Network perspective of histamine related diseases

Histamine is the most pleiotropic biogenic amine. Produced and stored by a limited set of cells—histaminergic neurons, enterochromaffin-like cells, and mast cells—it broadcasts intercellular communication signals to a wide variety of cell types through its tissue-specific receptors. The many molecular interactions of these receptors and other mediators result in complex cellular networks whose alteration result in disease. Therefore, complex diseases map to modules of these cellular networks in the diseasomes. In this communication, we survey the histamine cellular networks to map the histamine diseasome, presenting a network view of the pleiotropy of histamine and its role in several complex diseases.A.A. Moya is a CIBERER fellow. The "CIBER de Enfermedades Raras" is an initiative from the ISCIII (Spain)]. This communication has the support of a travel grant "Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech"

La importancia del clima emocional del aula desde la perspectiva del alumnado universitario

En el presente trabajo describimos las tareas realizadas por un grupo de profesoras –tres noveles y una mentora- del dpto. de psicología evolutiva y de la educación de la universidad de sevilla, como participantes del programa de equipos docentes para la Formación de profesores noveles, en su fase de consolidación (2009-2010). se elaboró un cuestionario que nos permitiera identificar las competencias docentes más valoradas, así como explorar la importancia de las claves emocionales positivas en la docencia. este cuestionario fue cumplimentado por 224 estudiantes universitarios, que cursaban titulaciones relacionadas con la docencia. nuestros resultados indican que, junto a los aspectos relacionados con la metodología desarrollada en clase, el alumnado universitario valora ampliamente la capacidad del profesorado para crear un buen clima emocional. este dato es interesante en la medida en que proporciona algunas claves para la formación de futuros educadores. en este sentido, no sólo deben ser buenos transmisores de contenido, sino que deben contar con estrategias dirigidas a crear un buen clima emocional en el aula.This paper describes the tasks performed by a group of teachers (three novices and a mentor) from the department of developmental psychology and education in the university of seville, as participants in a teacher training programme during their consolidation phase (academic year 2009-2010). a questionnaire was developed that allowed us to identify the most valuable teaching skills and explore the importance of positive emotional cues in teaching. this questionnaire was completed by 224 university students who were studying for degrees related to teaching. our results indicate that, along with aspects of the methodology developed in class, university students valued highly the ability of teachers to create a good emotional climate. this finding is interesting as it provides some clues towards the training of future teachers. Hence, not only must they be good communicators of content, but they must also be armed with strategies towards the creation of a good emotional climate in the classroo

Conciliación laboral, familiar y personal y su relación con la satisfacción vital en familias andaluzas

Las tensiones de conciliación entre la vida laboral y la vida familiar están impregnando la vida de las familias contemporáneas y diversas investigaciones dejan constancia de cómo van encontrando diversos modos de resolver los problemas cotidianos y extraordinarios de conciliación. Disponemos de menos información, sin embargo, acerca de la relación que estos aspectos guardan con el bienestar psicológico de madres y padres. Con el objetivo de conocer cómo afecta tener resueltas o no las tensiones de conciliación al nivel de satisfacción vital, nuestro equipo de investigación estudió 164 familias andaluzas, de ellas 65 eran heteroparentales autóctonas, 29 homoparentales, 41 madres a solas por elección y 29 familias heteroparentales inmigrantes. En todas ellas había hijos o hijas menores de 13 años y todos los progenitores desarrollaban tareas profesionales remuneradas. Los resultados muestran que la satisfacción vital de las personas entrevistadas, mayoritariamente mujeres, es deudora en gran medida de su percepción de tener bien resueltas las tensiones de conciliación entre vida laboral, familiar y personal. Estos resultados ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de adaptar las políticas familiares existentes a las necesidades reales de las familias y contribuir así al bienestar psicológico de la población

Application of randomized response techniques for investigating cannabis use by Spanish university students

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in developed countries, and has a significant impact on mental and physical health in the general population. Although the evaluation of levels of substance use is difficult, a method such as the randomized response technique (RRT), which includes both a personal component and an assurance of confidentiality, provides a combination which can achieve a considerable degree of accuracy. Various RRT surveys have been conducted to measure the prevalence of drug use, but to date no studies have been made of the effectiveness of this approach in surveys with respect to quantitative variables related to drug use. This paper describes a probabilistic, stratified sample of 1146 university students asking sensitive quantitative questions about cannabis use in Spanish universities, conducted using the RRT. On comparing the results of the direct question (DQ) survey and those of the randomized response (RR) survey, we find that the number of cannabis cigarettes consumed during the past year (DQ: 3, RR: 17 aproximately), and the number of days when consumption took place (DQ: 1, RR: 7) are much higher with RRT. The advantages of RRT, reported previously and corroborated in our study, make it a useful method for investigating cannabis use.Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y DeporteConsejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Emple

Measuring inappropriate sexual behavior among university students: using the randomized response technique to enhance self-reporting

This article analyzes the efficacy of the randomized response technique (RRT) in achieving honest self-reporting about sexual behavior, compared with traditional survey techniques. A complex survey was conducted of 1,246 university students in Spain, who were asked sensitive quantitative questions about their sexual behavior, either via the RRT (n = 754) or by direct questioning (DQ) (n = 492). The RRT estimates of the number of times that the students were unable to restrain their inappropriate sexual behavior were significantly higher than the DQ estimates, among both male and female students. The results obtained suggest that the RRT method elicits higher values of self-stigmatizing reports of sexual experiences by increasing privacy in the data collection process. The RRT is shown to be a useful method for investigating sexual behavior

Análisis de la calidad de las narrativas de apego de niños calificados con apego desorganizado que han vivido y no han vivido experiencias de maltrato en Chile

86 p.El presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar si existen diferencias significativas en la calidad de las narrativa de apego de niños calificados con apego desorganizado que han vivido y no han vivido experiencias de maltrato en Chile. Para lo anterior se utilizaron dos grupos como muestra, uno formado por 19 niños víctimas de maltrato y otro compuesto por 2 niños sin sospecha de maltrato, donde ambos grupos son calificados con apego desorganizado. Para llevar a cabo el estudio se usó la prueba Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT) por medio de la cual se accede a las narrativas de apego (Bretherton et al. 1990 en Miljkovitch, Pierrehumbert, Bretherton y Halfon, 2003), siendo codificada por el sistema CCH, a través de las escalas de colaboración, representación de sostén parental, narrativa positiva, expresión de afecto apropiado, reacción a la separación, distancia simbólica y débil competencia narrativa (Miljkovitch et al., 2003). De esta forma se realizaron los análisis estadísticos correspondientes, observándose para ambos grupos bajos puntajes que dan cuenta de una baja calidad de las narrativas, además los resultados no permiten observar diferencias significativas en la calidad de las narrativas entre niños con apego desorganizado que han vivido o no experiencias de maltrato. Por lo tanto, en esta muestra la calidad de las narrativas no varía significativamente en función de experiencias de maltrato.Palabras claves: Apego, apego desorganizado, maltrato, narrativas de apego, calidad de las narrativas

Indirect questioning methods for sensitive survey questions: Modelling criminal behaviours among a prison population

Information such as the prevalence and frequency of criminal behaviour is difficult to estimate using standard survey techniques because of the tendency of respondents to withhold or misrepresent information. Social desirability bias is a significant threat to the validity of self-reported data, especially when supplied by persons such as sexual offenders or those convicted of theft or substance abuse. The randomized response approach is an alternative to the standard interview method and offers great potential for researchers in the field of criminal justice. By means of a survey of 792 prison inmates, incorporating both indirect and direct response techniques, we investigate if the prison population also has problems recognizing their participation in criminal acts such as theft, illicit drug use, violence against property, reckless driving and arson. Our research findings suggest that self-reported criminal behaviour among a prison population is affected by social desirability bias and that the behaviour considered is significantly associated with the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The results also demonstrate the inadequacy of traditional, yet widely used, direct questioning methods, and the great potential for indirect questioning techniques to advance policy formation and evaluation in the field of criminal behaviour.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spai

Virtual learning environment in the "Construction of non-structural elements" Technical Architecture subject

By creating a virtual learning environment for the “Construction of non-structural elements” Technical Architecture subject, various activities were adapted to the European Higher Education Area with the aim of promoting practices that would help students develop their skills and abilities through both group and individual work. The main aim was to determine which learning tools help to improve teaching quality and help how teaching work is managed. The process of implementing the platform and the degree of its success are described through teachers’ experiences and by the data gathered from surveys administered to the students involved. The results obtained indicate that the needs of the subject are best suited to workshop activities, as they foster students’ critical sense and increase the quality of the final document produced

Corresponsabilidad en las tareas domésticas y de ciudad infantil en familias heteroparentales y homoparentales. Datos preliminares del proyecto Diversia

Una de las transformaciones más llamativas experimentada por nuestra sociedad en los últimos años, es la que está relacionada con el ámbito de la familia, principalmente en lo que se refiere a su estructura, componentes, roles que se desempeñan dentro de ella y dinámica de relaciones entre sus miembros. En el contexto del subproyecto DIVERSIA, cuyo objetivo principal es profundizar en el estudio de la conciliación de la vida laboral, familiar y personal, teniendo en cuenta la diversidad familiar, nuestro equipo se propuso analizar la corresponsabilidad de familias biparentales andaluzas. Se realizaron 40 entrevistas telefónicas: 20 a familias heteroparentales y 20 homoparentales. Los principales resultados apuntan a que existe, de forma genérica, un reparto desigual en tareas relacionadas con el cuidado de los niños y niñas (tanto en situaciones cotidianas como extraordinarias), así como en tareas domésticas. Se han encontrado diferencias entre ambos tipos de familias: así, las homoparentales comparten de un modo más igualitario el cuidado cotidiano de niños y niñas, y están más satisfechas con el reparto de tareas domésticas. Por último, el nivel de satisfacción de las personas entrevistadas con el reparto de tareas domésticas está relacionado con el número de ellas que realiza su pareja. Estos resultados van en la línea de los obtenidos en otras investigaciones, tanto nacionales como internacionales

Estimating the workload of a student adapted to the EHEA in the "Construction of non-structural elements" Technical Architecture subject

The new ECTS credit accumulation and transfer scheme, established for adaptation to the European Higher Education Area, entails changing from the old approach to a more student-centred learning approach, measuring the time students spend on study and encouraging independent learning and more active participation. Consequently, student workload includes the hours corresponding to attendance at lectures (theoretical and/or practical sessions), study, seminars, assignments, work experience or projects, and those required for the preparation and sitting of examinations and assessment tests. The aim of this research is to estimate the workload of a student in the third-year “Construction of non-structural elements” subject on the current Technical Architecture degree course (currently being phased out) and adapt it to the demands of the Building Engineering degree course. The descriptive and experimental methodology uses a survey-type tool to gather the data sought. The results obtained indicate the need for the length of course activities to be reconsidered so as to reduce student workload and adjust the time spent on activities to the established limits. The need is also detected to correct low class attendance so as to improve both teaching quality and academic results.This research is based on the findings of the Research Network on implementation of ECTS in the Technical Architecture subject "Building Non-Structural Elements", and was conducted within the context of the call for proposals issued by the "University Teaching Research Networks Project 2010-2011", supported by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Strategic Planning and Quality and the Institute of Education Sciences at the University of Alicante