The integration of couples made up of Spanish and foreign people in Andalusian

El artículo ofrece un análisis de las uniones conformadas por personas españolas y extranjeras, descritas generalmente como mixtas, acerca de su percepción sobre la integración a partir de sus experiencias. Desde la investigación en el contexto español y con una metodología combinada, los resultados obtenidos de la población participante en la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía apuntan a la relevancia de factores jurídicos, económicos y políticos de la estructura social receptora junto a las representaciones sociales de los grupos migrantes dentro del proceso de integración. Se concluye las limitaciones de tipo conceptual que ocultan el dinamismo y transformación de las personas en su trayectoria vital, influenciadas por los recursos y condiciones del contexto local, enmarcado en procesos transnacionales.The article offers an analysis of Spanish and foreign people unions, generally described as mixed couples regarding their perception of integration from their experiences. The results obtained in the research of Spanish context with a combined methodology from the participant population in the region of Andalusia point to the relevance of legal, economic and political factors of the social structure of reception along with the social representations of the groups within the integration process. It concludes the conceptual limitations that conceal the people dynamism and transformation in their life's trajectory influenced by the resources and conditions of the local context which is framed in transnational processes

Analysis about management of cultural diversity in the community´s social service centers in Anadalusia

Background. Immigration, with nearly one out of ten interventions, is the fourth highest value in the distribution of total users in absolute terms, according to the andalusian municipalities ahead of the traditional groups such as youth, women and drug addicts. This new reality has led to a readjustment in the type of average user and the needs presented. Objective. To find out which are the training needs in relation to the management of cultural diversity in the public system of social services. Method. A survey was developed starting from the professional's basic demographic data in which were asked about: intercultural contact (type and intensity of relations with immigrants, language knowledge and use of them in interventions), intercultural competence, intercultural sensitivity and a set of practical cases in which was made an attempt to relate the theoretical and practical knowledge. Results. The results show that there is a daily contact between professionals and immigrants but basically related to work activities. We have notice also a high level of self-ascribed competence and intercultural sensitivity. Conclusions. The results obtained on selfperceived level of competence and cultural sensitivity are not related to data of the practical cases, so there is a mismatch between what is known in theory and what is done in interventions with immigrants. This observation leads us to ask whether social services respond adequately to the new realities and needs.Antecedentes. El proceso migratorio ha impactado de manera considerable en los Servicios Sociales representando casi una de cada diez intervenciones que se llevan a cabo en los servicios sociales comunitarios andaluces, por delante de colectivos tradicionales como juventud, mujer y drogodependencias. Esta nueva realidad ha traído consigo un reajuste en el tipo de usuario medio y de las necesidades que presenta. Objetivo. Constatar cuáles son las necesidades formativas en relación con la gestión de la diversidad cultural en el sistema público de servicios sociales. Método. Partiendo de los datos sociodemográficos básicos de los profesionales, se elaboró una encuesta en la que se abordaron cuestiones relativas al contacto intercultural de los profesionales (tipo e intensidad de las relaciones con inmigrantes, conocimiento y uso de idiomas en intervenciones), competencias interculturales, sensibilidad intercultural y la valoración dada a la actuación desarrollada ante determinados casos prácticos. Resultados. Los resultados demuestran que existe un contacto cotidiano entre profesionales e inmigrantes aunque relacionado básicamente a actividades laborales. Además se constata un nivel alto de competencia y sensibilidad intercultural auto-atribuido. Conclusiones. Los resultados obtenidos sobre el nivel auto-percibido de competencia y sensibilidad intercultural no se relacionan con los datos de los casos prácticos, por lo que existe un desequilibrio entre lo que se conoce a nivel teórico y lo que se hace en las intervenciones con los inmigrantes. Esta constatación nos lleva a plantear si los Servicios Sociales responden adecuadamente a las nuevas realidades y necesidades

Fibromyalgia: Evidence for Deficits in Positive Psychology Resources. A Case-Control Study from the Al-Ándalus Project

Positive psychology is the study of positive subjective experience and individual traits. Identifying deficits in positive psychology regarding fibromyalgia may inform targets for management. Therefore, the aim of the present case–control study was to compare the levels of positive affect, negative affect, satisfaction with life, optimism and emotional repair in a large sample of women with fibromyalgia (cases) and age-matched peers without fibromyalgia (controls). This case–control study included 437 women with fibromyalgia (51.6 ± 7.1 years old) and 206 age-matched women without fibromyalgia (50.6 ± 7.2 years old). Participants self-reported their levels of (i) subjective well-being on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, (ii) dispositional optimism on the Life Orientation Test-Revised and (iii) emotional repair on the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. Women with fibromyalgia showed lower levels of positive affect, satisfaction with life, optimism and emotional repair and higher levels of negative affect. Large effect sizes were found for positive affect, negative affect and satisfaction with life (all, Cohen’s d ≥ 0.80) and small-to-moderate for emotional repair and optimism (both, Cohen’s d ≥ 0.50). Women with fibromyalgia experience deficits of positive psychology resources. Thus, developing tailored therapies for fibromyalgia focusing on reducing deficits in positive psychology resources may be of clinical interest, though this remains to be corroborated in future researchThis work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (I+D+i DEP2010-15639, I+D+I DEP2013-40908); the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU15/00002), Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES). F.E.-L. has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 707404. The funders of this study did not have any role in the study design, data collection and analyses, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript We would like to thank the researchers of the cts-1018 research group, particularly Manuel Delgado-Fernández, and acknowledge the “Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chemistry Sensibility Federation” (“ALBA ANDALUCIA”, association of fibromyalgia, Andalucía, southern Spai

Ontogeny-Driven rDNA Rearrangement, Methylation, and Transcription, and Paternal Influence

Gene rearrangement occurs during development in some cell types and this genome dynamics is modulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including growth stimulants and nutrients. This raises a possibility that such structural change in the genome and its subsequent epigenetic modifications may also take place during mammalian ontogeny, a process undergoing finely orchestrated cell division and differentiation. We tested this hypothesis by comparing single nucleotide polymorphism-defined haplotype frequencies and DNA methylation of the rDNA multicopy gene between two mouse ontogenic stages and among three adult tissues of individual mice. Possible influences to the genetic and epigenetic dynamics by paternal exposures were also examined for Cr(III) and acid saline extrinsic factors. Variables derived from litters, individuals, and duplicate assays in large mouse populations were examined using linear mixed-effects model. We report here that active rDNA rearrangement, represented by changes of haplotype frequencies, arises during ontogenic progression from day 8 embryos to 6-week adult mice as well as in different tissue lineages and is modifiable by paternal exposures. The rDNA methylation levels were also altered in concordance with this ontogenic progression and were associated with rDNA haplotypes. Sperm showed highest level of methylation, followed by lungs and livers, and preferentially selected haplotypes that are positively associated with methylation. Livers, maintaining lower levels of rDNA methylation compared with lungs, expressed more rRNA transcript. In vitro transcription demonstrated haplotype-dependent rRNA expression. Thus, the genome is also dynamic during mammalian ontogeny and its rearrangement may trigger epigenetic changes and subsequent transcriptional controls, that are further influenced by paternal exposures

Serum S100A6 Concentration Predicts Peritoneal Tumor Burden in Mice with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and Is Associated with Advanced Stage in Patients

BACKGROUND:Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer related deaths in women. Five-year survival rates for early stage disease are greater than 94%, however most women are diagnosed in advanced stage with 5 year survival less than 28%. Improved means for early detection and reliable patient monitoring are needed to increase survival. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Applying mass spectrometry-based proteomics, we sought to elucidate an unanswered biomarker research question regarding ability to determine tumor burden detectable by an ovarian cancer biomarker protein emanating directly from the tumor cells. Since aggressive serous epithelial ovarian cancers account for most mortality, a xenograft model using human SKOV-3 serous ovarian cancer cells was established to model progression to disseminated carcinomatosis. Using a method for low molecular weight protein enrichment, followed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis, a human-specific peptide sequence of S100A6 was identified in sera from mice with advanced-stage experimental ovarian carcinoma. S100A6 expression was documented in cancer xenografts as well as from ovarian cancer patient tissues. Longitudinal study revealed that serum S100A6 concentration is directly related to tumor burden predictions from an inverse regression calibration analysis of data obtained from a detergent-supplemented antigen capture immunoassay and whole-animal bioluminescent optical imaging. The result from the animal model was confirmed in human clinical material as S100A6 was found to be significantly elevated in the sera from women with advanced stage ovarian cancer compared to those with early stage disease. CONCLUSIONS:S100A6 is expressed in ovarian and other cancer tissues, but has not been documented previously in ovarian cancer disease sera. S100A6 is found in serum in concentrations that correlate with experimental tumor burden and with clinical disease stage. The data signify that S100A6 may prove useful in detecting and/or monitoring ovarian cancer, when used in concert with other biomarkers

La integración de las parejas conformadas por personas españolas y extranjeras en Andalucía

El artículo ofrece un análisis de las uniones conformadas por personas españolas y extranjeras, descritas generalmente como mixtas, acerca de su percepción sobre la integración a partir de sus experiencias. Desde la investigación en el contexto español y con una metodología combinada, los resultados obtenidos de la población participante en la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía apuntan a la relevancia de factores jurídicos, económicos y políticos de la estructura social receptora junto a las representaciones sociales de los grupos migrantes dentro del proceso de integración. Se concluye las limitaciones de tipo conceptual que ocultan el dinamismo y transformación de las personas en su trayectoria vital, influenciadas por los recursos y condiciones del contexto local, enmarcado en procesos transnacionales

Análisis sobre la gestión de la diversidad cultural en los centros de servicios sociales comunitarios de Andalucía

Antecedentes. El proceso migratorio ha impactado de manera considerable en los Servicios Sociales representando casi una de cada diez intervenciones que se llevan a cabo en los servicios sociales comunitarios andaluces, por delante de colectivos tradicionales como juventud, mujer y drogodependencias. Esta nueva realidad ha traído consigo un reajuste en el tipo de usuario medio y de las necesidades que presenta. Objetivo. Constatar cuáles son las necesidades formativas en relación con la gestión de la diversidad cultural en el sistema público de servicios sociales. Método. Partiendo de los datos sociodemográficos básicos de los profesionales, se elaboró una encuesta en la que se abordaron cuestiones relativas al contacto intercultural de los profesionales (tipo e intensidad de las relaciones con inmigrantes, conocimiento y uso de idiomas en intervenciones), competencias interculturales, sensibilidad intercultural y la valoración dada a la actuación desarrollada ante determinados casos prácticos. Resultados. Los resultados demuestran que existe un contacto cotidiano entre profesionales e inmigrantes aunque relacionado básicamente a actividades laborales. Además se constata un nivel alto de competencia y sensibilidad intercultural auto-atribuido. Conclusiones. Los resultados obtenidos sobre el nivel auto-percibido de competencia y sensibilidad intercultural no se relacionan con los datos de los casos prácticos, por lo que existe un desequilibrio entre lo que se conoce a nivel teórico y lo que se hace en las intervenciones con los inmigrantes. Esta constatación nos lleva a plantear si los Servicios Sociales responden adecuadamente a las nuevas realidades y necesidades.Abstract: Background. Immigration, with nearly one out of ten interventions, is the fourth highest value in the distribution of total users in absolute terms, according to the andalusian municipalities ahead of the traditional groups such as youth, women and drug addicts. This new reality has led to a readjustment in the type of average user and the needs presented. Objective. To find out which are the training needs in relation to the management of cultural diversity in the public system of social services. Method. A survey was developed starting from the professional's basic demographic data in which were asked about: intercultural contact (type and intensity of relations with immigrants, language knowledge and use of them in interventions), intercultural competence, intercultural sensitivity and a set of practical cases in which was made an attempt to relate the theoretical and practical knowledge. Results. The results show that there is a daily contactbetween professionals and immigrants but basically related to work activities. We have notice also a high level of self-ascribed competence and intercultural sensitivity. Conclusions. The results obtained on selfperceived level of competence and cultural sensitivity are not related to data of the practical cases, so there is a mismatch between what is known in theory and what is done in interventions with immigrants. This observation leads us to ask whether social services respond adequately to the new realities and need

Elaboración de biofertilizante a base de Rhizobium spp. en campo zacatecano

Los biofertilizantes son preparados de microorganismos aplicados al suelo y/o planta con el fin de sustituir parcial o totalmente la fertilización sintética, así como disminuir la contaminación generada por los agroquímicos (Armenta, García et al. 2010). Desde un punto de vista ecológico los fijadores del nitrógeno más importantes son aquellos que fijan en asociación con una planta, porque el Nitrógeno fijado es suministrado precisamente donde se necesita: pegado a las raíces de la planta (Postgate, 1981)