Análisis del perfil psicomotor en infantes colombianos de 4-9 años / Analysis of psychomotor profile among Colombian children aged 4 to 9 years / Análise do perfil psicomotor em crianças colombinas de 4-9 anos

Resumen (analítico) Las alteraciones y trastornos psicomotrices en la infancia pueden repercutir en el desarrollo de habilidades motoras complejas e influir en los aprendizajes escolares. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el perfil psicomotor en población infantil de planteles educativos de Colombia. Se utilizó un diseño transversal, descriptivo; se aplicó la batería psicomotora de Da Fonseca a 131 escolares (56.5 % varones; 43.5 % niñas) de 4-9 años, en educación preescolar y primaria. Los resultados indican que el 76.3 % tiene perfil normal, pero en la praxia fina predominó la dispraxia. Las niñas mostraron mejores valores que los niños en la mayoría de los factores. En conclusión, la mayoría de los infantes presenta un perfil eupráxico, hallándose mejores resultados en las niñas. Esto sugiere la implementación de programas escolares individualizados, previniendo posibles alteraciones.

Abstract (analytical) Psychomotor disturbances and disorders during childhood can have an impact on the development of complex motor skills and influence a child's learning in school. The goal of the present study was to analyze the psychomotor profile of a child population in schools in Colombia. A descriptive and cross-sectional design was used and the Da Fonseca psychomotor battery was applied to 131 students (56.5% boys; 43.5% girls) aged 4-9 years studying in kindergarten and primary education. The results show that 76.3% have a normal pyschoomotor profile, but Dyspraxia was dominant in Fine Praxia. Girls scored higher than boys in most of the factors. In conclusion, the majority of children present a Eupraxic profile, with improved results among girls. These results can contribute to the implementation of individualized school programs that could prevent possible disturbances.

Resumo (analítico) A alterações e distúrbios psicomotores na infância podem ter um impacto no desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras complexas e influenciar a aprendizagem escolar. O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar o perfil psicomotor em uma população infantil em escolas da Colômbia. Utilizou-se delineamento descritivo e transversal. A bateria psicomotora Da Fonseca foi aplicada a 131 estudantes (56.5% meninos; 43.5% meninas) com idades entre 4 e 9 anos, no jardim de infância e no ensino fundamental. Os resultados indicam que 76.3% têm um perfil normal, mas na praxia fina predominou a dispraxia. As meninas apresentaram melhores valores que os meninos na maioria dos fatores. Em conclusão, a maioria das crianças apresenta um perfil eupráxico, encontrando melhores resultados nas meninas. Isso sugere a implementação de programas escolares individualizados, evitando possíveis distúrbios.

Riesgos psicosociales: Análisis sociodemográfico y sociolaboral en una universidad privada ecuatoriana / Psychosocial risks: Sociodemographic and socio-labor analysis in an Ecuadorian private university

Las condiciones actuales de trabajo demandan mayor énfasis en el estudio de los riesgos psicosociales laborales. La presente investigación evalúa dichos riesgos a partir de una muestra conformada por 559 docentes y administrativos de una universidad privada ecuatoriana, con el objetivo de indagar sobre las especificidades de los factores de riesgo psicosocial en relación con las variables sociodemográficas y sociolaborales, para proponer un perfil de riesgo psicosocial. El instrumento utilizado fue F-PSICO 3.1 y posteriormente a través de regresiones logísticas se analizó el efecto de dichas variables para identificar posibles factores de riesgo o de protección. Los hallazgos evidencian que la exposición desfavorable a factores de riesgo psicosocial se incrementa en el personal que tiene ciertas características como: ser docente, con jornada de tiempo completo, ser menor de 35 años, contar con menos de 5 años de antigüedad en la institución y ser mujer. A modo de conclusión, al menos el 25% del personal percibe alguno de los factores psicosociales evaluados de una manera desfavorable

Current working conditions demand greater emphasis on the study of occupational psychosocial risks. The present investigation evaluates these risks from a sample of 559 teachers and administrators of an Ecuadorian private university, with the objective of investigating the specificities of psychosocial risk factors in relation to sociodemographic and socio-labor variables, to propose a profile of psychosocial risk. The instrument used was F-PSICO 3.1 and subsequently through logistic regressions the effect of these variables was analyzed to identify possible risk or protection factors. The findings show that unfavorable exposure to psychosocial risk factors is increased in staff that have certain characteristics such as: being a teacher, full-time, being under 35, having less than 5 years of experience in the institution and to be a woman. In conclusion, at least 25% of staff perceive some of the psychosocial factors evaluated in an unfavorable way.

Ética de la investigación desde el pensamiento indígena: derechos colectivos y el principio de la comunalidad / Ethics of research from indigenous thinking: collective rights and the principle of comunalidad / Ètica de la investigació des del pensament indígena: drets col·lectius i el principi de la comunalitat

Desde hace unas décadas, son frecuentes las investigaciones científicas con pueblos indígenas en diversos campos del conocimiento: cuestiones genéticas, lingüísticas, jurídicas, etnográficas, investigaciones sobre sus plantas medicinales, sus ritos y tradiciones, entre otras. Es importante no solo abrir espacios de discusión y análisis para conocer aspectos regulatorios y éticos para su protección, sino para asumir dichas investigaciones desde sus cosmovisiones y epistemologías. Éstas son en esencia relacionales, con valores como pluralidad, diversidad, reciprocidad, complementariedad, compartencia. Todos estos valores se engloban en el principio de comunalidad, que reafirma la apuesta por los derechos colectivos de las poblaciones indígenas, más allá de la vivencia individual de los Derechos Humanos. Esta mirada diferente a la ética de la investigación es el objetivo de este artículo, como un campo aún por explorar

In the last few decades, scientific research with indigenous population has been more frequent in different fields: genetics, linguistics, legal, and ethnographic studies, research related to medicinal plants, their rites, and traditions, among others. For this reason it is important to know regulatory and ethical aspects for their protection, but also to assume these research from their world view and epistemologies. These are essentially relational, with values such as plurality, diversity, reciprocity, complementarity and sharing («compartencia»). All of these values are part of the commonality principle (comunalidad), which reaffirms the commitment to the collective rights of indigenous population, beyond the individual experiences of Human Rights. This different approach to research ethics is the objective of this article, as a field yet to explore

Des de fa dècades són freqüents les investigacions científiques amb poblacions indígenes en diversos camps del coneixement: qüestions genètiques, lingüístiques, jurídiques, etnogràfiques, investigacions sobre plantes medicinals, els seus rituals i tradicions, entre d’altres. És important no només obrir espais de discussió i anàlisi a fi de conèixer aspectes reguladors i ètics per a la seva protecció, sinó que cal, a més, plantejar aquestes investigacions des de les cosmovisions i epistemologies pròpies d’aquestes poblacions. Aquestes cosmovisions i epistemologies són, en essència, relacionals, i inclouen valors com ara la pluralitat, diversitat, reciprocitat, complementarietat i compartició. Tots aquests valors s’inclouen en el principi de comunalitat, que posa de relleu la defensa dels drets col·lectius de les poblacions indígenes, més enllà de la vivència individual dels Drets Humans. Aquesta mirada diferent en l’àmbit de l’ètica de la investigació és l’objectiu d’aquests article

Inherent conformational flexibility of F1-ATPase α-subunit.

The core of F1-ATPase consists of three catalytic (ß) and three noncatalytic (α) subunits, forming a hexameric ring in alternating positions. A wealth of experimental and theoretical data has provided a detailed picture of the complex role played by catalytic subunits. Although major conformational changes have only been seen in ß-subunits, it is clear that α-subunits have to respond to these changes in order to be able to transmit information during the rotary mechanism. However, the conformational behavior of α-subunits has not been explored in detail. Here, we have combined unbiased molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and calorimetrically measured thermodynamic signatures to investigate the conformational flexibility of isolated α-subunits, as a step toward deepening our understanding of its function inside the α3ß3 ring. The simulations indicate that the open-to-closed conformational transition of the α-subunit is essentially barrierless, which is ideal to accompany and transmit the movement of the catalytic subunits. Calorimetric measurements of the recombinant α-subunit from Geobacillus kaustophilus indicate that the isolated subunit undergoes no significant conformational changes upon nucleotide binding. Simulations confirm that the nucleotide-free and nucleotide-bound subunits show average conformations similar to that observed in the F1 crystal structure, but they reveal an increased conformational flexibility of the isolated α-subunit upon MgATP binding, which might explain the evolutionary conserved capacity of α-subunits to recognize nucleotides with considerable strength. Furthermore, we elucidate the different dependencies that α- and ß-subunits show on Mg(II) for recognizing ATP.

Ocular adnexal and orbital amyloidosis: a case series and literature review.

The purpose of the study was to describe the main clinical and epidemiologic characteristics, treatment options, and outcome in a large series of patients with periocular and orbital amyloidosis. This is a retrospective, descriptive, observational study of a case series of 14 patients with periocular and orbital amyloidosis and is a review of previously published cases with this diagnosis between September 2004 and January 2015. In this study, we analyzed our 14 patients in conjunction with 69 well-documented cases of orbital and/or periocular amyloidosis previously reported, with a total of 83. Of these, 54 were female (65.1 %), 28 male (33.7 %), and one with unspecified gender. The mean age at diagnosis was 54.9 years (range, 18-87). The localization of the amyloidosis was classified as superficial, deep and combined, with involvement of 53 (63.9 %), 26 (31.3 %), and four cases (4.8 %) in each group, respectively. The main findings in superficial amyloidosis were mass or tissue infiltration (84.9 %) and ptosis (30.2 %) and, in the cases with deep involvement, mass (65.4 %), proptosis (57.7 %), limited ocular movements (34.6 %), ocular displacement (30.8 %), and ptosis (26.9 %). The cases with combined involvement presented with signs and symptoms of the two groups. Regarding the outcome, 43 patients were reported stable after the diagnosis and 21 had recurrence or required new surgical procedures. Periocular and orbital amyloidosis is a rare disease that can present with a variety of symptoms and signs depending on the localization and extension of involvement. Its prompt recognition is important in order to investigate systemic disease, which will affect the prognosis of each case.

Isolated noncatalytic and catalytic subunits of F1-ATPase exhibit similar, albeit not identical, energetic strategies for recognizing adenosine nucleotides.

The function of F1-ATPase relies critically on the intrinsic ability of its catalytic and noncatalytic subunits to interact with nucleotides. Therefore, the study of isolated subunits represents an opportunity to dissect elementary energetic contributions that drive the enzyme's rotary mechanism. In this study we have calorimetrically characterized the association of adenosine nucleotides to the isolated noncatalytic α-subunit. The resulting recognition behavior was compared with that previously reported for the isolated catalytic ß-subunit (N.O. Pulido, G. Salcedo, G. Pérez-Hernández, C. José-Núñez, A. Velázquez-Campoy, E. García-Hernández, Energetic effects of magnesium in the recognition of adenosine nucleotides by the F1-ATPase ß subunit, Biochemistry 49 (2010) 5258-5268). The two subunits exhibit nucleotide-binding thermodynamic signatures similar to each other, characterized by enthalpically-driven affinities in the µM range. Nevertheless, contrary to the catalytic subunit that recognizes MgATP and MgADP with comparable strength, the noncatalytic subunit much prefers the triphosphate nucleotide. Besides, the α-subunit depends more on Mg(II) for stabilizing the interaction with ATP, while both subunits are rather metal-independent for ADP recognition. These binding behaviors are discussed in terms of the properties that the two subunits exhibit in the whole enzyme.

Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma of the palpebral conjunctiva.

Smooth muscle hamartoma is defined as a disorganized focus or an overgrowth of mature smooth muscle, generally with low capacity of autonomous growth and benign behavior. The implicated tissues are mature and proliferate in a disorganized fashion. A healthy 5-day-old Mexican boy was referred to the authors' hospital in México city for evaluation of a "cystic" lesion of the right eye that had been noted since birth. The pregnancy and delivery were unremarkable. On physical examination, there was a reddish-pink soft lesion with a tender "cystic" appearance, which was probably emerging from the upper eyelid conjunctiva, which measured 2.7 cm in its widest diameter and transilluminated. Ultrasound imaging revealed an anterior "cystic" lesion with normally formed phakic eye. An excisional biopsy was performed, and the lesion was dissected from the upper tarsal subconjunctival space. Subsequent histologic and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with the diagnosis of congenital smooth muscle hamartoma (CSMH) of the tarsal conjunctiva. The authors' research revealed that only one case of CSMH localized in the conjunctiva (Roper GJ, Smith MS, Lueder GT. Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma of the conjunctival fornix. Am J Ophthalmol. 1999;128:643-4) has been reported to date in the literature. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this current case would be the second case reported of CSMH in this anatomic location. Therefore, the authors' recommendation is to include CSMH in the differential diagnosis of a cystic mass that presents in the fornix and palpebral conjunctiva.

Folding and homodimerization of wheat germ agglutinin.

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) is emblematic of proteins that specialize in the recognition of carbohydrates. It was the first lectin reported to have a capacity for discriminating between normal and malignant cells. Since then, it has become a preferred model for basic research and is frequently considered in the development of biomedical and biotechnological applications. However, the molecular basis for the structural stability of this homodimeric lectin remains largely unknown, a situation that limits the rational manipulation and modification of its function. In this work we performed a thermodynamic characterization of WGA folding and self-association processes as a function of pH and temperature by using differential scanning and isothermal dilution calorimetry. WGA is monomeric at pH 2, and one of its four hevein-like domains is unfolded at room temperature. Under such conditions, the agglutinin exhibits a fully reversible thermal unfolding that consists of three two-state transitions. At higher pH values, the protein forms weak, nonobligate dimers. This behavior contrasts with that observed for the other plant lectins studied thus far, which form strong, obligate oligomers, indicating a distinctly different molecular basis for WGA function. For dimer formation, the four domains must be properly folded. Nevertheless, depending on the solution conditions, self-association may be coupled with folding of the labile domain. Therefore, dimerization may proceed as a rigid-body-like association or a folding-by-binding event. This hybrid behavior is not seen in other plant lectins. The emerging molecular picture for the WGA assembly highlights the need for a reexamination of existing ligand-binding data in the literature.

Energetic effects of magnesium in the recognition of adenosine nucleotides by the F(1)-ATPase beta subunit.

Nucleotide-induced conformational changes of the catalytic beta subunits play a crucial role in the rotary mechanism of F(1)-ATPase. To gain insights into the energetic bases that govern the recognition of nucleotides by the isolated beta subunit from thermophilic Bacillus PS3 (Tbeta), the binding of this monomer to Mg(II)-free and Mg(II)-bound adenosine nucleotides was characterized using high-precision isothermal titration calorimetry. The interactions of Mg(II) with free ATP or ADP were also measured calorimetrically. A model that considers simultaneously the interactions of Tbeta with Mg.ATP or with ATP and in which ATP is able to bind two Mg(II) atoms sequentially was used to determine the formation parameters of the Tbeta-Mg.ATP complex from calorimetric data. This analysis yielded significantly different DeltaH(b) and DeltaS(b) values in relation to those obtained using a single-binding site model, while DeltaG(b) was almost unchanged. Published calorimetric data for the titration of Tbeta with Mg.ADP [Perez-Hernandez, G., et al. (2002) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 408, 177-183] were reanalyzed with the ternary model to determine the corresponding true binding parameters. Interactions of Tbeta with Mg.ATP, ATP, Mg.ADP, or ADP were enthalpically driven. Larger differences in thermodynamic properties were observed between Tbeta-Mg.ATP and Tbeta-ATP complexes than between Tbeta-Mg.ADP and Tbeta-ADP complexes or between Tbeta-Mg.ATP and Tbeta-Mg.ADP complexes. These binding data, in conjunction with those for the association of Mg(II) with free nucleotides, allowed for a determination of the energetic effects of the metal ion on the recognition of adenosine nucleotides by Tbeta [i.e., Tbeta.AT(D)P + Mg(II) right harpoon over left harpoon Tbeta.AT(D)P-Mg]. Because of a more favorable binding enthalpy, Mg(II) is recognized more avidly by the Tbeta.ATP complex, indicating better stereochemical complementarity than in the Tbeta.ADP complex. Furthermore, a structural-energetic analysis suggests that Tbeta adopts a more closed conformation when it is bound to Mg.ATP than to ATP or Mg.ADP, in agreement with recently published NMR data [Yagi, H., et al. (2009) J. Biol. Chem. 284, 2374-2382]. Using published binding data, a similar analysis of Mg(II) energetic effects was performed for the free energy change of F(1) catalytic sites, in the framework of bi- or tri-site binding models.

Choroidal malignant melanoma in a 6-year-old girl without melanocytosis.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of choroidal malignant melanoma in a child without ocular melanocytosis. METHODS: A 6-year-old girl presented with misalignment of the right eye of a few weeks' duration. Visual acuity was counting fingers in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Ophthalmoscopy of the right eye revealed a well defined choroidal mass in the macular region measuring 10 mm in diameter with overlying subretinal fluid. Ultrasonography revealed that the mass was 10.1 mm thick with choroidal excavation. On the basis of clinical and ultrasonographic findings, the diagnosis was choroidal melanoma without ocular melanocytosis. The eye was enucleated. RESULTS: Histopathologic examination revealed malignant melanoma of the choroid. There was not extrascleral extension. CONCLUSION: Choroidal malignant melanoma can occur in young patients, even in the absence of melanocytosis.

Catalysis by isolated beta-subunits of the ATP Synthase/ATPase from Thermophilic bacillus PS3. Hydrolysis of pyrophosphate.

Although the capacity of isolated beta-subunits of the ATP synthase/ATPase to perform catalysis has been extensively studied, the results have not conclusively shown that the subunits are catalytically active. Since soluble F(1) of mitochondrial H(+)-ATPase can bind inorganic pyrophosphate (PP(i)) and synthesize PP(i) from medium phosphate, we examined if purified His-tagged beta-subunits from Thermophilic bacillus PS3 can hydrolyze PP(i). The difference spectra in the near UV CD of beta-subunits with and without PP(i) show that PP(i) binds to the subunits. Other studies show that beta-subunits hydrolyze [(32)P] PP(i) through a Mg(2+)-dependent process with an optimal pH of 8.3. Free Mg(2+) is required for maximal hydrolytic rates. The Km for PP(i) is 75 microM and the Vmax is 800 pmol/min/mg. ATP is a weak inhibitor of the reaction, it diminishes the Vmax and increases the Km for PP(i). Thus, isolated beta-subunits are catalytically competent with PP(i) as substrate; apparently, the assembly of beta-subunits into the ATPase complex changes substrate specificity, and leads to an increase in catalytic rates.