Hand Rehabilitation after Chronic Brain Damage: Effectiveness, Usability and Acceptance of Technological Devices: A Pilot Study

Purpose: The aim is to present an overview of existing tools for hand rehabilitation after brain injury and a pilot study to test HandTutor® in patients with chronic brain damage (CBD)

Indicadores compuestos como metodología innovadora en Comunicación. Aplicación para la evaluación de los medios públicos europeos

The currently dominant scientific production model in the field of Communication exhibits an excess of standardization towards mainly empirical work that is overwhelming caried out using quantitative techniques based on simple statistical analyses, in many cases limiting the presentation of results to a reading of the available data. This article presents an innovative proposal in this area, designed as a new form of dissemination and scientific presentation, with the objective of constructing three composite indicators that, when applied to European public service media, will enable the assessment of the perception of their social value, independence, and management efficiency. Another aim of the study is to provide a comparative vision of these three aspects in all the countries of the European Union except Malta and Luxembourg. This methodology is innovative because it explains the process in detail and justifies the validity of the documentary sources that were used to facilitate its replication or questioning, and reinforces the discussion of the results obtained by evaluating the robustness of the indicators created, before determining which was the most appropriate and comparing the results with a multicriteria decision analysis technique, the Topsis method (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution), proposed by Hwang and Yoon (1981). The results show that the synthetic indicators constitute an innovative, original, and validatable methodological tool that can contribute to the advancement of research in CommunicationEl modelo de producción científica actualmente dominante en el área de Comunicación presenta un exceso de estandarización de las investigaciones, principalmente empíricas, que se llevan a cabo de un modo abrumador mayoritariamente con técnicas cuantitativas basadas en análisis estadísticos simples que, en muchos casos, limitan la exposición de resultados a una lectura de los datos disponibles. Se plantea una propuesta innovadora en el área que se diseña a modo de nueva forma de diseminación y exposición científica. El objetivo es la construcción de tres indicadores compuestos que al ser aplicados a los medios de comunicación públicos europeos permitirán medir la percepción de su valor social, su independencia y eficiencia de gestión. Se plantea, además, como un estudio que permita una visión comparativa de estos tres aspectos en todos los países de la Unión Europea, excepto Malta y Luxemburgo. La metodología innova porque explica detalladamente el proceso y justifica la validez de las fuentes documentales empleadas para facilitar su réplica o cuestionamiento. Refuerza la discusión de los resultados obtenidos con la evaluación de robustez de los indicadores creados, antes de decidir cada vez cuál es el indicador más adecuado comparando los resultados con una técnica de análisis de decisión multicriterio, el método Topsis (Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution), propuesto por Hwang y Yoon (1981). Los resultados acreditan que los indicadores sintéticos constituyen una herramienta metodológica innovadora, original y validable que puede contribuir al avance de la investigación en ComunicaciónThis study is part of the activities of the research project (RTI2018-096065-B-I00) from the Programa Estatal de España de I+D+I addressed to Retos de la Sociedad of Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU), the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (Feder) on “New values, governance, financing, and public service media for the Internet society: European and Spanish contrasts.”S

Utilización de una plataforma tecnológica para el desarrollo de contenidos de la asignatura introducción a la economía II de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas de la Universidad Francisco Gavidia para su aplicación en la enseñanza moderna

La Universidad Francisco Gavidia se fundó el 7 de marzo de 1981, en el año de 1990, en el año 2003 se comenzó a ofrecer cursos por medio de la plataforma informática U-virtual, para estar en sintonía con las nuevas tendencias de la educación en la modalidad virtual, la Plataforma Virtual de Aprendizaje es sobre el cual se sustenta tecnológicamente el ambiente virtual y que reúne las condiciones de flexibilidad y adaptabilidad necesarias para respuestas a requerimientos relacionados con el desarrollo de la labor educativa, además de soportar el diseño de recursos didácticos. Este proyecto se desarrolla partiendo de la situación actual, determinando la necesidad de la utilización de herramientas tecnológicas para la formación de los estudiantes y con este se aprovechara el nivel de tecnología implementado por la institución. CATIPULO I. Aspectos generales sobre la educación en el Salvador y antecedentes de la Historia de la UFG. CAPITULO II. Marco Teórico sobre los temas tecnología, pedagogía, didáctica, aprendizaje, plataforma virtual y herramientas de desarrollo. CAPITULO III. Presenta la investigación de campo que se realizó en la UFG con catedráticos y estudiantes activos. Ciclo II-2009. CAPITULO IV. Utilización de la plataforma tecnológica para el desarrollo de contenidos de la asignatura introducción a la economía I

Teaching Materials for Active Methodologies in University Education

In the present university educational model, teaching is less teacher-centered (instruction) and more student-centered (learning). In this context, it is essential to have adequate teaching materials to support the student, both in the learning process and in the evaluation stage of the subjects. Thus, the formative evaluation (it allows knowing the progress of the students, offering proposals for additional learning) becomes more important than merely summative evaluation (with the sole purpose of obtaining a grade). This article presents a teaching-learning proposal based on the experience accumulated by the authors over several years, in which different teaching innovations have been applied. These innovations were intended to facilitate learning, improve results, increase motivation, foster collaborative work and student involvement, among other objectives. It has been found that active methodologies improve learning results through student motivation and involvement. For their part, teaching materials play a fundamental role in guiding and orienting the students’ autonomous learning process and, at the same time, facilitating collaborative and participatory dynamics in the classroom

Non-cooperative target identification based on singular value decomposition

Non-Cooperative Target Identification based on High Resolution Range Profiles is a key research domain in the Defense industry. In this paper a method based on the application of Singular Value Decomposition to a matrix of range profiles is defined. The decomposition is applied to reduce dimensionality and to accomplish recognition in the transformed domain. So as to confirm the feasibility of the methodology, identification experiments of profiles coming from electromagnetic simulations are conducted, revealing promising results

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Objetivo: caracterizar las conductas preventivas orales, actitudes y percepciones, y el estado de salud bucal  en un grupo de pacientes diabéticos respecto a un grupo control. Materiales y método: estudio de corte  transversal que consideró una muestra de 146 personas en cada grupo. Se aplicó el cuestionario de Moore y  cols para determinar las conductas en salud oral. Las actitudes consideradas fueron: percepción de la propia  salud oral, índice de ansiedad de Corah y razones para no asistir al odontólogo. El estado de salud oral se  determinó mediante los índices epidemiológicos de placa bacteriana, de salud gingival y el índice COP  (cariados, obturados y perdidos). Resultados: el promedio de la glicemia en el grupo de diabéticos fue de  192 mg/dl. Hubo menor proporción de pacientes diabéticos que asistían al odontólogo para control y  profilaxis (p<0,05). El 39,7% de los diabéticos manifestó que su odontólogo no sabía que tenía diabetes. Los  promedios de los índices de placa bacteriana, gingival y COP fueron mayores en el grupo de diabéticos  (p<0,05). Conclusiones: las conductas preventivas orales, las actitudes y percepciones y el estado de salud  oral de los pacientes diabéticos tuvieron diferencias con el grupo control, algunas estadísticamente  significativas.Objective: Characterize preventive oral behavior, attitudes, and perceptions, and the oral health stateof a  group of diabetic patients in comparison with a control group. Materials and method: A cross-sectional  study of a population of 146 patients in each group. A questionnaire based on Moore et al. was applied to  determine oral health behavior. Attitudes taken into consideration were: personal oral health perception,  Corah anxiety scale and reasons for not visiting the dentist. The oral health state was determined by means  of epidemiological plaque and gingival index, and the DMF index [decayed (D), missing (M) and filled (F)  teeth]. Results: The average of glycemia found in the diabetic group was 192 mg/dl. There was a lower  proportion of diabetic patients who visited the dentist for control and prophylaxis (p<0.05). 39.7% of diabetics  commented that their dentist did not know about their diabetes. The averages of dental plaque  index and gingival index were higher in the diabetic group (p<0.05), similar to those averages of DMF index  (p<0.05). Conclusions: Preventive oral behavior, attitudes and perceptions and the oral health state in  diabetic patients were different compared to the control group, some of them statistically significant

Digitalization and skills in Spain: regional differences and gender gaps

Digital skills are increasingly necessary. When their level is unequal, problems of exclusion can arise in the regional and gender spheres. This paper analyzes both types of digital divides in Spain and their recent evolution. The indicator used is IRIS-DESI and its five dimensions: Connectivity, Human capital, Internet use, Integration of digital technology in companies and Digital public services. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis, the Spanish regions are classified according to their digital development. However, considering the gender gap, no clear regional pattern has been found, possibly due to the very complex and multifaceted nature of the digital economy

Composite indicators as an innovative methodology for Communication Sciences. Implementation for the assessment of European public service media

The currently dominant model of scientific production in the field of communications research exhibits an over standardization of mainly empirical research, which is overwhelmingly carried out using quantitative techniques based on simple statistical analysis, in many cases limiting the presented results to an interpretation of the available data. This paper presents an innovative proposal in the field, designed as a new strategy for scientific dissemination and presentation. It puts forward the objective of building three composite indicators that, applied to European public service media, will allow the assessment of the perception of their social value, independence, and management efficiency. Moreover, a study that enables a comparative vision of these three issues in all the countries of the European Union, excluding Malta and Luxemburg, is also proposed. This methodology represents an innovation because it thoroughly explains the process and justifies the validity of the documentary sources used to facilitate their reproduction or questioning. It also reinforces the discussion of the results with the evaluation of the indicators’ robustness before deciding which of them is most appropriate on each occasion for comparing the results using a multicriteria decision analysis technique, the Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (Topis) method, proposed by Hwang and Yoon (1981). The results attest that synthetic indicators are an innovative, original, and validatable methodological tool that can contribute to the progress of research in the field of the communications sciences

Reduced glutathione and Trolox (vitamin E) as extender supplements in cryopreservation of red deer epididymal spermatozoa

P. 37-46The use of assisted reproductive techniques in cervids is increasing as the commercial use of these species increase. We have tested the suitability of the antioxidants Trolox and reduced glutathione (GSH) for freezing red deer epididymal spermatozoa, aiming at improving post-thawing quality. Samples from 19 stags were frozen in a TES-Tris-fructose extender (20% egg yolk, 8% glycerol), with 1 or 5 mM of antioxidant. Motility (CASA), lipoperoxidation (malondialdehyde –MDA– production), membrane status, mitochondrial activity, acrosomal status (flow cytometry) and chromatin status (SCSA: %DFI and %HDS; flow cytometry) were assessed after thawing and after 6 h at 39 °C. There were few differences between treatments after thawing, with Trolox reducing MDA production in a dose–response manner. After the incubation, sperm quality decreased and %DFI increased moderately, with no change for MDA. GSH improved motility, kinematic parameters and mitochondrial status, with a slight increase in %HDS. GSH 5 mM also increased moderately MDA production and %DFI, possibly due to enhanced metabolic activity and reducing power. Trolox maintained MDA low, but was detrimental to sperm quality. Trolox might not be appropriate for the cryopreservation of red deer epididymal spermatozoa, at least at the millimolar range. GSH results are promising, especially regarding motility improvement after the post-thawing incubation, and should be selected for future fertility trials.S

The Relationship between Clock Genes, Sirtuin 1, and Mitochondrial Activity in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer: Effects of Melatonin Treatment

This study was funded by grants from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/y financiado por la Unión Europea “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR (PID2020-115112RB-I00; SAF2017-85903-P); the Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Inovación (CTS-101: Comunicación Intercelular); FEDER/Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento/Proyecto ((P18-RT-32222); the European Regional Development Fund (B-CTS-071-UGR18); the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain) through the grant CB/10/00238 (co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund “Investing in your future”); and the University of Granada (Grant “UNETE,” UCEPP2017- 05), Spain. J. F. and L. M. are recipients of FPU fellowships from the Ministerio de Educación Cultura y Deporte, Spain, and Y. R.-C. is the recipient of a PFIS fellowship from the Instituto de Salud Carlos IIISupplementary Materials: The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/ijms241915030/s1.The circadian clock is a regulatory system, with a periodicity of approximately 24 h, which generates rhythmic changes in many physiological processes, including mitochondrial activity. Increasing evidence links chronodisruption with aberrant functionality in clock gene expression, resulting in multiple diseases such as cancer. Melatonin, whose production and secretion oscillates according to the light–dark cycle, is the principal regulator of clock gene expression. In addition, the oncostatic effects of melatonin correlate with an increase in mitochondrial activity. However, the direct links between circadian clock gene expression, mitochondrial activity, and the antiproliferative effects of melatonin in cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), remain largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the effects of melatonin on HNSCC cell lines (Cal-27 and SCC9), which were treated with 500 and 1000 M melatonin. We found that the antiproliferative effect of melatonin is not mediated by the Bmal1 clock gene. Additionally, high doses of melatonin were observed to result in resynchronization of oscillatory circadian rhythm genes (Per2 and Sirt1). Surprisingly, the resynchronizing effect of melatonin on Per2 and Sirt1 did not produce alterations in the oscillation of mitochondrial respiratory activity. These results increase our understanding of the possible antiproliferative mechanisms in melatonin in the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and suggest that its antiproliferative effects are independent of clock genes but are directly related to mitochondrial activity.MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Unión Europea “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR (PID2020-115112RB-I00; SAF2017-85903-P)Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Inovación (CTS-101: Comunicación Intercelular)FEDER/Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento/Proyecto ((P18-RT-32222)European Regional Development Fund (B-CTS-071-UGR18)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain) through the grant CB/10/00238 (co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund “Investing in your future”)University of Granada (Grant “UNETE,” UCEPP2017- 05)FPU fellowships from the Ministerio de Educación Cultura y DeportePFIS fellowship from the Instituto de Salud Carlos II