Trends in lung cancer incidence by age, sex and histology from 2012 to 2025 in Catalonia (Spain)

Lung cancer remains one the most common cancers in Europe and ranks frst in terms of cancer mortality in both sexes. Incidence rates vary by region and depend above all on the prevalence of tobacco consumption. In this study we describe recent trends in lung cancer incidence by sex, age and histological type in Catalonia and project changes according to histology by 2025. Bayesian age period-cohort models were used to predict trends in lung cancer incidence according to histological type from 2012 to 2025, using data from the population-based Catalan cancer registries. Data suggest a decrease in the absolute number of new cases in men under the age of 70 years and an increase in women aged 60 years or older. Adenocarcinoma was the most common type in both sexes, while squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma were decreasing signifcantly among men. In both sexes, the incident cases increased by 16% for patients over 70 years. Increases in adenocarcinoma and rising incidence in elderly patients suggest the need to prioritize strategies based on multidisciplinary teams, which should include geriatric specialist

Health service use and costs associated with aggressiveness or agitation and containment in adult psychiatric care:A systematic review of the evidence

BACKGROUND: Agitation and containment are frequent in psychiatric care but little is known about their costs. The aim was to evaluate the use of services and costs related to agitation and containment of adult patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital or emergency service. METHODS: Systematic searches of four electronic databases covering the period January 1998-January 2014 were conducted. Manual searches were also performed. Paper selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Cost data were converted to euros in 2014. RESULTS: Ten studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis (retrospective cohorts, prospective cohorts and cost-of-illness studies). Evaluated in these studies were length of stay, readmission rates and medication. Eight studies assessed the impact of agitation on the length of stay and six showed that it was associated with longer stays. Four studies examined the impact of agitation on readmission and a statistically significant increase in the probability of readmission of agitated patients was observed. Two studies evaluated medication. One study showed that the mean medication dose was higher in agitated patients and the other found higher costs of treatment compared with non-agitated patients in the unadjusted analysis. One study estimated the costs of conflict and containment incurred in acute inpatient psychiatric care in the UK. The estimation for the year 2014 of total annual cost per ward for all conflict was €182,616 and €267,069 for containment based on updated costs from 2005. CONCLUSIONS: Agitation has an effect on healthcare use and costs in terms of longer length of stay, more readmissions and higher drug use. Evidence is scarce and further research is needed to estimate the burden of agitation and containment from the perspective of hospitals and the healthcare system. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0417-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Evaluation of an integrated system for classification, assessment and comparison of services for long-term care in Europe: the eDESDE-LTC study

The harmonization of European health systems brings with it a need for tools to allow the standardized collection of information about medical care. A common coding system and standards for the description of services are needed to allow local data to be incorporated into evidence-informed policy, and to permit equity and mobility to be assessed. The aim of this project has been to design such a classification and a related tool for the coding of services for Long Term Care (DESDE-LTC), based on the European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS). Methods. The development of DESDE-LTC followed an iterative process using nominal groups in 6 European countries. 54 researchers and stakeholders in health and social services contributed to this process. In order to classify services, we use the minimal organization unit or "Basic Stable Input of Care" (BSIC), coded by its principal function or "Main Type of Care" (MTC). The evaluation of the tool included an analysis of feasibility, consistency, ontology, inter-rater reliability, Boolean Factor Analysis, and a preliminary impact analysis (screening, scoping and appraisal). Results: DESDE-LTC includes an alpha-numerical coding system, a glossary and an assessment instrument for mapping and counting LTC. It shows high feasibility, consistency, inter-rater reliability and face, content and construct validity. DESDE-LTC is ontologically consistent. It is regarded by experts as useful and relevant for evidence-informed decision making. Conclusion: DESDE-LTC contributes to establishing a common terminology, taxonomy and coding of LTC services in a European context, and a standard procedure for data collection and international comparison

In-patient costs of agitation and containment in a mental health catchment area

Background: There is a scarce number of studies on the cost of agitation and containment interventions and their results are still inconclusive. We aimed to calculate the economic consequences of agitation events in an in-patient psychiatric facility providing care for an urban catchment area. Methods: A mixed approach combining secondary analysis of clinical databases, surveys and expert knowledge was used to model the 2013 direct costs of agitation and containment events for adult inpatients with mental disorders in an area of 640,572 adult inhabitants in South Barcelona (Spain). To calculate costs, a seven-step methodology with novel definition of agitation was used along with a staff survey, a database of containment events, and data on aggressive incidents. A micro-costing analysis of specific containment interventions was used to estimate both prevalence and direct costs from the healthcare provider perspective, by means of a mixed approach with a probabilistic model evaluated on real data. Due to the complex interaction of the multivariate covariances, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to have empirical bounds of variability. Results: During 2013, 918 patients were admitted to the Acute Inpatient Unit. Of these, 52.8% were men, with a mean age of 44.6 years (SD = 15.5), 74.4% were compulsory admissions, 40.1% were diagnosed with schizophrenia or non-affective psychosis, with a mean length of stay of 24.6 days (SD = 16.9). The annual estimate of total agitation events was 508. The cost of containment interventions ranges from 282€ at the lowest level of agitation to 822€ when verbal containment plus seclusion and restraint have to be used. The annual total cost of agitation was 280,535€, representing 6.87% of the total costs of acute hospitalisation in the local area. Conclusions: Agitation events are frequent and costly. Strategies to reduce their number and severity should be implemented to reduce costs to the Health System and alleviate patient suffering.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Pequeños Científicos, una aproximación sistémica al aprendizaje de las ciencias en la escuela

Este artículo presenta de forma breve las características más importantes del programa Pequeños Científicos en sus diferentes dimensiones de acción. Hace una corta descripción de los objetivos que éste persigue, las estrategias que utiliza y los resultados preliminares que ha obtenido.This paper shortly describes the main characteristics of the Pequeños Científicos program in its different action dimensions. It describes the program objectives, the strategies used in it and the preliminary results that have been obtained

Artificial intelligence and architectural design : an introduction

Descripció del recurs: 27 juliol 2022The aim of this book on artificial intelligence for architects and designers is to guide future designers, in general, and architects, in particular, to support the social and cultural wellbeing of the humanity in a digital and global environment. This objective is today essential but also extremely large, interdisciplinary and interartistic, so we have done just a brief introduction of the subject. We will start with the argument fixed by the Professor Jonas Langer in his web some years ago, that we have defined as: “The Langer’s Tree”.Primera edició

Comparative analysis of the language attitudes of students in Compulsory Secondary Education in the Franja of Aragon and Catalonia

Este estudio analiza comparativamente las actitudes lingüísticas de dos territorios vecinos multilingües de España: Cataluña y Aragón, con políticas lingüísticas diferentes. Así, Cataluña reconoce la co-oficialidad del castellano y del catalán y ha implantado un sistema educativo bilingüe, mientras que en Aragón sólo el castellano tiene carácter oficial y la enseñanza en catalán es opcional. Para comparar las actitudes lingüísticas de los alumnos de secundaria en los dos contextos, 154 alumnos de un centro de Lleida y 195 de un centro de Fraga respondieron a una serie de cuestionarios. Los resultados mostraron que los estudiantes aragoneses tienen actitudes más favorables hacia el castellano, mientras que a los jóvenes catalanes les gustaba el castellano y el catalán por igual. Entre los posibles factores analizados, como el nivel sociocultural, el nivel socio-profesional, la condición lingüística de la familia y la asistencia a las clases optativas de catalán en el caso de los alumnos aragoneses, sólo este último se encontró que mejoraba las actitudes hacia el catalán.This study performs a comparative analysis of language attitudes in two multilingual neighboring territories in Spain, Catalonia and Aragon, with different language policies. Thus, Catalonia recognizes the co-officiality of Spanish and Catalan and has implemented a bilingual educational system, while in Aragon only Spanish has official status and education in Catalan is optional. In order to compare the language attitudes held by secondary education students in the two contexts, 154 students from a center in Lleida (Catalonia) and 195 students from a center in Fraga (Aragón) answered a series of questionnaires. The results showed that Aragonese students have more favorable attitudes towards Spanish, while Catalan youngsters equally liked Spanish and Catalan. Among the possible factors analysed, such as sociocultural level, socioprofessional level, family language condition, and assistance at optional Catalan classes in case of the Aragonese students, only the latter was found to improve attitudes towards Catalan.Este trabajo es gracias a la concesión de una ayuda del Institut d’Estudis Catalans, un proyecto de investigación nacional y una subvención financiada por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (Ref. EDU2017-82479-R & IJCI2016-28250) y la Agencia para la Gestión de la Universidad y Becas de Investigación - AGAUR de la Generalitat de Cataluña (Ref. SGR 322 2017

Methodological barriers to studying the association between the economic crisis and suicide in Spain

BACKGROUND: The hypothetical relationship between economic recession and the increase in suicides in Spain is subject to various arguments. In addition to the inherent complexity of capturing and explaining the underlining mechanisms that could describe this causal link, different points of contention have been be identified. The period of this association and its possible starting points, the socioeconomic determinants that may explain the variation in suicide rate, and the data sources available are the main focus of controversy. The present study aims to identify the phases of association between different periods of economic recession and suicide rates, and compare the effect of different social determinants of health that have been mentioned in previous studies. METHODS: We have used interrupted time series analyses to assess the impact of economic recession on national rates of suicide mortality provided by the Spanish Statistical Office (1980-2014). In an attempt to consider the factors that have affected the study of suicide in Spain, different data sources/periods, predictors, and regions in Spain were analysed. RESULTS: The analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between the Great Recession and suicide rates during the second period of economic recession (2011-2014), while appeared to decrease during the first recession period. However, the first decreasing trend was not statistically significant in the global analysis of the evolution of monthly suicide rates for the entire country. Both unemployment and per capita GDP were positively related to suicide trends. Finally, the regional analysis demonstrates a similar pattern in different Spanish areas. CONCLUSION: Although previous studies have mentioned the double-dip in the suicide rate associated with the corresponding period of double recession, our study only identify a positive relationship during the second recession period. ThThis study is subsidised by the Carlos III Health Institute (Ministry of Health of Spain) [project PI15/01986] and co-funded by FEDER funds and the Andalusian Studies Centre [PRY120/14]