The Impact of International Student Mobility on Multicultural Competence and Career Development: The Case of Students from Latin America and the Caribbean in Barcelona

Every year, an increasing number of students decide to study abroad in non-English-speaking countries, and Spain is recently a very popular destination within Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) communities. This paper attempts to deepen our knowledge of the impact of international student mobility (ISM) on students' multicultural identity and career development. To do so, the experiences of 10 LAC students who completed a one-year degree programme in Barcelona are examined. Semi-structured interviews were employed to evaluate the international experiences one year after their completion. During their post-mobility interviews, participants were able to reflect on the ISM through a structured dialogue that allowed them to analyse the experience from a distance. Findings indicate that the ISM helped them to grow personally and professionally and, one year after the stay, they are aware of this evolution. They show an increase in their self-confidence, and they see the experience as an opportunity for personal maturity. This suggests that universities should consider the importance of offering guidance to these students when they end their master's degree and are considering their plans for the future

Prehospital care for ovarian cancer in Catalonia: could we do better in primary care? Retrospective cohort study

Objective To assess the impact of prehospital factors (diagnostic pathways, first presentation to healthcare services, intervals, participation in primary care) on 1-year and 5-year survival in people with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Design Retrospective quasi-population-based cohort study. Setting Catalan Integrated Public Healthcare System. Participants People with EOC who underwent surgery with a curative intent in public Catalan hospitals between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2014. Outcome measures Data from primary and secondary care clinical histories and care processes in the 18 months leading up to confirmation (signs and symptoms at presentation, diagnosis pathways, referrals, diagnosis interval) of the EOC diagnosis (stage, histology type, treatment). Diagnostic process intervals were based on the Aarhus statement. 1-year and 5-year survival analysis was undertaken. Results Of the 513 patients included in the cohort, 67.2% initially consulted their family physician, while 36.4% were diagnosed through emergency services. In the Cox models, survival was influenced by advanced stage at 1 year (HR 3.84, 95% CI 1.23 to 12.02) and 5 years (HR 5.36, 95% CI 3.07 to 9.36), as was the type of treatment received, although this association was attenuated over follow-up. Age became significant at 5 years of follow-up. After adjusting for age, adjusted morbidity groups, stage at diagnosis and treatment, 5-year survival was better in patients presenting with gynaecological bleeding (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.79). Survival was not associated with a starting point involving primary care (HR 1.39, 95% CI 0.93 to 2.09), diagnostic pathways involving referral to elective gynaecological care from non-general practitioners (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.26), or self-presentation to emergency services (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.31). Conclusions Survival in EOC is not associated with diagnostic pathways or prehospital healthcare, but it is influenced by stage at diagnosis, administration of primary cytoreduction plus chemotherapy and patient age

Peritoneal Dialysis Is an Independent Factor Associated to Lower Intima Media Thickness in Dialysis Patients Free From Previous Cardiovascular Disease

Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) displays prognostic value as a marker of cardiovascular risk in dialysis patients. However, few data are available regarding the impact of dialysis modality on cIMT. The aim of this study is to determine whether the modality of dialysis influences cIMT values. We compared 237 peritoneal dialysis (PD) and 451 hemodialysis (HD) patients without previous cardiovascular disease included in NEFRONA, a prospective, observational and multicenter study. This cross sectional study included the determination of cIMT in 6 carotid territories by arterial ultrasound. cIMT was determined in territories without atheroma plaque and averaged. A second analysis was performed using all territories, giving a truncated cIMT value of 1,5 mm to territories presenting with atheroma plaque. Age and plaque presence at baseline were the clinical variables more closely associated to cIMT in dialysis patients. The evaluation of the impact of the modality of dialysis on cIMT showed that PD patients had lower cIMT than HD patients, both in territories with no plaques and when using truncated cIMT values. No differences were found between right and left sides, neither in cIMT or truncated cIMT values. Lineal multivariate analysis adjusted by several clinical variables showed a statistically significant association of PD with a lower cIMT (slope -0.036; SD 0.010). These results were also confirmed when truncated cIMT values were used. We conclude that the modality of dialysis has an impact on cITM. HD patients have greater global cIMT than PD patients, and PD is and independent factor associated with a lower cIMT

Vacunas contra la COVID-19

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Vacunes; Errors de medicacióCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Vacunas; Errores de medicaciónCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Vaccines; Medication errorsActualment, el repte més important del sistema sanitari català és controlar la pandèmia produïda pel coronavirus 2 de la síndrome respiratòria aguda greu (SARS-CoV-2) o virus de la COVID-19 mitjançant la vacunació poblacional amb l’objectiu d’aconseguir que tota la població estigui protegida, directament amb la vacunació poblacional de les persones de 16 anys i més i, indirectament, la resta de la població per l’efecte d’immunitat de grup.Actualmente, el reto más importante del sistema sanitario catalán es controlar la pandemia producida por el coronavirus 2 del síndrome respiratorio agudo grave (SARS-CoV-2) o virus de la COVID-19 mediante la vacunación poblacional con el objetivo de conseguir que toda la población esté protegida, directamente con la vacunación poblacional de las personas de 16 años y más e, indirectamente, el resto de la población por el efecto de inmunidad de grupo