Mental health index of the elderly population in Medellín (Colombia)-2021: a factorial analysis.

Introduction: There are several risk factors associated with developing mental disorders among people over 60 years of age. Mental health encompasses multiple domains or capacities, which can comprise the psychological wellbeing of older people. Therefore, resilient coping, self-compassion, self-esteem, hopelessness, quality of life, and depression are considered the characteristics and adaptive mechanisms that bring together the main risk and protective factors for imbalance in mental wellbeing. Objective: This study aimed to establish the demographic, social, and family factors, as well as the clinical characteristics and lifestyle habits that influence the mental health of the elderly people in the city of Medellín, in the year 2021, to build a mental health index. Methodology: This study adopts a quantitative approach, employs retrospective temporality, and utilizes secondary sources. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with the SABAM Project (health and mental wellbeing of older adults from five cities in Colombia in 2021 by its Spanish acronym) database (secondary source), which is part of the research group "Public Health Observatory" of CES University (Medellín, Colombia). The database comprised 500 records of people aged over 60 years from the city of Medellín in 2021. While constructing the index, a principal component analysis was used, along with the Varimax method for factor analysis rotation. Results: The median age of the general population was 67 years (IQR 63-72); for men, the median age was 66 years (IQR 63-71) and for women, the median age was 67 years (IQR 63-72). An association was found between low socioeconomic levels, alcohol consumption, and the level of higher education (university-postgraduate) with low levels of the Mental Health Index in people over 60 years of age in Medellín during the year 2021. Conclusion: A quantitative model was developed to predict either a positive or negative prognosis in the mental wellbeing of the population over 60 years of age in the city of Medellín. The model was also used for the development of a sociodemographic profile highlighting the impact on mental health among people over 60 years of age with limited economic resources.

Trichoderma spp., una alternativa para la agricultura sostenible: una revisión

En la actualidad uno de los retos a los que se enfrentan los agricultores es producir alimentos bajo las inclemencias climáticas. Para el 2050, se estima un aumento en la demanda en producción de alimentos básicos a causa del incremento demográfico, aumentando con ello el detrimento de los recursos naturales. Dentro de las alternativas biológicas está el uso de insumos a base de microorganismos benéficos, como el género Trichoderma. Los cuales se han utilizado en los campos agrícolas para el control biológico contra un gran número de fitopatógenos. Sin embargo, aún son poco conocidas otras propiedades benéficas de este género para las plantas que coloniza y el ecosistema. Se realizó una búsqueda de artículos científicos en Academic Search Ultimate, BioOne, Acsess, Esmerald, Fuente Académica, ScienceDirect y Springer, entre 2015 y 2023, con dos excepciones de años anteriores. Se utilizó la palabra clave "Trichoderma" y aquellas relacionadas con interacciones microbianas y su aplicación agrícola. Esta revisión resume los hallazgos bibliográficos actuales de este género que muestran su alta capacidad hacia el desarrollo sostenible de los agroecosistemas. Varias investigaciones reportan su capacidad de inducir la defensa vegetal, la promoción del crecimiento y desarrollo radicular, así como la estimulación y síntesis de sustancias que contribuyen a fortalecer la fertilidad del suelo. Con ello mejora los rendimientos de los cultivos a los que se encuentra asociado. En definitiva, la aplicación de Trichoderma puede coadyuvar a disminuir los efectos negativos ocasionados por el uso de agroquímicos y fertilizantes sintéticos, contribuyendo a una producción más sostenible.

Currently, one of the most critical challenges facing farmers is the production of food under adverse weather conditions. By 2050, an increase in the production of staple foods is estimated due to demographics, thereby increasing the depletion of natural resources. Among the biological alternatives is the use of inputs based on beneficial microorganisms such as the Trichoderma genus, which have been used in agricultural fields for biological control against a large number of phytopathogens. However, other beneficial properties of this genus for the plants it colonizes, and the ecosystem are still little known. Therefore, a search for scientific articles was carried out in Academic Search Ultimate, BioOne, Acsess, Esmerald, Fuente Academic, ScienceDirect and Springer, between 2015 and 2023, with two exceptions from previous years. The keyword "Trichoderma" was used and those related to microbial interactions and their agricultural application. Therefore, this review summarizes the current bibliographic findings of this genus, that shows its high capacity towards the sustainable development of agroecosystems. Several investigations report its ability to induce plant defense, promote growth and root development, and stimulate and synthesize substances that help strengthen soil fertility. This improves the yields of the crops to which they are associated. With this, the application of Trichoderma can reduce the negative effects caused by the use of agrochemicals and synthetic fertilizers, contributing to a more sustainable production.

Validación de las propiedades psicométricas de la escala breve de estrategias resilientes en adultos colombianos / Validation of the psychometric properties of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) in Colombian adults

Resumen La resiliencia es la competencia de afrontamiento y adaptación a las condiciones estresantes que puede experimentar una persona. Se puede expresar a través de varias estrategias como el optimismo, la perseverancia, la creatividad y el crecimiento positivo frente a la adversidad. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala Breve de Estrategias Resilientes (BRCS) en población adulta colombiana. La muestra estuvo conformada por 456 adultos colombianos (41.7 % hombres y 58.3 % mujeres) entre los 18 y los 86 años (M = 46.99). El coeficiente de fiabilidad para el puntaje total de las dos subescalas de la BRCS fue de .77. Se corroboró la validez del constructo a través de la bondad de ajuste del modelo de un factor y la correlación entre los cuatro ítems, por el que se confirmó la estructura del modelo propuesto por Sinclair y Wallston (2004). Se analizó la validez concurrente con medidas de afrontamiento religioso y personalidad Tipo D. Se efectuó un análisis de la discriminación de los reactivos a través del coeficiente de correlación biserial, que indicó que las correlaciones del ítem con la escala total tienen un nivel de discriminación excelente, con valores entre .740 y .807. Los resultados muestran correlaciones significativas entre la resiliencia y el afrontamiento religioso positivo, índices de confiabilidad interna aceptables y consistencia interna, dados los índices del análisis factorial confirmatorio. Se concluye que la evidencia sugiere que la escala BRCS es un instrumento válido y confiable para la evaluación de la capacidad de resiliencia en adultos colombianos.

Abstract Resilience is the ability to cope and adapt to stressful situations that a person may experience. This ability can be expressed through several strategies such as optimism, perseverance, creativity, and positive growth from adversity. Considering the few studies on this subject in the Latin American context and, therefore, the difficulties in evaluating resilient strategies in adults, this research considered to analyze the psychometric characteristics of the Brief Resilient Strategies Scale (BRCS). This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the "Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS)" in the Colombian adult population. The sample consisted of 456 Colombian adults (41.7 % men and 58.3 % women) between 18 and 86 years old (M = 46.99). The reliability coefficient for the total score of the two BRCS subscales was .77. The construct validity was confirmed by goodness of fit results for applying a one-factor model to the scale and the correlation between the four items, confirming the structure of the model proposed by Sinclair y Wallston (2004), the initial solution of a factor was confirmed, with the same items loading the same factor and with factorial weights greater than .3. Likewise, all the values of the goodness of fit indices are within the accepted ranges for a good fit of the model. That is, the data fit the factorial model well. The concurrent validity was analyzed with measures of religious coping and type D personality. Positive correlations of the BRCS scale were found with positive religious coping of the RCOPE, indicating that a greater resilience, more expression of a sense of spirituality. In the same way, the BRCS scale correlates with the DS-14 scale, indicating that a greater resilience, less tendency to experience negative emotions such as dysphoria, tension, worry, irritability, and anger more extensively over time. In addition, the correlations indicated that a higher resilience, lower vulnerability to psychological stress with experiences of strong negative emotions and inhibition of their expression in interaction with other people. The results of the criterion validity suggest that people who use resilient strategies and religious coping are protective factors for the physical and mental health of the adult population, in such a way that people with higher levels of resilience may have a greater expression of a sense spiritual. Likewise, the most resilient subjects use variables such as satisfaction with life, humor, perceived personal competence, optimism, among others, indicative of a heightened sense of internal coherence. Also, the subjects who demonstrated greater resilience capacity were less vulnerable to experiencing negative affect and social inhibition. In general terms, these results suggest that the use of resilient strategies is related to constructs that are theoretically expected from a clinical and mental health perspective. The results show significant correlations between resilience and positive religious coping, acceptable internal reliability indices and internal consistency given the confirmatory factor analysis indices. An item discrimination analysis was performed through the biserial correlation coefficient, the correlations of the item with the total scale have an excellent level of discrimination, with values between .740 and .807. For data analysis, IBM SPSS Software®, Version 25, the R for Statistical Computing program (R Project, 2019) and LISREL 8.80 was used. The evidence suggests that the BRCS scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing resilience capacity in Colombian adults. In general, it was found that the BRCS has good psychometric properties in the various countries where it has been evaluated, for all the population groups analyzed, with only significant differences between men and women.

Economic Resources and Health: A Bi-Directional Cycle for Resilience in Old Age.

Objectives: The paper offers an expanded framework for conducting empirical research on resilient aging. Methods: We review the conceptual frameworks for resilient aging and incorporate the role of economic factors as resources that contribute to resilience, in addition to social and psychological factors emphasized in the existing literature. Moreover, the idea of reinforcing cycles of resilience is incorporated in the framework. Existing empirical evidence that supports the conceptual arguments is presented. Results: Examples from Mexico and other low-middle-income countries are included, as well as from high-income countries. Data requirements for applying the conceptual framework in empirical analysis and the state of data availability are examined. We illustrate the measures that are available for this purpose using the Mexican Health and Aging Study. Discussion: We discuss and conclude that the state of the field is rich in data to conduct empirical work on resilience in old age.

Lessons from the history of Agave: ecological and cultural context for valuation of CAM.

BACKGROUND AND SCOPE: Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is an intriguing physiological adaptation in plants that are widespread throughout many ecosystems. Despite the relatively recent mechanistic understanding of CAM in plant physiology, evidence from historical records suggests that ancient cultures in the Americas also recognized the value of CAM plants. Agave species, in particular, have a rich cultural legacy that provides a foundation for commercially valued products. Here, we review that legacy and potential relationships between ancient values and the needs of modern-day climate adaptation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: There are many products that can be produced from Agave species, including food, sugar, fibre and medicines. Traditional knowledge about agricultural management and preparation of plant products can be combined with new ecophysiological knowledge and agronomic techniques to develop these resources in the borderland region of the southwestern USA and Mexico. Historical records of pre-Columbian practices in the Sonoran desert and remnants of centuries-old agriculture in Baja California and Sonora demonstrate the climate resilience of Agave agriculture. Commercial growth of both tequila and bacanora indicates the potential for large-scale production today, but also underscores the importance of adopting regenerative agricultural practices to accomplish environmentally sustainable production. Recent international recognition of the Appellation of Origin for several Agave species produced for spirits in Mexico might provide opportunities for agricultural diversification. In contrast, fibre is currently produced from several Agave species on many continents. Projections of growth with future climate change suggest that Agave spp. will be viable alternatives for commodity crops that suffer declines during drought and increased temperatures. Historical cultivation of Agave affirms that these CAM plants can supply sugar, soft and hard fibres, medicines and food supplements.

Adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Resilience Scale SV-RES in hospital health professionals in Mexico / Adaptación, validez y confiabilidad de la Escala de Resiliencia SV-RES en profesionales de la salud hospitalaria de México

Abstract Introduction Resilience is the capacity in which the qualities and resources of the individual help in the successful coping of adverse situations. Studying the construct of resilience requires seeing it as a process and not only a characteristic of the individual. Saavedra's resilient response is a model that fits this idea and explains resilience satisfactorily. Having a measuring instrument for health personnel working in hospitals would allow discovering its benefits as a protective factor in the workplace. Objective Adapt and validate the Resilience Scale SV-RES in hospital health professionals in Mexico. Method Based on recent research literature, including response models and modified and adapted items from the Resilience Scale SV-RES, a total of 909 health professionals responded. Distribution, factor analysis, and internal consistency tests were performed. Results The process led to a scale of 28 items grouped into six factors with an overall internal consistency of (α = .908) and 50.5% of explained variance. Discussion and conclusion The Resilience Scale SV-RES has adequate psychometric properties that make it appropriate to measure the resilience capacity of hospital health professionals in Mexico.

Resumen Introducción La resiliencia es la capacidad en que las cualidades y recursos del individuo le ayudan al afrontamiento exitoso de situaciones adversas. Se ha advertido que estudiar el concepto de resiliencia requiere verse como un proceso y no sólo como elementos característicos del individuo, un modelo que explica de manera adecuada este proceso es el modelo de respuesta resiliente de Saavedra. Contar con un instrumento que permita su medición en personal de salud hospitalario permitiría descubrir su beneficio como factor protector en el lugar de trabajo y diseñar intervenciones preventivas o remediales. Objetivo Adaptar y validar la Escala de Resiliencia SV-RES en profesionales de salud hospitalaria en México. Método Se tomó como base la literatura de investigación científica contemporánea, modelos de respuesta resiliente y los reactivos de la Escala de Resiliencia SV-RES, adaptados y modificados, a los que respondieron 909 profesionales de la salud. Se realizaron pruebas de distribución, análisis factorial y consistencia interna. Resultados Se obtuvo una escala conformada por 28 reactivos agrupados en seis factores con consistencia interna global de (α = .908) y una varianza explicada de 50.5%. Discusión y conclusión La Escala de Resiliencia SV-RES cuenta con propiedades psicométricas adecuadas que la hacen apropiada para medir la capacidad de resiliencia en profesionales de la salud hospitalaria de México.

Resilient Coping is More Important Than Previous Virtual Learning Experience: Predicting Pharmacy Student Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a swift transition to online learning in medical and health sciences. This study investigated the associations of previous experience with online learning, current confidence with online learning, and resilient coping skills with perceived stress reported by pharmacy students during the emergency transition to online learning. Methods: Undergraduate pharmacy students (N=113, response rate = 41%) completed an online, self-report, cross-sectional survey during April-June 2020. Measures included Likert items measuring prior experience and current comfort levels with online learning, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), and the Perceived Stress Scale 10-Item Version (PSS-10). Experience, comfort with online learning, reported scores, and internal consistency for the BRCS and PSS-10 were summarized. A linear regression model examined the associations of prior experience with online education, gender, and resilient coping with perceived stress. Results: Of the 113 respondents (78% female, mean age 22.3 years), > 50% had only occasional prior experience with online learning, coursework, and examinations, but 63% expressed confidence with online learning. Mean PSS-10 and BRCS scores were 23.8 and 13.3, respectively, and both scales demonstrated good internal consistency (α > 0.80). BRCS score was the single predictor of the PSS-10 score (r2 = 0.18, p < 0.001). Female gender was not a significant predictor (p = 0.11). A multiple regression model explained moderate variation in perceived stress (adjusted R2 = 0.19). Conclusion: PSS-10 and BRCS scores indicated moderate levels of stress and coping skills among students during online teaching. Most students had some prior exposure to online learning, coursework, and examinations. Higher resiliency scores, but not prior online learning experience, predicted lower perceived stress.

Community health workers' non-technical skills for delivering primary healthcare in low-income areas.

BACKGROUND: To overcome the poor conditions of low-income areas in developing countries like Brazil, Community Health Workers (CHWs) are required to exceed the regular set of formal skills they are used to employ. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim at identifying the non-technical skills CHWs must develop to cope with the extraordinary situations that occur in vulnerable communities. METHODS: 41 CHWs based in two primary healthcare clinics in Brazil underwent two rounds of in-depth interviews. The analysis was carried out using the Analytical Hierarchy Process, resulting in the prioritization of social skills according to their calculated importance to house calls. RESULTS: Among the ten higher-scored skills, we find communication and advocacy skills being of high importance. Civility was found to be the most important attribute, confirming that community action relies strongly on the relationship between health professionals and the community. CONCLUSION: The results of our study contribute primarily to the improvement of community-based primary care programs as it helps to identify major skills required for community action.

Variability in Behavioral Phenotypes after Forced Swimming-Induced Stress in Rats Is Associated with Expression of the Glucocorticoid Receptor, Nurr1, and IL-1ß in the Hippocampus.

Individual differences in coping with stress may determine either a vulnerable or resilient phenotype. Therefore, it is important to better understand the biology underlying the behavioral phenotype. We assessed whether individual behavioral phenotype to acute stress is related with the hippocampal expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), Nurr1, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Wistar male rats were exposed to forced swimming for 15 min and sacrificed at different times. Behavioral response was analyzed, and it was compared with the gene and protein expression of GR, Nurr1, IL-1ß and BDNF in the hippocampus for each time point. Behavioral phenotyping showed a group with high immobility (vulnerable) while another had low immobility (resilient). No significant differences were found in the Nurr1, IL-1ß and BDNF mRNA levels between resilient and vulnerable rats at different recovery times except for Nr3c1 (gene for GR). However, exposure to stress caused significantly higher levels of GR, Nurr1 and IL-1ß proteins of vulnerable compared to resilient rats. This variability of behavioral phenotypes is associated with a differential molecular response to stress that involves GR, Nurr1, and IL-1ß as mediators in coping with stress. This contributes to identifying biomarkers of susceptibility to stress.

Prospects for plant productivity: from the canopy to the nucleus.

Population growth has been closely associated with agricultural production, since the first famine predicted by Malthus (1798) up to the Green Revolution of the past century. Today, we continue to face increasing demand for food and crop production (Tilman et al., 2011). Considering the combined caloric or protein content of the 275 major crops used directly as human foods or as livestock and fish feeds, Tilman et al. (2011) forecast a 100% increase in global demand for crops from 2005 to 2050. Meeting this demand with the lowest impact on the environment could be achieved by sustainable intensification of existing cropland with reduced land clearing (Tilman et al., 2011; Fischer and Connor, 2018).

Mental Health among Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Country Comparison.

Despite the global impact of COVID-19, studies comparing the effects of COVID-19 on population mental health across countries are sparse. This study aimed to compare anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown among adults from 11 countries and to examine their associations with country-level COVID-19 factors and personal COVID-19 exposure. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults (≥18 years) in 11 countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, China, India, Ireland, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, United States). Mental health (anxiety, depression, resilient coping, hope) and other study data were collected between June-August 2020. Of the 13,263 participants, 62.8% were female and 51.7% were 18-34 years old. Participants living in Brazil had the highest anxiety and depression symptoms while participants living in Singapore had the lowest. Greater personal COVID-19 exposure was associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms, but country-level COVID-19 factors were not. Higher levels of hope were associated with reduced anxiety and depression; higher levels of resilient coping were associated with reduced anxiety but not depression. Substantial variations exist in anxiety and depression symptoms across countries during the COVID-19 lockdown, with personal COVID-19 exposure being a significant risk factor. Strategies that mitigate COVID-19 exposure and enhance hope and resilience may reduce anxiety and depression during global emergencies.

Public health in times of crisis: An overlooked variable in city management theories?

The volume of research that associates the theme of city management with crises resulting from emerging infectious disease is modest, even after the occurrences of Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Similarly, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has thus far contributed only modestly to the expansion of attention to people's health, through city management, in times of crisis. This study, by means of a systematic literature review, analyzes the gap in research on urban theory on how epidemics are confronted. The term "cities" had 2,440,607 articles published and were identified 665 that presents the combination of the term "pandemic". After the development of content analysis were identified 11 articles prior to 2019 and 10 articles published between January and June 2020, adhering to the objective of this investigation. Prior to 2019 studies addressed topics related to the construction of an urban structure aimed at reducing people's vulnerability to infectious diseases, starting in 2020, the focus of researchers' attention is on the use of information and communication technologies used as tools for prevention and control. Theories of the management of cities indicate the need to extrapolate the urban perimeter, incorporating the relations of dependence in cities with the other actors within the surroundings, especially in times of crisis. Studies have emphasized that cities are not isolated islands; rather, they are parts of a complex system with multiple exchanges. This thematic field of study enhances research that presents urban planning solutions by using data-driven management to consider conduct, parameters, and protocols relating to public health in moments of crisis.

Global health, global surgery and mass casualties: II. Mass casualty centre resources, equipment and implementation.

Trauma/stroke centres optimise acute 24/7/365 surgical/critical care in high-income countries (HICs). Concepts from low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) offer additional cost-effective healthcare strategies for limited-resource settings when combined with the trauma/stroke centre concept. Mass casualty centres (MCCs) integrate resources for both routine and emergency care-from prevention to acute care to rehabilitation. Integration of the various healthcare systems-governmental, non-governmental and military-is key to avoid both duplication and gaps. With input from LMIC and HIC personnel of various backgrounds-trauma and subspecialty surgery, nursing, information technology and telemedicine, and healthcare administration-creative solutions to the challenges of expanding care (both daily and disaster) are developed. MCCs are evolving initially in Chile and Pakistan. Technologies for cost-effective healthcare in LMICs include smartphone apps (enhance prehospital care) to electronic data collection and analysis (quality improvement) to telemedicine and drones/robots (support of remote regions and resource optimisation during both daily care and disasters) to resilient, mobile medical/surgical facilities (eg, battery-operated CT scanners). The co-ordination of personnel (within LMICs, and between LMICs and HICs) and the integration of cost-effective advanced technology are features of MCCs. Providing quality, cost-effective care 24/7/365 to the 5 billion who lack it presently makes MCCs an appealing means to achieve the healthcare-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

Resilient Multiuser Session Control in Softwarized Fog-Supported Internet of Moving Thing Systems.

The combination of IoT and mobility promises to open a new frontier of innovations in smart environments, through the advent of the Internet of Moving Things (IoMT) paradigm. In IoMT, an array of IoT devices leverage IP-based mobile connectivity to provide a vast range of data ubiquitously. The IoMT realization will foster smart environments at unprecedented levels, by efficiently affording services and applications whereby today's technologies make their efficiency unfeasible, such as autonomous driving and in-ambulance remotely-assisted patient. IoMT-supported mission-critical applications push computing and networking requirements to totally new levels that must be met, raising the need for refined approaches that advance beyond existing technologies. In light of this, this paper proposes the Resilient MultiUser Session Control (ReMUSiC) framework, which deploys emerging softwarization and cloudification technologies to afford flexible, optimized and self-organized control plane perspectives. ReMUSiC extends our previous work through the following innovations. A quality-oriented resilience mechanism is capable of responding to network dynamics events (failure and mobility) by readapting IoMT multiuser mobile sessions. A softwarized networking control plane that allows to, at runtime, both fetch current network state and set up resources in the attempt to always keep affected IoMT multiuser mobile sessions best-connected and best-served. A cloudification approach allows a robust environment, through which cloud- and fog-systems interwork to cater to performance-enhanced capabilities. The IoMT's suitability and performance impacts by ReMUSiC framework use are assessed through real testbed prototyping. Impact analysis in Quality of Service (QoS) performance and perceived Quality of Experience (QoE), demonstrate the remarkable abilities of the ReMUSiC framework, over a related approach, in keeping IoMT multiuser mobile sessions always best-connected and best-served.

Use of plastic scrap in asphalt mixtures added by dry method as a partial substitute for bitumen.

In recent decades, the generation of plastic waste has increased substantially worldwide, with the result that more of such waste is introduced into the environment. Currently, most polymers (polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and others) are recycled. However, some are rejected for recycling in the primary separation processes due to their physical condition, contamination, or size. These materials are called plastic scrap. In this research, the use of plastic scrap added by dry method was evaluated as a replacement for bitumen in asphalt mixtures. Two sizes of plastic scrap, coarse and fine, were considered. An AC16S semi-dense mixture was designed for this purpose, with a 10% reduction in binder, and 10% and 20% of plastic scrap binder was added in coarse and fine sizes. The results obtained in the Marshall stability and flow test showed reduced moisture damage, greater indirect tensile strength, higher air void content, and a 2% decrease in the conserved tensile strength ratio while the same usage field as the conventional mixture was maintained. Meanwhile, significant decreases in plastic deformations, as compared to traditional values, were obtained from resilient modulus and rutting tests.

Relación entre apoyo social percibido y disposición resiliente en adolescentes paraguayos / Relation between perceived social support and resilient disposition in paraguayan adolescents

Resumen El estudio de la adolescencia ha destacado la vulnerabilidad del proceso asociado con variables como la disposición resiliente, presente en aquellos recursos que pueden hacer la diferencia para el sustento del bienestar o su ausencia. De estos recursos se destaca el apoyo social que el adolescente percibe de su entorno. El objetivo de la investigación se centró en establecer la relación entre el apoyo social percibido y la disposición resiliente, y compararlas conforme el sexo y la edad de una muestra de adolescentes paraguayos escolarizados. Se llevó a cabo un diseño comparativo y correlacional, con 1334 adolescentes escolarizados de 12 a 18 años (ME= 14.99; DE= 1.66), 725 mujeres y 609 varones. Se empleó la Escala de Apreciación de Apoyo Social -EAAS y el Inventario de Resiliencia IRES. Los datos evidenciaron que no existe correlación entre apoyo social y disposición resiliente en esta muestra específica de adolescentes paraguayos, por factores que habrá que seguir investigando. Se observan diferencias en el apoyo social de amigos y de otros, mayormente en los varones. En las mujeres, se observan diferencias significativas en las escalas de resiliencia, en el sentido del humor, autoeficiencia y empatía. En cuanto a edad, los adolescentes de 16 a 18 años puntúan más en religiosidad y en el apoyo social, familiar, de amigos y de otros. Se sugiere estudiar otras variables relacionadas con el apoyo social y la disposición resiliente, en tanto muchas de las políticas públicas preventivas de atención a la salud positiva refuerzan su importancia en la adolescencia.

Abstract The study of adolescence has highlighted the vulnerability of the process associated with variables such as the resilient disposition, present in those resources that can make a difference for the sustenance of well-being or its absence. Of these resources, the social support that adolescents perceive of their environment stands out. The objective of the research is to establish the relationship between perceived social support and resilient disposition, and compare them according to the sex and age of a sample of Paraguayan adolescents attending school. A comparative and correlational design is carried out, with 1334 school-age adolescents aged 12 to 18 (ME = 14.99, SD = 1.66), 725 women and 609 men. The instruments used were the Sociodemographic Certificate for Adolescents and their Families, the Scale of Appreciation of Social Support -EAAS de Martínez (2004) and the Inventory of Resilience IRES (Gaxiola Romero, Frias Armenta, Hurtado Abril, Salcido Noriega, Figueroa Franco, 2011). The results indicate that there is no correlation between social support and resilience, probably due to individual characteristics that generate resilient dispositions in adolescents. Regarding the scales of social support, there are differences in the social support of friends and others, mainly in males. In women, significant differences are observed in the scales of resilience, in the sense of humor, self-efficacy and empathy. Differences were found in the ages of the adolescents, the age group of 16 to 18 years obtained a higher score in religiosity and in social, family, friends and other support. It is suggested to study simultaneously more variables related to social support and the resilient disposition, since many of the preventive public policies of attention to positive health reinforces its importance in adolescence.

Comparison of subjective health between personality prototypes extracted from general population of Mexico / Comparação da saúde subjetiva entre protótipos de personalidade em população geral do México / Comparación de la salud subjetiva entre prototipos de personalidad recuperados en población general de México

Abstract The objective of this study was to extract personality prototypes from general population of Mexico and to compare subjective health indicators between these prototypes. Participants were 994 individuals (aged 14 to 63 years). Five personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness) were assessed with the NEO-FFI. Subjective indicators of health (self-rated health and psychological distress) were assessed with a question regarding health status and the GHQ-12. To verify the consistency of the prototypes, the sample was divided into two age groups, young (14 to 25 years) and mature (26 to 63 years.). Three stable prototypes were recovered from both groups. Resilient individuals (low neuroticism and high in other traits) had the best subjective health; the Non-Resilient individuals (high neuroticism and low in other traits) had the worst subjective health; and Self-Disciplined individuals (high conscientiousness and medium scores in other traits) were in the middle of these extremes in subjective health. Self-discipline and resilience were most discriminative in terms of subjective health. Findings are discussed in terms of the generalization of prototypes across cultures.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi obter protótipos da personalidade em população geral do México e comparar a saúde subjetiva entre eles. No total, participaram 994 indivíduos de 14 a 63 anos. Avaliaram-se cinco traços de personalidade (extroversão, neuroticismo, abertura à experiência, conscienciosidade e amabilidade) com o NEO-FFI, e a saúde subjetiva com o GHQ-12, e uma pergunta sobre o estado de saúde. Para corroborar a consistência dos protótipos, dividiu-se a amostra em dois grupos de idade: jovem (de 14 a 25 anos) e adulto (de 26 a 63 anos). Como resultado, obtiveram-se três protótipos em ambos os grupos: as pessoas resilientes -baixo neuroticismo e alto nos demais traços-, os que tiveram a melhor saúde subjetiva; as não resilientes -alto neuroticismo e baixo no restante dos traços-, que apresentaram a pior saúde subjetiva, e as pessoas disciplinadas -alto em conscienciosidade e média nos outros traços-, que apresentaram uma saúde subjetiva intermediária em comparação com os outros protótipos. Finalmente, a autodisciplina e a resiliência foram os traços que melhor discriminaram a boa saúde. Os achados são discutidos em termos da generalização de protótipos através de culturas.

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio fue obtener prototipos de personalidad en población general de México y comparar la salud subjetiva entre ellos. En total, participaron 994 individuos de 14 a 63 años de edad. Se evaluaron cinco rasgos de personalidad (Neuroticismo, Extraversión, Apertura, Responsabilidad y Amabilidad) con el NEO-FFI, y la salud subjetiva con el GHQ-12 y una pregunta sobre el estado de salud. Para corroborar la consistencia de los prototipos se dividió la muestra en dos grupos de edad: joven (de 14 a 25 años) y maduro (de 26 a 63 años). Y como resultado se recuperaron tres prototipos en ambos grupos: las personas Resilientes -bajo neuroticismo y alto en el resto de los rasgos-, quienes tuvieron la mejor salud subjetiva; las No-Resilientes -alto neuroticismo y bajo en el resto de los rasgos-, que presentaron la peor salud subjetiva; y las personas Disciplinadas -alto en responsabilidad y promedio en los otros rasgos-, que presentaron una salud subjetiva intermedia en comparación con los otros prototipos. Finalmente, la autodisciplina y la resiliencia fueron los rasgos que discriminaron mejor la buena salud. Los hallazgos se discuten en términos de la generalización de prototipos a través de culturas.

Integridad biótica de la microcuenca del Río Chiquito, Morelia, Michoacán, México, basada en la comunidad de macroinvertebrados acuáticos

Biotic integrity of the Chiquito River subwatershed, Morelia, Michoacán México, based on the aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages. The Chiquito River subwatershed supplies 30% of the potable water consumed by the city of Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. It is necessary to constantly monitor its waters using metrics that evaluate environmental degradation and aquatic assemblages. In the present study, we used the Index of Biotic Integrity for Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Associations (IBIAMA), the Visual-Based Habitat Assessment, and the Most Probable State to calculate the conservation status of the river at six sites along the main channel, including an upper site as a reference. A total of 51 474 specimens were identified, the taxonomic composition was comprised of 69 families distributed into four Phyla, eight classes, eight sub-classes, and 18 orders. The best preserved sites were found in the subwatershed headwater zone. The intermediate zone had impacted hydraulic conditions, environmental quality and biotic integrity. The downstream part of the subwatershed showed the resilient capacity of the river to reestablish macroinvertebrate assemblages and environmental parameters. There is a strong correlation among environmental qualities and the IIBAMA. The use of macroinvertebrates in combination with environmental parameters showed that the Chiquito River subwatershed is stable, rich and integral in aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages before entering the city of Morelia, and it conserves the processes that regulate the functional dynamics of the subwatershed. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 2): 221-231. Epub 2014 April 01.

La microcuenca del Río Chiquito abastece el 30% de agua potable para la ciudad de Morelia, Michoacán, México. Por ello es necesario el monitoreo constante de sus aguas, utilizando mediciones que evalúen el deterioro ambiental y la comunidad de macroinvertebrados acuáticos. Para el presente estudio se utilizó el Índice de Integridad Biótica para las Asociaciones de Macroinvertebrados Acuáticos (IIBAMA). Además de la Valoración de la Calidad Ambiental Visual y el estado más probable del cauce, en seis sitios dentro de la microcuenca y un séptimo fuera de la misma, como referencia. Se identificaron un total de 51 474 organismos: 69 familias distribuidas en cuatro filos, ocho clases, ocho subclases, y 18 órdenes. Los sitios mejor conservados se encuentran en la cabecera de la microcuenca. La zona intermedia se encuentra afectada en la condición hidráulica, calidad ambiental y en su integridad biótica. En la zona baja de la microcuenca, se observó la capacidad “resiliente” del río al restablecerse las comunidades de macroinvertebrados y los parámetros ambientales. Los resultados muestran que la calidad ambiental y el IIBAMA se encuentran correlacionados (r=0.82, p<0.01). El uso de los macroinvertebrados en combinación con los parámetros ambientales demuestran que antes de entrar a la ciudad de Morelia la microcuenca del río Chiquito es un sistema estable, diverso e íntegro en su comunidad de macroinvertebrados acuáticos, y que conserva los procesos que regulan la dinámica funcional de la cuenca.