Health education in primary school: Alicante city (Spain) teachers’ opinions

Objetivo: Explorar la opinión del profesorado de educación primaria de la ciudad de Alicante sobre las actividades de salud realizadas en la escuela. Método: Estudio exploratorio mediante análisis de contenido cualitativo. Se formaron tres grupos de discusión (8-9 participantes) con profesorado de educación primaria (14 mujeres y 11 hombres) procedentes de 14 escuelas públicas y 7 concertadas de la ciudad de Alicante. La información se obtuvo preguntando a los/las participantes sobre las actividades de salud realizadas en el aula o en el centro escolar. Resultados: El profesorado diferenció las actividades que forman parte de las programaciones escolares de educación para la salud de las que proceden de programas de otras instituciones públicas o privadas. Consideró que los programas externos son impuestos, no tienen continuidad y responden a modas pasajeras. Aunque mostró una actitud más favorable y comprometida con las actividades y programaciones escolares, identificó la educación para la salud como una tarea secundaria. En su opinión, incrementar su formación en salud, implicar a los padres y las madres, profesionales sanitarios y la administración educativa fomentaría la educación para la salud en la escuela. Conclusiones: El profesorado muestra una opinión más favorable y un mayor compromiso hacia las actividades de salud que complementan y facilitan su tarea educativa. Su programación docente y opinión deben tenerse en cuenta para maximizar la eficiencia de las actividades de promoción y educación para la salud promovidas por instituciones, compañías y fundaciones externas a la escuela.Objective: This study explores the opinions of primary school teachers about health activities carried out in schools in Alicante city (Spain). Methods: An exploratory study was conducted through qualitative content analysis. Three focus groups were conducted with 25 primary school teachers (14 women and 11 men) working in 14 public and 7 private schools in the city of Alicante. Participants were asked about the health activities carried on in their schools. Results: Teachers distinguished between health education activities promoted by the school and those included in external programmes promoted by public and private institutions. External programmes were considered as impositions, lacking continuity and chosen according to passing fads. Although teachers demonstrated a more positive attitude towards activities arising from their own initiative, they identified health education as a secondary task. Teachers considered that improving their own health education training and promoting the involvement of parents, health professionals and public institutions were the most appropriate ways to promote health education in the school. Conclusion: Teachers showed a more positive opinion and greater commitment towards health activities that complement and facilitate their teaching tasks. Their didactic programme and opinion should be taken into account to maximise the efficiency of the health promotion and education activities promoted by external organisations.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por la Escuela Valenciana de Estudios en Salud (EVES) de la Generalitat Valenciana nº 044/2006

Characterization and winemaking application of a novel pectin-degrading enzyme complex from Aspergillus sojae ATCC 20235

A novel pectin-degrading enzyme complex produced by Aspergillus sojae ATCC 20235 (PC-AS) using lowcost substrates was characterised in terms of its enzyme activities relevant in winemaking. This novel PC-AS was applied at the maceration/fermentation stage during the elaboration of 'Tempranillo' red wines to study its effect on colour development and the phenolic and amino acid wine composition. PC-AS polygalacturonase activity was the major enzyme activity detected and quantified under winemaking conditions (pH 3.5, 20 °C) and proved being stable and active in the presence of sulfur dioxide. Xylanase activity, albeit in lesser amounts, was also present in PC-AS, and neither pectinesterase, which produces methanol, nor β-glucosidase, which is detrimental to wine colour, were detected in PC-AS. This pectin-degrading complex promoted a faster colour extraction since maximum colour intensity of the enzyme treated wines was reached earlier compared to their controls. After 6 months of storage under winery conditions, wines elaborated with PC-AS presented higher concentrations of caffeic acid, coumaric acid and aspartic acid (p ˂ 0.05), suggesting an improved extraction of grape cell components. In conclusion, the application of PCAS yielded results that showed that it can be used in red winemaking to shorten the maceration time needed to reach high CI values and to improve the extraction of some phenolics and other compounds that enhance the quality of the final product.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

Characterization and winemaking application of a novel pectin-degrading enzyme complex from Aspergillus sojae ATCC 20235

A novel pectin-degrading enzyme complex produced by Aspergillus sojae ATCC 20235 (PC-AS) using lowcost substrates was characterised in terms of its enzyme activities relevant in winemaking. This novel PC-AS was applied at the maceration/fermentation stage during the elaboration of 'Tempranillo' red wines to study its effect on colour development and the phenolic and amino acid wine composition. PC-AS polygalacturonase activity was the major enzyme activity detected and quantified under winemaking conditions (pH 3.5, 20 °C) and proved being stable and active in the presence of sulfur dioxide. Xylanase activity, albeit in lesser amounts, was also present in PC-AS, and neither pectinesterase, which produces methanol, nor β-glucosidase, which is detrimental to wine colour, were detected in PC-AS. This pectin-degrading complex promoted a faster colour extraction since maximum colour intensity of the enzyme treated wines was reached earlier compared to their controls. After 6 months of storage under winery conditions, wines elaborated with PC-AS presented higher concentrations of caffeic acid, coumaric acid and aspartic acid (p ˂ 0.05), suggesting an improved extraction of grape cell components. In conclusion, the application of PCAS yielded results that showed that it can be used in red winemaking to shorten the maceration time needed to reach high CI values and to improve the extraction of some phenolics and other compounds that enhance the quality of the final product.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

Fabrication and characterization of a nanostructured TiO2/In2S3-Sb2S3/CuSCN extremely thin absorber (eta) solar cell

CuSCN extremely thin absorber solar cell. Nanostructured TiO2 deposited by screen printing on an ITO substrate was used as an n-type electrode. An ∼80 nm extremely thin layer of the system In2S3-Sb2S3 deposited by successive ionic layer adsorption and a reaction (silar) method was used as an absorber. The voids were filled with p-type CuSCN and the entire assembly was completed with a gold contact. The solar cell fabricated with this heterostructure showed an energy conversion efficiency of 4.9%, which is a promising result in the development of low cost and simple fabrication of solar cells

Liposome formation with wool lipid extracts rich in ceramides

Internal wool lipids (IWLs) are rich in cholesterol, free fatty acids, cholesteryl sulfate, and, mainly, ceramides. The repairing effect of these lipids structured as liposomes was demonstrated by reinforcing the skin-barrier integrity and increasing the water-holding capacity when applied onto the skin. This work was focused on the formation of liposomes with IWLs rich in ceramides, obtained at pilot plant level with organic solvent extraction by using methanol and acetone. The lipid composition of the two extracts was quantitatively analyzed. IWL extracts containing different amounts of sterol sulfate were used to form liposomes at physiologic pH. Vesicle size distribution, polydispersity index, and zeta potential of all liposomes were determined to characterize them and to study their stability. The results obtained showed that IWL extract composition, which was different depending on the extraction methodologies used, greatly influences the characteristics of the liposomes formed. Vesicular size and polydispersity index liposomes were smaller when the extract composition contained a higher proportion of either free fatty acids or sterol sulfate. Moreover, liposome stability was improved when some amount of sterol sulfate was added to the composition of methanol and acetone extracts. This natural mixture with keratinaceous origin could have a special interest for cosmetic or dermopharmaceutical companies.We acknowledge Mr. G. von Knorring for his expert technical assistance. We are also indebted to the DGICYT Program (PPQ 2002-94136-C02-01 and C02-02) for financial support

Prioritized crop wild relatives in Spain: status on the National Inventory of Plant Genetic Resources for Agriculture and Food

Publishe

Prevalence and associated factors to suicide attempts in low-income adolescents from the Caribbean region of Colombia

Objectives to establish the prevalence and associated factors to suicide attempts (SA) in low-income adolescents from the Caribbean region of Colombia Methods A cross sectional study was conducted. Adolescents between 10-24 years of age residents in 21 municipalities in the Caribbean region of Colombia were randomly selected from the population affiliated to a subsidized-regime insurance company between 2014-2018. A previously constructed questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding sociodemographic variables and potential risk factors. A self-reported antecedent of suicide attempt was defined as a case. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to establish associated factors. Absolute and relative frequencies were reported. Relative frequencies were compared with the Chi2 test and continuous variables were compared with the t-test. A p value <0.050 was considered significan

Discrete Models of Disease and Competition

The aim of this work is to analyze the influence of the fast development of a disease on competition dynamics. To this end we present two discrete time ecoepidemic models. The first one corresponds to the case of one parasite affecting demography and intraspecific competition in a single host, whereas the second one contemplates the more complex case of competition between two different species, one of which is infected by the parasite. We carry out a complete mathematical analysis of the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of the corresponding systems of difference equations and derive interesting ecological information about the influence of a disease in competition dynamics. This includes an assessment of the impact of the disease on the equilibrium population of both species as well as some counterintuitive behaviors in which although we would expect the outbreak of the disease to negatively affect the infected species, the contrary happens

Relación entre teoría de la mente y comunicación referencial: una explicación de los déficits pragmáticos en personas con autismo y síndrome de Down

This work focuses on the relationship between the capability of theory of mind and referential communication abilities in a group of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome children and adolescents, one group of Down Syndrome children, and another group of children with a normal development, both with the same linguistic development age. A group of referential communication skills (one type of pragmatic abilities) was assessed and compared with abilities of first and second order from theory of mind. The results show that the two groups of children with disorders had difficulties with theory of mind abilities and referential communication, compared with normal control subjects. The contingency analysis between theory of mind abilities and pragmatic abilities, show a different pattern of the relationship between both abilities in the three groups of subjects. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are thoroughly discussed in this paper.ResumenEste trabajo trata de establecer la relación existente entre la capacidad de teona de la mente y las habilidades de comunicación referencial en un grupo de niños y adolescentes con autismo de nivel alto de funcionamiento cognitivo y síndrome de Asperger, un grupo con síndrome de Down, y otro grupo sin trastornos, de la misma edad de desarrollo lingüístico. Se evaluaron un conjunto de habilidades de comunicación referencial (habilidades de tipo pragmático) y se compararon con las habilidades de teoría de la mente de primer y segundo orden. Los resultados mostraron que tanto el grupo de autismo, como el de síndrome de Down, presentaban dificultades en las tareas mentalistas y en comunicación referencial comparados con los controles normales. Los análisis de contingencias entre ToM y comunicación referencial mostraron un patrón diferente de las relaciones entre ambas habilidades en los tres grupos de sujetos. Se debaten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas de los resultados obtenidos.AbstractThis work focuses on the relationship between the capability of theory of mind and referential communication abilities in a group of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome children and adolescents, one group of Down Syndrome children, and another group of children with a normal development, both with the same linguistic development age. A group of referential communication skills (one type of pragmatic abilities) was assessed and compared with abilities of first and second order from theory of mind. The results show that the two groups of children with disorders had difficulties with theory of mind abilities and referential communication, compared with normal control subjects. The contingency analysis between theory of mind abilities and pragmatic abilities, show a different pattern of the relationship between both abilities in the three groups of subjects. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are thoroughly discussed in this paper