Injectable Hydrogels for Nervous Tissue Repair-A Brief Review.

The repair of nervous tissue is a critical research field in tissue engineering because of the degenerative process in the injured nervous system. In this review, we summarize the progress of injectable hydrogels using in vitro and in vivo studies for the regeneration and repair of nervous tissue. Traditional treatments have not been favorable for patients, as they are invasive and inefficient; therefore, injectable hydrogels are promising for the treatment of damaged tissue. This review will contribute to a better understanding of injectable hydrogels as potential scaffolds and drug delivery system for neural tissue engineering applications.

Self-regulation learning as active inference: dynamic causal modeling of an fMRI neurofeedback task.

Introduction: Learning to self-regulate brain activity by neurofeedback has been shown to lead to changes in the brain and behavior, with beneficial clinical and non-clinical outcomes. Neurofeedback uses a brain-computer interface to guide participants to change some feature of their brain activity. However, the neural mechanism of self-regulation learning remains unclear, with only 50% of the participants succeeding in achieving it. To bridge this knowledge gap, our study delves into the neural mechanisms of self-regulation learning via neurofeedback and investigates the brain processes associated with successful brain self-regulation. Methods: We study the neural underpinnings of self-regulation learning by employing dynamical causal modeling (DCM) in conjunction with real-time functional MRI data. The study involved a cohort of 18 participants undergoing neurofeedback training targeting the supplementary motor area. A critical focus was the comparison between top-down hierarchical connectivity models proposed by Active Inference and alternative bottom-up connectivity models like reinforcement learning. Results: Our analysis revealed a crucial distinction in brain connectivity patterns between successful and non-successful learners. Particularly, successful learners evinced a significantly stronger top-down effective connectivity towards the target area implicated in self-regulation. This heightened top-down network engagement closely resembles the patterns observed in goal-oriented and cognitive control studies, shedding light on the intricate cognitive processes intertwined with self-regulation learning. Discussion: The findings from our investigation underscore the significance of cognitive mechanisms in the process of self-regulation learning through neurofeedback. The observed stronger top-down effective connectivity in successful learners indicates the involvement of hierarchical cognitive control, which aligns with the tenets of Active Inference. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the neural dynamics behind successful self-regulation learning and provides insights into the potential cognitive architecture underpinning this process.

Evaluation of the Biological Properties of an Optimized Extract of Polygonum cuspidatum Using Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction.

Phytochemicals are natural compounds found in plants that have potential health benefits such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and immune reinforcement. Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. is a source rich in resveratrol, traditionally consumed as an infusion. In this study, P. cuspidatum root extraction conditions were optimized to increase antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS+), extraction yield, resveratrol concentration, and total polyphenolic compounds (TPC) via ultrasonic-assisted extraction using a Box-Behnken design (BBD). The biological activities of the optimized extract and the infusion were compared. The optimized extract was obtained using a solvent/root powder ratio of 4, 60% ethanol concentration, and 60% ultrasonic power. The optimized extract showed higher biological activities than the infusion. The optimized extract contained 16.6 mg mL-1 resveratrol, high antioxidant activities (135.1 µg TE mL-1 for DPPH, and 230.4 µg TE mL-1 for ABTS+), TPC (33.2 mg GAE mL-1), and extraction yield of 12.4%. The EC50 value (effective concentration 50) of the optimized extract was 0.194 µg mL-1, which revealed high cytotoxic activity against the Caco-2 cell line. The optimized extract could be used to develop functional beverages with high antioxidant capacity, antioxidants for edible oils, functional foods, and cosmetics.

Porous Chitosan Hydrogels Produced by Physical Crosslinking: Physicochemical, Structural, and Cytotoxic Properties.

Chitosan hydrogels are biomaterials with excellent potential for biomedical applications. In this study, chitosan hydrogels were prepared at different concentrations and molecular weights by freeze-drying. The chitosan sponges were physically crosslinked using sodium bicarbonate as a crosslinking agent. The X-ray spectroscopy (XPS and XRD diffraction), equilibrium water content, microstructural morphology (confocal microscopy), rheological properties (temperature sweep test), and cytotoxicity of the chitosan hydrogels (MTT assay) were investigated. XPS analysis confirmed that the chitosan hydrogels obtained were physically crosslinked using sodium bicarbonate. The chitosan samples displayed a semi-crystalline nature and a highly porous structure with mean pore size between 115.7 ± 20.5 and 156.3 ± 21.8 µm. In addition, the chitosan hydrogels exhibited high water absorption, showing equilibrium water content values from 23 to 30 times their mass in PBS buffer and high thermal stability from 5 to 60 °C. Also, chitosan hydrogels were non-cytotoxic, obtaining cell viability values ≥ 100% for the HT29 cells. Thus, physically crosslinked chitosan hydrogels can be great candidates as biomaterials for biomedical applications.

Metabolic changes induced by DNA damage in Ramos cells: exploring the role of mTORC1 complex.

DNA damage induces the activation of many different signals associated with repair or cell death, but it is also connected with physiological events, such as adult neurogenesis and B-cell differentiation. DNA damage induces different signaling pathways, some of them linked to important metabolic changes. The mTORC1 pathway has a central role in the regulation of growth processes and cell division in response to environmental changes and also controls protein synthesis, lipid biogenesis, nucleotide synthesis, and expression of glycolytic genes. Here, we report that double-strand breaks induced with etoposide affect the expression of genes encoding different enzymes associated with specific metabolic pathways in Ramos cells. We also analyzed the role of mTOR signaling, demonstrating that double-strand breaks induce downregulation of mTOR signaling. Specific inhibition of mTORC1 using rapamycin also induced changes in the expression of metabolic genes. Finally, we demonstrated that DNA damage and rapamycin can regulate glucose uptake. In summary, our findings show that etoposide and rapamycin affect the expression of metabolic genes as well as apoptotic and proliferation markers in Ramos cells, increasing our understanding of cancer metabolism.

Negative Modulation of Macroautophagy by Stabilized HERPUD1 is Counteracted by an Increased ER-Lysosomal Network With Impact in Drug-Induced Stress Cell Survival.

Macroautophagy and the ubiquitin proteasome system work as an interconnected network in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Indeed, efficient activation of macroautophagy upon nutritional deprivation is sustained by degradation of preexisting proteins by the proteasome. However, the specific substrates that are degraded by the proteasome in order to activate macroautophagy are currently unknown. By quantitative proteomic analysis we identified several proteins downregulated in response to starvation independently of ATG5 expression. Among them, the most significant was HERPUD1, an ER membrane protein with low expression and known to be degraded by the proteasome under normal conditions. Contrary, under ER stress, levels of HERPUD1 increased rapidly due to a blockage in its proteasomal degradation. Thus, we explored whether HERPUD1 stability could work as a negative regulator of autophagy. In this work, we expressed a version of HERPUD1 with its ubiquitin-like domain (UBL) deleted, which is known to be crucial for its proteasome degradation. In comparison to HERPUD1-WT, we found the UBL-deleted version caused a negative role on basal and induced macroautophagy. Unexpectedly, we found stabilized HERPUD1 promotes ER remodeling independent of unfolded protein response activation observing an increase in stacked-tubular structures resembling previously described tubular ER rearrangements. Importantly, a phosphomimetic S59D mutation within the UBL mimics the phenotype observed with the UBL-deleted version including an increase in HERPUD1 stability and ER remodeling together with a negative role on autophagy. Moreover, we found UBL-deleted version and HERPUD1-S59D trigger an increase in cellular size, whereas HERPUD1-S59D also causes an increased in nuclear size. Interestingly, ER remodeling by the deletion of the UBL and the phosphomimetic S59D version led to an increase in the number and function of lysosomes. In addition, the UBL-deleted version and phosphomimetic S59D version established a tight ER-lysosomal network with the presence of extended patches of ER-lysosomal membrane-contact sites condition that reveals an increase of cell survival under stress conditions. Altogether, we propose stabilized HERPUD1 downregulates macroautophagy favoring instead a closed interplay between the ER and lysosomes with consequences in drug-cell stress survival.

Association between Obesity and COVID-19 Mortality in Peru: An Ecological Study.

There is a gap in the epidemiological data on obesity and COVID-19 mortality in low and middle-income countries worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including Peru. In this ecological study, we explored the association between body mass index (BMI), the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and the COVID-19 mortality rates in 25 Peruvian regions, adjusted for confounding factors (mean age in the region, mean income, gender balance and number of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds) using multiple linear regression. We retrieved secondary region-level data on the BMI average and prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in individuals aged ≥ 15 years old, from the Peruvian National Demographics and Health Survey (ENDES 2020). COVID-19 death statistics were obtained from the National System of Deaths (SINADEF) from the Peruvian Ministry of Health and were accurate as of 3 June 2021. COVID-19 mortality rates (per 100,000 habitants) were calculated among those aged ≥ 15 years old. During the study period, a total of 190,046 COVID-19 deaths were registered in individuals aged ≥ 15 years in 25 Peruvian regions. There was association between the BMI (r = 0.74; p = 0.00001) and obesity (r = 0.76; p = 0.00001), and the COVID-19 mortality rate. Adjusted for confounding factors, only the prevalence rate of obesity was associated with COVID-19 mortality rate (ß = 0.585; p = 0.033). These findings suggest that as obesity prevalence increases, the COVID-19 mortality rates increase in the Peruvian population ≥ 15 years. These findings can help to elucidate the high COVID-19 mortality rates in Peru.

O uso emergente da teleodontologia durante a pandemia de Covid-19: experiência de um município do sul do Brasil / The emerging use of teleodontology during the Covid-19 pandemic: experience from a municipality in southern Brazil

Objetivo: descrever a experiência do serviço de teleodontologia no município de Palhoça, Santa Catarina, durante a pandemia da Covid-19. Métodos: trata-se de um estudo observacional, de caráter transversal. A pesquisa foi realizada com os dados de pacientes atendidos pelo serviço de teleodontologia do município Palhoça, Santa Catarina. Foram registrados dados referentes ao perfil sociodemográfico do usuário, agravos bucais e desfecho do caso. Resultados: houve 20.745 teleatendimentos e 7.666 agendamentos. A maioria dos usuários era do sexo feminino, sendo a faixa etária mais prevalente composta por jovens adultos. As principais queixas relatadas foram para monitoramento de caso e dor. Dos casos agendados, 91,23% dos usuários foram encaminhados para as unidades básicas de saúde. Conclusão: diante dos achados, a teleodontologia demonstrou ser uma excelente ferramenta, contribuindo para a diminuição no fluxo de pessoas em unidades de saúde e colaborando com os processos instituídos no atendimento, possibilitando a manutenção da assistência de casos.(AU)

Objective: to describe the experience of a Dentistry- by-phone (Teleodontologia) service in the city of Palhoça, SC, Brazil, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: this is an observational, cross-sectional study. The research was carried out with data from patients assisted by the service. Data regarding the user's sociodemographic profile, oral health problems and case results were recorded. Results: there were 20745 calls and 7666 appointments. Most users were female, with the most prevalent age group being young adults. Main reported complaints were for case monitoring and pain. From the scheduled cases, 91% of users were referred to the UBSs (Health Basic Units). Conclusion: the service was considered to be an excellent tool, assisting on reducing the flow of people in health units and collaborating with the processes established in the service, allowing for health care maintenance.(AU)

Biocatalytic Potential of Native Basidiomycetes from Colombia for Flavour/Aroma Production.

Aromas and flavours can be produced from fungi by either de novo synthesis or biotransformation processes. Herein, the biocatalytic potential of seven basidiomycete species from Colombia fungal strains isolated as endophytes or basidioma was evaluated. Ganoderma webenarium, Ganoderma chocoense, and Ganoderma stipitatum were the most potent strains capable of decolourizing ß,ß-carotene as evidence of their potential as biocatalysts for de novo aroma synthesis. Since a species' biocatalytic potential cannot solely be determined via qualitative screening using ß,ß-carotene biotransformation processes, we focused on using α-pinene biotransformation with mycelium as a measure of catalytic potential. Here, two strains of Trametes elegans-namely, the endophytic (ET-06) and basidioma (EBB-046) strains-were screened. Herein, T. elegans is reported for the first time as a novel biocatalyst for the oxidation of α-pinene, with a product yield of 2.9 mg of cis-Verbenol per gram of dry weight mycelia used. The EBB-046 strain generated flavour compounds via the biotransformation of a Cape gooseberry medium and de novo synthesis in submerged cultures. Three aroma-producing compounds were identified via GC-MS-namely, methyl-3-methoxy-4H-pyran-4-one, hexahydro-3-(methylpropyl)-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, and hexahydro-3-(methylphenyl)-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione.

Public health issues from crude-oil production in the Ecuadorian Amazon territories.

Crude oil production (COP) is a high-pollution industry but the vast Amazon rainforest has been an active COP zone for South America. Although COP has been associated with a variety of health effects among workers around the world, such effects have not been adequately investigated in the Amazon region, especially at the community level. Therefore, this review was conducted to provide a report about COP in the Amazon of Ecuador and about its association with health status of indigenous human populations. Some epidemiological surveys in the Amazonian Territories indicate that COP has been associated with health problems in the surrounding populations, e.g. cancers in the stomach, rectum, skin, soft tissue, kidney and cervix in adults, and leukemia in children. In addition, some biomarkers and mechanistic studies show exposure effects. However, due to limitations from these studies, contradictory associations have been reported. Our review indicates that COP in the Amazonian territories of northern Ecuador was characterised by contamination which could have affected the indigenous and non-indigenous populations. However, there have not been dedicated investigations to provide relationships between the contamination and the subsequent exposure-health effects. Since indigenous populations have different lifestyle and cultures from regular city dwellers, systematic studies on their potential health hazards need to be conducted. Due to the remote locations and sparse populations, these new studies may involve the use of novel and genomic-based biomarkers as well as using high technology in the remote regions.

Rede de apoio social à mulher com câncer de mama / Social support network of women with breast cancer / Red de apoyo social a la mujer con cáncer de mama

OBJETIVO: Conhecer a rede de apoio social à mulher com câncer de mama, participante de um grupo de apoio do Rio Grande do Sul. MÉTODOS: Estudo qualitativo, exploratório, descritivo, com mulheres de um grupo de apoio. A análise dos dados, conforme Minayo, resultou em quatro temáticas: família e amigos como provedores da rede de apoio social; grupos terapêuticos no contexto da rede de apoio; equipe de saúde como integrantes da rede de apoio; religiosidade, fé e espiritualidade integram a rede de apoio social para alivio do sofrimento. RESULTADOS: O apoio social é necessário durante o tratamento, para enfrentamento da patologia e recuperação da mulher. Revela-se que família, vizinho, amigos e grupo fazem parte da rede da mulher que vivencia o câncer. CONCLUSÃO: Prover o apoio social é parte do cuidado integral do enfermeiro e reconhecer as necessidades da mulher é importante para o planejamento de enfermagem

Objective: the study's purpose has been to know the social support network for breast cancer-bearing women, who were participating in a support group from the Rio Grande do Sul State. Method: it is a descriptiveexploratory study with a qualitative approach, which was performed by the participation of women from a support group. The data analysis carried out according to the technique of Thematic Analysis of Minayo resulted in four themes, as follows: family and friends as social support network providers; therapeutic groups in the support network framework; healthcare team as members of the support network; religiosity, faith and spirituality as part of the social support network to relieve suffering. Results: social support is needed during treatment, both for coping with the pathology and for women to recover from it. The results have shown that families, friends, neighbors and the group are all parts of the women network, who is experiencing cancer. Conclusion: providing social support is part of the comprehensive care given by nurses, so recognizing the women's needs is important to plan nursing care

Objetivo: conocer la red de apoyo social a la mujer con cáncer de mama, integrante de grupo de apoyo de Rio Grande do Sul. Método: estudio cualitativo, exploratorio, descriptivo, realizado con mujeres de un grupo de apoyo. El análisis de datos, conforme Minayo, determinó cuatro temáticas: familia y amigos como proveedores de red de apoyo social; grupos terapéuticos en el contexto de red de apoyo; equipo de salud como integrante de red de apoyo; religiosidad, fe y espiritualidad integrando red de apoyo social para mitigación del sufrimiento. Resultados: el apoyo social es necesario durante el tratamiento, para afrontar la patología y la recuperación de la mujer. La familia, vecinos, amigos y grupo forman parte de la red de la mujer que experimenta un cáncer. Conclusión: proveer apoyo social forma parte del cuidado integral del enfermero, y reconocer las necesidades de la mujer es importante para la planificación de enfermería

The Effect of Resveratrol on Cell Viability in the Burkitt's Lymphoma Cell Line Ramos.

Resveratrol is a polyphenolic natural compound produced by a variety of crops. Currently, resveratrol is considered a multi-target anti-cancer agent with pleiotropic activity, including the ability to prevent the proliferation of malignant cells by inhibiting angiogenesis and curtailing invasive and metastatic factors in many cancer models. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating resveratrol-specific effects on lymphoma cells remain unknown. To begin tackling this question, we treated the Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Ramos with resveratrol and assessed cell survival and gene expression. Our results suggest that resveratrol shows a significant anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity on Ramos cells, inducing the DNA damage response, DNA repairing, and modulating the expression of several genes that regulate the apoptotic process and their proliferative activity.

In Vitro Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Response to Ionic Dissolution Products from Lithium-Containing 45S5 Bioactive Glass.

Since lithium (Li⁺) plays roles in angiogenesis, the localized and controlled release of Li⁺ ions from bioactive glasses (BGs) represents a promising alternative therapy for the regeneration and repair of tissues with a high degree of vascularization. Here, microparticles from a base 45S5 BG composition containing (wt %) 45% SiO2, 24.5% Na2O, 24.5% CaO, and 6% P2O5, in which Na2O was partially substituted by 5% Li2O (45S5.5Li), were obtained. The results demonstrate that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) have greater migratory and proliferative response and ability to form tubules in vitro after stimulation with the ionic dissolution products (IDPs) of the 45S5.5Li BG. The results also show the activation of the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and the increase in expression of proangiogenic cytokines insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFß). We conclude that the IDPs of 45S5.5Li BG would act as useful inorganic agents to improve tissue repair and regeneration, ultimately stimulating HUVECs behavior in the absence of exogenous growth factors.

Angiogenic effects of ionic dissolution products released from a boron-doped 45S5 bioactive glass.

In regenerative medicine of vascularized tissues, there is a great interest in the use of biomaterials that are able to stimulate angiogenesis, a process necessary for rapid revascularization to allow the transport and exchange of oxygen, nutrients, growth factors and cells that take part in tissue repair and/or regeneration. An increasing number of publications have shown that bioactive glasses stimulate angiogenesis. Because it has been established that boron (B) may play a role in angiogenesis, the aim of this study was to assess the in vivo angiogenic effects of the ionic dissolution products that from a bioactive glass (BG) in the 45S5 system doped with 2 wt% B2O3 (45S5.2B). The pro-angiogenic capacity of 45S5.2B BG was assessed on the vasculature of the embryonic quail chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Ionic dissolution products from 45S5.2B BG increased angiogenesis. This is quantitatively evidenced by the greater expression of integrin αvß3 and higher vascular density in the embryonic quail CAM. The response observed at 2 and 5 days post-treatment was equivalent to that achieved by applying 10 µg mL-1 of basic fibroblast growth factor. These results show that the ionic dissolution products released from the bioactive glass 45S5.2B stimulate angiogenesis in vivo. The effects observed are attributed to the presence the ionic dissolution products, which contained 160 ± 10 µM borate.

Avaliação simplificada e comportamental do processamento auditivo em escolares: estabelecendo relações / Auditory processing screening and behavioral evaluation in students: establishing relations

Objetivo caracterizar o processamento auditivo de escolares que falharam na avaliação simplificada do processamento auditivo e comparar esses achados com os resultados na avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo. Métodos realizou-se a avaliação audiológica básica (audiometria tonal e vocal e medidas de imitância acústica), bateria comportamental do processamento auditivo composta pelos testes PSI (Pediatric Speech Intelligibility) versão em português, PPS (Pitch Pattern Sequence), MLD (Masking Level Difference), SSW (Stagged Spondaic Words) versão em português e GIN (Gap in Noise) e reteste da avaliação simplificada do processamento auditivo com escolares de 9 a 14 anos, matriculados entre o 4º ano e a 8ª série do ensino fundamental de uma escola de ensino público de Porto Alegre. Resultados dos 11 escolares avaliados que falharam na avaliação simplificada, 10 (90,9%) apresentaram alterações na bateria comportamental do processamento auditivo. Os subperfis com maior número de alterações foram os de decodificação e integração, as habilidades auditivas mais prejudicadas foram de interação binaural e separação e integração binaural concomitantemente. Não houve associação significante entre as tarefas da avaliação simplificada e os testes da bateria comportamental ao comparar o mesmo correlato neurofisiológico ou tarefa semelhante. Conclusão foi possível caracterizar o processamento auditivo dos escolares avaliados. A partir da comparação entre a avaliação simplificada e a bateria comportamental verificou-se que a avaliação simplificada pode ser um preditor sensível às alterações de processamento auditivo, apesar de não se identificar as...

Purpose to characterize the auditory processing of students who failed in the simplified evaluation of the auditory processing and compare these found results with the results in the behavioral auditory processing evaluation. Methods it was performed the basic audiological evaluation (vocal and tonal audiometry and acoustic immitance measurements), the behavioral battery of the auditory processing, composed by the PSI (Pediatric Speech Intelligibility) portuguese version, PPS (Pitch Pattern Sequence), MLD (Masking Level Difference), SSW (Stagged Spondaic Words) portuguese version and GIN (Gap in Noise), and the retest of the simplified evaluation of the auditory processing with students from nine to fourteen years old registered between 4th to 8th grade of a public school in Porto Alegre. Results ten (90,9%) out of the eleven evaluated students that failed in the simplified evaluation showed alterations in the behavioral battery of auditory processing tests. The subprofiles which had the major number of alterations were the ones of decoding and integration, the most impaired auditory abilities were binaural interaction and separation and binaural integration concomitantly. There was no relevant association between the tasks of the simplified evaluation and the tests of the behavioral battery when comparing the same neuralphisiological report or similar task. Conclusion it was possible to characterize the auditory processing of the analyzed students. From the comparison between the simplified evaluation and the behavioral battery it was noted that the simplified evaluation can be a sensible predictor to the alterations of the auditory processing, in spite of not identifying the specific association between the compared abilities. .

Effect of nano-sized bioactive glass particles on the angiogenic properties of collagen based composites.

Angiogenesis is essential for tissue regeneration and repair. A growing body of evidence shows that the use of bioactive glasses (BG) in biomaterial-based tissue engineering (TE) strategies may improve angiogenesis and induce increased vascularization in TE constructs. This work investigated the effect of adding nano-sized BG particles (n-BG) on the angiogenic properties of bovine type I collagen/n-BG composites. Nano-sized (20-30 nm) BG particles of nominally 45S5 Bioglass® composition were used to prepare composite films, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The in vivo angiogenic response was evaluated using the quail chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as an model of angiogenesis. At 24 h post-implantation, 10 wt% n-BG containing collagen films stimulated angiogenesis by increasing by 41 % the number of blood vessels branch points. In contrast, composite films containing 20 wt% n-BG were found to inhibit angiogenesis. This experimental study provides the first evidence that addition of a limited concentration of n-BG (10 wt%) to collagen films induces an early angiogenic response making selected collagen/n-BG composites attractive matrices for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Prefrontal serotonin depletion impairs egocentric, but not allocentric working memory in rats.

Working memory is a cognitive ability chiefly organized by the prefrontal cortex. Working memory tests may be resolved based on allocentric or egocentric spatial strategies. Serotonergic neurotransmission is closely involved in working memory, but its role in spatial strategies for working memory performance is unknown. To address this issue, prefrontal serotonin depletion was induced to adult male rats, and three days after the behavioral expression of both allocentric and egocentric strategies were evaluated in the "Y" maze and in a crossed-arm maze, respectively. Serotonin depletion caused no effects on allocentric-related behavioral performance, but lesioned rats performed deficiently when the egocentric working memory was evaluated. These results suggest that serotonin may be more closely related with the organization of working memory that uses own movement-guided responses than with that involving the use of external visuospatial signals. Further neurochemical studies are needed to elucidate possible interactions between serotonergic activity and other neurotransmitter systems in the organization of working memory-related allocentric and egocentric strategies.

Análisis de los artículos pediátricos disponibles en español en revistas de enfermería / Analysis of Spanish pediatrics papers available in the nursing journals

Resumen

Introducción: el uso del conocimiento obtenido de la investigación en la práctica de la enfermería ha mostrado un mejor cuidado de los niños. Para ello, es necesario disponer de información actual.

Objetivo: analizar cuantos artículos de enfermería pediátrica en español pueden ser consultados libremente en bibliotecas o páginas electrónicas y determinar cuáles son los temas y áreas estudiados en ellos.

Metodología: se realizó en tres etapas: 1) búsqueda exhaustiva en páginas de internet y bibliotecas digitales de las revistas de enfermería existentes. 2) Listado de revistas publicadas en lengua española accesibles con temas pediátricos. 3) Análisis de artículos seleccionados por pares de enfermeras para determinar el tema, sitio clínico de aplicación, población estudiada, área temática y valoración sobre su aplicabilidad.

Resultados: se encontraron 785 revistas de enfermería, 23 editadas en español. De las revistas en español, nueve permitían la accesibilidad a cuando menos un artículo de enero de 2005 a julio de 2009. De los 1022 artículos accesibles, 45 eran pediátricos. El tópico más frecuente fue sobre “los cuidados al paciente” 26/45, seguido de estudios sobre “procedimientos” 16/45. Los artículos muestran los conocimientos aplicados en las unidades de terapia intensiva pediátrica 38/45 o neonatal 24/45. De los artículos 77 % fueron útiles a la enfermera pediatra.

Conclusiones: existen pocas revistas de enfermería pediátrica en español con artículos accesibles para la actualización. La mayoría de los artículos de enfermería pediátrica informan sobre cuidados a pacientes en unidades de cuidados intensivos.

Summary

Introduction: the use of knowledge gained from research in nursing practice has shown better care of children. To do this, it is necessary to have updated information.

Objective: to analyze all articles of pediatric nursing that can be in Spanish can be freely consulted in libraries or websites. Determine which are the topics and areas studied in them.

Methodology: it was conducted in three stages: 1) Exhaustive search of web and digital libraries of nursing journals. 2) List of accessible Spanish-language published magazines with papers to of pediatric issues. 3) Analysis of the items selected by pairs of nurses to determine: the issue, implementing clinical site, studied population, topic, and assessment of their applicability.

Results: there were 785 nursing journals, of which 23 (2.9 %) were published in Spanish. Of the magazines in Spanish, nine (40 %) allowed access to at least one article form January 2005 to July 2009. Out of the 1022 papers available, 45 (4.4 %) were related to pediatric care. The most frequent topic in these articles was on “patient care” (26/45), followed by studies on “procedures” (16/45). Most of the knowledge was apllied to pediatric intensive care units (38/45) or neonatal (24/45). Among these articles 77 % (35/45) were judged very useful information for a pediatric nurse.

Conclusions: there are very few pediatric nursing journals available in Spanish with accessible, items for updating. Most pediatric nursing articles report on care to patients in intensive care units.

Biocompatibility and bone mineralization potential of 45S5 Bioglass-derived glass-ceramic scaffolds in chick embryos.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the biocompatibility and bone mineralization potential of 45S5 Bioglass-derived glass-ceramic scaffolds using a chick embryo shell-less (ex ovo) culture system. Chick embryos were divided into two groups: control (C) and experimental (E). Scaffolds were placed on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) in embryos of group E at 10 days of total incubation. The 45S5 Bioglass-derived glass-ceramic scaffolds proved to be biocompatible in terms of the absence of inflammatory response at the implant site (CAM). Moreover, no alterations in the other end-points assessed, i.e. survival, stage of embryonic development and body weight, were detected. However, body length was greater in group E embryos than in group C embryos (p0.05). A marked reduction (93%) in Ca content in the scaffolds was evidenced by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis at 5 days post-implantation. Calcium release from the scaffold implanted on the CAM might have been responsible for the restoration of the bone-like phenotype in chick embryonic skeleton of group E as detected by Alcian blue-Alizarin red double staining, as well as by histological and microchemical analyses. Conversely, the control embryos exhibited a chondrogenic phenotype.