Frailty among older Hispanics living in the United States: A scoping review.

A scoping review was conducted to identify the available evidence about frailty among older Hispanics living in the U.S. using the Integral Model of Frailty. A not time-limited search was conducted in five peer-reviewed databases. Identified factors associated with frailty among older Hispanics are presented in four categories: (1) Characteristics and prevalence of frailty, (2) Life course determinants of frailty, (3) Comorbidities associated with frailty, and (4) Adverse outcomes of frailty. A total of 1030 articles were identified, and 37 articles were included in the scoping review. Most studies measured frailty based on the Fried Frailty Phenotype (59.5%, n= 22) and had a longitudinal design (64.9%, n= 24). The overall prevalence of frailty among Hispanics ranged from 4.3% to 37.1% (n= 20 studies). Further research is needed that targets Hispanics from different backgrounds in the U.S., particularly those that are high in number (i.e., Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Central Americans).

La relación entre inteligencia emocional y personalidad en estudiantes universitarios españoles / The relationship between emotional intelligence with the Big Five in Spanish undergraduates

El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la relación entre la inteligencia emocional y el modelo de personali-dad de los Cinco Grandes. Una muestra de 430 estudiantes universitarios con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 69 años (M = 21’41; DT = 4’99) completaron el Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS-24; Salovey, Mayer, Goldman et al., 1995) y el Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling, Rentfrow y Swann, 2003). El análisis de correlación realizado muestra cierto solapamiento entre las dimensiones de la inteligencia emocional y los factores de los Cinco Grandes. Los resultados de los análisis de regresión están en línea con el modelo de inteligencia emocional rasgo y apoyan la asociación entre determinados factores de los Cinco Grandes (particularmente extraversión y estabilidad emocional) y las dimensiones de la inteligencia emocional. El presente estudio contribuye a expandir la literatura sobre las relaciones entre la inteligencia emocional y la personalidad (AU)

The goal of this research is to analyze the relationship between emotional intelligence with the Big Five personality model. A sample of 300 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 69 (M = 21.41; SD = 4.99) filled the Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS-24, Salovey, Mayer, Goldman et al., 1995) and the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling, Rentfrow, & Swann, 2003). The correlation analysis performed shows some overlap between the dimensions of emotional intelligence and the Big Five factors. The results of the regression analyses are in line with trait emotional intelligence model and support the association between certain factors of the Big Five (particularly with extraversion and emotional stability) and the dimensions of emotional intelligence. The present study contributes to expanding the literature on the relationships between emotional intelligence and personality (AU)

Biological significance of dead biomass retention trait in Mediterranean Basin species: an analysis between different successional niches and regeneration strategies as functional groups.

Standing dead biomass retention is considered one of the most relevant fuel structural traits to affect plant flammability. However, very little is known about the biological significance of this trait and its distribution between different functional groups. Our aim was to analyse how the proportion of dead biomass produced in Mediterranean species is related to the successional niche of species (early-, mid- and late-successional stages) and the regeneration strategy of species (seeders and resprouters). We evaluated biomass distribution by size classes and standing dead biomass retention in nine dominant species from the Mediterranean Basin in different development stages (5, 9, 14 and 26 years since the last fire). The results revealed significant differences in the standing dead biomass retention of species that presented a distinct successional niche or regeneration strategy. These differences were restricted to the oldest ages studied (>9 years). Tree and small tree resprouters, typical in late-successional stages, presented slight variations with age and a less marked trend to retain dead biomass, while seeder shrubs and dwarf shrubs, characteristic of early-successional stages, showed high dead biomass loads. Our results suggest that the species that tend to retain more dead branches are colonising species that may promote fire in early-successional stages.

Factors influencing fire behaviour in shrublands of different stand ages and the implications for using prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk.

Fire behaviour under experimental conditions is described in nine Mediterranean gorse shrublands ranging from 3-12 years of age with different fuel loads. Significant differences in the fire-line intensity, fuel load and rate of fire spread have been found to be related to the stage of development of the communities. Fire spread is correlated with fuel moisture using multiple regression techniques. Differences in fuel moisture between mature and young communities under moderate weather conditions have been found. The lower moisture content identified in the mature shrubland is due both to the decreasing moisture content of senescent shrubland in some species, mainly in live fractions of Ulex parviflorus Pour. fuel, and to a substantial increase in dead fuel fractions with low percentages of moisture content. The result is that the older the shrubland is, the greater will be the decrease in the total moisture content of the vegetation. In these moderate weather conditions, the fire intensity of the mature community was as high as the maximum intensity recommended for prescribed fires. This fact seems to indicate that, even under moderate conditions, prescribed burning as an alternative management tool in the mature shrubland must always take into account fuel control; on the other hand, this technique could be applied more easily when the shrubland is at an intermediate growth stage (4-5 years of age). Therefore, more frequent low-intensity prescribed fires are indicated to abate the risk of catastrophic fire.