Italian-Moldovan international nurse migration: rendering visible the loss of human capital.

AIM: To describe the process of the migration of Moldovan nurses to Italy. BACKGROUND: Formerly a part of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Moldova gained independence in 1991. Currently, there are 25 848 nurses (60.6 per 10,000 inhabitants) working mainly in the public health system. Each year, around 2000 nurses leave the country in search of better working conditions and a better quality of life. METHODS: A longitudinal study design was adopted (2006-2007). In the first phase, we contacted all known nurses living in Moldova and their available colleagues following a snowball sampling strategy. Inclusion criteria were nurses who had decided to migrate to Italy and had already prepared the migration documents and/or were awaiting their departure. In the second phase, we interviewed the same sample of nurses on arrival in Italy. FINDINGS: After one year, only 25 nurses out of the 110 initially interviewed (22.7%) had arrived in Italy; none were working as nurses. The cost of the migration process incurred by each nurse was around 3278 euros, and the waiting time from the decision to leave until arrival was around 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: All Moldovan nurses involved in this study, once they arrived in Italy, ceased to exist from an official perspective. Policy and recommendations need to be developed to ensure the integration of Moldovan-educated nurses into the health-care system and to monitor the amount of human capital (in terms of care drain, brain drain and youth drain) that this process risks wasting.

New substituted 2-(pyrazol-1-yl) o-, m-, p-methylacetanilides with potential local anaesthetic and antiarrhythmic action. Part I.

Fifteen substituted 2-(pyrazol-1-yl)acetanilides were synthesized by N-alkylation of pyrazole and some of its derivatives with several 2-iodoacetanilides. The new compounds exhibited local anaesthetic and antiarrhythmic actions. The new compounds have been characterized by elemental chemical analysis, UV-Vis, IR, 1H, 13C NMR spectra and pharmacology research.

Studies regarding the effects of an antioxidant compound in top athletes.

The authors performed a controlled trial in 15 top junior athletes (road cyclists) in order to make evident some antioxidant effects of a new compound, containing selenium, vitamin E, glutathion and cysteine, prepared as tablets. Nonproteic -SH and lipid peroxides (MDA) in blood have been recorded initially on basal conditions and 3 weeks later--during the time the athletes received daily, before training session, 2 h cycling on road about 70km--2 tablets of the antioxidant product (respectively placebo). Then, after one week we applied the cross over method. 3 weeks of antioxidant treatment induced significant increase of the nonproteic -SH and significant decrease of the lipid peroxides (MDA), especially in comparison with placebo treatment. These results support the idea of some antioxidant effects of this compound which might be useful in the biological preparation of endurance athletes.

Studies regarding the antioxidant effects of selenium on top swimmers.

The authors performed another controlled trial in 33 top swimmers (16 girls and 17 boys) in order to make evident some acute and chronic effects (antioxidant) of selenium. Lipid peroxides (MDA-malondialdehyde), nonproteic--SH (essential glutathione) in the serum and blood lactate had been recorded initially on basal conditions and after 2 h endurance training (swimming) accompanied by a per oral administration of 150 micrograms selenium (respectively placebo); one week later we applied the cross-over method. In another trial we continued the treatment with 100 micrograms selenium daily for 14 days (n = 9), respectively placebo (n = 7) and then we applied the crossover method for another 14 days. The above biochemical parameters were recorded initially at rest, under basal conditions, after 14 days of treatment and again after 14 days of treatment, when crossing-over. No significant changes were noticed after a single dose + 2 h hard training, both under selenium and placebo treatment and also when the cross-over method was applied. Fourteen days of selenium treatment induced significant changes of lipid peroxides (especially when the subjects came after placebo) and nonproteic--SH, compared to placebo, changes which support the idea of some antioxidant effects of selenium which might be useful in endurance athletes.

Studies on selenium in top athletes.

The authors performed a controlled trial in 18 top athletes (9 weight lifters and 9 rowers, girls) in order to make evident some chronic and acute effects (antioxidant) of selenium. Nonprotein--SH (essential glutathione), lipid peroxides (MDA-malondialdehyde), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases (G-6-PDH) and fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase in serum, have been recorded initially on basal conditions, after 3 weeks of treatment (100 micrograms/day selenium or placebo) and again after 3 weeks of treatment, also on basal conditions, when crossing over the groups (between a free interval of 10 days). In another trial we registered these parameters on basal conditions and after two hours of hard training accompanied by a per oral administration of 150 micrograms selenium (respectively placebo). The results show significant changes under selenium treatment of the peroxides, G-6-PDH and light changes, not significant of the nonprotein--SH, changes which could suggest an antioxidant effect of this element.

2-4-Dichloro-phenoxy-acetic acid interactions with the detoxification hepatic systems.

The present work has as aim to establish the interaction of 2-4-dichloro-phenoxy-acetic acid with the detoxification hepatic systems. The activation of the mixed function oxidase-system (MFOS) which converts the compound to a powerful arylating agent detoxified by glutathione-S-transferase was observed. The dose used do not overpass the cell adaptive capacity, tested by the serum enzymes activities, tissue lipid peroxides and glutathione concentration.