Cononocimiento del profesor sobre pensamiento estadístico

En este artículo se muestran los diferentes elementos del pensamiento estadístico a través de la práctica de dos profesoras. Dado que se parte de la práctica docente, el marco metodológico es el modelo del cuarteto del conocimiento. Este modelo permite determinar el conocimiento movilizado en una clase a través de las situaciones o tareas que plantea el profesor a sus alumnos. Se describen brevemente los elementos del pensamiento estadístico y su asociación con cada una de las dimensiones del cuarteto a través de diversos episodios de aula al trabajar el tópico de los gráficos estadísticos. Esta recopilación puede constituir una muestra del conocimiento que debe tener un profesor y que puede guiar el diseño de la formación de profesores

Impact of soil texture on plant communities of Raphanus raphanistrum L.

Our soil study of the chromic soils located in the strip of land between Sierra Morena and the Guadalquivir Valley reveals a pH-value close to neutral in 25 samples. The pH-values are close to 5.5 only in the samples taken from the arenosols of the granitic batholith of Los Pedroches. However, it is the percentage of clay, sand and silt that explains the occurrence of grassland dominated by Raphanus raphanistrum, in the company of species with a psammophilous character such as Linaria spartea, Linaria amethystea and Brassica barrelieri. Our soil analysis reveals the presence of acid or base-poor soils. Consequently, the community of Raphanus raphanistrum found there displays an acidophilous, neutro-basophilous and subarenicolous character. Different types of sabulicolous plant communities appear as a result of the gradation of the soil texture. Since the Raphanus communities cannot be considered as genuinely sabulicolous, we have coined the term ‘subarenicolous’ to describe any plant community whose optimum sand content lies between 50% and 70%. The community of Linaria spartea and Raphanus raphanistrum is neutro-basophilous and is found in at least the Marianic-Monchiquensean and North Hispalensean sectors. The floristic composition of the association is made up of Raphanus raphanistrum, Linaria spartea, Linaria amethystea, Medicago polymorpha, Hordeum leporinum, Bromus diandrus, Brassica barrelieri

The impact of the COVID-19 confinement on the habits of PA practice according to gender (male/female): Spanish case

Producción CientíficaThe declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic changes to life worldwide. In Spain, the state of alarm caused the confinement of 47 million inhabitants, affecting every aspect of life. This study analyzes the impact of such confinement on the health of men and women, as well as the effect on the practice of physical activity (PA) of both genders. An ad hoc questionnaire was administered. A total of 1046 people (48.57% men and 51.43% women) with an average age of 40 years (SD ± 13.35) participated in this study. For both genders, there was a significant decrease in quantity and intensity (p = 0.000). There was also an alteration in the type of PA practiced, shifting from cardiorespiratory exercise and muscular fitness to flexibility and neuromotor exercise (especially in women). The most popular way of practicing PA during the confinement was “autonomously” (statistically higher in men (M = 3.58) compared to women (M = 3.18)) and the most frequent format was “virtual” (statistically higher in women (M = 2.81) compared to men (M = 1.94)). Confinement modifies the habits of PA practice, especially in men. Both genders put their health and quality of life at risk by not following the PA guidelines of the health authorities World Health Organization (WHO) and American College of Sports Medicine ACSM). These conclusions highlight the importance of considering gender when designing programs and PA formats for the promotion of physical activity to reduce the existing gender divide

Soil and Phytosociological Characterisation of Grasslands in the Western Mediterranean

A study was made of grasslands in olive groves with a high frequency of Hordeum leporinum Link, Chrysanthemum coronarium L., Malva neglecta Wallr., Aegilops geniculata Roth and Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Borbas, initially included in the alliance Hordeion leporini Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl., Gajewski, Wraber & Walas 1936 corr. O. Bolós 1962, and sub-alliance Malvenion neglectae Gutte 1966. The study was carried out in the western Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Portugal and northern Morocco). The soil and phytosociological treatment of the samples contributes information for new plant communities. In the study of plant communities, the indices of degree of presence are adapted to those of Van der Maarel. The new alliance Securigero securidacae-Dasypyrion villosi is proposed for the sub-Mediterranean and Euro-Siberian territories, with the new communities Securigero securidacae-Dasypyretum villosi and Convolvulo elegantissimi-Aegilopetum geniculatae. This last community, due to its richness in Aegilops geniculata Roth, could be included in the alliance Taeniathero- Aegilopion geniculatae Rivas-Martínez & Izco 1977; however, the soil and statistical analyses reveal that it should remain part of the alliance Securigero securidacae-Dasypyrion villosi. The soil and floristic study of Hordeion leporini and Malvenion neglectae allows us to describe the new sub-alliance Resedo albae-Chrysanthemenion coronarii, subordinated to Malvion neglectae (Gutte 1966) status novo

Building, coding and programming 3D models via a visual programming environment

[EN] This paper presents the findings of a study conducted in the state-funded Infant, Primary and Secondary School Santísima Trinidad in Salamanca. The main objectives of the research were, to evaluate the use of the visual programming environment, Lego Education WeDo, in natural science and to know the benefits of the use of this tool to teach abstract concepts, solve problems and motivate students. In order to achieve these objectives, we used the case study method since we focused on individuals who represented the phenomenon of our interest, and explored and investigated in depth the phenomenon in its natural context bounded by time and space. In the research were involved a teacher and fifty-two students of 4th grade of primary education. The study found that the project developed was effective to help students to achieve the learning objectives of the unit, and also to begin building, coding and programming 3D models. The research showed the teacher’ fundamental role as a guide and students’ active role as builders, programmers, or presenters. There were evidences of the possibilities offered to acquire the skills of critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, reflection, collaboration, communication, and time management. Due to the positive results obtained in this study, it is recommended to incorporate computational thinking in primary education and in core content areas since it is fundamental in the current society

Overview of lithium's use: a nationwide survey

BACKGROUND: Lithium is considered the gold standard treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). Current clinical guidelines and scientific evidence support its use as a first-line treatment in BD. However, over the last two decades, there has been a downward tendency in lithium's use in several developed countries. Based on a nationwide survey, this study's objective is to analyze in a large sample of psychiatrists relevant issues of the use of lithium salts in BD. METHODS: Data were collected through an anonymous survey sent by email among 500 psychiatrists who belong to a National Society of Psychiatry (Spanish Society of Biological Psychiatry). The survey is a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 21 items on the most key aspects of lithium's use (indication, dosage, monitoring, and information for patients). RESULTS: 212 psychiatrists completed the survey. 70% of psychiatrists prescribe lithium to more than 50% of patients diagnosed with BD. Adverse effects are the main reason not to use lithium salts. Over 75% of the participants consider lithium salts the treatment of choice for the maintenance phase of BD, both in women and men. Most of the participants (>50%) start lithium after the first affective episode, use conservative plasma concentrations (0.6-0.8mmol/L), and generally prescribe it twice a day. 57% of psychiatrists who treat patients under 18 do not use lithium in this population. About 70% of the survey respondents use official protocols to inform and monitor patients on lithium treatment. CONCLUSIONS: From the results of the present study, it can be concluded that the use of lithium in Spain is in line with the recommendations of the main international clinical guidelines and current scientific literature. The first reason not to prescribe lithium in our country is the perception of its adverse effects and not the aspects related to its practical use or its effectiveness. Considering that BD is a chronic disease with a typical onset in adolescence, the low rate of prescription of lithium salts in patients under 18 must be thoroughly studied.This work was supported by Carlos III Health Research Institute [Grant Number PI18/0155] (co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER/ERDF)/European Social Fund 'Investing in your future'); Networking Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), the Basque Government [Grant number, 2017111104] and the University of the Basque Country [Grant Number 321212ELBY]. The psychiatric research department in Araba University Hospital is supported by the Stanley Research Foundation [Grant number 03-RC-003].

Cannabis use and nonuse in patients with first-episode psychosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing neurocognitive functioning

BACKGROUND.: The implications of cannabis use in the onset of early psychosis and the severity of psychotic symptoms have resulted in a proliferation of studies on this issue. However, few have examined the effects of cannabis use on the cognitive symptoms of psychosis (i.e., neurocognitive functioning) in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to assess the neurocognitive functioning of cannabis users (CU) and nonusers (NU) with FEP. METHODS.: Of the 110 studies identified through the systematic review of 6 databases, 7 met the inclusion criteria, resulting in 14 independent samples and 78 effect sizes. The total sample included 304 CU with FEP and 369 NU with FEP. The moderator variables were age at first use, duration of use, percentage of males, and age. RESULTS.: Effect sizes were not significantly different from zero in any neurocognitive domain when users and NU were compared. Part of the variability in effect sizes was explained by the inclusion of the following moderator variables: (1) frequency of cannabis use (beta = 0.013, F = 7.56, p = 0.017); (2) first-generation antipsychotics (beta = 0.019, F = 34.46, p ≤ 0.001); and (3) country where the study was carried out (beta = 0.266, t = 2.06, p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS.: This meta-analysis indicates that cannabis use is not generally associated with neurocognitive functioning in patients with FEP. However, it highlights the deleterious effect of low doses of cannabis in some patients. It also stresses the importance of the type of antipsychotic prescription and cannabis dose as moderator variables in the neurocognitive functioning of CU with FEP.This study was partially funded by UNIR Research(http:// research.unir.net), Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR, http://www. unir.net), under Research Support Strategy 3 [2015–2017], Research Group “PSICONLINE General Health Psychology,” and the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (MINECO) within the framework of the Subprogram Challenge-Research (Retos-Investigación) I+D+I 2017 (PSI2017- 82542-R)

Mortality risks after two years in frail and pre-frail older adults admitted to hospital

Background: Frailty is characterized by a progressive decline in the physiological functions of multiple body systems that lead to a more vulnerable condition, which is prone to the development of various adverse events, such as falls, hospitalization, and mortality. This study aims to determine whether frailty increases mortality compared to pre-frailty and to identify variables associated with a higher risk of mortality. Materials: Two cohorts, frail and pre-frail subjects, are evaluated according to the Fried phenotype. A complete examination of frailty, cognitive status, comorbidities and pharmacology was carried out at hospital admission and was extracted through electronic health record (EHR). Mortality was evaluated from the EHR. Methods: Kaplan–Meier estimates of survival probability functions were calculated at two years censoring time for frail and pre-frail cohorts. The log-rank test assessed significant differences between survival probability functions. Significant variables for frailty (p < 0–05) were extracted by independent sample t-test. Further selection was based on variable significance found in multivariate logistic regression discrimination between frail and pre-frail subjects. Cox regression over univariate t-test-selected variables was calculated to identify variables associated with higher proportional hazard risks (HR) at two years. Results: Frailty is associated with greater mortality at two years censoring time than pre-frailty (log-rank test, p < 0.0001). Variables with significant (p < 0.05) association with mortality identified in both cohorts (HR 95% (CI in the frail cohort) are male sex (0.44 (0.29–0.66)), age (1.05 (1.01–1.09)), weight (0.98 (0.96–1.00)), and use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) (0.60 (0.41–0.87)). Specific high-risk factors in the frail cohort are readmission at 30 days (0.50 (0.33–0.74)), SPPB sit and stand (0.62 (0.45–0.85)), heart failure (0.67 (0.46–0.98)), use of antiplatelets (1.80 (1.19–2.71)), and quetiapine (0.31 (0.12–0.81)). Specific high-risk factors in the pre-frail cohort are Barthel’s score (120 (7.7–1700)), Pfeiffer test (8.4; (2.3–31)), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) (1200 (18–88,000)), constipation (0.025 (0.0027–0.24)), falls (18,000 (150–2,200,000)), deep venous thrombosis (8400 (19–3,700,000)), cerebrovascular disease (0.01 (0.00064–0.16)), diabetes (360 (3.4–39,000)), thyroid disease (0.00099 (0.000012–0.085)), and the use of PPIs (0.062 (0.0072–0.54)), Zolpidem (0.000014 (0.0000000021–0.092)), antidiabetics (0.00015 (0.00000042–0.051)), diuretics (0.0003 (0.000004–0.022)), and opiates (0.000069 (0.00000035–0.013)). Conclusions: Frailty is associated with higher mortality at two years than pre-frailty. Frailty is recognized as a systemic syndrome with many links to older-age comorbidities, which are also found in our study. Polypharmacy is strongly associated with frailty, and several commonly prescribed drugs are strongly associated with increased mortality. It must be considered that frail patients need coordinated attention where the diverse specialist taking care of them jointly examines the interactions between the diversity of treatments prescribed.The work in this paper has been partially supported by FEDER funds for the MICIN project PID2020-116346GB-I00, and 2016111138 of the health funding program of the Basque Government. The author M.G. has received research funds from the Basque Government as the head of the Grupo de Inteligencia Computacional, Universidad del Pais Vasco, UPV/EHU since 2007 until 2025. The current code for the grant is IT1689-22. Additionally, the authors are participating in Elkartek projects KK-2022/00051 and KK-2021/00070

Cognitive Enhancers in Schizophrenia: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Alpha-7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonists for Cognitive Deficits and Negative Symptoms

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe and enduring disease and is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Cognitive impairment is a core clinical symptom that plays a crucial role in functional outcomes and prognosis, thus making it a relevant treatment target. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists (alpha 7 nAChR) as adjunctive treatment to enhance cognition and ameliorate negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: A search strategy was developed for MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to May 2019. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared antipsychotic treatment plus alpha 7 nAChR agonists with antipsychotic treatment plus placebo and determined their effects on the main cognitive domains proposed by the MATRICS initiative and on negative symptoms. Two authors independently reviewed study eligibility and data extraction and assessed the risk of bias of the studies included. According to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, we used a random-effects model and assessed the quality of the evidence. Results: Thirteen studies were included in the quantitative analysis. No differences were found in any of the cognitive domains assessed in four RCTs (n = 414). In contrast, nine RCTs (n = 978) presented a small effect in support of alpha 7 nAChR agonists for negative symptoms [standardized mean difference -0.28, 95% CI (-0.56 to -0.00); P = 0.05], even though the confidence to support this evidence is low according to the GRADE system. Conclusions: Current evidence is too weak to consider alpha 7 nAChR agonists as an effective add-on treatment to antipsychotics to enhance cognition and negative symptoms.The work conducted at the University of the Basque Country was funded by public grants GIU14/27, PPGA18/03, and IT1232-1

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Cannabis Use Cessation in First-Episode Psychosis Patients: A 1-Year Randomized Controlled Trial

Despite the negative influence of cannabis use on the development and prognosis of first-episode psychosis (FEP), there is little evidence on effective specific interventions for cannabis use cessation in FEP. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a specific cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for cannabis cessation (CBT-CC) with treatment as usual (TAU) in FEP cannabis users. In this single-blind, 1-year randomized controlled trial, 65 participants were randomly assigned to CBT-CC or TAU. The primary outcome was the reduction in cannabis use severity. The CBT-CC group had a greater decrease in cannabis use severity and positive psychotic symptoms over time, and a greater improvement in functioning at post-treatment than TAU. The treatment response was also faster in the CBT-CC group, reducing cannabis use, anxiety, positive and general psychotic symptoms, and improving functioning earlier than TAU in the follow-up. Moreover, patients who stopped and/or reduced cannabis use during the follow-up, decreased psychotic symptoms and increased awareness of disease compared to those who continued using cannabis. Early intervention based on a specific CBT for cannabis cessation, may be effective in reducing cannabis use severity, in addition to improving clinical and functional outcomes of FEP cannabis users