding (SENSE) dynamic MR imaging was acquired using a 1.5 T MR system. Statistical analyses were conducted with z-cluster analysis, Student's t-test, Spearman's correlation, and time-series normalized cross-correlation. A figure-of-merit for neural activity was measured from calculated maps using pixel counting. The results demonstrated that the index of activity estimated from the number of "activated" pixels did not differ markedly among the four different statistical methods, except when comparing the cross-correlation statistics with z-clustering in the whole brain, implying that all methods lead to similar statistical information when using fMRI to map the activity of the visual cortex in response to a visual stimulus.