Aims were to assess the efficacy of metacognitive training (MCT) in people with a recent onset of psychosis in terms of symptoms as a primary outcome and metacognitive variables as a secondary ...outcome.
A multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial was performed. A total of 126 patients were randomized to an MCT or a psycho-educational intervention with cognitive-behavioral elements. The sample was composed of people with a recent onset of psychosis, recruited from nine public centers in Spain. The treatment consisted of eight weekly sessions for both groups. Patients were assessed at three time-points: baseline, post-treatment, and at 6 months follow-up. The evaluator was blinded to the condition of the patient. Symptoms were assessed with the PANSS and metacognition was assessed with a battery of questionnaires of cognitive biases and social cognition.
Both MCT and psycho-educational groups had improved symptoms post-treatment and at follow-up, with greater improvements in the MCT group. The MCT group was superior to the psycho-educational group on the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) total (p = 0.026) and self-certainty (p = 0.035) and dependence self-subscale of irrational beliefs, comparing baseline and post-treatment. Moreover, comparing baseline and follow-up, the MCT group was better than the psycho-educational group in self-reflectiveness on the BCIS (p = 0.047), total BCIS (p = 0.045), and intolerance to frustration (p = 0.014). Jumping to Conclusions (JTC) improved more in the MCT group than the psycho-educational group (p = 0.021). Regarding the comparison within each group, Theory of Mind (ToM), Personalizing Bias, and other subscales of irrational beliefs improved in the MCT group but not the psycho-educational group (p < 0.001-0.032).
MCT could be an effective psychological intervention for people with recent onset of psychosis in order to improve cognitive insight, JTC, and tolerance to frustration. It seems that MCT could be useful to improve symptoms, ToM, and personalizing bias.
An ink-jet method for fabrication of fine and smooth front side highly conductive silver lines on crystalline Silicon substrate is described. The fabricated conductive silver lines on different ...substrates are characterized by means optical microscope, optical profilometers, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electrical measurements. The
coffee-ring effect is controlled by increasing the solid loading of the ink from 20
W% to 40
W% and printing at optimum substrate temperature (90–100
°C) and optimum printing parameters. Smooth printed conductive silver lines, with line thickness ranges from 0.8∼0.9
μm for single pass, are obtained. When increased substrate temperature, a significant reduction of spreading of ink was observed. And conductive silver lines obtained at optimum substrate temperature (90–100
°C), free of periodic wrinkles and line bleeding, are produced. The influence of annealing temperature on line resistance, the morphology and functionality of the printed conductive silver lines is optically and electrically analyzed. To deposit thicker lines multiple passes of ink-jet printing were done on polished single crystalline silicon (sc-Si) and standard alkaline (NaOH) textured n
+/p single crystalline silicon (n
+/p sc-Si). Moreover, the printed conductive silver lines are characterized optically and electrically. And, promising results in terms of printed line thickness and electrical property are achieved.
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RESUMEN Objetivos: El objetivo principal del presente trabajo es describir los cambios en el dolor posterior a esquema de tratamiento multimodal en pacientes con síndrome de dolor regional complejo ...tipo 1 (SDRC 1), con más de seis meses de evolución, que ingresan a control en Servicio de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación del Hospital Clínico San Borja Arriarán. Material y método: Series de casos de pacientes con sospecha o diagnóstico de SDRC 1 que ingresan para manejo a la Unidad de Dolor Crónico no Oncológico (UCDNO), a los se les realizaron evaluaciones de dolor a través de la Escala Visual Analógica (EVA) y del Cuestionario para la Graduación del Dolor Crónico, funcionalidad de la extremidad superior (EESS) con Quick DASH y la Escala Funcional de la Extremidad Inferior (Lower Extremity Functional Scale LEFS) para extremidades inferiores (EEII), al momento del ingreso y en seguimiento a los dos meses de manejo multimodal por equipo interdisciplinario. Resultados: La muestra se compuso de 14 pacientes: 6 tuvieron compromiso de EESS y 8 de EEII, en mayor porcentaje fue de mujeres, con un tiempo promedio para el diagnóstico de 14,6 meses y tiempo promedio de evolución al momento del ingreso de 19,8 meses. Posterior al tratamiento la EVA mostró una disminución estadística y clínicamente significativa (2,2 cm con una DS de 2,1 p = 0,0018). La variable Quick DASH mostró una reducción de 20,5 puntos con una DS de 20,2 (p = 0,0558) y la variable LEFS un incremento de 13,9 puntos con una DS de 20,8 (p = 0,1008), ambas diferencias no son estadísticamente significativas pero ambas con diferencias clínicas mínimamente importantes relevantes. Se demostró correlación moderada pero que no es estadísticamente significativa entre el tiempo de evolución y la intensidad del dolor que presentan los pacientes al momento de la primera evaluación. Conclusiones: Las intervenciones multimodales guiadas por Fisiatra en un equipo interdisciplinario en el manejo del SDRC permitieron demostrar, después de un periodo de seguimiento, cambios clínicamente significativos en disminución del dolor y mejoría en funcionalidad, con disminución también en aspectos de discapacidad asociada.
1-42 β-Amyloid (Aβ(1-42)) peptide is a key molecule involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Some of its effects are manifested at the neuronal morphological level. These morphological ...changes involve loss of neurites due to cytoskeleton alterations. However, the mechanism of Aβ(1-42) peptide activation of the neurodegenerative program is still poorly understood. Here, Aβ(1-42) peptide-induced transduction of cellular death signals through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/phosphoinositol-dependent kinase (PDK)/novel protein kinase C (nPKC)/Rac 1 axis is described. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of PDK1 and nPKC activities blocks Rac 1 activation and neuronal cell death. Our results provide insights into an unsuspected connection between PDK1, nPKCs and Rac 1 in the same signal-transduction pathway and points out nPKCs and Rac 1 as potential therapeutic targets to block the toxic effects of Aβ(1-42) peptide in neurons.
Summary
Background Bexarotene is the first synthetic retinoid X receptor‐selective retinoid (rexinoid) approved for the treatment of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL). However, little is known about ...the signalling pathways by which it exerts its anticarcinogenic effect.
Objectives To characterize the effects of bexarotene in CTCL cell lines and elucidate the underlying molecular pathways of its antineoplastic effect.
Methods The cell lines Hut‐78, HH and MJ were used. Cell viability was assessed with the XTT assay. The self‐renewal potential of cells after bexarotene treatment was studied with the methylcellulose clonogenic assay. Flow cytometry was used to analyse the effects on cell cycle, Ki‐67 expression and apoptosis induction. Cell cycle and apoptosis‐related protein expression were determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence.
Results Bexarotene induced a loss of viability and more pronounced inhibition of clonogenic proliferation in HH and Hut‐78 cells, whereas the MJ line exhibited resistance. Bexarotene upregulated and activated Bax in sensitive lines, although not enough to signal significant apoptosis. Instead, all data point to the inhibition of proliferation, rather than apoptosis, as the main mechanistic action of the rexinoid. Bexarotene signals both G1 and G2/M arrest by the modulation of critical checkpoint proteins. We further found that bexarotene activates p53 by phosphorylation at Ser15, which influences the binding of p53 to promoters for cell cycle arrest, induces p73 upregulation, and, in concordance, also modulates some p53/p73 downstream target genes, such as p21, Bax, survivin and cdc2. Bexarotene‐mediated ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein (ATM) activation in all studied lines suggests that ATM is likely to be the p53/p73 upstream activator.
Conclusions Our data indicate for the first time that bexarotene exerts its effect in CTCL mainly by triggering the p53/p73‐dependent cell cycle inhibition pathway, probably by upstream ATM activation. Therefore, bexarotene‐modulated genes represent potential biomarkers to assess the response to treatment of patients with CTCL.
The Variscan belt of Western and Central Europe was formed by the oblique subduction of the Rheic Ocean and the collision of Laurussia with Gondwana during the Late Palaeozoic. We present field ...relationships and new U–Pb LA-ICP-MS zircon and monazite ages for Variscan gneisses and granites from a key section of the western Iberian Massif. The Martinchel section records the interplay of two kilometre-scale Variscan transcurrent shear zones active in the Gondwana basement of Pangaea: the Porto–Tomar fault zone (PTFZ) and the Coimbra–Córdoba shear zone (CCSZ). Different kinematic models have been invoked to explain the formation and evolution of these major Variscan structures mainly based on assumptions made in the absence of reliable radiometric ages. We show that: (1) ductile deformation and metamorphism were active in the CCSZ during the Visean–Serpukhovian (c.335–318
Ma) and created conditions for amphibolite facies metamorphism and coeval emplacement of granites; and (2) later ductile–brittle deformation related to dextral movements along the PTFZ overprinted the earlier foliation and folds derived from the CCSZ deformation, and deformed the previously intruded granites. U–Pb dating of zircon and monazites yield c.335
Ma ages for the ductile deformation developed under amphibolite facies metamorphic conditions in the Martinchel gneisses of the CCSZ. The gneisses were intruded by granites at c.335–318
Ma, and both were later deformed under ductile–brittle conditions by dextral motion on the PTFZ. The geometry of the Martinchel gneisses (typical of the CCSZ) changed from one of thrusting to one of normal faulting by refolding of the early foliation, stretching lineation and asymmetric structures related to the later PTFZ dextral shear episode. This pattern of interference is not fully considered in previous models and may lead to incorrect tectonic interpretations. According to our data and recently published ages, we suggest that the PTFZ was active after the Serpukhovian–Kasimovian since the c.318–308
Ma granites are deformed by north–south (170°) dextral shear planes. These data are critical to the interpretation of large-scale Carboniferous transcurrent displacements in northern Gondwana (Iberian Massif), and bear upon global models of crustal deformation that emphasize the importance of long-lived dextral movements during the collision between northern Gondwana and Laurussia following the closure of the Rheic Ocean.
The Lora del Río metamorphic core complex corresponds to the lowermost, high-grade block below a Hercynian extensional shear zone. A peculiarity of this sector is that exhumation of the metamorphic ...core was the result of the activity of two low-angle, approximately perpendicular shear zones: the main and the secondary shear zones, both of which are separating three structural levels with distinct tectonometamorphic imprints. The Lora del Río metamorphic core underwent rapid exhumation due to the combined action of both extensional shear zones. The Huéznar unit, which represents the median block, shows a complex evolution whereby the highest metamorphism occurs in relation to the secondary extensional structure, although most structures appear to be controlled by the main extensional shear zone. Metamorphism and deformation within the upper block (Los Miradores unit) are controlled by the underlying units. Recognition in the Ossa-Morena zone of extensional deformation processes (dated at 340 Ma), spatially and temporally related with the convergent deformations, can help in the establishment of comparisons and correlations with other sectors of the European Hercynian foldbelt.PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
We have characterized 68 unrelated Basque individuals from Vizcaya, Spain, for 13 tetrameric short tandem repeat (STR) loci: CSF1PO, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, ...D21S11, FGA, TH01, TPOX, and VWA. Interpopulational analyses were also performed for 21 European and North African population data sets for nine of the STRs typed in the Basque sample. Heterozygosity values for the Vizcayan Basques were found to be high, ranging from 0.662 to 0.882, and none of the STR loci significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Based on the comparative population data set, the average GST score is 0.7%, indicating a low degree of genetic differentiation. However, neighbor-joining trees and multidimensional-scaling plots of DA genetic distances indicate that the Vizcayan Basques are an outlier relative to both neighboring Iberians and North African populations.
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