Evaluación de diferentes rasgos funcionales de cinco especies nativas forestales andinas en pre y post plantación en una gradiente altitudinal en la provincia del Azuay

Los rasgos funcionales son importantes de estudiar porque explican la relación de las plantas con su entorno. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar ocho rasgos funcionales de cinco especies nativas andinas en tres fases de la reforestación: Invernadero, aclimatación y plantación, estas dos últimas fueron evaluados en una gradiente altitudinal en la provincia del Azuay. Se seleccionaron al azar 25 plantas por especie en las dos primeras fases y 32 plantas en la tercera fase. Las especies evaluadas fueron: Oreocallis grandiflora, Hedyosmum luteynii, Weinmannia fagaroides, Morella pubescens y Vallea stipularis. En el experimento de reforestación se establecieron ocho bloques conformados por cuatro tratamientos; 1) Control, 2) Sin competencia de pastos (SS+ P. cortado), 3) Sombra con pasto (S + Pasto), y 4) Sombra sin pastos (S + P. cortado). Los rasgos funcionales evaluados fueron: tasa de crecimiento en altura (TCA), tasa de crecimiento de diámetro basal (TCD), espesor de hoja (EH), clorofila (CL), área foliar (AF), área foliar específica (AFE), longitud específica de raíz (LER) y diámetro de la raíz fina (DRF). Los resultados a nivel de invernadero, mostraron que especies adquisitivas sobresalen frente a conservativas. En la aclimatación, todas las especies excepto V. stipularis, presentaron diferencias significativas para la mayoría de rasgos funcionales evaluados, considerando el efecto de la gradiente altitudinal. En la fase de plantación, se observó un mejor rendimiento de las especies, en los tratamientos bajo sombra. Este estudio contribuye con información sobre la selección de especies para la reforestación en función de rasgos funcionales.Functional traits are important to study because they explain plants relationship with its environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate eight functional traits of five native Andean species in three phases of reforestation: greenhouse, acclimatization and plantation, the last two were evaluated in an altitudinal gradient in the province of Azuay. Twenty-five plants per species were randomly selected in the first two phases and 32 plants in the third phase. The species evaluated were: Oreocallis grandiflora, Hedyosmum luteynii, Weinmannia fagaroides, Morella pubescens and Vallea stipularis. In the reforestation experiment, eight blocks made up of four treatments were established; 1) Control, 2) Without grass competition (SS+ Cut P.), 3) Shade with grass (S + Grass), and 4) Shade without grass (S + Cut P.). The functional traits evaluated were: height growth rate (TCA), basal diameter growth rate (TCD), leaf thickness (LT), chlorophyll (CL), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), specific root length (SRL) and fine root diameter (DRF). The results at the greenhouse level showed that acquisitive species stand out over conservative ones. In acclimatization, all species except V. stipularis had significant differences for most of the functional traits evaluated, considering the effect of the altitudinal gradient. In the plantation phase, a better performance of the species was observed in the treatments under shade. This study contributes with information on the selection of species for reforestation based on functional traits.0000-0003-4711-965

There Is More to Mindfulness Than Emotion Regulation: A Study on Brain Structural Networks

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (PSI2016-80558-R to ACa); and a postdoctoral contract of the university of Granada (to SB).We would also like to thank the support of the Andalusian Regional Government, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), to the Brain, Behavior, and Health, scientific excellence unit (SC2), ref: SOMM17/6103/UGR.Dispositional mindfulness and emotion regulation are two psychological constructs closely interrelated, and both appear to improve with the long-term practice of mindfulness meditation. These constructs appear to be related to subcortical, prefrontal, and posterior brain areas involved in emotional processing, cognitive control, self-awareness, and mind wandering. However, no studies have yet discerned the neural basis of dispositional mindfulness that are minimally associated with emotion regulation. In the present study, we use a novel brain structural network analysis approach to study the relationship between structural networks and dispositional mindfulness, measured with two different and widely used instruments [Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)], taking into account the effect of emotion regulation difficulties. We observed a number of different brain regions associated with the different scales and dimensions. The total score of FFMQ and MAAS overlap with the bilateral parahippocampal and fusiform gyri. Additionally, MAAS scores were related to the bilateral hippocampus and the FFMQ total score to the right insula and bilateral amygdala. These results indicate that, depending on the instrument used, the characteristics measured could differ and could also involve different brain systems. However, it seems that brain areas related to emotional reactivity and semantic processing are generally related to Dispositional or trait mindfulness (DM), regardless of the instrument used.Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness PSI2016-80558-Runiversity of Granad

Structural stability of SiGe nanoparticles under "in situ" electron beam irradiation in TEM

The structure of amorphous and crystalline SiGe nanoparticles, embedded in a dielectric medium, SiO2, and its stability under “in situ” electron beam irradiation is reported. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron-diffraction pattern simulation by fast Fourier transform was used to analyze the crystal structure of the SiGe nanoparticles. Electron beam irradiation induces structural alternate order-disorder transitions in the nanoparticles for irradiation effects are mainly associated to the density of current. For irradiation with current densities < 7 A·cm-2 no effects are observed in the as-deposited amorphous samples, whereas in the crystallized samples, SiGe nanocrystals show higher stability and no effects are observed for irradiation densities of current < 50 A·cm-2. Irradiation with densities of current greater than these thresholds cause consecutive amorphous-crystalline or crystalline-amorphous structure transitions respectively for both amorphous and crystallized nanoparticles. A hexagonal structure is proposed for those nanocrystals obtained after irradiation in the as deposited amorphous samples

Characteristics of Frailty in Perimenopausal Women with Long COVID-19

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of risk factors for frailty between perimenopausal women with long COVID-19 syndrome, women having successfully recovered from COVID-19, and controls from the community. Women with a diagnosis of long COVID-19 and at least one symptom related to the perimenopausal period, women who had successfully recovered from COVID-19, and healthy women of comparable age were included in this study. Symptom severity and functional disability were assessed with the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale, and the presence of frailty was evaluated considering the Fried criteria. A total of 195 women were included in the study, distributed over the three groups. The long COVID-19 group showed a higher prevalence of perimenopausal symptoms and impact of COVID-19. Statistically significant differences were found between the long COVID-19 group and the other two groups for the frailty variables. When studying the associations between frailty variables and COVID-19 symptom impact, significant positive correlations were found. Perimenopausal women with long COVID-19 syndrome present more frailty-related factors and experience a higher range of debilitating ongoing symptoms. A significant relationship is shown to exist between long COVID-19 syndrome-related disability and symptoms and frailty variables, resulting in an increased chance of presenting disability.Formación Profesorado Universitario (FPU) grant (FPU: 19/02609) from the Spanish Ministry of EducationFPU grant (FPU: 21/00451) for the training of university faculty from the University of GranadaCollege of Physiotherapists of Andalucia, (Project Ref: 06195/21D/MA

Efficacy of Web-Based Supportive Interventions in Quality of Life in COPD Patients, a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This research was funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, grant number FPU: 19/02609, FPU: 17/00408 and FPU: 16/01531 and by University of Granada, grant number FPU: PP20/05.Background: Adults living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) often have difficulties when trying to access health care services. Interactive communication technologies are a valuable tool to enable patients to access supportive interventions to cope with their disease. The aim of this revision and meta-analysis is to analyze the content and efficacy of web-based supportive interventions in quality of life in COPD. Methods: Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science, and Scopus were the databases used to select the studies for this systematic review. A screening, analysis, and assessment of the methodological quality was carried out by two independent researchers. A meta-analysis of the extracted data was performed. Results: A total of 9 of the 3089 studies reviewed met the inclusion criteria. Most repeated web content elements were educational and involved communication with healthcare professional content. Finally, seven of the nine studies were included in a quantitative analysis. Web-based supportive interventions significantly improved quality of life when added to usual care (SMD = -1.26, 95% CI = -1.65, -0.86; p < 0.001) but no significant differences were found when compared with an autonomous pedometer walking intervention (p = 0.64) or a face-to-face treatment (p = 0.82). Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that web-based supportive interventions may complement or accompany treatments in COPD patients due to the advantages of online interventions. The results obtained should be treated with caution due to the limited number of studies in this area and methodological weaknesses.University of Granada FPU: PP20/05Spanish Government FPU: 19/02609 FPU: 17/00408 FPU: 16/0153

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity in Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education by a FPU ("Formacion Profesorado Universitario") grant for the authors Andres Calvache-Mateo and Laura Lopez-Lopez (grant number, FPU:19/02609, FPU:17/00408).The management of chronic diseases (CD) includes physical activity (PA). It is necessary to determine the effects of COVID-19 restrictions in CD. The aim was to review the research related to PA levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in people with CD. This review was designed according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO: CRD42020218825. The search was performed in CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science up to January 2021. The PICOS recommendations were applied. The search was conducted by two reviewers, who completed the data extraction of included articles. Methodological quality was assessed using the STROBE checklist, and a meta-analysis was conducted. The literature search strategy identified 227 articles. Five studies remained and were included. Only three studies were included in the meta-analysis. Two articles used accelerometers to objectively compare PA levels before and during the pandemic. Three studies made this comparison using an online survey. All articles showed a decrease in PA levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. The meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in PA levels during pandemic. PA levels during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reduced with respect to previous levels of PA in patients with CD.German Research Foundation (DFG) FPU:19/02609 FPU:17/0040

Violación del derecho a la defensa de las personas y el debido proceso en los juicios de jurisdicción coactiva en el art. 968 del código de procedimiento civil

El presente trabajo de investigación, tiene como objetivo primordial, realizar un estudio y análisis jurídico acerca de lo que en nuestro país es el cumplimiento del derecho constitucional a la defensa de las personas y el debido proceso en los juicios de jurisdicción de coactivas, su procedimiento legal, parámetros que deben ser respetados, excepciones a este proceso, la inobservancia a los derechos constitucionales y a la importancia de dichos juicios dentro de nuestra sociedad. Este tema ha sido de vital trascendencia debido a los sucesos ocurridos en los últimos años dentro de nuestro país, ya que el Estado Ecuatoriano ha tomado a su cargo a organismos públicos del mismo, tal como menciona al BNF, sucursal Alausí como ente fundamental de investigación, provocando con esto, que las personas naturales o jurídicas que adeudaban rubros a este organismo, ya no tengan deudas meramente civiles, recuperables por juicio ejecutivo, sino poniéndoles en la difícil situación del juicio coactivo. Dentro del trabajo de investigación propuesto, enfocaré en determinar si el juicio coactivo viola derechos y garantías constitucionales, a fin de establecer si la tutela efectiva y la seguridad jurídica están siendo respetadas en cada uno de los procesos. Al analizar cada uno de los procesos coactivos en el BNF, sucursal Alausí en liquidación se establecerá la eficacia en la recuperación de cartera vencida por parte del organismo competente y el impacto de este en la sociedad. También se establecerá si la jurisdicción coactiva tiene las mismas garantías que la justicia ordinaria, o si por el hecho de ser el Estado el que impulsa el juicio tenga privilegios y beneficios de los cuales no goza ninguna otra persona natural o jurídica que impulse el juicio en los procesos ordinarios

Behavioural intervention to reduce disruptive behaviours in adult day care centres users: A randomizsed clinical trial (PROCENDIAS study)

[ENG]Aim: This study assesses the effect of an intervention to reduce the disruptive behaviours (DB) presented by care recipient users of adult day care centres (ADCC), thereby reducing caregiver overload. While ADCC offer beneficial respite for family caregivers, the DB that many care recipients show promote resistance to attending these centres, which can be a great burden on their family caregivers. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Methods: The study was carried out with 130 family caregivers of people attending seven ADCC in the municipality of Salamanca (Spain), randomly distributed into intervention and control groups. The intervention was applied across eight sessions, one per week, in groups of 8–10 people where caregivers were trained in the Antecedent- Behavior-Consequence (ABC) model of functional behaviour analysis. The primary outcome was the reduction of DB measured with the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC). Results: An average reduction in the RMBPC of 4.34 points was obtained in the intervention group after applying the intervention (p < 0.01 (U de Mann–Whitney); Cohen d = 1.00); furthermore, differences were found in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) (U = −2.67; p = 0.008; Cohen d = 0.50) and in the Short Zarit Burden Interview (Short ZBI) (t = −4.10; p < 0.01; Cohen d = 0.98). Conclusion: The results obtained suggest that the implementation of this intervention could reduce both the frequency of DB occurrence and the reaction of the caregiver to their appearance. Improvement was also noted in the results regarding overload and emotional state of the family caregiver. Impact: To our knowledge, this is the first randomized clinical trial to show that an intervention based on the ABC model could reduce the frequency and reaction of DB of care recipients in ADCC increasing their quality of life, and improving the mental health and overload of their family caregivers