Injertos osteocondrales congelados en el conejo: Estudio experimental

Con el propósito de analizar un protocolo de congelación de cartílago completo estudiando y la viabilidad del cartílago tas la implantación se ha realizado un estudio experimental en 60 rodillas de 45 conejos de Nueva Zelanda en población no genéticamente pura. Se extrajeron injertos osteocartilaginosos de 4 mm de diámetro y 2-3 mm de espesor, incluyendo cartílago articular y hueso subcondral que fueron sometidos a congelación lenta hasta -196º en Planer Kryo-10, Serie II, Controlled Rate Freezers, siguiendo un descenso de temperatura controlada bajo crioprotección con Dimetilsulfóxido, propanodiol y sacarosa. Posteriormente fueron descongelados e implantados en cóndilos femorales. Los injertos evolucionaron a tejido amorfo acelular y pasados los 2 meses, tras la incorporación del componente óseo se desarrolló tejido ibrocartilaginoso de sustitución. El presente estudio indica que el cartílago articular congelado no mantiene su viabilidad tras la implantación.The purpose of this study was to analyze a protocol for freezing whole cartilage and to study the viability of cartilage after the implant in 60 knees of 45 New Zealand rabbits from a genetically impure population. Osteocartilaginous implants were removed, measuring 4 mm in diameter and 2-3 mm thickness, inclunding the articular cartilage and the suchondral bone, and slow freezing up -196º using Planer Kyro-10, Series II, Controlled Rate Freezers, following a controlled drop in temperature under cyrso-protection with Dimethylsulfoxide, propanediol and sacarose. After thawing grafts were implanted in femoral condyles. The implants evolves into an acellular amorphous tissue and after 2 months, period in which the incorporation of the osseous compound occurs, substitute fibrocartilaginous tiusse develops. This study shows that frozen articular cartilage does not remain viable after implant

A Metabolomic Approach To Detect Effects of Salmon Farming on Wild Saithe (Pollachius virens) Populations

A metabolomics approach was used to analyze effects of salmon farming on wild saithe (Pollachius virens) populations. Saithe fish were captured at two salmon farms and at two control locations around the island of Hitra, Norway. Changes in diet seem to drive changes in metabolic status of fishes. The liver and muscle tissues, from the fishes captured around the farm, showed higher levels of lactate and certain amino acids (glutamine, glutamate, and alanine) and lower levels of glucose and choline than the fishes captured in the control locations, far from the farm locations. The higher levels of lactate and amino acids could be related to the facility of obtaining food around the farm and the deficit in choline to the deficit of this nutrient in the salmon feed. At each location the fish were captured with either benthic gill nets and automatic jigging machines, and this feature showed also variations in different metabolites.This research was funded by the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund through the project “Evaluation of actions to promote sustainable coexistence between salmon culture and coastal fisheries, ProCoEx” (Project 900772). K.T.-G. was supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA Financial Mechanism

EPIDEMIOLOGIA DE LA OBESIDAD EN EL PARAGUAY

Introducción: Paraguay no escapa a la epidemia global de obesidad. Este estudio describió la prevalencia y los determinantes sociodemográficos, clínicos y conductuales asociados en el país. Métodos: Estudio transversal tipo encuesta poblacional con representatividad nacional, incluyó personas entre edades de 15 y 74 años. El muestreo fue probabilístico, trietápico sin reemplazo. STEPSwise fue la metodología y encuesta aplicada durante junio-setiembre 2011. Se consideró obesidad un índice de masa (IMC) corporal >=30. Este valor se distribuyó según las variables sociodemográficas, clínicas y conductuales. Por regresión logística se estimó asociación entre las variables, en odd ratios (OR) con intervalos de confianza del 95%(IC95%). Resultados: Se incluyeron 2501 participantes. Fueron obesos 23,5% de la población, 20,2% y 26,0% hombres y mujeres, respectivamente. Además del sexo, mostraron diferencias significativas: tener >35 años 3,17(2,11-4,76) que los menores; hombres con residencia urbana 1,94(1,35-2,79) veces más que los del área rural. Los hombres en pareja 2,52(1,80-3,53) veces más obesos que los solteros; funcionario público 2,57(1,57-4,26) veces más que otros trabajos. Baja actividad física presentó obesidad 1,75(1,19-2,57) veces más que tener una actividad física mínimamente aceptable. En hombres el quintil de ingreso superior presentó 3,87(2,17-6,92) más obesidad que el quintil inferior. En mujeres el bajo nivel educativo es 2,01(1,43-2,83) veces más que un mayor nivel. Conclusiones: El patrón observado de la distribución de la obesidad describe entornos y conductas más obesogénicos que otros en Paraguay. Estos resultados sirven para tomar decisiones e intervenciones específicas en salud pública, más allá de las medidas poblacionales

Patrones de excreción urinaria de Sodio en población adulta en muestras de orina espontánea

Introducción: El presente estudio describe los patrones de natriuresis según las características clínicas y sociodemográficas en una población adulta de Asunción. Métodos: Estudio transversal tipo encuesta y toma de muestra de orina a personas que acudieron al Mercado de Abasto y al Policlínico Municipal durante los meses de junio-setiembre del 2014. Se estimó natriuria en muestras de orina espontánea a primera hora de la mañana y en ayunas. Se incluyeron sujetos de 18 a 65 años. Se compararon las medianas de los valores de natriuria en mmol/L, utilizándose el test U de Mann-Whitney para comparar las variables de dos categorías y Kruskal-Wallis para las que tienen más de dos categorías. Resultados: Se aplicó la encuesta y se tomó muestra de orina a 463 personas. El 69,5% (322) eran mujeres. La media de edad fue 50,5 años (DE: 14,2). El 26,6% (123) negó antecedentes patológicos. La mediana de natriuria global fue 97,5 mmol/L (RIC: 59,3–139,3). Los niveles de natriuria no presentaron diferencias por sexo. Las personas menores de 30 años, con bajo consumo de verduras y mayor consumo de frituras presentaron valores de natriuria altos y estadísticamente significativos. El grupo de sujetos sanos mostró mayor excreción de sodio que los que refirieron diabetes o hipertensión arterial. Conclusiones: La mayor excreción de sodio en orina observada se presenta en personas jóvenes, sin antecedentes patológicos y, al mismo tiempo son los que también presentan los peores hábitos alimenticios. Estos resultados muestran la necesidad de intervención en el ámbito de la salud pública a fin de prevenir la patología cardiovascular y renal del futuro

Impacto del tamaño del ámbito de control de las jefas de unidad en los comportamientos laborales de las enfermeras

Fundamento: Conocer el número de enfermeras a cargo de las jefas de unidades de Enfermería de los hospitales públicos generales aragoneses y analizar cómo afecta a los comportamientos organizacionales de la enfermera y a la calidad de las relaciones que se establecen con la jefa de unidad. Método: Estudio descriptivo transversal realizado en nueve hospitales públicos. Se evaluó mediante cuestionarios validados los comportamientos laborales de las enfermeras y la calidad de las relaciones de la enfermera con la jefa de unidad y de esta con la enfermera y con su inmediato superior. Se analizó si existía relación entre estas variables y el número de enfermeras por unidad. Resultados: La muestra se compuso de 2541 enfermeras y 192 jefas de unidad. La media del ámbito de control fue de 29 enfermeras (DE = 22, 4). Se obtuvieron puntaciones menores al aumentar el ámbito de control en: empoderamiento (p<0, 001), satisfacción (p = 0, 027), apoyo organizacional percibido (p<0, 001) y calidad de las relaciones entre las enfermeras y las jefas de unidad (p<0, 001) y de la jefa de unidad con su inmediato superior (p<0, 001). No se observaron asociaciones significativas respecto a la intención de rotación, los comportamientos cívicos organizacionales y el compromiso organizacional. Conclusiones: El tamaño del ámbito de control se relaciona con la percepción de los comportamientos organizacionales de las enfermeras, así como con la calidad de las relaciones interpersonales que establecen con la jefa de unidad, indicando la necesidad ajustar el ámbito de control por unidad con el objetivo mejorar la calidad de la gestión de las unidades de Enfermería. Background. To determine the number of nurses who are supervised by a charge nurse in the Nursing Units of Aragonese general public hospitals and to analyze how this affects the organizational behaviors of nurses and the quality of the relationships established with the charge nurses. Methods. Cross-sectional study carried out in nine public hospitals. Validated questionnaires were used to assess the working behavior of nurses and the quality of their relationships with charge nurses, and the charge nurse''s relationship with their immediate superior and nursing staff. We analyzed whether there was an association between these variables and the number of nurses per unit. Results. The study included 2, 541 nurses and 192 supervisors. The mean span of control was 29 (SD = 22.4). Statistically significant differences were observed with respect to empowerment (p<0.001), satisfaction (p = 0.027), perceived organizational support (p<0.001) and the quality of the nurse''s relationships with the supervisor (p<0.001) and the supervisor with her immediate superior (p<0.001), obtaining lower scores as the span of control increased. No significant associations were observed with respect to turnover intention, organizational citizenship behavior and organizational commitment. Conclusions. The span of control is related to the perception of nurses'' organizational behaviors and with the quality of interpersonal relationships with the charge nurse, indicating a need to adjust the span of of control per unit in order to improve the quality of the management of the units

Evaluating standards of care in psoriatic arthritis of the QUANTUM project (qualitative initiative to improve outcomes): results of an accreditation project in Spain

In Spain, the QUANTUM project has been promoted to reduce variability in clinical practice and improve the care and quality of life of people with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) by accrediting PsA units throughout the Spanish national health system. To present the results of this approach which sought to ensure an optimum level of quality for patients with PsA. Descriptive analysis of the self-assessments that the PsA units have carried out assessing their degree of compliance with the quality standards established in the QUANTUM project grouped into four blocks: shortening time to diagnosis; optimizing disease management; improving multidisciplinary collaboration; and improving patient monitoring. A total of 41 PsA units were self-evaluated. They met 64.1% of the defined quality standards. Optimize disease management obtained a higher level of standards compliance (72%) and improve multidisciplinary collaboration the lesser (63.9%). Accessibility to the treatments available for PsA in all hospitals was guaranteed (100%). Appropriate diagnostic equipment is available (97.6%). Compliance with specific quality standards leads to detect actions that should be implemented: quality of life assessment (9.8%), locomotor system assessment (12.2%), physical examination data record (14.6%), periodic cardiovascular risk assessment (17.1%). The QUANTUM project results make it possible to visualise how to care for patients with PsA is being developed in Spain. Problems identified in recent multinational reports are also identified in Spain

Disruption of the Lipid-Transporting LdMT-LdRos3 Complex in Leishmania donovani Affects Membrane Lipid Asymmetry but Not Host Cell Invasion

Maintenance and regulation of the asymmetric lipid distribution across eukaryotic plasma membranes is governed by the concerted action of specific membrane proteins controlling lipid movement across the bilayer. Here, we show that the miltefosine transporter (LdMT), a member of the P4-ATPase subfamily in Leishmania donovani, and the Cdc50-like protein LdRos3 form a stable complex that plays an essential role in maintaining phospholipid asymmetry in the parasite plasma membrane. Loss of either LdMT or LdRos3 abolishes ATP-dependent transport of NBD-labelled phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine from the outer to the inner plasma membrane leaflet and results in an increased cell surface exposure of endogenous PE. We also find that promastigotes of L. donovani lack any detectable amount of phosphatidylserine (PS) but retain their infectivity in THP-1-derived macrophages. Likewise, infectivity was unchanged for parasites without LdMT-LdRos3 complexes. We conclude that exposure of PS and PE to the exoplasmic leaflet is not crucial for the infectivity of L. donovani promastigotes

Gas exchange at whole plant level shows that a less conservative water use is linked to a higher performance in three ecologically distinct pine species

Increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation in large areas of the planet as a consequence of global warming will affect plant growth and survival. However, the impact of climatic conditions will differ across species depending on their stomatal response to increasing aridity, as this will ultimately affect the balance between carbon assimilation and water loss. In this study, we monitored gas exchange, growth and survival in saplings of three widely distributed European pine species (Pinus halepensis, P. nigra and P. sylvestris) with contrasting distribution and ecological requirements in order to ascertain the relationship between stomatal control and plant performance. The experiment was conducted in a common garden environment resembling rainfall and temperature conditions that two of the three species are expected to encounter in the near future. In addition, gas exchange was monitored both at the leaf and at the whole-plant level using a transient-state closed chamber, which allowed us to model the response of the whole plant to increased air evaporative demand (AED). P. sylvestris was the species with lowest survival and performance. By contrast, P. halepensis showed no mortality, much higher growth (two orders of magnitude), carbon assimilation (ca. 14 fold higher) and stomatal conductance and water transpiration (ca. 4 fold higher) than the other two species. As a consequence, P. halepensis exhibited higher values of water-use efficiency than the rest of the species even at the highest values of AED. Overall, the results strongly support that the weaker stomatal control of P. halepensis, which is linked to lower stem water potential, enabled this species to maximize carbon uptake under drought stress and ultimately outperform the more water conservative P. nigra and P. sylvestris. These results suggest that under a hotter drought scenario P. nigra and P. sylvestris would very likely suffer increased mortality, whereas P. halepensis could maintain gas exchange and avoid water-induced growth limitation. This might ultimately foster an expansion of P. halepensis to higher latitudes and elevations.This work was supported by the projects ECOLPIN (AGL2011–24296) and Remedinal 3 (S2013/ MAE- 2719) of the Madrid Government, by a FPU fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (FPU13/03410) to DS and by EU Marie Curie (FP7–2013-IOF-625988) fellowship to EPSC

Physical fitness reference standards for preschool children: the PREFIT project

Objectives: Reference values are necessary for classifying children, for health screening, and for early prevention as many non-communicable diseases aggravate during growth and development. While physical fitness reference standards are available in children aged 6 and older, such information is lacking in preschool children. Therefore, the purposes of this study were (1) to provide sex-and age-specific physical fitness reference standards for Spanish preschool children; and (2) to study sex differences across this age period and to characterise fitness performance throughout the preschool period. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: A total of 3179 preschool children (1678 boys) aged 2.8–6.4 years old from Spain were included in the present study. Physical fitness was measured using the PREFIT battery. Results: Age- and sex-specific percentiles for the physical fitness components are provided. Boys performed better than girls in the cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility tests over the whole preschool period studied and for the different percentiles. In contrast, girls performed slightly better than boys in the balance test. Older children had better performance in all fitness tests than their younger counterparts. Conclusions: Our study provides age- and sex-specific physical fitness reference standards in preschool children allowing interpretation of fitness assessment. Sexual dimorphism in fitness tests exists already at preschool age, and these differences become larger with age. These findings will help health, sport, and school professionals to identify preschool children with a high/very low fitness level, to examine changes in fitness over time, and to analyse those changes obtained due to intervention effects.The PREFIT project takes place thanks to the funding linked to the Ramón y Cajal grant held by FBO (RYC-2011-09011). CC-S is supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2014-068829). JRR and FBO are supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC-2010-05957 and RYC-2011-09011, respectively). In addition, this study was further supported by the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES). Additional funding from the SAMID III network, RETICS, funded by the PNI+D+I 2017-2021 (Spain), ISCIII- Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (Ref. RD16/0022), the EXERNET Research Network on Exercise and Health in Special Populations (DEP2005-00046/ACTI), the University of the Basque Country (GIU14/21), and the University of Zaragoza (JIUZ-2014-BIO-08)