Synthesis of new anionic carbosilane dendrimers via thiol-ene chemistry and their antiviral behaviour.

A synthetic strategy has been developed for the preparation of anionic carbosilane dendrimers bearing sulfonate or carboxylate groups at their periphery by means of thiol-ene chemistry. It offers significant advantages, such as milder reaction conditions, shorter reaction times and more facile purification methods, when compared with other synthetic protocols used previously, e.g. hydrosilylation followed by a Michael-type addition or azide-alkyne coupling reactions. Molecular dynamics simulations of the second generation anionic dendrimers addressing shape and size effects of the terminal groups and conformational variability indicated that the core eccentricity and flexibility might need to be taken into account for toxicity and interaction with viral and/or cellular receptors, respectively. The biocompatibility of anionic carbosilane dendrimers has been explored showing differences between silicon-cored and polyphenoxo-cored dendrimers. In addition, silicon-cored dendrimers achieved 85-90% of HIV inhibition without inducing inflammation or vaginal irritation in mice, which makes them likely candidates for readily available, good and safe topical vaginal microbicides against HIV.

"KARER" intervention on care ability and burden for caregiving relatives of disabled patients with cardiocerebrovascular diseases: EMICARE mixed randomized clinical protocol.

AIMS: Determine efficacy of "KARER" educational intervention on caring ability and burden of caregiving relatives of disabled patients with stroke and cardiovascular diseases. DESIGN: Clinical, randomized, controlled and double blinded trial with a mixed approach. METHODS: Study population will be made up of 96 caregiving relatives of patients of home-hospitalized care programs in the cities of Bogotá and Bucaramanga, (Colombia), between March 2021 and March 2022. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups, either intervention (n = 48) or control (n = 48). The intervention is interdisciplinary and multi-component: B-Learning modality and clinical simulation. Follow-up of participants will last 8 weeks from intervention period start-out, and measurements will be taken and analysed in masked form. The main results will be the mean score changes of care ability and caregiver burden. DISCUSSION: Caregiving relatives will show better adaptation to their role through effective use of caring abilities as they look after disabled persons with chronic diseases.

Individual interventions to improve adherence to pharmaceutical treatment, diet and physical activity among adults with primary hypertension. A systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is a chronic disease with 31% worldwide prevalence in adults. It has been associated with non-adherence to therapeutic regime with a negative impact on the prognosis of the disease and healthcare-associated costs. So, it is necessary to identify effective interventions to improve adherence among the afflicted population. The objective of this protocol is to describe the methods for a systematic review that will evaluate the effect of individual interventions so as to improve adherence to the prescribed pharmacological treatment, as well as to prescribed diet and physical activity in adults with primary hypertension. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic search of studies will be conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, BVS, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane and Scopus databases. Randomised and non-randomised clinical studies conducted in human beings, published from 1 January 2009 to 13 December 2019, are to be included, in any language. Adherence to pharmacological treatment, diet and physical activity, measured by direct and indirect methods, will be the primary outcome. Two independent reviewers will select relevant studies and will extract the data following the Cochrane's Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Approach and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols. Methodological quality will be evaluated using the risk-of-bias (RoB) 2 and Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tools. Risk of bias will also be evaluated, and if the criteria are met, a meta-analysis will be finally performed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Information to be analysed is of a grouped nature, and given that its sources are published studies, no ethics committee approval is required. Results will be published in scientific journals, and in conferences, seminars and symposiums. Copyrights will be addressed by giving due credit through bibliographic references. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020147655.

Uso de herramientas tecnológicas: un reto para la educación de enfermería / Use of technological tools: a challenge for nursing education

Desde el 2004 la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO) ha resaltado la importancia de la incorporación de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en los diferentes procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, como consecuencia de su rápido y creciente desarrollo, ya que se consideran relevantes como complementos pedagógicos en los diferentes niveles de formación, especialmente en los de educación superior. Para su implementación, es indispensable disponer de las herramientas suficientes para el fortalecimiento de las competencias digitales, el establecimiento de resultados de aprendizaje, así como el interés y motivación de los diferentes actores, principalmente estudiantes y docentes

Efectos del tacto terapéutico en el recién nacido prematuro con CPAP nasal: una prueba piloto / Effects of therapeutic touch in preterm infants receiving nasal CPAP: A pilot trial / Efeitos do toque terapêutico em prematuros com CPAP nasal: um estudo piloto

Introducción: El recién nacido prematuro presenta una inmadurez del sistema cardiorespiratorio, lo que dificulta su adaptación al medio extrauterino y conlleva a múltiples complicaciones las cuales se requieren intervenciones que mejoren la ventilación y el intercambio gaseoso tales como la oxigenación a través de dispositivos de apoyo terapéutico como la presión positiva continua de la vía aérea o CPAP. Objetivo: determinar el efecto del tacto terapéutico en la adaptación del recién nacido pretérmino con CPAP. Materiales y métodos: Estudio cuasi-experimental, con una muestra de 13 RNPT a quienes se les aplicó el tacto terapéutico durante 15 minutos, con 2 sesiones diarias (6 am y 8pm), con evaluación antes y después del CRE: "Adaptación del prematuro". A lo cual se le realizó el análisis descriptivo correspondiente. Resultados: El total de los participantes, fue asignado al grupo control y grupo intervenido de forma similar, evidenciando cambios antes y después de la intervención, pero en especial en el indicador postura de las manos, con una diferencia entre ambos grupos de p 0,74 con valor de 0.006. Conclusiones: La aplicación del tacto terapéutico al RNPT con CPAP nasal permite mejorar el confort del RNPT a través de indicadores fisiológicos y neurocomportamentales.

Introduction: Premature newborns have an immature cardiorespiratory system that hinders adaptation to the extrauterine environment. This leads to multiple complications which require interventions to improve ventilation and gas exchange, like oxygenating using therapeutic support devices such as continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP. Objective: To determine the effect of therapeutic touch on preterm newborns' adaptation to CPAP. Materials and methods: This is a quasi-experimental study, with a sample of 13 PTNB who underwent therapeutic touch for 15 minutes in 2 daily sessions (6 am and 8 pm), with pre- and post-assessment of NOC "Preterm Infant Organization." Descriptive analysis was performed. Results: The participants were allocated to the control group and the intervention group in a similar way. Pre- and post-intervention changes were observed, but especially in the hand posture indicator, with a difference between both groups of 0.74 with a p-value of 0.006. Conclusions: The practice of therapeutic touch with RNPT receiving nasal CPAP allows for improving the comfort of the RNPT through physiological and neurobehavioral indicators.

Introdução: O recém-nascido prematuro apresenta uma imaturidade do sistema cardiorrespiratório, o que dificulta a adaptação ao ambiente extrauterino e leva a múltiplas complicações que requerem intervenções que melhorem a ventilação e as trocas gasosas como a oxigenação por meio de dispositivos de suporte terapêutico, como via aérea positiva contínua pressão ou CPAP. Objetivo: determinar o efeito do toque terapêutico na adaptação do recém-nascido pré-termo com CPAP. Materiais e métodos: Estudo quase experimental, com uma amostra de 13 PTNIs a quem foi aplicado o toque terapêutico durante 15 minutos, com 2 sessões diárias (6h e 20h), com avaliação antes e após CRE: "Adaptação do prematuro". Ao qual foi realizada a análise descritiva correspondente. Resultados: Todos os participantes foram alocados no grupo controle e no grupo intervenção de forma semelhante, apresentando alterações antes e após a intervenção, mas principalmente no indicador de postura das mãos, com diferença entre os dois grupos foi de 0,74 com um valor de p 0,006. Conclusões: A aplicação do toque terapêutico ao RNPT com CPAP nasal permite melhorar o conforto do RNPT através de indicadores fisiológicos e neurocomportamentais.

Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Activity of Thiol-Ene Carbosilane Dendrimers and Their Potential Development as a Topical Microbicide.

The concept of a "microbicide" was born out of the lack of a vaccine against HIV and the difficulty of women in ensuring the use of preventive prophylaxis by their partners, especially in developing countries. Approaches using polyanionic carbosilane dendrimers have shown promise in the development of new microbicides. We have developed and evaluated two anionic carbosilane dendrimers with sulfonate and carboxylate terminal groups, G2-STE16 and G2-CTE16. Both dendrimers showed high biosafety in human epithelial cell lines derived from the vagina and in primary blood human cells (PBMCs). The dendrimers not only have a greater capacity to block the entry of different X4- and R5-HIV-1 isolates into epithelial cells but also prevent the HIV-1 infection of activated PBMCs. The treatment of epithelial cells with different carbosilane dendrimers did not produce changes in the activation or proliferation of PBMCs or in the expression of CD4, CCR5 or CXCR4. Computational modeling showed significantly higher affinities for the complexes G2-STE16/gp120 and G2-CTE16/gp120. Moreover, no irritation or vaginal lesions were detected in female BALB/c mice after vaginal administration of the dendrimers. Summing up, G2-STE16 and G2-CTE16 are easy to synthesize and compatible with functional groups, and the purification steps are easy and short. Our results have clearly demonstrated that these dendrimers have high potency as a topical microbicide against HIV-1 infection.

Nanotech-derived topical microbicides for HIV prevention: the road to clinical development.

More than three decades since its discovery, HIV infection remains one of the most aggressive epidemics worldwide, with more than 35 million people infected. In sub-Saharan Africa, heterosexual transmissions represent nearly 80% of new infections, with 50% of these occurring in women. In an effort to stop the dramatic spread of the HIV epidemic, new preventive treatments, such as microbicides, have been developed. Nanotechnology has revolutionized this field by designing and engineering novel highly effective nano-sized materials as microbicide candidates. This review illustrates the most recent advances in nanotech-derived HIV prevention strategies, as well as the main steps required to translate promising in vitro results into clinical trials.

Triple combination of carbosilane dendrimers, tenofovir and maraviroc as potential microbicide to prevent HIV-1 sexual transmission.

AIM: To research the synergistic activity by triple combinations of carbosilane dendrimers with tenofovir and maraviroc as topical microbicide. METHODS: Cytotoxicity, anti-HIV-1 activity, vaginal irritation and histological analysis of triple combinations were determined. Analysis of combined effects and the median effective concentration were performed using CalcuSyn software. RESULTS: Combinations showed a greater broad-spectrum anti-HIV-1 activity than the single-drug, and preserved this activity in acid environment or seminal fluid. The strongest combinations were G2-STE16/G2-S24P/tenofovir, G2-STE16/G2-S16/maraviroc and G2-STE16/tenofovir/maraviroc at 2:2:1, 10:10:1 10:5:1 ratios, respectively. They demonstrated strong synergistic activity profile due to the weighted average combination indices varied between 0.06 and 0.38. No irritation was detected in female BALB/c mice. CONCLUSION: The three-drug combination increases their antiviral potency and act synergistically as potential microbicide.