IAA : Información y actualidad astronómica (39)

Sumario : La evolución química del universo.-- Supervientos galácticos.-- CIENCIA EN HISTORIAS. Williamina Patton Fleming. De criada a astrónoma.-- DECONSTRUCCIÓN Y otros ENSAYOS. El bosón de Higgs.-- EL “MOBY DICK” DE... Begoña Ascaso (IAA-CSIC).-- ACTUALIDAD.-- ENTRE BASTIDORES.-- SALA LIMPIA.-- CIENCIA: PILARES E INCERTIDUMBRES. Veinte años de cinturón transneptuniano.N

Accessibility in the university environment and its perception by students with disability

The overall objective of this first study of the University Observatory and Disability is to make an exploratory approach on the status of the accessibility of the Spanish university environment under a double perspective: the compliance of the regulatory framework on accessibility and the reality lived by students with disability. An initial question raised the approach of the study: have the human and material efforts invested in achieving accessibility in the Spanish university environment in the past two decades been accompanied by a corresponding increase in the population with disabilities that have higher studies? In this context, it is object of study the different conditions and features of accessibility (both objective and by subjective perception). The law 51/2003 of equal opportunities, no discrimination and universal accessibility of people with disability defines the two basic principles this report is based on in terms of ‘universal accessibility’ and ‘design for all’. For fulfilling these principles, there are considered different physical, technological and social areas that make up the university context: spaces, transport, communication, information technology, curricular accommodations; in this study non significant curricular accommodations the virtual spaces and the services offered by the same university. The method has a double perspective. On one side, it gathers objective data provided by the people responsible for each university centre and by the direct observation of the ground; on the other hand it analyses the perception by university students with disability and their accessibility conditions. Both approaches complement each other when comparing and reaching conclusions. The sample, of qualitative data, centres in public universities, consisting of 18 university centres selected by different criteria of size and geographic distribution. A codified questionnaire was designed and applied To five of those universities to which there was carried out an observation of the ground and also to 19 selected students with different types of disability in the age range between 18 and 32 years. From the conclusions reached, it is worth noting that it can be observed a direct relationship between the level of accessibility in a university with the level of autonomy of their students. Conversely, the study shows that the students interviewed have renounced certain degrees or given up with their studies in certain universities due to the poor or inexistent accessibility. This conclusion is qualified with a contradictory observation: there are universities with detected shortcomings in accessibility which students have also perceived but claim they can manage with a degree of satisfaction. Among the factors that may explain this include the students’ lack of knowledge of the accessibility standards and practical aspects of usability, which involve basic aspect on facilities and university services; the social and family support; the conviction or habit of overexerting for achieving goals; developed strategies for poor accessible environments; and the comparison to other educative spaces that are in worst accessibility conditions.Postprint (author’s final draft

Understanding Behavioral Regulation Towards Physical Activity Participation: Do We Need a Paradigm Shift to Close the Gender Gap?

Despite the well-established benefits of physical activity for both physical and psychological health, current inactivity prevalence continues to be particularly alarming among adolescents and youth. Equally of great concern is the existence of striking gender differences that represent a serious threat to reverse this problem. We aimed to analyze gender-related differences in self-reported physical activity and motivational regulations in a population-based sample of Spaniard adolescents and young adults (n = 9949). To this aim, we used an explanatory mixed-methods design by integrating quantitative and qualitative data using self-determination theory (SDT) as an analytic framework. Our results reported a gender imbalance in physical activity levels and autonomous forms of motivation to the detriment of adolescent girls and young women. An earlier and steeper age-related decline both in activity and volitional types of motivation was observed in girls. Qualitative outcomes depicted a range of key cognitive and contextual mechanisms undermining the degree to which physically active behaviors are volitionally undertaken among women. These findings highlight the importance of implementing gender-sensitive policy approaches and may have a useful application in suggesting how contextual factors and exercise settings can be addressed to foster volitional types of physical activity engagement in adolescent girls and young women

High‐intensity exercise to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRFit) in cancer patients is crucial to increase survivorship, promote health and improve quality of life. High‐intensity training (HIT) has the potential to increase CRFit, perhaps better than other exercise modalities, but the extant evidence has yet to be fully explored. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of HIT on CRFit in cancer patients and survivors and to identify the optimal characteristics of the interventions (e.g. cancer type, intervention timing, exercise modality, intervention’s duration and the number of minutes of high‐intensity exercise in each session). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. A total of 31 articles (2515 participants) were included in the systematic review and 25 in the meta‐analyses. CRFit significantly improved with HIT in comparation to a control group (p<0.00001, SMD = 0.44 and a 95% confidence interval from 0.25 to 0.64). The results obtained in the sub‐analysis were statistically significant except the comparison with the active group CRFit (p=0.13). The results showed that higher effects could be achieved in: patients starting to exercise before treatment, interventions longer than eight weeks, programs including exclusively cardiovascular training and with a high‐intensity part of session duration of at least 20 minutes

Ozone Eliminates SARS-CoV-2 from Difficult-to-Clean Office Supplies and Clinical Equipment.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to cause profound health, economic, and social problems worldwide. The management and disinfection of materials used daily in health centers and common working environments have prompted concerns about the control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection risk. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that has been widely used in disinfection processes for decades. The aim of this study was to assess the optimal conditions of ozone treatment for the elimination of heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 from office supplies (personal computer monitors, keyboards, and computer mice) and clinical equipment (continuous positive airway pressure tubes and personal protective equipment) that are difficult to clean. (2) Methods: The office supplies and clinical equipment were contaminated in an area of 1 cm2 with 1 × 104 viral units of a heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 strain, then treated with ozone using two different ozone devices: a specifically designed ozonation chamber (for low–medium ozone concentrations over large volumes) and a clinical ozone generator (for high ozone concentrations over small volumes). SARS-CoV-2 gene detection was carried out using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). (3) Results: At high ozone concentrations over small surfaces, the ozone eliminated SARS-CoV-2 RNA in short time periods—i.e., 10 min (at 4000 ppm) or less. The optimum ozone concentration over large volumes was 90 ppm for 120 min in ambient conditions (24 °C and 60–75% relative humidity). (4) Conclusions: This study showed that the appropriate ozone concentration and exposure time eliminated heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 RNA from the surfaces of different widely used clinical and office supplies, decreasing their risk of transmission, and improving their reutilization. Ozone may provide an additional tool to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.TRUEInstituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, and by the European Regional Development Funds (FEDER)Fundación Canaria del Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (FIISC), Las PalmasFundación Mapfre Guanarteme, Las PalmasGobierno de Canarias, Las Palmaspu

Ecodesign education and activities at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Numeración errónea en el original

Accessibility in the university environment and its perception by students with disability

El objetivo general de este primer estudio del Observatorio Universidad y Discapacidad es realizar un acercamiento exploratorio sobre el estado de la accesibilidad del entorno universitario español bajo una doble perspectiva: el cumplimiento objetivo del marco normativo actual en materia de accesibilidad y la realidad experimentada por los propios estudiantes con discapacidad. Una cuestión inicial suscita el planteamiento del estudio: ¿Los esfuerzos materiales y humanos invertidos en lograr la accesibilidad del entorno universitario español en las últimas dos décadas se han visto acompañados de un correlativo incremento de la población con discapacidad en posesión de titulación superior? En este contexto, la accesibilidad, en sus distintas condiciones y facetas (tanto objetivas como de percepción) es el objeto del presente estudio. La Ley 51/2003 de Igualdad de Oportunidades, No Discriminación y Accesibilidad Universal de las personas con discapacidad define los dos principios básicos que guían el presente informe en los términos de "accesibilidad universal" y "diseño para todos". Se consideran para ello diversos ámbitos en las condiciones físicas, tecnológicas y sociales que caracterizan un entorno universitario: espacios, transporte, comunicación, tecnologías de la información, adaptaciones curriculares, que en el marco de este estudio se entenderán como adaptaciones curriculares no significativas en todo caso, espacios virtuales y servicios de todo tipo ofertados desde la misma institución universitaria. El método articula una doble perspectiva, orientada por un lado al registro de datos objetivos proporcionados por los responsables de los centros universitarios y por la observación directa sobre el terreno, y por otro lado atenta a las percepciones de los estudiantes con discapacidad ante la Universidad y sus condiciones de accesibilidad. Ambos enfoques se enriquecen mutuamente, en la comparación de los resultados y en las conclusiones. La muestra, de corte cualitativo, se centra en las universidades públicas, considerando 18 centros universitarios seleccionados a partir de distintos criterios como tamaño o distribución geográfica, a los que se ha aplicado un cuestionario codificado, 5 universidades sobre las que se ha llevado a cabo observación sobre el terreno, y una selección de 19 estudiantes con distinto perfil de discapacidad, en el rango de edad comprendido entre los 18 y los 32 años. Entre las conclusiones, cabe destacar, en primer lugar, que se observa una relación directa entre el grado o nivel de accesibilidad contrastado en una universidad con el grado de autonomía con el que los estudiantes de dicha universidad afirman desenvolverse en la misma. En sentido inverso, del estudio se desprende que los estudiantes entrevistados han renunciado a determinadas carreras o a continuar con sus estudios en determinadas universidades por la escasa o nula accesibilidad en las mismas. Esta conclusión se matiza con otra observación aparentemente contradictoria: existen universidades que, a pesar de las carencias detectadas de accesibilidad, son percibidas como adecuadas por sus estudiantes, quienes mencionan dichas carencias y afirman desenvolverse con cierto grado de satisfacción. Entre los factores que pueden explicar esta circunstancia se encuentran el desconocimiento por parte de los estudiantes de los estándares alcanzables en accesibilidad y su mayor orientación hacia los aspectos prácticos de la usabilidad, aunque afecte a aspectos elementales, en las instalaciones y servicios de la Universidad; los apoyos sociales, familiares y al convencimiento o hábito de tener que realizar sobreesfuerzos para alcanzar metas; las estrategias desarrolladas ante entornos poco accesibles y la comparación con otros espacios educativos en condiciones más precarias.Postprint (published version

La accesibilidad del entorno universitario y su percepción por parte de los estudiantes con discapacidad: Observatorio Universidad y Discapacidad

El objetivo general de este primer estudio del Observatorio Universidad y Discapacidad es realizar un acercamiento exploratorio sobre el estado de la accesibilidad del entorno universitario español bajo una doble perspectiva: el cumplimiento objetivo del marco normativo actual en materia de accesibilidad y la realidad experimentada por los propios estudiantes con discapacidad. Una cuestión inicial suscita el planteamiento del estudio: ¿Los esfuerzos materiales y humanos invertidos en lograr la accesibilidad del entorno universitario español en las últimas dos décadas se han visto acompañados de un correlativo incremento de la población con discapacidad en posesión de titulación superior? En este contexto, la accesibilidad, en sus distintas condiciones y facetas (tanto objetivas como de percepción) es el objeto del presente estudio. La Ley 51/2003 de Igualdad de Oportunidades, No Discriminación y Accesibilidad Universal de las personas con discapacidad define los dos principios básicos que guían el presente informe en los términos de "accesibilidad universal" y "diseño para todos". Se consideran para ello diversos ámbitos en las condiciones físicas, tecnológicas y sociales que caracterizan un entorno universitario: espacios, transporte, comunicación, tecnologías de la información, adaptaciones curriculares, que en el marco de este estudio se entenderán como adaptaciones curriculares no significativas en todo caso, espacios virtuales y servicios de todo tipo ofertados desde la misma institución universitaria. El método articula una doble perspectiva, orientada por un lado al registro de datos objetivos proporcionados por los responsables de los centros universitarios y por la observación directa sobre el terreno, y por otro lado atenta a las percepciones de los estudiantes con discapacidad ante la Universidad y sus condiciones de accesibilidad. Ambos enfoques se enriquecen mutuamente, en la comparación de los resultados y en las conclusiones. La muestra, de corte cualitativo, se centra en las universidades públicas, considerando 18 centros universitarios seleccionados a partir de distintos criterios como tamaño o distribución geográfica, a los que se ha aplicado un cuestionario codificado, 5 universidades sobre las que se ha llevado a cabo observación sobre el terreno, y una selección de 19 estudiantes con distinto perfil de discapacidad, en el rango de edad comprendido entre los 18 y los 32 años. Entre las conclusiones, cabe destacar, en primer lugar, que se observa una relación directa entre el grado o nivel de accesibilidad contrastado en una universidad con el grado de autonomía con el que los estudiantes de dicha universidad afirman desenvolverse en la misma. En sentido inverso, del estudio se desprende que los estudiantes entrevistados han renunciado a determinadas carreras o a continuar con sus estudios en determinadas universidades por la escasa o nula accesibilidad en las mismas. Esta conclusión se matiza con otra observación aparentemente contradictoria: existen universidades que, a pesar de las carencias detectadas de accesibilidad, son percibidas como adecuadas por sus estudiantes, quienes mencionan dichas carencias y afirman desenvolverse con cierto grado de satisfacción. Entre los factores que pueden explicar esta circunstancia se encuentran el desconocimiento por parte de los estudiantes de los estándares alcanzables en accesibilidad y su mayor orientación hacia los aspectos prácticos de la usabilidad, aunque afecte a aspectos elementales, en las instalaciones y servicios de la Universidad; los apoyos sociales, familiares y al convencimiento o hábito de tener que realizar sobreesfuerzos para alcanzar metas; las estrategias desarrolladas ante entornos poco accesibles y la comparación con otros espacios educativos en condiciones más precarias

Craniopharyngioma in the elderly: a multicenter and nationwide study in Spain

[Abstract] Background: Craniopharyngioma (CP) is a rare tumor in the elderly whose clinical features and prognosis are not well known in this population. Aim: To evaluate the clinicopathological features and therapeutic outcomes of CP diagnosed in the elderly. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, national study of CP patients diagnosed over the age of 65 years and surgically treated. Results: From a total of 384 adult CP patients, we selected 53 (13.8%) patients (27 women [50.9%], mean age 72.3 ± 5.1 years [range 65–83 years]) diagnosed after the age of 65 years. The most common clinical symptoms were visual field defects (71.2%) followed by headache (45.3%). The maximum tumor diameter was 2.9 ± 1.1 cm. In most patients, the tumor was suprasellar (96.2%) and mixed (solid-cystic) (58.5%). The surgical approach most commonly used was transcranial surgery (52.8%), and more than half of the patients (54.7%) underwent subtotal resection (STR). Adamantinomatous CP and papillary CP were present in 51 and 45.1%, respectively, with mixed forms in the remaining. Surgery was accompanied by an improvement in visual field defects and in headaches; however, pituitary hormonal hypofunction increased, mainly at the expense of an increase in the prevalence of diabetes insipidus (DI) (from 3.9 to 69.2%). Near-total resection (NTR) was associated with a higher prevalence of DI compared with subtotal resection (87.5 vs. 53.6%, p = 0.008). Patients were followed for 46.7 ± 40.8 months. The mortality rate was 39.6% with a median survival time of 88 (95% CI: 57–118) months. DI at last visit was associated with a lower survival. Conclusion: CP diagnosed in the elderly shows a similar distribution by sex and histologic forms than that diagnosed at younger ages. At presentation, visual field alterations and headaches are the main clinical symptoms which improve substantially with surgery. However, surgery, mainly NTR, is accompanied by worsening of pituitary function, especially DI, which seems to be a predictor of mortality in this population

Factors associated with therapeutic response in acromegaly diagnosed in the elderly in Spain

ContextSome reports suggest that acromegaly in elderly patients has a more benign clinical behavior and could have a better response to first-generation long-acting somatostatin receptor ligands (SRL). However, there is no specific therapeutic protocol for this special subgroup of patients. ObjectiveThis study aimed at identifying predictors of response to SRL in elderly patients. DesignMulticentric retrospective nationwide study of patients diagnosed with acromegaly at or over the age of 65 years. ResultsOne-hundred and eighteen patients (34 men, 84 women, mean age at diagnosis 71.7 +/- 5.4 years old) were included. Basal insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1) above the upper limit of normal (ULN) and growth hormone (GH) levels (mean +/- SD) were 2.7 +/- 1.4 and 11.0 +/- 11.9 ng/ml, respectively. The mean maximal tumor diameter was 12.3 +/- 6.4 mm, and up to 68.6% were macroadenoma. Seventy-two out of 118 patients (61.0%) underwent surgery as primary treatment. One-third of patients required first-line medical treatment due to a rejection of surgical treatment or non-suitability because of high surgical risk. After first-line surgery, 45/72 (63.9%) were in disease remission, and 16/34 (46.7%) of those treated with SRL had controlled disease. Patients with basal GH at diagnosis <= 6 ng/ml had lower IGF-1 levels and had smaller tumors, and more patients in this group reached control with SRL (72.7% vs. 33.3%; p < 0.04) [OR: 21.3, IC: 95% (2.4-91.1)], while male patients had a worse response [OR: 0.09, IC 95% (0.01-0.75)]. The predictive model curve obtained for SRL response showed an AUC of 0.82 CI (0.71-0.94). ConclusionsThe most frequent phenotype in newly diagnosed acromegaly in the elderly includes small adenomas and moderately high IGF-1 levels. GH at diagnosis <= 6 ng/ml and female gender, but not age per se, were associated with a greater chance of response to SRL