On the revocation of malicious users in anonymous and non-traceable VANETs

For the proper performance of Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANETs) it is essential to protect the service against malicious nodes aiming at disrupting the proper operation by injecting fake, invalid data into the network. It is common to define a traditional identity-based authentication for vehicles, which are loaded with individual credentials. However, the use of these credentials in VANETs may allow vehicle tracking and thus violate users’ privacy, a risk that can be overcome by means of anonymity schemes. This comes at the expenses, however, of on the one hand preventing VANET authorities from identifying malicious users and revoking them from the network, or on the other hand to avoid anonymity of users in front of the CA thus to allow their revocation. In this work, we describe a novel revocation scheme that is able to track and revoke specific users only after a number of complaints have been received while otherwise guaranteeing vehicle’s anonymity.This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, the Spanish Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología, the Spanish Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Turismo, the Generalitat de Catalunya and European FEDER funds under the projects: MINECO TUERI (TIN2011-25452), CICYT TAMESIS (TEC2011-22746), INNPACTO DEPHISIT (IPT-2012-0585-370000), CONSOLIDER ARES (CSD2007-00004), as well as the grant 2009 SGR-1362 to consolidated research groups, the funding of which is gratefully acknowledged

Relación entre conducta prosocial, resolución de problemas y consumo de drogas en adolescentes

The objectives of the present study are the following ones: 1) to study the use of drugs, the prosocial behaviour and the problem-solving skills with respect to age and gender, and 2) to analyze the association of both the prosocial behaviour and the problem-solving skills with the use of drugs. An exploratory cross-sectional study was performed, amongst a sample of 567 students in Spanish Compulsory Secondary Education (48.14% males) with an age range from 14 to 17 years (M = 14.92; SD = 0.90). Statistically significant differences were found concerning alcohol use and the prosocial behaviour with respect to gender, as well as concerning alcohol and cannabis use with respect to age. Logistic regression analyses revealed statistical significance of the prosocial behaviour with respect to the use of alcohol and cannabis. The ability in problem-solving was the most important protective predictor with respect to the abuse of cannabis. The results from this study enhance the importance of tailored interventions based on the promotion of prosocial behaviours and/or problem-solving strategies as fundamental protective factors for substance use amongst adolescents.Este estudio presenta como objetivos: 1) estudiar el consumo de drogas, la conducta prosocial y la resolución de problemas en función del sexo y la edad, y 2) analizar la asociación de la conducta prosocial y las habilidades de resolución de problemas con el consumo de drogas. Se realizó un estudio exploratorio con un diseño transversal. La muestra se compuso de 567 escolares de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (48.14% chicos) con edades entre 14 y 17 años (M = 14.92; DT = 0.90). Se hallaron diferencias significativas en el consumo de alcohol y conducta prosocial en función del sexo, así como en el consumo de alcohol y cannabis en función de la edad. El análisis de regresión logística mostró significación de la conducta prosocial en la variable de consumo de alcohol y cannabis. La resolución de problemas fue el predictor de mayor magnitud de protección frente al consumo de cannabis. Los resultados de este estudio resaltan la importancia de promover, en función del tipo de sustancia, conductas prosociales y/o estrategias de resolución de problemas como factores de protección del consumo de sustancias en la etapa adolescente

‘Saluda’, a programme to prevent the drug consumption: a evaluation of a new version in Spanish adolescents

En la actualidad se han evaluado numerosas intervenciones preventivas de drogodependencias en el medio escolar. Sin embargo, en España son pocos los estudios que analizan la influencia precisa de cada uno de los componentes específicos a los programas con el fin de determinar cuáles se consideran cruciales para el cambio de conducta de consumo. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar los efectos de una nueva versión del programa de prevención del consumo de drogas Saluda en la que se prescinde del componente fomento del ocio saludable y las tareas para casa. Esta versión reducida fue dirigida a una muestra de 106 escolares (44.6 % chicos) entre 14 y 17 años (M = 15.20; DT = 0.92) de un centro de Educación Secundaria. Se trata de un estudio exploratorio de tipo cuasi experimental y un diseño pre-post de un único grupo. Se realizó diferencia de proporciones mediante la prueba Z y diferencia de medias mediante la prueba T para muestras relacionadas. Los resultados muestran una reducción en el porcentaje de episodios de embriaguez, así como un efecto de mejora significativa sobre las variables protectoras del consumo. Se discuten estos hallazgos y se realizan propuestas para la mejora de futuras intervenciones.In Spain, as in the majority of countries in the world, drug use is a public health problem. Adolescence is considered to be a period at risk for the onset of drug use; thus, it becomes essential to intensify efforts and reduce the demand for drugs. For this purpose, numerous interventions have been evaluated, finding several sources of deficiency: among them, it is worth mentioning the lack of studies that analyzing the most effective components on drug prevention programs. In Spain, only Saluda program provides empirical evidence on the contribution of its components to the program. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a new version of Saluda program on a sample of 106 students (44.6% boys) between 14 and 17 years (M = 15.20, SD = 0.92). A pilot study was conducted, in which the components “healthy leisure promotion” and “homework” were omitted. Concerning intragroup comparisons, analyses of variance on repeated measures and difference of proportions were performed. The results showed a reduction in alcohol consumption and cannabis as well as a significant improving effect on consumption protective variables. These findings were made in order to improve future preventive interventions

Breast cancer survival after 10 years of follow up, in Granada and Almería spanish provinces

Fundamento: Describir la supervivencia global y libre de enfermedad a los cinco y diez años del diagnóstico de cáncer de mama en mujeres participantes un estudio caso control previo, y establecer las variables pronóstico relacionadas. Métodos: Se realizó el seguimiento de 202 mujeres diagnosticadas en tres hospitales públicos de Granada y Almería entre 1996- 1998. La supervivencia se evaluó mediante el método de Kaplan-Meier, y la identificación de factores relacionados mediante el análisis de regresión de Cox. Resultados: La edad media al diagnóstico fue de 54,27±10,4 años. La supervivencia global a los 5 años fue del 83,9% (IC 95%: 78,13-89,66) y a los 10 años del 71% (IC 95%: 63,25-78,74) con un tiempo medio de seguimiento de 119,91 meses (IC 95% 113,65- 126,17). La supervivencia libre de enfermedad a los 5 años fue del 81% (IC 95%: 74,52-87,47) y a los 10 años del 71,3% (IC 95%: 63,33-79,26) con un tiempo medio de seguimiento de 118,75 meses (IC 95% 111,86-125,65). La mortalidad de la serie fue del 33’17%. Conclusiones: Las características de la enfermedad en las mujeres de la muestra estudiada son similares a las de otras regiones de España y Europa, con una supervivencia global superior a la descrita en Europa y y comparable a la de España amba referidas para el mismo periodo.Background: To describe the overall and disease-free survival at five and ten years after breast cancer diagnosis in women from a previous case-control study, and establish related prognostic factors. Methods:We followed up 202 patients diagnosed between 1996 and 1998 in three public hospitals in Granada and Almeria provinces in Spain. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan and Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards model was applied to identify the most significant variables contributing to survival. Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 54.27±10.4 years. Mean follow-up for overall survival was 119.91 months (95%CI 113.65- 126.17); the five-year survival rate was 83.9% (95%CI: 78.13-89.66) and the ten-year rate was 71% (95%CI: 63.25-78.74). Mean followup for disease-free survival was 118.75 months (95%CI 111.86-125.65); the five-year disease-free survival rate was 81% (95%CI:74.52-87.47) and the ten-year rate was 71.3% (95%CI: 63.33-79.26). The mortality rate of the study population was 33.17%. Conclusions: Disease characteristics are similar in our population to those in other Spanish and European regions, while the overall survival is higher than the mean rate during the same period in Europe (5-yr rate of 79%) and similar to that in Spain (83%).Este trabajo ha sido financiado por proyectos de investigación de la Comisión Europea (7th. Frame Work, CONTAMED Nº: 212502) y de la Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (SAS-0133/2007)

El portafolio digital como recurso didáctico en las aulas universitarias

En el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior la formación se centra en el desarrollo de competencias. Esto supone un nuevo planteamiento en torno a las metodologías desarrolladas en las aulas universitarias. El presente capítulo versa sobre el portafolio digital como herramienta didáctica facilitadora de la competencia básica de “aprender a aprender”, entre otras, y del protagonismo del estudiante en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje

Determinants of cue-elicited alcohol craving and perceived realism in Virtual Reality environments among patients with alcohol use disorder

The identification of variables that can modulate the efficacy of cue exposure using virtual reality (VR) is crucial. This study aimed to explore determinant variables of cue-elicited alcohol craving and perceived realism (PR) of environments and alcoholic beverages during a VR cue-exposure session among alcohol use disorder (AUD) outpatients. A prospective cohort study was conducted amongst 72 outpatients with AUD from a clinical setting. Alcohol craving experienced during VR exposure and PR of virtual environments and alcoholic drinks were evaluated after a VR session of exposure to alcohol-related contexts and cues. Sociodemographic, psychological and consumption characteristics were examined as possible predicting variables. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the AUD severity and PR of beverages were predictors of cue-elicited alcohol craving. Educational level, PR of beverages and age were predictors of the PR of VR environments. In relation to the PR of VR beverages, cue-elicited alcohol craving and the PR of environments were predictors. A simple mediational model was also performed to analyze the influence of the PR of beverages on the relationship between the AUD severity and alcohol craving experienced during VR exposure: an indirect or mediational effect was found. PR of alcoholic beverages was (1) a key predictor of the PR of VR environments (and vice versa) and the alcohol craving (and vice versa) experienced during VR cue-exposure sessions using ALCO-VR software among AUD patients and (2) a mediator between AUD severity and cue-elicited alcohol craving

Craving and Anxiety Responses as Indicators of the Efficacy of Virtual Reality-Cue Exposure Therapy in Patients Diagnosed with Alcohol use Disorder

Introduction: Virtual Reality (VR) technology has shown promising results as an assessment and treatment instrument in substance use disorders, particularly in attempts to reduce craving. A common application of the VR technology in treatment is based on cue-exposure therapy (CET). Following from previous results, the present case series is part of a larger project aiming to test the efficacy of the Virtual Reality-Cue Exposure Therapy (VR-CET) versus Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Method: Eight patients between ages 40 and 55 (Mage = 49, SD = 5.54) from the Addictive Behaviors Unit at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona participated in this study after providing written informed consent. Patients were randomly assigned to the VR-CET group (three patients) or the CBT group (five patients). The protocol of the clinical trial consisted of a pre-treatment session (the initial assessment session), six sessions of CBT or VR-CET, and a post-treatment session (post-assessment session). The VR-CET sessions consisted of exposure to alcohol-related cues and environments aiming to reduce anxiety and craving responses to alcohol-related stimuli. The CBT sessions consisted of classical standardized therapy for the treatment of addictions, as previously applied in other clinical trials. In the pre- and post-treatment sessions, patients completed several measures of alcohol craving and anxiety and visual analog scales (VAS) during VR exposure. Results: Our data indicated a significant reduction in both groups in all scores of craving and anxiety responses, as assessed by the different instruments. In addition, the VR-CET group obtained lower scores on anxiety and craving responses than the CBT group. Conclusions: In this ongoing project, the first phase of the clinical trial showed significant improvements in terms of craving and anxiety reduction in both groups, emphasizing that VR-CET can be as efficient as CBT. In addition, patients in the VR-CET group obtained slightly better scores than patients in the CBT group, suggesting the clinical potential of the VR technology in the treatment of substance use disorders. We propose that VR-based CET can be a useful complement to existing treatment methods for AUD patients

Attentional bias, alcohol craving, and anxiety implications of the virtual reality cue-exposure therapy in severe alcohol use disorder: a case report

Aims: Attentional bias (AB), alcohol craving, and anxiety have important implications in the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The current study aims to test the effectiveness of a Virtual Reality Cue-Exposure Therapy (VR-CET) to reduce levels of alcohol craving and anxiety and prompt changes in AB toward alcohol content. Method: A 49-year-old male participated in this study, diagnosed with severe AUD, who also used tobacco and illicit substances on an occasional basis and who made several failed attempts to cease substance misuse. The protocol consisted of six VR-CET booster sessions and two assessment sessions (pre- and post-VR-CET) over the course of 5 weeks. The VR-CET program consisted of booster therapy sessions based on virtual reality (VR) exposure to preferred alcohol-related cues and contexts. The initial and final assessment sessions were focused on exploring AB, alcohol craving, and anxiety using paper-and-pencil instruments and the eye-tracking (ET) and VR technologies at different time points. Results: Pre and post assessment sessions indicated falls on the scores of all instruments assessing alcohol craving, anxiety, and AB. Conclusions: This case report, part of a larger project, demonstrates the effectiveness of the VR-CET booster sessions in AUD. In the post-treatment measurements, a variety of instruments showed a change in the AB pattern and an improvement in craving and anxiety responses. As a result of the systematic desensitization, virtual exposure gradually reduced the responses to significant alcohol-related cues and contexts. The implications for AB, anxiety and craving are discussed

Association of Urinary Levels of Bisphenols A, F, and S with Endometriosis Risk: Preliminary Results of the End EA Study

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore associations of urinary concentrations of bisphenols A (BPA), S (BPS), and F (BPF) and of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) with the risk of endometriosis in women of childbearing age. Results: After adjustment for urinary creatinine, age, BMI, parity, and residence, endometriosis risk was increased with each 1 log unit of BPA [OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.0–2.3] and Sbisphenols [OR 1.5; 95%CI 0.9–2.3] but was not associated with the presence of BPS and BPF. Classification of the women by tertiles of exposure revealed statistically significant associations between endometriosis risk and the second tertile of exposure to BPA [OR 3.7; 95%CI 1.3–10.3] and Sbisphenols [OR 5.4; 95%CI 1.9–15.6]. In addition, TBARS concentrations showed a close-to-significant relationship with increased endometriosis risk [OR 1.6; 95%CI 1.0–2.8], and classification by TBARS concentration tertile revealed that the association between endometriosis risk and concentrations of BPA [OR 2.0; 95%CI 1.0–4.1] and Sbisphenols [OR 2.2; 95%CI 1.0–4.6] was only statistically significant for women in the highest TBARS tertile (>4.23 uM). Conclusion: Exposure to bisphenols may increase the risk of endometriosis, and oxidative stress may play a crucial role in this association. Further studies are warranted to verify these findings.Instituto de Salud Carlos III: PI17/01743; Instituto de Salud Carlos III: PI16/01820; Instituto de Salud Carlos III: PI16/01812; Instituto de Salud Carlos III: PI16/01858; Instituto de Salud Carlos III: PI17/01526; Instituto de Salud Carlos III: IFI18/00052; Instituto de Salud Carlos III: FI17/00316; Instituto de Salud Carlos III: INT18/00060; European Commission: H2020-EJP-HBM4EU

Predictors of Changes in alcohol craving levels during a virtual reality cue exposure treatment among patients with alcohol use disorder

Background/Objective: Determining the predictive variables associated with levels of alcohol craving can ease the identification of patients who can benefit from treatments. This study aimed to describe changes (improvement or no change/deterioration) in alcohol craving levels and explore the predictors of these changes from admission to discharge in outpatients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) undergoing treatment-as-usual (TAU), or treatment-as-usual supplemented with virtual reality cue-exposure therapy (TAU + VR-CET). Method: A prospective cohort study was conducted amongst 42 outpatients with AUD (n = 15 TAU + VR-CET and n = 27 TAU) from a clinical setting. Changes in the levels of alcohol craving between admission and discharge were assessed with the Multidimensional Alcohol Craving Scale. Sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, education, and socioeconomic and civil status), cognitive-a ective behavioral patterns (AUD severity, abstinence duration, psychiatric comorbidity, state anxiety, attentional bias, and substance use), and type of treatment (TAU + VR-CET and only TAU) were also evaluated. Results: The TAU + VR-CET group showed greater changes of improvement in the levels of alcohol craving than the TAU group ( 2 = 10.996; p = 0.001). Intragroup changes in alcohol craving from pre to post-treatment were significant in the TAU + VR-CET group ( 2 = 13.818; p = 0.003) but not within the TAU group ( 2 = 2.349; p = 0.503). The odds of an improvement in any of the craving levels between pre- and post-test was 18.18 (1/0.055) times higher in the TAU + VR-CET group with respect to the TAU group. The use of illicit drugs in the month prior to the test increased the odds of having a positive change by 18.18 (1/0.055) with respect to not having consumed. Conclusions: Including VR-CET in TAU programs may provide benefits in the treatment of AUDs mainly among patients with intense alcohol craving and individuals having used illicit substances prior to treatment