Color doppler ultrasound for the assessment of palatal fibromucosa thickness and the trajectory of the greater palatine artery : a pilot study

The primary objective of this study was to determine the position and course of the greater palatine artery using color doppler ultrasound. The secondary objective was to determine the thickness of the palatine fibromucosa. A pilot case series study wa

Cyclodextrin-Grafted TiO2 Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Complexation Capacity, and Dispersion in Polymeric Matrices

The modification of the surface of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) by the incorporation of cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic oligosaccharides with a hydrophobic cavity, can largely improve the functionality of TiO2 by lodging molecules of interest in the CD to act directly on the surface of the nanoparticles or for further release. With this aim, we have synthesized betaCD-modified nanoparticles (betaCDTiO2 NPs) by a two-step reaction that involves the incorporation of a spacer and then the linking of the macrocycle, and characterized them by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The capacity of the functionalized structures to trap model compounds (Rhodamine and 1-naphthol) has been compared to that of bare TiO2 NPs by fluorescence and Ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible) spectroscopy. The presence of the CDs on the surface of the TiO2 avoids the photo-degradation of the guest, which is of interest in order to combine the photocatalytic activity of TiO2, one of its most interesting features for practical purposes, with the delivery of compounds susceptible of being photo-degraded. The betaCDTiO2 NPs have been dispersed in polymeric matrices of frequently used polymers, polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene oxide (PEO), by cryogenic high energy ball milling to produce nanocomposites in the form of films. The surface modification of the nanoparticles favors the homogenization of the filler in the matrix, while the nanoparticles, either in bare or functionalized form, do not seem to alter the crystallization properties of the polymer at least up to a 5% (w/w) load of filler.This research was funded by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, project MAT2014-59116-C2-2-R

Informe sobre la situación del Área de Antropología Social en las universidades y centros de investigación en relación con el reconocimiento de la actividad investigadora por parte de la CNEAI en forma de sexenios

El objetivo de este informe es hacer una primera aproximación al grado de implantación de este procedimiento de evaluación (sexenios, en adelante) en el área de la Antropología Social y, a partir de ahí, identificar los obstáculos principales en relación con el procedimiento empleado que impiden lograr una mayor tasa de éxito. Como veremos, existe una disonancia entre los "criterios CNEAI" y los "criterios de la Antropología" de lo que significa "calidad científica" en nuestra área, situación que sugiere la urgente necesidad de repensar y recalibrar ese procedimiento de evaluación. A la vista de los resultados, el fin último de este informe es elevar al organismo oficial evaluador una serie de recomendaciones y propuestas concretas de mejora

Effectiveness and implementation of an online intervention (MINDxYOU) for reducing stress and promote mental health among healthcare workers in Spain : a study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial

The World Health Organization has formally recognized that healthcare professionals are at risk of developing mental health problems; finding ways to reduce their stress is mandatory to improve both their quality of life and, indirectly, their job performance. In recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, there has been a proliferation of online interventions with promising results. The purpose of the present study is twofold: to test the effectiveness of an online, self-guided intervention, MINDxYOU, to reduce the stress levels of healthcare workers; and to conduct an implementation study of this intervention. Additionally, an economic evaluation of the intervention will be conducted. The current study has a hybrid effectiveness-implementation type 2 design. A stepped wedge cluster randomized trial design will be used, with a cohort of 180 healthcare workers recruited in two Spanish provinces (Malaga and Zaragoza). The recruitment stage will commence in October 2022. Frontline health workers who provide direct care to people in a hospital, primary care center, or nursing home setting in both regions will participate. The effectiveness of the intervention will be studied, with perceived stress as the main outcome (Perceived Stress Scale), while other psychopathological symptoms and process variables (e.g., mindfulness, compassion, resilience, and psychological flexibility) will be also assessed as secondary outcomes. The implementation study will include analysis of feasibility, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. The incremental costs and benefits, in terms of quality-adjusted life years, will be examined by means of cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analyses. MINDxYOU is designed to reduce healthcare workers' stress levels through the practice of mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion, with a special focus on how to apply these skills to healthy habits and considering the particular stressors that these professionals face on a daily basis. The present study will show how implementation studies are useful for establishing the framework in which to address barriers to and promote facilitators for acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability of online interventions. The ultimate goal is to reduce the research-to-practice gap. This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on 29/06/2022; registration number: NCT05436717

Brain edema and inflammatory activation in bile duct ligated rats with diet-induced hyperammonemia: A model of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis

Presented in part as a poster at 2005 Meeting EASL, Paris.Studies of the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy are hampered by the lack of a satisfactory animal model. We examined the neurological features of rats after bile duct ligation fed a hyperammonemic diet (BDL+HD). Six groups were studied: sham, sham pair-fed, hyperammonemic, bile duct ligation (BDL), BDL pair fed, and BDL+HD. The BDL+HD rats were made hyperammonemic via an ammonia-containing diet that began 2 weeks after operation. One week later, the animals were sacrificed. BDL+HD rats displayed an increased level of cerebral ammonia and neuroanatomical characteristics of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), including the presence of type II Alzheimer astrocytes. Both BDL and BDL+HD rats showed activation of the inflammatory system. BDL+HD rats showed an increased amount of brain glutamine, a decreased amount of brain myo-inositol, and a significant increase in the level of brain water. In coordination tests, BDL+HD rats showed severe impairment of motor activity and performance as opposed to BDL rats, whose results seemed only mildly affected. In conclusion, the BDL+HD rats displayed similar neuroanatomical and neurochemical characteristics to human HE in liver cirrhosis. Brain edema and inflammatory activation can be detected under these circumstances.Supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Convocatoria de RedesTematicas (G03/155 and C03/02); Conselleria de Sanitat, Escuela Valenciana para Estudios de la Salud (BM-004/2002); Organisme Public Valencia d’Investigacio, Ajudes per a Accions Especials (21-2002), Generalitat Valenciana,GV Grupos 03/053, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (GC-02-022)and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI03/0576).Peer reviewe

Universidad y sociedad: comunicación e integración en empresas e instituciones públicas y organizaciones no lucrativas. Nuevas orientaciones

Proyecto de Innovación docente 2021Depto. de Teorías y Análisis de la ComunicaciónFac. de Ciencias de la InformaciónFALSEsubmitte

Consenso Mexicano para el Tratamiento de la Hepatitis C

El objetivo del Consenso Mexicano para el Tratamiento de la Hepatitis C fue el de desarrollar un documento como guía en la práctica clínica con aplicabilidad en México. Se tomó en cuenta la opinión de expertos en el tema con especialidad en: gastroenterología, infectología y hepatología. Se realizó una revisión de la bibliografía en MEDLINE, EMBASE y CENTRAL mediante palabras claves referentes al tratamiento de la hepatitis C. Posteriormente se evaluó la calidad de la evidencia mediante el sistema GRADE y se redactaron enunciados, los cuales fueron sometidos a voto mediante un sistema modificado Delphi, y posteriormente se realizó revisión y corrección de los enunciados por un panel de 34 votantes. Finalmente se clasificó el nivel de acuerdo para cada oración. Esta guía busca dar recomendaciones con énfasis en los nuevos antivirales de acción directa y de esta manera facilitar su uso en la práctica clínica. Cada caso debe ser individualizado según sus comorbilidades y el manejo de estos pacientes siempre debe ser multidisciplinario. Abstract The aim of the Mexican Consensus on the Treatment of Hepatitis C was to develop clinical practice guidelines applicable to Mexico. The expert opinion of specialists in the following areas was taken into account: gastroenterology, infectious diseases, and hepatology. A search of the medical literature was carried out on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases through keywords related to hepatitis C treatment. The quality of evidence was subsequently evaluated using the GRADE system and the consensus statements were formulated. The statements were then voted upon, using the modified Delphi system, and reviewed and corrected by a panel of 34 voting participants. Finally, the level of agreement was classified for each statement. The present guidelines provide recommendations with an emphasis on the new direct-acting antivirals, to facilitate their use in clinical practice. Each case must be individualized according to the comorbidities involved and patient management must always be multidisciplinary

Modeling water resources and river-aquifer interaction in the Júcar River Basin, Spain

“The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0755-3”The paper presents how to solve some practical problems of water planning in a medium/large river basin, such as: the water resources assessment and its spatial-temporal variability over the long-short term, the impact of human activities on the water cycle, due to groundwater pumping and water returns into aquifers, the river-aquifer interactions and the aquifer depletion. It is based on the use of a new monthly conceptual distributed water balance model -PATRICAL- that includes the surface water (SW), groundwater (GW) behavior and the river-aquifer interaction. The model is applied to the Júcar River Basin District (RBD) in Spain (43,000 km2), with more than 250 aquifers, including catchments with humid climates (Júcar RBD northern), semiarid and arid catchments (southern). The model has a small number of parameters and obtains a satisfactory performance in SW and GW behavior. It has been calibrated/validated using monthly streamflows and two additional elements not generally used in models for large river basins, GW levels and river-aquifer interactions. In the hydrological time series of the Júcar RBD headers a statistical change point in the year 1979/80 is detected. It is due to changes in precipitation patterns and represents a 40% of reduction in streamflows in relation with the previous period. The impact of GW pumping in all aquifers is determined, the Mancha Oriental aquifer produces a significant reduction in streamflows of the Júcar river around 200-250 hm3/year. The GW level in the Villena-Benejama aquifer -Vinalopo Valley- has declined more than 200 m in last 30 years.Pérez-Martín, MÁ.; Estrela Monreal, T.; Andreu Álvarez, J.; Ferrer Polo, FJ. (2014). Modeling water resources and river-aquifer interaction in the Júcar River Basin, Spain. 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Informe sobre la situación del área de Antropología Social en las universidades y centros de investigación en relación con el reconocimiento de la actividad investigadora por parte de la CNEAI en forma de sexenios

La evaluación de la investigación ha sido una actividad constante de la producción de conocimiento científico. Buena aparte de su formalización se ha realizado en las últimas décadas. El uso de indicadores bibliométricos y cuantitativos de productividad han sido las herramientas más utilizadas, pero en la actualidad existen ya importantes críticas a una parte de los procedimientos seguidos. Guiados por estas críticas, presentamos en este informe un diagnóstico sobre el estado del reconocimiento de la actividad investigadora en el área de Antropología social en España. Nos referimos al reconocimiento en forma de "sexenios de investigación" que realiza la Comisión Nacional Evaluadora de la Actividad Investigadora (dependiente de la Agencia Nacional de Evaluación de la Calidad y Acreditación, Organismo Autónomo de la Administración General del Estado español). Partiendo de un estudio comparado por áreas sobre las trampas de estos procedimientos de evaluación basado en métricas, se identifican algunos de los obstáculos principales que impiden lograr una mayor tasa de éxito en el área de Antropología social. Finalmente, se sugieren medidas concretas de mejora.Research evaluation has been a constant activity in the production of scientific knowledge. A significant portion of its formalization has taken place in recent decades. Bbibliometric and quantitative productivity indicators have been the most widely employed tools, but there are now significant criticisms of some of the procedures followed. Guided by these criticisms, we present in this report a diagnosis of the state of recognition of research activity in the field of social anthropology in Spain. We refer to this recognition in the form of "sexenios de investigación" (six-year research periods) conducted by the National Commission for Research Activity Evaluation (dependent on the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation, an autonomous body of the Spanish government). Based on a comparative study of the pitfalls of these metrics-based evaluation procedures across different areas, we identify some of the main obstacles hindering a higher success rate in the field of social anthropology. Finally, we propose specific measures for improvement