Negative affect, perceived health, and endocrine and immunological levels in caregivers of offspring with schizophrenia.

Negative affect (NA) and chronic stress are separately associated with health imbalances, and the interaction between the two aspects remains unclear. Care of relatives with long-term pathologies could be a likely model in the study of this issue, as caregivers frequently report chronic stress and health complaints. The aim of this study is examine the role of NA on psychophysiological stress-induced response and health in schizophrenia caregivers. Method: Forty-one caregivers were distributed into two groups accordingly to their scores in NA. Thirteen non-caregivers were included as a control group. Participants were exposed to a repeated acute psychosocial stress while salivary cortisol, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and skin conductance level (SCL) were measured before, during, and after stress. Mood, state-anxiety, care conditions and perceived general health were also assessed. Results: Caregivers with higher NA reported negative perceptions, worse health, and greater decreases in cortisol and IgA response than caregivers with low NA and than non-caregivers. Conclusions: NA could reduce the capability to develop adaptive psychophysiological stress responses. From a preventive view, the evaluation of NA could be useful to detect and assist high-risk individuals in potentially chronically stressed population

Análisis del diseño y aplicación de una situación de aprendizaje sobre violencia de género en varios grupos del ITESO y recuperación de las perspectivas de violencia identificadas por las y los estudiantes mediante ella

El presente texto tiene dos objetivos. Por un lado, intenta reflexionar sobre el ejercicio de diseñar una situación de aprendizaje que pueda ser aplicada en varios grupos de la universidad dentro de asignaturas que abordan temáticas distintas, pero unidas en torno a la reflexión y práctica de la ética en distintos ámbitos. En este sentido, buscamos hacer un ejercicio crítico que nos permita darnos cuenta de cuáles fueron los aciertos y errores en los que incurrimos al realizar esta propuesta y cuál es el contexto que nos llevó a hacerlo. Deseamos, a la vez, identificar áreas de mejora que nos inviten a realizar este tipo de acciones con mayor impacto en ocasiones posteriores. Se trata entonces de un ejercicio de reflexión sobre una propuesta docente que es innovadora y muy prometedora, pero también susceptible de ser mejorada. Este análisis crítico se aborda en el primer capítulo y se acompaña, al final, de una lista de sugerencias que pueden abonar a futuras propuestas de ésta o similar naturaleza. El segundo objetivo fue recoger y presentar la opinión del alumnado respecto de la identificación de distintos tipos de violencia a partir de la realización de una actividad en equipo. Esta actividad formó parte de la situación de aprendizaje que se aborda en el primer capítulo y busca que las y los estudiantes identifiquen distintos tipos de violencia dentro de una situación que se les presenta. Asimismo, se les pidió que realizaran propuestas para solucionar estas violencias.ITESO, A.C

Circularly polarized laser emission induced in isotropic and achiral dye systems

The production of efficient, tunable, and switchable circularly polarized laser emission would have far reaching implications in optical communications or biophotonics. In this work, it is demonstrated the direct generation of circularly polarized (CP) laser emission in achiral and isotropic dye laser systems without the use of extracavity polarizing elements, and without resorting to chiral dyes, chiral liquid crystal matrices, or interferometric methods. The origin of this ellipticity arises from the dynamic birefringence induced by the strong and polarized laser pumping and the subsequent orientation anisotropy of the excited molecular dipoles. A complete polarimetric characterization of the polarization state of conventional dye laser oscillators as a function of different experimental parameters is performed and it is shown that the generated light always possesses a certain level of circularity that changes in a distinctive way with pump energy and polarization. These results demonstrate that it is possible to generate and modulate CP laser light from efficient and photostable conventional laser dyes.Peer Reviewe

Nueva parametrización de la radiación en el modelo de área limitada del INM

Ponencia presentada en: III Simposio Nacional de Predicción del Instituto Nacional de Meteorología, celebrado en 1996 en MadridSe trata de una parametrización sencilla que produce valores suficientemente aproximados de los flujos radiativos en el suelo, suponiendo que el balance de radiación superficial es más importante que los enfriamientos y calentamientos radiativos atmosféricos para predicciones a corto plazo. Se expone una nueva parametrización del esquema de nubes y cómo se introduce todo ello en la ecuación final del cálculo de la temperatura superficial

Are you ready for retirement? The influence of values on membership in voluntary organizations in midlife and old age

Membership in voluntary organizations is associated with individual and social benefits. Due to the negative consequences of the global pandemic on older people, and the governmental challenges posed by population aging, voluntary membership is of great importance to society. To effectively promote volunteering among older people, it is necessary to understand the determinants of voluntary membership. This study analyses the influence of individual values—secular/traditional and survival/self-expression–on voluntary membership among European adults (N = 31,985). Specifically, it examines which values orient two age groups (middle age: 50–64 and old age: 65–79), as well as men and women toward a certain type of association (Social Awareness; Professional and Political; Education and Leisure; Religion). The sample of 31,985 comprises 60% of adults aged 50–64 and 40% aged 65–79; of which 56% are women and 44% men. The empirical estimation considers different levels of data aggregation: individual, national and welfare system, therefore multilevel analysis is used as an analytical strategy. Individual-level variables from the Integrated Values Survey (2005/09, 2010/14, and 2017/20) and national-level variables (Gini Index and Gross Domestic Product Per Capita) from the World Bank and Eurostat are used. The results indicate that traditional and self-expression values promote membership in voluntary organizations in general more than secular and survival values. However, there are differences according to the type of organization. Furthermore, values are found to moderate the effect of age and gender on voluntary membership

Separación de aceitunas sobremaduras y alambradas en línea mediante rebote

La fermentación tradicional de aceitunas de mesa da lugar a la aparición de distintos tipos de defectos: alambrado, compactado y sobremaduración. En este estudio se han ensayado varios lotes que incluyen aceitunas sanas y defectuosas, caracterizándolas objetivamente por color, dureza y densidad. Se ha diseñado asimismo un dispositivo en línea consistente en un cilindro rotativo recubierto con un material amortiguador. Este elemento permite separar correctamente el 95% de las aceitunas blandas (alambradas y sobremaduras) respecto a las sanas. Las aceitunas compactas pueden separarse mediante densidad. En este artículo se presentan los resultados de un trabajo que será expuesto en el II Congreso Nacional de Agrolngeniería 2003 (Córdoba

The role of genetic variability in the GABRA6, 5-HTT and BDNF genes in anxiety-related traits

Objective:  The aims of this study were to test the individual association of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF) and the GABAAα6 receptor subunit gene (GABRA6) with anxiety-related traits and to explore putative gene-gene interactions in a Spanish healthy sample. Method:  A sample of 937 individuals from the general population completed the Temperament and Character Inventory questionnaire to explore Harm Avoidance (HA) dimension; a subsample of 553 individuals also filled in the Big Five Questionnaire to explore the Neuroticism dimension. The whole sample was genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism (SLC6A4 gene), the Val66Met polymorphism (BDNF gene) and the T1521C polymorphism (GABRA6 gene). Results:  Homozygous individuals for the T allele of the T1512C polymorphism presented slightly higher scores for HA than C allele carriers (F = 2.96, P = 0.019). In addition, there was a significant gene-gene interaction on HA between the 5-HTTLPR and Val66Met polymorphisms (F = 3.4, P = 0.009). Conclusion:  GABRA6 emerges as a candidate gene involved in the variability of HA. The effect of a significant gene-gene interaction between the SLC6A4 and BDNF genes on HA could explain part of the genetic basis underlying anxiety-related traits

Asteroseismology with the WIRE satellite. I. Combining Ground- and Space-based Photometry of the Delta Scuti Star Epsilon Cephei

We have analysed ground-based multi-colour Stromgren photometry and single-filter photometry from the star tracker on the WIRE satellite of the delta scuti star Epsilon Cephei. The ground-based data set consists of 16 nights of data collected over 164 days, while the satellite data are nearly continuous coverage of the star during 14 days. The spectral window and noise level of the satellite data are superior to the ground-based data and this data set is used to locate the frequencies. However, we can use the ground-based data to improve the accuracy of the frequencies due to the much longer time baseline. We detect 26 oscillation frequencies in the WIRE data set, but only some of these can be seen clearly in the ground-based data. We have used the multi-colour ground-based photometry to determine amplitude and phase differences in the Stromgren b-y colour and the y filter in an attempt to identify the radial degree of the oscillation frequencies. We conclude that the accuracies of the amplitudes and phases are not sufficient to constrain theoretical models of Epsilon Cephei. We find no evidence for rotational splitting or the large separation among the frequencies detected in the WIRE data set. To be able to identify oscillation frequencies in delta scuti stars with the method we have applied, it is crucial to obtain more complete coverage from multi-site campaigns with a long time baseline and in multiple filters. This is important when planning photometric and spectroscopic ground-based support for future satellite missions like COROT and KEPLER.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables. Fig. 4 reduced in quality. Accepted by A&