[Compassionate Cities: Strengthening Social Resources in Communities for Mutual Support at the End of Life]. / Compassionate Cities: Stärkung der sozialen Ressourcen in den Gemeinden für ein gemeinsam getragenes Lebensende.

Compassionate Cities: Strengthening Social Resources in Communities for Mutual Support at the End of Life Abstract. People at the end of life often wish to remain at home for as long as possible. To make this possible to a greater extent, not only health professionals who accompany those affected and their relatives are needed, but also educational programmes to strengthen health literacy at the end of life. Within the framework of the project "Compassionate City Lab of the Bernese People", experiences in dealing with the end of life were collected and published, and a course on advance care planning for elderly people was developed. The project is funded by Health Promotion Switzerland and supported by a partnership between Bernese institutions of higher education, specialised palliative care and primary care, the community, and volunteers in the city of Bern and the Bernese Oberland.

Variables sociodemográficas, hábitos de vida y niveles de Cortisol en adultos de México / Sociodemographic variables, lifestyle habits and Cortisol levels in adults from Mexico

Objetivo. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue el analizar si variables demográficas y de hábitos de vida correlacionan con los niveles de cortisol salival en una muestra amplia de adultos en México. Además de obtener el promedio del ciclo circadiano de cortisol salival como un referente normativo para futuras investigaciones. Método. Se analizaron el promedio general y el ciclo circadiano del cortisol en 3.414 muestras salivales, obtenidas en 12 estudios realizados en México, además de que se examinaron las diferencias de dicha hormona con base en las variables de edad, género y consumo o no de cigarros. Resultados. Se observó un descenso en la concentración de cortisol conforme los participantes avanzaban en edad; asimismo, se identificó un patrón circadiano normal, aunque con niveles superiores en la muestra estudiada; finalmente, no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre las concentraciones de cortisol entre mujeres y hombres, así como entre fumadores y no fumadores. Conclusión. Se discute sobre las implicaciones conceptuales, metodológicas y prácticas que derivan de los hallazgos, tanto para el desarrollo de investigaciones futuras como para su estudio en relación con fenómenos de la salud y la enfermedad.

Objective. The objective of this research was to determine whether demographic and lifestyle variables correlated with levels of salivary cortisol in a sample of adults in Mexico, and to obtain the average of the circadian cycle of salivary cortisol as a reference for future research. Method. The overall average and the circadian cycle of cortisol were analyzed in 3,414 salivary samples taken in 12 studies in Mexico. Also examined were differences in the aforementioned hormone, based on variables related to age, gender and the consumption or no consumption of cigarettes. Results. A decrease was observed in the concentration of cortisol as the participants advanced in age; also identified was a normal circadian pattern, but with higher levels in the sample studied. Finally, no significant differences were found between the concentrations of cortisol between women and men, or between smokers and non-smokers. Conclusión. Under discussion are the conceptual, methodological implications and practices resulting from the findings, for the development of future research as well as for their study in relation to the phenomena of health and disease.

Escopo. O escopo da presente pesquisa foi analisar se variáveis demográficas e de hábitos de vida correlacionam com os níveis de cortisol salival em uma mostra amplia de adultos no México. Além de obter a média do ciclo circadiano de cortisol salival como um referente normativo para futuras pesquisas. Metodologia. Foram analisados a média geral e o ciclo circadiano do cortisol em 3,414 mostras salivais obtidas em 12 estudos feitos no México, além que foram examinados as diferencias da hormona com base nas variáveis de idade, gênero, e consumo ou não de cigarros. Resultados. Foi observado um descenso na concentração de cortisol conforme a que os participantes avançaram em idade; além, foi identificado um padrão circadiano normal ainda com níveis superiores na mostra estudada; finalmente, não foram achadas diferencias significativas entre as concentrações de cortisol entre mulheres e homens, assim como entre fumadores e não fumadores. Conclusão. São discutidas as implicações conceptuais, metodológicas e práticas que derivam das descobertas, tanto para o desenvolvimento de pesquisas futuras como para seu estudo com relação aos fenómenos da saúde e a doença.

Analysis of the presence and abundance of GABAA receptors containing two different types of alpha subunits in murine brain using point-mutated alpha subunits.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, type A (GABAA) receptors are pentameric proteins of which the majority is composed of two alpha subunits, two beta subunits and one gamma subunit. It is well documented that two different types of alpha subunits can exist in a singles GABAA receptor complex. However, information on the abundance of such GABAA receptors is rather limited. Here we tested whether mice containing the His to Arg point mutation in the alpha1, alpha2, or alpha3 subunit at positions 101, 101, and 126, respectively, which render the respective subunits insensitive to diazepam, would be suitable to analyze this issue. Immunodepletion studies indicated that the His to Arg point mutation solely rendered those GABAA receptors totally insensitive to diazepam binding that contain two mutated alpha subunits in the receptor complex, whereas receptors containing one mutated and one heterologous alpha subunit not carrying the mutation remained sensitive to diazepam binding. This feature permitted a quantitative analysis of native GABAA receptors containing heterologous alpha subunits by comparing the diazepam-insensitive binding sites in mutant mouse lines containing one mutated alpha subunit with those present in mouse lines containing two different mutated alpha subunits. The data indicate that the alpha1alpha1-containing receptors with 61% is the most abundant receptor subtype in brain, whereas the alpha1alpha2 (13%), alpha1alpha3 (15%), alpha2alpha2 (12%), alpha2alpha3 (2%), and alpha3alpha3 combinations (4%) are considerably less expressed. Only within the alpha1-containing receptor population does the combination of equal alpha subunits (84% alpha1alpha1, 7% alpha1alpha2, and 8% alpha1alpha3) prevail, whereas in the alpha2-containing receptor population (46% alpha2alpha2, 36% alpha2alpha1, and 19% alpha2alpha3) and particularly in the alpha3-containing receptor population (27% alpha3alpha3, 56% alpha3alpha1, and 19% alpha3alpha2), the receptors with two different types of alpha subunits predominate. This experimental approach provides the basis for a detailed analysis of the abundance of GABAA receptors containing heterologous alpha subunits on a brain regional level.

Programa de Salud. Centro de Salud La Maica (enero-marzo 2004): Informe Final Servicio Social de Salud Rural Obligatorio / Health Program. The Center for Health Maica (January-March 2004): Final Report Social Service Rural Health Mandatory

Programa de Salud La Maica (enero-marzo 2004) Red de Servicio Distrito.

Repercusiones de la violencia callejera en la salud (Estudio de caso: pacientes atendidos en los servicios de emergencia e internacion del Complejo Hospitalario Viedma) / Street violence on health of patients wave in ER at Complejo Hospitalario Viedma

La violencia callejera en Cochabamba cada vez se hace un problema mayor y repercute en la salud de las personas mas o menos gravemente. En el estudio de 483 casos, en su mayoria varones jovenes de 15 a 25 años que fueron atendidos en el Hospital Viedma, durante los meses de junio a septiembre del 2003, un 92 por ciento fueron atendidos ambulatoriamente y el 8 por ciento se internaron por la gravedad de su lesion.La propuesta de un plan de actividades, se dirige a grupos diferentes, como colegios, centros de rehabilitacion, asi como a hogares de niños de la calle, en zonas de alto riesgo, con el fin de prevenir los efectos de la violencia y cambios de conducta en las relaciones cotidianas

Repercusiones de la violencia callejera en la salud (Estudio de caso: pacientes atendidos en los servicios de emergencia e internacion del Complejo Hospitalario Viedma) / Street violence on health of patients wave in ER at Complejo Hospitalario Viedma

La violencia callejera en Cochabamba cada vez se hace un problema mayor y repercute en la salud de las personas mas o menos gravemente. En el estudio de 483 casos, en su mayoria varones jovenes de 15 a 25 años que fueron atendidos en el Hospital Viedma, durante los meses de junio a septiembre del 2003, un 92 por ciento fueron atendidos ambulatoriamente y el 8 por ciento se internaron por la gravedad de su lesion.La propuesta de un plan de actividades, se dirige a grupos diferentes, como colegios, centros de rehabilitacion, asi como a hogares de niños de la calle, en zonas de alto riesgo, con el fin de prevenir los efectos de la violencia y cambios de conducta en las relaciones cotidianas

Structure of GABAB receptors in rat retina.

In the search for yet unknown subtypes of GABAB receptors, the subunit architecture of GABAB receptors in the retina was analyzed using selective antisera. Immunopurification of the splice variants GABAB1a and GABAB1b demonstrated that both were associated with GABAB2. Quantitative immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that practical the entire GABAB receptor population in the retina consists of the receptor subtypes GABAB1a/GABAB2 and GABAB1b/GABAB2, although low levels of GABAB1c/GABAB2 cannot be excluded. The data rule out the existence of GABAB receptors containing the splice variants GABAB1d and GABAB1e. Moreover, no evidence for homomeric GABAB1 receptors was found. Among the splice variants, GABAB1a is by far the predominant one in neonatal and adult retina, whereas GABAB1b is expressed only late in postnatal development and in the adult retina. Since GABAB1a is expressed at high levels before functional synapses are formed, this specific receptor subtype might be involved in the maturation of the retina. Finally, subcellular fractionation demonstrated that GABAB1a, but not GABAB1b, is present in postsynaptic densities, suggesting a differential pre- and postsynaptic localisation of both splice variants.