Working Environment in Nursing: Needs Improvement?

Background: Knowing the quality of life of professionals is important because it is related to job performance, better results, and greater productivity, which results in better patient care. Objective: To know the Professional Quality of Life perceived by the nurses at the Geriatric Hospital of Toledo (Spain). Method: A descriptive cross-section study was employed to measure the Professional Quality of Life of all healthcare nurses (69 in total) at the Geriatric Hospital of Toledo. The questionnaire used as a measuring instrument was the Professional Quality of Life - 35. The data obtained was analyzed by means of: descriptive statistics, single-factor ANOVA variance analysis, T Student tests, and simple and multiple regression analysis. The study was approved by both the research commission and the ethics commission at the Hospital Complex of Toledo. Participation in the study on behalf of the nursing staff was voluntary. Results: In total, 45 responses were obtained (65.2%). The overall mean score measured the perceived Professional Quality of Life to be low. In relation to the three dimensions evaluated in the study, the highest average found was in “intrinsic motivation,” followed by “workload”, and then “management support.” In the multivariate analysis, “management support” was shown as the most influential factor in the Professional Quality of Life with a 23% influence (P<0.001), followed by workload with 9% (P = 0.01). Conclusions: The professionals at the participating center perceive their workplace as having an elevated degree of responsibility, a large quantity of work, a high occurrence of rushes and fatigue, and all this with little support on behalf of management. Promotions are scarce or the policies for receiving a promotion are inadequate. The perception of Professional Quality of Life in nursing is low. The obtained results indicate a need for an organizing cultural change based on participation, motivation, and increased management support

Non-centralized Control for Flow-based Distribution Networks: A Game-theoretical Insight

This paper solves a data-driven control problem for a flow-based distribution network with two objectives: a resource allocation and a fair distribution of costs. These objectives represent both cooperation and competition directions. It is proposed a solution that combines either a centralized or distributed cooperative game approach using the Shapley value to determine a proper partitioning of the system and a fair communication cost distribution. On the other hand, a decentralized noncooperative game approach computing the Nash equilibrium is used to achieve the control objective of the resource allocation under a non-complete information topology. Furthermore, an invariant-set property is presented and the closed-loop system stability is analyzed for the non cooperative game approach. Another contribution regarding the cooperative game approach is an alternative way to compute the Shapley value for the proposed specific characteristic function. Unlike the classical cooperative-games approach, which has a limited application due to the combinatorial explosion issues, the alternative method allows calculating the Shapley value in polynomial time and hence can be applied to large-scale problems.Generalitat de Catalunya FI 2014Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación DPI2016-76493-C3-3-RMinisterio de Ciencia y Educación DPI2008-05818Proyecto europeo FP7-ICT DYMASO

¿Subversión u oxímoron?: la literatura fantástica y la metafísica del objeto

La mayoría de las lecturas clásicas del discurso fantástico (Todorov, Jackson, etc.) han enfatizado el componente subversivo o irracional del mismo. Aunque también existen comentarios acerca de su componente miméticos o realista, estos últimos no han profundizado en las posibles consecuencias que esa dimensión realista y su interacción con la propiamente fantástica pueden tener para entender y explicar la interacción entre ambos componentes y, por tanto, lo que podría ser el núcleo estrucutural de todo relato fantástico. A través de una innovadora clasificación de los objetos materiales que suelen aparecen en esos relatos y a través del estudio de su ontología metafísica, mi artículo trata de mostrar que ese componente mimético y realista no sólo es parte fundante del discruso fantástico sino que incluso reivindica lo que aparentemente ese discurso estaría cuestionando, es decir, la consistencia metafísica de la realidad extramental. Con ejemplos extraídos principalmente de las literaturas hispánicas concluyo que la literatura fantástica es esencialmente un oxymoron metafísico y que su dimensión subversiva o disidente se da sólo a posteriori, una vez que el autor ha obedecido las leyes aristotélicas de la construcción textual. Many of the classical readings of fantastic literature, such as Todorov’s, Jackson’s or Bellemin-Noël’s emphasize the subversive or irrational component of it. Although studies on its mimetic component exist as well, in my view they have not pursued to the end the logical conclusions of the interaction between both fields. Through an innovative typology of objects as they appear in fantastic fiction, and the study of their ontology, this article attempts to show how realistic view is not only a foundational base of fantastic discourse but it also proves what this discourse is claimed to question, i.e. the vindication of metaphysical consistency of reality. Using examples from Spanish and other linguistic traditions, the conclusion is reached that fantastic literature may be oxymoronic by essence, and only subversive or dissident a posteriori, after obeying the conscious intentions of the writer

Motivation for seeking headship in compulsory education centres: A qualitative approach

Es un hecho constatado que el liderazgo de los directores de los centros educativos es una de las claves del cambio. Su impacto, bien sea de carácter directo o indirecto, ha sido evidenciado en la mejora de los resultados académicos del alumnado, la contribución al desarrollo profesional del equipo docente y la creación y cultivo de comunidades de aprendizaje. Este estudio pretende reconocer cuáles son los motivos que conducen a los directores a acceder al cargo, así como el carácter de su decisión. Para ello, se ha seleccionado de forma intencionada, y con la ayuda de tres inspectores de la Conselleria de Educación, Ciencia y Deporte, a 100 directores de centros de Educación Infantil y Primaria, y Educación Secundaria de la provincia de Alicante. Para la recogida de datos se diseñó una entrevista con preguntas de carácter abierto. Los datos fueron procesados con el programa de análisis cualitativo AQUAD 7. A partir del mismo, se reconoce que la decisión de acceder al cargo es principalmente de carácter individual y que está condicionada fundamentalmente por motivaciones personales. Sin embargo, tales intenciones responden más a una visión institucional y social, que individualista. En relación al perfil de los directores, se aprecia un cariz más social de la decisión de acceso al cargo en las mujeres y los veteranos docentes. Estos datos nos llevan a la conclusión de que conviene prestar atención a las razones que conducen a los directores a acceder al cargo para, desde su reconocimiento, alentar una decisión que cada día menos docentes están dispuestos a tomar.It is a proven fact that the leadership of headteachers is one of the keys to change. Its impact, whether direct or indirect, has been shown to improve the academic performance of students, to contribute to the professional development of the teaching staff and to develop and cultivate learning communities. This study aims to recognise what motivates headteachers to seek office, and the nature of their decision. In order to study this, 100 headteachers of Infant, Primary and Secondary schools in the province of Alicante were intentionally selected with the help of three inspectors from the Regional Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. An open-question interview was designed for the purpose of data collection. Data were processed using AQUAD 7 qualitative analysis programme. It was recognised that the decision to access the position of headteacher was primarily individual in nature and largely influenced by personal motives. But such intentions were found to be the reflection of an institutional and social perspective, rather than of an individualist one. As far as the headteachers’ profile is concerned, it was identified that the decision by female and veteran teachers to seek office had a more social tenor. The data led to the conclusion that the reasons that drive headteachers to take up the position need to be attended to and recognised in order to encourage a decision that fewer and fewer teachers are willing to make

Exploring how tutors in higher education perceive their work and what direction they think it should take in the future: A case study

University tutoring is a complex area of study involving various factors and agents whose actions are context-dependent. This qualitative study aims to analyse and interpret the experiences of tutors in the course of their work. The participants were 68 tutors, each from one of the seven centres belonging to the University of Alicante (Spain). We carried out conventional and summative content analyses using AQUAD 7 software. The results show that tutors’ feelings are generally positive, though they become disillusioned if students decide to drop tutoring. Nevertheless, the few students that persevere are enough to encourage tutors to reflect on possible improvements to the tutoring programme. Their suggestions reveal their own tutoring style and the need to promote whichever tutoring model best suits the context and the students that construct the tutorial relationship.This research was supported by the Project Networks-I3CE of the Deputy Vice-Chancellors Office of Quality and Educational Innovation of the University of Alicante, under Grant 4538 – An opportunity for the design and development of a TAP (Tutorial Action Plan) with a humanistic character

The recently proposed species Aeromonas sharmana sp. nov., isolate GPTSA-6T, is not a member of the genus Aeromonas

A new species of the genus Aeromonas, Aeromonas sharmana sp. nov., was recently described on the basis of a single isolate, strain GPTSA-6T, obtained from a warm spring in India. The description of this new species included biochemical characterization, antibiotic susceptibility, cellular fatty-acid profiles, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, but not DNADNA hybridization data. In the present article, phylogenetic analysis (branch distances in the tree and nucleotide signatures) of the 16S rRNA of isolate GPTSA-6T, together with certain phenotypic characteristics of the isolate reported in the earlier description, clearly indicate that this microorganism does not belong to the genus Aeromonas as known to date, although it falls within the radiation of the family Aeromonadaceae. Emendation from the List of Prokaryotic Names with Standing in Nomenclature is consequently proposed. [Int Microbiol 2007; 10(1):61-64

A pharmacogenetic intervention for the improvement of the safety profile of antipsychotic treatments

Antipsychotic drugs fail to achieve adequate response in 30–50% of treated patients and about 50% of them develop severe and lasting side effects. Treatment failure results in poorer prognosis with devastating repercussions for the patients, carers and broader society. Our study evaluated the clinical benefits of a pharmacogenetic intervention for the personalisation of antipsychotic treatment. Pharmacogenetic information in key CYP polymorphisms was used to adjust clinical doses in a group of patients who started or switched treatment with antipsychotic drugs (PharmG+, N = 123), and their results were compared with those of a group of patients treated following existing clinical guides (PharmG−, N = 167). There was no evidence of significant differences in side effects between the two arms. Although patients who had their antipsychotic dose adjusted according to CYPs polymorphisms (PharmG+) had a bigger reduction in side effects than those treated as usual (PharmG−), the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). However, PharmG+ patients treated with CYP2D6 substrates that were carriers of CYP2D6 UMs or PMs variants showed a significantly higher improvement in global, psychic and other UKU side effects than PharmG− patients (p = 0.02, p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively). PharmG+ clozapine treated patients with CYP1A2 or CYP2C19 UM and PMs variants also showed higher reductions in UKU scores than PharmG− clozapine patients in general. However, those differences were not statistically significant. Pharmacogenetic interventions may improve the safety of antipsychotic treatments by reducing associated side effects. This intervention may be particularly useful when considering treatment with antipsychotics with one major metabolic pathway, and therefore more susceptible to be affected by functional variants of CYP enzymes.This research was funded by grants from the Institute Carlos III (FIS PI11/02006; FIS PI16/01029). A.G.-R. was partially funded by a private grant from the Jové family. Genotyping was partially conducted by the CEGEN-PRB2-ISCIII node, which is supported by grant PT13/001, ISCIIISGEFI/ FEDER

A haloarchaeal ferredoxin electron donor that plays an essential role in nitrate assimilation

In the absence of ammonium, many organisms, including the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii DS2 (DM3757), may assimilate inorganic nitrogen from nitrate or nitrite, using a ferredoxin-dependent assimilatory NO3-/NO2- reductase pathway. The small acidic ferredoxin Hv-Fd plays an essential role in the electron transfer cascade required for assimilatory nitrate and nitrite reduction by the cytoplasmic NarB- and NirA-type reductases respectively. UV–visible absorbance and EPR spectroscopic characterization of purified Hv-Fd demonstrate that this protein binds a single [2Fe–2S] cluster, and potentiometric titration reveals that the cluster shares similar redox properties with those present in plant-type ferredoxins

Medicinal plants used for traditional veterinary in the Sierras de Córdoba (Argentina): An ethnobotanical comparison with human medicinal uses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This is a first description of the main ethnoveterinary features of the peasants in the Sierras de Córdoba. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of medicinal plants and other traditional therapeutic practices for healing domestic animals and cattle. Our particular goals were to: characterize veterinary ethnobotanical knowledge considering age, gender and role of the specialists; interpret the cultural features of the traditional local veterinary medicine and plant uses associated to it; compare the plants used in traditional veterinary medicine, with those used in human medicine in the same region.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fieldwork was carried out as part of an ethnobotanic regional study where 64 informants were interviewed regarding medicinal plants used in veterinary medicine throughout 2001-2010. Based participant observation and open and semi-structured interviews we obtained information on the traditional practices of diagnosis and healing, focusing on the veterinary uses given to plants (part of the plant used, method of preparation and administration). Plants speciemens were collected with the informants and their vernacular and scientific names were registered in a database. Non-parametric statistic was used to evaluate differences in medicinal plant knowledge, use, and valorization by local people. A comparison between traditional veterinary medicine and previous human medicine studies developed in the region was performed by analyzing the percentages of common species and uses, and by considering Sorensen's Similarity Index.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 127 medicinal uses were registered, corresponding to 70 species of plants belonging to 39 botanic families. Veterinary ethnobotanical knowledge was specialized, restricted, in general, to cattle breeders (mainly men) and to a less degree to healers, and was independent of the age of the interviewees. Native plants were mostly used as skin cicatrizants, disinfectants or for treating digestive disorders. Together with a vast repertoire of plant pharmacopoeia, the therapies also involve religious or ritualistic practices and other popular remedies that evidence the influence of traditional Hispanic-European knowledge. Although the traditional veterinary knowledge seems to be similar or else is inlcuded in the local human ethnomedicine, sharing a common group of plants, it has distinct traits originated by a constant assessment of new applications specifically destined to the treatment of animals.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Veterinary medicine is a fountain of relevant vernacular knowledge, a permanent source for testing new applications with valuable ethnobotanical interest. Knowledge on medicinal applications of native plants will allow future validations and tests for new homeopathic or phytotherapeutic preparations.</p