Exploring Functional Products and Early-Life Dynamics of Gut Microbiota.

Research on the microbiome has progressed from identifying specific microbial communities to exploring how these organisms produce and modify metabolites that impact a wide range of health conditions, including gastrointestinal, metabolic, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases. This review provides an overview of the bacteria commonly found in the intestinal tract, focusing on their main functional outputs. We explore biomarkers that not only indicate a well-balanced microbiota but also potential dysbiosis, which could foreshadow susceptibility to future health conditions. Additionally, it discusses the establishment of the microbiota during the early years of life, examining factors such as gestational age at birth, type of delivery, antibiotic intake, and genetic and environmental influences. Through a comprehensive analysis of current research, this article aims to enhance our understanding of the microbiota's foundational development and its long-term implications for health and disease management.

Spin crossover {[Fe(atrz)3](OTs)2}n monolith: a green synthesis approach for Robust switchable materials.

This work presents a straightforward, room-temperature synthesis of a robust {[Fe(atrz)3](OTs)2}n monolith. This approach offers a green alternative to traditional nanoparticle synthesis for manipulating spin crossover (SCO) behaviour. The monolith exhibits a more gradual SCO transition at lower temperatures compared to the bulk material, aligning with observations in smaller particle systems. Notably, the synthesis employs a solvent- and surfactant-free approach, simplifying the process and potentially reducing environmental impact, aligning with the principles of green chemistry.

Prevalence of child sexual abuse in Spain: a survey study / Prevalencia del abuso sexual infantil en España: un estudio de encuesta

Background/aim: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive issue that affects children and adolescents worldwide, and Spain is no exception. Despite its high impact, there is a lack of comprehensive data on the prevalence of CSA in Spain. This study aims to update the current state of the prevalence of CSA, providing a comprehensive picture of the prevalence of sexual abuse from data using varying defining criteria. Method: A cross-sectional design was conducted, including a total of 1,323 participants, aged between 18 and 70 years (M = 28.40, SD = 10.31) responded to a measure of exposure to child sexual abuse. Results: The results exhibited that the prevalence of CSA was 9.2% for male and 22.1% for female participants, significantly higher for them. In terms of prevalence rate, females reported more frequently than males having suffered a more severe form of sexual abuse when they were 13 to 18 years old, with a large magnitude of the effect. Another notable finding was that the occurrence of global CSA with and without intercourse was significant, not a trivial effect. Conclusions: Consequently, there is a need for increased awareness, education, and resources to prevent and address CSA. The results of this study highlight the need for continued research to better understand the extent of CSA and to develop evidence-based interventions to protect children and adolescents from CSA victimization. (AU)

Antecedentes/objetivo: El abuso sexual infantil (ASI) es un problema generalizado que afecta a niños y adolescentes en todo el mundo, y España no es una excepción. A pesar de su gran repercusión, faltan datos completos sobre la prevalencia del ASI en España. El estudio pretende actualizar el estado actual de la prevalencia del ASI, proporcionando una imagen completa de la prevalencia del abuso sexual a partir de datos que utilizan diferentes criterios de definición. Método: Se realizó un diseño transversal, incluyendo un total de 1,323 participantes, en edades comprendidas entre 18 y 70 años (M = 28.40, DT = 10.31) respondieron a una medida de exposición a abuso sexual infantil. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron que la prevalencia de ASI fue del 9.2% para los hombres y del 22.4% para las mujeres, significativamente mayor para ellas. En cuanto a la tasa de prevalencia, las mujeres declararon con mayor frecuencia que los hombres haber sufrido una forma más grave de abuso sexual cuando tenían entre 13 y 18 años, con tamaño del efecto grande. Otro hallazgo a destacar fue que la existencia de ASI global con y sin coito resultó significativa, esto es, la prevalencia no es trivial. Conclusiones: Se concluye que hace falta una mayor concienciación, la educación y recursos para prevenir y abordar el ASI. Los resultados de este estudio ponen de relieve la necesidad de seguir investigando para comprender mejor el alcance del ASI y desarrollar intervenciones con fundamento empírico para proteger a los niños y adolescentes de la victimización de ASI. (AU)

Personality Comparison between Lethal and Non-lethal Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators and Their Victims.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) and femicide (intimate partner femicide, IPF), as a worldwide phenomenon, cannot be explained in a simple way. From an ecological point of view, there are individual factors contemplated. In the current studies, we consider personality as an individual factor to clarify what differentiates a non-lethal IPVAW situation from a femicide. Study 1 was designed to investigate the accuracy with which trained interviewers judged the personality of a group of IPVAW perpetrators during an interview. The target sample of study 1 was composed of 293 males who after being interviewed completed a measure of personality assessing the "Big Three" model of personality. The interviewers performed fairly accurate judgements about the personality of the target participants. Study 2 shows the differences in personality, using Eysenck's personality model, between the IPF and IPVAW perpetrators and their victims. The total sample study 2 was formed of 551 participants distributed among IPF perpetrators, IPVAW perpetrators, and the victims of both groups. Differences in proportions were observed between both groups of perpetrators as well as between each group and their respective victims. With these findings, we propose personality as a femicide risk factor that should be taken into consideration by police officers and other practitioners when receiving an IPVAW report.

Efficacy of Specific Trunk Exercises in the Balance Dysfunction of Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative pathology classified as a movement disorder. Physical exercise within a physiotherapy program is an important element to improve postural stability, balance and mobility in order to reduce falls in people with PD. The aim of this work was to determine the efficacy of specific balance and trunk mobility exercises, as well as their benefits for and effects on patients with idiopathic PD. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA standards. The search was performed in five databases: Cochrane Library, SciELO, PEDro, Scopus and PubMed, in February 2022 with the following descriptors: Parkinson's disease, trunk, exercise, therapy and physical therapy. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) over the last ten years. A meta-analysis on static and dynamic balance was conducted with the software Review Manager. Nine articles met the objectives and inclusion criteria, with a total of 240 participants. The trials had moderate methodological quality according to the PEDro scale. The studies included differed with regard to intervention protocol and outcome measures. Finally, eight studies were included in a quantitative analysis in which it was shown that trunk-specific exercises interventions did not significantly improve static balance (SMD = -0.10, 95% CI = -0.29, 0.08; p = 0.28) or dynamic balance (SMD = 0.64 95% CI = -0.24, 1.52; p = 0.15). However, significant differences were found in static balance measured subjectively using the Berg Balance Scale (SMD = -0.52, 95% CI = -1.01, -0.02; p = 0.04). Although some differences were not significant, the studies included in this systematic review consider that specific trunk exercises or balance training combined with muscle strengthening in patients with idiopathic PD should be a complement to pharmacological treatment for improving balance dysfunction and postural instability, preventing falls and promoting wellness.

Vapochromic effect in switchable molecular-based spin crossover compounds.

Coordination complexes based on transition metal ions displaying [Ar]3d4-3d7 electronic configurations can undergo the likely most spectacular switchable phenomena found in molecular coordination chemistry, the well-known Spin Crossover (SCO). SCO phenomena is a detectable, reproducible and reversible switch that occurs between the high spin (HS) and low spin (LS) electronic states of the transition metal actuated by different stimuli (i.e. light, temperature, pressure, the presence of an analyte). Moreover, the occurrence of SCO phenomena causes different outputs, one of them being a colour change. Altogether, an analyte in gas form could be detected by naked eye once it has triggered the corresponding HS ↔ LS transition. This vapochromic effect could be used to detect volatile molecules using a low-cost technology, including harmful chemical substances, gases and/or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are present in our environment, in our home or at our workplace. The present review condenses all reported iron coordination compounds where the colour change induced by a given molecule in its gas form is coupled to a HS ↔ LS spin transition. Special emphasis has been made on describing the nature of the post-synthetic modification (PSM) taking place in the material upon the analyte uptake. In this case, three types of PSM can be distinguished: based on supramolecular contacts and/or leading to a coordinative or covalent bond. In the latter, a colour change not only indicates the switch of the spin state in the material but also the formation of a new compound with different properties. It is important to indicate that some of the SCO coordination compounds discussed in the current report have been part of other spin crossover reviews, that have gathered thermally induced SCO compounds and the influence of guest molecules on the SCO behaviour. However, in the majority of examples in these reviews, the change of colour upon the uptake of analytes is not associated with a spin transition at room temperature. In addition, the observed colour variations have been mainly discussed in terms of host-guest interactions, when they can also be induced by a PSM taking place in different sites of the molecule, like the Fe(II) coordination sphere or by chemically altering its inorganic and/or organic linkers. Therefore, we present here for the first time an exhaustive compilation of all systems in which the interaction between the coordination compounds and the vapour analytes leads to a colour change due to a spin transition in the metal centre at room temperature.

Dark tetrad personality traits also play a role in bullying victimization.

Bullying refers to physical and/or psychological mistreatment or abuse by one individual or group toward another individual or group. Bullying is widespread in our society and carries considerable negative consequences. This phenomenon is caused by multiple factors, which include personality. Much more attention has been paid to the study of the perpetrators' negative personality traits than the victims. Several studies have examined the relationship between these traits-the Dark Triad or Dark Tetrad-and being a victim of bullying (or mobbing) in adults, especially in the workplace. However, only two studies have been located that have studied these relationships in adolescents. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between being a victim of bullying and the ark Tetrad traits, delving into the specific contribution of Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism in victims of bullying in Spanish adolescents. A cross-sectional study was carried out by administering the Short Dark Triad, the Assessment of Sadistic Personality, and the Peer Bullying Questionnaire to 393 adolescents aged 12-18 years (M = 14.18; SD = 2.52; 53.7% male). The Dark Tetrad traits predicted the victimization variables in the seven models analyzed, with the verbal abuse model being the model with the largest contribution. Of the four dark traits, sadism stands out as the trait with the highest specific contribution. Our results indicate, despite not implying a causal relationship, that those people with high scores in the Dark Tetrad traits tend to be more victimized by bullying. Knowing the personality traits of the bullying perpetrators and their victims, practitioners will have a complete picture of the personality variables that play a role in preventing bullying and its associated victimization.

Colorectal cancer: immune response in laparoscopic versus open colorectal surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent cause of deaths from cancer worldwide. Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) were developed in 90s to improve the recovery of these patients. Within ERPs, this work aims to compare immune response between open and laparoscopic procedures to support the best surgical approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The immune status of 148 patients undergoing colorectal surgery (74 by laparoscopic and 74 by open surgery [OS]) was studied in three moments: before surgery (POD0) and on the 1st and 3th post-operative days (POD1 and POD3). RESULTS: Comparing to the laparoscopic group, in the OS group, C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher on POD1 and POD3 (p < 0.001), whereas lymphocyte levels were significantly lower (p = 0.006) and neutrophil levels were higher (p = 0.012) on POD1. On the other hand, higher levels of B cells (p = 0.023) were observed on POD1 in the laparoscopic group. Natural killer cell levels were significantly reduced (p = 0.034) in this group on POD3. CONCLUSIONS: Within the ERP, immune response pattern in both surgery approaches appears to be similar. Nevertheless, a greater inflammatory response of the OS is observed, whereas earlier recovery of the immune levels baseline seems to be a trend in the laparoscopic surgery.

INTRODUCCIÓN: El cáncer colorrectal es la segunda causa más frecuente de muerte por cáncer en todo el mundo. Los protocolos de recuperación mejorados (ERP) se desarrollaron en los años 90 para mejorar la recuperación de estos pacientes. Dentro de los ERP, este trabajo tiene como objetivo comparar la respuesta inmune entre procedimientos abiertos y laparoscópicos para respaldar el mejor abordaje quirúrgico. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se estudió el estado inmunológico de 148 pacientes sometidos a cirugía colorrectal (74 por vía laparoscópica y 74 por cirugía abierta) en tres momentos: antes de la cirugía (POD0) y en el 1 y 3 días postoperatorios (POD1 y POD3). RESULTADOS: En comparación con el grupo laparoscópico, en el grupo de cirugía abierta los niveles de proteína C reactiva fueron significativamente más altos en POD1 y POD3 (p < 0.001), mientras que los niveles de linfocitos fueron significativamente más bajos (p = 0.006) y los niveles de neutrófilos fueron más altos (p = 0.012) en POD1. Por otro lado, se observaron niveles más altos de células B (p = 0.023) en POD1 en el grupo laparoscópico. Los niveles de células asesinas naturales se redujeron significativamente (p = 0.034) en este grupo en POD3. CONCLUSIONES: Dentro del ERP, el patrón de respuesta inmune en ambos enfoques quirúrgicos parece ser similar. Sin embargo, se observa una mayor respuesta inflamatoria de la cirugía abierta, mientras que la recuperación más temprana de los niveles inmunitarios basales parece ser una tendencia en la cirugía laparoscópica.

Exploring the Risk of Suicide in Real Time on Spanish Twitter: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Social media is now a common context wherein people express their feelings in real time. These platforms are increasingly showing their potential to detect the mental health status of the population. Suicide prevention is a global health priority and efforts toward early detection are starting to develop, although there is a need for more robust research. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the emotional content of Twitter posts in Spanish and their relationships with severity of the risk of suicide at the time of writing the tweet. METHODS: Tweets containing a specific lexicon relating to suicide were filtered through Twitter's public application programming interface. Expert psychologists were trained to independently evaluate these tweets. Each tweet was evaluated by 3 experts. Tweets were filtered by experts according to their relevance to the risk of suicide. In the tweets, the experts evaluated: (1) the severity of the general risk of suicide and the risk of suicide at the time of writing the tweet (2) the emotional valence and intensity of 5 basic emotions; (3) relevant personality traits; and (4) other relevant risk variables such as helplessness, desire to escape, perceived social support, and intensity of suicidal ideation. Correlation and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of 2509 tweets, 8.61% (n=216) were considered to indicate suicidality by most experts. Severity of the risk of suicide at the time was correlated with sadness (ρ=0.266; P<.001), joy (ρ=-0.234; P=.001), general risk (ρ=0.908; P<.001), and intensity of suicidal ideation (ρ=0.766; P<.001). The severity of risk at the time of the tweet was significantly higher in people who expressed feelings of defeat and rejection (P=.003), a desire to escape (P<.001), a lack of social support (P=.03), helplessness (P=.001), and daily recurrent thoughts (P=.007). In the multivariate analysis, the intensity of suicide ideation was a predictor for the severity of suicidal risk at the time (ß=0.311; P=.001), as well as being a predictor for fear (ß=-0.009; P=.01) and emotional valence (ß=0.007; P=.009). The model explained 75% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that it is possible to identify emotional content and other risk factors in suicidal tweets with a Spanish sample. Emotional analysis and, in particular, the detection of emotional variations may be key for real-time suicide prevention through social media.

Acquisition of Learning and Empathy Towards Patients in Nursing Students Through Online Escape Room: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are still prejudices and negative beliefs towards people with severe mental disorder. The stigma of healthcare professionals can affect both recovery time and patients' own self-stigma. In universities, it is necessary to reduce these prejudices through training on mental health. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research has been to assess the use of educational escape rooms as a learning and awareness strategy on stigmatizing attitudes towards people with serious mental disorders in university students. METHODS: An online escape room has been designed whose narrative shows the daily life of a person with a serious mental illness. An exploratory qualitative study has been carried out to explore the perception of 44 university students from two Andalusian universities about this escape room. RESULTS: The results of the study show that most of the interviewed students consider that the educational escape room has been a fun and motivating learning strategy, which has allowed them to learn cooperatively and empathize with the protagonist with a mental disorder. CONCLUSION: Online escape rooms can be a useful strategy for teaching health sciences students. Considering it a fun activity, students are more participatory and engaged to the curricular content, in our case, stigmatizing attitudes towards people with serious mental disorders.

Same Personality, New Ways to Abuse: How Dark Tetrad Personalities Are Connected With Cyber Intimate Partner Violence.

New technologies bring new forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) or abuse, such as cyber intimate partner violence (C-IPV). This is a contemporary issue with different consequences from in-person IPV. C-IPV is a complex phenomenon triggered by a number of factors, including personality traits such as the Dark Tetrad, composed of four "malevolent" qualities: subclinical narcissism, Machiavellianism, subclinical psychopathy, and everyday sadism. The Dark Tetrad plays an important role in predicting the perpetration or victimization of the resulting pervasive behaviors. Although the correlations between in-person IPV and the Dark Tetrad have been studied before, to our knowledge this investigation is the first to look at the links between these four dark personality traits and C-IPV. With a sample of 1,189 participants, we measured C-IPV victimization and perpetration rates and compared the results with the Dark Tetrad profiles of the respondents. To analyze these correlations, we conducted bivariate analysis and structural equation modeling. The analysis yielded positive relations of psychopathy and narcissism with cyber controlling behaviors. Psychopathy was found to be strongly related with direct cyber aggression behaviors; sadism was mainly related with C-IPV victimization in both controlling and direct aggression, and, finally and interestingly, Machiavellianism presented negative correlations with direct cyber aggression. Remarkable is that joining sadistic personalities increased vulnerability to victimization from C-IPV direct aggression, as well as more psychopathic traits and an increased probability of perpetration. These combinations may create dangerous situations. In conclusion, we found that both C-IPV perpetrators and victims present higher scores in the dark personality traits and gender-based differences than in-person IPV actors.

Efficacy of a multivitamin adherence program based on cognitive dissonance for bariatric patients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Micronutrient deficiencies are common among bariatric patients; this study aimed to determine whether a cognitive dissonance-based virtual program improved adherence to multivitamin use in bariatric patients from northern Mexico. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial of the supplementation strategy was conducted over three months. The participants were randomized to an intervention or waitlisted control group and received two psycho-educative and four cognitive dissonance virtual sessions. Multiple linear regression was used to determine standardized estimates of associations between the intervention and dependent variables. Two path analyses were evaluated considering baseline and post-test measurements. RESULTS: Intervention was associated with higher concentrations of Hb (ß=0.758, p<0.001), vitamin D (ß=0.577, p<0.001), iron (ß=0.523, p<0.001), folate (ß=0.494, p<0.01), calcium (ß=0.452, p<0.01), higher adherence (ß=0.467, p<0.001), and level of knowledge (ß=0.298, p<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The dissonance-based intervention potentiated the level of supplementation adherence. A higher level of adherence was reflected in micronutrient concentrations, thus providing confirmation of intervention. Thus, support is found for a multidisciplinary clinical practice that enhances nutrition status after bariatric surgery for obesity.

Effects of the Action for Neutralization of Bullying Program on Bullying in Spanish Schoolchildren.

Bullying can have serious physical and emotional consequences. In recent years, interest in this phenomenon has been growing, becoming a public health problem in the first world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the Action for Neutralization of Bullying Program (ANA) in Spanish children. This study used a quasi-experimental design that included a pre-test evaluation, 2 months of intervention, a post-test, and 3 months of follow-up. A sample of 330 children aged 7-12 years (M = 9.27; SD = 1.09) from third to sixth grade participated in the study. One hundred and fifty-nine were girls (48.2%). The program consisted of eight group sessions in which empathy, assertiveness, communication skills, conflict resolution, and group cohesion were worked on. The results showed statistically significant reductions in verbal abuse behaviors (t = 4.76, p < 0.001), direct social exclusion (t = 3.53, p < 0.001), threats (t = 2.04, p = 0.042), aggression with objects (t = 3.21, p < 0.001), and physical abuse (t = 4.41, p < 0.001). The differences were not statistically significant for indirect social exclusion behaviors (t = 1.86, p = 0.065) or cyberbullying (t = 0.31, p = 0.756). The effects in the reduction of the bullying behaviors decreased after the implementation of the program, achieving even greater reduction in victimization behaviors after 3 months than immediately after the end of the program. These results indicate that the ANA program is effective in reducing bullying behaviors in a group of children. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Escape Rooms as a Learning Strategy for Special Education Master's Degree Students.

Escape rooms and breakout are learning strategies that can facilitate motivation of learning through challenges. In these strategies, students must work as a team and use their reasoning, knowledge, and skills to solve puzzles and challenges related to the content of the curriculum, allowing them to solve the game in a limited time. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the implementation of an escape room on classroom flow, academic performance, school motivation, and prosocial and antisocial behaviours with higher students in a Special Education master's degree course. The quantitative results show a significant improvement in classroom flow, academic performance, and classroom climate, and a better score in prosocial and antisocial behaviours. The qualitative findings provide a better understanding of these results, and support the conclusion that the use of escape rooms is fun and motivating for students, and facilitates their learning achievement.

Análisis de la relación entre aspectos de la nutrición y el cáncer / Analysis of the relationship between aspects of nutrition and cancer

El cáncer es una enfermedad multifactorial influida por factores externos y genéticos. Se estima que más del 30% de los cánceres hubieran sido prevenidos con modificaciones en el estilo de vida, fundamentalmente con los hábitos dietéticos. Se trata de una enfermedad cuyo número está en aumento, estimándose una incidencia de 29.5 millones de casos para el año 2040. Con esta revisión, se pretende esclarecer la relación entre los alimentos y el riesgo de padecer ciertos tumores, así como analizar las causas y componentes que influyen en su aparición y el patrón de dieta más recomendable. Asimismo, se espera recoger una serie de recomendaciones tras el análisis de los resultados que puedan servir de ayuda a la población para una modificación de su hábito alimenticio. Las medidas de prevención primaria resultan ser las más costoefectivas. Entre los alimentos que más se han asociado a un efecto protector está la fruta, verdura y la fibra, mientras que la carne roja y dietas ricas en grasas animales pueden ejercer un factor promotor del cáncer. La dieta occidental es considerada una dieta proinflamatoria, asociándose cada vez más a un riesgo aumentado de neoplasias, mientras que las dietas que incluyen abundantes productos vegetales, como la mediterránea o la vegana ofrecen beneficios a los que las consumen, como efectos antiinflamatorios y anticancerígenos. Por tanto, los beneficios deben valorarse en el conjunto de la dieta y no por alimentos separados, ya que las personas realizan comidas, y la totalidad de los efectos de los alimentos ingeridos será lo que determine hacia donde dirige la persona la balanza en la modulación de la carcinogénesis.(AU)

Cancer is a multifactorial disease influenced by external and genetic factors. It’s estimated that more than 30% of cancers would have been prevented with changes in lifestyle, mainly with dietary habits. It’s a disease whose number is increasing, estimating an incidence of 29.5 million cases by 2040. With this review, we aim to clarify the relationship between food and the risk of suffering certain tumors, as well as to analyze the causes and components that influence its appearance and the most recommended diet pattern. Likewise, it is expected to collect a series of recommendations after analyzing the results that may help the population to change their eating habits. Primary prevention measures turn out to be the most cost-effective. Among the foods that have been most associated with a protective effect are fruit, vegetables and fiber, while red meat and diets rich in animal fats can exert a cancer-promoting factor. The western diet is considered a proinflammatory diet, increasingly being associated with an increased risk of malignancies, while diets that include abundant plant products, such as the Mediterranean or vegan ones, offer benefits to those who consume them, such as anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Therefore, the benefits must be valued in the diet as a whole and not by separate foods, since people make meals, and the total effects of the food eaten will determine what the person is directing the balance in the modulation of carcinogenesis.(AU)

Intimate partner homicide risk assessment by police in Spain: the dual protocol VPR5.0-H / La valoración policial del riesgo del homicidio de pareja en España: el protocolo dual VPR 5.0-H

Spanish police makes an extensive use of intimate partner violence (IPV) risk assessment on a daily basis. Improved prediction procedures have encouraged the search for greater refinement of IPV predictors by adjusting to specific targets, such as lethal outcomes or potential victimization of children. This paper describes the evolution of the VPR5.0 tool (VioGén System Police Risk Assessment) as an algorithm aimed at improving predictability of intimate partner homicides (IPH). A sample of 2,159 records was used, 159 of whom were IPH victims. The sample was divided into two comparable groups of cases (IPH) and controls (N-IPH) to validate the results. The results showed that 13 out of 35 risk factors were significantly related to IPH with an effect size different to that of general N-IPH (with OR values ranging between 1.507 and 8.087). Binary logistic regression showed six significant factors that correctly classified 86.3% of the IPH. The new H-Scale performance parameters were comparable to those obtained in studies with the same objective (sensitivity 84%, specificity 60%, OR = 8.130, AUC = .80, PPV = .19 and NPV = .97)

La policía española hace un uso diario y extenso de la evaluación del riesgo de violencia en casos de violencia de género (VCP). El perfeccionamiento de los sistemas de predicción de VCP ha impulsado la búsqueda de procedimientos ajustados a objetivos concretos, como puede ser el resultado letal o la inclusión de menores como posibles víctimas. En el presente trabajo se describe la evolución de la herramienta VPR5.0 (Valoración Policial del Riesgo del Sistema VioGén) a un algoritmo diferenciado cuyo objetivo es predecir mejor los homicidios de mujeres por su pareja (HCP). Se analizaron 2,159 registros, 159 de los cuales correspondían a HCP, dividiendo la muestra en dos grupos comparables con casos (HCP) y controles (N-HCP) para validar los análisis. Los resultados pusieron de manifiesto que de los 35 factores de la herramienta 13 estaban asociados significativamente con el HCP, con un tamaño del efecto diferente al de N-HCP (con valores OR entre 1.507 y 8.087). La regresión logística binaria mostró seis factores significativos que clasificaban correctamente el 86.3% de los HCP. Los parámetros de rendimiento de esta escala-H resultaron comparables a los obtenidos en estudios con el mismo objetivo (sensibilidad 84%, especificidad 60%, OR = 8.130, AUC = .80, VPP = .19 y VPN = .97)

Producción científica de los investigadores del Instituto de Endocrinología indizada en SciELO Cuba/2014-2018 / Scientific production of researchers from the Institute of Endocrinology indexed in SciELO Cuba/2014-2018

Introducción: El estudio del comportamiento de la producción científica es clave para diagnosticar el estado de los centros de investigaciones. Objetivos: Analizar la producción científica de los investigadores del Instituto de Endocrinología indizada en la base de datos SciELO Cuba /2014-2018. Métodos: Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal que incluyó todas las publicaciones de los investigadores del Instituto de Endocrinología durante el período 2014-2018 indizadas en SciELO Cuba. Se describió el comportamiento de la producción y colaboración científica mediante indicadores bibliométricos. Resultados: Se confirmó que la producción científica de los investigadores de la institución estuvo presente en 12 revistas especializadas indizadas en la base de datos SciELO Cuba. La autoría múltiple y el artículo original predominaron en la tipología de autoría y en la forma de salida en la muestra de artículos analizados. En la colaboración científica la Doctora Emma Domínguez Alonso fue la autora con mayor grado nodal y la Doctora Daysi Antonia Navarro Despaigne la de mayor grado de intermediación. El Instituto de Endocrinología (INEN) fue la institución que registró mayores niveles de colaboración y mayor grado nodal. La palabra clave con mayor representatividad fue diabetes mellitus. En la productividad por tipología de colaboración predominó la nacional y el año más productivo resultó el 2017(AU)

Introduction: The study of scientific production´s behavior is key for diagnosing the state of research centers. Objectives: Analyze the scientific production of researchers from the Institute of Endocrinology which is indexed in SciELO Cuba /2014-2018 database. Methods: Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional non-experimental design study that included all publications of researchers of the Institute of Endocrinology during the period 2014-2018 indexed in SciELO Cuba. The behaviour of scientific production and collaborations was described using bibliometric indicators. Results: It was confirmed that the scientific production of the institution's researchers was present in 12 specialized journals indexed in SciELO Cuba database. Multiple authorship and the original articles predominated in the type of authorship and in the output form in the sample of analyzed articles. In the scientific collaborations, Dr. Emma Dominguez Alonso was the author with the highest nodal degree and Dr. Daysi Antonia Navarro Despaigne had the highest degree of intermediation. The Institute of Endocrinology (INEN, by its acronym in Spanish) was the institution that recorded higher levels of collaborations and higher nodal degree. The most representative keyword was diabetes mellitus. National collaborations predominated in productivity by typology of collaboration, and the most productive year turned out to be 2017(AU)

Relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Cybervictimization, and Academic Performance in Secondary School Students.

The benefits attributed to emotional intelligence (EI) in a school environment can be observed in areas such as interpersonal relationships, psychological well-being, academic performance, and avoidance of disruptive behaviors. The objective of this study was to analyze a sample of 3451 adolescents from a secondary school to test whether EI is a protector against cybervictimization and the repercussions of cybervictimization, and whether EI has an influence on academic performance. The instruments used in the study included a questionnaire of risk factors for cybervictimization-the Trait Meta Mood Scale 24 (Spanish version)-and the global marks or academic performance of the students. The relationships between the variables were analyzed and a structural equation model was developed. The correlations revealed that there was a positive relationship between EI and student academic performance, but there was also a negative relationship regarding cybervictimization. In other words, students with lower EI were more likely to suffer from cybervictimization and could experience negative repercussions on school success. Through EI training and addressing disruptive behaviors by focusing on school climate, classroom management, and discipline, we can create emotional regulation guidelines among students to eradicate disruptive behaviors.

Beyond the CNS: The many peripheral roles of APOE.

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a multifunctional protein synthesized and secreted by multiple mammalian tissues. Although hepatocytes contribute about 75% of the peripheral pool, APOE can also be expressed in adipose tissue, the kidney, and the adrenal glands, among other tissues. High levels of APOE production also occur in the brain, where it is primarily synthesized by glia, and peripheral and brain APOE pools are thought to be distinct. In humans, APOE is polymorphic, with three major alleles (ε2, ε3, and ε4). These allelic forms dramatically alter APOE structure and function. Historically, the vast majority of research on APOE has centered on the important role it plays in modulating risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. However, the established effects of this pleiotropic protein extend well beyond these two critical health challenges, with demonstrated roles across a wide spectrum of biological conditions, including adipose tissue function and obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, fertility and longevity, and immune function. While the spectrum of biological systems in which APOE plays a role seems implausibly wide at first glance, there are some potential unifying mechanisms that could tie these seemingly disparate disorders together. In the current review, we aim to concisely summarize a wide breadth of APOE-associated pathologies and to analyze the influence of APOE in the development of several distinct disorders in order to provide insight into potential shared mechanisms implied in these various pathophysiological processes.

TNF-α Polymorphisms and Maternal Depression in a Mexican Mestizo Population.

BACKGROUND: Depressive disorders are common during pregnancy. There is compelling evidence that the inflammatory response system is important in the pathophysiology of depression. Higher concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in depressed subjects have been described. Because several polymorphisms in the TNF-α promoter region are known to affect its gene expression, the aim of this study was determine whether TNF-α - 857C/T, -308G/A, and -238G/A polymorphisms confer susceptibility to depression during pregnancy in a Mexican mestizo population. METHODS: This case-control study involved 153 depressed pregnant women and 177 controls. Polymorphisms were genotyped using real-time PCR. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals adjusted by age, body mass index, number of pregnancies, months of pregnancy and number of abortions were used to estimate risk. RESULTS: The -857CT genotype was found to increase the risk for depression (OR= 1.73, 95% CI= 1.06-2.82). In contrast, the -238GA genotype reduced the risk (OR= 0.33, 95% CI= 0.14-0.72). The - 308G/A polymorphism was not associated with risk for depression. Finally, the C857-G308-A238 haplotype was associated with a decreased risk of depression (OR= 0.35, 95% CI= 0.15-0.82). CONCLUSION: Our results show for the first time an association between TNF-α -857C/T and -238G/A polymorphisms and prenatal depression in Mexican mestizo population.