RapidRadio: A Domain-Specific Productivity Enhancing Framework

The RapidRadio framework for signal classification and receiver deployment is discussed. The framework is a productivity enhancing tool that reduces the required knowledge-base for implementing a receiver on an FPGA-based SDR platform. The ultimate objective of this framework is to identify unknown signals and to build FPGA-based receivers capable of receiving them. The architecture of the receiver deployed by the framework and its implementation are discussed. The framework's capacity to classify a signal and deploy a functional receiver is validated with over-the-air experiments

Youths and poor emotional wellbeing: is it just a matter of stress? A longitudinal survey.

To date, research on emotional wellbeing among youths has been mostly based on cross-sectional studies, and little is known about its evolution over time. Our study adds a longitudinal approach to emotional wellbeing and defines different groups of youths according to their evolution over a two-year period. Stress and perceived health status seem to be the most important factors related to emotional wellbeing. Our research shows the importance of health care professionals exploring psychological health, especially when a youth has atypical somatic complaints. This could allow the early detection of psychological problems and the provision of proper timely treatment. To assess how emotional wellbeing evolves over a two-year period among youths in Switzerland, and to assess their characteristics. Data were obtained from the first and third waves of the GenerationFRee study (n = 1311, aged 15–24 at baseline). The sample was divided into four groups according to the evolution of their emotional wellbeing (WB): good at both waves (GoodWB: 67.9%), poor at T1 and good at T3 (BetterWB: 8.4%), good at T1 and poor at T3 (WorseWB: 13.2%), or poor at both waves (PoorWB: 10.4%). Significant variables at the bivariate level were included in a multinomial regression analysis using GoodWB as the reference category. Results are given as relative risk ratios (RRRs). The BetterWB group reported more stress at T1 (RRR 1.34), as did the WorseWB group at T3 (1.43). Those in the WorseWB group were more likely to report poorer health status at T3 (6.51). Finally, the PoorWB group reported more stress at T1 (1.33) and T3 (1.44), and poorer health status at T1 (9.39) and T3 (5.75). Other variables not significant in all groups were perceived onset of puberty, having a chronic condition, area of residence and relationships with parents. Using a longitudinal approach, stress and perceived health status seem to be the main factors that change with emotional wellbeing among youths. Inquiring about stress could be a good proxy for emotional wellbeing, especially among males, who tend to underestimate their emotional worries

Disordered Eating: The Young Male Side.

Disordered eating (DE) is known to predominate among girls, and historically studies have focused primarily on them. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the characteristics of adolescent and young adult males at risk of DE. Participants (N = 2269; 15-24 years) in a study assessing their lifestyle were divided into two groups based on the SCOFF five-question screening tool: a SCOFF[+] group for participants at risk of disordered eating, and a SCOFF[-] group for everyone else. SCOFF[+] participants were more likely to be overweight and obese; have a lower socio-economic status and non-Swiss parents; experience weight issues; and report a chronic condition, poorer emotional well-being and a less positive attitude towards life. With 10% of males at risk of DE, clinicians should be aware of their specific characteristics, which should be considered red flags. DE is no longer a female-specific issue

Frequency and effects of meeting health behaviour guidelines among adolescents.

Background: To assess the relationship between overweight status and the concomitant adherence to physical activity, daily screen time and nutritional guidelines. Methods: Data were derived from the Swiss Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey 2006. Participants (n = 8130, 48.7% girls) were divided into two groups: normal weight (n = 7215, 44.8% girls) and overweight (n = 915, 34.8% girls), using self-reported height and weight. Groups were compared on adherence to physical activity, screen time and nutritional guidelines. Bivariate analyses were carried out followed by multivariate analyses using normal-weight individuals as the reference category. Results: Regardless of gender, overweight individuals reported more screen time, less physical activity and less concomitant adherence to guidelines. For boys, the multivariate analysis showed that any amount exceeding screen time recommendations was associated with increased odds of being overweight [>2-4 h: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.40; >4-6 h: AOR = 1.48; >6 h: AOR = 1.83]. A similar relation was found for any amount below physical activity recommendations (4-6 times a week: AOR = 1.67; 2-3 times a week: AOR = 1.87; once a week or less: AOR = 2.1). For girls, not meeting nutritional guidelines was less likely among overweight individuals (0-2 recommendations: AOR = 0.54). Regardless of weight status, more than half of the adolescents did not comply with any guideline and <2% met all three at the same time. Conclusions: Meeting current nutritional, physical activity and screen time guidelines should be encouraged with respect to overweight. However, as extremely low rates of concomitant adherence were found regardless of weight status, their achievability is questionable (especially for nutrition), which warrants further research to better adapt them to adolescents

Daily internet time: towards an evidence-based recommendation?

Since 2001, a recommendation of no more than 2 h per day of screen time for children 2 years of age or older was adopted in many countries. However, this recommendation was rarely examined empirically. The goal of the present study was to question this recommendation in today's connected world. We used data from the [email protected] survey (spring 2012), a representative sample of 8th graders in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland (n = 2942, 50.6% female). Internet use, health outcomes, substance use, well-being and socio-demographic characteristics were considered. Bi-variate statistical analyses were performed. All outcomes were significantly associated with the time spent on internet, more time being associated with a higher prevalence of adverse consequences. Youth spending on average one more hour on Internet per day than the reference category (1.5-2.5 h) did not differ in terms of adverse health outcomes. Differences began to appear on sleeping problems, tobacco use, alcohol misuse, cannabis use and sport inactivity with youth spending between 3.5 h and 4.5 h per day on internet. This study demonstrates the absence of justification for setting a limit to only 2 h of screen time per day. Significant effects on health seem to appear only beyond 4 h per day and there may be benefits for those who spend less than an hour and a half on internet

Does the Primary Resource of Sex Education Matter? A Swiss National Study.

Sex education (SE) remains a subject of debate, including controversies on resources. The purpose of this paper was to determine the main SE resource during adolescence and its associations with personal characteristics and sexual behaviors of youths. Data were obtained from a self-administrated Swiss national survey on sexuality among young adults (mean age 26.3). Participants (N = 4978) were divided into six groups according to their main SE resource during their adolescence: Friends (1939; 38.9%), Parents (1361; 27.3%), School (n = 949; 19.1%), The Internet (399; 8.0%), Nobody (172; 3.5%) and Other (157; 3.2%). Groups were compared on sociodemographic, first sexual experiences, pregnancy, risky sexual behaviors, and undesired sexual experiences data. Males and non-heterosexual participants were overrepresented in the Internet group while, females more often reported their parents as their main SE resource. Participants in the School group reported the lowest rates of sexually transmitted infections and Friends the highest. Compared to the School group, those in the Friends, Internet, Nobody, and Other groups were more likely to report undesired sexual experiences. Few differences appeared between parents and school. Even though some resources such as friends or the Internet presented negative outcomes when they were assessed individually, we cannot deny the important place that they occupy in the lives of some youths

Caracterización de fincas y agricultores asociados a la producción de bananos/plátanos en zonas seleccionadas de Cuba

The objective of this survey conducted in Cuba was to characterize farms and farmers associated with plantain and banana production in some of the most productive regions of the country to design a training program responding to their needs and interests, with emphasis on knowledge and application of sustainable management tactics.  The production was characterized in localities of 10 provinces of the country by surveying 52 actors. The percentage represented by each response was calculated from the total of individuals surveyed. The age composition was balanced, 70 % were between 41 and 60 years old, with a high level of education, being outstanding the incorporation of undergraduate students into production (45 %) and the association of the actors and their farms with agricultural forms at the non-state productive base. It was shown that it was necessary to outline the training of producers in phytosanitary issues because of their deficient knowledge about the crop major pests. The scarce notion of elements and functions of biodiversity the ecosystem provides, such as biological control agents, was also notable. The existence of a high use of chemical control was recorded, while the application of biocontrollers was less than 60 %. Among the fundamental causes of the low application of Integrated Pest Management were poor training, little information, and limited access to bioproducts. Interest in being trained through varied ways, such as printed materials, field days, informal talks and participatory workshops, was confirmed by the actors, and this should be considered in the training programs.El objetivo del trabajo fue caracterizar agroecosistemas asociados a la producción de bananos y plátanos en algunas localidades productoras de Cuba, para diseñar un programa de capacitación acorde a necesidades e interés de conocimientos en la aplicación de prácticas sustentables en el manejo de plagas. Se caracterizó la producción en localidades de 10 provincias del país, donde se encuestaron a 52 actores. Del total de individuos encuestados, se calculó el porcentaje que representó cada respuesta. La composición etaria estuvo equilibrada, el 70 % estuvo entre los 41 y 60 años, con alto nivel de escolaridad; se resalta la incorporación de universitarios a la producción (45 %) y la asociación de los actores y sus fincas a formas agropecuarias en la base productiva no estatales. Se demostró que es necesario perfilar la capacitación en temas fitosanitarios, debido a que existen deficiencias respecto al conocimiento de las plagas más importantes del cultivo. También es notable la escasa noción de elementos y funciones de la biodiversidad que el ecosistema brinda, como son los agentes del control biológico. Se registró la existencia de un alto uso del control químico, en tanto que la aplicación de los biocontroladores está por debajo del 60 %. Entre las causas fundamentales de la baja aplicación del Manejo Integrado de Plagas, están las escasas capacitación e información, así como el poco acceso los bioproductos. Se constató entre los actores el interés por la superación, en formas variadas: materiales impresos, días de campo, charlas informales y talleres participativos, los que deben ser considerados en los programas de capacitación

Interspecific Hybridization Increased in Congeneric Flatfishes after the Prestige Oil Spill

Marine species with relatively low migratory capacity are threatened by habitat alterations derived from human activities. In November 2002 the tanker Prestige sank off the Spanish northwest coast releasing 70,000 tons of fuel and damaging biota in the area. Despite efforts to clean the damaged areas, fuel remnants have affected marine species over the last nine years. This study is focused on two flatfish, Lepidorhombus boscii (four-spotted megrim) and L. whiffiagonis (megrim), whose spawning areas are located at the edge of the continental platform. We have analyzed megrim samples from North Spanish and French waters obtained before and after the oil spill. Genotypes at the nuclear marker 5S rDNA indicate a significant increase in interspecific hybridization after the Prestige accident, likely due to forced spawning overlap. The mitochondrial D-Loop region was employed for determining the direction of hybrid crosses, which were most frequently L. boscii female x L. whiffiagonis male. Reduced ability of L. boscii females to select conspecific mates would explain such asymmetric hybridization. To our knowledge this is the first time that increased hybridization between fish species can be associated to an oil spill. These results illustrate the potential long-term effect of petrol wastes on wild fish species

Psychometric properties of the IDS-SR30 for the assessment of depressive symptoms in spanish population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Due to the high prevalence of depression, it is clinically relevant to improve the early identification and assessment of depressive episodes. The main objective of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the IDS-SR₃₀(Self-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology) in a large Spanish sample of depressive patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This prospective, naturalistic, multicenter, nationwide epidemiological study conducted in Spain included 1595 adult patients (65.3% females) with a DSM-IV Major Depressive Disorder (MDD. IDS-SR₃₀and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS, 21 items)were administered to the sample. Data was collected during 2 routine visits. The second assessment was carried out after 10 ± 2 weeks after first assessment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The IDS-SR₃₀showed good internal consistency (α = 0.94) and high item total correlations (≥ 0.50) were found in 70% of the items. The convergent validity was 0.85. Results of the principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) showed that a three factor model (labelled mood/cognition, anxiety/somatic and sleep) is adequate for the current sample.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Spanish version of the IDS-SR₃₀seems a reliable, valid and useful tool for measuring depression symptomatology in Spanish population.</p

Pla funcional del Programa d’incorporació de fisioterapeutes a l’atenció primària i comunitària: programa d’incorporació de fisioterapeutes per a la promoció del funcionament i la prevenció de la discapacitat a l’atenció primària i comunitària

Fisioterapeutes; Atenció primària; IncorporacióFisioterapeutas; Atención primaria; IncorporaciónPhysiotherapists; Primary care; IncorporationEl present pla funcional és una eina de suport per a l’acollida i la incorporació dels nous fisioterapeutes1 d’atenció primària i comunitària (FisioAPiC) als equips d’atenció primària (EAP) d’arreu de Catalunya. Aquest és un document dinàmic que requerirà les aportacions dels professionals dels EAP que han incorporat aquest nou rol per tal de fer-lo evolucionar i enriquir-lo en les versions següents