Children's Separation Anxiety Scale (CSAS): Psychometric Properties

This study describes the psychometric properties of the Children's Separation Anxiety Scale (CSAS), which assesses separation anxiety symptoms in childhood. Participants in Study 1 were 1,908 schoolchildren aged between 8 and 11. Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors: worry about separation, distress from separation, opposition to separation, and calm at separation, which explained 46.91% of the variance. In Study 2, 6,016 children aged 8–11 participated. The factor model in Study 1 was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency (α = 0.82) and temporal stability (r = 0.83) of the instrument were good. The convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated by means of correlations with other measures of separation anxiety, childhood anxiety, depression and anger. Sensitivity of the scale was 85% and its specificity, 95%. The results support the reliability and validity of the CSAS.This research was supported by the Spanish National Plan for Research, Development and Technological Innovation Grant (EDU2008-05060) awarded to Xavier Méndez, and by BANCAJA-UMH Grant (2007-2009), awarded to Mireia Orgilés

Groundwater quality assessment using data clustering based on hybrid Bayesian networks

Bayesian networks have become a standard in the field of Artificial Intelligence as a means of dealing with uncertainty and risk modelling. In recent years, there has been particular interest in the simultaneous use of continuous and discrete domains, obviating the need for discretization, using so-called hybrid Bayesian networks. In these hybrid environments, Mixtures of Truncated Exponentials (MTEs) provide a suitable solution for working without any restriction. The objective of this study is the assessment of groundwater quality through the design and application of a probabilistic clustering, based on hybrid Bayesian networks with MTEs. Firstly, the results obtained allows the differentiation of three groups of sampling points, indicating three different classes of groundwater quality. Secondly, the probability that a sampling point belongs to each cluster allows the uncertainty in the clusters to be assessed, as well as the risks associated in terms of water quality management. The methodology developed could be applied to other fields in environmental sciences

GIS-Based Assessment of Banana Residual Biomass Potential for Ethanol Production and Power Generation: A Case Study

Banana is one of the most important fruit crops in the world. The plant bears one bunch in its life, leaving behind a large amount of agricultural residues (starchy and lignocellulosic biomass), which could be used for different purposes such as bioenergy. Ecuador is the largest exporter of banana fruits. In this work, the potential of banana residual biomass produced in the province of El Oro, Ecuador for bioenergy applications was assessed using Geographic Information Systems?GIS. The methodology included the assessment of biomass distribution, facility location, transport optimization and a novel virtual land parcel that allows for these kinds of studies in areas with lack of geo-referenced information. According to our approach, El Oro province has an available biomass potential of 190,102 t fm year?1 of starchy residual biomass and 198,602 t dm year?1 of lignocellulosic residual biomass. Two candidate points located at 79°51?12?W3°11?21?S and 79°52?49?W3°17?49?S were identified for the installment of energy conversion facilities supplied with residual biomass. From the available potential of starchy biomass it would be possible to obtain up to 19 million liters of bioethanol per year assuming an average yield of 101.2 l t?1 fresh matter; while the available lignocellulosic biomass, which energy content (Lower Heating Value, moisture free biomass) was determined at 12.9 MJ kg?1 on average, could be used for power generation with an installed capacity of 18 MW. Chemical characterization of the lignocellulosic biomass suggested that further studies should be undertaken regarding the potential application of these crop residues to second generation bioethanol

The Role of Technology in Greenhouse Agriculture: Towards a Sustainable Intensification in Campo de Dalías (Almería, Spain)

Campo de Dalías, located in southeastern Spain, is the greatest European exponent of greenhouse agriculture. The development of this type of agriculture has led to an exponential economic development of one of the poorest areas of Spain, in a short period of time. Simultaneously, it has brought about a serious alteration of natural resources. This article will study the temporal evolution of changes in land use, and the exploitation of groundwater. Likewise, this study will delve into the technological development in greenhouses (irrigation techniques, new water resources, greenhouse structures or improvement in cultivation techniques) seeking a sustainable intensification of agriculture under plastic. This sustainable intensification also implies the conservation of existing natural areas

Infrequent loss of luminal differentiation in ductal breast cancer metastasis

Lymph node involvement is a major prognostic variable in breast cancer. Whether the molecular mechanisms that drive breast cancer cells to colonize lymph nodes are shared with their capacity to form distant metastases is yet to be established. In a transcriptomic survey aimed at identifying molecular factors associated with lymph node involvement of ductal breast cancer, we found that luminal differentiation, assessed by the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) and GATA3, was only infrequently lost in node-positive primary tumors and in matched lymph node metastases. The transcription factor GATA3 critically determines luminal lineage specification of mammary epithelium and is widely considered a tumor and metastasis suppressor in breast cancer. Strong expression of GATA3 and ER in a majority of primary node-positive ductal breast cancer was corroborated by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in the initial sample set, and by immunohistochemistry in an additional set from 167 patients diagnosed of node-negative and -positive primary infiltrating ductal breast cancer, including 102 samples from loco-regional lymph node metastases matched to their primary tumors, as well as 37 distant metastases. These observations suggest that loss of luminal differentiation is not a major factor driving the ability of breast cancer cells to colonize regional lymph nodes

Simulation of atmospheric microbursts using a numerical mesoscale model at high spatiotemporal resolution

Atmospheric microbursts are low‐level meteorological events that can produce significant damage on the surface and pose a major risk to aircraft flying close to the ground. Studies and ad hoc numerical models have been developed to understand the origin and dynamics of the microburst; nevertheless, there are few researches of the phenomenon using global and mesoscale models. This is mainly due to the limitations in resolution, as microbursts normally span for less than 4 km and 20 min. In this paper, the Weather esearch and Forecasting model is used at resolutions of 400 m and 3 min to test if it can properly capture the variables and dynamics of high‐reflectivity microbursts. Several microphysics and planetary boundary layer parametrizations are tested to find the best model configuration for the simulation of this kind of episodes. General conditions are evaluated by using thermodynamic diagrams. Surface and vertical wind speed, reflectivity, precipitation, and other variables for each simulated event are compared with observations, and the model's sensitivity to the variables is assessed. The dynamics and evolution of the microburst is evaluated using different plots of a chosen event. The results show that the model is able to reproduce high‐reflectivity microbursts in accordance with observations, although there is a tendency to underestimate the intensity of variables, most markedly on the wind vertical velocity. Regarding the microphysics schemes, the Morrison parametrization performs better than the WRF single‐moment 6‐class scheme. No major differences are found between the Mellor‐Yamada‐Janjic and the Mellor‐Yamada‐Nakanishi‐Niino planetary boundary layer parametrizations.This work is supported by the Interdisciplinary Mathematics Institute of the Complutense University of Madrid and the following research projects: METEORISK (RTC‐2014‐1872‐5), PCIN‐2014‐013‐C07‐04, PCIN‐2016‐080 (UE ERANET Plus NEWA Project), ESP2013‐47816‐C4‐4‐P, CGL2010‐15930, CGL2016‐81828‐REDT, FEI‐EU‐17‐16, and SAFEFLIGHT GL2016‐78702‐C2‐1‐R and CGL2016‐78702‐C2‐2‐R). This research is founded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Enterprise under the framework of the SAFEFLIGHT research project (CGL2016‐78702‐C2‐1‐R and CGL2016‐78702‐C2‐2‐R)

Expression of epicardial adipose tissue thermogenic genes in patients with reduced and preserved ejection fraction heart failure

[Abstract] Epicardial adipose tissue has been proposed to participate in the pathogenesis of heart failure. The aim of our study was to assess the expression of thermogenic genes (Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α), and PR-domain-missing 16 (PRDM16) in epicardial adipose tissue in patients with heart failure, stablishing the difference according to left ventricular ejection fraction (reduced or preserved). Among the 75 patients in our study, 42.7% (n=32) had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. UCP1, PGC1α and PRDM16 mRNA in EAT were significantly lower in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Multiple regression analysis showed that age, male gender, body max index, presence of obesity, type-2-diabetes mellitus, hypertension and coronary artery disease and left ventricular ejection fraction were associated with the expression levels of UCP1, PGC1α and PRDM16 mRNA. Thermogenic genes expressions in epicardial adipose tissue (UCP1: OR 0.617, 95%CI 0.103-0.989, p=0.042; PGC1α: OR 0.416, 95%CI 0.171-0.912, p=0.031; PRDM16: OR 0.643, 95%CI 0.116-0.997, p=0.044) were showed as protective factors against the presence of heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and age (OR 1.643, 95%CI 1.001-3.143, p=0.026), presence of coronary artery disease (OR 6.743, 95%CI 1.932-15.301, p<0.001) and type-2-diabetes mellitus (OR 4.031, 95%CI 1.099-7.231, p<0.001) were associated as risk factors. The adequate expression of thermogenic genes has been shown as possible protective factors against heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, suggesting that a loss of functional epicardial adipose tissue brown-like features would participate in a deleterious manner on heart metabolism. Thermogenic genes could represent a future novel therapeutic target in heart failure.Ministerio de Salud, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad; PI13/02542Ministerio de Salud, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad; PI11/01661Red de Investigación Cardiovascular (España), RD12/0042/003

Recensiones [Revista de Historia Económica Año XX Primavera-Verano 2002 n. 2 pp. 389-426]

Editada en la Fundación Empresa PúblicaManera, C: Història del creixement económic a Mallorca (1700-2000) (Por Luis Germán Zubero).-- Carmona, J., Colomé, J., Pan-Montojo, J., y Simpson, J. (eds.): Viñas, bodegas y mercados. El cambio técnico en la vitivinicultura española, 1830-1936 (Por Carmelo Pellejero).-- González Portilla, M. (ed.): Los orígenes de una metrópoli industrial: la ría de Bilbao (Por Carlos Larrinaga).-- Craig, L. A., y Fisher, D.: The European Macroeconomy: Growth, Integration and Cycles, 1500-1913 (Por Joan R. Roses).-- Sargent, T., y Velde, F.: The Big Problem of Small Change (Por José I. García de Paso.-- Andersen, B.: Technological Change and the Evolution of Corporate Innovation: The Structure of Patenting, 1880-1990 (Por Patricio Sáiz).-- Rotberg, R. (ed.): Patterns of Social Capital. Stability and Change in Historical Perspective (Por Blanca Sánchez Alonso).-- James, H.: The Deutsche Bank and the Nazi Economic War against the Jews (Por Pedro Fernández Sánchez).-- Battilossi, S., y Cassis, Y. (eds.): European Banks and the American Challenge. Competition and Cooperation in International Banking under Bretton Woods (Por Mª Ángeles Pons).-- Zeitlin, J., y Herrigel, G. (eds.): Americanization and its Limits. Reworking US Technology and Management in Post-war Europe and Japan (Por Nuria Puig)Publicad