Effectiveness of an educational video as an instrument to refresh and reinforce the learning of a nursing technique: a randomized controlled trial

The Undergraduate Nursing Course has been using videos for the past year or so. Videos are used for many different purposes such as during lessons, nurse refresher courses, reinforcement, and sharing and comparison of knowledge with the professional and scientific community. The purpose of this study was to estimate the efficacy of the video (moving an uncooperative patient from the supine to the lateral position) as an instrument to refresh and reinforce nursing techniques. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was chosen: both groups attended lessons in the classroom as well as in the laboratory; a month later while one group received written information as a refresher, the other group watched the video. Both groups were evaluated in a blinded fashion. A total of 223 students agreed to take part in the study. The difference observed between those who had seen the video and those who had read up on the technique turned out to be an average of 6.19 points in favour of the first (P < 0.05). The results of the RCT demonstrated that students who had seen the video were better able to apply the technique, resulting in a better performance. The video, therefore, represents an important tool to refresh and reinforce previous learning

Comunicación corta. Viabilidad y patogenicidad de Ascosphaera apis preservado en cultivos de arroz integral

Inoculation of Apis mellifera colonies with chalkbrood is a good way to test for hygienic behavior. The use of compatible pure strains of Ascosphaera apis, the causative agent of chalkbrood, could maintain homogeneity among experiments. Mycelium aging, viability, purity and capacity to produce spore-cysts were evaluated in MY20 and integral rice kernels (IRK) medium. Ascosphaera apis strains on MY20 developed aging symptoms by the 30th day and developed pure colonies until the 77th day. The same strains on IRK showed aging symptoms by the 30th day of growing, but they produced pure colonies for 360 days. Spore-cysts obtained from pure strains preserved in IRK and spore-cysts from wild black mummies obtained from honeybee hives were used to inoculate fifth instar A. mellifera larvae. Ascospores from black wild mummies or spore-cysts obtained from pure strains preserved in IRK were equally effective in causing clinical symptoms of the disease, which has main advantages: permanent inoculum availability and genetic homogeneity.La cría yesificada es un buen modelo para evaluar el comportamiento higiénico de la abeja melífera, pero la limitada viabilidad de Ascosphaera apis en medios sintéticos es una limitación. El envejecimiento del micelio, la viabilidad, pureza y capacidad de producir esporas fueron evaluadas en cepas de A. apis mantenidas en MY20 y en arroz integral (IRK). Las cepas de A. apis en MY20 mostraron síntomas de envejecimiento a los 30 días y desarrollaron colonias puras hasta el día 77. Las cepas mantenidas en IRK mostraron síntomas de envejecimiento a los 30 días, pero produjeron colonias puras durante 360 días. Las esporas obtenidas de cepas puras preservadas en IRK o de momias negras obtenidas de colmenas fueron usadas para inocular larvas L5 de Apis mellifera. Las ascosporas obtenidas de momias naturales o a partir de cepas preservadas en IRK fueron igualmente efectivas para reproducir la enfermedad y esta última permite disponer de inóculo en forma permanente y con homogeneidad genética

Physicochemical parameters and sensory properties of honeys from Buenos Aires region

The physicochemical parameters (moisture, hydroxymethyl furfural, colour, electrical conductivity, free acidity, glucose, fructose and sucrose) and the sensory properties(aroma, taste, appeareance, texture) were determined in honeys from apiaries of the agricultural, hills and meadow zones of the south east region of Buenos Aires province (Argentina). The analysis of variance showed significant differences among zones in the mean value of hydroximethyl furfural, colour, electrical conductivity and sucrose content. The principal component analysis explained the 70% of the variance among samples with the first two principal components in both cases. The cluster analysis and linear discriminant analysis showed that samples were grouped in relation to the sampling region coinciding with the results of the principal component analysis. Results suggest that could be possible to classify honeys according to the geographic origin based on the physicochemical parameters; however, the sensory properties were not good predictors.Fil: Silvano, Maria F.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Varela, Maria S.. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: Palacio, Maria Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: Ruffinengo, Sergio Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: Yamul, Diego Karim. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentin

Efficacy and safety of deferiprone for the treatment of pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA): Results from a four years follow-up

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effect of Deferiprone (DFP) in reducing brain iron overload and improving neurological manifestations in patients with NBIA. Methods: 6 NBIA patients (5 with genetically confirmed PKAN), received DFP solution at 15 mg/kg po bid. They were assessed by UPDRS/III and UDRS scales and blinded video rating, performed at baseline and every six months. All patients underwent brain MRI at baseline and during follow up. Quantitative assessment of brain iron was performed with T2* relaxometry, using a gradient multi-echo T2* sequence. Results: After 48 months of treatment clinical rating scales and blinded video rating indicated a stabilization in motor symptoms in 5/6 Pts. In the same subjects MRI evaluation showed reduced hypointensity in the globus pallidus (GP); quantitative assessment confirmed a significant increment in the T2* value, and hence reduction of the iron content of the GP. Conclusion: The data from our 4-years follow-up study confirm the safety of DFP as a chelator agent for iron accumulation. The clinical stabilization observed in 5/6 of our patients suggests that DFP may be a reasonable therapeutic option for the treatment of the neurological manifestations linked with iron accumulation and neurodegeneration, especially in adult patients at early stage of the disease.(Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NTC00907283)