University of Castilla-La Mancha
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Noise-Induced Toughening Effect in Wistar Rats: Enhanced Auditory Brainstem Responses Are Related to Calretinin and Nitric Oxide Synthase Upregulation
Get PDFAn appropriate conditioning noise exposure may reduce a subsequent noise-induced threshold shift. Although this “toughening” effect helps to protect the auditory system from a subsequent traumatic noise exposure, the mechanisms that regulate this protective process are not fully understood yet. Accordingly, the goal of the present study was to characterize physiological processes associated with “toughening” and to determine their relationship to metabolic changes in the cochlea and cochlear nucleus (CN). Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were evaluated in Wistar rats before and after exposures to a sound conditioning protocol consisting of a broad-band white noise of 118 dB SPL for 1 h every 72 h, four times. After the last ABR evaluation, animals were perfused and their cochleae and brains removed and processed for the activity markers calretinin (CR) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). Toughening was demonstrated by a progressively faster recovery of the threshold shift, as well as wave amplitudes and latencies over time. Immunostaining revealed an increase in CR and nNOS levels in the spiral ganglion, spiral ligament, and CN in noise-conditioned rats. Overall, these results suggest that the protective mechanisms of the auditory toughening effect initiate in the cochlea and extend to the central auditory system. Such phenomenon might be in part related to an interplay between CR and nitric oxide signaling pathways, and involve an increased cytosolic calcium buffering capacity induced by the noise conditioning protocol
Applying Thematic Analysis to define an Awareness Interpretation for Collaborative Computer Games
Get PDFContext: Collaborative computer games have evolved from single-player to massively multiplayer awareness-demanding games, usually involving collaboration to achieve team goals. As a consequence of such evolution, these players should be provided with awareness information that enables them to perform collaborative tasks with other team members.
Objective: The objective of this work is the analysis of current awareness interpretations in order to develop an awareness interpretation that collects the awareness needs of such games.
Method: This analysis has been conducted by means of a step-by-step Thematic Analysis of current interpretations that led us to extract the most relevant awareness elements defined in existing interpretations. The developed awareness interpretation was empirically evaluated by means of several surveys aimed at assessing whether the implementation of the interpretation elements in a game would improve the players enjoyment.
Results: The Thematic Synthesis Analysis concluded that none of the current awareness interpretations can deal properly with collaborative computer games, specifically due to collaboration and social & group dynamics. This Thematic Synthesis Analysis led us to coin Gamespace Awareness, a new awareness interpretation based on a combination of the previously analyzed awareness interpretations, which is suitable for collaborative computer games. The interpretation was positively evaluated for two games, namely a first person shooter and a real-time strategy game.
Conclusions: Gamespace Awareness combines the potential awareness elements needed for collaborative computer games, making it possible to identify the awareness requirements of these games from the very beginnin
Sequential extraction procedure as a tool to investigate PTHE geochemistry and potential geoavailability of dam sediments (Almadén mining district, Spain)
Get PDFSediments from Castilseras reservoir (Almadén)were collected to assess the potential environmental hazards associated with the availability of Potentially Toxic or Harmful Elements (PTHE) in this freshwater environment. PTHE concentrations in sediments were investigated using a four step (F1?F4) Sequential Extraction Procedure (SEP) and the results were evaluated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and different risk indexes and criteria. Considering the fractions results and the PCA treatment, two groups of elements can be differentiated in the easily leached by weak acids fraction F1 and these indicate the presence of sulfate and secondary precipitates of carbonates as the main sink for easily accessible metallic elements. In reducible fraction F2, chemical analysis revealed a significant relationship between the majority of the analyzed elements and the Fe oxy-hydroxides, with the exception of Co, Hg and Ni, which are preferentially associated with Mn oxy-hydroxides. In the oxidizable fraction (F3), a significant relationship between Cu, Fe, Hg and Zn (representative metals of the existing ore deposits) and sulfides/organic matter was observed. The environmental assessment based on the aforementioned criteria provides risk levels varying from moderate to high. The risk appears to be higher near the dam, where the higher PTHE levels in sediment are due to a selective accumulation of fine-grained particles
The landscape as a tourist resource and its impact in mountain areas in the south of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)
Get PDFInteriors and middle mountain areas have experienced a growth of rural tourism since the end of the
20th Century. This increase is explained, among other things, by the commitment of entrepreneurs and
local development groups, as well as changes in the preferences of travelers: they behave in a more
segmented way, with greater environmental awareness and enhancing rural spaces. In the rural environment,
the landscape has become a not marketed tourist commodity. Communication is inserted within
a line of research that analyzes the location of rural tourism lodgings and the tourist experience in the
temporal spatial consumption process of the landscape. Its growing use in tourism has led to propose a
methodology based on the analysis of preferences and ratings that tourists make. The work is focused
on the mountains of the Southeast of Castilla-La Mancha, where a survey that seeks to understand tourists
´ behavior and perception in rural destinations has been made. Results place the landscape as the
main resource in the tourist experience
What happens to inorganic nitrogen species during Conductive Diamond Electrochemical Oxidation of real wastewater?
Get PDFThis work describes the oxidation of caffeine, metoprolol, SMX and progesterone in real wastewater in terms of inorganic nitrogen speciation and help clarify the mechanisms that affect inorganic nitrogen species as final products. In synthetic solutions containing ammonium or nitrate ions, it has been confirmed that reduction of nitrates is a very favored process while oxidation of ammonium is negligible. Role of chloride is demonstrated to be important in the formation of chloramines, as well. These results allow the clarification of the production of nitrates as main products of the oxidation of organic chemicals and the occurrence of ammonium and chloramines in the reaction media, as well as the depletion of nitrogen by gaseous nitrogen production. Results are of a great relevance to interpret the mechanisms proposed in the literature for the treatment of organic wastes by conductive diamond electrochemical oxidation
El maltrato a las personas mayores
Get PDF“El Maltrato a las Personas Mayores” es una tragedia de nuestro tiempo, la mayor parte de las veces oculta o desconocida por el gran público.
Esta tesis trata de abordar el problema y de aportar su grano de arena para solucionarlo o aminorarlo dentro de lo posible, en los ámbitos institucional y comunitario (el maltrato en el ámbito familiar ha sido tratado en un trabajo anterior del mismo autor).
Consta de dos partes bien diferenciadas:
.- A) La primera, referida a fundamentación y antecedentes teóricos, analiza el concepto de “maltrato” especialmente referido a este sector de la sociedad, aportando definiciones, terminología y tipología. Se aborda una aproximación cuantitativa al fenómeno así como su etiología, con especial referencia los dos factores de riesgo esenciales: envejecimiento y dependencia; y a otros factores asociados al agresor, a la víctima o al entorno. Se presta atención a las situaciones de riesgo y a los perfiles de maltratadores y maltratados.
Para tratar el maltrato en el ámbito comunitario se toma en consideración la problemática derivada de la accesibilidad y la participación.
Finalmente se estudian algunos aspectos que tienen que ver con la prevención, detección y consecuencias, con una breve alusión a las cuestiones legales y una concreción de propuestas de solución.
.- B) La segunda parte la conforma el trabajo de campo, que se lleva a cabo partiendo de muestras conseguidas en instituciones de Castilla La Mancha (Albacete) y Comunidad Valenciana (Torrent) de modo que, de las conclusiones obtenidas, puedan derivarse diversas singularidades según la procedencia.
Tras la presentación de los aspectos metodológicos, se emiten las conclusiones derivadas del estudio de los instrumentos aplicados. Los cuestionarios abordan: a) aspectos sociológicos; b) bienestar personal; c) maltrato; grado de dependencia; d) dependencia económica; e) participación; f) accesibilidad universal.
De las cerca de noventa cuestiones planteadas cabe destacar la gran relevancia que los consultados otorgan a su estado de salud para definir el nivel de bienestar general en la mayor parte de lo requerido.
Se acompañan como anexos los modelos de cuestionarios, algunos instrumentos de detección y datos de contenido demográfico, para concluir con referencias bibliográficas y de una muestra de direcciones de páginas de internet que tienen que ver con el asunto que nos ocupa
Efectos de la implicación familiar en estudiantes con riesgo de dificultad lectora
Get PDFEl entorno familiar influye notablemente
en numerosos aspectos educativos.
Una parte de la población escolar que requiere
atención especial son los alumnos que
presentan Dificultades de Aprendizaje en
la Lectura (DAL). A partir del programa de
lectura en familia “¿Me lees un cuento, por
favor?”, se busca comprobar si la implicación
de los padres en la lectura de sus hijos mejora
su aprendizaje. Para ello se realizó un diseño
cuasi-experimental pretest-postest con grupo
de control. Los participantes fueron 206
alumnos de 1º de Educación Primaria escolarizados
en cinco colegios y sus familias.
La variable Implicación Familiar se valoró a
través de las hojas de registro semanal que
rellenaban las familias para documentar
cómo era su seguimiento del programa. El
Rendimiento Lector (RL) se evaluó antes y
después del programa mediante la batería de
lectura PROLEC-R. Los resultados de todas
las escalas del RL muestran diferencias significativas
entre los grupos que participaron
en el programa y los que no lo hicieron, tanto
si mostraban un RL normal al inicio de la investigación
como si presentaban una posible
Dificultad de Aprendizaje en la Lectura. El
número de alumnos en riesgo de sufrir una
DAL al finalizar el programa se reduce más
en el grupo experimentalFamily environment strongly influences
many aspects of education. A section of
the school population that requires special
attention are those students with a learning
disability, especially those with reading
problems, which make up the largest group
of students with special educational needs.
Through the family literacy programme
“Would you read me a story, please?”, this
study aims to ascertain whether the commitment
of parents in the education of their
children in reading is an effective means to
improve their learning. For this, a quasi-experimental
design with pretest-posttest control
group was performed. There were 206
participants, students from 1st year of Primary
Education from five different schools
and their families. Family Involvement variable
was assessed through a record of weekly
monitoring completed by each family.
The Reading Performance was assessed before
and after programme implementation
though PROLEC-R .The results show significant
differences on all subscales of reading
performance between the group of students
who participated in the programme and those
who did not, whether showing normal
performance at the beginning of the investigation
or having a possible reading disability.
The number of students at risk of reading
disability in the pretest is more reduced in
the experimental group
Detection of overweight, obesity and cardiovascular risk in students of Pharmacy Degree of UCLM
Get PDFEn la adolescencia se suelen adoptar patrones alimentarios y hábitos de vida que pueden desencadenar en sobrepeso y obesidad predisponiendo, a esta población, a padecer enfermedad cardiovascular. Diversos estudios epidemiológicos han puesto de manifiesto que el índice de cintura-cadera (ICC), constituye un indicador antropométrico sencillo y preciso de cara a valorar el grado de adiposidad total y abdominovisceral1, el cual presenta gran eficiencia para predecir el riesgo de padecer trastornos cardiovasculares2. De hecho, La OMS establece los valores de ICC que implican bajo, moderado y alto riesgo cardiovascular en diferentes segmentos poblacionales
Electrolytic and electro-irradiated processes with diamond anodes for the oxidation of persistent pollutants and disinfection of urban treated wastewater
Get PDFThis paper analyzes the advantages and drawbacks of the combination of UV irradiation with electrolysis with the aim to give insight about the feasibility of the application of this technology for the reclaiming of conventionally-treated wastewater. The oxidation of synthetic solutions containing five selected model complex pollutants has been compared, showing that UV irradiation improves the results of electrolysis for progesterone, metoprolol and caffeine and deteriorates the performance for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole and dimethyl-phthalate. Differences observed becomes lower when mineralization is compared showing that the effects of UV irradiation are diluted when a mixture of species is oxidized. Results suggest that high ThOD/TOC (Theoretical Oxygen Demand/Total Organic Carbon) ratios improve the synergistic coupling of technologies while low values lead to a clear antagonistic effect. Because during oxidation progress this ratio is decreased, the observed effect on mineralization is much lower than in the oxidation of the raw molecule. Opposite to this low effect on the oxidation of organics, the improvement in the performance of the disinfection by coupling UV to electrolysis is much clearer. In addition, UV irradiation modifies significantly the chlorine speciation and helps to prevent the formation of hazardous species such as chlorate and perchlorate during the electrochemical processes