Alteraciones funcionales y actividad epiléptica en modelos animales de epilepsia mioclónica progresiva y de demencia frontotemporal

Tesis doctoral inédita realizada en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia y el IIS de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz. Fecha de lectura:30 de Marzo de 201

Relationship between emotional motivation and academic performance in second language learning

This article presents the results of a research study on the role that affective motivation plays in learning a second language (L2). There were 171 American university students of Spain, German, Italy, and Japan as a second language participated in the study. This was an ex post facto, cross-sectional, and correlational quantitative study that informs us of which is the type of motivation most beneficial for learners and considers variables such as age, gender, academic performance, and the intention to continue studying a second language. An online questionnaire based on the Dörnyei motivational model was administered. The results show that the variables ideal self and “projection of intended effort” of the learners are positively and significantly related to the academic performance of the students and to the intention of enrollment in future foreign language classes. At the opposite extreme, the deontic self or ought-to-self does not correlate significantly with any of the rest of the variables considered. Regarding the cross-sectional analysis of age and gender, no significant differences were found in gender. However, there was a negative and significant correlation between age and academic performance. Furthermore, there was positive and significant correlation between age and projected effort

Objetos diversos procedentes del poblado calcolítico de Amarguillo II (Los Molares, Sevilla)

Abordamos en este texto el estudio de una serie de objetos del poblado calcolftico de Amarguillo II (Los Molares, Sevilla) procedentes de excavaciones arqueológicas, de prospecciones y de hallazgos casuales que parecen estar relacionados en su mayor parte con el Arte Esquemático Típico. Sus paralelos podemos encontrarlos por diversos ámbitos de la Península Ibérica y por la fachada atlántica europea, principalmente por Bretaña, Escocia e Irlanda

A reliable and valid questionnaire was developed to measure computer vision syndrome at the workplace

Objectives: To design and validate a questionnaire to measure visual symptoms related to exposure to computers in the workplace. Study Design and Setting: Our computer vision syndrome questionnaire (CVS-Q) was based on a literature review and validated through discussion with experts and performance of a pretest, pilot test, and retest. Content validity was evaluated by occupational health, optometry, and ophthalmology experts. Rasch analysis was used in the psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire. Criterion validity was determined by calculating the sensitivity and specificity, receiver operator characteristic curve, and cutoff point. Testeretest repeatability was tested using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and concordance by Cohen’s kappa (k). Results: The CVS-Q was developed with wide consensus among experts and was well accepted by the target group. It assesses the frequency and intensity of 16 symptoms using a single rating scale (symptom severity) that fits the Rasch rating scale model well. The questionnaire has sensitivity and specificity over 70% and achieved good testeretest repeatability both for the scores obtained [ICC 5 0.802; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.673, 0.884] and CVS classification (k 5 0.612; 95% CI: 0.384, 0.839). Conclusion: The CVS-Q has acceptable psychometric properties, making it a valid and reliable tool to control the visual health of computer workers, and can potentially be used in clinical trials and outcome research.This study was supported by the Spanish National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (INSHT) (Grant number: 07/606). Project reference: UAL/PVDVIS

Retos del sector de Sociedades de Garantía Recíproca frente a la crisis actual

El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar los retos a los que se enfrentan las Sociedades de Garantías Recíprocas (SGR) y su papel en la financiación de la PYME en el contexto actual de crisis financiera en España. Entre las principales conclusiones, destacar que ante las mayores dificultades actuales, las SGR adquieren mayor relevancia para facilitar el acceso al crédito para las PYMES debido a que son un instrumento directo, con su garantía los fondos del sistema bancario llegan hacia estas empresas, y muy eficaz, por el efecto multiplicador de su actividad. Sin embargo, a su vez, estas sociedades están afectadas igualmente por el aumento de la morosidad al que deben enfrentarse y que incide en su actividad avalista. Se analiza, por tanto, la importancia de mantener la solvencia de las SGR y de CERSA (Compañía Española de Reafianzamiento) en niveles adecuados para que puedan cumplir con los retos actuales de ampliar su actividad incluso a un mayor número de PYMES. = The aim of this paper is to analyze the challenges confronted by the Reciprocal Guarantees Societies (SGRs,Spanish acronym), and its role in the financing of SMEs in the current context of financial crisis in Spain. Major findings include, considering the greatest current difficulties of nowadays, that the SGRs acquires greater relevance to facilitate the access to credit for SMEs because they are a direct instrument, with its guarantee funds incoming to these companies from the banking system, and very effective, due to the multiplier effect of its activity. However, in turn, these societies are also affected by the increase in doubtful assets which have to face and that affect his guarantor activity. It is analyzed, therefore, the relevance of maintaining the SGRs and CERSA (Compañía Española de Reafianzamiento) solvency at appropriate levels in order to address the current challenges of expanding its activity, indeed to a larger number of SMEs

¿Cómo ayudan las ilustraciones en los textos clásicos a la comprensión en el aula?: el ejemplo de coplas a la muerte de su padre de Jorge Manrique en la edición de Antonio Santos

Texto e imagen son dos elementos que están íntimamente ligados y que pueden entenderse conjuntamente. La ilustración puede suponer una ayuda a la lectura del texto al que acompaña y, además, puede ofrecer nuevos puntos de vista más actuales y diferentes. A lo largo de la historia de la lectura encontramos que las imágenes han acompañado al texto de distintas maneras y todas han facilitado la forma de enfrentar un texto. Las coplas a la muerte de su padre de Jorge Manrique forman parte de ese conjunto de obras clásicas medievales que, como docentes, debemos impartir en el aula. Estos versos suelen ser difíciles para el alumnado y en este trabajo vamos a mostrar las diferentes formas que hay de enseñar a Manrique en 3º de la ESO y por qué creemos que la mejor opción es presentar la edición ilustrada de la editorial Nórdica. <br /

Measuring the relation between academic performance and emotional intelligence at the university level after the COVID-19 Pandemic using TMMS-24

The outbreak of the global pandemic derived from COVID-19 in early 2020 has represented a huge loss of social contact for most young people. The extent of these effects is still unknown, so it is necessary to ask what the effect of this new, unforeseen, and prolonged situation on the management of emotional intelligence in university students is. This study aims to compare the academic performance, test anxiety (before and during the online exams), and emotional intelligence of 91 students in a university Master’s degree program after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The emotional intelligence was measured by the TMMS-24, the academic performance was compiled in common subjects, and test anxiety was measured by self-assessment just after finishing each online exam. The comparisons between the variables were made through means difference contrasts using Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis, and One-way ANOVA and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient as a non-parametric test for correlational analysis. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has not modified how these three variables are related, so it can be concluded that the prolonged social isolation suffered by young people has not had negative repercussions on their emotional intelligence, anxiety before exams, and academic performanc

Reliability of 4-m and 6-m walking speed tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment

[Abstract] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interrater and test–retest reliability of 4-m and 6-m walking speed tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment. 50 subjects aged 65 and over with cognitive impairment were selected from an adult day-care centre and a nursing home. To examine interrater reliability, 21 people were evaluated independently by two researchers who administered the 4-m and 6-m walking tests in each evaluation. For test–retest reliability, two observers administered the tests to the same 29 subjects, with a time interval of one week. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to examine interrater and test–retest reliability. The ICCs for interrater reliability reached values of 0.96 and 0.88 for the 4-m and 6-m walking tests, respectively. In the test–retest study, the time interval was 7.4 1.17 days. The ICCs were 0.91 for the 4-m test and 0.86 for the 6-m test. The results support the use of walking tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment

Expresión y purificación de granzima A de ratón en Pichia pastoris y análisis de su acción pro-inflamatoria sobre macrófagos

Recientemente se ha descrito que la serín proteasa granzima A (gzmA) presenta actividad inflamatoria induciendo la producción de citoquinas proinflamatorias como IL-1β y TNFα en diferentes grupos celulares como macrófagos y monocitos. Además, estudios in vivo han demostrado la relevancia biológica de esta proteasa en diferentes patologías inflamatorias como sepsis y artritis reumatoide. Pero el mecanismo por el cual esta proteasa induce la producción de citoquinas proinflamatorias se desconoce. En este trabajo analizamos de forma preliminar el mecanismo por el cual la gzmA induce la producción de citoquinas proinflamatorias en macrófagos. Para ello primeramente se sobreexpresó gzmA recombinante de ratón utilizando el sistema de expresión eucariota Pichia pastoris. La gzmA sobreexpresada se purificó mediante cromatografía de afinidad de metal inmovilizado (IMAC), si bien no se pudo obtener una cantidad adecuada ya que no se consiguió una buena expresión de esta proteína en este sistema. Por ello, para el estudio del mecanismo de inflamación inducido por gzmA se utilizó una muestra de gzmA nativa aislada de los gránulos citotóxicos de la línea celular de ratón 1.3E6, previamente purificada en nuestro laboratorio. Utilizando macrófagos derivados de la médula ósea estimulados y sin estimular con LPS de E. coli hemos encontrado que la gzmA es capaz de inducir la producción de IL-1β en macrófagos previamente estimulados con LPS por un mecanismo dependiente de caspasa-1, siendo además capaz de incrementar la producción de TNFα en los macrófagos que se estimularon con LPS. También encontramos que la gzmA puede inducir la producción de IL-6 en macrófagos sin necesidad de un estímulo previo