Eurocentric History in Spanish Textbooks

This paper examines the presence of Eurocentric bias in mainstream Spanish textbooks used to teach history in secondary education. The research objective is to analyse how the relationships between Europe and colonised populations are presented in history textbooks. The research hypothesis is that Spanish textbooks have a Eurocentric bias, involving not questioning colonialism. To this purpose, a representative sample of six textbooks was selected, and those chapters related to imperialism, colonialism and decolonisation processes were subjected to content analysis, in three dimensions: written information, pictures and maps. The methodology involved comparing the textbooks' narratives, conveyed both through text and images, with the consensual historiography about colonisation processes. The results show the persistence of a 'Rosy Tradition' sustaining certain continuity with the old colonial propaganda, for instance minimising or ignoring colonial violence; treating colonised territories and metropolis asymmetrically, disregarding non-European history; conveying a stereotypical image of colonised and colonisers through pictures, and resorting to maps with a colonial perspective. The conclusions bring forward some proposals that could improve the teaching and learning of the history of colonialisms, in order to avoid reinforcing the Eurocentric bias already existing among secondary studentsThis article is a part of the project: Estrategias de argumentación y desarrollo de competencias básicas en la enseñanza de las Ciencias Sociales de la ESO [Argumentation strategies and development of basic skills in the teaching of Social Sciences ESO], funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain, code EDU2012-37909-C03-01S

Impact of chronic risperidone use on behavior and survival of 3xTg-AD mice model of Alzheimer's disease and mice with normal aging

Altres ajuts: FLMTV3/2010/062930Psychosis and/or aggression are common problems in dementia, and when severe or persistent, cause considerable patient distress and disability, caregiver stress, and early institutionalization. In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that atypical antipsychotics were associated with a significantly greater mortality risk compared to placebo, which prompted the addition of an FDA black-box warning. The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) White Paper, 2008, reviewed this issue and made clinical and research recommendations regarding the use of antipsychotics in dementia patients with psychosis and/or agitation. Increased mortality risk has also been described in cerebrovascular adverse events in elderly users of antipsychotics. In the present work, at the translational level, we used male 3xTg-AD mice (PS1M146V, APPSwe, tauP301L) at advanced stages of the disease reported to have worse survival than females, to study the behavioral effects of a low chronic dose of risperidone (0.1 mg/ kg, s.c., 90 days, from 13 to 16 months of age) and its impact on long-term survival, as compared to mice with normal aging. Animals were behaviorally assessed for cognitive and BPSD (behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia)-like symptoms in naturalistic and experimental conditions (open-field test, T-maze, social interaction, Morris water maze, and marble test) before and after treatment. Weight, basal glucose levels, and IPGTT (i.p. glucose tolerance test) were also recorded. Neophobia in the corner test was used for behavioral monitoring. Survival curves were recorded throughout the experiment until natural death. The benefits of risperidone were limited, both at cognitive and BPSD-like level, and mostly restricted to burying, agitation/vibrating tail, and other social behaviors. However, the work warns about a clear early mortality risk window during the treatment and long-lasting impact on survival. Reduced life expectancy and life span were observed in the 3xTg-AD mice, but total lifespan (36 months) recorded in C57BL/6 × 129Sv counterparts with normal aging was also truncated to 28 months in those with treatment. Sarcopenia at time of death was found in all groups, but was more severe in wild-type animals treated with risperidone. Therefore, the 3xTg-AD mice and their non-transgenic counterparts can be useful to delimitate critical time windows and for studying the physio-pathogenic factors and underlying causal events involved in this topic of considerable public health significance

Prevalence of parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease in Europe: the EUROPARKINSON collaborative study

Malaltia de Parkinson; Prevalència; Distribució per edatsEnfermedad de Parkinson; Prevalencia; Distribución de edadParkinson Disease; Prevalence; Age DistributionObjectives: To assess and compare the prevalence of parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease in five European populations that were surveyed with similar methodology and diagnostic criteria.Methods: Joint analysis of five community surveys--Gironde (France), eight centres in Italy, Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Girona (Spain), and Pamplona (Spain)--in which subjects were screened in person for parkinsonism. Overall, these surveys comprised 14,636 participants aged 65 years or older.Results: The overall prevalence (per 100 population), age adjusted to the 1991 European standard population, was 2.3 for parkinsonism and 1.6 for Parkinson's disease. The overall prevalence of parkinsonism for the age groups 65 to 69, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, 80 to 84, and 85 to 89 years was respectively, 0.9, 1.5, 3.7, 5.0, and 5.1. The corresponding age specific figures for Parkinson's disease were 0.6, 1.0, 2.7, 3.6, and 3.5. After adjusting for age and sex, the prevalence figures did not differ significantly across studies, except for the French study in which prevalence was lower. Prevalence was similar in men and women. Overall, 24% of the subjects with Parkinson's disease were newly detected through the surveys.Conclusions: Prevalence of both parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease increased with age, without significant differences between men and women. There was no convincing evidence for differences in prevalence across European countries. A substantial proportion of patients with Parkinson's disease went undetected in the general population

Microvascularización de los tumores cerebrales y factor angiogénico en el líquido cefalorraquídeo tumoral

Utilizando el método de tinción de la bencidina se realizó un estudio sobre las características morfológicas de la microvascularización de los tumores cerebrales; paralelamente, en la membrana corioalantoidea de embriones de pollo, se estudió la capacidad angiogénica del LCR de pacientes con tumores. La densidad vascular se observó reducida en astrocitomas benignos, oligodendrogliomas y craneo-faringiomas, ligeramente aumentada en astrocitomas de grado I I y meduloblastomas. Los astrocitomas malignos, glioblastomas y metástasis mostraron patrones vasculares muy aumentados. Los meningiomas están intensamente vascularizados y menos los neurinomas. Los LCR de pacientes con tumores primitivos del SNC o a distancia mostraron actividad angiogénica en el 93% de los casos. El 27% de los LCR controles fueron positivos observándose correlación con la edad

Discrepancies Regarding the Quality of Life of Patients with Alzheimer¿s Disease: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study

Cross-sectional studies report notable discrepancies between patient and caregiver ratings of the quality of life of patients (QoL-p) with Alzheimer¿s disease (AD). This study aimed to identify the factors associated with any changes in QoL-p ratings and any discrepancies between patient and caregiver ratings of QoL-p. Three-year follow-up of a cohort of non-institutionalized patients (n = 119). QoL-p was assessed by the Quality of Life in AD (QoL-AD) scale. We analyzed the influence of functional and cognitive status and behavioral problems in patients, and burden and mental health in caregivers. Repeated measures analysis was applied to the scores of patients and caregivers on the QoL-AD, and to the discrepancies between them. Generally, patients¿ own ratings remained stable over time (F 3,116 = 0.9, p = 0.439), whereas caregiver ratings showed a decline (F 3,116 = 9.4, p < 0.001). In the analysis of discrepancies, patients with anosognosia gave higher ratings (F 1,117 = 11.9, p = 0.001), whereas caregiver ratings were lower when the patient showed greater agitation (F 1,117 = 13.0, p < 0.001), apathy (F 1,117 = 15.4, p < 0.001), and disabilities (F 1,117 = 17.1, p < 0.001), and when the caregiver experienced greater burden (F 1,117 = 9.0, p = 0.003) and worse mental health (F 1,117 = 10.1, p = 0.003). Patient ratings of QoL-p remain generally stable over time, whereas those of caregivers show a decline, there being significant discrepancies in relation to specific patient and caregiver factors

Differential features of burden between spouse and adult-child caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease: an exploratory comparative design

BACKGROUND: Research into burden among spouse and adult-child caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease has generated contradictory results as regards the group which suffers the greatest burden and the factors underlying any differences. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to identify and compare the factors associated with caregiver burden among spouse and adult-child caregivers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analytic study. SETTINGS: All clinical subjects had been referred on an out-patient basis to the Memory and Dementia Assessment Unit of the Santa Caterina Hospital in Girona (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from 251 patients and their caregivers, 112 with spouse and 139 with adult-child caregivers. METHODS: The association between caregiver burden and the socio-demographic and clinical variables of both patients and caregivers was analysed, the results being compared for spouse vs. adult-child caregivers. Burden was analysed using a multivariate linear regression including all the variables for the two groups of caregivers. RESULTS: The results show greater burden among adult-child caregivers (p<.05), who experience more feelings of guilt (p<.001). In both groups the behavioural and psychological symptoms of patients were correlated with burden (p<.001). Living with the patient has a notable influence on burden among adult children (p<.001). Husbands, wives, daughters and sons, in this order, showed increasing levels of burden (p<.05) and progressively worse mental health (p<.01). However, the correlations between burden and mental health were strongest in daughters (p<.001). CONCLUSION: The differences in burden between spouse and adult-child caregivers were not associated with age, physical health or clinical factors of the patients. Overall burden was greater among adult-child caregivers, especially those who lived with the patient and who had other family duties. Feelings of guilt were associated with not living with the patient, and there was a strong correlation between burden and mental health. These results support the hypothesis that spouses regard caregiving as part of their marital duties, whereas for adult children such tasks imply an important change in their lifestyle

Factors related to perceived quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease: the patient's perception compared with that of caregivers

Aims To compare care recipient and caregiver perceptions of quality of life in patients (QoL-p) with Alzheimer"s disease (AD). To identify associated factors, and the concordances-discrepancies. Method Cross-sectional analytic study of 236 patients and their carers using the Quality of Life in Alzheimer"s Disease(QoL-AD) scale, socio-demographic data and clinical examination. Results Patients scored the QoL-AD more favourably than did caregivers (34.4 vs 31.3, p<0.001). Cognitive deterioration did not affect the perception of QoL-AD (rho¼ 0.05, p¼0.394). The neuropsychiatric symptoms was associated with a negative perception of the QOL-AD in both patients (rho¼ 0.22, p<0.01) and caregivers (rho¼ 0.47, p<0.001). Greater functional autonomy was associated with a better perception of the QOL-AD in patients (rho¼0.17, p<0.01) and even more so in caregivers (rho¼0.56, p<0.001). In carers, burden (rho¼ 0.56, p<0.001) and mental health (rho¼0.31, p<0.001) were inversely associated with the QoL-AD. QoL-AD scores of both patients and caregivers were higher for men, married subjects, those who lived with their spouse and those living in their own home. When the carer was a spouse both patients and caregivers scored the QoL-AD higher than when the carer was a son or daughter (35.5 vs 33.4 and 33.7; 32.9 vs 30.5 and 27.7, p<0.001). Conclusions Patients have a better perception of QoL-p. Caregivers give a more negative evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptoms, but have a more positive view of functional autonomy. Carers who are spouses have a better perception of QoL-p than do carers who are sons or daughters

Comentarios al Borrador de Ley de Patrimonio Cultural de Uruguay

[ES] La reunión tuvo el objetivo de poner en común comentarios y observaciones al borrador del Proyecto de Ley de Patrimonio Cultural de Uruguay. Aprovechando la estancia de J. López Mazz y enmarcado en la cooperación entre el LaPa (CSIC) y la FHCE (UdelaR) y en los distintos trabajos que vienen realizando ambas instituciones en forma conjunta. La dinámica de la reunión se planteó a partir de los documentos con comentarios aportados por cada uno de los participantes y abriendo la discusión en torno a tres temas centrales: (1) objeto y cometidos de una ley de PC, (2) estructura de la ley, y (3) comentarios al articulado. Durante la reunión se pusieron en común todos los comentarios y se acordó elaborar un documento conjunto que los sintetizara. El documento que sigue se organiza en tres partes: (1) Comentarios y reflexiones generales torno al sentido y cometido de una ley de PC actual. (2) Comentarios generales acerca del borrador discutido y en torno a la estructura y objeto de la ley de PC uruguayo. (3) Comentarios individuales a cada uno de los artículos recogidos en el borrador

Three-year Trajectories of Caregiver Burden in Alzheimer's Disease.

Although numerous studies have examined caregiver burden in the context of Alzheimer's disease, discrepancies remain regarding the influence of certain factors. This study aimed to identify trajectories of caregiver burden in the context of Alzheimer's disease, as well as the factors associated with them. A cohort of patients and caregivers (n = 330) was followed up over three years. Growth mixture models were fitted to identify trajectories of caregiver burden according to scores on the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). A multilevel multinomial regression analysis was then conducted with the resulting groups and the patient and caregiver factors. In the sample as a whole, burden increased during follow-up (F = 4.4, p = 0.004). Three groups were identified: G1 (initially high but decreasing burden), G2 (moderate but increasing burden), and G3 (low burden that increased slightly). Patients in G1 and G2 presented more neuropsychiatric symptoms and poorer functional status than did those in G3. Caregivers in G1 and G2 had poorer mental health. Spouses and, especially, adult children who lived with their parent (the patient) were more likely to belong to G2 (odds ratio [OR] 6.24; 95% CI 2.89-13.47), as were sole caregivers (OR 3.51; 95% CI 1.98-6.21). The patient factors associated with increased burden are neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional status, while among caregivers, being the sole carer, poor mental health, and living with the patient are of relevance

Hacia una evaluación de las capacidades instrumentales de los ancianos validada en nuestro entorno

Activitats de la vida diària; Majors de 80 anys; Enquestes i qüestionarisActividades de la vida diaria; Mayores de 80 años; Encuestas y cuestionariosActivities of Daily Living; Aged, 80 and over; Surveys and QuestionnairesEl envejecimiento progresivo de la población mundial es incuestionable, el número de personas mayores de 60 años se ha triplicado en los últimos 50 años y está previsto que se multiplique por 5 durante los próximos 50 años. A pesar de la importancia que tiene el concepto de fragilidad, no existe un claro consenso sobre la definición operativa de dicho constructo. Mientras que algunos autores consideran que la presencia de discapacidad funcional forma parte de la definición de fragilidad, otros abogan por eliminar la discapacidad funcional de dicha definición argumentando que la presencia de discapacidad o dependencia funcional es una consecuencia de la fragilidad del individuo.Cada vez existe mayor evidencia de que la atención primaria a través de una valoración geriátrica integral consigue aumentar la supervivencia de estos pacientes en sus propios domicilios con una reducción de costes en comparación con la atención médica habitual