CHILD WELFARE: TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE AT TIME OF CHILD REMOVAL

As of 2018, approximately 442,995 children are in the foster care system in the United States according to the federal statistics from the Children’s Bureau. Entry into the foster system involves the removal of children from their home, making it a traumatic experience. The purpose of this study was to examine social workers’ perceptions of what trauma informed practice means and what it looks like in child welfare removals. The study also clarifies what trauma informed practice (TIP) is and how it can be applied in child welfare’s organizational structure. This was a qualitative study in which child welfare social workers from southern California agencies were interviewed. Interviews with experienced child welfare workers revealed many themes including the complexities of workers’ experiences during removals, the impact of removals on workers, social workers’ perceptions on TIP and suggestions on how to make removals more trauma informed for children. The findings from this project identified ways trauma may be minimized during detainment procedures in child welfare. All participants voiced that they felt the trauma informed removal (TIR) PowerPoint guide was beneficial to their learning and practice and that a training with this guide would be ideal for their agencies. Additionally, the findings shed light on the need for future research on creating a more trauma informed child welfare system and the need for policy implementation and or change

El dia d'avui del fons musical de l'Arxiu de la Catedral de Lleida

Después de una breve introducción histórica, Ester G. Llop, también del equipo de los profesores Gregori y Rifé, nos ofrece los nuevos planteamientos para la descripción y catalogación del fondo musical de la catedral de Lleida. Divide este fondo en tres grupos: pergaminos, impresos y manuscritos. Subraya que gran parte del fondo de manuscritos es obra de Magí Pontí i Ferrer, nacido en Manresa en 1815 y formado en el monasterio de Montserrat; ejerció como primer organista y maestro de capilla durante 48 años en la catedral de Lleida.Ester Garcia Llop, également membre de l'équipe des professeurs Gregori et Rifé, nous offre une brève introduction historique, suivie des nouvelles méthodes d'approche appliquées à la description et au catalogage du fonds musical de la cathédrale de Lérida. Elle divise ce fonds en trois groupes : parchemins, imprimés et manuscrits. Ester Garcia Llop indique également que l'on doit la plupart du fonds de manuscrits à Magí Pontí i Ferrer. Ce dernier naquit à Manresa en 1815 et fut formé dans le monastère de Montserrat, puis remplit les fonctions de premier organiste et de maître de chapelle durant 48 ans dans la cathédrale de Lérida.After a brief historical introduction, Ester Garcia Llop, also a member of the team under Professors Gregori and Rifé, offers new thoughts on the description and compilation of the musical fund of the Cathedral of Lleida. This fund is divided into three groups: parchment, printed and manuscripts. It emphasizes that a large part of the fund of manuscripts is the work of Magí Pontí i Ferrer, born in Manresa in 1815 and educated at the monastery of Montserrat. He was the first organist and the chapel master for 48 years at the Cathedral of Lleida.Nach einer kurzen geschichtlichen Einführung beschreibt Ester Garcia Llop, ebenfalls Mitglied des Teams der Professoren Gregori und Rifé die neuen Gedanken zur Beschreibung und Katalogisierung der Musikalischen Grundlagen der Kathedrale von Lleida. Sie teilt diese Grundlagen in drei Gruppen ein: Pergamente, Drucke und Manuskripte. Sie weist vor allem auf die Tatsache hin, dass ein Grossteil Werke von Magí Pontí i Ferrer, geboren in Manresa im Jahr 1815, ausgebildet im Kloster von Montserrat, sind; er war 48 Jahre lang erster Organist und Kapellmeister der Kathedrale von Lleida

Theory of Mind Measurements and Mechanisms: An Investigation of Construct Validity and Cognitive Processes in Theory of Mind Tasks

Understanding the perspectives of others is a critical skill. Theory of mind (ToM) is an essential ability for social competence and communication, and it is necessary for understanding behaviors that differ from our own (Premack and Woodruff, 1978). Although all individuals possess a ToM to varying degrees, bilinguals are especially adept to perspective-taking. Research has reported that bilinguals outperform monolinguals in ToM tasks (e.g., Goetz, 2003; Rubio-Fernandez & Glucksberg, 2012). However, the mechanisms underlying this effect are unclear. Studying individual differences in ToM performance between bilinguals and monolinguals can help explain these mechanisms. Yet this promising area of research faces an important challenge: the lack of psychometric research on ToM measurement. Recent research suggests that tests that measure the ToM construct might not be as reliable as previously thought (Warnell & Redcay, 2019). This hinders the interpretation of experimental and correlational findings and puts into question the validity of the ToM construct. This dissertation addresses these two questions empirically to improve our understanding of what constitutes ToM. Study 1 examines the structure of ToM, crystallized intelligence (Gc), and fluid intelligence (Gf) to understand (a) whether ToM constitutes a construct separate from other cognitive abilities and (b) to explore whether tasks of ToM present adequate construct validity. For this, three confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted. The results demonstrated that a model with three latent factors (ToM, Gf and Gc) did not adequately fit the data and was not significantly different from a model with only two latent factors (ToM-Gf and Gc). In addition, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) showed that two of the ToM tasks loaded onto a Gf factor whereas one of the tasks loaded onto a third factor by itself. Finally, an exploratory network analysis (NMA) was conducted to observe relationships among the tasks. The results showed that the ToM tasks were no more related to each other than to some tasks of Gf and Gc, and that ToM tasks did not form a consistent cluster. Overall, the results of Study 1 suggest that ToM tasks are likely not measuring a monolithic ToM construct. Study 2 examines individual differences in metalinguistic awareness, executive function, and bilingualism as predictors of ToM. The results showed that all variables significantly predicted ToM, but bilingualism was not a significant moderator of ToM. Overall, the findings suggest that in this sample there was no difference in the processes used to predict ToM based on being bilingual or monolingual. Implications for measurement and individual differences in ToM are discussed

Effects of insecticidal ketones present in mint plants on GABA A receptor from mammalian neurons

The genus Mentha, an important member of the Lamiaceae family, is represented by many species commonly known as mint. The insecticidal activity of Mentha oil and its main components has been tested and established against various insects/pests. Among these, the ketone monoterpenes that are most common in different Mentha species demonstrated insect toxicity, with pulegone being the most active, followed by carvone and menthone. Considering that the GABAA receptor (GABAA-R) is one of the main insecticide targets on neurons, and that pulegone would modulate the insect GABA system, it may be expected that the insecticidal properties of Mentha ketones are mediated by their interaction with this receptor.Fil: Sánchez, Mariela Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Delgado Marín, Leticia Ester. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Daniel Asmed. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentin

Factors relacionats amb el manteniment de la inflamació i l'oclusió vascular. Implicacions en l'evolució dels pacients amb arteritis de cèl·lules gegants.

[cat] L'arteritis de cèl·lules gegants (ACG) és una vasculitis sistèmica de caràcter granulomatós que afecta vasos de calibre mitjà i gran. Per aprofundir en els mecanismes que intervenen en el desenvolupament de la hiperplasia intimal i la inflamació en l'ACG, vam dissenyar un nou mètode d'obtenció de cèl·lules miointimals (HTAMC) a partir de biòpsies d'artèries temporals dels pacients. Vam analitzar l'efecte de PDGF-AB, FGF-2, VEGF, EGF, TGFβ, CCL2, IL-6 i IL-1β sobre la proliferació i migració de les HTAMC. El PDGF va ser el principal agent mitogènic, seguit pel FGF-2. Respecte a la migració, només el PDGF i l'EGF van demostrar una acció quimiotàctica. Probablement el comportament d'aquestes cèl·lules in vivo és el resultat d'un balanç de diferents estímuls, per tant, caldrà plantejar-se el disseny de teràpies dirigides i combinades.Donat que el PDGF va ésser el factor que més influencia el comportament de les HTAMC, vam estudiar els efectes de l'imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®), un inhibidor del receptor del PDGF. Vam demostrar que l'imatinib bloqueja les vies de senyalització del PDGF, i conseqüentment, inhibeix la proliferació i la migració de les HTAMC estimulades amb PDGF. També vam estudiar altres funcions del PDGF i vam observar que incrementa l'expressió dels col·làgens tipus I i III i també augmenta la producció de fibronectina en les HTAMC. L'imatinib va inhibir l'estimulació en la producció d'aquestes proteïnes de matriu extracel·lular. D'altra banda, vam demostrar que el PDGF estimulava la secreció de CCL2 i d'angiogenina en les HTAMC i que l'imatinib contrarestava també aquests efectes. Donat que no es disposa d'un model animal de la malaltia, el cultiu de seccions d'artèria temporal sobre Matrigel® és un mètode que ens permet analitzar tota la complexitat d'aquest sistema, ja que conté tots els tipus cel·lulars de l'artèria més l'infiltrat inflamatori. Als set dies, s'inicia el creixement de les HTAMC fins a formar un cultiu confluent. L'imatinib inhibeix el creixement de les HTAMC a partir de l'artèria. Aquests resultats in vitro i ex vivo són encoratjadors demostrant que l'imatinib podria ser terapèuticament útil per contrarestar el procés inflamatori i el desenvolupament de la hiperplàsia intimal que es produeix en les artèries en l'ACG, però només un assaig clínic podria comprovar la utilitat de l'imatinib in vivo.En el segon estudi ens vam plantejar esbrinar quin és el paper de l'endotelina (ET) en l'ACG. Primerament, vam quantificar els nivells d'ET en el plasma dels pacients i van concloure que els pacients que patien fenòmens isquèmics tenien significativament més ET circulant que els que no tenien aquestes complicacions. A les biòpsies d'artèria temporal, els pacients van presentar nivells més alts de totes les proteïnes del sistema (ET-1, ECE-1 i ambdós receptors A i B). Mentre que a nivell d'expressió d'ARNm, els pacients tenien nivells més baixos de tots els components. Davant d'aquesta regulació negativa de tot el sistema, ens vam plantejar l'existència d'un mecanisme de retroalimentació negativa degut a l'excés d'ET. Els experiments in vitro amb cèl·lules endotelials i miointimals van demostrar que l'ET no regula negativament la seva pròpia expressió. En canvi, el PDGF i l'IL1β van regular negativament l'expressió de l'ARNm de l'ET en HTAMC.Als pacients tractats durant 8 dies de mitjana amb glucocorticoides, el tractament d'elecció de l'ACG, va disminuir l'ECE-1 i ETAR però no van disminuir els nivells d'ET-1, que és la molècula amb activitat funcional vasoconstrictora. Les nostres dades experimentals indiquen que el PDGF i l'endotelina poden estar implicats en la progressió de les lesions arterials dels pacients amb ACG i pensem que aquests resultats poden ser útils pel disseny d'assaigs clínics de teràpies més dirigides.[eng] Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving large and medium-sized vessels. Vascular remodeling in response to inflammation leads to intimal hyperplasia resulting in lumen occlusion and ischemia of supplied tissues. To gain a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to vascular occlusion in GCA, we developed a system to obtain and culture myointimal cells from temporal arteries (HTAMC) in order to assess the effects of various mediators on proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix production. Among the factors tested, PDGF exhibited the strongest activity in our system. Given that imatinib mesylate is an inhibitor of the PDGF receptor, we tested the effect of this compound in our model. We found that imatinib inhibited HTAMC biologic responses related to the development of intimal hyperplasia. Our findings suggest that imatinib might be a therapeutic option to limit occlusive vasculopathy in large-vessel vasculitis.Fifteen to 20% of our patients develop vascular occlusive events often preceded by transient ischemia. The aims of the second study were to investigate the expression of the endothelin (ET) system in GCA lesions, to assess its relationship with the development of ischemic complications, and to analyze the effects of glucocorticoid treatment on this system.Plasma ET was significantly elevated in GCA patients with ischemic complications. ET-1, endothelin converting enzyme (ECE-1) and both ET receptors (ETAR and ETBR) were increased in temporal arteries from GCA patients compared to controls. Intriguingly, mRNA expression of ET-1, ECE-1 and both receptors was significantly reduced in GCA patients. In order to investigate mechanisms underlying these results, we performed in vitro studies with endothelial cells and HTAMC. ET did not downregulate its own expression. In contrast, PDGF and IL-1β decreased ET expression by HTAMC. Glucocorticoid treatment for 8 days did not efficiently result in decreased ET concentration in tissue. In conclusion, the expression of the ET system components is increased at the protein level in GCA lesions creating a microenvironment prone to development of vasoconstrictive occlusive events which may contribute to ischemic complications. Recovery induced by glucocorticoids is not complete, indicating persistent exposure to the effects of ET during initial treatment

Analysis of the fire resistance of timber jack arch flooring systems used in historical buildings

[EN] Conservation of built heritage, at present, is a major task and a great challenge because it requires adapting the performance of existing buildings to current code requirements, when very often these were built before codes existed. Timber jack arch flooring systems can be found in many historical buildings around the world. The system is formed by timber joists and brick vaults spanning the distance between two adjacent joists and has an undoubtable aesthetic and cultural value. However, given its geometry, there is no methodology to verify its fire resistance, which has prevented the preservation of many buildings using this system. Within this context, this paper proposes a methodology based on the ¿Reduced cross-section method¿ included in Eurocode 5 (EN 1995-1-2) for the determination of the fire resistance of historical timber jack arch flooring systems subjected to different fire exposures. The methodology is based on the use of the 135-degree and the 300-degree isotherms to obtain the positions of the zero-strength layer and the charring depths, and is supported by both advanced numerical thermal models experimentally validated for standard fire exposure and advanced mechanical models. The methodology has been applied to a wide number of flooring systems covering different span lengths, timber static bending strengths, and fire exposures to evaluate the influence of these parameters on fire resistance. Results show that historical buildings do not always meet the requirements set by current codes and, therefore, performing these analyses is essential to ensure the fire resistance of these timber structures. By doing so, this work also contributes to cultural heritage conservation and to more sustainable construction in alignment with the fulfilment of United Nations 2030 Agenda¿s eleventh goal: "Sustainable cities and communities".The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness for the funding provided through Project BIA 2014-59036R. This research is also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the PhD grant FPU18/00726 awarded to the first author. Finally, the au-thors want to thank Prof. Dr. Juan Patricio Hidalgo for his help and MSc Enrique Serra for his assistance in the experimental test.Garcia-Castillo, E.; Paya-Zaforteza, I.; Hospitaler Pérez, A. (2021). Analysis of the fire resistance of timber jack arch flooring systems used in historical buildings. Engineering Structures. 243:1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112679S12024

Com impartir una Unitat Didàctica per augmentar l’atenció, l’interès i la participació de l’alumnat a les classes?

Treball Final del Màster Universitari en Professor/a d'Educació Secundària Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i Ensenyaments d'Idiomes. Codi: SAP119. Curs acadèmic 2014-2015El Treball Fi de Màster (TFM) desenvolupat correspon a la modalitat 1 de la normativa de TFM de la Universitat Jaume I titulada “Millora Educativa”. Aquesta proposta de millora va dirigida als alumnes de l’assignatura de Ciències de la Naturalesa d’un grup de 1r d’ESO de l’IES Violant de Casalduch en Benicàssim per tal d’acabar o, almenys, minimitzar la pèrdua d’atenció detectada en les classes, augmentant la participació i l’interès d’aquests en les mateixes. La metodologia que s’utilitza per realitzar aquest projecte és l’anomenada “investigació-acció”, la qual es basa en proposar i aplicar un pla d’acció que puga resoldre la problemàtica detectada, observar-lo contínuament per tal d’avaluar i reflexionar sobre els canvis que es van produint, i seguidament proposar noves millores educatives per començar el cicle de nou. El pla d’acció que es proposa consisteix en elaborar una unitat didàctica (Les Plantes) estructurant les classes de tal forma que s’aconseguisca que aquestes siguin més dinàmiques i actives per l’alumnat, i que augmenti així el seu interès per l’assignatura. Per poder assolir aquest objectiu es fa ús de les Tecnologies de la Informació i Comunicació (TIC) per explicar d’una manera més vistosa, acolorida i esquematitzada els continguts de la unitat didàctica. A banda, els alumnes realitzen activitats, tant individuals com col·lectives, a classe i participen en jocs per recordar i repassar els conceptes explicats. A més, seguint aquest propòsit, els alumnes realitzen manualment un “blog” a casa com a resum dels continguts que s’expliquen a classe diàriament. L’avaluació del projecte es basa en valorar la participació de l’alumnat en les activitats fetes a l’aula a partir de les anotacions diàries de l’alumna en pràctiques i la visió externa de la professora-tutora, en l’elaboració a casa del “blog”, en els resultats dels exàmens i en la valoració de l’alumnat a la metodologia emprada a partir d’enquestes. Finalment, després d’haver posat en pràctica aquest pla, hi ha que indicar que ha sigut valorat positivament per part de l’alumnat i de la pròpia alumna en pràctiques ja que s’ha pogut aconseguir els propòsits establerts inicialment. Concretament, ha contribuït a augmentar l’atenció, la participació i l’interès cap a l’assignatura per part dels alumnes, la qual cosa ha donat lloc a una millora en les qualificacions dels mateixos

Environmental analysis of building shallow foundations: The influence of prefabrication, typology, and structural design codes

The design of building foundations has usually been based on tradition, local practice, experience, and structural design codes. Safety is invariably considered the main factor and environmental criteria (or, in general, sustainability) is seldom given due consideration. However, similar safety indicators can be achieved with different variables and a minimum safety factor must always be ensured. The main objective of this study is, from an environmental perspective, to assess the influence of the construction system (cast-in-situ or precast), foundation type (rigid or flexible), and structural code (EC-2 or EHE-08) in the case of a concrete shallow foundation (CSF), using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Applying this methodology, the materials (concrete and steel) yielded the highest impacts in all categories, at around 95% for cast-in-situ CSFs and at around 85% for precast CSFs, both in relation to global warming. Consequently, optimization of the amount of these materials is crucial when considering the particular variables selected in this study. The results showed that cast-in-situ and flexible CSFs at moderately shallow depths (and therefore with less steel reinforcement) and precast CSFs with considerable reductions in concrete volumes (due to sloped shapes) had lower environmental impacts. In addition, cast-in-situ CSFs constructed in accordance with the EHE-08 structural code showed lower impacts, while precast CSFs complying with the EC-2 code were environmentally preferable. However, a specific study might be required for specific factors in each case (loads, soil type, structural settlement, among others). Relevant environmental effects associated with the three variables should therefore be given specific consideration in the development of structural design codes and future constructions.Postprint (author's final draft

0383 : In vitro 3D model of in vitro angiogenesis using human endothelial cells and pericytes

Human tissue is three-dimensional, and requires convective transport of nutrients and waste through capillary networks to meet metabolic demands Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature. It is a multi-step process that include: degradation of the basement membrane, proliferation and migration (sprouting) of endothelial cells (EC) into the extracellular matrix, alignment of EC into cords, branching, lumen formation, anastomosis, and formation of a new basement membrane. The literatture in 3D in vitro models using endothelial cells is wide, using various types of EC (essentially Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells), but blood vessels are composed of two interacting cells types: endothelial cells form the inner of the vessel wall, and mural cells that wrap the first ones. Pericytes are the mural cells of microvessels. They serve as scaffolding, and they communicate with endothelial cells by direct physical contacts and paracrine signaling pathways. Presently, there are no three-dimensional in vitro models of 3D Matrices which contain human pericyte-coated capillaries. Therefore, we aim at including pericytes in a 3D vascular morphogenesis assay in order to create a 3D in vitro model more close to physiologic conditions. We’ll show and discuss our first analyzes and results, the goal of which is to provide new in vitro tools in order to better understand vascular biology, for later studies of endothelial cells-pericytes interactions, extracellular matrix-pericytes interactions, and eventually, further elucidate the role of pericytes in the microvasculature