Repositorio Académico de la Universidad Católica del Maule
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Relationship between plasma leptin levels and airflow limitation in the small and medium airways in young adults
No full textBackground/Objectives: To determine the relationship between plasma leptin levels and airflow limitation (AFL) in the small and medium airways of young adults according to their body composition (BC). Methods: To determine AFL, the following measurements were taken: forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow between 25–75% (FEF25–75%), airway resistance (Raw), and specific airway resistance (sRaw). The measured BC variables were body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (%BF), trunk fat percentage (TF%), and fat-free mass (FFM). Plasma leptin was measured using the ELISA technique. Results: In total, 83 participants (40 male and 43 female) aged 21.55 ± 2.08 years were evaluated. Leptin was significantly higher in women than men (p < 0.01). When relating leptin to lung function variables, FEV1 and FEF25–75% showed a significant inverse relationship (p < 0.01), and Raw and sRaw showed a direct and significant relationship (p < 0.01). Female participants with a BF% and leptin higher than their p75 were observed to have a higher risk of increased sRaw (OR = 1.0; OR = 1.15, respectively), regardless of age, and participants with an FFM% higher than their p75 had a lower risk of increased sRaw (OR = 0.71), regardless of gender and age. Conclusions: There is an inverse relationship between FEV1, FEF25–75%, and a direct relationship between Raw and sRaw with leptin. For female participants with a higher BF%, higher FFM%, and leptin, the risk of developing Raw and sRaw was found to be modified
Modeling the spatial distribution of wildfire risk in Chile under current and future climate scenarios
No full textWildfires pose severe threats to terrestrial ecosystems by causing loss of biodiversity, altering landscapes, compromising ecosystem services, and endangering human lives and infrastructure. Chile, with its diverse geography and climate, faces escalating wildfire frequency and intensity due to climate change. This study employs a spatial machine learning approach using a Random Forest algorithm to predict wildfire risk in Central and Southern Chile under current and future climatic scenarios. The model was trained on a time series dataset incorporating climatic, land use, and physiographic variables, with burned-area scars as the response variable. By applying this model to three projected climate scenarios, this study forecasts the spatial distribution of wildfire probabilities for multiple future periods. The model’s performance was high, achieving an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.91 for testing and 0.87 for validation. The accuracy, True Positive Rate (TPR), and True Negative Rate (TNR) values were 0.80, 0.87, and 0.73, respectively. Currently, the prediction of wildfire risk in Mediterranean-type climate areas and the central Araucanía are most at risk, particularly in agricultural zones and rural–urban interfaces. However, future projections indicate a southward expansion of wildfire risk, with an overall increase in probabilities as climate scenarios become more pessimistic. These findings offer a framework for policymakers, facilitating evidence-based strategies for adaptive land management and effective mitigation of wildfire risk
Responsiveness to sound temporal features at realistic signal presentation rates in a temperate austral forest frog, Batrachyla leptopus (Batrachylidae)
No full textEvoked vocal responses of male frogs are quite selective for temporal features contained in conspecific calls. However, responses to sound features not contained in natural vocalizations can also elicit evoked calling, indicating a relative broadness of acoustic recognition spaces. Former studies have shown that Batrachyla leptopus, a frog from the South American temperate forest, responds with calls of potential aggressive content to synthetic stimuli containing elements of such signals and also to novel signal features. The current study explores the vocal responsiveness to signals of diverse temporal structure under realistic conditions of stimulus broadcast, employing presentation rates observed in alternating interactions between pairs of males. The results show that aggressive patterns of response, measured as increased call duration, are specially consistent in exposures to stimuli of novel design, not related to natural vocalizations. These results stress the relevance of hidden recognition preferences, pre-existent perceptual biases and related processes to account for the extant acoustic responsiveness of sound communicating animals, contributing to assess the relevance of aggressive signaling patterns for the evolution of sound communication in anurans
The constitutional protection of intangible assets in Chile and the problem of their determination in contracts between private parties
No full textSin perjuicio de todas las dudas que rondan a la “propietarización de los derechos”, en Chile parece existir un consenso básico: los bienes de naturaleza incorporal pueden ser garantizados constitucionalmente mediante el derecho de propiedad. Propiedad sobre derechos. Así lo ha demostrado la jurisprudencia nacional durante más de cuatro décadas, al alero de una discusión doctrinal que prefiere discutir sobre los alcances de esta técnica jurídica, más que cuestionar sus fundamentos. Sin embargo, todavía persiste una pregunta clave en el desarrollo de la propietarización en Chile y en los alcances de su reconocimiento constitucional: ¿qué es, exactamente, un bien incorporal? Hasta que la respuesta a esta pregunta no concite acuerdo, será difícil avanzar en otros temas de interés sobre la materia, por lo que su esclarecimiento deviene prioritario. De tal suerte, luego de una breve revisión histórica, doctrinal y jurisprudencial, en este trabajo proponemos algunos criterios orientadores en la elucidación de la pregunta planteada
Effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions on activities of daily living, cognitive function, and physical function in middle-aged and older people with chronic stroke: a systematic review with meta-analysis
No full textBackground: Occupational therapy (OT) interventions on activities of daily living (ADL), cognitive functions, and physical function in middle-aged and older people with chronic stroke. Methods: A systematic review search until November 2024 using five generic databases: PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and OT seeker. The PRISMA checklist, RoB 2 (Cochrane, London, UK), and GRADEpro (Evidence Prime Inc., Hamilton, CA) tools assessed the evidence’s methodological quality and certainty. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42024568225). Results: Of 1733 records were identified across the databases, nine studies were analyzed using the PICOS format. The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in independent performance of activities of daily living (ADL), as measured by the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), in favor of the experimental groups (p = 0.03). No significant differences were found for the other variables analyzed. Conclusions: Performance on ADLs improved significantly according to the COPM, whereas no significant improvements in cognitive or physical function were observed among middle-aged and older chronic stroke survivors. Individual studies highlight the potential benefits of OT interventions that combine cognitive, motor, and technological approaches, such as virtual reality and brain stimulation
The challenge of virtual international student mobility: an opportunity in pandemic times
No full textLa pandemia del COVID-19 ha puesto en serias dificultades a la movilidad estudiantil transfronteriza y a la internacionalización de las universidades, dando la oportunidad de poner en valor otras estrategias como la internacionalización en casa, y en especial, del programa Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). Por tanto, el propósito de esta investigación es analizar la experiencia de la implementación de este programa de internacionalización en casa en dos grupos: i) estudiantes nacionales y extranjeros de Enfermería e Ingeniería Comercial para la Universidad Católica del Maule (Chile), y II) estudiantes nacionales y extranjeros de Pedagogía y Psicología para la Universidad de Lasalle (Brasil). Para ello, se realiza una investigación de tipo exploratoria con un enfoque mixto, dada la aplicación de una encuesta para conocer la percepción de los estudiantes participantes sobre la experiencia vivida y su percepción del nivel de satisfacción a través de cuatro dimensiones: desarrollo académico, organización, competencia intercultural y satisfacción general. El procesamiento de datos se realiza a través del programa SPSS. Las encuestas aplicadas a los participantes arrojan un alto nivel de satisfacción en todas las dimensiones evaluadas, y se demuestra que, a pesar de que un intercambio online no es igual a un intercambio físico, es una experiencia altamente enriquecedora. En lo que atañe al desarrollo de competencias, los estudiantes han señalado la autonomía, el liderazgo y la empatía, además de la ampliación de su visión intercultural
Prevalence and stability of internalizing symptoms in children and adolescents: gender differences and associated factors
No full textThis study investigates the prevalence, stability, and associated factors of internalizing symptoms in children and adolescents within a clinical setting. The sample included 299 patients aged 3–17 years from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health outpatient clinic, followed over one year. Internalizing symptoms were assessed using the parent-rated version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), completed at baseline and at one-year follow-up. Stability was evaluated using prospective consistency, retrospective consistency, kappa coefficient, and Spearman’s Rho correlations. Multivariate analyses were conducted to examine associated factors. Baseline prevalence of internalizing symptoms was 40% (95% CI: 33.4-44.8%), with moderate one-year stability (ρ = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.37-0.58). Key factors associated with internalizing symptoms at follow-up included: For girls, higher baseline SDQ emotional symptoms (OR = 2.12, p < 0.001), lower paternal education (OR = 9.70, p = 0.003), and lower SDQ hyperactivity/inattention scores (OR = 0.70, p = 0.016). For boys, comorbid externalizing symptoms (OR = 8.18, p < 0.001), maternal anxiety (OR = 2.35, p = 0.031), maternal unemployment (OR = 2.13, p = 0.043), and a sibling diagnosed with ADHD (OR = 0.10, p = 0.012). For children, peer problems (OR = 1.20, p = 0.02) and the absence of an externalizing diagnosis (OR = 0.33, p = 0.013). For adolescents, lower paternal education (OR = 5.99, p = 0.003), higher SDQ emotional symptoms scores (OR = 13.48, p < 0.001), and female gender. Gender and age differences in associated factors highlight the interplay of neurobiological and social influences. These findings underscore the importance of considering gender and age-specific factors when developing preventive and therapeutic interventions for internalizing symptoms in clinical populations
Conceptual and evidence update on incidental physical activity: a scoping review of experimental and observational studies
No full textPromoting incidental physical activity (IPA) can help reduce sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity levels in the population. However, there is heterogeneity in the definition of IPA, and studies have yet to synthesize the empirical findings on this topic. This review aimed to (1) Synthesize the definitions of the IPA used in the scientific literature, (2) Identify the behaviors part of the IPA, and (3) Synthesize the main findings on IPA. The review followed PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search was performed in July 2023, and an update was made in February 2024 in the CINAHL databases by EBSCOhost, Cochrane Library, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search phrase was (“incidental physical activity” OR “incidental physical activity of daily living” OR “incidental movement” OR “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity” OR “VILPA” OR “physical activity of daily living”). Fifty-five studies were included, with non-experimental (40), experimental (12), qualitative studies (2), and mixed design (1). Ten different terms for IPA were identified, and a conceptual definition was included in 33 articles. Behaviors measured as part of the IPA were reported in 41 articles. These definitions describe unstructured, unplanned, and unintentional physical activities of daily living that are performed as a by-product of an activity with a different primary purpose during free or occupational time and without specific fitness, sport, or recreation goals. Include light and vigorous intensities ranging from short sessions of < 1 min to prolonged ones. They include home activities, self-care, gardening, occupation, active transportation, and walking. Furthermore, evidence on IPA suggests an association with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. The findings of this review contribute to the updated study of IPA. Advances in data processing methods are needed to capture the diversity of behaviors and deepen the understanding of IPA
Nonfiction texts as a biocultural conservation trigger
No full textThis study analyzes the pedagogical potential of two Chilean nonfiction picturebooks centered on biocultural diversity conservation, exploring traditional Mapuche farming practices and connections with their language, Mapuzugun. We examine the strategies used to convey meaning (narrative, visual, design, and so on) and we assess the books from a disciplinary perspective in terms of the agricultural information being conveyed
