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The LODEStone model is an emerging design model for consulting on organizational, department or team level challenges for specialized learners. LODEStone evolved from the iterative design of OCTBR, a course development tool created at an academic health science center (AHSC). OCTBR's purpose is to help create better blended and online learning experiences for graduate-level students in medicine, allied health and related health sciences. Reflecting on how OCTBR was developed, we describe a pilot model of Learning, Opinions, Discerning, Equipping and Shaping (LODEStone) that can be used to design other projects for specialized learners. [The title on the PDF varies: "A Surprising Navigation: The Emergence of the LODEStone Model for Specialized Learning Design, through the Creation of OCTBR, a Creative Commons-Licensed Course Development Tool for Health Science Learning."]

Abstract The work addresses the topic of the thermal study of high-voltage power cables installed inside plastic pipes in the absence of filling. The presence of air inside the pipe creates an insulating layer that does not favor heat exchange and makes the calculation of the flow rate more complex, as it is necessary to take into account the thermal phenomena of natural convection and radiation between the surface of the cable and the internal surface of the tube. The numerical model based on the finite element calculation was compared with the experimental results obtained on a simulacrum in which the temperatures on the different layers of the cable were measured. After this validation, some typical installation configurations of single and double energy transport triads were analyzed.

La Región de las Américas ha experimentado históricamente desigualdades sociales enraizadas en el colonialismo, las cuales se reflejan y reproducen en el ámbito de la salud. La incursión de la pandemia de COVID-19 afectó a toda la Región, pero golpeó con mayor fuerza a los grupos socialmente más desaventajados, y agravó las inequidades en salud. Bajo la premisa que las pandemias no son fenómenos socialmente neutrales, en este informe especial se analizan los impactos desiguales de la pandemia desde distintas perspectivas –histórica, epidemiológica, política, social, económica, ambiental y poblacional. Se ofrecen aquí reflexiones críticas sobre las implicaciones negativas de las desigualdades para el bienestar, no solo de las poblaciones más afectadas, sino de la sociedad en su conjunto. Se concluye con recomendaciones estratégicas para progresar hacia la equidad en salud en el escenario pospandémico. Se destaca la importancia de avanzar en la madurez de los sistemas de información para el monitoreo de la equidad en salud, la resiliencia de los sistemas de salud, y la implementación de políticas y prácticas explícitas dirigidas a eliminar las inequidades en salud. Se espera que todo lo anterior allane el camino hacia la prosperidad y el desarrollo sostenible en la Región.

Introducción: La enfermedad de Fahr es un trastorno neurodegenerativo poco común caracterizado por un depósito anormal de calcio en los ganglios basales y la corteza cerebral. Objetivo: Describir la presentación inusual de un paciente con la enfermedad de Fahr. Caso Clínico: Paciente masculino de 30 años de edad con crisis epilépticas de inicio focal en el miembro superior izquierdo de un mes de evolución, acompañado de bradipsiquia. Se realizó una tomografía computarizada de cráneo, que informó presencia de múltiples imágenes hiperdensas con densidad cálcica en ambos hemisferios cerebrales con topografía nucleocapsular bilateral y en la sustancia gris, así como en ambos hemisferios cerebelosos; hallazgos en relación con la enfermedad de Fahr. Luego de descartar otras etiologías, se inició tratamiento para el alivio sintomático y medicación anticomicial con evolución y resultados favorables. Conclusiones: La enfermedad de Fahr es un diagnóstico a considerar en pacientes jóvenes con crisis epilépticas focales y calcificaciones bilaterales de los ganglios basales.

The constitutive and strong GAP promoter (PGAP) from the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene has emerged as a suitable option for protein production in methanol-free Komagataella phaffii (syn. Pichia pastoris) expression systems. Nevertheless, the effect of the transcriptional terminator from the alcohol oxidase 1 gene (TAOX1) or GAPDH gene (TGAP) within the heterologous gene structure on the transcriptional activity in a PGAP-based strain and the impact on the extracellular product/biomass yield (Yp/x) has not yet been fully characterized. In this study, we engineered two K. phaffii strains, each harboring a single copy of a different combination of regulatory DNA elements (i.e., PGAP-TAOX1 or PGAP-TGAP pairs) within the heterologous gene structure. Moreover, we assessed the impact of the regulatory element combinations, along with the carbon source (glucose or glycerol) and the stage of cell growth, on the transcript levels of the reporter gene and the endogenous GAPDH gene in the yeast cells, as well as the extracellular Yp/x values. The results indicate that the regulation of transcription for both heterologous and endogenous GAPDH genes, the extracellular Yp/x values, and translation and/or heterologous protein secretion were influenced by the PGAP-transcriptional terminator combination, with the carbon source and the stage of cell growth acting as modulatory factors. The highest transcript levels for the heterologous and endogenous GAPDH genes were observed in glucose cultures at a high specific growth rate (0.253 h−1). Extracellular Yp/x values showed an increasing trend as the culture progressed, with the highest values observed in glucose cultures, and in the PGAP-TAOX1-based strain. The presence of TAOX1 or TGAP within the heterologous gene structure activated distinct gene regulatory elements in each strain, leading to differential modulation of gene regulation for the heterologous and the GAPDH genes, even though both genes were under the control of the same promoter (PGAP). TAOX1 induced competitive regulation of transcriptional activity between the two genes, resulting in enhanced transcriptional activity of the GAPDH gene. Moreover, TAOX1 led to increased mRNA stability and triggered distinct metabolic downregulation mechanisms due to carbon source depletion compared to TGAP. TAOX1 enhanced translation and/or heterologous protein secretion activity at a high specific growth rate (0.253 h−1), while TGAP was more effective in enhancing post-transcriptional activity at a low specific growth rate (0.030 h−1), regardless of the carbon source. The highest extracellular Yp/x was obtained with the PGAP-TAOX1-based strain when the culture was carried out at a low specific growth rate (0.030 h−1) using glucose as the carbon source. The optimization of regulatory elements and growth conditions presents opportunities for enhancing the production of biomolecules of interest.

Although uncertainty is common in the field of physiotherapy, little research has been conducted on the topic of uncertainty tolerance (UT). This study builds on previous research that explored UT in novice physiotherapists and identified their educational needs in relation to UT using the self-developed "Tolerance to Uncertainty in Physiotherapy" (TUP) questionnaire. The present work aims to explore UT in experienced physiotherapists, identify their educational needs regarding uncertainty management, and compare them with novice physiotherapists. A cross-sectional quantitative observational study was conducted involving 40 physiotherapists with an average work experience of 11.9 (7.52) years participated. The results show that the evaluated physiotherapists had a medium-high UT with 51 points (5.99) on the TUP scale. Years of experience could not be confirmed as a good predictor of UT, although a trend towards improved UT was observed (r= -0.075, p-value = 0.645). Experienced physiotherapists were less nervous or anxious about unknown diagnoses and had less difficulty switching off mentally. However, they were in agreement with novice physiotherapists in terms of requesting more diagnostic tests or more frequent appointments. Implementing educational programmes to improve UT during the training period and in experienced professionals is essential.

Objective To assess the predictive value of four cardiovascular (CV) risk algorithms for identifying high-risk psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients.Methods Evaluation of patients with PsA enrolled in the Spanish prospective project CARdiovascular in RheuMAtology. Baseline data of 669 PsA patients with no history of CV events at the baseline visit, who were followed in rheumatology outpatient clinics at tertiary centres for 7.5 years, were retrospectively analysed to test the performance of the Systematic Coronary Risk Assessment (SCORE), the modified version (mSCORE) European Alliance of Rheumatology Associations (EULAR) 2015/2016, the SCORE2 algorithm (the updated and improved version of SCORE) and the QRESEARCH risk estimator version 3 (QRISK3).Results Over 4790 years of follow-up, there were 34 CV events, resulting in a linearised rate of 7.10 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 4.92 to 9.92). The four CV risk scales showed strong correlations and all showed significant associations with CV events (p

Abstract Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality, with approximately 90% of the 250,000 deaths per year occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Secondary prevention with cervical screening involves detecting and treating precursor lesions; however, scaling screening efforts in LMIC has been hampered by infrastructure and cost constraints. Recent work has supported the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) pipeline on digital images of the cervix to achieve an accurate and reliable diagnosis of treatable precancerous lesions. In particular, WHO guidelines emphasize visual triage of women testing positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) as the primary screen, and AI could assist in this triage task. In this work, we implemented a comprehensive deep-learning model selection and optimization study on a large, collated, multi-geography, multi-institution, and multi-device dataset of 9462 women (17,013 images). We evaluated relative portability, repeatability, and classification performance. The top performing model, when combined with HPV type, achieved an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.89 within our study population of interest, and a limited total extreme misclassification rate of 3.4%, on held-aside test sets. Our model also produced reliable and consistent predictions, achieving a strong quadratic weighted kappa (QWK) of 0.86 and a minimal %2-class disagreement (% 2-Cl. D.) of 0.69%, between image pairs across women. Our work is among the first efforts at designing a robust, repeatable, accurate and clinically translatable deep-learning model for cervical screening.

Abstract Background Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-COVID condition can present similarities such as fatigue, brain fog, autonomic and neuropathic symptoms. Methods The study included 87 patients with post-COVID condition, 50 patients with ME/CFS, and 50 healthy controls (HC). The hemodynamic autonomic function was evaluated using the deep breathing technique, Valsalva maneuver, and Tilt test. The presence of autonomic and sensory small fiber neuropathy (SFN) was assessed with the Sudoscan and with heat and cold evoked potentials, respectively. Finally, a complete neuropsychological evaluation was performed. The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the autonomic and neuropathic symptoms in post-COVID condition with ME/CFS, and HC, as well as, analyze the relationship of these symptoms with cognition and fatigue. Results Statistically significant differences were found between groups in heart rate using the Kruskal–Wallis test (H), with ME/CFS group presenting the highest (H = 18.3; p ≤ .001). The Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and pathological values in palms on the Sudoscan were found in 31% and 34% of ME/CFS, and 13.8% and 19.5% of post-COVID patients, respectively. Concerning evoked potentials, statistically significant differences were found in response latency to heat stimuli between groups (H = 23.6; p ≤ .01). Latency was highest in ME/CFS, and lowest in HC. Regarding cognition, lower parasympathetic activation was associated with worse cognitive performance. Conclusions Both syndromes were characterized by inappropriate tachycardia at rest, with a high percentage of patients with POTS. The prolonged latencies for heat stimuli suggested damage to unmyelinated fibers. The higher proportion of patients with pathological results for upper extremities on the Sudoscan suggested a non-length-dependent SFN.

Abstract This study aimed to examine gender differences in distress and well-being two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing risk and protective factors for psychological distress and subjective well-being. It is a repeated cross-sectional study with a sample of 1,588 women (50%) and men (50%) from the general Spanish population aged 18-74 years who were assessed online by seven questionnaires and scales. Descriptive, variance, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. From February to April 2022, 57.4% of women and 38.7% of men had psychological distress, percentages that totaled 50.5% and 41.5%, respectively, from October 2022 to February 2023. Women also had greater perceived vulnerability to diseases, more negative feelings, and lower affect balance, resilience, and self-esteem than men. The most important predictors of greater psychological distress refer to lower self-esteem, resilience, and social support and higher perceived vulnerability to diseases. Other statistically significant predictors included lower educational level in women and neither being married nor living with a partner in men. Lower self-esteem also best predicted lower subjective well-being, with lower social support and lower resilience also constituting significant predictors. Moreover, lower educational level and higher perceived vulnerability to diseases statistically and significantly predicted lower subjective well-being in women, as did not being a student in men. We conclude that psychological distress remains greatly prevalent in Spain two years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in women.

Purpose: The multisystem clinical manifestations and complications of achondroplasia, the most common form of disproportionate short stature, can cause functional impairment and psychosocial burden. The Lifetime Impact Study for Achondroplasia (LISA), aimed to assess health-related quality of life and medical resource utilization among Latin America patients with achondroplasia. Methods: Data were collected from individuals aged 3 years and above in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia between 2018 and 2021. A total of 172 patients participated in the study. Results: Children with achondroplasia reported lower scores compared with average stature children in Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) questionnaires, with the greatest impact on physical and social domains. Among adolescents, a significant percentage reported pain, 10.3% experienced pain in 3 or more sites. Adults scored lower than the reference population in the EQ-5D-5L Visual Analog Score, and a considerable portion reported moderate to severe anxiety/depression, pain or discomfort, and mobility problems. The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) revealed poor health status in terms of energy, pain, and mobility. Medical events, particularly musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders were reported, resulting in high medical resource utilization. Conclusion: Overall, the Lifetime Impact Study for Achondroplasia study provides extensive data on health-related quality of life, psychosocial impact, and health care resource utilization among individuals with achondroplasia in Latin America. The findings confirm a significant burden of illness across multiple domains for these individuals.

Several pregnancy-related complications resulting in maternal mortality in low-income countries may be due to inaccessible or under-utilized antenatal healthcare services. This study aims to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of Haitian women and how these may affect their access to and use of antenatal care services (ANC) during pregnancy. Multi-logistic regression was used to analyze sociodemographic factors associated with ANC access and use among a cross-section of Haitian women (N = 4890) from the Demographic and Health Survey Haiti (2016–2017). Approximately 18.2% of the women had no education, 40.2% had secondary education, and 4.0% had higher education. About 45.6% of women with no education, 95% with higher education, and 76% of urban dwellers made four or more ANC visits. Only 3% of those who used public sector ANC had a higher education, and over 64.2% of those who used private sector ANC lived in urban areas. Rich women (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 2.02–3.08) vs. poor women and mature mothers (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.42–2.73) vs. teenage mothers both had higher odds of using ANC services four or more times. Women with higher education (OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.12–0.30) and those who were rich (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.5–0.89) had lower odds of using public sector ANC vs. private sector ANC. Wealth and education are protective of ANC access and use by Haitian women. As over half the population has home births, public health education interventions targeting traditional birth attendants are recommended. Interventions training traditional birth attendants to provide better ANC during pregnancy and at the time of birth and to access skilled help during emergency deliveries is recommended.

Abstract Hybrid layers consisting of Fe oxide, Fe hydroxide, and nitrogen doped graphene-like platelets have been synthesized by an eco-friendly laser-based method for photocatalytic applications. The complex composite layers show high photodecomposition efficiency towards degradation of antibiotic molecules under visible light irradiation. The photodecomposition efficiency was investigated as a function of relative concentrations of base materials, Fe oxide nanoparticles and graphene oxide platelets used for the preparation of target dispersions submitted to laser irradiation. Although reference pure Fe oxide/Fe hydroxide layers have high absorption in the visible spectral region, their photodecomposition efficiency is negligible under the same irradiation conditions. The high photocatalytic decomposition efficiency of the nanohybrid layer, up to 80% of the initial antibiotic molecules was assigned to synergistic effects between the constituent materials, efficient separation of the electron–hole pairs generated by visible light irradiation on the surface of Fe oxide and Fe hydroxide nanoparticles, in the presence of conducting graphene-like platelets. Nitrogen doped graphene-like platelets contribute also to the generation of electron–hole pairs under visible light irradiation, as demonstrated by the photocatalytic activity of pure, reference nitrogen doped graphene-like layers. The results also showed that adsorption processes do not contribute significantly to the removal of antibiotic molecules from the test solutions. The decrease of the antibiotic concentration under visible light irradiation was assigned primarily to photocatalytic decomposition mechanisms.

Abstract Background Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is characterized by persistent physical and mental fatigue. The post-COVID-19 condition patients refer physical fatigue and cognitive impairment sequelae. Given the similarity between both conditions, could it be the same pathology with a different precipitating factor? Objective To describe the cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and general symptomatology in both groups, to find out if it is the same pathology. As well as verify if the affectation of smell is related to cognitive deterioration in patients with post-COVID-19 condition. Methods The sample included 42 ME/CFS and 73 post-COVID-19 condition patients. Fatigue, sleep quality, anxiety and depressive symptoms, the frequency and severity of different symptoms, olfactory function and a wide range of cognitive domains were evaluated. Results Both syndromes are characterized by excessive physical fatigue, sleep problems and myalgia. Sustained attention and processing speed were impaired in 83.3% and 52.4% of ME/CFS patients while in post-COVID-19 condition were impaired in 56.2% and 41.4% of patients, respectively. Statistically significant differences were found in sustained attention and visuospatial ability, being the ME/CFS group who presented the worst performance. Physical problems and mood issues were the main variables correlating with cognitive performance in post-COVID-19 patients, while in ME/CFS it was anxiety symptoms and physical fatigue. Conclusions The symptomatology and cognitive patterns were similar in both groups, with greater impairment in ME/CFS. This disease is characterized by greater physical and neuropsychiatric problems compared to post-COVID-19 condition. Likewise, we also propose the relevance of prolonged hyposmia as a possible marker of cognitive deterioration in patients with post-COVID-19.

En las últimas décadas, el interés por la tolerancia a la incertidumbre (TI) en los profesionales de la salud ha ido en aumento. Una pobre capacidad de tolerar la incertidumbre se ha relacionado con mayores niveles de estrés y más probabilidades de padecer síndrome de burnout. Sin embargo, la TI no es considerada explícitamente en los currículos de las profesiones sanitarias siendo relegada su presencia al currículo oculto. Se hace necesario conocer que estrategias educativas pueden ser de utilidad al docente para abordar la TI en los futuros profesionales. La presente revisión tiene como objetivo identificar dichas estrategias educativas y cuál es su efectividad. Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos “Pubmed”, “Scopus” y Cinahl” y tras aplicar un proceso de cribado, se seleccionaron 7 artículos que fueron analizados finalmente. Los resultados han identificado 3 modelos de estrategias educativas: “estrategias basadas en pensamiento visual”, “estrategias basadas en interacción con animales” y “estrategias educativas convencionales”. Concluimos destacando, por un lado, que ninguna estrategia ha mostrado mayor eficacia frente al resto y, por otro lado, la TI ha sido estudiada, fundamentalmente en el colectivo médico. Es importante que en un futuro se realicen investigaciones de mayor calidad y orientadas a todas las profesiones sanitarias.

It has been shown that the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) is a useful and reliable tool for calculating the complexity of the pharmacotherapeutic regimen (CPR). Furthermore, a high MRCI is associated with lower adherence. However, the MRCI of opioid-dependent patients (ODP) has not been studied. The aim of this study is to calculate the Methadone Maintenance Program (MMP) persistence and the MRCI score in a ODP cohort. Second, to analyze its relationship and association with other variables. To accomplish this research, an observational study including adults with a confirmed diagnosis of opiate-dependency according to the DSM-5 in a MMP center was carried out. To define MMP-persistence, a group was created by the researchers who defined five weighted items according to their agreed importance. Our first contribution was to create a new definition of MMP-persistence. This study also identified age, comorbidities, and received methadone maintenance doses as successful predictors for MMP-persistence. We have also shown that the MRCI does not seem to be a useful tool to determine MMP-persistence, probably because there are multiple factors that influence it in addition to the CPR. It is necessary to continue searching for more precise selection and stratification tools for ODP to improve their persistence.

Summary: Background: The Omicron variant has challenged the control of the COVID-19 pandemic due to its immuno-evasive properties. The administration of a booster dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine showed positive effects in the immunogenicity against SARS-CoV-2, effect that is even enhanced after the administration of a second booster. Methods: During a phase-3 clinical trial, we evaluated the effect of a second booster of CoronaVac®, an inactivated vaccine administered 6 months after the first booster, in the neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 (n = 87). In parallel, cellular immunity (n = 45) was analyzed in stimulated peripheral mononuclear cells by flow cytometry and ELISPOT. Findings: Although a 2.5-fold increase in neutralization of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 was observed after the second booster when compared with prior its administration (Geometric mean units p

One in three Haitian women, and two in three Haitian children, experience physical abuse. This study aims to assess characteristics of abused Haitian women and identify effective sources of support. This cross-sectional study used multiple logistic regression models to analyze sociodemographic characteristics of Haitian women, associations with abuse-exposure from a parent/intimate partner (IPV)/any perpetrator, and impacts of seeking help for abuse, from police/doctors/family. About 9.1% experienced abuse by a parent, 8.6% from IPV. Women abused by a parent were less likely to be employed (OR = 0.74, [95% CI = 0.59–0.93]) and more likely to have an often-drunk partner (2.10, [1.54–2.87]). IPV-exposed women were more likely to have primary education (1.56, [1.12–2.16]), an often-drunk partner (3.07, [2.24–4.22]) and less likely to live rurally (0.65, [0.47–0.89]). Seeking help from own family for IPV exposure was strongly associated with having a job (2.00, [1.04–3.89]) (P for interaction = 0.039) and seeking help from partner’s family for IPV was strongly associated with having an often-drunk husband (8.80, [3.07–25.23]) (p for interaction

Introduction Previous studies demonstrated that the implementation of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline-based bundle, consisting of different supportive measures in patients at high risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), might reduce rate and severity of AKI after surgery. However, the effects of the care bundle in broader population of patients undergoing surgery require confirmation.Methods and analysis The BigpAK-2 trial is an international, randomised, controlled, multicentre trial. The trial aims to enrol 1302 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the intensive care or high dependency unit and are at high-risk for postoperative AKI as identified by urinary biomarkers (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2*insulin like growth factor binding protein 7 (TIMP-2)*IGFBP7)). Eligible patients will be randomised to receive either standard of care (control) or a KDIGO-based AKI care bundle (intervention). The primary endpoint is the incidence of moderate or severe AKI (stage 2 or 3) within 72 hours after surgery, according to the KDIGO 2012 criteria. Secondary endpoints include adherence to the KDIGO care bundle, occurrence and severity of any stage of AKI, change in biomarker values during 12 hours after initial measurement of (TIMP-2)*(IGFBP7), number of free days of mechanical ventilation and vasopressors, need for renal replacement therapy (RRT), duration of RRT, renal recovery, 30-day and 60-day mortality, intensive care unit length-of-stay and hospital length-of-stay and major adverse kidney events. An add-on study will investigate blood and urine samples from recruited patients for immunological functions and kidney damage.Ethics and dissemination The BigpAK-2 trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Münster and subsequently by the corresponding Ethics Committee of the participating sites. A study amendment was approved subsequently. In the UK, the trial was adopted as an NIHR portfolio study. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and will guide patient care and further research.Trial registration number NCT04647396.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated social, economic, and health-related disparities, which disproportionately affect persons living in conditions of vulnerability. Such populations include ethnic groups who face discrimination and experience barriers to accessing comprehensive health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed these health disparities, and disruptions of essential health services have further widened the gaps in access to health care. Noncommunicable diseases are more prevalent among groups most impacted by poor social determinants of health and have been associated with an increased likelihood of severe COVID-19 disease and higher mortality. Disruptions in the provision of essential health services for noncommunicable diseases, mental health, communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, and maternal and child health services (including sexual and reproductive health), are projected to also increase poor health outcomes. Other challenges have been an increased frequency of interpersonal violence and food insecurity. Countries in the Americas have responded to the disruptions caused by the pandemic by means of health service delivery through telemedicine and other digital solutions and stepping up social service support interventions. As vaccinations for COVID-19 create the opportunity to overcome the pandemic, countries must strengthen primary health care and essential health services with a view to ensuring equity, if the region is to achieve universal health coverage in fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The accelerated demographic and epidemiological transition experienced by Latin American countries has given rise to a progressive aging of the population that has become an indicator, both in developed and developing countries, of improvement in world health. Almost all older adults, as a consequence of their aging, suffer from at least one chronic disease, being very frequent in this population risk group arterial hypertension, so it is necessary to know the alternatives offered by Natural and Traditional Medicine, especially phytotherapy, in the treatment of this disease. The objective of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of phytotherapy in the treatment of hypertensive older adults of the family doctor's office # 89 belonging to the Raúl Sánchez polyclinic, in Pinar del Río. For this purpose, an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in 133 hypertensive older adults treated with phytopharmaceuticals. As a result, the research determined the most effective phytopharmacological treatment for hypertension in this population segment.

Introduction: the prevention approach in medicine has been taught since 1962, after the "Revolutionary University Reform", which has been deepened and developed in the different curricula. In the new training model of the General Practitioner, during his own curriculum, several courses are taught with the health-disease process and the environment as an essential element. Objective: to elaborate a complementary booklet on Environment and Health, to be used in the courses of the E plan, which medical students receive. Methods: a descriptive and longitudinal research was carried out during the course 2020-2021, using the dialectical-materialist method, theoretical with the documentary review, updated on the subject in magazines, books by Cuban authors and basic bibliography of the subjects of General Comprehensive Medicine and Public Health, the historical-logical analysis, a structure of introduction, five chapters and bibliography was left. Results: the booklet has an introduction and five chapters: I- the environment and its repercussion on health; II- community environmental control; III- factors that influence health; IV- health education, techniques used in environmental control and V- environmental surveillance; besides a Bibliography section, it includes photos and images on factors that damage the environment. Conclusions: the booklet Environment and Health is necessary for students and professors of the medical career; it responds to the curriculum of Plan E; it gives an outlet to the curricular strategy Public Health and Environment, to the life task.

Introduction: Cuba is among the most aged countries in the world, so this age group is not exempt from suffering chronic diseases as a consequence of this natural process. Sedentary lifestyle is associated with obesity and diseases such as hypertension, and is one of the 10 main causes of mortality and disability in the world. Sedentary lifestyle is one of the most prevalent modifiable risk factors in the general population. Objective: to evaluate community intervention to reduce sedentary lifestyle in hypertensive older adults of the clinic #59 belonging to the Pedro Borràs Astorga Polyclinic of the municipality of Pinar del Rio in the period from September 2021 to June 2023. Methodology: an action research will be carried out in which the study universe will be constituted by 161 hypertensive older adults and the sample will be formed, using a purposive sampling by those who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The following scientific research methods will be used: theoretical and empirical methods. The data obtained will be processed using percentage analysis as a statistical method and will be represented in contingency tables. Results: It is expected to obtain the reduction of sedentary lifestyle in hypertensive older adults of the studied community from an intervention plan, which will allow them to increase their quality of life and achieve a satisfactory longevity.

Abstract For more than a decade human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine have been implemented in most high-income countries, and more recently also in several low- and middle-income countries. The vaccines are safe and their impact and effectiveness in preventing HPV vaccine type infection and associated diseases has been thoroughly established. Currently, the primary recommended cohorts for immunisation are adolescents, 9–15 years of age but HPV is an ubiquitous infection that is mainly (but not exclusively) sexually transmitted. Sexually active adults remain susceptible to infection and continued transmission of the virus, representing a reservoir of infection in the population. A recent meeting, conducted by the HPV Prevention and Control Board (HPV-PCB), reviewed the current status of HPV vaccination of adults, discussed limitations, challenges and benefits of HPV vaccination of adults, evaluated the effectiveness of HPV vaccination after treatment of post cervical cancer and precancerous lesions, and discussed the potential impact of adult vaccination on cervical cancer elimination strategies in light of the current and future HPV vaccine shortage. HPV-PCB is an independent multidisciplinary board of international experts that disseminates relevant information on HPV to a broad array of stakeholders and provides guidance on strategic, technical and policy issues in the implementation of HPV prevention and control programs. The HPV-PCB concluded that, given the current data available on adult HPV vaccination and the ongoing vaccine supply constraints, it is too early to implement routine vaccination of adults. Many research gaps need to be filled before we have a better understanding of the efficacy and broader public health impact of HPV vaccination in adult women.

Objetivo: Proporcionar recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia sobre la prevención y el tratamiento del déficit de vitamina D. Métodos: Un grupo de trabajo multidisciplinar formado por 10 miembros de la Sociedad Española de Investigación Ósea y del Metabolismo Mineral (SEIOMM), formuló las preguntas clínicas de interés. Posteriormente, se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura en MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE y Cochrane sobre la evidencia disponible para cada una de las preguntas planteadas. Se incluyeron artículos publicados en inglés o español entre el 15 julio 2016 y 31 de diciembre de 2020. Para establecer la fuerza de las recomendaciones y el grado de evidencia se empleó el sistema Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Tras la formulación de las recomendaciones, estas se discutieron de manera conjunta en el grupo de trabajo y fueron ratificadas por todos los socios de la SEIOMM. Resultados y conclusiones: El presente documento establece una serie de recomendaciones sobre las concentraciones óptimas y cribado del déficit de 25-hidroxivitamina D, los requerimientos de vitamina D en diferentes poblaciones, la exposición solar, y las estrategias de suplementación en pacientes con déficit.

Introduction The use of local references or standard for neonatal studies still requires their validation through indicators of morbidity and mortality. Objective: evaluate the performance of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project (IG-21) standard and a commonly used Argentinian reference (Urquia) by examining the differences in the frequency of growth phenotypes, and the associated neonatal morbidity and mortality. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of all singleton live-births from Sarda Maternity Hospital (Buenos Aires, Argentina) between 33 and 42 gestational age, using information obtained from a Perinatal Surveillance System (Agustina) dataset between 1996-2001 (n = 25948). Phenotypes small- and large-for-gestational age, stunting and waisting and a composite of neonatal morbidity/mortality (CNMM) were contrasted between the IG-21 standard and Urquia reference. Results: the Urquia 3rd centile value was lower than IG-21 before 37 weeks, but then it surpassed IG-21 until term. Among Sarda , 2.3%, 5.9% and 8.9 were 97th centile, respectively, under the IG-21 standard, while 3.7%, 10.1% and 8.4% were 97th centile, respectively, under the Urquia reference. Stunting and waisting were 16.1% and 0.9%, respectively under IG-21. The IG-21 detection rates of CNMM showed that 28.5%, 19.6% and 8.5% occurred among weight97th centile, respectively, while 21.8%, 14.2% and 8.0% occurred among 97th centile under the Urquia criteria. Newborn weight 97th centile under IG-21 showed higher neonatal CNMM risk compared with Urquia reference. Conclusions: The IG-21 standard identified a higher risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality than the Urquia reference.

Background Balance and strength training are frequent strategies to address lower limb injuries, including ankle injuries, which are usually performed in single-leg stance on global instability devices, producing generalized muscular activation of the lower limb. In this context, new specific instability devices arise from the need to selectively work the ankle, specifically the peroneus longus. This study aimed to compare the EMG muscle activation of the peroneus longus, as well as other lower limbs muscles, in a single-leg stance on different balance training devices (BOSU, wobble board, power board, and Blackboard) in standing or squatting positions. Methods Twenty healthy recreationally trained subjects participated in the study. Subjects performed three repetitions of 15 s (one for familiarization and two for measurement) in standing and squatting positions on the floor, BOSU, wobble board, power board, and Blackboard. Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to record activity of the peroneus longus, soleus, gastrocnemius medialis, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris, and gluteus maximus. Results The main outcome was that no differences were found for the peroneus longus normalized EMG, neither between devices (p = 0.09) nor between conditions (p = 0.11), nor in the interaction between them (p = 0.16). For the normalized EMG of the other muscles, there were multiple differences between devices and conditions. Of the devices studied, the Blackboard was the one that implied a lower activation of the lower limb muscles and a lower degree of instability, activating the peroneus longus similarly to global instability devices. The BOSU and wobble board achieved high levels of EMG muscle activation for most muscles of the lower limbs. Therefore, they should be considered as potential devices for work in highly unstable conditions or when high activation levels are sought.

Background Subacromial pain syndrome is one of the most frequent injuries in overhead athletes, and it takes place when the acromiohumeral distance (AHD) is narrowed. Conservative treatment is the first approach to this syndrome, being shoulder taping one of the most used techniques. Although there are quite a few studies that analyse the effect of taping on the AHD, most of them do not include sham tapings. This study aimed to examine if the Relocation of the humeral head (RHH) taping produced an increase in the AHD in healthy recreationally weightlifter males, quantifying the change that may be due to a placebo effect. Methods The design of this study was a two-group pretest-posttest, in which eighteen healthy recreationally weightlifter males were measured. in a laboratory of the University of Valencia. RHH using rigid or sham taping was randomly applied to the participants. The AHD was measured and registered before and after the application of the taping for both groups by a blinded examiner using ultrasound. Results There were no significant differences between pre and post measures in the sham group (p = 0.51). The experimental group showed a significant AHD increase of 9.2% (10.75 ± 1.89 vs 11.74 ± 1.82, respectively, with p

Background A higher risk of shoulder injury in the athletic and non-athletic population is frequently associated with strength deficits. Therefore, shoulder strength assessment can be clinically useful to identify and to quantify the magnitude of strength deficit. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a DiCI (a new hand-held dynamometer) for the measurement of shoulder flexion and abduction strength in asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects. Methods Forty-three recreational athletes (29 males and 14 females; age: 22.1 ± 0.47 years; body mass: 68.7 ± 13.1 kg; height = 173.3 ± 9.7 cm) and 40 symptomatic subjects (28 males and 12 females; age: 49.9 ± 8.1 years; body mass: 70.6 ± 14.3 kg; height = 171.7 ± 9.0 cm) completed shoulder flexion and abduction strength tests in two identical sessions one-week apart. Both types of movement were evaluated at 45º and 90º. Results Relative reliability analysis showed excellent intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for all evaluated movements (ICC range = 0.90 to 0.99). Absolute reliability analysis showed a standard error of measurement (SEM) ranging from 1.36% to 2.25%, and minimal detectable change (MDC) ranging from 3.93% to 6.25%. In conclusion, the DiCI is a valid and reliable device for assessing shoulder strength both in recreational athletes and in subjects with restricted mobility and loss of strength.

Several questions regarding the role of vaccination in women treated for high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) have not been clarified. One of the main queries is whether the time at which the vaccine is administered (before or after treatment) influences the protection against post-treatment HSIL. A second unanswered question is whether the vaccine has any effect in women with persistent HPV after treatment. We aimed to address these questions in a study of 398 women undergoing excisional treatment from July 2016 to December 2019. Vaccination was funded and offered to all women undergoing treatment. A total of 306 women (76.9%) accepted HPV vaccination (vaccinated group): 113 (36.9%) received the first dose before excision and 193 (63.1%) after the procedure. A total of 92 women (23.1%) refused the vaccine (non-vaccinated group). Women vaccinated before treatment showed a lower rate of post-treatment HSIL compared with non-vaccinated women (0.9% vs. 6.5%; p = 0.047). Among women with persistent HPV infection after treatment, those who had received the vaccine showed a lower prevalence of post-treatment HSIL than non-vaccinated women (2.6% vs. 10.5%; p = 0.043). In conclusion, this study shows that HPV vaccination before treatment reduces the prevalence of post-treatment HSIL and suggests that vaccination might even benefit women with persistent HPV after treatment.

There is increasing evidence that subjective caregiver burden is an important determinant of clinically significant anxiety in family carers. This meta-analysis aims to synthesise this evidence and investigate the relationship between subjective caregiver burden and anxiety symptoms in informal caregivers. We searched PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO up to January 2020. Combined estimates were obtained using a random-effects model. After screening of 4,312 articles, 74 studies (with 75 independent samples) were included. There was a large, positive association between subjective caregiver burden and anxiety symptoms (r = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.47, 0.54; I2 = 0.0%). No differences were found in subgroup analyses by type of study design (cross-sectional vs. longitudinal), sampling, control of confounders or care-recipient characteristics. Subjective caregiver burden is an important risk factor for anxiety in informal caregivers. Targeting subjective caregiver burden could be beneficial in preventing clinically significant anxiety for the increasing number of family carers worldwide.

ObjectiveTo prospectively evaluate nocturnal sleep problems and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, and analyze the influence of motor symptoms, treatment, and sex differences on sleep problems in PD.MethodsSleep disturbances of 103 PD patients were assessed with Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Student's t-test for related samples, one-way ANOVA with Tukey's HSD post hoc test were used to assess group differences. Bivariate correlations and mixed-effects linear regression models were used to analyze the association between clinical aspects and sleep disturbances over time.ResultsAt baseline, 48.5% of PD patients presented nocturnal problems and 40% of patients presented EDS. The PDSS and ESS total score slightly improve over time. Nocturnal problems were associated with age and motor impartment, explaining the 51% of the variance of the PDSS model. Males presented less nocturnal disturbances and more EDS than females. Higher motor impairment and combined treatment (L-dopa and agonist) were related to more EDS, while disease duration and L-dopa in monotherapy were related to lower scores, explaining the 59% of the model.ConclusionsSleep disturbances changed over time and age, diseases duration, motor impairment, treatment and sex were associated with nocturnal sleep problems and EDS. Agonist treatment alone or in combination with L-dopa might predict worse daytime sleepiness, while L-dopa in monotherapy is related to lower EDS, which significantly affects the quality of life of PD patients.

The assembly of specific neuronal circuits relies on the expression of complementary molecular programs in presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. In the cerebral cortex, the tyrosine kinase receptor ErbB4 is critical for the wiring of specific populations of GABAergic interneurons, in which it paradoxically regulates both the formation of inhibitory synapses as well as the development of excitatory synapses received by these cells. Here, we found that Nrg1 and Nrg3, two members of the neuregulin family of trophic factors, regulate the inhibitory outputs and excitatory inputs of interneurons in the mouse cerebral cortex, respectively. The differential role of Nrg1 and Nrg3 in this process is not due to their receptor-binding EGF-like domain, but rather to their distinctive subcellular localization within pyramidal cells. Our study reveals a novel strategy for the assembly of cortical circuits that involves the differential subcellular sorting of family-related synaptic proteins.

Introduction Patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) have concerns and needs about their health and the healthcare they receive. Patient decision aids (PtDAs) are tools that assist patients in making health decisions, when there is uncertainty about treatment choice, incorporating their personal preferences and values about the available treatment options. PtDAs can improve shared decision-making and lead to better treatment outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based PtDA for patients with GAD in primary care (PC).Methods and analysis The general study design is comprised of two stages: (1) development of a web-based PtDA for patients with GAD, derived from an evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline and (2) assessment of the effectiveness of the PtDA in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design, in PC centres in Tenerife (Spain). This RCT will be carried out with 124 patients with GAD, comparing the PtDA to a fact sheet with general information on mental health. Patients will review the PtDA in one session accompanied by a researcher. Post-intervention measures will be administered immediately after the intervention and at 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be decisional conflict. Secondary outcomes will include knowledge about GAD and its treatment, treatment preference, concordance between treatment preference and choice, and decision quality (knowledge ≥60% and concordant decision).Ethics and dissemination The project received ethics approval from the local committee at Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (HUNSC) University Hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (code: CHUNSC_2019_58). Informed consent will be obtained from each participant before randomisation. Results from the trial will be submitted for publication in international peer-reviewed scientific journals and will be disseminated through workshops and local and international conferences.Trial registration number NCT04364958.

Patient-derived organoid models are proving to be a powerful platform for both basic and translational studies. Here we conduct a methodical analysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor organoid drug response in paired patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and PDX-derived organoid (PXO) models grown under WNT-free culture conditions. We report a specific relationship between area under the curve value of organoid drug dose response and in vivo tumor growth, irrespective of the drug treatment. In addition, we analyzed the glycome of PDX and PXO models and demonstrate that PXOs recapitulate the in vivo glycan landscape. In addition, we identify a core set of 57 N-glycans detected in all 10 models that represent 50%–94% of the relative abundance of all N-glycans detected in each of the models. Last, we developed a secreted biomarker discovery pipeline using media supernatant of organoid cultures and identified potentially new extracellular vesicle (EV) protein markers. We validated our findings using plasma samples from patients with PDAC, benign gastrointestinal diseases, and chronic pancreatitis and discovered that 4 EV proteins are potential circulating biomarkers for PDAC. Thus, we demonstrate the utility of organoid cultures to not only model in vivo drug responses but also serve as a powerful platform for discovering clinically actionable serologic biomarkers.

RESUMEN El Programa Nacional y Normas de procedimiento para la Prevención y Control de la Tuberculosis en Cuba de 2013 constituye la guía de trabajo cotidiana del personal de salud para el manejo de la enfermedad. Este necesita ser actualizado para adecuarse a las nuevas condiciones y retos que plantea la tuberculosis a tono con las experiencias nacionales y las recomendaciones internacionales las cuales buscan estandarizar la atención. Deben modificarse términos en la clasificación de casos, incorporar nuevos métodos diagnósticos (imagenológicos, inmunológicos y genotípicos) y fundamentalmente en el tema de tratamiento con la incorporación de nuevas drogas, esquemas terapéuticos y la reorganización de los fármacos según su efectividad.

Home-based rehabilitation after an acute episode or following an exacerbation of a chronic disease is often problematic with a clear lack of continuity of care between hospital and home care. Secondary prevention is an essential element of long-term rehabilitation where strategies oriented toward risk reduction, treatment adherence, and optimization of quality of life need to be applied. Frail and sometimes isolated, the patient fails to adhere to the proposed post-discharge clinical pathway due to lack of appropriate clinical, emotional, and informational support. Providing a suitable rehabilitation after an acute episode or a chronic disease is a major issue, as it helps people to live independently and enhance their quality of life. However, as the rehabilitation period usually lasts some months, the continuity of care is often interrupted in the transition from hospital to home. Virtual coaches could help these patients to engage in a personalized rehabilitation program that complies with age-related conditions. These coaches could be a key technology for empowering patients toward increasing their adherence to the care plan and to improve their secondary prevention measures. In this paper, we are presenting a novel virtual coaching system that will address these challenges by combining recent technological advances with clinical pathways, based on joint research and validation activities from researchers from the medical and information and communication technology (ICT) domains.

Objective National Spanish studies show that prevalence of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the female population is increasingly frequent, with an overall estimate of 14% in women aged 18–65 years. The objective of this study is to know the prevalence and distribution of HPV types in the female population of the Canary Islands prior to the introduction of HPV vaccines and to investigate the associated clinical and sociodemographic factors.Methods Based on the Primary Health Care database, a sample of adult women (aged 18–65 years) of Gran Canaria (GC) and Tenerife (TF) stratified into nine age groups was carried out between 2002 and 2007. Women were contacted by postal letter and telephone call and were visited in their primary care centre. A clinical-epidemiological survey was completed and cervical samples were taken for cytological study and HPV detection. HPV prevalence and its 95% CI were estimated, and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression to identify factors associated with the infection.Results 6010 women participated in the study, 3847 from GC and 2163 from TF. The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 13.6% (CI 12.8%–14.5%) and 11.1% (CI 10.3%–11.9%) for high-risk types. The most frequent HPV type was 16 followed by types 51, 53, 31, 42 and 59. HPV types included in the nonavalent vaccine were detected in 54.1% of infected women. Factors associated with an increased risk of infection were: young ages (18–29 years), the number of sexual partners throughout life, not being married, being a smoker, and having had previous cervical lesions or genital warts.Conclusions It is confirmed that prevalence of HPV infection in the female population of the Canary Islands is high, but similar to that of Spain, HPV 16 being the most frequent genotype. The determinants of infection are consistent with those of other populations.

RESUMEN Introducción: La enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica es el problema respiratorio de mayor prevalencia e impacto socioeconómico en el mundo a pesar de ser una enfermedad potencialmente prevenible. Objetivo: Comparar clínica y funcionalmente pacientes con diagnóstico de enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica severa y muy severa. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo en pacientes con diagnóstico clínico-espirométrico de enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica severa o muy severa según sexo que acudieron al Hospital Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico en el periodo de septiembre de 2015 a marzo de 2017. Se empleó para las variables cuantitativas la media y la desviación estándar y el análisis de significación estadística mediante la prueba t de student. La muestra estuvo constituida por 50 pacientes, 25 hombres y 25 mujeres. Resultados: Las mujeres tuvieron menos exacerbaciones con una diferencia de las medias de 0,7 (IC 95 % masculino 2.4-3.1; femenino 1,6-2.5; p=0,01). La sensación de disnea fue mayor en los hombres, con una diferencia de las medias de 0,6 (IC 95 % masculino 2,4-3,1; femenino 1,8-2,5; p=0,00). En la capacidad al ejercicio según la PM6M las mujeres alcanzaron mejores porcentajes del predicho con una diferencia de las medias de 12,8 % (IC 95 % masculino 49,2-63,5; femenino 62,6-75,7; p=0.00). Conclusiones: Los hombres presentan más complicaciones que las mujeres con iguales características espirométricas.

Objective. To identify and summarize existing literature on the burden of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and viral hepatitis (VH) in indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in Latin America to provide a broad panorama of the quantitative data available and highlight problematic data gaps. Methods. Published and grey literature were systematically reviewed to identify documents published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese with data collected between January 2000 and April 2016 on HIV, STI, and VH disease burden among indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in 17 Latin American countries. Results. Sixty-two documents from 12 countries were found. HIV prevalence was generally low (< 1%) but pockets of high prevalence (> 5%) were noted in some indigenous communities in Venezuela (Warao) (9.6%), Peru (Chayahuita) (7.5%), and Colombia (Wayuu females) (7.0%). High active syphilis prevalence (> 5%) was seen in some indigenous communities in Paraguay (11.6% and 9.7%) and Peru (Chayahuita) (6.3%). High endemicity (> 8%) of hepatitis B was found in some indigenous peoples in Mexico (Huichol) (9.4%) and Venezuela (Yanomami: 14.3%; Japreira: 29.5%) and among Afro-descendant quilombola populations in Brazil (Frechal: 12.5%; Furnas do Dionísio: 8.4% in 2008, 9.2% in 2003). Conclusions. The gaps in existing data on the burden of HIV, STIs, and VH in indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in Latin America highlight the need to 1) improve national surveillance, by systematically collecting and analyzing ethnicity variables, and implementing integrated biobehavioral studies using robust methodologies and culturally sensitive strategies; 2) develop a region-wide response policy that considers the needs of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants; and 3) implement an intercultural approach to health and service delivery to eliminate health access barriers and improve health outcomes for these populations.

Antecedentes: En el pasado algunos estudios apuntaron que los motivos que se tienen para convertir a una persona en cuidadora de un familiar dependiente podrían influenciar su salud. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha el análisis de los motivos de cuidado ha recibido menos atención de lo que cabría esperar. Objetivo: Analizar la relación entre los motivos de cuidado (creencias de obligación y presión social), y la sobrecarga subjetiva, la ansiedad, la depresión y la satisfacción con el cuidado en personas cuidadoras de familiares mayores dependientes. Diseño: Estudio descriptivo transversal. Emplazamiento: Municipio de Granada (España). Participantes: Muestra no probabilística de 58 personas cuidadoras de familiares mayores dependientes. Mediciones principales: Creencias de obligación, presión social, sobrecarga subjetiva, ansiedad, depresión y carga objetiva (dedicación al cuidado de la persona cuidadora). Resultados: La mayoría de las personas cuidadoras eran mujeres, hijas de la persona cuidada. Se encontró una asociación estadística positiva entre la creencia de obligación y la ansiedad (r =0,222), la depresión (r=0,242) y la satisfacción con el cuidado (r= 0,387). Al ajustar por carga objetiva solo se mantuvo significativa la asociación con la satisfacción con el cuidado. Por otro lado, se encontró una asociación estadística positiva entre la presión social y la satisfacción con el cuidado (r=0,268). Sin embargo, ésta no se mantuvo significativa al ajustar por la carga objetiva. Discusión: La creencia de obligación podría favorecer la satisfacción con el cuidado de forma independiente a la carga objetiva. Abstract Background: In the past, some studies pointed out that the reasons for making a person a caregiver of a dependent family member could influence their health. However, to date the analysis of the reasons for care has received less attention than one would expect. Objective: To analyze the relationship between the reasons for care (beliefs of obligation and social pressure), and subjective overload, anxiety, depression and satisfaction with the care of people in informal caregivers of disabled older relatives. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Location: City of Granada (Spain). Participants: Non-probabilistic sample of 58 caregivers of dependent elderly relatives. Main measurements: Beliefs of obligation, social pressure, subjective overload, anxiety, depression and objective burden (dedication to the caregiver's care). Results: The majority of the caregivers were women, daughters of the person cared. A positive statistical association was found between the belief of obligation and anxiety (r = 0.222), depression (r = 0.242) and satisfaction with care (r = 0.387). When adjusting for objective load, only the association with satisfaction with care remained significant. On the other hand, a positive statistical association was found between social pressure and satisfaction with care (r = 0.268). However, this did not remain significant when adjusting for the objective load. Discussion: The belief of obligation could mean more satisfaction with care independently of the objective burden.

Introducción: el análisis de los errores cometidos durante el proceso diagnóstico al aplicar el método clínico por los estudiantes de medicina interna, en dos momentos de su rotación, permite mejorar la calidad de la atención médica. Objetivo: analizar si existe relación entre el diagnóstico al ingreso y egreso, y los errores detectados durante el interrogatorio y examen físico en los estudiantes de tercer año al iniciar y finalizar la rotación de medicina interna. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo de los alumnos de tercer año del Hospital Militar "Dr. Carlos J. Finlay" en el curso académico 2015-2016. Resultados: los errores son más frecuentes en el interrogatorio, tanto en el primero como en el segundo encuentro médico. La concordancia entre el diagnóstico al ingreso y al egreso, mejoró en un 21,7 % entre el primer y el segundo. Conclusiones: la realización de diagnósticos certeros implica mejoramiento de la atención médica con ahorro de recursos económicos.

Objetivos: Alcanzar un consenso sobre los circuitos de atención médica de la paciente con osteoporosis postmenopáusica (OPM), incluyendo los circuitos de derivación y manejo (herramientas de evaluación y pruebas médicas), identificando perfiles de acuerdo con la opinión de expertos en metabolismo óseo pertenecientes al Sistema de Salud Español. Material y métodos: Se empleó la técnica Delphi con dos rondas de consulta sucesivas. Participaron 38 expertos en el manejo de OPM pertenecientes a 14 sociedades científicas. La revisión de la literatura y la opinión del comité científico nutrieron el cuestionario. Los expertos expresaron su “deseo” (1=rechazo total; 9=deseo más fuerte) y “pronóstico” (1=no ocurrirá en absoluto; 9=ocurrirá con máxima probabilidad) acerca de las cuestiones planteadas. Se alcanzó consenso cuando el 75% o más de los participantes puntuaron 1-3 (desacuerdo) o 7-9 (acuerdo). Adicionalmente, los expertos se dividieron en 3 grupos de discusión para complementar la información según los perfiles de pacientes previamente hallados en el método Delphi. Resultados: Se alcanzó consenso en el 75% de las preguntas. Los expertos establecieron tres perfiles de pacientes con OPM: sin fractura, con fractura vertebral y con fractura no vertebral, así como los recursos diagnósticos y terapéuticos que conviene emplear en estas pacientes. La paciente sin fractura debería ser manejada por Atención Primaria o Reumatología y se utilizarán escalas para valorar el riesgo de fractura en fases tempranas de la enfermedad. La paciente con fractura vertebral crónica debería referirse a Reumatología y Rehabilitación, y se derivará a Reumatología; mientras que la paciente con fractura vertebral aguda debería ser tratada por Cirugía Ortopédica, y así es como posiblemente ocurrirá. El diagnóstico de la paciente con fractura vertebral estará basado principalmente en la radiografía. Para la evaluación de la progresión se deberían utilizar cuestionarios sobre la capacidad funcional y escalas del dolor. Sin embargo, no se utilizarán en la práctica habitual debido a la falta de tiempo. La paciente con fractura no vertebral debería ser y será referida a Cirugía Ortopédica, recomendando realizar 3-4 radiografías anuales para asegurar la consolidación de la fractura. Conclusiones: Los resultados del método Delphi muestran los circuitos de derivación de la paciente con OPM, que se concentran en Atención Primaria y Reumatología, cuando no existe fractura, y Cirugía Ortopédica, en caso de fractura.

Abstract Biogenesis and function of microRNAs can be influenced by genetic variants in the pri-miRNA sequences leading to phenotypic variability. This study aims to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting the expression levels of bone-related mature microRNAs and thus, triggering an osteoporotic phenotype. An association analysis of SNPs located in pri-miRNA sequences with bone mineral density (BMD) was performed in the OSTEOMED2 cohort (n = 2183). Functional studies were performed for assessing the role of BMD-associated miRNAs in bone cells. Two SNPs, rs6430498 in the miR-3679 and rs12512664 in the miR-4274, were significantly associated with femoral neck BMD. Further, we measured these BMD-associated microRNAs in trabecular bone from osteoporotic hip fractures comparing to non-osteoporotic bone by qPCR. Both microRNAs were found overexpressed in fractured bone. Increased matrix mineralization was observed after miR-3679-3p inhibition in human osteoblastic cells. Finally, genotypes of rs6430498 and rs12512664 were correlated with expression levels of miR-3679 and miR-4274, respectively, in osteoblasts. In both cases, the allele that generated higher microRNA expression levels was associated with lower BMD values. In conclusion, two osteoblast-expressed microRNAs, miR-3679 and miR-4274, were associated with BMD; their overexpression could contribute to the osteoporotic phenotype. These findings open new areas for the study of bone disorders.

The use of instruments originally developed for measuring gambling activity in younger populations may not be appropriate in older age individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the presence of problematic and disordered gambling in seniors aged 50 or over, and study the reliability and validity properties of the SOGS (a screening measure to identify gambling related problems). Two independent samples were recruited: a clinical group of n = 47 patients seeking treatment at a Pathological Gambling Outpatient Unit, and a population-based group of n = 361 participants recruited from the same geographical area. Confirmatory factor analysis verified the bifactor structure for the SOGS with two correlated underlying dimensions [measuring the impact of gambling on the self primarily (Cronbach's alpha α = 0.87) or on both the self and others also (α = 0.82)], and a global dimension of gambling severity (also with excellent internal consistency, α = 0.90). The SOG obtained excellent accuracy/validity for identifying gambling severity based on the DSM-5 criteria (area under the ROC curve AUC = 0.97 for discriminating disordered gambling and AUC = 0.91 for discriminating problem gambling), and good convergent validity with external measures of gambling (Pearson's correlation R = 0.91 with the total number of DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder, and R = 0.55 with the debts accumulated due to gambling) and psychopathology (R = 0.50, 0.43 and 0.44 with the SCL-90R depression, anxiety and GSI scales). The optimal cutoff point for identifying gambling disorder was 4 (sensitivity Se = 92.3% and specificity Sp = 98.6%) and 2 for identifying problem gambling (Se = 78.8% and Sp = 96.7%). This study provides empirical support for the reliability and validity of the SOGS for assessing problem gambling in elders, and identifies two specific factors that could help both research and clinical decision-making, based on the severity and consequences of the gambling activity.

La filtración glomerular se calcula por la depuración de creatinina endógena (DCE) en orina de 24 horas, con limitaciones en su recolección y dificultades para los pacientes. Sin embargo, existen fórmulas propuestas para estimar esta función renal. Objetivo. Aplicar la fórmula Cockcroft–Gault de filtración glomerular y compararla con método químico colorimétrico en gestantes. Diseño. Estudio observacional, correlacional, prospectivo y transversal. Lugar. Laboratorio central, Hospital Nacional Sergio Bernales de Lima, Perú. Participantes. Mujeres gestantes. Métodos. Previo consentimiento informado, se procesaron muestras de sangre y orina de 24 horas de 92 gestantes, entre noviembre 2015 y enero 2016. Se utilizó el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson entre los resultados DCE de la fórmula Cockcroft–Gault y la obtenida en suero-orina de 24 horas. Resultados. La muestra tuvo una distribución normal analizada por el estimador Smirnov-Kolmogorov. El promedio de la DCE en orina de 24 horas fue 73,65 ± 19,85 mL/min, la obtenida por la fórmula Cockcroft-Gault fue 99,82 ± 18,75 mL/min, con diferencia significativa a la prueba t para muestras relacionadas (p < 0,000), y la correlación entre dichos métodos de laboratorio fue baja (r=0,561) en todas las gestantes y por trimestre, mostrando falta de correlación con la prueba coeficiente de correlación-concordancia de Lin (ccc) (p < 0,01). La sensibilidad (S) fue 0,50; especificidad (E) 0,591, el valor predictivo positivo (VPP) 0,212 y el negativo (VPN) 0,881. Conclusiones. La DCE obtenida por fórmula Cockcroft–Gault con la DCE suero-orina de 24 horas en gestantes tuvo baja correlación (r = ⦋0,4 a 0,67⦌), con niveles bajos de S, E VPP y VPN, por lo que no es recomendable su uso en gestantes.