Individual platelet adhesion assay: measuring platelet function and antiplatelet therapies in whole blood via digital quantification of cell adhesion.

Widespread monitoring of platelet function and the effect of antiplatelet drugs will improve outcomes in cardiovascular patients, but platelet function testing is not routine in clinical practice. We report a rapid, accurate methodology to quantify platelet-protein interactions: a microarray of contact-printed 6-µm fibrinogen dots on a transparent substrate binds platelets from whole blood, one platelet per dot. The fractional occupancy of an array of fibrinogen dots after a predefined incubation time quantitatively assays platelet adhesion to the protein matrix. We demonstrate this technique by measurement of platelet adhesion to fibrinogen as a means to quantify the effect of the P2Y12 and αIIbß3 receptor inhibitors cangrelor and abciximab, respectively, both in vitro--by incubating the drug with a freshly drawn blood sample--and in blood from patients treated with antiplatelet agents. The effects of single- and dual-antiplatelet therapy are also assessed. Results from this platelet-binding assay are well correlated with standard techniques including flow cytometry and light transmission aggregometry. This assay technology, readily integrated with microfluidic platforms, is generally applicable to the assay of cell-protein interactions and promises more effective, rapid assay of drug effects in cardiovascular disease patients.

Violence in Dating Relationships: Validation of the CADRI Questionnaire in a Young Adult Population.

Dating violence in the young adult population is reaching alarming levels. However, the instruments used to measure it and their results are still heterogeneous. The main aim of this study was to validate the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory questionnaire for a young adult Spanish university population aged between 19 and 25 years old, and to describe the types of violence perpetrated and suffered. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. A validity analysis was carried out through a confirmatory factor analysis. The relative frequencies for each type of violence and the Chi2 test for two dichotomous variables were used to describe the different types of violence perpetrated and suffered. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 976 young adults aged 19-25 years old (M = 21.7 years. SD = 1.8). The confirmatory factor analysis had an adequate structure and a good fit to the model. The types of violence perpetrated and suffered were described according to the sex of the participants, with significant differences found for verbal-emotional violence and physical violence exerted. CONCLUSIONS: The confirmatory factor analysis allowed us to consider the application of the questionnaire to be correct for the study population.

Fear of death and its relationship to resilience in nursing students: A longitudinal study.

AIM: Taking a corpus of nursing students enrolled in the 2017-2021 nursing degree, we aim to analyse how students' levels of resilience and fear of death evolve in the first three years of the degree and whether there are differences between students based on age and gender. In addition, we aim to describe the relationship between resilience and fear of death. BACKGROUND: Throughout their training, nursing students will encounter situations of grief and death that may generate reactions of rejection, anxiety and emotional imbalance. Recognising and controlling these emotions through specialised training in end-of-life care and fostering resilience is essential. DESIGN: Comparative, correlational and longitudinal study. METHODS: Our corpus comprised 100 nursing students who were followed through the first three years of their training. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Collet-Lester Fear of Death Scale and the Resilience Scale. RESULTS: The corpus reported medium-high levels of fear of death overall. Patterns were similar for all academic years: fear of other people's death was invariably the highest scoring subscale; and while individual dimensions of the Collet-Lester scale correlated directly and significantly with each other they were found to be inversely related to student age. High levels of resilience were recorded and were highest in the final year. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of student nurses, fear of death and resilience do not appear to be related to each other. Nursing education must include training specifically targeted at increasing levels of resilience and decreasing fear of death to improve end-of-life care.

Canine-Assisted Therapy and Quality of Life in People With Alzheimer-Type Dementia: Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: With the aim of improving the quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease, primarily as regards behavioral and psychological symptoms, we implemented canine-assisted therapy in a group of people with this disease. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental study, with a simple pre-post case series design. Participants comprised 10 Alzheimer's day care center users presenting severe or very severe cognitive decline. The measurement instrument employed was the Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia (QUALID) scale. RESULTS: By the end of the therapy, 100% of participants showed an improvement in physical, behavioral, and psychological aspects. The total scores of the QUALID scale for the three different evaluation times (before the therapy and 6 and 12 months after starting) after the canine-assisted therapy intervention were smaller and less dispersed. The total score for the QUALID scale decreased significantly (p < 0.05) at 6 and 12 months after starting therapy. An analysis by item revealed that the scores of all of them fell during the course of the therapy. DISCUSSION: Our study provides evidence of the significant benefits of canine-assisted therapy for quality of life in people with Alzheimer's disease.