Serum biomarkers for liver fibrosis assessment.

Liver fibrosis is the result of chronic liver injury of different etiologies produced by an imbalance between the synthesis and degeneration of the extracellular matrix and dysregulation of physiological mechanisms. Liver has a high regenerative capacity in the early stage of chronic diseases so a prompt liver fibrosis detection is important. Consequently, an easy and economic tool that could identify patients with liver fibrosis at the initial stages is needed. To achieve this, many non-invasive serum direct, such as hyaluronic acid or metalloproteases, and indirect biomarkers have been proposed to evaluate liver fibrosis. Also, there have been developed formulas that combine these biomarkers, some of them also introduce clinical and/or demographic parameters, like FIB-4, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS), enhance liver fibrosis (ELF) or Hepamet fibrosis score (HFS). In this manuscript we critically reviewed different serum biomarkers and formulas for their utility in the diagnosis and progression of liver fibrosis.

Value contribution of blood-based neurofilament light chain as a biomarker in multiple sclerosis using multi-criteria decision analysis.

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease that represents a leading cause of non-traumatic disability among young and middle-aged adults. MS is characterized by neurodegeneration caused by axonal injury. Current clinical and radiological markers often lack the sensitivity and specificity required to detect inflammatory activity and neurodegeneration, highlighting the need for better approaches. After neuronal injury, neurofilament light chains (NfL) are released into the cerebrospinal fluid, and eventually into blood. Thus, blood-based NfL could be used as a potential biomarker for inflammatory activity, neurodegeneration, and treatment response in MS. The objective of this study was to determine the value contribution of blood-based NfL as a biomarker in MS in Spain using the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology. Materials and methods: A literature review was performed, and the results were synthesized in the evidence matrix following the criteria included in the MCDA framework. The study was conducted by a multidisciplinary group of six experts. Participants were trained in MCDA and scored the evidence matrix. Results were analyzed and discussed in a group meeting through reflective MCDA discussion methodology. Results: MS was considered a severe condition as it is associated with significant disability. There are unmet needs in MS as a disease, but also in terms of biomarkers since no blood biomarker is available in clinical practice to determine disease activity, prognostic assessment, and response to treatment. The results of the present study suggest that quantification of blood-based NfL may represent a safe option to determine inflammation, neurodegeneration, and response to treatments in clinical practice, as well as to complement data to improve the sensitivity of the diagnosis. Participants considered that blood-based NfL could result in a lower use of expensive tests such as magnetic resonance imaging scans and could provide cost-savings by avoiding ineffective treatments. Lower indirect costs could also be expected due to a lower impact of disability consequences. Overall, blood-based NfL measurement is supported by high-quality evidence. Conclusion: Based on MCDA methodology and the experience of a multidisciplinary group of six stakeholders, blood-based NfL measurement might represent a high-value-option for the management of MS in Spain.

Multimodal Prehabilitation in Heart Transplant Recipients Improves Short-Term Post-Transplant Outcomes without Increasing Costs.

(1) Background and aim: This study aimed to investigate the impact of prehabilitation on the postoperative outcomes of heart transplantation and its cost-effectiveness. (2) Methods: This single-center, ambispective cohort study included forty-six candidates for elective heart transplantation from 2017 to 2021 attending a multimodal prehabilitation program consisting of supervised exercise training, physical activity promotion, nutritional optimization, and psychological support. The postoperative course was compared to a control cohort consisting of patients transplanted from 2014 to 2017 and those contemporaneously not involved in prehabilitation. (3) Results: A significant improvement was observed in preoperative functional capacity (endurance time 281 vs. 728 s, p < 0.001) and quality-of-life (Minnesota score 58 vs. 47, p = 0.046) after the program. No exercise-related events were registered. The prehabilitation cohort showed a lower rate and severity of postoperative complications (comprehensive complication index 37 vs. 31, p = 0.033), lower mechanical ventilation time (37 vs. 20 h, p = 0.032), ICU stay (7 vs. 5 days, p = 0.01), total hospitalization stay (23 vs. 18 days, p = 0.008) and less need for transfer to nursing/rehabilitation facilities after hospital discharge (31% vs. 3%, p = 0.009). A cost-consequence analysis showed that prehabilitation did not increase the total surgical process costs. (4) Conclusions: Multimodal prehabilitation before heart transplantation has benefits on short-term postoperative outcomes potentially attributable to enhancement of physical status, without cost-increasing.

Assessment of Post-COVID Symptoms Using the C19-YRS Tool in a Cohort of Patients from the First Pandemic Wave in Northwestern Spain.

Introduction: The emergence or persistence of symptoms after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection has made it necessary to develop tools to detect them and assess their impact on patients' quality of life. One of these tools is the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Screening (C19-YRS) scale. We present the results of this tool in a cohort of first pandemic wave patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from March to May 2020 in Lugo (northwestern Spain). C19-YRS was administered via phone 10 months after the acute infection to both former inpatients and outpatients. Electronic medical records were reviewed and relevant data from the acute episode were collected. The main outcome was the presence of impairment in different areas measured by the C19-YRS scale. Results: The answer rate was 63.2%. The mean age was 54 ± 16 years, 38.4% were male and 190 (42.9%) had some comorbidity. Eighty-seven patients (19.6%) required hospitalization and 10 (2.3%) required intensive care unit admission. Ten (3.5%) patients lost their job due to the pandemic. Two hundred seventy-six patients (62.3%) related any symptoms; fatigue (37.2%) and exertional dyspnea (33.4%) were the most common with significant worsening in both cases compared with the situation before the infection. Subgroup analysis showed that more symptom domains were impaired in women than men. Older patients, those with comorbidity and those who needed hospital admission, demanded more health resources after the acute infection. Discussion: C19-YRS is useful for the detection and quantification of symptoms after COVID-19 and provides relevant social, health, and occupational information.

Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio for the Assessment of Intermediate Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Correlations With Fractional Flow Reserve/Intravascular Ultrasound and Prognostic Implications: The iLITRO-EPIC07 Study.

BACKGROUND: There is little information available on agreement between fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) in left main coronary artery (LMCA) intermediate stenosis. Besides, several meta-analyses support the use of FFR to guide LMCA revascularization, but limited information is available on iFR in this setting. Our aims were to establish the concordance between FFR and iFR in intermediate LMCA lesions, to evaluate with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in cases of FFR/iFR discordance, and to prospectively validate the safety of deferring revascularization based on a hybrid decision-making strategy combining iFR and IVUS. METHODS: Prospective, observational, multicenter registry with 300 consecutive patients with intermediate LMCA stenosis who underwent FFR and iFR and, in case of discordance, IVUS and minimal lumen area measurements. Primary clinical end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, LMCA lesion-related nonfatal myocardial infarction, or unplanned LMCA revascularization. RESULTS: FFR and iFR had an agreement of 80% (both positive in 67 and both negative in 167 patients); in case of disagreement (31 FFR+/iFR- and 29 FFR-/iFR+) minimal lumen area was ≥6 mm2 in 8.7% of patients with FFR+ and 14.6% with iFR+. Among the 300 patients, 105 (35%) underwent revascularization and 181 (60%) were deferred according to iFR and IVUS. At a median follow-up of 20 months, major adverse cardiac events incidence was 8.3% in the defer group and 13.3% in the revascularization group (hazard ratio, 0.71 [95% CI 0.30-1.72]; P=0.45). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with intermediate LMCA stenosis, a physiology-guided treatment decision is feasible either with FFR or iFR with moderate concordance between both indices. In case of disagreement, the use of IVUS may be useful to indicate revascularization. Deferral of revascularization based on iFR appears to be safe in terms of major adverse cardiac events. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT03767621.

Microwave Pretreatment for the Extraction of Anthocyanins from Saffron Flowers: Assessment of Product Quality.

The potential of saffron flowers as a source of polyphenols, and in particular anthocyanins, for the extraction of bioactive compounds and the production of a cyanic colorant was analyzed. A microwave pretreatment, prior to the conventional solid-liquid extraction process, was proposed as a feasible intensification step. The effectiveness of microwave pretreatment was assessed in terms of increased yield and improved quality of the final product. The operational variables studied were the pretreatment temperature (60-120 °C) and the solid-liquid ratio (0.30-0.50 g/mL). It was found that the addition of the microwave pretreatment to the conventional process allowed one to reduce extraction time by up to 12 times and to greatly improve the characteristics of the final product, using microwave energy densities as low as 0.16-0.54 kJ/mL. The extract quality was evaluated in terms of polyphenol richness (25% increase), product composition (80% of the anthocyanins was delphinidin), antioxidant capacity (boosted by the pretreatment) and color (variations in red and blue hue depending on conditions). To conclude, a microwave pretreatment in which the material is heated to a temperature of 65 °C with a solvent ratio of 0.30 g/mL was selected as the optimum to maximize process efficiency and product quality.

Etiology-Discriminative Multimodal Imaging of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Synchrotron-Based Assessment of Microstructural Tissue Remodeling.

Background: Distinguishing the etiology of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is clinically relevant due to patient outcomes and management. Easily obtained, echocardiography-based myocardial deformation patterns may improve standard non-invasive phenotyping, however, the relationship between deformation phenotypes and etiology-related, microstructural cardiac remodeling has not been reported. Synchrotron radiation-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging (X-PCI) can provide high resolution, three-dimensional (3D) information on myocardial microstructure. The aim of this pilot study is to apply a multiscale, multimodality protocol in LVH patients undergoing septal myectomy to visualize in vivo and ex vivo myocardial tissue and relate non-invasive LVH imaging phenotypes to the underlying synchrotron-assessed microstructure. Methods and findings: Three patients (P1-3) undergoing septal myectomy were comprehensively studied. Medical history was collected, and patients were imaged with echocardiography/cardiac magnetic resonance prior to the procedure. Myocardial tissue samples obtained during the myectomy were imaged with X-PCI generating high spatial resolution images (0.65 µm) to assess myocyte organization, 3D connective tissue distribution and vasculature remodeling. Etiology-centered non-invasive imaging phenotypes, based on findings of hypertrophy and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) distribution, and enriched by speckle-tracking and tissue Doppler echocardiography deformation patterns, identified a clear phenotype of hypertensive heart disease (HTN) in P1, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in P2/P3. X-PCI showed extensive interstitial fibrosis with normal 3D myocyte and collagen organization in P1. In comparison, in P2/P3, X-PCI showed 3D myocyte and collagen disarray, as well as arterial wall hypertrophy with increased perivascular collagen, compatible with sarcomere-mutation HCM in both patients. The results of this pilot study suggest the association of non-invasive deformation phenotypes with etiology-related myocyte and connective tissue matrix disorganization. A larger patient cohort could enable statistical analysis of group characteristics and the assessment of deformation pattern reproducibility. Conclusion: High-resolution, 3D X-PCI provides novel ways to visualize myocardial remodeling in LVH, and illustrates the correspondence of macrostructural and functional non-invasive phenotypes with invasive microstructural phenotypes, suggesting the potential clinical utility of non-invasive myocardial deformation patterns in phenotyping LVH in everyday clinical practice.

Chemometric assessment of soil organic matter storage and quality from humic acid infrared spectra.

The knowledge of biogeochemical mechanisms involved in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage is crucial to control its release to the atmosphere. In particular, the chemical composition of soil organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in the performance of the C storage and resilience in soils. The structural information provided by infrared spectroscopy (IR) of soil humic acid (HA) was used in the assessment of the C storage potential of 35 Spanish soils. Partial least squares (PLS) regression using the intensities of the points of the IR spectra of the HAs (4000-400 cm-1) as descriptors shows that a relationship exists between IR spectral pattern and the SOC content. This was also the case for E4 (humification index based on HA optical density at 465 nm). In addition, the chemical characteristics of the HAs correlated with the SOC levels were identified from digital data treatments of the IR spectra. Additional application of principal component analysis (PCA) and multidimensional scaling (MDS) suggested that bands assigned to carboxyl and amide structures were characteristic in HAs from soils with low C content, whereas HA spectra from soils with high C levels showed a conspicuous band pattern suggesting structural units of lignin from slightly transformed plant residues. The spectral profiles were analyzed in detail by an approach based on digital subtraction of IR spectra obtained by averaging those from HAs extracted from soils in the upper and lower quartiles of the SOC distribution. The results showed that significant relationships exist between the molecular composition of HAs and SOC levels and E4 values in a way in which aromatic, carboxyl and amide groups were predominant in HAs from soils with low SOC content, whereas lignin-derived structures were more characteristic of HAs from soils with high SOC content.

Aplicativo para avaliação do nível de consciência em adultos: produção tecnológica em enfermagem / Aplicación para evaluación del nível de consciencia en adultos: producción tecnológica en enfermería / App to evaluate the level of consciousness in adults: technological production in nursing

RESUMO Objetivo: desenvolver um aplicativo para a avaliação do nível de consciência em adultos. Método: produção tecnológica, estruturada a partir do referencial teórico da metodologia da aprendizagem baseada em problemas e desenvolvido considerando os passos do design instrucional contextualizado (análise, design, desenvolvimento, avaliação). Estudo realizado na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, de maio de 2014 a abril de 2015. Resultados: o aplicativo apresenta os conteúdos: escalas para avaliação do nível de consciência, avaliação pupilar, reflexos e padrão respiratório, apresentados aos usuários por meio de textos curtos com breves explicações, imagens e vídeos. Conclusão: o aplicativo pode facilitar o estudo sobre a temática em qualquer hora ou local, permitindo inclusive sua aplicação à beira do leito, contribuindo assim para melhorias do ensino, assistência e segurança de pacientes em estado crítico. O resultado da avaliação da tecnologia por docentes e estudantes será objeto de estudos futuros.

RESUMEN Objetivo: desarrollar una aplicación para analizar el nivel de consciencia en adultos. Método: producción tecnológica, estructurada por medio del referencial teórico de la metodología de aprendizaje basada en problemas, la cual se desarrolló considerándo los pasos del diseño educacional contextualizado (análisis, design, desarrollo, evaluación). Estudio que se realizó en la Universidad Federal de Santa Catarina, de mayo de 2014 a abril de 2015. Resultados: la aplicación presenta los contenidos: escalas para evaluación del nivel de consciencia, evaluación pupilar, reflejos y patrón respiratorio, presentados a los usuarios por medio de textos cortos con breves explicaciones, imágenes y videos. Conclusión: la aplicación puede facilitar el estudio acerca de la temática en cualquier hora o local, posibilitando incluso su uso en el lecho, lo que contribuye para mejorías de la enseñanza, asistencia y seguridad de pacientes en condición crítica. El resultado de la evaluación de la tecnología por docentes y estudiantes será objeto de estudios futuros.

ABSTRACT Objective: to develop an app for assessing the level of consciousness in adults. Method: technological production, structured from the theoretical framework of problem-based learning methodology and developed considering the steps of contextualized instructional design (analysis, design, development, evaluation). Study conducted at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, from May 2014 to April 2015. Results: the app presents the contents: scales for evaluation of the level of consciousness, pupillary evaluation, reflexes and breathing pattern, presented to the users through short texts with brief explanations, images and videos. Conclusion: the app can facilitate the study of the theme at any time or place, even allowing its application at the bedside, thus contributing to improvements in teaching, care and safety of critically ill patients. The results of the evaluation of the technology by teachers and students will be the object of future studies.

Evaluation of Quality of Life and Satisfaction of Patients with Neuropathic Pain and Breakthrough Pain: Economic Impact Based on Quality of Life.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to assess the quality of life and satisfaction with treatment of patients with chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) who experience breakthrough pain (BTP) and to assess its economic impact. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Fifteen pain units from Spanish hospitals completed the study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 124 patients with adequately controlled CNP who experienced BTP were enrolled into the study. INTERVENTION: No interventions were required. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality of life was assessed using the SF12 v2 questionnaire, the results of which were used to calculate the estimated costs per patient and month and the SF-6D Health Utility Index. Patient satisfaction with treatment received for CNP and for BTP was assessed using a 10-point visual analogue scale. Other associated symptoms were analyzed using the ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System). RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 60.2 years (95% CI 58.4-63.3), and 46.8% (58) were males. 18.9% (23) experienced their first episode of BTP. A severe impairment of the physical component of SF12v2 was noted, with 94% of patients below the mean score of the population, while 88% had values lower than normal for the mental component. Mean cost per patient and month was $679 and was significantly greater in males ($763 versus $606), 4.96 times greater than in healthy population, and approximately double the cost of patients with CNP in Spain. CONCLUSIONS: Occurrence of BTP in patients with CNP causes a substantial increase in healthcare costs which is significantly greater in older males.

Análise de qualidade de objeto virtual de aprendizagem para avaliação da dor em enfermagem / Análisis de calidad de objeto virtual de aprendizaje para la evaluación del dolor en enfermería / Quality Analysis of the Virtual Learning Object for Nursing Pain Assessment

RESUMO Introdução: A dor é um problema se saúde pública mundial, sendo que as lacunas no processo de ensino e aprendizagem sobre a avaliação da dor contribuem para esta situação. O desenvolvimento de estratégias inovadoras para o ensino-aprendizagem, como objetos virtuais de aprendizagem, pode colaborar para melhoraria do cuidado de pacientes com dor, sendo fundamental sua avaliação quanto a qualidade. Objetivo: Analisar a qualidade de um objeto virtual de aprendizagem para avaliação da dor aguda em enfermagem a partir do Learning Object Review Instrument 2.0. Métodos: Pesquisa metodológica com abordagem quantitativa. Participaram 5 enfermeiros especialistas e 62 estudantes de enfermagem, que avaliaram as 9 variáveis do instrumento (1-Pessimo até 5-Excelente). Resultados: Os resultados superaram a média alvo (3-Bom) entre estudantes (4,27) e especialistas (4,31). Destacaram-se entre estudantes: "Conformidade com normas" (4,47±0,88) e "Apresentação do projeto" (4,55±0,74), e entre especialistas: "Qualidade do conteúdo" (4,80±0,45) e a "Reusabilidade" (4,80±0,45). Conclusão: A nova tecnologia possui qualidade para aplicação no processo de ensino-aprendizagem em enfermagem sobre a avaliação da dor aguda. A tecnologia é encarada pelos participantes como um procedimento educacional a ser incorporado na vida acadêmica e profissional, que colabora com o processo de aprender a aprender, de modo flexível e interativo(AU)

RESUMEN Introducción: El dolor es un problema de la salud pública mundial, y las lagunas en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje sobre la evaluación del dolor contribuyen a esta situación. El desarrollo de estrategias innovadoras de enseñanza y aprendizaje, como objetos virtuales de aprendizaje, pueden colaborar para mejorar el cuidado de pacientes con dolor, siendo fundamental su evaluación en cuanto a calidad. Objetivo: Analizar la calidad de objeto virtual de aprendizaje para la evaluación del dolor agudo en enfermería a partir del Learning Object Review Instrument 2.0. Métodos: Investigación metodológica con enfoque cuantitativo. Participaron 5 enfermeros especialistas y 62 estudiantes de enfermería, que evaluaron las 9 variables del instrumento (1-Pésimo hasta 5-Excelente). Resultados: Los resultados superaron el promedio objetivo (3-Bueno) entre estudiantes (4,27) y especialistas (4,31). Se destacaron entre estudiantes: "Conformidad con normas" (4,47±0,88) y "Presentación del proyecto" (4,55±0,74), entre los especialistas "Calidad del contenido" (4,80±0,45) y la "Reusabilidad" (4,80±0,45). Conclusión: La nueva tecnología tiene calidad para aplicación en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje en enfermería sobre la evaluación del dolor agudo. La tecnología es encarada por los participantes como un procedimiento educativo a ser incorporado en la vida académica y profesional, que colabora con el proceso de aprender a aprender, de modo flexible e interactivo(AU)

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pain is a global public health concern, a situation to which gaps in the teaching and learning process of pain assessment contribute. Developing innovative teaching and learning strategies, as virtual learning objects, can help improve the care of patients with pain, being fundamental their quality-based assessment. Objective: To analyze the quality of the virtual learning object for acute pain assessment in nursing based on the Learning Object Review Instrument 2.0. Methods: Methodological research with a quantitative approach. Five specialized nurses and 62 nursing students participated, who evaluated the nine variables of the instrument (1-poor to 5-excellent). Results: The results exceeded the expected average (3-good) between students (4.27) and specialists (4.31). The following stood out among students:conformity to standards (4.47±0.88) and project presentation (4.55±0.74); and the ones that stood out among specialists were content quality (4.80±0.45) and reusability (4.80±0.45). Conclusion: The new technology has the quality to be used in the teaching and learning process in nursing for acute pain assessment. Technology is faced by the participants as an educational procedure to be incorporated into the academic and professional life, which collaborates with the process of learning to learn, in a flexible and interactive way(AU)

The impact of health on wages: evidence for Europe.

This paper analyses the effects of health on wages in sixteen European countries using production frontier methodology. It is assumed that workers have a potential income/productivity which basically depends on their human capital, but due to several health problems, situations could exist where workers fail to reach their potential income frontier. The estimation of a true-random-effects model allows us to conclude that the potential hourly wage of workers is significantly influenced by their level of education and their job experience. However, health problems, especially those strongly influencing work activities, contribute towards an individual not attaining the potential income which would otherwise be guaranteed by their human capital endowment. Suffering a strong limitation reduces gross wage per hour by 6.1%. This wage reduction is also observed in the case of a weak limitation, but here the wage difference with respect to workers without any limitation is 2.6%. Additionally, other factors, such as being a woman, the economic cycle or having a temporary contract, appear to distance an individual from their wage frontier.

Persuasive technology in teaching acute pain assessment in nursing: Results in learning based on pre and post-testing.

BACKGROUND: Thousands of patients seek health services every day with complaints of pain. However, adequate pain assessment is still flawed, a fact that is partly related to gaps in professional learning on this topic. Innovative strategies such as the use of a virtual learning object mediated by persuasive technology in the learning of undergraduate nursing students can help to fill these gaps and to provide different ways of learning to learn. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results in learning among undergraduate nursing students about assessment of acute pain in adults and newborns, before and after an online educational intervention. DESIGN: This is a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent study using pre-and post-testing. SETTING: Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 75 undergraduate nursing students. METHODS: Our study was conducted in three steps (pre-test, education intervention, post-test). Data were collected from November 2013 to February 2014. The educational intervention was performed using online access to virtual learning object about acute pain assessment, which students accessed on their mobile devices. CONCLUSION: A significant difference was seen in student learning (p<0.001) in the post-test compared with the pre-test results. The students understood the importance of the topic, and were satisfied and motivated by the technology and method applied. The use of persuasive technology such as small mobile devices as mediators of online educational interventions broadens learning spaces in an innovative, flexible, motivational, and promising manner.

Making a distinction between the effect of initial stock and investment in health determinants.

The objective of this paper was to propose a health production model that distinguishes between the initial stock of health determinants and the subsequent investment in them, with a view to providing information to policy-makers regarding the effects of determinant-aimed policies. In this sense, the main contributions of the paper stem from the development of a theoretical and empirical model that distinguishes between the effect of the initial stock and that of investment in health determinants. To do this, we estimated the health production function using a stochastic frontier model. We present an empirical example using data for the years 2002 and 2008. The results support our decision to analyse the effects of the initial values attributable to health determinants separately from those arising following investment in the period. Concretely, we find significant differences for the determinants EMPLOY, SOCIALCLASS and NON-DRINKER. The results seem to indicate that, for variables labelled with the behavioural aspects of health such as NON-DRINKER, the effect over time of a change in investment in health is significantly greater than that resulting from a variation in initial values. In contrast, for socioeconomic variables such as SOCIAL CLASS or EMPLOY, for which effects on health tend to be more long-term in nature, the opposite occurs, with the effect of the investment during the time period proving significantly lower than the effect of the initial provision.

Opiniones de los inspectores médicos acerca de la distorsión clínica en la valoración de la incapacidad laboral en España / Opinions of medical inspectors about clinical distortion in assessment of work disability in Spain

El contexto médico-legal en el que se desarrolla la medicina evaluadora, permitiendo el acceso a prestaciones económicas, obliga a considerar la validez en las consultas de valoración médica de incapacidad para tratar de evitar el fraude por simulación. Por otra parte, en el ámbito médico asistencial son habituales los casos biomédicamente inexplicables que se acompañan de elevados niveles subjetivos de sufrimiento, para los que se ha propuesto el término MUPS (medically unexplained physical symptoms). Objetivos: Profundizar en el fenómeno de la distorsión clínica en la valoración médica de incapacidad, basado en los dos primeros criterios de Simulación del DSM-IV-TR, referido al marco teórico del Análisis de Conducta en Medicina. Métodos: Encuesta en línea dirigid el colectivo de los inspectores médicos evaluadores del Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) de España para conocer sus opiniones acerca de estos casos, presentes en su práctica diaria, su manejo de los mismos y su grado de concordancia con respecto a la bibliografía de referencia. Resultados: Incluyen a una proporción representativa de dichos inspectores médicos (15 por ciento), que aparecen como un colectivo variado, por su distinta formación profesional, experiencia previa y práctica diaria en las diferentes Unidades Médicas. Conclusiones: Consideran la distorsión clínica y sus cuadros anexos como situaciones frecuentes y relevantes en sus consultas, principalmente el fraude por simulación. Pese a ello, los inspectores médicos no parecen contar actualmente con referencias específicas suficientes ni con un discurso científico común estructurado para estos casos, que son abordados según criterios individuales más o menos ajustados al estado actual del conocimiento.(AU)

The forensic context in which disability assessment medicine is practiced in Spain, allowing access to workers' compensation benefits, requires consideration of the validity of disability assessment examinations. On the other hand, in clinical medicine biomedically unexplained cases ­for which the term medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) was proposed­ are common, often accompanied by high levels of subjective suffering. Aim: To deepen in the phenomenon of clinical distortion in disability assessment examinations, based on the first two criteria of Malingering in DSM-IV-TR, referring to the theoretical framework of the Behavior Analysis in Medicine. Methods: Online survey addressed to the group of medical examiners of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) of Spain to know their opinions on these cases, present in their everyday practice, their management and the extent of agreement to the literature of reference. Results: Collected a representative proportion of medical examiners (15 percent), they appear as a miscellaneous group due to their different professional training, previous experience and everyday practice in their different Medical Units. Conclusions: medical examiners consider the clinical distortion and related cases as frequent and relevant situations in their practice, mainly malingering. Nonetheless, medical examiners do not seem to have sufficient specific references or a structured common scientific discourse for these cases, which are approached according to individual criteria more or less adjusted to the current state of knowledge. (AU)

Demographic and health attributes of the Nahua, initial contact population of the Peruvian Amazon / Características demográficas y de salud de la población Nahua: población en contacto inicial de la Amazonía Peruana

Abstract We present the case of the Nahua population of Santa Rosa de Serjali, Peruvian Amazon's population, considered of initial contact. This population consists of human groups that for a long time decided to live in isolation, but lately have begun living a more sedentary lifestyle and in contact with Western populations. There are two fully identified initial contact groups in Peru: the Nahua and the Nanti. The health statistics of the Nahua are scarce. This study offers an interpretation of demographic and epidemiological indicators of the Nahua people, trying to identify if a certain degree of health vulnerability exists. We performed a cross sectional study, and after analyzing their health indicators, as well as the supplemental qualitative analysis of the population, brought us to conclude that in 2006, the Nahua, remained in a state of health vulnerability.

Resumen Presentamos el caso de la población Nahua de Santa Rosa de Serjali, una población de la región Amazonica del Perú, considerada en contacto inicial. Esta población está compuesta por grupos humanos que durante mucho tiempo han decidido vivir en aislamiento, pero últimamente han comenzado a vivir un estilo de vida más sedentario y en contacto con la población occidental. Hay dos grupos de contacto iniciales plenamente identificados en el Perú: Los Nahuas y los Nantis . Las estadísticas de salud de los nahuas son escasas. Este estudio ofrece una interpretación de los indicadores demográficos y epidemiológicos del pueblo Nahua, tratando de identificar si existe un cierto grado de vulnerabilidad de la salud . Se realizó un estudio transversal, y después de analizar sus indicadores de salud, así como el análisis cualitativo complementario de la población, nos llevó a la conclusión de que en el año 2006, los nahuas, aún presentaban un estado de vulnerabilidad en salud.

Mobile Virtual Learning Object for the Assessment of Acute Pain as a Learning Tool to Assess Acute Pain in Nursing: An Analysis of the Mental Workload.

BACKGROUND: The inclusion of new technologies in education has motivated the development of studies on mental workload. These technologies are now being used in the teaching and learning process. The analysis enables identification of factors intervening in this workload as well as planning of overload prevention for educational activities using these technologies. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the mental workload of an educational intervention with the Mobile Virtual Learning Object for the Assessment of Acute Pain in adults and newborns, according to the NASA Task Load Index criteria. METHODS: A methodological study with data collected from 5 nurses and 75 students, from November of 2013 to February of 2014. RESULTS: The highest students' and specialists' means were in the dimensions of "Mental demand" (57.20 ± 22.27; 51 ± 29.45) and "Performance" (58.47 ± 24.19; 73 ± 28.85). The specialists' mental workload index was higher (50.20 ± 7.28) when compared with students' (47.87 ± 16.85) on a scale from 0 to 100 (P=.557). CONCLUSIONS: The instrument allowed for the assessment of mental workload after an online educational intervention with a mobile learning virtual object. An excessive overload was not identified among participants. Assessing mental workload from the use of educational technologies at the end of a task is a key to their applicability, with the aim of providing a more effective, stimulating, and long-lasting experience of the learning process.

Effectiveness of two interventions based on improving patient-practitioner communication on diabetes self-management in patients with low educational level: study protocol of a clustered randomized trial in primary care.

BACKGROUND: In the last decades the presence of social inequalities in diabetes care has been observed in multiple countries, including Spain. These inequalities have been at least partially attributed to differences in diabetes self-management behaviours. Communication problems during medical consultations occur more frequently to patients with a lower educational level. The purpose of this cluster randomized trial is to determine whether an intervention implemented in a General Surgery, based in improving patient-provider communication, results in a better diabetes self-management in patients with lower educational level. A secondary objective is to assess whether telephone reinforcement enhances the effect of such intervention. We report the design and implementation of this on-going study. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is being conducted in a General Practice located in a deprived neighbourhood of Granada, Spain. Diabetic patients 18 years old or older with a low educational level and inadequate glycaemic control (HbA1c > 7%) were recruited. General Practitioners (GPs) were randomised to three groups: intervention A, intervention B and control group. GPs allocated to intervention groups A and B received training in communication skills and are providing graphic feedback about glycosylated haemoglobin levels. Patients whose GPs were allocated to group B are additionally receiving telephone reinforcement whereas patients from the control group are receiving usual care. The described interventions are being conducted during 7 consecutive medical visits which are scheduled every three months. The main outcome measure will be HbA1c; blood pressure, lipidemia, body mass index and waist circumference will be considered as secondary outcome measures. Statistical analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions will include multilevel regression analysis with three hierarchical levels: medical visit level, patient level and GP level. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will provide new knowledge about possible strategies to promote a better diabetes self-management in a particularly vulnerable group. If effective, this low cost intervention will have the potential to be easily incorporated into routine clinical practice, contributing to decrease health inequalities in diabetic patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials U.S. National Institutes of Health, NCT01849731.

Reserve capacity of public and private hospitals in response to demand uncertainty.

A feature of hospitals is that they face uncertain demand for the services they offer. To cover fluctuations in demand, they need to maintain reserve service capacity in the form of beds, equipment, personnel, etc. to minimize the probability of excess queuing or turning away patients, creating a trade-off between reserve service capacity and economic costs. Using a simple theoretical framework, we show how the reserve capacity established depends on institutional characteristics that can affect the objective of the hospital. In particular, we show that private and public hospitals may provide different levels of reserve capacity. In an empirical application using a panel data set of Spanish hospitals over the period 1996-2006, we model reserve service capacity using a distance frontier approach. Our results show that private hospitals generally react to a lesser extent to demand uncertainty than public hospitals.