Discovering oneself and discovering ourselves with the help of literature: Educational possibilities of narrative

Undoubtedly narrative in education has frequently been studied. Nonetheless, in this paper we want to explore the different educational possibilities offered by narrative in order to discover identity through tradition. MacIntyre’s thought offers the categories of practice, tradition and narrative, in order to penetrate the central questions of personal identity and communicability that we consider the most suggestive. Some authors understand narrative as a very accurate means to access tradition and self-knowledge as well as to show the unity of human life and to vindicate the unity of tradition that we can face and those elements that constitute our moral habitat

Geochemical speciation of mercury in bauxite

The presence of trace concentrations of mercury in bauxite is a potential environmental concern in the Bayer alumina refining process. An understanding of the geochemical speciation of mercury in bauxite provides insight into the behaviour of mercury in the Bayer process. The speciation of mercury was evaluated using a novel continuous thermal desorption methodology, sequential extractions, alkaline digestion, aqua regia digestion and hydrofluoric acid total dissolution assay. Thermal desorption demonstrated two distinct mercury forms. Labile mercury was found to be present as metacinnabar or organic-associated mercury, while refractory mercury was associated with quartz or other refractory silicates

Professional interventions to implement guidelines to prevent hazardous alcohol consumption by patients in primary care settings (Protocol)

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Characteristics of COVID-19 cases and contacts reported in an area of Madrid during beginning of de-escalation

[ES] Fundamentos: La desescalada iniciada en mayo de 2020 aumenta las interacciones sociales, lo que influye en la vigilancia epidemiológica de la COVID-19. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo caracterizar los casos identificados durante este periodo. Métodos: Se analizaron parámetros de interés de las encuestas epidemiológicas realizadas en un área de Madrid durante mayo de 2020, estratificando los resultados según su relación temporal con la desescalada. Para las distintas opciones de respuesta, se calculó la prevalencia, y para la duración de la encuesta, la media en minutos. Los intervalos de confianza se estimaron al 95%. Resultados: Se incluyeron 167 casos, siendo un 30,5% incidentes y un 49,1% prevalentes. El principal lugar de contagio fue el domicilio (38,8%; IC 95% 31,4- 46,2). En el caso de los trabajadores sanitarios y sociosanitarios fue el centro de trabajo (93,0%; 85,4-100). El número medio de contactos por caso fue 2,0 (1,8-2,2), siendo 1,5 (1,0-2,0) en los casos incidentes predesescalada y 2,4 (1,8-3,0) en los postdesescalada. El tiempo medio por encuesta fue de 35,9 minutos (32,2-38,9), siendo 32,1 (24,4-39,8) en los incidentes predesescalada y 37,0 (29,6-44,4) en los postdesescalada. El principal ámbito de contacto fue el domicilio, tanto antes como después del inicio de la desescalada. Conclusiones: Los contagios se producen principalmente en el domicilio en el caso de la población general y en el centro de trabajo en cuanto a los profesionales sanitarios y sociosanitarios. La fase inicial de la desescalada no supone un cambio en las fuentes de exposición, pero sí podría haber aumentado el número de contactos a investigar. [EN] Background: Deescalation began in May 2020 increases social interaction, which has an influence on COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance. The aim of this study was the characterization of COVID-19 cases detected during this period. Methods: We analyzed certain variables of interest coming from the epidemiological surveys carried out in an area of Madrid during May 2020, and stratified the results depending on its temporal relation with the deescalation. Prevalence for each category of response and average duration in minutes of the telephonic call were calculated. Confidence intervals were estimated at 95%. Results: We included 167 cases, being 30.5% of them incident and 49.1% prevalent. The main source of infection was home (38.0%; CI 95% 31.4-46.2). Regarding healthcare and social care workers, the main source of infection was workplace (93.0%; 85.4-100). Average number of close contacts per case was 2.0 (1.8-2.2), being 1.5 (1.0-2.0) among pre-deescalation incident cases and 2.4 (1.8-3.0) among those post-deescalation. Average duration of each survey was 35.9 minutes (32.2-38.9), being 32.1 (24.4-39.8) among pre-deescalation incident cases and 37.0 (29.6-44.4) among those post-deescalation. Most of the contacts were household, both before and after beginning of deescalation. Conclusions: Home is the most prevalent place for the acquisition of the infection among general population, while workplace is the most prevalent among healthcare and social care workers. The initial phase of deescalation do not represents a change regarding sources of infection, but it may increase the number of close contacts.S

IL1RL1 Gene Variants and Nasopharyngeal IL1RL-a Levels Are Associated with Severe RSV Bronchiolitis: A Multicenter Cohort Study

Targets for intervention are required for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis, a common disease during infancy for which no effective treatment exists. Clinical and genetic studies indicate that IL1RL1 plays an important role in the development and exacerbations of asthma. Human IL1RL1 encodes three isoforms, including soluble IL1RL1-a, that can influence IL33 signalling by modifying inflammatory responses to epithelial damage. We hypothesized that IL1RL1 gene variants and soluble IL1RL1-a are associated with severe RSV bronchiolitis.We studied the association between RSV and 3 selected IL1RL1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs1921622, rs11685480 or rs1420101 in 81 ventilated and 384 non-ventilated children under 1 year of age hospitalized with primary RSV bronchiolitis in comparison to 930 healthy controls. Severe RSV infection was defined by need for mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, we examined soluble IL1RL1-a concentration in nasopharyngeal aspirates from children hospitalized with primary RSV bronchiolitis. An association between SNP rs1921622 and disease severity was found at the allele and genotype level (p = 0.011 and p = 0.040, respectively). In hospitalized non-ventilated patients, RSV bronchiolitis was not associated with IL1RL1 genotypes. Median concentrations of soluble IL1RL1-a in nasopharyngeal aspirates were >20-fold higher in ventilated infants when compared to non-ventilated infants with RSV (median [and quartiles] 9,357 [936-15,528] pg/ml vs. 405 [112-1,193] pg/ml respectively; p<0.001).We found a genetic link between rs1921622 IL1RL1 polymorphism and disease severity in RSV bronchiolitis. The potential biological role of IL1RL1 in the pathogenesis of severe RSV bronchiolitis was further supported by high local concentrations of IL1RL1 in children with most severe disease. We speculate that IL1RL1a modifies epithelial damage mediated inflammatory responses during RSV bronchiolitis and thus may serve as a novel target for intervention to control disease severity

Effectiveness of an implementation strategy for a breastfeeding guideline in Primary Care: cluster randomised trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The protection and promotion of breastfeeding is considered a priority in Europe where only 22% of infants less than 6 months old are exclusively breastfed. In Spain this percentage reaches 24.8% but in our city it falls to 18.26%. Various studies emphasise that the improvement of these results should be based upon the training of health professionals. Following the recommendations of a breastfeeding guide can modify the practice of health professionals and improve results with respect to exclusively or predominatly breastfed children at 6 months of age.</p> <p>Method/Design</p> <p>This study involves a community based cluster randomized trial in primary healthcare centres in Leganés (Madrid, Spain). The project aims to determine whether the use of an implementation strategy (including training session, information distribution, opinion leader) of a breastfeeding guideline in primary care is more effective than usual diffusion.</p> <p>The number of patients required will be 240 (120 in each arm). It will be included all the mothers of infants born during the study period (6 months) who come to the health centre on the first visit of the child care programme and who give their consent to participate. The main outcome variable is the exclusive o predominant breastfeeding at 6 moths of age..</p> <p>Main effectiveness will be analyzed by comparing the percentage of infants with exclusive or predominant breastfeeding at 6 months between the intervention group and the control group. All statistical tests will be performed with intention to treat. Logistic regression with random effects will be used to adjust for prognostic factors. Confounding factors or factors that might alter the effect recorded will be taken into account in this analysis.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Strategies need to be found which facilitate the giving of effective advice on breastfeeding by professionals and which provide support to women during the breastfeeding period. By applying the guide's recommendations, clinical variability can be reduced and the care received by patients can be improved.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01474096">NCT01474096</a></p

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe