The voice of birth families to improve visits in foster care

In foster care, contact visits with birth families play an important role in relation to the child’s wellbeing, and they may impact on placement outcomes. However, the views of birth parents with respect to such visits have largely been unexplored. This research is part of a project financed by the regional government of Andalusia (SEJ-7106) regarding contact visits in foster care. This study aims to give voice to parents and gather their views about contact visits, including how they might be improved. Participants were 23 birth families who had contact visits with 35 children in non-kinship foster care. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in order to explore two key aspects: the parents’ opinions regarding the contact visits and the main areas they felt needed improving. The interviews were transcribed and the transcripts were examined using an inductive method of open coding to identify themes among participants’ responses. The main themes to emerge concerned their general view of contact visits and the organization of visits. The paper discusses the study’s implications of the findings for practice.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Features of birth families with foster children in Andalusia

The aim of the presentation is to describe the personal features of biological families whose children are in non-kinship foster care and with whom they have face-to-face contact in Málaga, Granada and Jaén (provinces of Andalusia, Spain). This study was funded by the research project Application of a psychoeducational intervention program to improve visits between foster children and their biological families (Reference EDU2016 77094-P). SPSS v.21.0 was used to carry out the descriptive and frequency analysis of socio-demographic information collected by the Child File Summary Form designed for this study. The results show the difficulties experienced by birth families to deal with the responsibility of parenthood. There is a high percentage of unemployment (54.5% mothers, 46.4% fathers), and a low level of education (61.7% uneducated mothers, 68.8% uneducated fathers). Furthermore, it is necessary to consider their diverse personal problems which undermine their competences to bring up and educate their children: substance abuse, mental health issues, mental disability and prison. Finally, the lack of relation between Social Services and birth families is highlighted. Knowing the circumstances of families at psychosocial risk permits to develop social policies that match with their specific necessities, by providing them the support and resources required, in line with Recommendation Rec(2006)19 of the Committee of Ministers to member states. Moreover, children and families’ rights have to be respected, such as their right to have contact to maintain and strengthen their affective bonds as part of their identity. These findings will contribute to design: (a) family intervention programs which allow parents to acquire the necessary parental skills; (b) support and educational tools for the social workers; and (c) projects to contribute to children’s well-being.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Evaluation of the carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) for detecting carbapenemase activity in enterobacteria

Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the CIM test in the detection of carbapenemase activity in 124 strains of Enterobacteriaceae. Methods A panel of 124 previously characterized Enterobacteriaceae was tested: 77 strains producing the following carbapenemase families: KPC (n = 14), GES (n = 22), NDM (n = 19), VIM (n = 4), IMP (n = 4) and OXA-48 (n = 14) and 47 non-carbapenemase producers. For the CIM method, an active susceptibility meropenem disc was exposed to a bacterial suspension of a test strain; when a carbapenemase is produced, the antibiotic is inactivated allowing uninhibited growth of an indicator strain after overnight incubation. A clear inhibition zone (?20 mm) was considered indicative of no-carbapenemase activity. Results All KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP or OXA-48 producing strains were unequivocally detected with the CIM test. CIM false negative results were obtained with eleven Enterobacter cloacae producing GES-6. Two other E. cloacae not producing carbapenemase (one with SHV-12, one hyperproducing AmpC) were positive by the test. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay compared to those of molecular methods were 85.7% and 95.7%, respectively. Conclusions The CIM method proved to be inexpensive and easy to interpret. It provided less than optimal results in the detection of GES-6 activity

Propuestas de las familias acogedoras para mejorar las visitas entre los acogidos y sus familias biológicas

El objetivo general de este estudio es mejorar el funcionamiento de las visitas que mantienen los niños acogidos con su familia biológica. Para ello se pretende conocer, a través de un Grupo Focal, la opinión de las familias acogedoras. Los participantes en el Grupo Focal fueron 8 familias acogedoras de diferentes asociaciones de acogimiento familiar en Andalucía (España). Este estudio forma parte de un proyecto de investigación (SEJ-7106) sobre las visitas que mantienen los niños acogidos con su familia biológica. Se obtuvo la autorización por escrito del Servicio de Protección de Menores (SPM), las Asociaciones, y las familias acogedoras para participar en el grupo focal y grabar las sesiones. Para analizar los datos se transcribió la grabación del Grupo Focal y la información fue exportada al programa ATLAS.ti v7.0 software. Se utilizó un método inductivo de código abierto para identificar las respuestas de cada participante. Los resultados mostraron los aspectos positivos, las dificultades, y las propuestas para mejorar el funcionamiento de las visitas. Las conclusiones señalan los siguientes aspectos de mejora: ofrecer mayor información, preparación y apoyo a los niños, la familia biológica y la familia acogedora, mayor colaboración entre la familia biológica y la acogedora, mejorar el lugar donde se realizan las visitas, diversificar el tipo de contactos, adaptar la frecuencia y duración de las visitas a cada caso, tener en cuenta el deseo del niño al establecer las visitas, tener más personal y mayor financiación, y adaptar más las visitas a las necesidades específicas de cada niño.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Foster care profiles: A guide to identifying at-risk placements

Research on foster care shows a growing interest in knowing what factors exert influence on success or failure of the placements. Several studies have analysed the variables that influence the outcome of family foster care. The main variables addressed by these studies were behaviour problems and impulsivity/inattention in foster children, warmth/communication, parenting style, and level of burden in the foster parents. This study aimed to determine whether distinct profiles can be identified among foster placements with common characteristics, and also sought to define a predictive function for the success or failure of foster care. Participants included foster children and their respective foster families. The sample comprised 104 non-kinship foster children in long-term foster care (56 boys and 48 girls) whose mean age at the time of data collection was 11 years. These children were being fostered in 86 families, corresponding to 71 foster fathers and 86 foster mothers. Access to foster families and information about the foster placements was authorized and provided by the Child Protection Agency in Andalusia (Spain). A quantitative methodology was used during both the collection and the data analysis. A k-means cluster analysis identified three clusters, corresponding to high-, moderate-, and low-risk placements. The variables that formed part of these clusters were behaviour problems and impulsivity/inattention in foster children, level of burden in the foster parents, an authoritarian parenting style, and criticism/rejection by the foster parents. A discriminant analysis confirmed the differences between the three clusters and enabled us to create a function for classifying cases in each group. These results can be used to identify at-risk placements and may help to avoid situations that could undermine the foster child’s development. The findings could also be useful in terms of assessing the suitability of foster families, as well for identifying their training needs.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

KIR+ CD8+ T Lymphocytes in Cancer Immunosurveillance and Patient Survival: Gene Expression Profiling

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are molecules expressed by the most important cells of the immune system for cancer immune vigilance, natural killer (NK) and effector T cells. In this manuscript we study the role that cytotoxic CD8+ T cells expressing KIR receptors could play in cancer immune surveillance. With this objective, frequencies of different KIR+ CD8+ T cell subsets are correlated with the overall survival of patients with melanoma, ovarian and bladder carcinomas. In addition, the gene expression profile of KIR+ CD8+ T cell subsets related to the survival of patients is studied with the aim of discovering new therapeutic targets, so that the outcome of patients with cancer can be improved. Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are expressed by natural killer (NK) and effector T cells. Although KIR+ T cells accumulate in oncologic patients, their role in cancer immune response remains elusive. This study explored the role of KIR+CD8+ T cells in cancer immunosurveillance by analyzing their frequency at diagnosis in the blood of 249 patients (80 melanomas, 80 bladder cancers, and 89 ovarian cancers), their relationship with overall survival (OS) of patients, and their gene expression profiles. KIR2DL1+ CD8+ T cells expanded in the presence of HLA-C2-ligands in patients who survived, but it did not in patients who died. In contrast, presence of HLA-C1-ligands was associated with dose-dependent expansions of KIR2DL2/S2+ CD8+ T cells and with shorter OS. KIR interactions with their specific ligands profoundly impacted CD8+ T cell expression profiles, involving multiple signaling pathways, effector functions, the secretome, and consequently, the cellular microenvironment, which could impact their cancer immunosurveillance capacities. KIR2DL1/S1+ CD8+ T cells showed a gene expression signature related to efficient tumor immunosurveillance, whereas KIR2DL2/L3/S2+CD8+ T cells showed transcriptomic profiles related to suppressive anti-tumor responses. These results could be the basis for the discovery of new therapeutic targets so that the outcome of patients with cancer can be improved

La calidad de los frutos cítricos de producción ecológica

El valor nutricional de los frutos cítricos es una característica diferencial para valorar los alimentos obtenidos de producción agroecológica e incide de manera directa en la salud. En este trabajo se evalúa la calidad intrínseca y nutricional de dos variedades de cítricos, Navelina y Clemenules, en función del sistema productivo (ecológico y convencional) y de la parte del fruto (zumo o fracción comestible de fruta fresca). Los sistemas agroecológicos producen frutos cítricos altamente competitivos por su calibre, diferenciándose positivamente algunos atributos organolépticos, como el índice de color. La fracción de zumo y pulpa es superior en los cítricos de procedencia agroecológica, y sus jugos presentan mayor fracción en sólidos solubles y por tanto un mayor equilibrio en la madurez. Los niveles en vitamina C son superiores en los frutos de producción ecológica, con mayor incidencia para Navelina. La densidad nutritiva es mayor en los cítricos ecológicos y la repercusión en el gasto alimentario menor

Efecto de la poda en plantaciones de pino radiata afectadas por Fusarium circinatum

Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg and O’Donnell (1998) is the causal agent of Pitch Canker Disease (PCD) in Pinus species, producing damage to the main trunk and lateral branches as well as causing branch dieback. The disease has been detected recently in northern Spain in Pinus spp. seedlings at nurseries and in Pinus radiata D. Don adult trees in plantations. Fusarium circinatum seems to require a wound to enter the tree, not only that as caused by insects but also that resulting from damage by humans, i.e. mechanical wounds. However, the effects of pruning on the infection process have yet to be studied. The aim of the present study was to know how the presence of mechanical damage caused by pruning affects PCD occurrence and severity in P. radiata plantations. Fifty P. radiata plots (pruned and unpruned) distributed throughout 16 sites affected by F. circinatum in the Cantabria region (northern Spain) were studied. Symptoms of PCD presence, such as dieback, oozing cankers and trunk deformation were evaluated in 25 trees per plot and related to pruning effect. A significant relationship between pruning and the number of cankers per tree was observed, concluding that wounds caused by pruning increase the chance of pathogen infection. Other trunk symptoms, such as the presence of resin outside the cankers, were also higher in pruned plots. These results should be taken into account for future management of Monterrey Pine plantations.Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg and O’Donnell (1998) es el agente causante de la enfermedad del chancro resinoso del pino, que afecta a especies del género Pinus y provoca la aparición de chancros resinosos en el tronco y en ramas gruesas, además de puntisecado en la guía terminal. Esta enfermedad fue detectada recientemente en el norte de España asociada a plántulas de coníferas en vivero y a plantaciones de Pinus radiata D. Don. Fusarium circinatum suele requerir una herida en el árbol para poder infectarlo. Estas heridas pueden estar causadas por insectos o ser de origen antrópico, como las heridas mecánicas. Con la finalidad de conocer cómo las heridas producidas durante la poda afectan a la severidad de la enfermedad del chancro resinoso del pino, se estudiaron 50 parcelas de P. radiata (podadas y no podadas) distribuidas a lo largo de la provincia de Cantabria. En cada una de las parcelas fueron evaluados 25 árboles, en los que se estudiaron los síntomas más característicos de la enfermedad, como son puntisecado, presencia de chancros resinosos y deformación del tronco, relacionándolos con la presencia de poda. Se observó una relación significativa entre la poda y el número de chancros presentes en el árbol, lo que indica que la herida producida en este tratamiento selvícola es susceptible de infección por parte del patógeno. Otros síntomas también presentes en el tronco, como los exudados de resina fuera del chancro, aparecieron más frecuentemente en las parcelas podadas. Estos resultados son de gran trascendencia para el futuro manejo de las plantaciones de P. radiata afectadas por el chancro resinoso del pino

Reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (10-item CD-RISC) in young adults

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (10-item CD-RISC) is an instrument for measuring resilience that has shown good psychometric properties in its original version in English. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the 10-item CD-RISC in young adults and to verify whether it is structured in a single dimension as in the original English version.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Cross-sectional observational study including 681 university students ranging in age from 18 to 30 years. The number of latent factors in the 10 items of the scale was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify whether a single factor underlies the 10 items of the scale as in the original version in English. The convergent validity was analyzed by testing whether the mean of the scores of the mental component of SF-12 (MCS) and the quality of sleep as measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Index (PSQI) were higher in subjects with better levels of resilience. The internal consistency of the 10-item CD-RISC was estimated using the Cronbach α test and test-retest reliability was estimated with the intraclass correlation coefficient.</p> <p>The Cronbach α coefficient was 0.85 and the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.71. The mean MCS score and the level of quality of sleep in both men and women were significantly worse in subjects with lower resilience scores.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Spanish version of the 10-item CD-RISC showed good psychometric properties in young adults and thus can be used as a reliable and valid instrument for measuring resilience. Our study confirmed that a single factor underlies the resilience construct, as was the case of the original scale in English.</p

Evaluacion agronomica de los sustratos de cultivo

La finalidad de cualquier buen medio de cultivo es producir una planta decalidad en el más corto período de tiempo, con los más bajos costes de producción. En adición, la obtención y la eliminación del sustrato, una vez haya sido utilizado, no deberían provocar un impacto medioambiental de importancia. La evaluación agronómica de los sustratos de cultivo pasa por diferentes etapas. En primer lugar, debería procederse a la caracterización de los materiales, determinándose sus propiedades físicas, físico-químicas, químicas y biológicas. A continuación, dichas propiedades deberían estudiarse críticamente, comparándolas con las del sustrato "ideal". Posteriormente, y en aquellos casos en que las propiedades del material se desvíen significativamente de los valores óptimos recomendados, debería procederse a mejorar, de modo sencillo, dichas propiedades. Finalmente, deberían llevarse a cabo ensayos de crecimiento vegetal: ensayos en semilleros, ensayos en maceta, ensayos en condiciones de hidroponía y ensayos de enraizamiento de estacas. La realización de los ensayos de crecimiento bajo condiciones particulares (aire libre / invernadero, época del año, calidad de las aguas de riego, etc.) exige: 1) seleccionar las especies vegetales a utilizar como planta testigo, 2) diseñar las estrategias de manejo de los sustratos durante el ciclo de cultivo, especialmente los contenedores, el riego y la fertilización, y, 3) evaluar el crecimiento vegetativo y el desarrollo reproductivo mediante el control de los parámetros más adecuados a la hora de estimar la respuesta vegetal. Estos ensayos de crecimiento deberían incluir también sustratos comerciales como control de referencia