Health Related Quality of Life in Coronary Patients.

The increase observed in the survival of patients with ischemic cardiopathy, together with the effect of the disease on the social, professional, and family life of those suffering from it, have led researchers to consider that the traditional ways of measuring morbidity and mortality are not adequate for assessing the potential benefits of health care interventions. For this reason, there is common agreement on the need to use an indicator of subjective assessment of health, and of health related quality of life (HRQL), as a complementary criterion for monitoring the results of medical interventions in these patients. The term "quality of life" (QoL) or health related quality of life (HRQL) came into use during the 1970s as a multidimensional concept reflecting the overall subjective condition of the physical and mental welfare of the individual, which is a consequence not only of the disease but also of the family and social conditions forming the patient’s environment. The assessment of these patients’ HRQL has been tackled by several authors using both disease-specific and generic instruments such as the Nottingham Health Profile, the Sickness Impact Profile, the SF-36 or the SF-12 health questionnaire. Both types of instrument have advantages and disadvantages, and they may provide additional information since they quantify the patient’s overall health. Using different multidimensional measures, poorer HRQL has been observed in patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and angina pectoris than in other populations, and these differences have been related to low social class, female sex, the presence of mental disorders and the severity of the clinical condition. Measuring changes in the HRQL of coronary patients is also important as a way of assessing interventions and predicting needs for social care, because it has been shown that the focus of attention in the immediate period following a cardiac attack is generally the physical functioning, but following discharge from hospital and in the longer term, general health, vitality, social and emotional functions could be at least as important. In this chapter, we aim to provide an overview of the concept of HRQL and the usefulness of this measure from the perspective of a coronary patient. Likewise, we intend to review the main instruments used to assess HRQL and we analyse the factors that have been seen to affect the quality of life of these patients

El Campus Virtual como apoyo a la docencia y el aprendizaje autónomo

n la siguiente comunicación se muestra cómo el Campus Virtual proporciona un excelente recurso para el desarrollo de la nueva metodología de enseñanza-aprendizaje en el entorno del EEES. Además de las herramientas habituales del Campus Virtual que nuestros alumnos manejan en todas nuestras asignaturas, nos parece interesante destacar dos herramientas que hemos desarrollado e incorporado al amparo de la financiación obtenida de la Universidad a través de tres PIMCD

El Deterioro Cognitivo: un Factor a Tener en Cuenta en la Evaluación e Intervención de Pacientes con Dolor Crónico.

El dolor crónico constituye un grave problema de salud pública, dada su elevada prevalencia y las consecuencias personales y sociales que produce. La presencia de dolor crónico se ha asociado con un deterioro cognitivo leve, sobre todo en los pacientes afectados por fibromialgia o dolor neuropático, habiéndose relacionado esto con la concurrencia en estos pacientes, de otros procesos, como la ansiedad, la depresión, los trastornos del sueño y el consumo de ciertos fármacos, todos ellos habituales en los pacientes con dolor crónico. En esta revisión, hacemos un repaso del complejo proceso de la cognición así como de los distintos elementos que lo integran. Asimismo, revisamos los mecanismos mediante los que el dolor crónico puede afectar el proceso de la cognición y el modo en el que este puede verse afectado por la concurrencia de otras patologías, o por los fármacos habitualmente utilizados para su tratamiento. Finalmente se plantea la necesidad de evaluar el deterioro cognitivo en los pacientes con dolor crónico, con el objetivo de evitar la progresión de la enfermedad cognitiva hacia un cuadro de deterioro más grave, así como de contribuir a mejorar la respuesta terapéutica al dolor y el aumento de la calidad de vida de los pacientes.Chronic pain constitutes a serious public health problem due to its high prevalence and the social and personal consequences. The presence of chronic pain has been associated with mild cognitive impairment, especially in patients with fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain, and it has been also related with other disease like anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and the use of certain drugs, usually taken on these patients. This document revises the complex issue of the cognitive process and the several elements that comprise it. Likewise, we review the different mechanisms by which pain affect cognitive process and the way it could be affected by other disease, or by drugs commonly used on treatment. It is necessary to assess mild cognitive impairment on chronic pain patients, in order to prevent the develop and the evolution of cognitive disease to a more severe impairment, as well as help to improve therapeutic response to pain and increase health related quality of life of patients

La información sobre el virus Zika en la prensa local de Almería = Information about Zika virus in the local press of Almería

Resumen: Introducción: La enfermedad causada por el virus del Zika representa uno de los principales problemas de salud pública dada su propagación y posibles complicaciones asociadas. Este estudio resalta la importancia de los medios de comunicación de masas en estos casos y aborda el análisis del contenido informativo publicado en la prensa de Almería como una de las provincias de riesgo en las que se han identificado la presencia de estos mosquitos. Objetivos: Explorar el contenido informativo sobre el virus del Zika publicado en la prensa local de Almería; identificar el periódico local con mayor producción sobre el tema y clasificar la información publicada según su contenido. Material y Métodos: Estudio de diseño descriptivo transversal realizado a partir de los resultados obtenidos en la hemeroteca virtual de los periódicos de La Voz de Almería, Diario de Almería e IDEAL, al introducir la palabra clave zika. Solamente se incluyeron publicaciones de ámbito autonómico en español publicadas desde el año 2015 hasta el momento de la búsqueda. Por último, se diseñaron categorías para clasificar las publicaciones según su contenido informativo. Resultados: Se hallaron un total de 10 publicaciones, siendo La Voz de Almería el periódico local con mayor número de publicaciones relacionadas con el virus del Zika. El 90% se relacionaba con la prevención de las administraciones públicas mediante la gestión y el tratamiento de las aguas residuales, mientras solo un 10% informaba a la población sobre la enfermedad y las medidas preventivas a adoptar. Conclusión: Ante la posible infección por el virus del Zika, la prensa almeriense debería enriquecer mediante una comunicación efectiva el contenido de sus publicaciones a propósito de educar e informar a la población sobre las principales medidas de prevención.Palabras clave: Educación para la Salud, Medios de comunicación, Zika Abstract: Introduction: Zika’s virus disease is one of the most important public health problems due to their spread and their possible associated complications. This study highligths the importance of mass media in this case and it analyzes information content published in the press of Almeria as one of the risk provinces which have identified these mosquitoes. Aim: Exploring the information content on the Zika virus published in the local press of Almería; identifying local newspaper with the highest production about this topic and ranking published information by their content. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study design made from the results obtained in the virtual hemeroteca of the newspaper La Voz de Almería, Diario de Almeria and IDEAL, with the keyword zika. Only autonomic publications in spanish published from 2015 until the time of the search were included. Finally, categories were designed to classify publications according to their informative content. Results: A total of 10 publications were found. La Voz de Almería was the local newspaper with the largest number of publications related to the Zika virus. Around 90% publications was related to the prevention of public administrations through the management and treatment of wastewater, while only 10% report to population about disease and preventive measures to be taken. Conclusion: As a result of possible Zika virus infection, Almeria’s press should enrich their publications content throught a efective comunication in order to educate and inform to the population about the main preventive measures.Keywords Health education, Mass media, Zika

Sleep Characteristics in Diabetic Patients Depending on the Occurrence of Neuropathic Pain and Related Factors

This study aims to compare the sleep characteristics (structure and quality) in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus with and without diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP), and to investigate the relationship of sensory phenotypes, anxiety, and depression with sleep quality in DNP patients. A cross-sectional study was performed in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus and neuropathy. Patients were classified into two groups-with or without neuropathic pain-according to the "Douleur Neuropathique-4 (DN4)" scale. Sleep characteristics and quality (Medical Outcomes Study-MOS-sleep), pain phenotype (Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory-NPSI), mood status (Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale-HADS), pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale-VAS), and quality of life (SF-12v2) were measured. The sample included 130 patients (65 with DNP). The mean scores in all the dimensions of the MOS-sleep scale were higher (more disturbances) in the DNP patients. Higher scores in anxiety or depression, greater intensity of pain or a higher score in the paroxysmal pain phenotype were associated with lower sleep quality in DNP patients. A shorter duration of the diabetes and lower levels of glycated hemoglobin were also associated with lower sleep quality. The results show the relationship between DNP and sleep quality, and the importance of assessing sensory phenotypes and mental comorbidities in these patients. Taking these factors into consideration, to adopt a multimodal approach is necessary to achieve better clinical results

The role of SMEs’ Green business models in the transition to a low-carbon economy: differences in their design and degree of adoption stemming from business size

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how Green Business Models (BMs) established by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can incorporate product and process decarbonization in their components (value proposition, creation and capture) and to what extent this incorporation is affected by SME size. We use a database comprising 1,161 observations of SMEs, 466 in 2014 and 695 in 2016. The results show that SMEs’ value propositions give an intermediate valuation to both legally required and voluntary reduction of environmental impact, irrespective of SME size and the year analyzed. Regarding value creation, SMEs adopt practically no environmental practices, and there are significant differences according to size, with more difficulties than advantages stemming from small size. The study also shows that such environmental practices are not effective in reducing carbon. This diagnosis indicates that SMEs need help from the administration if they are to play a key role in the process of transformation toward a low-carbon economy. Legislative actions involving harsher environmental protection measures might help shape value propositions that place greater importance on reducing environmental impact, whereas training actions on available environmental techniques, promotion of research on how to adapt such techniques to SMEs and the development of specific practices for SMEs might enhance environmental value creation and capture in their BMs.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad | Ref. ECO2016-76625-

Opioids in the Treatment of Pain. Beliefs, Knowledge, and Attitudes of the General Spanish Population. Identification of Subgroups Through Cluster Analysis

Context. A lack of information has been found related to patients’ perception toward pain management. Objectives. To analyze the point of view of the general Spanish population regarding the use of opioids in pain treatment. To identify groups of individuals based on this information. Methods. Nationwide cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 1299 Spanish adults. Data were collected on beliefs, knowledge, fears, opinions, and attitudes toward the use of opioids. A cluster analysis to identify groups of people based on these parameters and a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the variables related to the clusters were performed. Results. Three groups of subjects were identified based on their perspective toward opioids: a first group with a positive point of view (N ¼ 448) composed of people older than 65 years who would accept a treatment if prescribed and who were less fearful of these drugs; a second group with a moderate point of view (N ¼ 337) formed by younger subjects with university education, better informed about opioids, afraid of these drugs (odds ratio [OR] 2.67), and more frequently associated them with drowsiness (OR 2.58), nausea (OR 3.04), and tolerance (OR 2.16); and a third group with a negative point of view (N ¼ 468), with lower educational level who would more often reject treatment with opioids, more afraid of them (OR 3.95), considering that they may not be able to stop the treatment (OR 3.04) and may produce tolerance (OR 3.03). Conclusion. The different perspectives of patients regarding the use of opioids to treat pain should be taken into consideration by the physician when designing strategies to inform patients about the treatment of pain with opioids. This should promote their correct use, specially preventing their misuse

Promoter trapping in microalgae using the antibiotic paromomycin as selective agent

The lack of highly active endogenous promoters to drive the expression of transgenes is one of the main drawbacks to achieving efficient transformation of many microalgal species. Using the model chlorophyte Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the paromomycin resistance APHVIII gene from Streptomyces rimosus as a marker, we have demonstrated that random insertion of the promoterless marker gene and subsequent isolation of the most robust transformants allows for the identification of novel strong promoter sequences in microalgae. Digestion of the genomic DNA with an enzyme that has a unique restriction site inside the marker gene and a high number of target sites in the genome of the microalga, followed by inverse PCR, allows for easy determination of the genomic region, which precedes the APHVIII marker gene. In most of the transformants analyzed, the marker gene is inserted in intragenic regions and its expression relies on its adequate insertion in frame with native genes. As an example, one of the new promoters identified was used to direct the expression of the APHVIII marker gene in C. reinhardtii, showing high transformation efficiencies.Junta de Andalucía (P09-CVI-5053)Junta de Andalucía (BIO-214

Percepção dos estudantes sobre comportamento no ensino do professor e satisfação com a Educação Física: uma questão de gênero?

Este estudio analiza la satisfacción con la Educación Física (EF) y la percepción del comportamiento instructivo del profesor (CIP). Participaron 2.536 estudiantes (edad 13,7 ± 2,0). Se aplicaron dos escalas: a) escala de satisfacción con la EF; y b) escala de comportamientos instructivos del profesorado. Los resultados muestran una elevada satisfacción con la EF y la percepción de una buena frecuencia del CIP. Existen algunas diferencias significativas en función del género de los alumnos y profesores. No se produce empatía de género descrita en otros estudios: chicos y chicas perciben mayor frecuencia de comportamientos instructivos deseables cuando el profesor es mujer.Este trabalho analisa a satisfação com a educação física (EF) e a percepção do comportamento no ensino do professor. Participaram 2.536 estudantes (idade 13,77 ± 2,0). Foram aplicadas duas escalas: a) escala de satisfação com a educação física; y b) escala de comportamento no ensino dos professores. Os resultados demonstram uma alta satisfação com a EF, bem como a percepção de uma boa freqüência do comportamento no ensino do professor. Existem algumas diferenças significativas em função do gênero dos alunos e professores. Não há relação direta de simpatia de gênero encontrada em outros estudos: meninos e meninas percebem com mais frequência um comportamento no ensino do professor de maneira desejável, quando ele é uma mulher.The purposes of this study were to analyze the satisfaction with PE and the perception of the students about of the Teacher´ Instructional Behaviours. Participants were 2,536 students (13.7 ± 2.0 years old). Two scales were applied: a) the satisfaction with PE scale; and b) the scale of perception of the Teacher´ Instructional Behaviours. The results illustrate a high level of satisfaction with PE. Students perceive instructional desirable behaviours of their teachers occur frequently. The findings show some significant differences in gender. There is not empathy of gender: both boys and girls perceive more f requent instructional desirable behaviour when the teacher is female.Estudio financiado por el Ministerio Español de Ciencia y Tecnología (Proyecto código SEJ2007-67267/EDU