Repositorio académico de acceso abierto (Univ. Autonóma de Chile)
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Dystrophin Genotype and Risk of Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Dystrophinopathies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full textBackground: Dystrophinopathies are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders due to alterations in dystrophin/DMD expression. Objective: The objective was to estimate the association of developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder with the dystrophin/DMD genotype in population with dystrophinopathies. Methods: Systematic searches of Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were performed from inception to September 2022. We included observational studies in the population with Becker or Duchenne muscular dystrophies (BMD, DMD) that estimated the prevalence of these disorders according to Dp140 and/or Dp71 genotype. Meta-analysis of the prevalence ratio (PR) of genotype comparisons was conducted for each disorder. Results: Ten studies were included in the systematic review. In BMD, Dp140+ vs. Dp140- and Dp71+ vs. Dp71- were associated with developmental disorders with a PR of 0.11 (0.04, 0.34) and 0.22 (0.07, 0.67), respectively. In DMD, Dp140+/Dp71+ vs. Dp140-/Dp71- had a PR of 0.40 (0.28, 0.57), and Dp71+ vs. Dp71- had a PR of 0.47 (0.36, 0.63) for ADHD. However, there was no association of genotype with ASD, only a trend was observed for Dp71+ vs. Dp71-, with a PR of 0.61 (0.35, 1.06). Moreover, the data showed no association of these isoforms with emotional-related disorders. Conclusions: In BMD, Dp140 and Dp71 could be associated with developmental disorders, whileADHDmight be associated with the Dp71 genotype in DMD. Further research is needed regarding Dp140 and Dp71, especially in DMD for ASD.Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha [2018-CPUCLM-7939]; European Regional Development FundUniversidad Autónoma de Chil
Application of nanocomposites in integrated photocatalytic techniques for water pollution remediation
No full textIn recent years, photocatalysis integrated with other water purification technique is emerging to decontaminate the polluted water effectively. Herein, a focus on adsorptive photocatalysis, photo-Fenton, photo–electrocatalysis, photocatalytic ozonation, sono-photocatalysis and photo–piezocatalytic techniques developed for degradation of organic water pollutants has been provided. Specifically, application of nanocomposites in the degradation of different organic pollutants (dyes, pesticides, antibiotics, phenolic compounds etc.,) via integrated photocatalysis was reviewed. The catalytic performances of different nanocomposites along with the experimental parameters such as dosage, light source, irradiation time, pollutant’ concentration was summarized. Photocatalysis integrated with multiple techniques was also introduced. Current challenges, future perspectives and conclusion of this literature survey have been briefed. Researchers who are working in photocatalytic water treatment might be benefited by this review. © 2023 The Author(s)Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico, FONDECYT, (1220663); Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, ANIDUniversidad Autónoma de Chil
When non-target wildlife species and alien species both affect negatively to an artisanal fishery: the case of trammel net in the Alboran Sea
No full textIn the Northern Alboran Sea, artisanal small-scale fisheries using trammel nets suffer economic losses, and local fishermen see their way-of-life endangered, due to interactions with wildlife species such as alien species and dolphins. On the one hand, the alien seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae, which was first recorded in the Alboran Sea in 2015, has undergone an intensive expansion in the sub-region, monopolizing the available seabed, causing radical changes in the underwater seascape and clogging the trammel nets. On the other hand, the damage caused to the fishing nets by dolphin fish predation is an ancient problem worldwide, but it is intensifying in the last years. The main objective of this study is to understand the main environmental and technical conditions that favor damages of fishing trammel nets in the Alboran Sea, which entails an important loss of catchability, due to (i) the clogging of the artisanal fishing trammel nets by invasive seaweed, and (ii) the breaking of the nets by dolphin predation. Through close monitoring of fishermen in port, we obtained direct information of 548 sets. Our results indicate that approximately 30% of trammel sets suffered a damage due to unwanted interaction with alien seaweeds and dolphins. As seaweeds invasion is a global problem while dolphin-fishing gear interaction is more local, we concluded that only a large-scale management of exotic algae, together with the involvement of local fishermen, could solve the economic problems of this activity. © 2023, The Author(s).ACCOBAMS; AHE; Asociación Herpetológica Española; Caleta de Vélez and Fuengirola; Spanish Herpetological Society; MAVA FoundationUniversidad Autónoma de Chil
The European Union's Preferential Trade Agreements: between convergence and differentiation
No full textGone are the days when tariff liberalization was the centre of the European Union’s Preferential Trade Agreements (EU PTAs). Instead, the current generation of EU PTAs manages trade from a regulatory perspective: they establish rules that apply to domestic measures. Significantly, EU PTAs deploy international standards rather than EU law to regulate trade, directly influencing the speed of regulatory convergence with its treaty partners. Though EU PTAs aim to boost trade through regulatory convergence, they also consider the specific conditions of the EU’s treaty partner. This article analyses this regulatory turn in the EU’s PTAs, its practice and its consequences regarding trade and sustainable development. © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
Iridoid esters from Valeriana pavonii Poepp. & Endl. as GABAA modulators: Structural insights in their binding mode and structure-activity relationship
No full textContext: Valeriana pavonii Poepp. & Endl. (Caprifoliaceae), is a plant used in traditional medicine as a tranquilizer in Colombia. Valerian extracts have been widely used since ancient times for their sedative and anxiolytic properties; however, the way its active metabolites, including iridoids, interact on their respective targets is not fully understood. Aims: To isolate and identificate active iridoid esters from V. pavonii. Perform in vitro inhibition assays and computational analyses to study their possible interaction on the benzodiazepine site of the GABAA receptor. Methods: Two compounds were obtained from dichloromethane and petroleum ether fractions of V. pavonii, respectively, by chromatographic techniques. The structural elucidation was performed by NMR and spectroscopic analyses. In vitro inhibition assays of the binding of 3H-flunitrazepam (3H-FNZ) for the benzodiazepine binding site of the GABAA receptor (BDZ-bs of the GABAA receptor) were carried out. Results: Two iridoid esters, hydrine-type valepotriates (compounds 1 and 2), were reported for the first time in V. pavonii. Both iridoids, 1 and 2, inhibited the binding of 3H-FNZ on the BDZ-bs of the GABAA receptor (40% at 300 μM). Docking studies and MMGBSA calculations revealed that these compounds exhibited molecular interactions with crucial residues of the benzodiazepine site, similar to those observed for drugs like flunitrazepam, diazepam, and flumazenil. Conclusions: These findings contribute to understanding the in vivo activity of extracts of Valeriana pavonni on the central nervous system, which showed promising effects, especially as anticonvulsants, sedative-hypnotics, and antidepressants, through the modulation of the GABAergic system by hydrine-type valepotriates and its derivatives. © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research.FONDECYT-ANID, (3210774); UBA-CyT, (20020150100012BA); Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (COLCIENCIAS), (110140820449); Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico, FONDECYT, (1220656); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, MINECO; Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBA; European Regional Development Fund, ERDF, (RTI2018-094356-B-C21); Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, ANID, (ATE220043, FOVI210027)Universidad Autónoma de Chil
Validity and reliability of the International fItness scale (IFIS) in preschool children
No full textObjectives: Examine the validity and reliability of parent-reported International FItness Scale (IFIS) in preschoolers. Method: A cross-sectional study of 3051 Spanish preschoolers (3–5 years). Fitness was measured by PREFIT battery and reported by parents using an adapted version of the IFIS. Waist circumference was evaluated, and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was calculated. Seventy-six parents of randomly selected schoolchildren completed the IFIS twice for a reliability assessment. Results: ANCOVA, adjusted for sex, age and WHtR, showed that preschoolers who were scored by their parents as having average-to-very good fitness had better levels of measured physical fitness than those preschoolers who were classified as having “very poor/poor” fitness levels (18.1laps to 22.1laps vs 15.6laps for cardiorespiratory fitness; 6.6 kg to 7.5 kg vs 5.3 kg for muscular fitness-handgrip-; 71.7 cm to 76.4 cm vs 62.0 cm for muscular fitness-standing long jump-; 17.2s to 16.2s vs 18.2s for speed/agility; and 11.2s to 15.6s vs 8.7s for balance; p < 0.001). The weighted kappa for concordance between parent-reported fitness levels and objective assessment was poor (κ ≤ 0.18 for all fitness measures). Overall, the mean values of the abdominal adiposity indicators were significantly lower in high-level fitness categories reported by parents than in low-level fitness categories (p < 0.05). The test-retest reliability ranged from 0.46 to 0.62. Conclusions: The reliability of the parent-reported IFIS are acceptable, but the concordance between parents reported and objectively measures fitness levels is poor, suggesting that parents’ responses may not be able to correctly classify preschoolers according to their fitness level. Highlights The convergent validity and reliability (test-retest) values of the IFIS parent scale are moderately acceptable for assessing physical fitness in children aged 3–5 years. However, the results of concordance show that criterion validity is poor suggesting that parents’ responses may not be able to correctly classify preschoolers according to their fitness level. Considering that the fitness level at these ages is fairly homogeneous, it seems difficult for parents to discriminate between the fitness levels of their children. Therefore, it seems necessary to recalibrate the scale in future work. © 2022 European College of Sport Science.Universidad Autónoma de Chil
Protective Effects of Flavonoid Rutin Against Aminochrome Neurotoxicity
No full textCauses of dopaminergic neuronal loss in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are subject of investigation and the common use of models of acute neurodegeneration induced by neurotoxins 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), 6-hydroxydopamine, and rotenone contributed to advances in the study of PD. However, the use of study models more similar to the pathophysiology of PD is required for advances in early diagnosis and translational pharmacology. Aminochrome (AMI), a compound derived from dopamine oxidation and a precursor of neuromelanin, is able to induce all the mechanisms associated with neurodegeneration. Previously, we showed AMI is cytotoxic in primary culture of mesencephalic cells (PCMC) and induces in vitro and in vivo neuroinflammation. On the other hand, the effect of rutin in central nervous system cells has revealed anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective potential. However, there have been no data studies on the effect of rutin against aminochrome neurotoxicity. Here, we show that rutin prevents lysosomal dysfunction and aminochrome-induced cell death in SHSY-5Y cells, protects PCMC against aminochrome cytotoxicity, and prevents in vivo loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNPc), as well as microgliosis and astrogliosis. Additionally, we show that rutin decreases levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA and increases levels of glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and nerve-derived neurotrophic factor (NGF) mRNA. We evidence for the first time the protective effect of rutin on PD aminochrome-induced models and suggest the potential role of the anti-inflammatory activity and upregulation of NGF and GDNF in the mechanism of rutin action against aminochrome neurotoxicity.Universidad Autónoma de Chil
Compassion in health professionals: Development and validation of the Capacity for Compassion Scale
No full textBackground: Health professionals witness pain and suffering when they care for sick people and their families. Compassion is a necessary quality in their work as it combines the will to help, alleviate suffering and promote the well-being of both the people they are attending and the professionals themselves. The aim of the study was to design and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Capacity for Compassion Scale (CCS). Design: A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale (reliability, temporal stability, content validity, criterion validity and construct validity). Methods: The study was carried out in two phases: pilot study and final validation. The data were collected between April and May 2022. The sample was selected by convenience sampling and was made up of a total of 264 participants, 59 in the pilot phase and 205 in the final validation. Results: The Capacity for Compassion Scale has been shown to have good psychometric properties in relation to reliability, temporal stability, and content, criterion, and construct validity. Factor analysis showed that there were four subdimensions of the scale: motivation/commitment, presence, shared humanity and self-compassion. The results also indicate that compassionate ability is significantly correlated with age and work experience. Conclusions: The Capacity for Compassion Scale shows adequate psychometric properties. This instrument measures the compassion capacity of health professionals, which is a valuable discovery for new lines of research in this field. Impact: Through this scale, low levels of capacity for compassion can be detected that negatively influence the quality of care provided by health professionals. The Capacity for Compassion Scale can therefore contribute to the identification of needs and promote training around compassion for health professionals. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. What Problem did the Study Address?: Compassion in health professionals has positive effects on improving the quality of care, the satisfaction of professionals and the work environment. There are compassion cultivation programmes whose validity has been proven for the development of the dimensions of compassion. There is no specific instrument that measures capacity for compassion in healthcare professionals. What were the Main Findings?: A scale is designed to measure capacity for compassion in health professionals. This is the only such scale available up until now. The scale measures four dimensions of compassion: motivation/commitment, presence, shared humanity and self-compassion. Where and on Whom will the Research Have an Impact?: The development of specific programmes that can increase the compassion of health professionals with all the benefits that this can bring to health care is encouraged. It will be possible to analyse the effects of training programmes on the cultivation of compassion. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Universidad Autónoma de Chil
Statistics and probability in Spanish and Chilean pre-school and primary school textbooks
No full textThis article seeks to identify the epistemic suitability, linked to statistics and probability, of the textbooks for Pre-school and Primary Education in Spain and Chile. Theoretical and methodological elements of Didactic Suitability are used, specifically, the epistemic facet. A content analysis of eight Chilean and Spanish textbooks is carried out. In both countries, the most frequent problem situation is the interpretation of representations and the construction of graphs and statistical tables. Situations linked to the study of probability are scarce and appear only in Spanish primary school textbooks.Universidad Autónoma de Chil
Mapping the Circular Economy in the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises field: An exploratory network analysis
No full textThe literature on the Circular Economy (CE) has shown considerable expansion over recent years, with various studies striving to guide corporate entities in transitioning from linear to circular production paradigms. While larger businesses and multinational corporations have been a central focus, a significant gap exists in understanding the transformation journey of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) towards circularity. This research aims to enhance the existing body of knowledge by mapping the knowledge at the intersection of SMEs and the CE. This study utilizes an exploratory approach and leverages network analysis and content analysis to scrutinize 126 academic papers indexed on Scopus. The findings indicate that the field is bifurcated into nascent and early-growth stages. Although CE appears as the prevalent theme in most of the papers surveyed, an emerging group of academics has begun to delve into the domain of SMEs and CE. Further to identifying thematic clusters, this research explores the main references from these two phases by exploring their contents. The study provides a series of recommendations for future research alongside methodological guidelines for theoretical and empirical investigations. © 2023 The AuthorsUniversidad Autónoma de Chil