Effectiveness of a Cognitive Stimulation Program in a group of people with probable Mild-Phase Alzheimer's. Pilot Study

Este estudio evaluó la eficacia de un programa de estimulación cognitiva en una muestra de personas con probable Enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA). Participaron un total de 5 usuarios con probable EA en fase leve, procedentes de un municipio del Noroeste de la Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (CAM), que recibieron estimulación cognitiva a nivel grupal durante 9 meses. La eficacia de la estimulación se evaluó mediante un diseño pre-post, a través de pruebas neuropsicológicas, emocionales y funcionales estandarizadas. En general, los resultados obtenidos demuestran la existencia de una mejoría significativa tras el entrenamiento cognitivo en algunos dominios cognitivos, como el lenguaje y las habilidades visuoespaciales. Asimismo, se observó una mejora significativa del estado de ánimo. Por tanto, parece que la estimulación cognitiva reporta beneficios no sólo a nivel cognitivo sino también a nivel emocional.This study assessed the effectiveness of a cognitive stimulation program in a sample of people with probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A total of 5 users with probable mild AD, from the municipality of the Autonomous Region of Madrid (ARM), who received group cognitive stimulation for 9 months, took part in this study. The effectiveness of stimulation was assessed using a pre-post design, through standardized neuropsychological, emotional, and functional testing. Overall, the results show the existence of a significant improvement after cognitive training in some cognitive domains such as language and visuospatial skills. Furthermore, a significant improvement in mood was observed. Therefore, it appears that cognitive stimulation benefits these individuals not only cognitively but also emotionally

Quejas subjetivas de memoria, función ejecutiva y memoria en personas mayores

Las quejas subjetivas de memoria (QSM), además de ser frecuentes y aumentar con la edad, a menudo se interpretan como un signo temprano de deterioro cognitivo. La percepción subjetiva de deterioro de la memoria en ausencia de déficits cognitivos objetivos podría anteceder a un posible DCL. Se ha constatado que las QSM pueden estar asociadas con el estado de ánimo, alteraciones de memoria episódica y déficits atencionales y ejecutivos. El objetivo fue analizar la relación entre las QSM, el rendimiento en tareas de atención y función ejecutiva y de memoria episódica, la edad, el estado de ánimo, y la percepción de pérdida de memoria en una muestra de personas mayores. Participaron 210 personas con edades entre los 60-90 años de edad, a los que se les aplicó el Cuestionario de Fallos de Memoria de la Vida Diaria (MFE) el Mini Examen Cognoscitivo (MEC), la escala de depresión geriátrica de Yesavage, el Trail Making Test (TMT) A y B, y el Test de Aprendizaje Verbal España-Complutense (TAVEC). Se hallaron correlaciones significativas entre las QSM y las siguientes variables: TMT-A, TMT-B, edad, estado de ánimo y percepción de pérdida de memoria. No hubo correlaciones significativas entre las QSM y el rendimiento objetivo de memoria. A pesar de que las QSM pueden ser útiles en la detección de problemas neuropsicológicos, los resultados sugieren que las QSM, en nuestra muestra, no se relacionan directamente con el rendimiento en memoria, sino con el funcionamiento ejecutivo y atencional, el estado de ánimo y con las preocupaciones sobre la capacidad mnésica.2017-1

The 2030 agenda at spanish universities: the communication strategy of the sustainable development goals

Los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) se elaboraron a lo largo de más de dos años de participación entre instituciones, países y sociedad civil. No obstante, surgen preguntas como hasta qué punto la ciudadanía está familiarizada con ellos, si son capaces de integrarlos diariamente o cuáles son los retos para estos nueve años que quedan por delante. En esta investigación se va a profundizar en el papel de la universidad como agente de transformación e innovación social, más allá de su labor esencial en la educación. Para ello, se ha realizado un estudio que identifica cómo las universidades han alineado la Agenda 2030 en sus estrategias de acción (formación, proyectos e iniciativas) y cómo las están comunicando no solo a los miembros de la comunidad universitaria, sino también a toda la ciudadanía a través de sus páginas webThe Sustainable Development Goals were developed over more than two years of participation among institutions, countries, and civil society. However, questions arise such as to what extent citizens are familiar with them, if they are capable of integrating them on a daily basis or what are the challenges for these nine years ahead. This research is going to delve deeper into the role of the university as an agent of transformation and social innovation beyond its essential work in education. To this end, a study has been carried out to identify how universities have aligned the 2030 Agenda in their action strategies (education, projects and initiatives) and how they are communicating them not only to members of the university community, but also to citizens through their website

Importación de aceite de palma refinado y sostenible desde Ecuador a España

El presente documento se centra en un estudio de viabilidad de una operación de importación de aceite de palma refinado y sostenible desde Ecuador. En el actual escenario de crisis económica en el que nos encontramos en la mayoría de los países occidentales y, en el caso concreto de España, son muchas las empresas que se ven obligadas a salir al exterior para intentar compensar la baja demanda de sus países. Por ello nos decantamos por realizar una operación de importación de aceite de palma

Sex-related differences in the associations between diurnal cortisol pattern and social and emotional loneliness in older adults

IntroductionLoneliness is a distressful feeling that can affect mental and physical health, particularly among older adults. Cortisol, the primary hormone of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA-axis), may act as a biological transducer through which loneliness affects health. While most previous studies have evaluated the association between loneliness, as a unidimensional construct, and diurnal cortisol pattern, no research has examined this relationship discriminating between social and emotional loneliness in older adults. As sex differences in the negative mental health outcomes of loneliness have been reported, we also investigated whether diurnal cortisol indices and loneliness associations occur in a sex-specific manner.MethodsWe analyzed the diurnal cortisol- pattern in 142 community-dwelling, non-depressed, Caucasian older adults (55,6% female) aged 60-90. Social and emotional (family and romantic) loneliness scores were assessed using the Spanish version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA). Five salivary cortisol samples were used to capture key features of the diurnal cortisol pattern, including: awakening and bedtime cortisol levels, awakening response (CAR), post-awakening cortisol output (post-awakening cortisol [i.e., the area under the curve with reference to the ground: AUCG]), total diurnal cortisol release (AUCG), and diurnal cortisol slope (DCS).ResultsAfter controlling for sociodemographic variables, the hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses revealed that in male older adults, higher scores on social and family loneliness were associated with elevated awakening cortisol levels, total diurnal cortisol output, and a steeper diurnal cortisol slope (DCS). However, these associations were not observed in female older adults. In addition, feelings of romantic loneliness were positively associated with bedtime cortisol levels and AUCG in older males. Multilevel growth curve modeling showed that experiencing more social and emotional loneliness predicted higher diurnal cortisol output throughout the day in older male adults.DiscussionThe presence of sex differences in the relationship between cortisol indices and loneliness among older adults holds particular significance for diagnostic and screening procedures. Combining loneliness scales as screening tools with diurnal cortisol measures has the potential to be an effective and cost-efficient approach in identifying higher-risk individuals at early stages

Regular insulin added to total parenteral nutrition vs subcutaneous glargine in non-critically ill diabetic inpatients, a multicenter randomized clinical trial: INSUPAR trial

Background: There is no established insulin regimen in T2DM patients receiving parenteral nutrition. Aims: To compare the effectiveness (metabolic control) and safety of two insulin regimens in patients with diabetes receiving TPN. Design: Prospective, open-label, multicenter, clinical trial on adult inpatients with type 2 diabetes on a non-critical setting with indication for TPN. Patients were randomized on one of these two regimens: 100% of RI on TPN or 50% of Regular insulin added to TPN bag and 50% subcutaneous Gl. Data were analyzed according to intention-to-treat principle. Results: 81 patients were on RI and 80 on GI. No differences were observed in neither average total daily dose of insulin, programmed or correction, nor in capillary mean blood glucose during TPN infusion (165.3 +/- 35.4 in RI vs 172.5 +/- 43.6 mg/dL in GI; p = 0.25). Mean capillary glucose was significantly lower in the GI group within two days after TPN interruption (160.3 +/- 45.1 in RI vs 141.7 +/- 43.8 mg/dL in GI; p = 0.024). The percentage of capillary glucose above 180 mg/dL was similar in both groups. The rate of capillary glucose <= 70 mg/dL, the number of hypoglycemic episodes per 100 days of TPN, and the percentage of patients with non-severe hypoglycemia were significantly higher on GI group. No severe hypoglycemia was detected. No differences were observed in length of stay, infectious complications, or hospital mortality. Conclusion: Effectiveness of both regimens was similar. GI group achieved better metabolic control after TPN interruption but non-severe hypoglycemia rate was higher in the GI group. (C) 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd

A critical view on the current use of daptomycin in Spain: The daptomise study

Background: The Study on the Clinical Use of DAPTOMycin in Spain (DAPTOMISE Study) is a national surveillance program of daptomycin use. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the current variability in daptomycin consumption across the different hospitals and the adequacy of therapy, specially focused on underdosing. Methods: All adult and pediatric patients who received, at least, one dose of daptomycin in a single week in 98 institutions in Spain were included. The adequacy of daptomycin use was evaluated with respect to the indication, dosage, adjustments after microbiology results, switching to an oral agent and length of treatment. Results: A total of 615 patients received daptomycin during the study week. The prevalence use was 2.3 patients / 100,000 inhabitants per week, 12.4 patients / 1000 admissions and 9.2 Days of Therapy (DOT) / 1000 hospital stays. These rates varied between hospitals: from 0 to 13.9 patients / 100,000 inhabitants, from 0 to 76.1 patients / 1000 admissions and from 0 to 49.4 DOT / 1000 hospital stays. The most frequent infections were bacteremia (31.6 %) and skin and soft tissue infections (17.9 %). Microbiological results were available in only 65.4 % of infections. The most frequent microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (192 isolates, of which 87 were resistant to methicillin) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (124 isolates). A total of 136 prescriptions (22.1 %) were underdosed. Dosages < 8 mg/kg were used for 35.6 % of endovascular infections and for 26.2 % of osteoarticular infections. Overall, 57.2 % of prescriptions were not optimal in, at least, one item. Clinical cure rate was 76.1% and mortality attributable to the infection 8.1%. Conclusion: This is the first registry that identifies the prevalence of use of daptomycin in Spain and shows a high variability in the consumption between the different hospitals. Daptomycin underdosing was present in more than 20 % of cases. (c) 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Sex-Related Disparities in the Incidence and Outcomes of Community-Acquired Pneumonia among Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Propensity Score-Matching Analysis Using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database for the Period 2016–2019

(1) Background: To analyze incidence, clinical characteristics, procedures, and in-hospital outcomes among patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) according to the presence of T2DM in Spain (2016–2019) and to assess the role of gender among those with T2DM. (2) Methods: Using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database, we estimated hospitalized CAP incidence. Propensity score matching was used to compare population subgroups. (3) Results: CAP was coded in 520,723 patients, of whom 140,410 (26.96%) had T2DM. The hospitalized CAP incidence was higher in patients with T2DM (both sexes) (IRR 4.25; 95% CI 4.23–4.28). The hospitalized CAP incidence was higher in men with T2DM than in women with T2DM (IRR 1.46; 95% CI 1.45–1.47). The hospitalized CAP incidence among T2DM patients increased over time; however, the in-hospital mortality (IHM) decreased between 2016 and 2019. IHM was higher among non-T2DM men and women than matched T2DM men and women (14.23% and 14.22% vs. 12.13% and 12.91%; all p < 0.001, respectively), After adjusting for confounders, men with T2DM had a 6% higher mortality risk than women (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.02–1.1). (4) Conclusions: T2DM is associated with a higher hospitalized CAP incidence and is increasing overtime. Patients hospitalized with CAP and T2DM have lower IHM. Male sex is a significant risk factor for mortality after CAP among T2DM patients

NLRP3 inflammasome activation and symptom burden in KRAS-mutated CMML patients is reverted by IL-1 blocking therapy

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is frequently associated with mutations in the rat sarcoma gene (RAS), leading to worse prognosis. RAS mutations result in active RAS-GTP proteins, favoring myeloid cell proliferation and survival and inducing the NLRP3 inflammasome together with the apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), which promote caspase-1 activation and interleukin (IL)-1(3 release. Here, we report, in a cohort of CMML patients with mutations in KRAS, a constitutive activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in monocytes, evidenced by ASC oligomerization and IL-1(3 release, as well as a specific inflammatory cytokine signature. Treatment of a CMML patient with a KRASG12D mutation using the IL-1 receptor blocker anakinra inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation, reduces monocyte count, and improves the patient's clinical status, enabling a stem cell transplant. This reveals a basal inflammasome activation in RAS-mutated CMML patients and suggests potential therapeutic applications of NLRP3 and IL-1 blockers

Revisión y propuesta de mejora del programa de Prácticum del Grado de Educación Social

Este documento se corresponde con la memoria justificativa de trabajo llevada a cabo en el Proyecto de Innova-Gestión nº 73 cuya finalidad principal ha sido acometer la revisión del programa de Prácticum en el Grado de Educación Social para establecer una serie de mejoras con las que se ha pretendido dar solución a algunos de los inconvenientes que los distintos colectivos implicados en el programa han podido constatar durante los cursos transcurridos desde la implantación del Grado, desde el curso 2009-2010 hasta la actualidad