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This paper seeks to contribute to the current debate about public versus private management of urban water supply services. The main purpose of urban water supply is to ensure the provision of a sufficient quantity of good quality water to users. This article examines water quality by using a subjective indicator: user satisfaction with tap water quality. The goal of the paper is to determine whether users perceive a difference in tap water quality supplied by public operators on the one hand, and by private-sector operators on the other. Data is sourced from a survey carried out in 64 Spanish cities. A number of different subjective determinants of water quality have been considered: the socio-economic characteristics of those surveyed, objective indicators of water quality, as well as environmental and economic factors of urban water services. Data analysis, using an ordered logit regression model, shows that when urban water services are in the hands of a private company, the quality of the tap water, as perceived by users, deteriorates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Only 53% and 63% of studies and clinical trials results presented at congresses are published. Company-sponsored trial results are being posted on publicly accessible Web sites. We analyzed the public availability (publication or posting on a Web site) rate, time to publication, and factors predicting public availability of results of studies sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study analyzing all studies conducted by GlaxoSmithKline in Spain between 2001 and 2006. Initiation and completion were defined as first participant/first visit and last participant/last visit (or their equivalents). Papers published up to 31 March 2009 were considered. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors predicting public availability of results. Results: The cohort comprised 143 studies (94 clinical trials; of these, 87 were included in international products clinical development plans). Public availability rate was 80% (114/143) for all studies and 78% (73/94) for clinical trials; publication rates were 68% and 61%, respectively. The median time to publication for all studies and trials was 27.3 and 28.4 months, respectively. Study associated to a cancelled project was the only significant factor associated with lower publication rate for all studies [odds ratio (OR) 0.069; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-024; p < 0.001) and trials (OR 0.075; 95% CI 0.016-0.343; p = 0.001) and a lower public availability rate (OR 0.052; 95% CI 0.007-0.382; p = 0.004) for trial results. Therapy area, sample size, positive trial results, duration of experimental phase, and being a clinical trial did not predict publication or public availability. Conclusions: Eighty percent of studies included in this analysis are publicly available. Web site posting increases public availability rate of clinical trial results from 61% to 78%. Cancellation of projects is the single factor negatively influencing publication and public availability rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focused on the study of the quality of experience lived by tourists when visiting a cultural heritage destination by using a tourist product based on a virtual tour. The research is justified by the increased demand by tourists to have a memorable experience in a destination as well as the growing offer on virtual reality and augmented reality technologies applied to the tourism sector. The database consists of online comments extracted from those who visited two well-known tourism destinations in Spain, Seville and Barcelona, where the immersive virtual reality technology named Past View is currently used. A total of 119 online comments on the tourists' experience after the use of the Past View smart glasses and posted in the e-WOM community Trip Advisor were valid for the analysis. Using a correspondence analysis of textual data, the results shed light about how virtual reality technologies influence on tourists' quality of experience. The findings drawn from the empirical analysis provide destination marketing organizations suitable and useful information to promote the destination and therefore encouraging entrepreneurs to innovate in tourism sector to attend the desire of tourists to have a memorable tourist experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than a century, air pollution has been one of the most important environmental problems in cities. Pollution is a threat to human health and is responsible for many deaths every year all over the world. This paper deals with the topic of functional outlier detection. Functional analysis is a novel mathematical tool employed for the recognition of outliers. This methodology is applied here to the emissions of a coal-fired power plant. This research uses two different methods, called functional high-density region (HDR) boxplot and functional bagplot. Please note that functional bagplots were developed using bivariate bagplots as a starting point. Indeed, they are applied to the first two robust principal component scores. Both methodologies were applied for the detection of outliers in the time pollutant emission curves that were built using, as inputs, the discrete information available from an air quality monitoring data record station and the subsequent smoothing of this dataset for each pollutant. In this research, both new methodologies are tested to detect outliers in pollutant emissions performed over a long period of time in an urban area. These pollutant emissions have been treated in order to use them as vectors whose components are pollutant concentration values for each observation made. Note that although the recording of pollutant emissions is made in a discrete way, these methodologies use pollutants as curves, identifying the outliers by a comparison of curves rather than vectors. Then, the concept of outlier goes from being a point to a curve that employs the functional depth as the indicator of curve distance. In this study, it is applied to the detection of outliers in pollutant emissions from a coal-fired power plant located on the outskirts of the city of Oviedo, located in the north of Spain and capital of the Principality of Asturias. Also, strengths of the functional methods are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate conditions are recognised as an important determinant of tourism demand and consequently different pioneering studies have started to estimate the impact of climate change on tourism flows. However, the lack of data concerning domestic tourism demand has motivated that the majority of studies focuses on international tourism flows or considers domestic trips as the alternative to the international ones. This paper investigates the impact of temperature on destination choice decisions in the context of domestic tourism in Spain. Using a data set that comprises Spanish domestic trips from 2005 to 2007 and applying a gravity model for regional data, results confirm climate as an important factor in determining domestic tourism flows. Moreover, a simulation exercise concerning an increase in the mean temperatures of the Spanish provinces is undertaken. Findings show that while colder provinces in the north of Spain would benefit from rising temperatures, warmer provinces in the south would experience a decrease in the frequency of trips there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accounting for the time individuals spend below the poverty line is an important dimension in order to design social policies to fight against poverty. The literature is currently aiming to construct a consistent aggregate measure of poverty over time that takes into account individual income lifetime profiles. It is however, far from clear which aspects of the specific patterns of poverty spells should be included. Using longitudinal data for Spain, this paper shows that the effect of spell recurrence on poverty dynamics is relevant. Poverty exit and re-entry rates vary not only with personal or household characteristics but also with spell accumulation and the duration of current and past spells. In general, our main findings support that an aggregate intertemporal poverty index should incorporate full individual poverty lifetime trajectories accounting for both poverty and non-poverty spell durations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes sample structure in a survey-based research project using both face-to-face and telephone survey techniques, at a time when the telephone survey has completely ousted the face-to-face survey; particularly in electoral studies. Multiple Correspondence Analysis is applied to the data from a political poll conducted prior to regional elections held in Spain's Autonomous Community of Galicia in which half of the questionnaires were administered by telephone and the other half via face-to-face interview. Unlike other studies-that use a partial approach based on bivariate analysis-this one examines all the sociodemographic variables simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oxysterols are cholesterol-oxygenated derivatives generated in the organism and also present in foods because of cholesterol oxidation during processing and storage. They are the natural ligands of liver X receptors (LXRs) and are generally recognized as hypocholesterolemic and anti-inflammatory molecules although this latter property is still controversial. Most oxysterol studies have been performed in macrophages, whereas the effects of oxysterols in neutrophils are poorly known. In this study, human neutrophils were exposed to two different oxysterols, 7-keto-cholesterol (7-k-chol) and 25-hydroxy-cholesterol (25-OH-chol), and their possible participation in inflammatory process was evaluated. Methods: Human neutrophils were incubated with 7-k-chol and 25-OH-chol, and ROS production, translocation of the NADPH oxidase cytosolic components, hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression and lysozyme secretion were analyzed. Results: An increase in ROS production was observed within a short period of time (minutes) with both molecules. These oxysterols also stimulated the cellular membrane translocation of the NADPH oxidase cytosolic components, p47phox and p67phox. On the other hand, HO-1 expression, a cytoprotector enzyme, is inhibited in human neutrophils upon oxysterols treatment. Moreover, both oxysterols were associated with high lysozyme enzyme secretion at 5 and 18 h of incubation. Conclusions: The present paper describes for the first time that two oxysterols (7-k-chol and 25-OH-chol) enhance the ROS production within a short period of time in human neutrophils, stimulate the translocation of the cytosolic components of NADPH oxidase to the cellular membrane and increase lysozyme secretion. These data suggest that both oxysterols are able to activate pro-inflammatory effects in human neutrophils which contrasts with the role assigned to the oxysterols when they act through LXR at long time of incubation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the family profile of adolescent-to-parent abuse cases. Concretely, this paper examines whether or not there is a different family profile of parent-abuse offenders compared with other types of offenders and with non-offender adolescents. The sample included 90 adolescents who were clustered into three groups (parent-abuse offenders, other type of offenders, and non-offender adolescents). Participants completed measures of quality of communication with parents and parents' educational styles. They were also evaluated using a brief interview with questions about family structure. Results indicate offenders who assault their parents have a different family structure and dynamics. Differences were found concerning the type of household, family size, and family incomes. In addition, parent-abuse offenders reported a lower quality of communication with both parents perceiving them as less warm, more rejecting, and less inductive than did the other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this paper were to evaluate the association of subjective memory complaints (SMC) with perceived state of health, mood and episodic memory (associative and everyday memory). We studied these areas using two different complaint assessment methods (three general questions and a validated scale). The study included 269 older adults (aged 65-87) with age-related memory changes, but without cognitive impairment. They were evaluated with Mini-cognitive Exam, Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (a test of everyday memory), Paired Associates Learning Test, Memory Failures of Everyday Questionnaire, three memory complaints questions, Nottingham Health Profile and Geriatric Depression Scale. The results indicated that memory for everyday performance, mood and perceived health were independent predictors of SMC, with mood and perceived health being stronger predictors than actual memory performance. Age was not associated with subjective memory and, with regard to level of education, only the illiterate level was associated with SMC. A specific questionnaire on subjective memory was found to be preferable to an aggregate of complaints questions on self-reported memory; only health profile was found to predict the outcomes on memory complaints questions. Our conclusion is that a group of underlying factors other than everyday memory were playing a role in SMC; these SMC of subjects with age-related memory changes were mainly associated with subjective evaluations of their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study carried out in Spain with 214 families with children aged between 3 and 10, comparing the quality of family context and the internal and external adjustment of children living in six different types of family structure: traditional, single-parent, stepfamilies, adoptive, same-sex parent and multiple-birth. Members of the research team interviewed the families in their homes and administered the assessment instruments (Development History, HOME inventory, Parenting Stress Index and Behavior Assessment System for Children). The results indicate that although some significant differences were observed between families (children living in same-sex parent families scored higher for internal and external adjustment, and those from stepfamilies scored lowest in these same measures), these differences disappeared when the effects of sociodemographic and contextual variables were statistically controlled in a covariance analysis. It can therefore be concluded that it was not family structure itself that was related to children's adjustment, but rather the sociodemographic and contextual variables associated with it. Thus, all the family structures analysed in the study are capable of promoting positive child development and adjustment, providing they meet the necessary conditions, such as good-quality care and a stimulating environment free from conflict and stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oliete basin (Early Cretaceous, NE Teruel, Spain) is one of the most important areas for the supply of mine spoils used as ball clays for the production of white and red stoneware in the Spanish ceramic industry of wall and floor tiles. This study corresponds to the second part of the paper published recently by Meseguer et al. (Environ Geol ) about the use of mine spoils from Teruel coal mining district. The present study shows a statistical data analysis from chemical data (major, minor and trace elements). The performed statistical analysis of chemical data included descriptive statistics and cluster analysis (with ANOVA and Scheffé methods). The cluster analysis of chemical data provided three main groups: C3 with the highest mean SiO2 content (66%) and lowest mean Al2O3 content (20%); C2 with lower SiO2 content (48%) and higher mean Al2O3 content (28%); and C1 with medium values for the SiO2 and Al2O3 mean content. The main applications of these materials are refractory, white and red ceramics, stoneware, heavy ceramics (including red earthenware, bricks and roof tiles), and components of white Portland cement and aluminous cement. Clays from group 2 are used in refractories (with higher kaolinite content, and constrictions to CaO + MgO and K2O + Na2O contents). All materials can be used in fine ceramics (white or red, according to the Fe2O3 + TiO2 content). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the evolution of population pyramids is crucial to study and tackle the growing issue associated to the depopulation of different regions around the world. This task has been based on the application of Monte Carlo simulation for the projection of the new population from the original one using birth, mortality, immigration and emigration data to model it. It has been applied both with current trends and with modified ones according to the user selections in order to obtain and analyse possible alternative scenarios. An inverse process is also presented, where a desired population pyramid is provided, and the system, based on genetic algorithms, determines the modifications of the previously stated rates to get the most similar output. Both tools are applied to a particular situation, the municipalities of a province in the north of Spain, so the functionality of the whole methodology is shown in an empiric way. These results show that projections are accurate with respect to the real data available to contrast, as well as that the inverse system generates close pyramids to the desired ones under reasonable circumstances. Additionally, these approaches have novel functionalities and make use of techniques not widely applied in the field, thus making them innovative with respect to other noteworthy examples in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Diabetes remission is a phenomenon described in the context of drastic weight loss due to bariatric surgery or low-calorie diets. Evidence suggests that increasing the intake of plant protein could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. We sought for association between changes in plant protein intake in the context of 2 healthy diets without weight loss nor glucose-lowering medication, and diabetes remission in coronary heart disease patients from the CORDIOPREV study. Methods: Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes participants without glucose-lowering treatment were randomized to consume a Mediterranean or a low-fat diet. Type 2 diabetes remission was assessed with a median follow-up of 60 months according to the ADA recommendation. Information on patient's dietary intake was collected using food-frequency questionnaires. At first year of intervention, 177 patients were classified according to changes in plant protein consumption into those who increased or decreased its intake, in order to perform an observational analysis on the association between protein intake and diabetes remission. Results: Cox regression showed that patients increasing plant protein intake were more likely to remit from diabetes than those who decreased its intake (HR = 1.71(1.05–2.77)). The remission occurred mainly at first and second year of follow-up with diminished number of patients achieving remission in the third year onwards. The increase in plant protein was associated with lower intake of animal protein, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, and fat, and with higher intake of whole grains, fibre, carbohydrates, legumes, and tree nuts. Conclusion: These results support the need to increase protein intake of vegetal origin as dietary therapy to reverse type 2 diabetes in the context of healthy diets without weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details the evolution, precision and completeness of the earthquake catalogue compiled by the Spanish National Geographic Institute. Over 100,000 earthquakes are included in this database, occurred in a region embracing Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Andorra and parts of France and Algeria. The catalogue has improved along time, thanks to the development of the seismic network and the upgrades of the routine data acquisition and analysis. The location precision is found to be much better on the Iberian Peninsula than offshore and benefitted especially from the implementation of modern automatic procedures for hypocentral determinations. The different magnitude scales reported in the catalogue, and effects of their changes, are reviewed. In the Iberian Peninsula, Canary Islands and surroundings, detailed successive maps of magnitude of completeness show an overall improvement over the last decades, particularly sudden when the digital broadband network was deployed. Earthquakes are found to be more frequently recorded during nights and weekends, thanks to the lower artificial noise. Despite most blasts have been filtered out of the catalogue, examples of remaining ones are identified by their spatial clustering around mines and quarries, and their timing at the intervals at which blasts are set off (even at night, in contrast to the common assumption that they only occur during daytime). This work highlights the importance of unveiling the spatial and temporal heterogeneities of earthquake catalogues and aims to help future analyses of the seismicity in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalonian secessionism acquired prominence from 2010 onwards. During the last decade secessionist parties won three regional elections and sustained Governments by tiny majorities at the Autonomous Parliament. Two illegal consultations about self-determination were called and around 2 million (38% of population census) supported secession from Spain. An "Independence Declaration" was proclaimed on 27th Oct. 2017, followed by suspension of Home Rule sanctioned by Spanish Parliament that endured till mid-2018. The main consequence of the secessionist push was the build-up of a confrontation between two large segments of Catalan citizenry, unionists and secessionists, which was absent before. This study aims to shed light on the rise of secessionism and the appearance of a deep fissure between these communities. By building upon the complete series of data from iterated official polls (88.538 respondents, 45 surveys), the paper displays the evolving changes along the period 2006–2019 of national identity feelings ("sense of belonging"). Along that period, there were increases exceeding 15 percentage points of "only Catalan" national identity and analogous decreases of "equally Catalan and Spanish" dual national identity. The findings disclosed highly significant covariations between changing trends on national identity feelings with: (1) family/mother language, Catalan vs. Spanish; (2) following regional media versus other media. Since language/ascendancy origins and media consumption trends are closely interrelated, within Catalonia, our discussion focuses on the role played by such ethno-cultural cleavage. Further, statistical analysis for longitudinal data identified several turning points linked to singular political events that likely accentuated polarization around the issue of secession. The findings unveil evolving tracks that could help in the understanding of a process that, in a very short time, produced a severe social division within a fully open and democratic society at the heart of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife-vehicle collisions on road networks represent a natural problem between human populations and the environment, that affects wildlife management and raise a risk to the life and safety of car drivers. We propose a statistically principled method for kernel smoothing of point pattern data on a linear network when the first-order intensity depends on covariates. In particular, we present a consistent kernel estimator for the first-order intensity function that uses a convenient relationship between the intensity and the density of events location over the network, which also exploits the theoretical relationship between the original point process on the network and its transformed process through the covariate. We derive the asymptotic bias and variance of the estimator, and adapt some data-driven bandwidth selectors to estimate the optimal bandwidth. The performance of the estimator is analysed through a simulation study under inhomogeneous scenarios. We present a real data analysis on wildlife-vehicle collisions in a region of North-East of Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the use of automated data analysis procedures in the teaching-learning process, mediated by telematics platforms. It is based on the application of the principles of virtual learning, the use of the Internet and the automation of data analysis of information collected in Moodle. The application of analysis procedures for the assessment of music competences is proposed based on the data collected in an exam administered at the end of the course. The sample of the study consists of 1327 students (n = 1327) in the first year of Compulsory Secondary Education in Spain and measures the level of acquisition of the key competences denominated "cultural and artistic". The results are subjected to the K-means classification technique. This technique is used to obtain homogeneously distributed conglomerates which allow for an objective evaluation of the levels of acquisition of the key musical competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research study designed to extend the existing literature about efficiency measurement in primary health care using a developed efficiency scoring method for handling exogenous variables. Topics covered include the fundamental definitions of primary health care and efficiency measurement, the use of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in measuring efficiency in primary health care, and details relating to the obtained DEA results.

Background: Headache disorders are disabling, with major consequences for productivity, yet the literature is silent on the relationship between headache-attributed disability and lost productivity, often erroneously regarding the two as synonymous. We evaluated the relationship empirically, having earlier found that investment in structured headache services would be cost saving, not merely cost-effective, if reductions in headache-attributed disability led to > 20% pro rata recovery of lost productivity. Methods: We used individual participant data from Global Campaign population-based studies conducted in China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Russia, and from Eurolight in Lithuania, Luxembourg and Spain. We assessed relationships in migraine and probable medication-overuse headache (pMOH), the most disabling common headache disorders. Available symptom data included headache frequency, usual duration and usual intensity. We used frequency and duration to estimate proportion of time in ictal state (pTIS). Disability, in the sense used by the Global Burden of Disease study, was measured as the product of pTIS and disability weight for the ictal state. Impairment was measured as pTIS * intensity. Lost productivity was measured as lost days (absence or < 50% productivity) from paid work and corresponding losses from household work over the preceding 3 months. We used Spearman correlation and linear regression analyses. Results: For migraine, in a linear model, we found positive associations with lost paid worktime, significant (p < 0.05) in many countries and highly significant (p < 0.001) in some despite low values of R2 (0–0.16) due to high variance. With lost household worktime and total lost productivity (paid + household), associations were highly significant in almost all countries, although still with low R2 (0.04–0.22). Applying the regression equations for each country to the population mean migraine-attributed disability, we found pro rata recoveries of lost productivity in the range 16–56% (> 20% in all countries but Pakistan). Analysing impairment rather than disability increased variability. For pMOH, with smaller numbers, associations were generally weaker, occasionally negative and mostly not significant. Conclusion: Relief of disability through effective treatment of migraine is expected, in most countries, to recover > 20% pro rata of lost productivity, above the threshold for investment in structured headache services to be cost saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: White matter alterations have been observed in patients with migraine. However, no microstructural white matter alterations have been found particularly in episodic or chronic migraine patients, and there is limited research focused on the comparison between these two groups of migraine patients. Methods: Fifty-one healthy controls, 55 episodic migraine patients and 57 chronic migraine patients were recruited and underwent brain T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted MRI acquisition. Using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS), fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity and axial diffusivity were compared between the different groups. On the one hand, all migraine patients were compared against healthy controls. On the other hand, patients from each migraine group were compared between them and also against healthy controls. Correlation analysis between clinical features (duration of migraine in years, time from onset of chronic migraine in months, where applicable, and headache and migraine frequency, where applicable) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging measures was performed. Results: Fifty healthy controls, 54 episodic migraine and 56 chronic migraine patients were finally included in the analysis. Significant decreased axial diffusivity (p <.05 false discovery rate and by number of contrasts corrected) was found in chronic migraine compared to episodic migraine in 38 white matter regions from the Johns Hopkins University ICBM-DTI-81 White-Matter Atlas. Significant positive correlation was found between time from onset of chronic migraine and mean fractional anisotropy in the bilateral external capsule, and negative correlation between time from onset of chronic migraine and mean radial diffusivity in the bilateral external capsule. Conclusions: These findings suggest global white matter structural differences between episodic migraine and chronic migraine. Patients with chronic migraine could present axonal integrity impairment in the first months of chronic migraine with respect to episodic migraine patients. White matter changes after the onset of chronic migraine might reflect a set of maladaptive plastic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is considered a global epidemic of the twenty-first century by the World Health Organization (WHO). Specifically, the Canary Islands has the highest level of this disease in Europe and 40% of children in Spain are overweight or obese. This increase is a direct result of changes in the lifestyles of the population and its nutrition. Because of this, we have designed an educational program based on motor games, active videogames and virtual learning environments to improve the long-term health of children. This article presents and analyzes the results of a study on the nutritional knowledge and adherence to the Mediterranean diet of 46 obese children aged 6 to 12 years in the Canary Islands who participated in an educational program. The study design was quasi-experimental, with two groups (experimental and control). A long-term longitudinal study (3 years) was carried out. A set of evaluation instruments was used for the different phases. The results show significant improvements between the experimental and control groups in terms of their knowledge of healthy nutrition and their adherence to the Mediterranean diet. As a main conclusion, we emphasize that a gamified educational intervention program supported by ICT helps to motivate and promote improvements in the nutrition of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) is the only validated scale for measuring perceived fatigability in older adults.Aims: We validated the PFS Spanish version by assessing convergent validity with respect to several measures of physical performance, physical activity, physical function and disability.Methods: A cross-sectional validation study of 79 community-dwelling older adults aged 70 and older from Barcelona, Spain was included. Translation-retrotranslation was performed. Convergent validity was assessed in relation to physical activity and performance measurements, and analyzed with Spearman correlation coefficients, a linear trend test and non-linear regression. We also assessed the discriminant validity of the PFS physical score between participants with different physical activity and performance levels.Results: Higher PFS physical scores were inversely associated with the Short Physical Performance Battery (r = − 0.5, p < 0.001) and weak to moderately correlated with gait speed (r = 0.38, p = 0.001), and self-reported weekly walking time (r = 0.24, p = 0.035).Conclusion: The PFS is a novel, brief instrument to assess fatigability in Spanish-speaking older adults, with good convergent validity against physical performance measurements. Thus, the PFS can be used in Spanish-speaking populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-medical use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs is common; however, there is limited information available on the extent of harm related to this in Europe, as well as the relationship between misuse and availability.Aim: To describe presentations to the emergency department in Europe related to the recreational use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs and compare regional differences in these presentations with legal drug sales of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs within each country.Methods: Emergency department presentations with recreational misuse of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs were obtained from the Euro-DEN dataset for the period from October 2013 to September 2015; data extracted included demographics, clinical features, reported coused drugs, and outcome data. Sales figures obtained by QuintilesIMS™ (Atlanta, Georgia) were used to compare regional differences in the proportion of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in the emergency department presentations and legal drug sales across Europe.Results: Over the 2 years, there were 2119 presentations to the Euro-DEN project associated with recreational use of benzodiazepines and/or Z-drugs (19.3% of all Euro-DEN presentations). Presentations with 25 different benzodiazepines and Z-drugs were registered in all countries, most (1809/2340 registered benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, 77.3%) of which were prescription drugs. In 24.9%, the benzodiazepine was not specified. Where the benzodiazepine/Z-drug was known, the most frequently used benzodiazepines and Z-drugs were respectively clonazepam (29.5% of presentations), diazepam (19.9%), alprazolam (11.7%), and zopiclone (9.4%). The proportions of types of benzodiazepines/Z-drugs related to ED-presentations varied between countries. There was a moderate (Spain, UK, Switzerland) to high (France, Ireland, Norway) positive correlation between ED presentations and sales data (Spearman Row's correlation 0.66-0.80, p < 0.005), with higher correlation in countries with higher ED presentation rates.Conclusion: Presentations to the emergency department associated with the non-medical use of benzodiazepines and/or Z-drugs are common, with variation in the benzodiazepines and/or Z-drugs between countries. There was a moderate to high correlation with sales data, with higher correlation in countries with higher ED presentation rates. However, this is not the only explanation for the variation in non-medical use and in the harm associated with the non-medical use of benzodiazepines/Z-drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-known that information and communication technologies enable many tasks in the context of precision agriculture. In fact, more and more farmers and food and agriculture companies are using precision agriculture-based systems to enhance not only their products themselves, but also their means of production. Consequently, problems arising from large amounts of data management and processing are arising. It would be very useful to have an infrastructure that allows information and agricultural tasks to be efficiently shared and handled. The cloud computing paradigm offers a solution. In this study, a cloud-based software architecture is proposed with the aim of enabling a complete crop management system to be deployed and validated. Such architecture includes modules developed by using Google App Engine, which allows the information to be easily retrieved and processed and agricultural tasks to be properly defined and planned. Additionally, Google's Datastore (which ensures a high scalability degree), hosts both information that describes such agricultural tasks and agronomic data. The architecture has been validated in a system that comprises a wireless sensor network with fixed nodes and a mobile node on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), deployed in an agricultural farm in the Region of Murcia (Spain). Such a network allows soil water and plant status to be monitored. The UAV (capable of executing missions defined by an administrator) is useful for acquiring visual information in an autonomous manner (under operator supervision, if needed). The system performance has been analysed and results that demonstrate the benefits of using the proposed architecture are detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness is a subjective measure of one's state of mind and the negative feelings about one's level of social contact, which usually involves an unwanted discrepancy between existing and desired relationships. It is measured through self-reported questionnaires, among which a widely used one is the de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS). Although it has been previously tested and proven to be a reliable tool for measuring loneliness of Spanish older people, some relevant research questions remain unsolved. Therefore, this article aims to present a validity study of the Spanish version of the DJGLS for its use with older people, by establishing its factorial validity; studying the adequateness of a Rasch model underlying participants' responses; offering evidence of its reliability; and testing for convergent and discriminant validity. Data were obtained in a survey conducted with older adults attending Lifelong Learning programs in Valencia (Spain). The sample consisted of 335 people aged 55 years or older. Sociodemographic data were collected, and loneliness was measured with the DJGLS and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results have supported a unidimensional substantive structure, but with minor method effects associated with negatively worded items. In terms of multidimensional IRT analysis, the 2 Parameters Logistic Model fitted the data well and offered better information functions than the Rasch model. Reliability and criterion-related validity estimates were adequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decades have witnessed an increasing international concern in assessing how efficiently health care resources are used in producing health. At a country level, comparing the efficiency of regional health systems and ranking the regions accordingly promotes transparency policies and represents an important incentive for the design and implementation of specific programs aimed at improving the quality of health care services within the country. The use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a tool for efficiency analysis in the health sector is well-established, but its use with a ranking purpose is discouraged due to lack of discrimination and comparability issues. Using data from the competent health authority in Spain, the purpose of this study is to assess the efficiency of the regional health systems in Spain and identify those regions that are using their health care inputs more efficiently than others, given the observed level of health outcomes. To this aim, a DEA-based model that operates under a common weights basis is used in order to improve discrimination and establish a common scale for a proper comparison of the regional health systems in Spain that can be subsequently ranked by their efficiency score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background SIDS is the major cause of death among healthy born infants in developed countries. Its causes are still unclear, but its risk can be reduced by implementing some simple active interventions. In Spain, limited attention was given to SIDS by the national healthcare system, and actual data on healthcare professionals' practice on this topic was not available. This study explored for the first time paediatricians' knowledge and practice about SIDS. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out between November 2012 and April 2013 in Catalonia, and reached 1202 paediatricians. The response rate was 46%. Results 94% of respondents perceived themselves as qualified for giving advice and recommendations about SIDS to parents, but only 58% recognized the supine position as the safest position and recommended the supine position exclusively to parents. Seniority and 'having received a specific training about SIDS' were detrimental to paediatricians' knowledge. Discussion Efforts should be made in order to improve paediatricians' knowledge and practice about SIDS. Specific refresher trainings are highly recommended, and should especially target paediatricians with higher seniority. These trainings could be provided as optional modules, as we could see that the paediatricians who would most benefit from them are already aware of the need to refresh their knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Catalonian Expert Patient Programme on Chagas disease is a initiative, which is part of the Chronic Disease Programme. It aims to boost responsibility of patients for their own health and to promote self-care. The programme is based on nine sessions conducted by an expert patient. Evaluation was focusing in: habits and lifestyle/self-care, knowledge of disease, perception of health, self-esteem, participant satisfaction, and compliance with medical follow-up visits. Eighteen participants initiated the programme and 15 completed it. The participants were Bolivians. The 66.7 % of them had been diagnosed with chagas disease in Spain. The 100 % mentioned that they would participate in this activity again and would recommend it to family and friends. The knowledge about disease improve after sessions. The method used in the programme could serve as a key strategy in the field of comprehensive care for individuals with this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research on gender, age, and task differences in positive touch and physical proximity during mother–child and father–child conversations. Topics discussed include examining positive touch during a play-related storytelling task and a reminiscence task; touching their children more frequently by fathers as compared to mothers during the play-related storytelling task; and implications of the findings for future research on children's socioemotional development.

Purpose: Increased awareness of the importance of dietary fibre has led to increased interest in 'functional' fibre components like digestion-resistant maltodextrin (RMD). This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study assessed the effects of RMD in the colonic transit time (CTT) and defecation characteristics (frequency, stool volume and consistency). Methods: Sixty-six healthy adult volunteers (32 men) who did not have a daily defecation habit had a 7-day run-in period before the 21-day intervention period with RMD or placebo. CTT and segmental CTT (SCTT) were assessed by a single abdominal X-ray film taken at the end of both periods after radiopaque marker ingestion. Defecation characteristics and intestinal functions were also assessed, which were self-reported by patients. Intragroup comparisons were evaluated by Student's paired t test, Bonferroni test and Chi-square test, while time comparisons by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and time-by-treatment interaction by repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Fifty-seven subjects were assessed for CTT (placebo, n = 28; RMD, n = 29). In the RMD group, the total CTT, left SCTT and rectosigmoidal SCTT decreased significantly compared to baseline ( p < 0.01 each; −13.3, −4.7, −8.7 h, respectively). Significant differences between groups were observed in total CTT and left SCTT. Significant time-by-treatment interaction was observed in the RMD group for stool volume ( p = 0.014), increasing 56 % compared to baseline ( p < 0.01), while remained unchanged in the placebo group. Stool consistency was improved only in the RMD group ( p < 0.01). No adverse effects related to study products were observed. Conclusions: The results show that RMD improved CTT, stool volume, stool consistency and some intestinal functions in a healthy population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Couples affect each other cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally. The goal of this study is to test the benefits and potential use of the actor-partner interdependence model in examining how parental self-efficacy and positive contributions of fathers and mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Condition influence each other's psychological adaptation. The sample includes 76 Spanish couples who completed validated questionnaires measuring predictors, i.e., self-efficacy and positive contributions, and adaptation outcomes i.e., stress, anxiety, depression and psychological well-being. Multilevel analysis revealed many actor and some partner effects of parental self-efficacy and positive contributions to be important determinants of adaptation above and beyond child and sociodemographic factors, and as such, these effects should be targeted in clinical intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are used as functional foods due to their prebiotic effects. Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity has been established in most, but not all, studies in animal models of colitis, using mainly chemically induced inflammation. Our goal was to test the effect of FOS (degree of polymerization 2-8) in the chronic, lymphocyte-driven CD4+ CD62L+ T cell transfer model of colitis. Methods: Colitis was induced by transfer of CD4+ CD62L+ T cells to C57BL/6J Rag1 mice. FOS (75 mg day) was administered by gavage as a post-treatment. Three groups were established: non-colitic (NC), colitic control (C, CD4+ CD62L+ transferred mice treated with vehicle) and colitic+FOS (C+FOS, similar but treated with FOS). Mice were killed after 13 days. Results: Treatment of mice with FOS ameliorated colitis, as evidenced by an increase in body weight, a lesser myeloperoxidase and alkaline phosphatase activities, a lower secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by mesenteric lymph node cells ex vivo (IFN-γ, IL-17, and TNF-α), and a higher colonic expression of occludin (C+FOS vs. C, p < 0.05). Increased relative abundance of lactic acid bacteria was observed in FOS-treated mice ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: FOS exert intestinal anti-inflammatory activity in T lymphocyte-dependent colitis, suggesting it may be useful in the management of inflammatory bowel disease in appropriate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of two extracts obtained from Agaricus bisporus on the mRNA expression of cholesterol-related genes. One of the extracts contained ergosterol and other fungal sterols (SFE) and the other contained β-glucans and fungal sterols (EβG). Methods: Firstly, the dietary mixed micelles (DMMs) generated after in vitro digestion of standards and SFE were applied to Caco2 cells. Then, the lower compartment after a Caco2-transport experiment was applied to HepG2 cells. The mRNA expression was assessed in both cell lines by low-density arrays (LDA). Mice received the extracts, ergosterol or control drugs after 4 weeks of a high-cholesterol diet. The lipid profile of plasma, liver and feces was determined. LDA assays were performed in liver and intestines. Results: The DMM fraction of SFE up-regulated the LDLR mRNA expression in Caco2 cells. The lower compartment after Caco2-transport experiments up-regulated LDLR and modulated several other lipid-related genes in HepG2 cells. In mice, SFE decreased TC/HDL ratio and reduced hepatic triglycerides paralleled with down-regulation of Dgat1 expression, while EβG did it without transcriptional changes. Addition of SFE or ergosterol induced in jejunum a similar transcriptional response to simvastatin and ezetimibe; they all down-regulated Srebf2 and Nr1h4 (FXR) genes. Conclusion: Ergosterol-containing extracts from A. bisporus lowered hepatic triglyceride and modify the mRNA expression of cholesterol-related genes although the transcriptional regulation was unrelated to changes in plasma lipid profile. These extracts may be useful limiting hepatic steatosis and as bioactive ingredients to design novel functional foods preventing lifestyle-related diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effects of the consumption of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) from bread crust (BC) on iron, copper and zinc body retention and tissue distribution, determining whether these effects are related to the molecular weight of browning products. Methods: During an 88-day study period, rats were fed a Control diet or diets containing BC as source of MRPs, its soluble high or low molecular weight fractions (BC, LMW or HMW diets). A mineral balance was conducted throughout the experiment to determine iron, copper and zinc retention. At day 88, animals were killed, blood was drawn for haemoglobin determination and some organs removed to analyse minerals. Results: Copper and zinc balances were unchanged, and scant modification detected in their body delivery. However, the Fe retention rate from the diet increased (13, 22 and 32 % for BC, LMW and HMW diets), and a parallel higher Fe body concentration was observed (13-18 % higher than the Control group). Incoming iron accumulated particularly in the liver, femur and small intestine, but functional iron tended to decrease, as reflected by haemoglobin levels. Conclusions: The long-term intake of BC or derivatives did not produce a notable effect on copper or zinc balances, although slightly increased iron retention rate and the body concentration of this mineral were observed. Iron accumulated in some organs, but the production of haemoglobin was not improved. In view of the differences observed between the effects of BC and its derivatives, our results underline the importance of working with real food matrices, where the joint presence of different components modulates the in vivo final effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared anthropometric values, nutrient intake, the Healthy Eating Index and food variety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 20 on a gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet and 85 on a regular diet in Valencia (Spain) using 3-days food diaries. Those on the GFCF diet had a lower weight, body mass index, and total energy, pantothenic acid, calcium, phosphorus and sodium intake, but a higher intake of fiber, legumes, and vegetables. Further, the GFCF diet group had a better quality of fat intake, but needed supplementation with vitamin D. Randomized controlled trials are required to explore long-term effects of this diet on anthropometric and nutritional status (the focus of our study), but also behavioral symptoms, in children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most individuals with autism spectrum disorders often fail in tasks of theory of mind (ToM). However, those with normal intellectual functioning known as high functioning ASD (HF-ASD) sometimes succeed in mentalizing inferences. Some tools have been developed to more accurately test their ToM abilities. The aims of this study were to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of Stories of Everyday Life Test ( SEL) in a sample of 29 children and adolescents with HF-ASD and 25 typically developing controls and to compare their performance. The Spanish- SEL demonstrated good internal consistency, strong convergence with clinical severity and another ToM test, and adequate discriminant validity from intellectual capability and age, identifying the condition of 70 % of participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older people may experience psychological growth following a life major event. The objective of this study is to analyze the degree of posttraumatic growth (PTG) developed by widowed and non-widowed older adults ( n = 103) as well as the impact of possible predicting variables such as sociodemographic characteristics, experienced or witnessed life major events, religiosity and sense of coherence. The findings suggest that, in spite of widowhood, elder people develop PTG in the same way that non-widowed elder people. Therefore, the support of a religious community, age, life major events experienced and the subjective meaning given to them correlated with PTG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immigrant population in Seville has grown over the last 10 years, most of which are Latin Americans. Our aim was to describe the health status perceived in this emerging population. In 2011, a cross-sectional study was performed on a representative sample of 190 Latin American immigrants between the ages of 25 and 44 years residing in Seville (Spain). The self-sensed health status was 18 % excellent, 28 % very good, 42 % good, 11 % regular, and 1 % poor. The average number of days of satisfactory health status during the last month was 22. Statistically significant differences were found: (a) higher satisfactory perception of health in men than in women (30 vs. 9 %) and (b) higher average number of days with excellent health in people with satisfactory perception than those with an unsatisfactory perception of their health status (23 and 15, respectively). Logistic regression, educational level, number of days of good health, and doing physical exercise were the variables that best explained the satisfactory perception of health status. Most people studied have a positive self-assessment of their health status, especially men, who engage in physical activity and those who have 3 and more weeks of good health per month. Our results permit us to support, to a large extent, the theory of the 'healthy immigrant'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the association between dietary glycaemic index (GI) and dietary glycaemic load (GL) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a rural elderly population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 343 subjects (60-74 years) residing in a Spanish rural area (Priego de Córdoba). Subjects were selected using stratified random sampling. Food intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We assigned GI values to each item of the FFQ to estimate dietary GI and GL. Multivariate linear regression models were fitted to assess the association between GI/GL with CVD risk factors (blood glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1, body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure). The potential modifying effect of sex, smoking status, diabetes and medication has been explored. Results: A statistically significant inverse association between dietary GI and blood glucose was found in the multivariate model ( p = 0.029): for every 10 unit increment of GI, serum glucose levels decreased by 0.2 units. However, statistical significance was lost after controlling for diabetes or hypoglycaemic medication. In the crude model, dietary GL was associated with triglycerides ( ß for every 10 GL units increase = 0.70, p = 0.005), but statistical significance was lost in the multivariate model ( p = 0.508). No associations were found between dietary GI/GL and the rest of the variables studied. Conclusions: Neither dietary GI nor GL were associated with CVD risk factors in the study population of Priego de Córdoba. Results obtained suggest the necessity to consider the diagnosis of diabetes in these studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, the immigrant population of the Balearic Islands archipelago (Spain), in the Mediterranean, has risen to 22 % of its total population. The aim of this study was to assess food consumption patterns among Balearic Islands' adolescents depending on their origin. A population-based cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out in the Balearic Islands (2007-2008; n = 1,231; 12-17 years old). Dietary assessment was based on a 145-item semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Food consumption differences between the adolescents' point of origin and time of arrival were been studied, as well as average daily meals and snacks. The adolescents' origin and number of years living in the Balearic Islands were also assessed. Native adolescents and immigrants from other Mediterranean countries showed healthier food consumption patterns than their peers from non-Mediterranean countries. Immigrant adolescents adapted their eating patterns to native dietary patterns increasingly, the longer they lived in the Balearic Islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to examine the discrepancy between patients and caregivers' ratings of quality of life in terms of accuracy and precision, and identify factors associated with it, in order to facilitate the use of this scale as dementia progresses. Design: Cross-sectional analytic study. Setting: Day care centres. Participants: Community-living patients with Alzheimer's disease in early or moderate stage and their principal caregivers. Measurements: Participants rated patients' quality of life using DEMQOL. The discrepancy was assessed using the individual difference score and the residuals for each domain of DEMQOL. The scores on Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Clinical Insight Rating Scale, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, Health Utilities Index Mark 3 and Zarit Burden Interview were considered as possible predictors of the discrepancy. Results: A total of 276 subjects participated in the study (138 patients with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers). Discrepancy measured by individual difference score was lower than that measured by the residuals. Burden and mood-related symptoms explained the positive differences and residuals, while pain, self-perceived depression and cognition determined the negative ones. Conclusions: Differences exist between patients and caregivers' perceptions about subjective states. The evaluations of each informant seem to be influenced by their own emotional state and the inner experience of the effects of the disease. Caregivers' ratings on DEMQOL could be useful to monitor the efficacy of any treatment whenever burden is low and patients have no great physical or emotional suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of AIDS & Behavior is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of AIDS & Behavior is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We present the Spanish validation of the 'Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition' instrument (MASC-SP). We recruited 22 adolescents and young adults with Asperger syndrome and 26 participants with typical development. The MASC-SP and three other social cognition instruments (Ekman Pictures of Facial Affect test, Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and Happé's Strange Stories) were administered to both groups. Individuals with Asperger syndrome had significantly lower scores in all measures of social cognition. The MASC-SP showed strong correlations with all three measures and relative independence of general cognitive functions. Internal consistency was optimal (0.86) and the test-retest was good. The MASC-SP is an ecologically valid and useful tool for assessing social cognition in the Spanish population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:There is an increasing evidence of the immunological role of breast milk (BM) microbiota on infant health. This study aims to analyze several determining factors of milk microbiota.Study Design:A total of 96 milk samples from 32 healthy mothers (19 preterm vs 13 at term gestations; and 15 vaginal deliveries vs 17 Cesarean sections) were longitudinally collected. Microbiota composition was studied by quantitative PCR and the influence of lactation stage, gestational age and delivery mode was evaluated.Result:Globally, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus spp. were the predominant bacterial groups. Total bacteria, Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus spp. counts increased throughout the lactation period. At all lactation stages, Bifidobacterium spp. concentration was significantly higher in milk samples from at term gestations than in preterm gestations. Higher bacterial concentrations in colostrum and transitional milk were found in Cesarean sections. Nevertheless, Bifidobacterium was detected more frequently in vaginal than in Cesarean deliveries.Conclusion:Lactation stage, gestational age and delivery mode all influence the composition of several bacteria inhabiting BM: Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus spp., and, consequently, may affect the infant's early intestinal colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific neuropsychological and sensory profile found in persons with autism spectrum disorders complicate dental procedures and as a result of this, most are treated under general anesthesia or unnecessary sedation. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a short treatment and education of autistic and related communication-handicapped children-based intervention program (five sessions) to facilitate a 10-component oral assessment in children (n = 38, aged 4-9 years) and adults (n = 34, aged 19-41) with autism spectrum disorder (with or without associated intellectual disability). The assessment ranges from entering into the examination room to the evaluation of the dental occlusion. There were statistically significant differences in the number of components reached and in compliance before and after the training program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the probability of perceived racism/other forms of discrimination on immigrant and Spanish populations within different public spheres and show their effect on the health of immigrants using a cross-sectional design (ENS-06). Variables: perceived racism/other forms of discrimination (exposure), socio-demographic (explicative), health indicators (dependent). Frequencies, prevalences, and bivariate/multivariate analysis were conducted separately for men (M) and women (W). We estimated the health problems attributable to racism through the population attributable proportion (PAP). Immigrants perceived more racism than Spaniards in workplace (OR = 48.1; 95 % CI 28.2-82.2), and receiving health care (OR = 48.3; 95 % CI 24.7-94.4). Racism and other forms of discrimination were associated with poor mental health (OR = 5.6; 95 % CI 3.9-8.2; OR = 7.3; 95 % CI 4.1-13.0) and injury (OR = 30.6; 95 % CI 13.6-68.7). It is attributed to perceived racism the 80.1 % of consumption of psychotropics (M), and to racism with other forms of discrimination the 52.3 % of cases of injury (W). Racism plays a role as a health determinant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests a model of physical aggression in a sample of 194 men being treated for physical or psychological aggression in the greater Madrid area of Spain. The prevalence of aggression in this sample was lower than in a US batterer sample. In the path model highlighted here, borderline personality traits and alcohol problems were identified as risk factors for physical aggression perpetration and the role of borderline traits was mediated by psychological aggression. A reciprocal relationship was found between psychological perpetration and victimization but not physical perpetration and victimization. These findings are discussed within a cross-cultural context; conceptual and treatment implications are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]