Improvements in the learnability of smartphone haptic interfaces for visually impaired users.

We report the results of a study on the learnability of haptic icons used as alerts or notifications in smartphones. The aim was to explore the feasibility of using haptic icons to create assistive technologies for people with visual impairments. We compared the performance and satisfaction of users with different visual capacities (visually impaired vs. sighted) and using different learning processes (with or without a reinforcement learning stage). The reinforcement learning stage improves the recognition rate in both types of users, although the improvement obtained by the visually impaired users is even better as their recognition rates become very similar to those obtained by the sighted users. Finally, it was observed that the better recognized haptic icons are those assigned to the most employed applications by the user.

Consumo de MDMA (extasis) en estudiantes de secundaria / MDMA (ecstasy) consumption in secondary school students

Objetivos: Describir la prevalencia de consumo de MDMA y el perfil toxicológico y psicológico en una muestra de estudiantes de secundaria.Sujetos y Método: Durante el curso académico 1998-99 se evaluó una muestra compuesta por 2.862 jóvenes de ambos sexos [edad media (SD): 15.87 (1.48); 50.6 por ciento hombres], estudiantes de secundaria de Oviedo (Asturias) Evaluación: Cuestionario de la OMS de consumo de alcohol y drogas, cuestionario de personalidad de Eysenck versión adultos (EPQ-A) y, la escala de búsqueda de sensaciones de Zuckerman (EBS).Resultados: Las prevalencias vida, último año y último mes, de consumo de MDMA fueron 3.8 por ciento, 2.7 por ciento y 1.6 por ciento, ocupando la MDMA la 7ª posición entre las drogas ilegales consumidas alguna vez. Los hombres mostraron mayores prevalencias de consumo, vida, último año y último mes, que las mujeres (p< .05). Comparados con los estudiantes que nunca han consumido MDMA (pero que pueden haber consumido otras drogas ilegales), los usuarios de MDMA refieren una historia más extensa de uso de drogas. La MDMA es, tras la heroína, la droga asociada a un mayor índice de policonsumo. Los jóvenes que han usado MDMA alguna vez obtuvieron puntuaciones más elevadas en la subescala de psicoticismo del EPQ-A y refirieron niveles más elevados de búsqueda de sensaciones.Conclusiones: Los consumidores de MDMA son policonsumidores de otras sustancias legales e ilegales. Aquellos que consumen MDMA tienen un perfil psicológico diferente, caracterizado por elevados niveles de búsqueda de sensaciones y psicoticismo. (AU)

The presence and cytotoxicity of CD16+ CD2- subset from PBL and NK cells in long-term IL-2 cultures enhanced by Prothymosin-alpha.

The aim of this study was to characterize the LAK cell subpopulation on which Prothymosin-alpha (ProT alpha) exerts its enhancing effect on cytotoxicity. We investigated the role of ProT alpha on LAK induction from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and NK-enriched cells, both cultured for 5 weeks with IL-2 and ProT alpha. The different cultures were separated into several subsets throughout the culture time using two color fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and CD56, CD16, CD2 and CD8 monoclonal antibodies. Each cell subset was then tested for cytotoxicity against K562 and Daudi cells. The CD16+ CD2- subset from both, PBL and NK-enriched cells, was the only subset on which ProT alpha had an effect, significantly enhancing this subpopulation. Within the CD16 population, the cells CD16+ CD2+ were the most cytotoxic, although CD16+ CD2- cells were also cytotoxic. ProT alpha only potentiated the cytotoxicity of CD16+ CD2- subset significantly, with 29% and 41% for K562 and Daudi cells, respectively.

Interleukin-2 killer cells: in vitro evaluation of combination with prothymosin alpha.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a potent inducer of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity against both NK-sensitive and NK-resistant tumor cell lines. IL-2 therapy has been associated with clinical responses, but these responses have occurred only with high, toxic doses of the cytokine. Since prothymosin alpha (ProT alpha) is able to enhance the spontaneous NK activity of cells from normal donors, we studied the effect of ProT alpha on LAK activity by IL-2. The lysis of K562 and Daudi cells by effector cells cultured with IL-2 was increased time dependently when cultures also contained ProT alpha. PBLC was separated by discontinuous density centrifugation in the LGL-enriched fractions. Within the CD16+ population, all effector cell precursors were CD2+, but the effector population after IL-2 or IL-2 + ProT alpha activation also contained CD16+CD2- cells; the CD2 molecule is thus indispensable for induction of LAK activity by IL-2 or IL-2 + ProT alpha but not for the action of activated LAK cells (or for the enhancing effect of ProT alpha). Within the CD3- CD16+ LGL population, 5 micrograms/ml ProT alpha plus 50 U/ml IL-2 was able to induce p70 IL-2R expression to a similar extent to 100 U/ml of IL-2. The use of ProT alpha to enhance the induction of LAK activity by IL-2 may be able to improve immunotherapy of cancer.

[Sleep, organic deterioration and general health in the aging population. Study in a basic health zone of Oviedo]. / Sueño, deterioro orgánico y salud general en población involutiva. Estudio en una zona básica de salud de Oviedo.

An epidemiologic approach to the involutive general population was made to detect patients and risk group of insomnia. The survey was carried out in one health area of Oviedo, during the winter of 1990. A total of 329 elderly persons were interviewed, and three questionnaires were used: the G.H.Q., MMSE and a questionnaire "ad hoc". In the study, sleep disorders were correlated with level of general health (Golberg) and cognitive impairment (MMSE).