Is the sexual sensation seeking scale a reliable instrument? Addressing multiple factor structures in a Colombian sample

The sexual sensation seeking scale (SSSS) is a widely used instrument to measure individuals’ tendency to seek an optimal level of sexual arousal and novel sexual experiences. However, psychometric studies have suggested different factor structures for this instrument, which may lead to a biased assessment of the subdimensions of sexual sensation seeking. The present study (N = 812) aimed to identify the best factorial model of the SSSS by comparing the model suggested by previous research. Results from Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses showed that none of the models tested have sufficient goodness-of-fit to support the internal validity of the instrument. Thus, this study highlights the limitations of the SSSS in assessing sexual sensation seeking and proposes psychometric alternatives that should be considered by researchers to achieve a reliable measure of sexual sensation seeking.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Reliability and validity of the Colombian version of the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory

Sociosexuality refers to an individual’s disposition to have casual sex without establishing affective bonds and has been widely studied worldwide using the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R; Penke & Asendorpf, 2008). Despite its many validations in different cultural contexts, no psychometric analyses of this instrument have been conducted in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the psychometric properties of the SOI-R in Colombia. In a cross-sectional study with a large sample of participants (N = 812; 64% women), we conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to identify different factor structures and determine which had the best fit for our sample and examined the reliability of the scale. Results showed that a three-factor structure, with sociosexual behaviors, attitudes, and desire as first-order factors, and global sociosexuality as a second-order factor, had the best fit indexes. Each factor presented good reliability indexes. Replicating already established gender differences, we also found that men scored higher on each factor when compared to women. These findings show that the SOI-R is a reliable and valid instrument to assess sociosexuality in countries where sociosexuality research is underrepresented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Emergence and spread of a new community-genotype methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone in Colombia

© 2017 The Author(s). Background: Community-genotype methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CG-MRSA) clones are a global concern due to their resistance and increased virulence and their ability to cause infections both hospitalized patients and healthy people in the community. Here, we characterize 32 isolates of a new CG-MRSA clone. These isolates were identified in four cities in Colombia, South America. Methods: The isolates were recovered from four different epidemiological and prospective studies that were conducted in several regions of Colombia. Molecular characterizations included multilocus sequence typing; pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; SCCmec, agr and spa typing; and whole-genome sequencing. Results: All isolates belonged to ST923 (clonal complex 8), harbouring SCCmec IVa and a spa type t1635 and lacking an arginine catabolism mobile element. The isolates were classified as COL923, were resistant to at least one non-beta-lactam antibiotic, and exhibited high frequencies (>60%) of resistance to macrolides and tetracycline. Using whole-genome sequencing, we found that this new clone harbours novel prophage 3 and beta-island structures and a slightly different pathogenicity island 5. Moreover, isolates belonging to the COL923 clone are grouped in a different clade than USA300 and USA300-LV. Conclusion: Our results show the emergence and spread of the COL923 clone in different cities in Colombia. This clone is resistant to several antibiotics and possesses new structures in its mobile genetic elements

Perception on skills development through business simulators

Durante la contingencia sanitaria, es relevante conocer la valoración que tienen los estudiantes sobre los simuladores de negocios para el desarrollo de competencias. El objetivo del estudio fue conocer la percepción de los estudiantes acerca del desarrollo de competencias gerenciales, mediante el uso de simuladores de gestión de negocios en cursos impartidos a distancia. La metodología de investigación fue de carácter mixto; a través de una encuesta y mediante análisis de caso de los grupos participantes. A excepción de las competencias requeridas para el mercado laboral, no se encontraron diferencias significativas en la percepción de los estudiantes. Se observan variaciones en las opiniones tanto en la disminución del estrés como la dificultad del trabajo en equipo, así también, se observan cambios en las correlaciones sobre las competencias entre el pretest y el postest. En cuanto al análisis de los grupos participantes, se destaca una percepción positiva de la experiencia.During the health contingency period, it is relevant to know the assessment that students have about business simulators for the development of skills. The objective of the study was to know the perception of the students in the development of business skills through the use of business management simulators in courses taught remotely. The research methodology was of a mixed nature through a survey and through case analysis of the participating groups. With the exception of the skills required for the job market, no significant differences were found in the perception of the students. Variations in opinions are observed both in the reduction of stress and the difficulty of teamwork, as well as changes in the correlations on competencies between the pretest and the posttest. Regarding the analysis of the participating groups, a positive perception of the experience stands out

Discriminatory diagnostic criteria for contourites with respect to other deepwater sedimentary facies

Bottom currents and a series of secondary oceanographic processes interact frequently at different scales to form distinct sedimentary deposits referred to as contourite and mixed (turbidite-contourite) depositional systems. These systems represent major depositional systems along the continental margins and abyssal plains of the world¿s oceans. A recent proliferation of both academic and industry research on deep-water sedimentation has revealed significant advances in the understanding of these systems, but non-specialists remain unaware of their sedimentary features and how they were formed. A paucity of examples in the ancient record and a lack of consensus regarding the diagnostic criteria used to characterise and differentiate them from other deep-water deposits limits our understanding of how they may record past processes, such as global oceanic circulation, tectonic events, gateway evolution, among others. In this work, examples of deep-marine deposits from onshore (Cyprus, Morocco, Spain, Italy and Angola) and offshore (Gulf of Cadiz, West Portugal, Mozambique, Antarctica, etc.) areas have been studied through a multidisciplinary approach to discriminate the main deep-water facies as contourites, pelagites/hemipelagites, turbidites, reworked turbidites and mass-transport deposits and determine why, when and how these deposits were formed in response to long-term tectonic history. The results described here highlight the importance of using primary sedimentary structures, microfacies and ichnological features as the best diagnostic criteria to distinguish reworked turbidites from contourites at the sedimentary facies scale. Diagnostic criteria for discriminating bottom current deposits include sedimentary condensation, reworking, reactivation surfaces, smaller grain-size variations, small-scale hiatuses, and omission surfaces. All of these vary according to the paleoenvironmental conditions, especially current velocities and sedimentation rates. Petrophysical properties of such deposits can furthermore make them extremely relevant as potential reservoirs in the context of energy geosciences

The periodic Anderson model from the atomic limit and FeSi

The exact Green's functions of the periodic Anderson model for $U\to \infty$ are formally expressed within the cumulant expansion in terms of an effective cumulant. Here we resort to a calculation in which this quantity is approximated by the value it takes for the exactly soluble atomic limit of the same model. In the Kondo region a spectral density is obtained that shows near the Fermi surface a structure with the properties of the Kondo peak. Approximate expressions are obtained for the static conductivity $$ and magnetic susceptibility $\chi (T)$ of the PAM, and they are employed to fit the experimental values of FeSi, a compound that behaves like a Kondo insulator with both quantities vanishing rapidly for $T\to 0$. Assuming that the system is in the intermediate valence region, it was possible to find good agreement between theory and experiment for these two properties by employing the same set of parameters. It is shown that in the present model the hybridization is responsible for the relaxation mechanism of the conduction electrons.Comment: 26 pages and 8 figure

Choice of the initial antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive individuals in the era of integrase inhibitors

BACKGROUND: We aimed to describe the most frequently prescribed initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens in recent years in HIV-positive persons in the Cohort of the Spanish HIV/AIDS Research Network (CoRIS) and to investigate factors associated with the choice of each regimen. METHODS: We analyzed initial ART regimens prescribed in adults participating in CoRIS from 2014 to 2017. Only regimens prescribed in >5% of patients were considered. We used multivariable multinomial regression to estimate Relative Risk Ratios (RRRs) for the association between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and the choice of the initial regimen. RESULTS: Among 2874 participants, abacavir(ABC)/lamivudine(3TC)/dolutegavir(DTG) was the most frequently prescribed regimen (32.1%), followed by tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/emtricitabine (FTC)/elvitegravir(EVG)/cobicistat(COBI) (14.9%), TDF/FTC/rilpivirine (RPV) (14.0%), tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)/FTC/EVG/COBI (13.7%), TDF/FTC+DTG (10.0%), TDF/FTC+darunavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobicistat (bDRV) (9.8%) and TDF/FTC+raltegravir (RAL) (5.6%). Compared with ABC/3TC/DTG, starting TDF/FTC/RPV was less likely in patients with CD4100.000 copies/mL. TDF/FTC+DTG was more frequent in those with CD4100.000 copies/mL. TDF/FTC+RAL and TDF/FTC+bDRV were also more frequent among patients with CD4<200 cells//muL and with transmission categories other than men who have sex with men. Compared with ABC/3TC/DTG, the prescription of other initial ART regimens decreased from 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 with the exception of TDF/FTC+DTG. Differences in the choice of the initial ART regimen were observed by hospitals' location. CONCLUSIONS: The choice of initial ART regimens is consistent with Spanish guidelines' recommendations, but is also clearly influenced by physician's perception based on patient's clinical and sociodemographic variables and by the prescribing hospital location

Contourite depositional system after the exit of a strait: Case study from the late Miocene South Rifian Corridor, Morocco

Idealized facies of bottom current deposits (contourites) have been established for fine-grained contourite drifts in modern deep-marine sedimentary environments. Their equivalent facies in the ancient record however are only scarcely recognized due to the weathered nature of most fine-grained deposits in outcrop. Facies related to the erosional elements (i.e. contourite channels) of contourite depositional systems have not yet been properly established and related deposits in outcrop appear non-existent. To better understand the sedimentary facies and facies sequences of contourites, the upper Miocene contourite depositional systems of the South Rifian Corridor (Morocco) is investigated. This contourite depositional system formed by the dense palaeo-Mediterranean Outflow Water. Foraminifera assemblages were used for age-constraints (7.51 to 7.35 Ma) and to determine the continental slope depositional domains. Nine sedimentary facies have been recognized based on lithology, grain-size, sedimentary structures and biogenic structures. These facies were subsequently grouped into five facies associations related to the main interpreted depositional processes (hemipelagic settling, contour currents and gravity flows). The vertical sedimentary facies succession records the tectonically induced, southward migration of the contourite depositional systems and the intermittent behaviour of the palaeo-Mediterranean Outflow Water, which is mainly driven by precession and millennial-scale climate variations. Tides substantially modulated the palaeo-Mediterranean Outflow Water on a sub-annual scale. This work shows exceptional examples of muddy and sandy contourite deposits in outcrop by which a facies distribution model from the proximal continental slope, the contourite channel to its adjacent contourite drift, is proposed. This model serves as a reference for contourite recognition both in modern environments and the ancient record. Furthermore, by establishing the hydrodynamics of overflow behaviour a framework is provided that improves process-based interpretation of deep-water bottom current deposits