Sexuality and the Chicana/o detective: Identity and violence in Alicia Gaspar De Alba and Michael Nava’s mystery fiction

This doctoral thesis looks at how queer Chicana/o detectives investigate, from an outsider/insider point of view, identity politics and violence as related to sexuality and gender roles. In particular, this thesis aims to make a comparative analysis between the mystery works of Chicana/o writers Michael Nava and Alicia Gaspar de Alba. This study is predominantly informed by Chicana/o, Detective Fiction, Feminist and Queer Studies. Until the 1970s, the dominant traditional discourse in detective fiction had placed ethnic and homosexual characters in a marginal position. Traditional mystery narratives subordinated and limited these characters to a negative representation. In the last decades, this restrictive style has gradually morphed with the introduction of ethnic and queer sleuths. The purpose of my research is to examine how detective fiction has been a suitable genre, for Nava and Gaspar de Alba, to explore sexuality issues within the Chicana/o community and examine homophobia and violence in a transnational context. The inclusion of indigenous and non-indigenous critical theories to support this research will allow this thesis to offer an emic and etic approach to Chicana/o culture. It will also negotiate differences and similarities between those theories developed from inside the Chicano culture and those constructed from the outside

Recreational Drug Use in People Living with HIV in Spain : Factors Associated with Drug Use and the Impact on Clinical Outcomes

We analysed the impact of recreational drug use (RDU) on different outcomes in people living with HIV (PLHIV). A multicentre retrospective cohort study was performed with two cohorts of PLHIV included: people using recreational drugs (PURD) vs. people not using recreational drugs (PNURD). Overall, 275 PLHIV were included. RDU was associated with men having sex with men (OR 4.14, 95% CI [1.14, 5.19]), previous sexually transmitted infections (OR 4.00, 95% CI [1.97, 8.13]), and current smoking (OR 2.74, 95% CI [1.44, 5.19]). While the CD/CD ratio increased amongst PNURD during the follow-up year, it decreased amongst PURD (p = 0.050). PURD presented lower scores of self-reported and multi-interval antiretroviral adherence (p = 0.017, and p = 0.006, respectively), emotional well-being (p < 0.0001), and regular follow-up (p = 0.059), but paid more visits to the emergency unit (p = 0.046). RDU worsens clinical, immunological, and mental health outcomes amongst PLHIV

Crucero a Isla Basura: una propuesta innovadora para concienciar sobre la contaminación marina por plásticos a los futuros profesores de Primaria

[SPA] En el marco del desarrollo de competencias en los futuros docentes de Primaria, relacionadas con la sustentabilidad, nuestro trabajo se centra en el diseño de una propuesta innovadora basada en el uso de problemas, en la cual se ha seleccionado como conflicto socioambiental la existencia de un gran vórtice de basura en el océano Pacífico. El objetivo del diseño está centrado en evaluar las ideas de estudiantes del Grado de Primaria sobre las consecuencias del consumo masivo de plásticos, el grado de responsabilidad que asumen y cómo potenciarían cambios de actitudes a este respecto en su futuro profesional. La propuesta denominada “Crucero a Isla Basura” se compone de cinco actividades, en las que se profundiza en los impactos sociales, ambientales y económicos del uso excesivo de plásticos y su desecho. Los primeros resultados de su implementación sobre 80 estudiantes muestran una cierta ingenuidad cuando analizan su propio consumo, aunque son capaces de plantear soluciones realistas y ligadas a sus hábitos cotidianos. [ENG] Under the development of competences in future teachers of Primary , which are related to sustainability , our research focuses on the design of an innovative proposal, based on the use of problems, in which the large trash vortex in the Pacific Ocean has been selected as the socio-environmental conflict.. The design objective is focused on evaluating the ideas of students on the consequences of high consumption of plastic , the degree of responsibility assumed and how they would enhance attitudes of children in this regard in their professional future. The proposal called " Waste Vortex Cruise " include of five activities , which delves into the social, environmental and economic impacts of the excessive use and cast away of plastics. The first results of its implementation on 80 students indicate a certain naivety when they analyze their own consumption, but they are able to propose realistic solutions which linked to their daily habits

Prevalence, beliefs and impact of drug-drug interactions between antiretroviral therapy and illicit drugs among people living with HIV in Spain

Altres ajuts: ViiV Healthcare (grant 001/2016)Drug use implies important challenges related to HIV management, particularly due to an increased risk of potential interactions between antiretroviral therapy (ART) and illicit drugs (pDDIs). This study analyses the prevalence and severity of pDDIs among people living with HIV (PLHIV). It also explores their awareness of pDDIs and their beliefs about the toxicity that they may cause, as well as the impact of pDDIs on selected health variables. We conducted an on-line cross-sectional survey across 33 Spanish hospitals and NGOs to collect demographics and clinical data. pDDIs were checked against the Interaction Checker developed by Liverpool University. The sample of the present study was composed of 694 PLHIV who used illicit drugs. They represented 49.5% of the 1,401 PLHIV that participated in the survey. After excluding 38 participants due to lack of information on their ART or illicit drug use, 335 (51.1%) participants consuming drugs presented with some potentially significant pDDIs between their ART and illicit drugs, with a mean of 2.1±1.7 (1-10) pDDIs per patient. The drugs most frequently involved in pDDIs were cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and nitrates ("poppers"). The prevalence of pDDIs across ART regimens was: protease inhibitors (41.7%); integrase inhibitor-boosted regimens (32.1%), and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (26.3%). An awareness of pDDIs and beliefs about their potential toxicity correlated positively with intentional non-adherence (p<0.0001). Participants with pDDIs exhibited a higher prevalence of intentional non-adherence (2.19±1.04 vs. 1.93±0.94; p = 0.001). The presence of pDDIs was not associated with poorer results in the clinical variables analysed. A significant proportion of PLHIV who use drugs experience pDDIs, thereby requiring close monitoring. pDDIs should be considered in the clinical management of HIV patients. Adequate information about pDDIs and indicators about how to manage ART when PLHIV use drugs could improve ART non-adherence

Prevalence and patterns of illicit drug use in people living with HIV in Spain: A cross-sectional study

This study assessed the prevalence and patterns of drug use among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Spain. We conducted an observational cross-sectional study including 1401 PLHIV. Data were collected through 33 sites across Spain using an online computer-assisted self-administered interview. The survey measured use of illicit drugs and other substances, treatment adherence and health-related variables. To analyse patterns of drug use we performed cluster analysis in two stages. The most frequently consumed substances were: alcohol (86.7%), tobacco (55.0%), illicit drugs (49.5%), other substances (27.1%). The most prevalent illicit drugs used were cannabis (73.8%), cocaine powder (53.9%), and poppers (45.4%). Results found four clusters of PLHIV who used drugs. Two of them were composed mainly of heterosexuals (HTX): Cluster 1 (n = 172) presented the lowest polydrug use and they were mainly users of cannabis, and Cluster 2 (n = 84) grouped mostly men who used mainly heroin and cocaine; which had the highest percentage of people who inject drugs and presented the lowest level of treatment adherence (79.8±14.2; p < .0001). The other two clusters were composed mainly of men who have sex with men (MSM), who were mostly users of recreational drugs. Cluster 3 (n = 285) reported moderate consumption, both regarding frequency and diversity of drugs used, while Cluster 4 (n = 153) was characterized by the highest drug polyconsumption (7.4±2.2; p < .0001), and 4 grouped MSM who injected recreational drugs, and who reported the highest frequency of use of drugs in a sexual context (2.6±0.8; p < .0001) and rates of sexually transmitted infections (1.8±1.1; p < .01). This is the largest multi-centre cross-sectional study assessing the current prevalence and patterns of drug use among PLHIV in Spain. The highest prevalence of drug use was found among MSM, although HTX who used heroin and cocaine (Cluster 2) had the most problems with adherence to HIV treatment and the worst health status.This study was funded by ViiV Healthcare (grant nº: SEISIDA 001/2016). SC is Medical Manager at ViiV Healthcare. ViiV Healthcare was the promoter of the study but they did not play any role in data collection and analysis.S

Publicación en acceso abierto en las universidades andaluzas

Elaborado por el Grupo de Trabajo de Apoyo a la Investigación del CBU

Occupation, smoking, and chronic obstructive respiratory disorders: a cross sectional study in an industrial area of Catalonia, Spain

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the independent effects of occupational exposures and smoking on chronic bronchitis and airflow obstruction. We assessed the association between lifetime occupational exposures and airflow obstruction in a cross-sectional survey in an urban-industrial area of Catalonia, Spain. METHODS: We interviewed 576 subjects of both sexes aged 20–70 years (response rate 80%) randomly selected from census rolls, using the ATS questionnaire. Forced spirometry was performed by 497 subjects according to ATS normative. RESULTS: Lifetime occupational exposure to dust, gases or fumes was reported by 52% of the subjects (63% in men, 41% in women). Textile industry was the most frequently reported job in relation to these exposures (39%). Chronic cough, expectoration and wheeze were more prevalent in exposed subjects with odds ratios ranging from 1.7 to 2.0 being highest among never-smokers (2.1 to 4.3). Lung function differences between exposed and unexposed subjects were dependent on duration of exposure, but not on smoking habits. Subjects exposed more than 15 years to dusts, gases or fumes had lower lung function values (FEV(1 )-80 ml, 95% confidence interval (CI) -186 to 26; MMEF -163 ml, CI -397 to 71; FEV(1)/FVC ratio -1.7%, CI -3.3 to -0.2) than non-exposed. CONCLUSION: Chronic bronchitis symptoms and airflow obstruction are associated with occupational exposures in a population with a high employment in the textile industry. Lung function impairment was related to the duration of occupational exposure, being independent of the effect of smoking

Creación del primer Grupo iGEM (Competición Internacional de Biología Sintética) de Madrid: Facultad de Biología-UCM

En este Trabajo se describe la creación del primer Grupo iGEM de Madrid así como la elaboración de un biosensor que permite la detección de polen de olivo a tiempo real empleando metodos de ingeniería genética y robótica

Escuela para madres y padres sobre bilingüismo y aprendizaje del inglés

Memoria del proyecto de Aprendizaje y Servicio titulado Escuela para madres y padres sobre bilingüismo y aprendizaje del inglés, dirigido por el Dr. D. Daniel Martín González y financiado por la Oficina de Aprendizaje y Servicio de la UCM en la Convocatoria de Proyectos de Aprendizaje y Servicio 2021-22