Fetal testosterone (2D:4D) as predictor of cognitive reflection

The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is a test introduced by S. Frederick (2005) Cognitive reflection and decision making, J Econ Perspect 19(4): 25-42. The task is designed to measure the tendency to override an intuitive response that is incorrect and to engage in further reflection that leads to the correct response. The consistent sex differences in CRT performance may suggest a role for gonadal hormones, particularly testosterone. A now widely studied putative marker for fetal testosterone is the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D). This paper tests to what extent 2D:4D, as a proxy for prenatal exposure to testosterone, can predict CRT scores in a sample of 623 students. After controlling for sex, we observe that a lower 2D:4D (reflecting a higher exposure to testosterone) is significantly associated with a higher number of correct answers. The result holds for both hands? 2D:4Ds. In addition, the effect appears to be sharper for females than for males. We also control for patience and math proficiency, which are significantly related to performance in the CRT. But the effect of 2D:4D on performance in CRT is not reduced with these controls, implying that these variables are not mediating the relationship between digit ratio and CRT.

Evaluación de necesidades y diseño de la intervención para la reintegración social de los delincuentes sexuales de alto riesgo

Informe ejecutivo del estudio de adaptación "Evaluación de necesidades y diseño de la intervención para la reinserción social de los delincuentes sexuales de alto riesgo: Adaptación de los Círculos de Apoyo y Responsabilidad al sistema de ejecución penal de Cataluña".

Needs assessment and design of the intervention for high risk sex offenders social reintegration

Executive report of the adaptation study "Needs assessment and design of the intervention for high risk sex offenders social reintegration: Adaptation of the Circles of Support and Accountability to the Penal Enforcement System of Catalonia".

Modulation in Wistar rats of blood corticosterone compartmentation by sex and prior exposure to a cafeteria diet

In the metabolic syndrome, glucocorticoid activity is increased, but circulating levels show little change. Most of blood glucocorticoids are bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), which liver expression and circulating levels are higher in females than in males. Since blood hormones are also bound to blood cells, and the size of this compartment is considerable for androgens and estrogens, we analyzed whether sex or eating a cafeteria diet altered the compartmentation of corticosterone in rat blood. The main corticosterone compartment in rat blood is that specifically bound to plasma proteins, with smaller compartments bound to blood cells or free. Cafeteria diet increased the expression of liver CBG gene, binding plasma capacity and the proportion of blood cell-bound corticosterone. There were marked sex differences in blood corticosterone compartmentation in rats, which were unrelated to testosterone. The use of a monoclonal antibody ELISA and a polyclonal Western blot for plasma CBG compared with both specific plasma binding of corticosterone and CBG gene expression suggested the existence of different forms of CBG, with varying affinities for corticosterone in males and females, since ELISA data showed higher plasma CBG for males, but binding and Western blot analyses (plus liver gene expression) and higher physiological effectiveness for females. Good cross- reactivity to the antigen for polyclonal CBG antibody suggests that in all cases we were measuring CBG.The different immunoreactivity and binding affinity may help explain the marked sex-related differences in plasma hormone binding as sex-linked different proportions of CBG forms.

Anàlisis antropològica de les restes neolítiques de la Caserna de Sant Pau (Biometria, Dentició, ADN i Microestriació Dentària).

Les restes esquelètiques analitzades corresponen tant al nivell neolític (n=26) com a l"època del bronze (n=2), encara que aquí es presenten tan sols els resultats de la població neolítica (taula 1). En tots els casos les sepultures són individuals, amb l"única excepció de la sepultura 20, on s"han recuperat les restes corresponents a un individu femení adult (CSP201) i un fetus (CSP202) (taula 1). Per tal de caracteritzar biomètricament la població s"ha emprat la metodologia proposada per Martin i Saller (1959), Brothwell (1981) i Bass (1971). La determinació del sexe s"ha realitzat a través dels caràcters sexuals secundaris del crani i de la pelvis, i se"n pot trobar una descripció més detallada a Estebaranz et alii (2007). En el cas específic de les paleopatologies es van seguir les recomanacions de Campillo (Campillo, 1977).

Structural Insight into the Mode of Action of a Direct Inhibitor of Coregulator Binding to the Thyroid Hormone Receptor.

The development of nuclear hormone receptor antagonists that directly inhibit the association of the receptor with its essential coactivators would allow useful manipulation of nuclear hormone receptor signaling. We previously identified 3-(dibutylamino)-1-(4-hexylphenyl)-propan-1-one (DHPPA), an aromatic β-amino ketone that inhibits coactivator recruitment to thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ), in a high-throughput screen. Initial evidence suggested that the aromatic β-enone 1-(4-hexylphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (HPPE), which alkylates a specific cysteine residue on the TRβ surface, is liberated from DHPPA. Nevertheless, aspects of the mechanism and specificity of action of DHPPA remained unclear. Here, we report an x-ray structure of TRβ with the inhibitor HPPE at 2.3-Å resolution. Unreacted HPPE is located at the interface that normally mediates binding between TRβ and its coactivator. Several lines of evidence, including experiments with TRβ mutants and mass spectroscopic analysis, showed that HPPE specifically alkylates cysteine residue 298 of TRβ, which is located near the activation function-2 pocket. We propose that this covalent adduct formation proceeds through a two-step mechanism: 1) β-elimination to form HPPE; and 2) a covalent bond slowly forms between HPPE and TRβ. DHPPA represents a novel class of potent TRβ antagonist, and its crystal structure suggests new ways to design antagonists that target the assembly of nuclear hormone receptor gene-regulatory complexes and block transcription.

Pneumococcal penumonia presenting with septic shock: host-ant pathogen-related factors and outcomes

BACKGROUND: Host- and pathogen-related factors associated with septic shock in pneumococcal pneumonia are not well defined. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for septic shock and to ascertain patient outcomes. Serotypes, genotypes and antibiotic resistance of isolated strains were also analysed. METHODS: Observational analysis of a prospective cohort of non-severely immunosuppressed hospitalised adults with pneumococcal pneumonia. Septic shock was defined as a systolic blood pressure of <90 mm Hg and peripheral hypoperfusion with the need for vasopressors for >4 h after fluid replacement. RESULTS: 1041 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia diagnosed by Gram stain and culture of appropriate samples and/or urine antigen test were documented, of whom 114 (10.9%) had septic shock at admission. After adjustment, independent risk factors for shock were current tobacco smoking (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.02 to 4.34; p = 0.044), chronic corticosteroid treatment (OR, 4.45; 95% CI, 1.75 to 11.32; p = 0.002) and serotype 3 (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.12 to 4.475; p = 0.022). No significant differences were found in genotypes and rates of antibiotic resistance. Compared with the remaining patients, patients with septic shock required mechanical ventilation more frequently (37% vs 4%; p<0.001) and had longer length of stay (11 vs 8 days; p<0.001). The early (10% vs 1%; p<0.001) and overall case fatality rates (25% vs 5%; p<0.001) were higher in patients with shock. CONCLUSIONS: Septic shock is a frequent complication of pneumococcal pneumonia and causes high morbidity and mortality. Current tobacco smoking, chronic corticosteroid treatment and infection caused by serotype 3 are independent risk factors for this complication.

Pauson-Khand Adducts of N-Boc-propargylamine: A New Approach to 4,5-Disubstituted Cyclopentenones

A new approach to the synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted cyclopentenones is described. The strategy is based on the Pauson-Khand (PK) reaction of norbornadiene and N-Boc-propargylamine as alkyne with a masked leaving group, which can be eliminated at will. This approach to the synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted cyclopentenones overcomes the problem of using the alkylation to introduce the alpha-side-chain. As an example, prostane 13-epi-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (13-epi-12-oxo-PDA) methyl ester was synthesized.

Pauson-Khand Adducts of N-Boc-propargylamine: A New Approach to 4,5-Disubstituted Cyclopentenones

A new approach to the synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted cyclopentenones is described. The strategy is based on the Pauson-Khand (PK) reaction of norbornadiene and N-Boc-propargylamine as alkyne with a masked leaving group, which can be eliminated at will. This approach to the synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted cyclopentenones overcomes the problem of using the alkylation to introduce the alpha-side-chain. As an example, prostane 13-epi-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (13-epi-12-oxo-PDA) methyl ester was synthesized.

El rasgo de personalidad "Búsqueda de sensaciones": una teoría psicobiológica

En este trabajo se expone y se sintetiza la teoría del rasgo de personalidad denominado "búsqueda de sensaciones", se proporciona información cronológica de la investigación empírica realizada desde los años 60 hasta nuestros días. Se incide en los correlatos biológicos de este rasgo en particular Potenciales Evocados (PE), Monoaminoxidades Plaquetear (MAO), Reflejo Orienativo (RO) y hormonas sexuales como la Testosterona (T) y Estradiol (E2). Se sugiere que se avance en la investigación psicobiológica del rasgo en cuestión, esfuerzo que por otro lado está generando un importante soporte empírico a la teoría.

Sintomatología depresiva en ancianos. La influencia del género

Objetivo: Examinar las posibles diferencias de género en la presencia de sintomatología depresiva en personas mayores de 75 años de la comunidad. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio transversal descriptivo. La fuente de datos fue la encuesta realizada para el estudio de fragilidad en Lleida (encuesta FRALLE). Los síntomas depresivos se midieron con The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depresion Scale (CES-D). Para analizar la relación del género con los síntomas depresivos se usaron técnicas de regresión logística. Resultados: La prevalencia de síntomas depresivos fue del 33,1% para el conjunto de la muestra, del 22,8% para los varones y del 40,3% para las mujeres. En toda la población, el género obtuvo resultados estadísticamente significativos en los 3 modelos construidos. Así, las mujeres tenían un mayor riesgo de depresión que los varones, incluso después de ajustar por los factores sociodemográficos y por los de estado de salud, presentando casi el doble de probabilidades de padecer depresión. Conclusiones: Los datos obtenidos sugieren que las mujeres tienen más riesgo de presentar síntomas depresivos que los varones. Así mismo, los factores protectores de sintomatología depresiva son el nivel alto de estudios en las mujeres y la presencia de pareja en los varones.

L'oxitocina estimula l'aprenetatge en nens autistes

Científics nord-americans creuen que aquesta hormona podria utilitzar-se durant les sessions de teràpia cognitiva per millorar-ne els resultats

Qui controla el comportament sexual?

Investigadors dels EUA i del Japó relacionen l'efecte d'alguns gens amb determinats comportaments sexuals de mascles i femelles

The antilipolytic effect of insulin and epidermal growth factor in rat adipocytes are mediated by different mechanisms

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin induced similar effects in isolated rat adipocytes. To determine whether EGF and insulin produced similar effects through the same mechanisms, we focused on lipolysis. Insulin inhibited the lipolysis stimulated by isoproterenol, glucagon (either alone or in combination with adenosine deaminase), adenosine deaminase itself, or forskolin. In contrast, EGF did not inhibit the lipolysis stimulated by forskolin or by hormones when the cells were also incubated with adenosine deaminase. The effect of insulin, but not that of EGF, on isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis disappeared when adipocytes were incubated with 1 microM wortmannin. These results indicate that EGF and insulin affected lipolysis through different mechanisms. We observed that EGF, but not insulin, increased cytosolic Ca2+. The effect of EGF, but not that of insulin, disappeared when the cells were incubated in a Ca2+-free medium. We suggest that EGF, but not insulin, mediate its antilipolytic effect through a Ca2+-dependent mechanism which, however, do not involve Ca2+-activated protein kinase C isoforms. This is based on the following: 1) phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate affected lipolysis in an opposite way to that of EGF; and 2) the protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide GF 109203X did not affect the antilipolytic action of EGF. Our results indicate that the antilipolytic effect of EGF resembles more that of vasopressin than that of insulin.

Effects of adult dysthyroidism on the morphology of hippocampal neurons.

This study investigates the effect of thyroid hormones on the morphology of hippocampal neurons in adult rats. Hypo- and hyperthyroidism were induced by adding 0.02% methimazole and 1% l-thyroxine, in drinking water from 40 days of age, respectively. When the rats were 89 days old their brains were removed and stained by a modified Golgi method and blood samples were collected in order to measure T4 serum levels. Neurons were selected and drawn using a camera lucida. Our results show that methimazole administration reduces the dendritic branching of the apical shafts of CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons mainly by increasing the distance to the first branch point in both types of neurons, and reducing branch points in the radius of 50 μm from the soma in CA1 neurons. Nevertheless, it was observed an increase of apical spine density in CA3 neurons from this group. Thyroxine reduces apical and basal tree of CA3 pyramidal neurons increasing the distance to the first branch point, reducing branch points in the radius of 50 μm from the soma and increases their apical and basal spine density. In CA1 field, thyroxine reduces the number of basal branch points. Both treatments seems to provoke alterations in the same direction reducing the dendritic branching and increasing spine density, although no significances appeared in some of the parameters analyzed. The effects are more evident in thyroxine than methimazole group; and in CA3 neurons than in CA1 neurons. In discussion it is pointed that the increase of spine density could be a mechanism to compensate the functionality reduction that can be provoke by the treatment effect on dendritic branching.