Sex hormones significantly impact women's lives. Throughout the different stages of life, from menarche to menopause and all stages in between, women experience dramatic fluctuations in the levels of progesterone and estradiol, among other hormones. These fluctuations affect the body as a whole, including the central nervous system (CNS). In the CNS, sex hormones act via steroid receptors. They also have an effect on different neurotransmitters such as GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate. Additionally, studies show that sex hormones and their metabolites influence brain areas that regulate mood, behavior, and cognitive abilities. This review emphasizes the benefits a proper hormonal balance during the different stages of life has in the CNS. To achieve this goal, it is essential that hormone levels are evaluated considering a woman's age and ovulatory status, so that a correct diagnosis and treatment can be made. Knowledge of steroid hormone activity in the brain will give women and health providers an important tool for improving their health and well-being.

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Obesity in women of reproductive age has a number of adverse metabolic effects, including Type II Diabetes (T2D), dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. It is associated with increased menstrual irregularity, ovulatory dysfunction, development of insulin resistance and infertility. In women, estradiol is not only critical for reproductive function, but they also control food intake and energy expenditure. Food intake is known to change during the menstrual cycle in humans. This change in food intake is largely mediated by estradiol, which acts directly upon anorexigenic and orexigenic neurons, largely in the hypothalamus. Estradiol also acts indirectly with peripheral mediators such as glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Like estradiol, GLP-1 acts on receptors at the hypothalamus. This review describes the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms governing the actions of estradiol during the menstrual cycle on food intake and energy expenditure and how estradiol acts with other weight-controlling molecules such as GLP-1. GLP-1 analogs have proven to be effective both to manage obesity and T2D in women. This review also highlights the relationship between steroid hormones and women's mental health. It explains how a decline or imbalance in estradiol levels affects insulin sensitivity in the brain. This can cause cerebral insulin resistance, which contributes to the development of conditions such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. The proper use of both estradiol and GLP-1 analogs can help to manage obesity and preserve an optimal mental health in women by reducing the mechanisms that trigger neurodegenerative disorders.

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The objective of this editorial is to show that a harmonious relationship between science and faith is possible, as exemplified by great saints of the Catholic Church. It begins with the definitions of science and faith, followed by an explanation of the apparent conflict between them. A few saints that constitute an example that a fruitful relationship between these two seemingly opposed realities has been possible are Saint Albert the Great, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Giuseppe Moscati, and Saint Edith Stein, among others, and this editorial highlights their deep contributions to the dialogue between faith and reason. This editorial ends with a brief discussion on whether it is possible to be both a scientist and a man of faith.

El aumento de precio de la vivienda disociado de los ingresos de la población, en tanto mecanismo de transferencia y concentración de la riqueza, involucra formas de generación de rentas del suelo en las cuales el poder público asume un rol protagónico respecto a su destino y apropiación. En un contexto preeminentemente desregulado de los mercados inmobiliarios, como el que caracteriza a la Región Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (RMBA), el uso de la propiedad inmueble como activo de inversión continúa imponiéndose por sobre el valor de uso, reforzando las históricas restricciones de acceso a un hábitat digno. Continuamente, los actores ligados al desarrollo inmobiliario innovan en sus estrategias y productos maximizando sus ganancias, mientras que el poder público adecúa la política urbana para garantizar tales negocios, desatendiendo los procesos de exclusión socio-urbana que tales dinámicas promueven y renunciando a una gestión estratégica e inclusiva del suelo urbano. En este marco, el objeto del presente artículo es analizar una serie de políticas de gestión de suelo urbano implementadas en los últimos cinco años en la RMBA, tanto en el distrito central como en las áreas de expansión urbana, a partir de los siguientes interrogantes: ¿cómo intervienen tales políticas validando esta modalidad de transferencia de riqueza?, ¿qué efectos genera en el acceso al hábitat digno? y, ¿hasta qué punto existen iniciativas que contrarresten estos procesos asociados de exclusión socio-urbana?

El presente trabajo analiza la reforma de la normativa urbana de la ciudad de La Plata en el año 2010. El proceso es abordado desde una perspectiva de política urbana, que considera que toda decisión pública encuentra origen y es mediada por un entramado, donde existe una correlación de fuerzas particular entre los actores y límites difusos entre lo público y lo privado. En diálogo con el enfoque de la economía política cultural del poder urbano, nos interrogamos sobre cuáles fueron las estrategias materiales y discursivas desarrolladas por los impulsores de la reforma para conformar una coalición de poder urbano con capacidad para incidir sobre la orientación de la nueva normativa.