Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for approximately 73-83% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and continues to be a serious clinical challenge [1]. The role of injury mechanism in TBI has been widely debated, and it is believed that although there are differences between diffuse and focal TBI, the resulting injury is not influenced by the way in which it was acquired [1], [2]. It is known that TBIs can cause cognitive impairments that are often due to injury experienced in the hippocampus [2]. In response to insult, quiescent neural stem cell (NSC) populations within the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus become activated. Stem cell differentiation following injury is hypothesized to be unique for diffuse and impact TBIs, primarily due to the differences in mechanotransduction pathways triggered by each respective injury. By quantifying the lineage of stem cells through immunohistochemistry, this study examined the dentate gyrus following mTBI in a rodent model, and the contribution that injury mechanism plays in mTBI outcomes. Additionally, the behavioral effects of mTBI were assessed through open field testing at 72 hours and four weeks following injury. Overall, these findings indicated that after four weeks following mTBI, there are not significant differences between impact and blast both from an immunohistochemical and behavioral standpoint. Despite there being few differences between injury groups, these findings help clarify the role of injury mechanism not only in the context of neurogenesis, but they also inform future studies addressing preventative and treatment strategies for mTBI. / Master of Science / Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for approximately 73-83% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBI) [1]. There are two main ways in which a mTBI can occur: through diffuse or focal injury. A diffuse injury is due to the brain experiencing a force that does not physically come into contact with the head, such as a shockwave from an explosion. These types of injuries typically affect the entire head. Impact injuries on the other hand, are caused by the head encountering an object at a force that causes injury to the brain. These injuries tend to be focal, as the entire head rarely comes into contact with an object. Both diffuse and focal injuries can cause mTBI, and there is a current debate questioning if the mode of injury has an impact on the damage experienced by the brain [1], [2]. However, it is also known that mTBI can cause cognitive impairments such as changes in behavior, memory, and even mental health, which can occur in the hippocampus of the brain [2]. Within the hippocampus, there is a small subset of cells referred to as neural stem cells (NSC) that become active following injury. The activation of these cells is believed to be in response to injury in the brain. Furthermore, NSCs have the ability to differentiate into various cell types within the brain, including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons. Each of these cell types perform an integral role in the function of the brain. It is hypothesized that the response of NSCs in the hippocampus is unique depending on if an injury was acquired through diffuse or impact mechanisms. To investigate this, the lineage of NSCs was quantified within the hippocampus following blast and impact mTBI in a rodent model. Additionally, the behavioral effects of diffuse and impact injury were investigated at 72 hours and four weeks following injury. Despite there being no significant differences in outcomes between injury groups, these findings help clarify the role of injury mechanism not only in the context of NSC response, but they also inform future studies addressing preventative and treatment strategies for mTBI.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on marital relationships. MCI refers to age-related decline in memory and other cognitive processes that do not necessarily interfere with daily activities or the maintenance of social relationships with others (Petersen et al., 1999). Using social exchange theory as the theoretical framework to guide this qualitative study, aspects of the marital relationship explored from the nonimpaired spouses’ perspective were couple interaction, intimacy, and the division of household labor. In-depth interviews were conducted with five husbands and five wives (M age = 76.6 yrs., S.D. = 6.64). Open-ended interview questions that focus on issues specific to the marital relationship included: (a) range of activities participated in as a couple, (b) ways of showing care or affection toward one another, and (e) management of everyday life. In addition to participating in the semi-structured interviews, the spouses completed three standardized scales (e.g., Revised Memory & Behavior Problems Checklist, Zarit Burden Interview, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale). Their responses to these measures provided information about the memory and behavioral changes of the elder as it related to the outcomes for and responses of the spouse. Spouses noted both change and stability within their marriages. They expressed “mixed emotions” concerning the influence of MCI on both them as individuals and on their relationship. Husbands’ responses focused on the negative relationship outcomes (e.g., frustration, stress) associated with caring for a spouse with memory loss; however, wives reported higher levels of burden and depression on the standardized measures than did the husbands. Gender differences were found regarding how husbands and wives view their roles in context to the caregiving situation, as well as how they adapt and cope. Longitudinal research is needed to examine the changes in the dynamics of these late-life marital relationships over time. / Master of Science

Tesis por compendio / [EN] Dry-cured ham is a product highly appreciated by consumers, nevertheless, there are a large number of manufacturing process-related parameters, as well as ham intrinsic factors, that compromise its final quality. One of the main problems in the quality of dry-cured ham is the appearance of textural defects, in particular, the development of pastiness. This defect is characterized by an excessive softness and loss of elastic behavior of the ham and when tasted, it provokes a feeling similar to the mouth-coating sensation produced by a flour-water paste during the mastication process. Pastiness also makes slicing difficult and promotes the adhesiveness between slices. Currently, the methods available to measure ham pastiness are time-consuming and destructive. For this reason, the seek of faster and non-destructive technologies capable of detecting pastiness is of great importance. In this sense, different technologies such as near infrared spectroscopy, X-rays or ultrasound, that have been previously tested for the nondestructive characterization of different meat products, could be of interest for the detection of ham pastiness. Different approaches, such as the use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) or the application of low-temperature long-time thermal treatments (LTLT) at the end of the ham manufacturing, have been previously addressed for the correction of pastiness in dry-cured ham. Notwithstanding, the high cost and the long time required for the HHP and LTLT treatments, respectively, highlights the need for moderate cost and faster alternatives. In this context, the main goals of this thesis were to determine the feasibility of using low intensity ultrasound to non-destructively detect the appearance of pastiness during ham manufacturing and to characterize the level of pastiness in the final product, as well as to explore the feasibility of mild ultrasonic assisted thermal treatments to correct this textural defect. To meet the goal of ham pastiness characterization and correction, a customized drycured ham manufacturing was designed and carried out in order to obtain hams with different levels of pastiness with no remarkable differences on the salt content. During ham manufacturing, the feasibility of using contact ultrasound to monitor the appearance of pastiness was addressed. The ultrasonic velocity was measured in the raw ham, at the end of the salting and post-salting stages, 3 times during the drying-maturation and once the manufacturing was finished. At the end of the manufacturing, the pastiness level (high, medium and no pasty) was also sensory evaluated by an expert panel. As the manufacturing progressed, a progressive increase in the ultrasonic velocity, from 1536 m/s in the raw ham to 1713 m/s in the final dry-cured ham, was found. Notwithstanding, the increase in the ultrasonic velocity was not related with the pastiness defect, probably because the ham texture changes linked to pastiness were masked by the great influence of the compositional changes (salt gain and moisture loss) on the ultrasonic velocity. Therefore, the ultrasonic velocity was not an effective parameter to detect the appearance of pastiness in hams during manufacturing, neither to classify them according to its pastiness level at the end of the manufacturing. Contact ultrasound was also used to monitor the compositional and textural changes taking place along the ham post-salting stage. For this purpose, another batch of hams was salted and post-salting times from 7 to 56 days were tested. During post-salting, the hams were weighted and the ultrasonic velocity was measured every 2 days. Each 7 post-salting days, the composition and the textural properties of a different ham were destructively analyzed. The ham weight loss during the post-salting stage was satisfactorily (r=0.95) described by the increase in the ultrasonic velocity. Moreover, the salt distribution and the moisture loss in the internal parts of the ham were satisfactorily related (r=0.93 and r=0.86, respectively) with the increase in the ultrasonic velocity. The variation in the ham hardness during post-salting was negligible and hence, the velocity increase was mainly attributed to the compositional changes, being barely affected by the changes in texture. The hams obtained after the customized manufacturing were sliced and the ultrasonic velocity and attenuation were measured on the Biceps femoris muscle with the aim of nondestructively finding out its pastiness level. Furthermore, in order to better analyze this textural defect, the composition, protein degradation, instrumental texture and microstructure of the hams were analyzed. Pasty samples presented the highest proteolysis index (38.7% compared to 33.1% for non-pasty hams), exhibited the more relevant structural degradation (merged myofibril structures and appearance of large gaps) and consequently, were the softest (5.4 N of hardness compared to 16.7 N for non-pasty hams) and presented the most intense viscous behavior (0.434 compared to 0.372 for non-pasty hams), although a high degree of experimental variability was found. The non-destructive assessment performed with ultrasound revealed that ultrasonic attenuation could be successfully applied for the grading of dry-cured ham slices according to its pastiness level. Thus, the greater the pastiness, the higher the ultrasonic attenuation, being the average attenuation coefficient for high, medium and no-pasty samples 48.2, 45.4 and 43.1 Np/m, respectively. Notwithstanding, the ultrasonic velocity was similar in all the ham samples, regardless its pastiness level. As observed in whole hams, the ultrasonic velocity was not a satisfactory parameter to detect pastiness in sliced ham, since the large influence of the composition on the ultrasonic velocity added to a similar salt and moisture content of the samples, regardless its pastiness level, led to a similar velocity for the different pastiness levels. Air-coupled ultrasonic techniques in both through-transmission and pulse-echo modes were developed for the characterization of dry-cured ham texture. The non-invasive nature of aircoupled ultrasound allows a contactless measurement, which makes easier its industrial implementation compared to conventional ultrasound techniques for high speed applications without material surface alteration and cross-contamination between food items. As for corrective actions of the texture defects in dry-cured ham, mild thermal treatments in two different heating media (water and air) were evaluated. Furthermore, the feasibility of intensifying these mild thermal treatments with the assistance of power ultrasound was considered. For that purpose, commercial vacuum-packed dry-cured ham slices were heated in a liquid medium, with and without ultrasonic assistance, at different temperatures (40, 45 and 50 ºC), measuring the temperature in the Biceps femoris and in the Semimembranosus muscles. Regarding the treatments in air, commercial vacuum-packed dry-cured ham cylinders were used. In the first set of experiments, ham was heated at a constant air velocity (2 m/s) until different temperatures (40, 45 and 50 ºC) were reached. While in the second set of experiments, ham was treated at constant air temperature (50 ºC) at different air velocities (1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 m/s). In both sets, the treatments were performed with and without power ultrasound application, measuring the temperature in the center of the cylinder. Thermal treatments were extended until a target temperature of 5 ºC lower than the medium (water-air) heating temperature was reached, thus, holding temperature stage did not exist and the treatments only considered the heating one. The heating kinetics of the ham treated in both water and air heating media were mathematically described by means of a heat conduction model. Once the heating finalized, the textural changes of ham (hardness and elastic behavior) were evaluated. The experiments showed that power ultrasound application sped up the heat transfer, significantly (p<0.05) shortening the heating time and increasing the apparent thermal diffusivity up to 51 and 37% for water and air heat treatments, respectively. For the thermal treatments using water, the increase in temperature during the heating brought about a lower ultrasonic intensification (the apparent thermal diffusivity was increased by 51% at 40 ºC compared to the 21% at 50 ºC). On the contrary, in experiments with air, the higher the temperature, the greater the ultrasonic enhancement (the apparent thermal diffusivity was increased by 5% at 40 ºC compared to the 38% at 50 ºC). The effect of the ultrasound application decreased as the air velocity increased, being minimal when the air velocity was the highest (the apparent thermal diffusivity was increased by 21% at 1 m/s compared to the 5% at 6 m/s). As regards the changes in the textural properties of ham after the mild thermal treatments at short times, an increase in hardness and elastic behavior was observed. Finally, the texture correction in dry-cured ham with different levels of pastiness was tackled. For this purpose, vacuum-packed dry-cured ham slices with high, medium and no pastiness were heated in a liquid medium at 40 and 50 ºC for a longer time (5 h, including heating and holding stages) than heating experiments, with and without the assistance of power ultrasound during the heating phase. The texture (hardness, elastic behavior and adhesiveness) and the microstructure of the ham was evaluated in both treated and control samples. After the mild thermal treatments, the texture of ham was improved since the hardness was increased (102%) and the viscous behavior diminished (11%). On average, the increase of hardness at 50 ºC was 159% higher than at 40 ºC, while the decrease of the viscous behavior was 13.5% larger at 50 ºC compared to 40 ºC. The ham adhesiveness was also enhanced independently of the treatment temperature, with a 55% reduction being observed. The application of power ultrasound during the heating phase did not involve any additional textural change. Likewise, after the thermal treatments, the microstructure of hams with pastiness notably changed, experiencing a severe shrinkage of the myofibrils, which contributed to explain the reported textural changes. In conclusion, pastiness is a relevant and highly complex textural defect in dry-cured ham. The use of contact ultrasound and the measurement of the ultrasonic attenuation could be considered a potential technology to non-destructively detect and characterize pastiness in sliced dry-cured ham. Future work should focus on extending this approach to identify pasty whole hams, considering for this purpose the use of air-coupled ultrasound. Moreover, the use of mild thermal treatments in liquid or gas media could be a feasible method to correct the defective texture of dry-cured hams and the application of power ultrasound during the heating phase could be a relevant means of speeding up the thermal treatments. / [ES] El jamón curado es un producto muy apreciado por los consumidores, sin embargo, existen numerosos parámetros relacionados con el procesado, así como factores intrínsecos del jamón, que comprometen su calidad final. Uno de los principales problemas de calidad del jamón curado es la aparición de defectos de textura, concretamente, el desarrollo de pastosidad. Este defecto se caracteriza por una textura excesivamente blanda y un comportamiento menos elástico del jamón. A nivel sensorial, provoca una sensación de recubrimiento en boca similar a la masticación de una pasta de harina y agua. La pastosidad también dificulta el loncheado y promueve la adhesividad entre lonchas. Actualmente, los métodos disponibles para caracterizar la pastosidad requieren mucho tiempo y son destructivos. Por esta razón, la búsqueda de tecnologías más rápidas y no destructivas capaces de detectar la pastosidad es de gran importancia. En este sentido, distintas tecnologías como espectroscopía de infrarrojo cercano, rayos-X o ultrasonidos, que han sido ensayadas previamente para la caracterización no destructiva de diferentes productos cárnicos, podrían ser de interés para la detección de pastosidad en jamón. Diferentes alternativas, como el uso de altas presiones hidrostáticas (HHP) o la aplicación de tratamientos térmicos de larga duración a baja temperatura (LTLT) al final del proceso de elaboración del jamón, han sido abordadas previamente para la corrección de pastosidad en jamón curado. Sin embargo, el elevado coste y el largo tiempo requerido para los tratamientos HHP y LTLT, respectivamente, pone de manifiesto la necesidad de encontrar alternativas con un coste moderado y más rápidas. En este contexto, los principales objetivos de esta tesis fueron determinar la viabilidad de la utilización de ultrasonidos de baja intensidad para detectar de manera no destructiva la aparición de pastosidad durante el proceso de elaboración de jamón curado y caracterizar el nivel de pastosidad en el producto final, así como explorar la viabilidad de tratamientos térmicos moderados asistidos por ultrasonidos de alta intensidad para corregir dicho defecto de textura. Para cumplir el objetivo de caracterizar y corregir el defecto de pastosidad en jamón, se diseñó y se llevó a cabo un proceso de elaboración para obtener jamones con distintos niveles de pastosidad sin diferencias considerables del contenido en sal. Durante el procesado, se abordó la viabilidad de utilizar ultrasonidos por contacto para monitorizar la aparición de la pastosidad. Así, la velocidad ultrasónica se midió en el jamón fresco, al final de las etapas de salado y postsalado, 3 veces durante el secado-maduración y una vez terminado el proceso de elaboración. Al final del procesado, también se evaluó el nivel de pastosidad (alto, medio y sin pastosidad) en el jamón loncheado por un panel experto. A medida que avanzó el proceso de elaboración, se observó un aumento progresivo de la velocidad ultrasónica, de 1536 m/s en jamón fresco hasta 1713 m/s en jamón curado. Sin embargo, el aumento en la velocidad ultrasónica no se relacionó con el defecto de pastosidad, probablemente porque los cambios de textura del jamón vinculados con la pastosidad fueron enmascarados por la gran influencia de los cambios composicionales (ganancia de sal y pérdida de humedad) en la velocidad ultrasónica. Así, la velocidad ultrasónica no fue un parámetro útil para detectar la aparición de pastosidad en jamón durante su procesado ni para clasificar los jamones según su nivel de pastosidad al final del procesado. Los ultrasonidos por contacto también se utilizaron para monitorizar los cambios composicionales y texturales que tienen lugar a lo largo de la etapa de postsalado del jamón. Para ello, se saló otro lote de jamones y se evaluaron distintos tiempos de postsalado, desde 7 hasta 56 días. Durante el postsalado, los jamones se pesaron y se midió su velocidad ultrasónica cada 2 días. Cada 7 días de postsalado, se analizó destructivamente la composición y las propiedades texturales de un jamón. La pérdida de peso de los jamones durante la etapa de postsalado fue descrita satisfactoriamente (r=0.95) por el aumento de la velocidad ultrasónica. Además, la distribución de sal y la pérdida de humedad en el interior del jamón se relacionaron de forma satisfactoria (r=0.93 y r=0.86, respectivamente) con el aumento de la velocidad ultrasónica. La variación en la dureza del jamón durante el postsalado fue no significativa y, por ello, el aumento de la velocidad ultrasónica se atribuyó principalmente a los cambios de composición, siendo apenas afectada por los cambios de textura. Los jamones obtenidos con distintos niveles de pastosidad después del proceso de elaboración, se cortaron y se midió la velocidad y la atenuación ultrasónica del músculo Biceps femoris con el objetivo de averiguar de forma no destructiva su nivel de pastosidad. Además, con el fin de analizar mejor este defecto de textura, se analizaron el índice de proteólisis, la microestructura, la textura instrumental y la composición de los jamones. Las muestras pastosas presentaron el índice de proteólisis más alto (38.7% comparado con el 33.1% de los jamones no pastosos), mostraron la degradación estructural más relevante (estructuras miofibrilares fusionadas y aparición de grandes huecos) y, en consecuencia, fueron las más blandas (5.4 N de dureza en comparación con los 16.7 N de los jamones no pastosos) y presentaron el comportamiento viscoso más intenso (0.434 comparado con el 0.372 de los jamones no pastosos), aunque se encontró una gran variabilidad experimental. La evaluación no destructiva llevada a cabo mediante ultrasonidos reveló que la atenuación ultrasónica se podría aplicar con éxito para la clasificación de las lonchas de jamón curado según su nivel de pastosidad. Así, cuanto mayor fue la pastosidad, mayor fue la atenuación ultrasónica, siendo el coeficiente de atenuación promedio de las muestras con alta, media y sin pastosidad de 48.2, 45.4 y 43.1 Np/m, respectivamente. Sin embargo, la velocidad ultrasónica fue muy similar en todas las muestras de jamón, independientemente de su nivel de pastosidad. Como se observó en los jamones enteros, la velocidad ultrasónica no fue un parámetro útil para cuantificar el defecto de pastosidad en jamón loncheado, ya que la gran influencia de la composición en la velocidad ultrasónica sumada al contenido similar de sal y humedad de las muestras, independientemente de su nivel de pastosidad, dio lugar a una velocidad similar en todos los niveles de pastosidad. Se desarrollaron dos técnicas de ultrasonidos acoplados por aire, tanto en modo transmisión-recepción como en pulso-eco, para caracterizar la textura de jamón curado. El carácter no invasivo de los ultrasonidos acoplados por aire permite llevar a cabo medidas sin contacto, facilitando su aplicación a nivel industrial en comparación con las técnicas ultrasónicas convencionales, ya que pueden realizarse medidas a mayor velocidad, sin alterar la superficie del material y evitando la contaminación cruzada entre alimentos. En cuanto a las medidas de corrección de defectos texturales en jamón curado, se evaluaron tratamientos térmicos moderados en dos medios de calentamiento diferentes (agua y aire). Además, se consideró la viabilidad de intensificar dichos tratamientos mediante la aplicación de ultrasonidos de alta intensidad (o de potencia). Para ello, se calentaron lonchas de jamón curado comercial envasadas al vacío en medio líquido, con y sin la aplicación de ultrasonidos, a diferentes temperaturas (40, 45 y 50 ºC), midiendo la temperatura en los músculos Biceps femoris y Semimembranosus. Respecto a los tratamientos en aire, se utilizaron cilindros de jamón curado comercial envasado al vacío. En el primer set de experimentos, el jamón se calentó a velocidad de aire constante (2 m/s) a diferentes temperaturas (40, 45 y 50 ºC); mientras que, en el segundo experimento, el jamón se calentó a temperatura de aire constante (50 ºC) a distintas velocidades (1, 2, 3, 4 y 6 m/s). En los dos sets, los tratamientos se llevaron a cabo con y sin la aplicación de ultrasonidos de potencia, midiendo la temperatura en el centro del cilindro. Los tratamientos térmicos se prolongaron hasta alcanzar la temperatura objetivo, definida como 5 ºC por debajo de la temperatura del medio de calentamiento (agua o aire). Así, no se llevó a cabo una fase de mantenimiento de la temperatura y sólo se consideró la fase de calentamiento de los tratamientos térmicos. Las cinéticas de calentamiento del jamón tratado tanto en agua como en aire se describieron matemáticamente considerando que la transferencia de calor estuvo únicamente controlada por conducción. Una vez finalizado el calentamiento, se evaluaron los cambios texturales del jamón (dureza y comportamiento elástico). Los experimentos mostraron que la aplicación de ultrasonidos de potencia aceleró la transferencia de calor, reduciendo significativamente (p<0.05) el tiempo de calentamiento y aumentando la difusividad térmica aparente hasta un 51 y 37% en los tratamientos térmicos en agua y aire, respectivamente. En el caso de los tratamientos térmicos en agua, el aumento de la temperatura durante el calentamiento provocó una intensificación ultrasónica menor (la difusividad térmica aparente aumentó un 51% a 40 ºC comparado con el 21% a 50 ºC). Por el contrario, en las experiencias en aire, cuanto mayor fue la temperatura, más efectiva fue la aplicación de los ultrasonidos (la difusividad térmica aparente incrementó un 5% a 40 ºC comparado con el 38% a 50 ºC). El efecto de la aplicación de los ultrasonidos disminuyó con el aumento de la velocidad del aire, siendo mínimo con la velocidad de aire más alta ensayada (la difusividad térmica aparente aumentó un 21% a 1 m/s comparado con el 5% a 6 m/s). En cuanto a los cambios de las propiedades texturales del jamón después de los tratamientos térmicos moderados limitados a la fase de calentamiento, se observó un aumento en su dureza y en su comportamiento elástico. Por último, se abordó la corrección de textura en jamón curado con distintos niveles de pastosidad. Para ello, se calentaron lonchas de jamón con alta, media y sin pastosidad envasadas al vacío en medio líquido a 40 y 50 ºC durante tiempos más largos (5 h, incluyendo las fases de calentamiento y mantenimiento) que en las experiencias sólo de calentamiento, con y sin la aplicación de ultrasonidos de potencia únicamente durante la fase de calentamiento. La textura (dureza, comportamiento elástico y adhesividad) y la microestructura del jamón se evaluaron tanto en las muestras tratadas como en las control. Después de los tratamientos térmicos moderados, la textura del jamón se vio mejorada puesto que su dureza aumentó (102%) y su comportamiento viscoso disminuyó (11%). En promedio, el aumento de la dureza a 50 ºC fue un 159% mayor que a 40 ºC, mientras que la disminución del comportamiento viscoso fue un 13.5% mayor a 50 ºC que a 40 ºC. La adhesividad del jamón también se vio disminuida, independientemente de la temperatura de tratamiento, observándose una reducción media del 55%. La aplicación de ultrasonidos de potencia durante la fase de calentamiento no implicó ningún cambio textural adicional. Asimismo, después de los tratamientos térmicos, la microestructura de los jamones con alta pastosidad cambió notablemente, experimentando una severa contracción de las miofibrillas, lo cual contribuyó a explicar los cambios de textura mencionados. En conclusión, la pastosidad es un defecto textural relevante y muy complejo en jamón curado. El uso de ultrasonidos por contacto y la medida de la atenuación ultrasónica podría considerarse a nivel industrial para detectar y caracterizar de forma no destructiva la pastosidad en lonchas de jamón curado. Futuros trabajos deberían estar orientados a la aplicación de esta tecnología para la identificación de jamones pastosos enteros, considerando para ello el uso de ultrasonidos acoplados por aire. Además, el uso de tratamientos térmicos moderados en medio líquido o gaseoso podría ser un método viable para corregir la textura defectuosa de jamones curados y la aplicación de ultrasonidos de potencia durante la fase de calentamiento podría considerarse para acelerar los tratamientos térmicos. / [CA] El pernil curat és un producte molt apreciat pels consumidors, no obstant això, existeixen nombrosos paràmetres relacionats amb el processament, així com factors intrínsecs del pernil, que comprometen la seua qualitat final. Un dels principals problemes de qualitat del pernil curat és l'aparició de defectes de textura, concretament, el desenvolupament de pastositat. Aquest defecte es caracteritza per una excessiva blanor i una pèrdua del comportament elàstic del pernil. A nivell sensorial, provoca una sensació de recobriment en boca similar a la masticació d'una pasta de farina i aigua. La pastositat també dificulta el tallat i promou l'adhesivitat entre rodanxes. Actualment, els mètodes disponibles per a mesurar la pastositat requereixen molt de temps i són destructius. Per aquesta raó, la cerca de tecnologies més ràpides i no destructives capaces de detectar la pastositat és de gran importància. En aquest sentit, diferents tecnologies com espectroscòpia d'infraroig pròxim, raigs-X o ultrasons, que han sigut assajades prèviament per a la caracterització no destructiva de diferents productes carnis, podrien ser d'interés per a la detecció de pastositat en pernil. Diferents alternatives, com l'ús d'altes pressions hidroestàtiques (HHP) o l'aplicació de tractaments tèrmics de llarga duració a baixa temperatura (LTLT) al final del procés d'elaboració del pernil, han sigut abordades prèviament per a la correcció de pastositat en pernil curat. No obstant això, l'elevat cost i el llarg temps requerit per als tractaments HHP i LTLT, respectivament, posa de manifest la necessitat de trobar alternatives amb un cost moderat i més ràpides. En aquest context, els principals objectius d'aquesta tesi van ser determinar la viabilitat de la utilització dels ultrasons de baixa intensità per a detectar de manera no destructiva l'aparició de pastositat durant el procés d’elaboració de pernil curat i caracteritzar el nivell de pastositat en el producte final, així com explorar la viabilitat de tractaments tèrmics moderats assistits per ultrasons d’alta intensitat per a corregir aquest defecte de textura. Per a complir l'objectiu de caracteritzar i corregir el defecte de pastositat en pernil, es va dissenyar i es va dur a terme un procés d'elaboració configurat per a obtindre pernils amb diferents nivells de pastositat sense diferències considerables del contingut en sal. Durant el processament, es va abordar la viabilitat d'utilitzar ultrasons per contacte per a monitorar l'aparició de pastositat. La velocitat ultrasònica es va mesurar en el pernil fresc, al final de les etapes de salat i postsalat, 3 vegades durant l'assecat-maduració i una vegada acabat el procés d'elaboració. Al final del processament, el nivell de pastositat (alta, mitjana i sense pastositat) també es va avaluar per un panell expert. A mesura que va avançar el procés d'elaboració, es va trobar un augment progressiu de la velocitat ultrasònica, anant des de 1536 m/s en pernil fresc fins a 1713 m/s en pernil curat. No obstant això, l'augment en la velocitat ultrasònica no es va relacionar amb el defecte de pastositat, probablement perquè els canvis de textura del pernil vinculats amb la pastositat van ser emmascarats per la gran influència dels canvis composicionals (guany de sal i pèrdua d'humitat) en la velocitat ultrasònica. Així, la velocitat ultrasònica no va ser un paràmetre efectiu per a detectar l'aparició de pastositat en pernil durant el seu processament ni per a classificar els pernils segons el seu nivell de pastositat al final del processament. Els ultrasons per contacte també es van utilitzar per a monitorar els canvis composicionals i texturals que tenen lloc al llarg de l'etapa de postsalat del pernil. Per a això, es va salar un altre lot de pernils i es van avaluar diferents temps de postsalat, des de 7 fins a 56 dies. Durant el postsalat, els pernils es van pesar i es va mesurar la seua velocitat ultrasònica cada 2 dies. Cada 7 dies de postsalat, es van analitzar destructivament la composició i les propietats texturals d'un pernil diferent. La pèrdua de pes dels pernils durant l'etapa de postsalat va ser descrita satisfactòriament (r=0.95) per l'augment de la velocitat ultrasònica. A més, la distribució de sal i la pèrdua d'humitat a l'interior del pernil es van relacionar de manera satisfactòria (r=0.93 i r=0.86, respectivament) amb l'augment de la velocitat ultrasònica. La variació en la duresa del pernil durant el postsalat va ser mínima i, per això, l'augment de la velocitat ultrasònica es va atribuir principalment als canvis de composició, sent a penes afectada pels canvis de textura. Els pernils obtinguts després del procés d'elaboració configurat per a obtindre pernils amb diferents nivells de pastositat, es van tallar i es va mesurar la velocitat i l'atenuació ultrasònica del múscul Biceps femoris amb l'objectiu d'esbrinar de forma no destructiva el seu nivell de pastositat. A més, amb la finalitat d'analitzar millor aquest defecte de textura, es van analitzar la composició, la degradació proteica, la textura instrumental i la microestructura dels pernils. Les mostres pastoses van presentar l'índex de proteòlisis més alt (38.7% comparat amb el 33.1% dels pernils no pastosos), van mostrar la degradació estructural més rellevant (estructures miofibrilars fusionades i aparició de grans buits) i, en conseqüència, van ser les més blanes (5.4 N de duresa en comparació amb els 16.7 N dels pernils no pastosos) i van presentar el comportament viscós més intens (0.434 comparat amb el 0.372 dels pernils no pastosos), encara que es va trobar una gran variabilitat experimental. L'avaluació no destructiva duta a terme mitjançant ultrasons va revelar que l'atenuació ultrasònica es podria aplicar amb èxit per a la classificació de les rodanxes de pernil curat segons el seu nivell de pastositat. Així, com més gran va ser la pastositat, major va ser l'atenuació ultrasònica, sent el coeficient d'atenuació mitjà de les mostres amb alta, mitjana i sense pastositat 48.2, 45.4 i 43.1 Np/m, respectivament. No obstant això, la velocitat ultrasònica va ser molt similar en totes les mostres de pernil, independentment del seu nivell de pastositat. Com es va observar en els pernils sencers, la velocitat ultrasònica no va ser un paràmetre satisfactori per a detectar el defecte de pastositat en pernil tallat a rodanxes, ja que la gran influència de la composició en la velocitat ultrasònica sumada al contingut similar de sal i humitat de les mostres, independentment del seu nivell de pastositat, va donar lloc a una velocitat similar en tots els nivells de pastositat. Es van desenvolupar dues tècniques d'ultrasons acoblats per aire, tant en manera transmissió-recepció com en pols-eco, per a caracteritzar la textura de pernil curat. El caràcter no invasiu dels ultrasons acoblats per aire permet dur a terme mesures sense contacte, facilitant la seua aplicació a nivell industrial en comparació amb les tècniques ultrasòniques convencionals, ja que poden realitzar-se mesures a major velocitat, sense alterar la superfície del material i evitant la contaminació creuada entre aliments. Quant a les mesures de correcció de defectes texturals en pernil curat, es van avaluar tractaments tèrmics moderats en dos medis de calfament diferents (aigua i aire). A més, es va considerar la viabilitat d'intensificar aquests tractaments mitjançant l'aplicació d'ultrasons de potència. Per a això, es van calfar rodanxes de pernil curat comercial envasades al buit en medi líquid, amb i sense l'aplicació d'ultrasons, a diferents temperatures (40, 45 i 50 °C), mesurant la temperatura en els músculs Biceps femoris i Semimembranosus. Respecte als tractaments en aire, es van utilitzar cilindres de pernil curat comercial envasat al buit. En el primer set d'experiments, el pernil es va calfar a velocitat d'aire constant (2 m/s) fins que es van aconseguir diferents temperatures (40, 45 i 50 °C). Mentre que, en el segon, el pernil es va calfar a temperatura d'aire constant (50 °C) a diferents velocitats (1, 2, 3, 4 i 6 m/s). En els dos sets, els tractaments es van dur a terme amb i sense l'aplicació d'ultrasons de potència, mesurant la temperatura en el centre del cilindre. Els tractaments tèrmics es van prolongar fins a aconseguir la temperatura objectiu, definida 5 °C per davall de la temperatura del medi de calfament (aigua o aire); així, no es va dur a terme una fase de manteniment de la temperatura i només es va considerar la fase de calfament dels tractaments tèrmics. Les cinètiques de calfament del pernil tractat tant en aigua com en aire es van descriure matemàticament mitjançant un model de conducció de calor. Una vegada finalitzat el calfament, es van avaluar els canvis texturals del pernil (duresa i comportament elàstic). Els experiments van mostrar que l'aplicació d'ultrasons de potència va accelerar la transferència de calor, reduint significativament (p<0.05) el temps de calfament i augmentant la difusivitat tèrmica aparent fins a un 51 i 37% en els tractaments tèrmics en aigua i aire, respectivament. En el cas dels tractaments tèrmics en aigua, l'augment de la temperatura durant el calfament va provocar una intensificació ultrasònica menor (la difusivitat tèrmica aparent va augmentar un 51% a 40 °C comparat amb el 21% a 50 °C). Per contra, en les experiències en aire, com més alta va ser la temperatura, més efectiva va ser l'aplicació dels ultrasons (la difusivitat tèrmica aparent va incrementar un 5% a 40 °C comparat amb el 38% a 50 °C). L'efecte de l'aplicació dels ultrasons va disminuir amb l'augment de la velocitat de l'aire, sent mínim amb la velocitat d'aire més alta assajada (la difusivitat tèrmica aparent va augmentar un 21% a 1 m/s comparat amb el 5% a 6 m/s). Quant als canvis de les propietats texturals del pernil després dels tractaments tèrmics moderats a temps curts, es va observar un augment en la seua duresa i en el seu comportament elàstic. Finalment, es va abordar la correcció de textura en pernil curat amb diferents nivells de pastositat. Per a això, es van calfar rodanxes de pernil amb alta, mitjana i sense pastositat envasades al buit en medi líquid a 40 i 50 °C durant temps més llargs (5 h, incloent les fases de calfament i manteniment) que en les experiències només de calfament, amb i sense l'aplicació d'ultrasons de potència durant la fase de calfament. La textura (duresa, comportament elàstic i adhesivitat) i la microestructura del pernil es van avaluar tant en les mostres tractades com en les control. Després dels tractaments tèrmics moderats, la textura del pernil es va veure millorada perquè la seua duresa va augmentar (102%) i el seu comportament viscós va disminuir (11%). En mitjana, l'augment de la duresa a 50 °C va ser un 159% major que a 40 °C, mentre que la disminució del comportament viscós va ser un 13.5% major a 50 °C que a 40 °C. L'adhesivitat del pernil també es va veure disminuïda, independentment de la temperatura de tractament, observant-se una reducció del 55%. L'aplicació d'ultrasons de potència durant la fase de calfament no va implicar cap canvi textural addicional. Així mateix, després dels tractaments tèrmics, la microestructura dels pernils amb alta pastositat va canviar notablement, experimentant una severa contracció de les miofibrilles, el que va contribuir a explicar els canvis de textura esmentats. En conclusió, la pastositat és un defecte de textura rellevant i molt complex en pernil curat. L'ús d'ultrasons per contacte i la mesura de l'atenuació ultrasònica podria considerar-se una tecnologia potencial per a detectar i caracteritzar de forma no destructiva la pastositat en rodanxes de pernil curat. Futurs treballs haurien d'estar orientats a l'aplicació d'aquesta tecnologia per a la identificació de pernils pastosos sencers, considerant per a això l'ús d'ultrasons acoblats per aire. A més, l'ús de tractaments tèrmics moderats en medi líquid o gasós podria ser un mètode viable per a corregir la textura defectuosa de pernils curats i l'aplicació d'ultrasons de potència durant la fase de calfament podria ser una forma rellevant d'accelerar els tractaments tèrmics. / Gracias a la Universitat Politècnica de València por concederme la beca para realizar mis estudios de doctorado, así como a los proyectos de investigación en los que he participado (RTA2013-00030-C03-02 y RTA2017-00024-C04-03) / Contreras Ruiz, M. (2020). Use of ultrasound for the characterization and correction of textural defects in dry-cured ham [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/153142 / Compendio

Imagine that in city “U” there is a one-hour drive from the west side to the east side. Ten sixth-grade students live around a certain park on the west side of “U”. The nearest public primary school “V” is across the street from the park. Admittance to the nearest public primary school “V” is not based on achievement. Students do not have to repeat a subject and they are not expelled from the school if they fail subjects. Several of the sixth-grade students who live around the park are failing some of their subjects for some reason or other. Several will not qualify for admittance to high school. Among the students who are failing subjects, one is diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability. That student is reassigned on the basis of the diagnosis to special school “C” on the east of town. That student (and that student only) loses the right to attend their nearest public primary school “V”. In PART ONE of my paper, I introduce the notion of “demeaning institution” in relation to an argument made by the philosopher Sophia Isako Wong. Wong argues that aborting fetuses on the basis of a diagnosis of Down syndrome in an ableist society is analogous to aborting fetuses on the basis of a diagnosis of female in a very sexist society. Wong argues that in both cases (1) difference from a norm and (2) the effects of social barriers to participation are (mistakenly) presumed by medical doctors to indicate inferiority. I do not argue for or against Wong’s argument that it is impermissible to abort fetuses on the basis of a diagnosis of Down syndrome. I am interested in a related, but different, notion: that it is impermissible for institutions (like the medical profession and the public primary school) to demean. In PART TWO of my paper, I argue that denying students with mild intellectual disability the right to attend their nearest public primary school is analogous to racial school segregation in the U.S. South prior to the enforcement of Brown v,. Board of Education (1954). If attendance at the nearest public primary school is not based on achievement (i.e. there is no achievement test for admittance, and students that fail subjects do not lose their place in the class), it is demeaning when the school denies a place in the regular class to students because of mild intellectual disability. In that case, I argue, the school is a “demeaning institution”.

While there has been ample research examining the relationship between an acute concussion on immediate neuropsychological performance, very little research has examined the relationship between lifetime concussion history with current neuropsychological performance. We collected preseason neuropsychological test performance (ImPACT) and a detailed lifetime concussion history questionnaire from 71 UCF football players. Stepwise linear regressions were conducted for each of the five ImPACT domain scores for the 18 participants that reported at least one lifetime concussion. The regressions used the following four concussion history predictors: total number of lifetime concussions, length of time between last concussion and lmPACT testing, severity of worst concussion, and severity of most recent concussion. Results revealed that only one ImpACT domain score had at least one predictor enter the model. For the domain of visual memory, the predictor of length of time between last concussion and ImPACT testing entered the model (and only that predictor),P = 4.07, t(l7) = 2.78,p = .01, R1 = .33, as a shorter length of time between the last concussion and the preseason testing related to lower performance on the visual memory tests. Many athletes and clinicians assume that the cognitive effects of a concussion are relatively brief in duration. However, the results of this study suggest that, at least for visual memory, these effects may last for several years following a concussion. The correlational design of this study precludes drawing conclusions about the causal direction of this relationship, but future longitudinal research may be able to clarify this important preliminary finding.

Yes / People with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their family carers face challenges in managing medicines. How medicines self-management could be supported for this population is unclear. This review identifies interventions to improve medicines self-management for people with dementia, MCI and their family carers, and which core components of medicines self-management they address. Methods A database search was conducted for studies with all research designs and ongoing citation searches from inception to December 2021. Selection criteria included community dwelling people with dementia and MCI and their family carers, and interventions with a minimum of one medicine self-management component. Exclusion criteria were wrong population, not focusing on medicines management, incorrect medicines self-management components, not in English and wrong study design. Results are presented and analysed through narrative synthesis. The review is registered [PROSPERO (CRD42020213302)]. Quality assessment was carried out independently applying the QATSDD quality assessment tool. Results Thirteen interventions were identified. Interventions primarily addressed adherence. A limited number focused on a wider range of medicine self-management components. Complex psychosocial interventions with frequent visits considered the person’s knowledge and understanding, supply management, monitoring effects and side-effects and communicating with healthcare professionals; and addressed more resilience capabilities. However, these interventions were delivered to family carers alone. None of the interventions described patient and public involvement. Conclusion Interventions, and measures to assess self-management, need to be developed which address all components of medicines self-management, to better meet the needs for people with dementia and MCI and their family carers.

It has been well-established in the literature that a history of concussion makes individuals more susceptible to sustaining subsequent concussions. However, there is little neuropsychological evidence of how sustaining multiple lifetime concussions affects cognitive functioning in the general adult population. It is known from previous traumatic brain injury and single concussion literature that impairments in cognitive performance across domains often follow the initial injury, and exploratory studies have shown that multiple concussions can have a measurable impact on cognition. However, existing research is often limited by its reliance on archival data and abbreviated neuropsychological batteries. Therefore, the current study aimed to fill this gap in the literature to help inform clinical prognoses and treatment considerations. Analyses of attention and memory outcomes revealed significant associations between concussion history and performance, but they were directionally opposite from expectations. When discrepancy scores were used to account for participants’ estimated intellectual functioning, these associations were no longer significant. Executive functioning was also not significantly associated with concussion history, either with or without accounting for intelligence, contrary to expectations. On language and spatial measures, outcomes were unrelated to concussion history, as expected. Together, results from the present study emphasized the multifaceted nature of concussions and highlighted the many necessary considerations when investigating long-term outcomes, particularly when multiple concussions are involved. Future research would likely benefit from continuing to explore the neurocognitive impact of sustaining multiple concussions in the general adult population and expanding the current research with larger, more representative samples, neuroimaging, and baseline data, as available.

The theme of this diploma thesis is the development of literacy of pupils with mild intellectual disability. This thesis is divided into 5 parts. The key words such as literacy, reading literacy, pupil with a mild intellectual disability and schooling of pupils with mild intellectual disability, are described in the first four parts. Chapter number five is the empirical part of the thesis. The aim of this thesis is to find out the level of the reading literacy of pupils with mild intellectual disability at the school for mentally retarded children. A handbook supporting the development of the reading literacy for pupils with mild intellectual disability has been written based on this result. Methods of quantitative research have been used to obtain the final results. One of the research instruments was also a nonofficial test of reading literacy that has for its purpose to determine the level of the reading literacy of mildly mentally disabled pupils. KEYWORDS pupil, literacy, reading literacy, reading literacy test, mild intellectual disability, school for mild mentally retarded pupils

Les travaux de recherches menés dans cette thèse concernent la modélisation et l’optimisation de l’alternateur synchrone à griffes utilisé dans les véhicules mild-hybrid. Ce dernier voit son utilisation élargie à la fonction d’assistance de traction au moteur thermique et de récupération d’énergie dans les phases de freinage. La structure spéciale du rotor rend nécessaire l’utilisation de modèles éléments finis 3D pour modéliser finement les effets tridimensionnels. Ces derniers requièrent une utilisation intensive des ressources informatiques (RAM, temps CPU) qu’il est crucial de réduire pour envisager une démarche d’optimisation de dispositifs magnétiques. Dans ce contexte, l’utilisation d’une plateforme de modélisation ouverte Gmsh et GetDP, permettant l’implémentation de géométries et de formulations appropriées, a abouti au développement de modèles précis et suffisamment rapides pour être intégrés dans des algorithmes d’optimisation. L’originalité de cette démarche de modélisation consiste à hybrider une approche numérique (éléments finis 3D) et une approche semi-analytique (réseau de perméances) de sorte que l’usage des éléments finis 3D soit réduit aux zones où le champ magnétique est tridimensionnel. Enfin, le choix d’un algorithme d’optimisation adapté aux modèles numériques (boîte noire à fort coût d’évaluation) a permis de développer un outil de pré-dimensionnement et de dimensionnement des machines synchrones à griffes en vue de l’obtention d’une géométrie optimisée en réponse à un cahier des charges industriel / The research work carried out in this thesis concerns the modeling and optimization of claw-pole synchronous alternator used in mild-hybrid vehicles. The use of this machine is extended to assistit traction engine and energy recovery in the braking phases. The special structure of the rotor makes it necessary to use 3D finite element models to analyse efficiently the three-dimensional effects, which requires an intensive use of computing resources (RAM, CPU time). The latter must be reduced in order to consider an optimization process on such magnetic devices. In this context, the use of a Gmsh and GetDP, open modeling platform, led to the development of precise models, fast enough to be integrated into optimization algorithms. The originality of this modeling approach is based on the hybridization of a numerical approach (3D finite elements) and a semi-analytical approach (permeance network) so that the use of 3D finite elements is reduced to areas where The magnetic field is three-dimensional. Finally, the choice of an optimization algorithm adapted to numerical models (black box with high evaluation cost) allows to develop a pre-design and a design tools for claw-pole synchronous machines in order to obtain an optimized geometry achieving an industrial specification

Diploma Work Bibliotherapy as a tool of developing communication skills pupils with mild intellectual disabilities deals with opportunity of using bibliotherapy and its elements within Czech langage lessons. The educator by the means of appropriate reading materials affects the verbal expression advancement of pupils with mild intellectual disabilities. The aims to develop suitable exercises and arrange them into a bibliotherapy program, to show the beneficial effect that working with texts can have on the pupils' communicative competence, and to make certain that the program operates as expected, through working directly with the pupils, observing them and evaluating the different outputs of the program. Outcomes of the research prove pupils' improvements in desired sphere. Keywords Intellectual disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, pupils with mild intellectual disabilities, bibliotherapy, bibliotherapy program, communication skills