Hermanos de niños con cáncer: resultado de una intervención psicoterapéutica

El diagnóstico de cáncer en un niño implica un importante conflicto socioemocional para toda la familia. En estas familias, las necesidades de los hermanos sanos son las menos consideradas, dado que los progenitores dedican todas sus energías al niño enfermo. Los sentimientos que los hermanos sanos experimentan pueden verse agravados cuando no reciben información fiable que explique la actitud de los padres, cuando no existe un contexto de comunicación emocional adecuado, cuando no se fomenta su implicación con el hermano enfermo y cuando no se les ofrece la ayuda necesaria para que puedan realizar sus actividades cotidianas. Con el objetivo de ofrecer soporte psicosocial a este colectivo de niños la Junta de Barcelona de la AECC realiza anualmente unos campamentos lúdico-terapéuticos dirigidos a hermanos de niños oncológicos de toda España. Este estudio pretende demostrar si existe relación causal entre la participación en los Campamentos por parte de los hermanos sanos y su nivel de comunicación sobre la enfermedad, su implicación con el hermano enfermo y la expresión emocional. Se trabaja con una muestra de 74 niños que asisten a los Campamentos de forma voluntaria. Se emplea un diseño casi experimental pretest-postest de un solo grupo. Los resultados muestran que existen discrepancias significativas en la percepción entre padres e hijos sanos con relación a la comunicación sobre la enfermedad de sus hermanos. Así mismo hay padres que perciben mejoría en la implicación y expresión emocional. Todo ello nos podría llevar a concluir que es la intervención lúdico-terapéutica la que promueve estos cambios.Diagnosis of cancer in children involves a major socioemotional confl ict for the whole family. As parents, in these families, devote all their energies to the sick child, the needs of siblings are normally less considered. The feelings that the healthy child experiences may be aggravated when: they don’t receive reliable information explaining parents attitudes, there isn’t an adequate emotional communication context, they are not encouraged to involve with the sick brother and when they aren’t offered the necessary assistance to help them perform their daily activities. In order to provide psychosocial support to this children the AECC in Barcelona helds, annually, ludic-therapeutic camps aimed at siblings of children with cancer throughout Spain. The aim of this study is to demonstrate whether there is a relationship between their level of the participation of siblings in their camp and communication about their illness, involvement with the sick brother and emotional expression by siblings. This study used a sample of 74 children who attended the camp voluntarily. A pretest-posttest quasi experimental design of a single group was carried out. The results show that there are statitistical signifi cant differences between parents and children’s perception in relation to communication about the illness of children. Moreover these results let us conclude that this changes are due to the ludic-therapeutic intervention

Living Wills in functioning: A legal tool with therapeutic aims

A pesar de los importantes avances en la curación y/o tratamiento de enfermedades, la muerte sigue siendo un hecho irremediable para el ser humano. Por tanto, conviene recordar que ayudar a bien morir es también uno de los fi nes de la Medicina actual. Desde la Psicooncología, las Instrucciones Previas (IIPP) se conceptualizan como una herramienta legal con objetivos psicoterapéuticos. Se trata de una vía para abrir el diálogo sobre cuestiones relacionadas con la muerte y un instrumento para la deliberación moral y toma de decisiones. Realizadas dentro de un contexto terapéutico de confi anza mutua, las IIPP se convierten en un facilitador, a medio plazo, del bienestar del paciente y de su familia.In spite of important advances in diseases treatment, death is still unavoidable for humanbeing. Therefore, it should be taken into account that “well-dying” is one of the goals of Medicine. From Psychooncology, Living Wills (LV) are a legal tool with therapeutic aims. They are a way to open dialogue about topics related to death and a valious instrument for moral deliberation and decision making process. If LV are developed in a therapeutic context of mutual trust, they become a helper of well-being for patient and family

Cultivation-induced effects on the organic matter in degraded Southern African soils

15 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, 38 references.We studied quantitative and qualitative changes in soil organic matter (SOM) due to different land uses (reference woodland versus cultivated) on six soils from Tanzania (Mkindo and Mafiga), Zimbabwe (Domboshawa and Chickwaka), and South Africa (Hertzog and Guquka). Structural characteristics of the humic acids (HAs) were measured by Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (P y-GC/MS) and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS 13C NMR) spectroscopy. Significant changes in concentration and composition of SOM were observed between land uses. Losses of organic carbon after cultivation ranged from 35% to 50%. Virgin soils showed large proportions of colloidal humus fractions: humic acids (HAs) and fulvic acids (FAs) but negligible amounts of not-yet decomposed organic residues. The change in land use produced a contrasting effect on the composition of the HAs: a noteworthy >alkyl enhancement> in Mkindo soil and >alkyl depletion> in Chikwaka and to a lesser extent in Domwoshawa. The remaining soils displayed only minor alterations.This work was part of an EU INCO-DEV-funded research program in southern Africa (Cyanosoils), Project ICA-4-CT-2001-10058.Peer Reviewe

Mulching and seeding treatments for post-fire stabilization techniques in Laza (NW Spain): medium-term effects on soil quality and effectiveness

The impact of fire and different post-fire stabilisation treatments like mulching and seeding on some selected physical, chemical biochemical and microbiological properties as well as the efficacy of these treatments on control of post-fire erosion was evaluated in a burnt area affected by a high severity wildfire located in Laza (NW Spain). Soil samples were collected from the A horizon (0-2 cm) of the burnt soil 8 and 12 months after the wildfire as well as from the unburnt soil located in an adjacent plot used as control; sediments were periodically collected after precipitation events in the burnt soil with and without different post-fire stabilisation treatments. The results clearly showed that a significant medium-term impact of the wildfire on most soil properties analyzed was still observed 12 months after the fire event and that mulching and seeding treatments did not affect the overall soil quality (physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological properties) of this burned soil. Sediments data indicated that both stabilisation treatments were effective to control post-fire erosion since, compared to the burnt control, soil losses were reduced by 85% in the mulching treatment and by 30% in the seeding treatment

Cultivation-induced effects on the organic matter in degraded Southern African soils

15 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, 38 references.We studied quantitative and qualitative changes in soil organic matter (SOM) due to different land uses (reference woodland versus cultivated) on six soils from Tanzania (Mkindo and Mafiga), Zimbabwe (Domboshawa and Chickwaka), and South Africa (Hertzog and Guquka). Structural characteristics of the humic acids (HAs) were measured by Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (P y-GC/MS) and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS 13C NMR) spectroscopy. Significant changes in concentration and composition of SOM were observed between land uses. Losses of organic carbon after cultivation ranged from 35% to 50%. Virgin soils showed large proportions of colloidal humus fractions: humic acids (HAs) and fulvic acids (FAs) but negligible amounts of not-yet decomposed organic residues. The change in land use produced a contrasting effect on the composition of the HAs: a noteworthy >alkyl enhancement> in Mkindo soil and >alkyl depletion> in Chikwaka and to a lesser extent in Domwoshawa. The remaining soils displayed only minor alterations.This work was part of an EU INCO-DEV-funded research program in southern Africa (Cyanosoils), Project ICA-4-CT-2001-10058.Peer Reviewe

Recovery of a soil under different vegetation one year after a high intensity wildfire

Studies on soil recovery in fragile ecosystems following high intensity wildfires are scarce. The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the impact of a high intensity wildfire in an ecosystem under different vegetation (shrubland and pinewood) located at Vilardevós (Galicia, NW Spain) and highly susceptible to suffer soil erosion due to the steep relief and high erositivity of the rainfall. Soil samples were collected from the A horizon (0-5 cm) 1 year after the fire and soil quality was evaluated by analysis of several physical, chemical and biochemical properties measured in the fraction < 2 mm. The results showed marked effects of the wildfire on most properties analyzed even 1 year after the fire; however, a different effect both in the trend (positive, negative) and magnitude were observed, depending on the soil property analyzed. In general, the sensitivity to detect fire induced changes followed the order: biochemical properties > chemical properties > physical properties. The data also showed that the fire impact was different depending on the soil vegetation considered (shrubland and pinewood). Moreover, the data confirmed the slow soil recovery in this fragile ecosystem and, therefore, the need of adopting post-fire stabilisation and rehabilitation treatments in order to minimize the post-fire erosion and soil degradation

Motivaciones para el ejercicio físico y su relación con la salud mental y física: un análisis desde el género

Physical exercise is a planned and structured physical activity with a final objective that constitutes a non-communicable diseases preventive tool and a physical and mental health protective factor. Likewise, the motivations for doing exercise are essential and it can be influenced by gender. The purpose of this study is to consider the differences about the motivations of doing exercise based on gender and to analyse the relationship between physical exercise and perceived physical and mental health. To achieve this objective, a sample of 600 young university students (50% men and 50% women), completed the online questionnaire about Lifestyle and Health (Giménez-García and Ballester-Arnal, 2017). The analysis showed significant differences in the regular physical exercise between men (61.7%) and women (45.3%) (Chi 2=16.01; p≤.001). Moreover, gender differences in motivations for doing exercise were observed in all motivations, except for the motivation about “to be thinner” (Chi 2=1.00; p= .317), being men who exceed women for all of them. In relation to the motivations for not doing exercise, there are differences for the motivations “lack of time” (Chi 2=7.72; p= .005), “being short of time” (Chi 2=5.40; p= .020) and “Lack of force of will” (Chi 2=8.26; p= .004), being more relevant for women. Moreover, people who practiceexercisereport better perceived physical (t=7.87; p≤.001)and mental (t=2.31; p= .021) health.Therefore, gender differences about frequency and motivations for doing exercise exist and are related to gender stereotypes. Additionally, people who do greater levels of physical exercise, have a better physical and mental health perception.El ejercicio físico es una actividad física planificada y estructurada con un objetivo final, constituyendo una herramienta preventiva de las enfermedades no transmisibles y un factor protector de la salud física y mental.Asimismo, las motivaciones para realizarlo son fundamentales y pueden verse influidas por el género. El objetivo del estudio es analizar las diferentes motivaciones para hacer ejercicio en función del género, así como observar la relación entre la realización de ejercicio físico y la percepción de salud física y mental. Para ello, una muestra compuesta por un total de 600 jóvenes universitarios (50% hombres y 50% mujeres), cumplimentó el cuestionario online de Estilos de Vida y Salud (Giménez-García y Ballester-Arnal, 2017). Los análisis mostraron diferencias significativas en la realización habitual de ejercicio entre hombres (61.7%) y mujeres (45.3%) (Chi 2=16.01; p≤.001). Asimismo, se observaron diferencias según género en todas las motivaciones para realizar ejercicio, exceptuando el motivo relativo a “estar más delgado/a” (Chi 2=1.00; p= .317), siendo los hombres los que mostraron mayor prevalencia en todos los casos. En relación con las motivaciones para no realizar ejercicio, se observan diferencias en los motivos relativos a la “falta de tiempo” (Chi 2=7.72; p= .005), los “horarios restringidos” (Chi 2=5.40; p= .020) y la “falta de voluntad” (Chi 2=8.26; p= .004), que parece ser más importante en las mujeres, si bien la primera fue la más frecuente en ambos géneros. Además, las personas que practican ejercicio físico muestran una mejor percepción de la salud física (t=7.87; p≤.001) y mental (t=2.31; p=.021). Se concluye que existen diferencias en la frecuencia y motivaciones para realizar ejercicio en función del género, relacionadas con los estereotipos de género. Además, las personas que realizan niveles mayores niveles de ejercicio físico perciben una mejor salud física y mental

Análisis del consumo de sustancias e indicadores de salud física y psicológica en hombres y mujeres jóvenes

Health is a biopsychosocial experience related to certain aspects such as lifestyles and well-being. However, this perspective has not always been studied with regard to both gender and physical and mental health indicators. Objective: to analyze the relationship between specific health habits (tobacco, alcohol and substance consumption) and the subjective perception of physical and mental well-being taking into account gender differences. Method: 600 university students (50% men; 50% women) completed an online questionnaireregarding Lifestylesand Health (Giménez-García and Ballester-Arnal, 2017). Results: 13.5% reported poor physical health (14% men and 13% women) and 17.7% poor mental health (18.3% men and 17% women).Regarding theconsumption of toxicsubstances, 14.7% of thesamplesmokes, 47% of thesample has been quite many times drunk and 34.2% of the sample has consumed other substances. More men than women have been drunk many times (X2=10.13; p=.017) and more men than women have ever used other substances (X2=8.08; p= .004). In general, there is no association between the consumption and abuse of tobacco, alcohol and other substances with the perception of mental or physical health by young people. In spite of there should be a certain relationship between lifestyles such as substance use and mental and physical health, many of these results have not been significant. Given that subjective perception of mental and physical health has been evaluated and objective indicators have not, this may be a resault of the low risk perception of young people, which leads them to carry out unhealthy behaviors without being aware of the consequences at the short term. In prevention programs it is essential to consider this lack of risk perception at young people.La salud es una experiencia biopsicosocial que se relaciona con ciertos aspectos como los estilos de vida y el bienestar. Sin embargo, esta perspectiva no siempre se ha estudiado atendiendo tanto al género como a indicadores de salud física y mental. Objetivo: analizar la relación entre hábitos de salud específicos (tabaco, alcohol y consumo de sustancias) y la percepción subjetiva de bienestar físico y mental, teniendo en cuenta las diferencias de género. Método: 600 universitarios (50% hombres; 50% mujeres) completaron un cuestionario online sobre Estilos de Vida y Salud (Giménez-García y Ballester-Arnal, 2017). Resultados: el 13,5% reporta una mala salud física (14% hombres y 13% mujeres) y el 17,7% una mala salud mental (18,3% hombres y 17% mujeres).En cuanto al consumo de sustancias tóxicas, el 14,7% de la muestra fuma, el 47% se ha emborrachado bastantes-muchas veces y el 34,2% ha consumido otras sustancias. Más hombres que mujeres se han emborrachado muchas veces (X2= 10,13; p= .017) y han consumido otras sustancias alguna vez (X2=8,08; p= ,004). En general, no existe una asociación entre el consumo y abuso de tabaco, alcohol y otras sustancias con la percepción de salud mental ni física por parte de los jóvenes. Así, aunque en teoría debería existir cierta relación entre estilos de vida como el consumo de sustancias y la salud mental y física, gran parte de estos resultados no han sido significativos. Dado que se ha evaluado percepción subjetiva de salud mental y física y no indicadores objetivos,  esto puede deberse a la baja percepción de riesgo de los jóvenes, lo que les lleva a la realización de conductas no saludables sin por ello ser conscientes de las consecuencias no fácilmente reconocibles a corto plazo. En los programas de prevención es fundamental considerar esta falta de percepción de riesgo entre los jóvenes

Evolución de las propiedades físicas y la materia orgánica del suelo con enmiendas orgánicas y fertilización mineral

7 páginas, 1 figura, 2 tablas, 10 referencias. Presentado al I Simposio Nacional sobre Control de la Erosión y Degradación del Suelo, Madrid, 2003.[EN]: After 16 years of continuous amendment either with farmyard manure or crop wastes and two levels of mineral N fertilisation in a Calcic Haploxeralf at Toledo (central Spain), significant changes in soil physical properties, soil fertility and in the amount and characteristics of soil organic matter have been found. Such changes depended on the type of organic matter applied, the N dose (O and 100 kg ha-1 NH4N03) and their interaction. When compared with control plots, visible spectroscopy suggested that the organic matter accumulated in the amended plots was less transformed, with a more marked aliphatic character, its humification degree decreasing when increasing N inputs. Curie-point pyrolysis of the humic acids showed a selective biodegradation of the alkyl domain favoured by external N inputs, whereas the degradation of the lignin-inherited structures seems to be more efficient in those plots with high C/N ratio.[ES]: Tras 16 años de aplicar enmiendas orgánicas (residuos vegetales o estiércol) y N mineral (O y 100 kg ha-1 de NH4N03) a un Haploxeralf Cálcico en la provincia de Toledo, se han observado cambios significativos en las propiedades físicas, fertilidad, contenido total y naturaleza de la materia orgánica del suelo, que se relacionan con el material aportado, con la dosis de N y su interacción. La aplicación continua de ambas enmiendas orgánicas ha conducido a una acumulación de materia orgánica poco transformada, con ácidos húmicos de carácter más alifático que en el suelo testigo. El análisis de los ácidos húmicos mediante espectroscopía visible indica que con el aporte de N mineral disminuye el grado de humificación de la materia orgánica. La pirólisis de punto de Curie de los ácidos húmicos muestra una biodegradación preferente de estructuras alquílicas favorecida por la fertilización nitrogenada, en tanto que la degradación de las estructuras derivadas de las ligninas parece ser más efectiva en suelos con una relación C/N más elevada.Peer reviewe

¿Influye el afecto sobre la estimación del tiempo? Un estudio experimental

Introduction: Disruptions in passage time percepction and its duration estimation had been widely studied, particularly in pathologies where affectivivity plays the lead. It is suggested that mental illnesses characterised by negative affect are related to overestimating of time duration and slower down passage time, while in mental ilnesses characterized by positive affect the opposite is usually the case. Nevertheless, recent research come out with contradictory findings, suggesting that affect is not significant or it depends of another conditions (p.e. exposition to concurrent stimular content). The main purpose of this paper is to analyze if affect has effect on time estimation and the passage time perception. Method: 97 participants (56,7% women), whose age oscillates between 18 and 65 years old completed PANAS questionnaireand they werethesubject ofan experimental task. The experimental taskconsisting in four sets, where different contents (sitcoms, videogames and dcomentary films) were exposed to participants in four timing conditions (videos of 60, 90, 120 and 150 seconds). Following to each exposition, participants tried to estimate the video duration (in seconds) and they valued how fast was the passage time for them.Results: While negative affectivity had not influence on time estimation or percepción of the time passage, participants who report high positive affect present a lower passage time perception in exposition to TV sitcoms (t=2,22; p=0.043). These participants tended to underestimate the duration of each video (especially, sitcoms), despite the fact that this shift was not significative (r=-0,188; p=0,065). Conclusions: Although we have detected some influence of postiive affect on duration’s perception and time passage, this study disputes that affect has some significant paper on these aspects. This finding supports the need of review theories that defens a tactical relationship between affect and disruptions in time estimation and perception.Introducción: Las alteraciones en la percepción del paso del tiempo y en la estimación de su duración han sido ampliamente estudiadas, especialmente en patologías donde la afectividad es protagonista. Se sugiere que, en trastornos marcados por el afecto negativo, se tendería a sobreestimar el tiempo y percibir que pasa más lento, ocurriendo lo contrario en trastornos marcados por el afecto positivo. Sin embargo, estudios recientes presentan hallazgos contradictorios, sugiriendo que el afecto o no es tan significativo o depende de otrascondiciones(p.e., exposición a contenido estimular concurrente). El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar si el afecto influye sobre la precisión en la estimación de la duración del tiempo. Método: 97 participantes (56,7%mujeres) entre 18 y 65 años cumplimentaron el PANAS y se sometieron a una tarea experimental. Ésta consistía en la exposición a diferentes contenidos (series de TV, videojuegos y documentales) en 4 condiciones temporales (60, 90, 120 y 150 segundos). Tras cada exposición, los participantes estimaban su duración (en segundos) y valoraban cómo de rápido se les había pasado el tiempo. Resultados: Mientras que la afectividad negativa no influía sobre la estimación de la duración o el paso del tiempo, los participantes con una elevada afectividad positiva percibían que el tiempo pasaba más lento cuando eran expuestos a series de TV (t=2,22; p= ,043). Estos participantes tendían también infravalorar la duración de cada video (especialmente, las series), si bien esta tendencia no era significativa (r=-0,188; p=0,065). Conclusiones: Si bien identificamos una cierta influencia del afecto positivo sobre la percepción de la duración y el paso del tiempo, este estudio refutaría que el afecto medie significativamente sobre estos aspectos. Esto apoyaría la necesidad de revisar las teorías que defienden una relación táctica entre afecto y alteraciones en la percepción y el paso del tiempo