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This paper presents the results obtained from the chemical activation of bacterial nanocellulose (BCN) using fique juice as a culture medium. BNC activation (BNCA) was carried out with H3PO4 and KOH at activation temperatures between 500 °C to 800 °C. The materials obtained were characterized morphologically, physicochemically, superficially, and electrochemically, using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the physisorption of gases N2 and CO2 at 77 K and 273 K, respectively, cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The samples activated with H3PO4 presented specific surface areas (SBET) around 780 m2 g-1, while those activated with KOH values presented specific surface areas between 680 and 893 m2 g-1. The XPS analysis showed that the PXPS percentage on the surface after H3PO4 activation was 11 wt%. The energy storage capacitance values ranged between 97.5 F g-1 and 220 F g-1 by EIS in 1 M H2SO4. The samples with the best electrochemical performance were activated with KOH at 700 °C and 800 °C, mainly due to the high SBET available and the accessibility of the microporosity. The capacitance of BNCAs was mainly improved by electrostatic effects due to the SBET rather than that of pseudocapacitive ones due to the presence of phosphorus heteroatoms.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) promotes colon cancer by altering the physiological functions of hormones. Quercetin (Q) can regulate signaling pathways through hormone receptors, inhibiting cancer cells. The antiproliferative effects of Q and its fermented extract (FEQ, obtained by Q gastrointestinal digestion and in vitro colonic fermentation) were analyzed in HT-29 cells exposed to BPA. Polyphenols were quantified in FEQ by HPLC and their antioxidant capacity by DPPH and ORAC. Q and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were quantified in FEQ. Q and FEQ exhibited antioxidant capacity. Cell viability with Q+BPA and FEQ+BPA was 60% and 50%, respectively; less than 20% of dead cells were associated with the necrosis process (LDH). Treatments with Q and Q+BPA induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, and FEQ and FEQ+BPA in the S phase. Compared with other treatments, Q positively modulated ESR2 and GPR30 genes. Using a gene microarray of the p53 pathway, Q, Q+BPA, FEQ and FEQ+BPA positively modulated genes involved in apoptosis and cell cycle arrest; bisphenol inhibited the expression of pro-apoptotic and cell cycle repressor genes. In silico analyses demonstrated the binding affinity of Q > BPA > DOPAC molecules for ERα and ERß. Further studies are needed to understand the role of disruptors in colon cancer.

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The estrogenic receptor beta (ERß) protects against carcinogenesis by stimulating apoptosis. Bisphenol A (BPA) is related to promoting cancer, and naringenin has chemoprotective activities both can bind to ERß. Naringenin in the colon is metabolized by the microbiota. Cancer involves genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, including miRNAs. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the co-exposure effect of colonic in vitro fermented extract of naringenin (FEN) and BPA, to elucidate molecular effects in HT-29 colon cancer cell line. For this, we quantified genes related to the p53 signaling pathway as well as ERß, miR-200c, and miR-141. As an important result, naringenin (IC50 250 µM) and FEN (IC50 37%) promoted intrinsic pathways of apoptosis through phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) (+2.70, +1.72-fold, respectively) and CASP9 (+3.99, +2.03-fold, respectively) expression. BPA decreased the expression of PTEN (-3.46-fold) gene regulated by miR-200. We suggest that once co-exposed, cells undergo a greater stress forcing them to mediate other extrinsic apoptosis mechanisms associated with death domain FASL. In turn, these findings are related to the increase of ERß (5.3-fold with naringenin and 13.67-fold with FEN) gene expression, important in the inhibition of carcinogenic development.

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Objective: To analyze the recognition, identification, and discrimination of facial emotions in a sample of outpatients with bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: Forty-four outpatients with diagnosis of BD and 48 matched control subjects were selected. Both groups were assessed with tests for recognition (Emotion Recognition-40 - ER40), identification (Facial Emotion Identification Test - FEIT), and discrimination (Facial Emotion Discrimination Test - FEDT) of facial emotions, as well as a theory of mind (ToM) verbal test (Hinting Task). Differences between groups were analyzed, controlling the influence of mild depressive and manic symptoms. Results: Patients with BD scored significantly lower than controls on recognition (ER40), identification (FEIT), and discrimination (FEDT) of emotions. Regarding the verbal measure of ToM, a lower score was also observed in patients compared to controls. Patients with mild syndromal depressive symptoms obtained outcomes similar to patients in euthymia. A significant correlation between FEDT scores and global functioning (measured by the Functioning Assessment Short Test, FAST) was found. Conclusions: These results suggest that, even in euthymia, patients with BD experience deficits in recognition, identification, and discrimination of facial emotions, with potential functional implications. .

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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the recognition, identification, and discrimination of facial emotions in a sample of outpatients with bipolar disorder (BD). METHODS: Forty-four outpatients with diagnosis of BD and 48 matched control subjects were selected. Both groups were assessed with tests for recognition (Emotion Recognition-40 - ER40), identification (Facial Emotion Identification Test - FEIT), and discrimination (Facial Emotion Discrimination Test - FEDT) of facial emotions, as well as a theory of mind (ToM) verbal test (Hinting Task). Differences between groups were analyzed, controlling the influence of mild depressive and manic symptoms. RESULTS: Patients with BD scored significantly lower than controls on recognition (ER40), identification (FEIT), and discrimination (FEDT) of emotions. Regarding the verbal measure of ToM, a lower score was also observed in patients compared to controls. Patients with mild syndromal depressive symptoms obtained outcomes similar to patients in euthymia. A significant correlation between FEDT scores and global functioning (measured by the Functioning Assessment Short Test, FAST) was found. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, even in euthymia, patients with BD experience deficits in recognition, identification, and discrimination of facial emotions, with potential functional implications.

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La Neurociencia de la Personalidad es un área de investigación de reciente desarrollo. Su objetivo es comprender la estructura y funcionamiento de la personalidad a partir de los desarrollos actuales en Neurociencias. En la actualidad, se han podido establecer relaciones significativas entre los diferentes factores de personalidad y algunos procesos cognitivos y el funcionamiento neuropsicológico en población clínicamente normal. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar las correlaciones entre la personalidad infantil normal y la memoria auditiva inmediata en un grupo de escolares con rendimiento académico normal. Se evaluó un grupo de 36 niños con edades entre 6 y 8 años sin antecedentes personales de enfermedad neurológica, psiquiátrica o neuropsicológica, ni lesión cerebral congénita o adquirida, y sin antecedentes familiares de enfermedad neurológica o psiquiátrica. Se realizó un análisis estadístico de correlaciones y se establecieron los grados de correlaciones entre los tres tipos de memoria auditiva inmediata y cada uno de los 13 factores de personalidad infantil. Las correlaciones que fueron significativas para p < 0.05, R de Pearson, correspondieron a las presentadas entre el factor B (Inteligencia baja-alta) y la memoria lógica (.371), el factor C (Emoción inestable-estable) y la memoria asociativa (-.400), y el factor G (Despreocupado-Consciente) y la memoria numérica (.366). Los resultados del análisis de correlaciones se discuten a partir de algunas propuestas teóricas y conceptuales en Psicología Cognitiva y Neurociencia.

The Neuroscience of Personality is a research area of recent development. Its aim is to understand the structure and functioning of personality from current developments in neuroscience. At present, it has been able to establish meaningful relationships between different personality factors and some cognitive processes and neuropsychological functioning in clinically normal population. This research aimed to evaluate the correlations between normal childhood personality and immediate auditory memory in a group of school children with normal academic performance. We evaluated a group of 36 children aged between 6 and 8 years without a history of neurological disease, psychiatric or neuropsychological or congenital or acquired brain injury, and no family history of neurological or psychiatric disease. We performed a statistical analysis of correlations and the degrees of correlations established between the three types of immediate auditory memory and each of the 13 personality factors in children. The correlations that were significant at p < 0.05, R Pearson, corresponded to those presented between factor B (Intelligence low-high) and logical memory (371), the factor C (Emotion unstable-stable) and associative memory () .400), and factor G(Unconcerned–Conscious) and digital storage (366). The correlation analysis results are discussed from theoretical and conceptual proposals in cognitive psychology and neuroscience.

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