Estudi sobre la utilitat d'una intervenci�� de pacient expert en pacients amb lesions per cremades

Les lesions per cremades comporten conseq����ncies a nivell f��sic, psicol��gic i social. Les intervencions psicosocials per aquests pacients estan valorades de forma positiva per�� manquen estudis fets a l���Estat Espanyol. Les intervencions de pacient expert estan donant resultats positius en moltes patologies cr��niques per�� no n���existeix cap per aquest tipus de lesions cr��niques. L���objectiu d���aquest estudi ��s comprendre la utilitat d���una intervenci�� de pacient expert a pacients d���entre 18 i 30 anys que han patit lesions per cremades recentment. Es realitzaran 9 sessions de pacient expert des de la perspectiva bio-psicosocial. El grup focal ser�� un grup de 8-10 pacients de 18 a 30 anys amb un m��nim del 15% de superf��cie corporal cremada de grau 2n profund o 3r, residents a Barcelona o rodalies. Les dades s���analitzaran per m��tode mixt amb enfocament dominant qualitatiu. La recollida de dades s���obtindr�� d���entrevistes, testos i anotacions realitzades pr��via a la primera sessi��, al finalitzar les 9 sessions i als 6 mesos de la ��ltima sessi��. Les limitacions de l���estudi s��n: el risc de p��rdua dels membres del grup focal a causa del retorn a la vida laboral i l���heterogene��tat del grup en la fase d���acceptaci��, principis i valors personals que podrien desviar els resultats.

Influence of label information on dark chocolate acceptability

The aim of the present work was to study how the information on product labels influences consumer expectations and their acceptance and purchase intention of dark chocolate. Six samples of dark choco- late, varying in brand (premium and store brand) and in type of product (regular dark chocolate, single cocoa origin dark chocolate and high percentage of cocoa dark chocolate), were evaluated by 109 con- sumers who scored their liking and purchase intention under three conditions: blind (only tasting the products), expected (observing product label information) and informed (tasting the products together with provision of the label information). In the expected condition, consumer liking was mainly affected by the brand. In the blind condition, differences in liking were due to the type of product; the samples with a high percentage of cocoa were those less preferred by consumers. Under the informed condition, liking of dark chocolates varied depending on both brand and type of product. Premium brand chocolates generated high consumer expectations of chocolate acceptability, which were fulfilled by the sensory characteristics of the products. Store brand chocolates created lower expectations, but when they were tasted they were as acceptable as premium chocolates. Claims of a high percentage of cocoa and single cocoa origin on labels did not generate higher expectations than regular dark chocolates.

The economics of infertility

Infertility is a growing issue that affects thousands of Spanish couples; increasingly there are more and more people who cannot raise a family by themselves. Instead they have to resort to ART, adoption -local or international- or surrogacy abroad, a practice that many couples consider but that isn���t legalized in Spain. In this paper we have broken down each option in detail by analysing the market, differentiating its variants and specific steps, calculating its ���price��� and suggesting possible improvements that could be made from an economic perspective. We end our paper with the ���SWOT��� analysis of a hypothetical surrogacy market in Spain by calculating an estimated price, using the US as a reference, and the degree of acceptance it would have, based on the results of random surveys.

Satisfaction survey with DNA cards method to collect genetic samples for pharmacogenetics studies

Background: Pharmacogenetic studies are essential in understanding the interindividual variability of drug responses. DNA sample collection for genotyping is a critical step in genetic studies. A method using dried blood samples from finger-puncture, collected on DNA-cards, has been described as an alternative to the usual venepuncture technique. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation of the DNA cards method in a multicentre clinical trial, and to assess the degree of investigators' satisfaction and the acceptance of the patients perceived by the investigators.Methods: Blood samples were collected on DNA-cards. The quality and quantity of DNA recovered were analyzed. Investigators were questioned regarding their general interest, previous experience, safety issues, preferences and perceived patient satisfaction. Results: 151 patients' blood samples were collected. Genotyping of GST polymorphisms was achieved in all samples (100%). 28 investigators completed the survey. Investigators perceived patient satisfaction as very good (60.7%) or good (39.3%), without reluctance to finger puncture. Investigators preferred this method, which was considered safer and better than the usual methods. All investigators would recommend using it in future genetic studies. Conclusion: Within the clinical trial setting, the DNA-cards method was very well accepted by investigators and patients (in perception of investigators), and was preferred to conventional methods due to its ease of use and safety.

Provision of supplementary materials in Library and Information Science scholarly journals

Purpose This study seeks to analyse the policies of library and information science (LIS) journals regarding the publication of supplementary materials, the number of journals and articles that include this feature, the kind of supplementary materials published with regard to their function in the article, the formats employed and the access provided to readers. Design/methodology/approach The study analysed the instructions for authors of LIS journals indexed in the ISI Journal Citation Reports, as well as the supplementary materials attached to the articles published in their 2011 online volumes. Findings Large publishers are more likely to have a policy regarding the publication of supplementary materials, and policies are usually homogeneous across all the journals of a given publisher. Most policies state the acceptance of supplementary materials, and even journals without a policy also publish supplementary materials. The majority of supplementary materials provided in LIS articles are extended methodological explanations and additional results in the form of textual information in PDF or Word files. Some toll-access journals provide open access to any reader to these files. Originality/value This study provides new insights into the characteristics of supplementary materials in LIS journals. The results may be used by journal publishers to establish a policy on the publication of supplementary materials and, more broadly, to develop data sharing initiatives in academic settings.

Exploring the use of mobile communications in a sample of older people: Preliminary results of a case study in Los Angeles

This paper introduces a qualitative case study on mobile communication among the older population (60+ years old) conducted in Great Los Angeles (CA, USA) in autumn 2011. Methodology, fieldwork and preliminary results are discussed.Before, country-level data is presented to better understand the specific characteristics of the studied individuals. The section focus is on demographics and on acceptance and use of information and communication technologies (ICT).Preliminary results show that within the sample under study (20 individuals) there is a high number of mobile phone users (15) while among non-mobile users (5), three of them decide to stop using this technology. A majority of mobile phone adopters describe a very limited use of the device for everyday life communications. Finally,while Internet is really popular within the sample (14 users), just 3 individuals go online through their mobile telephone.

An Empirical Study on Faculty Perceptions and Teaching Practices of Wikipedia

Some faculty members from different universities around the world have begun to use Wikipedia as a teaching tool in recent years. These experiences show, in most cases, very satisfactory results and a substantial improvement in various basic skills, as well as a positive influence on the students' motivation. Nevertheless and despite the growing importance of e-learning methodologies based on the use of the Internet for higher education, the use of Wikipedia as a teaching resource remains scarce among university faculty.Our investigation tries to identify which are the main factors that determine acceptance or resistance to that use. We approach the decision to use Wikipedia as a teaching tool by analyzing both the individual attributes of faculty members and the characteristics of the environment where they develop their teaching activity. From a specific survey sent to all faculty of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), pioneer and leader in online education in Spain, we have tried to infer the influence of these internal and external elements. The questionnaire was designed to measure different constructs: perceived quality of Wikipedia, teaching practices involving Wikipedia, use experience, perceived usefulness and use of 2.0 tools. Control items were also included for gathering information on gender, age, teaching experience, academic rank, and area of expertise.Our results reveal that academic rank, teaching experience, age or gender, are not decisive factors in explaining the educational use of Wikipedia. Instead, the decision to use it is closely linked to the perception of Wikipedia's quality, the use of other collaborative learning tools, an active attitude towards web 2.0 applications, and connections with the professional non-academic world. Situational context is also very important, since the use is higher when faculty members have got reference models in their close environment and when they perceive it is positively valued by their colleagues. As far as these attitudes, practices and cultural norms diverge in different scientific disciplines, we have also detected clear differences in the use of Wikipedia among areas of academic expertise. As a consequence, a greater application of Wikipedia both as a teaching resource and as a driver for teaching innovation would require much more active institutional policies and some changes in the dominant academic culture among faculty members.

Using the optical mouse sensor as a two-euro counterfeit coin detector

In this paper, the sensor of an optical mouse is presented as a counterfeit coin detector applied to the two-Euro case. The detection process is based on the short distance image acquisition capabilities of the optical mouse sensor where partial images of the coin under analysis are compared with some partial reference coin images for matching. Results show that, using only the vision sense, the counterfeit acceptance and rejection rates are very similar to those of a trained user and better than those of an untrained user.

Personality, social values, and marital satisfaction as predictors of parents��� rearing styles

Los estilos de crianza parentales pueden afectar la conducta y socializaci��n de los adolescentes, por lo que es de inter��s conocer c��mo algunas variables psicol��gicas de los padres se relacionan con los estilos de crianza. Este estudio tiene el objetivo de analizar los estilos de crianza de los padres, valores sociales (prestigio social, orden, benevolencia, y conservadurismo-liberalismo), los cinco grandes factores de personalidad, y la satisfacci��n de pareja (acuerdo general, afecto, satisfacci��n, y cohesi��n) en los padres de adolescentes. Este es un estudio prospectivo basado en m��todo de an��lisis correlacional. Se encontr�� que los estilos educativos definidos por el cari��o y aceptaci��n se relacionan con los rasgos de personalidad como responsabilidad y estabilidad emocional, alta satisfacci��n de pareja y preferencia por valores prosociales. Al contrario, los estilos de crianza de sobreprotecci��n y favoritismo se relacionan con baja amabilidad y baja apertura el poco ajuste de pareja con falta de cohesi��n y valores sociales definidos por falta de benevolencia y preferencia por valores de prestigio social.

La inmigraci��n como problema: un an��lisis de las pr��cticas discursivas de la poblaci��n aut��ctona

Las pr��cticas discursivas son la base de las construcciones simb��licas de los individuos, y mediante su an��lisis podemos acceder a la comprensi��n que ellos tienen de la realidad. O, dicho en otras palabras, el estudio de las estructuras ideol��gicas configuradoras de los discursos del racismo son accesibles a trav��s de un an��lisis sociol��gico del lenguaje. Proponemos, por tanto, un an��lisis que se ocupe de las configuraciones discursivas dominantes en la representaci��n social de los inmigrantes, con el fin de detectar los ejes estructuradores de las actitudes de aceptaci��n o rechazo que su presencia genera en la poblaci��n aut��ctona, con el fin de lograr una mejor comprensi��n de la g��nesis de los discursos que sustentan la visi��n de ��la inmigraci��n como problema��.

Provision of supplementary materials in Library and Information Science scholarly journals

Purpose- This study seeks to analyse the policies of library and information science (LIS) journals regarding the publication of supplementary materials, the number of journals and articles that include this feature, the kind of supplementary materials published with regard to their function in the article, the formats employed and the access provided to readers. Design/methodology/approach- The study analysed the instructions for authors of LIS journals indexed in the ISI Journal Citation Reports, as well as the supplementary materials attached to the articles published in their 2011 online volumes. Findings- Large publishers are more likely to have a policy regarding the publication of supplementary materials, and policies are usually homogeneous across all the journals of a given publisher. Most policies state the acceptance of supplementary materials, and even journals without a policy also publish supplementary materials. The majority of supplementary materials provided in LIS articles are extended methodological explanations and additional results in the form of textual information in PDF or Word files. Some toll-access journals provide open access to any reader to these files. Originality/value- This study provides new insights into the characteristics of supplementary materials in LIS journals. The results may be used by journal publishers to establish a policy on the publication of supplementary materials and, more broadly, to develop data sharing initiatives in academic settings.

La escoba y el caballo: algunas reflexiones sobre la humanidad del juego

Starting from the premise that the term"play" can mean practically anything, the author reflects on the topic of play using the concepts of freedom, play community, exhibition and simulation. Play is not an exclusively human activity. However, there is a human way of playing, which has been the subject of debate throughout the history of thought. The human aspects of play could be consid-ered a demonstration of freedom through the acceptance of rules.

Evaluation of markets for irrigation water in the internal river basins of Catalonia, Spain

Irrigated agriculture has come under close scrutiny in Europe recently because of its high share of total water consumption and its apparent inefficiency. Several water policies have been advocated, in particular the use of economic instruments such as water markets. This paper simulates the impact of a policy based upon water markets on agricultural production in the internal river basins of Catalonia (Spain). This zone presents certain particularities that make it very interesting to study: competition between sectors for the resource (agriculture-urban consumption-recreational uses), recent periods of resource insufficiency and conflicts between irrigators as a result of the measures taken by the hydraulic administration in drought situations. The results show that these markets would guarantee an optimal reassignment of the resource in situations of supply restrictions, and although compared to the situation without markets they would not mean higher economic profits for the irrigators, they could prevent conflicts between them. Nevertheless, doubts exist about their acceptance by irrigators

Author Rights vs Self-Archiving in Spanish Scientific Journals

The paper analyzes publishers" copyright policies and self-archiving conditions of Spanish scientific journals. Data are extracted from the directory DULCINEA that contains information of 1318 Spanish journals, of which 775 (61%) allow some form of self-archiving to be about 60% of the post-print version and allowing them 87% of the deposit of the version of record. In 72% of journals the deposit can be performed immediately after publication and in 16% after article acceptance. 72% of the journals are freely available without charge to the user this figure raises up to 86% if free access after an embargo is considered. Only 18% of the journals use Creative Commons licenses. The adoption of different open access journals model in Spain is favorable, however there is still a high percentage of journals (39%) that do not provide any information about authors and publishers rights and that difficult or inhibits reuse of published articles.

Validaci�� del m��tode anal��tic per la determinaci�� d'amino��cids i carbohidrats d'un producte farmac��utic per HPLC

Per poder desenvolupar un producte farmac��utic ��s necessari establir un m��tode d���an��lisis que permeti determinar i quantificar totes aquelles subst��ncies que cont��, ja sigui referent als principis actius; a les impureses i productes de degradaci��, conservants, antioxidants,... Grans entitats com la ICH remarquen la import��ncia de validar els m��todes anal��tics ja que ��s la via per demostrar que aquell producte compleix les garanties de qualitat pr��viament establertes. Aix�� doncs, l���objectiu d���aquest Treball Final de Grau ��s poder desenvolupar i validar dos m��todes anal��tics per a la determinaci�� d���amino��cids i carbohidrats respectivament, d���un producte farmac��utic per cromatografia l��quida (HPLC). Per tal de poder concloure que aquell m��tode ��s adequat per la determinaci�� per la qual ha estat desenvolupat, ��s necessari obtenir resultats que compleixin els criteris d���acceptaci�� corresponents als par��metres que han de ser avaluats en una validaci�� anal��tica. Aquests par��metres s��n: la precisi��, la selectivitat, l���exactitud i la linealitat i el rang. Els resultats d���aquest projecte han demostrat que els dos m��todes desenvolupats s��n adequats per a la determinaci�� de tres dels principis actius (amino��cid 1, amino��cid 2 i carbohidrat 1) que cont�� el producte farmac��utic d�����s veterinari analitzat; i poden ser validats ja que compleixen els criteris d���acceptaci�� dels par��metres avaluats que proposa la ICH. El m��tode per la determinaci�� de carbohidrats no ��s v��lid per el carbohidrat 2, ja que durant el desenvolupament es va detectar que una bona part d���aquest passava a carbohidrat 1 (despla��ament de l���equilibri ceto-en��lic que hi ha entre el carbohidrat 1 i el carbohidrat 2 a pHs alts). ��s per aquest motiu, que es pot concloure que aquest m��tode no ��s v��lid i es recomana seguir investigant per a poder desenvolupar un m��tode anal��tic adient.