Discussions and perspectives regarding oxytocin as a biomarker in human investigations.

This article introduces a review of research that has implemented oxytocin measurements in different fluids such as plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and, mainly, saliva. The main purpose is to evaluate the level of evidence supporting the measurement of this biomarker implicated in a variety of psychological and social processes. First, a review of the technical developments that allowed the characterization, function establishing, and central and peripheral levels of this hormone is proposed.

Perceiving utilitarian gradients: Heart rate variability and self-regulatory effort in the moral dilemma task.

It is not yet clear which response behavior requires self-regulatory effort in the moral dilemma task. Previous research has proposed that utilitarian responses require cognitive control, but subsequent studies have found inconsistencies with the empirical predictions of that hypothesis. In this paper, we treat participants' sensitivity to utilitarian gradients as a measure of performance.

Global Effects of Early Life Stress on Neurons and Glial Cells.

Early life stress is considered a risk factor for the development of many diseases in both adolescence and adulthood. It has been reported that chronic stress (for instance, due to maternal separation during breast feeding), causes damage to the central nervous system at the level of neurons and glial cells, which are reflected in behavioral disturbances and susceptibility to the development of primarily emotional psychopathology. The aim of this review is to identify the overall state of the scientific literature that relates the information about the consequences of early life stress, contextualizing the mechanisms that may be altered, the behavioral consequences that have been studied and the possible dimorphic effects and its causes.

[Cervical cytology in Soacha, Colombia: social representation, barriers and motivation].

Objective: A social representation of the Pap smear is given in this article, as are the barriers against it and the motivation for practising it, aimed at adjusting preventative health services in a particular Colombian town.

Methods: A phenomenological, qualitative study was carried out, using focal groups and workshops for validating the results. A theoretical sample was designed to find differences according to age, heatlh system affiliation and dwelling place within the municipality in question.