In this paper we defend that elective ventilation (EV), even if conceived as the instrument to maximise the chances of organ recovery, is mainly the means to provide the patient who is dying with a dignified death in several ways, one of them being the possibility of becoming an organ donor. Because EV does not harm the patient and permits the medical team a better assessment of the patient's clinical trajectory and a better management of the dying process by the (...) family, EV does not violate the principle of non-beneficence nor the principle of autonomy if we restrict the initiation of EV to those cases in which it is not known what the previous wishes of the patient were as regards to his or her care at the end of life. (shrink)

Uterus transplantation (UTx) research has been introduced in several countries, with trials in Sweden and the United States producing successful outcomes. The growing interest in developing UTx trials in other countries, such as Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, and Australia, raises important questions regarding the ethics of surgical innovation research in the field of UTx. This paper examines the current state of UTx in the context of the surgical innovation paradigm and IDEAL framework and discusses the ethical challenges faced by those (...) considering the introduction of new trials. We argue that UTx remains an experimental procedure at a relatively early stage of the IDEAL framework, especially in the context of de novo trials, where protocols are likely to deviate from those used previously and where researchers are likely to have limited experience of UTx. We conclude that countries considering the introduction of UTx trials should build on the strengths of the reported outcomes to consolidate the evidence base and shed light on the uncertainties of the procedure. Authorities responsible for the ethical governance of UTx trials are advised to draw on the ethical framework used in the oversight of surgical innovation. (shrink)

Diseases of complex origin have a component of quantitative genetics that contributes to their susceptibility and phenotypic variability. However, after several studies, a major part of the genetic component of complex phenotypes has still not been found, a situation known as “missing heritability.” Although there have been many hypotheses put forward to explain the reasons for the missing heritability, its definitive causes remain unknown. Complex diseases are caused by multiple intermediate phenotypes involved in their pathogenesis and, very often, each one (...) of these intermediate phenotypes also has a component of quantitative inheritance. Here we propose that at least part of the missing heritability can be explained by the genetic component of intermediate phenotypes that is not detectable at the level of the main complex trait. At the same time, the identification of the genetic component of intermediate phenotypes provides an opportunity to identify part of the missing heritability of complex diseases. (shrink)

The presence of patients’ families during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a controversial topic, due to its repercussions for clinical practice. While family members’ presence may help them to overcome their grief, it could be detrimental, as it may case posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and there is the possibility that family members may interfere with the procedure. For these reasons, families’ presence during CPR has rejected by some healthcare providers.To research concerns about families’ presence among providers dealing with CPR in the (...) Fundación Hospital Alcorcón (Madrid), I performed this study. Of the 190 providers surveyed, 115 submitted a complete questionnaire. The most frequently reported concerns were interference (78.3 percent of respondents), and PTSD (69.6 percent of respondents). Fewer pediatric providers were concerned about PTSD than other providers (41.2% percent versus 74.5 percent, p = 0.01). Providers were reluctant to offer families the option of being present unless they had requested it, and would only permit it under certain conditions. Having a staff member to support the family was of great value to most respondents. The author believes families have a negative right to be present during CPR and so should be invited to stay. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to analyze the idea of general resurrection of the dead at the end of times in the synoptic Gospels. We intend to clarify whether this concept can be interpreted as a transposition of the parallel belief contained in some intertestamental writings, or if the singularity of the religious experience expressed in the synoptic Gospels establishes an inexorable moment of discontinuity with the previous apocalyptic framework, making it impossible to understand this doctrine on the sole (...) basis of its Jewish precedents. In order to accomplish our goal, we shall first study the general resurrection of the dead in the Q source, the references to this notion in the gospel of Mark, and its meaning in both Matthew and Luke. We will exclude from our treatment all the topics related with the resurrection of Jesus, and we will be focused on the explicit mentions of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead as such. Since implicit beliefs are always difficult to assess, especially in the context of eschatological ideas, in which vagueness and absence of a systematic effort of exposition often prevail, we will not allude to other synoptic passages which have been regarded as potential expressions of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead at the end of times. (shrink)

The present study aims to explore whether the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia are contextually influenced by the area of residence. Furthermore, it is analyzed whether the effect of the acceptance of the disease on the emotional, cognitive and physical symptoms is moderated by the patients’ place of residence. Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 234 women with fibromyalgia were surveyed, of which 55.13% resided in rural areas and 44.87% in urban areas. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess pain severity, (...) anxiety and depression, functional limitation, physical and mental fatigue and acceptance of the disease. The results show significant differences in acceptance, pain, and physical and mental fatigue between patients from rural and urban areas. The rural area patients presented higher levels of acceptance and pain and lesser levels of physical and mental fatigue compared to the urban area. The moderation analysis add that, only in patients from the rural area, the variables of physical symptoms were significantly and negatively associated with acceptance. This study addresses for the first time the role of the place of residence in suffering from fibromyalgia, suggesting that the rural or urban environment plays a relevant role in the severity and/or management of symptoms in fibromyalgia women. Limitations and practical implications are also discussed. (shrink)

Health professionals are especially exposed to stress, with consequences on professionals’ health and wellbeing. However, palliative care professionals’ wellbeing has been the subject of very little research. The aim of this work is to study the Personal Wellbeing Index in a sample of Spanish palliative care professionals, as well as to study their levels of wellbeing and the relationships of wellbeing with variables such as gender, age, marital status, profession, and professional quality of life. A cross-sectional survey of Spanish palliative (...) care professionals was conducted. The Spanish version of the PWI and the Short version of the Professional Quality of Life Scale were used. Here, 296 palliative care professionals attending patients at the end of life participated in the study. They showed medium to high levels of wellbeing. The PWI showed an adequate internal structure [χ2 = 116.130 ]; Comparative Fit Index = 0.970; standardized root mean square residual = 0.041; root mean square error of approximation = 0.140 ] and excellent estimates of reliability [α = 0.879 and Composite Reliability Index = 0.923]. Wellbeing was higher for married compared to single and showed no relation with age, gender, and profession. Additionally, a structural equation model was estimated, in which a positive relation was found between wellbeing and compassion satisfaction and a negative one with burnout. The PWI is adequate to measure personal wellbeing in Spanish palliative care professionals. (shrink)

El artista chileno José Miguel Blanco tuvo un rol protagónico en la escena cultural del país durante la segunda mitad del siglo XIX. Aparte de su labor escultórica, traducida en una cantidad importante de obras, una buena parte de su quehacer estuvo vinculado con la escritura de arte, lo que se materializó, principalmente, en el periódico El Taller Ilustrado, el primer medio informativo en el país dedicado exclusivamente a temas de arte, que este escultor creó y dirigió por casi (...) cinco años. Desde esa tribuna Blanco promovió información, debates e iniciativas que favorecieron el desarrollo cultural del país. Este escultor es, sin lugar a dudas, el autor más prolífico en la escritura artística chilena de su tiempo. The Chilean artist José Miguel Blanco had a protagonic role in the culture scene in the country during the second half of the 19th century. Besides his works of sculpture, reflected in an important quantity of pieces of art, a great part of his work was related to the Artistic Writing, which was materialized, mainly in the newspapers called El Taller Ilustrado, the first informative media in the country dedicated exclusively to the topics of Art, that this sculptor created and managed for almost five years. From this tribune, Blanco promoted information, debates and initiatives that contributed to the development of culture in Chile. The sculptor is, without any doubt, the most prolific author in Chilean Artistic Writing in his time. (shrink)

Este texto se sitúa en la juntura de los feminismos del sur que señalaron el encubrimiento de la heterogeneidad de las mujeres indo-afro-latino-americanas. Desde las cadencias y los ritmos de las voces de mujeres de Nuestra América cuyos saberes interrumpen, disrumpen e intervienen muestra que los problemas del feminismo blanco burgués del norte no son los de todas las mujeres puesto que algunas mujeres escapan a la fragilidad femenina que justifica el paternalismo y los micromachismos dentro y fuera de (...) la academia, incluso dentro y fuera de la misma clase, etnia o generación. Desde los feminismos del sur se propone habilitar un diálogo entre/con “las otras” de nosotras no sólo para articular teóricamente y coalicionar políticamente nudos epistémicos que pongan en crisis el modelo de la representación y con ello una revisión del punto de vista, sino también para desmontar, paralelamente desde la ontología relacional que suponen, el privilegio epistemológico, la violencia epistémica y el extractivisimo académico que ubica y posiciona a unas sobre otras en la reproducción de “las otras de nosotras”. A partir de los posicionamientos de María Lugones, Rita Segato, Aura Cumes, Lorena Cabnal y Julieta Paredes, se propone visibilizar los nudos epistemológicos venidos de los feminismos comunitarios e indígenas que habilitan ampliaciones metodológicas desde las que podrían configurarse una historia de las resistencias de las mujeres de Latinoamérica en la exterioridad de los paradigmas euronortecentrados. (shrink)

The Subjective Well-Being Scale and its short version were developed and validated to measure life satisfaction and positive affect in a Spanish-speaking population. The aim of the present study was to obtain additional evidence of validity for the EBS-8. To this end, the scale was applied in three successive studies to a total of 2259 Mexicans aged 12 to 81 years. The results of the first study allowed us to confirm its unifactorial structure and its adequate reliability ; in the (...) second its measurement invariance by sex, social group and age was tested. From the psychometric indices obtained, it is concluded that the EBS-8 is an excellent brief instrument constructed in Spanish to assess subjective well-being in adolescents, young people, adults and older adults. (shrink)

In this paper we deal with some new axiom schemes for Peano's Arithmetic that can substitute the classical induction, least-element, collection and strong collection schemes in the description of PA.

The life of Saint Teresa of Jesus, the most famous mystic of sixteenth-century Spain, was characterized by recurrent visions and states of ecstasy. In this paper, we examine social components related to Teresa’s personal crises and the historical conditions of her times, factors that must be taken into account to understand these unusual forms of experience and behavior. Many of these factors (e.g., increasing individualism and reflexivity) are precursors of the condition of modern times. Indeed, certain parallels can be observed (...) between Saint Teresa and certain present-day psychopathological disorders. The analogy should not, however, be carried too far. Religion played a particularly crucial role in Teresa’s cultural context; as a result, it would be misleading to view her mystical experiences as resulting from a mental disorder. (shrink)

RESUMEN La neurociencia ha proporcionado valiosas herramientas para analizar problemas filosóficos; sin embargo, el debate sobre el papel de las evidencias neurocientíficas en la explicación de determinados fenómenos mentales sigue abierto. La discusión se centra en la experiencia mística y sus bases neuronales, lo que permite efectuar consideraciones más genéricas acerca de la legitimidad y el alcance de los razonamientos neurocientíficos cuando versan sobre algunos de los más conspicuos productos de la cultura. ABSTRACT Neuroscience has provided valuable tools for the (...) analysis of philosophical problems; however, there is an ongoing debate over the role of neuroscientific evidence in the explanation of certain mental phenomena. The discussion focuses on the mystical experience and its neuronal bases, which makes it possible to carry out more generic considerations regarding the legitimacy and scope of neuroscientific arguments when they involve some of the principal cultural products. (shrink)

"The contributions to this book offer a broad vision of the relationships that were established between Greek Philosophy and the Mystery Cults. The authors centre their attention on such thinkers as Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoic and the Neoplatonist philosophers, who used - and in some cases criticised - doctrinal elements from Mystery Cults, adapting them to their own thinking. Thus, the volume provides a new approach to some of the most renowned Greek philosophers, highlighting the influence that Mystery Cults, (...) such as Orphism, Dionysianism, or the Eleusinian rites, had on the formation of fundamental aspects of their thinking. Given its interdisciplinary character, this book will appeal to a broad academic readership interested in the origin of Hellenic thinking and culture. It will be especially useful for those eager for a deeper approach to two fundamental domains that attract the attention of many Antiquity scholars: Greek philosophy and religion. (shrink)

Actualmente son necesarias propuestas educativas que promuevan la sostenibilidad mediante activismo digital. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la movilización de competencias digitales docentes a través de la creación de storytellings sobre la Fast Fashion. Su análisis mostró cómo estas experiencias pueden propiciar el desarrollo de capacidades de comunicación y colaboración, como son la participación para la creación de contenidos, la participación ciudadana en línea o la capacidad para compartir contenidos. Los vídeos creados relacionan las acciones cotidianas con las (...) consecuencias socioambientales y llaman a la transición hacia formas de consumo conscientes, mostrando su potencial creativo e inspirador. (shrink)

The current study analyzed the relationship between Coronavirus Awareness, mental health, and willingness to seek professional psychological help. This was made through a quantitative approach, using online questionnaires to collect data from 855 subjects. The questionnaires included the Brief Symptom Inventory to measure mental health indicators, the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale–Short Form, and the Coronavirus Awareness Scale-10. An Exploratory Factor Analysis suggests that three factors underlie the CAS-10: Coronavirus Concern, Exaggerated Perception, and Immunity Perception. Results indicate a (...) significant positive correlation between Coronavirus Concern and both general anxiety and phobic anxiety symptoms. Immunity Perception is positively related to paranoid ideation and psychotic symptoms. A Mediation Analysis determined that Coronavirus Concern has a significant positive direct effect on Openness to Seeking Psychological Treatment, while Exaggerated Perception and Immunity Perception scores have significant direct negative effects on the Value and Need in Seeking Treatment scores. Indirectly, the relationship between Coronavirus Concern and OPST is significantly mediated by anxiety symptoms. Similar results were found for the VNST subscale. There is a negative significant effect of Immunity Perception over OSPT mediated by Paranoid Ideation. However, the overall model only achieved small r2 coefficients for the OSPT and VNST scores. Comparisons in Coronavirus Awareness between sex, age, and the presence of children and older adults at home were also made. These results are discussed regarding their practical implications for mental health providers and policymakers. (shrink)

We focus on the literature about UBI and the experiments developed all around the world to test it in order to address how UBI implementation could affect entrepreneurship. Building on these findings and various strands of entrepreneurial theory, we develop a theoretical framework to explain how the implementation of UBI would dramatically change the environment of entrepreneurial activity, shaping entrepreneurial action at three levels: (i) the desirability of becoming an entrepreneur; (ii) the perceived feasibility of becoming an entrepreneur; (iii) the (...) propensity to act. Consequently, UBI implementation would arguably facilitate the decision to become an entrepreneur. The contribution of the paper is threefold. It firstly provides a theoretical framework that opens new directions for further research on the relationship between UBI and entrepreneurship. Secondly, it offers new insights for policy makers by shedding light on potential effects of UBI implementation. Finally, it raises further questions that remains unsolved related to the role of non-pecuniary motivations and financial constraints. (shrink)

This essay reviews the documents of the pontifical magisterium of the Church from the encyclical Mater et magistra (1961) to the exhortation Evangelii gaudium (2013), in order to show the Church’s historical commitment to the defense of the environment. It then argues that Laudato si’ elevates the theological status of the environmental crisis to that of a new social issue, much as Leo XIII did for the industrial crisis with his encyclical letter Rerum novarum (1891).

Este artículo describe el reto que el protagonismo laical supone en los campos, inseparables y mutuamente referidos, de la misión, la comunión y la formación. La “teología del laicado”, en el orden teórico, y el apostolado seglar, en el práctico, se contemplan en el horizonte de una “eclesiología total”. La realidad de un “Pueblo de Dios en salida” solo será concretamente posible a través de la corresponsabilidad y la complementariedad de fieles y pastores.

Upper echelons theory posits that organisational performance reflects the personal values and cognitive frames of the top management team and, crucially, that greater heterogeneity in individual backgrounds of senior executives leads to better outcomes. However, often missing from this research is a more developed account of how this relationship between the characteristics of TMTs and performance is also mediated by internal conditions within organisations. In this paper we begin to address this deficiency focusing on the mediating impact of employee satisfaction (...) and the styles and practices of line managers. Looking at the empirical case of English National Health Services acute care hospital trusts, we use a multiple mediation model to analyse the relationship between board heterogeneity, performance and these two organisational factors. A variance-based structural equation modelling approach is applied to a sample of 102 boards of directors. First, the results lend support to the UE hypothesis that there is a positive impact of board heterogeneity and hospital-level performance. Second, the analysis shows that the relationship heterogeneity–performance is positively influenced by: the styles and practices of line managers; the levels of staff satisfaction; and by their mutually reinforcing roles. (shrink)