Compulsory Schooling, Education and Mental Health: New Evidence from SHARELIFE

In this paper we provide new evidence on the causal effect of education on adult depression and cognition. Using SHARE data, we use schooling reforms in several European countries as instruments for educational attainment. We find that an extra year of education has a large and significant protective effect on mental health: the probability of suffering depression decreases by 6.5 percent. We find a large and significant protective effect on cognition as measured by word recall. We also explore whether heterogeneity and selection play a part in the large discrepancy between OLS and IV (LATE) estimates of the effect of education on depression and cognition. Using the data available in SHARELIFE on early life conditions of the respondents such as the individuals' socioeconomic status, health, and performance at school, we identify subgroups particularly affected by the reforms and with high marginal health returns to education

Pomace from the wine industry as an additive in the production of traditional sustainable lightweight eco-bricks

This study has been funded by Junta de Andalucía Research Group RNM179 and by Research Projects PPJIB2022-17 and B-RNM-188- UGR20 of the Regional Ministry of University, Research and Innovation of the Junta de Andalucía and FEDER, a way of making Europe. We are grateful to Nigel Walkington for his assistance in revising the English text of the manuscript and to three anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions. We also thank Bodegas Navarro (www.bodegasn avarro.es), who supplied the wine pomace, and Ceramica Castillo Siles (www.ceramicacastillosiles.es), who provided the raw materials from Viznar and Guadix. We are also grateful to Junta de Andalucía Research Group HUM629.This research examines fired clay bricks made with waste pomace from the wine industry as an additive in brick production. To this end, we analyse and discuss the chemical, mineralogical, textural and physical-mechanical behaviour of fired bricks made with three concentrations of wine pomace (2.5, 5 and 10 wt%) and at three different firing temperatures (800, 950 and 1100 degrees C) and evaluate their durability to salt crystallization. Variations in colour were also examined. The firing process resulted in the decomposition of phyllosilicates and carbonates, the crystallization of Fe oxides and the appearance of high-temperature Ca- (and Mg-) silicates phases such as gehlenite, wollastonite, anorthite and diopside. The bricks made with added wine pomace had very similar mineralogy to the control samples made without it. The bricks made with added wine pomace were lighter than the control samples and underwent less linear shrinkage during the drying process. Particles in the wine pomace were consumed during firing, leading to the appearance of voids. The bricks made with this additive had higher levels of water absorption and poorer mechanical strength. The greatest colour differences were detected after increasing the amount of waste, which generally resulted in yellower bricks. The increase in firing temperature resulted in an improvement in mechanical resistance regardless of the composition of the bricks. However, bricks fired at 1100 degrees C made without additive are more resistant to damage caused by salts than those made with wine pomace.Junta de Andalucia RNM179Regional Ministry of University, Research and Innovation of the Junta de Andalucia PPJIB2022-17, B-RNM-188- UGR20European Union (EU) Spanish GovernmentFEDERJunta de Andalucía Research Group HUM62

Comparative Study of the Mineralogy and Chemistry Properties of Elephant Bones: Implications during Diagenesis Processes

Elephants are currently the largest terrestrial mammals, along with their extinct ancestor the mammoth. These species are of great interest due to their geographic distribution and ecological importance. However, the bone mineral characteristics of their skeleton as well as their alteration during burial processes over millions of years have been poorly investigated. In the current research, we analyzed the compositional and structural mineral properties of different types (i.e., long and flat bones) of elephant and mammoth bones. For this purpose, we performed a comparative study between these bone types using complementary analytical techniques based on X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopic analysis. The chemical composition of the samples shows a relative loss of a considerable percentage of water and organic matter components for the fossilized bone, accompanied by a higher bone mineralization degree and the presence of other crystalline phases (i.e., calcite and pyrite) related to a certain degree of diagenesis alteration. Our results also show a variation in the crystalline properties of mammoth bone related to the recrystallization process during the dissolution–precipitation transformation through diagenetic burial. This research provides relevant information for understanding the mineral properties of different types of bones and their possible changes during diagenesis.Spanish Government CGL2015-64683-P PID2020-116660GB-I00European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)-Next Generation-EU progra

Prevention of Emotional Disorders and Symptoms Under Health Conditions: A Pilot Study using the Unified Protocol in a Fertility Unit

Emotional Disorders (EDs) are common in women who undergo fertility treatments. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in preventing EDs under different health conditions. The aim of this pilot study is to: 1) improve emotional dysregulation for the prevention of anxiety and depressive symptoms in women undergoing intrauterine inseminations (IUI); 2) assess their acceptability (e.g., satisfaction and adherence rates). Method: Five women undergoing IUI, with no clinical diagnoses, responded to measures of mood (anxiety and depression), affect, quality of life and emotional dysregulation in the pre- and post-assessments, and at the 1-, 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The UP was adapted to be applied during six face-to-face group sessions lasting 2 h. The COVID-19 pandemic situation implied changing to an online format to end the program. Results: The results showed that women did not develop EDs, and no statistically significant pre-post and pre-follow-up differences were found for anxiety, depression, quality of life and emotional dysregulation (all p > .050). A tendency towards improvement in the post-assessment evaluation was noted. Satisfaction with the format and UP program was high. Conclusions: It would seem that programs focusing on therapeutic common factors like the UP could have an emotional preventive effect during IUI

Antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists : impact of the ESE awareness campaign and position statement

The inadequate use of antibiotics by dentists can contribute to antibiotic resistance. The European Society of Endodontology (ESE) has published a scientific evidence-based position on antibiotic use in endodontic infections. The aim of thi

Constructive techniques of the past for a sustainable future. The case of traditional earthen architecture in Aragon (Spain)

[EN] Traditional architecture in general, and earthen architecture in particular, are highly vulnerable to globalisation and the adaptation to modern uses, partly due to a lack of information. Hence the importance of knowledge about the values of this architecture, linked to the constructive culture of specific locations or regions which have optimised the use of resources and constructive techniques for centuries. In Aragon, traditional earthen architecture is found almost throughout the entire territory. The study of different constructive techniques and variants, identifying their locations, was the starting point for this analysis. This research aims to establish correlations between the singularities of the variants in a specific location and the climate, geological and cultural characteristics of this location. This made it possible to identify some geographical characteristics which favour or hinder the development of earthen construction or some of its techniques or variants. The study of the relationship between the characteristics of the architecture and the features of the setting is geared towards recovering lessons on traditional architecture which have formed over centuries of trial and error and have been increasingly disappearing in recent decades. These lessons on interventions on existing buildings, in combination with the design of new buildings, are considered the starting point for sustainable construction linked to its location.This work is part of the research project “Restoration and rehabilitation of traditional earthen architecture in the Iberian Peninsula. Guidelines and tools for a sustainable intervention”, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ref.: BIA2014-55924-R; main researchers: Camilla Mileto and Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares).Villacampa Crespo, L.; García-Soriano, L.; Vegas López-Manzanares, F.; Mileto, C. (2018). Constructive techniques of the past for a sustainable future. The case of traditional earthen architecture in Aragon (Spain). International Journal of Latest Trends in Engineering and Technology (Online). 11(3):30-36. https://doi.org/10.21172/1.113.05S303611

Effect of Error Augmentation on Brain Activation and Motor Learning of a Complex Locomotor Task

Up to date, the functional gains obtained after robot-aided gait rehabilitation training are limited. Error augmenting strategies have a great potential to enhance motor learning of simple motor tasks. However, little is known about the effect of these error modulating strategies on complex tasks, such as relearning to walk after a neurologic accident. Additionally, neuroimaging evaluation of brain regions involved in learning processes could provide valuable information on behavioral outcomes. We investigated the effect of robotic training strategies that augment errors—error amplification and random force disturbance—and training without perturbations on brain activation and motor learning of a complex locomotor task. Thirty-four healthy subjects performed the experiment with a robotic stepper (MARCOS) in a 1.5 T MR scanner. The task consisted in tracking a Lissajous figure presented on a display by coordinating the legs in a gait-like movement pattern. Behavioral results showed that training without perturbations enhanced motor learning in initially less skilled subjects, while error amplification benefited better-skilled subjects. Training with error amplification, however, hampered transfer of learning. Randomly disturbing forces induced learning and promoted transfer in all subjects, probably because the unexpected forces increased subjects' attention. Functional MRI revealed main effects of training strategy and skill level during training. A main effect of training strategy was seen in brain regions typically associated with motor control and learning, such as, the basal ganglia, cerebellum, intraparietal sulcus, and angular gyrus. Especially, random disturbance and no perturbation lead to stronger brain activation in similar brain regions than error amplification. Skill-level related effects were observed in the IPS, in parts of the superior parietal lobe (SPL), i.e., precuneus, and temporal cortex. These neuroimaging findings indicate that gait-like motor learning depends on interplay between subcortical, cerebellar, and fronto-parietal brain regions. An interesting observation was the low activation observed in the brain's reward system after training with error amplification compared to training without perturbations. Our results suggest that to enhance learning of a locomotor task, errors should be augmented based on subjects' skill level. The impacts of these strategies on motor learning, brain activation, and motivation in neurological patients need further investigation

Heterogeneidad en el uso de los medios de pago y la banca online: un análisis a partir de la encuesta financiera de las familias (2002-2020)

In recent years, the banking system has been going through an intensive process of digitalisation that has affected, inter alia, the way in which citizens relate to financial entities. Even though this process brings benefits to society in the medium and long run, its short term effects depend, for example, on how familiar households are with the use of bank cards and online banking to access the financial services they need. This paper uses micro data from the Spanish Survey of Household Finances (EFF) for the period 2002-2020 to analyse how patterns in bank card ownership and use, as well as online banking usage, by Spanish households have changed over time. The richness of the EFF data makes it possible to characterise these patterns for different groups of the population according to their age, education level and income. In addition, the availability of information over such a long period of time for several birth cohorts allows these households’ decisions to be analysed over their entire life cycle. The results of the analysis are as follows. First, bank card ownership and use by households have spread throughout the period considered, growing especially among households with lower education levels and incomes. However, even in 2020, several groups of the population have been identified as still having relatively limited access to this specific means of payment, especially those who are older and have lower education levels and lower incomes. Indeed, for example, in 2020, around 20% of those households with a lower education level did not have any bank cards or, if they did have one, did not use it (around 1,760,000 households). Secondly, the use of online banking has increased generally for all households between 2002 and 2020, such that, even among those with an education level below secondary, about half use this way of interacting with banks at least occasionally. However, the spread of this instrument among households exhibits a high degree of heterogeneity according to the year of birth of the household head. For example, slightly more than 80% of those households whose head was born before 1944 did not use online banking in 2020 (around 2,130,000 households). Finally, this paper examines to what extent the patterns observed in bank card ownership and use, as well as in the use of online banking, according to household education level, income and birth year still persist when comparing households with similar demographics and geographical location. This additional analysis, which includes more household characteristics, shows, in line with the previous results, that the differences in bank card ownership and use by household income and education level have decreased between 2002 and 2020 (although bank card ownership is still more limited among households in the lower income quartile and among those whose head has a lower education level). Conversely, the differences among households in the use of online banking by income, age and education level have increased during this period.En los últimos años, el sistema bancario se encuentra inmerso en un intenso proceso de digitalización que ha afectado, entre otras dimensiones, a la forma en la que los ciudadanos se relacionan con las entidades financieras. Aunque a medio y largo plazo este proceso presenta beneficios para la sociedad, sus efectos a corto plazo dependen de cuán familiarizados estén los hogares, por ejemplo, con el uso de las tarjetas bancarias o de la banca online para acceder a los servicios financieros que demandan. Este documento utiliza datos desagregados de la Encuesta Financiera de las Familias (EFF) entre 2002 y 2020 para analizar cómo han cambiado los patrones de tenencia y uso de las tarjetas bancarias de los hogares españoles, así como el uso de la banca online. La riqueza de datos de la EFF permite caracterizar estos patrones para distintos grupos de población según su edad, nivel educativo y renta. Además, la disponibilidad de información a lo largo de un período prolongado para individuos nacidos el mismo año permite examinar la evolución de su uso de tarjetas y de la banca online a lo largo del ciclo vital. Los resultados del análisis sugieren, en primer lugar, que la tenencia de tarjetas bancarias y su uso se ha extendido a lo largo del período considerado, y ha crecido especialmente entre los hogares de menor nivel educativo y renta. No obstante, en 2020 aún se identifican algunos grupos de población que tienen acceso a este medio de pago de modo relativamente limitado, sobre todo los de mayor edad, menor nivel educativo y menor renta. Así, por ejemplo, en 2020, alrededor de un 20 % de los hogares con menor nivel educativo no tenían tarjeta bancaria o, teniéndola, no la utilizaban (en torno a 1.760.000 hogares). En segundo lugar, se observa que el uso de la banca online ha aumentado para todos los hogares entre 2002 y 2020, de modo que, incluso entre quienes tienen un nivel educativo inferior a Bachillerato, la mitad utiliza al menos ocasionalmente este modo de relacionarse con la banca. No obstante, el grado de difusión de este instrumento presenta una gran heterogeneidad según el año de nacimiento del cabeza de familia. Así, por ejemplo, en 2020, algo más del 80 % de los hogares con un cabeza de familia nacido antes de 1944 no utilizan la banca online (en torno a 2.130.000 hogares). Finalmente, este trabajo examina en qué medida estos patrones observados en la tenencia y el uso de tarjetas, así como en el uso de banca online, por educación, renta o año de nacimiento, se mantienen cuando se comparan hogares con composición demográfica y localización geográfica similares. Este análisis adicional, que tiene en cuenta más características relevantes de las familias, muestra, en línea con los resultados anteriores, que las diferencias en la tenencia y uso de tarjetas bancarias según la renta y el nivel educativo de los hogares se han reducido entre 2002 y 2020 —aun así, la tenencia de tarjetas sigue siendo más limitada en el cuartil inferior de renta y entre las familias con menor nivel educativo—. Por su parte, las diferencias entre hogares en el uso de la banca online según su renta, edad y educación han aumentado entre 2002 y 2020

Activation of p21 limits acute lung injury and induces early senescence after acid aspiration and mechanical ventilation

The p53/p21 pathway is activated in response to cell stress. However, its role in acute lung injury has not been elucidated. Acute lung injury is associated with disruption of the alveolo-capillary barrier leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mechanical ventilation may be necessary to support gas exchange in patients with ARDS, however, high positive airway pressures can cause regional overdistension of alveolar units and aggravate lung injury. Here, we report that acute lung injury and alveolar overstretching activate the p53/p21 pathway to maintain homeostasis and avoid massive cell apoptosis. A systematic pooling of transcriptomic data from animal models of lung injury demonstrates the enrichment of specific p53- and p21-dependent gene signatures and a validated senescence profile. In a clinically relevant, murine model of acid aspiration and mechanical ventilation, we observed changes in the nuclear envelope and the underlying chromatin, DNA damage and activation of the Tp53/p21 pathway. Absence of Cdkn1a decreased the senescent response, but worsened lung injury due to increased cell apoptosis. Conversely, treatment with lopinavir/ritonavir led to Cdkn1a overexpression and ameliorated cell apoptosis and lung injury. The activation of these mechanisms was associated with early markers of senescence, including expression of senescence-related genes and increases in senescence-associated heterochromatin foci in alveolar cells. Autopsy samples from lungs of patients with ARDS revealed increased senescence-associated heterochromatin foci. Collectively, these results suggest that acute lung injury activates p53/p21 as an anti-apoptotic mechanism to ameliorate damage, but with the side effect of induction of senescence