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This paper aims to understand how teachers' attitudes are contributing to or hindering the educational inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Implicit and explicit measurement of the attitudes of fifty pre-service teachers towards ASD before and after a short-term training on Autism is presented. The explicit measure used was a Likert-type questionnaire, while the implicit measure was a Single Target Implicit Association Test (ST-IAT). After statistical analysis of the data, it was found that prospective teachers' explicit attitudes were positive before the short-term training, and they were significantly better after it. Conversely, participants' implicit attitudes were neutral before the short-term training, and no significant difference was found after it. Additionally, no statistically significant relation was obtained between explicit and implicit attitudes, either before or after training, which suggests that the used instruments measure different attitudinal constructs. According to the remaining findings, it is concluded that explicit attitudes may be more prone to social desirability bias than implicit ones, implying that future attitudes research regarding sensitive topics such as the educational inclusion of students with Autism should combine both measures. Moreover, implicit attitudes seem more difficult to change than explicit ones. Some implications for pre-service teacher education are discussed.

Inclusive education is currently one of the main aspirations of the Spanish educational system and one of the key aspects for its achievement is teachers' attitudes toward educational inclusion. In recent years, many studies worldwide have analyzed this aspect, but so far, any systematic review has specifically focused on the Spanish educational framework. For this reason, the purpose of this paper is to review the studies published from 2010 to 2019 whose aim was to analyze teachers' attitudes towards educational inclusion in Spain. After a literature search in four different databases (PsycInfo, ERIC, Dialnet Plus, and Google Scholar), 34 studies were selected and reviewed. The results suggest that Spanish teachers' attitudes toward educational inclusion are generally positive, although in some cases they are ambiguous. Teachers' attitudes are mainly influenced by the amount of training and their contact or not with students with special educational needs. The discussion highlights that more studies with a greater methodological diversity are required in order to provide a complete analysis of teachers' attitudes toward inclusion and that teacher training is one of the best tools to generate positive attitudes.

The teaching guides that complement textbooks have key importance in the assessment of competence in problem solving, because these materials contain the assessment tools that teachers frequently use to quantify the achievements of their students. In this paper, we set two aims: to analyze which curriculum contents are given priority in the assessment tests of the teaching guides; and to check to what extent these tests assess the steps of the mathematical problem solving process. For this, an analysis of the initial and final assessment tests of six Spanish publishers was conducted. The results show that the distribution of mathematical tasks by type of content does not fully conform to the theoretical framework proposed by TIMSS. In addition, only one of the six publishers considered the problem-solving process as evaluable.

Does home-based family involvement influence academic performance? To answer this question, a case study research was carried out with 96 children from all six levels of primary education at a public school, and their families. Data regarding home-based family involvement were collected using a questionnaire. Academic achievement was measured from school marks. The results reveal that, apart from two of the factors considered, home-family involvement as a whole is not significantly related to academic achievement. These two factors are access to informal education resources and parents' employment. Family involvement related to the access of children to informal education resources is significantly related to a better academic achievement. Those students with both parents working perform best, and those with none working, worst. Although gender does not appear to significantly influence academic achievement and family involvement, the results show that girls attain better school performance and receive more family attention than boys.

The inclusive education framework and the increase in autism diagnoses have led to an overwhelming challenge for pre-service teachers who need to be qualified to teach all children. To test the quality of their training, the main purpose of this study was to compare 866 pre-service teachers' knowledge, misconceptions, and gaps about autism in their first and final year at university, using the Autism Knowledge Questionnaire. The results show that fourth-year students obtained higher levels of knowledge and fewer gaps than the first-year students, although they also had more misconceptions. Special education specialists obtained significantly more knowledge and fewer misconceptions than the general education pre-service teachers. Specific training and experience had a significant influence on the knowledge and gaps, but it had no influence on the number of misconceptions. These results suggest that university preparation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might not adequately train all future teachers.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe the protocol of pilot cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) that will evaluate the effects of a lifestyle-based intervention. The Archena Infancia Saludable project will have several objectives. The primary objective of this project is to determine the 6-month effects of a lifestyle-based intervention on adherence to 24-h movement behaviors and Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in schoolchildren. The secondary objective of this project is to test the intervention effects of this lifestyle-based intervention on a relevant set of health-related outcomes (i.e., anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, perceived physical fitness, sleep habits, and academic performance). The tertiary objective is to investigate this intervention's "halo" effect on parents'/guardians' 24-h movement behaviors and adherence to the MedDiet. Methods: The Archena Infancia Saludable trial will be a cluster RCT submitted to the Clinical Trials Registry. The protocol will be developed according to SPIRIT guidelines for RCTs and CONSORT statement extension for cluster RCTs. A total of 153 eligible parents/guardians with schoolchildren aged 6–13 years will be randomized into an intervention group or a control group. This project focuses on two fundamental pillars: 24-h movement behaviors and MedDiet. It will mainly focus on the relationship between parents/guardians and their children. Behavior change strategies for dietary and 24-h movement behaviors in schoolchildren will be based on healthy lifestyle education for parents/guardians through infographics, video recipes, brief video clips, and videos. Conclusions: Most of the current knowledge on 24-h movement behaviors and adherence to the MedDiet is based on cross-sectional or longitudinal cohort studies, warranting a need to design and conduct RCTs to obtain more robust evidence on the effect of a healthy lifestyle program to increase 24-h movement behaviors and to improve adherence to the MedDiet in schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limitations in the use of public spaces have impacted the frequency and duration of movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep) and outdoor activities of children and adolescents. Whether pandemic-induced changes in movement behaviours are related to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children and adolescents is unknown. The aim of the current study was to examine the association between meeting 24 h movement guidelines and HRQoL during the COVID-19 lockdown among children and adolescents. Data from 1099 3–17-year-old children and adolescents from Spain and Brazil were analysed. An online questionnaire was used to collect parent-reported information concerning physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration. For the assessment of HRQoL, the EQ-5D-Y proxy version was used. The highest prevalence of reported problems was related to the 'worries/sadness/unhappiness' factor, where 36.3% of participants declared to have at least 'some problems'. Participants meeting the 24 h guidelines had a higher HRQoL score compared with those who did not (91.9 ± 2.5 vs. 84.3 ± 0.5, respectively; p < 0.05). The current study shows that children and adolescents that met 24 h movement guidelines presented a higher HRQoL during the COVID-19 lockdown, providing support for the promotion of healthy movement behaviours—especially during a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Aula Abierta. Revista de Investigación, Formación e Innovación en Educación (RIFIE) is the property of Universidad de Oviedo, Servicio de Publicaciones 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.)

An ancestral inversion of 900 kb on chromosome 17q21, which includes the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene, defines two haplotype clades in Caucasians (H1 and H2). The H1 haplotype has been linked inconsistently with AD. In a previous study, we showed that an SNP tagging this haplotype (rs1800547) was associated with AD risk in a large population from the Dementia Genetics Spanish Consortium (DEGESCO) including 4435 cases and 6147 controls. The association was mainly driven by individuals that were non-carriers of the APOE ε4 allele. Our aim was to replicate our previous findings in an independent sample of 4124 AD cases and 3290 controls from Spain (GR@ACE project) and to analyze the effect of the H1 sub-haplotype structure on the risk of AD. The H1 haplotype was associated with AD risk (OR = 1.12; p = 0.0025). Stratification analysis showed that this association was mainly driven by the APOE ε4 non-carriers (OR = 1.15; p = 0.0022). Pooled analysis of both Spanish datasets (n = 17,996) showed that the highest AD risk related to the MAPT H1/H2 haplotype was in those individuals that were the oldest [third tertile (>77 years)] and did not carry APOE ε4 allele (p = 0.001). We did not find a significant association between H1 sub-haplotypes and AD. H1c was nominally associated but lost statistical significance after adjusting by population sub-structure. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that genetic variants linked to the MAPT H1/H2 are tracking a genuine risk allele for AD. The fact that this association is stronger in APOE ε4 non-carriers partially explains previous controversial results and might be related to a slower alternative causal pathway less dependent on brain amyloid load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MAPT H1 haplotype has been linked to several disorders, but its relationship with Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains controversial. A rare variant in MAPT (p.A152T) has been linked with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and AD. We genotyped H1/H2 and p.A152T MAPT in 11,572 subjects from Spain (4,327 AD, 563 FTD, 648 Parkinson's disease (PD), 84 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and 5,950 healthy controls). Additionally, we included 101 individuals from 21 families with genetic FTD. MAPT p.A152T was borderline significantly associated with FTD [odds ratio (OR) = 2.03; p = 0.063], but not with AD. MAPT H1 haplotype was associated with AD risk (OR = 1.12; p = 0.0005). Stratification analysis showed that this association was mainly driven by APOE ɛ4 noncarriers (OR = 1.14; p = 0.0025). MAPT H1 was also associated with risk for PD (OR = 1.30; p = 0.0003) and PSP (OR = 3.18; p = 8.59 × 10-8) but not FTD. Our results suggest that the MAPT H1 haplotype increases the risk of PD, PSP, and non-APOE ɛ4 AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Galician Journal of Economics / Revista Galega de Economía is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones 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.)

The proposed introduction in the Spanish law of reviewable life sentence raises important issues in the field of criminal law as is the need for its application, taking into account that the compliance time maximum prison sentence in our country is very high; its possible unconstitutionality for violating the constitutional provisions relating to the rule of law; the human dignity and the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment. It is also disputed that it can achieve the purpose of rehabilitation and rehabilitation that must inspire custodial sentences, as reviewable life sentence affects the incapacitation of the offender. It raises questions about its effectiveness in order to prevent the commission of the most serious crimes, since it has not been proven that the severity of penalties leads to more preventive effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MTHFD1L gene SNP variant rs11754661 was found to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease in a recent Whole Genome Association Study [1]. We have carried out an independent study of this genetic variant in 2467 individuals from Spain. We found no evidence of association between the MTHFD1L marker and susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease in our sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change can induce shifts in species ranges. Of special interest are range shifts in regions with a conflict of interest between land use and the conservation of threatened species. Here we focus on the 94 threatened terrestrial vertebrates occurring in the Madrid region (Central Spain) and model their distributions using data for the whole peninsular Spain to evaluate which vertebrate groups are likely to be more sensitive to climatic change. First, we generated predictive models to quantify the extent to which species distributions are explained by current climate. We then extrapolated the models temporally to predict the effects of two climate-change scenarios on species distributions. We also examined the impact on a recently proposed reserve relative to other interconnected zones with lower protection status but categorized as Areas of Community Importance by the European Union. The variation explained by climatic predictors was greater in ectotherms. The change in species composition differed between the proposed reserve and the other protected areas. Endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates had different patterns of changes in species composition but those of ectotherms matched with temperature departures predicted by climate change. Our results, together with the limited dispersal capacity of herptiles, suggest that trade-offs between different design criteria accounting for animal group differences are necessary for reserve selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropsychological evaluations conducted in the United States and abroad commonly include the use of tests translated from English to Spanish. The use of translated naming tests for evaluating predominately Spanish-speakers has recently been challenged on the grounds that translating test items may compromise a test's construct validity. The Texas Spanish Naming Test (TNT) has been developed in Spanish specifically for use with Spanish-speakers; however, it is unlikely patients from diverse Spanish-speaking geographical regions will perform uniformly on a naming test. The present study evaluated and compared the internal consistency and patterns of item-difficulty and -discrimination for the TNT and two commonly used translated naming tests in three countries (i.e., United States, Colombia, Spain). Two hundred fifty two subjects (136 demented, 116 nondemented) across three countries were administered the TNT, Modified Boston Naming Test-Spanish, and the naming subtest from the CERAD. The TNT demonstrated superior internal consistency to its counterparts, a superior item difficulty pattern than the CERAD naming test, and a superior item discrimination pattern than the MBNT-S across countries. Overall, all three Spanish naming tests differentiated nondemented and moderately demented individuals, but the results suggest the items of the TNT are most appropriate to use with Spanish-speakers. Preliminary normative data for the three tests examined in each country are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The origin of the continuous seismic noise recorded during the last few years in the volcanic island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) is under debate, due to the important implications in terms of hazard. The seismic noise is strongly affected by anthropogenic contamination but previous work has shown that nevertheless a significant fraction of this noise has a natural origin, an origin that appears to be related to the generation of local tectonic events within or close to the island. In this paper, the variogram tool is used to characterize the so called “persistence” of the seismic noise. This analysis can quantify how much memory the seismic noise has of its recent past. This has important implications in terms of how informative the recorded noise can be about its future evolution, and this in turn puts important constraints on how likely it is for the seismic noise to be the source of potential precursors highlighting variations in the volcanic activity that is supposed to generate (part of) this seismic noise. In particular, the memory characterization can help to distinguish the naturally generated seismic noise from the anthropogenic contamination. Although only a few clear examples have been observed until now, the possibility that this memory can be affected by the occurrence of local tectonic events is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A textbook constitutes the hegemonic material of the educational institution. It acts as a mediator between the official curriculum and the educational practice. Given its potential influence in the classroom, this study analyzes the treatment of word problems included in the mathematics textbooks published by the publishing houses with the greatest diffusion in Spain at every primary education grade. Three variables were analyzed: their semantic structure, their degree of challenge, and their situational context. The results indicate that most of the problems included in textbooks are characterized by low complexity and variability regarding their semantic structure. They are also characterized by a limited degree of challenge and by being presented in highly standardized situational contexts. Likewise, it is found that there is no evolution in the treatment of these problems with respect to previous studies carried out in the Spanish context. Therefore, it is concluded that the mathematics textbooks currently used in schools are not effective tools to address the process of teaching-learning problem solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strongyloides stercoralis infection is frequently underdiagnosed since many infections remain asymptomatic. Aim: To estimate the prevalence and characteristics of asymptomatic S. stercoralis infection in Latin American migrants attending a community-based screening program for Chagas disease in Spain. Methodology: Three community-based Chagas disease screening campaigns were performed in Alicante (Spain) in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Serological testing for S. stercoralis infection was performed using a non-automatized IVD-ELISA detecting IgG (DRG Instruments GmbH, Marburg, Germany). Results: Of the 616 migrants from Central and South America who were screened, 601 were included in the study: 100 children and adolescents (<18 years of age) and 501 adults. Among the younger group, 6 participants tested positive (prevalence 6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5% to 13.1%), while 60 adults did so (prevalence 12%, 95% CI 9.3% to 15.3%). S. stercoralis infection was more common in men than in women (odds ratio adjusted [ORa] 2.28, 95% CI 1.289 to 4.03) and in those from Bolivia (ORa 2.03, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.59). Prevalence increased with age (ORa 1.02, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.05). In contrast, a university education had a protective effect (ORa 0.29, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.88). Forty-one (41/66; 62.1%) of the total cases of S. stercoralis infection were treated at the health care center. Positive stool samples were observed in 19.5% of the followed-up positive cases. Conclusion: Incorporating serological screening for S. stercoralis into community-based screening for Chagas disease is a useful intervention to detect asymptomatic S. stercoralis infection in Central and South American migrants and an opportunity to tackle neglected tropical diseases in a transversal way. The remaining challenge is to achieve patients' adherence to the medical follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The assessment of physical activity, physical fitness, and dietary quality in early ages is a physiological and public health need to contribute to the consolidation of a healthy lifestyle during adulthood. Hypotheses and objectives: Schoolchildren with a better level of physical activity have a better physical condition; schoolchildren with a higher level of physical activity have a better quality of diet; schoolchildren with a better level of physical condition have a better quality of the diet. The objective was to analyze the relationship between physical activity, physical condition and diet quality.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study with 298 schoolchildren aged 8-12 years. Fitness was assessed using the ALPHA-Fitness battery and physical activity and diet quality was assessed by means of questionnaires.Results: Schoolchildren with a better level of physical activity had a better level of physical fitness. The schoolchildren with a better level of physical condition showed a higher level of physical activity. Schoolchildren with a high level of physical activity and an average level of physical fitness, as well as schoolchildren with a high level of physical fitness (regardless of their level of physical activity), presented a better quality of the diet.Conclusion: The relationship between physical activity and physical condition is positive and bidirectional. Physical activity, fitness, and quality of diet are positively related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the relationship between particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) levels and the prevalence of excess weight in a representative sample of Spanish young people aged 2─14 years. This was an ecological cross-sectional study using data from the 2017 wave of the Encuesta Nacional de Salud Española (ENSE), a nationally representative survey of the Spanish young and adult population. The final sample included 4378 young Spanish people (51.0% boys). The weight (kg) and height (cm) of the study participants were proxy-reported by parents or guardians. Excess weight was determined according to the age- and sex-criteria of the International Obesity Task Force. The PM 2.5 level was calculated as the annual monitoring data indicator for 2017 among the different regions in Spain. Logistic regression models were performed to estimate the relationships between PM 2.5 and weight. Compared to young people located in regions with low levels of PM 2.5 , those reporting greater odds for excess weight were found in regions with medium PM 2.5 (OR = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02–1.49) and high PM 2.5 (OR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.11–1.64) after adjusting for several sociodemographic, lifestyle and environmental covariates. The prevalence of excess weight in young people was positively associated with PM 2.5 levels in Spain. This finding supports the hypothesis that air pollution exposure can result in excess weight in the young population, which, in turn, might lead to the development of metabolic disorders. From a socioecological perspective, a practical need to take environmental factors into consideration is important to address unhealthy weight in Spanish young people. • No previous study examined the relationship between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and excess weight in Spain. • Exposure to PM 2.5 is linked with increased prevalence of excess weight in Spanish children and adolescents. • Decreases in air pollutant might contribute to healthy weight management in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: this study aimed to estimate prevalence of metabolic syndrome and all its components to know the cardiovascular risk and metabolic control of the main risk factors in postmenopausal women aged over 45 years in the province of Cuenca (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain).Methods: in this cross-sectional study, we randomly selected 716 postmenopausal women from 3,108 women aged over 45. Metabolic syndrome was identified according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III definition. Cardiovascular risk was calculated by the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation ( < 65 years). The American Diabetes Association´s standards of medical care in diabetes were used to estimate metabolic control. The statistical analysis was done with SPPS.19 RESULTS: prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 61.7% (95%CI: 56.9-66.4). Prevalence of each component was: high blood pressure: 95.8% (95%CI: 95.7-95.8), abdominal obesity: 91% (95%CI: 90.9-91.0), low high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDLc) levels: 70% (95%CI: 69.8-69.9), high triglyceride levels: 56.9% (95%CI: 56.4- 56.9), high glucose levels: 54.3% (95%CI: 54.2-54.3). Cardiovascular risk was moderate until 65 years, but was high after this age. Metabolic control in postmenopausal women was very good for glucose, bad for systolic blood pressure and worse for lipid levels. Bad blood pressure control was associated with being over 65 years, being hypertensive and taking treatment for diabetes, but it reduced when being physically limited to do moderate exercise and anxiety increased.Conclusions: prevalence of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women in the province of Cuenca is the highest in Spain. High blood pressure and abdominal obesity are the commonest components. Cardiovascular risk was moderate-high in postmenopausal women, but systolic blood pressure and lipid profile were unsatisfactorily controlled. Early intervention is necessary to achieve a better risk profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A non-synonymous genetic rare variant, rs75932628-T (p.R47H), in the TREM2 gene has recently been reported to be a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Also, rare recessive mutations have been associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We aimed to investigate the role of p.R47H variant in AD and FTD through a multi-center study comprising 3172 AD and 682 FTD patients and 2169 healthy controls from Spain. We found that 0.6% of AD patients carried this variant compared to 0.1% of controls (odds ratio [OR] = 4.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21–14.00, p = 0.014). A meta-analysis comprising 32,598 subjects from 4 previous studies demonstrated the large effect of the p.R47H variant in AD risk (OR = 4.11, 95% CI = 2.99–5.68, p = 5.27×10−18). We did not find an association between p.R47H and age of onset of AD or family history of dementia. Finally, none of the FTD patients harbored this genetic variant. These data strongly support the important role of p.R47H in AD risk, and suggest that this rare genetic variant is not related to FTD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]