Age, educational level and gender in self-concept of people with retinitis pigmentosa

Puesto que el autoconcepto juega un papel importante en la personalidad y puesto que este concepto puede estar alterado por la presencia de una enfermedad como la retinosis pigmentaria, la principal cuestión que se planteaba el presente estudio era conocer la relación entre variables como la edad, nivel de estudios y el género en el autoconcepto de 35 adultos afectados por esta problemática. Se utilizó la Escala de Auto-concepto Tennessee (Fitts, 1965) y un cuestionario de información socio-demográfica. Los resultados mostraban que la edad estaba asociada al autoconcepto moral, siendo más alto en personas mayores, aunque más reducido su autoconcepto familiar. Las personas con menor nivel de estudios obtuvieron una media más baja en autoconcepto físico. En relación al género, los resultados mostraban que las mujeres tenían mayor autoconcepto físico que los hombres. Se concluye recomendando intervenir en los primeros años tras el diagnóstico de la enfermedad, para paliar sus efectos en el bienestar psicológico de los afectados y asesorar a ellos y a sus familias para evitar distorsiones en las vidas de ambos

Concentración estacional de micronutrientes en hojas de cuatro especies forestales del Parque Chaqueño, Argentina

El ciclo de nutrientes es uno de los componentes fundamentales en el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas forestales. Las hojas de diferentes especies forestales muestran distinta composición química y diferencias estacionales en la producción de biomasa atribuidas a las fluctuaciones climáticas y/o cambios en la fenología de las plantas y a la variación en el contenido de nutrientes. El objetivo del trabajo fue analizar la variación estacional de las concentraciones de Fe, Mn, Cu y Zn en hojas de: Gleditsia amorphoides (Ga), Patagonula americana (Pa), Maclura tinctoria (Mt) and Astronium balansae (Ab). El sitio de estudio fue localizado en la Reserva Natural Estricta de Colonia Benítez (Chaco, Argentina). Las hojas de cada especie forestal fueron recogidas mensualmente, secadas a 70ºC, se determinó su peso seco y posteriormente se molió. El análisis foliar se realizó por oxidación húmeda empleando una mezcla ternaria HNO -H SO -HclO. Después de la digestión la concentración total de micronutrientes foliares fue determinada por espectrometría de absorción atómica. Las mayores concentraciones de Fe fueron para Mt (76.1mg/kg), Pa (75.2mg/kg), Ab (59.5mg/ kg) y Ga (45.3mg/kg). En Mn las más altas concentraciones se detectaron en Pa (54.0mg/kg), Ga (50.0mg/kg), Mt (48.0mg/kg), y la menor en Ab (39.7mg/kg). No se hallaron diferencias significativas entre las especies forestales para Cu foliar en Pa (11.3mg/kg), Ga y Mt (11.0mg/kg) y Ab (10.4mg/kg). Las mayores concentraciones foliares de Zn fueron en Mt (347.4mg/kg), Ga (319.9mg/kg), Pa (280.2mg/kg) y Ab (255.7mg/kg). En las especies forestales estudiadas, la concentración de los micronutrientes analizados mostraron una errática variación estacional, que puede ser atribuida a las relaciones establecidas entre las especies nativas bajo la fuerte influencia del ambiente, especialmente temperaturas y precipitaciones, durante un largo período de tiempo

The network society and the change of our perception

El presente trabajo hace hincapié en el nuevo tipo de sociedad que comienza a conformarse a partir del auge de Internet, la denominada sociedad red o de la información y los cambios que la mismas trae aparejados en el uso y apropiación de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. El marco metodológico estuvo dado por un recorrido histórico del desarrollo de las TIC y los cambios que propiciaron en el seno de las sociedades. Lo que pretende el ensayo es problematizar las TIC a lo largo de su historia a fin de comprender las prácticas comunicacionales, por ende las prácticas sociales, ya que no se pueden pensar a las tecnologías como simples instrumentos aislados del entorno en el que surgen.The present work emphasizes the new type of society that begins to conform from the rise of the Internet, the so-called network or information society and the changes that it brings with the use and appropriation of information technologies and the communication. The methodological framework was based on a historical overview of the development of ICTs and the changes that they fostered within societies. The aim of the essay is to problematize ICTs throughout their history in order to understand communication practices, hence social practices, since technologies can not be thought of as simple instruments isolated from the environment in which they arise.Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicación Socia

The network society and the change of our perception

El presente trabajo hace hincapié en el nuevo tipo de sociedad que comienza a conformarse a partir del auge de Internet, la denominada sociedad red o de la información y los cambios que la mismas trae aparejados en el uso y apropiación de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. El marco metodológico estuvo dado por un recorrido histórico del desarrollo de las TIC y los cambios que propiciaron en el seno de las sociedades. Lo que pretende el ensayo es problematizar las TIC a lo largo de su historia a fin de comprender las prácticas comunicacionales, por ende las prácticas sociales, ya que no se pueden pensar a las tecnologías como simples instrumentos aislados del entorno en el que surgen.The present work emphasizes the new type of society that begins to conform from the rise of the Internet, the so-called network or information society and the changes that it brings with the use and appropriation of information technologies and the communication. The methodological framework was based on a historical overview of the development of ICTs and the changes that they fostered within societies. The aim of the essay is to problematize ICTs throughout their history in order to understand communication practices, hence social practices, since technologies can not be thought of as simple instruments isolated from the environment in which they arise.Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicación Socia

Greenhouse Gases Production from Some Crops Growing Under Greenhouse Conditions

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), play an important role in global climate change. For example, CO2 production occurs as a result of the seasonal cycles of the biotic processes of photosynthesis and respiration, as well as through anthropogenic activities and abiotic processes such as the burning of fossil fuels. Many activities, such as Agribusiness (the production of crops and animals for food) create greenhouse gases. Our research group has studied several soil treatments such as wastewater, wastewater sludge, vermicomposting, and urea among others, in order to study the effects of soil treatments on the production of greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, and CH4) in several cultivars, but mainly in maize, sunflower and the common bean. The principal aim of this chapter is to show how these greenhouse gases are affected by the type of treatment, the properties of the soil, and the cultivar in question. We also look at which processes are involved in the production of CO2, N2O, and CH4 from cultivated soil. We present a review of several experiments carried out under in vitro or greenhouse conditions

Daily Step-Based Recommendations Related to Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Adolescents

Among adolescents empirical studies examining the total daily steps translation of the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendation are scarce and inconsistent, and there are no previous studies with cadence-based steps and related to sedentary behavior. The main objective of the present study was to establish and compare the accuracy of daily step-based recommendations related to the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior thresholds in adolescents. The present study followed a cross-sectional design. A total of 126 adolescents (56 girls) aged 12-15 years old were assessed by ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers for eight consecutive days (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sedentary behavior, and steps) and the multistage 20-meter shuttle run test (cardiorespiratory fitness). ROC curve analyses showed that total daily steps (AUC = 0.94, 0.89- 0.99; Threshold ≥ 11,111 steps/ day; P = 0.93; k = 0.67; p < 0.001) was a more appropriate indicator than cadence-based daily steps for distinguishing between physically active and inactive adolescents. Daily step-based thresholds represent a promising way to translate a total daily sedentary behavior threshold (e.g., total daily steps, AUC = 0.87, 0.81-0.93; Sensitivity = 0.87; Specificity = 0.70). Adolescents who met a favorable combination of stepbased recommendations related to both physical activity and sedentary behavior thresholds had a higher probability of having a healthy cardiorespiratory fitness profile than those who did not meet either of them (e.g., risk ratio = 5.05, 1.69-15.08) or only the one related to physical activity (e.g., risk ratio = 4.09, 1.36- 12.29). These findings may help policy-makers to provide accurate daily step-based recommendations that would simplify the physical activity and sedentary behavior thresholds for adolescents

How can the Social Family Climate Contribute to Emotional Intelligence in Preventing Suicidal Ideation and Promoting Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents?

While findings have documented the association between emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and suicidal ideation among adolescents, few studies have inves- tigated the moderating effect of family climate on the association. This study examined the moderating effect of family cohesion, expressiveness, and conflict on the relationships between emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and suicidal ideation among Spanish adolescents. A total of 2,722 adolescents aged 12 to 18 (Mage = 14.11, SD = 1.42, 52.8% girls) formed the sample. The interaction effects were significant, with family conflict mitigating the effects of emotional intelligence on life satisfaction, and family cohesion and expressiveness strengthening the effects of emotional intelligence on suicidal ideation. These findings provide additional evi- dence for the protective role of family cohesion and expressiveness in adolescent suicidal ideation, and the harmful role of family conflict in adolescent wellbeing. The results imply that enhancing family cohesion and expressiveness and reducing family conflict may be a promising way to boost the link between emotional intel- ligence and life satisfaction and to prevent suicidal ideation among adolescents.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Activity wristband-based physical activity recommendations in young people

The main aim of the present study was to establish daily activity wristband-measured steps thresholds related to the recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily in adolescents. The secondary aims of this study were twofold: (a) to establish daily activity wristband-measured total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity thresholds; and (b) to examine the cross-validity of daily activity wristband-measured steps thresholds established in previous studies associated with the recommended 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adolescents. Following a cross-sectional design, 85 Spanish adolescents (including 56 females; aged 12–18 years old) from a public high school wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer and four activity wristbands (Xiaomi Mi Band 2, Fitbit Alta HR, Polar A360 and Garmin Vivofit 4; non-dominant hand; index tests) for a day. A total of 38.8% of the adolescents met the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendation. The results showed that the validity of the daily total step-based thresholds tended to be higher (e.g., AUC = 0.83–0.91, P < 0.001) than those with total physical activity or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (AUC = 0.66–0.88, P < 0.01). The results of the cross-validity showed that the 10,000 step-per-day threshold had a high agreement (e.g., Xiaomi, P = 0.80; k = 0.58; Garmin, P = 0.82; k = 0.63). Activity wristband-measured total steps thresholds have a high validity for translating the daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendation, being more preferable than those with total physical activity or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. A 10,000 step-per-day target seems to be a practical and adequate activity wristband-based threshold among adolescents. This knowledge may help policy makers to provide adequate daily activity wristband-measured step-based recommendations for adolescents

A comparison of the utility of different step-indices to translate the physical activity recommendation in adolescents.

Previous studies translating the daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendation of total steps/day among adolescents are inconsistent, and those with cadence-based steps are scarce. The main purpose was to compare the accuracy of different daily steps index-based cut-points related to the daily 60 minutes of MVPA recommendation measured by a waist-worn accelerometer for adolescents. Following a cross-sectional design, 428 Spanish adolescents (final sample 351, 50.4% males), aged 13−16 years old, wore an ActiGraph GT3X/+ accelerometer (reference standard = MVPA; index tests = total steps/day, average steps/min and peak 1-min cadence) on the right hip for eight consecutive days. 32.5% of the adolescents met the daily MVPA recommendation. The multiple ROC curve comparisons showed that the accuracy of the daily total step-based recommendation (AUC = 0.97) was statistically higher than for those with the steps/min (AUC = 0.90) and peak 1-min cadence (AUC = 0.58) (p < 0.001). The 10,000-step-per-day cut-point (k= 0.59−0.83) showed highest accuracy values than the 12,000 steps/day (k= 0.20−0.32). Daily total step-based recommendations are more accurate than those with steps/min and peak 1-min cadence for classifying adolescents as being physically active or inactive. A 10,000-step-per-day target is simple and accurate for both male and female adolescents.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Carolina Casado-Robles, FPU16/03314)

Effects of tillage on the soil water retention curve during a fallow period of a semiarid dryland

31 Pags.- 2 Tabls.- 7 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/srTillage practices have a significant influence on the soil hydro-physical properties. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of tillage on the α (a scaling factor) and n (a pore size distribution parameter) van Genuchten soil water retention curve parameters during an 18-month long fallow period in a semiarid dryland. Three different tillage systems employed during 23 years of trials were compared: conventional (CT), reduced (RT) and no-tillage (NT). Measurements of soil bulk density (ρb) and the soil water retention curve θ(ψ) were performed at 0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm soil depths. The θ(ψ) was determined with the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)-pressure cells at the following pressure heads: 0.5, 1.5, 3, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1500 kPa. From these data, α, n and the SDexter index were evaluated. The 0–40 cm depth soil volumetric water content, θ, was also measured in the field using the TDR technique. Compared with CT and RT, NT had the highest θ values during all the fallow period. No significant influence of soil depth on θ(ψ) was observed in all tillage treatments at each sampling date. Although under consolidated soil conditions no significant differences in ρb and the water content at saturation (θs) were observed among tillage treatments, NT had the highest and lowest values of ρb and θs, respectively. The loosening of soil due to tillage practices in CT and RT significantly decreased ρb and increased θ at the wet-end section of θ(ψ). Post-tillage rainfall resulted in significant decreases in θs, α and the maximum value of the pore size distribution (PSDmax). The different soil structure created by mouldboard ploughing (CT) and chiselling (RT) explained the higher PSDmax under RT than CT. The most important changes in θ(ψ) followed the first copious effective rainfall events (>10 mm) after tillage. These facts enabled the soil to recover the pre-tillage water retention curve shapes and the van Genuchten parameters pre-tillage values. Effective rainfall events in the late fallow had a minor effect on the water retention curve. Although tillage tended to increase n, this change was not significant. The SDexter index, which was also affected by tillage, was greater than 0.035 during all the fallow period, indicating good soil physical quality.Peer reviewe