Empathy Levels in Albanian Health Professional Students: An Explorative Analysis Using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy:

The study aims were to define the psychometric properties of the Albanian Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Health Professional Students' version, compare empathy levels among Albanian Health Professional students, and explore any relationship among students' characteristics and their empathy levels. To achieve these aims, a comparative cross-sectional study was conducted. A preliminary exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the factor structure of the scale, while group comparisons of empathy scores were examined using t-test and ANOVA F-test. A total of 1,240 students were enrolled in the study. Psychometric properties of the scale were confirmed. Midwifery, physiotherapy, and female students showed higher levels of empathy than other groups. Similarly, third-year students showed higher empathy than first- and second-year students. Monitoring empathy levels is fundamental to the adoption of useful educational strategies by faculties to improve empathy skills in Health Professional students and guarantee better care of patients, especially those in need of psychological support

Need for ethics support in clinical practice and suggestion for an Ethics Consultation Service: views of Nurses and Physicians working in Italian Healthcare Institutions

Introduction. Ethics Consultation Services (ECS) and Ethical Committees manage several aspects of clinical ethical issues. In Italy there are only Ethical Committees, and, although they should also perform ethical consultations, their activity is limited to approving clinical trial protocols. Aim. To analyse the opinions of a sample of Nurses and Physicians about their motivations to ask for an ethical consultation. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of Italian Nurses and Physicians. Results. Respondents would request ethical consultations mainly for end-of-life issues and, secondarily, for conflicts with patients’ families. Respondents identified the provision of suggestions for hospital policy, the development of ethical guidelines, and the counselling for individual cases requested by clinicians, patients or families as the most important functions of ECS. Conclusions. ECS activities should focus on counselling and support to decisions in complex ethical situations according to institutional policies and guidelines self-developed.

Sustainable urban prototypes and informal settlements

In Metro Manila, the pressure for rapid urbanization has led to an explosion of two opposite, yet related phenomena: the development of intensive clusters of high-rise buildings and the formation of dispersed patterns of informal settlements. In the near future, the Pasig River Rehabilitation Program will lead to dramatic shifts in the city’s fabric, including the relocation of large sectors occupied by informal communities. Under this program, BaSECo compound – was selected as a priority area for substantial urban renewal. As a result, the local community was living under the threat of eviction for many years. Although this government-led initiative aimed to resettle the residents on-site instead of relocating them outside the city, the need to establish an integrated approach to implement long- and short-term strategies for the community is still pressing

Un espacio doméstico de fines del primer milenio en El Colorado, sur de Yocavil, Catamarca, Argentina. Primeros resultados de las investigaciones de campo

Este trabajo aporta a la elaboración de una imagen sobre los ámbitos domésticos construidos y habitados durante los últimos siglos del primer milenio D.C en Yocavil, una época para la que existe escaso registro en la actualidad. Se presenta una síntesis de las tres últimas temporadas de campo, efectuadas en 2016, 2017 y 2018, en la localidad arqueológica El Colorado, sur de Yocavil, provincia de Catamarca, Argentina. Las actividades se centraron en la indagación de una unidad residencial “Detección 28” compuesta por dos recintos (Estructura 65 y Estructura 66), situada en el Sector Conoide Norte de la localidad. Las excavaciones en área permitieron detectar una ocupación en la E 65, en la cual se alcanzaron depósitos estériles, y un mínimo de dos ocupaciones en la E 66, cuya excavación aún no ha concluido. Considerando los resultados de un fechado radiocarbónico y las características estilísticas de la arquitectura y de los materiales recuperados en las superficies de uso, se estableció que la E65 y la ocupación superior de la E66 corresponden a los últimos siglos del primer milenio de la era. Se presentarán detalles de la arquitectura y tendencias observadas en los conjuntos cerámico y lítico recuperados

A domestic space of the end of the first millennium in El Colorado, south of Yocavil, Catamarca, Argentina. First results of field research

Este trabajo aporta a la elaboración de una imagen sobre los ámbitos domésticos construidos y habitados durante los últimos siglos del primer milenio D.C en Yocavil, una época para la que existe escaso registro en la actualidad. Se presenta una síntesis de las tres últimas temporadas de campo, efectuadas en 2016, 2017 y 2018, en la localidad arqueológica El Colorado, sur de Yocavil, provincia de Catamarca, Argentina. Las actividades se centraron en la indagación de una unidad residencial “Detección 28” compuesta por dos recintos (Estructura 65 y Estructura 66), situada en el Sector Conoide Norte de la localidad. Las excavaciones en área permitieron detectar una ocupación en la E 65, en la cual se alcanzaron depósitos estériles, y un mínimo de dos ocupaciones en la E 66, cuya excavación aún no ha concluido. Considerando los resultados de un fechado radiocarbónico y las características estilísticas de la arquitectura y de los materiales recuperados en las superficies de uso, se estableció que la E65 y la ocupación superior de la E66 corresponden a los últimos siglos del primer milenio de la era. Se presentarán detalles de la arquitectura y tendencias observadas en los conjuntos cerámico y lítico recuperados.This work contributes to the elaboration of an image about the domestic areas built and inhabited during the last centuries of the first millennium A.D. in Yocavil, a time for which there is currently little record. We present a synthesis of the last three field seasons, carried out in 2016, 2017 and 2018, in the archaeological town of El Colorado, south of Yocavil, province of Catamarca, Argentina. The activities focused on the investigation of a residential unit “Detection 28” composed of two enclosures (Structure E65 and Structure E66), located in the North Conoid Sector of the locality. Excavations in the area allowed to detect an occupation in E65, in which sterile deposits were reached, and a minimum of two occupations in E66, whose excavation has not yet been completed. Considering the results of a radiocarbon dating and the stylistic characteristics of the architecture and materials recovered in the use surfaces, it was established that E65 and the superior occupation of E66 correspond to the last centuries of the first millennium of the era. Details of the architecture, and advances in the analysis of the ceramic and lithic set will be presented.Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicad

A domestic space of the end of the first millennium in El Colorado, south of Yocavil, Catamarca, Argentina: First results of field research

Este trabajo aporta a la elaboración de una imagen sobre los ámbitos domésticos construidos y habitados durante los últimos siglos del primer milenio d.C en Yocavil, una época para la que existe escaso registro en la actualidad. Se presenta una síntesis de las tres últimas temporadas de campo, efectuadas en 2016, 2017 y 2018, en la localidad arqueológica El Colorado, sur de Yocavil, provincia de Catamarca, Argentina. Las actividades se centraron en la indagación de una unidad residencial "Detección 28" compuesta por dos recintos (Estructura 65 y Estructura 66), situada en el Sector Conoide Norte de la localidad. Las excavaciones en área permitieron detectar una ocupación en la E 65, en la cual se alcanzaron depósitos estériles, y un mínimo de dos ocupaciones en la E 66, cuya excavación aún no ha concluido. Considerando los resultados de un fechado radiocarbónico y las características estilísticas de la arquitectura y de los materiales recuperados en las superficies de uso, se estableció que la E 65 y la ocupación superior de la E 66 corresponden a los últimos siglos del primer milenio de la era. Se presentarán detalles de la arquitectura y tendencias observadas en los conjuntos cerámico y lítico recuperados.This work contributes to the elaboration of an image about the domestic areas built and inhabited during the last centuries of the first millennium A.D. in Yocavil, a time for which there is currently little record. We present a synthesis of the last three field seasons, carried out in 2016, 2017 and 2018, in the archaeological town of El Colorado, south of Yocavil, province of Catamarca, Argentina. The activities focused on the investigation of a residential unit “Detection 28” composed of two enclosures (Structure E65 and Structure E66), located in the North Conoid Sector of the locality. Excavations in the area allowed to detect an occupation in E65, in which sterile deposits were reached, and a minimum of two occupations in E66, whose excavation has not yet been completed. Considering the results of a radiocarbon dating and the stylistic characteristics of the architecture and materials recovered in the use surfaces, it was established that E65 and the superior occupation of E66 correspond to the last centuries of the first millennium of the era. Details of the architecture, and advances in the analysis of the ceramic and lithic set will be presented.Fil: Palamarczuk, Valeria. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de las Culturas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de las Culturas; ArgentinaFil: Raices Montero, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de las Culturas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de las Culturas; Argentina. Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Banco Nacional de Datos Genéticos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; ArgentinaFil: Petrucci, Natalia Silvana. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Greco Mainero, Mariano Catriel. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Molina, Cristina N.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; ArgentinaFil: García, María Cristal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; ArgentinaFil: Castiglioni, María Valeria. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; Argentin

Identification of Drosophila Mitotic Genes by Combining Co-Expression Analysis and RNA Interference

RNAi screens have, to date, identified many genes required for mitotic divisions of Drosophila tissue culture cells. However, the inventory of such genes remains incomplete. We have combined the powers of bioinformatics and RNAi technology to detect novel mitotic genes. We found that Drosophila genes involved in mitosis tend to be transcriptionally co-expressed. We thus constructed a co-expression–based list of 1,000 genes that are highly enriched in mitotic functions, and we performed RNAi for each of these genes. By limiting the number of genes to be examined, we were able to perform a very detailed phenotypic analysis of RNAi cells. We examined dsRNA-treated cells for possible abnormalities in both chromosome structure and spindle organization. This analysis allowed the identification of 142 mitotic genes, which were subdivided into 18 phenoclusters. Seventy of these genes have not previously been associated with mitotic defects; 30 of them are required for spindle assembly and/or chromosome segregation, and 40 are required to prevent spontaneous chromosome breakage. We note that the latter type of genes has never been detected in previous RNAi screens in any system. Finally, we found that RNAi against genes encoding kinetochore components or highly conserved splicing factors results in identical defects in chromosome segregation, highlighting an unanticipated role of splicing factors in centromere function. These findings indicate that our co-expression–based method for the detection of mitotic functions works remarkably well. We can foresee that elaboration of co-expression lists using genes in the same phenocluster will provide many candidate genes for small-scale RNAi screens aimed at completing the inventory of mitotic proteins

Creatine kinase and progression rate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with no recognized clinical prognostic factor. Creatinine kinase (CK) increase in these patients is already described with conflicting results on prognosis and survival. In 126 ALS patients who were fast or slow disease progressors, CK levels were assayed for 16 months every 4 months in an observational case-control cohort study with prospective data collection conducted in Italy. CK was also measured at baseline in 88 CIDP patients with secondary axonal damage and in two mouse strains (129SvHSD and C57-BL) carrying the same SOD1G93A transgene expression but showing a fast (129Sv-SOD1G93A) and slow (C57-SOD1G93A) ALS progression rate. Higher CK was found in ALS slow progressors compared to fast progressors in T1, T2, T3, and T4, with a correlation with Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) scores. Higher CK was found in spinal compared to bulbar-onset patients. Transgenic and non-transgenic C57BL mice showed higher CK levels compared to 129SvHSD strain. At baseline mean CK was higher in ALS compared to CIDP. CK can predict the disease progression, with slow progressors associated with higher levels and fast progressors to lower levels, in both ALS patients and mice. CK is higher in ALS patients compared to patients with CIDP with secondary axonal damage; the higher levels of CK in slow progressors patients, but also in C57BL transgenic and non-transgenic mice designs CK as a predisposing factor for disease rate progression

Pathogenetic investigations on the enteric nervous system plexuses of sarda breed sheep with different PrP genotypes following oral experimental scrapie infection

We investigated the ileal myenteric (MPs) and submucosal plexuses (SMPs) of 32 Sarda breed sheep carrying different PrP genotypes (ARQ/ARQ, ARQ/AHQ, ARQ/ARR, ARR/ARR), which had been orally dosed with scrapie at 8 months of age and euthanized at definite time intervals post-infection (p.i.)