Surveillance and control of Trypanosoma evansi in the canary Islands: A descriptive analysis.

This study examines the occurrence of Surra, a disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi, in camels in the Canary Islands. The 1997 detection of T. evansi in camels in the Canary Islands led to the implementation of an initial control program, resulting in a decrease in prevalence. Following an outbreak in 2014, and due to the impossibility of eradicating it using the conventional measures, a lazaret was set up to separate positive and suspicious animals, in addition to the control measures previously implemented. Stomoxys calcitrans was the only vector captured, and no other animals tested were found to be positive for T. evansi. In November 2019, the last camels that tested serologically positive were detected; however, since February 2018, no camels that tested positive for PCR have been found in the farms were the outbreak was detected, suggesting that the sanitary measures implemented are adequate. The duration of the outbreak control and potential eradication for the disease has yet to be established. This study provides evidence to facilitate the control of African Animal Trypanosomosis in endemic areas of the world, which may contribute to revise the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) protocol to implement recommendations of surveillance and control strategies for animal Trypanosomosis in camels.

Sensibilidade moral e fatores relacionados: percepção de enfermeiros / Moral sensitivity and related factors: the perception of nurses / Sensibilidad moral y factores asociados: percepción de enfermeros

Objetivou-se conhecer a percepção de enfermeiros acerca da sensibilidade moral e seus fatores relacionados. Pesquisa qualitativa, com dados coletados em grupo focal e analisado pela técnica de análise de conteúdo, em março de 2016. Participaram seis enfermeiros das seguintes áreas de atuação - cuidados paliativos, hematologia, urgência, unidade de tratamento intensivo e docente - da cidade de Valência, Espanha. Depreenderam-se quatro categorias: o conceito de sensibilidade moral; a dimensão profissional; a relação com o paciente; e a educação ética. Os enfermeiros investigados apresentaram visão restrita do conceito de sensibilidade moral, porém identificaram fatores que influenciam a sensibilidade moral. Observou-se a percepção deles em relação à necessidade de ampliação e desenvolvimento dos processos formativos em ética, ainda durante a graduação e nos próprios serviços de saúde, com vistas ao aprimoramento dos cuidados de enfermagem.(AU)

This study aimed to investigate nurses' perception regarding moral sensitivity and factors related to it. It is a qualitative study, with data collected in focus groups and analyzed using the technique of content analysis, in March 2016. A total of six nurses participated, from the following areas of work ­ palliative care, hematology, urgent care, the intensive care unit, and lecturing ­ from the city of Valencia in Spain. Four categories were surmised: the concept of moral sensitivity; the professional dimension; the relationship with the patient; and ethical education. The nurses investigated presented a restricted view of the concept of moral sensitivity, although they identified factors which influence moral sensitivity.(AU)

Estudio cuyo propósito fue conocer la percepción de enfermeros acerca de la sensibilidad moral, así como de factores asociados a ello. Investigación cualitativa, con datos obtenidos por medio de grupo focal y analizados por la técnica de análisis de contenido, en marzo de 2016. Los participantes fueron seis enfermeros de las siguientes áreas de actuación ­ cuidados paliativos, hematología, urgencia, unidad de tratamiento intensivo y docente ­ de la ciudad de Valencia, España. Del estudio, resultaron cuatro categorías: concepto de sensibilidad moral; dimensión profesional; relación con el paciente; y educación ética. Los enfermeros investigados presentaron visión restricta del concepto de sensibilidad moral; sin embargo identificaron factores que interfieren en la sensibilidad moral. Se observó la percepción de ellos acerca de la necesidade de ampliación y desarrollo de los procesos formativos en ética aun durante la graduación y en los propios servicios de salud, a fin de que los cuidados de enfermería sean perfeccionados.(AU)

Sperm gene expression profile is related to pregnancy rate after insemination and is predictive of low fecundity in normozoospermic men.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of male fertility is traditionally based on microscopic evaluation of semen. However, the classical semen parameters do not adequately reflect sperm function, and their clinical value in predicting fertility is limited. We hypothesize that the sperm expression profile could reflect the fertilizing quality of spermatozoa and could be more informative for predicting the in vivo reproductive fitness of men with normal semen parameters. METHODS: Sperm gene expression patterns of 68 normozoospermic donors (43 Phase I and 25 Phase II), used for therapeutic IUI, were analysed via TaqMan Arrays. RESULTS: Significant differences in the expression of individual genes were observed between groups of donors with the lowest and highest pregnancy rates (PRs) after IUI. Additionally, we have developed a molecular means to classify the fertility status of semen donors for IUI based on the expression signature of four genes. In the Phase I study, this model had 90% sensitivity and 97% specificity for discriminating donors resulting in low PRs (cut-off value: <13.6%), far better than that obtained from the combination of sperm parameters. The translation of the model was validated in Phase II donors resulting in a sensitivity of 71.5% and a specificity of 78%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to the search for the most valuable genetic markers which are potentially useful as tools for predicting pregnancy. Our expression model could complement classical semen analysis in order to identify sperm donors with a less favourable IUI reproductive outcome despite having normal semen parameters. It may also be useful for the study of sperm function in couples with unexplained infertility.

Open air calibration with temperature compensation of a luminescence quenching-based oxygen sensor for portable instrumentation.

This report addresses the task of calibrating an optical sensor for oxygen determination. Detailed analyses of the functional dependences from our measurement system results have been carried out with the additional aim of temperature compensation. As a result, an empirical calibration function has been successfully derived for the luminescent quenching-based oxygen sensor included in a self-designed portable instrument. This function also compensates for the temperature influence on the quenching luminescence process in the range from 0 to 45 degrees C. Moreover, the calibration procedure is extremely simple because only a single standard is needed. In fact, the oxygen measurement system can be calibrated with exposure to an open air atmosphere, and therefore, neither laboratory standards nor trained personnel are required. The method has been applied to a set of 11 units of the mentioned sensor (up to 24% oxygen concentration) giving an overall deviation between our calibrated system results and the laboratory standards of 0.3% oxygen concentration (calculated with 95% confidence level). The proposed calibration function has shown itself to be applicable for different sensing film thicknesses and luminophore concentrations using the same fittings parameter. Additionally, this function has been successfully applied to other oxygen dyes. Good agreement has also been found when the performance of the instrument was compared to a commercially available portable instrument based on an electrochemical sensor. We believe that this work could be an interesting finding for spreading the use of optical sensors for atmospheric oxygen determination in commercial measurement equipment for different purposes in confined working atmospheres, such as mines, undergrounds, warehouses, vehicles, and ships.

Disposable receptor-based optical sensor for nitrate.

A new optical absorption-based disposable sensor for nitrate is described. The nitrate-sensitive element is a bicyclic cyclophane receptor next to a suitable pH-sensitive lipophilic dye immobilized in a plasticized polymeric membrane. The rigid amide-based receptor with C3 symmetry controls the anion selectivity pattern of the optical element. The optical selectivity coefficients obtained for nitrate over a variety of naturally occurring anions in natural waters meet the requirements for the determination of nitrate in waters. The disposable sensor responds to nitrate rapidly-the typical response time is 5 min-and reversibly over a wide dynamic range (26 microM-63 mM) with sensor-to-sensor reproducibility (relative standard deviation, RSD, 3.68%, as log aNO3-, at the medium level of the range and RSD 1.39% for repeated measurements with the same sensor). The performance of the optical disposable sensor was tested for the analysis of nitrate in different types of natural waters (river, well, spring), validating results against a reference procedure. The proposed method is quick, inexpensive, selective, and sensitive and uses only conventional instrumentation.

Del BIC al BIT. Actitud de los profesionales de Enfermería ante los ordenadores / From BIC to BIT: nurse's attitude toward computers

INTRODUCCIÓN: El aprendizaje del personal de enfermería del uso de los ordenadores se ha producido en una gran mayoría de casos desde la perspectiva de ensdayo error. En 1986 Brodt and Stronge diseñaron un cuestionario y lo utilizaron con 185 enfermeras de un hospital en Estados Unidos. OBJETIVOS: Conocer las actitudes de los profesionales y estudiantes de enfermería con relación a los ordenadores. SUJETOS Y MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional descriptivo transversal. Se calculó el tamaño muestral representativo a través de la fórmula de variable cualitativa con Z de 95 por ciento y pxq=0'25, precisión <5 por ciento y asumiendo unas pérdidas del 20 por ciento. Se pasó encuesta estructurada a una población de 399 sujetos. Se creó una base de datos Xbase y para el análisis estadístico bi-multivariante se utilizo el SPSS. RESULTADOS: Los varones opinan que los ordenadores aumentan el volumen de trabajo (p=0,024) y disminuyen la comunicación (p=0,025). Las mujeres piensan que el uso de ordenadores no viola la intimidad de los pacientes (p=0.010). Los varones consideran en mayor medida que el uso de ordenadores mejora el nivel de cuidados (p=0,024) y están menos preocupados por la pérdida de puestos de trabajo (p=0,024). Las enfermeras creen que el uso de ordenadores disminuye las líneas de comunicación (p=0,0001) y mejora el nivel de cuidados (p=0,022). Que los ordenadores se usenúnicamente para gestión provoca rechazo en enfermería (p=0,012) "Los ordenadores son incompatibles con enfermería" (p=0,012). Cuando se procede al ajuste mediante el modelo de regresión múltiple, únicamente la violación de la intimidad de los pacientes preocupa más a las mujeres. CONCLUSIONES: Actitud positiva hacia el uso delos ordenadores. Existen diferencias significativas en relación al sexo. Las enfermeras tienen una actitud más positiva que las auxiliares y los estudiantes. No existe el temor a la pérdida de puestos de trabajo por utilizar ordenadores.

Odontoma complexo erupcionado na cavidade bucal / Complex odontoma erupted in the oral cavity

Os autores apresentam um caso de Odontoma complexo erupcionado na cavidade bucal. O Odontoma Complexo representa um distúrbio do desenvolvimento de tecidos dentários. Discute-se os fatores etiológicos e os sinais clínicos desta patologia