Contraceptive methods

El objetivo de nuestro estudio ha sido aumentar conocimientos y corregir errores, sobre el uso de métodos anticonceptivos y prevención de E.T.S. en una muestra de 30 alumnos de 3º de E.S.O. de un instituto de la provincia de Alicante. Pensamos que ante una necesidad tan evidente podíamos obtener resultados satisfactorios si utilizábamos una pedagogía participativa que atrajese a los alumnos. De este modo, por medio del paradigma sociocrítico conseguimos implicar a la muestra para que tomasen conciencia de sus propias necesidades. Se impartieron charlas a los alumnos sobre distintos temas de interés que más tarde serían evaluados. La metodología utilizada fue el test-retest. Se distribuyó un primer cuestionario antes de la primera charla para adaptar nuestra ponencia a las necesidades de la muestra, y un segundo test, de iguales características al primero, después de la última charla para evaluar los conocimientos adquiridos. Los alumnos tenían mayores problemas en aspectos como qué es la sexualidad, dónde acudir para informarnos sobre sexualidad, diferencia entre sexualidad y reproducción, dónde comprar preservativos, qué hacer ante la ruptura de un preservativo, utilización de lubricantes, vías de transmisión de las E.T.S., etc. En estos aspectos se consiguió un porcentaje de éxito en base a nuestros objetivos considerablemente elevado.The aim of our study was to increase knowledge and correct errors in the use of contraceptive methods and prevention of Sexual Transmission Diseases (STD) in a sample of 30 students in the 3rd year of ESO (GCE) from a school in the Alicante area. We considered that faced with such an evident need we could obtain very satisfactory results should we use an appealing pedagogical participation which attracted the students. So by means of a critical paradigm we managed to get them involved in the event, concerned of their own needs. Lectures on different interesting topics were given to the students, to be evaluated later on. The method used was that of the test/re-test. A questionnaire was provided before the first lecture so that we could adapt our information to their shown expressed needs; and a second questionnaire of equal characteristics was provided after the last lecture to evaluate their acquired knowledge. The students' major problems were in knowing: what sexuality means and where to go to get information about it; what is the difference between sexuality and reproduction; where to obtain sheaths; what to do if they get torn; use of lubricants, and means of sexual transmission of diseases (STD). According to our expectation the degree of success was really high

Entorno Familiar del Adulto Mayor en los Centros de Vida de la Comuna 5 en la Ciudad de Villavicencio, 2016

45 (33) h.El presente informe damos a conocer los resultados obtenidos luego del desarrollo del proyecto de Investigación entorno familiar del adulto mayor en los centros de vida de la ciudad de Villavicencio, 2016 de la comuna 5, frente al análisis del accionar del especialista en salud familiar en ejecución en el barrio el Bochica y el olímpico, para determinar su empoderamiento y la incidencia en su ejercicio profesional, el cual surgió en la observación participante en las practicas pedagógicas en la cual se evidencio en dos adultos mayores con sus respectivas familias y las necesidades básicas de cuidado personal y el sentido de pertenencia y de importancia que le dan sus familias a cada uno de estos adultos mayores. De esta manera la ejecución de este ejercicio investigativo se realizó con la participación activa de las estudiantes de la Especialización en Salud Familiar con el proyecto entorno familiar del adulto mayor en los centros vida de la comuna 5 en la ciudad de Villavicencio, en compañía de la docente Emilce Salamanca de la facultad de ciencias de la salud de la universidad de los llanos, donde de acuerdo a ello se generaron siete momentos o fases en el proceso de la investigación, en donde en el primero se realizó acercamiento e interacción con el centro vida para llegar al adulto mayor, en el segundo momento con el adulto mayor y con la familia del adulto mayor, en el tercer momento se realizaron las observaciones del adulto mayor y su dinámica familiar, en el cuarto y quinto momento se desarrollaron las entrevistas tanto al adulto mayor como sus cuidadores, en el sexto momento se Categorizo y organización de la información y el séptimo y último momento se realizó análisis de la información.Resultado para Optar el Título de Especialista en Salud Familiar. Curso: Investigación Social. (Especialista en Salud Familiar) Universidad de los Llanos. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud., 2016EspecializaciónEspecializaciones en Salud Familia

Estimación del Óptimo de Apertura Comercial (OAC)

En Colombia son pocos los indicadores sectoriales que sirven de base para la construcción de índices de comercio aplicables a todo el país, hecho que conlleva a la implementación de políticas no compatibles con las características reales de la economía. Dadas sus implicaciones, el diseño de un modelo válido para la estimación del índice óptimo de apertura comercial (OAC), ocupa la atención de docentes, investigadores y economistas en formación. Aquí se presentan los resultados parciales obtenidos por los Semilleros de Investigación de la Facultad de Economía de la Universidad Católica de Colombia, quienes trabajan en la construcción y validación de un modelo para la estimación del OAC a nivel regional; esto es, para municipios, corregimientos e inclusive veredas del país

Dipole reorientation and local density of optical states influence the emission of light-emitting electrochemical cells

Herein, we analyze the temporal evolution of the electroluminescence of light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), a thin-film light-emitting device, in order to maximize the luminous power radiated by these devices. A careful analysis of the spectral and angular distribution of the emission of LECs fabricated under the same experimental conditions allows describing the dynamics of the spatial region from which LECs emit, i.e. the generation zone, as bias is applied. This effect is mediated by dipole reorientation within such an emissive region and its optical environment, since its spatial drift yields a different interplay between the intrinsic emission of the emitters and the local density of optical states of the system. Our results demonstrate that engineering the optical environment in thin-film light-emitting devices is key to maximize their brightness

Comparative Study of the Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory E ects of Leaf Extracts from Four Di erent Morus alba Genotypes in High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a low-grade chronic inflammation in multiple organs have been demonstrated in obesity. Morus alba leaves extracts (MAEs) have been used in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatory agents. In this work, the bioactive compounds of di erent genotypes of M. alba L. (Filipina, Valenciana Temprana, Kokuso, and Italia) were analyzed not only by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS) and hydrophilic interaction chromatography–electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (HILIC-ESI-TOF-MS), but also screened for in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity by means of DPPH radical scavenging assay and Caenorhabditis elegans model. These MAEs were administered daily in a model of diet-induced obesity in mice. Filipina and Italia genotypes significantly reduced weight gain, the glycemic levels in high fat diet, as well as, levels of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. Filipina and Italia MAEs also reduced the expression of proinflammatory mediators such as Tnf- , Il-1 , Il-6 and increased the levels of adiponectin and AMPK, which exert anti-inflammatory e ects. Moreover, Italia genotype ameliorated the intestinal barrier function. In conclusion, Filipina and Italia methanolic extracts show the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory e ect, due to the presence of compounds such as protocatechuic acid or quercetin-3-glucoside, and they could be developed as a complementary treatment for obesity and metabolic disorders.Junta de Andalucia CTS 164Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness AGL2015-67995-C3-3-REuropean Commission (FEDER/ERDF)ERDF/FEDER Operational Programme of the Region of Murcia 2007ES161PO001 14-20/20Instituto de Salud Carlos II

A Serious Game to Improve Emotion Regulation in Treatment-Seeking Individuals With Gambling Disorder: A Usability Study

Background: Serious games have shown positive results in increasing motivation, adherence to treatment and strengthening the therapeutic alliance in multiple psychiatric disorders. In particular, patients with impulse control disorders and other disorders in which the patient suffers from inhibitory control deficits (e.g., behavioral addictions) have been shown to benefit from serious games. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and to evaluate the usability of a new serious videogame, e-Estesia. This serious videogame was designed to improve emotion regulation in patients with gambling disorder (GD). Preliminary results from a pilot sample are also reported. Method: A pilot sample of 26 patients undergoing treatment for GD was recruited (ranging from 22 to 74 years, mean = 41.2 and SD = 12.9; 80.8% men). Participants used e-Estesia on a tablet, which was connected to a thoracic band that sent heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) data to the videogame platform in order to provide biofeedback. The System Usability Scale was completed by patients to determine the usability of e-Estesia. Results and Discussion: e-Estesia performed comparatively well for all the explored groups (i.e., sex, age, and online vs. offline gambling: mean usability score = 83.8, SD = 13.1). Around 84.6% of the patients endorsed that it was easy to use. Female patients with GD presented higher HRV during the use of the serious videogame compared to men

Long-term Responders after autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma

Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) is considered an incurable hematological neoplasm. For transplant-eligible patients, initial treatment includes an induction phase followed by an autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Despite the introduction of several drugs in the past years, relapses still occur. Nevertheless, some patients achieve sustained responses after successful induction treatment and ASCT. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all patients diagnosed with MM in our institution who underwent induction treatment and ASCT between 1990 and 2015. The subset of patients who achieved a sustained response (any degree) for 5 or more years after ASCT without further treatment or signs of progression were distinguished as 'long-term responders' (LTRs). In the non-LTR group, a cohort referred to as 'prolonged responders' (PLRs) showed sustained response of at least 5 years after ASCT but eventually relapsed. We collected and analyzed clinical and laboratory data. Results: Two hundred and fifty patients were diagnosed with MM and received induction treatment and ASCT at our institution in the study period. Among them, 54 (21.6%) patients met the criteria for LTR. Some diagnostic features such as a younger age, female gender, ECOG performance status of 0, lower International Staging System (ISS) stage, lower bone marrow plasma cell infiltration, and lower serum levels of calcium, C-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were found to be more prevalent in LTR. Female gender, an ECOG performance status of 0, a localized Durie-Salmon stage, an ISS of I-II, the absence of bone disease, and an LDH within normal range were also predictive of longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the whole cohort. The depth of the response achieved after induction and ASCT as well as the administration of an IMID-based maintenance regimen may play a role in the differences observed on PFS between cohorts. A detectable M-protein with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)-like behavior was detected in one-third of LTR after ASCT. Although relapses continue to occur in patients who achieve a 5-year treatment-free period after ASCT, a plateau is observed in the survival curves at approximately 21 years of follow-up

Gambling phenotypes in online sports betting

Background and objectives: The Internet provides easy access to multiple types of gambling and has led to changes in betting habits. A severe rise in problematic gambling has been predicted among all sectors of the population, and studies are required to assess the emerging phenotypes related to the new structures of gambling activities. This study aimed to explore the existence of latent classes associated with gambling habits among treatment-seeking gamblers due to Online Sports Betting (OSB). Method: Initial sample included n = 4,516 patients consecutively admitted for treatment in a hospital unit specialized in behavioral addictions. Two-step clustering analysis was used within the subsample of n = 323 patients who reported problems related with OSB, within a set of indicators including sociodemographics, psychopathological distress, personality, and severity of the gambling activity. Results: The prevalence of OSB as a main type of gambling problem in the study was 7.2% (95% confidence interval: 6.4 to 7.9%). Two latent clusters were identified, with differences in sociodemographics and clinical status. Cluster 1 (n = 247, 76.5%) grouped patients that were more affected due to the OSB behaviors, and it was characterized by non-married patients, lower socioeconomic position index, higher comorbidity with other substance related addictions, younger age, and early onset of the gambling activity, as well as higher debts due to the OSB, higher psychopathological distress, and a more dysfunctional personality profile. Cluster 2 (n = 76, 23.5%) grouped patients that were less affected by OSB, mostly married (or living with a stable partner), with higher social position levels, older age and older onset of the gambling activity, as well as a more functional psychopathological and personality profile. Conclusion: The increasing understanding of latent classes underlying OSB phenotypes is essential in guiding the development of reliable screening tools to identify individuals highly vulnerable to addictive behaviors among Internet gamblers, as well as in planning prevention and treatment initiatives focused on the precise profiles of these patients

microRNA-based signatures obtained from endometrial fluid identify implantative endometrium

STUDY QUESTION Is it possible to use free and extracellular vesicle-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) from human endometrial fluid (EF) samples as non-invasive biomarkers for implantative endometrium? SUMMARY ANSWER The free and extracellular vesicle-associated miRNAs can be used to detect implantative endometrium in a non-invasive manner. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY miRNAs and extracellular vesicles (EVs) from EF have been described as mediators of the embryo-endometrium crosstalk. Therefore, the analysis of miRNA from this fluid could become a non-invasive technique for recognizing implantative endometrium. This analysis could potentially help improve the implantation rates in ART. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION In this prospective study, we first optimized different protocols for EVs and miRNA analyses using the EF of a setup cohort (n = 72). Then, we examined differentially expressed miRNAs in the EF of women with successful embryo implantation (discovery cohort n = 15/validation cohort n = 30) in comparison with those for whom the implantation had failed (discovery cohort n = 15/validation cohort n = 30). Successful embryo implantation was considered when pregnancy was confirmed by vaginal ultrasound showing a gestational sac 4 weeks after embryo transfer (ET). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The EF of the setup cohort was obtained before starting fertility treatment during the natural cycle, 16-21 days after the beginning of menstruation. For the discovery and validation cohorts, the EF was collected from women undergoing frozen ET on Day 5, and the samples were collected immediately before ET. In this study, we compared five different methods; two of them based on direct extraction of RNA and the other three with an EV enrichment step before the RNA extraction. Small RNA sequencing was performed to determine the most efficient method and find a predictive model differentiating between implantative and non-implantative endometrium. The models were confirmed using quantitative PCR in two sets of samples (discovery and validation cohorts) with different implantation outcomes. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The protocols using EV enrichment detected more miRNAs than the methods based on direct RNA extraction. The two most efficient protocols (using polymer-based precipitation (PBP): PBP-M and PBP-N) were used to obtain two predictive models (based on three miRNAs) allowing us to distinguish between an implantative and non-implantative endometrium. The first Model 1 (PBP-M) (discovery: AUC = 0.93; P-value = 0.003; validation: AUC = 0.69; P-value = 0.019) used hsa-miR-200b-3p, hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-148b-3p. Model 2 (PBP-N) (discovery: AUC = 0.92; P-value = 0.0002; validation: AUC = 0.78; P-value = 0.0002) used hsa-miR-200b-3p, hsa-miR-24-3p and hsa-miR-99b-5p. Functional analysis of these miRNAs showed strong association with key implantation processes such as in utero embryonic development or transforming growth factor-beta signaling. LARGE SCALE DATA The FASTQ data are available in the GEO database (access number GSE178917). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION One important factor to consider is the inherent variability among the women involved in the trial and among the transferred embryos. The embryos were pre-selected based on morphology, but neither genetic nor molecular studies were conducted, which would have improved the accuracy of our tests. In addition, a limitation in miRNA library construction is the low amount of input RNA. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS We describe new non-invasive protocols to analyze miRNAs from small volumes of EF. These protocols could be implemented in clinical practice to assess the status of the endometrium before attempting ET. Such evaluation could help to avoid the loss of embryos transferred to a non-implantative endometrium. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) J.I.-P. was supported by a predoctoral grant from the Basque Government (PRE_2017_0204). This study was partially funded by the Grant for Fertility Innovation (GFI, 2011) from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). It was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MINECO within the National Plan RTI2018-094969-B-I00, the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (860303), the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence Innovative Research Grant (SEV-2016-0644) and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI20/01131). The funding entities did not play any role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report or the decision to submit the article for publication. The authors declare no competing interests.J.I.-P. was supported by a predoctoral grant from the Basque Government (PRE_2017_0204). This study was partially funded by the Grant for Fertility Innovation (GFI, 2011) from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). The project was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MINECO within the national plan RTI2018-094969-B-I00, the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (860303), the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence Innovative Research Grant (SEV-2016-0644) and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI20/01131). The funding entities did not have any role in study design, sample collection, analysis and interpretation of data, report writing or decision to submit the article for publication