Guidelines (1988) for training in clinical laboratory management

Trainees in laboratory medicine must develop skills in laboratory management. Guidelines are detailed for laboratory staff in training, directors responsible for staff development and professional bodies wishing to generate material appropriate to their needs. The syllabus delineates the knowledge base required and includes laboratory planning and organization, control of operations, methodology and instrumentation, data management and statistics, financial management, clinical use of tests, communication, personnel management and training and research and development. Methods for achievement of the skills required are suggested. A bibliography of IFCC publications and other material is provided to assist in training in laboratory management

Diseño de un regulador con rechazo a variaciones de la fuente de alimentación

Este artículo contiene el diseño de un regulador de tensión lineal de baja caída con rechazo a variaciones de la fuente de alimentación. El regulador utiliza una técnica de cancelación de rizado para reducir las variaciones de la fuente de suministro, cuyas características son presentadas en este documento. Dicho diseño fue realizado con las herramientas del software SYNOPSYS, simulador adquirido por Unisangil; para éste se trabajó con una tecnología de 90 nanómetros. El regulador está compuesto por un voltaje de referencia, un amplificador de error, el transistor de potencia, resistencias de retroalimentación y capacitancia de compensación. Se trabajó con una tensión de alimentación de 1,4V, y un voltaje regulado de 1,2V. Las simulaciones resultado muestran que el regulador siempre es estable sin importar variaciones de carga o de línea; también se muestra gráficamente el PSRR sin carga de -49,9 dB para una frecuencia de 100kHz y con carga de 25mA el PSRR -27 dB para una frecuencia 100kHz

Long-term antibiotic therapy in patients with surgery-indicated not undergoing surgery infective endocarditis

Background: To date, there is little information regarding management of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) that did not undergo an indicated surgery. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate prognosis of these patients treated with a long-term antibiotic treatment strategy, including oral long term suppressive antibiotic treatment in five referral centres with a multidisciplinary endocarditis team. Methods: This retrospective, multicenter study retrieved individual patient-level data from five referral centres in Spain. Among a total of 1797, 32 consecutive patients with IE were examined (median age 72 years; 78% males) who had not undergone an indicated surgery, but received long-term antibiotic treatment (LTAT) and were followed by a multidisciplinary endocarditis team, between 2011 and 2019. Primary outcomes were infection relapse and mortality during follow-up. Results: Among 32 patients, 21 had IE associated with prostheses. Of the latter, 8 had an ascending aorta prosthetic graft. In 24 patients, a switch to long-term oral suppressive antibiotic treatment (LOSAT) was considered. The median duration of LOSAT was 277 days. Four patients experienced a relapse during follow-up. One patient died within 60 days, and 12 patients died between 60 days and 3 years. However, only 4 deaths were related to IE. Conclusions: The present study results suggest that a LTAT strategy, including LOSAT, might be considered for patients with IE that cannot undergo an indicated surgery. After hospitalization, they should be followed by a multidisciplinary endocarditis team

Salt loading in canola oil fed SHRSP rats induces endothelial dysfunction

This study aimed to determine if 50 days of canola oil intake in the absence or presence of salt loading affects: (1) antioxidant and oxidative stress markers, (2) aortic mRNA of NADPH oxidase (NOX) subunits and superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoforms and (3) endothelial function in SHRSP rats. SHRSP rats were fed a diet containing 10 wt/wt% soybean oil or 10 wt/wt% canola oil, and given tap water or water containing 1% NaCl for 50 days. Without salt, canola oil significantly increased RBC SOD, plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, aortic p22phox, NOX2 and CuZn-SOD mRNA, and decreased RBC glutathione peroxidase activity. With salt, canola oil reduced RBC SOD and catalase activity, LDL-C, and p22phox mRNA compared with canola oil alone, whereas plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) was reduced and RBC MDA and LDL-C were higher. With salt, the canola oil group had significantly reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilating responses to ACh and contractile responses to norepinephrine compared with the canola oil group without salt and to the WKY rats. These results indicate that ingestion of canola oil increases O2 - generation, and that canola oil ingestion in combination with salt leads to endothelial dysfunction in the SHRSP model

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Suplementación orgánica e inorgánica de Cu y Se en dietas para vacas lecheras Normando

Objective: to evaluate the effects of organic copper (Cu) and selenium (Se) on milk production, milk quality and reproductive parameters of Normande dairy cows. Materials and methods: 36 multiparous cows (BW = 600 ± 32 kg) were used, distributed in completely randomized blocks. Treatments were: T0: without mineral supplementation, T1: inorganic mineral supplementation with Cu and Se, T2: 50% Inorganic supplementation + 50% organic supplementation, with an experimental period of 150 days (30 days before calving and 120 days of lactation). The variables evaluated were milk production and quality (total solids, proteins, fat, somatic cells and MUN), blood metabolites (glucose, betahydroxybutyrate and BUN) and reproductive parameters (open days, days to first service and services per conception). Results: No differences were observed in milk production and quality (P> 0.05). However, open days and services per conception were shorter when cows were supplemented with organic minerals (P <0.05). Conclusions: In this study milk production, milk quality and blood metabolites were not affected by supplementation with Se and Cu. However, the reproductive parameters of the cows improved when supplemented with organic Se and Cu.Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de la suplementación de cobre (Cu) y el selenio (Se) orgánico sobre los parámetros productivos y reproductivos de vacas lecheras Normando. Materiales y métodos: se utilizaron 36 vacas multíparas (BW = 600 ± 32 kg), distribuidas en bloques completamente al azar. Los tratamientos fueron: T0: sin suplemento mineral, T1: suplemento mineral inorgánico de Cu y Se, T2: 50% Suplementación inorganica + 50% suplementación orgánica, con un tiempo experimental de 150 días (30 días antes del parto y 120 días de lactancia). Las variables evaluadas fueron Composición láctea (sólidos totales, proteínas, grasas, células somáticas y nitrógeno de la urea), metabolitos sanguíneos (glucosa, Betahidroxibutirato, nitrógeno ureico) y parámetros reproductivos (días abiertos, días al primer servicio y servicios por concepción). Resultados: No se observaron diferencias en los parámetros de producción y composición de la leche (P> 0.05). Sin embargo, los días abiertos y los servicios por concepción fueron menores cuando las vacas fueron suplementadas con minerales orgánicos (P<0.05). Conclusiones: En este estudio la producción, composición de leche y los metabolitos sanguíneos no fueron afectados por la suplementación con Se y Cu. No obstante, los parámetros reproductivos de las vacas mejoraron cuando suplementadas con Se y Cu orgánicos