Programa para la mejora del bienestar de las personas mayores. Estudio piloto basado en la psicología positiva / An intervention program to enhance the wellbeing of the elderly. Pilot study based on positive psychology

El objetivo de este trabajo fue probar la eficacia de un programa piloto basado en la psicología positiva y destinado a incrementar el bienestar emocional de las personas mayores. El diseño de investigación fue experimental, con grupos de intervención y control. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 67 adultos de 60 a 89 años de edad. El programa consistió en nueve sesiones de 1.5 horas de duración y frecuencia semanal. Los temas incluyeron fortalezas de carácter, emociones positivas y regulación emocional. Se evaluó el afecto, el nivel de felicidad, el nivel de preocupación, el optimismo y la presión arterial. Los resultados indicaron que los participantes del programa incrementaron significativamente su nivel de felicidad y disminuyeron el nivel de preocupación y la presión arterial sistólica. El incremento del nivel de felicidad en personas mayores favorece la construcción de recursos personales y la implicación con objetivos y proyectos que les acercan al envejecimiento activo y saludable. Los resultados, limitaciones y mejoras de este trabajo son discutidos en el contexto de la psicología positiva y la psicología de la vejez.

The aim of this study was to show the efficacy of a pilot program based on positive psychology to enhance the well-being of the elderly. The experimental design included intervention and control groups. The sample consisted of 67 adults aged 60-89. The program included nine 1.5 hour weekly sessions. The program topics included character strengths, positive emotions, and emotional regulation. The variables assessed were affection, happiness level, concern level, optimism, and blood pressure. The results show that participants in the program significantly increased the happiness level and decreased the concern level, and systolic blood pressure. Increasing the level of happiness in the elderly favours the construction of personal resources and involvement with goals and projects that bring them to active and healthy aging. Results and limitations are discussed on the basis of the positive psychology and ageing psychology.

Determination of endocrine disruptors in honey by CZE-MS using restricted access materials for matrix cleanup.

An analytical method based on CZE coupled to ESI-MS is proposed for the identification and simultaneous quantification of several endocrine-disrupting chemicals in honey. The target compounds were the chlorophenols: 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol, and bisphenol-A, 4-tert-butylphenol, and 4-tert-butylbenzoic acid. A two-step optimization of the ESI-MS detection was carried out. First, the organic solvent present in the sheath liquid was selected and its effect on the analytical signal was studied. The best results in terms of the intensity of the MS signals were obtained with methanol. Thus, an experimental design technique (Doehlert type) was used for the optimization of the other parameters: the NH(3) concentration in the sheath liquid, the flow of the sheath liquid, the nebulizer pressure in ESI, and the drying gas temperature and flow. Here, we developed a new sample treatment based on the combined use of a restricted access material and a polymeric sorbent for SPE. The LOD achieved were in the range of 5-31 ng/g. The intraday precision of the proposed method was determined from replicate analyses (n=4) at a concentration level of 50 ng/g, with RSD values in the range of 15-23%. The results revealed that the proposed method is suitable for the reliable quantification of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in honey at nanograms per gram levels.

[Satisfactory evolution of a patient diagnosed in childhood with Bruton's disease]. / Evolución satisfactoria de un paciente diagnosticado en la infancia con enfermedad de Bruton.

Bruton's agammaglobulinemia is a primary immunodeficiency with a disease onset during the first months of age, when the maternal serum immunoglobulin levels decrease. It is characterized by recurrent infections and agammaglobulinemia. We report the case of a 6-year-old male patient with third-degree consanguinity, product of a third pregnancy and complete immunization scheme. He had a history of oral candidiasis at the age of 3 months, chicken pox at the age of 7 months, and two episodes of complicated bronchopneumonia at the age of 1 year and 6 years. He was admitted to the hospital because of fever and cough. Examination of the chest showed rales and right basilar hypoventilation, and a blood cell count revealed leukocytosis and neutrophilia. The diagnosis of pneumonia was made. He was treated with IV antibiotics. Serum immunoglobulins were reported to be low (IgM 55 mg/dL, IgA 0.9 mg/dL, and IgG 199 mg/dL). With these findings the clinical diagnosis of X-linked agammaglobulinemia (ALX) was concluded. A molecular test was performed fining a BTK gene confirming the diagnosis of Bruton's disease. Therapy with intravenous IgG was started every 21 days. During his evolution, he presented three episodes of rhinosinusitis, one of suppurative otitis media, and four events of pneumonia that required 37 days of hospitalization. After hospital discharge, the patient was free of infections and he returned to his daily activities. In cases of recurrent and severe respiratory infections in children, we must consider primary immunodeficiency disease in the differential diagnosis, mainly antibiotic deficiency. Early diagnosis and treatment improves the survival and quality of life in these patients.

[Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome]. / Síndrome de Wiskott-Aldrich.

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by congenital microthrombocytopenia, eczema and recurrent infections. This paper reports the case of a 3-year-6-month male patient, whose maternal uncle died at the age of 3 months due to fulminant sepsis from a pulmonary infection. The patient was a product of the first pregnancy, he was born at 27 weeks' gestation and weighed 1,400 g. As a neonate he was hospitalized during the first 2 months of life because of a low gastrointestinal bleeding, thrombocytopenia and severe infections. In the next 4 months and before coming to our hospital the infant was hospitalized 54 times. On admission he presented disseminated dermatosis, enlarged neck lymph nodes and psychomotor retardation. Laboratory studies revealed hemoglobin 8.1 g/dL, platelets 31,000/uL, mean platelet volume 5.6 fL, IgM 39.3 mg/dL, IgA 67 mg/dL, IgG 1,380 mg/dL. On several occasions he received globular packages and platelet concentrates. The infusion of immunoglobulin G was started every 21 days. Bone marrow transplantation was delayed due to the complications that merited 13 hospitalizations and severe thrombocytopenia, low gastrointestinal bleeding, septic arthritis, infectious gastroenteritis, chronic suppurative otitis media and severe folliculitis. At the age of 4 years BMT of cord was performed, and 26 days after transplantation he presented septic shock and died. The prognosis of bone marrow transplantation in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and in other primary immunodeficiencies depends on the promptness of its performance at early stages in life. It is important that the first contact physicians be aware of the primary immunodeficiency signs and symptoms.

Utilidad de la determinación cualitativa rápida de Troponina-T, fracción MB de creatina fosfocinasa y mioglobina en los síndromes isquémicos coronarios agudos / Utility of a rapid bedside assay of cardiac troponine T, creatinphosphoquinase-MB and myoglobin in acute ischemic coronary syndromes

Con el objeto de validar la utilidad diagnóstica de la troponina T, CK-MB y mioglobina como marcadores cualitativos en los síndromes isquémicos coronarios agudos, así como en casos de dificultad diagnóstica, las analizamos mediante pruebas de concordancia y las comparamos contra métodos enzimáticos cuantitativos convencionales. Determinamos la sensibilidad, especificidad y valores predictivos positivos o negativos de la curva enzimática cuantitativa. La significancia estocástica fue valorada mediante pruebas de X² cuadrada y de Mcnemar, en 70 pacientes que ingresaron al servicio de Urgencias con dolor precordial, y que fueron asignados en cinco diferentes grupos. La sensibilidad de los métodos cualitativos sin embargo con menor tasa de verosimilitud. El análisis de concordancia entre las pruebas cuantitativas y cualitativas fue adecuado: Indice de Kappa de 0.65 p<0.05. El estudio sugiere que la Troponina T es un buen marcador diagnóstico comparado con los métodos cuantitativos convencionales