Weathering of serpentinite stone due to in situ generation of calcium and magnesium sulfates.

[EN]This paper presents a thorough study of the main features and the decay causes and mechanisms of serpentinites both freshly quarried and after centuries exposure at the main façade of the sixteenth century Royal Chancery (Granada, Spain). In particular, the process of in situ formation of calcium and magnesium sulfates has been studied. Several decay factors are identified, all of them acting synergistically in the deterioration of slabs made of serpentinite. Among them, chemical weathering of sulfides such as pyrite present in the original serpentinite induces the formation of sulfate salts such as gypsum or epsomite, salts which are considered the main cause of decay. In addition, unsuitable restoration treatments involving the use of Portland cement to fill up cracks and surface lacunae, the polluted environment of the surrounding area, and the location of the slabs close to the ground, favoring capillary rise of water, all contributed to their deterioration. This work helps to gain knowledge on the deterioration process of ornaments made of serpentinite, allowing us to propose the most appropriate measures to guarantee their conservation.GIR CHARROC

Diagnostic tools for Autism Spectrum Disorders by gender: Analysis of current status and future lines

Studies on the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders have shown gender disproportion. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in this investigation area. There are two main research lines; the first is focused mostly on gender-related biological reasons that could account for low ASD prevalence in women (i.e., related to some protective factors related to hormones or the immune system, among others), and the second research line studies possible diagnostic biases. In the present study, a review of the latter line of research is made based on two main objectives: (a) analysis of possible biases in diagnostic tools and (b) other nonbiological ASD prevalence explained by gender differences. As a result of our theoretical review, we found that the articles reviewed showed contradictory results and possible diagnostic biases, not only in their design but also in their assessment standards. We concluded that specific or complementary diagnostic tools and procedures differentiated by gender should be developed in order to reduce these biases

Desarrollo infantil y adolescente: trastornos mentales más frecuentes en función de la edad y el género

A pesar del incremento en las tasas de incidencia y prevalencia de los trastornos en la infancia y adolescencia, son pocos los trabajos con muestras amplias y representativas de niños y adolescentes con síntomas psicopatológicos. El presente trabajo analiza 588 sujetos derivados por los pediatras de Atención Primaria a una unidad especializada de Salud Mental de Infancia y Adolescencia. Como resultados se observan relaciones signifi cativas entre edad y diagnóstico, de modo que de 0-5 años la mayor incidencia se da en trastornos de conducta, comunicación, eliminación, control de impulsos y trastornos generalizados del desarrollo; entre 6-11 aparecen también los trastornos de conducta seguidos del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH); entre 12-15 años, trastornos de conducta y de ansiedad; y de 16 hasta 18 años, trastornos de conducta. Respecto al género, existe relación significativa con el diagnóstico, con mayor incidencia en los chicos de los trastornos de la conducta, y de ansiedad en las chicas. Como conclusiones, se indica la existencia de relación entre trastornos y adquisiciones evolutivas en el grupo de menor edad, y mayor incidencia de trastornos externalizantes en chicos e internalizantes en chicas en todos los grupos de edad

Well-Being without Employment? Promoting the Employability of Refugees

There are more than 25 million refugees in the world. Many of them try to reach the Mediterranean in order to enter Europe. Spain is one of the countries that receive refugees and have to integrate them. Many refugees have experienced persecution in their countries, as well as forced migration, rape, diseases, etc. Their integration requires support and coordination from the government, health services, and social agents. The first step in achieving this integration is getting a job, which is currently an important issue. Thus, we aim to analyze the employability of a specific group of refugees in Spain and then develop and implement an intervention program to improve their employability. Our framework is based on the Bioecological Model of Employability. The results obtained show that the program is effective in improving employability, and they highlight the importance of labor inclusion for refugees' well-being. Moreover, the findings reveal the need to create labor market policies and further evaluations, diagnostics, and intervention programs that improve employability and other types of personal-community growth. It is necessary to focus on refugees' needs and develop appropriate services

Parenting of Spanish mothers and fathers playing with their children at home

The aims of this study were to compare the parenting behaviors of mothers and fathers when evaluated in a free play situation at home and to study how these behaviors were related to the sociodemographic variables of the family. The study included 155 mothers and 155 fathers from the same families in Spain. The children (90 boys and 65 girls) were typically developing and were aged between 10 and 47 months old. The parents completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, and parenting behaviors in four domains (Affection, Responsiveness, Encouragement, and Teaching) were assessed from self-recorded videotapes, in accordance with the Spanish version of the PICCOLO. Our results showed both commonalities and differences between the mothers and fathers. The mean scores for the four parenting domains followed a similar pattern in both mothers and fathers: the highest mean score was in the Responsiveness domain, followed by the Affection, Encouragement, and the Teaching domains. Regarding the second aim, no differences were observed in parenting according to the child's gender and the only domain related to the child's age was mother's Teaching. Mothers with a higher educational level scored higher on all parenting domains, except for Responsiveness. Family income was positively related to maternal Affection, Encouragement, and the total PICCOLO score, and to the father's score in the Teaching domain. This study provides evidence that Spanish mothers and fathers show very similar strengths for promoting children's development during interactions. These results are relevant to inform social public policies and family programs

Adherence to supportive periodontal treatment in relation to patient awareness

To evaluate the risk profile of noncompliant patients in relation to adherence to supportive periodontal therapy in order to identify factors associated with this profile, and be able to prevent the abandonment of perio- dontal therapy. Ma

Prevalence of Cognitive Frailty, Do Psychosocial-Related Factors Matter?

Cognitive frailty (CF) is a topic of growing interest with implications for the study of preventive interventions in aging. Nevertheless, little research has been done to assess the influence of psychosocial variables on the risk of CF. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of CF in a Spanish sample and to explore the influence of psychosocial variables in this prevalence. Physical frailty and cognitive, functional, psychosocial, and socio-demographic aspects were assessed in a sample of 285 participants over 60 years. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were carried out. Aprevalence of 21.8% (95% CI 17.4-26.9) was established when both frail and pre-frail conditions were included, and a prevalence of 3.2% (95% CI 1.7-5.9) if only frail individuals were considered. Age, educational level, profession and psychological well-being variables significantly predicted CF. Frailty and pre-frailty are high-prevalence health conditions in older adults influenced by socio-demographic, socio-educative and affective factors

Mindfulness interventions and surveys as tools for positive emotional regulation during COVID-19: a scoping review

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has caused high mortality rates worldwide, as well as consequent psychological and physical stress. The present study aimed to review the main existing scientific research studies conducted since the onset of the COVID-19 that have used mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as tools for emotional regulation, aiming to improve individuals’ ability to cope with general stress caused by pandemic periods and their consequences (e.g., contagion, confinement, loss of loved ones or job stability) especially related with anxiety, stress, depression, or emotional dysregulation. Method To this aim, six databases (i.e., PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct) were consulted and analyzed following PRISMA-Sc guidelines. Results Of the 16 studies selected, 7 are clinical trials that used MBIs, and 9 are online surveys in which mindfulness and emotional regulation variables were assessed to explore their interrelations. Generally, the analysis suggested that the cultivation of MBI strategies for treating anxiety and depression during COVID-19 confinement periods resulted in improved psychological well-being. Conclusions MBI techniques can be considered useful intervention tools in current and future worldwide changing situations, in which personal development and resilience should be considered an urgent issue for both educational and preventive health practices. Conversely, there are also some limitations that arose from the field of MBI research that hopefully might be addressed in future research (such as the diversity of intervention techniques used across studies)

Exploring the impact of ketogenic diet on multiple sclerosis: obesity, anxiety, depression, and the glutamate system

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disorder. Individuals with MS frequently present symptoms such as functional disability, obesity, and anxiety and depression. Axonal demyelination can be observed and implies alterations in mitochondrial activity and increased inflammation associated with disruptions in glutamate neurotransmitter activity. In this context, the ketogenic diet (KD), which promotes the production of ketone bodies in the blood [mainly β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB)], is a non-pharmacological therapeutic alternative that has shown promising results in peripheral obesity reduction and central inflammation reduction. However, the association of this type of diet with emotional symptoms through the modulation of glutamate activity in MS individuals remains unknown.AimTo provide an update on the topic and discuss the potential impact of KD on anxiety and depression through the modulation of glutamate activity in subjects with MS.DiscussionThe main findings suggest that the KD, as a source of ketone bodies in the blood, improves glutamate activity by reducing obesity, which is associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, promoting central inflammation (particularly through an increase in interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17). This improvement would imply a decrease in extrasynaptic glutamate activity, which has been linked to functional disability and the presence of emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression

RadioEarth: herramienta de cálculo de cobertura radioeléctrica para Google Earth

RadioEarth es una herramienta que interacciona con Google Earth y permite realizar simulaciones de coberturas radioeléctricas de sistemas de radiocomunicaciones como GSM, UMTS, TETRA, LMDS, MMDS, Radio digital, TDT, WiFi, etc. utilizando diferentes modelos de propagación