Implicación de la inhibición cognitiva en el gasto financiero en jóvenes de México. Estudio preliminar en neuroeconomía / Involvement of cognitive inhibition in financial spending in young people of Mexico. Preliminary study in Neuroeconomics

Resumen La psicología y las neurociencias ofrecen nuevas perspectivas para comprender el comportamiento económico y del consumidor. La neuroeconomía provee un nuevo marco de referencia para comprender la forma en la que las estructuras neuroanatómicas del cerebro se encuentran implicadas en las decisiones financieras de los individuos. En este contexto, el objetivo de la investigación es identificar la asociación entre la inhibición cognitiva y la cantidad de dinero que gastan los universitarios. Participaron 40 jóvenes universitarios, 47.5 % hombres y 52.5 % mujeres, entre 18 y 25 años, de la Ciudad de Querétaro, México. La inhibición cognitiva se evaluó con el Test de Stroop. Además, se preguntó sobre datos sociodemográficos y los gastos mensuales. Los resultados muestran descriptivamente el nivel de gasto de los jóvenes y las puntuaciones del efecto Stroop. Los jóvenes tienen puntuaciones medias en Palabra, Color, Palabra - Color e Interferencia, acorde a los parámetros establecidos. Respecto al gasto mensual se observa que, en promedio, gastan $ 666 pesos mexicanos (34.04 USD / 31.13 EUR). Adicionalmente, se encontró un déficit en el control inhibitorio relacionado con un aumento en el nivel de gasto realizado por los estudiantes universitarios, es decir, aquellos que gastan y compran, en mayor medida presentan dificultades en su inhibición cognitiva (autocontrol). El control inhibitorio se asoció con la edad y esta, a su vez, con el nivel de dinero gastado. Por último, se profundiza en la utilidad de los resultados dentro de la neuroeconomía en México y demás países latinoamericanos, así como su aporte como línea de investigación.

Abstract Psychology and neuroscience offer new perspectives to understand consumer and economic behaviour. Neuroeconomics provides a new frame of reference to understand the way in which the neuroanatomical structures of the brain are involved in the financial decisions of people. Currently, measurement scales are an application alternative to assess people's executive functions and cognitive inhibition quickly. In the present study for the evaluation of cognitive inhibition we will use the Stroop Test (Golden, 1994), which examines the cognitive processes associated with cognitive flexibility; the interference resistance from external stimuli and its effect on behaviour. The plates that make up the Stroop test present different possibilities for analysis and interpretation. Within neuroeconomics, there is an area that investigates how cognitive and affective regulation is critical to achieve economic results, in addition to investigating the problems caused by consumption and spending that people have in their daily lives. There is research shown that individuals who make compulsive purchases show cognitive deficiencies and difficulties in inhibiting their responses. Furthermore, compulsive purchases correlate with financial executive functioning, particularly with impulse control, organization and planning, showing that compulsive purchases are not limited only to impulse control. In Latin America and particularly in Mexico, there are few studies on neuroeconomics or consumer neuroscience, so consider that this research is an innovative contribution to the subject in our region. In this context, the objective of the research is to identify the association between cognitive inhibition and the money university students spend. This research evaluated the association between cognitive inhibition and the money university students spend. A total of 40 university students participated, 47.5 % men and 52.5 % women, between 18 and 25 years, from the City of Querétaro, Mexico. Cognitive inhibition was evaluated with the Stroop Test. In addition, sociodemographic data and monthly expenses were asked. The results descriptively detailed the level of youth spending and the Stroop effect variables. Young people have mean scores in Word, Colour, Word - Colour and Interference, according to the established parameters. Regarding monthly expenses, it is observed that on average they spend $ 666 Mexican pesos (34.04 USD / 31.13 EUR). In addition, a deficit was found in the inhibitory control related to an increase in the level of expenditure made by university students, that is, those who spend and buy more have difficulties in their cognitive inhibition (self-control). Inhibitory control is associated with age and this time with the level of money spent. Additionally, the inhibition processes allows us to assume certain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFC), while they are ready to spend and who has problems with the control of their money, they cannot realize the excessive expenses that it does not recognize the symptoms that drive it to compulsive buying. The findings provide evidence to the neuroeconomy, as well as to the posture of cognitive control. Furthermore, it is corroborated that performance tests are an alternative in the detection of executive functioning deficiencies in a short time of application and provide evidence in the approach to neuroeconomics through this form of measurement. This offers a novel vision to understand the personal finances of Mexicans and their economic behaviour. Financial and consumer behaviour has become our main line of research from a neuroeconomic perspective; in the future, we intend to continue this study by incorporating affective and neurobehavioral factors involved in financial decisions in young people of our country. Finally, the usefulness of the results within the neuroeconomics in Mexico and Latin America is deepened, as well as its contribution as a line of research.

Soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators for the treatment of hypertension: Discovery of MK-2947.

The NO-sGC-cGMP signaling pathway plays an important role in the cardiovascular system. Loss of nitric oxide tone or impaired signaling has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Direct activation of sGC enzyme independent of NO represents a novel approach for modulating NO signaling with tremendous therapeutic potential. Herein, we describe the design of a structurally novel class of heme-dependent sGC stimulators containing the 3,3-dimethylpyrrolidin-2-one moiety which resulted in the identification of the potent, selective stimulator 30 (MK-2947) for the treatment of hypertension.

Maturation trade-offs in octopus females and their progeny: energy, digestion and defence indicators.

Sexual maturation and reproduction influence the status of a number of physiological processes and consequently the ecology and behaviour of cephalopods. Using Octopus mimus as a study model, the present work was focused in the changes in biochemical compound and activity that take place during gonadal maturation of females and its consequences in embryo and hatchlings characteristics. To do that, a total of 31 adult females of O. mimus were sampled to follow metabolites (ovaries and digestive gland) and digestive enzyme activities (alkaline and acidic proteases) during physiological and functional maturation. Levels of protein (Prot), triacylglyceride (TG), cholesterol (Chol), glucose (Glu), and glycogen (Gly) were evaluated. Groups of eggs coming from mature females were also sampled along development and after hatching (paralarvae of 1 and 3 days old) to track metabolites (Prot, TG, Glu, Gly, TG, Chol), digestive enzymes activity (Lipase, alkaline proteases, and acidic proteases), and antioxidant/detoxification defence indicators with embryos development. Based on the data obtained, we hypothesized that immature females store Chol in their ovaries, probably from the food they ingested, but switch to TG reserves at the beginning of the maturation processes. At the same time, results suggest that these processes were energetically supported by Glu, obtained probably from Gly breakdown by gluconeogenic pathways. Also, was observed that embryos metabolites and enzyme activities (digestive and antioxidant/detoxification enzymes) where maintained without significant changes and in a low activity during the whole organogenesis, meaning that organogenesis is relatively not energetically costly. In contrast, after organogenesis, a mobilization of nutrients and activation of the metabolic and digestive enzymes was observed, together with increments in consumption of yolk and Gly, and reduction in lipid peroxidation. Derived from our results, we also have the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species (ROS) were produced during the metabolic processes that occurs in ovarian maturation. Those ROS may be in part transferred to the egg provoking a ROS charge to the embryos. The elimination of ROS in embryos started when the activity of the heart and the absorption of the yolk around stages XIV and XV were evident. Altogether, these processes allowed the paralarvae to hatch with buffered levels of ROS and with the antioxidant defence mechanisms ready to support further ROS production derived from paralarvae higher life stage requirements (feeding and metabolic demands).

Oral lesions as an important marker for HIV progression.

BACKGROUND: Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is a benign lesion caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication in the oral epithelium affecting the borders of the tongue. It is strongly associated with immunosuppression, especially in HIV+ adults but is uncommon in pediatric population. The aim of the study is to show the importance of the correct diagnosis of OHL and its influence on HIV treatment.We report two cases of HIV+ adolescent patients that presented with leukoplakic lesions on the border of the tongue, suggestive of OHL. OHL diagnosis was confirmed in only one case through EBV in situ hybridization. After confirmation of the diagnosis, the patient with OHL was referred to an infectious disease specialist with the decision to start antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSION: OHL definitive diagnosis can help clinical management of pediatric HIV+ patients.

In vivo inhibition of serine protease processing requires a high fractional inhibition of cathepsin C.

Inhibition of cathepsin C, a dipeptidyl peptidase that activates many serine proteases, represents an attractive therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases with a high neutrophil burden. We recently showed the feasibility of blocking the activation of neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G, and proteinase-3 with a single cathepsin C selective inhibitor in cultured cells. Here we measured the fractional inhibition of cathepsin C that is required for blockade of downstream serine protease processing, in cell-based assays and in vivo. Using a radiolabeled active site probe and U937 cells, a 50% reduction of cathepsin G processing required approximately 50% of cathepsin C active sites to be occupied by an inhibitor. In EcoM-G cells, inhibition of 50% of neutrophil elastase activity required approximately 80% occupancy. Both of these serine proteases were fully inhibited at full cathepsin C active site occupancy, whereas granzyme B processing in TALL-104 cells was partially inhibited, despite complete occupancy. In vivo, leukocytes from cathepsin C(+/-) mice exhibited comparable levels of neutrophil elastase activity to wild-type animals, even though their cathepsin C activity was reduced by half. The long-term administration of a cathepsin C inhibitor to rats, at doses that resulted in the nearly complete blockade of cathepsin C active sites in bone marrow, caused significant reductions of neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G and proteinase-3 activities. Our results demonstrate that the inhibition of cathepsin C leads to a decrease of activity of multiple serine proteases involved in inflammation but also suggest that high fractional inhibition is necessary to reach therapeutically significant effects.