Andrea Conchado

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Breast Cancer Patients: Temporal Evolution, Predictors, and Mediation

This study (N = 102 women) evaluated the time course of posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) at different stages of nonmetastastic cancer diagnosis and treatment: during treatment, at the end of treatment, and at a 6-12 months follow-up. We also assessed the contribution of demographic, trait, and state predictors to PTSS, and coping processes as proximal mediators of the relation between Type C personality and PTSS. Results indicated that PTSS remained constant across all phases. There were significant correlations (range = .28 to .81) between PTSS and psychosocial variables and age, but not with other sociodemographic or medical factors. A linear growth curve model showed that hopelessness/helplessness (B = 1.45) and Type C personality (B = 1.40) were the best predictors of PTSD symptomatology, followed by trait dissociation (B = 0.55), and the coping strategies of anxious preoccupation (B = 1.20), cognitive avoidance (B = 0.91), and symptoms of acute stress disorder (B = 0.19). A mediation model showed that the coping strategies of anxious preoccupation, cognitive avoidance, and helplessness/hopelessness mediated the relationship between Type C personality and PTSS during treatment, posttreatment, and follow-up. These results clarify the contribution of different predictors of PTSS and can help develop prevention programs.

Physicochemical Quality Parameters at the Reception of the Honey Packaging Process: Influence of Type of Honey, Year of Harvest, and Beekeeper

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the influence of the type of honey, year of collection, and the beekeeper on the main physicochemical quality parameters (hydroxymethylfurfural “HMF,” moisture, and colour), measured on reception of the raw honey. 1593 samples (11 types of honey categorized by means of pollinic analysis), provided by 98 beekeepers, from 2009 to 2013, were analyzed. Colour was the parameter most affected by the type of honey and year, whereas HMF was the least affected in both cases. The clearest honeys were found to have the greatest moisture (orange, rosemary, and lemon) and the darkest had the least moisture (lavender stoechas, eucalyptus, sunflower, honeydew and retama). Lavender, polyfloral, and thyme had intermediate values of these parameters. For moisture, most samples were in accordance with international requirements (less than 20 g/100 g). All values were below the required limit for HMF (40 mg/kg), although a few of them were abnormally high as they were raw honeys (i.e., 2% of the samples had values higher than 20 mg/kg). The fact that all the inadequate samples came from specific beekeepers highlights the importance of their role, suggesting that training in good practices is the key to guarantee honey quality before it reaches the industry.

The Effect of Color on the Use of Electronic Body Protectors in Taekwondo Matches

This study investigated the relationship between the color protector and success in taekwondo combats in the qualification championships, when electronic body protectors were used. Moreover, it analyzed the confounding effect of a participant being a top-ranked athlete in the 2012 London Olympic Games, in a sample of 462 matches. Results from the entire sample showed a non-significant relationship between the combat outcome and the winner’s color electronic protector. At the level of the tournament, the results showed a significant relationship between wearing a red electronic protector and winning the combat in the Asian and the European qualification tournaments. For gender and weight categories, there was no clear color effect. A significant association was, however, found between wearing red and winning the match in the female featherweight category. The inclusion of electronic body protectors and a counterbalanced seed-condition seem to be effective for controlling the effect of the protector’s color on the outcomes of combats.

Volatile profile in the accurate labelling of monofloral honey. The case of lavender and thyme honey

The proliferation of hybrid plant varieties without pollen, such as lavender, has complicated the classification of specific types of honey. This study evaluated the correlation between the proclaimed type of monofloral honey (lavender or thyme) as appears on the label with the actual percentage of pollen. In addition, physicochemical parameters, colour, olfacto-gustatory profile, and volatile compounds were tested. All of the samples labelled as lavender were wrongly classified according to the usual commercial criteria (minimum 10% of pollen Lavandula spp.). In the case of lavender honey, there was significant agreement between commercial labelling and classification through organoleptic perception (81.8%), and above all between the commercial labelling and the volatile compounds (90.9%). For thyme honey, agreement for both parameters was 90.0%. These results offer compelling evidence that the volatile compounds are useful for the classification of lavender honey with low levels of pollen since this technique agrees well with the organoleptic analysis.

Competencies for knowledge management: development and validation of a scale

Purpose – The purpose of the current paper is to develop and validate a scale for measuring and managing the acquisition of competences provided by higher education studies. Design/methodology/approach – A representative sample of Spanish graduates was obtained in the framework of the REFLEX project. In this questionnaire, a battery of 19 self-assessed items was used to measure the contribution of universities to the acquisition of generic competences. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Findings – The main competences acquired in higher education according to Spanish graduates can be grouped as follows: innovation, interpersonal, knowledge management, communication, organisational and professional development. Results indicated excellent fit indexes of this six-factor model to data. Research limitations/implications – This scale may be particularly useful to understand the process of transition of higher education systems according to Bologna principles. It also represents a sign...

Influence of diet in urinary levels of metals in a biomonitoring study of a child population of the Valencian region (Spain)

Pollution by trace elements and its possible effect on organisms has become a worldwide concern due to the increasing presence of trace elements in the environment and especially in the food chain. Exposure to chemicals has traditionally been measured using environmental samples, however, human biomonitoring brings a different perspective, in which all sources and exposure pathways are integrated. The objective of this paper is to discern the possible relationship between childrens diet and the metals found in children urine. With this aim in mind, a total of 120 voluntaries participated in a diet survey carried out in a school-aged population (age 6-11) from the Valencian region. In addition, twenty trace elements were analysed in children urine (arsenic, antimony, barium, beryllium, caesium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, selenium, thallium, thorium, uranium, vanadium and zinc). Results permitted to compare metal levels in urine with metal levels of other biomonitoring studies to conclude that values, including ours, were similar in most studies. On the other hand, children who ate more vegetables had the highest values in cadmium, copper, molybdenum, antimony, thallium, vanadium, and zinc, while those who ate more fish reached higher values in mercury. Finally, children who ate more cereals and baked products had higher values in total arsenic.

The factor structure of the Medical Outcomes Study–Social Support Survey: A comparison of different models in a sample of recently diagnosed cancer patients

OBJECTIVE To analyse the factor structure and psychometric properties of the original and abbreviated versions of the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) in recently-diagnosed cancer patients. METHOD A sample of 128 newly-diagnosed cancer patients were assessed with the Spanish versions of the MOS-SSS and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to analyse six different factor structures. Internal consistency and convergent validity indexes were calculated. The models tested included all of the following: 1) the original five-factor model (comprised of the following dimensions: emotional, informational, and tangible support, positive social interaction, and affection); 2) a four-factor empirical solution; 3 & 4) two different three-factor structures obtained in studies conducted in cancer patients; and 5 & 6) a two-factor solution for the abbreviated 8-item form and a one-factor solution for the 6-item form. RESULTS The original five-factor structure showed a better fit index than the three and four factor models. Both the 6- and 8-item versions showed excellent goodness-of-fit, with adequate internal consistency and convergent validity indexes. CONCLUSION The MOS-SSS is a powerful, highly flexible instrument to assess social support in cancer patients. The full 19-item scale allows for a comprehensive assessment of the essential dimensions of social support, while the abbreviated versions permit a quick assessment that minimizes the burden on patients.

Detecting Measurement Biases: Sources of Uncertainty, Accuracy, and Precision of the Measurements

Measurement in health sciences helps practitioners to predict relevant clinical outcomes through different treatments and groups of patients. With this aim, clinical endpoints assess subjective health status, functional status, well-being, and quality of life from the point of view of a patient participating in a study or a clinical trial. Clinical endpoints include all types of patient-based outcome measures, such as questionnaires and scales, to report the patient’s subjective experience of health and the consequences of illness, such as symptom severity scales, satisfaction, distress, or difficulty. There is a consensus that these clinical endpoints should be used as the primary endpoints of all clinical research. However, the exclusive use of clinical endpoints poses some challenges for predicting clinical outcomes. For instance, survival is regarded as the main gold standard clinical endpoint, though its use as a primary clinical endpoint is highly unpractical due to its infrequent occurrence. Similarly, other unambiguous clinical outcomes, such as stroke or occurrence of predefined infections, have also been suggested as primary endpoints, although they usually do not offer clear and unambiguous information about the success of medical interventions [40].

EDEM Business School (Spain)

Marina de Empresas (MdE) is a unique space consisting out of an entrepreneurial hub whose aim is that of supporting the full entrepreneurial cycle through the three entities of which it is comprised: EDEM Business School for education and training, Lanzadera for acceleration and Angels for investment. The new shared location in Valencia’s MdE offers a comprehensive initiative that brings all the stages involved in starting up a business and promoting a common philosophy based on leadership, promotion of sustainable enterprises and the culture of endeavour together. In this case study, evidence was provided of how activities contribute in terms of acquiring teamwork skills, time management, working under pressure and project management skills, in addition to acquiring a feeling of commitment towards their colleagues. In addition, the authors found a potential area for improvement related to the link between the academic curriculum and its application in the cross-curricular project. These findings have important implications for pursuing alternative courses of action in order to find a meaningful link between theory and practice.